Ever since I started using Node-RED I’ve been using the standard node-red-dashboard set of user interface (UI) nodes to build my numerous dashboards to enhance my radio hobby and add new functionality to the operating of the station. The series of UI nodes are very simple to use and have served me well however, they are no longer being developed and are now deprecated in the overall Node-RED project.

To this end flowfuse.com have stepped up to the mark and developed Dashboard 2.0. This new series of UI nodes brings a new, more modern look and feel to the Node-RED dashboard along with some new functionality.

I’ve only just started investigating Dashboard 2.0 but, it’s proving to be fairly easy to use. The short video clip above shows an S-Meter display developed using Dashboard 2.0 for my FTDX10 transceiver.

Full instructions on how to install and configure Node-RED Dashboard 2.0 can be found on the flowfuse.com website.

Be aware though, Node-RED dashboards developed using Dashboard 1.0 will not work under Dashboard 2.0, you will have to import the old v1.0 flow(s) and manually go through them and change all the UI nodes to new Dashboard 2.0 nodes. Since some of the new nodes work differently to the old nodes you’ll also find you will need to make code changes to get the same/similar functionality.

I’m finding it easier not to import old flows but to recreate them afresh under Dashboard 2.0 using the old flow version for reference.

Overtime I will migrate my dashboards over to the new 2.0 version however, this is going to be a lot of work, especially in the case of my QO-100 Ground Station Dashboard as it contains a considerable number of UI nodes, and will take a fair amount of time to migrate.

I’ll document my findings as I go as I’m sure there will be a few trials and tribulations along the way.

Thanks to Neil, G7UFO for pointing me to the new Dashboard 2.0 information.

More soon …

I’ve been using Cloudlog for my logs, and have also recently migrated to wavelog. Both of these share the same API which you can use with various CAT command software to get data from your radio into the logging program. Most useful for when doing live QSOs and to have it update the frequency and mode for you.

One such tool is CloudlogCAT (windows only). It uses omnirig behind the scenes to interface with the radio. Other tools can be seen on the wiki pages of the two loggers. I had this working on another laptop but for various reasons was using a different one. I’d setup the vertical again in the garden and brought out the FTDX10 to use. I spent ages faffing about trying to get this to work and eventually found the right settings.

I also have a nicer way of setting up the spiderbeam mast using a base clamp wooden block and guy wires attached to a hose clamp with rubber nitrile protecting the mast. It takes no time at all to setup, and the remote ATU, radials, cables, and radio are all critical path items now!

I might upgrade to 4mm rope for the guys, as the cleats don’t have much area to bite and in high winds they did slip.

Using just 20w I had a quick chat with Callum of DXCommander fame on the 80m band using my Inverted-L antenna.

Very happy with the signal report and being able to hear myself after the event was very interesting. I’ve not used my Yaesu FTDX10 much on SSB and so I was very happy to hear that the audio sounded nice and clear.

More soon …

Since setting up the new HAM station here in the UK the one band I’ve not yet got back onto is 160m, one of my most favourite bands in the HF spectrum and one that I was addicted to when I live in France (F5VKM).

Having such a small garden here in the UK there is no way I can get any type of guyed vertical for 160m erected and so I needed to come up with some sort of compromise antenna for the band.

Only being interested in the FT4/8 and CW sections of the 160m band I calculated that I could get an inverted-L antenna up that would be reasonably close to resonant. It would require some additional inductance to get the electrical length required and some impedance matching to provide a 50 Ohm impedance to the transceiver.

Measuring the garden I found I could get a 28m horizontal section in place and a 10m vertical section using one of my 10m spiderpoles. This would give me a total of 38m of wire that would get me fairly close to the quarter wave length.

For impedance matching I decided to make a Pi-Network ATU. I’ve made these in the past and found them to be excellent at matching a very wide range of impedances to 50 Ohm.

Since I still had the components of the Pi-Network ATU that I built when I lived in France I decided to reuse them as it saved a lot of work. The inductor was made from some copper tubing I had left over after doing all the plumbing in the house in France and so it got repurposed and formed into a very large inductor. The 2 x capacitors I also built many years ago and fortunately I’d kept locked away as they are very expensive to purchase today and a lot of work to make.

Getting the Inverted-L antenna up was easy enough and I soon had it connected to the Pi-Network ATU. I ran a few radials out around the garden to give it something to tune against and wound a 1:1 choke balun at the end of the coax run to stop any common mode currents that may have appeared on the coax braid.

Connecting my JNCRadio VNA I found that the Inverted-L was naturally resonant at 2.53Mhz, not too far off the 1.84Mhz that I needed. Adding a little extra inductance and capacitance via the ATU I soon had the antenna resonant where I wanted it at the bottom of the 160m band.

With the SWR being <1.5:1 across the CW and FT8 section of the band I was ready to get on 160m for the first time in a long.

Since it’s still summer in the UK I wasn’t expecting to find the band in very good shape but, was pleasantly surprised. Switching the radio on before full sunset I was hearing stations all around Europe with ease. In no time at all I was working stations and getting good reports using just 22w of FT8. FT8 is such a good mode for testing new antennas.

As the sky got darker the distance achieved got greater and over time I was able to work into Russia with the longest distance recorded being 2445 Miles, R9LE in Tyumen Asiatic Russia.

In no time at all I’d worked 32 stations taking my total 160m QSOs from 16 to 48. I can’t wait for the long, dark winter nights to see how well this antenna really performs.

The map above shows the locations of the stations worked on the first evening using the 160m Inverted-L antenna. As the year moves on and we slowly progress into winter it will be fun to start chasing the DX again on the 160m band..

UPDATE 6th October 2023.
Been using the antenna for some time now with over 100 contacts on 160m. Best 160m DX so far is RV0AR in Sosnovoborsk Asiatic Russia, 3453 Miles using just 22w. Pretty impressive for such a low antenna on Top Band.

More soon …