New Jersey QRP Club

NOVEMBER ONLINE NJQRP CLUB MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

What a fun time it was online in Teamspeak this past Tuesday evening! We had more than 30 check-ins over the course of the two hour session, and we had some good discussion on the general topic of:

"RF Power Measurement for QRPers" ...

Common usage power and swr meters
Low power and lab grade RF power meters
40 dB tap for under $25 to use a lab grade meter with your transmitter
Normal ham usage in-line watt meters
HR WM2, analog with 3 ranges 100mw, 1 watt and 10 watt full scale ... www.ohr.com <http://www.ohr.com>
Norcal power meter digital and analog 10W max resolution 0.1 w ... currently out of stock www.norcalqrp.com
Lab grade low power RF measurement not in-line
Homebrew W7ZOI analog power meter nanowatts to 20 mW ... "Simple RF Power Measurement" QST June 2001
http://www.kangaus.com/Documentation%20files/Power%20Meter%20Documentation%20May%202011.pdf
"Ugly style" kit from Kanga US at Dayton this year -$55. Includes 40 dB tap www.kangaus.com
"Simple RF Power Measurement" QST June 2001
Digital power meter by KA7EXM (son of W7ZOI) : "A PIC-based HF/VHF Power Meter" http://www.ka7exm.net/pic_power/ProjectNotes/x.pdf . Similar to W7ZOI analog meter but has digital display
"A PIC-based HF/VHF Power Meter", QEX May/June 2005. Previously available from Kanga US. PC boards and programmed PIC from KA7EXM. http://www.ka7exm.net/Store/index.htm
KA7EXM "Applications Using the PIC-Power Meter" http://www.ka7exm.net/pic_power/ProjectNotes/t.pdf
LP-100 digital vector wattmeter 50 mW to 3000 W ... "The LP100 Wattmeter", QEX Jan/Feb 2004 ... $435 ... http://www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html#P
40 dB tap can be built for under $25 with info from W7ZOI article
Elecraft W1 Power Meter ... http://www.elecraft.com/
Great power reference chart .... QRP Quarterly magazine for Spring 2003, page 42
DBM chart: www.minicircuits.com/pages/pdfs/dg03-110.pdf
NT7S QRP-L Rig test procedures sheet 11 has that conversion chart you mentioned.
WB9KZY Chuck Olson, Jackson Harbor battery kit: http://wb9kzy.com/batsave.htm $4.50 plus shipping
Battery power-off timer circuit .... http://newenglandqrp.org/battery-saver
Simple RF-Power Measurement, Making power measurements from nanowatts to 100 watts is easy with these simple homebrewed instruments ... June 2001 QST, page 38
+7dBm = 5mW
home-brew 40dB tap: www.n5ese.com/tap_atten.htm
Great out-of-print homebrewing reference: Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur: http://www.amazon.com/Solid-State-Design-Radio-Amateur/dp/0872592014 only $173 from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/solid-state-design-for-the-radio-amateur-american-radio-relay-league-incorporated/1000133512

Attendees:

George N2APB, Joe N2CX, Al VE3RRD, Bill KD5TFD, Bob W3BBO, Bob WB6KWT, Bruce N1RX, Carl W8KRF, Chuck WA6LTV, Dave AA3UR, Gerry N2GJ, Jim N2ADR, John KE3S, Joe KC2VGL, Ken VA3KMD, Ken VE3KDM, Larry W2LJ, Lew N4CO, Mike N2EAB, Milt W8NUE, Brian N2MPM, Paul VA6PW, Ray K2ULR, Rick K3IND, Ted W2TAG, Fran N3PUU, Jim WA7DUY, Nick K2JMK, Chris W0ANM

Online chat discussion log ...

