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Re: British electrical plugs

 

Next up, the Tubes versus Valves discussion -)

73 de Lee KX4TT



On Thursday, 28 October 2021, 02:29:23 pm GMT-4, Mike Perry, WA4MP <editor@...> wrote:



> On Oct 28, 2021, at 12:20 pm, G3SPL <leepd60@...> wrote:
>
> Mains cable to the shed?? Yes, good idea, but to be legal it would need to be installed or at least inspected by a qualified electrician.?


Even without that G3 call sign, Peter, I¡¯d suspect you were in the UK.
¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP
British electrical plugs

 

On Oct 28, 2021, at 12:20 pm, G3SPL <leepd60@...> wrote:

Mains cable to the shed? Yes, good idea, but to be legal it would need to be installed or at least inspected by a qualified electrician.

Even without that G3 call sign, Peter, I¡¯d suspect you were in the UK. Why? Because at the regulatory level the British seem to fear electricity far more that we Americans do. We require inspections only for new construction or a major rebuild. Home improvement stores will sell anyone the buried cable to run to a shed.

Of course one reason for that is that your main supply is 230 volts while ours is a safer 115. But there are other surprises. I recently watched a UK video that discussed the special plugs used for 5 amp residential circuits. Why bother, I thought, to wire for such a piddling amount? Make all your circuits at least 15 amps and you¡¯ll worry less about blown fuses and tripped breakers.

This Wikipedia article leaves me stunned. Why three different-sized plugs for 15, 5 and 2 amps? The purpose seems to be to make it almost impossible to draw more from a circuit than its capacity. But why worry about that, thinks this American. If you draw too much, the breaker will simply trip and no harm will be done. And why the clumsiness of putting the fuse in the plug, as with the huge BS 1363 plug? It¡¯s bigger than many modern devices. Fuse a circuit at the breaker box.

The 15 ampere (A) sockets were generally given a dedicated 15 A circuit. Multiple 5 A sockets might be on a 15 A circuit, or each on a dedicated 5 A circuit. Lighting circuits fused at 5 A were generally used to feed the 2 A sockets. Adaptors were available from 15 A down to 5 A and from 5 A down to 2 A so in practice it was possible for an appliance with the smallest size of flex to be protected only by a 15 A fuse. This is a similar level of protection to that seen for portable appliances in other countries, but less than the protection offered by the BS 1363 fused plug.
All that seems needlessly complex to us across the water. Except for high-demand circuits such as clothing dryers, we have one type of plug with either two or three compatible pins and don¡¯t see that as a danger. What little danger there was, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens, has been eliminated by GFCIs.

And yeah, I am aware that many Brits are sensitive about their electrical plugs and have fond memories of when they were taught in school how to wire a device for one of the many different plugs. We¡¯re never taught that because everything electrical running on 115 volts has the same plug and comes from the store that way. No wiring required. For a spirited defense of British plugs as the best in the world, go here:



As I believe Winston Churchill said that the British and Americans are two people separated by a common language. We¡¯re also separated by uncommon electrical plugs.

¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP
Re: A remote QDX....

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

That¡¯s if its a hard wired installation with a ring main in the shed and separate lighting circuits etc

?

If a ¡°temporary¡± extension lead into a socket in the house I think it avoids all the installation / inspection issues

?

e.g.

?

or even

?

They come with various length leads and also are safer if the shed develops a leak

?

Peter

M0PWX

?

?

From: G3SPL
Sent: 28 October 2021 17:21
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] A remote QDX....

?

Mains cable to the shed?? Yes, good idea, but to be legal it would need to be installed or at least inspected by a qualified electrician.? And even with mains power, you still need a data cable to control the QDX (unless you're going to insulate the shed and put in electric heating so you can operate in it).? No, keeping it low voltage I think is cheaper, easier and safer.? I've already had an idea to put in a power cable separate from the data cable - but feeding 20V DC over it to a local regulator (13V) to power a QDX...? But, still got to wait for my turn to come up in a future QDX sale scramble!

