Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
Hi?
It is very common to see copies of the signal every 60Hz (or 50Hz outside US) if you are monitoring your own signal at very close range. Sidebands on the transmitted signal are possible due to hum on the supply. But there are other mechanisms too, that have nothing to do with the TX signal at all. It is very easy to end up with mains hum in your audio via ground-loops etc to your sound card. With a strong signal which overloads your receiver/sound card this stuff can cross-modulate and you see those images. Happens all the time. Usually nothing to worry about.?
Have you checked every menu item between the working U3S and the non-working U3S to make sure they are exactly the same?? Are you sure that your frequency calibration is correct?? Are you definitely configuring the right transmit frequency, which is NOT the USB dial frequency listed on the WSPRnet page, but is 1500Hz above that??
73 Hans G0UPL
On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 8:22 AM, Mvs Sarma <mvssarma@...> wrote: If you happen to use? linear adopter, try placing 0.01 disc capacitors across each of the diodes (bridge or full wave). The power ripple gets removed.
In case SMPS, Yes we have to study case by case. There are supplies that are used by networking people like Cisco (5V3 amp) Perhaps those might work well. Little more experimentation needed. All the best
?
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Re: Shack clock kit arrived; not working though
Hi John
You seem to have comprehensively worked through all the things I would have suggested.?
You can couple an external 20MHz source into pin 9 if you wish (not to exceed 5V peaks).?
Perhaps the chip is somehow dead... it is not usual, but can happen sometimes. It is possible your switched mode PSU had spikes at switch on which might have killed the processor. Who knows. I can send you a new clock chip if you wish?
73 Hans G0UPL
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Re: Can't get WSPR spots from U3S after installing LPF Relay kit
Re: Can't get WSPR spots from U3S after installing LPF Relay kit
?
From manual.
Rev 5 PCB is designed so that one LPF is always in circuit ¨C this should be the highest frequency LPF plugged in to the board, which should always be?plugged in to position ¡°1¡±.?
Try and move the 20 m LPF to position 1.
Jan
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Can't get WSPR spots from U3S after installing LPF Relay kit
The subject says the basics of it. I installed my highest frequency LPF in position 5 on the? LPF relay board (20m) and put the 40m LPF on the U3S board. I also removed the W0/W1 and W2/W3 jumpers per the instructions, and as far as I can tell I did all the things correctly. When I took the U3S down for the upgrade it was getting spots regularly and had been for 2-3 weeks. But now, nothing. I connected the antenna to the vertical SMA connector with some RG58 going to a BNC connector, which has continuity. The only glitch I found was that I had installed one of the jumpers incorrectly. Now, I may repurpose this later, so I built the board using header pins with standard PCB jumpers like what are using in PC's on the motherboard, and so it was as easy as soldering in the correct pin and moving the jumper over to it.? I also did some troubleshooting by leaving an LPF socket on the U3S board empty (it's shorted by the relay as far as I can tell, until the relay is energized) and tried transmitting on both 20m and 40m WSPR by switching out the correct LPF in position 5 on the board- no change, no spots. I AM getting spots locally with a rx sitting right next to it- it just seems like the RF isn't making it past the LPF relay board. Any troubleshooting suggestions? Thanks a lot! 73 -- Ryan Flowers W7RLF
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Re: Arduino Shield Kit for WSPR: Timekeeping questions
Thank you very much, Gwyn! I appreciate that. I am going to check it out. -- Ryan Flowers W7RLF
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Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
If you happen to use? linear adopter, try placing 0.01 disc capacitors across each of the diodes (bridge or full wave). The power ripple gets removed.
In case SMPS, Yes we have to study case by case. There are supplies that are used by networking people like Cisco (5V3 amp) Perhaps those might work well. Little more experimentation needed. All the best
?
On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 10:40 AM, Tapio OH2EYY <tapio.valli@...> wrote: I don't know if this helps but I tried using different? PSUs, adding filtering as described above, all to no avail. Both the digital and PA supplies are very sensitive to PS ripple esp. when using WSPR.
I ended up using a small motorcycle 12 V battery for everything. Works great and my signal is very clean.?
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Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
I don't know if this helps but I tried using different? PSUs, adding filtering as described above, all to no avail. Both the digital and PA supplies are very sensitive to PS ripple esp. when using WSPR.
I ended up using a small motorcycle 12 V battery for everything. Works great and my signal is very clean.?
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Just wanted to report that I have received and built my VFO and it works great with both my Drake R-4A and T-4XB!
Hoping for Hans to add RIT to it soon :).
73 Bill NZ0T
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Re: My OCX show use original IC after Upgrade firmware 1.00b.
Hi Armin
Thnak for you suggestion.I miss understand for upgrade firmware.It my fault.I will buy chip from Hans again.
It reason learn for upgrade firmware it dangerous to do.
73 DE HS1PGS
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Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
In reverse order:
No relay board.? I was trying to keep it simple at first.
Antenna connection is positive and visual, as it's a crude indoor improvisation I can see from one end to the other.
Output is a notional ~200mW (one BS170 and a bifilar-wound toroid, awaiting more after debugging).? I believe at 40m the actual output is somewhat above that.? I'm going to do some more serious testing on four bands (40m/30m/20m/17m) after I get these two units both working properly at the same time.
