These web pages describe my station’s construction and operation. They also include some personal reviews, recommendations, and links to relevant information. I try to offer some insight into the research and planning stages of the station build.
Check back for updates to what’s going on here in the shack. I’m always building or improving something related to Amateur Radio, and I’ll post my findings here, in the event others may be interested.
Time spent building the digital side of the station is proving to be time and effort well spent. The dedicated digital rig is paying off big time, as DX contacts are coming in on all bands. The DX results are better than anticipated!
Flex 6500 – Four Slice Receivers: Two running WSJT-X, one running MMSSTV, and the fourth running EasyPal. Add a Comet CHA-250BX Vertical @ 10ft and that’s it!
Barefoot Digital: 100 Watts into a Vertical
I wanted this to be a simple barefoot operation with a dedicated radio and antenna. I’m using a Dell 7050 micro PC and have the Flex displays “cranked down” in order to limit CPU usage to a range of 40-60%. Works great!
Evenings here have become a lot more interesting!
The past few evenings on 30 and 40 meters…See what I mean?
Every day this new digital mode attracts more and more people to the airwaves. It works with the briefest of openings and the software needed is free to download. It takes up about 60Hz only and works great with weak signals.
The operating positions in the shack are complete. Now it’s time to address the other half of the room which has remained empty up until this point. I need additional countertop space to do repair work etc.
This space: Soon to be home to a 5ft by 5ft by 2ft “L Shaped” laminate countertop workbench
Simple Countertop Setup
The new countertop will provide some much needed work space in the shack. I plan to use it mainly as a workbench. The layout will be a ‘mirror image’ of the original existing countertop. (shown below)
Another countertop in the opposite corner just like this one
The proposed ‘wrap around’ desktop will have openings at the closet door and at the entrance doors. I’ll be replacing the recliner with an executive chair. The new high back chair will be rolling on a glass mat, so it will be smooth and reduce dust from the carpet. By my measurements, there will be plenty of room to move around.
I’ll finally be able to set up my soldering station, PanaVise, magnifier, and other tools in an organized fashion.
All the parts have been ordered and this project should be complete by next weekend.
UPDATE: One must have a proper chair!
Merax Racing Chair: No more recliners in the radio room.
The chair has been delivered and assembled. One of the arms is a little wobbly and the bolt cannot be tightened any further, but I can live with it. The chair is pretty darn comfortable! Can you guess my favorite color?
Tomorrow, Friday 6/7 the remaining items will be delivered and I expect to have it all installed before dinner!
UPDATE: Countertop Install Complete
Trimmed to fit, miter joint nice and tight!Pleanty of room for test equipmentThe K6HR Operating Position
An opportunity arose for a great deal on an LP-100A. I went !BANG!
I came across an 8 month old TelePost LP-100A up for sale on QTH.com and quickly pulled the trigger. I’ve owned LP-100’s before and have always enjoyed having one. After the purchase of the LP-500, I got to thinking about a dedicated wattmeter for the Flex 6500.
LP-100A: World Class Hardware
Everything you need for critical station monitoring, tuning and protection on one screen. No other meter has dual bargraphs, OR a graphic display with solid bargraphs, OR bargraph with 90 bars for fine tuning of Power and SWR, OR an SWR alarm with snooze mode, OR a “sticky” bar for graphic peak hold indication… let alone having them all on one screen! This is by far the best display for tuning a manual tuner, without having to change display mode for normal operation. It is also the only meter with 11 bands of frequency indexed NIST traceable calibration points using a built-in frequency counter.
Plus, the TelePost LP-100A has additional modes no other wattmeter has when you desire them... vector impedance, dBm/RL, calibrated field strength and compression ratio.
Metering for the Flex Digital Station
It’s a good idea to have a decent wattmeter monitoring SWR when you’re running full duty-cycle modes like FT8 and SSTV. There are lots of good reasons to have one! Right?
What Does It Say?
The LP-100A indicates 88.4 watts at 1.56:1 SWR on 7.074 mhz FT8
I stumbled across this nifty headphone holder while browsing. I’ve had problems in the past with headsets falling to the floor and getting broken due to improper storage. Konig & Meyer usually has decent build quality, so I gave them a try.
Heil Pro Set Elite properly stored!
Of Course, I Need Two Headphone Holders…
Dual Headset Holders!
A simple solution to a longtime issue. The yokes on the headsets break easily when dropped. I’ve already had to repair both of my headsets. I’m confident in the KM 16080 solution.
A holder for headphones when not in use. The new headphone holder is simply clamped to the tubes of a music stand or microphone stand, etc. and is generally suitable for a tube diameter max. 30 mm. The soft rubber support can easily take two sets of headphones. In addition, 2 in-ear headphones can also be hung on the slotted front of the holder. The headphones are close to hand and out of harm’s way.
