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Re: U2 Kit and Trimble GPS module advice required

g3zjo
 

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On 29/05/2013 15:50, Andy Cutland wrote:
The U2 refused to update the time so I thought something was wrong with my gps connections. I measured the voltage at pin 7 which showed 0.79v with a similar voltage showing on pin 8. Does this sound correct. I couldn't detect anything on the pps output pin (not sure what settings i need on the scope for this). I am going to take another look at it tonight with fresh eyes and a clearer head !

Andy

Something is wrong re pin7 showing? 0.79v. you have applied your 3v supply and here and you would expect to see that value, likewise with pin 8 the 10k should pull it up to the supply voltage.
How have you derived your 3v supply.
Is there a short somewhere in connecting up. Hopefully the GPS Module is not pulling down the supply.

When you get the voltages right why not connect the Data also, this will update the clock to real time and is easily visible on a scope and the result is visible on the U2 nicely.
The PPS out I could no see on my scope the only detection of its presence was by setting the scope to trigger on its leading edge. Bear in mind that the PPS needs a 3D lock and hence a good view of the satellites, the results on the U2 always come later than the real time update.

73 Eddie G3ZJO


Re: Heatsinking the BS170s in the U2?

Andy Cutland
 

I would say no. What I have done in the past where space is tight is cut long strips of sticky copper foil the same width as the body of the fet. Seems to work ok

73's
De Andy
GJ7RWT



From: Keith Maton
To: "QRPLabs@..."
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 5:34 PM
Subject: [QRPLabs] Heatsinking the BS170s in the U2?

?
I've got four BS170s fitted to my U2 kit and will be getting it boxed up in the next few days.

Is there enough physical space there to fit four of these clip on heatsinks?


73 Keith, G6NHU




Heatsinking the BS170s in the U2?

Keith Maton
 

I've got four BS170s fitted to my U2 kit and will be getting it boxed up in the next few days.

Is there enough physical space there to fit four of these clip on heatsinks?


73 Keith, G6NHU


U2 Kit and Trimble GPS module advice required

Andy Cutland
 

Last night I tried hooking up the gps module to the U2 kit. Nothing happened.

I had 3v going to pin 7, earth at pin 9 and 3v via a 10k resistor on pin 8 which is the pull up to take the unit out of standby. I was intending to just use the pps output for frequency control and timing so that was connected to the relevant point on the U2 kit.

The U2 refused to update the time so I thought something was wrong with my gps connections. I measured the voltage at pin 7 which showed 0.79v with a similar voltage showing on pin 8. Does this sound correct. I couldn't detect anything on the pps output pin (not sure what settings i need on the scope for this). I am going to take another look at it tonight with fresh eyes and a clearer head !

I am a complete newbie at this sort of thing so any advice would be most welcome.

73's
Andy
GJ7RWT


Ultimate2 statistics

Hans Summers
 


Hi all

I finally got round to typing all my order details into a big spreadsheet and doing some statistics. From time to time I'll update the charts.

1) The number of LPF kits that have been ordered so far, total 637. Remember, not all of these have been sent out - there are 48 Ultimate2 orders currently pending since the first set of 200 sold out and I am getting the new set together. So the numbers in the chart includes the sent and the unsent orders.

2) The shipping information. Thank you to everybody who wrote to told me when their kit arrived, I have compiled all this information and arranged it into a table, by country - so that you can see the minimum, average, and maximum shipping times to your country.

See?

73 Hans G0UPL


Re: U2 spotted

"andyfoad@..."
 

Current status with my U2 is I'm working on trying to get the gps
working. I think I may have blown it though.
Reyax UP501 modules work perfect with U1 and U2.

?17 a piece on Ebay.

73 de Andy


Re: U2 spotted

Andy Cutland
 

Thanks for posting the image Eddie,

My signal looks ok, I've never really studied what a wspr signal should look like but mine seems to be able to be decoded on any band.

Current status with my U2 is I'm working on trying to get the gps working. I think I may have blown it though. I will post a separate heading.

