Finally got my U3S attached to a known-good antenna. I configured it for WSPR (on 40m) and let it transmit for a couple hours. No data seen on wsprnet. I know it works; I've been running a wsprlite on that antenna for a while.

Ted,

As Chris says + Are you sure frequency is right? (And timing) I cannot remember the setting but the GPS compensation default takes a loooong time.
No RX in shack?

73 Alan G4ZFQ

See also?

73 Hans G0UPL

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 2:59 PM, Alan G4ZFQ <alan4alan@...> wrote:

Finally got my U3S attached to a known-good antenna. I configured it for WSPR (on 40m) and let it transmit for a couple hours. No data seen on wsprnet. I know it works; I've been running a wsprlite on that antenna for a while.

Ted,

As Chris says + Are you sure frequency is right? (And timing) I cannot remember the setting but the GPS compensation default takes a loooong time.
No RX in shack?

73 Alan G4ZFQ

Wow, thanks for all the replies, people! First, let me give my relevant settings from the config menu, then I'll go through the troubleshooting suggestions.

"mode" setting: mode 0, relay 0, the freq is set to "007,038,600", WSPR, power output is set to 20db, and the mode is enabled.

Message is blank. Call is set. Locator is properly set from GPS.

Frame/start is set to "12 04". I used offsets to keep from transmitting at 0, 10, 20, etc, which I think are more likely to get stepped on.

Calibration is set to "08 120".

Ref freq, which I haven't changed, is currently showing 27,003,269. Last calibration cycles said "-002" and "-004", which seems like it is close.

Okay, individual troubleshooting:

Chris: right, no 'scope. With a DVM I see a couple of volts when it is transmitting.

Alan: thanks for the reminder on calibration taking a long time. No HF RX (yet). I have the frequency listed above; that's correct, right? That's what is listed on wsprnet.

Hans: thanks for the FAQ link, good to have another reminder on the calibration. The only other hint I see there is that maybe "08" is too low for a calibration step.

In any case, I'll leave it running. I was nervous to leave it running in the shack since I didn't know what it was doing, but it seems like it is probably just calibrating.

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 4:01 AM Hans Summers <hans.summers@...> wrote:

See also?

73 Hans G0UPL

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 2:59 PM, Alan G4ZFQ <alan4alan@...> wrote:

Finally got my U3S attached to a known-good antenna. I configured it for WSPR (on 40m) and let it transmit for a couple hours. No data seen on wsprnet. I know it works; I've been running a wsprlite on that antenna for a while.

Ted,

As Chris says + Are you sure frequency is right? (And timing) I cannot remember the setting but the GPS compensation default takes a loooong time.
No RX in shack?

73 Alan G4ZFQ

... and avoid transmitting in the middle of the WSPR 'band' Ted,? your signal is guaranteed to be stepped on there!? Check the 40m band Activity list on WSPRnet??? and pick a frequency off to the side of 7.040100

73, Bob? ZL1RS

On 9/11/2017 7:42 AM, Hans Summers wrote:

Hi Ted

Wrong frequency. You entered the WSPR center frequency "USB dial frequency" from the WSPRnet homepage. This is the frequency you set on a USB receiver in order to get the WSPR 200Hz sub-band centred at 1500 Hz audio. The frequency you enter into the Ultimate3S must be the ACTUAL transmit frequency. So add 1500Hz to your frequency configuration and try again :-)

73 Hans G0UPL

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 9:38 PM, Ted Timmons <ted@...> wrote:

Wow, thanks for all the replies, people! First, let me give my relevant settings from the config menu, then I'll go through the troubleshooting suggestions.

"mode" setting: mode 0, relay 0, the freq is set to "007,038,600", WSPR, power output is set to 20db, and the mode is enabled.

hey, thanks all! I moved to the center of the frequency and then went a little bit offset from there. The WSPRlite would choose something random in the range, so I thought tuning to the center was correct.

Everyone graphs recent traffic to find a good "hole" in the frequency range, right?

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 11:10 AM Bob Sutton via Groups.Io <zl1rs=[email protected]> wrote:

... and avoid transmitting in the middle of the WSPR 'band' Ted,? your signal is guaranteed to be stepped on there!? Check the 40m band Activity list on WSPRnet??? and pick a frequency off to the side of 7.040100

73, Bob? ZL1RS

On 9/11/2017 7:42 AM, Hans Summers wrote:

Hi Ted

Wrong frequency. You entered the WSPR center frequency "USB dial frequency" from the WSPRnet homepage. This is the frequency you set on a USB receiver in order to get the WSPR 200Hz sub-band centred at 1500 Hz audio. The frequency you enter into the Ultimate3S must be the ACTUAL transmit frequency. So add 1500Hz to your frequency configuration and try again :-)

73 Hans G0UPL

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 9:38 PM, Ted Timmons <ted@...> wrote:

Wow, thanks for all the replies, people! First, let me give my relevant settings from the config menu, then I'll go through the troubleshooting suggestions.