EAN:
4016842820825
Material:
steel
Screw-on to:
tube diameter up to 30 mm
Size when folded:
60 x 70 x 180 mm
Special features:
for up to 2 standard headphones and 2 In-Ear headphones
This Intel i7-8700K based PC will be my new office ‘production’ machine. I have some plans in the works that will put this machine to VERY GOOD USE.
Cooler Master HAF XB EVO – The Perfect Case For This Build!
Intel Z370 motherboard with RGB Fusion, Digital LED support, Dual M.2, 120dB SNR ALC1220, Intel Gaming LAN, Front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C & Rear USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, Smart Fan 5, Anti-Sulfur Resistors
Supports 8th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors
Dual Channel Non-ECC Unbuffered DDR4, 4 DIMMs
Intel® Optane™ Memory Ready
ASMedia 3142 USB 3.1 Gen 2 with USB Type-C™ and Type-A
Front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C™ Header
Multi-Way Graphics Support with Dual Armor and Ultra Durable™ Design
ALC1220 120dB SNR HD Audio with Smart Headphone AMP and WIMA audio capacitors
Intel GbE LAN Gaming Network with cFosSpeed Internet Accelerator Software
RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone Digital LED Light Show design, support digital LED & RGB LED strips
Swappable Overlay for Accent LED
Smart Fan 5 features Multiple Temperature Sensors and Hybrid Fan Headers with FAN STOP
Dual Ultra-Fast M.2 with PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA interface
USB DAC-UP 2 with Adjustable Voltage
Anti-Sulfur Resistors Design
Ultra Durable™ 25KV ESD and 15KV Surge LAN Protection
Lightning-Fast Intel® Thunderbolt™ 3 AIC Support
APP Center Including EasyTune™ and Cloud Station™ Utilities
Why Not an i7-9700K?
I know, the cost difference is only about $15 so why not just get the i7-9700K. Maybe you have already guessed why! Yes, it’s the number of threads. (9700K 8 threads vs. 8700K 12 threads)
The higher thread count was the deciding factor. Just Google 8700k vs. 9700k and you will see what I mean. I won’t be using this hardware in a gaming capacity. My needs require the higher thread count for processing efficiency not video or sound.
The Hardware is Already on it’s Way
I plan to assemble the machine over the weekend.
UPDATE: “Luck of the Irish”
07/16/2019
A little “Luck of the Irish” today. UPS delivered all the hardware to the wrong address! No problem they say! Only takes 3 to 5 days to resolve!
It’s now 7 to 10 days to resolve. I think I would have the box already if the driver was able to retrieve it the next day. So that box is GONE! Now I have to re-purchase all the items.
The re-odered items are scheduled for delivery tomorrow.
Finally Putting It Together
Cooler Master HAF XB EVO
I found it easiest to install everything on the lower deck first. Once the motherboard tray goes in I wouldn’t be able to fit my hands in there. Connections for the two hot-swap bays, the write-block, optical drive, and two Raid SSD disks were completed first. Once the cables were in place I mounted the power supply. The board went in next, and finally the water cooler.
Gigabyte Z370 Aorus is up and running! Later on I changed the LEDs to blue of course!
PCIe3 x4 Slot for Intel 660p 1T SSD
It turned out I was looking at the wrong document on the Gigabyte website during my research, and the version of the board I ordered did not include the Optane Memory. No big deal, as the system drive is a 1T PCIe 3 x4 SSD. This drive would certainly not require any ‘acceleration’. As it is, the system boots in 5 seconds! No kidding! The manual calls this “Ultra Fast” boot mode. It delays some hardware initialization until after the OS is booted (among other things). Works for me!
2T RAID 0 File Drive
Dual Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD’s configured for RAID 0 provide a 1.8T file space big enough to handle some the large ‘input files’ we’ll be working on later. I anticipate some work may exceed 1T. For now this is a limitation, but not one that will present any real problem getting started. Needing more storage space would be a great problem to have!
Intel i7-8700K Does Not Disappoint!
The Intel i7-8700K cpu runs cool (within spec) and is blazing fast. During the first software run I noticed the cpu was running at +/-4.5ghz. Without a doubt the fastest cpu I’ve ever owned.
My first Experience with Liquid Cooling
The cooler went in easy and the pump was easily mounted to the CPU. I’m seeing 30 Celsius on the cpu which is right on target according to some of the information I’ve seen. I will most likely use nothing but liquid coolers from now on.
Hats Off to Cooler Master for the HAF XB EVO
This case is very well made. It has very precise tolerances in it’s design and manufacture. I can’t tell you how many cases I’ve worked on where the holes don’t line up and the case flexes etc. etc. Not the HAF. Solid as a rock and every single thumb screw lined up perfectly! No wiggle or case bending required! I really like this case!
Fully tested hardware: Ready to start loading software.
a Small monkey wrench!
The Windows 10 Pro 64 bit License Key I purchased on eBay showed up as already being in use. I have purchased a Genuine Microsoft DVD with COA that should be delivered in a couple of days.
