It is a common practice that a Return Loss (RL) measurement of a s/c or o/c line section is used to calculate the Matched Line Loss (MLL) where MLL=RL/2.
This technique might work with low error in lots of cases, but not all… it is flawed. Continue reading On Witt’s calculation of Matched Line Loss from Return Loss
Hams talk at length about baluns but rarely in quantitative terms.
A quotation from Lord Kelvin is most appropriate: When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it. But when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind. It may be the beginning of knowledge but you have scarcely in your thoughts advanced to the state of science.
Continue reading Baluns – show me the numbers
The message “ashim at shell servo” must be an important one.
I have heard VK2UBQ-9 sending this message to VK2XSO-5 for many months, a couple of hundred times a day when VK2UBQ-9 has his radio switched on.
The intended recipient was last reported on aprs.fi in May 2014, seven months ago, yet the APRS system is still wasting bandwidth trying to deliver this message, presumably waiting for a delivery acknowledgement. Continue reading ashim at shell servo
I mentioned in Solder cream has a use-by date that a current project is another QRP2000 synthesiser.
Above, the topside of the synthesiser board. The optional output transformer can be seen at lower left. Continue reading QRP2000 synthesiser build
A current project is another QRP2000 synthesiser.
It has about 15 surface mount parts on the board underside, and it was tempting to use solder paste / cream and hot air to solder the parts on… less risk of flicking them on the floor and the self align due to surface tension in the molten solder. Continue reading Solder cream has a use-by date
My recent article Near-field field strength measurements using the RFPM1 described a technique using VK3AQZ’s RF Power Meter which is based on the AD8307 log detector.
There are many ways to measure low level RF power or voltage, and this article describes methods that I have used using a simple diode detector attached to the HF loop, and measuring the DC output voltage using a small digital panel meter with 9V battery for a self contained measurement system with little risk of significant common mode current. Such a system can be hauled to some height and read remotely with a telescope.
Continue reading Near-field field strength measurements using a diode detector
Review of Boswell et al paper “Performance of a small loop antenna in the 3-10 MHz band” discussed measurement of near-field field strength for measurement of performance of a small transmitting loop (STL).
This article describes a method of performing near-field field strength measurements using a portable RF power meter (RFPM1) and a small untuned square loop. Continue reading Near-field field strength measurements using the RFPM1
(Boswell et al 2005) discussed a small transmitting loop (STL) and offered predictions and measurements of performance.
This article is a review of the discussion at 7MHz.
The STL is a 1m diameter circular loop of 22mm diameter copper conductor at 1,5m height over ground with parameters δ=0.005 and ε=10.
Performance is assessed by prediction and measurement of near-field strength.
Above, Figure 6 from (Boswell et al 2005) shows their predictions and measurements of field strength in the near-field at a range of distances at ground level. Continue reading Review of Boswell et al paper “Performance of a small loop antenna in the 3-10 MHz band”
This article documents a series of NEC-4 models at 7MHz inspired by Paul Casper’s (K4HKX) small transmitting loop using 3″ conductor described on his web page at http://qrz.com/db/K4HKX .
The basic loop dimensions derive from 3″ (76.2mm) OD copper tube, with octagon side lengths of 27″ (685.8mm).
This series explores the effect of antenna height. (Note the models have not been calibrated to Paul’s scenario, they are stand alone models of a somewhat similar scenario for the purpose of studying the effect of height.) Continue reading Analysis of a series of NEC-4 models of a low loss small transmitting loop at 7MHz at varying height
Gamma match is not a broadband impedance transformer, so it must be classed as a narrowband match.
But, does that mean that ham folk-lore that it necessarily degrades antenna VSWR bandwidth is soundly based? Continue reading Do gamma matches necessarily degrade bandwidth