Re: IS THE BS 170 MOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE MINI A GOOD IDEA?
Well, FWIIW, I have been running my mini on 40 meters WSPR for about 18 hours. I did drop the voltage to around 11 volts. The case shows no increase in temperature for me. Similar performance with my QCX+ units, but those have a larger case, of course. IMHO, best bet is to drop power supply voltage a bit. In contrast, my FT-817ND does get warm at 5 watts WSPR, but it has a big heat sink as the back of the case.
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Re: Tech parts and the China bubble
It comes down to - in all good conscience. I'm waiting on an enclosure from china. Is that really necessary? Let's start there. Also, do I call turkey a friend? Not on your life. Something is not right. I won't compromise my values any further just to save a buck. I don't buy slave labor. I also was attacked biologically by china. I will take my stand. It boils down to, "Live Free or Die". Seriously, someone start with the cases of alu.
We can bend tin in this country. Even in Norway. Thank you, Shawn Reed. kf7yff. On Sunday, December 5, 2021, 05:17:53 AM PST, Mike Perry, WA4MP <editor@...> wrote:
> On Dec 5, 2021, at 2:11 am, Hans Summers < hans.summers@...> wrote: > > Basically I source parts and boards according to quality, availability, and cost. Even some parts locally from Turkey sometimes. It would not be anywhere even close to possible to imagine avoiding China in that lineup, and neither would there be any particular reason to do so. ----- In a broader context, there are serious reasons to fret about this heavy dependence on China. Do an Internet search for ¡°China bubble.¡± You¡¯ll find numerous articles from a wide variety of sources. The only real issue is whether the pending collapse in Chinese banking and real estate will impact manufacturing. I can¡¯t see how it could fail to do so. Factories need money and buildings. Issues about shipping will be as nothing if the factories that make those parts shut down. And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, there¡¯s the shoddy construction that the Chinese call Tofu-dreg. YouTube has video examples and some suspect it includes the many dams China has built in recent decades. Toss in the political, racial, ethnic, and religious tensions that are building up in the largest and most technologically repressive regime in human history and you have the potential for a global disaster like no other in human history. Personal technology is far less an issue that many others. My aging Mac mini has chugged along for almost ten years and does everything I need. I don¡¯t have to replace it. But if I get sick, a disturbingly high percentage of the basic chemicals for our medicine comes from China. For that search for ¡°medicine made in China." This cheaper is always better mindset in the corporate world has a major downside that goes far beyond electronic parts. All too much of we need in our daily lives comes not merely from one country but one that is extremely fragile and politically unstable. Worst of all, as the Freedom House report on China stresses, China¡¯s leaders brutally resist any effort to deal with those problems. The Chinese are willing to endure suffering without demanding change because they accept a principle called the Mandate of Heaven. As long as broader events go well, they accept their rulers. But if matters turn bad, they believe that the Mandate of Heaven has been withdrawn and that the rulers must go. Some Chinese believe that Covid was an indication that the Mandate of Heaven was being withdrawn from China¡¯s leaders. Other disasters, natural or economic, would make that even more so. > It was also a common belief that natural disasters such as famine and flood were divine retributions bearing signs of Heaven's displeasure with the ruler, so there would often be revolts following major disasters as the people saw these calamities as signs that the Mandate of Heaven had been withdrawn. > I¡¯m currently reading a book about late 1930s Europe, _Appeasement_ by Tim Bouverie. In the sense that there are problems that seem to defy solution, there are disturbing parallels to today. In early 1938 when Lord Halifax replaced Anthony Eden as British Foreign minister he told his friends to offer condolences. He was taking on responsibilities that seemed impossible to fulfill. He was right. By the end of the year the seeds of war had been sown. That is the world we¡¯re now living in. And yes, it is a world where little devices such as the QCX and QDX could prove quite handy. QRP Labs has a useful place in such a world. ¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP > On Dec 5, 2021, at 2:11 am, Hans Summers < hans.summers@...> wrote: > > Basically I source parts and boards according to quality, availability, and cost. Even some parts locally from Turkey sometimes. It would not be anywhere even close to possible to imagine avoiding China in that lineup, and neither would there be any particular reason to do so.
