tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67086748586854438442024-03-13T12:03:53.081-05:00W9JES Radio & ElectronicsAll things electronics such as radios, communications, technology, and repair.JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-5638940418139310172023-11-19T12:39:00.016-06:002023-12-03T22:37:09.276-06:00Yaesu FT-767GX Repair No Audio<p>I was contacted by a fellow ham who wanted me to look at a couple of broken transceivers. I offered to repair them for him, but he gave me a good deal so I bought them :)</p><p>The first radio is a Yaesu FT-767GX. If you've had experience with these radios, then you know how difficult they are to repair because of many undocumented changes between the service manual and the radio. Yaesu was known for that.</p><p>The FT-767GX was one of the flagship radios from Yaesu-Musen which debuted in 1986 as an all-mode, all-band transceiver. It was a first to feature a built-in antenna tuner and modules for 6 meters, 2 meters, and 70 centimeters. It was a shack in the box!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDc3ocjXDiA738NHJ7FyBSKplkMr-4WofskszC1gKMZIJQGorbGDwXu6phdFWYEphZoEhHhxl9C7a-f-i7K-All6cj370RuOE1Ve1csoxGMtjnCLrubOHJ-p_hLHL8oTP9T7M0kyv7BP3Ai_g3d6d3TiOvIhWcIknSOyNoZDy3aXmcnSr_7DEz5B1agI/s3264/yaesuft767gx.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDc3ocjXDiA738NHJ7FyBSKplkMr-4WofskszC1gKMZIJQGorbGDwXu6phdFWYEphZoEhHhxl9C7a-f-i7K-All6cj370RuOE1Ve1csoxGMtjnCLrubOHJ-p_hLHL8oTP9T7M0kyv7BP3Ai_g3d6d3TiOvIhWcIknSOyNoZDy3aXmcnSr_7DEz5B1agI/s320/yaesuft767gx.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Here is a QST product review from September 1987 courtesy of N4ATS <a href="https://www.n4ats.com/PDF/QST_FL7000_Review.pdf">https://www.n4ats.com/PDF/QST_FL7000_Review.pdf</a></p><p>This specimen came to me with the following symptoms. I will break these out into a series of posts.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>No audio output from internal speaker, external speaker jack, or headphone jack</li><li>Low/No Receive Indication on signal generator</li></ul><p><br /></p><p>The block diagram for this radio show that there are two audio amplifier transistors and a transistor for the squelch circuit in the chain. These components are on the IF Unit Board.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiDqUD5E7tdDRxVaE-TseVBbdcrDuu6wnXJ82tTAQ9JzC0bYF-cKEJIsjW2rkmxq2UQA-TVLjZi3eJeiiWDrIXFitnuB89utBOMsMWdKp2pGzwW5yLp3-TRhm3xzC1ptFOcm2bHZ-ZSRPE3e435DtPfu7g6TuuVTIaqLw0w_foGxa9qM9Rk9qW2q5OY8/s885/block.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="885" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifiDqUD5E7tdDRxVaE-TseVBbdcrDuu6wnXJ82tTAQ9JzC0bYF-cKEJIsjW2rkmxq2UQA-TVLjZi3eJeiiWDrIXFitnuB89utBOMsMWdKp2pGzwW5yLp3-TRhm3xzC1ptFOcm2bHZ-ZSRPE3e435DtPfu7g6TuuVTIaqLw0w_foGxa9qM9Rk9qW2q5OY8/s320/block.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Yaesu provided voltages for these transistors and we found that there was not enough voltage to drive the MB3713 at Q1037. Measurements were 0.68v, 1.31v, 1.31v, 0v, 0v, 0v, 0.6, and 0.6v. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0ClXrKulY01k7jdqZf_KzJMkAslFE00MttdN3DV7fGZUKC5H7RnD7ahKcU77c_KEKIKcO8PBDXXWJ6YQ2AOo_y6EIpr4_vhMpcnAgTGjlXeMjL_S0TXgi9wKRdBNwaVQw3bRGjyiHquU-RPGbp6zx4fhgFS09jugivBD1pRg4zPD5Vs7CQxZ87s-EMI/s725/voltages.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="214" data-original-width="725" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0ClXrKulY01k7jdqZf_KzJMkAslFE00MttdN3DV7fGZUKC5H7RnD7ahKcU77c_KEKIKcO8PBDXXWJ6YQ2AOo_y6EIpr4_vhMpcnAgTGjlXeMjL_S0TXgi9wKRdBNwaVQw3bRGjyiHquU-RPGbp6zx4fhgFS09jugivBD1pRg4zPD5Vs7CQxZ87s-EMI/s320/voltages.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I checked the capacitors for shorts to ground and bad ESR at the input voltage and output stage of the transistor (Pin 2 and Pin 1). The capacitors in the green boxes were checked and passed. The capacitor C290 (red box) was replaced due to a high ESR reading on the capacitor checker (see image below). </p><p>I also noticed that Yaesu omitted L16 and replaced the component with a NPN transistor. Voltage at emitter was 1.31v and 13.3v at the collector. I removed the transistor and found that it was testing as a diode. This transistor was replaced and we now have proper bias voltage at pins 1 and 2 as well as great, loud audio!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPpO4pwNkFOMW5MKUyMl4x7vJTb6wcp6ioz1HbFJCC8Yo7kg8mxt5jybn8xJQs15H5ch1NYl2NsdMRpLnI-Ahhzp197brGEIg9hNK663TUG_iJt1F7gGFoK4tUg6reeNa7wInigUM0ZleAVNpfpw3_RKoy7XIJG7wtPcBml-YoffmqwSMSYsj5D0AkTw/s1443/transistor.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1017" data-original-width="1443" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPpO4pwNkFOMW5MKUyMl4x7vJTb6wcp6ioz1HbFJCC8Yo7kg8mxt5jybn8xJQs15H5ch1NYl2NsdMRpLnI-Ahhzp197brGEIg9hNK663TUG_iJt1F7gGFoK4tUg6reeNa7wInigUM0ZleAVNpfpw3_RKoy7XIJG7wtPcBml-YoffmqwSMSYsj5D0AkTw/s320/transistor.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a redraw of the L16 circuit substitute on the IF unit board. Notice the positive lead of C290 was moved to the base of the 2SD667C.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjaEzxN7jypte4yJMLXRk4ED5xkfVh-uHdWaibZCpZn89qEavJI1t6jW7mKw3StRCRi4iGayf5CgPZYj5CvqWHvQPAuraK5XX4hmXLwqPodE3RhmoV-MMQIlNAlPIRNSYT4QhLmY3AgUStBpe7FgjxWzU-gMTIQEQGTG-VH7iLFmv59MxBFgzUyHfcfE/s854/ifschematic.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="854" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjaEzxN7jypte4yJMLXRk4ED5xkfVh-uHdWaibZCpZn89qEavJI1t6jW7mKw3StRCRi4iGayf5CgPZYj5CvqWHvQPAuraK5XX4hmXLwqPodE3RhmoV-MMQIlNAlPIRNSYT4QhLmY3AgUStBpe7FgjxWzU-gMTIQEQGTG-VH7iLFmv59MxBFgzUyHfcfE/s320/ifschematic.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywUZxCo3CFDzO1n90hh0FJUeRkpXbJzcxuceqKivDg_A0sjWkfXax_fF0BHXUoiuJO2hZ4zgVRvAPcXfjmkagyWyriCOhmzfBIMw06QX4__YqCoX95_ZZ-kHK72iFSknwWXp6zjQND0aw2tECZ49fVMEz4BU2uEiS62MdYIfooCCsmoJQpZkXGn2yfns/s2381/767photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="2381" data-original-width="1645" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjywUZxCo3CFDzO1n90hh0FJUeRkpXbJzcxuceqKivDg_A0sjWkfXax_fF0BHXUoiuJO2hZ4zgVRvAPcXfjmkagyWyriCOhmzfBIMw06QX4__YqCoX95_ZZ-kHK72iFSknwWXp6zjQND0aw2tECZ49fVMEz4BU2uEiS62MdYIfooCCsmoJQpZkXGn2yfns/s320/767photo.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">73,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">JJ - W9JES</div><br />JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-38772668548397149452023-10-30T00:01:00.004-05:002023-11-19T10:08:51.799-06:00Coming Soon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM30wACYh3uxvbongf0YDcVwxUDXuUI2K0CoHAFD5yH5TkMm08Zu6EdG8AcSLkVEY8dNtQxy7UMFmMJYvLKy5-CFEbDCdtwBvn3SFZrGo3k2CH3XsPTv2t4caWGkoPuQmw3eSEgDz_sTf2-3oWNxVK5PfbFFwGQEYR20LRBxY8h7WgWfF2gpWtzkCBYV8/s4500/72547-thinking-photography-question-mark-man-stock.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="4500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM30wACYh3uxvbongf0YDcVwxUDXuUI2K0CoHAFD5yH5TkMm08Zu6EdG8AcSLkVEY8dNtQxy7UMFmMJYvLKy5-CFEbDCdtwBvn3SFZrGo3k2CH3XsPTv2t4caWGkoPuQmw3eSEgDz_sTf2-3oWNxVK5PfbFFwGQEYR20LRBxY8h7WgWfF2gpWtzkCBYV8/s320/72547-thinking-photography-question-mark-man-stock.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p>I have a few things in queue to share with you including a server power supply conversion for ham radio, Heathkit complete shack demo, and Yaesu FT-767GX repair.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-66099098211676948172023-10-04T21:13:00.003-05:002023-10-05T16:27:55.052-05:00Power Supply Repair<p>Yes, I repair power supplies too. This is a Tripp Lite 10 amp 13.8 Volt Supply. The design is similar to an Astron using the infamous LM723 Regulator. Feel free to contact me if you need your equipment repaired.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMmfsEp7iOCu3c2Y-AcnjUZehZjiKYbQ5cbB7Bo2WFwSa654sLAenefBgg33tJ1zehzvMBhUfa9xXJnVRz75XJkZ_PqT4MD2M4-Jwz2p9Dd9Dm-yiv8kD-MqJ5k0lF1iAiSbsDiUAWw_uTaA7V9GtXkz9ACJNKR4fPHZTHhthrYvDO2QHvAX5gpsV7YE/s3072/psu1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="3072" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMmfsEp7iOCu3c2Y-AcnjUZehZjiKYbQ5cbB7Bo2WFwSa654sLAenefBgg33tJ1zehzvMBhUfa9xXJnVRz75XJkZ_PqT4MD2M4-Jwz2p9Dd9Dm-yiv8kD-MqJ5k0lF1iAiSbsDiUAWw_uTaA7V9GtXkz9ACJNKR4fPHZTHhthrYvDO2QHvAX5gpsV7YE/s320/psu1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjsOs-24EQ1gFXaDtNJEiCLlCd5McfgY0XprLIFnvI3Pdl-t-YJnglMvGIOq5NN-06BexJaXWt7x8eyXVuMnmkkFum3uSi1CHRTCOdrJaDvF8U0dqQxZkcnM30Lw4ZzwB0LoWVPETROqJeAj8-jgszWOo8aguNIsB-7HIdWjr0DxwTf8ul5yMCcUBJNw/s2162/psu2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="2162" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicjsOs-24EQ1gFXaDtNJEiCLlCd5McfgY0XprLIFnvI3Pdl-t-YJnglMvGIOq5NN-06BexJaXWt7x8eyXVuMnmkkFum3uSi1CHRTCOdrJaDvF8U0dqQxZkcnM30Lw4ZzwB0LoWVPETROqJeAj8-jgszWOo8aguNIsB-7HIdWjr0DxwTf8ul5yMCcUBJNw/s320/psu2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-36848717545809947902023-09-05T12:51:00.030-05:002023-10-17T18:52:25.323-05:00Converting a Kenwood TM-2550A into a 2 Meter Amplifier<p></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">How to turn an old radio into an RF power amp for less than $20 <br /></h2><p> </p><p>I received a partially working Kenwood TM-2550A mobile rig as part of an estate sale last year. The transceiver did not come with a mic, mount, power cable, or accessories. I was able to get the unit powered up and transmitting, but the receiver was blown on this unit and the microcontroller was damaged from over-voltage. The cost to repair and restore this radio far outweighed the cost to convert it into something more useful. So the best option was to turn this unit into an amplifier to be used with HT's and other low power devices for analog and digital modes such as FM, WinLink, APRS, Packet, DSTAR, DMR, and Fusion. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcReceeFdWqfphvigW1YArW-DT99BRJVQcdY7vLj9Rme5fSRobi8NT5bQj4L2dq4rJxlXtaMwspJ_Jwf5t2XnekVayAfxDsOtFrZ9teg_nzUtGwFJX0ydyXzstHoHi1PPH93NI7b1N55oAS6ThySsHGdkJK9rLc1ieHIp7BbFTGBvJpywqk0KmIJC29TY/s612/tm2570AL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="612" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcReceeFdWqfphvigW1YArW-DT99BRJVQcdY7vLj9Rme5fSRobi8NT5bQj4L2dq4rJxlXtaMwspJ_Jwf5t2XnekVayAfxDsOtFrZ9teg_nzUtGwFJX0ydyXzstHoHi1PPH93NI7b1N55oAS6ThySsHGdkJK9rLc1ieHIp7BbFTGBvJpywqk0KmIJC29TY/s320/tm2570AL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p>I already had a great starting point as the RF module was in good shape. The one I scavenged from the Kenwood is a 43 Watt module which appeared to output full power. I reused the heatsink and original mounting holes for the module and the SO-239 connector from the Kenwood. The next step was to either inject a low powered signal in the final stage of the PA amp circuit on the existing radio with a relay, or simply install a new PCB with the T/R circuitry built in. I chose to go with the PCB and use the rest of the radio for spare parts.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH7IigP71OE7ubeWpwMr5JUA7Czqn8eKhTCqdxtuo2yfPGEC_q2s2c4kFNvJ9v3_IPPcNPRCOpMfqWBgn8e5cZWMl3OkcH26XWIOQkTyKag4U5engy969nqqj3Lqf2Ig7YsQ8-TXV16kYUraFJfFQw_gLompv1XzCtzNO391TYK5UymmnE7_HUABbAqI/s1178/2550%20final.