Topic: Station 993 Maui, Hawaii

[Silversword]

Hi Gang,

I was going to take my system down for about a week or so to see if I can reduce some of my interferences.  But may have to postpone this because of the impending storm that is approaching the Islands.  It is predicted to pass through sometime this Wednesday through the weekend.  This storm is now a category 4 hurricane and when it gets here it should be a tropical storm with winds between 50-60 mph. There is another storm behind this one that might follow the same path and strength.

I was planning to upgrade the power supply that I am currently using to the Power Stream power supply that I received this past weekend.  I will probably put on a female USB jack so that I can use the USB cord that I have that has an additional ferrite filter and did not know that the Power Stream power supply had one attached.  Guess that two of them won't hurt.

Also plan to shield the 300 mm ferrite core antenna and see what happens.

If that does not work will wind another set, since I have enough cores and wire to make at least two more sets with enough heat shrink tubing...

While I am at this shut down will probably touch up soldering on the SMD's on the amplifier board. All 8 of them with 8 pins to the solder pads.  That means 64 heat points.

Will see how this all works out after the storm passes.

I don't see any one picking up these two storm that are approaching so far.  Not enough stations that can make a triangulations so far.

Regards,

--Stan Y.
   Maui, Hawaii


 

[W3DRM]

Hang in there Stan - it does look like those two storms could impact the islands. I remember well hurricane Iniki in the 90's. I was in a hotel on Waikiki beach during that one...

[DaleReid]

I know that the developers say that the ferrites don't need shielding as much as they used to due to some improvements in software, but I did shield mine after running bare for awhile.

I found a copper tape, or foil, that was so wide it just wrapped all the way around my PVC pipe that I had stuffed the cores into. I used a straight edge and utility knife to trim it straight and came out great.  Left a tab to solder the ground lead to.

I know Ricco says the best shield is a bunch of ribbon cable that is wrapped so it nearly encircles the cores, but I would have gone more nuts than doing the GPS chip solder if I had to strip hundreds of wires and make them common.

I'm for the copper foil tape, if you can find it.  I heard that craft stores might carry it (mine didn't) and found some that was intended to be used inside a guitar to provide shielding.  I'd never have thought they would need that, but worked great.

I'm thinking that since you see some strikes here on the mainland occasionally, that the west coast contingent might back up your strike receptions, especially as the storm approaches you from the east, rather than them trying to hear all the way to the Islands.

I'll keep watching as it approaches, so leave the system up, unless your power supply is ready to go and you can do a quick swap out and get it back on line in a few moments.

Dale

[W3DRM]

I know that the developers say that the ferrites don't need shielding as much as they used to due to some improvements in software, but I did shield mine after running bare for awhile.

I found a copper tape, or foil, that was so wide it just wrapped all the way around my PVC pipe that I had stuffed the cores into. I used a straight edge and utility knife to trim it straight and came out great.  Left a tab to solder the ground lead to.

I know Ricco says the best shield is a bunch of ribbon cable that is wrapped so it nearly encircles the cores, but I would have gone more nuts than doing the GPS chip solder if I had to strip hundreds of wires and make them common.

I'm for the copper foil tape, if you can find it.  I heard that craft stores might carry it (mine didn't) and found some that was intended to be used inside a guitar to provide shielding.  I'd never have thought they would need that, but worked great.

I'm thinking that since you see some strikes here on the mainland occasionally, that the west coast contingent might back up your strike receptions, especially as the storm approaches you from the east, rather than them trying to hear all the way to the Islands.

I'll keep watching as it approaches, so leave the system up, unless your power supply is ready to go and you can do a quick swap out and get it back on line in a few moments.

Dale

I had rather high noise levels too prior to shielding my ferrite cores. I went the cheap route and used 3M Foil Tape (Silver) that I purchased at Lowes. Part Number from Lowes was 430936 and shown on the receipt as "3M VENTING & PLUMBING FOIL". Cost was $4.98 for a 10 yd x 2.5 inch roll of tape. It worked perfectly for me.

• http://www.lowes.com/pd_430936-98-3340-D_0__?productId=4586765

I should also add that conecting a ground wire to this foil tape was very easy. I just stuck a piece of the bare ground wire on top of the foil and then placed another small piece of foil over that. No soldering was necessary as I had  zero ohms to the foil when measured with my multimeter.

[miraculon]

I found a copper tape, or foil, that was so wide it just wrapped all the way around my PVC pipe that I had stuffed the cores into. I used a straight edge and utility knife to trim it straight and came out great.  Left a tab to solder the ground lead to.

Just a reminder on the foil shields, not to let the ends touch or overlap. The shield will become a shorted-turn and reduce the inductance of the coil to a residual "leakage inductance". The ribbon cable shield inherently prevents this, but be aware. I suppose that instead of a gap, you could put an insulating tape like Kapton where it overlaps.

Greg H.

[Silversword]

Hi Gang,

We are still here with beautiful weather before the storm.  Will try to keep things in tack while things blow over. 

Will take the lightning system down later, or just disconnect it to conserve power from my UPS to run my Davis WX and the WX computer if the grid should shut down.

Regards,

--Stan Y.
   Maui, Hawaii

[W3DRM]

Here 'ya go - a link to the GOES West satellite animation...

• http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/west/hi/flash-ir4.html

Batten down the hatches and get out those surf boards 

[JonathanW]

Hi Gang,

We are still here with beautiful weather before the storm.  Will try to keep things in tack while things blow over. 

Will take the lightning system down later, or just disconnect it to conserve power from my UPS to run my Davis WX and the WX computer if the grid should shut down.

Regards,

--Stan Y.
   Maui, Hawaii

Stay safe, Stan.  From what I understand, Hurricanes don't produce tons of lightning, anyway.  Interesting (and hopefully not damaging) winds and pressure readings are a different story!

[JonathanW]

Earthquake in Hawai'i, too?

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv60748981#summary

OK, that's it.  Someone's trying to tell you something, Stan

[Silversword]

Earthquake in Hawai'i, too?

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv60748981#summary

OK, that's it.  Someone's trying to tell you something, Stan

That is on the Big Island, about 90 miles away.

Hurricane is trying to pull out the cork from the volcanoes??

We are still good here for now and hope for the weekend.

Regards,

--Stan Y.
   Maui, Hawaii

[Silversword]

Hi Gang,

Survived the first punch so far.  There are still some effects of Iselle around.

Next Julio in a few days.  This storm is expected to go well North of my location.

Still not out of the woods as of yet.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and well wishes.

Regards,

--Stan Y.
   Maui, Hawaii