<20:34:32>"George - N2APB": See more on the Micro908 Antenna Analyzer at http://www.midnightdesignsolutions.com/micro908
<20:44:09>"George - N2APB": Regen info: Australian mag:  google "Lamphouse One"
<20:57:04>"George - N2APB": Possible missing wire going to the SDR Cube's rear panel connector?
<20:58:22>"George - N2APB": Computations for R in the Micro908
<21:04:40>"Joe - N2CX": Simple audio headsets work fine as well
<21:05:27>"George - N2APB": Sony USB Audio UAB-260 ... Milt is using
<21:06:04>"George - N2APB": Joe is using $20 headset from Staple.  Also used headset from iPod Touch.
<21:06:32>"George - N2APB": Chuck is using an extended telephone speaker + wire.
<21:07:26>"George - N2APB": At top of the Touch platform, in center/top, click on the Events tab, and then behind it is a tab for the channel messages
<19:59:23>"Bill - KD5TFD": Someone was asking for refs on DSP earlier ..."Understanding DSP" by Richard G Lyons is a pretty good text
<20:05:15>"Ray K2ULR": It's also a help to use headsets... keeps feedback from doubling away!
<20:16:26>"Joe - N2CX": info on njqrp meeting at www.njqrp.club/meetings/nextmeeting.html
<20:18:29>"Bill - KD5TFD": I've used a WM2
<20:18:46>"Chuck-WA6LTV": HI GEORGE TESTING IPOD TOUCH 4, text messaging .
<20:18:54>"Milt-W8NUE": QRP Wattmeter Kit from K5BCQ kits
<20:19:13>"LarryW2LJ": I have the OHR WM1
<20:19:37>"Joe - N2CX": NORCAL had one thouugh it is snow out of stock
<20:20:06>"Bill - KD5TFD": link for the wm2: http://www.ohr.com/wattmeter.htm
<20:20:21>"Joe - N2CX": NOGA sold the NOGAWATT dual meter DIY kit
<20:31:31>"Jim - N2ADR": Turn off voice prompting: menu   Self/Sound Pack/ Sounds Deactivate
<20:32:46>"John - KE3S": I think it's notification sounds on the Ipad.
<20:33:06>"Milt-W8NUE": http://www.qsl.net/k5bcq/Kits/Kits.html
<20:34:26>"Joe - N2CX": to 220 package!
<20:38:35>"Ray K2ULR": http://www.kangaus.com/
<20:38:52>"Dave AA3UR": Ohmite  http://www.ohmite.com/cgi-bin/showpage.cgi?product=tch_series
<20:41:06>"Joe - N2CX": HP 431 i think
<20:41:24>"Joe - N2CX": 410 C is a VTVM
<20:43:17>"Milt-W8NUE": bolometer, not thermocouple???
<20:43:27>"Joe - N2CX": Hi accuracy at mw power levels and easy to burn out!
<20:44:15>"Jim - N2ADR": Resistive power meters have almost infinite frequeny response
<20:46:56>"George - N2APB": KangaUSA Kits ... http://www.kangaus.com/
<20:47:20>"George - N2APB": Elecraft W1 Power Meter ... http://www.elecraft.com/
<20:51:04>"George - N2APB": Great power reference chart .... QRP Quarterly magazine for Spring 2003, page 42
<20:51:51>"Bruce - N1RX": DBM chart:  www.minicircuits.com/pages/pdfs/dg03-110.pdf
<20:55:30>"John - KE3S": NT7S QRP-L Rig test proceedures sheet 11 has that conversion chart you mentioned.
<20:58:58>"Bill - KD5TFD": Jackson Harbor battery kit: http://wb9kzy.com/batsave.htm
<21:00:58>"George - N2APB": Battery power-off timer circuit .... http://newenglandqrp.org/battery-saver
<21:01:41>"Joe - N2CX": WB9KZY Chuck Olson Jackson harbor
<21:01:52>"Ray K2ULR": $4.50 plus shipping
<21:03:01>"Bruce - N1RX": cool. nice and cheap
<21:04:30>"George - N2APB": Bruce really recommends the circuit from Jackson Harbor Press ... http://wb9kzy.com/batsave.htm
<21:09:50>"George - N2APB": Simple RF-Power Measurement, Making power measurements from nanowatts to 100 watts is easy with these simple homebrewed instruments ... June 2001 QST, page 38
<21:12:22>"Milt-W8NUE": +7dBm = 5mW
<21:14:09>"Bruce - N1RX": home-brew 40dB tap: www.n5ese.com/tap_atten.htm
<21:30:45>"Bill - KD5TFD": http://www.amazon.com/Solid-State-Design-Radio-Amateur/dp/0872592014
<21:32:55>"Bill - KD5TFD": SSDRA .. only $173 from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/solid-state-design-for-the-radio-amateur-american-radio-relay-league-incorporated/1000133512
<21:33:01>"Bill - KD5TFD": No -- out of print
<21:33:07>"Bill - KD5TFD": but has a pic of the book
<21:48:31>"Jim - N2ADR": ARRL new books; they need more authors!
<21:52:10>"Joe - N2CX": George, the ARISSAT was what Steve Bilble discussed at DCC
<21:54:45>"Douglas KA2UPW": Here's some links:  See the current satellite position of ARISSat-1 at  http://www.n2yo.com/?s=37772
<21:57:35>"Douglas KA2UPW": Latest live telemetry from the satellite (updated from groundstations around the planet) is at http://www.arissattlm.org/live
<21:59:13>"Douglas KA2UPW": last one... the live-from-orbit slow scan TV pictures from ARISSat-1 are at  http://www.amsat.org/amsat/ariss/SSTV/
<22:02:03>"Ray K2ULR": What about that "Fireball" rig??
<22:03:04>"George - N2APB": Too simplistic
<22:06:49>"Bill - KD5TFD": rasberry Pi potentially an interesting board for such a project.
<22:07:17>"George - N2APB": Been looking at Cypress SoC
<22:09:30>"Mike N2EAB": A KD1JV MMR-40 type xcvr, adapted for10m?
<22:10:26>"Douglas KA2UPW": My Dollar store special:  16' tape measures to use as ground radials
<22:15:53>"Joe - N2CX": JOe Jesson the MiniCircuits pwr meter is $700 !!!!!!!
<22:17:01>"Joe - N2CX": That ia the RF power transistor - big brother to the ones in the PennyWhistle.
<22:20:31>"Bill - KD5TFD": here here .. big thanks to Jeremy NH6Z for the server
<22:23:36>"Mike N2EAB": Thank you for making this forum available! 73

