Mayor update to the shack!

In the last three months some new radios comes to the shack! Let me present the new entries:

• ICOM IC-7200

This is really a G-R-E-A-T Radio!!

- HF and 6m SSB-CW-RTTY-AM (no FM at all, no chat in 10 and 6m, too serious radio for this)
- 100 W power out (no problem for QRP: power may go don to 2 Watts)
- Rugged style, heavy weight, splashproof, looks similar to military manpacks
- Digital IF DSP, 3 different user selectable settings
- Manual and auto Notch filter
- Direct connection to PC USB port!!! (no need for CI-V, modems, cables and other junk)
- Simple to use, no bells-and-whistles
- Simple settings

Fantastic, for me is Nr. 1!

• Polmar Wild

In my neighbor 2 meters FM activity seems to awake again  after a while. I spend many hours of the day in my car because my job is far from home (sigh....), and I've bought a vehicular VHF radio.
This radio is identical to TYT TH-9000, Polmar is an Italian brand who sells this radio with two-years warranty and local servicing, at a price almost identical to the "original" chinese sellers (if you don't believe, look at ebay and see!)

Pros:
- Small and light, big heater sink
- Cheap and simple to use
- 60 W power out in 136-174 coverage
- Usable as ham operator and LMR (CTCSS, DCS, 2 tones, 5 tones, password to protexct settings, etc.)
- Compander! (really, this radio have a compander, I'don't believe it)
- Fully PC programmable with an optional USB cable
- DTMF and multi-function microphone (looks very smart)

Cons:
- Compander: sure, the compander is great in TX and for weak signals, but in regular traffic with your neighbors running 50 watts and 0,5 km of QRB....Is not possible via menu and prog to activate the compander in TX only, I'll search a mod....
- Manual: NO COMMENT!, very few functions are documented....I agree that the radio is simple and may be used without manual, but .....anyway, you MUST download the TYT manual and software for programming this rig, see the this page on the 'net: http://tinymicros.com/wiki/TYT_TH-9000 for donloading.


Despite to the manual, this is a very good radio for the buck!

•  Autophon Radiovox SE-155 (Ascom SE-155)

OK, after a dream radio, let's go to some different job: I've found on the Bay a very cheap surplus. I've bought for fun mods on 2 meters band. Stay tuned for following chapters

Alternative microphone for Yaesu FT-817

Since I'm using the 817 mainly in /P, the original mike supplied with the radio is very stressed for the job. I've found an alternative one wich seems very useful for me: Vertex MH-67A8J. This mike is pin-compatible with MH-31 and is factory-supplied with Yaesu Ft-450 and also with some Yaesu/Vertex Land Mobile Radios (like VX-2100).

Is very big (almost twice that MH-31) and looks very rugged.

I've got one for few euros for an Italian ham and I've done a few on-air test on last sunday, and other hams reports that sounds identcal to MH-31.

TS-50 to LDG Z-100 plus connecting cable

Using the infos gathered on the net and showed in my previous post, I'm ready to build a quick-and-dirty cable.

Purpose of the cable:
- DC supply the LDG tuner from TS-50 ACC connector
- enabling the "AT TUNE" button on TS-50

The sketch below shows the circuit (press to enlarge). The ACC conncetor is shown radio side.

The TT and TS lines are connected together via a 3.3 Kohm resistor. The + and - lines are connected to LDG power conenctor via a 1 A fuse on the NEGATIVE path of supply lines.The ACC connector used is a PC surplus connector as shown elsewhere in my blog.

The final result is in the photo below:

Ok, seems like a sort of wire patchwork (green, white, black, red, yallow....) but IT WORKS!

Using the tuner with this cable is simple:

- Press TUNE button on LDG
- Press AT TUNE button on TS-50
- Wait for a match
- REMEMBER to shutdown the carrier pressing again AT TUNE on TS-50

Interfacing Kenwood rigs to LDG Tuners

 

I need to connect my LDG Z-100 plus tuner to my Kenwood TS-50, and googling on the net I've found some useful information in order to understand the Kenwood tuner interface. I'll show the much interesting things I've found, may be useful tu someone. (some of the documents linked are in Italian)

Technical Description of the Kenwood Tuner Interface:
http://www.ham-kits.com/KWTuner/KWT%20technical%20description.pdf

Other interesting things:
http://home.ix.netcom.com/~hmlong/

http://www.arimagenta.it/progetti/pdf_doc/ICOM%20TUNER%20+%20RADIO%20KENWOOD.pdf

http://www.kb2ljj.com/data/kenwood/ts-50.htm (scroll down)

Cheap ICOM tuner connector

Playing around with an LDG Z-100 Plus which I've bought for my Kenwood TS-50, I've seen the ICOM cable which is delivered in the box of the tuner.

If you look at ICOM tuner connector, seems really very similar to Personal Computer hard drive supply connector

The PC molex plug fits near perfectly on ICOM connector! Great, anotter connector for free!

