Well, just got through listening to a pass of AO-51. As several have suggested, it was a pointing issue with the antenna. I can't believe my memory has gotten to the point where I couldn't remember where North was the last time I had the antennas up. Thing is, I actually took a compass reading the other day and compensated for declination but I must have misread something somewhere. I was only about 20 degrees off! Declination here is only 4 degrees so it couldn't have been that. That's what I get for working on stuff at dusk I guess. I'm slightly embarrassed! BTW, I didn't mean to make anyone think that an 11 element yagi was too narrow for LEO's. It's fine if you point the dang thing right! Also, the reason why I went this route with the more complex antenna and AZ/EL system is that I already had the stuff on hand from my last foray into satellites. Only the preamp was new and I knew that everything had worked before. I can certainly appreciate the suggestions on simplification and I was about to do just that if I didn't have any success today. Now I just have to work out some of my cable issues and get something going for transmit. My 2 meter "cheap yagi" has seen better days. Once I get that, I'll raise the mast and get the antennas up to their normal height. I'm just using HT's right now but I hope to have a new TS-2000X sometime after the first of the year. I've been quite interested in the TS-2000 vs. IC910H thread. I know that Icom has discontinued the 910 because of the 9100 but I was under the impression that Kenwood would release a new rig at Dayton this year and wonder if that will mean the demise of the TS-2000. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and also allowing me to "vent" a bit last night.I was getting pretty frustrated. 73, Michael, W4HIJ
Michael,
Looking forward to working you and glad the problem is solved. In pre-gray hair days, I use to make fun of the TV instructions when the troubleshooting section noted: Make sure TV is plugged into outlet. Not anymore!! Just yesterday I spent a half hour wondering why my printer didn't print. When you remove the wrong ethernet cable earlier in the day and assumed it was the correct one for another device...well, you know the rest of the story.
73 Greg N3MVF
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Michael Tondee Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 6:06 PM To: AMSAT-BB@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] "Frustration" Solved!
Well, just got through listening to a pass of AO-51. As several have suggested, it was a pointing issue with the antenna. I can't believe my memory has gotten to the point where I couldn't remember where North was the last time I had the antennas up. Thing is, I actually took a compass reading the other day and compensated for declination but I must have misread something somewhere. I was only about 20 degrees off! Declination here is only 4 degrees so it couldn't have been that. That's what I get for working on stuff at dusk I guess. I'm slightly embarrassed! BTW, I didn't mean to make anyone think that an 11 element yagi was too narrow for LEO's. It's fine if you point the dang thing right! Also, the reason why I went this route with the more complex antenna and AZ/EL system is that I already had the stuff on hand from my last foray into satellites. Only the preamp was new and I knew that everything had worked before. I can certainly appreciate the suggestions on simplification and I was about to do just that if I didn't have any success today. Now I just have to work out some of my cable issues and get something going for transmit. My 2 meter "cheap yagi" has seen better days. Once I get that, I'll raise the mast and get the antennas up to their normal height. I'm just using HT's right now but I hope to have a new TS-2000X sometime after the first of the year. I've been quite interested in the TS-2000 vs. IC910H thread. I know that Icom has discontinued the 910 because of the 9100 but I was under the impression that Kenwood would release a new rig at Dayton this year and wonder if that will mean the demise of the TS-2000. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and also allowing me to "vent" a bit last night.I was getting pretty frustrated. 73, Michael, W4HIJ
_______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Just
yesterday I spent a half hour wondering why my printer didn't print. When you remove the wrong ethernet cable earlier in the day and assumed it was the correct one for another device...well, you know the rest of the story.
73 Greg N3MVF
Ah the old "It was unplugged problem"....a pleasant combination of Murphy and random chance...
Robert WB5MZO _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141665/direct/01/
I wish I had a buck for every time I have done this. I could drink coffee for a year at Starbuck's. Why does the technical mind (more male than female but both nevertheless) tend to run to the worst possibility rather than look for the simplest. I am about the worst offender I know.
Bob
Just yesterday I spent a half hour wondering why my printer didn't print. When you remove the wrong ethernet cable earlier in the day and assumed it was the correct one for another device...well, you know the rest of the story.
73 Greg N3MVF
At 05:47 AM 12/1/2009, Bob McGwier wrote:
I wish I had a buck for every time I have done this. I could drink coffee for a year at Starbuck's. Why does the technical mind (more male than female but both nevertheless) tend to run to the worst possibility rather than look for the simplest. I am about the worst offender I know.
Bob
Just yesterday I spent a half hour wondering why my printer didn't print. When you remove the wrong ethernet cable earlier in the day and assumed it was the correct one for another device...well, you know the rest of the story.
73 Greg N3MVF
Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings: http://amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
I smile (in self recognition). An old mentor, when I was starting in a career of electronic repair, said "its usually something simple"! "Do not automatically look for the worst cause". The first step in troubleshooting is to verify all the inputs are present, then check the outputs, then back up an look and smell. And by all means do not "assume".
My eme station was not receiving last night when I started it up after a month's idleness. So I check the dc voltages (all there), then noticing the coax is connected differently, I check the outside connection (was to a different feedthru connector...hmm). Only took about 20-min to discover (apparently changed my mind on which connector to use and didn't complete the changeover).
Years ago when a satellite-TV dealer, a customer called to say his set quit. I drove 100-miles to work on it to find the ac cord disconnected in back of his large entertainment cabinet. I could only justify taking some gas money from the very apologetic customer (I blew off 5-hours of my time).
