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ZL3AI > APRDIG 02.04.04 14:45l 295 Lines 10311 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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From: ZL3AI@ZL3VML.#80.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
Subject: Re: New tracker design suggestions
From: David VanHorn <dvanhorn@cedar.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 17:39:12 -0500
X-Message-Number: 12
>
>I'm after something that is waterproof, hard to mess with or damage
>in the field, and has long battery life. A single LED that flashed
>once per second or two letting me know everything was powered up and
>working properly would be of use to me. I probably wouldn't want to
>mount any more than one LED on the outside of the enclosure, and
>would want to waterproof that LED opening very well.
Lexan overlays are easy for this.
As many holes as needed in the metal, and then self-adhesive lexan over the
top. It seals pretty well, at least rainproof.
>On the outside I want a keyswitch
Tough to waterproof. Why a key?
> one LED, a waterproof connection
>for a GPS antenna (or have it inside the housing), and a waterproof
>connection for a 2M antenna. I wonder if keyswitches are waterproof
>by default? Probably not.
Definitely not.
>It would be good to have any LED's flash so that they don't take up
>much current, or have a method to turn them all on/off.
Absolutely, the LEDs on my printer eat more than the printer, when it's
sleeping. In fact, all five on is equal to the drain of the two ATMEGA128's,
and the rest of the logic running at full speed.
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Subject: Re: New tracker design suggestions
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@opentrac.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:51:37 -0800
X-Message-Number: 13
> Lexan overlays are easy for this.
> As many holes as needed in the metal, and then self-adhesive lexan over
the top. It seals pretty well, at least rainproof.
Got any links where I can see this?
> >On the outside I want a keyswitch
>
> Tough to waterproof. Why a key?
I don't know about a key switch, but one possible problem with a pushbutton
is that it's easy to bump in a backpack or ammo can and accidentally shut
off. An internal jumper to bypass the switch might be an option.
> >It would be good to have any LED's flash so that they don't take up
> >much current, or have a method to turn them all on/off.
>
> Absolutely, the LEDs on my printer eat more than the printer, when it's
sleeping. In fact, all five on is equal to the drain of the two ATMEGA128's,
and the rest of the logic running at full speed.
I think I'm going to make all of the LEDs, power included,
software-controlled. Even when 'on', the LEDs can be pulsed rapidly in the
timebase interrupt routine to save power, they could be set to 'blink' only,
or they could be completely shut off.
Scott
N1VG
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Subject: Re: New tracker design suggestions
From: David VanHorn <dvanhorn@cedar.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 17:57:09 -0500
X-Message-Number: 14
At 02:51 PM 3/30/2004 -0800, Scott Miller wrote:
>> Lexan overlays are easy for this.
>> As many holes as needed in the metal, and then self-adhesive lexan over
>the top. It seals pretty well, at least rainproof.
>
>Got any links where I can see this?
http://www.modthebox.com/review138_2.shtml
This is a display and keyboard. Not waterproof because of the way it's used,
but if this were a sealed enclosure, then you'd be there.
>I think I'm going to make all of the LEDs, power included,
>software-controlled. Even when 'on', the LEDs can be pulsed rapidly in the
>timebase interrupt routine to save power, they could be set to 'blink' only,
or they could be completely shut off.
A very good idea.
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Subject: Re: New tracker design suggestions
From: Jeff King <jeff@aerodata.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:13:54 -0500
X-Message-Number: 15
On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:51:37 -0800, Scott Miller wrote:
>>Absolutely, the LEDs on my printer eat more than the printer, when
>>it's
>sleeping. In fact, all five on is equal to the drain of the two
>ATMEGA128's, and the rest of the logic running at full speed.
>
>I think I'm going to make all of the LEDs, power included, software-
>controlled. Even when 'on', the LEDs can be pulsed rapidly in the
>timebase interrupt routine to save power, they could be set to
>'blink' only, or they could be completely shut off.
I think I was reading the other day on the CCS message board where someone
suggested "high brightness" LED's as a way to save power. Apparently, the
poster claims they are still quite bright at 200uA. See:
http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18730
in cyril's post.
The PWM idea is also a good one, because you then could use a much smaller
resistor and put more power into the LED while keep the average current
low... heck maybe replace the resistor with an inductor and recover some of
the energy assuming the pulse was short enough! I guess one can take this a
bit too far, but you get my drift.