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="1178" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOH7IigP71OE7ubeWpwMr5JUA7Czqn8eKhTCqdxtuo2yfPGEC_q2s2c4kFNvJ9v3_IPPcNPRCOpMfqWBgn8e5cZWMl3OkcH26XWIOQkTyKag4U5engy969nqqj3Lqf2Ig7YsQ8-TXV16kYUraFJfFQw_gLompv1XzCtzNO391TYK5UymmnE7_HUABbAqI/s320/2550%20final.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSQajsMqZXKkSC3kGykTglfxByniE6_EH84WKYKElw_SnWNAV6bYE-lgNiIXdOnc8P7vmyb6_zHAbJSfxcuHSMev1PZ80wB6HdRe_vQkAgU8GaA6938AMVp4Ovloi_FkPl1hF9L0Hx2C4RUdEIaq54An4ZxmUCav82lpRbtqyMZHpzLqsn0Czsc0Rwwk/s915/tmback.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="915" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSQajsMqZXKkSC3kGykTglfxByniE6_EH84WKYKElw_SnWNAV6bYE-lgNiIXdOnc8P7vmyb6_zHAbJSfxcuHSMev1PZ80wB6HdRe_vQkAgU8GaA6938AMVp4Ovloi_FkPl1hF9L0Hx2C4RUdEIaq54An4ZxmUCav82lpRbtqyMZHpzLqsn0Czsc0Rwwk/s320/tmback.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p>This PCB is compatible with RF power modules such as the Toshiba RA/SA series and Mitsubishi M series to provide an amplification interface for low power radios under 5 watts. There are two LEDs onboard which indicate TX and Power In. The low power TX signal is detected at the first relay (J1) through Q2? via a current sensing circuit which enables power to the RF module pin 2, then to the second relay (J2) with the amplified signal. The relays are switched off in RX mode to pass the receive signal back to the input (radio). There is a bias voltage adjustment pot for pin 2 of the power module at the bottom of the board to set voltage for gain of the final amplifier.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53pqfVfuz-L_y7xlfMSLowFTNVrtvNwJAYYXCSY1NcuBQKEKNDmRyRl5DQ6yXfKzq4JwbzizRVJ5WZ3m-FmjMEEVZvPAOfJXJy52iR4XHSYGH-4_NF342AVGCd0wZ3P2bubs0XREOZ-j71P3SgaOf5vhPnW-rsjABDyZY1Yqzci3ZbFWCCKOrpAxRhCY/s839/module.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="839" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53pqfVfuz-L_y7xlfMSLowFTNVrtvNwJAYYXCSY1NcuBQKEKNDmRyRl5DQ6yXfKzq4JwbzizRVJ5WZ3m-FmjMEEVZvPAOfJXJy52iR4XHSYGH-4_NF342AVGCd0wZ3P2bubs0XREOZ-j71P3SgaOf5vhPnW-rsjABDyZY1Yqzci3ZbFWCCKOrpAxRhCY/s320/module.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p> The RF Power module I used from the Kenwood is a two transistor, class C design which has filtering onboard for 144-148 MHz to reduce harmonic distortion. The module is broad-banded to support a frequency range of 140-152 MHz with a typical input of 400 milliwatts to produce up to 45 watts at the output. As you can see in the photo below, the module is a Mitsubishi M57726.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4xmx4VJkHcPxOYeb7cHXsENZwlNICbUrZnWcGJLrEzkI5KPyRnGoE2rvPiKS1HQbjsjrwIik37YJmsOA11OJ5PKImK-ODeiSa2GNshcJ8DarV-xvkgfnmuUXCHS-IxLoCkQI4zz40EsqlVOFskivwIVQG4x4fe7n80tLuYYlG0RF5QsHqA_6p0Rm96g/s1087/291335518833__04246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1087" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4xmx4VJkHcPxOYeb7cHXsENZwlNICbUrZnWcGJLrEzkI5KPyRnGoE2rvPiKS1HQbjsjrwIik37YJmsOA11OJ5PKImK-ODeiSa2GNshcJ8DarV-xvkgfnmuUXCHS-IxLoCkQI4zz40EsqlVOFskivwIVQG4x4fe7n80tLuYYlG0RF5QsHqA_6p0Rm96g/s320/291335518833__04246.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p>Here are the results on a nearly discharged FT-70. I was able to pull over 30 watts into a dummy load. I noticed the bias pot did not have enough adjustment to supply 12.5 volts to pin 2, so I had to remove the series resistor R6 to increase voltage to get more power output. The next step is to reuse sheet metal and screws from the Kenwood to make a shield and print a 3D case for the front. I will also figure out cable management and upgrade the wiring for a more durable and permanent solution.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS1YGvWv4DtfHWxf9OWKnhKhMuu_OqgUEJ4foLkpzefRF6g-yOVQ2Fxe0bThAIJCTOhW7fnwmuy00qR74PAhezQUNMlRfmJ-WC9000WQFg4_6--yrnNGxcFDF1RbuFAb9VdnfdYJt31eeEV3M52GiSUTNuqU5Jvl8MHVLmKxWRlRtYemTl2SRtp3r25s/s3901/2m%20amp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="3901" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUS1YGvWv4DtfHWxf9OWKnhKhMuu_OqgUEJ4foLkpzefRF6g-yOVQ2Fxe0bThAIJCTOhW7fnwmuy00qR74PAhezQUNMlRfmJ-WC9000WQFg4_6--yrnNGxcFDF1RbuFAb9VdnfdYJt31eeEV3M52GiSUTNuqU5Jvl8MHVLmKxWRlRtYemTl2SRtp3r25s/s320/2m%20amp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /> </p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-19156466532393803462023-09-02T23:42:00.003-05:002023-09-02T23:42:26.861-05:00HF Signal Identification and Where to Decode Them<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_nUp30ZHqNe_TXfnhmzjHZsQqmBWP5IbvFEcJF7VOkJqXTypi1UzN_034GdHeiIrWJKgRtPy4-QUd_hEyTLvnH2YMtGTPPgaTllWIRnE6AduszVvoTMyQ0m-1H9oaUo4Ig4OBjvuastvGNW02EZS8BDxfRt6JZ1JvznwI3koNBH2q2VnlxbECFC_TRA/s192/_blog_sigwiki1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="103" data-original-width="192" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_nUp30ZHqNe_TXfnhmzjHZsQqmBWP5IbvFEcJF7VOkJqXTypi1UzN_034GdHeiIrWJKgRtPy4-QUd_hEyTLvnH2YMtGTPPgaTllWIRnE6AduszVvoTMyQ0m-1H9oaUo4Ig4OBjvuastvGNW02EZS8BDxfRt6JZ1JvznwI3koNBH2q2VnlxbECFC_TRA/s1600/_blog_sigwiki1.JPG" width="192" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p>Have you ever tuned around or performed a band scan on your HF receiver or transceiver and wondered what those noises where? Have you ever wanted to expand your listening experience by trying different modes other than AM or SSB?</p><p>A couple of great resources are available to you free of charge.</p><p>The Signal Identification Wiki is a great place to learn about different modes used by amateur radio operators, broadcasting stations, military, aviation, marine, and commercial or private entities. The wiki is maintained by the community and and provides detailed information to those who want see and hear what those signals sound like. It also describes what the signal is, where to find it, and software used to transmit (encode) or receive (decode) it.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqNlosR7ftvBlOCN-hKScaiAMCmaW6qPrnHJVU0H7f3q6tAnHXU1SR_tZDpB-assr6Btk-jDP9jDJ_YbARCaBRlF8-tSgCMIX1W4t3MGKfXkVNxqR4wAhIFSNVQirlibe36-FSMeBV2fN_t28jB2Y8GmEOewFZ4SAimZoKH-aHxQSfR0WiSV5bmFTKK4/s1080/_blog_sigwiki.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1080" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqNlosR7ftvBlOCN-hKScaiAMCmaW6qPrnHJVU0H7f3q6tAnHXU1SR_tZDpB-assr6Btk-jDP9jDJ_YbARCaBRlF8-tSgCMIX1W4t3MGKfXkVNxqR4wAhIFSNVQirlibe36-FSMeBV2fN_t28jB2Y8GmEOewFZ4SAimZoKH-aHxQSfR0WiSV5bmFTKK4/s320/_blog_sigwiki.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Check it out at <a href="https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide">https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide</a></p><p> </p><p>Another great resource is BandPlans.com. This website contains an extensive database of recommended places to find analog and digital signals for the HF through 6 Meter Spectrum used by amateur radio operators. It lists frequencies, mode information, comments, and websites sorted by specific band.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxJxtS0FNLpQkxOGggDe-mEwvuJBxFP5Ex3MjypcQ73gw-wOTzJ0uGJvou9I2ibFHB-7hpBiCmKb9NfhkjRk4psq7AM3qEHw4yFKY-Yy4LSpwo4ng6ueIfan0_Fzg8ucVXADXLfM_rSye86_N8LK2cOUn9nyPcCHHoxGNElBPqtNRF30VVG04nH7KUII/s1249/_blog_bandplan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="1249" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuxJxtS0FNLpQkxOGggDe-mEwvuJBxFP5Ex3MjypcQ73gw-wOTzJ0uGJvou9I2ibFHB-7hpBiCmKb9NfhkjRk4psq7AM3qEHw4yFKY-Yy4LSpwo4ng6ueIfan0_Fzg8ucVXADXLfM_rSye86_N8LK2cOUn9nyPcCHHoxGNElBPqtNRF30VVG04nH7KUII/s320/_blog_bandplan.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Check it out at <a href="https://www.bandplans.com/">https://www.bandplans.com/</a></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES <br /></p><p> <br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-22214628160097940432023-08-30T16:15:00.005-05:002023-10-05T18:50:50.506-05:00In The Shop - August 2023 Update<p> The summer slowed down for about two months and is starting to ramp up again here in the shop. I've been spending time working on a FTM-10R, FT-90R, IC-751A, several DX-390s, DX-398, IC-706MK2G, and some other non-radio items.</p><p>I have a DX-390 in the shop right now, as well a TS-130S and FT-101B. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5gDbo9sVSEHh_MNXJTswzjLwmW-UPoUcYQ4Zge4DkB8qHESKosQka1QIe2cmUXHvrxNM4hEvZcN4Q3UzH6a7e5t4-j1PeWjBH1jRILeX_LUBANmcWn3JSdIenzzAKv5WeK9hovUZNJ8wQRVJfTFxvvM9dLbjrxe8eFAEU0bVVvZydxPqmjcO3n70hs4/s3574/ft101b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="3574" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5gDbo9sVSEHh_MNXJTswzjLwmW-UPoUcYQ4Zge4DkB8qHESKosQka1QIe2cmUXHvrxNM4hEvZcN4Q3UzH6a7e5t4-j1PeWjBH1jRILeX_LUBANmcWn3JSdIenzzAKv5WeK9hovUZNJ8wQRVJfTFxvvM9dLbjrxe8eFAEU0bVVvZydxPqmjcO3n70hs4/s320/ft101b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5cIBrQaEYqCMRX6zvvCW_VBFfJY7H5VpzEX9hVuTRqKSShzE2BOsT0owcpcFKJEZAqQJfxN3l8928EB0ZN-iUSGxtxPlE1GwjjImtj-YPYzX-6oyqnTGt8EetDrgk-RAcFIwN0zc5MJiujSBFFB5RtD43NyCG-38V5gqfQb10iawcRD2y-rchkg7sPs/s2010/ts130s.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="2010" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5cIBrQaEYqCMRX6zvvCW_VBFfJY7H5VpzEX9hVuTRqKSShzE2BOsT0owcpcFKJEZAqQJfxN3l8928EB0ZN-iUSGxtxPlE1GwjjImtj-YPYzX-6oyqnTGt8EetDrgk-RAcFIwN0zc5MJiujSBFFB5RtD43NyCG-38V5gqfQb10iawcRD2y-rchkg7sPs/s320/ts130s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-32454950111741906972023-03-28T22:27:00.003-05:002023-09-02T23:46:31.909-05:00Yaesu FTM-10R 50 Watt Dual Band Radio<p> Gone, but not forgotten. This very unique radio from Yaesu was ahead of its time with these features. I hope the new owner enjoys it as much as I did.