Integration of Arduino IDE and Geany on Linux to build arduino projects (amake)

I love the whole Arduino project idea, but happens that I use Linux OS as my only OS and I hate the lack of modern functions in the IDE.

Some users have my same ideas some reasons and they brought to life the Ino project software to make this easy; and then when this go deprecated the Arturo project took the lead with a folk of Ino into modern waters.

I has been using both projects since ever, the idea and software are good, but they has different file structures from the Arduino IDE standard, and this bug me a lot.

Then I saw it, a note on the release notes of the Arduino IDE version 1.8.0: now you can build from the command line without the whole IDE apparatus (you don't need a X installed) and this bit me. (Actually it has been on the Arduino IDE since 1.6.x as I can tell, but I don’t know it was the tool I was looking for)

Arduino Arcs

Yes, I got bitten by the Arduino fever.

Arduino-Arcs is the name for a project I'm baking up in github, you can visit it here, the name stand for "Amateur Radio Control & Clock Solution".

That's a pretty way to say it's a ham radio front panel interface solution with VFO+XTAL+BFO frequencies generator.

In a modern radio transceiver you need a brain (MCU)  than controls the logic for switching Xtal filters, band-pass filters, mode changes, etc. and also show in a pretty LCD the info for the user.

This MCU or brain usually  controls some DDS or PLL in ancient radios, recently the homebrewers community find a good use for the AD9850/51 from Analog Devices but it has some tricks as the power drooping as you increase freq and the harmonics and images...

Then NT7S make the Si351 IC popular, this is a clock (TTL levels not sine wave) with multiple outputs and a range of ~8 Khz to 160 Mhz with sub hertz resolution. In the basic configuration you have 3 independent outputs of RF that can handle easily the VFO, the XFO and a BFO for any single or dual conversion radios.

Sure it's has it's own problems, with the harmonics as it's a square output device but that's nothing to worry about if you put a LPF unit in between.

When you compare the AD9850/51 module with the Si5153 solution you find a few plus:

• 3 outputs
• Stable level on the outputs (in the AD9850/51 it changes with the freq)
• Way lower price ~$2 for one Si5351 with 3 outs vs. almost $20 for a single AD9850/51

Juan Carlos WJ6C and other Cuban Hams like Axel (CO6ATL) and Heriberto (CL2KMK) was playing with some public Arduino sketches on the net and they build some kits and part like this.

Of curse with the Si5351, then in June 2016 I join the team to help with the Arduino programming and the result is the code you can enjoy on the github page mentioned earlier in this post.

Some more pictures about the new sketch, design and PCB courtesy of WJ6C, CL2KMK & CO6ATL

This was an early test version with the name "A la Cubana" (the Cuban way)

That's my latest project and I'm proud of it, you can follow the development on the github page https://www.github.com/pavelm/

73 Pavel CO7WT

Upgrading all things a little

As I have now a more stable internet connection I can update the site more often, if you passed by on the past you can see the new design and new pages.

I have a few articles under the table that I want to publish now, covering different things like my random noise generator, the use of the rtl-scanner software to profile band pass filters, my work on the Chirp project, and now the new arduino incursion with the Arduino-Arcs project.

Stay tuned, more good stuff is to come.

73 Pavel CO7WT.

Dissecting a Baofeng FM-V-U rubber duck antenna

I own a Baofeng UV-5R for more than a year now, it's a wonderful radio for the price and features, but of course it has it's pro and cons; but something that always puzzle me was the rubber duck that come from the factory with it.

In the Internet I read that the antenna it's a waste of time that you have to replace it with some other model, then you read else where that it works but get hot on TX, etc.

My personal experience was the first one: it won't work; it does but with marginal performance and only on FM commercial station receiving ;-), in 2m VHF I can't receive a friend in direct at less then 1 Km nor the local city repeater 4 Km away, I down have a UHF repeater or other signal to test with on 70cm.

But my Feidaxin FD-268A works happily with a modified Kenwood rubber duck (marked as 146-174 Mhz), also does the ancient Yaesu FT-23R with a BNC Alinco extra short rubber duck for VHF. The Baofeng  UV-5R works ok with either of the mentioned antenna (the BNC one, via a SMA to BNC adapter)

I'm on vacations and having nothing better to do,  knife on hand I get prepared to dissect the “subject”... done: in the following picture you have the results.

Subject antenna dissected, I removed a heat-shrink from the condenser to show it.

Let's talk about construction: it's a kind of shorted rubber duck!

Yes, the spring is at ground on the base of the SMA connector, and hot (center) part is brought to short via a 3pF condenser  with a extra long leg of about 1.5 cm counting the center part of the connector, then the other short part of the condenser is tin soldered to the 12th turn on the spring helix, that all.

But in my case the solder joint in the short leg of the condenser and the 12th turn  was broken, maybe that's why it won't work; let's fix that.

I have to say that this fault may be rather common because the 12th turn of the spring helix is about 4 cm from the base of the antenna, so there is a high chance that with the wear an tear it will fail, add that the condenser is a cheap ceramic one with 0.4 mm legs. The estrange fact was that mine was broken from the factory.

