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Re: GPS without 1 pps output for the Multi-mode QRSS Beacon kit
Hans Summers
Sverre 1) You cannot use a GPS without a 1pps. The kit REQUIRES the 1pps signal. Yes, it is waiting for it (the 1pps signal). 2) the cosmetic bug with the baudrate setting needing to scroll through an incredibly long list of characters was resolved in v1.03. So you must have a version below that.
So really you need a GPS with a 1pps output. To read the data from the GPS it must provide an NMEA-0183 format serial data output, and it must contain the $GPRMC sentence. I am compiling a list of what GPS modules people have used and know do work with the kit. I'll publish this on my website in the next day or two.?
A possible solution if you insist on using a GPS module without a kit, is as follows: a) You could arrange for a mono-stable to trigger on the starting edge of the serial data stream. In many GPS modules, the serial data package arrives once per second and the starting edge of the first data bit (the "start bit") of the data stream is synchronized to the 1pps signal. If you could arrange some circuit to turn that serial data pulse stream into a single pulse say 50ms long, once per second, then you *MAY* be able to use that as a 1pps signal.
b) In v1.03 I made modifications to the GPS interface in the firmware. In *THEORY* those modifications might enable you to connect your GPS kit serial data directly to the 1pps input, and the firmware should detect and use the first leading edge of the serial data stream, if it arrives once per second. Then you would not need any treatment circuit described in a) above. However, nobody has yet tried and verified that this works, and it may not work with all GPS modules anyway. This is a rather experimental solution at the moment, for those who might not have a suitable GPS with 1pps output.?
All in all, as you live in the Eastern hemisphere, you might anyway be affected by a bug in the latitude/longitude to locator conversion, which I fixed in v1.04. So I would recommend you should request the free v1.04 upgrade at the shop and try it (even try connecting the serial data and 1pps inputs to the GPS serial data output on your current GPS, if you are brave!). See but make sure that you give in the "customer notes" field: your current version number, your original order number, and a quick description of what is wrong.?
73 Hans G0UPL --- In QRPLabs@..., la3za@... wrote:
> > Now I have tried this without much success. >? > I have verified that the GPS LED indicates a lock, used my scope to see that the GPS outputs data to the serial input, and set the baud rate to 4800. But when I turn GPS to on, the QRSS Beacon just stops and looks like it is waiting for something. The 1 pps signal I would guess?
>? > By the way, setting of the baudrate was quite hard as one has to scroll through an incredibly long list of characters in order to change the baudrate from 9600 to 4800. It includes upper and lower case letters and all kind of other symbols also, Russian perhaps too.
>? > Sverre > LA3ZA >? > --- In QRPLabs@..., svholm54@ wrote: > > > > I have an RS232 GPS without an 1 pps output (the ADS-GM1
> > d=85&osCsid=jc764q31uanmkl6fbkf7u11nq1> ).
> >? > > Will the QRSS beacon be able to read time and location for the WSPR mode > > if I connect it and turn GPS on? or will it just wait for the 1 pps > > signal?
> >? > >? > >? > > Sverre > > LA3ZA > > > >
> |
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Re: Corrupt LCD displays
Hans Summers
Kurt It can happen when people switch off their power supply, as the voltage decays to zero. It appears that if the voltage goes down too slowly the firmware could corrupt the EEPROM configuration settings. I'm not sure exactly under what circumstances this can happen, but we found that we could prevent it under ALL circumstances and any chip on v1.03 or above doesn't suffer that problem.
So if you have a corrupted EEPROM and cannot correct the configuration settings in the menu, please order a free upgrade from us at the shop , stating your chip version, the nature of your problem, and your original order number (in the customer notes field).
73 Hans G0UPL --- In QRPLabs@..., "Facility 406 DM09" wrote:
> > "seen so far have been due to the supply voltage for the beacon falling? > below the recommendations that Atmel set for the Mega168. (2.7-5.5 volts)." >? > Who has a power supply that low? ?Does this happen from people using a?
> couple of AA cells to run their system? >? > Kurt > |
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Re: Corrupt LCD displays
"Facility 406 DM09"
"seen so far have been due to the supply voltage for the beacon falling
below the recommendations that Atmel set for the Mega168. (2.7-5.5 volts)." Who has a power supply that low? Does this happen from people using a couple of AA cells to run their system? Kurt |
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Re: GPS without 1 pps output for the Multi-mode QRSS Beacon kit
la3za@...
Now I have tried this without much success.
