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Showing posts with label WSPR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WSPR. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Time Crystals, and Breadboarding in Cyprus in the 4th Dimension

 

We are always impressed by the way in which SolderSmoke listeners stay on the cutting edge (sometimes OVER the edge!) of modern technology.  I recently got this fascinating note from our friend Jack AI4SV, who is now operating under the hot sun of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.  

Hi Bill,


It is brutally hot here in Cyprus during the summer, so we're spending a week at a rental on the beach -- no complaints in that regard. With all construction material back at the main house, I am free to daydream with no threat of actually building anything that I think of. The result: a new technique -- fourth dimensional design.

This probably popped into my head because I went to sleep right after reading an article about "time crystals" (https://www.quantamagazine.org/first-time-crystal-built-using-googles-quantum-computer-20210730/#:~:text=A%20time%20crystal%20is%20both,of%20what%20a%20phase%20is.), which are similar to physical crystals, but their pattern have symmetry in the time axis. I have to imagine that these things have some application in radio since oscillation is intrinsic to their state of existence. I don't want to think too much about them because it makes my head hurt.

Now, consider breadboarding. There isn't much to say about one dimensional circuits since current has to flow in a circle, but I suppose Franklin's kite was kind of one-dimensional: cloud, Franklin, earth. At least it had a key, so kind of relevant to radio, at least if you are a CW operator.

Two-dimensional circuit design would be a breadboard, particularly with surface mount components. Arguably three-dimensional if it's mulitlayer. Manhattan Island or Deadbug is more in the realm of three-dimensional, with components sticking up from the board, and true three-dimensional is probably best reflected in tube rigs with spider webs of wiring. I don't know who can think in terms of three dimensional layout like that, but it's certainly an art (kind of a blend of Escher, Dali and Bosch).

Now comes fourth dimensional design - not just a theoretical abstraction, but a realizable method that would result in lower part count and simplify the operator interface to a single knob. The basic idea is that you have a design laid out in three dimensional space and that design is made time-variant in space. The simplest implementation would be a breadboard mounted in a track so it slides back and forth, like a desk drawer. Pulling it towards you puts it in transmit, pushing it away in receive. The secret sauce is that the rails have contacts and that the layout is designed such that the traces or pads on the board line up with contacts on the rails such that no relays are needed on the board. Some thought would need to be put in to assure that contacts are made in an appropriate order to avoid frying components.  

That's already fourth dimensional because the same board exists in two states and it can be one or the other, but not both at the same time. Superimposing transmit on receive would be bad, maybe world-ending.

There is no reason to stop there. This whole slide drawer sort of layout could be mounted on a rotational axis with contacts distributed around a tube surrounding the railings. Now you have band switching. Pull the knob to receive, twist it to go to 20 meters, push back in to transmit. That's only roll and translation in one axis -- four more to go, the practical implementation of which I will leave to the reader. Perhaps put mode (CW, SSB, etc.) on yaw, tuning on pitch (which seems natural), volume on y-translation, and RF gain on x-translation, and you would have a formidable 4D transmitter.

Clearly, this is too big to keep to myself, so I am sending it onward to you to share with the world for the benefit of mankind.

Hope all is well in the shack somewhere in the wilds of Northern Virginia. 

Cheers,
Jack
5B4APL / AI4SV

---------------------------------

My follow-up exchange with Jack: 

Jack:  When I read the title I thought you were going to comment on my BOLD decision to place a wooden front panel on my heretofore Al Fresco Mythbuster rig.  But I see now you have taken this to an entirely different astral plane!  Far out OM!  Really groovy.  The crystal thing really brings it into New Age relevance.  Whole Foods may want to get involved! 

I've long thought that the three dimensional nature of tube rigs is one of their most attractive features. You, my friend, are taking this one step further, into Einsteinian space time!  One problem I foresee:  How will hams "synch up" if they are moving through space time at different relativistic speeds?  This could be a real problem for the FT-8 folks and the WSPRers.  

Can I put your hyper-insightful message on the SS blog?   People need to know about this! 

73  Bill  
Hi Bill,

That was a BOLD design choice, but I like the aesthetic.

I'll let Joe Taylor grapple with the cosmic issues related to synching signals. The bigger issue may be regulatory in nature. I am not sure how Part 97 will deal with signals received before they are sent.

Yes, please feel free to share on the blog -- the world needs to know.