While testing one of the software programs I was “kicked out” by Windows (the program was closed) and an “Activate Now” message flashed on the screen. Probably a ‘special feature’ for folks who try to activate using a previously used Product Key!
I’m going to postpone further software installation until I have the activation issue sorted out.
07/28/2019
P.S. Still no resolution to the lost package. I noticed the web results showing the “Signed for by Phillip” is no longer there! Good thing I took a photo of the screen! No worries, there’s no POD for that box! Case closed! Just have to wait the MAXIMUM number of days even though the package had to be known to be un-recoverable by the following day. That was way back on July 17th! Way to go Newegg!
We’ll see what happens on Thursday of NEXT week!
Friday 8/9/2019
Finally! That was one very long wait! July 17 to Aug 9th. Perhaps NewEgg needs to review their account with their UPS representative, so their customers aren’t kept waiting so long for something that was verified lost the following day when the driver went back to get it! Totally unacceptable. But I have to give NewEgg a pass since it was UPS who lost it.
July 11, 2019 – I created a new WordPress site today. The site installed in 5 minutes with no errors. This new site will be business oriented, and will be in development for the next 5 months or so. I have not registered a domain name yet, as I’m still kicking around a few ideas.
July 14, 2019 UPDATE: The ‘Front Page’ of the new site looks great! Too bad I can’t show it to anyone yet. I took a good look through the latest WordPress themes and decided to use the “Business Grow” theme.
Business Grow is child theme of Ample Business. Business Grow is a
clean, simple and professional business theme with attractive elements
and ample of features for business and corporate websites. It is well
suited theme for business, corporate, informative, agencies, travel,
design, art, personal ,woocommerce shop and any other creative websites
and blogs. It features multiple sections on the front page including
favicon, logo, widgets, multiple navigations, address bar, social menus,
and customizer to customize theme easily.
I have also finalized the hardware list for the PC build. Hopefully both elements will be ready in time for a 2020 Grand Opening!
Now that the IRLP Node has been running smoothly for a few months, I’ve decided to try the Nano Node SE with an external radio.
Its internal radio is intended for local use, hence the 0.2 watt output. The Nano-Node SE has an external radio port and it’s time to have some fun with it.
Another model Nano with the same external radio port. I wish my version had that pinout diagram!
Kenwood TM-D710GA
The radio currently under consideration is the Kenwood TM-D710GA. The Kenwood includes APRS and GPS and can be easily connected to the node using the Kenwood data cables.
The Kenwood TM-D710GA is under serious consideration
From the web:
The advanced Kenwood TM-D710GA adds an integrated GPS built right into the head. You will have a full 50/10/5 watts on both VHF and UHF. Key features include: internal clock for APRS® (Automatic Packet/position Reporting System) time and date stamp, APRS sort function, APRS filter function, APRS QSY function, APRS decay algorithm, APRS, proportional pathing, APRS voice alert, EchoLink ready, NOAA weather, 1000 memories and a sound card interface is built in. Versatile message with 100 messages (up to 67 characters each) is supported. There is also a NMEA 0183 GPS I/O port. And it can be employed as part of Kenwood’s Skycommand System II+ when used with the TS-2000 series. The screen may be set for orange or green. There is a clock/date function.
Kenwood PG-5A / PG-5G Data cables
DB9 with Terminal Block!
DB9 w/ screw terminals! Should make life a little easier when building the external radio cable
I could have purchased a pre-assembled data cable for $48. Instead I purchased the PG-5A cable and will attach the nifty DB9 connector shown above and save a few bucks. If I change radios the connector will come in handy again.
9/28/19 UPDATE:
I ordered the Kenwood TM-D710GA today. I didn’t see anything else that really came close for digital modes. It fits my needs perfectly for this upgrade. Besides, I already own a Kenwood TH-D74 handheld, so these should work great together.
The screw terminal DB9 has arrived, and the data cables are on order with the radio.
Comet GP-3
Dual Band 2M/440MHz base antenna Small profile, good gain, excellent construction.
Gain: 2M: 4.5dBi 440MHz: 7.2dBi VSWR: 1.5:1 or less Max Power: 200 watts SSB/100W FM Length: 5′ 11″ Weight: 2 lbs. 12 oz. Mounting Mast Dia: 1.25 – 2.50″ Connector: SO-239 Construction: Heavy-duty fiberglass
I will be adding a 5ft section to the existing 5ft chimney mast and mounting the Comet GP-3 at the top. Just under the GP-3, I’ll be mounting the packet radio antenna, and positioning it for best signal path to AA6HF. This should be an improvement for the packet radio operation here, as the current antenna height is right at the tree level. Setting the antenna at 5ft above the tree line has to be an improvement. The GP-3 will be connected using CNT400 coax
I’ll be looking into connecting the radio as an APRS iGate.
