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Re: No joy...yet
"pa0tab-Johan"
Hi Steve
Did you make a an announcing in the Knightsqrss mail group? for info Do you know the grabber compendium Propagation is better the last day so try to find a grabber within 400 miles Be sure of the frequency The band is only 100Hz '73 Johan- PA0TAB ----- Oorspronkelijk bericht ----- Van: kc2siz Aan: QRPLabs@... Verzonden: vrijdag 27 januari 2012 11:10 Onderwerp: [QRPLabs] No joy...yet Over the course of the last couple of days, I've had my transmitter on the air for a combined total of about 18 hours. Yet I haven't been "grabbed" yet, so far as I know. Is this typical? I know a big part of this is patience and I want to manage my expectations. Steve |
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Re: No joy...yet
Stephen Farthing
Steve,
It can take a while to be picked up by a grabber. Things to check :- Your beacon is transmitting within the 100 Hz QRSS sub band of the ham band you have built the beacon for. I guess 30 meters is your band. The deviation should be set for about 4 Hz.?
You are not loosing power by transmitting into an inefficient antenna/tuner arrangement. I have had good results connecting my QRSS Labs kits into 50 ohm coax then onward into to a horizontal half wave dipole in the garden.?
There may not be grabbers on-line for your band, they tend to come and go as people change operating modes. Also propagation conditions might not be good.? QRSS is a bit like fly fishing....you have to be patient!
73s Steve G0XAR Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, the elegant and beautiful. E. F. Schumacher
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Re: Testing/Battery
Stephen Farthing
Hi Harold,
Congratulations on your build.....well done Yes you can use the 7.2 volt NiMH battery but you will need to reduce the voltage to 5 volts.? Take a look at this Make magazine on how to make one :-
You should be able to source the parts from Radio Shack. If you have any difficulties let me know. I have a bunch of the regulator chips doing nothing in my shack.?
The key thing is to keep the regulator apart from the transmitter because the regulator generates heat and the heat will cause the crystal oscillator to drift out of band. A piece of styrofoam will do if you are wanting to mount them close together.
On my beacon builds I use some header sockets soldered into the holes where the jumper wires go. Then I can use jumper wires between the sockets. The sort of wires you use for solderless breadboards are fine.?
Measuring the power without a scope or a power meter is not really possible. When ?you see your elmer with the RX you might ask him if he has a scope or another way of measuring power. Most amateurs have a power meter so you should be OK. If not the main thing is to avoid destroying the 2N7000. If it is hot to the touch you need to back off the power.?
Making your own power meter is not difficult or expensive.? takes you to an excellent design for a meter called the NogaWatt. I think they still do kits. The design, like our beacon kits are "Altoids compliant" ie they fit in to a mint tin!
Hope this helps, Steve G0XAR - The man who packs and posts the beacon kits - if there is a screw up it's all down to me!
-- Wisdom demands a new orientation of science and technology towards the organic, the gentle, the non-violent, the elegant and beautiful. E. F. Schumacher
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Testing/Battery
"kd8dvy@..."
GD All,
I have finished my kit, I know it is working but at what freq. is unknown, I do know that I can find out by using another receiver. I will do this as soon as I can make a sched with a close elmer to me. Is there a to tweak the power out without a scope? I was also wondering if I could use a 7.2v 1100mah Nimh rechargeable battery from an old RC model? Last question in this post is; has any one developed or know of a switch that I can get so that I can change the CW speed without solder/de-solder the jumper. I plan on using my beacon as a stationary balloon, where I plan to vary the height to see how many from this group and various amateurs can report my beacon. Harold/KD8DVY |
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Re: Hello all
"kc2siz"
My apologies. A typo. I meant to say 10140.05, not 10140.5. Thanks for catching that.
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Steve --- In QRPLabs@..., Arv Evans <arvid.evans@...> wrote:
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Re: Hello all
Arv Evans
开云体育Steve KC2SIZMost grabber receivers are watching 10.140,000 to 10.140,100 MHz. A few are looking at 10.139,900 to 10.140,100 MHz. If you are transmitting on 10.140,500 MHz you may not get seen unless it is by special arrangement.? Do you have capability to move to the range where most QRSS receivers are looking? Arv K7HKL _._ On 01/25/2012 02:27 PM, kc2siz wrote: ? |
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Hello all
"kc2siz"
Just wanted to introduce myself to the group. I just built a small QRSS transmitter, which I'm trying out for the first time right now on 30 meters (just about spot on 10140.5). I hope I pop up on some grabbers somewhere! I may leave it on overnight as well.