73,

Jack

Jack:  Another possibility:  Perhaps too much Cypriot sun?  Stay safe OM! SITS!   73  Bill 

Saturday, June 27, 2020

SolderSmoke Podcast #223 Field Day, Club Talks, Patreon, NanoVNA, Farhan Video, SPRAT, BIG MAILBAG



SolderSmoke Podcast 223 is available: 


27 June 2020

Quarantine Field Day!   
Ironically, THIS YEAR we are both participating
Pete's FD Plan, Bill's FD plan 

Talking to Clubs: 
Pete's talk to the Cedar Valley Iowa Club
Bill's talk to the Vienna Wireless Society

Pete's Bench
DDC SDR
Ideas from the Summer SPRAT
Mean Well Voltage Regulator

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: PATREON.   SS is an  SV DELOS WANA-BE!
We got our very first Patreon Patron!  Jonathan Magee from the UK!  Upper Left on the blog.
Continue to use our site for your Amazon purchases. 

Bill's Bench
NanoVNA
Understanding L Networks
+/- 6kHz Ceramic filter for Q-31
Lobes, Nulls and WSPR

Miscellaneous: 
Farhan's feedback Amplifier Video
British Antarctic Broadcast heard (sort of)

MAILBAG:
Mauro VA6BRO liked the SolderSmoke book.  Thanks Mauro
Tryg in Galway Ireland is listening.  Hope to get you the signed books Tryg. 
Michael N4MJR suggested that I use N2 Corona Quarantine Radio as my phonetics.  I dunno... 
Ed DD5LP has been helping us get SS rebroadcast on a German SW broadcast station. Stay tuned! 
Rogier PA1ZZ in California sent an e-mail about the Don Lee Broadcast System.  Thanks Rogier!
Rick KE3IJ  Silver Skirt on his 2B also. W3GOO did it.  Rick traded his Commodore 64 for the 2B.  Yea! 
Walter KA4KXX has a simplified circuit for the MMM!  From UK
Peter VE1BZI thank us for the tribal knowledge.  Dipolo Crilolo
Peter VK2EMU Wee need someone to make the Constructor Crusader badge. 
Scott KA9P sent us the Amateur Wireless cover from 1934 with the Constructor Crusader thing. 
John GM4OOU Built lockdown rig.  we want pictures! 
Jerry KI4IO  His version of the Sproutie by AA7EE   FB 
Adam N0ZIB built a MMM
Wouter ZS1KE in South Africa -- comparing notes on Drake 2-Bs
Randall KD5RC wants to get started in HB. 



Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Lobes, Nulls, and "Gain Dipoles" -- Testing the Theory with WSPR

In the last podcast Pete and I were discussing dipole antennas.  We mentioned dipoles that were multiples of 1/2 wavelength and said the result could be a "gain dipole."  This provoked some head scratching.  Listener Riley asked for more info. See the comments section under this post: http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2020/05/soldersmoke-podcast-222-antennas.html

A short time later Pete was corresponding with Brad WA8WDQ who had questions about his antenna pattern.  Pete recommended using WSPR to test his antenna's effectiveness. 

These two exchanges got me thinking about the radiation pattern of my 135 foot doublet antenna, especially on 20 meters.  Where are my lobes, where are my nulls?   Following Pete' advice I turned to WSPR.   But first, a quick look at the PREDICTED patterns.

ON5AU has on his site a great article by antenna guru L.B. Cebik  W4RNL with exactly the info I needed.  Above is W4RNL's chart of predicted radiation pattern for 20 meters on a 135 foot doublet.  Note the orientation of the wire.

My antenna is oriented almost exactly north-south (broadsides to the east and west).  So with a standard north at top map, my pattern on 20 should look like that of W4RNL's chart.  What did I get from WSPR?   Here is the pattern for an hour or so of 250 milliwatt transmissions from my station using the 135 foot doublet on 20 meters (using homebrew balanced tuner): 



You can clearly see at least three of the four predicted lobes (NE, NW, SW). 

Now, part of this WSPR pattern could, I suppose, be the result of the geographic distribution of WSPR stations.  If there are just more of them in the areas where I am seeing lobes, the pattern could just be the result of geographic distribution.   I don't think that is the case, but to test this idea (a bit) I decided to look at the 40 meter pattern.  

Here is what W4RNL predicted (same north-south antenna orientation): 



And here is the WSPR map that I got, again using about 250 milliwatts for about an hour): 


I think this pattern matches nicely with the prediction.  You don't see the nulls that you see in the 20 meter pattern.  You do see some stations directly north of me (as predicted).  There does not seem to be a big disparity in the geographic distribution of WSPR stations.

