Re: Software for Hobby RF Design?
Hans, No flames from me. Just a gentle admonition to a good fellow to open eyes just a bit wider and see the complementary value that bench work and simulation bring to the art and science of EE. It is especially so when unexpected behaviors are encountered in a circuit.
Regards, OM...JZ
Hi Cris,
Mayby MicroCap 12 is an idea.
It is free of charge now.
73's Jacques PA3EVZ
Op 18 jul. 2023, om 09:28, "clansd via " < protonmail.com@ target=_blank>clansd=@> schreef:
Hi all,
Just wondering what you folks use to simulate or test your circuits before building them up on the bench?
I am familiar with LTSpice, but have heard it is not great for RF circuits. At work we use Cadence AWR but I doubt that is common among enthusiasts.
Any ideas?
-Chris VA3XCL
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Re: Software for Hobby RF Design?
Hi Cris,
Mayby MicroCap 12 is an idea.
It is free of charge now.
73's Jacques PA3EVZ
Hi all,
Just wondering what you folks use to simulate or test your circuits before building them up on the bench?
I am familiar with LTSpice, but have heard it is not great for RF circuits. At work we use Cadence AWR but I doubt that is common among enthusiasts.
Any ideas?
-Chris VA3XCL
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Re: 50w PA high input SWR
Glen,
I believe you have the 50w PA confused with the 10 watt linear.? The 10 watt linear was designed to work with the QCX.? As Hans stated, "The 50W PA was always designed for the QCX-series transceivers."
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Re: Software for Hobby RF Design?
Hi Chris
I know I will be in a blasphemic minority for what I am about to say. I use Elsie for LC filters (as per the QDX manual for example). But I don't simulate anything else. So far I have found that if it is a simple circuit, thinking about it is enough. And if it is a complex circuit, probably the amount of time I would spend to set up a simulation, which would probably not even closely approximate the reality in any case (RF not being easy), is probably more time than I would spend to "just do it".?
So I just pick up the soldering iron and get on with it. Also I think if you mess around with a soldering iron and a 'scope etc you develop a more intuitive feel for things which is quite useful. Some things work, some things don't, and you feel your way quickly along?to find a solution. Works best for me.??
Now I will don my asbestos suit because I know nobody will agree with me...
Hi all,
Just wondering what you folks use to simulate or test your circuits before building them up on the bench?
I am familiar with LTSpice, but have heard it is not great for RF circuits. At work we use Cadence AWR but I doubt that is common among enthusiasts.
Any ideas?
-Chris VA3XCL
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Hello Mark
The high bands kit is for the QDX. Not QMX. It can't be used in the QMX because the QMX uses smaller toroids to fit in the smaller available space. I will have a solution available in due course.?
Possibly an incredibly stupid question, but I can't find the answer. ;-)
Can the "high bands" kit (i.e. the one with different capacitors and toroids) for the QDX be used in the QMX?
And is there a set of instructions anywhere for converting a "low bands" QDX (that I have, and works well) into the "high bands" version?
Best 73 Mark G?OIW
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Possibly an incredibly stupid question, but I can't find the answer. ;-)
Can the "high bands" kit (i.e. the one with different capacitors and toroids) for the QDX be used in the QMX?
And is there a set of instructions anywhere for converting a "low bands" QDX (that I have, and works well) into the "high bands" version?
Best 73 Mark G?OIW
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Re: QCX WARC Party - July 2023
Luc,? You couldn't also enter a night time such as from 12:00 pm to 01:00 am.? Thanks bye Giuseppe iu8eun
Luc, I was reading the modalities, hours and days of the QCX PARTS, I will never be able to participate because I am always at work or away from home.? Thanks bye Giuseppe iu8eun
Hello Luc, I connected EI9JF , F5LCI and DL6UKW up to 1:20 am on 30 meters, the propagation was not excellent, on 20 meters it was closed.? I'm having a lot of fun, I was with the qcx mini for 20m which transmits well even on 30m, I made many qsos with the car antenna placed on the balcony of the house.? A few days ago I also connected USA and OY stations, on the page there are some iu8eun/m qsos.? 73 Giuseppe iu8eun
I missed the 13:00 session and was not very lucky on the 19:00 session. 2 QSO's on 30 m with one QCX but could not hear neither Luc nor Zdenek.
60 m 2 QSO's with surprisingly good reports but faint reception on my side.? I found out later, that on my multiband QCX I selected the wrong BPF so the RX was deaf Sorry Luc and Zdnek so that is why we missed each other.
73
Martin
DK3UW
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Re: QCX WARC Party - July 2023
Luc, I was reading the modalities, hours and days of the QCX PARTS, I will never be able to participate because I am always at work or away from home.? Thanks bye Giuseppe iu8eun
Hello Luc, I connected EI9JF , F5LCI and DL6UKW up to 1:20 am on 30 meters, the propagation was not excellent, on 20 meters it was closed.? I'm having a lot of fun, I was with the qcx mini for 20m which transmits well even on 30m, I made many qsos with the car antenna placed on the balcony of the house.? A few days ago I also connected USA and OY stations, on the page there are some iu8eun/m qsos.? 73 Giuseppe iu8eun
I missed the 13:00 session and was not very lucky on the 19:00 session. 2 QSO's on 30 m with one QCX but could not hear neither Luc nor Zdenek.
60 m 2 QSO's with surprisingly good reports but faint reception on my side.? I found out later, that on my multiband QCX I selected the wrong BPF so the RX was deaf Sorry Luc and Zdnek so that is why we missed each other.
73
Martin
DK3UW
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Re: 50w PA high input SWR
Hi Glenn
The 50W PA was always designed for the QCX-series transceivers.
