New amp part 3.

More photos of the next step of the build.

Just a few photos of the 23 Cm's transceiver project, and amp.
The amp has been mounted onto the heatsink, and it has now become the back panel.

In the photos you can see a very rough placement of the TX board, coaxial relay, and dc distribution board. Also a couple of different fan sizes, and what ones to use. A test will be done to see which fan size will work best and / or be practical, the smaller ones seem to be the favourites before testing. As you see by one photo it was not all work on this night of construction.

New amp part 2.

Just a few photos of the next stage of my latest build.
In the photos, you can see that the large heatsink has been cut to fit the project box.

I decided not to use the original back panel, but instead to use the heatsink as the back panel, this of course would cause it's own problems in mounting the aerial socket, dc, audio, and video sockets. At the time the photos were taken, I just had the aerial and a gland for the dc lead fitted. In the photo below left, you can just  see

the n-type socket.



New 20 Watt amp for 1.2 GHz. Part 1.

The following pictures are the start of a project I am undertaking .

I plan to house a 20 watt amp for 1.2 GHz into a project box, incorporating a transmitting and a receiving board, and also a monitor.This unit would mostly be used /m and /p.

The photo's shown below are some  of the various heatsink's I am testing to see which one is the most efficient to use with the amp to keep it cool, as it would not last more than a few moments without one. I would be also adding some 12v fans to aide the cooling process. The smaller block of aluminium was of no use for this project, as after less than 3 minutes, the temp rose to over 43deg.
 The larger heat sink turned out to be the one to use, as it was not a solid block like the other one, it had many fins on it, and was able to dissipate the heat quickly due to it's surface area. Speaking of heatsinks, I did not realise that subject was an art of its own.   I will add more info and photo's when I do a bit more construction.

Testing first heatsink.

Temp after 3 minutes

on first heatsink.

Testing second heatsink

Power output
20 watts.

Temp after 30 minutes
on second heatsink.

Current used by amp,and driver.

Large heat sink temp
after 30 mins (48 deg )
15 deg higher than temp of amp.

The HX Files 011

Hello and welcome to X-tract 11

of theHXfiles.

As I write this file it has been only a couple of weeks since the rally in Germany and I am still sorting out (the bills) the bits and pieces I bought at the Friedrichshafen show in June. As well as the many fittings that I bought, I also bought a 30 cms wide dish for 10GHz, (good for some local work) and a 20w amp for 23cms ATV. So, that will be another project to work on in the future for the /portable shack or/mobile.

Out, and about.

Photo 1

Since the last HX files I have been out and about with Mark EI9FX doing a bit of portable ATV on 10 GHz. Before I went /p, I went to Mark’s home to line up our sat receiver’s and to give the rest of the gear the once over to make sure that everything was still working after the last time they were used. As all of you portable operators know, it can be very easy to damage your gear from all the assembling and dismantling of the station. So a check up before you go could save yourself a wasted journey, after all just because the equipment was working when you packed it away, it may have been damaged in transit or even in your store room.

Photo 2

Attenuation, attenuation.
The first test to be done was for me to transmit from one end of the Mark’s garage
to the other. We used Mark’s 10 GHz Tx/Rx on receive mode. My first Tx was using a transition, which also had 12db of attenuation on it, see photo 3 above the 20 cent piece, as we did not want to be nuking our self’s. For the next test I got a 12v battery and I set up my station 30m from Mark’s station, and the third test was 200m.

I attached a small horn aerial belonging to Mark to the transition, and it did not matter where I pointed the aerial we got the same p5 results still with the attenuation attached. We then repeated the test with Mark’s 10 GHz doing Txing. And after all those test were done, it was time to find out if we could pack all the gear away before Pauline (Mark’s XYL ) would have the toasted sandwiches and tea made. I am happy to report that Pauline won, as the tea and grub were on the table when we went into the kitchen.