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UEP70xuPcJLq6Hn3B18TPwQjB0rz7JuP7A7VIcVlWUXx1_cN884HK5B3NVnPWidEcxHTOJe2eJNKx-jZZZ1SZY-TAoxJqnbJtE7wONnYMN-2KTABkS3vG-t5Pu6vmO2ia56RB0-8EnXNuJ59xQ_AeU_7KPJxRVAL8mUnato4HjiBNmBuqjj2FLz1/s3560/18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="3560" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UEP70xuPcJLq6Hn3B18TPwQjB0rz7JuP7A7VIcVlWUXx1_cN884HK5B3NVnPWidEcxHTOJe2eJNKx-jZZZ1SZY-TAoxJqnbJtE7wONnYMN-2KTABkS3vG-t5Pu6vmO2ia56RB0-8EnXNuJ59xQ_AeU_7KPJxRVAL8mUnato4HjiBNmBuqjj2FLz1/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjZZRUzO96yziIppQPtXxcZiNrZ_MIoorfgGgM082R8J0DiqX4gI2aDaM4mAqat3j_hIRlaceLu0iz63sbrOO2WU7CQOrse-EAIYD0xNI2aKnN9CMOlz1TJYlZGhEYzWzmh4XpDhE5lmwZ-lY4QdhBi2KhRLTsgAVT2p23x5jYHBd3pBCGn08nAlk/s3002/17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2223" data-original-width="3002" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgjZZRUzO96yziIppQPtXxcZiNrZ_MIoorfgGgM082R8J0DiqX4gI2aDaM4mAqat3j_hIRlaceLu0iz63sbrOO2WU7CQOrse-EAIYD0xNI2aKnN9CMOlz1TJYlZGhEYzWzmh4XpDhE5lmwZ-lY4QdhBi2KhRLTsgAVT2p23x5jYHBd3pBCGn08nAlk/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu_on3piYQAsb6G3m7SU2QqcPSC5k7Sfy-bjle56VY_WzKowkQCmaNfiBmp0PDSvzlp5_kpfd38b6B8MZSck7UUpeEXdQUHnvFm2Lt9iDwo5s2L0G2bY-mKpT-7JCYqggZh0E3tTjRs83IBC9EchjToqXR4tSi9BzLVlVvDKxQUUFyyBfD-ZDL2FV/s2735/16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2051" data-original-width="2735" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu_on3piYQAsb6G3m7SU2QqcPSC5k7Sfy-bjle56VY_WzKowkQCmaNfiBmp0PDSvzlp5_kpfd38b6B8MZSck7UUpeEXdQUHnvFm2Lt9iDwo5s2L0G2bY-mKpT-7JCYqggZh0E3tTjRs83IBC9EchjToqXR4tSi9BzLVlVvDKxQUUFyyBfD-ZDL2FV/s320/16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jaz-fMmbRNaYloPI_yEEXOY3oPh_YplF-1IEd8SfFkQ-0jkOSUxAsfWKqnxi3SDV_3gReKe1_fSVdezkv1AmOY5pdp7_2r2uGmH0C5Czy6fVP-5YlShVEspTqNlvExD9wHTFnxS00YvZ4jmqCZQpU8VzGsCj2dK6lBgUU-h5fqQTERTUGI9XD0ZZ/s2090/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="2090" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1jaz-fMmbRNaYloPI_yEEXOY3oPh_YplF-1IEd8SfFkQ-0jkOSUxAsfWKqnxi3SDV_3gReKe1_fSVdezkv1AmOY5pdp7_2r2uGmH0C5Czy6fVP-5YlShVEspTqNlvExD9wHTFnxS00YvZ4jmqCZQpU8VzGsCj2dK6lBgUU-h5fqQTERTUGI9XD0ZZ/s320/3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJN5lxaF72iqXq6vcOj0j1mLHs9OxGHxBo09SBtGQ9bLJ2OiogToA4rnzhYprau1NdAwfC_UK2AXRXjZZuLnQzh4BkpEhiHKq3g08kg9ElzLKDcrx3UdALVl21n8cyL4mHVxduWShsm3Vea2x80HnzmllbDEDNH19a90_hkhrjqiWCpkB11sQye3qH/s2524/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2524" data-original-width="2238" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJN5lxaF72iqXq6vcOj0j1mLHs9OxGHxBo09SBtGQ9bLJ2OiogToA4rnzhYprau1NdAwfC_UK2AXRXjZZuLnQzh4BkpEhiHKq3g08kg9ElzLKDcrx3UdALVl21n8cyL4mHVxduWShsm3Vea2x80HnzmllbDEDNH19a90_hkhrjqiWCpkB11sQye3qH/s320/2.jpg" width="284" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3YwIy0tkRpvoOYT-PLLhtIOQyz9o0cTuSjXlYYnmTkdFk-UKcqAfW4KdmcFJ0pvC1-yxVaRmceWif5XDZhfhLyHvwCA6ZlzrGtov4NGhK7fZyDK4YfnTMG-UHzARd5Kuia_0NtiGfIQUssH5WyeET6jNQJddCnX2fP_-PRKfr8zf6FvTancQDDo8/s3550/1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2063" data-original-width="3550" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3YwIy0tkRpvoOYT-PLLhtIOQyz9o0cTuSjXlYYnmTkdFk-UKcqAfW4KdmcFJ0pvC1-yxVaRmceWif5XDZhfhLyHvwCA6ZlzrGtov4NGhK7fZyDK4YfnTMG-UHzARd5Kuia_0NtiGfIQUssH5WyeET6jNQJddCnX2fP_-PRKfr8zf6FvTancQDDo8/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-44111641939936839452023-03-19T13:31:00.004-05:002023-10-17T07:57:20.834-05:00What test equipment should you get as a new ham?<p>Here is a question sent to me recently, and wanted to share some ideas with others who are new to the hobby.<br /></p><p><b>"Relatively new ham here and not sure what I might even need. Was
thinking a meter at least but wondering what you think would be good for
a new ham?"</b></p><p> </p><p>My first observation is that these types of questions can get many responses from different people. My goal is to make an attempt at pointing to the north star and giving them some sort of logical direction. </p><p>Here is my response.<br /></p><p>It really depends on what you want to do in the hobby. Many types of test equipment can be used to diagnose issues and make adjustments in your shack for peak performance.</p><div class="markup-eYLPri messageContent-2t3eCI" id="message-content-1087074548865843212"> </div><div class="markup-eYLPri messageContent-2t3eCI" id="message-content-1087074548865843212">At minimum, a ham should have </div><div class="markup-eYLPri messageContent-2t3eCI" id="message-content-1087074548865843212"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>external watt meter</li><li>external SWR bridge/meter (don't solely rely on the radio if this feature is built in)</li><li>multimeter (to verify voltages, resistance, and continuity)<br /></li><li>reliable power supply</li><li>50 ohm dummy load <br /></li></ul></div><div class="markup-eYLPri messageContent-2t3eCI" id="message-content-1087074548865843212"> </div><div class="markup-eYLPri messageContent-2t3eCI" id="message-content-1087074548865843212">The list of analytical equipment can go up from there including </div><div class="markup-eYLPri messageContent-2t3eCI" id="message-content-1087074548865843212"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>audio analyzer</li><li>service monitor</li><li>VNA or antenna analyzer<br /></li><li>oscilloscope</li><li>tone (audio) generator</li><li>waveform function generator</li><li>signal generator</li></ul></div><div class="buttonContainer-1502pf"><div aria-label="Message Actions" class="buttons-3dF5Kd container-2gUZhU isHeader-2bbX-L" role="group"></div></div><div class="contents-2MsGLg"> </div><p> </p><p>All of these tools can be used in conjunction to either test, analyze,
or repair ham shack equipment such as radios, antennas, coax, etc. <br /></p><p>One
of the reasons we use this equipment is to verify our radios and
antennas are working well, even if the most advanced radios have some of
these features built in. Those built in features can either fail or
provide faulty measurements. And we all know how expensive these radios
can get – We use this equipment to protect our investment, among other
things.</p><p> </p><p>What would you recommend? Feel free to share them in the comments.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES <br /></p><p></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-36206324581981836082023-03-12T18:20:00.017-05:002023-03-30T12:00:31.023-05:00Icom IC-2300H 2M High Power Transceiver<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Another excellent sounding and easy to use 2M mobile rig. I hope the owner enjoys it as much as I did.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="3118" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-ejXVVayl1_hrR1Wunhjwlj-cgZZyvW1XsczxrRy4CIQLXOuoMKbGuiklKSO-k09x_hL72o5DqF_9LJjUlEnjTyaDKXM3i5NQppFc0SJqQXejqhTM53n5kLeSVLRPzepueY9xxkmb3F0BE2dEGuBM_k28Kxr4wP5cPM3xB9MK3MgnbI3vX59E4Fx/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY88X_ho9lw3DKZPQbHaVnFq9YNWAmJwbMV-8EkcwFdk5sD0fESd28D5Xd5TK5s3WwB_v2RWm1_iUmjiYG1X9WBdy7_vddhWGyKA2KObbI4R4NBKxN_An5_f4bK3RSZ6Rv57Q-12mRT5bI3Fmilog3KQtfezEpfvffzqZjuwWoTOKN9az9uD0qffp9/s3810/2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="3810" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY88X_ho9lw3DKZPQbHaVnFq9YNWAmJwbMV-8EkcwFdk5sD0fESd28D5Xd5TK5s3WwB_v2RWm1_iUmjiYG1X9WBdy7_vddhWGyKA2KObbI4R4NBKxN_An5_f4bK3RSZ6Rv57Q-12mRT5bI3Fmilog3KQtfezEpfvffzqZjuwWoTOKN9az9uD0qffp9/s320/2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki9C02c3TcQkQ8WCUcL6JBBtfr8vUzuUQBMZHhaCuhAR5cTD5RdE3MrBqBcGIq8zF-Cop75szZJYHPN-RnSNDqWJluj5Nq1P5--ycnZBhXfe-4TStqF14rXV9b5B85qY0oDvKmSHYTkL3JSbyii_oi4VyEMK_MsTFFBFDcyC8M_63nMmGS93Zzvve/s2366/3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2366" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiki9C02c3TcQkQ8WCUcL6JBBtfr8vUzuUQBMZHhaCuhAR5cTD5RdE3MrBqBcGIq8zF-Cop75szZJYHPN-RnSNDqWJluj5Nq1P5--ycnZBhXfe-4TStqF14rXV9b5B85qY0oDvKmSHYTkL3JSbyii_oi4VyEMK_MsTFFBFDcyC8M_63nMmGS93Zzvve/s320/3.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HgZgHtHt6amCiM7dDfQ5segHaj25ElGEhCSv-frE-DrozFuJpDxrkEy9ByBjNWOVRuNoe9erDodxjjE0xW4HWxWdcUsiXubB2lPJa_leUlOKZOZ69z6Jkt14uh4rKS0tZeANOBPj2TFyV7j2zsOs99tAQkpQ48z_VywqBOkIBJiyu7YVskKDzMNX/s2799/4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2799" data-original-width="2268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HgZgHtHt6amCiM7dDfQ5segHaj25ElGEhCSv-frE-DrozFuJpDxrkEy9ByBjNWOVRuNoe9erDodxjjE0xW4HWxWdcUsiXubB2lPJa_leUlOKZOZ69z6Jkt14uh4rKS0tZeANOBPj2TFyV7j2zsOs99tAQkpQ48z_VywqBOkIBJiyu7YVskKDzMNX/s320/4.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB5XjaQiZ9FfVpSeTxlHDIwdoDsjDCZmjsO3OOptzbUyRdG2N4gvzCltHqXeOTJp_M_7_vHA9GQOiJRiC6VMdmoohsafphG6pHN4AXjcv_0y2jtvchIsapwFULT0nBCCkDCIDbKhJ5mD80UpqmK8T4gPiPTfJ-7_xPepde5sYiSHXRBNp5062IUXd/s2661/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2661" data-original-width="2151" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMB5XjaQiZ9FfVpSeTxlHDIwdoDsjDCZmjsO3OOptzbUyRdG2N4gvzCltHqXeOTJp_M_7_vHA9GQOiJRiC6VMdmoohsafphG6pHN4AXjcv_0y2jtvchIsapwFULT0nBCCkDCIDbKhJ5mD80UpqmK8T4gPiPTfJ-7_xPepde5sYiSHXRBNp5062IUXd/s320/5.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC4Vt-w9NbAWsMtskiBLnUDlyIj-kl0d6Akc1C-RPhV6WVHZmm8birkEvvdRSeD7WrNQbnN_Vknw5I6Au6DX7y3mwW4Ia4xT22A-Ge4N9xfScEtamP6q5SagXRonQd3S8R_e7BLCH-wwo0rlPLQKV2Gi4SPx_U24yac5yRRVV6uSq5ik01w8aRjv_/s3038/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="3038" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC4Vt-w9NbAWsMtskiBLnUDlyIj-kl0d6Akc1C-RPhV6WVHZmm8birkEvvdRSeD7WrNQbnN_Vknw5I6Au6DX7y3mwW4Ia4xT22A-Ge4N9xfScEtamP6q5SagXRonQd3S8R_e7BLCH-wwo0rlPLQKV2Gi4SPx_U24yac5yRRVV6uSq5ik01w8aRjv_/s320/10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p>This radio is for sale. Please see my QRZ listing. Thank you.<br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-57261105259377731352022-12-14T17:07:00.003-06:002022-12-16T08:57:45.680-06:00Updated Station List & Timetable for Shortwave Broadcasters 2022 Version A and B<p>Here is the 2022 version of the HFCC broadcasters list for
shortwave. It was last updated in late 2022 and lists the station details such as frequency, time, and
transmitting location. This should help you find something on the dial
to enjoy!</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZHjExxboA7BxmogKMi8NnoMML9KriRbosUzyAVw0ayJo1Ji1eMVTd82DCk6tw03HaCD4WskdEXXNbJSpUms4HMMtSx_tNCq1EkFSuk7aIshKMkB0SsvSoSfaWzN49ph9rNAcVM7HOuI/s345/HFCC%252BBig%252BLogo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZHjExxboA7BxmogKMi8NnoMML9KriRbosUzyAVw0ayJo1Ji1eMVTd82DCk6tw03HaCD4WskdEXXNbJSpUms4HMMtSx_tNCq1EkFSuk7aIshKMkB0SsvSoSfaWzN49ph9rNAcVM7HOuI/s320/HFCC%252BBig%252BLogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://hfcc.org/data/a22/index.phtml">http://hfcc.org/data/a22/index.phtml</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://hfcc.org/data/b22/index.phtml" target="_blank">http://hfcc.org/data/b22/index.phtml</a> </b></span></p><p> </p><p>Happy DXing!</p>JJ, W9JES JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-14310207762630261182022-12-11T07:04:00.007-06:002022-12-19T07:45:20.984-06:00HDSDR Setup for RS-918 MCHF Clone<p> How to connect to connect your mcHF or clone radio to HDSDR for additional functionality? There are videos on YouTube which can provide some information, however I prefer to have written instructions available. Feel free to use my guide.</p><p>The file is available in PDF form.Simply click the image to view.download.</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QF7iSVxzSrEQrFo-FpLZau1egjUicV0K/view?usp=sharing" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1121" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX52DwjV9USunjhSaFDsqLMhim_Gv6oU3GLvuPB-osShzxesc_icQTwTSX5pYblydC0volAZE7IFTaTBSY4cNGl9dAuPfyHayKgxMYWNAqXS2dU1LFRensEvmIZZLRUa4pczd4LvL0lrkql_67V--IXySJf6vKhW9VMWqOSu8OWDLG0Dwf8NIGQ5Y9/s320/prev.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ - W9JES<br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-22356713034557137802022-12-10T20:35:00.003-06:002022-12-13T21:13:05.652-06:00Shack Pics<p> Here are some pictures of my shack over the years. More to come!</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxUZq8oRirGNNdcHYnwy7bPdBu1lteMStWQsIUHNKWCSv5C6bF09rg4rl7hv9mJAz83TunJrqFKKEPJ_AvWeQPCmkOfQlY1YX8zhqW3zR_Im5vCxb4exqqdLCqPxLYnho_Td007im3Vc8jx8c1hewaMApvGB7I-cLsujRXWbW-5wuyxV_IhsIkDaV/s1730/oldradios.