Is it absolutely necessary to use shielded cable to connect QLG1 to the QCX?
It would be easier to crimp on those little XH pins for headers on both units.
thanks, Marc
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Re: QCX Firmware Upgrade Problem With AVRDUDESS
I found I could not get the programmer to work in Windows 10, it does work nicely in Windows 7.
From: Julian Forsey <julian_forsey@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2017 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] QCX Firmware Upgrade Problem With AVRDUDESS
Thanks everyone for trying to help, but I'm going to give in gracefully now, after spending several very frustrating hours trying to get AVERDUDESS to run. I've been renaming libus DLLs right left and centre but to no avail. Perhaps one day I'll get around to learning how to flash Atmel chips, but at the moment I hate computers!
I'll leave it for a while and then buy a pre-programmed chip from the QRP Labs shop.
Best wishes to all.
Julian
G4ETS
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Hey Curt
The T1 looks ok and there is continuity. From the photo in the manual, I couldn¡¯t tell if ¡°sense¡± was correct but wires are going into the correct holes.
I am now receiving some signals after building an impromptu 17m dipole lying on the floor. The sound is a bit raspy.?
The alignment is probably still off. I¡¯ll keep working on it.?
Thanks to you and Michael and all the other brother hams out there.
Marc WB2MSC
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On Oct 31, 2017, at 22:48, Marc Katz < marc.katz.mat@...> wrote: Thanks Curt
Will do and will report back to you
Marc On Oct 31, 2017, at 22:17, wb8yyy via Groups.Io < wb8yyy@...> wrote: Marc
Very carefully look at that 4 winding coil that feeds the receiver, make sure each winding matches the picture. Any that are backwards would mess up the phasing. If alo this looks good, well, check continuity through each winding. Touch pad to pad, don't touch wire, to see if its really connected. The pots not nulling may be an indication of a problem with this coil.? be patient in debug and repair, this is a key matter.? the end result is amazing, worth the toil.
Curt
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Re: QCX Firmware Upgrade Problem With AVRDUDESS
I'm going to give in gracefully now, after spending several very frustrating hours trying to get AVERDUDESS to run. I've been renaming libus DLLs right left and centre but to no avail. Julian, You were asked for more information but I do not see it. Are you using a USBasp? Did you load it's driver? Like on this page Renaming files is not required, you have been reading error messages too literally, they rarely mean what they seem to say. 73 Alan G4ZFQ Perhaps one day I'll get around to learning how to flash Atmel chips, but at the moment I hate computers!
I'll leave it for a while and then buy a pre-programmed chip from the QRP Labs shop.
Best wishes to all.
G4ETS
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Re: Power output on 20 meters.
On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 07:51 am, David wrote:
Whilst it would certainly reduce the overal number of turns in the winding it creates a single shorted turn in the inductor? which might introduce other problems
Different kind of shorted turn. The type of shorted turn to avoid on a toroid is where a closed loop is formed, such as when having a bolt through the middle of the toroid to fix it to a chassis, and then a bracket maybe at the top, which is also going to chassis and forms a a simple loop. That would be like having an extremely low impedance secondary winding being formed, which in a high current situation might well cause some pyrotechnics to form. Well that's my understanding anyway ;-) 73 de Andy
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Re: QCX Firmware Upgrade Problem With AVRDUDESS
Hi Julian
?
I couldn¡¯t get AVRDUDE/AVRDUDESS to work on my WIN 10 machine, but using an
old XP note book it works fine, I use a ?4. ¨CBAY USB TINY copy programmer. the
software was all downloaded from
my problem is getting the Alignment of the QCX to work, no 700Hz tone and the TX
is faulty, when I first finished it aligned ok and TXed ok but the following
morning it failed big time.
?
Still I¡¯m waiting for a new 20mtr kit to arrive !!
?
GL
?
73
?
Ian G4GIR
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From: Julian Forsey
Sent: Thursday, November 2, 2017 3:20 PM
Subject: Re: [QRPLabs] QCX Firmware Upgrade Problem With
AVRDUDESS
?
Thanks
everyone for trying to help, but I'm going to give in gracefully now, after
spending several very frustrating hours trying to get AVERDUDESS to run. I've
been renaming libus DLLs right left and centre but to no avail. Perhaps one day
I'll get around to learning how to flash Atmel chips, but at the moment I hate
computers!
I'll leave it for a while and then buy a pre-programmed chip from
the QRP Labs shop.
Best wishes to all.
Julian
G4ETS
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Hans, I just applied the mods for the startup with the inductor across pins 20 & 7, and the contrast adjustment.? My start up issue is resolved and contrast setting improved.?? Thanks again for a great kit. Nigel M0NDE
On 2 November 2017 at 10:19, Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote: Hi all QCXers
I have added a modifications page to the website to help keep everything in one place see?