Photo 3

It was after 2300 when I was about to leave Mark’s QTH, and as I had all the gear in the car I asked Mark about a site I could operate from that was not too far away and that was handy for me to get to as I was unfamiliar with the area around his house. Mark knew of a spot that was on a small hill over 4 miles (7’ish km) from his home and we both knew that we would not be setting any records at that distance, but we had to start some were. After setting up the portable gear in the car, I used the transition with the horn aerial, and the attenuation still attached.I did not use any hi-tec stand, I opened the window of the car to a suitable level, and with the aerial and my hand resting on the window, I took aim roughly at Mark’s home, I gave him a call on 2m and as arranged he got his son Darren to turn the flash lamp on and off in the window of the shack he had set up upstairs in the east wing of his home. I turned on the rig, and after 2 or 3 seconds, (yes seconds, because we knew before we had even started to transmit each

Modded LNB's
with wave guide type on left

others location) Mark received my signal P5; I could turn the aerial almost 45 deg off Mark before my signal went to a P2. Mark’s report was so good I decided to remove the aerial from the transition, after I had turned the rig off first. When I transmitted again there was no difference in the quality of the pictures Mark was receiving. I was using a camcorder with a tape in it playing a previous event that was recorded earlier as this would give a better picture than a live one as the camcorder I was using on the night had not got an infrared option. Later on, after a couple of more tests ,and for the grand finale, I used the slot antenna you can see in photo 3. I used the ever popular cable ties to secure the aerial and transition to the roof rack. (no expense spared here). I then placed the camera on the dash of the car using some sticky back Velcro, and then using the lights of the car, Mark could then see the road ahead of me, and with the lights of the car turned off, (I had stopped the car at this time) he could make out the lights on the M1 motorway and that of Dundalk in the distance. Equipment used. Both Mark and I used the same type of transmitters for our tests. In the upstairs room Mark used a 40 cms dish first for receiving and he then switched to just an LNB, (photo 2), when we saw how strong the signal was. TX power was 500mw reduced down with 12db attenuation to around 30mw when we were in Mark’s garage. That is still very strong RF power in a confined space and with the chance of reflected power so we took care that we were not in the firing line of the RF. In photo 1 you can see the equipment I

used on the night; the picture was taken with the cables removed.

And finally…....

Many thanks yet again, to Thos (EI2JD) for taking the photos for me.

And may all your signals be P5.

73’s Pat.

The HX Files 010

Hello and welcome to excerpt 010 of the HX files.

AGM.

Photo 1

Many thanks to the people that came over to the I.R.T.S. stand to chat to me about the HX files and microwave in general, (and also to pay their subs). I was displaying some microwave gear at the MICROmax stand at the I.R.T.S. AGM and rally, which was hosted, and ran, by the Dundalk Amateur Radio Society. Whilst I spent the rally at the I.R.T.S. stand, my fellow microwaver’s, Michael EI5GG and Mark EI9FX had a brilliant day they told me, with many people talking about the display and asking them plenty of questions about the GHz bands and taking picturesof the many aerials and fittings on display. I am sure they gave people sound advice on the items displayed and

on the microwave bands.

Amateuring?.

Photo 2

At last the good (ish) weather is here and the clocks have gone forward, so now there is more daylight to go out and play portable radio. After doing a bit more of portable amateuring with ATV (well as we are no longer experimenters, we must now be amateuring and not experimenting), I decided to make some sort of portable bench so that when I get to a site I could have a sturdy piece of kit and I could be sitting outside and not in the car with cables all over the place. As I mentioned in the last Echo Ireland I first made a bench out of a combination of plywood and MDF but that unit was quite heavy, even before I put the gear on it so that unit was used for something else, (to light the fire). A couple of weeks later I was in a hardware store (Homebase) looking for something else (as is the way) and I came across a foldable aluminium platform. (€38.00).When folded it measures 160mm high and 500 mm high in use. The platform itself measures 300 mm x 690 mm. The platform top is made of 3 aluminium strips with a gap between them and I decided to use the gaps to fasten a length of wood on top, and with the wood held in place I would fix the ATV gear to the wood and I should have a nice piece of /portable equipment ready at a moments notice and with a cover over it I would be ready to protect the equipment in the unlikely event that some rain would fall in the summer. Photo 1, shows the platform as it comes from the store and photo 2, shows the finished bench unit.

Photo 3

Storage.

I made a seat out of plywood, and it is not just a seat, the top is hinged and it is used as a parts holder for extra fittings, cables and spares. I guess you know what a wooden box looks like so there is no photo of that, (I forgot to bring it to the photo studio).