Joshua, I bought this up shortly after the amp was made available and I checked mine.
Apparently that's how it was designed as it's primary use was to boost a yet unreleased transceiver by QRPLABS.?
Glenn? Vk3pe?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone.
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Hi All?
This thread reminded me of some amplifier predistortion testing I did with the QRP Labs 10 Watt amplifier.? The 10W amplifier required a 1W (+30dBm) signal to provide 10W? output with a single tone. You may be interested in the IP performance achieved with the 10W PA at this drive level and the IP improvements achieved.? Note that no low pass filters were used after the amplifier for this testing.
Refer to the attached link for more details:?
Regards
Greg VK4GRM
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Re: 50w PA high input SWR
Joshua, I bought this up shortly after the amp was made available and I checked mine.
Apparently that's how it was designed as it's primary use was to boost a yet unreleased transceiver by QRPLABS.?
Glenn? Vk3pe?
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone.
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Software for Hobby RF Design?
Hi all,
Just wondering what you folks use to simulate or test your circuits before building them up on the bench?
I am familiar with LTSpice, but have heard it is not great for RF circuits. At work we use Cadence AWR but I doubt that is common among enthusiasts.
Any ideas?
-Chris VA3XCL
|
Re: QCX WARC Party - July 2023
Hello Luc, I connected EI9JF , F5LCI and DL6UKW up to 1:20 am on 30 meters, the propagation was not excellent, on 20 meters it was closed.? I'm having a lot of fun, I was with the qcx mini for 20m which transmits well even on 30m, I made many qsos with the car antenna placed on the balcony of the house.? A few days ago I also connected USA and OY stations, on the page there are some iu8eun/m qsos.? 73 Giuseppe iu8eun
I missed the 13:00 session and was not very lucky on the 19:00 session. 2 QSO's on 30 m with one QCX but could not hear neither Luc nor Zdenek.
60 m 2 QSO's with surprisingly good reports but faint reception on my side.? I found out later, that on my multiband QCX I selected the wrong BPF so the RX was deaf Sorry Luc and Zdnek so that is why we missed each other.
73
Martin
DK3UW
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Hi Mike? 5) On all the units I had, the 29?+ 9 turn L401 (as per current manual), the turns had to be fairly much fully spread out, to get the 20, 30 and 40m BPF peaks correct. It may even be worth using 29?+ 8 turns for L401. We'll see.?
Hi Hans. This is great information to have.? Thank you.? One question, however.? The photo in the manual shows the 9 turns to be spread out but the 19 turns to be not so spread out.? Do you mean that you had to spread out both sections?? I found that when I spread out the 19 turns, the RF sweeps got worse (but I was battling a second simultaneous issue at the time).? Just to be clear, do you mean to spread out both or just the 9 turns?
I had to spread out the 9 turns a lot, I actually removed one turn; the 19 turns weren't fully spread out, I adjusted them to put the peak on the 20m band. I think everyone has a different winding style and tightness, and there are component tolerances too.?
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Re: QCX WARC Party - July 2023
I missed the 13:00 session and was not very lucky on the 19:00 session. 2 QSO's on 30 m with one QCX but could not hear neither Luc nor Zdenek.
60 m 2 QSO's with surprisingly good reports but faint reception on my side.? I found out later, that on my multiband QCX I selected the wrong BPF so the RX was deaf Sorry Luc and Zdnek so that is why we missed each other.
73
Martin
DK3UW
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Re: QCX WARC Party - July 2023
@IU8EUN
Giuseppe, I see you have figured it out already, but at 00:50 CET (22:50 UTC) you were probably alone on the Discord page ...
My report
13:00Z
bad propagation, only one QSO on 30m (OK2BQN).
then tried 17m and was surprised to hear ... OK2BQN ! hi
and that was it for this session
19:00Z went better
2 QSO's on 30m, 4 QSO's on 60m (with again 2 times OK2BQN? ... of course haha)
Strange that I could hear Martin DK3UW on 60m , but he didn't hear me
73,
Luc ON7DQ
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Re: A song of praise for Hans Summers
Summertime and the liv'n is easy
Summer time and the antennae are high
One of these days' I'ma? gonna make an infantile post that don't rhyme
But started out well... like a lot of half finished kits.
But to continue might give Hans the Sh... ts.
Oh last line -?
Summer Time and 'n nobody on the Board ain't told any lies.....
?
Carole King and others...Banjo Fidler
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My QCXMini was working fine with GPS (QLG2-SE) to set/keep the clock on WSPR. ?Now GPS time setting has stopped working. ?I switch between using it for CW and WSPR several times in a week. ?I tend to unplug/plug the GPS while the WSPR is running without putting it into Practice mode - in the manual i read that i should have been doing that. ?Now, i get strange behaviour when the GPS is plugged in. ?The clock seems to drift worse, and sometimes the WSPR gets stuck with a "Waiting" message on screen. ?So my WSPR doesn't get spotted. ?I have resorted to not using the GPS anymore and setting the clock manually - at least now i get spotted. ?I did test the GPS; the LED's are flashing correctly, the output on the paddle plug has voltages. ?How can i fix this?
Thanks
Rob, VK3LER
QCXMini 40m (FW 1.07, PCB Rev 3), GPS (QLG2-SE)
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Running one milliwatt to the end-fed wire.
The AH-4 autotuner requires about three watts or so in order to do its thing.
So, I use any of my QRP rigs to do the tuning and then switch to QDX for ops.
nitey-nite all.
--
72,
Bill, N4QA
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Mark Palmer
ON7DQ Luc
Timothy Fidler