One note on the use of WSPR:  I started out using WSPR in receive mode, thinking that the pattern I'd see would be similar on receive or transmit  due to the antenna reciprocity principle.  But I worried that the results could be easily skewed by higher power WSPR stations.  So I shifted to the transmit mode and limited my output to 250 milliwatts. 


Here is the W4RNL chart showing the patterns for all the bands: 


Here is the azimuth chart for my location: 



Thursday, April 23, 2020

WA7SKT's Al Fresco DSB Rigs


Loren WA7SKT wrote: 

Got the balanced modulator and first RF power amp board mounted today for my 20 meter DSB transmitter (above). Still have to build carrier oscillator and final RF power amp boards yet. Coax with BNC connector is carrier osc input to bal mod. As is puts out 8.5mw into 50 ohm load.

Audio in through 2N3904 emitter follower to SBL-1 balanced modulator. Rf out to a 2N4401 Class A RF amp. Will have a final RF power amp stage and to the lowpass filter. Targetting 250mw output max for WSPR. Will add the 2N3904 Colpitts oscillator with tuned collector for carrier oscillator. Power supply will be 9 volts and 12 volts.

This is part of my fun in eventually building a 20 meter SSB transceiver. I am not interested in anything multi-band. This is my second DSB transmitter. First is larger and uses Si5351 for carrier oscillator.

I also plan on building a WSPR transmitter using an Arduino and Si5351 synthesizer so I dont need my PC.  There is a frequency shift program for Arduino to control Si5351. I use Si5351 now for VFO’s. My first WSPR transmitter uses one just for carrier oscillator.

Loren's First DSB Rig

I like Loren's self description on Twitter: 


Saturday, October 20, 2018

Pete's New Transceiver with Heathkit Filter and WSPR (Video)



Another beautiful rig from Pete. Inspiration for the winter building season.  More info on his blog:

http://n6qw.blogspot.com/

We hope to discuss this and other projects in the next SolderSmoke podcast, hopefully next Saturday. 

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Two new bands for US Amateurs

630 meters 1 October 2017
Steve VE7SL reminded us via his blog that US radio amateurs now have the use of two new radio frequency bands: the 2200 meter band and the 630 meter band.  As always, Pete N6QW was way ahead of the game and is already working on a full-size 6 element quad for 2200.  Good going Pete!  Please send pictures (we may need a satellite photo to get the whole antenna in the shot).  

As Steve points out there is already a lot of activity on the new bands -- the attached pictures are snaps of just ten minutes of WSPR activity this morning.   

I'm especially intrigued by 630 meters -- it is so close to our beloved 455 kc IF frequency.  Will some intrepid ham take advantage of this fact?  Seems like some peaking and tweaking could do the trick...  


2200 meters 1 October 2017

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Christmas Present! 4Z1UG's Interview with Han Summers G0UPL

I found myself almost cheering out loud as I listened to this wonderful interview, especially at the point where Hans lets it be known that he has NO COMMERCIAL HAM GEAR in his shack!  Yes!  That's the ticket!   You can also hear the story of Hans and Farhan meeting up in Mumbai for dinner. The interview includes discussion of  WSPR and QRSS and BITX and crystal ovens and, at the end, a special QSO TODAY overtime session in which Hans describes the little WSPR rigs that fly around the world, carried aloft by half-filled birthday party balloons. 

Thanks to Eric 4Z1UG and Hans G0UPL for this very nice Christmas present.

Listen here:

http://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/g0upl

Friday, April 15, 2016

WSPR Party Balloons Make it Across the Pond


   
Hans Summers
April 15 at 11:25am
 
VE3KCL/QRP Labs S-9 balloon finally reached Europe! What a crazy way to cross the Atlantic. Crossed Portugal, now into Spain. France is next! 16mW 30m WSPR signal was reported in ZL and VK (19,000km DX). Who says you need 5W on HF WSPR? 73 Hans G0UPL http://qrp-labs.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

VE3KCL Balloon makes "several loops around Greenland"

Oh, I really want to do this.  We had a bunch of balloons for my daughter's birthday and I found myself trying to guestimate how much they could lift.  There is a balloon store that sells the metalized party balloons used here.  They have a helium tank.   I hate to be a party pooper (!) but wouldn't the antenna represent a bit of a hazard?  If it came down in power lines, that wouldn't be good right?
In any case, three cheers for Dave VE3KCL and for Hans, G0UPL, the wizard who makes the QRSS/WSPR transmitter that is currently flying over Iceland.  