One of the main reasons for installing this upgrade is so I can get IRLP whenever I want it without having to depend on some other system that I have no control over.
Recently I discovered I could no longer copy the Alaska Morning Net on my scanner radio at work. I can only guess that there was a node nearby, close enough, that I could hear it transmitting the AMN on 449.16 and now that node has ceased operation.
With my own IRLP node, I’ll be able to participate in the net, where before, I could only listen. Should be fun to check in!
update: 10/4/19
Kenwood TM-D710GA takes it’s place in the shack..soon to be the new node radio
I picked up the Kenwood TM-D710GA Dualband transceiver today. Over the next day or so, I’ll be programming the radio and putting together the ‘external radio’ cable used to connect the Kenwood to the Nano-Node SE.
Data Cable from TM-D710GA to Nano-Node SE
update: 10/7/19
I assembled the ‘external radio’ cable today. It was super easy using the nifty DB9 connector (with screw terminals).
My Homebrew Data Cable for connecting the TM-D710GA to the Nano-Node SE
All you need are a female DB9, a Kenwood PG-5A Data Cable, and a 3.5mm T/S audio plug, and in no time at all, you’ll have the radio and node up and running!
PG-5A to NANO SE
PIN 1 BROWN >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PIN 1
PIN 2 RED >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PIN 6
PIN 3 WHITE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PIN 2
PIN 6 BLUE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PIN 7
3.5MM AUDIO to NANO SE
TIP >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PIN 8
SLEEVE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>PIN 6
TM-D710GA Setting for COS Signal
After connecting the radio and Nano SE, you have to go into the Radio menu and change the default setting for SQC SOURCE in order for the node COS to work correctly. When you switch to ‘External Radio’ on the node, a button appears that reads “COS Input: ACTIVE HI” You now have to set the radio to generate the correct signal to enable the node for TX. The node is expecting ACTIVE HI from the radio by default. I did not change this setting on the node.
NANO SE with Kenwood External Radio – Before “COS” configuration.
With the node COS activated by the “SQL” signal, and the squelch controlled by a CTCSS tone. The radio squelch will only open for a valid (desired) signal, thus, no unwanted signals will be sent to the internet.
Access the radio menu #921 “SQC SOURCE” and change this setting to “SQL” and you are ready to go. It’s worth mentioning that the TM-D710GA does not pass the CTCSS tone through the rear data connector. The IRLP gurus would prefer that the radios used for nodes be capable of passing the CTCSS. Lucky for me, it’s not a deal breaker. COS derived from a CTCSS coded squelch condition is deemed acceptable. (just not ideal)
Take a minute to adjust the audio mixer on the Nano-Node. I adjusted mine using the little touchscreen. The audio sounds GREAT, and I received a rating of “excellent” from one of the WinSystem controllers.
My settings are “XMIT 32” and “RECV 81”. A quick check through the IRLP test reflector [9990] verified the settings sound good.
On The Air Test 10/10/19
IRLP Node 3689: So far so good on 439.025
Shortly after putting the node on the air using the default frequency of 446.875 I was notified by WinSystem Controllers that my node was sending intermod noise to the IRLP system. I checked the IRLP Status page looking for nearby stations, and sure enough, there was another node nearby also using the default settings.
The IRLP Status Page allows you to enter a radius showing other nodes within a selectable distance. So, I looked at 50 miles, and sorted through the UHF frequencies in use. I also looked through the repeater directories and ultimately came up with 446.8 Mhz for my operating frequency with a CTCSS tone of 100hz . I’ve had the node connected all day today for the first time. I’m watching 446.8 on the panadapter of my Flex VU5K. The frequency has been quiet, and so far, has had nothing close enough to create a problem. I’ll keep an eye on it, and hopefully I can settle on this frequency.
UPDATE: 10/16/19
Node moved to 439.025 to avoid a conflict.
I Love it When a Plan Comes Together!
The NANO-NODE SE and Kenwood TM-D710GA are fully integrated and working flawlessly together. Now on to the final stage of this upgrade.
Roof Work
I have the GP-3 in the closet for the time being. The roof work is something I don’t look forward to. However, there are a few things on the roof that require attention:
Replace the 15 year old rotor cable that has been destroyed by the sun. The HF antenna hasn’t turned in over a year!
Satellite antennas need to be realigned and tightened in place.
Mount the GP-3 and my packet radio antenna on the 10 ft. chimney mast.
I’m planning to complete the roof work on the first day of my upcoming vacation near the end of this month. The plan is to have the HF antenna turning again in time for the CQ WW SSB Contest.
update: 10/20/19
Roof work complete!
The GP3 is several feet above the tree line, and the packet antenna gained 5 ft. putting it just above the tree line. I may try swapping these antennas at some point to see if there are any advantages.
Comet GP-3 at top of 10ft chimney mount mast. Packet antenna mounted just below it.
