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

[Michael Sapp]

Mitch: Thanks for your project comments and the QRT heads up. I will look 
forward to MP's return next month...

73, Mike wa3tts

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mitch Powell" <ve3ot.mp at gmail.com>
To: "Discussion of the Lowfer (US, European, &amp, UK) and MedFer bands" 
<lowfer at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2014 12:42 PM
Subject: Re: [Lowfer] midday EAR and MP and RAY6 LF converter upgrades


> 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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