WB0SMX

  Heathkit IG-42 Checkout – Part 2 Filed in Heathkit IG-42 on Mar.18, 2018 I put the IG-42 Signal Generator back on the bench to continue my initial inspection.  Today, I measured the voltages specified in the construction manual and measured the resistors (in circuit) to see if there were any obvious problems to address. Some of the tube pins were very difficult to access from the bottom side, so I stuck a wire in the top side on those pins and re-inserted the tube to get the readings.  This allowed me to continue without tearing the unit apart.     Cheater Wire for measuring tube voltages All measurements were made with the unit plugged into me variac transformer, with the voltage set to 115 vac, as originally specified for the IG-42.   115 vac input voltage The results are listed in the chart below… TUBE Pin1 Expected Pin1 Actual Pin2 Expected Pin2 Actual Pin3 Expected Pin3 Actual Pin4 Expected Pin4 Actual Pin5 Expected Pin5 Actual 6AF4 65

  Kenpro KR-5400 Rotator Controller Repair Filed in ANSR Tracker on Mar.14, 2018 At out last balloon flight, I discovered two problems with the rotator system.  The Elevation Meter was intermittent, and tapping on it would make the reading fall to zero, and tapping again would bring it back to the correct position.  This didn’t seem to be affecting the automatic control. I also found that the azimuth-right control was intermittent, and would not always move the rotor when pressed. This was definitely affecting the automatic control, as well as the manual control. I was able to recover each time by pressing the other controls for a short time, until the right rotation control worked again.   D18 Location I suspected poor connections in the control box for both of these problems.  Once I got home, I put the controller on the bench and removed the covers.  By probing on the cathode end of the diode across the relay coil, I was able to read 12 volts when the relay was energ

  ANSR-115/116 High Altitude Balloon Flight Filed in ANSR on Mar.14, 2018 On March 3rd, 2018, I helped out with the Arizona Near Space Research spring ASCEND flights.  Two high altitude weather balloons with payloads from several Arizona Colleges and Universities were launched from the parking lot of the grade school in Dateland, Arizona.   Inflating the balloon with helium   Student preparing payload for launch     Fly-Away   Intel-Man   Post-Launch My assignment this time was to preposition myself near the expected landing site, and get a head start on tracking down and finding the first balloon when it landed. I started out hanging out at the truck stop on Hassaympa Road and I-10 west of Buckeye, Az.  As the flight progressed, it became apparent that the balloon would land north of the Interstate, rather than South.  I repositioned myself to get closer to the revised estimate of the landing zone. I met up with Louis, W7LMW to continue the chase on that side of the in