Meteor Scatter with the TS-990 - Are you sure?

Well,

Fiddling around in the shack this morning and I thought I would share with you a video of the TS-990 being used in conjunction with Gemini 4 linear for Meteor Scatter in JT6M mode.

Local conditions.

More CQ on them there Meteor Trails

Well,

Further to my earlier post, I found after about 8 or so TXs on JT6M, my linear was tripping out due to "over temp" today.

I dropped an email to the DX Shop:

http://www.thedxshop.com/

And within about 5 mins I had a very helpful reply!

Under instruction from the manufacturers I have adjusted the trip level. This involved removing the cover of the amplifier, wow, what neat construction:

Here's Freddie, who seems to be resting in a plant pot today:

Impressive, egh?

CQ on them there Meteor trails

Wel,,

Been fiddling around this morning in the shack and doing some MS on 50MHz.I do this from time to time:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/meteor-scatter-you-cant-be-serious.html

I thought you might be interested to see the setup operating, so have made this very rough and ready video:

My Nixie clock is about right but and the video quality is rubbish, you'll get the idea. I'm calling on 50.230 and listening on 50.245 (so I am calling CQ 245 G0MGX).

Fun egh?

Say something then!

Well,

A while since I have posted; primarily because I am spending far too much time in foreign parts for my employer, rather than playing for me!

Anyhow, been rummaging around in the shack today and finally got round to configuring my MS station for 6M and 4M.

I have the antenna I put up back here for both bands:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/thatll-never-work-will-it.html

And today I have got the digital interface working to my satisfaction into the FT-847:

You will see that I have used a SignaLink USB thingamabob to connect the radio to the PC:

http://www.tigertronics.com/slusbmain.htm

Now, the FT-847 has caused me a load of trouble in the past when dealing with digital modes; primarily in an unsatisfactory delay going back from TX into RX again. I have always interfaced the radio like this:

So here the PTT is combined with an audio line which is then decoupled using the capacitor you see in the graphic above.

This time I have interfaced into the Mic socket and used the PTT and audio in feeds available there:

Now, further inspection of the FT-847 manual today, and I find this:

which looks infinitely more sensible again!

So, I may yet change things once more to enable an easy switch between digital and voice operation.

I'm still using the amplifier I bought from Linear Amp (the DX Shop):

I'm scared stupid I'm going to overdrive this amplifier; I would like to find a way to restrict the output of the 847 permanently to 25W - any suggestions? I may well ask the question on the appropriate owners forum.

Fun egh?

Weighing scales? No, Meter Scales!

Well,

No after all the effort and learning that went into the 4M and 6M linear, I finally decided that I either needed to invest some money in all the correct bits to make one properly, or I needed to buy something. I ended up purchasing this:

The unit is currently propped up by an old computer and stuck on the floor - the amplifier seems to be a most excellent piece of equipment; I have had mine configured for 25W of drive and I am getting the expected levels of RF out on both 50MHz and 70MHz i.e. just over 300W.

I wanted to have a good power meter on the back end of the amplifier, but didn't want to make another one like my proper homebrew meter from here:

http://g0mgx.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/scaling-heights-of-power.html

so I ended up creating a new scale for one of my mechanical meters I have. I haven't changed any of the internal workings jut made a scale with the numbers on that I wanted; n the high power range before you had to double the reading on the scale and the original scale was also very cluttered with a number of different number sets, here's the new one:

Its printed well and looks great in the meter. I am very pleased with the result - this has been created using software by Tonne Software:

http://tonnesoftware.com/

So all in all it's looking just great.

Good, egh?