Project matters.

Our Project Officer advises that the kits for the CTCSS encoder are now available. These can be purchased for $20 or, if you prefer, for an additional $5 they will assembled and set on either 114.8Hz or 123.0Hz, your choice. 

Westlakes latest repeater VK2RZL  requires a tone of 123.0Hz to activate it. 

There will be an assembly day organised at the club in the near future. It is also hoped to have fitting instruction available on the day. 

The popular LED Bar Graph Audio level Indicator kits although in limited supply are available at a special price, contact Col VK2YP for details.

The CTCSS board.

Do these things do exactly what they say they do - or are they total hogwash

Have you seen the ads? This device will match your long wire to your receivers 50 ohm input?  Firstly a long wire on HF would be on 28 MHz longer than 120 foot and on the lower bands it just an end fed “EF”

The “VMR version” MLB was made from scrap.  3 core 2 amp lighting flex and an old ferrite rod. The results are just the same as the posh version!

You need about one yard of 3 core, 2 amp flex and a ferrite rod with a length of about 6 inches or longer.

Using 3 core flex it is easy to wire because it is color coded. Tape one end of the flex to the rod leaving 6 inches for the connections, then wind on as many turns as possible (mine has 10 turns) and again fix the wire with tape etc at the other end. Now you can just twist the wire connections together or better solder them. Connect it up as shown.

Blue right hand side to Green left-hand side.  Brown right to Blue left. Inner of COAX, to Brown/Blue. Braid to single Green. Aerial to single Brown. Then just bung it into a box.

Have fun.

 b

All these were wound the same way, using different wire and ferrite rod or bar.   

They were all tested by our super tech Barry VK2BZ and all were found to be

0 to 1-2 db loss from 0 to 10 MHz, and 

1-2 to 4db loss from 10 MHz to 20 MHz  

2 balun’s tested were found to have losses of only 5db at up to 50 MHz

And on soak test (120 watts TX) on 7 MHz All 5 balun’s had a 6db loss.

A store bought balun (off the net) which had 5 db losses 0 to 10 MHz

And 8db loss at10 to 20 MHz

And on soak test (120 watts TX) at 7 MHz 16db loss.

The ferrite rods will be available from Westlake’s Parts store,

You supply the wire and the housing (box)

Testing will arranged at a later date.

Cheers Colin VK2YP

10 LED BARGRAPH PROJECT

PARTS