: K2, LP-100 and HRD etc

[Mike Walkington-3]

Neat,

So will it be possible to do one scan with a 50ohm load terminating the
cable, then do it again with the antenna connected, "subtract" the plots and
end up with the antenna characteristics?

Mike
VK1KCK
K1 #2599

Message: 20
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:56:03 -0400
From: Larry Phipps <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2, LP-100 and HRD etc
To: Mike Walkington <[hidden email]>
Cc: Elecraft-Reflector <[hidden email]>
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed


The LP-100 Plot software does this already if you use DXlabs Commander
(freeware) or TRX-Manager. It doesn't matter what rig is selected, it
will work with any supported rig. You set the start and stop frequencies
and step size, then hit Run. The program controls the rig and gathers
the data. You can select the parameters to plot either before or after
running, and save the plots to a file in CSV format for later recall or
export to a spreadsheet.

It may be possible to add HRD, but I don't see a linking component for
them that accepts all the incoming commands needed.

You can see a screen capture of the LP-100 Plot software at
www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html, along with a comparison to a couple of
antenna analyzers I own as well as my HP87510A VNA.

73,
Larry N8LP




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[N8LP]

You won't need to do that. I'm planning to allow you to enter a feedline
characteristic Z, length and loss/100 ft., and then add a button that
will allow you to display all the parameters as "at xmtr" or "at
antenna". You could use any feedline type or length that you know the
published specs on. I am also thinking about adding the feedline data
entry capability to the standard LP-100 VCP (Virtual Control Panel). I
would offer the ability to enter several feedlines, which would be
selected based on frequency. I am considering allowing you to upload the
feedline table to the LP-100 hardware as well, so that it would display
correct antenna Z if desired. Since the LP-100 has a built-in frequency
counter, the table selection would be automatic. I may also add a menu
to allow the table to be entered at the hardware.

For this to work in the hardware or VCP, you would have to determine the
sign of X experimentally and enter it on the Vector display using the
Up/Dn buttons. This would only have to be done once for each antenna.
The Plot program does this automatically, by looking at the slope of the
X plot for each data point.

Some of this will be future updates of firmware or software. You can
update the LP-100 firmware and software over the internet, and there
will be regular updates offered for both. Updates will be free for life,
although there will be charges for add-on hardware if it becomes
necessary to add hardware for a particular option in the future. All
updates will be backward compatible with the original hardware, however.

73,
Larry N8LP



Mike Walkington wrote:

> Neat,
>
> So will it be possible to do one scan with a 50ohm load terminating the
> cable, then do it again with the antenna connected, "subtract" the plots and
> end up with the antenna characteristics?
>
> Mike
> VK1KCK
> K1 #2599
>
> Message: 20
> Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 13:56:03 -0400
> From: Larry Phipps <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K2, LP-100 and HRD etc
> To: Mike Walkington <[hidden email]>
> Cc: Elecraft-Reflector <[hidden email]>
> Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>
> The LP-100 Plot software does this already if you use DXlabs Commander
> (freeware) or TRX-Manager. It doesn't matter what rig is selected, it
> will work with any supported rig. You set the start and stop frequencies
> and step size, then hit Run. The program controls the rig and gathers
> the data. You can select the parameters to plot either before or after
> running, and save the plots to a file in CSV format for later recall or
> export to a spreadsheet.
>
> It may be possible to add HRD, but I don't see a linking component for
> them that accepts all the incoming commands needed.
>
> You can see a screen capture of the LP-100 Plot software at
> www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html, along with a comparison to a couple of
> antenna analyzers I own as well as my HP87510A VNA.
>
> 73,
> Larry N8LP
>
>
>
>  

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[Mike Walkington-3]

Hi Larry,

That's even better, but cables get old and get water in them too.

Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Phipps [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, 5 April 2006 11:47 PM
To: Mike Walkington
Cc: Elecraft-Reflector
Subject: Re: : [Elecraft] K2, LP-100 and HRD etc


You won't need to do that. I'm planning to allow you to enter a feedline
characteristic Z, length and loss/100 ft., and then add a button that
will allow you to display all the parameters as "at xmtr" or "at
antenna". You could use any feedline type or length that you know the
published specs on. I am also thinking about adding the feedline data
entry capability to the standard LP-100 VCP (Virtual Control Panel). I
would offer the ability to enter several feedlines, which would be
selected based on frequency. I am considering allowing you to upload the
feedline table to the LP-100 hardware as well, so that it would display
correct antenna Z if desired. Since the LP-100 has a built-in frequency
counter, the table selection would be automatic. I may also add a menu
to allow the table to be entered at the hardware.

For this to work in the hardware or VCP, you would have to determine the
sign of X experimentally and enter it on the Vector display using the
Up/Dn buttons. This would only have to be done once for each antenna.
The Plot program does this automatically, by looking at the slope of the
X plot for each data point.

Some of this will be future updates of firmware or software. You can
update the LP-100 firmware and software over the internet, and there
will be regular updates offered for both. Updates will be free for life,
although there will be charges for add-on hardware if it becomes
necessary to add hardware for a particular option in the future. All
updates will be backward compatible with the original hardware, however.

73,
Larry N8LP


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