Bird 43 mod, DIY upgrade - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: Mosaic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 02, 2017, 11:58:45 pm
content: Hi all:I've been doing some work on modernizing the Bird 43 (designed during wartime USA so it's built to last!).Because of its vintage it lacks temperature correction, PeP, and data logging.There are a couple kits on Ebay addressing these concerns partially, but they are also somewhat dated.I am designing a modern PeP kit with 2x and 1/2X Slug gain control to quadruple the usable range of a slug with reasonable accuracy. This is derived from the fact that internal slug trimmers permit a 2x up or down scale alteration thus the Slug detector can handle it without being pushed overspec (like by a 5x scale factor). I currently have a 100W H band slug I calibrated to 50W internally and it's accurate.Feature set:Slug range is now double sensitivity/ half range or double range half sensitivity for a 4x range expansion.No meter movement sluggishness from Slug range enhancements as occurs with current kits.Tunable time constant P-E-PTemperature compensated meter movement for improved accuracy in the field etc.5V USB power interface compatible with mainstream power banks (mobile phone or tablet), for long term operations.Optional Serial over USB data stream to output time stamped meter readings as a data log with moving average power 'on command' over the last sampled minute. This data can be saved to a csv or text file for Spreadsheet analysis/graphing etc.Optional dial lightingIf anyone is interested let me know.thxAncel

author: denverpilot
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2017, 07:27:21 am
content: Neat project. There are a number of Peak reading board designs out there at extremely low prices already, including the factory board without most of those features if one is a Bird "purist".http://www.nm3e.com/images/4300-405-B-11-26-13.jpgOne of my 43s has that board installed. It really does meet all of my needs in that meter. It's rare that I can't AM, FM or CW modulate my transmitters under test anyway. The peak module is almost little more than a novelty for operating other modes and modulation types.I've never found the need to temperature compensate readings from the meter for real world applications. Bench work that needs that level of accuracy is done with an RF service monitor that has been "semi-recently" calibrated (it's a hobby, not my livelihood) and sanity checked from time to time.I appreciate your enthusiasm and interest in making a board like this though. Are you planning it as a commercial venture or just an open hardware project to share? (Either is fine with me, I'm not an arguer for how others should spend their bench time.)I just want to be honest about my hobby use pattern for you, so you have one man's (perhaps useless) opinion. (You decide.)If my Bird that has the factory peak reading board in it didn't come with it installed when I purchased it, I wouldn't go out of my way to add it.Just my two cents. In fact, my main concern about that board is making sure to remove and replace the batteries once in a while so they don't leak and destroy things. I could see modifying that Bird with an external power jack and adding a proper way to feed it power from outside the meter, just as you're suggesting in your design as a design fix. Or in my case, simply removing the batteries and only installing them when needed.Logging, I doubt I would need. Many locations I need to use the Bird I would never leave it there unattended, much less with a laptop attached to it. For my use pattern it's either a field device for testing someone else's gear or club gear, or it's in my shack on the bench available for a quick test of something without warming up the service monitor.I haven't run across a need to log RF output of a transmitter over any length of time I couldn't just stare at the meter for, yet. Not saying I'll never run into an intermittent transmitter but most of the radios I work on aren't rated for 100% duty cycle anyway barring a few commercial grade FM radios and amps. So leaving them in continuous transmit or looking for an intermittent isn't likely.I have only seen one transmitter be intermittent enough to warrant pulling it off a mountaintop site for further bench investigation once in 26 years of playing with radios... and it was pretty obvious what it was doing once it was on the bench. It had been hit by lightning and the circuit board under the connection from the output of a 100W RF amplifier to the final low pass filter board had been turned into conductive charcoal. It was intermittently arcing over through the burnt board to chassis ground. A new LPF board from a dead donor PA, and some careful repairs of the edge of the power amplifier board and it was back in action, but was still never sent anywhere to a remote location where it would be hard to reach and service in winter, ever again. It got used as the PA on a link radio at a club member's house where a phone call could get it powered off if it ever went screwy or dirty on air.Tunable time constant is a nice trick, but not sure I need it.Dial lighting would be "nice to have" but usually once this thing is wired inline inside a crowded cabinet or attached to essentially immovable hardline, it's not going anywhere and a flashlight suffices -- if we haven't set up bright worklights in the cabinet of gear during a larger project or PA or exciter replacement on site. On the workbench it's not going to be used.Slug range extension... I have a full Bird case full of slugs of all sorts and power levels. This was helped by keeping a few oddballs that I didn't have from my dad's Bird slug collection when he passed on. But I see the appeal for someone who doesn't have a reasonable collection of slugs.So there's my brain dump for you. I still very much like your idea and hope if you decide to pursue it that you can share the project story with us. I always like reading about a good project and any challenges someone faced during design and test and any iterations.All the best... DE WY0X.

