SATELITE TRACKER INTERFACE FOR G-5500, G-5400, NOVA, AND SatPC32

AMSAT JOURNAL JUNE 2006

BY WA8SME

Description:CLICK FOR SCHEMATIC PARTS LIST P C BOARD OVERLAY

I found the construction of this project and the task of learning how to operate the interface to be very educational. It certainly is the most cost-effective alternative out there for interfacing a rotator like the Yaesu G-5500. It was nice to see how easy it was to obtain parts online nowadays using the Mouser and Digikey companies. The project is very well documented and my hats off to Mark, WA8SME. Here are a few, hopefully constructive comments:

1. With the SatPC32 tracking program which I use, I found it necessary to set the horizontal antenna correction to +150 degrees, which seems extreme. Once set it works fine, with maybe just a little tweaking of the rotor 1-degree correction controls in SatPC32. You do however have to ignore the Easycom DDE program that runs under SatPC32 when you are tracking; the azimuth readout on that little window is way out of whack, yet the azimuth and elevation readings within the SatPC32 window are correct. Until I figured out these things I was really befuddled. Maybe a note should be put in with the kit.

2. The pictures and circuit board drawing aren't very easy to interpret with respect to the flat connectors' pin numbering.

3. My circuit board diagram had an error in the position of U1 although that has been corrected in the diagram on the web. I am happy to report U1can be installed backwards and it and the PIC chip aren't harmed; everything worked when I reoriented U1 properly. This has been corrected see P C BOARD OVERLAY

4. The circuit board doesn't fit into the box on the parts list. The Farcircuitsboard is larger than WA8SME's original. You'll need a bigger box.

Thanks for the experience and the great operating aide for my station. You can use me for a reference.


REMOTE BANDSWITCH FOR THE BUG CATCHER ANTENNA.

QEX Sep/Oct 98

Description: This is the board that mounts the relays to remotely switch the different bands of operation on the Bug Catcher antenna coil from a 8 position single pole rotary switch. Uses the Radio Shack 275-24812 relays.


RADIO MAILBOX

DTMF ACTIVATED VOICE RECORDING SYSTEM FOR YOUR RADIO BY WA2ANG

QST Jan 97

Description: This is a DTMF controlled voice storage unit that will store messages from the radio and also is able to retrieve messages via the radio, with the 4 digit DTMF commands. The heart of the circuit is an ISD1020/2575 analog voice message system IC. Other IC's required are an 8870 DTMF decoder, 4514, 555, 74C74, 4013, 4070,4011, and 78L05.


ROTOR PAL ROTOR CONTROLLER

QST Feb96

Description: This project provides a preset heating control for Hy-Gain rotators by allowing you to preset a heading and not keep your hand on the control while the rotator is moving. This project also adds a brake delay for those Hy-Gain rotators equipped with a brake and works with automatic and manual rotation. The Rotator Pal was tested by the author with T2X, TAILWISTER, CD-44, and Ham-M rotators and should be compatible with all the eight wire rotators made be CDE and Telex/Hy-Gain, per the author.


ATL-10 ANTENNA TUNER FOR 160 THRU 30M BY AGSTEN

QST Mar97

Description: The ALT-10 is designed to tune and match the feed point of an inverted -L antenna to 50 ohms on 160, 80, and 40 meters, with a power rating of 12 watts under a 50% duty cycle. The circuit also has a bi-directional SWR meter indication. Requires 5 to 140pf variable cap, 4-20pf trimmer cap, 3 diodes, and a 0-1 ma meter. This is great for QRP operation. The article also describes how to extend the range to 30 meters.


RELATIVE INDICATION AUDIBLE METER READER BY MCCOSKEY

QST Mar97

Description: This circuit is designed to be attached to a SWR meter with a 0-150mV output. The circuit produces two tones; the frequency difference is proportional to the input voltage across the SWR meter. As the tomes become equal, the SWR is at its lowest. The output is capable of driving headphones or a small speaker.


A PAIR OF 3CX800s FOR 6 METERS, THE CONTROL BOARD BY HANSEN

QEX Jan/Feb 99

Description: This board provides the mounting to satisfy the various switching requirements of triodes used in modern amplifiers and providing protection against loss of anode voltage, insufficient warm-up time, and excessive grid current. A complete description of the board and circuit is in the QEX article. This is the control board that Dick originally presented to the 1998 Southeastern VHF Society Conference.


SQUELCH FOR THE MFJ-9406 BY RICH LITTLEFIELD

COMM QUARTERLY Winter 99

Description: This is a simple circuit that adds carrier squelch control to the MFJ-9406, 9410, or 9402 SSB Transcievers. Circuit uses a 741 and 2N7000 FET.


DIPLEXER FILTERS FOR AN HF MOSFET POWER AMPLIFIER BY WILLIAM SABIN

QEX Jul/Aug99

Description: This is a six board set for each of the HF bands between 1.8 to 30 MHz. The filters are designed to present a 50 ohm load to a 120w push pull MOSFET amplifier and give greater than 55db of attenuation to the second harmonic. All the boards are identical.


