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

#1232

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

Show quoted text

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@..."

#1231

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

Show quoted text

--- 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

#1230

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

Show quoted text

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

#1229

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@..."

#1228

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

Sorry for the word wrap :-(

73 de Andy

Re: Something else for the wish list ?

"andyfoad@..."

#1227

--- 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

#1226

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

Show quoted text

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"

#1225

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

Show quoted text

--- 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

Re: Something else for the wish list ?

"andyfoad@..."

#1224

--- 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

Hans Summers

#1223

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

Re: Something else for the wish list ?

Hans Summers

#1222

Hi Andy

Ok ok ok. I'll add it to the list!

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.?

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.?

73 Hans G0UPL

Show quoted text

On Sun, May 26, 2013 at 3:01 PM, andyfoad@... <andyfoad@...> wrote:

?

Wideband FSK CW.

By wideband I mean 200Hz or so as used by many 28Mhz beacons plus
speed setting in WPM.

(FSK could be any value up to 999Hz)

Would be great for playing fox hunting, or running personal attended
beacons.

Whaddya think Hans ?

73 de Andy

UQRSS 2 kit finished and first spots on 40m

"dd5cf_colin"

#1221

Hi to all members of the group,

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?

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.

73 and thanks for a great kit Hans.
Colin DD5CF / G1ZOS

Something else for the wish list ?

"andyfoad@..."

#1220

Wideband FSK CW.

By wideband I mean 200Hz or so as used by many 28Mhz beacons plus
speed setting in WPM.

(FSK could be any value up to 999Hz)

Would be great for playing fox hunting, or running personal attended
beacons.

Whaddya think Hans ?

73 de Andy

Re: GPS behaviour very inconsistent

"David Atkins"

#1219

开云体育

My thanks to Tony and Phil for publishing pictures of their builds, and to everyone else, like Keith,?who has given details of their construction. All of your experiences are helping me plan my own installation.

?

Both of my units are currently languishing in a drawer, pending Hans' return and his words of wisdom. The U2's USP for me was that it could be portable and self-contained. I wanted the ability to set up a WSPR beacon in the middle of nowhere without having to take a load of other equipment. The U2 should work out its location, sort out its clock to WSPR standards, and start to talk. Mine have both got the location sorted, but the lack of pps functionality means that neither the location nor the timing are usable. I'm confident that we shall see a solution soon. Sadly, I have a trip to the Highlands on Wednesday that will most likely be too premature for that.

In the meantime, I have shack-bound WSPR capabilities that I can go back to using. But I was so looking forward to being portable ;-(

?

A naive question. What did the Beta-testers use that gave them success? Is there a way I can copy that?

?

Best Wishes

?

David G8XBZ

From: QRPLabs@... [mailto:QRPLabs@...] On Behalf Of Keith Maton
Sent: 26 May 2013 10:39
To: QRPLabs@...
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] GPS behaviour very inconsistent

I have one further update regarding the initial time setting from the GPS using the Adafruit.

If it's all powered off and I start the GPS and the U2 at the same time, the U2 will give a slightly incorrect time depending on how long it takes the GPS to lock.

So if the GPS takes six seconds to find a lock the time displayed by the U2 will be six seconds slow.

Simply inverting and re-inverting the GPS settings cause that error to be corrected.

I hope this is helpful.

73 Keith, G6NHU

?

Re: GPS behaviour very inconsistent

Keith Maton

#1218

开云体育

I have one further update regarding the initial time setting from the GPS using the Adafruit.

If it's all powered off and I start the GPS and the U2 at the same time, the U2 will give a slightly incorrect time depending on how long it takes the GPS to lock.

So if the GPS takes six seconds to find a lock the time displayed by the U2 will be six seconds slow.

Simply inverting and re-inverting the GPS settings cause that error to be corrected.

I hope this is helpful.

73 Keith, G6NHU

Show quoted text

On 21 May 2013, at 11:34, Keith Maton <nentecular@...> wrote:

?
Tony,

I've got an adafruit GPS unit ()?which I've connected using four wires to the U2 kit: ?1pps, +V, gnd and data. ?It has the ability to run with a battery backup for quicker acquisition and ?data logging, that's the battery I added at the weekend.

As for the supply, I run with 13.8V through a heatsinked 7805 regulator onto the U2 and from there out to the GPS module.

This morning I've done some more testing - I reset the invert GPS option to OFF and power cycled the U2. ?In this configuration, the time appears within a couple of seconds of power on and it's accurate. ?It's been running for a few hours now and it's stayed accurate.

