[more notes to come]

I had quite a bit of trouble getting this working and it isn’t finished just yet. I still have to tune the trimmers for best audio and finish moving the antennas to their final home, but in the interest of starting to document all this – here is the schematic for the build. The intercom manufacturer indicated that the radio was completely incompatible with the intercom – which I refused to believe but I did have to spend quite a bit of time figuring out how PTT was signaled from the intercom to the radio. (reference single-line PTT pages here -todo).

To add / write:

• Interface cables and pinouts
• Pointers to single line PTT reference pages
• Pointer to autocom interface circuit built by others
• Pointer to manhattan construction technique
• Photos of build
• T2-301 installation notes
• Photos of installation (ugly!) and the antenna mounting — not so good yet.

I managed to source everything at Radio Shack except the MOSFET. I picked that up at a local, terribly overpriced component supply store. I also purchased the pot there, simply because I liked the physical size of it – RS had a reasonable replacement. In choosing your N-channel MOSFET, make sure you select one that is fully ‘on’ at the level generated by the 555 circuit (not a problem as the signal is around 12V peak-to-peak) and has a very low Rds(on). If you are planning to use an ATtiny for the controller (instead of the 555) then you need to select a MOSFET with an appropriately low threshold voltage, such as the STP36NF06L.

The schematic is a modification of another circuit I found online at sentex.ca. There is an alternate PWM 555 circuit (similar) at dprg.org, but I did not like the lack of EMF/flyback protection in that design – effectively they are very similar circuits.

I modified the schematic slightly – as we are not controlling a large inductive load and I installed a much smaller capacitor for C3, just to take the edge off the PWM wave-form.

LED1 is optional (along with R1) – and in my case I used a Radio Shack 12V ‘LED indicator’ (see photos). If you wanted to do this yourself, select R1 to match LED1 at a 14V supply voltage. I recommend R1/LED1 as it permits a quick glance in the mirror to confirm that the controller is active and the power level setting. D4 is simply providing a path for any collapsing field energy, but I am not sure there is much in a resistive load like a heated vest. I used a very small cap for C3 – simply because I didn’t have a 470uF cap lying around and I was impatient. Seems to be working fine for me.

The NTE2395 data sheet  mentions that Rds(on) is 0.028 Ω so it doesn’t dissipate much power as heat – an important consideration.  [ Todo - power dissipation calc. ]

Power enters via the right-hand pair of contacts (Vcc/GND) and the vest / grips plug into the upper right contacts (Vcc/PWM_Return). The design is switching the power return circuit – effectively modulating the ground connection.

At these voltages and power levels, I have no concerns around that approach – and it a common technique (vs high-side switching).

Here is the parts list for the build, all caps at 20V rating and all resistors are 1/4W:

The schematic was built up on Radio Shack breadboard styled protoboard, with point-to-point wiring. Nothing to write home about, in some cases, I put insulation on leads and used the components to assist with the hook-up. (See obvious diode D2/D3 as examples). The assembly was housed in a small Radio Shack plastic enclosure.

Here’s a shot of the nearly assembled unit:

Note the generous overhand knot and ties for strain relief where the power cables exit the case.

The Radio Shack indicator LED is in the lower left, beneath the potentiometer. I haven’t assembled anything in years, so it is a little messy in there.

The connectors are a 2$ towing extension cable from the local auto parts store – SAE connectors on either end happen to fit the vest I’m controlling. A single piece of red heat shrink tubing on one of the connectors is used to mark the ‘hot’ side (vs the vest side). I haven’t thought it through, but it looks like hooking it up backwards would not do any damage and just leave it inoperative until swapped around.

