CW QSO via AO-7 Old Lady

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Bob Beatty

It is always exciting to make a contact through AO-7, a satellite that was launched in 1974.  It died due to battery failure about five years later (batteries shorted), exceeding its design goals. Amazingly, 21 years after its launch, in 2002, it came back to life, when the battery pack went open circuit, allowing the solar panels to power the satellite when not eclipsed.  It is still working from time to time in 2019.

It does have a tendency to hop between Mode A (2 meter uplink and 10 meter downlink), or Mode B (70 cm uplink and 2 meter downlink), and if someone runs too much power on their uplink it will cause it to shift mode as the internal power rail dies.

Thank you to John, AB5SS, for being there this afternoon on CW.  Nice to see the old lady still working.

AMSAT-OSCAR 7.jpg

Posted in AO-7, Satellite | Leave a comment

I have no pride…Doppler.sqf File Messup

Posted on January 27, 2019 by robert

I have two satellite stations: a portable one using an Icom -910H, and my home station using an Icom-9100.  The portable one usually works better because I’ll be in open areas with no trees, and using a beam (either fixed on a tripod, or on an AZ/EL rotor).  Each station has its own laptop because of different configurations. Therein lies today’s embarrassing problem.

Before WFD, I had contacted stations on every operating satellite so I could get things calibrated.  So the portable station was working just fine.

Back at home, things weren’t so rosy.  I didn’t have the Doppler.sqf values entered for CAS-4A or CAS-4B (odd since I had AO-91 and AO-92 entered).  So I looked them up and edited the file.  As I had several passes this morning and early afternoon, I calibrated the uplink, but heard folks rapidly shift out of my passband.  On top of that the calibration values seemed to hop around, a problem I’ve never experienced.

I don’t know why I thought to look, but I checked the front panel, and saw “Satellite” “Reverse” exactly as I expected.  But things sure weren’t right.  So I checked the Satellite.sqf file entries for CAS-4A and CAS-4B and found out, SURPRISE, that I had incorrectly entered “NOR” not “REV”.  Things were tracking in the opposite direction.  So that front panel indicator of “REV” means nothing.

I apologize to everyone who attempted to work me today.  My total screwup.

Posted in Satellite | Leave a comment

WFD 2019 Satellite QSO Completed

Posted on January 26, 2019 by robert

My thanks to the crew in NH working N1FD (4O NH) during Winter Field Day this year.  There was a decent CAS-4B pass that began 13 min after WFD got underway, the first pass of the contest.  I was able to work N1FD as the satellite got above 4 degrees elevation (there is a bit of a slope that blocks things to the west).  Both N1FD and I commented that it was ashamed that the rules allowed for only a single contact — it’s a fair amount of effort to prepare, setup, and takedown, for a few seconds of on-air time!

With the pass beginning at 19:13 UTC, I planned to arrive at 18:00 to get setup.  Honestly, a half-hour would do, so I sauntered around getting things ready.  I was using an old Icon 910H feeding a standard Arrow Antenna (10 el on 70 cm, 3 el on 2 m).  An ancient CF-30 Toughbook ran SATPC32 for the doppler correction.  A 30 AH LiFePO4 battery powered the radio.

About 1 minute into the pass, the satellite was 4 degrees above the horizon, and I started to hear SSB chatter.  I adjusted the tuning knob about a half KHz from the middle of the passband and found N1FD calling CQ WFD.  at 19:15:02 UTC the contact was in the log.  They were booming in S7 to S9 on the Icom meter.

Rig inside the truck. CF-30 Toughbook, IC-910H, 30AH LiFePO4 battery (CAS-4B AOS in in about 10 min)

Arrow crossed beam (3 el 2m, 10 el 70cm) on photo tripod.

A couple of friends were standing next to the truck as I chatted with N1FD.  They commented that only a minute or so was required to make the contact — seemed too easy.  It was, for sure, but only at the expense of a bunch of planning — figuring out the passes, making sure the offsets had been dialed in for all the birds, and testing the equipment every day for several days before the event.

Posted in AMSAT, Antennas, CAS-4B, Contests, Satellite, WFD | Leave a comment

How much power does a ZumSpot/PiZero need?

Posted on January 21, 2019 by robert

I’ve received several inquiries about using my ZumSpot mobile (from a USB Battery Pack). Inevitably the conversation turns around to the size of the power supply required.  It doesn’t help matters that the US vendors sell a 3-amp USB wall supply to run it, which one might reasonably assume means it needs a several amps of  current.

