Topics

1

General discussion forum / RS232 port isolator help

« on: 2010-10-18, 21:30:57 »

In another thread I said I was going to try an RS232 port isolator to try to cure my RFI problems with TS-480 and SPE amp.

After a week of searching and discussions with suppliers I have been unable to find anything suitable.  I need to isolate TXD, RXD and also the DTR line (pin4) which is used for turning the amp on/off with a 200m/s pulse.

Many products only isolate TXD/RXD.  Many products derive their power from the RS232 port itself, which is not available from the RRC or the SPE amp.  I have found a product that has provision for an external power supply, but it only isolates the RTS/CTS in addition to the TXD/RXD.  Another product allows any 2 additional handshaking lines to be isolated (selection by jumpering) but it has to be self powered.

1) Does anyone have details of a product that meets the specification?

2) This might be a stupid suggestion but would it be possible to take the DTR line from the RRC and route it through either the RTS or CTS circuit of an isolator and then route it back to the DTR line on the SPE amp?

3) Might it be possible to design and build ones own isolator - any ideas?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

2

General discussion forum / RFI - TS480 and SPE Expert amplifier

« on: 2010-10-11, 17:45:16 »

I have started a new thread as the previous "TS480 RFI - more information" has become rather long.

If anyone has TS480 RFI problems -  please see the previous thread before doing anything else and resolve any confusion with the ground wires, and deal with that first.

After doing the ground wire strapping changes I have been able to run 100w barefoot on 80m thru 10m with no problem including the use of the speech processor.

Last week I re-connected the SPE Expert amp. Using it locally (mic plugged direct into head unit) everything worked perfectly.  However, trying again to use it today remotely with someone listening a few miles away from the remote site, there are serious problems. 

1) Running the same 100w barefoot with the amp in circuit (but in standby), I am getting a regular pulsing about 2 pulses per second when pressing the PTT but not speaking, I can see around 3w being registered on the amp with occasional 20w peaks.  when speaking, the pulsing is still there underneath the audio.  This is the same on both the 80/40 dipole and the separate 20m dipole.  This is without the speech processor,  if I enable the processor it is totally un-usable.

2) On 20m I can run 400w CW without problem

3) On 40m if I send very slow dashes, the received signal a few miles away is varying by over 10db.

I believe someone else reported that an Alpha amp worked perfectly well, but when swapped for the SPE amp, he had a lot of problems.  I would like to know what actions were taken and whether a cure was ever found?

I am suspecting the RS232 lead.  Does anyone have experience of RS232 isolators and whether one might help?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

3

General discussion forum / Connecting the screen/shield on a DB9 RS232 cable

« on: 2010-10-05, 15:17:11 »

Because of ongoing RFI problems I want to replace the RS232 cable between the RRC and the SPE Expert amp with a screened lead.

1) Question for Mike..
  Is the shield of the female DB9 connector of COM1 connected internally to the ground pin 7?  If not what is it connected to?

2) How do I connect the screen of the 4-core cable, there is no obvious connection point on either the DB9 male plug itself or the metal shell in which it is fitted? and do I make this connection at both ends or just one? and if just one which end?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

4

General discussion forum / TS-480 RFI - more information

« on: 2010-08-14, 22:20:36 »

The receive side of my system has been superb, but I have had serious problems with RFI when transmitting and have had to install a large number of ferrites to get to the stage of being able to transmit at the 100w level.

My approach has been to back off the various gains both in the radio as well as in the RRCs, so there is virtually no ALC being triggered, with just one led occasionally 

The interesting discovery is that most of the problem is when using the internal speech processor.  Testing has been on 80m as this is the only band I can hear myself on from my home operating location..  (100Km away)

Having got the SPE amplifier working I have discovered the following:-
1)  I can transmit 400w on CW
2)  I can transmit 400w on SSB as long as the PROCESSOR IS OFF
3)  With the processor on (even with low levels of processing) I cannot transmit more than about 50w

The RFI effect I am getting is a continuous "clicking" at about 2 per second which generates significant RF output. This happens as soon as I press the PTT and before I start speaking, and continues when I start speaking.

Does anyone have any ideas what I can do to solve this problem??
I have wondered about cutting the audio (RJ45 cable) and putting a 1:1 transformer in the mic circuit
Am not sure whether I should do anything else on the other wires.

Question for Mike..
What effect on the RRC performance is there by further reducing the Codec Input gain??

73,
Dave, G3UEG

5

General discussion forum / SPE Expert 1K on COM1

« on: 2010-08-09, 19:01:52 »

My remote SPE Expert is driven from a TS-480 using Mk11 RRCs

I cannot get any response from the amp using the COM 1 channel, the rear switch is ON..
I have re-checked the control end cable, but have to do a 200Km round trip to re-check the radio end cable..

Could someone please confirm the correct serial settings before I make the trip.

