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Re: Good battery life
True that. If I had my way it would be a world-wide law that every battery powered portable device has to have a hard OFF switch. However there is also the protection board attached to the cells that is in play, plus any circuit leakages around that switch for whatever reason. The charging electronics in particular do not disconnect with the power switch. As I wrote, very small but non-zero. At any rate, as a case in point I once let my early NanoVNA-H languish for some months. It also has a physical switch but still the battery suffered. It was damaged somewhat but not completely ruined so I was able to use the unit for some time before I replaced the battery. Now I periodically check its charge if I have not used it in a while and maintenance charge if necessary. Better safe than sorry.
You should see the battery I just replaced in my portable HDTV that has been not been used in several years. It too has a physical switch. The battery was puffed up to the point where it would have made a decent pillow for a small creature. It is fortunate that the battery cover returned to its former shape (and that the battery did not rupture). On Sun, 06 Apr 2025 08:07:22 -0700 "Gerd via groups.io" <gerd.vipre@...> wrote: --The TinySA model has a physical switch that disconnects the battery from the power circuit. The iPod and newer devices are built on a digital switch that constantly draws some current.Sometimes I wonder how many long forgotten iPods have been found in deskdrawers with dead and swollen batteries. 73 -Jim NU0C |
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Re: Good battery life
> Sometimes I wonder how many long forgotten iPods have been found in desk drawers with dead and swollen batteries.The TinySA model has a physical switch that disconnects the battery from the power circuit. The iPod and newer devices are built on a digital switch that constantly draws some current. ? |
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Re: Good battery life
While the long shelf life is true, it is also true that in the real world there is often a very small but non-zero current drain on the cells. Sometimes I wonder how many long forgotten iPods have been found in desk drawers with dead and swollen batteries. For this reason it is wise to pull the unit out of storage periodically to check the state of charge and maintenance charge it if necessary.
On Sun, 06 Apr 2025 06:32:41 -0700 "DAVE REISER WA3TRS via groups.io" <DAVEREISER@...> wrote: Thank you for the information.? When setting the tinySA aside, one does not consider such a thing.? ?I will now. -- 73 -Jim NU0C |
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Re: TinySA Ultra operating temperature
Hi.
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Erik - Has it been tested at what environmental temperatures the parameters of the pilot signals measured will start to shift?
(For example, if you put the tinySA ULTRA in a closed device box and put it in the attic of a house to collect data for a certain period of time)?
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Sincerely,
g.
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Re: TinySA ULTRA 4" - No longer works
Hi.
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Erik, thanks for the reply.
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For a few hours tinySA ULTRA was turned off and when I restarted it, this information appeared on the screen (Pictures attached to the letter).
The only way to get out of this state was to do a "hard restart" // push the jog button to the side (NOT down) WHILE RESTARTING the device //.
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Is this a pure software problem and not indicative of a hardware defect ?
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At that moment TinySA ULTRA has on it that software: "tinySA4_v1.4-109-g5cfd570"
I installed the latest software on the device "tinySA4_v1.4-199-gde12ba2" and will see if this type of anomaly occurs again.
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Sincerely,
g ?
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Re: TinySA ULTRA 4" - No longer works
Could it be alingment or some solid particle? I had issues like those with expensive connectors. On Sat, Apr 5, 2025, 01:32 Gerd via <gerd.vipre=[email protected]> wrote:
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Re: TinySA ULTRA 4" - No longer works
Hi.
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> Can you open the case and try to reseat the LCD cable ? Maybe that will solve the problem.
Erik, did you design the printed circuit board ?
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Before I started to disassemble the device, I decided to check if the signal generator was working. A picture of this menu is attached to the letter, the problem also affected this part of the control circuit. When I selected LOW OUTPUT - ON from the menu, a signal appeared at the RF tinySAoutput, but the frequency barely ran 50MHz. From that frequency onwards, the device could no longer hold the signal carrier. I have not tested the signal generator of this device before, so I have no comparison of how it should work.
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I opened the tinySA ULTRA at Erik's suggestion and a visual test did not detect any poor connections.
Since I have had problems with similar cable connections in other devices before, I cleaned the cable terminals just in case (even though there was no visible problem).
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After reconnecting the ribbon cable, almost all problems disappeared. Self Test was successful.
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Even after a successful Self Test, the signal generator is unable to transmit a signal in normal mode, I have to activate LOW OUTPUT - ON in the menu. Is this a normal approach or is there another problem here? I also took a picture of the last measurement.
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Erik, based on the information you provided, could you tell me which terminal in the ribbon cable had a poor connection? I'll look at it later with a powerful microscope. (It seems that some types of connectors are not worth the money.)
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Sincerely,
g ?
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Re: Measuring resonant coil outputs
1)? For those who didn't bother to look at the diagram, it shows specifically 35 kHz.? Enough said..... THE REST: I as well come from a physics background.? Be extremely careful with those power levels.? At 35 kHz and 1 kV feeding a spark gap, you are evidently using shock excitation to look for ring-down and harmonic generation from your resonant LC network.? As a precaution, I would strongly recommend installation of the following from MiniCircuits installed at the input of the TINYSA.? Leave it installed.? ? ?? VLM-33W-2W-S+? It is presently under redesign by MiniCircuits, but doing what you do, I'd almost "require" you install it or equivalent to protect the TINYSA - or any SA, for that matter. Considering your application, that should be installed in addition to attenuators? It would be best to have a selection to match the levels of harmonics and fundamentals excited by the shock exitation.? These are available from ebay, or, better quality, Pasternack.? Values might include the following:? 20 dB, 10 dB, 6 dB, and 3 dB.? Small SMA style packages at 1 watt or less are adequate for your application. ? Again, considering your power and voltage levels, I'd start with the short included antenna.? As such, it is an extremely short portion of a wavelength.? Therefore, you likely won't experience any frequency bias from the antenna up to where it becomes a 0.1-wavelength and more. ? Also start at some distance from your spark gap and the LC network.? Approach the operating system with caution to, again, be "kind" to the SA. ? You will also require multiple discharges of the spark gap to capture the ring-down and harmonic structure.? It would be advised to use the MAX HOLD function to capture the sum of a number of gap discharges.? Otherwise, the sweep is too slow (andy SA will exhibit this) to faithfully capture what you're after.?? I've done just what you are looking for before retirement for Uncle at KAFB in Albuquerque.? All I'll write based on the experience with Uncle is: "It's amazing what can be done with wide-band RF pulses".? I've also experimented as you here in my small lab.? If you want to email me offline of the group, please - I'm open.? Emails are: ? ?? DaveArea51A at gmail dot com ? ?? W zero LEV at arrl dot net Glad to help where I can. Dave - W?LEV? ? ?? On Fri, Apr 4, 2025 at 9:53?AM Kerrowman via <979jules979=[email protected]> wrote:
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Dave - W?LEV |
Jim Shorney
Gerd
DAVE REISER WA3TRS
Kerrowman