My Week in Radio
- I have a blog of my radio notes, but I’ve fallen behind by over a month in posting.
- Tested a rybakov antenna with 4:1 balun and 25-foot wire out at a park.
- Btech UV-PRO (for APRS) has been seeing lots of beta firmware updates
- Attended a lunch with a Harrisburg 21 repeater group to learn about beacons and online tools for radio conditions
- My second 2M antenna (slim-jim) was performing badly
- hanging next to the feed line of the higher antenna, and it was completely de-tuning it
- pulled it up into the tree on its own line to provide space
- still hangs lower than the other antenna to avoid interference
- contestcalendar.com has a google calendar feed, which i’ve imported to my calendar, so no more date math to figure out UTC
Others
- W8CRW, CR:
- updated phone software, so allstar node is working.
- W3JAM, Jeff:
- on digital to avoid connecting to anything on the roof in the storm
- simplex net from the shack
- always observing conditions on 2M
- ducting
- heard lots of distant stations, but not close
- worked 50 miles across lancaster county
- switched between vertical and horizontal: horizontal was better sometimes
- new diamond antenna to install
- swapping out everything on the shack
- NA3CW, Chuck:
- hosting AWA pre-net
- working on Joe’s tuner project: crimp connectors for components
- KC3OOK, Bill:
- out in the truck to operate in the weather
- mobile simplex net, south control
- copied all but maybe 3 stations
- KV3JGB, Matt:
- new parts, a choke, for the HF radio
- AF3Z, Jim:
- visited a friend’s barn of parts for 1929 hartley oscillator
- triton 4 didn’t turn on for CW sked: bad power supply, so switched to battery
- WA3KFT, John:
- 100W RF to get through
- new bracket on the tower
- modifications for being able to tilt down the antenna.
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- testing an IC-9700: working nicely
- right on frequency
- no harmonics
- full power on every band
- all configured
- mud mosey for those helping, April 12, contact KC3TMT for info
- testing an IC-9700: working nicely
- AA3LH, Leon:
- back from weather events
- in trailblazer, installed a new dual-band VHF/UHF radio
- ran some 2M nets, but missed simplex net
- 80M: rooster net and bible study net
Questions
- AF3Z, Jim:
- AICO audio generator:
- 2 tubes, precision resistors
- wein bridge oscillator
- siren like, but it varies on 15 second interval
- what component failure causes the variation
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- check for a ripple from the power supply
- sounded like a beating with the output
- warble may vary with frequency
- wein bridge oscillator was the first product of hewlett packard
- WA3KFT, John:
- check B+ voltage from the power supply and at the tube
- NA3CW, Chuck:
- looking at the schematic
- uses a lightbulb to stabilize based on temperature
- check the tubes and check that lightbulb
- WA3VEE, Ron:
- the lightbulb may not light, but it’ll use cold resistance of the tube
- check continuity
- if the power supply is giving ripple, the capacitor is bad
- AICO audio generator: