1. BITX20@groups.io
   Date   
Re: uBitX CAT problem on 40m #ubitx #ubitx-help #ft8

Tom, wb6b
 

Eventually I'll set up a proper ground island and shielding (like put my uBITX in a case), but in the meantime I'm having success with these toroids on the USB Cat cable. The black cable, with one at the radio and one at the raspberry Pi. This also helps reduce the RF noise from the Pi while receiving.

The clamp-on filter, on the white cable, is for the connection to a USB audio adaptor. I used a 2-3/8 toroid on the HDMI cable.

Transmitting on 80 meters was causing my internet to quit. I wound the power and ethernet cable to my router through a 2-3/8" toroid and that fixed that. I placed a grounded shield (aluminum "mini loaf" pan) around the power supply for the internet modem to get rid of the noise it was causing in the receiver. Eventually, I'll move all the wiring for the internet elsewhere, as far as possible from my ham station. 

On a side note, I used one of the 2-3/8 toroids to make a 1 to 9 impedance matching transformer for my 55 foot long (stealth) 80 through 10 meter non-resonate antenna. I placed another 2-3/8 toroid (with 10 turns of coax) 25 foot down the coax of the antenna cable to block the common mode RF. (The shield is the main counterpoise) Amazingly, it is a fairly good match for those bands, but I normally use it with an auto tuner.

I purchased these toroids from Palomar Engineering. The small ones on the black USB cable, were rated for 1 to 10 MHZ. The large ones, if I recall, were 1 to 30 MHZ.



Tom, wb6b
Re: uBiTX Nextion issues

Björn Pasteuning
 

Checkout this link: https://ubitx.net/2018/07/16/nextion-3-2-and-3-5-display-firmware/
--
73' Björn de PD5DJ
www.pd5dj.nl
Re: uBITX No Power Output all of a sudden #ubitx

n4eev
 

Nice fix Jim! Thanks for the write up.

all my best,

Mike N4EEV
Re: KD6CEC code and Nextion displays, tuning skips steps #radiuno #ubitx

Glenn
 

I am using normal tuning speed. Not fast tune.

I am quite aware of contact bounce and fitting capacitors etc.

The reason I ask, is to see if others using the CEC software with Nextion, are seeing a similar thing without having to fit any extra parts..  Ian's web pages don't mention any mods required that I can find.

glenn vk3pe


On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 11:25 PM, Michael Babineau wrote:
I have noticed this as well. For example when you set the step size to 50 Hz if you tune quite quickly it seems that the step-size
increases. 

Are you sure that this isn't intentional ?  I see to recall Ian making a passing comment about variable rate tuning at some point.

Michael VE3WMB

P.S. I am really enjoying the ability to select the step size via touch screen in V2 of Ian's "Nextion" display code. This was a great addition.

I may have found another bug though. More on this later when I have had more of a chance to test it out. 
Re: Source for female connectors/pins/manual crimp tool?

Doug W
 

On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 03:45 PM, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
The reel pins you get from Tayda are attached at the end where the wire goes in, not off of the ears. I've purchased hundreds from them and all were the same.
Good to know.  I have heard from others that they needed to be trimmed and that is how they look to me in the picture on their site so I have avoided them.  I like to be wrong when the right answer is better for me.


 
--
www.bitxmap.com
Bitx40 circuit diagrams? #bitx40

Allen Woolfrey
 

The bitx40 circuit diagrams at http://www.hfsigs.com/bitx_with_raduino.zip

are not found.  Do they have detail or better resolution than the images on the bitx40 circuit description web page?


72/3, Al - va3iaw
Re: Source for female connectors/pins/manual crimp tool?

Mike Woods
 

The KK equivalent out of the Far East is called KF2510.   You can buy sets of these very affordably with different pin numbers.

Mike



On 21/07/18 12:01 PM, Doug W wrote:
On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 03:45 PM, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
The reel pins you get from Tayda are attached at the end where the wire goes in, not off of the ears. I've purchased hundreds from them and all were the same.
Good to know.  I have heard from others that they needed to be trimmed and that is how they look to me in the picture on their site so I have avoided them.  I like to be wrong when the right answer is better for me.


 
--
www.bitxmap.com


--
Mike Woods
mhwoods@...
Re: Source for female connectors/pins/manual crimp tool?

