[hfsig] QRPi - Zoltan

[Tom McElroy]

Hello Zoltan,
Thanks for providing this nifty QRPi board and concept.  My kids love it!
If you look up my daughter on the database, you'll see that in 2016, KM4BUN
has made QRPi contacts from our home near Atlanta Georgia, to Tasmania NSW.

Kids get excised about watching signals move over the face of the earth.
To them - this *is* ham radio!
Here is a Google photo album of what Jack KM4ZIA and Audrey KM4BUN were
doing with your board in 2016.
https://goo.gl/photos/Z1v6gaj2zeXMnpwQA

Recently however, we attempted to re-deploy the system so the kids can
perform  propagation
analysis using different antenna types and orientation.

The board works, and I can see the 14.x MHz near-field radiation from the
board and across the room to the spectrum analyzer.
But the signal goes flat when I load the 2-pin antenna header with a few
feet of coax.
With or without a a 50 ohm dummy load or antenna connected.

In 2016, it was certainly exposed to static charge buildup on the 20m
dipole, but we feed all antennas though a spark-gap set
to 330 volts or so.

Bad connector, or poor coax termination on my part? ESD?  Maybe.
Directly soldering the SMA coax to the PCB didn't show any improvement.
RG58, RG214, LMR-400, etc, all seem to load the buffer FET.
So I ordered a new FET from Digi Key, and I'll replace the exiting unit.

Here is a Google photo album of recent images of us deploying the system in
our backyard antenna farm.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qDShnAfMf9QDhpC78
I appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have.

73
Tom W4SDR
Janet K4PRM
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