And now for something completely DIFFERENT

Gee, what can I do with my Amazon Alexa that is more than just asking for the weather report or what time is it in Butte, Montana.  About a year ago, maybe longer, I decided that I wanted to set up Alexa to turn things on and off without buying a Pre-made switch.  I wanted to do it myself.

So I discovered a nifty device called a WEMOS D1 mini.  This little thing is like a Raspberry Pi's baby cousin.  It is not the most powerful device in the computing world, however, it can follow instructions.

The Wemos D1 mini 

You can buy a Wemos D1 mini all over the place.  Here is one link Click here.

Of course, you will need more than just a D1 mini, you will need a relay such as this:

You will also need to program your WEMOS D1 Mini and enable an Alexa skill called Sinric.

Now if you are unfamiliar with adding Alexa skills, then you must do this research on your own.

I'll wait.  Ok, now that you know how to install Alexa skills, so you will need to program the WEMOS D1 mini.  There is a link on the Alexa skills Sinric page that says you just need to go to Github (a site full of awesome and intimidating programs and genius stuff), and download the program and make a few changes and POOF...you now can command your Alexa to do stuff.

It ain't that simple.  First of all, the program is called a "sketch."  You should practice putting some sketches that are simple on your WEMOS D1 mini via the usb cable and your Arduino programming software that you read about above while I was waiting for you to study up on how to program Alexa skills.  To keep it simple, you need to look on youtube and online to learn how to program the Arduino type computing devices via your computer and a usb cable.  This is your learning curve.  Now once you have succeeded in taking some baby steps and have uploaded some sketches to your Wemos D1 mini, then you can play with that a little.

Next comes the hard part, and that is uploading a complete and working sketch to actually tell you WEMOS D1 mini via your Alexa to "do this" or "do that."  Your Wemos D1 mini will be connected to a relay like the one pictured above, and then this will allow you to wire in any device that is appropriate to the specs of your relay.  Keep in mind the YOU CAN GET SHOCKED IF YOU TOUCH LIVE CONTACTS ON YOUR RELAY.  So take precautions like you would with all exposed wiring.  If  you don't know what you are doing, THEN DON'T DO IT.

Now, if you look over the Github link , you may be scratching your head saying "this makes no sense to me."  If you get that far, then you are on your way.  However, you must upload a working sketch to the Wemos D1 mini and enable the Sinric skill in order for your voice commands to Alexa to actually work.

If you get to this point and can figure it out, then spectacular and you will now have a means of turning things on and off  and can say that YOU DID IT.

If you get to this point and cannot get your sketch to work, then contact me and I will try to figure out what you did wrong in your sketch.

The nice thing about the arduino programming software is that it tells you where to debug (fix) your sketch. 

So what can you do with this?  Well, pretty much anything that requires a switch (within the capabilities of your relay), can be activated by just telling it what to do.  How will this fit into your shack or your life?  That is for you to decide.

In the meantime, get online and if you are interested then you can start writing sketches to do things with your Alexa that you don't have to purchase.

Good luck and 73

Mark 4x1ks

Part 2 of the Oscillator Board Test

*News Flash...please keep the following in mind.  This step is not included in the manual.  In order for Ch3 and Ch4 to oscillate at full output, you MUST jumper between Ch A and Ch B on the board.  you can used a small wire soldered between the two pads and that will allow Ch 3 and Ch 4 to oscillate properly.*

In my last blog, I discussed the Ran Technology 4 Channel Oscillator board.  This device can accept 4 Epson chips available from Digi-key which are programmed to a specific frequency.  My previous blog has links and information on the board and chips.

However, the big issue was the issue of whether the oscillator board would be a good substitute for an actual fundamental crystal.  That was the question, and the answer is yes and no.