I finally dug my USB power meter out and charged it up and took some measurements.  At no time, while booting up, or running on transmit, did I see a peak current reading of more than 250 mA.  So I would suggest to folks that a 500 mA supply is more than enough.

In my case the readings came from a combo of a RPiZero and ZumSpot.  It was running PiStar version 3.4.16, and was in YSF mode.  I would say that the “average” current draw (a mix of TX and RX) was around 170 mA.  Again the peak was under 250 mA

I did note that when the RPi was shut down, there was still a 70 mA draw, which is likely the idle current consumption of the ZumSpot, but I did not measure it separately to be sure.

By the way, while the consumption of a RPiZero may vary from unit to unit, there have been several posts that indicate it pulls about 130 mA with WiFi on.  That would be pretty consistent with what I saw .  Those using it on RPi2/3 will have higher current demand due to the extra features on those boards.  But even then I can’t see a case were the current demand would be above 500 mA.

Posted in Raspberry Pi, YSF, ZumSpot | 2 Comments

Having fun DXing this January

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Bob Beatty

I spent far too much time hunting grids down in 2018.  I will say it upped my DXCC Challenge points (by about 85), but it wasn’t very fruitful for finding ATNOs.

Thankfully, January has proven to be opportunity-rich.  I’ve worked a couple of ATNOs, including (oddly enough) Sierra Leone.  Plus I’ve already exceeded my goal for 160 meter countries (goal of 60, with 62 confirmed, and about 5 waiting confirmation).

While there is a great DXpedition going on for 9LY1JM, as life would have it, my first confirmed Sierra Leone happened to be with 9LY1YXJ.  One ATNO and band-point checked off.  Even so 9LY1JM adds five additional band points as I have them on 80-15 meters.  I’ve heard them very weak on 12/10 meter SSB, but not on CW yet.  One can hope, however given only wire antennas here, it feels unlikely.  We shall see.

Posted in 160-Meters, DX, From the OM | Leave a comment

Using a K1EL WKmini with HRD (And CW KY Cmd Fix)

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Bob Beatty

A while back, when I had my K3, I used a rig interface that had a WinKeyer built-in and it worked fabulously.  But when I changed over to a K3s, I was never able to get HRD to work in semi or full break in.  The radio went into xmit, sent the characters, then stayed in xmit until I did something to get it out of transmit (like pressing the “XMIT” button on the K3s).

I asked my family for a K1EL WKmini for Christmas, figuring I would use that to send CW. Although the WKmini worked perfectly fine when using the WK3_DEMO software from K1EL, and it would connect when running under HRD, it did not work.  Attempting to send any text with the CW (WinKey) mode resulted in the rig going into xmit, nothing being sent, and the rig remaining jammed in xmit.  Nothing I could do in DM780 (ESC, STOP) would get the rig out of transmit, and the DM780 program would hang.

Two parts to the solution.

Step ONE: Un-check the “Program Option” “CW” Tab “Use PTT” box shown below (otherwise the rig goes into xmit and stays there):

Step TWO: Go into the WinKeyer menu in DM780, and get to the PTT tab.  I found that “Winkeyer 2” PTT option boxes were checked.  Keep PTT enable and PTT port 2 checked.  Un-check PTT port 1.

At this point, you can press the “Send” function in DM780 and any key you type while in that program will come out as CW.

By the way, Step ONE fixed the non-break-in issue with the CW (KY Cmd) mode as well. Good thing my IC-910H needs a keyer, because I don’t need it with the K3s anymore.

Posted in CW, HRD, K1EL, WinKeyer | 3 Comments

WPX Award of Excellence

Posted on January 3, 2019 by robert

I really can’t make this a goal for a single year, because I think it will take several to complete.  I really would like to achieve the CQ Magazine WPX Award of Excellence.  This is far from trivial as has 14 requirements:

  • 1000 prefixes in Mixed mode (have 1428)
  • 600 prefixes in SSB (have 507)
  • 600 prefixes in CW (have 650)
  • North America 160 (have 559)
  • South America 95 (have 122)
  • Europe 160 (have 503)
  • Africa 90 (have 93)
  • Asia 75 (have 72)
  • Oceania 60 (have 50)
  • 3.5 MHz 175 (have 364)
  • 7 MHz 250 (have 486)
  • 14 MHz 300 (have 620)
  • 21 MHz 300 (have 541)
  • 28 MHz 300 (have 400)

