Author Topic: getting my system online(UPDATES)  (Read 12462 times)

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Online PaulMy

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Re: Ok here it goes!!!(trying to get system online)
« Reply #50 on: April 20, 2015, 04:55:39 PM »
Anthony, I believe you are station 1328, and that is looking pretty good now  =D>
Persistence pays off (especially with the great help)
 
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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #51 on: April 26, 2015, 03:02:13 PM »
Thank you all for the help and the encouragement. I got my GPS antenna in yesterday and I even tried to clean up my cables a bit.....well. after all the cleaning I got a lot of bad signals going to the controller. so I put it all back to the way it was. with the cable hanging down right in the middle of the room. (it likes it better that way I guess)

Since I got the GPs antenna it don't look like my system is showing on the map that much anymore. not sure if something got messed up or what. Anyway I am going to order a 25' shielded network cable.

UPDATE:
I found this one http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=102&cp_id=10232&cs_id=1023216&p_id=5904&seq=1&format=2 anyone know if this would do the job?

I did see that my lighting detector antenna were bent down a bit because the room they are in is warm. so I mounted the top and bottom of them now so they will not bend.....wonder if something is messed up in them now?....

I wish I could just get a factory made antennas


Thanks!
« Last Edit: April 26, 2015, 03:10:47 PM by Fox_Of_The_Wind »

Anthony

Offline miraculon

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #52 on: April 26, 2015, 04:12:49 PM »
Quote
Since I got the GPs antenna it don't look like my system is showing on the map that much anymore. not sure if something got messed up or what.

Does the GPS part of the status page show that it got a fix? Does the blue LED flash once per second? Did the green LED near the GPS quit blinking? (either go out or stay on depending on the vintage of your board)

There should be a constellation map of satellites under the GPS area on the main page of the controller.

Greg H.


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Offline W3DRM

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #53 on: April 26, 2015, 04:51:50 PM »
Quote
Since I got the GPs antenna it don't look like my system is showing on the map that much anymore. not sure if something got messed up or what.

Does the GPS part of the status page show that it got a fix? Does the blue LED flash once per second? Did the green LED near the GPS quit blinking? (either go out or stay on depending on the vintage of your board)

There should be a constellation map of satellites under the GPS area on the main page of the controller.

Greg H.

To clarify what is being asked for. Go to your browser and view the Blitzortung Controller webpage (should be 192.168.1.xxx) and log in so you can see your various settings and signal info. The LCD display on the controller board will you tell the correct IP address to use. Once you have that connection made, go to the Status tab and scroll down until you see the GPS section. It should look something like the attached screen capture I made on mine a few minutes ago. That display will tell you if your external antenna is working (or not) and how many satellites it is tracking.

Also, did you ever find a good ground to connect to? One of the best grounds, if you have access to it close by, is the ground for either your cable TV or Satellite dish companies ground connection.

Your signals still contain a significant amount of ripple on them indicating some kind of noise is getting into your amplifier via the power supply. I'm not sure what you are using for a power supply but there are many good, clean 5-v DC supplies available that have been written-up by Cutty. I'm using one of them and it has worked flawlessly for over a year now.

Make sure the leads from your antenna to your amplifier board are a short as possible. That will minimize extraneous noise signal being picked-up at the inputs to the amplifier board.

Good luck - you will get through this issue so don't give up!
Don - W3DRM - Emmett, Idaho --- Blitzortung ID: 808 --- FlightRadar24 ID: F-KBOI7
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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #54 on: April 26, 2015, 07:30:41 PM »
Quote
Since I got the GPs antenna it don't look like my system is showing on the map that much anymore. not sure if something got messed up or what.

Does the GPS part of the status page show that it got a fix? Does the blue LED flash once per second? Did the green LED near the GPS quit blinking? (either go out or stay on depending on the vintage of your board)

There should be a constellation map of satellites under the GPS area on the main page of the controller.

Greg H.