Hi all

Some of you must have seen this already - but the rest of you may find it interesting. Dave VE3KCL launched his S-9 balloon 4 days ago (2 standard party-balloons, hydrogen-filled) with modified QRP Labs Ultimate3S QRSS/WSPR transmitter onboard.

We are using WSPR messages for tracking - one normal WSPR message and one with a special data protocol to provide altitude, speed, Maidenhead 5/6th characters, battery voltage, temperature and GPS/satellite status. The transmitter has about 16mW power output, on 30m band. It is sending CW and JT9 as well. Altitude is a little over 10,000m. So far it has traveled in several loops around Greenland and the North Atlantic. Currently it is near the Faroe islands. See live tracking at QRP Labs website http://qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/ve3kcl-balloons/ve3kcl-s9.html

G-landers, don't get too excited that it appears to be heading your way - the wind prediction shows it likely to head back West almost as far as Newfoundland, before turning back East towards Spain!

73 Hans G0UPL

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Two Party Balloons, an Arduino and an Si5351 FLY! ALOFT! UP IN THE AIR!




http://www.qrp-labs.com/ultimate3/balloon.html

Farhan alerted me to this.  This is clearly the coolest use so far of the Dynamic Duo (Arduino+Si5351).

It took me a moment to get my head around this.  It is so fantastic.  Let me break it down for you:

You take two party balloons.  You build a little payload consisting of an Arduino Nano, an Si5351 board, a GPS module and a battery.  You load the Nano with firmware that will take the GPS info and transmit it via WSPR and JT9.   Then you release the whole thing and sit back to receive the telemetry packets that tell you where the thing is.  Very cool.  Very cool indeed.  

THE Si5351 SERVES AS THE WHOLE TRANSMITTER.  It connects to the antenna.  (Steve Smith will, I'm sure,  insists on a low pass filter, even here!)

Here is a similar project: 

http://picospace.net/

And be sure to stop by the QRP Labs online store.  Lots of good stuff there:

https://shop.qrp-labs.com/

I've been interested in balloons for a long time.  A few years ago Billy, Maria and I released a party balloon over Northern Virginia with a note requesting that the finder send us an e-mail (It landed about 10 miles away, across the Potomac river, in Washington D.C.).   Here is a picture of a paper-mache hot-air  balloon that we built and flew near Lavallette, New Jersey (Ocean Beach Unit III) sometime around 1969.  Many of the kids in the picture are my cousins:




Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Monday, August 12, 2013

SolderSmoke Podcast #154



SolderSmoke Podcast 154 is available for download!

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke154.mp3

August 11, 2013

-- Alligators!  Real Alligators! (see picture below -- look closely)

-- Ten meter beacon project (with Arduino and Reverse Beacon Network)

-- Telescope repair:  Chap Stick as lubricant, and the perils of macular pucker!
 
-- HW-101 saved from cannibalism!
 
-- The Wonders of WSPR and our need for instant feedback and gratification.

-- QST Review of SolderSmoke, The Book.
 
-- MAILBAG





Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Monday, May 6, 2013

Homebrew Adventures with JT65


My six dollar DDS board hasn't arrived yet, so this weekend I worked on the re-build of the 30 meter Direct Conversion/DSB transmitter that I built in Rome (originally for WSPR use).  I was hoping to use this rig to make at least a few PSK-31 contacts.   But I started seeing these strange looking sigs in the waterfall.  I found out they are JT65 (JT for Joe Taylor).  So I downloaded the program JT65-HF.  I got the receiver going very quickly (it is a 40675 dual gate MOSFET followed by the audio amplifier out of Roger Hayward's Ugly Weekender RX).  The transmitter is just a two diode singly balanced modulator followed by the RF chain from Peter Parker's Beach 40 Rig.   QSOs seem imminent.


Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Wow! Raspberry Pi as an RF Transmitter


https://github.com/threeme3/WsprryPi

This site shows you how to use a $35 Raspberry Pi Computer as an RF transmitter for the WSPR (Weak Signal Propagation Reporting) System.  All you need is a simple low pass filter and an antenna. (Oh yea, and a ham radio license.)  The site says you can get 10 milliwatts out.  That's enough for WSPR!   Very cool. 

