Upgrading The LDG Z-11 and AT-11MP Tuners

It’s been at least a couple of years since I ordered new microcontroller chips for both my LDG Z11 and AT 11MP tuners. It’s a simple upgrade but the board is jam packed near where the new parts need to be soldered. There’s an electrolytic cap and a new microcontroller – the old 1.4 software controller needs to be pulled and the cap has to be installed with one leg soldered to a tiny diode – the other leg to a tiny tantalum cap near the controller.

Here are a couple of close-up macro shots of the area I’ll be working on:

The new microcontroller will upgrade each tuner to version 1.6; you can see these photos show the original 1.4 software that’s at least 9 years old. The new electrolytic cap goes to one leg of C35 shown in the photos to the small adjacent diode – this will require some good steady handed soldering. I use a low wattage iron and work with a magnifier over the work area for this type of work.

The new software controller will add 200 fast memories to the Z11 and the AT-11MP, saving the last tuned position when power is removed (MP only), saves the audio mode setting (MP only), and increased meter accuracy on the AT-11MP. The resolution of the meter driver was doubled and the lower power accuracy was improved on the 11MP.

The small Z11 tuner is used with my original FT-817 (not the ND) when I’m out in the field or camping. The larger AT-11MP is used with the main station when required. I’ve had them both for over 9 years and they are real performers and will tune a salad fork if need be.

The AT-11MP includes a meter on the front panel and can be used with 100 watt radios.

New microcontroller kits can be ordered directly from W4RT or CheapHam.

Unconventional Antennas from NASA Labs

Yes, I know I'm writing a lot about NASA, the Jet Propulsion Labs, and space stuff in general. This interests me a lot, anything to do with space travel and its related technology. I still remember watching the historic moon land in 1969 on our first Zenith colour TV. You've probably noticed too that I like working with different antenna technologies.

I ran across a NASA article that describes their antenna design software. It's nothing like what's available to the ham community. Their software takes ten hours to design new antennas for their satellites and spacecraft. You can imagine the criteria as to size, weight, and performance required for operation in deep space.

Here's what their computer clusters have managed to design - very unconventional - it looks like a bent paper clip but their computers have determined this is the best performing hardware for their satellites.


NASA describes their software, that runs on a network of personal computers as "evolutionary". The above photo shows an antenna that can fit into a one-inch space (2.5 by 2.5 centimeters) in front of 'borg' of computers.

"The AI software examined millions of potential antenna designs before settling on a final one," said project lead Jason Lohn, a scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center, located in California's Silicon Valley. "Through a process patterned after Darwin's 'survival of the fittest,' the strongest designs survive and the less capable do not."

The software started with random antenna designs and through the evolutionary process, refined them. The computer system took about 10 hours to complete the initial antenna design process. "We told the computer program what performance the antenna should have, and the computer simulated evolution, keeping the best antenna designs that approached what we asked for. Eventually, it zeroed in on something that met the desired specifications for the mission," Lohn said.

When I visited the JPL in Pasadena California in April of this year I discovered a group of hams working there and they had a JPL ham club and repeater. Bets that some hams had a hand in this software. Now if they could only release the software to us lowly hams who use wire antennas and minimalist stealth antennas. I need something this small on 160 meters.

NASA 'EVOLUTIONARY' SOFTWARE AUTOMATICALLY DESIGNS ANTENNA

JPL Amateur Radio Club

(Photos courtesy of NASA Ames)

Amateur Radio Exam Generator

The website of the Canadian regulator, Industry Canada, provides a free download of software to generate Amateur Radio exams. This service is provided as a learning aid for prospective amateurs and as an administrative tool for accredited examiners.The software can be downloaded from "Software to Generate Amateur Examinations".



This software package can produce a unique examination for either a basic or advanced amateur certificate according to the random selection criteria outlined in RIC-3. It will also generate a worksheet, and it has an additional feature that allows self-testing on a home computer.