PORTABLE 2 METER J-POLE ANTENNA BY WA8TXT

73's Sep 99

Description: This is the PC Board that is used to assemble a J-Pole antenna with a 55" piece of ladder line with conductors spaced at 0.8" and 4-20 pf trimmer cap. The board is 1" by 4.5". This makes a simple portable 2 meter antenna.


A PSK31 TUNING AID BY DON URBYTES

QST Dec 99

Description: The circuit is made up of a LM2904 amplifier and three band pass filters using (3) NE567's. There is also an on board 7805 regulator


DIRECT FREQUENCY ENTRY KEYPAD FOR ICOM TRANSCEIVERS BY JOHN HANSEN

QST Dec99

Description: This project allows direct frequency entry into the ICOM transceivers. The project uses a programmed PIC that is available fromthe author of the source code at www.arrl,org/files/qst-binaries. The author supplies a kit of PC Board parts and a programmed PIC. The circuits consist of programmed PIC, 4Mhz resonator, and 78L05.


AUDIO NOISE VOTER

QST Oct92

Description: See complete description at http://www.kuggie.com/rbtip/wb2whc.html


SHOEMAKER COR/AUDIO BOARD

Description: See complete description at "http://www.dalek.org/srg/corafbd.html";


AUTOMATIC AMPLIFIER SELECTION FOR THE ICOM IC746, 736, AND 706 MKII TRANSCEIVERS BY PAUL HEWITT

QST MAY'00

Description: This circuit provides automatic keying and ALC-line section for the HF, 6, and 2 meter amplifier sections. It also bypasses the slow internal reed relay in the 746 and 736 transceivers by providing buffered key lines. The circuit uses Lm339, (2)2n2222, (2)IRF620 Fets, and (2) 2n3904.


A REMOTELY CONTROLLED ANTENNA SWITCH BY KG7SG

QST Apr93

Description: The project is designed to remotely switch antennas and have one feed line into the shack and using the Icom band signal available on the ACC2 connector. The circuit can also be switched manually by setting up the voltage divider network as described in the article. Circuit uses (7) NPN transistors, (3) LM339 opamps, and (7) RS275-218c relays.


NARROW BAND-PASS FILTER FOR HF BY WILLIAM SABIN

QEX Sep/Oct 00

Description: Each board can be used to construct one of nine ham band harmonic filters. The power rating of the filters is a continuous 10 watts. Complete design details are given in the article. This would make great harmonic filters for a QRP transmitter.


FODTRACK P C BOARD

Description: A complete description of XQ2FOD project is on the AMSAT web site at www.amsat.org/amsat/ftpsoft.html#pc-rot. Then download the Satellite Tracking program FodTrack2.6.

From John Bloom johnbloom@trspitfire.clara.co.uk: "Very High Quality product, with silkscreen print making construction easy, works well when completed. Also I have converted cheap Altia rotators for use with Fodtrack and with gladly share the info with others"


SPOT GRABBER BY JORGE

QST 6/01

Description: Includes Programmed PIC, MAX232 IC & Board. Source code and complete description available at www.arrl.org/files/qst-binaries/.


TWO-METER REFLECTIVE SP4T PIN DIODE SWITCH

QEX Nov/Dec01

Description: The project is designed by OK1DNZ to switch quickly between four 2 meter receiving antennas, Also look at this for an antenna switching circuit for the Doppler DF antennas. Circuit uses 12) MA4P1250 pin diodes.


ROTOMAPIC BY K7NTW $6.00

QST Nov02

Description: This is the digitized version of the RotoPal from QST Feb96. The project combines the rotor control with a world map. Assembly code available from www.wm7d.net/azproj.shtml. Project uses a PIC12C672, 7805,three transistors, and three relays. The board is 4.25" by 2.75". Partial kit available from the author, Roger Monroe bmonroe@nica.com.


INTERFACE HIGH VOLTAGE EQUIPMENT TO SOLID STATE ACCESSORIES

ARRL HB 2002 CHP 22

Description: There are four circuits shown in figure 22.26 and fig 22.27 for both positive and negative switching. This is the handing for interface between the solid state keyers to the older tube transmitters. Specify either Figure 22.26 (A) or (B) or figure 22.27 (A) or (B) when ordering.


AFFORDABLE Az-El POSITIONER FOR SMALL ANTENNAS

QST Jun03

Description: This project uses the FODTRACK board by XQ2FOD. Complete information for the project is at www.arrl.org/files/qst/qst-binaries/index.html. The project uses a 7805, two LM324, and a 7528.


DISTORTIONLESS AUDIO COMPRESSOR BY CARINGELLA

PE Dec71

Description: The is an oldy but goody. It still has applications today and is easy to build. The circuit board is 4" by 2.25" and uses (3) MPF102, (1) 2n4917, and (3) 2N3565 and a MFC4010 audio amplifier.


REMOTE RELAY ANTENNA SWITCH BOARD BY BILL SMITH

Description: The board switches 6 antennas with the American Zettler relay #AZ755-1C-12D. Kit includes p c board, eyelets, six relays, and templete for drilling holes for the SO239 connectors. OTHER PARTS REQUIRED The seven SO239 connectors mount to the PC board along one edge. See www.geocities.com/ko4nrbs/KO4NRLinks.html for more details.


MAY 5 2010