--
Peter Lee
G3SPL

?
Re: QCX PC board spots and mini holes

 

Nice job! Vis-a-vis the tiny holes, might they be vias? Vias are used to connect various circuit board layers, including ground planes...
Re: QCX PC board spots and mini holes

 

The small holes are vias. They connect the front and back of the board together using the plating on the sides of the holes, allowing a trace to continue on the other?side. It's sometimes necessary to create a viable route for a signal without needing a jumper wire.


On Thu, Oct 28, 2021 at 1:57 PM David Wilcox K8WPE via <Djwilcox01=[email protected]> wrote:
While building one of the first QCXs recently I use a lot of magnification.? While doing that I saw all these little dots in the ground plane (that don¡¯t go through the board) and even some very small holes not used for part installation.? I tried to point to them with red lines. Can anyone tell me what they are and what they are for?



It took me a long time to find time and true interest to dig into these kits even though I bought them maybe 3 years ago.? I bought three from Hans at Dayton the first year he was selling them.? I should have begun sooner as they are a fun build and not difficukt at all. I have followed this email account and learned all of the mistakes others have made.? Also doing T1 FIRST is the way to go.? Try fitting it in after all her other parts are installed?????

Dave K8WPE since 1960

David J. Wilcox¡¯s iPad,_
Re: AA Battery Power for QRP Labs gear

 

The ex equipment gel cells have a "guaranteed" lifetime of 5 years if you look at the manufacturers spec sheets.

Even with little use and just on trickle charge that's about what I see before they go high resistance.

You can tell if they are knackered by charging them on trickle and if they feel warm to touch, or the terminal
voltage is lower than the trickle charge voltage e.g 13.8v charge, 12.5v terminal volts then throw it away.

Been there.
Done it.
Got the tee shirt.
QCX PC board spots and mini holes

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

While building one of the first QCXs recently I use a lot of magnification. ?While doing that I saw all these little dots in the ground plane (that don¡¯t go through the board) and even some very small holes not used for part installation. ?I tried to point to them with red lines. Can anyone tell me what they are and what they are for?



It took me a long time to find time and true interest to dig into these kits even though I bought them maybe 3 years ago. ?I bought three from Hans at Dayton the first year he was selling them. ?I should have begun sooner as they are a fun build and not difficukt at all. I have followed this email account and learned all of the mistakes others have made. ?Also doing T1 FIRST is the way to go. ?Try fitting it in after all her other parts are installed?????

Dave K8WPE since 1960

David J. Wilcox¡¯s iPad,_
QCX PC board spots and mini holes

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

While building one of the first QCXs recently I use a lot of magnification. ?While doing that I saw all these little dots in the ground plane (that don¡¯t go through the board) and even some very small holes not used for part installation. ?I tried to point to them with red lines. Can anyone tell me what they are and what they are for?



It took me a long time to find time and true interest to dig into these kits even though I bought them maybe 3 years ago. ?I bought three from Hans at Dayton the first year he was selling them. ?I should have begun sooner as they are a fun build and not difficukt at all. I have followed this email account and learned all of the mistakes others have made. ?Also doing T1 FIRST is the way to go. ?Try fitting it in after all her other parts are installed?????

Dave K8WPE since 1960

David J. Wilcox¡¯s iPad

On Oct 28, 2021, at 7:23 AM, Janez S58J <janez.s58j@...> wrote:

?
Hi Paul

Nice idea. But then the QCX-mini is by far the smallest part of the whole setup. Can you imagine having a panadapter as a separate?box the size of QCX mini? Like Elecraft's KX3?+ PX3 combo. That would?be really cool!

I know it is a rather ambitious idea, but I could resist it, hi!

Kind regards

Janez, S58J

V V ?et., 28. okt. 2021 ob 11:56 je oseba Paul Harrison via <dj0cu=[email protected]> napisala:
This panadaptor looks perfect as an addition to the qcx mini etc.

A description can be seen here:?

And can be purchased on Banggood.com at the moment for around 40 euros.

