Posts by PA3FBX

    I have now read 3 times exactly the same...

    But in the end.. theory and practica are rarely the same as we are not living in an ideal world. Hence my practical approach using goonhilly web monitor. I found in bigger offset dishes very little reflection problems but the coax cable and its weight on the Poty is doing very much.


    So mount the Poty in a dish and start testing and don't stair your Eye blind on a VNA...

    10 mw in a 1 meter dish is more than enough to see your signal on Goonhilly.

    Hi George,

    I have done much in asking Mike and Remko how this POTY works, but never got a good answer.

    Than i took a more practical approach.

    I have test build over 10 pieces for just finding what works and what does not.

    I do not have expensive antenna simulation software as the guys who have designed this POTY but like you my VNA showed big problems...

    In the end i made a test setup in a 1M dish and 10mw signal with goonhilly as my receiving reporting system.

    Modifying until i got most signal across which is what we want in the end...

    I saw no relation with bad swr but huge difference moving the dips up and down and wider and narrower..

    In my test experience the distance between the plates need almost perfect as described and the 2 dips need 40 Mhz to 50 Mhz higher and lower as the used frequency, Than use the right cable lengt to get the optimum swr at the amplifier.

    Keep in mind that 4 cm longer will influence the swr...

    Even in cables over 10M but those cables are to long anyway...


    Benno

    Hoi Conrad,

    Even snel in het Nederlands...


    Je hebt iets meer ruimte nodig voor satellite kabel omdat de LNC waarschijnlijk wat achter de poty hangt en dus wat lager.

    De hele zaak kijkt schuim omhoog dus daar heb je geen last van...

    Belangrijk is wel te begrijpen wat voor een dualband antenne je gaat gebruiken..

    poty heeft een 22 mm buis straler voor 10Ghz waarachterop de lnc wordt geplaatst.

    een helix heeft vaak een groot gat waarin de lnb wordt gedrukt.


    Helix heeft 3db gain voor TX ten opzichte van een POTY maar je verliest ong 3dB in je RX door shielding van het ontvangst door de helix straler...


    Ik heb voor portabel gebruik mijn 1,2 meter offset op zijn kop gezet.

    Het voordeel is een veel stabielere opstelling met minder windvang en de feed is makkelijker aftedekken met een broodzakje...

    Maar dan zal je de montage buis onder ong 30 graden schuin moeten hebben... (mijn 3 poot is dus zonder midden buis en de offset monteer ik op zijn kop aan 1 van de 3 poten.


    keuzes genoeg...

    Wat zijn je plannen?


    73es Benno PA3FBX.

    Nice build, but do you know what the design was ment to be?

    2 resonating freq about 100 mhz apart causing a circulair pattern. The poty is not ideal on the working frequency witch is why most high power datv stations use helix.

    What i do not identify is the point where the signal is supplied to the front plate.

    The location of this is causing left or right hand circular...

    The white lens i see in your picture is not working on prime focus with 0,3 D but is meant for offset dishes with 0,6 D...


    Goodluck and see you soon...


    Benno, PA3FBX.

    Check the bog of F5UII. He documented most of the known versions and its limitations...


    I would advice on a Pluto rec C still the 0201 and only if you need the additions go for the perseverance versions...


    Don;t forget the rev C patch from F5UII.. you need it.


    benno

    In version 2.09 and 2.10 the start has become a start+ witch also does a apply.

    I had similar problems where setting changes needed a restart of the program to get active.


    New and more updates will be soon online...



    Best regards

    Benno

    i understand your idea but think rather to have an additional apply button.


    I know, sometimes some settings are badly accepted.

    Dominique is aware of this issue and i just hope it will be resolved.


    The PTT button is a separate relay output capabel to just switch the final stage..

    This is a normal ham tool for switching between RX and TX and sould be in this software..


    So your survey to replace the function would be a bad idea in my oppinion.


    But refreshing ideas are allways welcome..


    Best regards

    Benno

    Hi rudi,

    Maybe better to do a QSO or whatsapp phone call..

    I really think you over simplify a simple network issue...

    And still I really think you may not understand the risc your getting in...


    Send me an email with a whatwapp number so we use dutch for a phone call..


    Thanks

    Benno

    I am sure you don't want this but you put the pluto in the DMZ in your router and everyone can use the pluto when they know your home ip adres..


    I have my pluto now connected thru a raspberry with has also a good firewall

    But the best solution would be a VPN connection between your remote station and your home network.


    Its a pity Amsat dl won't permit remote operated stations on the qo100..


    Benno

    If you login with putty in the pluto and type the command device_format_jffs2


    you really clean an updated pluto back to factory settings...


    I had heard no success stories so far. And this was feeling like we repair or brick the pluto..



    Benno

    So we dared and yes it created a blank pluto.


    Be aware your browser still might contain the data in the cookies..

    But the pluto was empty in 5 seconds...


    After deleting the rebuild was straight forward...


    Benno

    So yes all original pluto revisions use the same 5PPM TCXO.

    And yes for a DATV signal where stability is not an issue you are fine.


    But never plan to use it for narrow band communication on a high freq.

    So forget SSB on QO100 or you need modification of your TXCO to what ever you like.


    And Modding is part of our hobby where we want to improve our stuff.

    If you don't like to modify a pluto than you will get it broken soon...

    Because when you connect a pluto to a external amplifier or even antenna you need the ground mod or you will blow up the USB dcdc part...


    See you on the bird...

    Benno

    Dominique has supplied an Ino for an Uno with Easy V1.25.

    And also for the 2.06 where he made several changes, a new ino sketch was supplied...


    I run Node-red on a raspberry witch is more easy to change/update " on the fly"

    witch communicates with the easy front and back...

    I use the same raspberry for Longmynd client and for pluto network capabilities.

    And i got my older RPI3 from the shelf doing al this work.


    Benno

    Hi Frank, " should" is the right word, but we know better by now...

    Down grading back to V0.32 will delete most of the files visible but still all user settings will show backup after installing f5oeo back...


    Benno

    Hi, I have done multiply upgrading and downgrading and even DFU several times to change the pluto B,C,D and even Plus.

    I have noticed several times user data keeps showing up after a complete rebuild.

    So callsign of special settings seems to stay somewhere in the pluto even after DFU Boot and DFU Pluto...

    Now i have a pluto rev c where something wrong during upgrade and i cannot get the pluto D patch loaded.

    Also UTP communication seems to vanish...


    Now for my question.

    Where is the user data stored and how to delete that user data.

    So basically, How to completely wipe a pluto and restart from a empty pluto...


    In wiki i read something about device_format_jffs2

    Is this a solution or a recept for disaster..


    Benno

    Hi, My first question is why an swl needs 13cm circulair patch.

    Just leave the LNB original and put it into and dish and your on the road...


    Second for the pictures. Your feeding point should not be in the middle and the mounting studs of the plate should not be in the active field but right in the center.

    Right now your wasting money but its a nice learning object.


    Have an other look at the original POTY Design.


    Goodluck

    Benno

    It really works great TOM. I can now leave the Minitiouner with a simple raspberry close to my dish and control the DATV RX via network all over my house.

    Combined with the remote monitoring via the same raspberry i can switch everything on and monitor temperature, voltage and power...


    Great tool with less cpu load.


    7es Benno

    Using Toms ZR6TG client and a raspberry 2 or better will make a nice networked Minitiouner RX..


    So minitiouner connected to a raspberry 2b (or better).

    Load a longmynd server onto the raspberry.

    Install a windows client and use multicast to view the video all over the network.


    Use multiple raspberries with multiple MT and your close to a winterhill (witch is even better).



    Benno