Cheers
73's
Andy
GJ7RWT



From: g3zjo
To: QRPLabs@...
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 9:38 AM
Subject: [QRPLabs] U2 spotted

?
Hi Group

I will start a folder of captures of the U2.

To start it off here is GJ7RWT U2 on WSPR this morning.

There could even be other U2's there, mine is shown but is merely on
soak test into a dummy load, its trace is distinctive being smeary due
to the band width issues and will not be on air until sorted.

73 Eddie G3ZJO



Re: U2 and all LPF kits finished

"dd5cf_colin"
 

Hi Eddie,

Thanks for your reply I will give your idea a try.

73 Colin

--- In QRPLabs@..., g3zjo <g3zjo@...> wrote:

On 28/05/2013 21:35, dd5cf_colin wrote:
I have just finished building the LPF's and I get about 500mW on 160m
up to 17m which is about 300mW and then for some reason 15m = 70mW
only and 12 and 10m must below 10mW (my digital PWR meter readout does
not show 1's) the BS 170's get quite hot on these 3 bands
Hi Colin

Instead of square waves you may be getting a low level squiggly sine
wave as drive from the DDS, try adjusting the blue potentiometer on the
DDS board for equal mark / space ratio on pin 7, if you don't have a
scope adjust for max output on the higher frequencies. More O/P equals
more efficiently running O/P stage & less heat.

73 Eddie G3ZJO


U2 spotted

g3zjo
 

Hi Group

I will start a folder of captures of the U2.

To start it off here is GJ7RWT U2 on WSPR this morning.

There could even be other U2's there, mine is shown but is merely on soak test into a dummy load, its trace is distinctive being smeary due to the band width issues and will not be on air until sorted.

73 Eddie G3ZJO


Re: U2 and all LPF kits finished

g3zjo
 

On 28/05/2013 21:35, dd5cf_colin wrote:
I have just finished building the LPF's and I get about 500mW on 160m up to 17m which is about 300mW and then for some reason 15m = 70mW only and 12 and 10m must below 10mW (my digital PWR meter readout does not show 1's) the BS 170's get quite hot on these 3 bands
Hi Colin

Instead of square waves you may be getting a low level squiggly sine wave as drive from the DDS, try adjusting the blue potentiometer on the DDS board for equal mark / space ratio on pin 7, if you don't have a scope adjust for max output on the higher frequencies. More O/P equals more efficiently running O/P stage & less heat.

73 Eddie G3ZJO


U2 and all LPF kits finished

"dd5cf_colin"
 

Hi to all members.

I have just finished building the LPF's and I get about 500mW on 160m up to 17m which is about 300mW and then for some reason 15m = 70mW only and 12 and 10m must below 10mW (my digital PWR meter readout does not show 1's) the BS 170's get quite hot on these 3 bands I have checked the 15 12 and 10m LPF's for mistakes but cant find any.

I run the kit on 4 x 1.2v rechargeable AA cells and just the two BS170's that came with the kit, ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated

73 Colin DD5CF / G1ZOS


Re: Something else for the wish list ? (plus other thoughts)

Tony Volpe
 

"Well I suppose if it's possible then that would be a nice addition,?
but I'm sure you have better priorities in life ;-)"

I took the liberty of 'bolding' the important part of the message.

G0BZB


Re: Something else for the wish list ? (plus other thoughts)

Hans Summers
 


Hi Andy

I'm very glad that you are enjoying yourself with the kits! Thank you for the patience while I sort out the issues. We have a lot less issues this time than with the original "Ultimate" kit (a.k.a. U1). More enhancement requests, less bugs :-) ? But the bugs are there, and they'll be all solved soon.

Gradual progress too, on the accumulation of the components for the next set of 200 U2 kits, and the components for the LF bands (475kHz LPF, 135kHz LPF). Yesterday I ordered 400 ATmega168 processors - 200 for the next round of kits, and 200 spares.?