Paul DJ0CU.
Re: A remote QDX....

 

Mains cable to the shed?? Yes, good idea, but to be legal it would need to be installed or at least inspected by a qualified electrician.? And even with mains power, you still need a data cable to control the QDX (unless you're going to insulate the shed and put in electric heating so you can operate in it).? No, keeping it low voltage I think is cheaper, easier and safer.? I've already had an idea to put in a power cable separate from the data cable - but feeding 20V DC over it to a local regulator (13V) to power a QDX...? But, still got to wait for my turn to come up in a future QDX sale scramble!

--
Peter Lee
G3SPL
Re: Panadaptor

 

Hi Alan, correct, but you can buy a RTL SDR usb adaptor for very little expense. I think mine cost around 20 euros.

Paul DJ0CU
Re: QCX Challenge - October 2021

 

Hi Linas,
Welcome to the Challenge. Join the Discord Website as mentioned by Luc. You will get Info there about some QCX QRG or post yours and someone will certainly find you
?CU next time.
Martin
DK3UW
Re: AA Battery Power for QRP Labs gear

 

Agreed. Just look at what 1960-era Heathkit tube transceivers sell for. I¡¯m looking at several on eBay in the $450 range. Even the ¡°parts only¡± ones are around $150. But for the collector¡¯s urge, new hams could be purchasing them for under $100. Even an ancient Heathkit GR-91 receiver is $99.99. I owned one. It was my first SW radio¡ªa $40 Christmas present. I know for a fact that no one is buying it for the quality of reception. Heathkit simply took the design for a cheap table radio and extended its coverage into SW.

That¡¯s why what Hans is doing is wonderful. He¡¯s a one-man Heathkit, creating inexpensive kits that both new and experienced hams can enjoy.

¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP

On Oct 28, 2021, at 10:56 am, Julian N4JO <n4jo@...> wrote:

Yes, that would be a great idea, but many hams are collectors who get very emotionally attached to their stuff, which keeps resale value absurdly high, keeping such equipment out of reach of newcomers. You only have to look at the preposterous resale value of Morse keys to see this.
Re: A remote QDX....

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Why go to all that trouble

?

Run a mains cable down to shed, (if need be in a bit of plastic conduit clipped to fence), then no need for battery and control the QDX via a raspberry pi using VNC and wireless networking?

?

Peter

M0PWX

?

?

From: Mike Perry, WA4MP
Sent: 28 October 2021 15:47
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] A remote QDX....

?

Peter,

You¡¯ve hit on a brilliant idea, one that could be expanded still further. Technically, anything that could be handled over an Ethernet cable could probably be handled over the Internet or with a cellular data link. Imagine that you live in the middle of a big city with the accompanying electrical noise and intermod along with no space for an antenna. You could remote your transceiver to somewhere distant where the spectrum is quieter and there¡¯s ample room for a large antennas.

That¡¯s already common is astronomy, where someone in the bright lights of a city can rent nights on a quality telescope at a remote mountain top.

Best of luck in the next QDX sale.

¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP

> On Oct 28, 2021, at 10:32 am, G3SPL <leepd60@...> wrote:
>
> While lying in bed recently, my mind pondered on the QDX and it suddenly struck me that it has no manual controls at all: it is totally controlled by software. This would make it ideal for remote location, for example, in a shed at the bottom of the garden, making antenna arrangements easier and getting somewhat away from the noisy domestic location.





?
Re: AA Battery Power for QRP Labs gear

 

I covered this in a recent presentation on Portable Operating - .
I have used this with my KX2 successfully.


On Sun, Oct 24, 2021 at 4:44 PM Gwen Patton <ardrhi@...> wrote:
I'm going to reply to both the battery power for QRP-LABS gear and the power for the 50w amp in one email.

For powering my QCX radios, I use a Power Delivery (or Qualcomm Quick Charge, now) USB-C power bank with an appropriate trigger circuit, usually in the cable. It works very well, and the somewhat exotic buck/boost circuit in the power bank doesn't appear to generate noticable noise on frequencies we operate on, as neither I nor others who reproduced my results have experienced any.?

