back to radio... the AxeMite

Recently a book was obtained, "More QRP Power", which proved itself being a source of inspiration.
The design I'd seen on the internet before, but now, RockMite and HiMite really jumped at me.
Being myself an occasional user of straight-keys, I miss this opportunity in Dave's design. Additionally I personally could appreciate a CQ-routine performed by the micro-controller. I agree, it would be somewhat to much to ask from a 12F509. Thus, I dropped Dave's design and kept the all over idea in mind.
It seems appealing to me to use HCTTLs at some stages, e.g. the oscillator (74HCT01), switches (74HCT4066) etc.
As to the functionality of the controller, this is what I believe it will be at the end:

• dit and dah ports open when powering up => iambic keyer
• dit port open, dah port closed during power-up => straight key
• dit port closed, dah port open => Vibroflex-style (short dit, undefined dah)
  
• both ports closed => ... (don't know yet, maybe keyer-speed)
• one control switch, for reversing (à la RockMite) and CQ-ing
• side-tone generated by the controller (à la RockMite)

I think, I can squeeze that into a PICAXE 08M...

Considerations about the programming:

• ElBug by the "tone" command
• straight-key side-tone by "pulseout" and "pauseus" commands
• control-button short push: reverse rit/xit
• control-button long push: CQing

The present trick about the straight-key is, that the insertion of the same will short the dah-port, thereby enabling the straight-key-mode.

As for rit/xit or tuning (à la HiMite), the PICAXE 08M opens the possibility of pseudo D/A-conversion by means of PWM. Range and digitisation is such a setup would be not the best, since of 256 different voltages can be generated. Some experimentation will be required to answer the question of the usability of such a design.

As soon as there is something to show, I will publish it on my webpage.

73 for now...

here's one to wrap your head around...

Terrapin Station - Lady With a Fan

Let my inspiration flow in token rhyme, suggesting rhythm,

That will not forsake you, till my tale is told and done. 

While the firelight's aglow, strange shadows from the flames will grow, 

Till things we've never seen will seem familiar.  

Shadows of a sailor, forming winds both foul and fair all swarm. 

Down in Carlisle, he loved a lady many years ago. 

Here beside him stands a man, a soldier from the looks of him, 

Who came through many fights, but lost at love.  

While the story teller speaks, a door within the fire creaks; 

Suddenly flies open, and a girl is standing there. 

Eyes alight, with glowing hair, all that fancy paints as fair, 

She takes her fan and throws it, in the lion's den.  

Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell? 

I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance. 

The sailor gave at least a try, the soldier being much too wise, 

Strategy was his strength, and not disaster.  

The sailor, coming out again, the lady fairly leapt at him. 

That's how it stands today. You decide if he was wise. 

The story teller makes no choice. Soon you will not hear his voice. 

His job is to shed light, and not to master.  

Since the end is never told, we pay the teller off in gold, 

In hopes he will return, but he cannot be bought or sold.  

Terrapin Station  Inspiration, move me brightly. 

Light the song with sense and color; 

Hold away despair, more than this I will not ask. 

Faced with mysteries dark and vast, statements just seem vain at last. 

Some rise, some fall, some climb, to get to Terrapin.  

Counting stars by candlelight, all are dim but one is bright; 

The spiral light of Venus, rising first and shining best, 

On, from the northwest corner, of a brand new crescent moon, 

While crickets and cicadas sing, a rare and different tune, 

Terrapin Station.  In the shadow of the moon, Terrapin Station. 

And I know we'll get there soon, Terrapin Station. 

I can't figure out, Terrapin, if it's the end or beginning, Terrapin, 

But the train's put it's brakes on, Terrapin, 

And the whistle is screaming, TERRAPIN.  

Terrapin Station - At the Siding  

While you were gone, these faces filled with darkness. 

The obvious was hidden. With nothing to believe in,  

Sullen wings of fortune beat like rain. 

You're back in Terrapin for good or ill again, for good or ill again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eeo0-1s9dZo

no time left

Sorry folks, there's just not enough day in 24 hours... Lately, I 've got a lot of reading to do, inparticular texts about legal matter, not only for my private study, also the employer wants me to further improve on my legal skills and get more involved in the juridical aspects of our work...
Well done, how to turn a physicist into a lawyer...

I hope to call out either CQ or ahoi next weekend!

73

SMD

The smd-parts came in... they were sitting in the mail-room for a few days, w/o anyone actually notifying me. Well, worked out fine at the end. Now lets see if I can to something with those... but not before the beginning of the upcoming week...

Low Pass for abt 14MHz

Not much done today, radio-wise. Removed the lowpass-filter from the low-power oscillator and gave it it's own perf-PCB. Still thinking of the keying. The un-used gates of the 74HCT00 will be used for waveform-shaping. The hottest present idea is to use a transistor as attenuator (antennuator) and have it's supply switched. I hope in this manner, TX wont draw any extra current from the stabilizer, and thus, the oscillator's frequency stability remains unharmed. That's at least the hope...