I look forward to learning from everyone here. Thanks and 73! Steve KC2SIZ |
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Keyer code for TI LaunchPad
Cash Olsen
Knights:
If anyone would be interested in the c source code for a simple keyer written for the TI Launch Pad, I'd be willing to share it with you. If you needed just the hex code with your call sign programmed in I could also provide that. Right now it is very basic. The red LED blinks out what ever you put in the string variable. I currently have it testing with 3 second dit but that is simply a constant change, the rest of the timing follows according to Morse code convention. Also for testing I have it set to repeat every 5 minutes, but that too can be changed with a single constant. I have some future plans for added features and modes. The reason I'm playing with the TI Launch Pad is that it is just so darn cheap, USD $4.30 that's not just the chip but the entire development system on a board almost exactly the same size as the QRP Labs QRSS Transmitter. Just three wire interface to the transmitter. I'll publish details at later today. Cash KD5SSJ |
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Re: QRSS grabber network?
Cash Olsen
Clayton,
I'm just getting on the air and joining the group but I have a great interest in your suggestions. I would encourage you to right the article for CC (I've been a subscriber for a decade or more) and if you'd like to have some read it before submission I'd be interested. Watch for my signal, I have been into ZK / ZL territory every day since commissioning the transmitter on New Years Eve. I do not have a receiving station at the present time but there is likely a reciprocal path at the same time from your QTH. There are so many local transmitters in my area (15 QRSS 30m) that I'm told that there is a lot of QRM and a local grabber may be a big challenge. Charlie Welch, N5CWW, and I had a conversation very much along these lines just the other night. Cash Olsen KD5SSJ ARRL Technical Specialist |
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Re: would like a dialog on packaging of qrss high stability transmitters
Cash Olsen
Stan,
I put my QRPlabs kit in a sandwich of 1' styrofoam. I first cut three pieces 4" x 5" Then I cut a 2" x 2.5" rectangular hole for one sheet. I used aluminum duct tape on the edges and turned the radiant barrier film to the outside. I made a little grove for the antenna lead to exit and then one of the other pieces on each side and taped the thing together. See picture at My suggestion is don't make it to complicated. A secondary value of the method that I used is that it is very light tight. Incident light on the LED will change your frequency, perhaps as much as small temperature changes. I power the transmitter from only 5 volts and have had excellent frequency stability. It very quickly came to temperature of equilibrium. My power out is 220mA and I'm operating at 10139955Hz, from DM62pj New Mexico. Cash Olsen KD5SSJ ARRL Technical Specialist |
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Reprogramming QRSS beacon with an Arduino as ISP
"Yannick"
Hi friends,
Happy new year to all. Here a short article on how I reprogrammed the ATTiny13 micro-controler inside Hans and Steve MEPT kit. Nothing revolutionary but could be of some interest for a few people like me. The article is in french but automatic translation should make you understand what I am talking about... My MEPT will be back on the air tonight around 10.140.040 broadcasting XV4Y calsign. I am doing some verifications right now and checking frequency stability... 73 es GDX, Yan. PS: If automatic translation does not show up, please go to the main page (). --- Yannick DEVOS - XV4Y |
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Short article
Cash Olsen
QRPLabs Group,
I have written a short article and published it on my website: also this from the ARRL Rocky Mountain Division newsletter published today: It’s a new year, we’d like to add a new feature of our monthly Division-wide communication: to spotlight hams who are participating in or promoting the seemingly endless fun and magic of ham radio.? Does this describe you or your group?? If so, please touch base (n5zgt@...) and we’ll feature someone or some group in a future Division-wide email for all to enjoy. ? Kicking off this feature, let's glance at a group in southern New Mexico and other parts of the country, spearheaded by David Hassall WA5DJJ, that’s involved in QRSS.? QRSS is extremely slow speed CW, to the tune of single dots lasting tens of seconds, sent and received with the aid of free software to communicate great distances using very low power.? Why such slow speed?? Think of a dark scene that you’d like to take a photograph of (without a flash).? Setting the camera for a short exposure period would result in a dark or black photo.? However, setting the camera for a long exposure period allows seemingly indiscernible light in the scene to be added, or integrated, and captured to produce a brilliant photo despite the dark scene.? Similarly with QRSS, the lengthy CW dits and dahs allow the receiving station to pull the low power signal out of the noise for a successful contact. ? What does “low power” mean in the realm of QRSS?? David has communicated to New Zealand on 30 meters