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Re: TOROID Winding and Tinning the Leads Properly...
Mine, 40M- QCX+, has been sitting for a few months but no longer...
?I started with a bare board yesterday, working through the construction book which begins by winding the T1 transformer. That's a heck of a thing to do with carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, and crappy vision, none of which makes me ready for the grave yet but slowing down is not an option I can ignore any longer. I did actually enjoy winding this. It's a matter of attitude and attention to details I suppose. So the leads from these windings were scraped with an Xacto knife and then tinned/soldered in place. This is probably one of the easiest to clean and solder copper wires I've worked with over the years. Good stuff right there.
A side note for folks: be careful using solvents to try and melt away insulation. Some of them will destroy a good inductor, and the wife's carpeting too if you spill it, via capillary action and melt away more than you expected.?
I have a fixed temp Weller soldering station that makes quick work of the soldering on this project. Even when landing on these ground planes it just takes another second. A wet sponge and re-tin and on to the next. I cannot over-stress the usefulness, actually the need, to purchase and maintain the best tools you can get. A quality soldering station and learning how to use it goes a long way in our hobby/field. Of course you all know this already.
I rescued a really nice extruded chassis, several different kinds actually, from the remelt bin at work. I'm the controls maniac for an aluminum extrusion company so I get to cheat on the cheap. The QCX+ and some other prototype boards I have fit right in the extrusion slots perfectly. I'll make some nice face and back plates too. I was going to cheat and buy one of those fancy all band all mode commercial units from the big names but I can hear my brother right now telling me to build my rigs, and LEARN MORSE CODE, which I am doing finally. (that's a long story unto itself) I still can't believe they dropped the code requirements for the licenses.?
Well, the rest of these components are not going to populate this board by themselves, a few more resistors and on to the larger components. So the iron will be warming shortly, but MORE COFFEE first.
I love the smell of rosin core solder in the morning, smells like victory.
?
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Re: IS THE BS 170 MOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE MINI A GOOD IDEA?
Instead of all the hoohah about QCX mini overheating of BS170¡¯s, if you are going to use modes that have 100% duty cycle, why not run the mini on 9v, the power drop at the finals will not be noticed on air and you will stand less chance of damage to the BVS170¡¯s. you can revert to 12v for CW when you require. Far too many people tune up the finals to get absolute max power out when there is no need, 4w,5w or 6w will not make any difference to those receiving your signal. Give the poor finals a break!
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-------- Original message -------- From: George Korper < georgekorper@...> Date: Sun, Dec 5, 2021, 3:57 AM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] IS THE BS 170 MOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE MINI A GOOD IDEA? Thank you all. i have now placed ventilation holes in the back of the case. Unlike the the 50 watt amp
in which Hans has wisely place the heat sink outside the case. The Mini has the heat sink inside the case.
After placing ventilation holes like an old fashioned radio in the rear of the Mini the temperature of the Mini has dropped considerably.?
So far this seems after 8 hours of high duty cycle operation to have solved my problem.?
My ventilation holes are not chic looking and it would be really cool if Hans could add these in production on the Mini
and QDX where high duty cycles may result in premature failure in extreme conditions.?