To clarify what is being asked for. Go to your browser and view the Blitzortung Controller webpage (should be 192.168.1.xxx) and log in so you can see your various settings and signal info. The LCD display on the controller board will you tell the correct IP address to use. Once you have that connection made, go to the Status tab and scroll down until you see the GPS section. It should look something like the attached screen capture I made on mine a few minutes ago. That display will tell you if your external antenna is working (or not) and how many satellites it is tracking.

Also, did you ever find a good ground to connect to? One of the best grounds, if you have access to it close by, is the ground for either your cable TV or Satellite dish companies ground connection.

Your signals still contain a significant amount of ripple on them indicating some kind of noise is getting into your amplifier via the power supply. I'm not sure what you are using for a power supply but there are many good, clean 5-v DC supplies available that have been written-up by Cutty. I'm using one of them and it has worked flawlessly for over a year now.

Make sure the leads from your antenna to your amplifier board are a short as possible. That will minimize extraneous noise signal being picked-up at the inputs to the amplifier board.

Good luck - you will get through this issue so don't give up!

I thought I had a good ground. but I must be wrong . the building that it is in don't have cable tv or dish. I am going to have to make a ground for it I think.
The PS that I am using is a old one from a blackberry phone. I will have to look to see were that write up is by Cutty to see about getting a new PS. I also made a pic of my GPS setup. hope this helps.

Sorry if this is kind of a run on. I think I am trying to get the flu so I may be gone for a few days...

Anthony

Offline DaleReid

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #55 on: April 26, 2015, 07:46:53 PM »
Those GPS signals look fine.  Hope you are better soon.  Spring crud is no fun.

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #56 on: April 26, 2015, 07:57:54 PM »
I found the power supply that everyone likes http://www.powerstream.com/AC-1898.htm looks like I got to hack it to get a connection on it that will work for what I want it to do.
Those GPS signals look fine.  Hope you are better soon.  Spring crud is no fun.



From some of the reading I was doing I am going to set it up to turn off all lights and the LCD. to see if that helps any.

Anthony

Offline W3DRM

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #57 on: April 26, 2015, 10:27:12 PM »
Anthony,

Yes, your GPS status looks good and, you are using the external antenna.

Doing the same thing with your browser, go to the Signals tab and click on the bottom button "5v Sampling". Then, take a screen shot of it and post it in this thread so we can see what your 5v power looks like. I've attached an image of mine for comparison. My ripple typically runs about 2 to 3 mVolts and is quite clean.

Here is a link to a 5v USB power supply that many of us on the forum are now using. It provides very clean DC output and is relatively inexpensive.
NOTE: You do not need any of the accessory adapters they try to sell you. Actually, I cut the plug off and hard-wired mine to an old mini-USB cord I had laying around the shop. just make sure you get the polarity correct...
Don - W3DRM - Emmett, Idaho --- Blitzortung ID: 808 --- FlightRadar24 ID: F-KBOI7
Davis Wireless VP2, WD 10.37s150,
StartWatch, VirtualVP, VPLive, Win10 Pro
--- Logitech HD Pro C920 webcam (off-line)
--- RIPE Atlas Probe - 32849

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #58 on: April 27, 2015, 05:58:29 PM »
Anthony,

Yes, your GPS status looks good and, you are using the external antenna.

Doing the same thing with your browser, go to the Signals tab and click on the bottom button "5v Sampling". Then, take a screen shot of it and post it in this thread so we can see what your 5v power looks like. I've attached an image of mine for comparison. My ripple typically runs about 2 to 3 mVolts and is quite clean.

Here is a link to a 5v USB power supply that many of us on the forum are now using. It provides very clean DC output and is relatively inexpensive.
NOTE: You do not need any of the accessory adapters they try to sell you. Actually, I cut the plug off and hard-wired mine to an old mini-USB cord I had laying around the shop. just make sure you get the polarity correct...

here is mine.....don't look healthy

Anthony

Offline DaleReid

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #59 on: April 27, 2015, 06:15:41 PM »
Yeah, looks like it is time for a different power supply.
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Offline W3DRM

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #60 on: April 27, 2015, 08:28:17 PM »
Yeah, looks like it is time for a different power supply.