73
Jeff
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Subject: Re: New tracker design suggestions
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@opentrac.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 15:19:05 -0800
X-Message-Number: 16
> I think I was reading the other day on the CCS message board where someone
> suggested "high brightness" LED's as a way to save power. Apparently, the
> poster claims they are still quite bright at 200uA. See:
> http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18730
> in cyril's post.
I'll have to check that out.
The LCD selection is driving me nuts. I'd like to find one that operates
off a single 3-volt supply, or failing that one that'll take 3.3-volt data
inputs. A lot of them seem to support that, though you've got to dig into
the data sheet to find out. Prime LCD modules tend to be expensive,
though - $10 or so for something that I can get (less reliably) at
Electronic Goldmine for $1.50. And I'd prefer one that's pre-wired with a
standard header.
Designing this stuff is easy. Making it manufacturable at a reasonable
price in small quantities is another matter. =]
Scott
N1VG
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Subject: Kenwood TM-D700A as a DIGI?
From: "Dave Land" <kd5fx@despammed.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 17:27:36
X-Message-Number: 17
Has anyone used the TM-D700A as a DIGI? If so, how well did it work? What
settings did you use? I've got an VHF antenna at 250ft and looking for a
good, fairly inexpensive but easy setup DIGI for APRS.
Thanks & 73,
Dave
KD5FX
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Subject: RE: Kenwood TM-D700A as a DIGI?
From: "Christensen, Eric" <CHRISTENSENE@MAIL.ECU.EDU>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:40:49 -0500
X-Message-Number: 18
Dave,
I have used my D700A for a digipeater on a special event. Just include
WIDE, RELAY, and TRACE in the UIDIGIPEATER part under the APRS settings.
BUT, for a lot less, you can get you a TNC2 clone and get a real digipeater
firmware (UIDigi?) for it and hook it up to a radio. You will probably
spend half as much as what you paid for the D700 and it will support n-N
protocols and lots of other things to help keep the network clean.
It is a lot better choice.
Eric KF4OTN
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Land [mailto:kd5fx@despammed.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2004 12:28 PM
To: TAPR APRS Special Interest Group
Subject: [aprssig] Kenwood TM-D700A as a DIGI?
Has anyone used the TM-D700A as a DIGI? If so, how well did it work? What
settings did you use? I've got an VHF antenna at 250ft and looking for a
good, fairly inexpensive but easy setup DIGI for APRS.
Thanks & 73,
Dave
KD5FX
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: New tracker design suggestions
From: Jeff King <jeff@aerodata.net>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:47:33 -0500
X-Message-Number: 19
On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 15:19:05 -0800, Scott Miller wrote:
er.
>>Apparently, the poster claims they are still quite bright at 200uA.
>>See: http://www.ccsinfo.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18730 in cyril's
>>post.
>
>I'll have to check that out.
After I posted that, I took at look at the data sheets and we are talking in
the 10 to 30mcd range at 200uA. Something new to put in my bag of tricks,
that is for sure.
>Designing this stuff is easy. Making it manufacturable at a
>reasonable price in small quantities is another matter. =]
This really would be an interesting topic for one of the DCC's. Maybe a
roundtable with some of the more successful kit/ham vendors such as Byonics,
John Hansen and others about how to be successful in the hobbyist market.
It is going to be the setup charges that kill you in manufacturer, in
particular the pick and place tapes for SMD. Not really that much? I think a
few hundred dollars, but with small projects that can be your profit margin.
Plus, there is always the risk something wrong.
A thought that has often crossed my mind, but I didn't try it yet, is make
"convertible parts" in my PCB program. For example, a 1/8 watt through hole
resistor that also has 0805 pads on the inside of it. That way, when your
designing it, it is a standard resistor on the schematic, but the PCB part
gets laid down as a 0805 part, with two standard through hole pads flanking
it. Same thing with 0.1" thruhole caps, maybe with a 0603 on the inside of
that.
That would give folks the option of doing the kit as SMD or as standard thru
hole. And the pad would do double duty as a via as well, which you almost
always need on a SMD board. Even some IC's could map this way, I think the
PIC12F series (8 pin dips) you might be able to bury a SMD version within the
pads.
Oh, one other thing, SMD wise. I was talking with one of my assembly houses
the other day, and he was telling me if I used resistor arrays it would lower
my costs. Apparently he chargers a placement cost per part, so going from 8
resistors to one 8 up array would lower my cost quite a bit.
Lotsa fun!
-Jeff
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