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Tech parts and the China bubble
On Dec 5, 2021, at 2:11 am, Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:
Basically I source parts and boards according to quality, availability, and cost. Even some parts locally from Turkey sometimes. It would not be anywhere even close to possible to imagine avoiding China in that lineup, and neither would there be any particular reason to do so. ----- In a broader context, there are serious reasons to fret about this heavy dependence on China. Do an Internet search for ¡°China bubble.¡± You¡¯ll find numerous articles from a wide variety of sources. The only real issue is whether the pending collapse in Chinese banking and real estate will impact manufacturing. I can¡¯t see how it could fail to do so. Factories need money and buildings. Issues about shipping will be as nothing if the factories that make those parts shut down. And if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, there¡¯s the shoddy construction that the Chinese call Tofu-dreg. YouTube has video examples and some suspect it includes the many dams China has built in recent decades. Toss in the political, racial, ethnic, and religious tensions that are building up in the largest and most technologically repressive regime in human history and you have the potential for a global disaster like no other in human history. Personal technology is far less an issue that many others. My aging Mac mini has chugged along for almost ten years and does everything I need. I don¡¯t have to replace it. But if I get sick, a disturbingly high percentage of the basic chemicals for our medicine comes from China. For that search for ¡°medicine made in China." This cheaper is always better mindset in the corporate world has a major downside that goes far beyond electronic parts. All too much of we need in our daily lives comes not merely from one country but one that is extremely fragile and politically unstable. Worst of all, as the Freedom House report on China stresses, China¡¯s leaders brutally resist any effort to deal with those problems. The Chinese are willing to endure suffering without demanding change because they accept a principle called the Mandate of Heaven. As long as broader events go well, they accept their rulers. But if matters turn bad, they believe that the Mandate of Heaven has been withdrawn and that the rulers must go. Some Chinese believe that Covid was an indication that the Mandate of Heaven was being withdrawn from China¡¯s leaders. Other disasters, natural or economic, would make that even more so. It was also a common belief that natural disasters such as famine and flood were divine retributions bearing signs of Heaven's displeasure with the ruler, so there would often be revolts following major disasters as the people saw these calamities as signs that the Mandate of Heaven had been withdrawn.
I¡¯m currently reading a book about late 1930s Europe, _Appeasement_ by Tim Bouverie. In the sense that there are problems that seem to defy solution, there are disturbing parallels to today. In early 1938 when Lord Halifax replaced Anthony Eden as British Foreign minister he told his friends to offer condolences. He was taking on responsibilities that seemed impossible to fulfill. He was right. By the end of the year the seeds of war had been sown. That is the world we¡¯re now living in. And yes, it is a world where little devices such as the QCX and QDX could prove quite handy. QRP Labs has a useful place in such a world. ¡ªMike Perry, WA4MP On Dec 5, 2021, at 2:11 am, Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:
Basically I source parts and boards according to quality, availability, and cost. Even some parts locally from Turkey sometimes. It would not be anywhere even close to possible to imagine avoiding China in that lineup, and neither would there be any particular reason to do so.
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Hi measured spurious on 80M with leaded inductors:
Used a 40dB power attenuator so -3dBm straight into to the analyser, fairly good results
73
Andrew
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Re: QDX OVER VOLTAGE
#qdx
Well I've managed to get 20 & 40 working well but 30 and 80 remain virtually inoperative. I'll leave it as is for now because I use 20/40 mainly anyway.
Over Xmas Break I will probably remove L12 an just start afresh. I'm still going to try to get a Rev2 board anyway when they become available.
My very sincere thanks to everyone who's tried to help me out. Apologies for being a PIA lol.
73, Tom, M7MCQ
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Hi Hans, ? I realize all of this and know it¡¯s unavoidable.? Nonetheless, I still try to avoid buying from China whenever possible.? Still hoping we can turn the train around before our kids are forced to learn to speak Chinese.? It¡¯s (for me) much less a quality issue and more of a political (and humanitarian) one. ? 73, ? Mike WM4B ?
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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Hans Summers
Sent: Sunday, December 5, 2021 3:12 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] ATU-10 reliable eBay seller #antennatuner #ebay ? > I know that QPR-Labs stuff is > sourced from China and I honestly > wish it was not.
