Got my Funcube Dongle PRO + today and was wondering about the consequences of transmitting into it. No I haven't done it yet, but in the past with such devices you operate on a system that requires you tx on 2 banks alternately this will happen. How do I know this? In the AO-40 days I think I replaced the front end in my 2.4 gig downconverter at least 3 times. It wasn't so bad after the first time, after I ordered several replacement chips to fix the one I fried in the frontend of the Drake D/C. I see the Funcube is sealed so I must ask, has anyone had the misfortune to do this? Or does anyone have a protection scheme to share?
73 Jeff kb2m
Jeff,
The consequences at not going to be good, nor will repair be easy. :) I only took out one mode-S converter, fortunately a cheap one, to convince myself that I needed to come up with a configuration which would make it impossible for even the most ingenious idiot, ME, to do that in the heat of battle. On the rare times I use the FCD for satellite testing I have to manually move the antenna from the main rig to the FCD which has so far been adequate.
73s,
Alan WA4SCA
<-----Original Message----- <From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of kb2m@arrl.net <Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:34 AM <To: 'AMSAT-BB' <Subject: [amsat-bb] funcube dongle < <Got my Funcube Dongle PRO + today and was wondering about the consequences <of transmitting into it. No I haven't done it yet, but in the past with such <devices you operate on a system that requires you tx on 2 banks alternately <this will happen. How do I know this? In the AO-40 days I think I replaced <the front end in my 2.4 gig downconverter at least 3 times. It wasn't so <bad after the first time, after I ordered several replacement chips to fix <the one I fried in the frontend of the Drake D/C. I see the Funcube is <sealed so I must ask, has anyone had the misfortune to do this? Or does <anyone have a protection scheme to share? < < < <73 Jeff kb2m < < < <_______________________________________________ <Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available <to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed <are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. <Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! <Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Jeff,
Like Alan, I use a manual system to switch between the transceiver and the FCD. When I am receiving on the FCD, there is no transmitter connected to any feedlines for that band. I manually disconnect it from the radio and connect it directly to the FCD. Thus far, this technique has managed to dodge my incompetence and protect my precious dongle.
I have plans to incorporate relays at some point down the road.
73 Clayton W5PFG
On Wed, Feb 11, 2015 at 10:01 AM, Alan wa4sca@gmail.com wrote:
Jeff,
The consequences at not going to be good, nor will repair be easy. :) I only took out one mode-S converter, fortunately a cheap one, to convince myself that I needed to come up with a configuration which would make it impossible for even the most ingenious idiot, ME, to do that in the heat of battle. On the rare times I use the FCD for satellite testing I have to manually move the antenna from the main rig to the FCD which has so far been adequate.
73s,
Alan WA4SCA
<-----Original Message----- <From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of kb2m@arrl.net <Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:34 AM <To: 'AMSAT-BB' <Subject: [amsat-bb] funcube dongle < <Got my Funcube Dongle PRO + today and was wondering about the consequences <of transmitting into it. No I haven't done it yet, but in the past with such <devices you operate on a system that requires you tx on 2 banks alternately <this will happen. How do I know this? In the AO-40 days I think I replaced <the front end in my 2.4 gig downconverter at least 3 times. It wasn't so <bad after the first time, after I ordered several replacement chips to fix <the one I fried in the frontend of the Drake D/C. I see the Funcube is <sealed so I must ask, has anyone had the misfortune to do this? Or does <anyone have a protection scheme to share? < < < <73 Jeff kb2m < < < <_______________________________________________ <Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available <to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed <are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. <Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! <Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I too use the dongle with the laptop strictly for receive. The xmtr is on a separate feedline and I switch the two feedlines according to the V/u or U/V configuration of the satellite. 73
George WA5KBH
-----Original Message----- From: "Clayton Coleman" kayakfishtx@gmail.com Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 10:37 To: kb2m@arrl.net Cc: "AMSAT-BB" amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] funcube dongle
Jeff,
Like Alan, I use a manual system to switch between the transceiver and the FCD. When I am receiving on the FCD, there is no transmitter connected to any feedlines for that band. I manually disconnect it from the radio and connect it directly to the FCD. Thus far, this technique has managed to dodge my incompetence and protect my precious dongle.
I have plans to incorporate relays at some point down the road.
73 Clayton W5PFG
On Wed, Feb 11, 2015 at 10:01 AM, Alan wa4sca@gmail.com wrote:
Jeff,
The consequences at not going to be good, nor will repair be easy. :) I only took out one mode-S converter, fortunately a cheap one, to convince myself that I needed to come up with a configuration which would make it impossible for even the most ingenious idiot, ME, to do that in the heat of battle. On the rare times I use the FCD for satellite testing I have to manually move the antenna from the main rig to the FCD which has so far been adequate.
73s,
Alan WA4SCA
<-----Original Message----- <From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of kb2m@arrl.net <Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 9:34 AM <To: 'AMSAT-BB' <Subject: [amsat-bb] funcube dongle < <Got my Funcube Dongle PRO + today and was wondering about the consequences <of transmitting into it. No I haven't done it yet, but in the past with such <devices you operate on a system that requires you tx on 2 banks alternately <this will happen. How do I know this? In the AO-40 days I think I replaced <the front end in my 2.4 gig downconverter at least 3 times. It wasn't so <bad after the first time, after I ordered several replacement chips to fix <the one I fried in the frontend of the Drake D/C. I see the Funcube is <sealed so I must ask, has anyone had the misfortune to do this? Or does <anyone have a protection scheme to share? < < < <73 Jeff kb2m < < < <_______________________________________________ <Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available <to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed <are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. <Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! <Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
MiniCircuits makes a nice little inline SMA limiter that will limit up to 2W to a maximum of 11dBm with a .26dB insertion loss. It's a little pricey at $37 but less than a new FCD. Back when I was a young tech at a radio factory, we made inline fuse holders out of Pomona boxes with a 1/8 amp fuse(the smaller the better) in series with the center conductor. This saved the attenuator in the HP-606 sig gen several times when I accidentally keyed up the 150W transceiver during testing :) -Howie, AB2S
participants (5)
-
Alan -
Clayton Coleman -
gkcarr＠go-express.net -
Howie DeFelice -
kb2m＠arrl.net