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1542" data-original-width="1730" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxUZq8oRirGNNdcHYnwy7bPdBu1lteMStWQsIUHNKWCSv5C6bF09rg4rl7hv9mJAz83TunJrqFKKEPJ_AvWeQPCmkOfQlY1YX8zhqW3zR_Im5vCxb4exqqdLCqPxLYnho_Td007im3Vc8jx8c1hewaMApvGB7I-cLsujRXWbW-5wuyxV_IhsIkDaV/s320/oldradios.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Swan Cygnet 260 and Yaesu FT-107B were my primary HF stations in 1996</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JdZj_OdxcdsMdrjL2I02D8682s3KZog96B3QViISyfmMLUwkkHKV-HOd173H7fr1yLQwp9H2sM1oM1akkZ0Bu_gp3RIMhRXxgTBgfdpANtA51E7wYCqdUjRFRBCZgcgTQgwRg2RcmNwWP7ggl8meIENnmjDYmT-om4mjt1FzdX0uH-FyjFQqa-tF/s1200/shack.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="950" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0JdZj_OdxcdsMdrjL2I02D8682s3KZog96B3QViISyfmMLUwkkHKV-HOd173H7fr1yLQwp9H2sM1oM1akkZ0Bu_gp3RIMhRXxgTBgfdpANtA51E7wYCqdUjRFRBCZgcgTQgwRg2RcmNwWP7ggl8meIENnmjDYmT-om4mjt1FzdX0uH-FyjFQqa-tF/s320/shack.jpg" width="253" /></a></div><p>Here is my HF operating station in 2022. It sure seems that I like Icom radios.. My Kenwood is off the bench for repair.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ - W9JES<br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-57663335491905402012022-12-10T18:26:00.148-06:002022-12-13T21:13:21.513-06:00Icom IC-7100 Remote Separation Cable<p> Do you ever get a sinking feeling when this happens after you reconfigure your shack layout?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzud93QkB9jBXLOj3z-86SoIcmFx2tzUGjZN6pmb_zDBBig4c4qL17htpAMcLxbyuvkLtKBsGzJ0LMoMLfqsw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p> </p><p>I had to unplug the control head cable of my IC-7100 in order to move it on a different shelf. I fired up the radio after reconnecting everything back together and was baffled why the touchscreen, buttons, and control knobs stopped working. I re-seated the cables and tried again. Same result. Would a bad cable allow the radio to power on? The answer is yes. It depends on which pins in the RJ45 connector are making contact. Either pins 7/8 or 1/2 were not making contact in my cable anymore.</p><p></p><p>The original cable consists of 8. shielded, twisted pair wires and have a
straight through wiring configuration like a standard ethernet cable,
but the cable braid and RJ45 connectors are also shielded. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpYDMYG8Ta1zsii4Nu6O3SOVY-yuG6L57jhpQucT56_1-cucnVs5BcFY1mcQ-1LLB9nz2v7BGbXqsh14C9Kn93kixyr-4Td8ghxtxuFItsNM2rCf2Aj82uLcsGgXo1XdmvOLEKvkcBUYPUW1ItbPaeSS7YkQkY4CYqyUrlJCNl2aUGQyM_xWQJrC4/s1211/Capture.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="1211" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNpYDMYG8Ta1zsii4Nu6O3SOVY-yuG6L57jhpQucT56_1-cucnVs5BcFY1mcQ-1LLB9nz2v7BGbXqsh14C9Kn93kixyr-4Td8ghxtxuFItsNM2rCf2Aj82uLcsGgXo1XdmvOLEKvkcBUYPUW1ItbPaeSS7YkQkY4CYqyUrlJCNl2aUGQyM_xWQJrC4/s320/Capture.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p>Icom's OPC-2253 is a very expensive part to replace on the radio at @ $75 plus shipping so I was on the hunt for a cost-effective route. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKNTUr_shKAu-7nNJlCPsI7Bk8k3sLJjE4H9qdRjYYHIWNcCItDBqPq8rc89VEchaIpiBvsTIW3qUT_ZVU3m_Rf_e06AmI9F50KD7LVatL9sXBy-4amHxxE_H1m3sAdlZNCVn7H2VFctlaOkUhTmVMVxaml92mL-XB-NajCDzhmgSKlvHwe5nO4AA/s1600/ico-opc-2253_xl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKNTUr_shKAu-7nNJlCPsI7Bk8k3sLJjE4H9qdRjYYHIWNcCItDBqPq8rc89VEchaIpiBvsTIW3qUT_ZVU3m_Rf_e06AmI9F50KD7LVatL9sXBy-4amHxxE_H1m3sAdlZNCVn7H2VFctlaOkUhTmVMVxaml92mL-XB-NajCDzhmgSKlvHwe5nO4AA/s320/ico-opc-2253_xl.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p>You can buy replacement RJ45 connectors with a shield and replace the ends if you have a crimper tool or you can buy another cable meeting/exceeding the standards of the OPC-2253 cable. </p><p>Why would you want to do this instead of using Icom's cable? Several reasons.. You can buy or make cables that meet your length requirements or have a spare on hand. The cables are also a fraction of the cost and work just like the original.</p><p>If you plan on replacing the damaged ends of your original cable, then you need to look for shielded RJ45 Cat6, Cat7, or Cat8 8P8C modular connectors for FTP/STP Stranded Ethernet Cable
& Solid core cable. STP stands for Shielded Twisted Pair and FTP stands for Foil Twisted Pair. Make sure you have a 8 pin crimper die and ensure the foil shieled has conductivity end to end.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIt4fP8zdq4ChTPTmMSwaB3E6rVcyIUeg1oK_lGbEWsG8bzOm1tNTtFGFjjzN6XHE6mfIhZStUc5-465vio4Mcw8RDcA4HxwnsQZvb5J5uDv3lHfRZ3C4hAl9PJoUVb-fGdGBPtS_K4butSetlRUF8C5NpNd4KccXYfAys5vcRD7T-4sHbdMK4q3q/s830/rj45.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="622" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoIt4fP8zdq4ChTPTmMSwaB3E6rVcyIUeg1oK_lGbEWsG8bzOm1tNTtFGFjjzN6XHE6mfIhZStUc5-465vio4Mcw8RDcA4HxwnsQZvb5J5uDv3lHfRZ3C4hAl9PJoUVb-fGdGBPtS_K4butSetlRUF8C5NpNd4KccXYfAys5vcRD7T-4sHbdMK4q3q/s320/rj45.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p> </p><p>If you want to simply buy a complete cable, then you will need to find 26AWG Cat6/7/8 networking cables with shielded RJ45 ends. Ensure the pins and shield are wired straight through or you could damage your radio. I recommend this cable since I've tested it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BFH3Z36">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BFH3Z36</a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZqmk7UErV1xbga2tezgDCc37igdB_GWrzwwaUejWskMek0Uieyg2UksLDE01lvFI0q6PRjnQOk1K5uHd0HNUMx6cJ-7jHGTm0YHytdDQJGCXU1yMq_M9hJ0Ex8AphhRsnBQpOO7IIMAe2l3CNt6-XJQNPkrOgFCkonECXOn1WYdSVwWHxpBrkDBD/s1500/71jYpJ1dsaL._SL1500_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeZqmk7UErV1xbga2tezgDCc37igdB_GWrzwwaUejWskMek0Uieyg2UksLDE01lvFI0q6PRjnQOk1K5uHd0HNUMx6cJ-7jHGTm0YHytdDQJGCXU1yMq_M9hJ0Ex8AphhRsnBQpOO7IIMAe2l3CNt6-XJQNPkrOgFCkonECXOn1WYdSVwWHxpBrkDBD/s320/71jYpJ1dsaL._SL1500_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> </p><p></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ - W9JES<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-70250686513684731132022-12-08T09:26:00.003-06:002022-12-11T05:27:57.494-06:00Recent RS-918 MCHF Clone<p> Here are some pictures and videos of my RS-918 SDR transceiver.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxyeR2gfsUY9zw_gNWzgns2m4lEgq8O-_QQFN-X3XyzwVyvFe4baE3gJi-aPvqxl0LcQmvPfc4kfth1ubsh4A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyHj1RRJwGoV4yoe9Tj8uLXKw1BLDEBsJwWLJUZI5iI5iY1OjJ-qsObfGxhty6h8-8U9AS2LAHCSARw7d3FfA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRywDPYhlgLL4Hez4OcF233NQ2jCZXer2ahXMvGA4cfevdOuvMwGJ_Z0QSPzJyLgcuYcHlNWCQj5-vwtNL871_18r8e8hjyzMdeUArzyhiB6CPqJy8VOmaOVEkWp-66MkDFCrD7nMcvKBYWWVUMDHU9cuqUUmE0zKx0lOnRBaMGApEoqqRrTBI0CSS/s3072/radio.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="3072" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRywDPYhlgLL4Hez4OcF233NQ2jCZXer2ahXMvGA4cfevdOuvMwGJ_Z0QSPzJyLgcuYcHlNWCQj5-vwtNL871_18r8e8hjyzMdeUArzyhiB6CPqJy8VOmaOVEkWp-66MkDFCrD7nMcvKBYWWVUMDHU9cuqUUmE0zKx0lOnRBaMGApEoqqRrTBI0CSS/s320/radio.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsl_pOLtydiODENi9NdNRJzFNQP2CoudITTG6LW-TKiFleHdsAXciBZqzgF7qOLAW8h9VVIJy0DO7Mxn5US6I1DW9rfDbS2l33vGxPiqDzE-tJqcRhgVD5mp5LK0wLgiS7YyImH18rk6s92HyaTrP2POZdQWzzQUedFHXgUV5UO8HlKejOjsavq5J/s1863/arch1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1625" data-original-width="1863" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizsl_pOLtydiODENi9NdNRJzFNQP2CoudITTG6LW-TKiFleHdsAXciBZqzgF7qOLAW8h9VVIJy0DO7Mxn5US6I1DW9rfDbS2l33vGxPiqDzE-tJqcRhgVD5mp5LK0wLgiS7YyImH18rk6s92HyaTrP2POZdQWzzQUedFHXgUV5UO8HlKejOjsavq5J/s320/arch1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJqJbihegqwk5b10jach17ZsvdOkWSKus3hRPQlxAvDGaPa7BCLo6XpMCl2NgZMqTfXtK2wugChBCzGdtFmIE_VD_E-fm1Wh5wQiTGGmFT97P4TnhmG7i_LBRrAc2cIZGdA2xiu8SXnSr9q0IgyaaUh100xByLHyPSiEufTY7S4A9VymAkG2t8961/s1908/arch2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1774" data-original-width="1908" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNJqJbihegqwk5b10jach17ZsvdOkWSKus3hRPQlxAvDGaPa7BCLo6XpMCl2NgZMqTfXtK2wugChBCzGdtFmIE_VD_E-fm1Wh5wQiTGGmFT97P4TnhmG7i_LBRrAc2cIZGdA2xiu8SXnSr9q0IgyaaUh100xByLHyPSiEufTY7S4A9VymAkG2t8961/s320/arch2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw8DLua6wYPDJQ4N5LNnDtGjI_O-r17u10FtMWgNq6lbT0S7Qo-ly0XPXskp8b6ezImN3A4LC4O8xoAbp_pQNSWztMNuacXUcbVVsVBGpkMG-agxqbMc6P8EFi_szkFGVwCbiiZuiPfD_b6Qhbr02vk2NpCPqpWh_TQhE_Xj4KW0nH0EuZduEudV7/s2531/radio2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1788" data-original-width="2531" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw8DLua6wYPDJQ4N5LNnDtGjI_O-r17u10FtMWgNq6lbT0S7Qo-ly0XPXskp8b6ezImN3A4LC4O8xoAbp_pQNSWztMNuacXUcbVVsVBGpkMG-agxqbMc6P8EFi_szkFGVwCbiiZuiPfD_b6Qhbr02vk2NpCPqpWh_TQhE_Xj4KW0nH0EuZduEudV7/s320/radio2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TAxcHVRXrzZdW0vjKX2UwivGfOoNpBq0a56t1PkNbygQ7X02Mn_wYB45Yi6kctL8visbvGZ9N7qXU2Gu6t5aFNhdUHaDvG7toizvDAVyxQa7dSl6Qpvd62f_YbVgoMqLrU9zLEZN92PUv7bczeRb97BDpONfHWxsrhDrTjIK3OHVEmLtQnNDe6wv/s2014/radio3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1669" data-original-width="2014" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TAxcHVRXrzZdW0vjKX2UwivGfOoNpBq0a56t1PkNbygQ7X02Mn_wYB45Yi6kctL8visbvGZ9N7qXU2Gu6t5aFNhdUHaDvG7toizvDAVyxQa7dSl6Qpvd62f_YbVgoMqLrU9zLEZN92PUv7bczeRb97BDpONfHWxsrhDrTjIK3OHVEmLtQnNDe6wv/s320/radio3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoXOtB1p0Ws6YqNCC-yM7QZLkM43zKotJMJ1SdEPbIFMZoIXAyamZKHwNb6r0UQFG5w0XDlW3OTL1YYbSN6l5VkfnvH7Xf89HOEh1CraAS9VmOjeik90wvlb5qJJ2iGaoMWjk5ocinupReFvS_6HxQjU4f8kXjT0y5K95oRxl_hKrE0XNZyr6Gy_Z/s3217/radio4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="3217" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoXOtB1p0Ws6YqNCC-yM7QZLkM43zKotJMJ1SdEPbIFMZoIXAyamZKHwNb6r0UQFG5w0XDlW3OTL1YYbSN6l5VkfnvH7Xf89HOEh1CraAS9VmOjeik90wvlb5qJJ2iGaoMWjk5ocinupReFvS_6HxQjU4f8kXjT0y5K95oRxl_hKrE0XNZyr6Gy_Z/s320/radio4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp4auRKMpslI3Q7ZBG2HsMDlxr5R81kFyhSKoFqKTbRbYlp33nZ73pDEYR0eDk0HCidm1XagGFnIVIVel4-hEefaZPnZvd3mx7k3n6urxzmJwZpO35PDcooaLIT3hBEl4TLdGwJNYpXfjGezKCCAuUjfRds24QNphaD-GgL0Ma4BM-qaT-AG67b6o/s3654/radio5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1595" data-original-width="3654" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp4auRKMpslI3Q7ZBG2HsMDlxr5R81kFyhSKoFqKTbRbYlp33nZ73pDEYR0eDk0HCidm1XagGFnIVIVel4-hEefaZPnZvd3mx7k3n6urxzmJwZpO35PDcooaLIT3hBEl4TLdGwJNYpXfjGezKCCAuUjfRds24QNphaD-GgL0Ma4BM-qaT-AG67b6o/s320/radio5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mxIcsGykdPig3xz-Jvhf6JtpanBH3YYcfmcfwvdJv42A1jei6OkHAzQ9kUspBl9Eygvyc9sTY-FAPSxdTBTUXrS9rfWw1BlSSjeajgVw7i1lSeYBUBuUd-7fnZ6q2xXOAl1qdzCeluYmMWK4dX7P9I8LcrTDJvmxI2kkGrKSWRyOu5W19gGRbBK4/s3485/radio6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="3485" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-mxIcsGykdPig3xz-Jvhf6JtpanBH3YYcfmcfwvdJv42A1jei6OkHAzQ9kUspBl9Eygvyc9sTY-FAPSxdTBTUXrS9rfWw1BlSSjeajgVw7i1lSeYBUBuUd-7fnZ6q2xXOAl1qdzCeluYmMWK4dX7P9I8LcrTDJvmxI2kkGrKSWRyOu5W19gGRbBK4/s320/radio6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-4730644418609063332022-12-04T16:49:00.005-06:002023-09-02T23:47:35.265-05:00Kenwood TM-2550A<p> Here are some pictures and video of my TM-2550A transceiver. An upcoming project is to convert this into a digital radio amplifier.