73 Hans G0UPL
-- 73 de Nigel Evans M0NDE QTH Burnham on Sea, Somerset GEO Shop shop@...------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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I just got my power back after the windstorm in the Northeast USA this past weekend.? The center of my G5RV and all the ladder line is on the ground.? One end of the antenna is up 10 feet, the other end is up about 20 feet.? I started my Ultimate 3S back up anyway and my received coverage map looks fairly normal to me.
I am calling that part of the antenna that is on the ground the "counterpoise" and that is why it is working so well.
Ron? K1URC
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Re: Toroid winding numbers and measurements
It is possible to make your own "standard inductors" and measure them by the resonance method.
Mark these inductors and set them aside to use as calibration standards for various commercial or
homemade LC meters.
There are a number of ways to accurately measure inductance for a standard.? I use a crystal oscillator
(almost any frequency will do) driving a parallel LC network where the C-value is a calibrated variable
capacitor and the L-value is the unknown inductor.? My standard inductors are wound on PVC pipe
forms because they are convenient to store and the white pipe is easy to write the inductance on.? You
should probably note the frequency where that inductance was measured.
You can also use a crystal oscillator and measure the impedance of a series inductance by terminating
the LR network with a known value resistance.? Then measure the HF AC voltage drop across resistor
and inductor with your oscilloscope.
You can also feed an oscillator to a bridge network and use a detector or oscilloscope to find the point
where inductive voltage matches capacitive voltage (null point) and calculate the inductance from the
known capacitor value (requires that the frequency be accurately known as well).
Having a few "standard inductors" around is convenient if you are using one of the popular "component
analyzers" that go for less than US$15 on Ebay.? They only measure down to around 50 uh but by adding
a known value inductance in series with the unknown one you can extend coverage down to the 1 uh
range.? Some of these show inductance values out to 2 decimal places and some do not show any decimal
values for inductance, so caveat emptor applies.
Arv? K7HKL
_._
On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 2:53 AM, Alan G4ZFQ <alan4alan@...> wrote:
Take an inductor and test it at 100 khz which many cheap testers use. Then do it again with a more costly instrument which more then likely will test at a higher frequency then 100 khz.? This same inductor will read differently.
Lee Are you you using a standard, does either of these meters give the correct result? "More costly" does not necessarily mean more accurate.
Paul says get an Ebay meter, can anyone recommend one that is definitely accurate? I got one that claimed 1% yet was about 15% when I checked.
John makes a good point, we measure the apparent inductance. Stretching/compressing alters capacitance not inductance although the in-circuit effect is much the same.
But one of the papers Graham pointed to gives examples of stretching/compressing high frequency low inductance coils changing inductance due to leakage.
I'm not sure actual measurements are going to be useful to most QRP Labs constructors. Unless one has accurate standards measurements on ALL meters must be regarded with a degree of suspicion.
In practical terms "try removing one turn and observe the effect" is better advice to a beginner than to recommend getting meters of dubious accuracy which might further confuse them.
And? "remove one (or more) turn and observe the effect" is best done temporally if possible, undo the turns but do not cut the wire until tested. The free loop of wire will not usually have any effect and may be rewound if the desired change in performance is not achieved.
73 Alan G4ZFQ
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Another case option is one by? the 4 State QRP Club.? They offer several sizes of blank cases in kit form that are constructed from PC board material.? The only difficult part might be cutting a neat rectangular window for the LCD display,? It can be done but getting it just right might tax the abilities of someone without either a milling machine or a table top saber saw.? I've done it using a drill and hacksaw blade, but it IS tricky.?
That said, the quality of the cases they produce is quite pleasing to the eye and they are made with interlocking cuts to facilitate accurate assembly and they have nice heavy silk screened color on all sides to make them look nice.? See for pictures.
Jim - W0EB
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QCX: No S meter after I change keyer speed
Hello.
I have a perfectly functioning QCX Trx on 7Mhz, had about a dozen great QSOs with it so far, running on 12v.
The S meter works fine at first, but if I change the keyer speed (to match that of whoever I'm calling), the S meter display disappears and stays disappeared until I next power off/on.
Is this problem unique to me, or can any of you fellow QCXers replicate it?
Best wishes.
Julian
G4ETS
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Re: QCX Firmware Upgrade Problem With AVRDUDESS
Thanks everyone for trying to help, but I'm going to give in gracefully now, after spending several very frustrating hours trying to get AVERDUDESS to run. I've been renaming libus DLLs right left and centre but to no avail. Perhaps one day I'll get around to learning how to flash Atmel chips, but at the moment I hate computers!
I'll leave it for a while and then buy a pre-programmed chip from the QRP Labs shop.
Best wishes to all.