In photo 3 you can see the 1.2 GHz transceiver and also an old analogue sat receiver and an inverter to turn my 12 volts dc to 240 volts ac. This will run the sat receiver which will be used as the main 10 GHz Rx, and a backup 1.2 GHz Rx. It is a bit mixed up at the moment but after a few portable outings it will be sorted out.

And finally.

Thanks yet again to Thos EI-2-JD for taking the pictures for me.

73’s to you all,

Pat, EI2HX.

The HX Files 009

Hello and welcome to excerpt 009 of the HX files.

Last time.

Photo 1

In the last issue of Echo Ireland I showed you the 23cms Tx/Rx unit attached to an aerial. Photo 1, was taken of the near finished unit with cables and control box. The way the control box is made I can easily add some extra cable if I want to use it portable instead of mobile, at the moment the cable is long enough to reach from the roof rack to the inside of the car where the switching can be done safely, as you would not want the cables wrapping around the steering wheel and/or the gear lever.

Photo 2

I am sure some of the /mobile amateurs amongst us have had a scare or two with the microphone cable wrapping around them. I am sure you all have the “hands free” ones fitted now. I would be thinking of perhaps a bit more power for the portable use, I will have to wait and see what I get at the rallies. In photo 2, you can see the Tx/Rx switching unit sitting on top of the transceiver and in photo 3 below left, you can see some of the aerials I can use with the transceiver whether I go portable or mobile. The middle and bottom aerials are Slot aerials ,the middle one has some heat shrink covering the aerial, and the bottom one has no covering on it so that you can see the “Slot “. The Slot aerials come with just a high tech length of white waste pipe with a bung on top to keep the rain out. In photo 4, you can see some of the different brackets and fittings I can use to bolt the transceiver on the roof rack or a pole.

Portable.

With the weather getting better (it was when I was writing this) and the days getting longer it’s time to think of going portable. I will be getting out the portable 1.2.GHz gear and 10 GHz transceiver, dish and the tripod in photo 5, bottom left.

Photo 4

Photo 5

The first job to do was to knock the dust and cobwebs off the gear, and to try them out at home, even if they were working when you stored them you never know what might happen when they are left idle and trying them at home is better than setting up portable and finding out that you have a fault or two. Last year I used a small generator (1 kw) and I decided this year to experiment (amateur does not sound the same) and use a dc to dc converter as they are small and thus less weight and space. This dc to dc would only be powering an old analogue satellite receiver and bringing the generator would also mean bringing a petrol can, mains lead and the more you bring (the more you could forget ) and the time that can be lost setting up and having fun. I am trying to find a small platform stand like your local hardware may have but with no luck yet, as I could use it as a portable bench and storage case.

I did make one out of MDF but I found this heavy and the MDF would split even with little use and the right screws used, and also swelled in our slightly moist weather,
There is no photo of that prototype as I got a night of heat in the fire with it.
And finally.
Thanks yet again to the photo studio of Thos EI2JD.
I hope to see you all at the I.R.T.S. dinner and AGM in Dundalk on
the 24th & 25th of April,
Best 73 de Pat EI2HX

The HX Files 008

Hello and welcome to excerpt 008 of the Hx files.

I hope you had a good Christmas and Santa was good to you.
(I won the Lotto, so you can all go and……. ).

Firstly, I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

Stocktaking
As it is a new year, I said that I would do an inventory of my

Photo 1

ATV stock so I would have an idea of how much I have and try not to have too many of the same things. You would be surprised that you could forget just how many Tx or Rx or relays you have and as some of the gear is small, some could be lost in my stockroom. (filing cabinet and cardboard boxes). The first thing I did was to buy some good containers that would protect the stock and if the containers were transparent I

Photo 2

could see at a glance what I had. The ones I used I bought from Maplin and they could be stacked. So over the Christmas holidays I did some stocktaking and I had to decide when is enough, enough?. It’s amazing when you have a stocktake just how much you can accumulate and how much you have spent on your stores department. Just look at the coaxial plugs you have,aerials, brackets ,the spare lengths of coax, to name but a few.(although I know a few radio amateurs that don’t even have a spare fuse) .I am all for having spares, as with the ATV end of my hobby if I need some parts it’s nice to go to the spare parts department and not have to go online, order the parts and wait for the postman to arrive with your goodies. By the time the parts arrive you probably have moved on to another project and more than likely used the parts from the first project.