I replaced the rotor cable and the rotator is working again! The sun literally burned the insulation off the rotor cable right down to the copper conductors! I turned the rotor off after noticing the pointer on the controller was not moving with the antenna, that was back in 2017!
When I saw the condition of this cable I disconnected it. It wasn’t hard to imagine that the shorted rotor cable would likely blow-up the controller if it remained connected and energized.
Sun-Dried Rotor Cable! The intense SoCal Sun Burn! 15 year old cable finally replaced.
I’m happy to have the rotator back in service. I have it connected to DX Lab, so when I click on a spot, the antenna automatically moves to the correct bearing for the DX station. It’s very handy to turn on this feature during DX contests!
Last but not least, I re-positioned the satellite antennas. A very strong wind event had blown them about 17 degrees off azimuth. This didn’t affect operations, as I entered the offset into the rotor control software. It is nice to have them squared away.
ANTENNA UPDATE: 10/22/19
The antenna is not nearly high enough to get the coverage I was hoping for. However, the limitations are what they are, and this is the best height (HAAT) I’ll be able to achieve at this QTH. The coverage is great all around town and the surrounding neighborhoods and that’s where it will get the most use anyhow.
Project Complete!
This upgrade is a wrap! Now I can move on to testing the range of my IRLP node, and fine-tuning the APRS software. Great fun to say the least.
This is a nice upgrade to have in place as we wrap up 2019! Time to start looking into 2020 upgrades!
Just SCORED a used Green Heron RT-20 Rotator controller.
Green Heron RT-20
It’s time to upgrade my HF antenna rotor controller.
Green Heron RT-20 is wired up!Green Heron RT-20 takes its place in the shack! 11/14/19
Update 11/14/19
I finally found some time to get the RT-20 wired up and into its place in the shack. The connection to the PC is working and tomorrow I will calibrate it!
Update 11/15/19
The antenna is off azimuth. High winds had blown one of my VHF antennas into the path of the HF antenna, causing the HF antenna to get bound up on it. It happened during the CQWW contest back on October 24th. I went up on the roof and cleared the hang-up but did not realize at the time that the HF antenna was knocked off azimuth.
It’s off azimuth enough that it requires another climb up on the roof for correction. I’ve put an offset in the controller for the time being to make it line up temporarily.
Update 03/04/20
I’m on vacation and finally had some time to go up on the roof and aim the antenna for a north center of rotation. The antenna is pointing in the right direction and I have the fantastic advantage of the north center. This means I can get to where I need to be a lot faster than I could before. Just in time for the ARRL DX Contest this weekend! The Green Heron controller also plays nicely with DXLab.
The Green Heron owners manual was spot on and easy to understand so I was able to get it calibrated quickly.
It’s Time For A Change
change south to north center of rotation
When I first installed the HF antenna I aligned it north for a “South Center of Travel”. I quickly learned that in order to turn from Europe to Japan (a direction I often travel) the antenna had to travel nearly the entire range of rotation to get to JA land. It didn’t bother me enough to change it, and I have operated that way since 2004.
With the addition of the Green Heron RT-20, and the need to correct the antenna’s physical azimuth, I have decided to make the change to a “North Center of Travel” as this is really what makes the most sense for my location. This will enable me to point in any direction without all the ‘extra travel’. Also, by utilizing the 90 degree overlap, I’ll also be able to point to VK/ZL turning from South America without any excess travel. I should have had it this way from the start. So I’ll leverage this opportunity to finally set it right.
Green Heron RT-20 Standard Description:
The RT-20 is a universal digital rotator controller that can be user configured for motor voltage and position feedback. RT-20 configuration is accomplished by a combination of PCB jumpers and software settings, there’s no soldering or major disassembly required. This flexibility allows the RT-20 to operate any commercial amateur rotator being built today, and virtually any rotator ever built.
Why upgrade your controller?
The addition of an RT-20 will add modern functionality to your rotator:
RS-232 control
High resolution digital display
Point & Shoot hands off operation
In most cases, improves heading accuracy
In most cases, adds PWM speed control and gradual start/stop to your system eliminating tower and rotator stresses
The RT-20 manual contains separate pages detailing the setup, hookup and calibration of 14 of the most common rotators in use. Additional resources are available from Green Heron in the form of applications notes, that detail less common or custom requirements.
