Radio W4KAZ Thanks for stopping by the virtual KazShack. Feel free to comment - I often approve them.
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By w4kaz, created on 2008.07.01 at 06:57:08 | last changed on 2008.07.04 at 08:56:19 | Had another great time this year. We operated as N4PY, and ran 3 stations plus a VHF rig. The daytime temps were blistering, but there was a steady hot breeze blowing and the humidity was moderate. The heavy rains waited until we were done to show up, a real stroke of good fortune.
The FD site N4YDU got us access to was outstanding. We improvised and modified plans to accommodate the realities of the site, but it has great potential.
Just like anything else – you learn by doing. The more you do something, the more you learn. So, no surprise, it is the same with Field Day. These are not really all from 2008, but they all were either discovered or re-iterated this year.
2008 FD Picayunes:
- W4MY supplied me with a real Homer Simpson “Duh-OH!” moment when he taught me how to get the insects out of the screen tent. Just take the stupid light and clamp it to something OUTSIDE the screen, shining in. Duh-OH!
- I also learned first hand that the Dunestar filters may be well worth their price. Zero interference, no noticeable impedance bump.
- Listening to 10 meters at about 0500Z(after midnight local), I was hearing ten or fifteen QRP beacons. They were not strong, but good enough for easy copy. But a ten minute interval calling CQ turned up zero Q’s.NOTE TO SELF: Even if you listen and find open paths, it is possible that no one on the other end notices.
- Wild blackberries will ripen right in front of your eyes in direct sunlight and 98 degree daytime temps. Actually, I guess they wait until you walk past, then ripen when your back is turned. Either way, they taste good if you don’t mind the seeds.
- A FD site with wild blackberries pays dividends. Not very big, but nice and sweet.
- A Vee beam with 200 ft legs is big. A Vee beam with 266 ft legs is bigger. Crossed dipoles are easier.
- It’s a challenge to get a line over an exact branch when the winds are gusting. Doing it in one shot is cause for celebration.
- Denim jeans will soon be soaked through, heavy, and clinging with perspiration in 98 degrees/60% humidity conditions. But they make negotiating fields of tall grass, wild blackberries, and poison ivy navigable. Not so much fun in shorts. Wear the jeans and drink more water – and be thankful the wind was blowing and the humidity wasn’t higher.
- A slight rise in the terrain topped with a loose cluster of shady trees makes an outstanding FD station site.
- Three hours of sleep is better than zero hours of sleep.
- Drink more water.
- Moving up to 3A from 2A added a lot to the set up work load, but not a lot to the score.
By w4kaz, created on 2008.06.13 at 08:06:40 | last changed on 2008.06.10 at 12:49:19 | I was browsing through some of the back issues of club newsletters, and ran across the YCCC tribute to W1PL, SK in the February issue of the Scuttlebutt. Despite an early life filled with adversity, W1PL must have found happiness in the latter part of his life. He sure seems to have earned a good life. He sounds like a man whom I would have enjoyed knowing.
Appreciate what you have.
By w4kaz, created on 2008.06.12 at 06:24:53 | last changed on 2008.08.01 at 06:48:45 | NS3T reports that there has been at least one group(WRTC 2010) who have taken the position that using a spotting robot is getting assistance. What amazes me so far is that the opinion is not more widespread. I guess the “anything goes” interpretation is just something I’ve not been able to digest.
In the sidebar on the same page Jamie also reports that the California Qso Party hasactuallymade rules changes to restrict the use of internet chat rooms, etc. to the multi-single class. CAQP does not have an SOA class. Bravo. But no decision yet on Skimmer.
I suppose it is all moot anyway, because the folks who advocate “no rules” may well be the group most likely to disregard the rules anyway. It is certainly all moot to me, as I expect to operate at home as always – no spots, no skimmer. Just a kid with a radio having fun. If I were to ever even get close to a decent score, it will just mean more to me then. But given my station and skills limitations, a competitive score is still just a goal for the future. Let the Big Dawgs chew each others tails off. My input is irrelevant to them, and their windmill tilting is irrelevant to me.