It is nice to have a project or two on the go to keep you up to date, but the parts I have should keep me going to the end of the world, 2012 , I enjoyed that film the CGI (special effects) were great , anyway I digress .
Projects

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Photo 3

The first project of the New Year was to build some gear that was of multi use so that I could use it on a couple of different projects and as I had a few spares lying around I had all the parts I needed.I decided to make a drive unit that had could transmit on 3 bands, 1.2, 2.4 , and 10 GHz bands. I decided to make it receive also, then I could get as much as I could in the size of the unit and it would be a handy item for portable or mobile use. The metal I used was from an old tower PC and if I cut it right I would be left with a good finish from the coated pc metal case. As I mentioned in a previous file,

scrapped PC’s are a great source of small brackets and nut’s and bolt’s.
Photo 1, shows the hardboard template of the front panel fitted with the Tx/Rx units. When I was happy with that I used it to scribe a line on the metal and then I was able to

Photo 4

cut it out using the various tools I mentioned in the last Echo Ireland.In photo 2 you can see prototype 002 (001 did not fare out too well,see photo 3).The metal was bent into a U shape and some of the entry and exit holes for the various leads and connections plus the shelves/brackets that hold the various Tx/Rx boards are in place.Photo 4 shows the finished project and you can also see that I have left some space for some add-ons, because you never know what’s around the corner.This little unit will serve as a test
Rx and Tx driver. In photo 5 you can see another little project I have almost finished. It
will be by the time you read this (I hope). The photo was taken without the wiring harness. It will be a 50mw Tx and Rx unit and as it is attached directly to the

Photo 5

aerial and feed with a multi core cable made up for audio, video and 12v + /- power for the relay and the Tx/Rx unit. I used a good quality sealing compound to keep out water and to bond the box to the boom of the aerial. When I decide to upgrade the power I will need a bigger project box as I have a small 2 watt amp to install at a later date.

The 50mw Tx/Rx unit will do for sending a signal to a close contact like Tony EI4DIB who lives around 500 meters from me and Mark EI9FX who lives a few kilometres who would be my DX contact on the 50mw.

And finally…….
Many thanks yet again to Thos EI2JD for taking the photos for me. I hope to see you at the first rally of the year in Dublin on Feb 14th. What a day to bring your nearest and dearest to a rally and show her or him the other love of your life, as long as they
don’t see the prices.

73 and may all your signals be P5de Pat EI2HX.

The HX Files 007

Big tools and small tools.


Now that I have got your attention , Hello and welcome to excerpt 007 of the HX-files .

I would like to take some time to talk about some construction tools I have used when making some front panels and/or boxes (and covering my mistakes).
Safety first.

As with all tools you should always take care and wear the appropriate safety gear. Some people may laugh at you , but if anything happened they would be the first to say that you are old enough to know better and you should have worn some safety gear.

What to buy.

What tools to buy when you start on home constructing is a tough one, as with test gear you don’t want to spend a fortune on something you only use once in a blue moon.The first item I bought was a small bench  vice (photo 1 on right ). It has jaws that are 10cms (4 inches in old money). This could not only be used for holding items but I also use it

for bending metal pieces to give a straight edge when I was making a panel or box. I also use two pieces of angle in the jaws of the vice to give me more of a surface area to bend a bigger piece of metal. The jaws are each held on by a couple of screws and it is easy to change them to put on the angle instead of the original jaws which have a milled face for grip and would mark the surface of your work piece. (Some of you may remember the bench vice from your woodwork classes where you could replace the jaws) .

Measuring, marking and hole cutting .

 In photo 2 above left,you can see some marking tools I use mostly for marking out projects. Two items not in photo 2 are some masking tape and a pencil . With the tape you can cover the panel for marking it out and to protect it .In all but the simplest of projects I have worked on, I have always made a template ofthe front panel in either card or hardboard, as it can be hard to get (if not impossible) a replacement panel if a mistake is made .What I do is take a trip to the local recycling centre and go to the spot that they keep the computers and ask for the panels off them. Then I can cut the panels down to a more manageable size and later log them into the stores department (the shed). 