<br /></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnBAWifYv_7Z-eEHeHG9IkX-c4ppqk-vBYvkV1SBTaTo8W0B3Pqzoe2lu_XJw5qHbEt5GFRs18ZZgb2OmJz1DPHvumOAAO92hmWIW2S14zHqsQtCNaH7jLZM_L-e_Ob8ayju4D36nDeyTjfRmuT9dlZPZWgLqD9663EGHYbjJqpipJ96zUNbouave/s2335/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="2335" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnBAWifYv_7Z-eEHeHG9IkX-c4ppqk-vBYvkV1SBTaTo8W0B3Pqzoe2lu_XJw5qHbEt5GFRs18ZZgb2OmJz1DPHvumOAAO92hmWIW2S14zHqsQtCNaH7jLZM_L-e_Ob8ayju4D36nDeyTjfRmuT9dlZPZWgLqD9663EGHYbjJqpipJ96zUNbouave/s320/1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="1401" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1Ko4T7dcL9z503D3RqIzL53EXTb7Cgct43Kyn2TnQQ2WuMuZIF4XVwUnTNMA8BmkoiYuwPs-QWmoh60RK-kK6agSHsdejyzy_SUHvjgdTisytHIKGTE_mOY9vXGxmuTodMeUDUeOZPka_eF2uyeIGa__scm3bMsCT12d0i9fsE7iJ6CnQbN1hQdh/s320/3.jpeg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp8ss7tmIph3xa1TQWOjbkD1k2yj9TjeBAETZLJAGM3wQA8jkhMKkoifG2OPTetYAeHiT2C3qN0o_Ix-x63HkLu_tcfwITAPhiVGrzAHehD2c6JyJpJcwX77WomFJ_5aNP76hfb6dGGJjct2ZMnIP7is35NMGOyW3GBJew3cLM1-DGTJJjNQ9hNlJ/s2233/4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2233" data-original-width="1421" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZp8ss7tmIph3xa1TQWOjbkD1k2yj9TjeBAETZLJAGM3wQA8jkhMKkoifG2OPTetYAeHiT2C3qN0o_Ix-x63HkLu_tcfwITAPhiVGrzAHehD2c6JyJpJcwX77WomFJ_5aNP76hfb6dGGJjct2ZMnIP7is35NMGOyW3GBJew3cLM1-DGTJJjNQ9hNlJ/s320/4.jpeg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="3072" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xWK6g22K3ciR9nzuW3a0Pf7cH1R-suJwVibJxGdO9XPB4L3QylV4tWPZUmNFIbGwTrW-aukwZRf18W83Ea_LrCa7OkpZuWFzsaXn6tFAuLeqn3bIeVBDwcv77j5579ysjgRG4JvlOtASaacvhiP5iNVrg9c22h2N-asvEHKLfzQ3FHWU-5Hgmfwn/s320/6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaCHmNtJKitOevGYSlVELtbR6ky9XRX_x8o9jqqYzUmECH3PO_MroKomB1wW7ze5IpXAk21or22lqfW_AJA2LR1w-Jm6y1j-Be_V2CWWMb1v6IHxG8Yle_vViws3Dz-Qa_w1cU5P6_2HllOG-LascrPk8oM-alPgb6ogSHRegqhoXhLlFawFDlKBv/s1666/7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1666" data-original-width="1453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJaCHmNtJKitOevGYSlVELtbR6ky9XRX_x8o9jqqYzUmECH3PO_MroKomB1wW7ze5IpXAk21or22lqfW_AJA2LR1w-Jm6y1j-Be_V2CWWMb1v6IHxG8Yle_vViws3Dz-Qa_w1cU5P6_2HllOG-LascrPk8oM-alPgb6ogSHRegqhoXhLlFawFDlKBv/s320/7.jpeg" width="279" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFqdm4LfNJAFxQ66bvAd0q5Wj7xuJ1IOzg5g96YNbfgaZTS1BftFJXtWgr9XfXtNoTUHNgk_QO9CfnpBgyFJw3ZsXXYOu47M1f7585q0oDT04wj3f5AzJKzgIBF_12VOzk4OeGEfwSfz4au5UDICSuBGZy3jyuPzmE4aa7S4D5Zr5xUHaKyvKCOC_/s1881/8.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1881" data-original-width="1453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsFqdm4LfNJAFxQ66bvAd0q5Wj7xuJ1IOzg5g96YNbfgaZTS1BftFJXtWgr9XfXtNoTUHNgk_QO9CfnpBgyFJw3ZsXXYOu47M1f7585q0oDT04wj3f5AzJKzgIBF_12VOzk4OeGEfwSfz4au5UDICSuBGZy3jyuPzmE4aa7S4D5Zr5xUHaKyvKCOC_/s320/8.jpeg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsz4orZd_I6ksKpHhYx8kdhFyuGSSazk7VKaH3BWW6Vu3xLhimn5g-lWnx8IRTmJZ2BibTYBuTkEqElHowPCX3JlbWa88boasvtdEVtg5WzcjbmEMzwOFcMZLu8imKYHKU4-xdPcTP7qPPvlmqVuWTgxHd25K9dzskgkF4b97Ebmc7ZCMLx60knQI/s3165/9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="3165" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsz4orZd_I6ksKpHhYx8kdhFyuGSSazk7VKaH3BWW6Vu3xLhimn5g-lWnx8IRTmJZ2BibTYBuTkEqElHowPCX3JlbWa88boasvtdEVtg5WzcjbmEMzwOFcMZLu8imKYHKU4-xdPcTP7qPPvlmqVuWTgxHd25K9dzskgkF4b97Ebmc7ZCMLx60knQI/s320/9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-90391858747124054852022-06-02T22:35:00.001-05:002022-12-13T08:25:58.093-06:00DV Labs Internet Dongle<p>The Internet Labs DV Dongle was one of the first offerings to connect to the DSTAR network without using a radio. This handy dongle incorporates an AMBE chip which uses software on your computer for worldwide communications.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaeIfUJcedoNmu6MGCmFXUksLVo_JKcYdT8eZHvgypB7TC3vDEeiPbaI6-Lt7HO0dSywx4NfEYix7Gc2rLCAkVWcYaztF-GKby5D6k8A6V9qi7QINQI4Ks_vWNPBP8O_r2coO9FKJSgcMRAoPCG0YB3KglTz7UrSvrs-KzfvkkjYhs8MFZAE6pyh2/s630/shapeimage_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="630" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaeIfUJcedoNmu6MGCmFXUksLVo_JKcYdT8eZHvgypB7TC3vDEeiPbaI6-Lt7HO0dSywx4NfEYix7Gc2rLCAkVWcYaztF-GKby5D6k8A6V9qi7QINQI4Ks_vWNPBP8O_r2coO9FKJSgcMRAoPCG0YB3KglTz7UrSvrs-KzfvkkjYhs8MFZAE6pyh2/w400-h186/shapeimage_2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>When a Internet Labs DV Dongle is connected to a PC or Mac and used with DVTool software, an amateur radio operator can connect to the international D-Star gateway network and receive/transmit just like a D-Star radio user. There is no fee, but users must be licensed and registered in the gateway system. The DV Dongle uses three chips, oscillator, led’s, and discrete logic to implement it’s functionality. The chips are the FTDI FT232RL serial to USB converter, the Atmel AT91SAM7S256 ARM7 based CPU, and the DVSI AMBE2000 vocoder. Each D-Star radio includes an AMBE2020 voice compression chip provided by Digital Voice Systems, Inc (DVSI). The DV Dongle includes an AMBE chip and logic to connect it to a USB 2.0 port on a PC or Mac. This allows the computer to “speak” the same voice protocol as D-Star. The DVTool software connects to participating gateways and encodes/decodes the voice using the DV Dongle.<br /><br />The DV Dongle has four LED’s which indicate the current operating status:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The blue LED shows data is being transmitted from the PC/Mac to the device.</li><li>The yellow LED shows data is being transmitted from the device to the PC/Mac.</li><li>The green LED shows the mode of operation, slow pulsing indicates idle and fast blinking indicates running.</li><li>The red LED shows overruns or underruns between the PC/Mac and the device and should normally be off.<br /></li></ul><p>Frequent red LED activity indicates your PC/Mac may not be sufficiently fast to operate with the device or you may have other programs running that are taking CPU cycles away from the DVTool application.<br /><br />DV Dongle System Requirements:<br /></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>PC or Mac with 2.0 GHz CPU</li><li>1 GB or RAM (or more)</li><li>USB 2.0 Full Speed Port</li><li>High Speed Internet connection (DSL, Cable, 3G, 4G)</li><li>Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10, Mac OS X10.5 (Leopard), or Linux (most distributions)</li><li>PC Microphone and speaker/s (headset preferred)<br /></li></ul><p><br />The DV Dongle is a high speed, real time device. It communicates with the PC/Mac at 230Kbps and needs adequate CPU speed and time to operate properly. Many operations on the PC/Mac can interfere with normal operations. These include screen savers, web browsers, instant messengers, etc. For best operation, avoid running CPU intensive applications when operating the DV Dongle.</p><p>More information about the DV Dongle can be found at <a href="http://www.dvdongle.com/DV_Dongle/Home.html">http://www.dvdongle.com/DV_Dongle/Home.html</a></p><p></p><p>One of the challenges is finding the software to use with this amazing dongle since the website no longer has it. I've been fortunate to find two software packages for Windows OS and MacOS that can be used with the Dongle.</p><p>The first one is called DVTool by Internet Labs. This software works well with the dongle easily. The links to download it are here..</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bB2pTenTAgWCXRLcAW-N_OvFlsGaYnfO/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">DVToolInstaller-v2-1.exe</a></li><li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/11ru_ZFCpD3eBbAYYw54YPuC5EQE2ZeWf/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">DVTool-2.0-mac.dmg</a></li></ul><p>The second app is called WinDV. This software only runs on Windows and needs updated host files to connect to some reflectors. The link to download the files are here..</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/16kgch3WcROzzItu5pSd7J_QS-BnMZZh7/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">WinDV-v1-5-8-Win32.exe</a></li><li><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a9FWmg-t5jCC089fzcx8rwzgpf-J8BeN/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Instructions </a></li></ul><p> Updating the host files for WinDV is fairly easy. This website has the most current version <a href="http://arrg.us/HF/index.htm">http://arrg.us/HF/index.htm</a> Scroll down to the bottom of the page to download the three text files. Now go to your WinDV installation folder "C:\Program Files (x86)\MicroWalt Corporation\WinDV" and find dcshosts.txt, dxhosts.txt, and dphosts.txt. Delete those files. Now rename the three files you just downloaded and place them in the WinDV installation folder as follows:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>DCS_Hosts.txt</b> to <b>C:\Program Files (x86)\MicroWalt Corporation\WinDV\dcshosts.txt</b></li><li><b>DExtra_Hosts.txt</b> to <b>C:\Program Files (x86)\MicroWalt Corporation\WinDV\dxhosts.txt</b></li><li><b>DPlus_Hosts.txt</b> to <b>C:\Program Files (x86)\MicroWalt Corporation\WinDV\dphosts.txt</b><br /></li></ul><p>Now you can run the software and enter your callsign and dongle details.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-68648110686969563772022-03-16T10:33:00.005-05:002022-12-16T09:06:05.440-06:00Understanding Band Conditions<p> </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWJ6LXemvrUSPGbDDm3qZPc9hh9HRuB935GMrp_ZaNQaxpSAuw61IPUAMmthY2H1Eg7p1OnDfKdQ0vkWARXoyZnqIOqR-NP_ytum9KKM3mYsHNfIOqiJRE7VCEOU6VMd0wR5gKb1d8Dav1dms7InOpbBQZApciUYD3eBoeew3oxLGVUbfC8TFOIAmW=s862" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="862" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWJ6LXemvrUSPGbDDm3qZPc9hh9HRuB935GMrp_ZaNQaxpSAuw61IPUAMmthY2H1Eg7p1OnDfKdQ0vkWARXoyZnqIOqR-NP_ytum9KKM3mYsHNfIOqiJRE7VCEOU6VMd0wR5gKb1d8Dav1dms7InOpbBQZApciUYD3eBoeew3oxLGVUbfC8TFOIAmW=w640-h206" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> <u><b>Here is a quick reference for the band assessment<br /></b></u></p><p>SFI: 70 is poor, 120 is average, 160 is good<br />SN: 30 is poor, 70 is average, 100 is good<br />SW: 100 is good, 500 is average, 700 is bad<br />Sig Noise Level: Lowest level is best for receiving<br />MUF: Shows the highest frequency in MHz that can be used for two way communications <br />Geo Mag Field: Sun storm conditions affecting earth propagation. Active to Storm level means propagation is poor.</p><p> </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Going into further detail by KN0JI.. <br /></h2><p><b>Understanding the Band Conditions Banner</b><br />The above graphic of Solar-Terrestrial Data is created and produced by Paul Herrman, NØNBH, is referred the Band Conditions Banner. Many of us have seen this on websites, QRZ, and elsewhere. But it occurs to me that most of us find much of the information presented on the banner over our heads. While not all of the banner information is immediately relevant, I’d like to take a few minutes to decipher the contents, based on the field names it presents, grouped here more by function than appearance in the banner.