author: Mosaic
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 14, 2017, 04:35:47 am
content: Thanks for the time u took to make the reply.I dropped the lighting feature, as it's too easy to light with a mobile phone or led FOB etc. these days to warrant the effort.The design for the mod is complete, here is the targeted feature set:1) P-e-P with digital hang time cal.2)Double sensitivity, 1x, and double range for a 4X use of a single slug. This is mapped via an EPROM table for accuracy on the meter movement.3) Internal full scale meter movement cal. ; allows for 3rd party meter use as well.4) Power input via micro USB from a Powerbank or PC. USB Data lines provide TTL rs232 over USB to PC terminal program for RF power data logging at user set intervals to the PC and interactive control for custom data like average power over the last minute, or peak sampled RF power so far, or power up run time.5) RGB LED provides color coded 'scale mode' indicator, flashes when P-e-P is active.6) Meter movementover rangeis digitally clamped to protect the delicate movement.7) Power down via power bank switch or pulling the USB reverts the Bird 43 toOEMbehaviour.Controls consist of just 2 tactile push buttons, one time calibration is done using 2 internal jumpers9) Thermistor Temperature compensation to improve the 0.4%/°C error (I refrigerated it overnight and made a warm up Excel chart to find out). Had to solve a quadratic eq via Newton Raphson iteration to do the resistor network.

author: acugnini
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 10, 2021, 02:46:04 pm
content: Did you ever build this, and make it available? Thanks.

author: explosivo85
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 09, 2021, 11:32:33 pm
content: Also bumping this to see if it was ever made.

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2022, 07:35:51 pm
content: Hi is possible fix BIRD 4410: i noticed strange behaviour...see video.https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/690049977

author: KD0CAC John
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2022, 08:20:05 pm
content: Does this have the same issue with other slugs ?Did either that slug , or meter work correctly in the past ?

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2022, 10:37:48 pm
content: With this 4410 i met first time.. i get it few days ago... i do not know...

author: KD0CAC John
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 19, 2022, 11:09:40 pm
content: To save time effort in helping - try to answer all questions ." Does this have the same issue with other slugs ? "Do you have another slug ?

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2022, 11:55:05 am
content: Sir I do not heave... i believe problem is in circuit self oscillation... ...

author: KD0CAC John
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2022, 03:22:46 pm
content: What happens when you take the slug out , any reaction at all ?The slug is part of the circuit , at least one , with these having a battery there is kind of another circuit .What you need to do is find which circuit / or part of the 2 separate components - so finding / isolating the issue .I do have a couple of the 43's , only has a battery - for the peak reading , do not have your version .most of the time the issue is with the slug , not always .

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2022, 08:58:17 pm
content: Hi... well.. when element is pulled out from middle position .. needle go full of right side..

author: KD0CAC John
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 20, 2022, 11:16:00 pm
content: Suprise some other ideas haven't shown up yet .Pull the battery out - while doing that look for corrosion / battery leakage in battery holder & circuit board .Or maybe you have a very strong RF in the area , next time you go for a walk / drive see if any difference .

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 21, 2022, 03:48:16 pm
content: Hi Sirbattery is new VARTA 9V industrial. all inside is super clean.Is possible to find out electric schematic of this circuit ?

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: May 16, 2023, 10:02:19 pm
content: Bird 43 Simpson 30uA gauge calibrated

author: Kartika
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 04, 2023, 02:15:08 am
content: HiDoes anyone know how to solve this issue with bird 43 pep kit 2x 5XHow To get 4 times instead 5 times multiplay