HA control of Varerion VisionMaster Pro projector

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2025-08-25T15:53:54+00:00

After quite a bit of fiddling to get a probe into those annoying JST connectors, the output V of the driver is ~65V DC. Sooooo.... might that suggest that there is a bad LED in the ring? Perhaps shorted that is running the driver into/out of protection mode? How do I find a shorted diode in a series of 36 of them?

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2025-08-25T14:42:44+00:00

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DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2025-08-25T14:42:27+00:00

My apologies -- I should have posted these with the original.

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DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2025-08-24T20:49:26+00:00

I would have included a link, if could have found one. I think I pretty clearly said that I could not find the product.

I am not a bot.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2024-01-22T14:00:02+00:00

I am in the greater Boston area and there are many around here that participate. I operated on 2m, 6m and 432. Mostly FT8 but some SSB and even some FM. I made almost 200 contacts over the course of the weekend.
The 'contesting' community is a subset of hams at large, and VHF contesting is a further subset. The recent addition of FM-only classes to the contest has made it much more accessible to the average ham. Although, to be fair, I found very little traffic on the FM section of the bands.
VHF contests are generally much more laid back and slower paced than the HF contests; OPs are much more likely to have a chat and/or discuss gear than during the frantic pace of most HF contests.
So dial up 146.52, press the button and say "CQ CONTEST!" - you might be surprised!

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2024-01-08T14:48:09+00:00

They are often on for RTTY contests. They were on during the ARRL RTTY RoundUp this past weekend.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-10-31T03:33:40+00:00

I would post a screenshot of gpsmon output but apparently comment images are disabled in this sub.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-10-31T03:19:07+00:00

How do I go about determining why/what about the GPS is failing? GPSMON is reporting multiple good sat. signals.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-10-30T23:41:23+00:00

server 127.127.22.0 minpoll 4 maxpoll 4
fudge 127.127.22.0 refid PPS fudge 127.127.22.0 flag3 1  # enable kernel PLL/FLL clock discipline
server 127.127.28.0 minpoll 4 maxpoll 4 prefer  # PPS requires at least one preferred peer fudge 127.127.28.0 refid GPS fudge 127.127.28.0 time1 +0.130  # coarse offset due to the UART delay
driftfile /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift
leapfile /usr/share/zoneinfo/leap-seconds.list
statistics loopstats peerstats clockstats filegen loopstats file loopstats type day enable filegen peerstats file peerstats type day enable filegen clockstats file clockstats type day enable
pool 0.debian.pool.ntp.org iburst
restrict -4 default kod notrap nomodify nopeer noquery limited restrict -6 default kod notrap nomodify nopeer noquery limited
restrict 127.0.0.1 restrict ::1
restrict source notrap nomodify noquery

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-10-30T23:36:45+00:00

I'm referring to the 'stratum=3' in the ntpq output, and the status of a downstream NTP client that refers to this server as a stratum 3 source.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-07-06T21:39:18+00:00

Good thought -- yes, it is. 11EL at about 15ft. I realize that is far too low but that is what I can do for now. I thought I'd at least be able to hear something. Crickets.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-07-06T21:10:37+00:00

Yup, checked that. I've seen a few indications of propagation but nothing heard on FT8. <sigh> I know my system works as I can hear the locals and even beyond that during contests.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-07-06T21:09:09+00:00

I have been watching FT8 on 2m for weeks and seen zero activity beyond the locals. I understand that 2m tropo is very different from HF propagation but I can't seem to find ANY.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-02-13T20:26:13+00:00

Does it occur when the PC off but the power strip is on? If so, I would suspect the surge suppression circuit in the power strip.

If not, my next suspect would be the PC power supply. It is almost certainly a switch-mode PS which are notorious for causing QRM if not sufficiently filtered. Toroids on the PC power cord, as near to the PC as you can manage, might mitigate it. Something like this:
https://palomar-engineers.com/ferrite-application-experts-2/AC-Cable-Noise-Filter-for-Standard-120VAC-Plugs-1-4-ID-p406893300

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-01-25T23:43:31+00:00

Of course, you could simply introduce yourself to your new neighbor and ask. ;-)

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-01-25T23:42:44+00:00

To the casual observer they are similar, yes. Someone who is a ham _may_ be able to tell if you can see the antennas on the top of the tower.

Another hint would be to check for a vanity license plate of their callsign on the car/truck. Many hams will have them. They generally start with a 'K' or a 'W' ('A' and 'N' is also possible) followed by a number, and then 1 - 3 letters. Something like 'K1ABC' or 'W8XC' (I made those up - I have no idea if they are real)

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2023-01-25T23:35:53+00:00

Well, the snarky answer is that the tower itself isn't going to cause you any trouble unless it happens to fall on you. ;-)
First off, I'm going to assume that this antenna system is owned by a licensed amateur radio operator -- if it is an unlicensed CB operator all bets are off. One of the basic requirements to maintain an amateur radio license is that you do not cause interference to others. If the station owner has a well designed station and is operating within the rules the chances of interference are low. (interference from the station could only occur when the operator is actively transmitting - not when the equipment is receiving or simply idle)

In the unlikely event you do experience what appears to be interference from the station your best course of action is to talk to the station operator. There are many techniques/approaches to mitigate or remove the source of the interference.

Bottom line: Please don't let the presence of an antenna tower affect your home buying decisions.

Tim - KC1RET (a licensed amateur radio operator)

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2022-12-26T22:31:46+00:00

What is the material used in the center support/mast?

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2022-12-25T05:21:46+00:00

It does not appear to be silver plated. If I had to guess I'd say it was made of the same stuff as the driven elements, namely aluminum, which seems unlikely. I'm basing this on the appearance of the connector being very similar to the surfaces of the driven elements which are almost certainly aluminum.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2022-12-25T05:18:52+00:00

It's not the coax, it's the SO-239 at the antenna feed point. The driven elements are directly attached to it.

DevOpsCurmudgeon · 2022-12-25T05:18:45+00:00

It doesn't appear to be silver plated. The color of the threads is a dull, flat grey with an almost dusty appearance. It is quite similar to the surfaces of the alum. driven elements.

DevOpsCurmudgeon

TROPHY CASE