Photo 3, above right, is of some hole cutters.The ones at the top require a pilot hole first and then you place the bolt through the outer part and the inner one is treaded so when you tighten the bolt it pulls the two parts together and through the panel and leaves a smooth finish. The ones at the bottom use a drill bit in the centre but when the hole is made the edges are rough and would need filing for a smooth finish. Depending on the size of the hole you need you could get away with a drill bit and file it out the size you require. You could also try a drill bit called a cone cutter. They are a tapered drill bit normally from 3mm to 25mm,but there are other sizes , Some are also stepped every few mm, this is the type I like as you have the steps to stop you going too large. As with the other type it could beto easy togo to large andyou may have dip into your spaes department.

Files.

As with all tools you can buy Rolls Royce or Morris Minorquality. You could do worse than going to the likes of your nearest Aldi/Lidl when they have their hardware sales (but as with everything else, you get what you pay for and it pays to get the best you can afford). Photo 4 is of some files that I use and of course you have to take care when filing not to turn that circle into an oval. If that happens it could ruin your work as the hole becomes to big for use, unless you can go up to the next size up of switch or led . (it pays to have some spare parts) .

Various sizes of LED's

And finally…..

Thanks to the Thos EI2JD photo studio again for taking the picturesfor me.

Also, I would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year and that all the bargains you get at therallies in 2010 work .

May all your signals be P5 .

73 from Pat EI-2-HX.

The HX Files 006

Hello and welcome to excerpt 006 from my files.

35 el Tonna and 10m telescopic mast and base.

 This time we have a look at portable operation. The first thing you do when planning a

portable operation is make a list . Just ask anyone that has gone portable if they had forgotten anything the first time they went out . When you have make up your list, how

about doing a dummy run and set up the portable station out in your garden,
 (see photo 1 on the right ) as if it was miles from home to see if you have forgotten anything.
You don’t have to erect anything just lay it all on the ground and see would you

have a working station if it all was connected. My first foray into ATV/P was not perfect (gosh!) as I had forgotten a couple of SMA to N adaptors but as I was only a

Photo 4.

couple of kilometres from my home a quick dash there and back (after having to put some of the gear back into the car) and I was able to keep my skeds with the late Dermot EI2AK, Michael EI5GG and Mark EI9FX. I could have easily been kilometres away and that would not have been a good thing and it could have put an end to that portable event . At the time photo number 1 was taken I had only one 1.2 GHz Tx and Rx unit and I was scared that anything would happen to them. As they had the SMA connectors on them also I had to be careful not to damage the threads on them with all the disconnecting and reconnecting going from home to /portable . As I mentioned in an earlier file I put them into a couple of project boxes to keep them safer and dry, just in case it would rain while I was out and about . In photo number 1 you can see the 35 element Tonna for 1.2 GHz on the mast before it can be raised it to its full height of 10 meters. Photo 4 shows it up the full height.If you go to the Dundalk A.R.S. web site (ei7dar.com) you can see some video of a test I did with some of my portable ATV gear with Derek EI7CHB and Mark EI9FX from outside the home of Thos EI2JD in Clogherhead. In that video you can see the 35 element Tonna mounted on a 3 metre mast with the Rx unit attached direct to the Tonna and the dc and audio/video cables hanging loose from the Rx unit. (Also visible is the monitor which was a portable DVD

 Photo 2. 1.2.GHz Transceiver & monitor

player that I bought as a monitor only as the DVD player was broken).You can also see a 1.2 GHz Rx (purchased from G1MFG). It is a self contained unit with a frequency display.Photo numbers 2 and 3 show a couple of new 1.2 GHz ATV Tx/Rx units I am
working on at the moment that will cut down on the amount of cables and leads Ihave been using and it will mean I will have a self-contained unit and not havehalf a dozen bits to wrap up for portable work. (And not having the inside of the car looking like someone threw a pot of spaghetti over the seats).

