Members of the OMARC Technical Committee developed a technical lab at the Diana site with two test benches and as much test equipment capability as possible to support the clubs technical committee efforts and the needs of the clubs membership.
The lab works on a two person plan for safety and allows for club members to have access to a well equipped test bench to support the repair, modification and calibration of club and member owned radio equipments as well as to provide the capability of supporting various club sponsored technical and educational projects.
Members of the technical comittee will avail themselves as their individual schedules permit to assist club members in the repair of member owned equipments as well as provide club members training in the use of the lab and provide full access to the lab for members personal use. We shall also display and info the public that visits the site on during InfoAge tours of the capabilities and uses of the lab.
We have managed to develop a fairly good capability through the loan and donation of various equipments by club members as well as from some non-club members and even non-Amateurs, that we now have a fairly good start. We have lab power supplies, audio and function generators, frequency counter, osciloscope and soldering equipments in place.
At present we are missing a few key pieces of equipment, such as an, RF voltmeter, sinad meter, deviation meter, spectrum analyzer. Some technical committee members can and do bring these instruments to the site as needed, however we are hopeful that we can some how add them to the bench permanently. We are also missing documentation on many pieces of equipment, a list is being compiled and will be published here in the near future.
We have used this lab capability to many things since it became available, such as the repair of the OMARC 145.11 repeater when last hit by lightening.
As a group we worked on the club sponsored Doppler kit project, that's Joe, N2FW in the photo below looking over his main doppler kit board. Eight club members have been building nine doppler kits for both fixed and mobile operation to aid in the various RDF needs that may arise within our community.
We assisted Ron, WA2HZT in analyzing the problem he was having with his 30m CW transceiver which led us to believe and Ron to finally determine it was an antenna problem. See Bill, KC2CNB and Ron, WA2HZT in the photo below.
Bill, KC2CNB and Steve, N2CKH have worked on the new battery back-up power supply system for the club's Motorola MSR-2000 based 145.110 repeater, see photo below. N2CKH on behalf of the club acquired a like new Motorolam MSR-2000 power supply and the optional back charger/switch over components which KC2CNB masterfully integrated into the unit. This unit will be swapped for the one currently in the repeater. The old one will be used to power the backup Mitrek repeater and as spare for the MSR-2000.
We accepted a large donation of used test equipment via Steve, N2CKH that he was able to secure from his employer as seen in the photos below, most of which we have disposed of to the benefit of the clubs treasury. Steve N2CKH, Kathy KC2KQG and Bill KC2CNB picked up the equipment out in Princeton Junction and transported to the site. Bill brought along his trailer and good thing too, as the Ford Bronco's that Steve and Bill drive were both full, the scopes carts and many other items overflowed into that trailer.
In Steve's opinion, we should all investigate such donation possibilities with our employers or area companies that we can make contact with that may have items to dispose of which we could put to good use. Explain to them the benefits of Amateur Radio to the local community and our efforts taking place at the Diana site in conjunction with InfoAge, tell them all the good that InfoAge is doing and how they need support as well.
These additional equipments are mostly 10-20 year old Tektronix modular oscilloscope and power supply main frame equipments with dozens and dozens of plug-in modules.
These plug-in modules are used to configure the equipments into various special purpose test equipments including multi-channel sophisticated osciloscopes, a 100Khz-2.5Ghz spectrum analyzer with 7L12 plug-in.
Also function generators, logic analyzers, programmable DMMs, a WWVB receiver using a Spectracom module, rack mount 1-60v DC power supply and more.
Some dedicated Tektronix Time Domain Reflectometers, two Tektronix equipment carts. A complete Arium 32 channel logic analyzer with documentation and dozens of new, never opened scope probes, with frequency rranges from 10Mhz to as high as 1Ghz in addition to logic probes, AC clamp on probes, high voltage probes, test cables.
Test leads and various odds and ends and some documentation (the 2.5Ghz spectrum analyzer module manual in whole !).
Thislarge donation of test equipments has really given our efforts a shot in the arm. Almost all of the equipments tested so far work, a few don't turn on, batteries are dead in some, one module started to smoke ! and all will need calibration. However, when all is said and done, we shall have a rather good test bench, possibly with spares as well.
To arrange for use of the lab or to donate a piece of equipment please contact Steve, N2CKH or Bill, KC2CNB.
OMARC, Inc.
P.O. Box 267
Oakhurst, New Jersey 07755
For questions about this web site e-mail:
Steve Hajducek, N2CKH
Webmaster: :n2mo@arrl.net