Re: Low audio gain and no power out with 20m QCX
Right. Yes, I have about 3V on key up and 12.5V on key down at the drain point which serves all three of the transistors. Does this suggest I might have a problem with one or more of them? Steve, Yes, or they are not being driven. Do you see a voltage on the gates when in in TX? Is there a voltage on pin 1,2 of IC3? 73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Re: Low audio gain and no power out with 20m QCX
Right. Yes, I have about 3V on key up and 12.5V on key down at the drain point which serves all three of the transistors. Does this suggest I might have a problem with one or more of them? ?Steve
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Hi again,?
Well, I found the problem. Took out the synth board once more and connected to a 5v supply, 3.34v on pin 18, 9.4 mv on pins 17, 18 and 20 so synth board ok.
Checked continuity from pin 19 on the synth board to pin 11 of IC1, buzzed out ok, but the soldering on pin 17 of the synth header looked a little less shiny than its neighbours. Heated the joint again just in case, replaced the synth board, powered up and now all working fine.
Evidentally the 9.4mv wasn't getting through to the uc1 well enough.?
That's enough for today, check power output tomorrow.?
Good kit, I've enjoyed building this, couple of challenging moments along the way fitting a fully loaded U3s and two DC-DC boards plus fuses inside, hopefully it will now be on air in a day or two.?
Andy
M0RON?
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Same boat here.? I ordered an OCX 80 about 3 weeks ago.? Got a serial number of 2211.? They are still at 1453.. At this rate I might be able to build it for next winter.? Or maybe winter 2019.
Jim
--
de K2TL.. since 1964
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My QRPLABS Clock w/QLG1 GPS case
I used a plastic softball display case available from your nearby craft stores, usually less than $10 USD.? US Stores ALWAYS have discount coupons on their websites.
? The plastic can crack, when you least expect as the one picture shows (I was going to add external menu button switches).? I used smaller drills and progressed in size for .? The large hole for the coaxial plug I used the 3/8"/10mm drill bit with my hand so as not to crack the case.? Takes time and patience...but you'll be rewarded.? A file or rasp could also be used to enlarge hole.
? I used nylon standoffs to secure the GPS and Display module to the cube.? For securing the clock to the 4 line display, I used small drop of epoxy on three of "legs" for clock and clipped the upper corner hole for use of nylon screw.
? For 5 Volts, I used a MB102 Breadboard Power Supply Module, available on ebay.? This board has a small on/off switch so I did not add addition power switch (less is more).? I removed all unnecessary pins, USB jack, etc on breadboard power module and clipped the bottom leads and reflowed solder to make as smooth as possible.? Since the breadboard power has no holes for mounting, I used three globs of epoxy.
? I did not add external switches for programming, as they are easy enough to access on rear of clock PWB.? I drilled a smaller hole to access the contract VR...if needed.? I left the original first two lines in the program, added Call Sign, Grid square, Long./Lat./Altitude scroll on the 3rd and 4th lines.
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Thanks Hans, I am sure everyone who is patiently waiting will be pleased to hear of the extra efforts that you and your team are putting in :-)
73 Simon G0FCU.
On 4 December 2017 at 17:21, Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote: Hi Simon
That's because your #1555 is in the block which was passed to my Tokyo friend for shipment! You should get the notification tomorrow I expect.?
73 Hans G0UPL
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Hi Simon
That's because your #1555 is in the block which was passed to my Tokyo friend for shipment! You should get the notification tomorrow I expect.?
73 Hans G0UPL
On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 8:17 PM, Simon Kennedy <simon@...> wrote: ...although unlike Ian (#1570) I haven't received shipping confirmation (#1555).
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Hi Simon
Orders weren't outstripping shipping... but at the rate the mountain of pending orders was coming down, I wasn't confident we'd get back to the normal 3-days shipment rule for months!?
73 Hans G0UPL? ?
On Dec 4, 2017 8:11 PM, "Simon Kennedy" < simon@...> wrote: That's good to hear Hans, I am confident that 1555 (mine!) will be here soon :-)
I was beginning to worry that with orders outstripping shipping you would never get to the end of the queue and you would have to quote a shipping time of infinity ;-)
Simon. G0FCU.
