Category: Amateur Radio

The Army Loop (Patterson match)

The ARRL and other publications refer to the Army Loop or Patterson match.

Patterson described his antenna system at (Patterson 1967). Hams seem to call any configuration that uses only capacitors in the matching circuit a Patterson or Army loop, though they are incorrect.

The ARRL Antenna Book 21 has a nonsense circuit that cannot work.

Another ARRL example, one that does work

Screenshot - 01_12_2014 , 13_51_37Above is a diagram from a much earlier ARRL and as far as I can ascertain, this is McCoy’s version the so-called ARMY Loop. (McCoy 1968) gives the middle capacitor as 500pF variable which would reduce the matching range. Continue reading The Army Loop (Patterson match)

Last update: 11th November, 2015, 4:56 PM

An example of Eb/N0 design with the Field strength / receive power converter

I have been asked whether the Field strength / receive power converter can be used to solve a Eb/N0 (Eb/N0) design problem.

Eb/N0 is a method often used for specifying the relationship of signal and noise that will give adequate bit error rate in a data demodulator.

Whilst the calculator was not specifically designed for that purpose, and you cannot directly enter the desired Eb/N0, with the help of a hand calculator for simple calculations, a solution can be found. Continue reading An example of Eb/N0 design with the Field strength / receive power converter

Last update: 9th December, 2014, 8:50 AM

Packet loss by digi collision

It has been apparent to me that the two local digipeaters often collide.

One uses UIDIGI and therefore is conformant with the p-persistence channel access algorithm.

The other is a Argent Data T3-135 which does its own thing.

To discover how many packets are detected with bad CRC, I installed 6PACK on a TNC. 6PACK reports receive CRC failures which are logged by the Linux kernel. Data was collected for seven hours through the middle of the day to ensure that there was traffic, but that channel utilisation was low. Continue reading Packet loss by digi collision

Last update: 1st December, 2014, 4:16 PM

Another Argent Data T3 incompatibility

I have written on incompatibility of Argent Data TNCs with other devices.

In pursuing apparent packet loss, I have run up a Paccomm Tiny-2 MK-2 TNC with 6PACK firmware, and my aprx server using Linux AX25 kernel support and 6PACK driver.

It has become apparent that although the system reliably decodes packets from a multi-packet burst from VK2AMW-1, it only ever decodes the first packet of a multi-packet burst from VK2RHR-1. Frame check errors are logged. Continue reading Another Argent Data T3 incompatibility

Last update: 1st December, 2014, 4:17 PM

The KISS TNC – too simple, too stupid?

An important element of early AX.25 networks was the Terminal Node Controller (TNC). Essentially, a TNC was a packet assembler / disassembler (PAD) pretty much equivalent to the PAD of X.25 networks but adapted to AX.25, and commonly, an embedded modem.

The TNC-2 was a hardware configuration which became a de-facto standard, and various firmware packages became available each with their own advantages and disadvantages. and a range of protocols for the host connection.

One of the inventions was the KISS protocol (KISS for keep it simple stupid) from Mike Chepponis (K3MC) & Phil Karn (KA9Q), and an implementation for TNC-2. Continue reading The KISS TNC – too simple, too stupid?

Last update: 30th November, 2014, 6:12 PM

RPi headless aprx server using soundmodem

I have posted several articles on headless APRS servers based on RPi. This article describes one based on RPi, AX25 soundmodem using a $2 USB sound card, and aprx v2.09.

aprx-sm00

Above is the server hardware. It uses the Sailer sound modem and kernel AX.25 support. This is currently configured as a RX only iGate for 30m, hence no tx audio path and no PTT (though on HF, PTT can be done simply using transceiver VOX). The small black USB module is a Belkin WLAN adapter. Continue reading RPi headless aprx server using soundmodem

Last update: 16th April, 2015, 3:46 AM

Diamond X-50N #2 at VK2OMD

I have a bit of a soft spot for the Diamond X-50N. It is a fairly rugged vertical for 2m/70cm. Though I live in a rural setting, I resist the temptation of high gain antennas of this type as they tend to suffer fatigue problems resulting in noise in quick time, whereas the rigid one piece X-50 seems to last and last (I have another that must have had 25 years outdoor service).

XN50N01

The X-50N is mounted on a telescopic steel mast at 11m at its base, and fed with 10m of LDF4-50A to the antenna entrance panel, and 2m of LMR-400 to the radio. The XN50N has three short radials which are visible in the pic above, but somewhat obscured by a fan of four upwards pointing wires to discourage birds perching on the gibbert for the G5RV. Continue reading Diamond X-50N #2 at VK2OMD

Last update: 27th November, 2014, 8:03 AM