Broadcast - 9 March 2025
Last Club Technical night Colin VK7ZCF showed us his latest purchase. A version of the ever popular ATU-100 antenna matcher that appears on quite a few Internet sites.
He went with the full “do-it-yourself” kit, at least this guarantees the soldering is reliable!
Even in kit form it still comes with the surface mount microprocessor pre-installed and the O-Led display module fully functional.
Colin opted for the EXT version which extends the usability from the standard 1.8 to 30 MHz up to 50 MHz
Literature indicates that it is good to 100 Watts with the auto matching guaranteed reliability down to 10 Watts.
Even after the auto matching is complete it will require a permanent 10 to 15 Volts DC to hold the relays in. This is not really a problem as you most likely want the display continuously visible, but the power consumption would have to be taken into consideration when going portable.
It’s a very presentable and compact little unit and nice to see the Chinese manufacturer has given credit to the fact it is based on the original open source design by David N7DDC.
If you have been following the State-wide SSTV images this week you may have noticed that Colin has subsequently finished winding and mounting the coils.
At this rate we should get a rundown on its functionality by next Club Tech Night, thanks Colin.
Ross VK7ALH arrived with a Yaesu FRG-7700, purely just for interest.
I am sure we all remember the Yaesu FRG-7 communications receiver, with its Barlow Wadley tuning set up. Well the 7700 is one of the modern versions sporting a digital display.
Basically it is a desk top compact communication receiver, for the reception of AM/SSB/CW and FM signals between 150 kHz to 30 MHz. It has 12 memory channels and can also be powered from an internal battery pack. This one, like so many is awaiting repairs of some description, in this case and quite obvious from the pictures is in need of a new auto on off function selector.
According to the decoded manufacturer’s serial number it came off the production line back in November of 1980, so it is one of the earlier ones. This model was replaced in 1986 by the FRG-8800.
This got me thinking, just when was the original FRG-7 released?
Evidently it was back in 1976, well that’s getting close to a fifty year anniversary!
Just for interest, it seems rigs after about 1980 only displayed Yaesu on the front panel as the name with the model. As opposed to say the Yaesu Musen FRG-7, they were all made by the Yasu Musen Company Limited of Japan though. Thanks Ross, happy selector hunting.
As always pictures will be available on the NTARC Web site under “Blogs” for this broadcast. NTARC Blogs
UPCOMING EVENTS
TestNet and TechNet session - Every Wednesday, TestNet/CW course on 3.580MHz from 7 pm, then a TechNet on 3.567MHz from 7.30 pm till 8.30 pm. Your host for the evening is Nic VK7WW.
Club Room Technical night session - The next session will be on Wednesday the 19th March, at the usual time of 6.30 pm at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
Coffee Morning - held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10 am to noon and we look forward to seeing you all there. So why not pop in check the QSL cards and join us for a cuppa, there is endless tea and coffee along with biscuits available for a donation.
Finally - A reminder to all members that if you have any items of news you would like added to our weekly roundup, no matter how trivial, then please email them to the Secretary at the following address news@ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5 pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
That’s all folks,
73, Stefan VK7ZSB, Secretary NTARC Inc.
