🎓 Dr. Freemo 🇳🇱 @freemo@qoto.org

The only 10 year challenge I will ever do.

Started the final draft of the directional Coupler. Building in extra levels of shielding and a 20:1 winding ratio. I'm stoked to finally have the design locked down

#RF #EE #Electronics #Engineering #Science #ElectricalEngineering #RFEngineering #HAM #HamRadio

Over the past few days I built 5 different Directional couplers. Each one uses either a new design even tierly or a new winding ratio. After all the testing I've finally figured out the ideal design for the frequency range I'm targeting. Time to build the final prototype.

#RF #EE #Electronics #Engineering #Science #ElectricalEngineering #RFEngineering #HAM #HamRadio

It took me 3 hours but I rolled two perfect 126 turn Toroid inductors. These will be two halves of the two transformers in a Tandem Match Circuit (Directional Coupler). Should have infinitesimal insertion loss

#RF #EE #Electronics #Engineering #Science #ElectricalEngineering #RFEngineering #HAM #HamRadio

So i stuck a piece of hot pepper cheese in the dehydrator for shits and giggles... this is actually working. It is drying out, solid (was liquidy for a quick minute), and the little sample i took it tasted good. This might actually work...

Just a reminder, even if big game hunters are assholes for their desires, the truth is it is the #1 most effective way to fund conservation in many third world countries.

It has done more to save species than much of anything else we tries.

So next time you want to ban trophy hunting just remember like most things all that does is drive it to the black market and denies an effective revenue source used almost exclusively for conservation.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/10/trophy-hunting-killing-saving-animals/

#conservation #animalrights #animals

I finally got to watching "Adam Ruins Everything". I'm on the eigth episode and really digging this.

I'm usually pretty critical of mainstream "fact" shows because even when they are sorta close to accurate, they frame it in a way that is often misleading or with an agenda.

This show however is spot on. No left or right lean, controversial facts are delivered really accurate. this is completely on spot. Really digging it.

Hell even i am learning shit. They are talking about the hymen and definitely threw me some new info.

While I luckily don't suffer from any of these diseases myself I have spent a lot of time trying to help those that do. This meme is spot on, peoples judgments are always more a mix of ignorance and hate rather than any sense of real understanding.

If the little mermaid was reality.

The plot of spiderman really kinda had to work out the way it did. The alternative would be kinda boring.

After seeing over a dozen doctors and being dismissed by all of them I finally found one who took my situation seriously. I got a steroid injection today and in 2 - 3 days if all goes well i should feel some relief.

Decided to build another tandem match circuit based directional Coupler. This time I used a 21:1 winding ratio instead of the last one at 8:1.

It seems to have reduced unwanted coupling at lower frequencies. But more important it decreased insertion loss from about 1.15dB to only 0.03dB at 2 MHz and 0.4dB around 50MHz.

I think I prefer this particular winding ratio for my design.

#RF #EE #Electronics #Engineering #Science #ElectricalEngineering #RFEngineering #HAM #HamRadio

"You nobles, you sons of my chiefs, you superfine dandies, you have trusted to your birth and your possessions and have set at naught my orders to your own advancement; you have neglected the pursuit of learning and you have given yourselves over to luxury and sport, to idleness and profitless pastimes. By the King of Heaven, I take no account of your noble birth and your fine looks, though others may admire you for them. Know this for certain, that unless you make up for your former sloth by vigourous study, you will never get any favour from me"

-- Notker the Stammerer in De Carolo Magno

While I have no love for Trump, and will be quick to admit he is the worst president we ever had, the truth is, the electoral college is important. The main issues with it that I have personally are the changes that were made to laws around how the electorate can choose to vote. But the fundamental principle of the electoral college was a positive one in its original form.

96% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

Not even an exageration...

(taken from @Liberty4Masses )

So my Directional Coupler performed fairly well. Here is the output from my spectrum analyzer. Basically one trace is for the forward port when the antenna is matched, the other is when the antenna is an open circuit. Then the other two traces are the same condition on the reflected port.

As you can see all the powers show a nice flat -20db coupling. Only exception is the one cyan trace that shows the reflected port when the antenna is matched. Since there are no reflections as expected the response is much less. It is also not linear which is to be expected.

Pretty similar results to my last attempt. Though going with fewer windings this time (8 instead of 12) seems to have results in a slight stronger coupling (-20 dBM rather than the -23 dBM I got before).

All in all I'd say its a success.

#RF #EE #Electronics #Engineering #Science #ElectricalEngineering #RFEngineering #HAM #HamRadio

Woot! Just finished my high power directional Coupler. She works perfectly. A day well spent.

#RF #EE #Electronics #Engineering #Science #ElectricalEngineering #RFEngineering #HAM #HamRadio