On to the 50w amp issue...

Theoretically, PD also includes 20v at up to 5A, but I haven't tried it yet. I built the 50w amp, but haven't gotten it to work. I also think that the typical PD power bank might work, but it's be a really nasty drain. For that amp, I'd use a different power bank, an _atypical_ PD power bank.

This particular PD power bank wasn't available for a long while due to Covid restrictions, but I finally got one (Amazon Prime Day is awesome ?).?

It's the Omnicharge Ultimate, which has a ton of power. It can do 12v from USB-C with ease using a trigger cable, and has a simple DC power jack that will provide up to 60v at 8A over an appropriate DC coaxial line. They include a short example, MD30 plug to 5.5x21 coaxial socket. I got a bag of MD30 plugs and sockets on Amazon for cheap. Turns out they're common on drones.

The Omni Ultimate even has a 150w AC inverter socket on it.

It isn't cheap and weighs around 3 lbs., but it has plenty of power. I wouldn't want to run that amp from a standard PD power bank. This one is designed to handle it.

My articles on these subjects are on my ham blog at NG3P.com.

73,
Gwen, NG3P




--
Anthony Luscre

K8ZT
Ohio Section Section Youth Coordinator & Education Outreach
ARRL - The National Association For Amateur Radio?
?
k8zt@... (best for Amateur Radio)

The Web Resource Hoarder-

K8ZT Radio Website-

Amateur Radio Resources for Students/Youth -

Re: AA Battery Power for QRP Labs gear

 

On Thu, Oct 28, 2021 at 09:56 AM, Mike Perry, WA4MP wrote:
In much the same fashion, old ham gear can be passed along to new hams. My first ham transmitter in the 1960s cost about $5 as war surplus.
Yes, that would be a great idea, but many hams are collectors who get very emotionally attached to their stuff, which keeps resale value absurdly high, keeping such equipment out of reach of newcomers. You only have to look at the preposterous resale value of Morse keys to see this.?
?
--
Julian, N4JO.
Re: A remote QDX....

 

How about a Raspberry Pi/Power over Ethernet ("PoE") solution? That would be the Cat's Meow...

One of my future projects is a multi-channel Ethernet connected GUI for QCXs, so I can run my growing stable of them in my shed from my office. Minnesota winters are not "polite", and I can't afford to insulate and heat my shed/shack. Right now I have a couple of extension cables running the 50 ft between the house and the shed, but I'll have to come up with a better solution.?

For the QDX, though, a PoE solution would be perfectly adequate, as long as we can keep RF out of the Ethernet wiring.

If you don't investigate it, Peter, I will :-)

--
Julian, N4JO.
Re: A remote QDX....

 

Peter,

You¡¯ve hit on a brilliant idea, one that could be expanded still further. Technically, anything that could be handled over an Ethernet cable could probably be handled over the Internet or with a cellular data link. Imagine that you live in the middle of a big city with the accompanying electrical noise and intermod along with no space for an antenna. You could remote your transceiver to somewhere distant where the spectrum is quieter and there¡¯s ample room for a large antennas.

That¡¯s already common is astronomy, where someone in the bright lights of a city can rent nights on a quality telescope at a remote mountain top.

Best of luck in the next QDX sale.

¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP

On Oct 28, 2021, at 10:32 am, G3SPL <leepd60@...> wrote:

While lying in bed recently, my mind pondered on the QDX and it suddenly struck me that it has no manual controls at all: it is totally controlled by software. This would make it ideal for remote location, for example, in a shed at the bottom of the garden, making antenna arrangements easier and getting somewhat away from the noisy domestic location.
Re: QDX TRIFILAR STEP 2.12 Wind and install trifilar toroid T2

 

I don't think the draft manual is quite clear enough on this.? It is important that the START and FINISH of the windings are identified as well as just continuity.? It would be possible to mix up start and finish of windings and still get a good continuity check!? So make sure that the 3 "starts" are on one side, and the 3 "finishes" on the other before doing your continuity checks!

