Re: the future of high altitude amateur balloons
I think it's just that the HAB stuff is all changing hands at the moment The Radiosonde guys have taken it over so I assume this is just some cross over /site redirection issues.
That said it's just so less interesting than a Conspiracy cooked up by a combo of CIA/MI6/KSB and Mosad to redirect us that this so obviously an Alien attack ;-) Choose which reality entertains you most !
JA
On Sunday, 12 February 2023 at 00:01:07 GMT, Frank K4FMH <frankmhowell@...> wrote:
Bob,
Note this at page bottom¡73 de K4FMH?
Site noteThis Github-hosted site is temporary while the old site is being rebuilt. The old site can be accessed at??but some portions may be broken.
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Re: the future of high altitude amateur balloons
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Re: Newbie QDX Build
#qdx
I just last night had to fix my QDX because it suddenly stopped working on one of the three bands. ?Note that my QDX had been operating just fine for about 6 months¡.
What I found was exactly what the folks have been saying here, a solder connection to one of the wound toroids had a very poor solder connection.. I reflowed the solder connection with a hotter solder pencil and the issue went away. After I originally built the kit, my family gave me a really nice solder and rework station, so I was able to set the pencil temp to 440C¡ ?When I first built the kit, my ohm meter showed continuity for all the toroids, but while it was okay for dc, it wasn¡¯t too good for RF, and eventually simply opened for DC too¡?
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Re: QCX WARC Party - February 2023
At 1300Z, I had some good fun on 30m (with a QCX Classic 20m) and on 17m (with QCX Mini 17m).
On 30m I had 4 QSo's, 3 were QCX (DK3UW, OK2BQN and PA0CMU).
After waiting a long time until the "big gun" chasers were done, I could finally get through and work SOTA station GW4AZS/P.
On 17m, a big surprise to hear OK2BQN with only 2W, he was 579 here, at a distance where I normally would not hear him ... so short skip today. I got a 599 from him, great !
Further got called by OI6SP, a SES.
I was using a mini Cootie that I built for portable operations, but now mounted with a magnet on a thin steel plate which I taped to my desk pad.
73 de Luc ON7DQ
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Re: amplifier, qdx question
It should work fine Bill. Just be sure not to run the amp at full power on the digital modes. It's designed for 50% duty cycle work like CW. Most folks are running the amplifier at 13.8v in this application instead of 20. There are some older threads here about an issue some had with keying the amp from the QDX, which usually turned out to be a problem with a transistor in the amplifier... Good luck .. .73 .. .Ron
I would like to use my 40 meter qcx amplifier with my qdx.? Any problems?? Thanks
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Yeah, it's been a little while since I ordered up replacement parts. Finally got the time to solder in the new parts. I ended up replacing IC5. Also replaced all four 170s since I was already there.?Device is now working perfectly! Getting ~4 watts. I'm good w/that.?
Thanks all for your comments.?
My advice for anyone with a QDX that is not performing as expected. Don't be afraid to get in there and troubleshoot. Make it learning experience.?
Thanks,
~Christian
N1COW
73
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Re: Newbie QDX Build
#qdx
Hi, Bob,
Tis hard to tell with an end view of this type toroid,. it looks like a 9v?!
I wonder if there is some voltage checks that can be performed to verify the turns ratio here?.
For 12v operation you need less turns than for 9V. If you are really unsure you could just desolder and rewind ;(.
If you have two watts on 40m then you must be some way to clearing the rest up. check the other filter toroids have the correct amount of turns and are connecting to the pcb without any enamel getting in the way.
Leave the iron on the joint a little longer to burn/melt the enamel away.
I'm pretty sure, you'll get there Bob.
fingers are crossed for you.
Dean
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I would like to use my 40 meter qcx amplifier with my qdx. ?Any problems? ?Thanks
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Re: Newbie QDX Build
#qdx
Thank you for your help. I cleaned up the solder points and am now getting low rf out, 2w,? on 40m nothing on the other bands.? Still unsure about how I wrapped T1.? I've attached a close up of the winding, I think it's 9v but would like verification.??
I'm going to keep cleaning up my work and see what happens.??
I upgraded to the latest firmware.
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Amazing. ?Thanks for new confirmed DXCC to me on 10m ?
I did look you up on QRZ after our contact and noticed you were using a QDX. Might just encourage me to add a high-band version to my collection to accompany the low-band one. ?Pretty easy portable/holiday setup with a 7m pole.
Mark, G6DDX
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Hello Mike
> Hi Hans.? Is this (problem reading band selection jumper in? > some cases) relevant to the high band units you found with? > low power output on 10m?? It is not clear from the description? > if the issue you solved was intermittent (e.g., due to some? > race condition) or dependent on some "random" builder? > behavior.
The band selection jumper problem is not related to the low output power on 10m seen on some high band units. The latter problem appears to be a hardware issue. My investigation got to the point where I was able to isolate the cause to the output transformer. In so far as, I had a working (good power) and a non-working (low power) and when I swapped the output transformer, the problem followed the output transformer. Which one worked and which didn't, also swapped. But I do not know what particular thing about the output transformer,?was the problem. It looked OK.?