30m A1A TRX

Not much to report lately, QRL is getting me. Not only having a trainee since a few weeks, now been sent on professional training courses myself. Further, organizing two seminars... I guess, June will be a pretty radio-inactive month.

Never the less, I managed to continue building the 30m A1A TRX. So far, the RX works, sort of. Still there is one issue with an oscillating I.F.-stage (when properly tuned); slight detune helps, is no solution however.

Last night, for a change, the Suburban grabber was deactivated, since the MEPT was onair. It's 40mW created nice signals into Great Britain. No DX for me though, and, unfortunately, no other European grabber in reach has been online (ON5EX is located in my dead-zone).

Otherwhise, no further progress on:

• the 30m PSK-rig
• the 20m maritime USB-trx
• SDR
• longwave
• etc. ...

Too cold today, as to my taste, to go sailing, thus propably I will set up some VHF-stuff and hope for Es on 2m.

update QAM

As announced, the E-probe/HF3/EeeBox-combo was up and running throughout the night. we've got a superb (free) navtex-decoder, check it out http://frisnit.com/ to find out more about navtex, stations, format, etc.

This is what my computer sent to frisnit.com:

Station	Message	Type	Received (GMT+0)	Quality
P	PB76	Met warning	2009-06-03 03:43:00	100	View
T	TA87	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:20:48	100	View
T	TA06	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:19:47	100	View
T	TA86	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:18:37	100	View
T	TA90	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:15:26	100	View
T	TA91	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:14:36	100	View
T	TA92	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:13:36	100	View
T	TA93	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:12:46	100	View
T	TA95	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:11:55	100	View
T	TA99	Nav warning	2009-06-03 03:11:15	100	View
P	PA66	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:37:19	100	View
P	PA59	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:35:59	100	View
P	PE03	Met forecast	2009-06-03 02:35:28	100	View
M	MA55	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:05:38	100	View
M	MG06	Decca	2009-06-03 02:04:47	100	View
M	MA62	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:03:57	100	View
M	MA74	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:03:27	100	View
M	MA75	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:02:46	100	View
M	MA76	Nav warning	2009-06-03 02:02:24	100	View
J	JA90	Nav warning	2009-06-03 01:31:43	98	View
J	JB79	Met warning	2009-06-03 01:31:10	98	View
A	AA46	Nav warning	2009-06-03 00:08:17	96	View
A	AH43	Loran	2009-06-03 00:07:07	100	View
A	AA51	Nav warning	2009-06-03 00:06:37	100	View
A	AE10	Met forecast	2009-06-03 00:04:07	92	View
P	PA66	Nav warning	2009-06-02 22:33:08	100	View
P	PA59	Nav warning	2009-06-02 22:31:58	100	View
P	PA33	Nav warning	2009-06-02 22:31:18	100	View

QAM

Received some meteo-charts with the E-probe/HF3/EeeBox-combo....

That not only is interesting to sailors, but also to VHF-dxers... tropo is the name of the game.

This is a part of the fax transmitted by DDH3 (3855kHz). Now, finally, receiving the scheduled navtex from PBK (NCG - Netherlands Coast Guard, Ijmuiden).

Reads like this:

ZCZC PA33

NETHERLANDS COASTGUARD

NAVIGATIONAL WARNING NR. 33 021906 UTC MAY

OFF VLIELAND TSS

HYDROGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT ESTABLISHED

IN 53-18.5N 004-27.3E COVERED BY

YELLOW BUOY FL Y(5) 20S

NNNN

W

ZCZC PA59

NETHERLANDS COASTGUARD

NAVIGATIONAL WARNING NR. 59 260344 UTC MAY

PLATFORM Q8-A

52-35.7N 004-31.8E

REPORTED UNLIT

NNNN

ZCZC PA66

NETHERLANDS COASTGUARD

NAVIGATIONAL WARNING NR. 66 021249 UTC JUN

OFF VLIELAND TSS - VLIELAND NORTH TSS

NORTH GOING LANE

HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY OPERATIONS BY HRMS LUYMES

IN AN ARE BOUNDED BY

A. 53-36.3N 004-51.8E

B. 53-15.3N 004-38.4E

C. 53-17.0N 004-34.3E

D. 53-36.0N 004-48.0E

WIDE BERTH OF AT LEAST 0.5 NM REQUESTED

VESSEL IS LISTENING ON VHF CH 16 AND 13

NNNN

73!

E-probe experiments

It was an interesting day in the office, I have however not managed to get much work done, shame on me! On the other hand, I had a couple of very inspiring conversations, which will gove work a boost later that month...

Back to electro-magnetic stuff.

Since the E-probe, aka PA0RDT Mini-Whip, proved itself, today it was time see what it can and cannot do.

