LVB Trackers - 18 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Almost 4am Monday morning.  Up to let Rufus outside.

Last evening started a 11 board build.  I found it's easier to build-up a small group of 10 boards instead of like 20.  I've done 20 and it seems to take forever to do anything.  Too long to mount 10k resistors.  Too long to mount the 6 1N4148 diodes.  And forever to mount the 3 machined sockets soldering  66 connections.  Easier to build 11 in two evenings than 20 in 4 evenings or a week.  I don't have many weeks to burn.  After the board build I can do a different task then build the last 11 boards.

Five trackers are boxed up to be shipped to Martha at AMSAT today.

Rufus is back in.  Hope he doesn't get sick again.  His condition is very stressful to Sue and I.

Will try for a nap.  Need rest to build this evening after work!
4:12am edst

LVB Trackers - 19 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

I have trackers on test.  Early this afternoon I finished the last of a batch of 12 trackers.  The first is still on test cause I've been goofing off on the radio and the internet.

There are 5 orders waiting at the AMSAT office and Martha asked if she could have them by Wendnesday, May 2nd.  This means I need to ship Monday, April 30th.  Fortunately I just finished 30+ button assemblies.
The pc boards that were built up weeks ago needed pics installed/flashed and USB modules installed.  That was finished a day or so ago.  I started assembly yesterday Friday.  Assembly goes pretty fast.  I can assemble a tracker in about 15 minutes.  So I think we will easily get 5 or more trackers shipped on time if I can peel myself away from this pc.

Next we will start to build up 20 boards for Hamvention.  Last year we brought 20 and didn't sell them all.  I think Martha took 4 back to Maryland for orders waiting.  Every year we expect demand for these to drop off and that hasn't happenned yet.  Sales at Dayton have dropped a little but not significantly.  So I'm hoping 20+ trackers available at Hamvention will be enough.  

Tracker on top of test rotor, a Yaesu G-5500.

Back to work.

4:18 pm edst

UPDATE 4:38 pm edst:
First tracker is packed and ready for shipment.  Sorry for the crummy pic above.  I took several and didn't like any of them.  Is a bad pic better than no pic?

Back to work.

4:39pm edst

LVB Trackers - 24 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

GOT 34 BUTTON ASSEMBLIES BUILT

And we have 24 days till the 2012 Dayton Hamvention.  OMG this is going to be tight.  But
we now have all the ingredients to start building.  Do hafta build up more boards but that is
easier and quicker than what we've been doing the last week or so.

Well I need to flash a PIC to ship out along with a MAX232.  Then I'm done for the day.

9:25pm edst

LVB Trackers - 25 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Contrary to a previous post I cannot build a button assembly in 8 minutes.  It's more like 10 to 12 minutes.

I also discovered its easier for me to see with my round tube fluorescent magnifying glass work lamp.  I have never used it as extensively as I used it tonight to build something.  I actually felt better cause I could see better!

Bad sign though that I am getting old!

During the build I was listening to the guys on 3850.  Found out probably the BEST SOLID STATE LINEAR AMP is built right here in OHIO.  http://www.dishtronix.com/prometheus.html  This solid state no tune fire-breather is rated at 1500 watts CONTINOUS OUTPUT SSB/CW/RTTY.  Priced at 10K I better get busy and sell a buncha stuff.

Got 21 button assemblies built.  Not a good showing but with all the distractions its I can do!

Good night!

LVB Trackers - 26 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Saturday April 21st, 11:30am.  Just got home from 2nd breakfast.  First with the early-bird hams at 7am then with my wife and retired work friends at 9:30am.  Walking dog Rufus in between time.

Now I am a free man.  It's raining outside so I will not do yard work.  Hope to spend the rest of the day building button assemblies.  Getting that done would be GREAT progress.  Then all that needs done is to build up 20 more pc boards which is the least time intensive part of the project.  Pending unforeseen issues we should be ready for Hamvention and supply orders at hand.

More as it happens.