I guess what really bugs me is the parsing of the meaning of the word “is”. I’ve never bought into the ‘roadblock to progress’ bull crap. Anybody that wants to experiment can do so at their leisure. There is no real impediment to experimentation with any new technology or method. Certainly nothing so esoteric as the classification of a contest entry. It undermines their argument completely. Just don’t claim you have “won” if you are using a technique no one else is using. If I bring a motorcycle to a horse race, I’ll improve my odds of getting to the finish line first. But did I “win”?
Actually, the very fact that there is an argument sort of takes the sheen off the idea of contest operating. If it weren’t so damn much fun I would be having doubts. The truth is, a couple thousand more robots on the air might help give me a lot more practice. I’m certainly not doing it for the plaques I’m not even close to winning.
It seems to me the contest sponsors have both dropped the ball and set a bad precedent by failing to act. Does it really take six months to parse the meaning of “is”? The long period of hesitation only serves to give tacit approval. By avoiding action that will piss early adopters off now, they will only piss off those with the opposite view more if they reverse course later.
The genie is out of the bottle – but neither CW Skimmer nor any other technology is the genie. It’s the precedent set by contest sponsors refusing to “man up” and make a decision, whatever that decision might be. A ruling won’t stop those who would cheat – but the cheaters need to “man up” too, aina?
So a big thumbs up to RA3AUU and the WRTC for having enough testicles to decide.
By w4kaz, created on 2008.06.11 at 07:07:09 | last changed on 2008.06.11 at 07:25:13 | Well, one way or other the next year will be interesting. The sunspot predictions will be tested against the actual data, and two competing sunspot models will have more data to use for future predictions. In another couple ofmillenniathey will have enough data to make their predictions with a confidence level higher than 50%.
The plotted progression data should soon start to diverge from one or both of the predictions. It’s a shame the data takes so long to collect, because it is a fascinating subject area. And right now, the data is taking even longer to collect than normal. Favoring the lower prediction maybe?
If the higher peak numbers are going to come, I’d expect the spots to start ramping up pretty soon, although we are still well within the averages for the lengths of a cycle. I wonder if there are any trends from the data following longer-than-normal minimums, or longer-than-normal cycles? Hmm.
As the kids would say, “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
“Be patient kiddo. It will only take a couple thousand years to get the data we need.”
By w4kaz, created on 2008.06.04 at 06:44:19 | last changed on 2010.10.27 at 13:06:18 | I had hoped to spend more time on the air in CQ WPX CW, but the XYL had reached the melting point on getting the bedroom painted. So the contest was shot from the git-go, ‘cuz I knew I’d be too tired from moving the furniture, painting, etc.
I did spend a few 30 minute breaks twirling the knob on the K2 during the contest. I must say, the K2 really is a good CW rig. Based on the ARRL Lab and Sherwood Engineering test numbers, it should downright blow away the FT-920 for selectivity. Not so fast there, Bandwidth Breath…..
The K2 was indeed better atseparatingthe signals, but the FT-920acquitteditself well in the head to head A/B testing. I didn’t call NT4D up to give it the full Monty acid test. When Jay fires up his Alpha within about 30kc of me, the FT-920 screams for mercy.(We are close enough neighbors to run Multi-2, we are within a 500 meter circle.) The AGC pumping makes all but the strongest signals difficult copy on the 920.
Even lacking the real acid test, it is still obvious that the K2 is a better receiver. I really am looking forward to trying it out in the ARRL 160m this winter, and FD this summer.
I have also spent a bit more time toying with the K2’s DSP filters. I need to research this area more fully. I have everything set up for both SSB and CW the way I like it to sound. After resetting the CW filter center frequencies to the side tone frequency, I am now very pleased with the DSP selections available. The SSB filters were a bit more difficult. They are easy to set, I just had difficulty deciding which sound characteristics made for easier copy.
The feature I need to research is the Noise Reduction/denoiser. Turning the NR on for CW works okay, but on SSB I find that it distorts the audio. I’m sure I have something set incorrectly.
I’m also getting more accustomed to the control function and layout. I found that the switching the filters is really the only feature I have a lot of need to change with any frequency, and that is easy.