Photo 2 above, is of a 2 watt Tx/Rx that is up and running and photo 3 on the left is of a 20’ish watt Tx/Rx that has a few more hours left on it before being completed .I find going portable great fun ,even in the bad weather (yeah right!) as it all adds to the experience of yet another portable event and the confidence you get from another successful outing will spur you on to go portable yet again, hail rain snow or sunshine (whatever that is).

Although when you are putting all the gear together, and you see what you have to assemble, for in some cases just a couple of hours, you have to wonder where the fun part is . Sure if it all gets too much for you, and if the tablets don’t work, you can always take a break in the home for the bewildered. Take care when you set up your portable station and think about the cables and wires that you have setup, and the visitors that may call to your site, as some of them maybe cursed with two left feet.

Thanks yet again to Thos EI2JD for taking the photo’s for me.
May all your signals be P5.

73 from Pat EI2HX.

The HX files 005.

Hello and welcome to x tract 005 from my files .

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Bird Watt Meter

This file is about some of the test equipment I have for the testing and the monitoring my transmit frequencies and wattage output.They are for all bands not just the micro wave bands. Do not be afraid to ask your fellow “RADIO AMATEUR“ operator what kind of test equipment to buy , as you could go mad ( and broke ) all to easy if you do not get some good advice as to what to buy, and were to get it .Some test gear can be found in certain factories ,and colleges/schools, as some factories often have their own electronic laboratories with some nice test gear. And as they upgrade their equipment from time to time, you could do worse than to get in contact with their test labs, as well as the ones in your school/colleges. You never know, as the Bird watt meter I bought, seen on right

came from a College who’s electronics teacher was a “RADIO AMATEUR” and he had a stall at a rally selling all sorts of test equipment .Firstly test equipment does not have to cost a fortune.I was guided by Michael EI5GG and the late Dermot EI2AK,

who both told me that I did not have to spend big money to get some good ATV test equipment and that the older analogue equipment would do the job every bit as good as a newer digital pieces (for my needs). The newer digital test gear may be smaller than the analogue but there is something in looking at a swing meter compared to some digital display. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to buy the newer gear but I will wait until I see how much I use each piece to see about going for digital test equipment.

Power Meter

All of the pieces of test equipment I bought were at radio rallies over the last few years. I have yet to buy any over the net.There’s nothing wrong with buying over the net, I just like to have a look and a demo before I buy and most sellers like to give a demo to show that their equipment works and is in good order .My first piece of test gear was a Bird Watt Meter (€100.00) and some power inserts (slugs) for 1.2 GHz, 2 @ €50. each approximately second hand. They do vary by frequency and power levels.The wattmeter is not just for the GHz band, you can get the slugs for any frequency and power, So if you favour the super high frequencies (SHF) and/or the lower frequencies (LF), the Bird Wattmeter is a fantastic all rounder and a good investment for your shack. A power meter was next, Again the gear is sold without the power heads to connect to your equipment.

The power heads and adaptors range from €30 to €300.+++ . also in photo on the right

Bird Elements ( slugs )

I also purchased some attenuators for the power  meter.These would safeguard the front end of the meters and increase their range . Some of the test equipment is used weekly but other pieces are used once in a while only to line up some equipment to make sure the frequency and power output is spot on.Books are another good investment.Some of the ones I have for ATV are in a foreign language (some of the English language ones I read were Greek to me until I read them a few times and talked to others about them) but measurements are measurements and you should have no trouble following the photos and diagrams to give you some good ideas. A lot of the books are still available new but some are out of print a while, do not be afraid to ask your fellow “RADIO AMATEUR” who goes to the UK or European rallies to keep an eye out for you on their travels.

Some books I find useful are: Microwave handbook’s volume 1-2-3.  UK Microwave Group proceedings; Southeastern VHF society conference (ARRL );

Praxis der mikrowellen (UKW Berichte), and Alles uber ATV (funk ) to name but a few.

Some of the books are a few years old but the info they contain is still valid .

That’s it for this issue of Echo Ireland, as we head into some good weather (hi hi ) I hope to some/p work , details in the next issue of Echo Ireland.

Attenuator.

Thanks again to the photo studio of Thos EI2JD for producing the pictures for me yet again .

Best 73 and may your signals be P5

de Pat, EI2HX.