I can't "see" the problem. I really need to be present and "hands on", troubleshooting the whole enchilada with a manual in hand. Sorry I can't be of assistance, Jonathan.
No problem. I'm getting plenty of tips off-YouTube from the GQRP list and others. I'm at the point of setting up the frequency of the VCO. How did you set your trimpots on yours? Did you use a receiver to 'find' the VCO's output, or did you simply listen to the annunciator? Do you know anybody who has installed a meter or frequency readout? I live so close to Akihabara, I could get those parts cheap.
The receiver isn't necessary. (My guess is that the chirpy cw is the 'tenna dipper's oscillator being pulled around by the frequency counter's morse read out.) Anyway, it's irrelevant. Until you have an antenna to test or a tuner to adjust, you're not doing anything useful. The 'tenna dipper is not meant to be "listened to" with a radio. The morse you're hearing is the numerical value frequency at which the 'tenna dipper is oscillating (7r175 = 7.175MHz).
When you have a real antenna hooked up, you turn the pot until the LED goes out and then listen to the morse read-out. It will tell you what frequency the oscillator's at, and thus where the antenna is resonant. (resonant antenna = 50+0j ohm impedance = LED goes out)
It does seem that the dippers frequency counter is pretty close to right, because when you tune near what it's saying in morse, there's obviously signal. So use the frequency counter to set up the trimmers.
All that said, as far as I know, the LED should be OFF if you have a pure 50 ohm resistor across the antenna terminals. Try connecting the resistor directly to the antenna connector and see what happens with the LED. All the wire/coax you've got there might be effecting it. If the LED doesn't go off (or very dim), there may be a problem.
Nice construction job, by the way! Looks good. Where'd you get the fancy case, dial and pot??
Got the case at one of the many shops in Akihabara, Tokyo. Got the dial at Akizuki Denshi, right across the street in Akihabara--and the pot came with it as a kit. It's pretty cool--but maybe a little expensive for the 'econo' motif of the TD.
The 'td's frequency counter (what beeps in morse) is what tells you the frequency that the VCO is on. It comes pre-calibrated. So you decide what you want the middle frequency of a specific jumper setting to be (recommended ranges are in manual), and turn the trimmer until you hear that frequency in morse from the 'td speaker. Then do it for the other trimmer/jumper sets. Then you're done! No RX required. 73!
Thanks. (See description) I built this unit, and I'm looking for advice on how to hear the VCO and fine-tune it to the frequency of my QRP rig--so I can then use it in the conventional way.
Thanks anyway, Randy. It's a little antenna analyzer that many of the QRP guys are building, and works pretty good--but I'm having a hard time getting mine to work. Carry on and 73!
That would make it nice to tune the antenna and listen as you adjust... To get it out of this mode, I just pulled the power jumper and then it reset by itself... -Joe
I suspect the two problems are one: To much signal into the HF receiver and makes finding the frequency to set the range pot difficult because it is so broad tuning.. I would just run the tenna dipper and look for it without any coupling out of the TD...
Second, I think he is in beacon mode... When I held the key down during the cycle through the menus, it sent an " X " as the last menu item.. I couldn't find my manual but I am pretty sure that must be a continous or beacon mode..
First off you hook your antenna directly to the Tenna Dipper and do not use the radio. I will let some others look at yours but I have never seen one hooked up like you have it. Also it should not continuously give you a cw frequency reading, should only get the cw tone when you press the brown shaft. -Gene
Problem solved! Check out the video response. My TD and BLT both seem to work...
