Would still like to see to see a video showing your physical connection's between the Hermes Lite 2 and the XPA125b with and without the band selection.
Hi Matt, thanks for this video. i'am wondering what the ALC function is good for and how to use it. That might be a stupid question for an experienced OM but I would be happy for some serious answers.
Nice work Matt. Curious to know if you have managed to get PureSignal working with the HL2 also. Would be great to see a video on this also if you had the time. :)
Not yet, but I plan to. I am waiting for a Hardrock Amp to arrive where I will be making another video boxing it all up with the HL2. I will also include PureSignal as its a really great feature, from what I can see.
Kind of unrelated however, it would be helpful to me. If you could tell me what the amp puts out on each band when the Hermes is set to -7.5 dBm or the lowest power setting. For example, if your Hermes drive is set to-7.5 dBm or the lowest power setting on the software you are using, on the 40 meter band and the radio puts out .5 watts. Does that drive the amp to 39 watts? Thank you, Dan KM6CQ
Nah, this was really just a project for me to play with. There are better solutions out there, the best one is the N2ADR IO board. www.makerfabs.com/hermes-lite-2-io-board.html
hey, you really don't need two arduinos - you can "bit-bang" i2c, in other words there are software implementations of the protocol, which means you can create a bus on any pair of pins. even though the cpu has to work a little harder this way this shouldn't matter because you're not doing much on it anyways. so you could use the hardware i2c pins for the hermes, and the software pins for the dac
Not sure I see the point. By the time you've bought a QRP HF radio (eg X6100) and this amp, you could have got a decent 100w HF/6m set to start with - like the 891, and had change for antennas and a decent battery pack.
Using Thetis Software What you get is a radio that is on par with $2000 + radios and one that is vastly superior to any 100w HF radio in the same class as the 891. And I mean vastly superior. That's why people are looking for a decent amp to use with the Hermes Lite.
@@shanerorko8076 with Thetis the Hermes is on par with the Apache Labs Anan in terms of receive and transmit audio quality. The 7300 while a very good radio just doesn't compare with the Anan, not to mention since the interface is provided by your computer the flexibility in filtering and DSP is much more robust, and we haven't even gotten into the display manipulation. The 7300 and even the Yeasu SDR's are really limited since they are designed to be able to be used without a computer and just can't provide what the Anan and the Flex radios can with the extra processing power your computer brings to the table. The only thing the Hermes is lacking is the TX power to play competitively with the Anan or the Flex. There's a gentleman here in Southern California that has been playing with a Hermes into his legal limit amp (don't remember the amp model) and I hear him all the time on 40m SSB and AM. Listening to him with my RSP1a is an audiophiles dream, especially as often I catch him rag chewing with other Hams so can compare how he sounds verses what others using Icom/Yeasu radios sound in terms of TX audio quality. The Hermes is on my list once I figure out how to make my shack working space bigger.