<br />This article does not explain every detail of the Band Conditions Banner. For example, some versions of the banner display photographs of the solar surface through one filter or another, but I won’t elaborate on them. For the most part, I describe the left and right columns, plus some of the middle column of the above graphic. You can download your own free banner from Paul’s website.</p><p><br /><b>The date and time</b><br />UTC The displayed date and time represent the last time the banner was updated at the moment your browser was last refreshed, in GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which today is called UTC. So, in the above banner, the time equates to 24 Nov 2018 at 8:36 pm MST.</p><p><br /><b>SFI (70 = poor / 160 = good / 280 = fabulous)</b><br />Solar Flux Index The SFI (62.5 to 300), as mentioned in the previous issue of the UVARC Shack (Nov 2018, Brass Tacks), is the amount of solar radio noise measured at 2800 MHz (10.7 cm), and is updated daily. The SFI gives us an idea of how well the ionospheric F-Layer can support radio communication on HF, and more especially on 20 meters through 10 meters. Numbers below 75 are quite poor, while those above 160 are very good.</p><p><br /><b>SN (2 = poor / 90 = good / 220 = fabulous)</b><br />Sunspot Number The SN (0 to 250) is a calculation that is roughly 10 X the number of sunspot groups facing us + the number of individual sunspots facing us, and is updated daily. The SN typically follows the SFI, and offers another indicator of F-Layer ionization.</p><p><b>304A (80 = poor / 150 = good / 240 = fabulous)</b><br />304 Angstroms The 304A (0 to unknown) is the relative strength of total solar radiation in the UV (ultraviolet) range, originating primarily from ionized Helium in the Sun’s photosphere, and often follows the SFI value. The designation following the 304A value (@ EVE, @ SOHO, @ SEM) indicates the instrument used to take the measurement, and the value is updated hourly.</p><p><br /><b>A Plntry (4 = calm / 40 = minor storm / 80 = severe)</b><br />A, planetary The Ap index is the daily average long-term stability of Earth’s magnetic field, the subscript ‘P’ meaning planetary, or averaged from several locations around the earth. The value ranges from 0 to 400, with anything over 100 indicating unfavorable conditions for radio propagation, and is updated once daily.</p><p><br /><b>K Plntry (1 = calm / 5 = minor storm / 7 = severe)</b><br />K, planetary The Kp index is the daily average short-term stability of Earth’s magnetic field, the subscript ‘P’ meaning planetary, or averaged from several locations around the earth. The value ranges from 0 to 9, with anything over 5 indicating unfavorable conditions for radio propagation, and is updated once daily.</p><p><br /><b>Geomag Field</b><br />Geomagnetic Field Relative label of the Earth’s magnetic field activity, reflecting the Kp index. Labels include INACTIVE, VR QUIET, QUIET, UNSETTLD, ACTIVE, MIN STORM, MAJ STORM, SEV STORM, and EX STORM, in order of disruptive impact on radio propagation, and is up-dated every three hours.</p><p><br /><b>Bz (20 = good / 2 = ok / -2 = not ok / -20 = disruptive)</b><br />B sub Z Interplanetary magnetic field vector (strength and direction) perpendicular to the plane of Earth’s orbit, with positive values enhancing Earth’s magnetic field and negative val-ues canceling it. Values range from 50 to –50, updated hourly.<br /></p><p><b>X-Ray (A1.1 = good / C5.0 = moderate / X2.3 = severe)</b><br />X-Rays X-ray emissions most heavily impact the ionospheric D-Layer, such that the stronger the radiation, the lower the ability of radio waves to propagate by skywave refraction. The in-tensity of X-ray radiation striking the atmosphere, ranging from A0.0 to X9.9, is defined by a class (A, B, C, M, and X), followed by a logarithmic quantity (0.0 to 9.9) that defines the intensity within the class, updated eight times a day.</p><p><br /><b>Ptn Flx (0.10 = good / 2.0 = moderate / 20.0 = heavy)</b><br />Proton Flux Density of protons in the solar wind, such that the higher the value, the greater the impact on the ionospheric E-Layer. Values range from 0 to unknown, updated hourly.</p><p><b><br />Elc Flx (<1000 = little impact / >1000 = heavy impact)</b><br />Electron Flux Density of electrons in the solar wind, such that the higher the value, the greater the impact on the ionospheric E-Layer. Values range from 0 to unknown, updated hourly.</p><p><br /><b>SW (100 = good / 500 = moderate / 700 = disruptive)</b><br />Solar Wind Average speed of solar wind particles in km/s, with figures greater than about 500 impacting HF communication. Values range from 0 to 1000, updated hourly.</p><p><br /><b>Aurora (1/n=1.99 : weak ... 6/n=0.8 : moderate)</b><br />Aurora Possibility Relative strength in GW of ionospheric F-Layer, affecting DX over polar regions, such that the stronger the ionization, the greater chance of aurora at lower latitudes. If populated, values range from 0 to 10++ (over the normalization factor, such that n < 2.0 shows a high confidence, and n > 2.0 shows a low confidence), updated every 15 minutes.</p><p><br /><b>Aur Lat (70 = weak / 60 = moderate / 50 = strong)</b><br />Aurora Latitude Lowest estimated latitude impacted by an aurora, in degrees N Latitude. Values range from 67.5 to 45.0 or No Report, updated every 15 minutes.</p><p><u><b> </b></u></p><p><u><b>VHF Conditions</b></u><br />The VHF Conditions column provides an idea of favorability for SSB operation in frequencies between roughly 50 MHz and 150 MHz. Except for Auroral Activity, the status for each applicable band reports how well Sporadic-E (Es) conditions over the particular continent support the band, and Band Closed for low or no activity, updated every 30 minutes.<br />These reports don’t mention anything about ducting, because tropospheric propagation by ducting is primarily a weather effect, and not directly predictable by solar measurements.</p><p><br /><b>Aurora</b><br />Auroral Activity General report of the current Auroral activity, displayed as MID LAT AUR to indicate activity extended to between 30 and 60 degrees N Latitude, High LAT AUR to indicate activity confined to higher 60 degrees N Latitude, and Band Closed to indicate little or no Auroral activity, updated every 30 minutes.</p><p><br /><b>6m-4m-2m EsEU</b><br />Activity, Es over Europe which indicates the respective band is open for Es.</p><p><b>2m EsNA</b><br />2-meter Activity, Es over North America 144MHz ES indicates 2 meters is open for Es, or High MUF to indicate conditions support 2 meter Es propagation.</p><p> </p><p><u><b>HF Conditions</b></u><br />The HF Conditions column is often where people glance first, to get an idea of the general propagation conditions across the HF bands, and is fairly self-explanatory. Each pair of bands is listed with a separate general condition report for daytime operation and nighttime operation, as Poor, Fair, and Good, compiled from other banner data. The subjective conclusions are based on the combined contributions of the Solar Flux Index, Sunspot Number, the 304A value, the Ap index, and the Kp index. In general, here are what the three reports mean:<br />Good : Able to communicate with distant (DX) stations via multiple hops<br />Fair : Able to communicate with in-country stations via one or two hops at the most<br />Poor : Largely unable to communicate by skywave propagation</p><p><br /><b>EME Deg</b><br />Earth-Moon-Earth Degradation Measurement of the best Earth-Moon-Earth (Moonbounce) propagation path attenuation, displayed as Very Poor (high attenuation), Poor, Fair (medium attenuation), Good, and Excellent (little attenuation), updated every 30 minutes.</p><p><br /><b>MUF</b><br />Maximum Usable Frequency, Es The MUF, relative to Sporadic-E (Es), is the highest frequency that can be reliably used for skywave communication by Sporadic-E propagation. In this column, the banner displays the MUF as a colored bar for each VHF band: 6 m = blue, 4 m = green, 2 m EU = yellow, 2 m NA = red, and gray for no activity, updated every 30 minutes. The SEASON BREAK label indicates that Sporadic-E is not normally active this time of year.</p><p><br /><b>MS</b><br />Meteor Scatter The Meteor Scatter activity bar shows relative meteor scatter activity for the times of the day listed in UTC, using the MIN...MAX color scale below it. The bar displays colors for the active times, and gray for no activity, updated every 15 minutes.</p><p><b>Sig Noise Lvl (S0 = great / S4 = fair / S7 = horrible)</b><br />Signal Noise Level The signal noise level is a logarithmic measurement (in 6 dB-increments, like you see on an S-meter) of the noise generated as a result of the solar wind, compared with the noise floor. The greater the disturbance in the solar wind, mostly due to interaction with Earth’s magnetic field, the higher the S-value, and is updated every 30 minutes.</p><p><br /><b>MUF US Boulder (14 = 20 to 10 no-go / 29 = 20 to 10 ok)</b><br />Maximum Usable Frequency From one of eleven locations worldwide, the highest frequency that can be reliably used for communication by skywave propagation. Normally listed in MHz, but also showing NoRpt if no info is available, and is updated every 15 minutes.</p><p><br /><b>Solar Flare Prb</b><br />Solar Flare Probability A solar flare is a sudden burst of radiation, consisting of electrons, ions, and high energy electromagnetic radiation, over the surface of the Sun. This huge emission can reach Earth and strengthen ionization of the ionospheric D-Layer, absorbing radio signals and disrupting HF communication. The chance of a flare erupting on the solar surface gives you an idea of how much your HF communication might get disturbed by a solar storm in the next 24 hours, and the value is updated hourly.<u><br /></u><br />— Noji Ratzlaff, KN0JI https://noji.com<br /></p><p><u><br /></u></p><br /><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>73, </p><p>JJ W9JES <br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-15802602433814567212022-02-10T22:42:00.006-06:002022-03-23T12:26:13.055-05:00Icom IC-7100 Quick Review<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUhnyZF7tVtA6Uhr-5Ityl2ZJNJNQzc0R-UgM-7jukUTisZG-r9ZIU4CDEW9tPBt-7Tfd8DfO1QlIWc2eJ9kn3wzxOl6zrsgoROZIuTfssHW8vpiEDvUM1A_GOa1cCEIRZUNGc5oYNFxhOWxepKeGmBEQnGbiJRJ1xVIVNNC1CDL5OZkc9gltIAPCg=s490" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="190" data-original-width="490" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUhnyZF7tVtA6Uhr-5Ityl2ZJNJNQzc0R-UgM-7jukUTisZG-r9ZIU4CDEW9tPBt-7Tfd8DfO1QlIWc2eJ9kn3wzxOl6zrsgoROZIuTfssHW8vpiEDvUM1A_GOa1cCEIRZUNGc5oYNFxhOWxepKeGmBEQnGbiJRJ1xVIVNNC1CDL5OZkc9gltIAPCg=w640-h248" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> One of my recent purchases was an Icom IC-7100. I wanted to find an all-mode, all-band, digital transceiver for my shack and this one fit my budget and needs. I have grown very fond of this radio in the time I've used it. I love the compact, remote head, USB interface, remote software compatibility, and audio quality. It really is a fun rig with it's unique control head. It is perfect for a crowded desk and the form factor is well designed.