Vince Vielhaber
 

Don't pay attention to the pic. Take a look at the datasheet.

Vince.

On 07/20/2018 09:55 PM, Mike Woods wrote:
The KK equivalent out of the Far East is called KF2510. You can buy
sets of these very affordably with different pin numbers.

Mike



On 21/07/18 12:01 PM, Doug W wrote:
On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 03:45 PM, Vince Vielhaber wrote:

The reel pins you get from Tayda are attached at the end where the
wire goes in, not off of the ears. I've purchased hundreds from
them and all were the same.

Good to know. I have heard from others that they needed to be trimmed
and that is how they look to me in the picture on their site so I have
avoided them. I like to be wrong when the right answer is better for me.



--
www.bitxmap.com <http://www.bitxmap.com>

--
Mike Woods
mhwoods@...
--
Michigan VHF Corp. http://www.nobucks.net/ http://www.CDupe.com/
http://www.metalworkingfun.com
Parts source

Mike Short
 

MPJA.com has miscellaneous parts useful to tinkerers. I have purchased switches, leads, project boxes, and other items. Reasonable prices and shipping.

--
Mike
AI4NS
Re: Bitx40 circuit diagrams? #bitx40

Mike Woods
 

Al - try here: http://www.hfsignals.com/index.php/bitx40/

With the launch of the uBITx the older website was closed down and redirected.

Mike ZL1AXG

On 21/07/18 12:09 PM, Allen Woolfrey wrote:
The bitx40 circuit diagrams at http://www.hfsigs.com/bitx_with_raduino.zip

are not found.  Do they have detail or better resolution than the images on the bitx40 circuit description web page?


72/3, Al - va3iaw


--
Mike Woods
mhwoods@...
Re: K5BCQ click fix 2nd generation installed #ubitx

W7PEA
 

3am... you must be like me. Why sleep.

I replaced C50 with a .47U 1206 16V Ceramic Capacitor. Its was the closest I could find at my local electronics shop. Still no audio.
I'm planing to replace C63 and C250. But I need to get parts.

I do not have proper test equipment. But, I bet someone I know does, I put out the word.

If there are any additional suggestions though, they are much appreciated.
-p

 
Re: uBITX No Power Output all of a sudden #ubitx

Clark Martin
 

Poor plating or did normal plating act as a fuse??


Clark Martin
KK6ISP

On Jul 20, 2018, at 1:10 PM, Jim Sheldon <w0eb@...> wrote:

I found that I had +12V on the PA Power pin of P1 but nothing on the supply end of L8 which gets connected by a short trace to a very small VIA through the board and a short trace to L8 on the underside.  Looking at the underside, the trace was not burned but it turns out that tiny little VIA was open -- poor plating through the hole.  I put a piece of 30 gauge wire wrap wire through the via and soldered it on both sides.  This brought the +12 back to the supply side of L8, L9 and subsequently the drains of the IRF-510's .  Put it all back together and I now had full power again.
Re: Screen showing only blocks ?

Mike Woods
 

Dexter - I have included in the (brief) assembly instructions on uBITx.net at your suggestion.

I have also now linked to the detailed assembly instructions for the v3 board.

On 19/07/18 9:59 AM, Dexter N Muir wrote:
This really ought to be prominent on the website and included with kit: "On power-up, screen may be either blank or showing blocks. Adjust Raduino's contrast pot for clarity of text".
--
Mike Woods
mhwoods@...
Re: uBITX No Power Output all of a sudden #ubitx

Raj vu2zap
 

Jim,

Probably not enough safety margin of current carrying capacity in the PTH was considered.

Raj

At 21/07/2018, you wrote:
Looking at the underside, the trace was not burned but it turns out that tiny little VIA was open -- poor plating through the hole. I put a piece of 30 gauge wire wrap wire through the via and soldered it on both sides. This brought the +12 back to the supply side of L8, L9 and subsequently the drains of the IRF-510's . Put it all back together and I now had full power again.
Re: surprising CW sidetone value in uBITX Manager 0.11 #ubitx

Raj vu2zap
 

Mike,

This is to error correct extreme values that may be set by the user.
If the value is between 100 and 2000 it does nothing!

Raj


At 21/07/2018, you wrote:
I think I see what is going on.  For example, in initSettings(), the sidetone value is getting read from the EEPROM:

EEPROM.get(CW_SIDETONE, sideTone);
 
But later on, it is getting overwritten if the value is not "sane":

if (sideTone < 100 || 2000 < sideTone)
  sideTone = 800;
 
So that explains why uBITX Manager is showing bogus values and yet normal values show up on the LCD.

73 Mike KK7ER

Re: Animated GIF of BITX17 scratch build

m5fra2@...
 

Good to see the video. A local is building a BITX ugly style it will be great to see it working.

 

Colin – M5FRA

 

From: BITX20@groups.io <BITX20@groups.io> On Behalf Of Bill Meara via Groups.Io
Sent: 19 July 2018 21:50
To: BITX20 <bitx20@groups.io>
Subject: [BITX20] Animated GIF of BITX17 scratch build

 

I thought you guys would like the GIF. 

 

 


Virus-free. www.avast.com

Re: S meter wiring

m5fra2@...
 

Are you using an additional audio filter for CW? I have a Hypermite I plan to wire in.

 

Colin – M5FRA

 

From: BITX20@groups.io <BITX20@groups.io> On Behalf Of Bill Carpenter
Sent: 19 July 2018 22:20
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: Re: [BITX20] S meter wiring

 

No thanks, I like that my uBITX is small and don't have any need for a lager screen nor do I want to change enclosures.  Right now I'm having a blst with it on CW.  SSB on the uBITX is not important to me - that's what my K3, KPA500 and 2 element Quad are for lol.


Virus-free. www.avast.com

Re: S meter wiring

hirosmb <hirosmb@...>
 

Colin,

I am interested in the HI-PER-MITE audio CW filter.

http://www.4sqrp.com/hipermite.php

Please post your reputation later.

// hiro, JJ1FXF



2018/07/21 17:12、m5fra2 via Groups.Io <m5fra2@...>のメール:

Are you using an additional audio filter for CW? I have a Hypermite I plan to wire in.

 

Colin – M5FRA

 

From: BITX20@groups.io <BITX20@groups.io> On Behalf Of Bill Carpenter
Sent: 19 July 2018 22:20
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: Re: [BITX20] S meter wiring

 

No thanks, I like that my uBITX is small and don't have any need for a lager screen nor do I want to change enclosures.  Right now I'm having a blst with it on CW.  SSB on the uBITX is not important to me - that's what my K3, KPA500 and 2 element Quad are for lol.


Virus-free. www.avast.com

Re: S meter wiring

m5fra2@...
 

I will but it might be a few days before the BITX is wired and tested.

 

Colin – M5FRA

 

From: BITX20@groups.io <BITX20@groups.io> On Behalf Of hirosmb
Sent: 21 July 2018 09:26
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: Re: [BITX20] S meter wiring

 

Colin,

 

I am interested in the HI-PER-MITE audio CW filter.

 

http://www.4sqrp.com/hipermite.php

Please post your reputation later.

 

// hiro, JJ1FXF

 

 


2018/07/21 17:12、m5fra2 via Groups.Io <m5fra2@...>のメール:

Are you using an additional audio filter for CW? I have a Hypermite I plan to wire in.

 

Colin – M5FRA

 

From: BITX20@groups.io <BITX20@groups.io> On Behalf Of Bill Carpenter
Sent: 19 July 2018 22:20
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: Re: [BITX20] S meter wiring

 

No thanks, I like that my uBITX is small and don't have any need for a lager screen nor do I want to change enclosures.  Right now I'm having a blst with it on CW.  SSB on the uBITX is not important to me - that's what my K3, KPA500 and 2 element Quad are for lol.

 

Virus-free. www.avast.com

Re: uBITX No Power Output all of a sudden #ubitx

Jim Sheldon
 

I suspect poor plating.  Rig had been working just fine and I had power out set to 5 watts into a Microwave Associates 20 watt dummy load on my YouKits DP-1 digital wattmeter on 40 meters.  I checked the resistance on two of the other V3 uBITX boards I have and it varies slightly as you press on the board with an insulated tool near that VIA. 

Don't know about the V4 boards, but during any V3 build, I'd suggest running a piece of 30 gauge wire wrap wire through that hole and soldering it on both sides as a precaution before mounting the board.  You will probably have to carefully scrape the solder mask from both top and bottom of the VIA pad.  I'll try and take and post a good hi resolution photo of it later in the day so you can positively identify the spot.

Jim - W0EB