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What did you do in the shack today?
- Thread starter CatSnoutSoup
- Start date
Well I looked up the build instructions. I could get this rigged up using a wire and the squid pole without having to invest in a 25’ whip, I already have a 49:1 transformer as well. Although… I have had the parts for the preformer laying around for weeks without having found the time to put it together.
ToddDubya
NES Member
I messed around with my TinySA this morning. I got some attenuators, so I can put up to about 10w into the TinySA without destroying it. Well, 10w before knocking it down with attenuators. I tried measuring my Yaesu HT and only got 2.8w instead of the expected 5w. I have no experience with the TinySA, so I suspect operator error. Meanwhile, I tried measuring the attenuator "gain" on the NanoVNA to make sure it's actually -40dB. I also have no experience with the NanoVNA, so that was also a fail. But I'll figure it out.
I got both of these devices back in October and really haven't messed with them yet. For the price, they do a lot.
I got both of these devices back in October and really haven't messed with them yet. For the price, they do a lot.
ToddDubya
NES Member
I also played with my Xiegu X5105 some more today, and damn if that thing doesn't get good reports. I had a few people give me "59, excellent audio. You sound really good down here". Funny thing was I really wasn't hearing people too well today. I wait until my final to tell the other person I'm running 5w so they don't overcompensate.
I meant to inspect the wires, but the wind and snow were blasting pretty hard. I'm sure the SSB contest wasn't doing me any favors. I wish I could have remembered how to turn on the filtering.
It's too bad the audio is so bad on that radio. I wish it was just the speaker, but even with headphones or an external speaker it sounds equally bad. Otherwise I have been very pleasantly surprised with its performance.
I meant to inspect the wires, but the wind and snow were blasting pretty hard. I'm sure the SSB contest wasn't doing me any favors. I wish I could have remembered how to turn on the filtering.
It's too bad the audio is so bad on that radio. I wish it was just the speaker, but even with headphones or an external speaker it sounds equally bad. Otherwise I have been very pleasantly surprised with its performance.
ToddDubya
NES Member
Okay, I'm playing around with the TinySA a little more. I'm not sure this is really doing what I want. It doesn't seem to care what I put in for attenuation. But that aside, here's a shot of my Baofeng UV5R on the fundamental and first harmonic. You can see the first harmonic is about 47dB below the fundamental. FCC says second harmonic must be at least 40dB below the fundamental.
Switching to the other (higher frequency) port, you can see in the 70cm band there's a spike at the third harmonic about 25dB down from the fundamental. Not great, but FCC says 3rd harmonic and up must be 20dB or more below the fundamental.
For comparison, I got just about same thing with my Yaesu FT-70d, maybe a few dB better.
This isn't exactly scientific, but it's a decent indicator that my UV5R isn't exactly the spurious emission bandit some people claim them to be. I'll have to come back and correct this if I find out I botched up the measurements. I really can't make sense of the dBs. If I'm putting 5w into a 40dB attenuator, I should be getting -3dB. I measured the attenuator on the NanoVNA and it's close to 40dB.
Way to spend a Saturday night, Poindexter.
Switching to the other (higher frequency) port, you can see in the 70cm band there's a spike at the third harmonic about 25dB down from the fundamental. Not great, but FCC says 3rd harmonic and up must be 20dB or more below the fundamental.
For comparison, I got just about same thing with my Yaesu FT-70d, maybe a few dB better.
This isn't exactly scientific, but it's a decent indicator that my UV5R isn't exactly the spurious emission bandit some people claim them to be. I'll have to come back and correct this if I find out I botched up the measurements. I really can't make sense of the dBs. If I'm putting 5w into a 40dB attenuator, I should be getting -3dB. I measured the attenuator on the NanoVNA and it's close to 40dB.
Way to spend a Saturday night, Poindexter.
CatSnoutSoup
NES Member
I love busting a pile up!
9N7AA in the log.
P.S.> If you are on now he is at 21.434 MHz in the contest.
9N7AA in the log.
P.S.> If you are on now he is at 21.434 MHz in the contest.
PistolShooter
NES Member
I’ve been looking at setting up a 100W POTA kit. Most likely going to use a Yaesu Ft891, trying to decide what to get for a battery, probably around a 20 Ah. I have plenty of antennas from my QRP kit that I take when I air travel for work.
Also finally ordered an arborist slingshot setup to hopefully get my dipole antenna up a lot higher at my QTH.
Also finally ordered an arborist slingshot setup to hopefully get my dipole antenna up a lot higher at my QTH.
ToddDubya
NES Member
I've used a 12Ah Bioenno a lot in the field and it lasts a long time, 20 should be plenty. Beware the cheaper brands. A lot of them don't have all of the protections they claim to have. There are guys who do tear-down videos. There's a lot of energy in these batteries.
For sizing, check out this calculator. Click here to download the spreadsheet (Rev 1 updated Feb 1, 23).
PistolShooter
NES Member
I have a 4.5 Bioenno I used with my Icom 705, agree on buy quality. I’ve done lots of custom battery development for the day job, not worth the risk of cheap batteries. Need to head up to HRO in Salem and grab one this week. I think I’m going to do a custom build out in a Pelican case, no penetrations to the case but easy to deploy and connect once you open it up.
CatSnoutSoup
NES Member
Today in the shack I uploaded my log for this past weekends ARRL DX contest before I forgot to do it.
Years ago you had something like a month to get the log in (remember folks were sending logs by snail mail), but that has changed and they give you just a week.
Category was Single op, high power, assisted.
Not bad considering I did a lot of weekend napping between operating stints.
QSOs in Log: 345
179 Multipliers
Raw Score: 1035 Qpts x 179 Mults = 185,265
Years ago you had something like a month to get the log in (remember folks were sending logs by snail mail), but that has changed and they give you just a week.