I hope that helps.

73 Keith.

On 21 May 2013, at 07:54, Tony Volpe <tony.volpe.1951@...> wrote:

?

Keith,

Could you say more about the battery backup you added? What is the exact voltage on your system? How is it different to what you had before? I have not been able to get my EM-406A to operate with the new kit, but it is working fine on the old one. In my case, the clock will not appear and the kit won't start when I set USE GPS to ON. If I set the invert GPS parameter to invert (which is wrong for the GPS, the clock appears, and the kit starts and will transmit on schedule, but the clock runs fast and within a minute or two is well out of sync with real time. This corrects momentarily when the transmit cycles end and then it runs away again.

If you have found a solution, I'd be well pleased. :))

The kit works well in every other way that I have tried, but I've only been using WSPR.

Tony
G0BZB

On 20 May 2013 21:43, Keith Maton <nentecular@...> wrote:

?

Since I added battery backup to my GPS module at the weekend things are more consistent.?

When I apply power, the clock shows and it's normally accurate to within a few seconds. ?I put the GPS invert to off and the clock shows correct. ?I put the invert back to on and it stays correct without drifting. I've been running WSPR for over 24 hours on 30m/20m with no problems.

I'm very pleased to have been seen in VK land on 20m WSPR this afternoon.

73 Keith, G6NHU
--

On 17 May 2013, at 10:35, Keith Maton <nentecular@...> wrote:

?
All,

Following on from my other emails yesterday, last night I restarted everything again only this time the U2 and GPS were switched off for an hour or so while I worked GB70DAM on 40m.

Once I started it up and the GPS locked, the clock once again was showing 00:00:00. I inverted the input and the time showed correctly.

Today, over 12 hours later, it's still correct to the second! Compare that to yesterday when it was rapidly losing time.

73 Keith, G6NHU

Re: U2 photos.

"andyfoad@..."

#1217

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

Alan

That's a whole can of worms you have opened. I would do the same or
similar, I run in a Mains Earth free environment.Same here.
Have done for many years.
More hassle than it's worth with RF about.

In my case connecting the 'safety
earth' would mean I was connecting  my antenna system to the
Neutral of  the mains supply and also directly to the Neutral of
the next door house.Under fault conditions (which did happen here)
the chassis of the U2  could then rise to phase potential and huge
current would sink to Earth  via the antenna system or via the
operator.Anyone for PME ? ;-)

Regards to all,

Andy

Re: U2 photos.

g3zjo

#1216

开云体育

Alan

That's a whole can of worms you have opened. I would do the same or similar, I run in a Mains Earth free environment.
I am sure Andy knows what he is doing. In my case connecting the 'safety earth' would mean I was connecting? my antenna system to the Neutral of the mains supply and also directly to the Neutral of the next door house.
Under fault conditions (which did happen here) the chassis of the U2 could then rise to phase potential and huge current would sink to Earth via the antenna system or via the operator.

73 Eddie G3ZJO

?
On 25/05/2013 13:58, Alan wrote:

Show quoted text

?

I assume that's an incoming 240V mains cable feeding the transformer. It looks as if you've chopped the earth wire adjacent to the end of the outer jacket. As it's a metal box, it needs the safety earth connecting. We'd hate to lose you...

Regards,
Alan G0RWB

--- In QRPLabs@..., "andyfoad@..." wrote:
>
> I've uploaded a few pics of my U2 in the files section.
>
> Hope the may be of interest.
>
> 73 de Andy G0FTD
> GQRP 13690
>

Re: U2 photos.

"Alan"

#1215

I assume that's an incoming 240V mains cable feeding the transformer. It looks as if you've chopped the earth wire adjacent to the end of the outer jacket. As it's a metal box, it needs the safety earth connecting. We'd hate to lose you...

Regards,
Alan G0RWB

Show quoted text

--- In QRPLabs@..., "andyfoad@..." <andyfoad@...> wrote:

I've uploaded a few pics of my U2 in the files section.

Hope the may be of interest.

73 de Andy G0FTD
GQRP 13690

Re: U2 photos.

"Philip"

#1214

Nicely done Andy....

Philip  G4JVF

Show quoted text

--- In QRPLabs@..., "andyfoad@..." <andyfoad@...> wrote:

I've uploaded a few pics of my U2 in the files section.

Hope the may be of interest.

73 de Andy G0FTD
GQRP 13690