This looks like a real international effort:

Credits goes to Oliver Mattos and Oskar Weigl who implemented PiFM [1]  based on the idea of exploiting RPi DPLL as FM transmitter. Dan MD1CLV combined this effort with WSPR encoding algorithm from F8CHK, resulting  in WsprryPi a WSPR beacon for LF and MF bands. Guido PE1NNZ extended this effort with DMA based PWM modulation of fractional divider that was  part of PiFM, allowing to operate the WSPR beacon also on HF and VHF bands.

For more info on WSPR:  http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search/label/WSPR

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Saturday, September 10, 2011

SolderSmoke Podcast #137


http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke137.mp3

10 September 2011


Earthquake! Hurricane! Tropical Storm!

The Heathkit HW-7 -- An Undeserved Bad Reputation

Over-the-counter saltpeter
Movie review: Green Hornet, Captain America
How many 2-Bs? (11,571)
Ubuntifying dead laptops
Get the SolderSmoke blog by e-mail

Replacing a diode ring mixer with a diode...

...then trying the NT7S MOSFET detector
Where is boatanchor wizard Walt Hutchins KJ4JV ?
GREAT NAMES IN RADIO: MCMURDO SILVER
Sputnik update
Lew McCoy wrote about one of my projects
MAILBAG (with mail from Farhan and Wes)


Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Saturday, July 2, 2011

WOW! The Reverse Beacon Network


In the European dispatches of Mike AA1TJ I saw mention of this new thing called the Reverse Beacon Network. Then SPRAT shows up in my mailbox (HOORAY!) and I see mention of the RBN there. So this morning I figured I'd give it a little test: I called CQ on 40 meters using my Heathkit HW-8. WOW -- it didn't take RBN long to get me! See above. That's after only about 3 minutes of CQing.

This is a really amazing and innovative development. The network makes use of "skimmers" that use Software Defined Radios connected to the net to search for CQs. When they hear one, they automatically post the info on the web. It is sort of like WSPR, but it is aimed at ordinary CQ calls. Fantastic. Check it out. You will like it!

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

SolderSmoke Podcast #135 FDIM SPECIAL!

Please click on the little mail symbol down below to forward this blog post to friends who might be interested in the podcast. Thanks!

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke135.mp3

June 26, 2011
Bike riding, composting... what next?
Lightning kills the WSPR rig

New finder for old telescope

------
SPECIAL FOUR DAYS IN MAY INTERVIEWS BY BOB CRANE W8SX:FEATURING:
Joe Taylor K1JT (Nobel Prize Winner -- FOR PHYSICS!)!
Plumbing Defined Radio! Steve WG0AT: Fly Fishing, Retirement, Goats, YouTube, and Amateur Radio!
George Dobbs, G3RJV! And more!
----- Drake 2-B updates: WARC and 160 Dial Templates,
Drake 2B Serial Number Math Estimate Project
(Using German tank method) Michael AA1TJ's Sputnik 1 Project
Putting the Shack back into RadioShack

Sunday, May 15, 2011

SolderSmoke Podcast #134


http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke134.mp3

May 15, 2011
New "Ikea" microphone
NOVA QRP Club

WSPR T/Rouble resolved
Finishing up Rome WSPR rig
Easy-Peasy on Asus eee-PC

Space Station Packet Beacon
Boatanchor News: DX-100, HT-37, "CQR" anchors, 75 meter antenna Drake 2-B history interview by W8SX
Lew McCoy and Ernest Hemingway
Ade Weiss, QRPoetry and Ade's new book
Regen theory

MAILBAG (with a focus on New Zealand)

Friday, May 6, 2011

WSPR -- THE MOVIE!



VK2TPM made some nice videos of the Weak Signal Propagation Reporting System (WSPR) maps over time. Its kind of fun to watch the propagation shift from trans-Atlantic to trans-Pacific.

More: http://www.youtube.com/user/vk2tpm#p/u/4/U1sBGZzNv8s

Thursday, May 5, 2011

T/R Success with WSPR

Thanks to everyone who sent in advice on my WSPR t/r troubles. I now have it all sorted out. In the image above you can see the cable from the serial port that carries the RTS T/R signal from the computer. It goes to a switching transistor that controls a relay that in turn switches the three relays that actually do T/R for the rig. One question: On the Linux computer the RTS signal seems to switch between +5 and -5 volts, but on the Windows machine it was +10 and -10. Why?
I'm really pleased to have the computer interface working. It is kind of neat to bring together the complex technology of the computer and the simple technology of a DSB/Direct Conversion rig.
Designer: Douglas Bowman | Dimodifikasi oleh Abdul Munir Original Posting Rounders 3 Column