The reality for a long time now is that 95% of electronic parts made in China. I think that train already left the station quietly, decades ago. EVERYONE's stuff is sourced from China.? China can produce high quality or low quality depending on what is required. Almost every component you buy from Mouser or Digikey also came from China. Apple products are designed in US but made in China. Even things that are made outside China, still most of the components will have been made in China. Just because what you typically buy on AliExpress typically or often has quality issues, doesn't mean the whole country has. QRP Labs PCBs are made in China and parts are sourced from wherever else it makes most sense. Toroids and most ferrite parts come from US (Diz http://kitsandparts.com is my supplier). Some capacitors (NP0 for RF) come from Digikey but of course they're made in China too. Other ICs sometimes from Digikey, Mouser or Arrow. Some parts from Japan.? Basically I source parts and boards according to quality, availability, and cost. Even some parts locally from Turkey sometimes. It would not be anywhere even close to possible to imagine avoiding China in that lineup, and neither would there be any particular reason to do so.?
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Re: Who needs an 50 Watt QDX? - QDX with 50 Watt Amp (Sans filter)
#50w
for LPF:
It will be much more cheaper using?
?(these are for QRP, pls use bigger toroids, higher voltage capacitors)
Aliexpress (much more expensive then the 50 Watt Amp :( ) I don't reccommend...
QRP https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003401817076.html
?
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Hi.
Thanks guys for all Your useful input about IF, WHY and WHY NOT using an ATU.
I'll have to see what I can make of it.
The little piece from QRPGuys looks interesting enough.
Perhaps a good place to start.
Thanks again, all of You.
73
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Re: Who needs an 50 Watt QDX? - QDX with 50 Watt Amp (Sans filter)
#50w
Hello
My tests with 50 Watt Amp concluded:
It is not a good idea...
No to: Multi band, external filters
You can use it? with QDX?
On 12 Volts on a single band
When you align bias on one frequency, it is good for that frequency, not in others.You can try it with the bias on mininum setting
?
This idea works with linear amplifiers, I tested it with MX-P50M HF Power Amplifier (I had to install an small fan, it gets hot)
I will write how to PTT form QDX
?
?
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Re: BBC news snippet mentions WSPRnet!
I read the DJ4FF write-up. End to end. Twice. I searched for ZL2005SWL. But I still don't get it. Hans, So sorry, I thought I had found the reference I was looking for. Mr Godfrey has done an incredible amount of work I am unable to understand, let alone confirm his conclusions. I agree, much of his work seems to be based on unproven theories and selective use of data without clear scientific documentation. I'm simply interested in the WSPR results, they seem to confirm aircraft can affect signals over a long path. Do we simply reject that as impossible or look for more evidence? So far I have not found details of the Antarctic/ZL2005SWL tests. Maybe there is not a comprehensive write up. Under ideal propagation conditions they were claimed to have shown signs of Doppler/SNR variations at times later confirmed by AIS data to be when aircraft were close to the line of propagation. Note the waterfall was available for visual signs. The path is sufficiently clear of regular flights, reflections are presumed to be more from turbulence/exhaust gases rather than from the aircraft itself. It would be good to have the full story, were there any "anomalies" when no aircraft were shown to be flying? Here Mr Godfrey tracked by WSPR then path confirmed by aircraft. Summary near the end. This appears to show WSPR used for tracking, getting more difficult to believe but still a question mark. 73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Re: IS THE BS 170 MOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE MINI A GOOD IDEA?
Photos George??
73 Hans G0UPL http://qrp-labs.com
-------- Original message -------- From: George Korper <georgekorper@...> Date: Sun, Dec 5, 2021, 3:57 AM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] IS THE BS 170 MOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE MINI A GOOD IDEA? Thank you all. i have now placed ventilation holes in the back of the case. Unlike the the 50 watt amp
in which Hans has wisely place the heat sink outside the case. The Mini has the heat sink inside the case.
After placing ventilation holes like an old fashioned radio in the rear of the Mini the temperature of the Mini has dropped considerably.?
So far this seems after 8 hours of high duty cycle operation to have solved my problem.?