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I have verified that the GPS LED indicates a lock, used my scope to see that the GPS outputs data to the serial input, and set the baud rate to 4800. But when I turn GPS to on, the QRSS Beacon just stops and looks like it is waiting for something. The 1 pps signal I would guess? By the way, setting of the baudrate was quite hard as one has to scroll through an incredibly long list of characters in order to change the baudrate from 9600 to 4800. It includes upper and lower case letters and all kind of other symbols also, Russian perhaps too. Sverre LA3ZA --- In QRPLabs@..., svholm54@... wrote:
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Corrupt LCD displays
"Stephen"
Guys,
A number of you have reported corruption on the LCD. The problems I have seen so far have been due to the supply voltage for the beacon falling below the recommendations that Atmel set for the Mega168. (2.7-5.5 volts). This can cause the data you have saved into the AVR to become corrupted. Most of the time you can get around this by reinputting the data. Ensuring that your PSU delivers voltage within the 2.7-5.5 range will ensure that you don't have a problem Hans has altered the programming parameters in Version 1.3 and subsequent versions to minimise the possibility of the corruption happening. 73s Steve |
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Second batch of Ultimate Beacon kits
"Stephen"
Guys,
I am almost in a position to start making up another batch of kits. Hopefully they will be in the shop in a couple of weeks. I am NOT taking pre-orders, it is just too difficult for me to manage these. Last time we took pre-orders and you had to wait for ages because we had various problems getting the kits out. And then I had to rush things and made a few mistakes. I will also be doing some kits for QRSS 20 meters and 160 meters QRSS. Sorry for all you WSPR guys but I simply cannot resource crystals for the various sub-bands at this time. In all I have planned for another 200 kits in total, so there should be enough. They will ship with the latest version of the firmware which, fingers crossed, should be bug free. 73s Steve |
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Support and shipping
"Stephen"
Guys,
I just need to point out that both Hans and I lead pretty busy lives. We try to respond very quickly to queries. Sometimes this is not as quick as some people like. So please be patient. Neither Hans or I are doing this to make our fortunes, nor are we wholly employed in the design and kitting business. It is something we do to put something back into the Amateur Radio Community. 73s Steve... |
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GPS without 1 pps output for the Multi-mode QRSS Beacon kit
svholm54@...
I have an RS232 GPS without an 1 pps output (the ).?
Will the QRSS beacon be able to read time and location for the WSPR mode if I connect it and turn GPS on? or will it just wait for the 1 pps signal? Sverre LA3ZA http://la3za.blogspot.no/ |
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Re: Incorrect GPS locator bug fixed!
John Minkjan
Hi Hans,
?
Good to hear! I will test the new vesion as soon as the chip arrives in the mail!
?
73 John PH9Z
2012/8/9 Hans Summers <hans.summers@...>
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Incorrect GPS locator bug fixed!
Hans Summers
John PH9Z and all Just to let you know that I found and fixed the bug with the incorrect locator from the GPS module. Steve tested it and he is now correctly in Norwich, not the German/Polish border as the kit was suggesting. The corrected version is v1.04, please order it free from the website if (and only if, please!) you faced a problem!
Note that the problem can only POTENTIALLY affect you if the following are all true! 1) You are trying to receive Maidenhead locator from a GPS, with the "Use GPS" set to ON and a valid serial NMEA data stream connected
2) You are trying to use WSPR mode (the Maidenhead locator is only used for the WSPR message encoding) 3) You are in the EASTERN hemisphere, the bug only potentially affects those in the East. Locator is fine for most of the UK and all of the US.
Apologies for the inconvenience 73 Hans G0UPL |
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Re: WSPR success
"Philip"
Yes Steve it's GPS connected to this module...
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Works using all your kit GPS default settings... Only downside is it needs a 3.3V regulator but that's no problem.. I bought an active antenna for it on a long cable for ?9.99 so I can get a good GPS lock wherever the QRSS kit is on the bench.. Philip G4JVF --- In QRPLabs@..., Stephen Farthing <squirrox@...> wrote:
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Re: QRSS Ultimate Beacon 30m WSPR
Tony Volpe
If the minimum capacitance of the trimmer is similar to the one used in the early kits, the new trimmer will be great for going lower in frequency.?
I had the opposite issue. With the trimmer set to minimum capacitance I could not get properly into the wspr band. My signals were right on the bottom of the band. A change to 18pf on (I think) C4 & C5, put me nicely in the middle of the band.?
The kit was ideally placed for QRSS ops though, but just a little on the edge of WSPR.? It is a very easy fix I guess. I tagged my 18pf to the bottom of the board so I could easily change them if it wasn't right. It might be worth doing that in building anyway in case changes are needed. Once in the plated through holes in the tight position between the LCD and the Crystal, they are tricky to remove because you can't get even fine needle nosed pliers in. I used watchmaker's tweezers to extract them while using a solder sucker on the bottom.?
Best regards Tony G0BZB |
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Re: QRSS Ultimate Beacon 30m WSPR
Stephen Farthing
Guys,
It is worth noting that newer kits ship with a variable capacitor with a greater range. Principally because i had difficulty sourcing the one specified when we started work on the design in sufficient quantity. So, as they say in America, your mileage may vary.?
73s Steve |
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Re: QRSS Ultimate Beacon
"Philip"
Just fitted my new Ver 1.03 chip (thanks Stephen)
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All switching problems solved and the kit is working in all modes now. Anyhoo, whilst I had the top off, I replaced the 20pf caps with 18pf NPO ceramics. This is the range I now get.. 10.139.010 to 10.140.372 Mhz This is just right for QRSS or WSPR. Just tweaked it to 10.140.170 and set it going for a first WSPR test in my shed using battery power and a homebrew trapped vertical nailed to the fence... Wish me luck :) Philip G4JVF --- In QRPLabs@..., Stephen Farthing <squirrox@...> wrote:
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Re: 1pps signal level requirements on Ultimate QRSS Beacon
"TONY_VOLPE"
--- In QRPLabs@..., "pencoys" <mike@...> wrote:
Hi Mike and Group. This question of sharing one GPS module between kits was covered by Hans here: He makes the point that they can be just paralleled together with the same GPS module. 73s de Tony G0BZB |
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