Main Plant Station Activities

Antenna Status:
All antennas at the Main Plant station are presently off-line.  We are working to get some HF capability back as soon as possible.

Status:  The Flex 5000 is back in operation.  Thanks to Al Groff (K0VM) for making this happen.  The root cause of the problem was a cold solder joint on the I2C bus that handles PTT

Issue:  New roof for butler buildings.  New antennas.

Progress:
The cable raceway is (mostly) installed.  It looks like they still need to hang the very south end of it (see pictures below).  In case it isn't obvious, the raceway running horizontally up near the roofline is what is new.

The bulkhead panel is being fab'd (for access into the building for all feedlines and control cables for antennas mounted on the west side of the Butler buildings).  Facilities will hold onto it and await the arrival of the Polyphasers and DB-25's so that they can be installed in the panel before putting the panel into the outer wall of Butler 150.

I have been told, but did not see for myself, that the mount for the SteppIR vertical has been flashed in.  They forgot to put in the 3" pipe for feedline and element control cable access for the vertical and the 75-meter dipole.  They will be adding this soon.  The entry point for the SteppIR vertical and the 75-meter dipole will be co-located with the SteppIR vertical mount (in the roof peak of Butler 149).

Need: 

I would like some help in ordering/building/whatever RG-8 coax and rotor control cables for the interior of Butler 150.  These will be the cable runs that are inside the building, and go from the bulkhead panel to the shack.  There will be a raceway installed that goes from the west wall of Butler 150 to over the top of the shack.  The catwalk that is in the Jeep Lab is going to be extended so that we can easily access the bulkhead panel/raceway.  This needs to be done right after facilities installs the panel because the first thing they're going to do after cutting a hole in the outer wall of the building and bolting in the panel is to pack insulation against the inside of the panel to prevent condensation on the panel.  It will be MUCH easier to install the interior cables if it is done BEFORE the insulation is packed in.

Whoever volunteers for this, here are the specifics:

Connector ends for coax need to be N-males on one end (to connect to the Polyphasers) and <nothing> on the other end (to hang inside the shack and eventually be connected to our patch panel inside the shack).  Connectors are TBD for the ends of the coax inside the shack.

Talk with Joe Spinks (AAØKW) for what has been procured for the two DB-25's.  If they are panel-mount, that means that inside the building, it will most likely be solder cups.  So, a means to strain-relief the two control cables needs to be designed by the volunteer(s).  If it is a bulkhead connector (a DB-25 on the inside and a DB-25 on the outside), then the gender of the inside connector needs to be determined in order to fabricate the mating connector on the inside (including locking mechanisms like thumb screws...  assuming the bulkhead connector has the jacks for it).

Inside the building, we are going to populate (attach cables to) all polyphasers and all 50 pins of the two DB-25's.  This way, whenever we change or add antennas or rotor/element control cables, all of the wiring will be done between the shack and the bulkhead panel...  we'll have no need to gain access to the secure Jeep Lab.

Labeling/marking of all internal cables (on both ends, including labeling individual wires and listing which pin number of which DB-25 they go to) is necessary.  I have an idea for how to document this.  Whoever volunteers for the job, please see me.  As always, I'm open to others' ideas on how to do it.

That's all for now.  Again, I would like someone to volunteer to do the interior cabling.  This involves determining cable lengths needed.  I will work with you on all aspects of this to make sure we have a solid plan.


-- Mike, ACØPB

The Plan:

Issue:  (Issue resolved) There is no RF output from the KWM-2 transceiver in phone, CW, tune, or key lock emission modes.  The receiver appears to be working fine.  The best guess at this time is that the problem lies somewhere in the Tx audio lineup.

Summary:  As it turned out, there was no_trouble_found.  Since he had the xcvr on his bench already, Rod Blocksome (K0DAS) gave the KWM-2 a checkup.  The parameters adjusted/replaced/checked:

* Touched up the PA and driver neutralization adjustment
* Noticed AM tone modulation on Tune & CW emission with low setting of Mic gain.  Problem traced to
   problems in audio oscillator and poor SSB carrier suppression.  Problem fixed by:
       - Replaced paper electrolytics with new
       - Replaced 1N34A diodes in balanced modulator with 1N5711 (then could adjust for very good carrier suppression)
* De-oxit all switch contacts
* Checked VFO cal spread:  okay


NOTE:  When the KWM-2 was set up in the shack, the Tx key would oscillate at a slow rate (about 1 Hz).  This would happen only when the microphone was plugged in and the MIC gain turned on.  Danny Rhoades (WB0LJK) asked what the VOX gain was set to...  Looking, we noticed that the VOX gain was cranked all the way up.  It was then turned it down to minimum; this alleviated the problem.  So, if anybody likes using VOX, be aware that currently the VOX gain is turned down (knob is inside the top panel).

ANOTHER NOTE:  The Turner microphone that is connected to the KWM-2 requires that the PTT switch on the base of the microphone be used in order to talk.  Using the PTT foot pedal will put the KWM-2 into transmit mode, but there will be no mic audio.  This will be investigated as time permits, as it would be desirable to use this microphone in conjuntion with the foot PTT pedal.

Vintage Station New KWM-2 Power Supply

Issue:  A Collins 516F-2 DC power supply was purchased by the club at Dayton 2010.  This supply is to replace the Collins PM-2 lightweight supply that is presently powering the KWM-2.  The supply was purchased with a capacitor kit included (but not installed).

Need:  Nothing at this time. 

Additional Information:  Bob Klaus has recapped the supply.  Bob and Mike Hynek will be reforming the capacitors in the supply.

Antenna Patch Panel Replacement C Bulkheads (Done)

Issue:  (Issue resolved). The bulkhead connectors used on the antenna patch panel are C connectors.  The center conductor female pins on several of these connectors have broken “fingers”, resulting in a less-than-optimal connection.  As such, these connectors need to be replaced.  Operation of the shack can proceed, but with caution (check VSWR when using any of the antennas or the dummy load).

John DeJournett (KD0JXN) installed new bulkhead connectors on the patch panel.  Thanks, John.

Need:  

Additional Information: