Monthly Archives: April 2010

A new shelf and openASC pictures

I did build a new shelf for the radio shack now when I am about to install the new openASC control system that is finally getting ready to be used, if however not completed but functional. The idea is that all radio positions have the openASC control box to the right of their monitor. On the SO2R position however, I wanted to be able to easily reach both radio 1 and radio 2 antenna control. So I decided that on multiplier radio #1 (SO2R radio #2) the openASC box is on the left of the monitor instead, thus enabling the SO2R operator to reach its controls.

Stacking boxes is always tricky so I decided to build a small shelf made out of aluminum and oak which I think came out pretty fine.

I will do some EMI tests on the system this week, since we have that ability at the university to make sure we won’t suffer from any spurs showing up on the ham bands. If that looks good, I will take everything down to SJ2W this weekend to install it.

Some damage + a lot of work done

This winter I had a visit from a bunch of rain deer which had walked around the 4-SQ and broken two guy lines for the 4-SQ. I replaced those lines on a vertical which I was VERY lucky that it did not fall. However last weekend me and SM3JLA saw another line that had broken, with indications of the same damage as the previous one. However stupid enough we did not walk around and check the other lines, so this weekend when I arrived at the QTH I saw that one vert had fallen of the 80m 4-SQ. When we walked out the damage looked the same and we walked around checking each guy line and there was another place too with one that was almost off. My only explanation for this is that they have been chewing on the lines causing the damage, and since there has been no wind and with a huge amount of moose dropping around the place, I figure that the vertical was finally killed by a moose running through the lines.

The owner of the rain deers has promised to put up some kind of rope around my place this summer, so that next year there should be no risk of rain deer damage on my land. He seemed to be very co-operative when we explained how expensive it would be for him if he had 500 pcs of rain deer running through my yard. Apparently in SM law there is no difference in me going over to a neighbor trashing their flowers compared to a rain deer doing it.

So me and SM2XLL who gave me a ride from SkellefteƄ went out to the field, fixed the broken guy lines on the other verticals and made sure there was no other damage. I did remember where the tracks of the rain deer where and it was only those lines that were damaged, so the evidence is pretty clear. He also helped me to carry the vertical to the barn where I did fix it on Sunday. The 28mm tubing was the only that was broken so I replaced that part with a bit of 31mm tubing and now it is ready to be put up again.

SM2XLL also helped me to assemble the 31 and 25mm tubing of the 20m beam and most of the weekend was spent working on that. I did however also solder 2 pcs of 60 leaded cable and attached that to the wall of the switch room. These two 60 leaded cables go from a room in the basement of the house, which will contain all driver modules for the openASC system out to the switch room. During Sunday evening I felt like doing more work so I went down to the basement and tore out a big shelf that had been in the amplifier room, clearing up A LOT of more space so now it feels like a totally different place. I did however not take any pictures of that, will post that next weekend. While I was at it I decided to add the openASC bus cable from the shack down to the amplifier room and also 4 pcs of RG-58 used for PTTing various amplifiers.

Here are some pictures, divided into two different galleries

Phase box progress

I was gonna mount the 20m phase box for making it possible to change the vertical lobe of the 20m stack, at the radio QTH but I decided to bring the box to the work QTH instead and fix it there. I want to spend my time at the radio QTH doing other things which cannot be done up here. So today I removed one of the V2V relays from the phase box, since it wasn’t used anymore. I have decided not to make it possible to switch top 2, bottom 2 etc and instead always run all three antennas but phase shift them instead, that way it will be possible to have them phased in four different ways, where three of the angles seem to be useful.

The cabinet is an old one which I did renovate during the winter, I think the result of the box came out pretty nice considering which shape it was in before. I did construct some angle brackets which mounts the phase box to a wooden shelf mounted to the back of the cabinet.

I also tested the 2nd openASC box, so now I have two completed boxes with a third one almost complete. I tested it a bit with 7 driver modules attached as well and it works just fine so soon it is time to install it at the radio station. I think I will start putting out the RG-58 for the bus during the weekend, since I got hold of 200m brand new for free.

Here are some pictures

Some work done

Here are some pictures from the weekend, nothing spectacular. Me and JLA did work a bit on an amp but also did some outside work.

And yes, I need to get an haircut!