Gentlemen,
I am going into production on Fox Hunt transmitters for Ham applications ( soon to be available through www. byonics.com) My question to the group is whether there is a need for low cost signal generators ( You can't operate a test transmiter unless it is FCC type approved, but "signal generators" are for "testing" the ELT receivers. ) These transmitter are phase modulated, so you can receive them in AM or FM modes, and use the Byonics "Pocket Fox" microcontroller. It will send a tone sequence continously or intermittently. You can set a delay before the device goes on, and morse code ID intermittently. Power output would be about 250 mW, and it would run on 9 volts. If there is any interest in this, I will order parts to test on 121.775 to make sure that there is absloutely no bleed over to 121.5! These would be sold in kit form only and I would verify that the purchaser is a CAP-COM guy before sale. ( Not sure how I would do that-can't ask for the secret handshake over the web....)
PM me your address and give me a price!
Quote from: CaptLord on January 10, 2007, 03:38:36 PM
would be sold in kit form only and I would verify that the purchaser is a CAP-COM guy before sale. ( Not sure how I would do that-can't ask for the secret handshake over the web....)
Request his/her name and CAPID and cross-check your info with the member qualification record in Eservices.....you'd at least know they're a member and have a good idea what they do in CAP.
Excellent idea! MUCH easier than sawing them in half and counting their rings-oh wait, thats trees... no wonder our squadron is getting smaller...:)
Quote from: CaptLord on January 10, 2007, 05:35:04 PM
Excellent idea! MUCH easier than sawing them in half and counting their rings-oh wait, thats trees... no wonder our squadron is getting smaller...:)
I that what you have been doing?! We use Carbon-14 dating at my squadron. They scream like stuck pigs when I have to saw off a sample.
Geese...you'd think it hurts or something!
Quote from: lordmonar on January 10, 2007, 03:54:37 PM
PM me your address and give me a price!
Ditto... I am interested in the price as well. Thx
Our squadron could sure use one. Please let me know how much. Thanks.
I'd be interesting in pricing information. Do send along if you could. :)
Okay, I guess there is my answer! I will put a few units together as low-cost Beta Test units for CAP units as soon as I have printed circuit boards on hand. I tested a unit for bleed over with my pre-production prototype and it was very narrow banded on 121.775. It did not put out a lot of power, since the circuits were optimized for 146.565 MHz, but generally, this means it will work much better with higher output power at lower frequencies. Remember that this will NOT be an FCC approved transmitter and will be sold as a "kit" ( about 20 parts to solder, nothing tricky, so surface mount parts) For those of you who want to look at the functional capabilities of the Unit, check out http://byonics.com/pocketfox/pocketfox.zip
(just in case it screws up and jams somebody, make sure and program in the Coast Guards or Sea Scouts Call sign-just kidding...)
My unit is not the Pocket Fox. It just uses the pocket fox chip since the Pocket fox was discontinued, but you can look at the Microprocessor functions, download the configuration software, etc . If you want, I will E-Mail pictures of the pre-production prototype.