Before I continue, let me just explain how to hook up the board.  In the photo above you can see one chip installed.  That chip is from Digi-Key and is programmed for 14.030 mhz.  The board has DC power leads 8 to 15vdc is okay.  The blue wires are you output from the board, and the black wire switches the oscillator on and off by grounding the chip.  For example, my black wire runs from "Ch1" to Com.  When connected, this causes the 14.030mhz to the output (the blue wires).  In essence, you can plug in the blue wires where you would ordinarily plug in your actual crystal.

Yes, the oscillator board with a chip installed definitely produces an oscillation right on the design frequency.  For example, I bought four chips.  I tested only the 14.030 mhz chip, and this chip produced an output when subbed in for an actual crystal in a homebrew transmitter at exactly 14.030

So, yes, the board and chip do provide a precise oscillation frequency.

The no part is that you cannot "pull" the chip via changing the impedence in the circuit.  What this means essentially, is that my test transmitter, which is a 5w or so crystal controlled transmitter CAN be varied in output frequency by about 15khz when using an air variable in the circuit (as it is designed).  With the board in place of the crystal, there is no "pulling" of the chip to allow for frequency variation.  The short answer is that if you want to sub the board for a crystal and then vary the frequency using an air variable capacitor (as is common in a lot of homebrew simple transmitters), this will not happen.

What does this mean for the QRP operator?  Well, it isn't the end of the world.  On the 20m band, you can and should call CQ on 14.060.  This is the frequency where folks expect to hear QRP signals.  In additions, there is no reason why you can't call or answer CQ's on other frequencies even if you are "stuck."  For example, if you go to 14.020  or 14.028 or any round number, you probably will hear a CQ.  Then you use your homebrew transmitter and make that QSO.

The other good part is that you can put in a 4 pole switch and quickly jump from say 14.020 to 14.028 to 14.030 to 14.060.

The lack of crystals and the cost of finding a new crystal makes the 4 channel board inexpensive and practical for many operators.  Once you have the board, so the chips cost you $5 or so.  That means you can transmit on a specific frequency for $5....and not have to wait and hope that you can find the correct crystal at your next hamfest.

Of course, other uses of these chip oscillators are practical and varied.

Bottom line: It's sad that you can't "pull" the frequencies of the programmed chips, but at $5 a chip, well that is not a bad deal to give me options for my homebrew transmitter.

73

Mark 4x1ks

What a FUN project!!!!!

Okay, so here it is under construction:

Ran Technology 4 channel oscillator board

What a neat little project!  First a little background.  I have some ham friends that go to the big hamfest in Friedrichshafen and also to Dayton.  I always make the same requests:

1. please find me another 70cm yagi antenna for 430 to 440

2. I need more crystals, especially 14.*** mhz and 7.*** mhz, 

Every year I get the same answer:  Sorry, didn't see any crystals there.

Now, I know that I can take a higher frequency crystal and grind it down to the frequency I need; my friend 4x1zz took a short seminar on how to do this correctly and he even has a crystal frequency oscillator reader that he built in Dayton.

HOWEVER, I still don't have the crystals I need to cover all of the 20m CW portion with my homebrew transmitters.  So what's a frustrated tinkerer to do?

Well, the folks at https://hayseedhamfest.com are selling for only $16.50, a 4-channel oscillator board.  What's great about this?  Well for one thing, you can plug in 4 oscillator chips available from Digi-key for about $5 each.  You tell Digi-key which frequencies you want on your chips, and then you plug them in.  That gives you 4 frequencies on the board.

I'm so excited about this that I can't wait to plug it into my 5 watt transmitter and be able to cover the 20m band from 14.000 to 14.070 just by choosing one of my four crystal oscillator chip channels.

And here is the chip itself:

The 4 pin oscillator from Digi-key

This oscillator chip has 4 pins.  It plugs into an 8-pin dip (off which there are 4 on the board).  The above chip is set permanently at 14.030.  My rig will tune about 14.030 down to 14.015 using this chip.  That is 15 khz of coverage with a $5 chip.  There are four pin through holes on the board, so you will have to clip off the 4 inner pins from the dip socket to make it fit.