On Sat, Feb 11, 2023 at 8:20 PM Mike KK7ER < groupio@...> wrote: Hi Hans.? Is this (problem reading band selection jumper in some cases) relevant to the high band units you found with low power output on 10m?? It is not clear from the description if the issue you solved was intermittent (e.g., due to some race condition) or dependent on some "random" builder behavior.
73, Mike KK7ER
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Re: QDX New build zero RF output
#qdx
Mike,
Please read the operations manual to see how to load firmware:
It is on page 10 of the manual.
To reload the firmware, you copy the file provided by QRP-Labs from this page after unzipping it:
It is towards the bottom of the page under the Firmware section.? Be sure to load the most recent version,?
C15 is just a VCC bypass capacitor, so it would not affect the power output.
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Re: QCX-Mini CW Beacon 40m freq suggestion in Region 2
Hi Jeff,
Here in Europe there two regular beacons. 7038.5kHz OK0EU (scientific - grey line study) and another interesting one on 7037.5 (italian with 250mW) forgot its callsign. So you can try upper side of the CW spectrum on your region. Best is to leave a SDR to monitor the CW spectrum for say 24h and decide which frequency is less occupied. Also you have to check your FCC licence if it alows you to operate such a thing unattended! But if you plan to use it for kind of experiments, I guess is all right with QRP.
On the other hand you should ask yourself "what do I want to do with that"? For sure it does not serve too many peoples cause there are plenty of signals in 40m! Best is to use WSPR but CW is fine too.
Enjoy!
73 de YO3FFF Cristi
Pe s?mb?t?, 11 februarie 2023, 01:46:00 EET, K1GAR <jeffgar2000@...> a scris:
As with most of HAM it's not a matter of need.? If I never touched this stuff again I'd live a happy life.? I saw that there was CW access for technicians on 40M, I love my wspr beacon on 10m so I thought, why not.
I'm asking and there may be a reason why not.? Be glad people ask.
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Hi Mark
> I did not see in the documentation anywhere the PTT timing (PTT? > active to RF out and RF stop to PTT inactive).? Is this available, or should I just measure?
PTT is enabled?when the host software switches the QDX into transmit mode.? RF starts when the host software sends audio to QDX.?
Therefore the PTT timing depends on the host software. In WSJT-X there is a setting on the "Advanced" tab called "TX delay" and it is set to 0.2 seconds by default. I believe this controls the PTT timing. JS8Call contains the same setting (in Radio -> Rig Options -> Advanced).?
If you were using VOX to effect Tx/Rx switching (not recommended) the delay would be zero.
73 Hans G0UPL
On Mon, Feb 13, 2023 at 6:26 AM < w8gu@...> wrote: I did not see in the documentation anywhere the PTT timing (PTT active to RF out and RF stop to PTT inactive).? Is this available, or should I just measure?
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Replying to self and all. eBay has tons of 28 to 30 gauge tinned wire in both teflon and kynar insulation types.
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Re: QDX New build zero RF output
#qdx
Hi Evan, Dan, Gary I think I have reloaded the firmware but didn't see any confirmation?that the update had registered.? Is there a specific procedure for reloading firmware?? I would have loaded an older version (and then reloaded?1.07) but failed to locate QDX firmware library anywhere in QRP labs webpages. Have been playing blindly with band config via terminal but still no power out. Screenshot attached. Have done another?thorough board check and found nothing?other than the previously?noted missing?C15 (pic attached)
BS170 volts:
Standby/Rx? D= 7.41? ?G=0.5? S= 0
Tx? D=7.33? G=2.15? S=0
Anything else I should look for while waiting for C15 replacements to arrive?
On Sat, Feb 11, 2023 at 9:33 PM Evan Hand < elhandjr@...> wrote: Hi Mike,
A quick thought would be to verify that the transmitter is enabled in the Band Configuration screen.? I have noted that there can be corruption in the config file after an output failure.? You could also try to reload the firmware to see if that fixes the issue.
73
Evan
AC9TU
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I wanted thin, 30 gauge tinned wire insulated with thin teflon, as I use these for short point-to-point soldered jumpers.? I found some on eBay. Teflon insulated single strand tinned 28 to 30 gauge gauge wire tends to be rare.
Mark K9TR? ??
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Paul,
Awesome DX - well done!
73
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Re: Newbie QDX Build
#qdx
I will repeat the advice from the website, most errors are from not having continuity in the solder to the toroids. Check these carefully with an ohm meter. Also, as was said, the power jack needs some attention.?
--
Colin - K6JTH?
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I did not see in the documentation anywhere the PTT timing (PTT active to RF out and RF stop to PTT inactive).? Is this available, or should I just measure?
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Robb Cole N2VJO
ON7DQ Luc
Ronald Taylor
Bill VE3MRX
Bob Brown
Mark, G6DDX
Mark K9TR
Colin Kaminski