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...although unlike Ian (#1570) I haven't received shipping confirmation (#1555).
On 4 December 2017 at 17:11, Simon Kennedy <simon@...> wrote: That's good to hear Hans, I am confident that 1555 (mine!) will be here soon :-)
I was beginning to worry that with orders outstripping shipping you would never get to the end of the queue and you would have to quote a shipping time of infinity ;-)
Simon. G0FCU.
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Thanks Ian & Hans, ?I have a close friend who ordered a 20 meter QCX awhile back. ?His serial# is in the 1800+ range and he keeps bugging me as if I would know when it would ship. ?I keep telling him to watch the #'s on the website and have patience. ?Doesn't seem to do any good though - LOL!
Jim
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On Dec 4, 2017, at 11:08 AM, Hans Summers < hans.summers@...> wrote: Hi Jim
It hasn't stalled. On the contrary! It is taking a substantial jump. I got extra help in, to reduce the size of the backlog! Last Thursday, I got in touch with a friend of mine in Tokyo. He kindly packed 200 kits at the weekend. He should he sending them tomorrow. I'm just waiting for the final confirmation of which ones were shipped, then I can update the web page. If he wasn't too exhausted by the whole experience, I am hoping to maybe borrow him again next weekend for another block of orders!?
73 Hans G0UPL? ?
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That's good to hear Hans, I am confident that 1555 (mine!) will be here soon :-)
I was beginning to worry that with orders outstripping shipping you would never get to the end of the queue and you would have to quote a shipping time of infinity ;-)
Simon. G0FCU.
On 4 December 2017 at 17:08, Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote: Hi Jim
It hasn't stalled. On the contrary! It is taking a substantial jump. I got extra help in, to reduce the size of the backlog! Last Thursday, I got in touch with a friend of mine in Tokyo. He kindly packed 200 kits at the weekend. He should he sending them tomorrow. I'm just waiting for the final confirmation of which ones were shipped, then I can update the web page. If he wasn't too exhausted by the whole experience, I am hoping to maybe borrow him again next weekend for another block of orders!?
73 Hans G0UPL? ?
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Re: Low audio gain and no power out with 20m QCX
Which legs do I check Alan? Steve, There should be around 12V on the drain. 73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Re: QCX - A Stray Resistor Clipping
Hello Alan, G4ZFQ,
Thanks for the de-soldering tip.
I have a hot-air gun, and am planning to use it. The foil technique to shield the other components is brilliant. I have been practicing de-soldering SMD ICs from scrap boards. The new FST3253 has been ordered, and should be here in a few days. My QCX was on another table, but evidently, the clipping flew all the way.
If I can restore it to its former working order, I'll work on an enclosure.
Regards, Ken, KM4NFQ
On Mon, Dec 4, 2017 at 10:37 AM, Alan G4ZFQ <alan4alan@...> wrote: I have ordered a new FTS3253 chip, and
when it arrives, I will attempt the surgery of removing the one on the
board, and replacing it with a new one.
Ken,
My best way is to use a heat gun as an example.
Cut a hole in a piece of aluminium foil the size of the chip to shield other components, wait till the solder melts and lift it off.
73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Hi Jim
It hasn't stalled. On the contrary! It is taking a substantial jump. I got extra help in, to reduce the size of the backlog! Last Thursday, I got in touch with a friend of mine in Tokyo. He kindly packed 200 kits at the weekend. He should he sending them tomorrow. I'm just waiting for the final confirmation of which ones were shipped, then I can update the web page. If he wasn't too exhausted by the whole experience, I am hoping to maybe borrow him again next weekend for another block of orders!?
73 Hans G0UPL? ?
On Dec 4, 2017 7:30 PM, "Jim Sheldon" < w0eb@...> wrote: Just wondering if shipping is stalled again?? Haven't seen a QCX serial# shipping update since 11/30
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Hi Jim
?
I got an email few days ago saying Sno! 1570 was shipped.
?
73
Ian G4GIR
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From: Jim
Sheldon
Sent: Monday, December 4, 2017 4:30 PM
Subject: [QRPLabs] Shipping?
?