Common Rotators Supported and Documented in the Manual:
Hy-gain HAM series, T2X and HDR-300
Create RC5 series
Yaesu All models
Orion 2800 and 2300 models
TIC RingRotor
Prosistel
Alfa-Spid
Alliance HD-73
Rotor Doctor (CATS)
Diawa MR-750/MR-300
Specifications:
Size/Weight
Approx 4” x 8” x 7” HWD (Not including rear terminal strip)
Approx 8 lb – Shipping = 11 lb
Input Power
115/230 VAC 50/60 Hz
Standard IEC power connector and 5x20mm GMA fuse
Display
High contrast Yellow-Green backlit FSTN LCD
Eight brightness levels w/auto-dim
Front Panel Controls
CCW, CW and CANCEL buttons (Operating)
SAVE, CHANGE, SETUP buttons (Setup)
Point and Shoot knob (360º = full rotation)
Motor Power (Selectable voltages @ 5A)
18 to 36 VAC
12 to 48 VDC
115VAC (call)
External Relay Control
CCW and CW DC relay control (12V or 24VDC relays)
various configurations
Operating Modes
Normal, Master/Slave, Master/Counter Rotate, Slave/Counter Rotate, Debug, Alt Offset
Selectable Options (specific Rotator Settings)
POT, Counter, HAMx, T2X, Orion, TIC-PST, SPID
Position Feedback Mechanisms Supported
Potentiometer 150 Ohm to 10 kOhm
Variable resistor 500 Ohm (Others accommodated with minor modification)
Proximity/reed switch or Hall effect up to 64 pulses/degree (divide ratio up to 23,500)
2-Bit rotary relative encoder (special order)
Others possible
Position Accuracy
Up to 1/3º for potentiometer
Up to 1/10º with proximity/reed switch
Brake and Reversal Delays
0 to 6 Seconds
Soft Limits
+/- 180º from normal stop
Restricts rotation to zero or opens to 720º
Motor Speed Control (PWM)
10% to 100% in 10% steps with 10 selectable start/stop ramp settings
100% no ramps
Computer Control
Compatible with all DCU 1 enabled programs
Expanded Protocol for GH Tracker and SETUP UTILITY (See manual)
Configuration
User changeable in minutes with no soldering
Protection
No Motion feedback
Pot out-of-range (TIC-PST Option)
Counter Range Error (Orion, SPID, Counter)
Industrial rated Transient Voltage Suppressors on all external terminals
Rear Panel
8 Position barrier strip #6-32
Ground stud #6
Cable strain relief
DB-9 RS-232
Of course, one of these would also come in very handy!
I just picked up a CORSAIR Voyager GTX 512GB USB 3.1 Premium Flash Drive Model CMFVYGTX3C-512GB. Initial testing shows it lives up to it’s claims of SSD like read/write speeds.
Corsair Voyager GTX 512GB USB 3.1 Flash Drive @ USB 3.0
Corsair Voyager GTX 512GB USB 3.1 Flash Drive
The benchmark test results shown above actually exceed those published by Corsair. They’re advertising speeds up 440 MB/s. This test was run on an i7-8700K CPU 32GB RAM using a USB 3.0 port.
It has been 10 months since my first FT8 contact back on 2/15/19. Working HF barefoot in FT4 and FT8 modes. The dedicated Flex 6500 puts out about 86 watts into the CHA-250 vertical.
38 DXCC Entities and WAS
As of today 12/14/19 I’ve made 1,433 ‘FT’ contacts comprised of all 50 US States and the following DXCC entities:
Canada, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Cuba, Belize, Asiatic Russia, European Russia, Australia, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Canary Islands, Venezuela, Fiji Islands, New Caledonia, Cayman Islands, Argentina, South Africa, Belgium, Ireland, Azores, Hawaii, Samoa, Mauritania, Alaska, Ecuador, Chile, Dominica, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Aruba, South Cook Islands, El Salvador, Lesotho, France, San Andres Island, Columbia, and French Polynesia.
Nice Results for Part Time QRP OPS
I’m very pleased with the results I’m getting with the 6500 HF barefoot FT4 and FT8 operations. 1405 of the contacts are in FT8 and 28 so far in FT4. I installed WSJT-X v 2.1.2 on 11/28/19 and find that there is far less activity on FT4 than FT8. Nonetheless I will continue to work it as often as possible.
It will be interesting to see sometime down the line what kind of results I’ll get using the Mosley and the amplifier. The low power (QRP) operation is so much fun, I plan to keep it in place for the foreseeable future.
Perhaps a 2020 upgrade candidate to consider might be an amplifier for the Flex 6500…
WSJT-X implements communication protocols or “modes” called FT4, FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, QRA64, ISCAT, MSK144, and WSPR, as well as one called Echo for detecting and measuring your own radio signals reflected from the Moon. These modes were all designed for making reliable, confirmed QSOs under extreme weak-signal conditions.
If you’ve ever dreamed of owning or playing on an old Fender Strat you may find this story interesting. This instrument is a great example of the so-called Holy Grail of electric guitars! Here’s how I came in contact with a very well preserved 1956 Fender Stratocaster.
I work in a music store where we buy and sell musical instruments of all kinds. It was just another day in the neighborhood one day, when a woman stopped by with her fathers guitar looking for some advice.
When I saw the case she was carrying in, I immediately knew it would be something exciting. In her hand was an ancient Fender guitar case. She explained her father was the original owner, and the guitar had spent many years “under the bed” and had not been played much. Her Dad had recently passed away and she had decided to sell the guitar.
