The HX Files 016.

Hello and welcome to Xtract 16 of the HX Files.

Some brain storming.

During a tea drinking session with Tony (EI 4 DIB) one topic that came up was what to do when you want to test a receiver or a transmitter and there is nobody around to receive a signal from or indeed to send one to.

So not living on top of a mountain I would have no DX stations to lookout for, so the talk came around to a project consisting of a receiver on one band and a transmitter on another. So after more tea (and a visit to the bathroom)

 it was decided that a visit to a couple of my stock locations was called for, to see what parts I had that could be used and would not run the risk of been used for another project.

A Hunting I will go.

After a couple of hours hunting for the parts in my stock stash’s, (shed number 2 and under the bed) and a spot of stocktaking, I decided that a 1.2 GHz receiver and a 10 GHz transmitter would be the frequencies of choice.

 In photo 1 above, with the exceptions of some phono and DC power leads, you can see the parts that would be used in the project. The finished project would be used to receive a 1.2 GHz signal and then that signal would be re-transmitted on 10 GHz. The receiver’s audio and video signal would go direct from the 1.2 GHz to the audio/video inputs of the 10GHz transmitter. The project box used is one of the waterproof ABS type so that I would have piece of mind when or if it ever rained The first thing I done was to do a parts layout in the box to see what would go were, not just the TX and RX, but smaller parts like the cables use for carrying the voltage, audio and video, a DC distribution bar, fuse holders and aerial sockets.  The mounting hardware was bolted through the box and a good quality sealer used to prevent water ingress. A sub chassis was used to secure the various parts so that if I had work on the unit it could be removed easily (ish). So after some measuring and marking (photo 2 below) I cut an opening in one of the side of the box, this opening is the size of the aperture of the solfen head .I would attach the 10GHz on one end of the box and the N type socket on the opposite end of the same size.

 I attached the solfen head to the inside of the box and a small extension piece of waveguide that can be seen in photo 1, with that piece having one flange with threaded holes and the other without the thread . I screwed the unthreaded end to the solfen head and the other end of the extension with the thread would be a lot easier than using small nuts and bolts. I could also quickly attach and remove various aerials for testing and some other fittings, such as a slot aerial, a horn type aerial, even a transition from waveguide to a SMA or N type and most importantly, some attenuators to minimize the RF output, so I would get a better test from a weak signal as what was the point of putting out a QRO signal when QRPP was what I wanted to test the receiver’s, and also, I did not want to “nuke” myself. It would be attached to the fence at the bottom of my garden about 53ft from the shack with some attenuators fitted. If I decided to use this project out and about portable it would not be a big deal to undo it.
Photo 3 below shows the unit before the spaghetti ( the wiring) was added.
 photo 4 below,shows the aerials I would use when the unit was up and running ,the aerial on top is a 23cms slot aerial that is covered with heat shrink, on the bottom left of the picture is a slot aerial and on the right is a horn type aerial both for  10GHz.

Testing, Testing.

Tony’s back garden is 100ft long and it was used for some testing of the finished unit, using a rubber duck type aerial with an adapter for the receiving the 1.2GHz signal and the slot aerial for10 GHz. So using a 1.2 GHZ TX, and a modified LNB and an analogue satellite receiver for 10 GHz receiving, the testing was carried out and all went well,

With all the test carried out and passed, the kettle was put on and the tea drank, later on that night at home I decided to make a mod to the unit, I used 2 long leads, one end of each lead was joined to each of the rx/tx units and those leads were joined by a back to back phono plug joiners. The reason for this was that if I brought it to another ham’s shack the system would be mounted on their mast and with the joiner inside their shack the operator could remove the joiner and connect a camera and then he or she would be transmitting on 10GHz, also by connecting a TV on the other lead you would be receiving 1.2GHz. Not exactly what one would call hi-tech, but it works and it may also get another ham onto the microwave bands and that has to be a good thing.

As a result of the testing of this project I decided to make one the other way around 1.2 GHZ TX and 10 GHz RX. I will have some photos of that next time.

That’s all for this Xtract, and I hope all your signals are P5.

73’s Pat.

The HX Files Xcert 015

Hello and welcome to x-tract 15 from the HX-Files.

Firstly

I was delighted to meet and thank the few brave people who came up to me at both the Coolmine rally, and at the I.R.T.S. AGM in Limerick and freely admitted, that they read and enjoyed the HX-Files, so to them again I say thank you.

M E Folan Shield
and winning project.