Here’s a top view for scale:

If I was doing this again, I’d consider using a multi position rotary switch with discrete resistor values instead of the pot. It would then be a case of clicking a setting and knowing it would stay set. I would also consider a bypass switch that forced the unit into bypass – assuring 100% power transfer. This might not really be needed, but it would make me feel better. To work around the ease with which the knob turns, I plan to jam a large o-ring under the dial to drag on the case. This would also add weatherproofing. The entire unit fits snugly under a waist adjustment buckle on my riding suit so is held in place with the blue velco in seen in the photo. A small pass-through in the suit pants pocket allows this to live outside and control the heated vest on the inside. I highly recommend the Aerostich Kanetsu electric vest.

Overall it is ugly, but it works. And even at Radio Shack prices, it was far cheaper than a commercial product – not to mention satisfying to put together.

Amazing footage and sound put together by people usually dealing with Science Fiction. I just love the footage of the orbiter peeling away after SRB separation. Amazing in that this is real, not CG and not Sci Fi. Sad in that it is footage from a program we don’t have anymore.

I also recall reading Richard Feynman’s discussion (in the context of the Challenger incident) of dynamic overshoot at SME start and how the SRB ignition is timed such that the orbiter-stack is properly aligned for the release. This effect is very very clearly shown after main engine start and you can see the stack rock away from vertical, back once again and then liftoff, moments after SRB ignition. Wild stuff!

It is a fellow Canadian who has made this vechicle (and driving it around North America) quite a project.

More here.

Photo by Jack Snell — I didn’t get a chance to take one as it zoomed by on a twisty section of CA-1.

PS: Damn – it was cool looking and booking along, fast.

KC and I took a trip down near San Simeon to see the elephant seals. Managed to get a few shots and put a set up on Flickr.
These animals were really amazing. More information at Friends of the Elephant Seal .

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I finally managed to get out flying in the Santa Cruz area. It wasn’t how I expected — I didn’t go as pilot-in-command, but instead was invited to fly in the right seat with another local pilot. He owns a few local coffee shops, frankly one of the area’s best where I can frequently be found tasting his many fine espresso offerings.

We took a quick(ish) flight from Watsonville CA north along the coast, past Alcatraz, over the Golden Gate Bridge, then over the Bay Bridge, into SFO’s class B with radar flight following, over the west end of SFO’s runways and followed US-101 more-or-less until west of SJC. A slight right turn with a pop over Loma Prieta took us back into the Watsonville area where we joined the down wind leg of the pattern and landed just as the sun was setting. I was able to fly all but a few minutes around take-off and landing and it was really, really nice to be at the controls again.

Given that I used to fly in class-D and class-C airspace almost exclusively, it was interesting to see what it is like to fly from an non-towered field and then run into class-B airspace fairly quickly. Radio work is key if you want to fit in and leverage the system. The local pilot tells me that most folks based in  Watsonville really like the fact that the airspace isn’t under positive control.

That’s all fine and well, I even understand, but it is no excuse for poor airmanship. While we were joining downwind to land, we were very confused to see someone cross in front, and slightly above us, only 100′ above pattern altitude. They did a 360 in the pattern and then ended up about 50′ above and 100′ left of us headed in the same direction. I got the sense that they didn’t see us and really didn’t appreciate that the Bonanza was trucking along at 120 KIAS vs their 80 or so. It made for very tight quarters and we managed to get a hold of them on the CTAF and sequence ourselves ahead of them, but it was a close call that didn’t need to be. They really should NOT have joined the pattern the way they did. Good thing we were both always watching for traffic and saw this coming.

More photos in my flickr stream.

Photo is Saturday morning — coffee and repeaters.

What portable rigs have you tried, anyone have any experience with the Kenwood TH-F6A, what about the Yaesu VX-7R, or newer. Anything from ICOM?

I have an ICOM-A23 for aviation that I’m very pleased with, but this is a new application so they may not be the incumbent that they are in the aero world.

Any comments or thoughts around portables are welcome. Since it is a bike application, I don’t have room for a mobile sized unit.

It occurs to me that I don’t even know which of my friends have a ham ticket, so feel free to educate me.