Some delay has been caused because my supplier of the DDS modules has changed the 125MHz crystal oscillator component! The new oscillator is a surface mount kind, rather than the current large through-hole canned oscillator. For some days a stalemate existed where I have paid, but I don't accept the change (which I was notified of only after I had paid). As a compromise they are sending me one module to test to see if I like it. If it's Ok, then I'll accept the rest.?

73 Hans G0UPL


On Mon, May 27, 2013 at 3:33 PM, andyfoad@... <andyfoad@...> wrote:
?

Hi Hans,

Well I suppose if it's possible then that would be a nice addition,
but I'm sure you have better priorities in life ;-)

At this point I'd like to thank you for all the work you have put
in to these little kits.

I've been so busy playing with the U1 and U2 the last 6 month that
I've probably not mentioned my gratitude, or spoken very much to the
XYL - because of all the time I've devoted to building these little
gems !

I am surprised that there is not much written in any major
publications about QRSS and these odd modes. Perhaps we really are
a minority with our experiments.

I've been quite taken by both WSPR and QRSS of late and learnt a lot.

I think QRSS is often seen as poor relation to WSPR, but where else
can you see what looks like a chart recorder of yours and other
signals to compare them by. WSPR doesn't make it easy to compare
the performance of other stations without a lot of to'ing and throwing
about on the WSPR d/base.

QRSS grabbers fit the bill nicely and show up all sorts of other
effects that WSPR could never do. Multipath distortion, ionospheric
oddities, auroras etc.

And then there is on the grabber traces what I call
"ionospheric bend".

Not bending the ionosphere but the bend in the grabber trace
which you see on a stable TX when the ionosphere is changing height
and shifts the incoming signal frequency by about 1Hz.

I see this often on the W4HBK grabber on my signals on 10Mhz.

Fascinating stuff, and I think there is more to come.

73 de Andy G0FTD

--- In QRPLabs@..., Hans Summers wrote:

> Ok well I think I have space for it.
>
> I removed a feature which I have never heard of anyone using which
> is the "Inv FSK" feature. Removing that created a little more memory.




Re: Something else for the wish list ? (plus other thoughts)

"andyfoad@..."
 

Hi Hans,

Well I suppose if it's possible then that would be a nice addition,
but I'm sure you have better priorities in life ;-)

At this point I'd like to thank you for all the work you have put
in to these little kits.

I've been so busy playing with the U1 and U2 the last 6 month that
I've probably not mentioned my gratitude, or spoken very much to the
XYL - because of all the time I've devoted to building these little
gems !

I am surprised that there is not much written in any major
publications about QRSS and these odd modes. Perhaps we really are
a minority with our experiments.

I've been quite taken by both WSPR and QRSS of late and learnt a lot.

I think QRSS is often seen as poor relation to WSPR, but where else
can you see what looks like a chart recorder of yours and other
signals to compare them by. WSPR doesn't make it easy to compare
the performance of other stations without a lot of to'ing and throwing
about on the WSPR d/base.

QRSS grabbers fit the bill nicely and show up all sorts of other
effects that WSPR could never do. Multipath distortion, ionospheric
oddities, auroras etc.

And then there is on the grabber traces what I call
"ionospheric bend".

Not bending the ionosphere but the bend in the grabber trace
which you see on a stable TX when the ionosphere is changing height
and shifts the incoming signal frequency by about 1Hz.

I see this often on the W4HBK grabber on my signals on 10Mhz.

Fascinating stuff, and I think there is more to come.

73 de Andy G0FTD

--- In QRPLabs@..., Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:

Ok well I think I have space for it.

I removed a feature which I have never heard of anyone using which
is the "Inv FSK" feature. Removing that created a little more memory.


Re: Something else for the wish list ?

Hans Summers
 


Ok well I think I have space for it.?

I removed a feature which I have never heard of anyone using which is the "Inv FSK" feature. Removing that created a little more memory.?

73 Hans G0UPL


On Mon, May 27, 2013 at 11:17 AM, g3zjo <g3zjo@...> wrote:
?