See you all again on Tuesday evening December 20th at 8pm EST (0100Z Wednesday) here on Teamspeak3!

73, George N2APB & Joe N2CX
http://www.njqrp.club

ONLINE MEETINGS IN TEAMSPEAK ...

N2APB and/or N2CX will be on TeamSpeak3 many evenings at 8pm EST (0100Z on Wednesdays) (except for Friday which is the regular HPSDR meeting time) for people to give a shot at first connecting and seeing I things are working correctly on your computer. Just click on the NJQRP "channel" to drop in for discussions. You'll see either N2APB or N2CX in the list of calls and you just need to say "Hey you!" and we'll respond!
We plan to do Online NJQRP Club Meetings on the third Tuesday of every month at 8pm. (We'll then probably have one in-person meeting each quarter to see projects in-person, demos, etc.)
Joe and I will continue our semi-regular meetings on Tuesday nights 8pm every week, calling it the "QRP Homebrewer Forum", wherein we talk about the things that interest us: building and using radios, little easy-to-do circuits, SDR, and construction techniques. No real agenda here, as we just talk about what's on our minds, get ideas for a new feature of one project or another and just enjoy ourselves! Would be great to any/all drop in to just listen, or to contribute a piece of experience you might have, or even toss out a question to use.

Quick guide for setting up TeamSpeak3 ...
-------------------------------------------------------

Download the version you need from http://www.teamspeak.com/?page=downloads and run it. You should see the setup wizard
Enter the server address: ts.nh6z.net:9987
Set the user to: Anonymous
Enter the password: PlayRadio
Enter your: Name - Call (e.g. George - N2APB)
In Options, select PTT mode, select a PTT key and make sure your computer's Input Device and Output Device are set to what you want to use