</p><p>I wanted to buy a used 7100 and after doing extensive research; I gathered some information which may be useful for others. Side note - As I was looking for a used 7100, I came across a deal that I couldn't pass up on a brand new radio for about $50 more after the manufacturer rebate.</p><p>Doing a web search, you will find plenty of complaints and compliments about this radio. You will even find modifications to "fix" some perceived shortcomings. Understanding what this radio is, when it was designed, and what it was designed for, should be carefully considered before buying one.</p><p><b>Form-factor/Ergonomics</b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> It was primarily designed for mobile use and can also be used for fixed stations. Many people complain about the shape of the remote control head. There is nothing wrong with it - most buttons and menu functions are laid out fairly well. It does have some quirks though for the quick keys.</li><li>It works well for a crowded desk or even mobile use. Considering this radio is an all-mode, all-band radio that can be used on every band between 80M-70CM.</li><li>The control cable length is more than adequate and the radio has several connection/accessory options.</li><li>One thing I would love to see is an internal ATU like the IC-7300<br /></li></ul><p><b>Power output</b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Power output is on par with other desktop transceivers.</li><li>Many complaints of low SSB output with the newer Icom radios can turn people off. Hours of research and my own testing concludes that Icom strives for the cleanest signal by incorporating an aggressive Automatic Level Circuit in their HF capable radios. Icom measures PEP, not AVG power output. This means the audio circuit requires more careful adjustment to ensure the ALC is not over-driven. An old trick to push more AVG power is to connect an external ALC box and manually adjust it <u>AFTER</u> the mic audio is set appropriately. AM operators used this technique for decades. Just be careful not overdrive the audio signal or you may get splatter on the bands.<br /></li><li>There were some quirks in the early firmware revisions for the compression circuit. This has been resolved with the latest firmware.I get great audio reports with the stock microphone and adequate power output as well.<br /></li></ul><p><b>Menu/Operation</b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The menu system is ok and not too "deep" like other radios. Most of the functions are labelled without strange abbreviations and are easy to understand.</li><li>The quick menu is lacking some main features depending on the mode/band you're in. For example: The meter-type menu should default to multi-function meter instead of being at the bottom of the list.Common functions such as SWR, ALC/AGC, and bandscope on M1-M3 soft keys should be laid out to include the common functions on M1, not M3. The speed/pitch physical button should have been a soft key or placed it in the set menu. </li></ul><p><b>Reliability</b></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> I've owned it for a few months and can't give an accurate assessment on this one other than it works flawlessly.<br /></li></ul><p><b>Final thoughts</b></p><p>Lacking a few features and menu items however it is a solid, mid level radio and "shack in the box". I would have loved to see a color touchscreen, waterfall display, and internal tuner. It works great for digital modes, remote control, computer assisted functions, and external accessories. I would buy one of these again.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a compiled list of information that that can be used for reference.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_j-3Pu9ErATpv5CqahetV35-nk5hCnf6YNOXjqg0oZhN2Xsz08GkTGTazP620f-nP9thOldLQyZOyw4xkPQX5rHX2xY7E62k8bQVh5Ey2a2AscgqGooJNtqMxR-dkBqoAUWyaHwfqyxui2ixY1SxVmauGMfQPObp3lD7aOKgPHFWeaU127eM7lb3W/s854/7100_notes.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="806" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_j-3Pu9ErATpv5CqahetV35-nk5hCnf6YNOXjqg0oZhN2Xsz08GkTGTazP620f-nP9thOldLQyZOyw4xkPQX5rHX2xY7E62k8bQVh5Ey2a2AscgqGooJNtqMxR-dkBqoAUWyaHwfqyxui2ixY1SxVmauGMfQPObp3lD7aOKgPHFWeaU127eM7lb3W/w604-h640/7100_notes.JPG" width="604" /></a></div><br />JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-81672039392133565182022-02-01T22:32:00.006-06:002022-10-02T20:58:35.385-05:00Ham Radio On YouTube<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi71qDcwGCvUA-7GMAbPn3s5uFPzRXvwkaoXlEQghbcvHpNypBvwMZSYdkQPU_jh76d8pHXe-YaLP03qucNWV8EkuW75lUPpJzsMDyzRtuyW3ssEJcmUplWVmat4QflL0EujMOdTmYy3Oeef-Ma8gD53a6jvC9Y88ghH6BQ2Hu2tVAh8S6iPwFyLUb7=s650" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="650" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi71qDcwGCvUA-7GMAbPn3s5uFPzRXvwkaoXlEQghbcvHpNypBvwMZSYdkQPU_jh76d8pHXe-YaLP03qucNWV8EkuW75lUPpJzsMDyzRtuyW3ssEJcmUplWVmat4QflL0EujMOdTmYy3Oeef-Ma8gD53a6jvC9Y88ghH6BQ2Hu2tVAh8S6iPwFyLUb7=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p>Hey Everyone.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are a few links to some channels that I follow on YouTube. You are welcome to check them out.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/amateurlogictv" target="_blank">Amateur Logic</a> - A mix of fun, news, and tech segments<br /></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/hamnation" target="_blank">Ham Nation</a> - A collective of Youtubers and manufacturers (Also thanks to Icom for the cool goodies they sent me)<br /></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/TRXLab" target="_blank">TRXLab</a> - Radio Repair Videos<br /></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/HamRadioConcepts" target="_blank">KJ4YYI</a> - (Ham Radio Concepts) - Reviews, Tutorials, and News<br /></p><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidCasler" target="_blank">KE0OG</a> - Ham Radio tutorials and more<br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES <br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-4376491749828214492021-06-24T23:53:00.003-05:002023-04-05T19:15:54.986-05:00Yaesu Vertex Standard FTM-10R No Receive Repair<p> Hello Radio Enthusiasts!</p><p><br /></p><p>I had another radio come in to be repaired and this one is a Yaesu FTM-10R dual-band ham radio transceiver. This mobile unit is quite small and was designed for motorcycle owners. It is a nifty radio packed with a lot of features and missing some basic ones. The design of this radio is much different than typical Yaesu radios of the time period. The programming and menu system are confusing and tedious at best.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVYMDdt_C8OzLKCKra9cYKcRICwBYKA-tQwZ5_5Cx-w7802KRTcSTl-n_4rNNi2md6Ym_On1EnHvmfrNt-w0G-N77pKbqEAWQSojrF3ygRLY1cylqYkiyR6NIYhKrtuWB_prlVmFyL3g/s2048/FTM-10R+Sep.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1373" data-original-width="2048" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVYMDdt_C8OzLKCKra9cYKcRICwBYKA-tQwZ5_5Cx-w7802KRTcSTl-n_4rNNi2md6Ym_On1EnHvmfrNt-w0G-N77pKbqEAWQSojrF3ygRLY1cylqYkiyR6NIYhKrtuWB_prlVmFyL3g/w400-h269/FTM-10R+Sep.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>You can learn more about this radio <a href="https://www.yaesu.com/indexVS.cfm?cmd=DisplayProducts&DivisionID=65&ProdCatID=106&encProdID=AF7E08DC3F2467B1B4B2CB4DA49BCF88" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p>A common problem on these radios is scratchy, intermittent, or no receive audio on the VHF/UHF bands. This is due to the second IF stage, ceramic filter. This 450 KHz filter is know for corroding or shorting out from atmospheric conditions (the radio itself is not moisture-proof) and excessive DC bias voltage due to a missing blocking capacitor. Some call this electromigration or sliver mica disease.<br /></p><p>The radio that I received had all of the symptoms of this condition and I knew that I had to check those filters. </p><p> </p><p>First step is removing the cover, then desoldering the SO-239 connector, and removing the retaining ring for the microphone connector. All silver screws must be removed as well to free up the board.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9AaDSPVADm2bhSR99oCCYviZrXlGttRC89cLQdr8YqJ2CJ6RDZknjoI5BrTH_FlxokzWTAvhGIsBDplNCD2qsJRhjoBP2jkX_5bosCwegp0Z0NNW5FIESXE2IrE0Q_Twx4VqzX0xTuY/s2048/1a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1567" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX9AaDSPVADm2bhSR99oCCYviZrXlGttRC89cLQdr8YqJ2CJ6RDZknjoI5BrTH_FlxokzWTAvhGIsBDplNCD2qsJRhjoBP2jkX_5bosCwegp0Z0NNW5FIESXE2IrE0Q_Twx4VqzX0xTuY/w306-h400/1a.jpeg" width="306" /></a></div><br /> The filter is on the bottom of the board and is labelled CF1402.<br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWdUf1L2kBXmIgeFcfnZMNN4wQtIOV_bhwYTZvO7tLtfl90kSJlu1sP4WIgt1iVbBt8HF3qPAe1QjMC3SxvZD4zMdc86MA_yUlbwqnmvx_AvpdzV-nE5hNo7-1hAunD7rYhs2Y3tyXSU/s2048/2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1683" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWdUf1L2kBXmIgeFcfnZMNN4wQtIOV_bhwYTZvO7tLtfl90kSJlu1sP4WIgt1iVbBt8HF3qPAe1QjMC3SxvZD4zMdc86MA_yUlbwqnmvx_AvpdzV-nE5hNo7-1hAunD7rYhs2Y3tyXSU/w329-h400/2.jpeg" width="329" /></a></div><br /><p>Gently remove the filter using a desoldering station with a fine tip and some flux. This can be a little tricky since this is a dual layer board so be careful with heat. I ended up pulling off the plastic cover exposing the filter. Here you can see the corrosion and damage.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCvGAWYPMj5obP_t_i6ySMch8mZ6PkaxeOXi0Ng1G1GKZdcbBbGMj48iFcbY6cu2fyMvEpgViAto2O-L2N47m1s8mRG6zUz3G-7NKHzDgWZvAtKwbwySokZVHngiphpk9JeY8_RqfRoI/s2048/3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1529" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCvGAWYPMj5obP_t_i6ySMch8mZ6PkaxeOXi0Ng1G1GKZdcbBbGMj48iFcbY6cu2fyMvEpgViAto2O-L2N47m1s8mRG6zUz3G-7NKHzDgWZvAtKwbwySokZVHngiphpk9JeY8_RqfRoI/w299-h400/3.jpeg" width="299" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>I was able to remove the filter and inspected the layers. This filter was not going to work! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAOsHuHTnrWyMJhfdqwiUjIPGuFEoHFI1ZTf3x0GPIW10aXWJRnLC__cSujOxQlndgNmkzh_2eWLSXQeYl29JSkkcMnMHs8meqnmqSnhLp4Y1FPaZqdAYTceDrfayzZcn_ok13n199u8/s2048/4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1784" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAOsHuHTnrWyMJhfdqwiUjIPGuFEoHFI1ZTf3x0GPIW10aXWJRnLC__cSujOxQlndgNmkzh_2eWLSXQeYl29JSkkcMnMHs8meqnmqSnhLp4Y1FPaZqdAYTceDrfayzZcn_ok13n199u8/w349-h400/4.jpeg" width="349" /></a></div><br /><p>New filter installed and a few extras for more radios.