On 27/05/2013 00:55, andyfoad@... wrote:
> > FSK up to 999Hz. Wow. Do people actually *use* this!?
>
> Yep, *LOTS & LOTS* of beacons do it, though usually up to about
> 300Hz or so.

Andy

No complaints if Hans can do it without stealing memory from other
wishes but are wide beacons not the domain of of official and more QRO
beacons? Not sure here how QRP would perform.

Eddie



Re: Something else for the wish list ?

g3zjo
 

On 27/05/2013 00:55, andyfoad@... wrote:
FSK up to 999Hz. Wow. Do people actually *use* this!?
Yep, *LOTS & LOTS* of beacons do it, though usually up to about
300Hz or so.
Andy

No complaints if Hans can do it without stealing memory from other wishes but are wide beacons not the domain of of official and more QRO beacons? Not sure here how QRP would perform.

Eddie


Re: Something else for the wish list ?

"andyfoad@..."
 

Hans, here's just a few references :-)











Sorry for the word wrap :-(

73 de Andy


Re: Something else for the wish list ?

"andyfoad@..."
 

--- In QRPLabs@..., Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:

Ok I think I get it. So you're saying you want a fast, wide
FSK mode for use on 10m, with speed entered in WPM and supporting
FSK up to 999Hz. Wow. Do people actually *use* this!?

Yep, *LOTS & LOTS* of beacons do it, though usually up to about
300Hz or so.

(999Hz just happened to be me thinking about the max user enterable
size in a menu).

Ir means that if you a beacon with a constant carrier it's easier
to discover it as you swish the vfo around.

I often hear newbie beacon watchers saying that they've heard
weird beacons using funny Morse, and I have to explain to them
that they are listening to the wrong side of an FSK CW signal :-)

Kind regards,

Andy


Re: Something else for the wish list ?

Hans Summers
 


Hi Andy

Ok I think I get it. So you're saying you want a fast, wide FSK mode for use on 10m, with speed entered in WPM and supporting FSK up to 999Hz. Wow. Do people actually *use* this!?

73 Hans G0UPL


On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 4:09 PM, andyfoad@... <andyfoad@...> wrote:
?



--- In QRPLabs@..., Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Andy
>
> Ok ok ok. I'll add it to the list!

We know you have not got enough to do :-)))


> When you say "speed setting in WPM" - doesn't the kit already do
> this? There is a CW mode, where the speed setting means WPM.

Unless I'm mistaken - not quite.

As I understand it, the speed setting is the WPM for the ON/OFF
keyed CW, and the dot length on QRSS/FSKCW.

What I had in mind was speed in WPM for the WIDE FSK CW mode.
.


> FYI I have been working this weekend on the "wish list".
> I solved the DDS resolution issue and I'm now working on the GPS
> issues. I did several of the enhancement requests too, including
> support for WSPR-15.

Excellent, we all knew you'd do it !

73 de Andy G0FTD (U2 on 7Mhs WSPR going like a rocket at the moment)



Re: UQRSS 2 kit finished and first spots on 40m

"dd5cf_colin"
 

Hi Hans,

Thanks for the quick reply, I thought that was what I had to do I will have to use the trial and error method here.

73 Colin

--- In QRPLabs@..., Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:

Hi Colin

I have just finished building the UQRSS 2 kit and have been spotted on
40m, I entered a frequency of 7.040.150 but am being Rxed on 7.040.070, do
I need to change the DDS frequency or am I missing something else?
Section 9 of the manual, on page 28, deals with calibration. You need to
determine the frequency of the 125MHz reference oscillator and enter this
into the "Ref. Frq." configuration setting.

I made one mistake, after building many of Hans's kits I read the
instructions through three times and refer to them while building but I
still put the switches on the top of the PBC :o) I had some others so I
soldered them to the bottom and will remove the when boxed with switches on
the front panel.
It that's your only mistake, you're not in bad shape at all! Easily fixed
:-)

73 Hans G0UPL