Category was Single op, high power, assisted.
Not bad considering I did a lot of weekend napping between operating stints.
QSOs in Log: 345
179 Multipliers
Raw Score: 1035 Qpts x 179 Mults = 185,265
MaverickNH
NES Member
I just spent the last day or so looking at our family spend (just my wife and I - kids are out) for 2024. The radio/computer/electronics spend was … excessive.
Whatever I do in the shack today, tomorrow, next week, etc.,will have to be done with the stuff I bought in 2024.
Whatever I do in the shack today, tomorrow, next week, etc.,will have to be done with the stuff I bought in 2024.
ToddDubya
NES Member
I got my QMX back from repair and decided to throw it on a dummy load and play with it. I got one beep maybe, then just clicks. No side tone. Hmmmm. Cycle power, same thing. I turn up the current limit on my power supply, same thing. Then I realize it's going into protection mode, which it does when it has low power (or high power) or bad SWR. It can't possibly be bad SWR, right? Well, I put the antenna analyzer on the dummy load and it's almost 3:1.
I took the dummy load apart and it's not obvious what exactly the current path is, but it seems to return through the metal chassis. But the connectivity between the end of the resistor and the shield side of the connector is poor. I chase it down to the connection TO the chassis, and give the bolt a little tiny turn backwards and forwards. I measure again and I get 52 ohms. Bazinga.
I bought this dummy load at a swap meet last summer. The sticker said "New" and it looks new, but I wonder if the guy had problems with it and just never used it.
I guess the lesson here is to check your dummy load from time to time and make sure it's actually 50 ohms.
It's hard to see in this picture, but the bolt/nut in question is at the bottom of that clip holding the far end of the resistor. I think the aluminum has a coating on it that the star washer had to scratch through a little better. Or something. Either way, it's better now.
As for the QMX, I'm not super stoked with the power output it says I'm getting. I know it's power meter is not super accurate, but it looks like I'm getting maybe 2 watts on some bands. I don't have a watt meter to get a real measurement. I guess that's next.
I took the dummy load apart and it's not obvious what exactly the current path is, but it seems to return through the metal chassis. But the connectivity between the end of the resistor and the shield side of the connector is poor. I chase it down to the connection TO the chassis, and give the bolt a little tiny turn backwards and forwards. I measure again and I get 52 ohms. Bazinga.
I bought this dummy load at a swap meet last summer. The sticker said "New" and it looks new, but I wonder if the guy had problems with it and just never used it.
I guess the lesson here is to check your dummy load from time to time and make sure it's actually 50 ohms.
It's hard to see in this picture, but the bolt/nut in question is at the bottom of that clip holding the far end of the resistor. I think the aluminum has a coating on it that the star washer had to scratch through a little better. Or something. Either way, it's better now.
As for the QMX, I'm not super stoked with the power output it says I'm getting. I know it's power meter is not super accurate, but it looks like I'm getting maybe 2 watts on some bands. I don't have a watt meter to get a real measurement. I guess that's next.
PistolShooter
NES Member
Did my first POTA today at Hopkinton State Park, brought my oldest who is 8 and eager to get his license.
Used a Chameleon MPAS-Lite with the 17’ vertical and a counterpoise wire for an antenna, was pleased to get a couple DX contacts. Used 100W from a Yaesu FT-891 that I just bought as a dedicated POTA radio.
Used a Chameleon MPAS-Lite with the 17’ vertical and a counterpoise wire for an antenna, was pleased to get a couple DX contacts. Used 100W from a Yaesu FT-891 that I just bought as a dedicated POTA radio.
oldguy68
NES Member
Bought a Harbor Freight Apache 4800 case and cut the foam to fit my Yaesu FT-891, antenna tuner and other parts for traveling and Pota work.
Got the Pota Performer antenna setup and tested everything out.
Band conditions were terrible today.
I chased a few Pota operators and answered some CQ calls.
Got the Pota Performer antenna setup and tested everything out.
Band conditions were terrible today.
I chased a few Pota operators and answered some CQ calls.
ToddDubya
NES Member
I'm glad to hear it wasn't just me. I managed to bust some pileups with my 5w Xiegu, but for the most part I wasn't getting very far west. I did get CA on 15m SSB which seemed pretty decent. I only tried a few stations that couldn't hear me, or that I gave up due to pileup size, so that's pretty good.
I was glad I wasn't carrying a bigger radio with me when I fell down a short hill. The snow at my super secret squirrel location is now a hard crust you can mostly walk on, except when it's icy, or you break through to unknown depths (will you stop mid calf? up to your knee? balls deep?). I started to slide down the hill, then my foot broke through, which sent me into a clumsy run, ending in both feet breaking through and me going ass over teakettle. Fortunately my pistol cushioned the impact.
I've been thinking about terracing that particular spot so it's more like steps than a hill, but right now the snow has pretty much leveled out the entire forest so that spot would still be a hill. I may do it anyway.
P.S. I'm done with winter. Probably three more weeks to go.
I was glad I wasn't carrying a bigger radio with me when I fell down a short hill. The snow at my super secret squirrel location is now a hard crust you can mostly walk on, except when it's icy, or you break through to unknown depths (will you stop mid calf? up to your knee? balls deep?). I started to slide down the hill, then my foot broke through, which sent me into a clumsy run, ending in both feet breaking through and me going ass over teakettle. Fortunately my pistol cushioned the impact.
I've been thinking about terracing that particular spot so it's more like steps than a hill, but right now the snow has pretty much leveled out the entire forest so that spot would still be a hill. I may do it anyway.
P.S. I'm done with winter. Probably three more weeks to go.