Julian
G4ETS
|
One option is to design and build a case specifically for the radio using pcb material.??
Here is an example of an enclosure by AA7EE:?
Here is a good description of how he builds them:?
Good luck!
-Jeff
KF7RPI
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VY FB Hans. I was working on compiling these for myself but this is much better. Thanks. -- Wes
AE6ZM
Hereford, AZ
?
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Re: Power output on 20 meters.
Hi Andy,
I've got resevations about the suggestion in your last
paragraph.? Whilst it would certainly reduce the overal number of
turns in the winding it creates a single shorted turn in the
inductor? which might introduce other problems.? Better to
actually remove turns I feel.
73 Dave G3WUN
On 02/11/2017 12:40, Andy G0FTD via
Groups.Io wrote:
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Show quoted text
On Thu, Nov 2, 2017
at 04:49 am, Hans Summers wrote:
If the power output is less than expected, and if
other test equipment is not available, then I suggest removing a
turn or two from each of the toroids,
I agree with Hans.
I think the LPF values are derived from the W3NQN designs for
standard value components, and are also reproduced by the GQRP
CLub literature.
I found that the design was just a tad too harsh, and these values
would often represent a 1.5db in band loss. (I think G4APB found
the same).
For the 30m and up designs, I personally knocked >1< turn
off each of the 3 coils and that was perfect.
(I don't have enough experience yet with the lower band LPF's to
offer any experience).
Two turns is probably too much, and the harmonic attenuation tends
to suffer in my opinion.
Users of U2/U3's might like do the same thing whilst we're on the
subject.
Perhaps one technique to this might be to scrap a bit of the
enamel off with a scalpel / sharpie knife on two adjacent
turns and place a blob of solder across them to to short them out.
The mod can easily be reversed if there are any issues.
73 de Andy
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I ordered a 17 meter version a couple days ago and was viewing the schematics and files and have two questions.
1. ?It appears that if one chooses to lower the center frequency of the CW filter, the bandwidth also decreases. ?Is it possible to retain the original 200 Hz and still reduce the 700 Hz default?
2. ?T1 is specified as a "2" type material, but its ideal range is well below 18mHz. ?Is there any advantage to using a "6" type material and recalculating the turns?
Thanks
George
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Measured U3S power on 2200-160m
I am pleased to report I finally found time to "finish" my U3S build. Well, almost. I haven't built the OCXO yet. Truth is, I probably don't need it anyway since I have the QLG1 and will only be using this on the low bands mentioned. When I start running QRSS I will find out soon enough!
During the build I asked if anyone had thoughts on T1 for optimized performance on these bands. There was no feedback. After fiddling with a bifilar wound core trying to make it lay flat (to accommodate the OCXO) and look nice I scrapped that and just went with a single 25 turn winding. I've just measured power output at 240 mW on 2200m, 260 mW on 630m, and 350 mW on 160m. I can live with that since I will be using it to drive an outboard amplifier. My measurements should be fairly accurate. I used a well calibrated oscilloscope to measure voltage across a precision 50 ohm load. Since output is lower on the lower bands, I suspect some optimization could be done... either by going to the bifilar winding and/or substituting a core of different material. At the moment I an not inclined to pursue that.
73,
Paul N1BUG, WI2XTC
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Re: Power output on 20 meters.
On Thu, Nov 2, 2017 at 06:38 am, <mike@...> wrote:
output was 2.2 watts, with 1 turn off each it was 2.8 watts
Sound about right for an average of 1.3db, plus minus individual measurement error / construction technique on the coils. ( close wound or spaced). Just think, a 3.5w rig might really be? a 5w one for the sake of one less? turn on a coil ;-) I found this out with the designs a little while ago. I was building my own amp, before Hans had one available, but I decided to use his plug in LPF's in my design. But I got less power output that I had anticipated, so I measured them with a VNA and discovered nearly 1.5db loss. After experimenting, it was just a case of removing a turn on each coil. 73 de Andy
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Re: T1 - wire thickness alternative
Jim - would you be able to post up a photo of your T1 for 80 metres?
tnx de va3rr
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Hi all,
What sort of null readings are people getting with their QCX?
I read somewhere that nulling to zero is possible. I get nowhere near this (unless the vol pot is on zero).
All but 8.7 BPF peak are volume dependent. So with the volume set at half way I get the following.
8.8 IQ bal - min 9+
8.9 Phase Lo - min 5+
8.10 Phase Hi - min 9+
No changes to centre freq of 700Hz.
T1 phasing and solder connections have been checked and triple checked. Ive tried to null back and forth with trimpots starting around mid range.
No complaints with receive, just wondering about this.
73
Simon VK3ELH
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Nigel Evans M0NDE
Jim Sheldon
Wes WB7BR
N1BUG
va3rr