73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com 500-KHz/CW, 144-MHz EME, 1296-MHz EME DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubususa@hotmail.com ======================================
I smile (in self recognition). An old mentor, when I was starting in a career of electronic repair, said "its usually something simple"! "Do not automatically look for the worst cause". The first step in troubleshooting is to verify all the inputs are present, then check the outputs, then back up an look and smell. And by all means do not "assume".
Amen! We bring our 5 senses with us to our troubleshooting tasks, and then ignore them to focus on the 6th sense (guesswork!). Use all of them! (Well, maybe not taste...) Take a step back and watch the lights and meters. Listen to the sequence of clicks and buzzes (and the lack of them). Feel the temperature of the chips (the back of your hand is a marvelous thermometer at a few inches above a circuit). All are clues as to what is going on.
This garden universe vibrates complete. Some may get a sound so sweet. Vibrations reach on up to become light, And then thru gamma, out of sight. Between the eyes and ears there lay, The sounds of colour and the light of a sigh. And to hear the sun, what a thing to believe. But it's all around if we could but perceive. To know ultra-violet, infra-red and X-rays, Beauty to find in so many ways. Two notes of the chord, that's our full scope. But to reach the chord is our life's hope. And to name the chord is important to some. So they give a word, and the word is OM. - The Moody Blues
Greg KO6TH
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At 05:06 PM 12/2/2009, Greg D. wrote:
Amen! We bring our 5 senses with us to our troubleshooting tasks, and then ignore them to focus on the 6th sense (guesswork!). Use all of them! (Well, maybe not taste...) Take a step back and watch the lights and meters. Listen to the sequence of clicks and buzzes
You've never checked the state of a 9V battery with your tongue? ;)
73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com
Actually, I do that all the time!
Greg KO6TH
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 2009 17:45:50 +1100 To: ko6th_greg@hotmail.com; kl7uw@acsalaska.net; rwmcgwier@gmail.com; amsat-bb@amsat.org From: vk3jed@gmail.com Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Re: "Frustration" Solved!
At 05:06 PM 12/2/2009, Greg D. wrote:
Amen! We bring our 5 senses with us to our troubleshooting tasks, and then ignore them to focus on the 6th sense (guesswork!). Use all of them! (Well, maybe not taste...) Take a step back and watch the lights and meters. Listen to the sequence of clicks and buzzes
You've never checked the state of a 9V battery with your tongue? ;)
73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com
_________________________________________________________________ Chat with Messenger straight from your Hotmail inbox. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/hotmail_bl1/hotmail_bl1.aspx?oc...
At 06:23 PM 12/2/2009, Greg D. wrote:
Actually, I do that all the time!
You've never checked the state of a 9V battery with your tongue? ;)
I rest my case, and you were right, use all 5 senses. ;)
73 de VK3JED / VK3IRL http://vkradio.com
Today I pulled a good one. I decided to go ahead and raise the mast up "temporarily" to see how much it improved the minimum horizon I could start to copy. I raised the mast and tightened the clamping bolt by hand. I had a guy wire a bit tight and as I started down the ladder to adjust it I thought, "You know, I should probably give that clamp bolt a turn with pliers so it doesn't let lose, Nahhh...it will be alright." Sure enough, as I'm standing there adjusting the turnbuckle, the bolt lets lose and antenna, rotators and all telescope back down into the lower mast section at a high rate of speed. Nothing was harmed but I ran out of daylight and wasn't able to free the upper mast section to raise it again. It's jammed at the moment. Should have listened to myself about tightening that bolt! When we get in a hurry we make stupid mistakes. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. 73, Michael W4HIJ Greg Dober wrote:
Michael,
Looking forward to working you and glad the problem is solved. In pre-gray hair days, I use to make fun of the TV instructions when the troubleshooting section noted: Make sure TV is plugged into outlet. Not anymore!! Just yesterday I spent a half hour wondering why my printer didn't print. When you remove the wrong ethernet cable earlier in the day and assumed it was the correct one for another device...well, you know the rest of the story.
73 Greg N3MVF
-----Original Message----- From: amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org [mailto:amsat-bb-bounces@amsat.org] On Behalf Of Michael Tondee Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 6:06 PM To: AMSAT-BB@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] "Frustration" Solved!
Well, just got through listening to a pass of AO-51. As several have suggested, it was a pointing issue with the antenna. I can't believe my memory has gotten to the point where I couldn't remember where North was the last time I had the antennas up. Thing is, I actually took a compass reading the other day and compensated for declination but I must have misread something somewhere. I was only about 20 degrees off! Declination here is only 4 degrees so it couldn't have been that. That's what I get for working on stuff at dusk I guess. I'm slightly embarrassed! BTW, I didn't mean to make anyone think that an 11 element yagi was too narrow for LEO's. It's fine if you point the dang thing right! Also, the reason why I went this route with the more complex antenna and AZ/EL system is that I already had the stuff on hand from my last foray into satellites. Only the preamp was new and I knew that everything had worked before. I can certainly appreciate the suggestions on simplification and I was about to do just that if I didn't have any success today. Now I just have to work out some of my cable issues and get something going for transmit. My 2 meter "cheap yagi" has seen better days. Once I get that, I'll raise the mast and get the antennas up to their normal height. I'm just using HT's right now but I hope to have a new TS-2000X sometime after the first of the year. I've been quite interested in the TS-2000 vs. IC910H thread. I know that Icom has discontinued the 910 because of the 9100 but I was under the impression that Kenwood would release a new rig at Dayton this year and wonder if that will mean the demise of the TS-2000. Thanks everyone for the suggestions and also allowing me to "vent" a bit last night.I was getting pretty frustrated. 73, Michael, W4HIJ
participants (7)
-
Bob McGwier -
Edward Cole -
Greg D. -
Greg Dober -
Michael Tondee -
Rocky Jones -
Tony Langdon