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Messages - Andywragg

#31
Cell voltages recover slightly when you take the load off.

Mine have arrived, not so many as I expected the ones in the advert appear to be the kind with 6-8 cells, as these packs are all 4S (rather than 3S2P or 4S2P) but they all appear to be at least 2500mAH so as long as I can get some usable ones out of them I'll be happy.

I'll take a look at that BMS.


#32
My Job lot of 10 HP laptop batteries arrives today. Let's see how many good cells I can harvest.

BTW what BMS is that?
#33
Technical Corner / Re: Armored BitX40.
May 02, 2018, 08:47:01 AM
I've had the uBITX for some time now (just over a month) and have yet to make a start on it. I bought a pair of those plastic Banggood enclosures dirt cheap and started to mark out ready for cutting the face and rear plates but have had a change of heart and ordered one of those custom uBITX cases from India. $60 inc shipping for a pre-cut/drilled, painted grey aluminium case (note the correct spelling folks LOL) with a few extra connectivity bits included. Hopefully it should be here within a fortnight.
#35
Hi and Welcome.

I'm in IO93 (South East Sheffield) I tried my NVIS  X-Pole (2 inverted V dipoles at 90 deg to each other) last weekend and didn't get 1 contact all afternoon. I'm using an old military design for the antenna with the centre/balun at 15feet AGL. The dipole wires are cut for 25' (40m) and 37' (80m), 4 wires in total. The radio is a Yaesu FT-817. The trouble with NVIS is that any receiving station also has to be working NVIS propagation to pick you up - or so I've been led to believe. 

Maybe we could work on a sched to try and establish a net. The trouble with 40m is that it's very popular with contesters at weekends and trying to find a clear frequency is a challenge to say the least. I found 80m to be really quiet from a noise/QRN POV.
#36
What it says on the tin guys. I have come into a little money and would like to get a panel for my radio and other tech. Does anyone here have any experience with Kingsolar products?
#37
So has the challenge been set yet or am I having an (early) senior moment?
#38
Digital Modes / Re: FT8 digital comms mode
April 10, 2018, 06:06:38 AM
Hi Gil,

It's installed I have yet to try it out though (APRS Messenger). BTW, all of my observed landfall so far has been well past your QTH, I only just got France in the log last night but that was JN23WD. I'm not finished testing the shorter bands (17m and up) so hopefully that might yield some shorter contacts. 

Finland on the other hand is well within my sights and I've already worked an OH station, just not the RIGHT OH station.....
#39
Digital Modes / Re: FT8 digital comms mode
April 10, 2018, 05:41:37 AM
Now I've proven my QTH installation after several days of successful FT-8 operation I'm going to have a go at one of the live chat modes.  I found FT-8 very useful in being able to spot the landfall of my signals (using PSFKReporter), using a couple of bands at different times of day. And in establishing contact with other stations but as you say we need to be able to pass more information than location and signal reports.

Rather than ruling out any 1 mode I think using a combination of (for instance) FT-8 to establish a net  (probably to a prearranged sched) followed by a period of time passing live traffic using a live chat mode, would work to some degree.
#40
A fellow club member has loaned me a data cable and I was using FT-8 for the first time last night. I only managed to QSO once in 2 hours but my reception report shows my signals were making it across the pond as far as Tampa FLA to the west and Novgorod, Russia to the East. I was heard in the Azores and the Canaries as well.

The down side is that even on 10W my TX is knocking out my VDSL connection - The teenage gamer (my soon to be 16YO son) was jumping up and down livid.
#41
Cheers Gil,

I'm so happy. I've just spent the last 3 days engineering the shack for the ft450. I've installed a cable duct through the wall, an RF ground system (using rg-8 coax and a capacitor as I'm on the 1st floor) and just today put up a horizontal delta beam (with a dipped nose) and got my first HF contact from the QTH to a station in Russia RW1F.

Once I get my server psu commissioned for use i'll be able to tell you as it will have a watt meter built in.
#42
For those interested in the Hobbyking Zippy packs, I've had one for some time and have just ordered another. I'm using the 4200mAH 4S 30C LiFEPO4 packs, and charge using the UMAX B6 charger, with the built in balance port. If I get chance this weekend, I hope to get out and do some field radio tests using my existing pack and a borrowed FT-817.
#43
General Discussion / Re: Yaesu FT-891
March 28, 2018, 11:26:24 AM
Hi guys,

Sorry to break into the conversation. I'm keen to explore the possibilities of using LiFePO4 battery packs designed for RC use, in field radio scenarios.
I've already successfully tested my Leixen vv898S with a 30C 4200mAH pack, although this did not include prolonged operation to determine pack life unassisted (that's next on the list of things to do). I'm keen to understand what I'll need to include to get to a similar position to your QRP rig Joel. Maybe a smaller BMS and then the small Powerfilm panel with a charge controller.

Once my uBITX is constructed I'll be adding this to my man portable station gear as well, so I have capability across most bands (Except 160, 6 and 4m) in some capacity.   
#44
Hi Guys,

Finally I have a decent HF (+6m) base/portable radio system to use. I picked up a used FT450AT from the radio club last night. One of the old members has been silent key for 6 years and the surviving family have been meaning to clear the shack ever since. I had been told it was just a FT450 but on collection from the family it turned out to have had the AT fitted as well. It's in great condition as it hasn't been used much since 2007 (it wasn't used for nearly 2 years before the poor chap went SK). I've paid £250 for it in it's original box, with power cable and standard mic.

Just need to sort out a permanent place for it in my shack now, plus create a cable duct trough the outside wall, and install an RF earth link to the patio outside. Going to use a piece of RG8 shorted at the earth end with a 0.02uf 1KV capacitor at the other end to prevent the earth link radiating. I also need to put up a horizontal delta loop to use as the antenna. Going to be a busy easter weekend.
#45
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 16, 2018, 05:19:38 AM
How will you be soldering this Gil. Hot air or iron tip?