I have spent considerable time over the last few weeks trying to salvage something useful and reliable from the wreckage that is AIMuhf and its PC client program AIM. Continue reading AIMuhf – my strategy
AIM 882 produces internally inconsistent results – more tests
AIM 882 produces internally inconsistent results raised some issues with AIM software.
This article documents some further tests. Continue reading AIM 882 produces internally inconsistent results – more tests
Apples have just come off the trees
The apples have ripened enough and we have picked a small crop.
Mmmm, warm apple and rhubarb (also from the garden) with ice cream.
Loss of Wireman 553 windowed ladder line at MF/HF – does it matter
Loss of Wireman 553 windowed ladder line at MF/HF discussed the matched line loss of a windowed ladder line with 19 strand CCS conductors.
Above, the loss curves from the article
You might look at this and ask “does it matter”, if 10m of this line is used in a G5RV, 0.0075dB/m at 3.6MHz gives 0.075dB loss… that is just 2%, so what.
That ‘back of the envelope’ calculation is incorrect, that feed line section operates with standing waves and the loss under standing waves must be evaluated. If we took the feed point impedance of the popular G5RV to be around 10-j340Ω at 3.6MHz, the expected loss in 10m of Wireman 553 with that load based on the above MLL is 3.3dB or 53%. By way of contrast, my own G5RV uses 10m of home made open wire line using 2mm copper wires spaced 50mm and the loss is 0.9dB, 2.4dB less. Continue reading Loss of Wireman 553 windowed ladder line at MF/HF – does it matter
USB – RS232/TTL/485 adapter
I had purchased a handy little USB-serial adapter with multiple outputs some months ago, and although it checked out on delivery, the next time I wanted to use it, it just didn’t work at all.
Above, a view of the internals. It uses an FTDI FT232RL chip, and MAX232 and Max 485 for the RS-232 and RS-485 outputs. Continue reading USB – RS232/TTL/485 adapter
Small Transmitting Dipole
I have written several articles recently on matters relating to Small Transmitting Loops (STL), or “Magnetic Loops” to hams ().
What of the Hertzian alternative, a small dipole. Continue reading Small Transmitting Dipole
Comparison of two small transmitting loops
At Efficiency and gain of Small Transmitting Loops (STL) I discussed the use of bandwidth measurement of a small transmitting loop (STL) for estimation of efficiency.
Paul Casper (K4HKX) has built a series of STL which he describes on his K4HKX QRZ page. Continue reading Comparison of two small transmitting loops
Loss of Wireman 553 windowed ladder line at MF/HF
Over a long time I have voiced concern at the likely performance at MF / low HF of the very popular windowed ladder lines that use CCS conductors.
A very popular form of commercial ladder line is that using #18 wire, comprised of 19 strands of #31 30% IACS conductivity copper clad steel. The copper cladding on such a conductor is about 14µm in thickness.
This article reports and analyses measurements of a length of Wireman 553 windowed ladder line. Continue reading Loss of Wireman 553 windowed ladder line at MF/HF
AIM 882 produces internally inconsistent results
I have had cause to validate the output produced by an AIMuhf measurement using AIM882 (current version, released about three months ago).
The test scenario is a pair of nominal 50+j0Ω loads on a Tee piece, connected to the AIMuhf by about 1m of RG58 coax and swept from 10 to 50MHz.
It is mental arithmetic that the VSWR should be very close to 2:1, and since the loss of the cable is quite low, VSWR should be almost uniform with frequency. Continue reading AIM 882 produces internally inconsistent results
BNC 75/50 compatibility
One sees perennial discussion in ham circles of compatibility of ordinary 50Ω and 75Ω versions of the BNC (Bayonet Neill–Concelman) connector, in particular the risk of damage in mating a 50Ω and 75Ω pair.
But are there incompatible connectors commonly in circulation.
These discussions often seize on the different dimensions 0.7mm and 0.9mm.
Above shows measurement of the centre pin diameter of a Kings BNC connector (for RG58), it is 1.339mm… nothing like 0.7mm or 0.9mm. (Amphenol Connex 2001) gives the centre pin diameter as 1.32-1.37mm. Continue reading BNC 75/50 compatibility