Exciting moment we open the case!The ancient Fender nameplate!1956 Fender Stratocaster
She told us she was in the process of ‘shopping it around’ taking offers. We told her the guitar was rare and very valuable and she should be very careful selling it. She told us she had already done some research on it, and had a pretty good idea what a fair offer should be.
Time to call the boss!
This is the Holy Grail of guitars! We can’t let her leave and possibly sell it to someone else! It’s time to call the boss and make the sale happen now! We took these pictures and sent them to the owner of our company and he had a fast and simple reply: “Ask her how much she wants to stop shopping it around right now!”
We did, and an agreement was quickly reached.
Holy Smoke! We are about to purchase a super clean, all original, 195o’s Stratocaster! I don’t have to tell you this is a once in a lifetime experience for the employees in our store!
taking a ‘hard look’
On the surface everything looks perfect and we are very excited to have a look inside.
1956 Fender Stratocaster1956 Fender Stratocaster #159741956 Fender Stratocaster – Remarkable condition!A look behind the pickguard! So far so good!Untouched original electronics!
The Moment of Truth!
The Moment of Truth! October 1956!
This guitar was assembled in October 1956. Certified Vintage!
Case Candy Included!
Complete with Case Candy! “Ash Tray, Tremolo Bar, and Original receipt!
Inside the case we found the tremolo bar, the chrome “ash tray” bridge cover, some old cables, the case keys, and the original purchase receipt!
It cleaned up real nice!
It cleaned up real nice! Soon to be on it’s way to a new owner!
How about Dad’s amplifier?
Say what? Dad’s amp you say!
1956 Fender Tremolux also in great condition!1956 Fender TremoluxTruly remarkable condition for its age!The original Jensen speaker was found to be blown. But the amp still worked great!
Flex 6700 Timeout During the CQ WW WPX SSB Contest!
Flex 6700 “Timeout” Error displayed after power cycle.
Another prime example of what I call “The Luck of the Irish”! During the CQ WW WPX SSB contest today I encountered the Flex 6700 Timeout error.
The radio lost its connection to the PC, and when I attempted to restart it, it failed to boot. After power cycling, the “Calibrating” phase took much longer than usual, and resulted in the “Timeout” message shown above.
Other users with Flex 6700 Timeout
A quick check of the Flex Radio Forum showed others with the same problem needed to return their radios for service. I promptly opened a Help Desk ticket, pulled the radio, and boxed it up. Based on the forum comments, I’m pretty sure they will tell me to send it back. This has previously been reported as a hardware issue by other users. So it appears the timeout issue goes back a few years.
From Tim (in the Flex Forum 2 years ago):
“The original FLEX series radios had only one CPU. The FLEX-6000s have multiple CPUs and when the system boots it has to perform a series of initialization procedures to ensure the subsystems are communicating with one another. Part of that is ensuring the correct timing”.
Flex 6500 to the Rescue!
I just did a quick change over to my 6500 and I was back in the thick of the contest in no time flat!
Flex Radio: Famous for Great Service
I’ve had repair work done under warranty before, and have thus far had nothing but a positive experience. However, I am no longer under warranty, so it will be interesting to see what it’s going to cost to repair this problem!
More on this later…
UPDATE: 3/30/20 Flex Service Responds!
Maybe I was too quick in boxing it up!
I received a reply from Tim Ellison the first thing in the morning on the following business day. After performing a full reset, the radio still displayed “Timeout”. Tim went on to explain that the 6700 utilizes an SD card to store the radio’s firmware, and he believes the failure may likely be in the SD card.
Tim also included an instruction sheet on the procedure for changing out the suspect SD card. He suggested that if I was comfortable changing the card my self, there would be no need to return the unit to Flex for repair. The installation guide showed this was well inside my “comfort zone”, so Tim put a replacement SD card in the mail for me. Fantastic!
Great News! (If the SD Card Solves it!)
As far as I’m concerned, I’m thrilled at the idea that I may not need to ship the radio back. I’m confident that Tim and the folks at Flex Service have seen this problem often enough to know that replacing the SD card will fix it. A simple fix that GREATLY reduces my downtime!
Flex 6700 “Timeout” On the Bench
Flex 6700 “Timeout” Error on the Bench
Pictured above: The Flex 6700 with the bottom panel and RF Isolation Cover removed.
Flex 6700 view showing the SD card socket. Ready when the new SD card arrives!
It should be a simple fix and minimal downtime. Did I mention how happy I am that I don’t have to ship it back?
More on this once the new SD card arrives…
Update 04/04/20: Problem Solved!
Flex is really on top of their game in the service dept.! The first SD card Tim sent appeared to be lost by the USPS. That is, the tracking had not updated after the item was mailed out. Again, first thing in the morning, the next day, I received an email from Tim at Flex stating that he had noticed the tracking had not updated, and fearing the item may have been lost by the USPS, he sent me out another one!