Thus, wired up the E-probe with the HF3/W and fire up the latter. Location of the E-probe about 2m of my server (which btw also serves as grabber and WSPR-mept) running in full swing. Expecting the worst, I tuned in the following frequencies:

1. 5450kHz RAF Volmet
2. 3866kHz DWD weather fax
3. 7880kHz DWD weather fax
4. 6075kHz DW (BC-AM)
5. 0518kHz international navtex
6. 0198kHz BBC
7. DCF77
8. 0060kHz MFS

Here's the outcome of the tests (performed between 1830z and 1900z):

1. no qrm, 57 / 59
2. no qrm, 59+
3. no qrm, 55
4. no qrm, 59++
5. no qrm, no signal (navtex is scheduled)
6. qrm 3, 26
7. qrm 4, 48
8. qrm 5

Next test, swing the E-probe out of the Farraday-cage I call my house, and here's 'm results:

1. 59+
2. 59+
3. 57
4. 59++
5. no qrm, still no TX scheduled
6. qrm 2, 36
7. qrm 4, 49
8. qrm 5

Concluding, I would like to partially confirm Roelof's experience. What longwave is concerned, and that's what PA0RDT is mainly concerned about, QRM is generated inside my Farraday-cage. Yesterday's test revealed the signals from DCF77 and MSF 60kHz could be received 59 w/o qrm on from my roofdeck.

Speaking shortwave, the story appears to be different... noise generated by my sever appears not to be an issue, signals are down, by the amount one would expect from an indoors aerial anyway.

It's about time now to setup navtex and receive some Netherlands Coast Guard (Den Helder) and some Oostende Radio.

I am confident that this test will prove positive too.

UPDATE:

It's now 2110z, using the E-probe, indoors, the HF3-RX and my EeeBox, all just about 1m apart, capturing forecasts transmitted by DDH7 (7646kHz)... RST: 559

ZCZC 478

WODL45 EDZW 022100 COR

STRONGWIND GALE STORMWARNINGS FOR SEA AREAS:

GERMAN BIGHT, WESTERN AND SOUTHERN BALTIC.

GERMAN BIGHT:

GALES NORTHWEST 17 TO 19 M/S (7 TO 8 BFT).

WESTERN BALTIC:

NEAR-GALES NORTHWEST 14 TO 16 M/S (6 TO 7 BFT).

SOUTHERN BALTIC:

NO WARNING.

COASTAL AREA WARNINGS:

STARKWIND, STURMWARNUNGEN FUER DEUTSCHE KUESTEN.

NR. 246

STURM - WARNUNG DES SEEWETTERDIENSTES HAMBURG

FUER DIE DEUTSCHE NORDSEEKUESTE

HERAUSGEGEBEN AM 02.06.2009 UM 14:00 UHR GZ.

OSTFRIESISCHE KUESTE: NORDWEST 7, DABEI BOEEN VON 9 BEAUFORT.

ELBEMUENDUNG: NORDWEST 7, DABEI BOEEN VON 9 BEAUFORT.

SEEGEBIET HELGOLAND: NORDWEST 7, DABEI BOEEN VON 9 BEAUFORT.

NORDFRIESISCHE KUESTE: NORDWEST 7 BIS 8, DABEI BOEEN VON 9

BEAUFORT.

ELBE VON HAMBURG BIS CUXHAVEN: NORDWEST 5 BIS 6, DABEI BOEEN VON

8 BEAUFORT.

NR. 230

WIND - WARNUNG DES SEEWETTERDIENSTES HAMBURG

FUER DIE DEUTSCHE OSTSEEKUESTE

HERAUSGEGEBEN AM 02.06.2009 UM 22:35 UHR GZ.

FLENSBURG BIS FEHMARN: NORDWEST 6 BIS 7 DABEI BOEEN VON 9

BEAUFORT.

OESTLICH FEHMARN BIS RUEGEN: NORDWEST 6 BIS 7 DABEI BOEEN VON 9

BEAUFORT.

OESTLICH RUEGEN: NORDWEST 6 DABEI BOEEN VON 8 BEAUFORT.

SEEWETTERDIENST HAMBURG

=

NNNN

Thus, concerning my maritime needs, the E-probe does the trick.

Tests on Navtex are still pending... I will leave the setup run through the night, some reports my have tumbled in. FAX also needs to be done. I'll try to catch the 2200z-TX from DDK3 (7880kHz).

73!

conrad

Not much to report for today. I've been to my local hardware store, actually had open today (public holiday in the better part of the EU).

Is that of any interest to radio-active people, you may ask yourself, actually it is. I bought some plumbing parts, forming the housing for PA0RDT's E-probe I built yesterday (see earlier post).

Further test, i.e. further outside my very own building, were done with great success, the next step (lifting the probe meter above my roof) will be done in near future.

Images of the project will be published on my web-page (http://www.qsl.net/dl1gsj/) in close future, promise!

Oh yeah... the title, conrad... Today, I've been ordering again. I will be going SMD with a better part of m projects, thus, SMD-components needed.

Actually, one of my side-projects is a hifer-TX (22m) built from SMD-components, powered by a SGL (solar garden light). Very likely, Europe will soon have a hifer-beacon again, solar powered... find it .... blame it one me ... There still is an off-shore-hifer-beacon in the planning. It could be the one that you may find travelling the oceans, i.e. bearings changing according to tides. I wont tell more just here, ride the waves and listen....