Tiny Sequence control unit (WIP)

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Thats a simple sequence control unit for transverters etc. ON a double layer PCB. The design was eine with the open source tool KiCAD. Its made around a attiny2313 and features a highside switch, a lowside switch as well as a uln2003 driver. In addition further sensors can be connected via I2C or SPI. The software is not finished. More information will follow.

Hex-Quadlong for 70cm

Since i needed a very lightweight antenna for 70cm for my fibre mast i looked at the Quadlong antennas published by DK7ZB. I downloaded 4NEC2 and started playing around. I simply entered the VHF version and scaled it to the available materials and 432.2MHz. To be honest i dont have a lot of knowledge about this simulation tool but the result looked promising. So i added extra segments at the upper and lower end of the antenna and rescaled it to get proper matching again. The result was promising again. >1dB more gain then before. I made the antenna from 4mm brass material for the horizontal elements and 1mm copper antenna wire for the vertical elements.
Some drawings of the VHF version you can find at the webpages of DK7ZB.
Thats what 4NEC2 shows (ask me if you need the NEC file)

70cm Hex Quadlong drawing

70cm Hex Quadlong drawing

70cm Hex Quados pattern by 4NEC2

70cm Hex Quados pattern by 4NEC2

BTW i dont trust the gain calculations of 4NEC2 at this stage. I did not simulate with another tool. Let me know if you do so. I can provide the NEC file i created. Just drop me a line and i send it to you.

Thats a photo of the antenna as i used it during the UHF contest:

Hex-Quadlong 70cm

Hex-Quadlong 70cm

Since i finshed when the UHF contest was already started Saturday i decided to glue the antenna to the mast by means of tape. VSWR showed not too good result on 432.2MHz. Tuning few MHz forth and back gave the impression that the resonance was too high.
Monday i had a look with the network analyzer. Indeed the resonance is about 6.5MHz too high. Thats how the measurement looked like:

Hex-Quadlong 70cm measurement

Hex-Quadlong 70cm measurement


Maybe i will do a slight rescaling of the vertical elements to shift it a bit down. Also the mounting needs to be improved.

70cm October 14 Reg1

28 QSO with 20W and Hex-Quadlong antenna i built just before. I just wanted to try the antenna. Just few time for operation.

Hex-Quadlong 70cm

Hex-Quadlong 70cm


ODX was HA5KDQ via random. Impressive good ears there ;)
70cm QSO distribution

70cm QSO distribution


Decent results Saturday evening. Better results Sunday because more stations did CW.
The reason for using this antenna is the possibility to mount it at the top of a fibre mast installed at the balcony.