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How to simplify logging?
Forum: Digital Modes
Last Post: VK2CSW
Yesterday, 05:47 PM
» Replies: 3
» Views: 198
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7285kHz AM?
Forum: Off Topic!
Last Post: VK3RX
25-04-2024, 01:16 PM
» Replies: 0
» Views: 82
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VK3XPD 23cm 65W modules
Forum: 1296MHz, Microwave & Opto
Last Post: VK2AZ
22-04-2024, 09:34 PM
» Replies: 1
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Dud Headphone Jack on Yae...
Forum: Transceivers, Transmitters & Receivers
Last Post: VK2CSW
20-04-2024, 07:53 AM
» Replies: 1
» Views: 423
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23-on-23: Tuesday April 2...
Forum: 1296MHz, Microwave & Opto
Last Post: VK4CZ
19-04-2024, 01:22 PM
» Replies: 0
» Views: 447
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Audio Clipping on Sideban...
Forum: LF, HF, MF
Last Post: VK2CSW
17-04-2024, 08:27 PM
» Replies: 3
» Views: 1,211
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FTDX101D & SCU17 ?
Forum: General Discussion
Last Post: VK4TS
16-04-2024, 10:50 AM
» Replies: 1
» Views: 509
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Wiring a microphone for h...
Forum: Homebrew
Last Post: VK2CSW
15-04-2024, 07:47 PM
» Replies: 7
» Views: 2,582
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Dipole for 6m
Forum: 50MHz
Last Post: VK2CSW
15-04-2024, 07:10 PM
» Replies: 6
» Views: 1,749
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Toroid Supplier/s
Forum: Ancillary, Test Equipment, Components & Parts
Last Post: VK2CSW
11-04-2024, 06:26 PM
» Replies: 3
» Views: 1,235
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Why oh why? |
Posted by: VK3RX - 07-04-2024, 10:05 AM - Forum: General Discussion
- Replies (1)
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OK I'll bite - why do Steve 3ZAZ's posts keep getting either edited or deleted?
Perhaps this one will too - read it quick, folks.
Another group I was a member of some years back the moderator looked at all posts before they appeared, and if he didn't like or agree with what someone said, the posts would never appear.
I resigned from that group, which I think later gradually died due lack of use ....
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IC-7400 / IC-746 Pro backlight failure/fix |
Posted by: VK4ADC - 20-03-2024, 09:18 AM - Forum: Transceivers, Transmitters & Receivers
- No Replies
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uMy trusty Icom IC-7400 had recently an intermittent backlight for a few weeks then finally failed...
Google searches produced a number of results but the most promising was at https://iz0egm.jimdofree.com/repairs-or-mods/icom-7400/
It became apparent that this is a common issue with several models that presumably use the same or similar circuitry.
In due course I opened up the 7400, took off the front panel assembly, disassembled that to get down to the area on the PCB where the backlight inverter was and, sure enough, the 2SB1202/Q302 (on logic unit) was discoloured as was the PCB around it. I used a heat gun to remove Q302 and even the adjacent PCB was showing signs of heat stress. I doubted that I could cleanly install another SMD power transistor.
I wasn't going to buy a "backlight repair kit" at an inflated price from eBay and I have lots of bits on hand so I replaced the 10uF electro (C302) with a standard single-ended leaded type, the 47uF (C303) was replaced with a low-ESR standard leaded variety. The replacement for Q302 - that 2SB1202 - opened up a few issues due to parts non-availability. The IZ0 article mentioned a BDX54C as an alternative but these days even those aren't available. You have to remember that many semis are no longer manufactured due to changes in appliances' manufacturing techniques, so it becomes a matter of cross-checking data sheets as well as suppliers' product availabilities..
I finally settled on a TIP42C TO-220 style PNP transistor, drilled a hole through the side of the tinplate shield, used a flat insulating washer plus a nylon isulator that the 3mm screw passed though and then retained with a nut inside the tinplate box. Oh, and did I mention that I used heat transfer silicon grease between the insulating washer and the back of the TIP42C and the washer and again between the washer and the tinplate. This process allows the large surface area of the tinplate box to act as a large (though thin) metal heatsink. The 'B-C-E' leads were jumpered across to the PCB pads with short lengths of single-strand copper wire.
So, in effect I did the IZ0EGM repair - but without using SMD parts.
The result was that I now have the 7400 with a functioning backlight.
Doug VK4ADC
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Help wanted |
Posted by: VK2BPG - 18-03-2024, 04:16 PM - Forum: General Discussion
- Replies (3)
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I am in need of a calibration service for my Bird 4410 and 4 elements. I just got a quote from Vicom and it is disgusting to say the least. They want 3 times the cost in the US for the 4410 and double for the elements. Plus they put a $390.00 assessment fee onto the quote! At that rate it would pay to send it home!
Are there any amateurs out there who know the procedure and can give me some hints? Or direct me to someone who can help?
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the way the USA has corrupted English |
Posted by: VK5PJ - 16-03-2024, 08:22 AM - Forum: Off Topic!
- Replies (9)
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The age of video sharing only highlights the way the USA has corrupted the English language, one of my pet hates is how 'solder' is officially pronounced in the USA as 'sodder' but they still say 'welder' as welder and not 'wedder' as I would have expected.
There must be a 100 of these quirks but every time I hear a USA Ham say 'sodder' I cringe and they go down one step in my estimation of intelligence.