WPX is a hunt for different “prefixes” world-wide.  So “WB4” would be one, “XE3” would be another, etc.  Obviously it takes thousands of contacts to complete, and some of the specific requirements aren’t easy (especially for those of us who live in New England — Asia is a challenge for example).  But I’ve already completed 11 of the 14 requirements.  The hardest for me will likely be getting another 93 SSB contacts with different prefixes.  Asia and Oceania shouldn’t be too hard.  I have already met the requirements for several endorsements (160/30/17 meter bands, and Digital, but I am 65 prefixes short of the 12 meter endorsement).

Posted in Awards | Leave a comment

2019 Goals

Posted on January 1, 2019 by robert

It is time to set my goals for 2019.  This year, they will be somewhat reduced due to health limitations.

  • Teach a Technician Class
  • Reach 270 Confirmed Countries in DXCC
  • Reach 60 Confirmed Countries on 160-Meters
  • Reach 1375 Band-Points in the DXCC Challenge
  • Reach 30 confirmed states on satellite
  • 3D Print an electronics project case
Posted in DX, Education, From the OM, Goals, Satellite | Leave a comment

2018 Goals in Review

Posted on January 1, 2019 by robert

Happy New Year!!!

Hard to believe another year is here, even after being tired from accomplishing so much in 2018 — all but one goal was completed.

  • Teach a Technician Class
  • 265 Confirmed Countries in DXCC (made 268)
  • 1,290 Challenge Band-Points (made 1340)
  • 160-meter 50 DXCC AND 48 WAS (made 57 and 48)
  • Compete in a FMT (Green Band)
  • 3D Print an electronics project case

I had a wonderful (and large) class at the Red Cross in Providence that wrapped up in May, several of the new hams joined NCRC, for which I am grateful.  At this point, I think I’ve taught somewhere between 10 and 15% of all hams in RI.

My slow crawl through DXCC continued with 268 confirmed countries.  At this point it is mostly a process of waiting for non-populated spots to be activated — I hope to live long enough to get to the Honor Role.  But my band-challenge points did go up to 1340, so only 160 to go to the next award level.  Getting there will require much more 160-meter work.

I did participate in my first FMT and achieved the top “Green Band” performance level with an average error of 11,3 parts per billion.

I did not complete my goal of 3D printing an electronics project case, even after enrolling in a course at a local college.  A major health issue came up which sidelined me for a couple of months.  Thankfully I’m still here and able to plan for 2019.

One of the things I am most proud of was completed on the last day of 2018.  I had been working with a wonderful young man, Ryan, who is visually impaired, for the past 16 months.  Ryan took and passed his Technician License yesterday.  I’m hoping that Amateur Radio will be an important part of his life moving forward.

A few other accomplishments in 2018.

  • Completed 12 meter WAS (thanks to Tom AB8RL in West VA)
  • I restored a HP3335A and Racal RA6790/GM to operation for FMT use
  • Obtained CQ WAZ Award
  • 10,345 QSOs in LotW with 7,273 confirmed
  • Participated in Winter & Summer Field Day and Jamboree On The Air
  • Participated in the International Grid Chase (somewhere in the the top 10 in RI)

 

Posted in 160-Meters, 3D Printing, Awards, DX, Education, From the OM | Leave a comment

Fumbling through ZumSpot setup and DMR

Posted on December 24, 2018 by robert

So the next step was to enable DMR services on the ZumSpot.  That was easy, but several more menu items relating to DMR popped up.  Suspecting that I didn’t want to be linked to Europe, I changed over to some US looking settings, but still have no idea what talk groups I should belong to.  More DMR reading ahead!

That said, I have a pretty screen showing both YSF and DMR enabled, and sure enough when I transmit with my DJ-MD5, I see that on the dashboard. “WB4SON using DMR time slot 2, going to Talk Group 12345678.

Here is the configuration.  I picked the first of several BM_United_states_310x masters, then picked the DMR+ Master as DMR+_77… as shown below.

At one point, while watching the Dashboard, I noticed that another ham WB6QZL keyed up in the same talk group.  While the dashboard showed activity, my radio showed nothing.  It may well be that I don’t have an “all” talk group enabled.  We shall see!

Posted in DJ-MD5, DMR, Gear | Leave a comment