Cheap Kenwood ACC connector

I need an ACC 6 pin connector for my Kenwood TS-50:

The connector seems very similar to ATX power supply connector (the power supply of the modern Personal Computers):

When I'm approaching to do some saw wors to cut six pins from the 20-pins connector, I've found that the LDG ATU cable for Kenwood rigs have only FOUR pins connected:

Looking at Kenwood docs, I've found that the two left pins (Transceiver side...) are the lower not connected and the upper connected at a signal ground. If LDG thinks that the signal ground is of little or no use, I'll follow the boss! I use the 4 pins in the detachable section of the connector (lower in ATX conn. image)

A little work with a screwdriver blade (light and softly!!!) in the middle of pins and...VOILA'! The connector is found for free!

A great QSO in 15m with LU!

The past sunday I was amazed by a very fun QSO with Juan LU4VL in North Patagonia, Argentina. I was running about 2.5W with the 817 using a multiband up-and-outer antenna tuned with Elecraft T-1.
LU4VL report my signal 55, he was 59 on my side.

This morning I've received an e-QSL from a Brazilian SWL confirming the QSO. In his location I was 56.

Coaxial stub half-wave end-fed antenna for 10m band

I'm a true fan of end-fed antennas, and I've built one for 10 meters band.
The antenna itself is 5 meters long, and matching is obtained using lambda/4 coaxial stub. The matching method is the same used in J-Pole antennas: a lambda/4 * VF (velocity factor) transmission line shorted at the end.

I've used RG58 cable for matching line and 1mm PVC-covered copper wire.
The sketch below shows the building detalis:


The left side of coax is shorted; the right side is connected (only central conductor) to half wave wire (braid is not connected). At feeding point I've used a BNC T adapter to connect all together.

I use the antenna mounted vertical on a fishing pole and attached directly on the rear connector of my FT-817 (no cpunterpoise, no choke, no balun, no antenna tuner on 10m). SWR is acceptable (1.5 - 1.8 between 28.400 and 28.600).

Today in the morning I've got some nice QSOs. The most remarkable is Japan (Yeah!!!!)JA1NVF with 5W SSB! Not bad anyway, eh?

This antenna, tuned with my Elecraft T-1, is useful also on 12 and 15m. Build one for your preferred band, is an "instant" antenna, very cheap and simple to build. Of course, if you've a few meters of twinlead for build matching line, the performance may be better (modify lenghts....).

07-08-2014 UPDATE: Using this antenna I've many QSO with DX locations (Brazil, Argentina, Japan), and I won the 2013 CVA DX Award, see here.

SEM 52-S military handheld

Months ago, I've bought a german military handheld: a SEM 52-S. Specifications: see http://www.kpjung.de/e_sem52s.htm
Is an FM handheld with frequency coverage that includes 6 meters, 1 watt circa power out, very big and weighty, but so cool! 6 fixed channels programmable with internal contraves.




The radio is a SEM 52-S/FZ/46 and is not born as an handheld: is user on tanks with a mount, see http://www.greenradio.de/e_sem52sfz.htm, but is useable as handheld using a SEM 52-S battery pack (delivered with the transceiver).
I've also the antenna, a long (93 cm!!!) SEM 52A antenna, with fits perfectly in SEM 52S

• First Job: rebuid battery pack

The battery pack comes with a broken, unusable NiCd battery pack. The box is also very dirty and in bad conditions. I build a new battery pack using two docks for 4 AAA battery, and fit in 8x900 mAh NiMH AAA. The result is shown below:

• Second Job: arrange an alternative antenna

I have an original antenna, but is very long (93cm) and I want a smaller one for short-range contacts. I choose to modify a commercial item. I buoght an old 43 MHz whip antenna: 43 MHz is almost a dead band, and dealers are happy to sell one for a very discounted price. The antenna is a CTE model HP-FLEX/B.


The antenna is 54 cm long. Using the FT-817 as a tunig tool, I cut the antenna until a dip in SWR happens (I stop at 1.5:1). The antenna is now 36cm tall (from bottom of BNC connector to top of the whip. See the shorted antenna mounted on SEM 52-S


Next job: building a speaker-microphone (to do)

Yaesu SSB Filter XF-119SN for FT-817

I've bought an SSB filter for my FT-817. The filter is NO cheap at all, but I've found an used item for half price. Installing the filter is simple: open upper cover of FT-817, locate the two connectors on the low right side of the board and mount the filter.


The filter is enabled/disabled via main menu.
The results are very good: great improvement in RX, the selectivity is really much better. Suggestion for FT-817 owners that use mainly SSB: buy one, also on full price!

Simple window loop antenna

I've no way to set any antenna on the top of my building. This is the reason because I'm often in /P. But also at home I've some QSO using strange antennas. This is one of them: a window loop!

I've a window 158x140 cm pointing to east, with no other buildings in the way. A wire installed in the window perimeter is circa 1 wave lenght in 6 meters.