Why so comlicated ? Take an ESP32, thats all you need. You can read the frequency of HL2 from his internal UART you can find at DB1 connector of HL2 (RxD, TxD and GND). That's an UART with 3.3V level and 9600,8,N,1. Connect the ESP32 direct to the HL2-UART , define an external UART-Input at ESP32 and read the frequency (every time you change the frequency the UART sends a string in format "FA00028500000;" for instance if QRG is 28.500 MHz) . Cut the string to 2850000, so you will have the QRG in Hz directly. Define an analogue output too and generate the band voltage direct via one DAC of ESP32. Flatten this output with a resistor of 4.7k from ESP-DAC-PIN and a capacitor of 22uF against ground for the band voltage input of XPA125B, because DAC-output is PWM. You can use it for Micro-PA50 too, if you want (if not using auto mode of PA50). Calculate the band voltage depend from the input QRG. Thats all. Works great out-of-the-box and it's easier as the solution with the help of I2C and an additional DAC. I use this solution earlier with my IC705 (difference: from IC705 I get the QRG via BT-CAT with a BT-enabled ESP32) and my XPA125B. So I adapt this solution for the HL2, output is the same, input change for reading from UART of HL2. You can find this solution at my github-account (my callsign) with schematic, project ESP32-XPA125B-HL2 if interesting. 73 Heiko, DL1BZ
My video was more to do with motivating people to use arduino with ham radio. The simplest method to control a 125b from the HL2 is to use the Fan PWM output with a small circuit and enable band volts within Thetis or Console, as per details here: github.com/softerhardware/Hermes-Lite2/wiki/Band-Volts
@@TechMindsOfficial Unfortunately it's not that easy. I've done some measurements, the "raw" voltage at PWM output (also if select bandvoltage) is different from the needed bandvoltages see in table in manual of XPA125B. If I understand right, you need extra components between HL2 and XPA in the voltage line for generate the correct voltage levels. And the SDR software needs the option to change the PWM output to bandvoltage. That was the reason, why I build it with an ESP32 "out-of-the-box", in this case I need only the UART output (which is much easier to handle as I2C) with frequency information of HL2 (part of gateware) and I haven't any dependencies from other things. Of course there are different paths that lead to the goal. The next project I start is getting or better split the voltages from the internal SWR bridge of XPA to outside. Another ESP32 will be used for interpretation of these both voltages with two ADC lines and show this with the help of a websocket server and/or MQTT. So I will have access to this values if I work remote with the HL2 and cannot see the status display of XPA if is all ok. 73 Heiko, DL1BZ
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Would still like to see to see a video showing your physical connection's between the Hermes Lite 2 and the XPA125b with and without the band selection.
Agreed! This would be great to see if possible please.
can you run it without the automatic band switching right? do you think it will not burn down if its keyed up for a hr.
I would like to see how clean this thing transmits. I have an old IC-735 if it can keep up with that in audio TX then it is good.
Hi Matt, thanks for this video. i'am wondering what the ALC function is good for and how to use it. That might be a stupid question for an experienced OM but I would be happy for some serious answers.
Nice work Matt. Curious to know if you have managed to get PureSignal working with the HL2 also.
Would be great to see a video on this also if you had the time. :)
Not yet, but I plan to. I am waiting for a Hardrock Amp to arrive where I will be making another video boxing it all up with the HL2. I will also include PureSignal as its a really great feature, from what I can see.
I am running a sampler on the back of a 500 watt amp and it works perfect.
PS with Reids Thetis for HL2 works beter then ever before!
Kind of unrelated however, it would be helpful to me. If you could tell me what the amp puts out on each band when the Hermes is set to -7.5 dBm or the lowest power setting. For example, if your Hermes drive is set to-7.5 dBm or the lowest power setting on the software you are using, on the 40 meter band and the radio puts out .5 watts. Does that drive the amp to 39 watts?
Thank you, Dan KM6CQ
Nicely done.
Do you sell these as a kit? ZL2MIK
Nah, this was really just a project for me to play with. There are better solutions out there, the best one is the N2ADR IO board. www.makerfabs.com/hermes-lite-2-io-board.html
Is there code to control the tune function? Meaning that when you use the tune button on the control software it will start the tunning process?
Unfortunately not, that is one of the features I would of liked to use, then I could remote install it.
hey, you really don't need two arduinos - you can "bit-bang" i2c, in other words there are software implementations of the protocol, which means you can create a bus on any pair of pins. even though the cpu has to work a little harder this way this shouldn't matter because you're not doing much on it anyways. so you could use the hardware i2c pins for the hermes, and the software pins for the dac
Добрый вечер очень интересно.
Not sure I see the point. By the time you've bought a QRP HF radio (eg X6100) and this amp, you could have got a decent 100w HF/6m set to start with - like the 891, and had change for antennas and a decent battery pack.
Using Thetis Software What you get is a radio that is on par with $2000 + radios and one that is vastly superior to any 100w HF radio in the same class as the 891. And I mean vastly superior. That's why people are looking for a decent amp to use with the Hermes Lite.