Kevin Freeney Shield
and winning project

Secondly, I was delighted to be awarded two excellent trophies for construction, the M E Folan shield (EI 6 E), and the Kevin Freeney shield (EI 9 BMB) at the I.R.T.S.AGM in Limerick on the 27^th of March. I was, like some of you dear readers a bit reluctant to submit anything but after a bit of prompting I decided to enter a couple of items and was delighted to be awarded the I.R.T.S. shields, so I say to you don’t be shy, your friends will tell you what they think of it, as you can be your own worst judge on your own work, so go on and submit your construction project for the AGM in 2012, you never know what may happen, and don’t forget that the magic word in constructing your project is “prototype”, so it does not have to be ready for mass production, but it has to be safe and tidy, and most importantly it has to do what it says on the tin, so see you at the awards table at the I.R.T.S. AGM next year. 

   

Next project for/m or /p.

I decided to build a new mast for mobile/portable setup this year. This one would be used mainly for the short sessions when I was only going to setup a station for a couple of hours, and as I have a couple of /p masts a 10m and a 8m one that has yet to see the light of day (and no it is not for sale) that would be used for some of the longer outings and for bigger aerials. I have often been told that you don’t need a huge mast if you are going /p on top of a mountain, so with that in mind this setup would not be a big mast but a small and handy one, if I can use the term “mast” describing an 8ft setup, (that’s 2.44m in new money) this project would involve the mast mounted onto a bracket, and this in turn would be attached onto the tow bar of the car. I did see some types of hardware that could be modified and used for what I needed, but as with most things you need for a /m or /p station you can never get the finished part you need and you would have to adapt and even destroy a brand new item by cutting and wielding it to get it to do what you want it to do. So after a talk with Kevin EI 5 JG, we decided that he would make what I needed from scratch. After trying various sizes of pipe both round and square we ended up with the idea of using a piece of channeling (or a U bar as some call it) and a piece of metal plate. Before the metal plate was wielded to the U piece a 25mm hole was drilled in it, a 15mm hole was drilled in the U piece, and a nut wielded over the drilled hole, and then a piece of round bar was wielded onto the matching bolt giving it a T bar look, and this in turn would act as a permanently attached spanner, a 30cm length of tubing will be used for giving it an extra bit of tension. The reason for the 25mm hole was, as the bolt is been tighten on the other side of the box the ball of the tow bar would be pushed partially into the hole and this would act as extra friction and help with stability.

 Part of the original bracket on the bottom of the mast was wielded to the box and re attached to the mast by its original screws and some large rivets. The top of the mast has some sort of clip on it, this was removed by undoing its retaing screws and a copy of the top was made as this would be used to make a small stub mast that would be attached to an aerial and some matching holes drilled in to line up with the mast top, so it could be attached to the top of the mast. The original top will be placed in the stores shed along with the remaining part of the bottom piece (never to be seen again no doubt). If my car was parked on uneven ground the mast could be tilted vertically by undoing the bolt with one hand and holding onto the mast with the other hand. I would use a small spirit level to give me the vertical line, and if needed I could also use the roof rack on the car and its end clamps to tie some rope to act as stays if the weather conditions were to get a bit windy. I made up a little kit bag to keep with the mast, a disc (on the mast) that goes over the top of the mast and comes to rest at the half way point of the mast and the stays could be attached to that, 2 small pegs, some stay rope, and a persuader. In the pictures you can see the finished mast with the 35el beam for 23cms on the top and under it a 10GHz setup that includes the dish and a 50mw transmitter housed in the box bolted onto it. I hope by the time you read this that the new setup has done a few trials and it may have had some tweaks carried out on it, this seems to be par for the course for home builders.

That’s all for now, see you all next time and may all your reports be P5.

73’s Pat.

NEW AMP WINS PRESTIGIOUS I.R.T.S. AWARD

My new amp project won one of the I.R.T.S.'s construstion award at their recent AGM in Limerick,which was hosted by the Limerick radio club.

My project was awarded the Folan Shield.

The award gets its name from Professor Enda Folan EI6W, who was President of the Irish Radio Transmitter Society from 1958 to 1960,  EI 6 W presented this shield to the Society.  It is awarded for home constructed equipment built to the highest standard and a technical write-up including the specification of the item is required.  The shield was first presented in 1959 to T.J. McCrossan EI7A.

In the pictures below you will see the award and the amp.

I was also awarded the Kevin Freeny Trophy

The Fingal and North Dublin Radio Clubs donated this trophy to the Society in memory of the late Kevin Freeny EI9BMB.  The trophy is awarded for proficiency in equipment construction.  It was first awarded in 1988 to Dave Redmond EI2GB.

Below is some pictures of this award and project.

73's

Pat EI 2 HX.