My original copy of the documentation stated
Mode5, 9600, 8, 1, off, No, 0d

The latest documentation states
Mode3, 9600, 8, 1, off, Yes, 0d

A previous thread many months ago mentioned using Mode1, which gave partial control.

What settings do people who have it working use? - I have tried both the options above.

Any advice on how to trouble-shoot the problem would be appreciated.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

6

General discussion forum / CW keyer - odd behaviour unuseable.

« on: 2010-07-24, 16:45:56 »

I have a CW operator visiting to try the CW functionality, and I am getting odd behaviour..

When the TS-480 radio head is disconnected or switched off the RRC keyer works fine.  When the radio head is switched on I get the following behaviour..  I am using a single lever paddle (not full iambic)

When sending an "N" I get a "D" (extra dit) unless the deliberate dit is ***very*** short.
When sending an "A" I get an "R" (extra dit) every time.

I have tried all 4 keyer options, with no difference.
I am using the I/O connector and have the key out from the PC (via Rigblaster) connected to pins 4&8 and the keyer to pins 1&2&8..   The keying output from the PC works fine, so I can use the CW generated by N1MM OK.

I have the keyer settings as follows
Lf delay = 45ms (my ping time)
Key delay = 15ms

Any suggestions as to what I need to do..  the keyer is unuseable as it is.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

7

General discussion forum / CW keyer settings

« on: 2010-07-15, 20:41:49 »

I am not a cw operator but somebody is coming to visit who would like to try the CW facilities.

Which keyer settings do I need for a simple (ie NOT squeeze) paddle?  I thought it might be "Old Type" but that specifically says squeece (squeeze) keyer..

At the radio end, I think I need to set OUT1 mode to keyer, and make up a lead with a stereo jack for the RRC end, and mono jack at the TS-480 end with the tip of the stereo connector linked to the tip of the mono connector.  Is this correct?

73,
Dave, G3UEG

8

General discussion forum / New installation - TX problem - RX brilliant

« on: 2010-06-17, 16:44:42 »

I set up my remote station yesterday, and after sorting a few computer and network set-up issues,  it was working fine on receive.  I am using the Webswitch to control the power-on and antenna switching.

Not having another amateur to help I was not able to transmit from the control location and for me to monitor at the radio location (100Km apart)

Today I tried some SSB transmissions.  I am getting what has been described as a "pulsing heterodyne" on the signal. If I press the PTT, but do not say anything, I can see the power meter pulsing,  showing significant output.  It does not seem to be related to the output power, When I reduced the output from 80w down to 15w and I could still see the same thing happening.

Any suggestions as to what might be causing this, and how to cure it. 

The RRC,Webswitch and ancillary devices are on one  PSU, and the rig is fed from a separate 25A supply.

I have put several clip-on ferrite cores on the TTL cable and used the supplied cable for the aux/mic cable.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

9

General discussion forum / I/O port use and settings

« on: 2010-06-10, 20:40:36 »

I think there is a small typo on the drawing for the RRC-1258 I/O connections in the CW section.
I think the wire from the PC going to Pin 4 should be IN0 (not IN2)??

I have a need to transmit a control line from control end to radio end in addition to using the paddle.  My thought is that I can leave the paddle inputs as is,  and the keying output (UT0 pin5) as on the diagram.   Can I then apply my control line to IN0 (pin 4) and set up that to output to either UT1 (pin 3) or UT2 (pin 6)  Is my thinking on this correct??

In addition to my control line,  If I wanted to use a straight key (or a computer keyed output) at the control end (in place of the paddle), Is there a way to do this??  Although it seems simpler than the paddle option I can't work it out??  What I effectively want to do is have two separate simple control lines with the two independent outputs following each independent input.

73,
Dave, G3UEG

10

General discussion forum / Set-Up with a fixed remote IP address. Also Webswitch

« on: 2010-06-06, 18:20:11 »

I have just bought the Remote Rigs and a Webswitch, and have read the documentation several times.  I can see how the two boxes link together in the examples when they are connected in what I would call "test mode" on one network.  I cannot understand how to set them up when separated across the internet.

I have a fixed IP address for my remote site, which should make life simpler, so as I understand it I put this IP address into the SIP contact field in the radio setting on the Control RRC.

If the radio RRC (remote) has IP address of 192.168.0.50  where do I put this information at the control (home) end to fully define the link??

Secondly, The Webswitch will be attached to the same router with the same IP address,  if the Webswitch IP address was, say, 192.168.0.51..  If I put the fixd remote IP address into my browser, how do I then "drill down" to the 192.168.0.51??

Finally all the Webswitch examples show a 1.nnn address, does it have to be in this series,   or is 0.nnn OK??
73,
Dave, G3UEG

11

General discussion forum / Using a SteppIR antenna

« on: 2010-04-20, 11:58:28 »

Is anyone using a SteppIR antenna remotely, (I am thinking of using a BigIR with 80m coil) and if so how have you integrated the controller into the set-up/connections at the rig end?

73,
Dave, G3UEG