"mode" setting: mode 0, relay 0, the freq is set to "007,038,600", WSPR, power output is set to 20db, and the mode is enabled.

Hi, following up on this, I've certainly bungled my U3S build somehow. I programmed it for CW and sent tests on two bands with a known-good antenna, and someone with a good waterfall display couldn't pick it up from 1000 meters away. I guess I need to get a scope or put it on a spectrum analyzer. I'm at a loss, though.

I put my DVM on the antenna output, parallel to it, and I get a couple of volts during some of the transmit. That makes me think it's sending something on the antenna. Can I/should I short the LPF in relay 0 to rule it out?

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 11:59 AM Ted Timmons <ted@...> wrote:

hey, thanks all! I moved to the center of the frequency and then went a little bit offset from there. The WSPRlite would choose something random in the range, so I thought tuning to the center was correct.

Everyone graphs recent traffic to find a good "hole" in the frequency range, right?

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 11:10 AM Bob Sutton via Groups.Io <zl1rs=[email protected]> wrote:

... and avoid transmitting in the middle of the WSPR 'band' Ted,? your signal is guaranteed to be stepped on there!? Check the 40m band Activity list on WSPRnet??? and pick a frequency off to the side of 7.040100

73, Bob? ZL1RS

On 9/11/2017 7:42 AM, Hans Summers wrote:

Hi Ted

Wrong frequency. You entered the WSPR center frequency "USB dial frequency" from the WSPRnet homepage. This is the frequency you set on a USB receiver in order to get the WSPR 200Hz sub-band centred at 1500 Hz audio. The frequency you enter into the Ultimate3S must be the ACTUAL transmit frequency. So add 1500Hz to your frequency configuration and try again :-)

73 Hans G0UPL

On Wed, Nov 8, 2017 at 9:38 PM, Ted Timmons <ted@...> wrote:

Wow, thanks for all the replies, people! First, let me give my relevant settings from the config menu, then I'll go through the troubleshooting suggestions.

"mode" setting: mode 0, relay 0, the freq is set to "007,038,600", WSPR, power output is set to 20db, and the mode is enabled.

Follow the RF path from the BS170 Q1 to the RF output with a continuity tester. It won't pass the capacitor, so just test the path both sides of the capacitor. If the path is good, then make sure you check the bias of Q1. I measured idle current and just tweaked bias until it was about 5ma higher than idle, and left it, and I'm getting about 350mw out. Plenty good!?

Testing continuity will also check your toroid to make sure that all 4 (if you did the bifilar winding) have continuity. Might not hurt to warm up those solders to be sure you heated the enamel until it burned off. Hope this help! :)

--
Ryan Flowers W7RLF

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Thanks Ryan. I'm working from the LPF relay board down to the main board.?Can you look at my relay jumpers, especially at the 1 and 5 ends? It's the rev5 board, which (I think) is different than the rev4 instructions, I think I'm missing a jumper on the 1, but I'm not sure which pins should be jumped since the layout is a little different.

smaller pic:?

I looked through two assembly manuals and the operating manuals, I don't see it again, but I swear the relay ordering was important. Can someone point me at that?

On Sat, Nov 11, 2017 at 10:42 PM Ryan Flowers <geocrasher@...> wrote:

Follow the RF path from the BS170 Q1 to the RF output with a continuity tester. It won't pass the capacitor, so just test the path both sides of the capacitor. If the path is good, then make sure you check the bias of Q1. I measured idle current and just tweaked bias until it was about 5ma higher than idle, and left it, and I'm getting about 350mw out. Plenty good!?

Testing continuity will also check your toroid to make sure that all 4 (if you did the bifilar winding) have continuity. Might not hurt to warm up those solders to be sure you heated the enamel until it burned off. Hope this help! :)

--
Ryan Flowers W7RLF

?

?

The jumpers look fine, Ted. Get an LPF into position 1, or else use a wire to jumper in/out together, and then test continuity back from the antenna connector :)

--
Ryan Flowers W7RLF

?

?

Picking this up again. Hans- thanks for the rev5 instructions- I just missed seeing them on the page.

Ryan- I worked my way through the continuity, I don't trust the job I did soldering my antenna coax braid to the board, so I replaced it with a connector. Cleaned up some other joints too. Most notably, I adjusted the bias. I don't think it's perfect, but it was obviously at the 'wrong' end.

So, at a theoretical 100mw, I'm getting some pings. Not as many as I get with the WSPRlite at 200mw, but more than zero is a massive improvement.

-ted

On Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 7:30 PM Ryan Flowers <geocrasher@...> wrote:

The jumpers look fine, Ted. Get an LPF into position 1, or else use a wire to jumper in/out together, and then test continuity back from the antenna connector :)

--
Ryan Flowers W7RLF

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