with less than 250 milliwatts (mW). Pushing the envelope further, he recently communicated from Las Cruces, New Mexico to Pensacola, Florida with a mere 9 microwatts (uW).? That’s how much power it takes to run a digital wristwatch or, put another way, more than 11 MILLION times less power output than a typical 100 watt HF transceiver. ? Over New Year's weekend a group of 15 hams, led by Dave, each put a very low power (QRPp) 30-meter transmitter on the air beginning at 0000UTC December 31, 2011 and kept them operational for 48 hours to see how many signals each could receive.? A participating ham in New Zealand successfully received the following low power stations: KE5OFK*, WB5UEW*, P29ZL*, KC7VHS*, W1AW, ZL1EE, K5DLA*, NM7J*, WE4DX, N5BL*, G0PKT, WB5FKC*, KD5SSJ*, KC5VR*, N5CWW*, K7TP, WA5DJJ* (* indicates associated to the Las Cruces group). ? The typical QRSS transmitter is simply composed of three transistors, a crystal controlled oscillator, buffer, power amplifier and microprocessor programmed with the station’s call sign. They are powered with a 5 or 12 volt source and measure approximately 2 x 2.5 inches. The typical antenna is a resonant dipole. ? If QRSS sounds like a new area of ham radio you’d like to experiment with, please contact Dave Hassall WA5DJJ (dhassall@...) or Cash Olsen KD5SSJ (qrss.kd5ssj@...) for more information. ? |
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ON the air for the first time
Cash Olsen
Hi QRPlabs,
I put my station on the air today as part of the New Years blitz planned by Dave Hassall WA5DJJ. We have 15 participants in the Las Cruces, New Mexico group. We have an active builders group that I facilitate. I'm glad to finally have my station on the air and have been very solid into K4HBK grabber all afternoon and into the evening. I'm running a Hans Summers kit with modified filter values, otherwise unmodified except for using a PIC 12F629 with software provided by N0QBH and programmed by WA5DJJ. The antenna is an inverted-V at about 30feet on my tower with about 50feet of transmission line. I'm currently at approximately 10139955Hz and running approximately 220mW (5V supply only). I look forward to continued experimentation in the new year. Cash Olsen KD5SSJ ARRL Technical Specialist |
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Re: Initial Power On Test
"aa4rh"
Thanks guys! That answers my question. I should have figured that out on my own.
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I ordered new NP0 capacitors from Digi-Key and when they arrive I'll be able to finish up. In the meantime I'll be winding the inductors and further populating the board. Actual on-air testing may take a while since I live in an apartment for now. A balcony antenna may be a possibilty. Regards, Richard AA4RH --- In QRPLabs@..., "aa4rh" <aa4rh@...> wrote:
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Re: Initial Power On Test
"Slim \(WT4C\)"
If you listen long enough Richard, (I haven't timed it) your call will be sent at 12 wpm again. The sequence repeats every 10 minutes or so. I've tested two with the same results. W4GFA and mine, WT4C. 73, Slim From: Stephen Farthing To: QRPLabs@... Sent: Fri, November 4, 2011 11:53:14 AM Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] Initial Power On Test Richard, This is completely normal behavour. First power up sends your callsign at 12 wpm...after that at QRSS speeds. The slow tones are morse, 3 second dots or longer.? 73s Steve G0XAR - the guy that packs the kits!!!
On 4 November 2011 15:43, aa4rh <aa4rh@...> wrote:
RIP Dennis Richie, I'm sure you will still be cutting code somewhere out there in the universe. You gave the world "C" and taught me a lot. |
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Re: Initial Power On Test
Stephen Farthing
Richard,
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This is completely normal behavour. First power up sends your callsign at 12 wpm...after that at QRSS speeds. The slow tones are morse, 3 second dots or longer.? 73s Steve G0XAR - the guy that packs the kits!!! On 4 November 2011 15:43, aa4rh <aa4rh@...> wrote:
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RIP Dennis Richie, I'm sure you will still be cutting code somewhere out there in the universe. You gave the world "C" and taught me a lot. |
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Initial Power On Test
"aa4rh"
After a year and a half I am finally starting construction of my 30 meter QRSS beacon. Right away I came up with a question. I installed the Atmel microcontroller and C12, attached a set of headphones, and powered the unit up. I hear my call sign one time and then a very slow series of tones separated by long periods of silence. My call sign is never repeated. If I disconnect and reconnect power, the same sequence starts all over again.
This is not what I expected. I thought that during the test my call sign would be repeated continuously, which is what I thought QRSS is all about. My question: When the circuit is complete and the speed is set to 3 second dots, or slower, does the microcontroller have enough "smarts" to recognize that it should send my call sign repeatedly? I don't want to continue with the construction until I'm sure that the microcontroller is working properly. Thanks for any replies, Richard AA4RH |