AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

174th ATTACK WING

MARS RADIO JUMP KIT

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Covers and antenna

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Purpose

Provide 174th Attack Wing with transportable asset for MARS HF voice and digital communications

•Reach-back to Hancock Field home base•Comms with other HF-equipped NG units •When not deployed, utilized as second operating position at MARS station - AGA2SY

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Jump Kit System Specifications

•HF send and receive voice and digital•SSB, MT63, M110A, Winlink, Olivia modes•Max transmit power – 200 watts•Power requirements – 650 watts/120 VAC commercial / generator power source•Transport weight approx. 75 lbs

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Major Components•Kenwood TS-480HX transceiver•2 Astron power supplies•LDG AT-600 Pro Autotuner•Dell E6400 laptop (Windows 7 - 64 bit OS, 60 Gig SSD, 4M memory)•SignaLink sound card interface•SCS DR-7400 Pactor 4 modem•G5RV HF Inverted-V antenna (optional)•Comet CHA-250 HF vertical antenna (optional)

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Minor Components

•USB-63 xcvr-to-laptop interface cable•KRS-480 computer control software•Multiple TNC/Sound Card interface “Y” connecting cable•Documentation binder•Laptop cooling tray•Storage box for headset, mic, supplies, etc.•Nifty Manual for TS-480

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Challenges & Solutions•Load pdf versions of manuals on laptop•“Y” cable to eliminate A/B switch•USB plugs interfering with laptop tray•Kenwood control cable (RT Systems)•Control cable USB ports compatibility issue •Laptop and its power supply are easy to remove•Securing laptop during transport•Operating instructions•Antenna tuning steps (PF button)

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Programming the PF button for tune function

(change radio to CW mode @ low power 10W)

1.Press [Menu/FLock], turn MULTI knob to select Menu #48

2.Press [˄/˅] to select “67”

3.Press [Menu/F.Lock] to store setting and exit

4.To tune press the PF button

5.To exit tuning press the PF button

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Purpose of the “Y” cable and how it works

(from RMS Express Help)

•Eliminate the A/B switch

•To connect multiple TNCs or sound card interfaces to a single radio

•Eliminate swapping cables from the TNC or sound card to the radio

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

• Simple resistive “mixer”, partially isolates each TNC low impedance output from the others

• PTT signals from the TNCs are essentially a relay or the open collector of a transistor

• Audio out of the radio can safely drive the TNC audio inputs without the need for resistor isolation

Purpose of the “Y” cable and how it works (cont.)

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Parts list for “Y” cable

•SignaLink connector standard RJ45

•Kenwood Mini 6 pin DIN available at Newark and other parts sources

•Dragon Connector

plug is shipped with the Pactor Dragon modems but is dressed with a short pigtail of leads, most will not need to order this  

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Parts list for “Y” cable (cont.)

Farallon Electronics

55 Beivedere St.

San Rafael, CA 94901

 

Item Code 9060 (8 Pin Euro DIN Plug, no cable)  $6.60

Trimode Combiner / Splitter

•Designed by Walt Kaelin (KB6BT)

•Uses LM324 or NTE987 OpAmp for isolation of modems

•TX audio is summed with U1/4

•RX audio is buffered with unity gain amplifiers

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Routine Maintenance

•All digital mode software is current

(M110A, FLdigi, Winlink, etc.)

•RMS Express station list is current

•Programmed radio memory is current (freqs, sidebands, etc.)

•All manuals and documentation are with the kit and are current

•Back up for the laptop (have it in the kit)

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Additional software

•Sound Card Oscilloscope

http://www.zeitnitz.eu/scope_en

•Audio Spectrum Analyzer (Spectrum Lab)

www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/spectra1.html

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Additional Expenses

(Not including radio, tuner, power supplies, digital interfaces, case, shelves, laptop)

•Cooling tray $55

•Kenwood cable and software $63

•“Y” cable parts $10

AFMARS 2015 NE Div Conference

Sources•Kenwood cable/programming softwarehttps://www.rtsystemsinc.com/TS-480-Programming-Software-and-USB-cable-p/krs-480-usb.htm

•Plastic casehttp://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RotoRack8W

•Pull-out keyboard tray and rack shelveshttp://www.rackmountsolutions.net/Sliding-Rackmount-Shelves.asp

•Electrical Drawingwww.draw.io

Questions/Comments