Total failure if you get this wrong as the phasing won't be right...
--
Peter Lee
G3SPL
A remote QDX....

 

While lying in bed recently, my mind pondered on the QDX and it suddenly struck me that it has no manual controls at all: it is totally controlled by software. This would make it ideal for remote location, for example, in a shed at the bottom of the garden, making antenna arrangements easier and getting somewhat away from the noisy domestic location.
?
Next morning, I looked up how far you can run a USB cable: answer, not far enough for my needs, but then I came across the "USB Extender over Cat5 cable".? For somewhere around ?10 or so, you can buy 2 units which you interconnect with cat5 cable up to a distance of 50m - just what the doctor ordered!
?
Next, what sort of CAT5 cable to use for installation outside and probably directly buried. It turns out there is suitable outdoor grade cable available with tough double sheath and not too expensive - about ?50 for 100m. Burying the cable in the lawn is desirable for two reasons.? Firstly, it is relatively easy by using a spade to make a slit (about 150mm deep) into which you can push the cable down using a small piece of wood. The grass is then restored by pressing down with your foot. The second reason is that burying the cable gives some screening and also helps common mode rejection due to the capacitance of the cable cores to ground.
?
Further reduction of common mode noise from the PC can be achieved by winding the CAT5 cable around a couple of ferrite toroids near the PC end.
?
Powering the QDX is most easily done using a 12V lead acid battery which is charged up in the shack and taken down the garden for each operating session.? A suitable sized battery would allow several typical operating sessions between charges. (The QDX would need to be built for 12V operation using a 3:2 ratio output transformer rather than 2:2.)
?
What about changing bands?? At first, I thought I would have to use a separate multicore cable to control some antenna switching relays. Then I realized that the QDX has band select signals to control the preselector.? BAND0 and BAND1 are output from the microcontroller to give a two bit binary output, where "00" represents the 80m and "11" represents 20m band.
?
It would be relatively easy to take the BAND0 and BAND1 signals from the microcontroller (available at IC3, pins 14 and 2 respectively) and feed them to the gates of a couple of BS170 MOSFETs as relay drivers.? Two relays, one SPCO and the other DPCO can be wired to select one of 4 antennas under these control signals from the QDX. It would probably be best to put a simple RC low pass filter on the MOSFET gates to stop RF from the transmitter affecting the relay operation - that could be disastrous if it caused an incorrect band selection!
?
The relays could be configured to select different ATU settings if you use a single antenna. Of course, if you have a multiband antenna you don't need any of this antenna selection arrangement at all.
?
So remote operation could be fairly easy to achieve.
?
However, for me it will have to remain a dream as I was 30 minutes too late to place a QDX order!
?
--
Peter Lee
G3SPL
Re: QDX shipping update

 

Hi Fred

More likely, you should have it by Monday. Trust in USPS! I expect you will let us know on Monday :-)?

73 Hans G0UPL

On Thu, Oct 28, 2021 at 5:44 PM Fred Spinner <fred.spinner@...> wrote:
I received my shipping notice email (from US stock) for order 50001 this morning.? So in a week or so I should get the QDX.? Maybe I will be able to build over Thanksgiving... We will see.??

Fred W0FMS/7

On Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 7:26 AM Pat <pat.ring1@...> wrote:
On Wed, Oct 27, 2021 at 09:07 AM, Mike KK7ER wrote:
the USPS will notify you of ANY package on its way to you if you sign up for an account
I have been using this service for years.? It not only tells you about packages you are receiving, but provides an image of all normal-sized mail, like mail in the regular-sized envelopes and postcards.? I get an email every morning with these details, so I get to see the junk mail before it hits my mail box!? When there is a foot or two of snow outside, I know in advance if I need to make the trek out to the mail box.? I see I have a USPS package shipped by pirateship and coming from Sedalia, MO.? I have received QRP Labs kits from Sedalia before, so likely have the kit by the weekend.??
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