One more caveat turned up during WPX play. The K2 seems very sensitive to high SWR situations. All of my antennas are of the resonant variety, with the exception of the Inv-L for 160m. Unfortunately, only the 80m folded dipole is resonant at the RIGHT PLACE. 🙂 (yet another project…) So until I get the autotuner, I’m using an outboard MFJ 949. I really need to tweak the 20m and 40m dipoles.
I am still missing my FT-100D – but only for its VHF/UHF capabilities. The K2 rooolz.
– more – at the K2 Impressions series
By w4kaz, created on 2008.03.24 at 05:29:06 | last changed on 2021.05.06 at 21:23:16 | Well, it turns out I have a lot of stuff to add to the FP-1023/Sec-1223 page. So much so that I’m trying to figure out a better way to organize the website for presentation of multiple related pages. It is a content management issue.
I’d like the power supply content to be more easily accessible than normal blog posts. I would just rather not get bogged down in re-programming WordPress, creating a bunch of external pages, or writing a custom WordPress plug-in. (Aughhhh! Plug-in suggestions appreciated!)
I may get to that point one day – but not now.
Until then, there are some additions coming, including some close up shots of the new PS, and an interesting article sent me by Oliver, DG7XO on a nice digital meter project. Oliver included photos of his power supply with the meter mod.
So until I get all of the content organized, here is the DG7XO meter project as a teaser.
By w4kaz, created on 2008.02.26 at 10:56:04 | last changed on 2008.02.26 at 10:56:51 | After discovering that the Samlex was so ‘very similar’ to other well known brands, I bought one to replace my dead switching supply.
I’ll need to make some updates to my FP-1023 page. The new Samlex has some changes in the output filtering section. The new supply has a toroidal inductor for L2(instead of the rod) and different, larger value capacitors for the RF bypass at the outputs.
An initial comparison and search for birdies turned up very little, and nothing of concern, compared to the loaner Astron RS-35. The switcher had a few more birdies on 15m and 10m, but actually had NO birdies on 40m, while the Astron had three or four(one significant). Most of the other birdies were consistently present with either supply.
I plan to put the supply under load(i.e., the second radio transmitting into a dummy load), and hunt for birdies under load. After that, I’ll update the page, including photos of the new parts layout.
By w4kaz, created on 2008.01.26 at 13:24:08 | last changed on 2008.01.26 at 13:24:08 | I ran across this article on making progress. It seemed so accurate, I thought I’d put a link to it here. It does seem to apply to all facets of life, aina?
I’ve come to realize that side-walk superintending is one of mankind’s vices. But I like to think I’m learning how to stifle my own tendencies towards it.
By w4kaz, created on 2008.01.23 at 09:51:13 | last changed on 2008.01.23 at 12:24:35 | I suppose there is a technical reason for this to be true, but why do so many of the modern day ’12 volt’ radios actually require 13.8 volts to function?
I suppose their specifications all clearly state 13.8 volts+/-, but it sure would be nice if you could actually use the radio from an ordinary automobile car battery. I know it would sure would make life easier in a genuine emergency situation. Running the car just to maintain voltage is a waste of fuel. It sure would make things easier for quick and dirty portable operating too, and certainly be good for camping and Field Day.
I know there are radios out there that are tolerant of lower voltages. Elecraft comes immediately to mind. A couple of years back, I watched N4YDU belt out ten or so Field Day QSO’s on a TenTec Scout using a battery that was straining to supply 11 volts(ur rst 592 om…). The problem is, I didn’t realize it was a problem I should address until I already had the other radios. I have only myself to blame for not educating myself sooner. Yet another reason to go Elecraft.
As always “Age and guile beat youth and a bad haircut”(hat tip P.J. O’Rourke).
By w4kaz, created on 2008.01.18 at 13:48:09 | last changed on 2008.01.18 at 15:15:01 | After a bit of internet digging, and a few helpful e-mails, I turned up references to the website of N0SS. Tom’s web site is a trove of good advice on a variety of things. One of those things is the Samlex 1223 switching power supply. It just so happens that the Yaesu FP-1023 is a re-branded Samlex(i.e., made for Yaesu by Samlex).
I have put together a separate page to document some of this power supply information. That page will be updated as new info rolls in. Enough said here for now.
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