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Re: LF: Ongoing work on the forest grabber

To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: LF: Ongoing work on the forest grabber
From: DK7FC <[email protected]>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2015 22:25:32 +0100
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Hi all,

Just a small report again.
Did you ever solder into a tree, 18m above ground level?
I've added a deep discharge protection circuit including bash scripts for the Raspi today. It was a sunny afternoon. Soldering was easy. I took my soldering iron from my solder station at home. It is normally running at 24 VAC and has a temperature regulation circuit. Amazon offers 3 EUR cheap DC/DC up-converters. So i generated 16 V DC out of the batteries to feed the iron. This is enough to comfortably solder /p !!
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/MF/20151111_160546.jpg
Now there are two missing steps to get the system ready for a permanent MF/LF/VLF streaming: The battery charger and the solar module(s). Hopefully this can be finished very soon.

73, Stefan

Am 21.10.2015 15:42, schrieb DK7FC:
Hi all,

The autumn makes progress: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/MF/20151020_164144.jpg Finished the installation of the accus on the tree: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/MF/20151020_164131.jpg Coupled the first MF RX-loop: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/MF/20151020_173822.jpg Run the first MF stream from this location ever!: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/MF/stream2_86.jpg

The first impression isn't so good, i must admit. But the spectrogram settings are not optimal. The RX' bandfilter obviously doesn't like the small resonance curve of the loop, i.e. there is a nerving visible ripple inside the band. Currently, the resonance peak is at 479.9 kHz: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/MF/20151020_180246.jpg I already modified the C-pack to move the resonance peak down to 475 kHz.

Some of the QRM traces are coming from the far field. I know these traces from the city grabber and from the garden grabber and now even from this location, so it cannot be local. It quickly became cold during the time i monitored the band so i haven't had enough time to wait for WSPR traces. DH5RAE was the only active station to that time and the "duty cycle" wasn't really high ;-)
Anyway, it's a good progress and i'm looking forward to the next tests...

73, Stefan

Am 17.10.2015 17:40, schrieb DK7FC:
Hi all,

Despite mostly overcast wx i spend 3 hours into the tree today. Now the first of 3 accus is on the board, still not used. Also, the (mono-) MF-RX is up and a shielded USB-soundcard is connected to the Raspi.

Further i have completed the installation of the first loop, beaming about 120/300 deg. It is a single turn, circular(ish) loop with a diameter of about 5m. The feed point (the highest point of the loop) at about 15m above ground. Measurements with a modified MFJ259B show that i need 14 turns on a coupling transformer, when 2 primary turns are used, i.e. the loop losses (at 475 kHz) is about 1 Ohm. I tried to find the C that is needed to resonate the loop at 475 kHz but unfortunately my C-network (0...1000nF + 1nF + 2.2nF + 4.7nF, switchable) does not cover the value prcisely, it is just below 4.7 nF and above 4.2 nF. Next time... Some images, as usual: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hjnkp3a60fyqk9v/AADRX9Hv2nAu7jYdzHHdRJ4Ja?dl=0 (nothing special, just to share some RF stuff :-) ).

73, Stefan


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