OK2ZAW - OL9A - OK4ZAW - QRO.cz - HamParts.shop blog
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Update at solar site in Eagle Mountains: LoRa APRS digi, WX, MeshCom, Meshtastic, LoRa PR
After a long time I finally found the time and made a day trip to the Eagle Mountains to inspect and upgrade the solar site. The trip got a bit complicated when I discovered that I didn't have the keys to QTH OL7M :) Fortunately it was sorted out - thanks Káťo. We loaded up the ladder and headed for the mountains. The morning rain turned into hot and sweltering heat at 1100m.
I planned to change the batteries and most importantly add new technologies - Meshtastic and MeshCom. I also replaced the SD card in the raspberry PI zero for the LoRa Packet Radio to make both LoRa TRXs operational. Replaced the LoRa APRS WX station etc.
In the end it was a 4h job...
I installed new dipole for 433 and 868 MHz on one boom. 868 MHz is used for LoRa APRS WX station and 433 MHz for MeshCom. There is also new 3el collinear antenna for 868 MHz with 433 MHz filter for Meshtastic.
The power system works by having a main 12V 17Ah battery, this is charged by two solar panels 10 and 20W. My own MPPT charging boards also have battery discharge protection and their own DC-DC converter for 3V3 and 5V. Either board powers 3V3 stuff, like the LoRa APRS Digi and the 5V Raspberry PI zero board. The 3V3 board shuts off the battery when it drops to 11.5V and the 5V board at 12V. The weather station has its own 18650 battery that powers the LoRa APRS WX and the RAK 19003 for the Meshtastic. This metostation monitors and sends the main 12V battery voltage and Meshtastic sends the small battery voltage information. This WX station has its own small solar panel.
Tuesday, June 4, 2024
2m Es 3.6. 2024 (remote from SV2 holiday)
Monday, June 3, 2024
Sunday, May 12, 2024
Aurora Borealis May 2024
Something you don't see every day. Or every year... The Aurora Borealis is visible across most of the sky. This was the evening of Friday 10th May 2024.
With the eye you could only see flickering "clouds". My mobile phone didn't see anything, but Lucky's phone caught it in the preview. I alternated between taking pictures and listening to the band. I had the remote on OL7M. The 6m band was full of CW stations, the FT8 signals could not be decoded, they were "spreaded" over a wide area. The view of the 2m band was amazing, lots of stations and on the waterfall you could see beautifully which signals were spread out by the aurora. I gradually tuned in and heard stations from G to EW in beautiful strength. Mila OK1FPR appeared on the band, so I listened for a few moments and even tried 6m.
The next day I have to help my parents in the cottage and so I quickly pack the IC-9700, CW key, power supply and paper and pencil. I have a small yagi 3m above the ground in the cottage. I set up the radio quite late, tune the band and the first QSO on the IC-9700 is DK3BU.
Then I find G4PIQ, weak signal, but I get 59A on the first try. Then another G, but the conditions disappear for me, the stations get lost and I only hear classic tropo signals. Then the band starts to fizzle and the DX stations are gone. I pack up the TRX and drive home.
Still a nice experience and my first QSO over the aurora. I have to finish the antennas at work, then it will be possible to be QRV faster - not counting the FT8 QSOs...