After fixing the solder joint I tested the antenna without the plastic cover, the results are ok, it works as expected and I can easily activate a distant (~50 Km) 2m repeater from my roof top with similar results as the other mentioned radios, so the antenna works with no apparent difference from the others.

And then, if you antenna work as expected it will get warm-hot to touch depending on the time you get with your finger on the PTT, the hot part of course is the base to 12th turns, aka the lower part of the antenna.

Ok, antenna fixed let's put back on the plastic cover... no joy.

The difference from the antenna at the air (no plastic cover) to the antenna with the plastic cover on is remarkably noticeable.

With the original plastic cover on, it's hard to activate the local repeater and I can't activate the distant one. Once I remove the plastic cover it works comparatively equal to the other tested antennas.

There is something wrong with the plastic cover of this antenna.

The conclusions to this is the same, if any of your Baofeng handhelds came with this type of antenna  replace it ride away to get trouble free operation; just I (and you) know now why this antennas are so troublesome.

Just google it and you will find a variety of antennas tested for the Baofeng UV-5R and others.

If you like to see a video of this procedure, see this by Remingtoncountry1100

Cheers and happy holidays.

My Satellite setup

Recently I have been active in the SO-50 ham satellite.


This is my early setup: (I say early , because it's in constant renovation... I've some ideas and project ongoing...)

Radios:
- 70 cm channelized Kenwood TK860 (top of the setup, adjusted for the 436 Mhz ham band)
- 2m Alinco DR-130T with subtone module (in the middle)
- 2m Yaesu FT-23R (laying on the right-center of the image)
- Power Supply is a commercial switching PS from a chineese manufacturer capable of adjustable 10 to 15 volts at 25 amperes (aluminum case at the bottom)

I use 5 channels for the downlink on 70cm for doppler corrections, the picture was taken with my radios at the end of the pass, that's why it's on channel five

1 = - 10 Khz
2 = -5 Khz
3 = Center freq.
4 = + 5Khz
5 = + 10 Khz

Antennas:
- 70cm 6 element home brewed DK7ZD yagui for 70cm (~17dBi, 75 cm the antenna and 1,05 meters of total boom made from white PVC.
- 2m Jpole at 12 meters from the ground with 30m of Heliax LDF-4 50 Ohms cable (not picture at the moment)
- Planned is a 2m DK6ZB kind 28 ohms Yagui with 3 elements (~9 dBi) home brewed in an Arrow style with the 70cm yagui (not picture at the moment)


I use the DK7ZB yagui model to build these antennas, two benefits as I see:

• Direct feed to the element (I know, I must put a 1:1 balun, but not toroid found yet for the task)
• Reduced dimensions, please note the separation of reflector and 1st director to Dipole... in a normal yagui it will be maybe around twice the length. Remember this is a hand held setup.

The feed from the antenna to the 70cm radio is an 28 to 50 ohms 1/4 lambda of 2xRG-59 (75ohms) an then 1.5 meters of RG-213U

I use a PC headset with phones and mic, the mic is for the 2m Alinco and the phones for the kenwood... no picture yet...


Future improvements...

1. Finally made the 2m yagui to mount in cross style with the 70cm yagui for make and homebrew "arrow"
2. Improve the mechanical strength of the cables and connections... I have some ideas on mind... but I've not decided yet.
3. Make a U shaped stand to fix the radios to it and also use the PS as the base for it... the goal is to have a PS+2m radio + 70cm radio as one unique block for transport.

73.

Packeton Comments

Recently a user make a comment to my easypacket software, and following his request I will publish in this blog entry the man pages for 2 of the most important scripts in the software: packectconfig and packeton

By it's man pages you will known how to basically configure and operate the software; and sorry for any typo/grammatic/syntax error, I'm a Spanish speaking OM.

Comentando sobre easypacket

Un usuario de habla inglesa me proponía que pusiera en el blog los detalles de las README y los manuales del easypacket, bueno, aquí van.

Mi primer post

Hola a todos, hoy he decidido crear mi blog.

Este blog será un poco para comentar y mostrarles mis experiencias en cuanto a mis experimentos - cacharreos  como decimos en Cuba -  sobre Software de fuentes abiertas (FLOSS), electrónica, radioafición, etc...

Ya ha creado una página sobre un software que he implementado que permite de una forma relativamente fácil la configuración de un cliente de packet radio en GNU/Linux (hasta ahora probado en Ubuntu y Debian)

Luego postearé otros artículos de otros "cacharreos" que tengo en la caja de herramientas... algunos temas... cargador de baterías de litio-ión, mejoras para el Radio Yaesu FT-747 GX / FT-80C, experiencias con transversores de 2m>HF para la recepción de satélites en SSB usando el equipo de HF, algunas reparaciones de radios, etc...

73 a todos.

PS: "73" es una expresión del habla de los radioaficionados, que significa saludos al despedirse, esa será una de las marcas de blog, las despedidas serán siempre con 73.