11:53am

UPDATE at 12:34pm

Just de-nutted 200 push button switches.  See below:

The left switch is received with the lock washer and nut applied as seen above.  I then have to remove the nut and washer before the switch gets wired and then mounted onto the LVB Tracker enclosure.

 So this is what I end up with...  switches, lock washers and nuts.  Some Chinese person is paid a buck a day to put the washers and nuts on the switches.  Then I spend 30-40 minutes removing the washers and nuts.  Also consider the Chinese person is paid better than I am!  LOL

More as it happens.... bet you just cant wait!
12:45pm

UPDATE at 1:17pm

Just finished the first button assembly.  Will show the process ad nauseum:

First mount the switches onto a jig made from scrap aluminum.

Next attach the COMMON wire.

Followed by the RIGHT wire.

Then add the DOWN wire.

Now add the LEFT wire.

The last wire "UP" is added.

Small piece of shrink tubing is applied to 3 of the wires to neaten things up.

Crimp on the connector terminals.  (whatever ya call them?)

Add the connector shell...

Remove from the jig and we have a BUTTON ASSEMBLY!

When I get into a groove I can do one of these every 8 minutes.   When I blog it takes 1 hour and 10 minutes.  So I am done blogging until I have 30 of these buggers done.

1:58pm

LVB Trackers - 27 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Today is Friday April 20th, I have the day off cause I start my work week on Sundays.  This week I had 3 instead of 2 central offices to maintain and yesterday evening I was just beat.  I was tired from mid afternoon and it even affected my dinner.   Parts from Digikey arrived yesterday which included the 3000 AMP crimp connectors.  Now I could have finished the LCD cables but I never got past my recliner after dinner.  I fell asleep in front of the iPad reading email.  Good news is I feel great now.  Resting the shoulder from crimping about 200 wires for the LCD cables.  This mornings goal is to finish the LCD cables all together.  Next we'll focus on the button assemblies.  Hoping it won't take a week to get them done as time is growing short.  But I took the whole week of Hamvention off so I'll have at least 3 whole days to finish up what does not get done.

This afternoon will work in the yard.  Back yard needs cut and a ton of other yard things to do that probably wont get done.  The new knee does not tolerate much more abuse than the old one did.   It just doesn't ache as much in between time.  Hope it get better with time as everyone tells me.

I need to pay more attention to aviation events.  This week I missed a gathering of a bunch of B25 Mitchell bombers that gathered at Grimes field to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Doolittle raid on Japan.

Things like that are likely to never happen again in that magnitude or in Ohio. Back in the 80's I had a chance to fly a B25 for about 20 minutes from the right seat.  First and probably only warbird I will ever fly.  Also got a chance to fly in the waste and in the tail gunners position.  JUST TOO AWESOME!

40 meters sucks this morning.  Listening to Midcars on 7258 and the normally weak service control stations are barely readable most the time.  Other stations on frequency are complaining to so its not me.

Ok gonna do some email then back to crimping then final assembly of LCD cables.

UPDATE 11:15 AM:
Finished crimping enough wires for 30 LCD cables.  Starting assembly as soon as I get away from this.  Assembly is the fun part of building LCD cables.  It don't take long.  Guess that's why its the fun part.

UPDATE 2:00 PM:
Finished 34 button assemblies...

I timed the first dozen I assembled and the average time to insert the 12 wires into the 2 connector shells is 2:15.   Best time with all the elements layed out so I could get them easy was 1:48.  I was able to to a few at about 2 minutes.  This was picking the wires out of the bins and all the fumbling that brings.  Anyway, that part is done.  The most time intensive part of building trackers.  I was also able to get lunch in too!  Now I take my wife Sue, KB8AOF,  shopping... :(

2:09pm

LVB Trackers - 29 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Just had to look on the Harris site www.harrisbroadcastlive.com/index.php/main/flexiva to learn a little more about the technology.  They're using 50 volt LDMOS devices.  The Flexiva transmitter takes a 5 watt exciter output and can generate up to 40KW FM.