Who does this?…Flex Radio does! I consider this to be “over the top” quality of service from Flex. I deal with a lot of vendors on a daily basis, and many of them are very good, but none of them compare to Tim at Flex. I’m very impressed! Did I mention how happy I am that I did not have to ship the radio back? Hi Hi!
I installed the new SD card and the radio came right back to life!
I recently read several articles about CHA-250B installations and realized I had not grounded the antenna as some of the articles had suggested. The CHA-250 owners manual doesn’t indicate a ground connection. I was following the owners manual when I installed the antenna. I was curious to see if it would have any effect on performance. So I bought some supplies and started the Comet CHA-250B ground rod installation. I first realized I was missing the ground connection when I found this schematic on the G8JNJ website:
CHA-250B Balun Schematic showing ground attached to coax shield.CHA-250B Grounding. I used hose clamps, as I did on all my other coax ends.
The ground wire is connected to the coax shield using a hose clamp. The copper wire under the clamp is doubled over, to make better surface contact. An idea I got from K3DAV’s website.
The CHA-250 Ground Rod has two hose clamp connection points (bottom and middle)
All connections to the copper ground rod were doubled over, and clamped, to create more surface contact I’ve had success with the clamping idea, so I used those clamps again.
Results!
I run FT8 using a Flex 6500 barefoot into the CHA-250B. It puts out 86 watts. The CHA-250B does not disappoint! Over the past two days I have worked JA, UA0, 9Y, SP, OH, VK, UT, and KH6! Just to name a few! I now have thousands of FT8 contacts across 6 bands!
The antenna is a bit quieter, noticeably so on 30m, and the SWR is roughly the same on all bands. I can’t claim any big improvements. Static charge build-up, caused by high winds, will go to ground. Installing the Comet CHA-250B ground rod was definitely a worthwhile endeavor.
Update: 06/18/20
Since grounding the CHA-250 I’m noticing European stations in the FT8 monitor panel. Prior to this, I’d rarely seen any calls from the EU. Either conditions have suddenly improved, or adding the ground has made a significant improvement. With all the complaints I hear on the air about conditions, I have to believe adding this ground to the CHA-250 has caused improved performance. I’ve worked all through Europe since installing the ground.
JNOS UPTIME has never been anywhere near this number! A JNOS Uptime record has just been set!
It’s been running for over 6 months at this point. How long will it go?
What is JNOS?
From Maiko’s JNOS Website:
JNOS Is a monolithic software application for amateur packet radio (ax.25) and ip networking. JNOS’ origin traces back to Phil Karn’s KA9Q/NOS software. Widely considered as the foundation of TCP/IP over radio.
In fact, NOS was the linux of it’s time, transforming simple DOS machines into multiuser/multitasking TCP/IP environments. Also worth noting are MFNOS by Barry Siegfried (K2MF), TNOS by Brian Lantz (KO4KS), and WAMPES by Dieter Deyke (DK5SG/N0PRA) – each (including JNOS) taking ideas and bits and pieces from the others.
JNOS is first and foremost a router for ax.25, netrom, and ip protocols – ip over rf is possible by encapsulating the ip in ax.25 frames. The original JNOS v1.11f and earlier distributions do not support a lot of the features we enjoy in todays version.
Features currently available in the JNOS 2.0 distribution started back in October of 2004. Over the years, JNOS 2.0 has made it to 4 different platforms – DOS, Linux, WIN32, and Mac. Linux has been the primary development platform for years now.
The Expert 1K-FA does all the antenna switching automatically. Fully automated, and carefully programmed, the 1K-FA greatly reduces the chance of user error. The K6HR Contest Station Block Diagram makes this SO2R setup a bit easier to understand.
The transceiver is a FlexRadio 6700 featuring two Spectral Capture Units. I utilize the two SCU’s as “two radios”, each with its own amplifier, tuner, and antenna. I designate ANT1 as the Mosley TA-33-JR-NW (for all HF bands 20 meters and above) and ANT2 as my 130ft Height Compromised HF Dipole for frequencies on 30 down thru 160 meters. Low SWR across all amateur bands!
The cool trick is the operator can move freely through the bands and operate at will via either radio. The 1K-FA’s foolproof switching ensures the TX radio will get the correct TX antenna every time. The second radio, in every case will be connected to the wideband RX loop antenna.
Data Driven via Flex USB
The Expert 1K-FA and the Palstar autotuners operate based on frequency data received from the radio. The 1K-FA and the AT-AUTO autotuners follow the radio in realtime as the operator changes frequency.
The operator only needs to turn the ‘tuning dial’ and press the PTT!
LP-500 Station Monitor
I have installed the LP-500 station monitor with 4 sensors. You could say it takes the guesswork out of getting good reports!
LP-500 Linearity Check
Leveraging the four sensors of the LP-500 Digital Station Monitor, I can ensure both amplifier channels are operating at full output, with the lowest SWR, and best linearity at all times.