OK, a filter being a 470mF electrolytic with + at the "+5V"? and the - at the "Gnd" terminals at the bottom of the PCB?
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Re: Can't find transistor 2N2907 in my QCX kit.
Thanks Phil,? I will go ahead and install it.?? Almost finished and getting ready to start the alignment.?
73 Dave
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Re: Approvals for 630/2200m operation are now being received
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who should I be looking for when they send the response? I get lots of emails and don't want to miss it.
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Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
Hi Hazarda,
no, cap not 'in line' but across the 5v in and 0v connections to the U3 board. Although you may have decoupling on the PSU, I found you sometimes need extra decouping very close to the U3 supply input pins. It may be difficult to see anything using a 'scope when there is RF around.
I am not sure if Jt65 is less sensitive, as I am mainly a WSPR user. the problem may be more apparent at higher powers, which may relate to the lower frequency bands.
Yes you are correct about the brightness setting on the U3.?
If they are not your problems I would start looking at the RF output levels, making sure your power is actually reaching the antenna, check your links on the U3 for antenna output. Are you using a switched relay board??
73 Ken G4APB
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Re: Approvals for 630/2200m operation are now being received
who should I be looking for when they send the response? I get lots of emails and don't want to miss it.
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Hi Geoff
Maybe I worded it wrongly.
I should have said 13v On the Drains before initial key down, Found using the DMM which slowly decreased by virtue of the DMM being across them. Once it had reduced to <1v, then key down no problem.
However as you see in the e-mail there are other problems to overcome first!!!
Will look for any Gnd problems.
Tnx for the help.
73
Ian G4GIR
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-----Original Message----- From: GD Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2017 9:21 PM To: [email protected]Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] QCX was OK A good 5W out. However!! at initial key down the TX draws 1.0A with about 1 watt out, re key and its fine again. I found that there was 13 v on the drains at initial key down and after keying once that returned to 0v Hello Ian It has the characteristics of RF floating on the board on intial key down removed by virtue of the next key down. A search for a missing direct Gnd around the PA, and a Multi Meter might not be the right unit to troubleshoot this, more visual. i.e PA gnd not local The clue may go back to your original problem with your dummy load. Geoff G4CAO 73
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A good 5W out.? However!! at initial key down the TX draws 1.0A with about 1 watt out, re key and its fine again. I found that there was 13 v on the drains at initial key down and after keying once that returned to 0v
Hello Ian
It has the characteristics of RF floating on the board on intial key down removed by virtue of the next key down. A search for a missing direct Gnd around the PA, and a Multi Meter might not be the right unit to troubleshoot this, more visual. i.e PA gnd not local
The clue may go back to your original problem with your dummy load.
Geoff G4CAO 73
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Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
On Sun, Oct 15, 2017 at 12:43 pm, KENS 2ND ACC wrote:
Try heavy decoupling on the 5v input to the bad U3, say 470uF.
Just a 470uF cap inline with the DC at the + input on the U3S?? The converter/regulator has 220uF filters at input and output, but perhaps these are not enough (I suppose I could check this out with my new 'scope, if I knew how). Wouldn't this problem affect JT65 transmissions as well, or is that mode somewhat different and thereby less sensitive to this problem? Would this problem be less/more apparent at different transmit frequencies?
Also, if you have the software defined brightness option (link option) set, try it at MAX brightness
I'm not sure what you're talking about here.? Do you mean the display brightness setting on the U3S?? If so, I have that on 9, the highest setting, I believe.
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Re: U3S Ideal Frame Settings for 6-Band Continuous WSPR Operation
Glad to be of help Ron,
Hans does stress repeatedly that a large amount of U3 problems are down to poor psu regulation, a big cap cures a lot of ills, hi hi.
happy hopping
73 Ken G4APB
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Re: U3S Ideal Frame Settings for 6-Band Continuous WSPR Operation
Ken and Jan,
Thanks so much for your sage advice.? I adjusted the sequence, FRAMES, CAL, and GPS as you suggested.? Interestingly the U3S displayed the same erratic behavior despite having the correct programming.? So, I tried Ken's suggesting to "buffer" potential voltage / current variations in my cheap Chinese power supply using a capacitor.? I did not have a 4,700 uF handy so I used a 10,000 uF -- problem solved!? The U3S is transmitting and cycling through the 6 bands and calibration sequence perfectly!? (I've attached a photo with the capacitor hot-glued to the U3S enclosure).
Again, I really am thankful for your input...I wished I had posted this question long ago.
73, Ron
KK6I
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Re: Still No WSPR With U3S!
Hi Hazarda,
your ¡®spurious¡¯ signals are at 60Hz spacing, suggesting local mains supply ripple on the U3 supply line. A know you say you use the same PSU on both, but not all U3s are the same, try heavy decoupling on the 5v input to the bad U3, say 470uF.
Also, if you have the software defined brightness option (link option) set, try it at MAX brightness, as I found this is source of noise too.
73 Ken G4APB
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Tapio OH2EYY
Hazarda Masklo