[Lowfer] midday EAR and MP and RAY6 LF converter upgrades

[Mitch Powell]

Thanks Mike:  Great work, and the results you are getting make it all worth
while.
Will be QRT for a couple of weeks... Summer work.

73
Mitch


On Mon, Jun 9, 2014 at 6:36 PM, Michael Sapp <wa3tts at verizon.net> wrote:

> Mitch, JB & All:  Midday captures of EAR and MP after high sky noise
> levels last nite.
>
> EAR
>
> http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/j914ear_zps2477472e.jpg
>
>
> MP
>
> http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/j914mp_zpse7314a71.jpg
>
>
> I've had better mid-day numbers on both stations midday in past few weeks,
> the A-index was still at 39 at the time.....
>
>
> Some upgrades on the RAY-6 converter....
>
> http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag19/wa3tts/IMG_3808_zpscbb51113.jpg
>
> I added an 8dB gain single-ended Norton 2N5109 amplifier (ratio 1:11:4 on
> type 75 core, 1 to 5 ratio base bias resistors)  after the OCXO output to
> take
> the +15dBm 3.0MHz output to +23dBm.  A 3dB pad on the LO port of the RAY6
> takes the LO level to +20 dBm and improves match to mixer.  From what I
> have read, that should put the mixer compression
> point at about +19dBm.   Also have a 3dB pad between the RAY6 RF input and
> the W1VD
> 2N5109 LF amplifier, which W1JR suggested as a preferred DBM setup in an
> 1980s HR magazine
> article.  I have a AM BC station at 730kHz that my SA shows at about -20
> to -18 in the daytime on the RAY6 converter output.
> Reduced night time power on the local AM BCs (usually 10 dB)  drops the
> strong signal levels to around -30 to -28 at night, which
> my IF radios seem to handle well enough. I do have a VE7BPO & W7ZOI design
> LPF in front of the converter along with a 1020 kHz
> shunt for the local 50kW station 4.5 miles to the East....
>
> Next build plan is to scale W1VD's 500kHz preselector to my 3.0 MHz IF
> frequency
> range and place it between my magic-T IF splitter and one IF radio....but
> that will have to wait a few weeks.....and it looks
> like I'm starting to run out of small "Bud" boxes (hi)....
>
> 73 Mike,  wa3tts
>
>
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