CLICK HERE to see the Digi-key part.

My board is just now under construction.  Looks like the whole board will take about 30 to 45 minutes to build.  So as soon as I get it up and running, I will let y'all know how this really neat board functions as a replacement for actual crystals. Like these:

If the 4 channel board works as expected, then there will be no more searching for a certain crystal, all you have to do is just use a switch to click from crystal A B C or D in the frequency range you need.

The completed board without the chips installed

So stay-tuned and I will let you know how it does.

73

Mark 4x1ks

Now is the winter of our discontent...

I always wanted to find a way to put Shakespeare into my blog.  Indeed winter is here, wind and rain and all of that.

Of course in the USA, there are places where towers are covered with ice and antennas are drooping from the weight.  Here in Israel, at my QTH, there has been an abundance of rain this year.  The wind that accompanies the rain is not really welcome by me since I can hear the wind rumble through my tower; that just makes me nervous.

Which brings me to the subject of securing those guy wires and other antenna / tower restraints.  Lately I have seen some videos of some incredibly poor practices when it comes to erecting towers and masts.  It is absolutely true that you cannot defy the laws of physics.

The good news is that most hams are not shy about going to experts when it comes to tower raising and guy wires.  However, be sure to re-visit your tower situation as time passes to make sure that your guys and tower structure is still solid.

As a boat owner, I had old shrouds (shrouds are the cables that "guy" the mast) that were long due for replacement.  In many locations, insurance companies won't cover a sailboat unless the shrouds are replaced after a number of years (like 7 years or so).  The cables that are used may look just fine, and chances are they might be great for 15 years, but if they break, then the mast will fall, and a lot of bad things could happen.

The guys on your tower also endure stress, although not nearly as much as the shrouds on a sailboat, but the shrouds on a boat are built to take it.  I guess the point is to go out there and check those guy wires and also check the hardware that is anchoring those guys.  Replace whatever needs to be replaced, and NEVER go without temporary guys if you are replacing an old cable.

As far as winter goes, antennas can suffer a lot.  Back when I lived in Memphis, we had an ice storm that was just unreal.  My Cushcraft 4 element tribander was covered with ice and bent like a drawn bow.  It survived.  Try to buy the toughest antennas you can afford to stand up to the elements.

Will these elements survive the elements?

Speaking of antennas, if your SWR suffers when it is soaking wet out there, well you are not alone. Water can screw up antennas.  Usually when they dry out then everything is okay.  Coax and your connections is a real weakspot however.  If water gets into the jacket of your coax, then you will have corrosion and a poor performing transmission line.  Make sure that water cannot get into your coax.

Two weeks ago, I had a crazy SWR.  I went up the tower after a storm and discovered that the shield of my coax that was connected to one side of my driven element was corroded to being useless...even though it was still attached to the terminal on the element.  This was a connection that I made only 2 years ago.  Water and wind had done the job and corroded the braided wires of the coax shield to being non-conductive.  I cut away the bad wires and reworked the connection to the driven element.  The SWR is now just fine. 

In the winter when you see that SWR go up, then it can be water or corrosion.  Don't get too bent out of shape, but go up on that tower using appropriate safety procedures and fix those connections or even replace bad coax. Your SWR will come back to normal and you will be putting that RF where it should be...into your driven element.

Finally, operating in winter presents some challenges. Rain, ice, snow...not really the ham's best friends, but they can be endured and overcome.  For me, having a good heater in the shack is really my main focus on operating during the winter.  If I am toasty in the shack, then even if conditions are not ideal for DX, I can still sit and work on whatever project is sitting on the workbench.  So perhaps for winter this year, it is a good idea to have a project as a back up plan for when things are not working due to weather.

A Collins PTO rebuild...a worthy indoor winter project

It may be winter, possibly even to your discontent, but you can lighten that mood by building something in the shack in the event of soggy or frozen conditions outside your window.