Regards,
KC7FYS
kc7fys 4 years ago
I can't "see" the problem. I really need to be present and "hands on", troubleshooting the whole enchilada with a manual in hand. Sorry I can't be of assistance, Jonathan.
w5ljm 4 years ago
No problem. I'm getting plenty of tips off-YouTube from the GQRP list and others. I'm at the point of setting up the frequency of the VCO. How did you set your trimpots on yours? Did you use a receiver to 'find' the VCO's output, or did you simply listen to the annunciator? Do you know anybody who has installed a meter or frequency readout? I live so close to Akihabara, I could get those parts cheap.
kc7fys 4 years ago
The receiver isn't necessary. (My guess is that the chirpy cw is the 'tenna dipper's oscillator being pulled around by the frequency counter's morse read out.) Anyway, it's irrelevant. Until you have an antenna to test or a tuner to adjust, you're not doing anything useful. The 'tenna dipper is not meant to be "listened to" with a radio. The morse you're hearing is the numerical value frequency at which the 'tenna dipper is oscillating (7r175 = 7.175MHz).
lymphectomy 4 years ago
When you have a real antenna hooked up, you turn the pot until the LED goes out and then listen to the morse read-out. It will tell you what frequency the oscillator's at, and thus where the antenna is resonant. (resonant antenna = 50+0j ohm impedance = LED goes out)
lymphectomy 4 years ago
It does seem that the dippers frequency counter is pretty close to right, because when you tune near what it's saying in morse, there's obviously signal. So use the frequency counter to set up the trimmers.
lymphectomy 4 years ago
All that said, as far as I know, the LED should be OFF if you have a pure 50 ohm resistor across the antenna terminals. Try connecting the resistor directly to the antenna connector and see what happens with the LED. All the wire/coax you've got there might be effecting it. If the LED doesn't go off (or very dim), there may be a problem.
Nice construction job, by the way! Looks good. Where'd you get the fancy case, dial and pot??
lymphectomy 4 years ago
BTW: You can download the manual online. Google tenna dipper. Won't let me post the URL here.
lymphectomy 4 years ago
Got it. The manual is not exactly rife with details for a soldering iron-wielding appliance op like myself. But I'm learning!
kc7fys 4 years ago
Got the case at one of the many shops in Akihabara, Tokyo. Got the dial at Akizuki Denshi, right across the street in Akihabara--and the pot came with it as a kit. It's pretty cool--but maybe a little expensive for the 'econo' motif of the TD.
kc7fys 4 years ago
Oh, the frequency counter will simply annunciate the VCO frequency determined by the H/L jumper and trimmer setting?
kc7fys 4 years ago
Yes, but how does one set the VCO frequency with the PCB trimmer caps without some sort of 'finding' of the TD's signal on a receiver?
kc7fys 4 years ago
The 'td's frequency counter (what beeps in morse) is what tells you the frequency that the VCO is on. It comes pre-calibrated. So you decide what you want the middle frequency of a specific jumper setting to be (recommended ranges are in manual), and turn the trimmer until you hear that frequency in morse from the 'td speaker. Then do it for the other trimmer/jumper sets. Then you're done! No RX required. 73!
lymphectomy 4 years ago
Thanks. (See description) I built this unit, and I'm looking for advice on how to hear the VCO and fine-tune it to the frequency of my QRP rig--so I can then use it in the conventional way.
kc7fys 4 years ago
Sorry, I am not familiar with this unit. Randy
K7AGE 4 years ago
Thanks anyway, Randy. It's a little antenna analyzer that many of the QRP guys are building, and works pretty good--but I'm having a hard time getting mine to work. Carry on and 73!
kc7fys 4 years ago
That would make it nice to tune the antenna and listen as you adjust... To get it out of this mode, I just pulled the power jumper and then it reset by itself... -Joe
VivStaines 4 years ago
I suspect the two problems are one: To much signal into the HF receiver and makes finding the frequency to set the range pot difficult because it is so broad tuning.. I would just run the tenna dipper and look for it without any coupling out of the TD...
Second, I think he is in beacon mode... When I held the key down during the cycle through the menus, it sent an " X " as the last menu item.. I couldn't find my manual but I am pretty sure that must be a continous or beacon mode..
VivStaines 4 years ago
First off you hook your antenna directly to the Tenna Dipper and do not use the radio. I will let some others look at yours but I have never seen one hooked up like you have it. Also it should not continuously give you a cw frequency reading, should only get the cw tone when you press the brown shaft. -Gene
VivStaines 4 years ago