I do not want to steal other peoples thunder by do you have others to add to this list?
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Release Candidate WSJT-X 2.7.0-rc4 |
Posted by: VK2XAX - 12-03-2024, 10:32 AM - Forum: General Discussion
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Dear WSJT-X Users,
We are pleased to announce that Release Candidate WSJT-X 2.7.0-rc4 is ready for download and use by beta testers.
WSJT-X 2.7.0 Release Candidate 4 includes new features (especially for companion program QMAP) as well as bug fixes. A full list of enhancements can be found in the Release Notes:
https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx-doc/Re....0-rc4.txt
See also Section 1.1 of the WSJT-X User Guide for this candidate release:
https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx-doc/ws...W_FEATURES
Release Candidates are intended for beta testers. If you download and use WSJT-X 2.7.0-rc4, please remember to provide feedback to us on the new features in version 2.7, and on anything that does not seem to work properly for you.
Direct links to installation packages for Windows, Linux, and macOS can be found on the WSJT-X page https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx.html Scroll down to the heading "Candidate release: WSJT-X 2.7.0-rc4".
For those who like to compile from source, a complete source-code tarball is available at the WSJT-X page. Public access to the git repository for the WSJT project is also available on the "Git" tab here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt/
It may take a short time for the code to be updated on SourceForge.
WSJT-X is licensed under the terms of Version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPL). Development of this software is a cooperative project to which many amateur radio operators have contributed. If you use our code, please have the courtesy to let us know about it. If you find bugs or make improvements to the code, please report them to us in a timely fashion.
The authors and Copyright holders of WSJT-X request that derivative works should not publish programs based on features in WSJT-X before those features are made available in a General Availability (GA) release of WSJT-X. We will cease making public Release Candidate (RC) pre-releases for testing and user early access purposes if this request is ignored.
Feedback should be sent to this email list or one of the of the others mentioned here in the User Guide:
https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx-doc/ws...ml#SUPPORT
We hope you will enjoy using WSJT-X 2.7.0-rc4, and that you will help us to create a new General Availability (GA) release soon.
-- 73 from Joe, K1JT; Steve, K9AN; Nico, IV3NWV; Uwe, DG2YCB;
Brian, N9ADG; and John, G4KLA
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Antenna Shenanigans... |
Posted by: VK2CSW - 09-03-2024, 08:40 AM - Forum: General Discussion
- Replies (7)
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Sometimes you just wonder why.
After a hiatus caused initially by the NBN, the interruptions of Covid, moving interstate, making the new house liveable, learning to enjoy the new surroundings, coping with an awful project at work (you know, life stuff) I have dusted off some of the gear and started cobbling a temporary (for now) station together.
Our block has a largish veggie garden that has a metal frame over it with a shade cloth cover. Methinks that as an interim solution to overcome the analysis paralysis of what real antenna/s to put up, I will bung a bit of angle onto the frame, whack on a delrin base and stick my FAMPARC multi-tap helical whip and run some coax across the yard to it.
As I wasn't too fussed and the VSWR was within reasonable limits that the tuner could handle - I looked no further.
I got the radio and interfaces up and running. Lo and behold I was getting decodes on FT8 immediately. I spent a couple of evenings trying the break the duck on my VK5 callsign.
No luck. Plenty of decodes and PSKInfo said I was being heard and decoded all over the place.
Early this morning, about an hour before the sun it was over 25°C so I got up and started mucking around on 20m FT8 again. "Hang the expense, I'll do a quick tune of the helical" I said to no one in particular.
Broke out the VK5JST analyser, yup it still works so off I go to tune this thing. Back and forth, up and down the ladder, you know the drill. From one end of the adjustment to the other. Best I could do was 2.63:1.
Seems odd to me.
Once the sun had risen and I could see more clearly I decided further investigate the groundplane/veggie garden sun shade. It is all 40x20mm gal section in a grid, held up by treated pine posts. I grabbed a DMM and started to check continuity amongst the frame members.
Mostly good. Except the cross member I had chosen to attached to. It must have been an afterthought, added for bracing. It is screwed to the pine uprights, but air gapped where it passes the other metalwork. To quote Adam Savage from Mythbusters "There's your problem". The groundplane was a single 40x20mm gal section about 3 metres long.
Back to the drawing board, I guess.
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Pan & tilt idea for microwave antennas |
Posted by: VK3BA - 06-03-2024, 08:09 PM - Forum: 1296MHz, Microwave & Opto
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The VK3RTV Tuesday 8pm net also livestreams to YouTube every week via Ian VK3QL’s YouTube channel. It goes for about an hour or so each Tuesday night and is very interesting… https://www.youtube.com/@IanVK3QL/streams if you can’t receive it direct from the VK3RTV repeater at Mt View in Glen Waverley.
More info here… http://www.vk3rtv.com/ the VK3RTV system has almost been a full time job by Peter VK3BFG to keep it going for everyone to enjoy. Feel free to contact Peter if you’re interested in a donation to help keep the wheels turning.
Of late, there’s been a bit of chatter & video of what a few stations (from the IC-905 club) are up to with their microwave projects & operations.
In particular, last night Mick VK3CH showed some ideas that he got from Andrew VK3FS in regards to a pan & tilt mechanism for his 10GHz system. Go to last nights livestream here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5lE2aACIXs and scroll forward to 24min30sec for Mick’s presentation. It’s great to see some more stations building microwave gear for the rest of us to work.
Cheers,
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