So how are your antennas and/or tower(s) holding up this winter?  I hope just fine.

73

Mark 4x1ks

This post is about the Eagles vs. Ham Radio

Ok gang, it's Sunday.  Tonight the defending Superbowl Champs (from my hometown of Philadelphia) are playing the Bears in Chicago.

So here's the dilemma: 

Do I get on the radio and enjoy some friendly CW chats on 40m OR do I watch the game.

First of all, watching the game is tense and occasionally disconcerting thing to do.  The SuperBowl last year was one of the most tension filled things I've done in the last 10 years.  Fortunately, it worked out ok....better than okay.

Working CW on 40m is mostly relaxing.  Of course,there are those clowns out there who just can't seem to get it through their heads when you send them "C" after they QRL?...that means go away.

So what's a Ham Radio operator to do?  Torn between two equally passionate opportunities.

I'm taking a survey right now.

1) Watch the Eagles beat the Bears, or get on the radio

2) What is your biggest conflict when it comes to Radio or ______________ (fill in the blank).

Love to hear your thoughts.

73

Mark 4x1ks

Don't give up on Peanut just yet....

Looks like some new life has been breathed into Peanut.

You can download version 1.43 for your android phone.

It appears that PA7LIM is getting some help with the site and the Peanut system.

More to come...

73

Mark 4x1ks

Say Goodbye to your legume friends

Well, the announcement was a bit of a shock, but after just a short life, Peanut is shutting down.

For those of you who do not know what a Peanut is, well it is a legume used to making a smooth or crunchy snack food.  It is also the invention of PA7LIM, David, who put together a clever little application that many found to be awesome.

Essentially, Peanut (the application software for Android phones), connected users to D-star and also custom chat reflectors without requiring the ham to buy a D-Star radio. Here is a link to the website.

The Peanut Android Phone Application Screenshot

Once registered, the licensed ham could connect to a number of XRF reflectors also with REF 030C and language-based reflectors like Korean, Swedish, etc. The convenience and ease of use was astounding, and that also led to a "social" problem.

A friend of mine thinks that the quality of the ham operators is inversely related to the ease of entry into the particular mode.  What that means is that the biggest lids in ham radio are attracted to awesome little apps like Peanut because they can get in for free.  In fact, REF030C was disconnected from Peanut fairly quickly after some turkeys abused their status as licensed hams and proceeded to behave like "turkeys" on the air using Peanut.  Shortly thereafter, D-Star shut down the connection from Peanut to REF030C.

However, the other sites remained active, and they worked very well. The audio is excellent, and although it is not what I consider to be "real" ham radio, nevertheless, it is a chance to talk to your friends using D-star without the cost.

According to David, PA7LIM, the creative genius behind Peanut, he no longer has the time to manage and code changes in Peanut due to the fact that his family is not getting the attention they deserve and need.  Therefore, he will rightly choose to shutdown Peanut in few days in order to spend more time with his family.  A proper decision.

Now that Peanut is about to shutdown, we can ask ourselves, what can we do to ensure that projects like Peanut survive.  At last word, something like 5000 plus users had registered for Peanut.  That is a lot of users to sign up in such a short period of time.  In my opinion, Peanut should be an app with a price tag.  A brand new D-star radio is going to cost a good chunk of change. So why not charge the user a $3 a year fee to register with Peanut.

Charging a fee would kill two birds with one stone.  The first is that it would allow PA7LIM to justify the time working on the project and coding.  The second is that many of the "lids" who treated Peanut and D-Star like CB radio will avoid Peanut because of the $3 fee.

Ham radio operators are some of the most talented and creative people out there.  Not all hams, but a significant number are 1st-rate technicians, coders, and engineers.  In the future, I think that we should consider supporting projects like Peanut with a few bucks to make sure that good products will stay alive and provide a great service.  Let's keep that in mind when the next "Peanut" project shows up.

73  Mark 4x1ks