Just
wondering if shipping is stalled again?? Haven't seen a QCX serial#
shipping update since 11/30
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Re: Low audio gain and no power out with 20m QCX
Which legs do I check Alan?
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Re: Two-band QCX (20 and 17m), is it possible?
Hi Antonio
?
You must have been reading my mind!!!
?
I thought the same thing. I have a 17mtr QCX which has had a lot of
problems but I finally got the thing going. I had to change IC1 but that's
another story!!!
?
Anyhow,? I set Preset memory 4 to 14.020 MHz and transmitted into a
Dummy load could see? almost the same power. Stuck an aerial on it and was
hearing plenty stations including HH2AA.
?
I could hear a slight peak in signal strengths? when adjusting
C1.
?
Im sure RX is not optimum and not sure what the TXsignal, harmonics etc
look like but it seems to work!!
?
73
?
Ian G4GIR
?
?
?
?
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From: Antonio Fernandez
Sent: Monday, December 4, 2017 3:28 PM
Subject: [QRPLabs] Two-band QCX (20 and 17m), is it
possible?
?
Hi
group,
While I wait for
the shipment and delivery my QCX I was wondering if someone has considered or
experimented with a dual band (adjacent bands, e.g. 20 and 17m) version of the
QCX.
I wonder if
compromises could be made on the LP and the passband tuning filters to
accommodate the 2 bands (20 and 17m).? For the class E amp two h/w
switchable L4 coils could do the trick.
Has anyone done
experiments along these approaches?
Cheers,
Antonio,
ea4le/kc2hax
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Re: U3S drift/chirp - again!
Right, had my U3S have 6 minutes calibration between transmissions over night. Still the frequency is 20Hz low when frequency display is reading 28.000.890 and still has the 20Hz power-on 'tail'. Chris's grabber in not 20 Hz out.
I'm running out of options here. Do I assume there is something really wrong and chuck in the towel for 10m QRSS? I don't think there's anything left to adjust.
Is it worth getting the?OCXO/Si5351A synthesizer module kit? Is that still frequency stabilised by the
QLG1 GPS receiver module kit or is that not necessary?
Was having a lot of fun with the U3S, but maybe mine is starting to fail...
73,
Ian, G4JQT
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Re: Two-band QCX (20 and 17m), is it possible?
Hi Antonio, I have a rough, untried paper design.? " bands is
probably OK, as you can assign one band to vfoA, and the other to
vfoB, otherwise you are in for a LOT of knob twiddling, or a
factory reset when you change bands. I have settled on 2 adjacent
bands, covering less than an octive. Say 30 and 40m or20 and 17m.?
This allows you to use a low pass filter configured for the higher
frequency.? I will make the capacitive trimmer a front panel
control, and call it a preselector.? It should cover 2 adjacent
bands. If you want to change the coils on each band, I would
re-configure the rf input tuned circuit as a 2 torroid pair, and
just change one of the torroids for each band,? The fixed torroid
would be wound with say 10 tri-filiar turns. 2 of the windings are
arranged as a push-pull input to the mixer. The 3rd winding
connects to 10 turns on the 2nd core that is to be switched. Th e
2nd core also has a resonant winding on it, for the band in
question. This eases the switching a little.? this is just a paper
excersise, it will be a while before I get around to doing
something about it.? It would be nice if Hans modified the
software to allow larger ncremental tuning; in addition to the
10,50,100 Hz /step, we add MHz or 100KHz steps.
73
Alvey
On 04/12/17 15:28, Antonio Fernandez
wrote:
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Show quoted text
Hi group,
While I wait for the shipment and delivery my QCX
I was wondering if someone has considered or experimented with
a dual band (adjacent bands, e.g. 20 and 17m) version of the
QCX.
I wonder if compromises could be made on the LP
and the passband tuning filters to accommodate the 2 bands (20
and 17m). ?For the class E amp two h/w switchable L4 coils
could do the trick.
Has anyone done experiments along these
approaches?
Cheers,
Antonio, ea4le/kc2hax
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Just wondering if shipping is stalled again?? Haven't seen a QCX serial# shipping update since 11/30
|
M0RON
Jim Sheldon