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF_z-rxmkc7O6zfB8QQhyJjyvgep5b34E3JO-8PwDU_hAxIXRcIN7sEimdVk8W43e7pb762R57CG6q4cmComDi7wyuz-1JvLbN64oS2Qe0qzKYYQnphBXggMYeOAW_cy5oogRV8ZY5-Y/s2048/5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1636" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRF_z-rxmkc7O6zfB8QQhyJjyvgep5b34E3JO-8PwDU_hAxIXRcIN7sEimdVk8W43e7pb762R57CG6q4cmComDi7wyuz-1JvLbN64oS2Qe0qzKYYQnphBXggMYeOAW_cy5oogRV8ZY5-Y/w320-h400/5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>One way to test the filter and find out if it is out of spec is to test the resistance between pin 1 and 2 with an Ohmmeter. These pins are the input and output. A known working filter would return a high value. Anything lower than 1K could indicate a shorted filter as they are typically in the 1.5 to 2K range.<br /></p><p>The parts are available online. The part number is LTM450FW and is described as a 12 KHz wide bandpass filter at 450 KHz. The filters are also used on the Yaesu VX-6R and VX-7R.<br /></p><p>Feel free to contact me if you would like your radio repaired.</p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-67780846625423559082021-04-11T22:44:00.003-05:002021-04-11T22:45:57.983-05:00Amateur Radio Newsline Weekly Podcasts<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAH7s-ql4JmcZ60PCeBxSo8zROpCazIPf3vQCBWQd4ii04xrxeFI5cQQBDR2WbmMPXi0OVUHXH8my1R52sMMevS4n5mK1bLyaNPWIlhlqrag656Rl6Y-BTQ8huURmJFnqh1OEKHrBBIT0/s225/images.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAH7s-ql4JmcZ60PCeBxSo8zROpCazIPf3vQCBWQd4ii04xrxeFI5cQQBDR2WbmMPXi0OVUHXH8my1R52sMMevS4n5mK1bLyaNPWIlhlqrag656Rl6Y-BTQ8huURmJFnqh1OEKHrBBIT0/s0/images.png" /></a></div><p></p><p>Are you a ham radio operator or enjoy amateur communications and technology? Feel free to listen to the Amateur Radio Newsline weekly podcast <a href="https://www.arnewsline.org/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-33512383000823008332021-03-15T21:23:00.002-05:002021-03-15T21:28:57.464-05:00Updated Station List & Timetable for Shortwave Broadcasters 2021 Version A<p>Here is the first 2021 version of the HFCC broadcasters list for shortwave. It lists the station details such as frequency, time, and transmitting location. This should help you find something on the dial to enjoy!</p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZHjExxboA7BxmogKMi8NnoMML9KriRbosUzyAVw0ayJo1Ji1eMVTd82DCk6tw03HaCD4WskdEXXNbJSpUms4HMMtSx_tNCq1EkFSuk7aIshKMkB0SsvSoSfaWzN49ph9rNAcVM7HOuI/s345/HFCC%252BBig%252BLogo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZHjExxboA7BxmogKMi8NnoMML9KriRbosUzyAVw0ayJo1Ji1eMVTd82DCk6tw03HaCD4WskdEXXNbJSpUms4HMMtSx_tNCq1EkFSuk7aIshKMkB0SsvSoSfaWzN49ph9rNAcVM7HOuI/s320/HFCC%252BBig%252BLogo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://hfcc.org/data/a21/index.phtml">http://hfcc.org/data/a21/index.phtml</a></p><p> </p><p>Happy DXing!</p><p>JJ, W9JES <br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-55074857069361731242021-03-15T13:02:00.006-05:002021-03-16T13:30:25.198-05:00RF Signal Transistors Back in Stock for Repairs<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC5H_g34TiBLPf4L6V6FZXyf_E1X9dIERdL0NLqwNEwBwKD7IHbiX8m6LzhRoynAPX-CuhBK2tK5_iniehtvtI2EE7Zh6ok8Slk-ssXXVeeuyESmxG_aSB4pLsLHVjDILaLYGKUpSKbU/s450/_BPTRANS.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtC5H_g34TiBLPf4L6V6FZXyf_E1X9dIERdL0NLqwNEwBwKD7IHbiX8m6LzhRoynAPX-CuhBK2tK5_iniehtvtI2EE7Zh6ok8Slk-ssXXVeeuyESmxG_aSB4pLsLHVjDILaLYGKUpSKbU/s320/_BPTRANS.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p><p>I have another batch of NOS transistors used in the receiver stage of many shortwave radios.</p><p>These transistors typically fix the dead or low sensitivity issue on shortwave bands on radios such as:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Sony ICF-2010</li><li>Sony ICF-2001D</li><li>Radio Shack DX-390</li><li>Radio Shack DX-392</li><li>Sangean ATS-818</li><li>Sangean ATS-818CS</li></ul><p>Feel free to check out my repair page and send me a message if you want your radio repaired.</p><p><a href="https://w9jes.blogspot.com/2020/02/radio-shack-dx-390-sangean-ats-818.html">https://w9jes.blogspot.com/2020/02/radio-shack-dx-390-sangean-ats-818.html</a></p><p> </p><p> <br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-17575803642454099172021-01-24T21:14:00.008-06:002021-01-24T21:52:14.863-06:00New Toy: HP 8656B Signal Generator<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a4vmnGlL4h35ZcdKI6p4XWOaEzGx-vAhEFypT7pjupHoaIw0aGVA2Qj3A-Bq-nQfmax27ngMcHqf8Jz5byW-JvNigvG1UBIX2WDfUQjv-Q85TQKpG4pd29yMx81Y8tQw6XUdJLicNaU/s1593/s-l1600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1593" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_a4vmnGlL4h35ZcdKI6p4XWOaEzGx-vAhEFypT7pjupHoaIw0aGVA2Qj3A-Bq-nQfmax27ngMcHqf8Jz5byW-JvNigvG1UBIX2WDfUQjv-Q85TQKpG4pd29yMx81Y8tQw6XUdJLicNaU/w400-h124/s-l1600.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It was time to upgrade my repair bench with a new piece of equipment. I bought this HP 8656B (w/ Opt. 001) to replace my HP 8640 and Heathkit SG-8 for customer repairs. This is a very nice signal generator and easier to use than my older models. I placed it under my spectrum analyzer since both units are used to adjust radios for optimum performance.<br /></p><p>If you have a shortwave radio or ham radio that you would like repaired, then please send me a message.<br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES <br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6708674858685443844.post-78801461072076970292021-01-24T20:55:00.006-06:002021-02-16T02:11:48.766-06:00Vizio M50-C1 Smart TV Repair<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzyk6wFW8k91qdaCBNmMRbz2yIrUY43I6vL591NkG37yHHda_U0knwdYMQNuhXF_hbVaqKXiyUVO2ccCfemkX9iDY9t9i_doqrSvWvB6EnRrdvQXkU4DBxVqe5TTiNVrDhzpBBOYzG0E/s412/front.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="412" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwzyk6wFW8k91qdaCBNmMRbz2yIrUY43I6vL591NkG37yHHda_U0knwdYMQNuhXF_hbVaqKXiyUVO2ccCfemkX9iDY9t9i_doqrSvWvB6EnRrdvQXkU4DBxVqe5TTiNVrDhzpBBOYzG0E/w400-h290/front.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br /><p></p><p>One of the other projects over the holiday's I managed to fix is my Vizio M50-C1 smart TV. This TV is one of the early 4K models introduced in 2015. The TV has been great and is on for 15 hours a day on average. It was used for playing games and watching shows/movies.</p><p>One day, it stopped working and wouldn't power on. My immediate thoughts were bad capacitors in the power supply since I've repaired several flat screen TVs with similar issues. </p><p>China doesn't offer schematics for this model so troubleshooting had to be performed the traditional way. The Vizio M series TVs from this era all used a similar, modular board
design where each major function was contained to a separate board. For
example, there is a power supply board, a scaler board (GPU, sound
processor, and inputs), inverter board and T-Conn board. </p><p>Fortunately, the power supply was fine after checking all voltages and signalling. I noticed the scaler board had a bi-color LED and would turn purple when a power on sequence occured and turn red when the TV was off.</p><p>I figured that the board must have a fault, but wanted to rule out the inverter and T-Conn boards. I disconnected the inverter board from the scaler board and applied ground to a SCR (<span class="aCOpRe"><span><i>Silicon-controlled Rectifier)</i></span></span> input on the board. I was able to see the backlight turn on, but no picture. At least the backlight and inverter board were working to some degree.</p><p>I disconnected the T-Conn board and ran some tests. It seemed to be working fine and would only affect how the picture was displayed on the screen. If it were faulty, then I would see only part of the screen or solid colors.</p><p></p><p></p><p>I removed the board and saw this when I flipped it over. Nasty flux corrosion on the board! Talk about subpar garbage coming out of the Chinese factory.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-xAEuhQi3gdpwabxK-Hsw6f2okUgo_uH_129obe_JAjgdQKKI5WlRzn-tfHg9HnHQ2VYgcw_vBTpM9f9KlENAXDQWLjyJr-X0UfONefBK8H0wrGcpyqBrK64R4LsEP-KnHD3g68WlgA/s2048/m50c1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1706" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-xAEuhQi3gdpwabxK-Hsw6f2okUgo_uH_129obe_JAjgdQKKI5WlRzn-tfHg9HnHQ2VYgcw_vBTpM9f9KlENAXDQWLjyJr-X0UfONefBK8H0wrGcpyqBrK64R4LsEP-KnHD3g68WlgA/s320/m50c1.jpg" /></a></div><p> I moved on to the scaler board as the culprit and headed over to the <a href="http://www.badcaps.net" target="_blank">Badcaps forum</a> for assistance. I quickly learned that this model along with the others from 43" up to 75" had similar issues. The main cause is cracked solder joints on the BGA chips under the heatsink.This occurs over time from power cycling the TV causing expansion/contraction from hot to cold. I attribute this to poor engineering, poor design, and shoddy assembly more than typical wear and tear.</p><p></p><p>My options were to either buy a replacement scaler board, send the board out for repair, reball the BGA's with a rework station myself, or try an experimental heat gun reflow.</p><p>I looked around for a replacement scaler board and came up empty handed. Unless I wanted to spend upwards of $200 for a board (1/3 cost of the TV). I opted to try the heat gun reflow approach.</p><p>The design of this board and massive heatsink made it very challenging to perform a heatgun reflow.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdluNeXmNl7k_P3LUou4f1jAaE3xoU1BwpMDM-QLy8qKiFQofUBfALEjqUJH5kMHOL4y6ZCzychjFmAlVP5s1Do4-TQKTrl25RAf_a70YhohijaZrHlcy-_uVbj4CfoYhKKeYim89kAiA/s2048/m50c1-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdluNeXmNl7k_P3LUou4f1jAaE3xoU1BwpMDM-QLy8qKiFQofUBfALEjqUJH5kMHOL4y6ZCzychjFmAlVP5s1Do4-TQKTrl25RAf_a70YhohijaZrHlcy-_uVbj4CfoYhKKeYim89kAiA/s320/m50c1-2.jpg" /></a></div><p> </p><p>I ended up using a temperature probe and Harbor Freight heat gun to perform the reflow. I preheated the board from the back side and brought it up to 230 F over several minutes. Then I increased the temperature to about 400 F and heated the board evenly paying special attention to the BGA chip area. I kept the board at this temperature for about 15 minutes to reflow the solder balls, then let it slowly cool down to about 120 F. </p><p></p><p>I let the board sit for 1/2 hour and place it back in the TV. It powered up and worked! The TV has about 80 hours of "TV time" without any issues.</p><p>Please note this is most likely a temporary fix and not a replacement for a proper reball of the BGA chips. I added some 40mm brushless fans to the heatsink and cut holes on the TV cover to reduce the 200+ F temps down to 160 F while using the TV.</p><p>If you have similar issues, please head over to the Badcaps forum for assistance. You can also watch <a href="https://youtu.be/b2Lo3G2u7CE?t=144" target="_blank">this video</a> for performing a heatgun reflow yourself. If you want your board professionally repaired, then I suggest <a href="https://www.nickstvs.com/" target="_blank">Nick's TV service</a>.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>73,</p><p>JJ W9JES<br /></p><p><br /></p>JJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13110096696117905207noreply@blogger.com0