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Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

Yes, it's an active antenna with 28dB gain also.?

I've been using several mag mount GPS antennas but just didn't like the coax across the roof and in through the doorframe. I much prefer the small antenna permanently mounted in the center of the roof.
Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

Is that a passive or active antenna?? Many gps boards feed dc antenna power up the center conductor (through an smt choke and then capacitively couple the signal into the module).

This is a nice active antenna that also has the wire exit on the side and a magnet to stick it to a vehicle roof.? 28dB of gain gets you locked faster and pulls in more of the constellation for better positioning.

gil

----- Original message -----
From: Bill WA4OPQ <wa4opq@...>
Subject: Re: [TinyTrak] My overly-complicated TT3+ install
Date: Thursday, May 06, 2021 11:16 PM

Last stop is a $13 GPS antenna with SMA connector from Amazon. I popped some of the plastic off around the windows and was able to pull the headliner down enough to safely drill a hole for the antenna. My truck is black, as is the antenna so I had to point out the newly installed antenna to my wife, I guess that's a good thing.

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Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

Last stop is a $13 GPS antenna with SMA connector from Amazon. I popped some of the plastic off around the windows and was able to pull the headliner down enough to safely drill a hole for the antenna. My truck is black, as is the antenna so I had to point out the newly installed antenna to my wife, I guess that's a good thing.
Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

Robert Guiliano was a great help to me with the GPS module. I emailed him with a couple of questions and he recommended which GPS unit to try. His advice was dead on. I bought the "Acxico NEO-8M GPS Satellite Positioning Module" on Amazon for $10.99
?
I mounted a small plastic box in the side panel of my truck, behind behind where I sit. I made a six foot cable to run from the GPS module in the box to DB-9 on the TT3+ under my seat. A hole in the other end of the plastic box has room for the SMA connector to enter and I have a bit of bubble wrap in the box so it doesn't all rattle to death.
Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

I don't normally buy preconfigured wire assemblies, but in this case I'm glad I bought mine from Byonics. The quality is top notch, better than I could do, and at a reasonable price.?
At this point the 12V powers the TinyTrak3+ and the other cable goes to mini-Din plug on the back of the FT-7900R radio body, mounted under my seat.
Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

The next step is a bit of a detour.
I needed a way to turn the TT3+ on and off, I hated the idea of hanging a switch off the dashboard. I also wanted to have a foolproof way to make sure I didn't send out a blast of data while I'm chatting on 146.52 or a repeater. A recent post in this group mentioned hookswitches and that got me thinking. I found two vintage Motorola hookswitches, two for $10 on eBay. These were the good ones, with a genuine microswitch inside. I had to rewire it so that it was closed when the mic was placed in the hookswitch, so as soon as I grab the mic to talk it kills power to the TT3+.
Re: My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

My favorite way to connect is the Littelfuse tap. A clean and safe way to connect to 12V through a fuse. Since the TT3+ draws so little current I'm using 18ga wire.
My overly-complicated TT3+ install

 

Here's how I did my TinyTrak3+ install, pretty complicated but it works well.
?
First, a couple of facts:
I'm running a Yaesu FT-7900R, which has the mini-DIN plug in back. If your radio requires connecting to the mic and speaker jacks then this will not apply.
I'm driving an older vehicle, a Ford Ranger 4X4. I've already drilled holes for VHF/UHF and HF antennas so I don't have a problem with drilling for a GPS antenna. I prefer not to have GPS coax sneaking in the door.
I retired from the radio business and I've done my share of installs back in the day. My preference is a simple looking installation without a lot of extra switches.
?
So I'll walk you through the install from +12V to antenna.?
Re: TinyTrak4, bank switching

 

When in doubt look for the simple.
It was operator error, I had missed that the GKRELAY parameters were flipped between the Banks.
Works as intended now.?
Back to this Pi Zero config as an I-Gate and fill-in digi with TT4.? AP will provided shared TNC access to DroidAPRS, YAAC on a SBC
Re: New TinyTrak3+ stuck in transmit.

 

Yes, I found a mica TO-220 insulator, which did not work.

It's the U2 mounting screw that is completing the circuit. I'll dig around for a plastic screw and nut set next.
Re: New TinyTrak3+ stuck in transmit.

 

Have you considered a piece of insulation under U2 such that it covers the trace that us being shorted?


On Mon, Apr 19, 2021 at 21:29, Bill WA4OPQ
<wa4opq@...> wrote:

Mystery solved...

It appears that on the latest batch of boards (mine, at least) the large hole in the center of the board has shifted so that the trace that goes from U1 pin 11 to D5 is shorted to the large plated through hole. (see arrow for location). This connects the large ground plane area on the other side to pin 11 also, so when the screw and nut are installed on U2 it grounds pin 11 and creates the stuck PTT that I experienced.

So U2 will remain floating above the board and all is good.
Re: New TinyTrak3+ stuck in transmit.

 

Mystery solved...

It appears that on the latest batch of boards (mine, at least) the large hole in the center of the board has shifted so that the trace that goes from U1 pin 11 to D5 is shorted to the large plated through hole. (see arrow for location). This connects the large ground plane area on the other side to pin 11 also, so when the screw and nut are installed on U2 it grounds pin 11 and creates the stuck PTT that I experienced.

So U2 will remain floating above the board and all is good.
Re: Anyone using a Tiny Trk with the Chinese 898 radios? - HOOK Squelch?

 

I found a couple of old-style hook switches, the ones with a microswitch inside.. Two for $10 on eBay.

This should do the trick.
Re: New TinyTrak3+ stuck in transmit.

 

Yes, I'm a bit baffled too. Yes I checked all the soldering. Orientation of D5 and D6 was correct.

With "No TX on PTT In" unchecked it caused the radio to transmit and the red LED came on. As soon as I wrote the config with "No TX on PTT in"? the red LED extinguished and the radio unkeyed. While in this mode it would not send regular messages or bulletins, but if I had it send audio tones that function worked correctly. That tells me the PTT circuit is working correctly.

With D5 removed and U1 removed pin 11 was still shorted. The only thing then connected to pin 11 was the trace going to D5, which goes under U2.

The only explanation that makes any sense is that there was a small bump on the trace that pierced the solder mask and it touched the grounded back of U2.?

I'll go back and look at that trace with a fine tooth comb; at the time I was a bit frazzled and didn't do it.
Re: Anyone using a Tiny Trk with the Chinese 898 radios? - HOOK Squelch?

 

The topic name caught my interest, I have a small fleet of 898s for APRS. And I've played with thousands of hook switches in a 40 year 2-way radio career.

I have a FT-7900 in my truck and was trying to figure the best way to control my new TinyTrak3+

So now I'll look for a hookswitch on eBay, When it's on hook it'll power the TT3+, when I pull the mike off hook it'll kill the power.

That way I'll never put out a squawk when I'm on 146.52

?
Re: New TinyTrak3+ stuck in transmit.

 

I am baffled by the voltage regulator being the issue.?
Did you double check the soldering around it?

The PPT circuit has a few connections that could cause the PTT to be active.
With U2 fully in place and the radio in TX, is the PTT LED on or is the radio in TX without the LED on? (J4 must be in place).
?? If not, then verify Q1 orientation.

Moving to the pin 11, this is the feedback for PTT IN and should NOT control the PTT unless there is something
????? wrong with D5 and D6.? In this case check D5 and D6 orientation.?
???? If you remove both, does the problem go away??


Robert Giuliano
KB8RCO


On Sunday, April 18, 2021, 2:34:04 AM EDT, Bill WA4OPQ <wa4opq@...> wrote:


I finished assembling my first TinyTrak3+ yesterday and the radio cable arrived today.

When I hooked it up (GPS hasn't arrived yet) it powered up OK, but it was stuck in transmit. If I checked "No Tx While PTT In" in the config, and then the stuck xmtr problem went away, but it would never transmit. It looked like U1 pin 11 was stuck low, but even removing D5 didn't help. Finally, I removed U1 and found pin 11 still low. Really? Eventually I loosened U2 and the short went away. I couldn't see exactly what caused the short, I'll chalk it up to a micro-meteorite. But until I get a TO-220 insulator it's going to remain lifted up a bit.?

This has probably been answered before on the old message board, I'm new here and had little to search. So I'm posting this for some poor soul in the future.?
New TinyTrak3+ stuck in transmit.

 

I finished assembling my first TinyTrak3+ yesterday and the radio cable arrived today.

When I hooked it up (GPS hasn't arrived yet) it powered up OK, but it was stuck in transmit. If I checked "No Tx While PTT In" in the config, and then the stuck xmtr problem went away, but it would never transmit. It looked like U1 pin 11 was stuck low, but even removing D5 didn't help. Finally, I removed U1 and found pin 11 still low. Really? Eventually I loosened U2 and the short went away. I couldn't see exactly what caused the short, I'll chalk it up to a micro-meteorite. But until I get a TO-220 insulator it's going to remain lifted up a bit.?

This has probably been answered before on the old message board, I'm new here and had little to search. So I'm posting this for some poor soul in the future.?
Re: kinda OT -- aprs wx station feed to internet

 

Glad you had fun with WeeWx.? You'd likely have to write an extension to import your data but it'll do lots of stuff once the data is in.

I used the CWOP interface just briefly, I generally export it to an APRS program and TNC.

Good luck!
How to work the ISS using APRS Packet Radio

 

How to work the ISS using APRS Packet Radio with TinyTrack4 ?
What are the settings required??
73 Corneliu?
YO4AUL?
Re: TinyTrak4, bank switching

 

If I read the schematic properly, the uP pin that is used to swap banks is using an internal pullup.
Resistor R8 is a 'protector', and you place the jumper on JP1 to ground the pin, or use a switch on JP1 pin 4 to ground the pin to change banks.

So to determine the state of uP pin PA3 (pin 37) which selects the bank, you need to measure between uP pin 37 and ground.?

Kit Version:
The easiest place to do that should be from the bottom side of the PCB.? The ground would be the pins along the board edge for JP1-JP5 (any pin since they are common).? For R8, the pin closest to the uP.? I recommend the underside of the board because R8 seems to be standing on that through hole so most accessible from the bottom.?

Prebuilt:
I can't read the resistor labels on the hardware manual for the prebuilt, and I don't have one to check.

It should read close 5V for BANK 0 and close to 0V for Bank 1.

NOTE: "BNKMODE is selected selected at runtime" so you have to reset the micro after changing the pin state.

Robert Giuliano
KB8RCO



On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 7:07:24 PM EDT, Peter VE7PPE <ve7ppe@...> wrote:


[Edited Message Follows]

@JP1

In Kiss mode for both banks.? One bank shows gps output (? bank 0 is intended), other bank doesn't.? If I set bankmode 0, then default bank, aka 0, shows gps output in Minicom


Bank 0 Kiss --> TT4BT --> Pi Zero W --> share-tnc [provides multiple access via TCP] --> Wifi --> APRSDroid & YAAC & APRX

Will chk and report on V.? When you say chk voltage on the upside, do you mean across R8?? Or where do I ground?? Rank beginner as to electronic testing

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