No time for more details.

LVB Trackers - 29 days till 2012 Dayton Hamventi

Spent most the evening messing with email and looking at stuff on ebay.  Then I heard TwitTV was going to have live coverage of Bob Heil's party at the NAB so I just had to watch that.  BUT...  I did get some wires cut and stripped for 30 button assemblies.  Also all the parts I ordered are in shipment.  The Digikey stuff will be here tomorrow so I hope to get the LCD cables finished tomorrow evening or Friday.

Heard from a ham from Harris who was interviewed at the Heil party at NAB there is a FET they are using in the broadcast industry that has 21 db gain and will generate 1 KW.  1 FET 1 KW. Harris is using them to build FM transmitters.  40KW transmitter in 2 7ft rack cabinets.  Look out tubes...  And he expects these devices to make it into ham service soon!

It's late, going to bed.

LVB Trackers - 30 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

WOW, 30 days till Dayton Hamvention. SCARES THE HELL OUTTA ME.

Making progress.

Ordered all the parts I will need to proceed from Mouser and Jameco. But I need to tell ya about Digikey.

Last evening I ordered parts from Digikey. Finished my order about 6:30 eastern. This morning I was getting frustrated cause I could not find an order confirmation from Digikey then anticipating a hassle calling them and getting it straightened out. Finally found THE SHIPPING NOTICE! Digikey shipped the order about 5 hours after I entered it. HOLY CRAP... That was FAST!!! So I will have parts from them by Thursday. We'll see how Mouser and Jameco do. I suspect the Mouser stuff to be here probably Monday. Jameco usually takes a week.

Going to bed!

LVB Trackers - 31 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

OMG can you believe its 31 days till Hamvention... This is going to be tight.

Had a GREAT day at work today... Busy all day with 3 instead of 2 central offices to work in.

Just ordered $1000.00 worth of parts from Digikey and I noticed the prices have gone up so much we'll need to figure how much it cost to build LVB Trackers... Might hafta raise the price.

Resting left sholder from crimping LCD cable wires. Will run out of crimps but the Digikey parts just ordered will be in by weeks end and there is always other things I can do to get them built.

Should order parts from Jameco and Mouser... We'll see.

Dinner is served...

9:43pm UPDATE:

Crimped LCD cable assy. wires until I ran out of crimp connectors. Since I had more time I got out 30 LCD's and processed them. Every project has a bad part and this one is processing the LCD's. I usually leave this chore till I need them. But now they are ready. I FEEL GOOD!

I'm done for the night. Upstairs and in my chair!

Night!

32 days till 2012 Dayton Hamvention

Had to work today... Get an extra 4 hours paid for working Sundays. That's 16 extra hours a month. Makes a difference. Best part is all I do is drive around and do dumb things. Once in a while I solve real problems which is what I'm there for. I also get Fridays off which is a great time to schedule doctor and vet appointments.

Finally got downstairs and over to the work bench. Finished stripping the 1200 wires I cut last February for the LCD cable assemblies. That's enough wires for 100 LCD cable assemblies but I can't take the time to build them so we'll just do 30. If I build 10 trackers and send them to AMSAT before Hamvention I still have parts for 20 trackers to take to Dayton. Took 20 last year and I think 6 went back to the AMSAT office. So we should be good.

Crimped connector contacts on 30 of the wires and my left shoulder got sore. So we're resting atm. Listening to the guys on 3850. Will try to do another 30 before turning in for the night.

Also got to get to bed on time tonight. Only got about 3 hours sleep last night and that doesn't work anymore.

73

33 days till 2012 Dayton HamVention

Today is Saturday April 14th. Had breakfast with my friends from the 145.25 repeater near Hudson.
I have been listening to these guys while walking Rufus and only occasionally check in to the repeater cause I'm usually on a hand held which marginally gets into the repeater. Originally I didn't consider getting up in time for a 7am breakfast on SATURDAY morning but I got into a strange sleeping habit (while on TKR disability) where I went to bed way early and get up way early like around 5:30 so before I got back to work off a disability I met these guys for breakfast and really enjoyed it so I'm hooked into it now.