My ventilation holes are not chic looking and it would be really cool if Hans could add these in production on the Mini
and QDX where high duty cycles may result in premature failure in extreme conditions.?
|
Hi Mike
> I know that QPR-Labs stuff is> sourced from China and I honestly > wish it was not.
The reality for a long time now is that 95% of electronic parts made in China. I think that train already left the station quietly, decades ago. EVERYONE's stuff is sourced from China.?
China can produce high quality or low quality depending on what is required. Almost every component you buy from Mouser or Digikey also came from China. Apple products are designed in US but made in China. Even things that are made outside China, still most of the components will have been made in China. Just because what you typically buy on AliExpress typically or often has quality issues, doesn't mean the whole country has.
QRP Labs PCBs are made in China and parts are sourced from wherever else it makes most sense. Toroids and most ferrite parts come from US (Diz http://kitsandparts.com is my supplier). Some capacitors (NP0 for RF) come from Digikey but of course they're made in China too. Other ICs sometimes from Digikey, Mouser or Arrow. Some parts from Japan.?
Basically I source parts and boards according to quality, availability, and cost. Even some parts locally from Turkey sometimes. It would not be anywhere even close to possible to imagine avoiding China in that lineup, and neither would there be any particular reason to do so.?
73 Hans G0UPL http://qrp-labs.com
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Re: QDX OVER VOLTAGE
#qdx
I just heated up the solder joints and tried it again.
Tom, You have proved that coincidences do happen - sometimes:-) 40M is now GREAT! 80 is working too (but the receive level seems a bit low. 30 and 20 appear dead.
So it very likely IS L12.? Can anyone tell me which of the *taps *relate to which *band*???
Signs of panic again! Certainly under present propagation conditions at the time of your post 30/20 are likely to be dead. 80m may not have been too good. Note tuning is broad, providing there are no more bad joints adjustment will only make a few dB difference. Use the band scan tool, look at Hans' pictures in the manual. 73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Mike,
You¡¯ve articulated a sentiment that is shared by many. I build quite a bit. But I don¡¯t have the time to build ¡°everything.¡± Nor should I. Or anyone else. Whatever mixture of building and buying prebuilt works best is good the the individual amateur.
73,
Frank
K4FMH
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Re: IS THE BS 170 MOUNTING SYSTEM IN THE MINI A GOOD IDEA?
Thank you all. i have now placed ventilation holes in the back of the case. Unlike the the 50 watt amp
in which Hans has wisely place the heat sink outside the case. The Mini has the heat sink inside the case.
After placing ventilation holes like an old fashioned radio in the rear of the Mini the temperature of the Mini has dropped considerably.?
So far this seems after 8 hours of high duty cycle operation to have solved my problem.?
My ventilation holes are not chic looking and it would be really cool if Hans could add these in production on the Mini
and QDX where high duty cycles may result in premature failure in extreme conditions.?
|
Re: BBC news snippet mentions WSPRnet!
This is not new. The story ran here in Australia back in May this year. See
I've seen nothing more since then. The Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments spent a lot of time and money searching for the aircraft over several months. It would take a lot of convincing and good scientific evidence to start a new search. I doubt this current work will convince any government. Nigel VK6NI
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Re: QDX OVER VOLTAGE
#qdx
Hi,
Tom M7MCQ wrote:
Can anyone tell me which of the taps relate
to which band???
Start?
19 Turns = 20m, resonates with C29 + various circuit stray
capacitances
30 Turns = 30m, resonates with C31 + various circuit stray
capacitances
36 Turns = 40m, resonates with C28 + various circuit stray
capacitances
41 Turns = 80m, resonates with C30 + various circuit stray
capacitances
73 SM6LKM
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Re: QDX on 2200 and 630 meter bands possible?
On Sat, Dec 4, 2021 at 03:23 PM, Hans Summers wrote:
Who knows?
I'm looking forward to the QDX-mini.....the size of a domino. ? -- John AE5X
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Mike Perry, WA4MP
Andrew Lenton
Tom M7MCQ
Mike Besemer - WM4B
Frank K4FMH