I think the point is self-training and experimentation.
@@GreatDXR How is it superior to say a IC-7300?
@@GreatDXR Really? Fair enough. I'll have to take a look at the Hermes Lite 2 and Thetis then. I assume Matt has done a video :)
@@shanerorko8076 with Thetis the Hermes is on par with the Apache Labs Anan in terms of receive and transmit audio quality. The 7300 while a very good radio just doesn't compare with the Anan, not to mention since the interface is provided by your computer the flexibility in filtering and DSP is much more robust, and we haven't even gotten into the display manipulation. The 7300 and even the Yeasu SDR's are really limited since they are designed to be able to be used without a computer and just can't provide what the Anan and the Flex radios can with the extra processing power your computer brings to the table. The only thing the Hermes is lacking is the TX power to play competitively with the Anan or the Flex. There's a gentleman here in Southern California that has been playing with a Hermes into his legal limit amp (don't remember the amp model) and I hear him all the time on 40m SSB and AM. Listening to him with my RSP1a is an audiophiles dream, especially as often I catch him rag chewing with other Hams so can compare how he sounds verses what others using Icom/Yeasu radios sound in terms of TX audio quality. The Hermes is on my list once I figure out how to make my shack working space bigger.
TNX es 73 de N5XS
Why so comlicated ? Take an ESP32, thats all you need. You can read the frequency of HL2 from his internal UART you can find at DB1 connector of HL2 (RxD, TxD and GND). That's an UART with 3.3V level and 9600,8,N,1. Connect the ESP32 direct to the HL2-UART , define an external UART-Input at ESP32 and read the frequency (every time you change the frequency the UART sends a string in format "FA00028500000;" for instance if QRG is 28.500 MHz) . Cut the string to 2850000, so you will have the QRG in Hz directly. Define an analogue output too and generate the band voltage direct via one DAC of ESP32. Flatten this output with a resistor of 4.7k from ESP-DAC-PIN and a capacitor of 22uF against ground for the band voltage input of XPA125B, because DAC-output is PWM. You can use it for Micro-PA50 too, if you want (if not using auto mode of PA50). Calculate the band voltage depend from the input QRG. Thats all. Works great out-of-the-box and it's easier as the solution with the help of I2C and an additional DAC. I use this solution earlier with my IC705 (difference: from IC705 I get the QRG via BT-CAT with a BT-enabled ESP32) and my XPA125B. So I adapt this solution for the HL2, output is the same, input change for reading from UART of HL2. You can find this solution at my github-account (my callsign) with schematic, project ESP32-XPA125B-HL2 if interesting.
73 Heiko, DL1BZ
My video was more to do with motivating people to use arduino with ham radio. The simplest method to control a 125b from the HL2 is to use the Fan PWM output with a small circuit and enable band volts within Thetis or Console, as per details here: github.com/softerhardware/Hermes-Lite2/wiki/Band-Volts
@@TechMindsOfficial Unfortunately it's not that easy. I've done some measurements, the "raw" voltage at PWM output (also if select bandvoltage) is different from the needed bandvoltages see in table in manual of XPA125B. If I understand right, you need extra components between HL2 and XPA in the voltage line for generate the correct voltage levels. And the SDR software needs the option to change the PWM output to bandvoltage. That was the reason, why I build it with an ESP32 "out-of-the-box", in this case I need only the UART output (which is much easier to handle as I2C) with frequency information of HL2 (part of gateware) and I haven't any dependencies from other things. Of course there are different paths that lead to the goal. The next project I start is getting or better split the voltages from the internal SWR bridge of XPA to outside. Another ESP32 will be used for interpretation of these both voltages with two ADC lines and show this with the help of a websocket server and/or MQTT. So I will have access to this values if I work remote with the HL2 and cannot see the status display of XPA if is all ok.
73 Heiko, DL1BZ