New Mini-Modules - They're here!!

[Darwin, Keith]

Hey guys, did you see?  Three new mini modules are on the order page and
their manuals are available for download.
 
- Power meter
- AF filter
- Stepped attenuator
 
I looked them over and gotta say, I was very disappointed.  I had really
envisioned a meter in a case that would match my K2.  Something with a
backlit LCD that would display power and SWR to with 2 digits each (11
watts, SWR 1.2).  I had plans to sell my Palstar meter (which won't do
QRP well) and get the Elecraft meter but now I'm really having 2nd
thoughts about that.
 
The audio filter looks really cool but, again, no case.
 
A power meter and an audio filter to me are not test equipment things,
their part of the basic station equipment.  They'd get used every time
I'm on the air and as such they really should be in a finished case with
real silk screen labels and knobs.
 
It's not clear to me that either one could be mounted in a box as the
components & connectors may project too tall above the board and could
interfere with the pots & LEDs as they try to project through the front
of the enclosure.
 
- Keith KD1E -
- K2 5411 -
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[michael taylor-3]

On 9/27/06, Darwin, Keith <[hidden email]> wrote:
> I looked them over and gotta say, I was very disappointed.  I had really
> envisioned a meter in a case that would match my K2.  Something with a
> backlit LCD that would display power and SWR to with 2 digits each (11

Sounds like Larry N8LP's LP-100 Digital Vector Wattmeter built in a
Elecraft EC2 enclosure. <http://www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html> I
don't think it can be done at mini-module price-range.

I guess I expected no case since they were listed as mini-modules, but
I understand what you are saying, particularly with the SWR meter,
which I agree it might be nice to make a case option available.

-Michael, VE3TIX
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[johnny-52]

I am interested in the power meter and stepped attenuator.  However, since
it is no case, will there be risks of RF leakage?

How the design address RF leakage?

73

Johnny Siu VR2XMC

----- Original Message -----
From: "Darwin, Keith" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 9:02 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] New Mini-Modules - They're here!!


Hey guys, did you see?  Three new mini modules are on the order page and
their manuals are available for download.

- Power meter
- AF filter
- Stepped attenuator

I looked them over and gotta say, I was very disappointed.  I had really
envisioned a meter in a case that would match my K2.  Something with a
backlit LCD that would display power and SWR to with 2 digits each (11
watts, SWR 1.2).  I had plans to sell my Palstar meter (which won't do
QRP well) and get the Elecraft meter but now I'm really having 2nd
thoughts about that.

The audio filter looks really cool but, again, no case.

A power meter and an audio filter to me are not test equipment things,
their part of the basic station equipment.  They'd get used every time
I'm on the air and as such they really should be in a finished case with
real silk screen labels and knobs.

It's not clear to me that either one could be mounted in a box as the
components & connectors may project too tall above the board and could
interfere with the pots & LEDs as they try to project through the front
of the enclosure.

- Keith KD1E -
- K2 5411 -
_______________________________________

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[Darwin, Keith]

The LP-100 sounds great - but it is out of my price range.  I may
eventually talk myself into it but not at this time.

And to be honest, I really prefer an analog meter as it is much easier
to peak my TS830s on TX with an analog meter.

Now, if I were a computer sort of guy, having a watt meter module that
can drive a serial data stream for display in a dialog box would be
cool, but I'm definitely NOT a PC in the shack sort of person so that
feature is of no benefit to me.

- Keith KD1E -
- K2 5411 -

-----Original Message-----
From: michael taylor [mailto:[hidden email]]

Sounds like Larry N8LP's LP-100 Digital Vector Wattmeter built in a
Elecraft EC2 enclosure. <http://www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html> I don't
think it can be done at mini-module price-range.

I guess I expected no case since they were listed as mini-modules, but I
understand what you are saying, particularly with the SWR meter, which I
agree it might be nice to make a case option available.
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[N8LP]

There is an option for building an LP-100 cheaply. I ordered some extra
boards for the current production run for some guys who wanted to build
one from their junk box. Most of these have been spoken for, and I
haven't set a price yet. A programmed PIC would be included. These would
be sold with minimal support beyond the normal provided to regular
customers... you would be pretty much on your own as far as packaging it.

These boards are unpopulated... in other words, the SMT parts that are
normally supplied installed are not on these boards. Some of these are
VERY small... TSSOP. If you have built a kit like a NorCal 2030, DDS-60
or N2PK VNA you should not have a problem. Otherwise, I recommend
against this option. The two most expensive chips are available as
samples from Analog (max 2 per customer).

I am accepting orders for a third run of LP-100s to be delivered in
mid-November, and I could possibly offer a "caseless" option at a lower
price for those who want to do a custom installation in an EC-2 case.
This would not save much money though, maybe $20. If there was
significant demand (100 or more), I could possibly produce a new version
with integral coupler, 1 mW to 120W rating, and sized to fit in an EC-1,
but otherwise similar to an LP-100. I suspect most people would not want
to have to hack on a EC-1 to get a case, though. Since the LP-100
already goes down to 50 mW (and 30 uW with the direct input), I don't
know that there would be any appeal beyond Elecrafters for an EC-1 style
low power version.

For the record, I find the "analog" bargraph to be very easy to use for
tuning, especially the Return Loss display. And I love the mini-modules
as inexpensive options for bench testing... keep them coming.

73,
Larry N8LP
www.telepostinc.com



Darwin, Keith wrote:

> The LP-100 sounds great - but it is out of my price range.  I may
> eventually talk myself into it but not at this time.
>
> And to be honest, I really prefer an analog meter as it is much easier
> to peak my TS830s on TX with an analog meter.
>
> Now, if I were a computer sort of guy, having a watt meter module that
> can drive a serial data stream for display in a dialog box would be
> cool, but I'm definitely NOT a PC in the shack sort of person so that
> feature is of no benefit to me.
>
> - Keith KD1E -
> - K2 5411 -
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: michael taylor [mailto:[hidden email]]
>
> Sounds like Larry N8LP's LP-100 Digital Vector Wattmeter built in a
> Elecraft EC2 enclosure. <http://www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html> I don't
> think it can be done at mini-module price-range.
>
> I guess I expected no case since they were listed as mini-modules, but I
> understand what you are saying, particularly with the SWR meter, which I
> agree it might be nice to make a case option available.
> _______________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Post to: [hidden email]
> You must be a subscriber to post to the list.
> Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.):
>  http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft   
>
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm
> Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
>
>
>
>  

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[Rob Locher W7GH]

The Idiom Press SCAF-1 audio filter is a lowpass filter with a variable  
cutoff frequency.  The cutoff frequency is adjusted via a (decently-sized)  
knob.  It does a great job of filtering audio and also killing white noise  
in the headphones.  There is no ringing and no digital delay.  It comes  
with a silkscreened case, and in my opinion it goes very well with the K2  
in both appearance and function.

More information can be found here:
http://www.idiompress.com/scaf-1.html

The standard disclaimer does NOT apply...

73,
- Rob W7GH



On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 06:02:16 -0700, Darwin, Keith  
<[hidden email]> wrote:

> The audio filter looks really cool but, again, no case.
>
> A power meter and an audio filter to me are not test equipment things,
> their part of the basic station equipment.  They'd get used every time
> I'm on the air and as such they really should be in a finished case with
> real silk screen labels and knobs.

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