After breakfast some of us went to the CFARC hamfest. I wasn't planning on buying anything in particular but just went to see folks. Had a great time topped off with lunch at Hamburger Station with Fred, KB8JCV and his friend Terry (don't have his call). Then finished with the rest of my friends in the back room. And Fred bought lunch!!! Thanks Fred.

Now its 5pm and I hope I can get something done with the LVB Tracker project.

posted 5:03PM

34 days till 2012 Hamvention

Well its that time of year again and nothing has changed.... Well No a lot has happened since my last blog about a year ago.

Had a great 2011 Hamvention but I didn't blog about it.

Had a great 2011 AirVenture. Plane got me there with no mechanical problems like in 2010 (bad carburetor). Had some weather issues on the return trip but all that caused me to do was fly to Peoria to get around a weak cold front. Followed the south side of the front thru the middle of Illinois and Indiana. The front broke up in Ohio. Weather in Oshkosh was great. Hope to return every year till I cant either afford it or cant walk. Which will come first?

Got a new left knee in September. Operation went great. But the physical therapy afterwards sucks. They never tell you that. I didn't do well and had to go back to surgery for a MANIPULATION. They put you out then the surgeon manipulates your leg breaking up all the scar tissue that has formed. He also stretches all those muscles you haven't used for years and injects the knee with steroids. Afterwards my muscles were sore but the knee was much better. Three weeks later I was back to work.

Several weeks after my knee surgery MOM was in the hospital with diverticulitis. She was there for a couple weeks then went home. Us kids camped out at her place for a week or so cause she was not up to her normal strength. Then we just visited her for lunch and dinner since all the drugs she has been taking for her liver totally destroyed her appetite. She was constantly loosing weight. In about a month she was complaining about abdominal discomfort but didn't want to goto the doctors in fear she'd end up in the hospital. The entire family was in town for my nephew Steven's wedding over the Thanksgiving holiday and she didn't want to miss it. After Christmas we got her to the doctor who ordered blood work and a cat scan. For weeks we didnt hear from the doctor and Moms condition got worse. In late January 2012 she collapsed in her bathroom and hit her life alert button. The squad got her to emergency and a cat scan taken in the ER indicated an abscess on her colon. After a week of treatment she was getting weaker. The family called in her doctor for some action. The surgeon wanted to do a colostomy and her doctor wanted a feeding tube. Mom rejected all the treatments the doctors wanted and died in hospice on Feb 6th. She was sick and tired of being sick and tired. The good thing is she was surrounded by family thru her entire sickness till she died. We all loved her and helping her during this time was a great opportunity. Not that it was easy but with 2 other siblings close we all helped each other and everything worked out well.

Every winter I vow to get a jump on tracker production. Since the LVB Tracker project started in 2007 I have been building aprox 100 trackers a year. But since the knee replacement and returning to work I don't seem to have the stamina I had pre-surgery. Also helping MOM took some time BUT I was cutting wires in MOM's hospice room while pulling an all-nighter. And last year took the project to her condo and worked on trackers there. So I was able to get some work done. After MOM died I just didn't get back into anything. Was busy on the weekends helping my siblings clean out MOM's place. Cold winter evenings were spend in my recliner with Mork sleeping. So the jump on tracker production didn't happen.

Today I'm resting my left shoulder from stripping wires. Did about 200 this morning so far but decided to start the blog again. Not that it gets read but its a good benchmark for pre-Hamvention production. Next to the showers then to the doctors. Hopefully by late this afternoon I'll start crimping the contacts on those little white wires. The goal is to build 30 LCD cable assemblies. Earlier this week I finished stuffing parts onto 11 pc boards. After the LCD cables I'll do push button assemblies then another 10 pc boards.

The big problem is staying focused... Not wasting any time (INTERNET).