Yes, I agree with Dale. And, as I said in an earlier post, many of us are using the Powerstream power supply. The only thing you need to be careful with is to make certain you put a piece of tape over the slide-switch handle that is used to change voltage taps. This will prevent an accidental change to the supplied voltage that could potentially have disastrous effects on your components. Set it at 5v and then tape over the handle. Under normal loads you'll find it reads around 4.70 volts DC.
Don - W3DRM - Emmett, Idaho --- Blitzortung ID: 808 --- FlightRadar24 ID: F-KBOI7
Davis Wireless VP2, WD 10.37s150,
StartWatch, VirtualVP, VPLive, Win10 Pro
--- Logitech HD Pro C920 webcam (off-line)
--- RIPE Atlas Probe - 32849

Online PaulMy

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #61 on: April 27, 2015, 09:23:20 PM »
Anthony, I had the same wide bar signal with the adapter I bought some time ago and DonF suggested to get another.  Went to Best Buy for another and that was the same.  Ended up borrowing (permanently) my wife's I-Pad charger and that was good.

Paul

Offline jmcmurry

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #62 on: April 28, 2015, 06:11:28 AM »
Anthony,

I got good results with an apple adapter and am now using one that came with my ChromeCast dongle.  If you have others around the house you can try them to see how they perform.

- Jim

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Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #63 on: May 01, 2015, 07:43:55 PM »
Anthony,

I got good results with an apple adapter and am now using one that came with my ChromeCast dongle.  If you have others around the house you can try them to see how they perform.

- Jim

I tired all adapters but all seem to run bad. and I got to thinking that I don't want to break any of the connection on the boards being that they don't make them anymore and if they die my system would also die. So I got the power supply that everyone seems to like and a 25foot shielded cat 6 cable.

I kind of think my atennas are broken already they don't seem to be showing the lighting strikes like they were when I first got it going.

Anyway like before I am going to walk away from it for now till I get my parts.

Anthony

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #64 on: May 08, 2015, 08:08:43 PM »
I have my new power supply but I am unsure how to wire it. I don't want to fry anything. What side of the small usb plug should be what? Thanks for any help

Anthony

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« Last Edit: May 08, 2015, 08:17:15 PM by Cutty Sark Sailor »
 


Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #66 on: May 09, 2015, 06:50:17 AM »
I am going to try to use a old power plug with the same kind of plug on it. Can I use the same thing to wire it up?

Anthony

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #67 on: May 09, 2015, 09:00:34 AM »
Since there is no series diode on the controller power input, you will need to be very careful about reverse polarity.
I would verify your wiring on an old "sacrificial" USB doo-dad before connecting it to the Blitzortung controller....
Reusing a cut-off mini-USB cable is a great idea, especially if they have red/black color coded wires for power.

Greg H.


Blitzortung Stations #706 and #1682
CoCoRaHS: MI-PI-1
CWOP: CW4114 and KE8DAF-13
WU: KMIROGER7
Amateur Radio Callsign: KE8DAF

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #68 on: May 09, 2015, 02:34:59 PM »
Since there is no series diode on the controller power input, you will need to be very careful about reverse polarity.
I would verify your wiring on an old "sacrificial" USB doo-dad before connecting it to the Blitzortung controller....
Reusing a cut-off mini-USB cable is a great idea, especially if they have red/black color coded wires for power.

Greg H.




I wanted to use the plugs that came with the power supply so I would not have to cut it and I had a female end of one of the plugs here.... the mini usb connection would be a old power supply that I have laying around here.  I don't have many mini-usb cables around here.

I guess I could do that. use a "sacrificial" doo dad....should have one laying around here some place.

Anthony

Offline Fox_Of_The_Wind

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Re: getting my system online(UPDATES)
« Reply #69 on: May 30, 2015, 03:25:40 PM »
This will be my last update on this subject. I got the new PS that everyone seems to like so much. Well I am still getting the bad power. So it looks like it will just have to be the way it is.....as of right now it is working...just not fully.

Power grid here must be bad or something.....don't know...

Anthony