Anyway, the loop is not resonant on 6 meters: is not a perfect 1 lambda, the wire is too near to radiator etc., so I use this loop as an untuned loop, connecting a tuner in the low right corner of the window, as shown above:



Results: amazing! Hungary and Ukraine in 6m! I use this antenna also on 10, 12 with good results. On 15 meters the results are acceptable, but I've got very few QSO in 20 and 17 meters.

Next step: trasforming the untuned loop in a short magnetic loop for the 20 and 17 meters.

PL support for camera tripod

I've built a simple support for using HF and VHF mobile antenas with a camera tripod.

The base is made of plywood. The support for BNC connector and ground connection is a small steel "L" piece, wich may be found predrilled (fits also BNC!) in any hardware store.


The two wing nuts are for radials. Detail view:

12V 6800 mAh LiPo Battery

I've bought on e-bay a LIPO battery, 6800 mAh, from a Hong-Kong seller for few euros (a bit less than 35). After about three weeks, the battery arrives. Specifications:

• Weight 230g
• Measures: 56x106x18 mm
• Input (for charge) 12.6VDC
• Output: 12V 6800 mAh

The battery comes with a charger and have a little on-off switch and red led.


I've used often with FT-817 in /P, and also as a emergency supply source for handhelds. Great item!

Two stands for FT-817

The first stand is an homebrew item, built with a CD case following the instructions of KR1ST:

The second stand is a commecrial item (buuh!): IKEA sell this item as an alarm clock, is cheap (7 Euros), light, give a touch of design to setup and tells GMT time for free ;).The idea is not mine, I've seen a post from IW4BIC in an italian FT-817 fan forum.

K2S: An Yaesu FT-817 Knee Support

It's very fun to going around in /P with an FT-817, few meters of wire and a fishing pole! I often sit on a rock or on a little foldable chair and have many nice QSO with the little radio standing on my knee.

But in this way the DC connector is stressed, and obviously my DC conector was broken soon (the connector on the radio, soldered in SMD to main printed board.....sigh!!). Very disappointing indeed.

OK, let's resolve the problem: I've built K2S (KISS Knee Support), which is used to avoid stress to DC cable while the FT-817 stand on knee.

Is very ugly and simple, but it works! Ia a piece of plywood cutted to fit the two "wings" on the back right side of the radio. Near the end of plywood i glue a slice of cork wine bottle cap to support on the left side of radio, geting me able to use the rear PL connector,

This is K2S, with the measures...very ugly!


A more clear draw:

K2S in action!



Looking closer...

Tiger Tail published in SPRAT!

I've sent the notes to build a Tiger Tail, as shown in my previous post http://iz8jji.blogspot.com/2011/04/boost-your-ht-for-almost-nothing.html to Colin G3VTT, and he agree to publish the notes in his column AAA (Antenna Anectodes and Awards) of SPRAT, bulletin of G-QRP club.

The notes were published in the Autumn 2011 issue.

Racal ANT-129 tripod support

I've built a more stable support for my military antenna. The support is made with a almost square slice of steel tube, a gift from Mimmo IZ8SQL, which had also the main idea of the support (TNX Mimmo!). Other items may be easily found in any hardware shop.

Parts needed:

• nr. 1 slice of square steel tube, approx 5cmx5cmx5cm
• nr. 1 inox bolt M10x20 (10mm dia x 20 mm lenght)
• nr. 1 "big" 10mm nut (lenght approx 3 cm
• nr. 1 20mm electrician grey PVC coupler
• nr. 2 10mm washers
• nr. 1 banana female connector

Drill three holes in the square tube:

Mount the banana connector, the bolt and the big nut on the support:


Cut the PVC coupler to the same lenght of the big nut. Cover the nut with a few layers of electrician tape: in this way the nut fits snugly in the coupler. Mount the coupler with the help of a rubber hammer. The final result, before painting, is this:


The support varnished, ready to operation:

My new Military whip antenna Racal ANT-129

A few weeks ago, I've bought via ebay a military whip antenna for a few euros. The whip is a Racal ANT-129, collapsible in 8 sections, total lenght 260cm circa, and seems rated for 21-30MHz.

The base of the whip is terminated with a M10 screw (10mm metric), is very easy to find a nut for radio connection. I arrange a quick base with a camera tripod and a piece of wood. I've connected the whip with a wire to my Elecraft T-1 tuner using a 5m wire counterpoise. The antenna needs NO tuner for 21 and 28 MHz, (ok, SWR is not 1:1, but may be acceptable) and with tuner loads in 20, 17 and 12 meters. No way to use this antenna in 7MHz and less. The foto below shows me (left) and Nico "The President" IZ8KTL (right) near antenna, tuner and FT-817 in /P. Many nice QSO with european hams. (TNX to Carmine IK8GYQ for photo)


I've built a more stable support for my whip, I'll show it soon! Stay tuned.