Equipment to Build

The Best easy to build DF system. all you need is an HT and a few easy to find parts. I Guarentee you will love this thing. I have build 5 of them for different people and everyone loves them. $10 in parts. I used PVC pipe rather than wood and stuck the parts inside out of the way. (ke3ht mod). Another mod is the  Uni-direction mod which can be added after you get the first part done.

 Basic Step Attenuator This is a basic multipole step attenuator found on the  Hudson Valley DF assoc. web site (pretty neat site)...

91 Repeater controller project info

Serious projects:
 Dop Scan sources and info.  A good place to start. Also has links to suppliers.

Boards and some special parts available from  Far Circuits.

Tim KE3HT's opinion line:
This are listed in MY order or preference (MY = KE3HT's, Not the hounds or NoBarc') There are pro's and con's to both types. WB6EYV for instance has a compass interface but you don't need that with the VE2EMM because it mixes with a GPS. I will admit I did NOT do as much research on the WB6EYV but he has put a lot of effort into it. I happen to be a PIC programmer(motorola style) and I liked VE2EMM ideas. VE2EMM also added things like APRS output and WB6EYV's spectrium output as part of his design. Its all built in. So when I build my next one it most likely will be a VE3EMM. I am currently constructing 2 & 10gig transverters. This will come right after that... Tim KE3HT

Please note: This information is only updated when I get hear about changes. If you have more current information feel free to email them to ke3ht@ke3ht.org.
Thanks,,, Tim

#1 VE2EMM PIC Dop ScanII ! DSP and PIC controller. Very high tech and neat! Scott Edwards LCD display. This same guy (Jacques) also has other Dop Scan's - The Montreal 32 LED ! he must be into this stuff !  His NEW*** Pic Doppler II.  Check it out, This is A number 1 sutff! Other fox projects at: http://www.qsl.net/ve2emm/pic-projects/picproj.html 

#2 WB6EYV has a been very active creating Dop Scan's! I received and e-mail from Bob 11/2/03. See the table below. There is even a portable Df device(Time Difference) HERE. Nice documentation and lots of upgrades to do as you go. Fantastic Software Spectrium analysis!(also usable in the VE2EMM design)  The antenna system is a variation of the Joe Moell  Improved antenna system.  Early reports show improved sensitivity. Antenna system kits are available, one for a full size sensitive system, for for a compact 10 inch system.. More on that later...For more info click on the PICODOPP.

 Joseph Moell (K0OV) version This is one of the guys who wrote the "Transmitter hunnting" book. More popular because of  the book. Lots of the documentation. There are updates since the book. There is also a FAQon this system. Here is an APRS interface for this Dop Scan. And a better antennasystem.

AB5CK/KB6DOL  Ed Greany KB6DOL Board, instructions and parts. No I have not done this one. I just found it on the web. The better antennais also seperate on this system. This a superset of the above K0OV Roanoke Dop Scan.

 My Comparison of the two systems:

	KB6DOL	K0OV	WB6EYV	VE2EMM  Montreal 32 LED	VE2EMM PIC Doppler	N0GSG	Ramsey
Seperate LED display	user mod (easily done)	Standard	std w/PC or PDA, Optional LEDs..	Standard	No, Uses LCD with readout in degrees.	Standard	No
Display	16 bright LED's	16 std led's mod for bright	Seperate Digital display on computer available.	32 Bright LED's	LCD.	16 std Led's	16 Leds
Low level signal lock out	Standard	user mod (in book)	Yes + optional no-lock jumper.	No, but has Squelch detection  lock though. Led blinks.	YES! (qf) No sig lock.	No but has squelch detect	No
Wide range mod	Compatable, spec's	Standard, spec's	YES	Standard, spec's	YES!Standard, spec's	Yes standard	Yes
APRS $5.50+ a few	not mentioned. s/b same as K0OV	user mod spec's	Might be compatable.		Built in!	No	No
Board(s)	1 + antenna board	2, display&processor + antenna	6	main(with display) or main(display) and Antenna	Pic brd& antenna brd avail! LCD also avail from Far Circuits..	Far Circuits $20.
Parts cost (expected)	$50	$55	?	?? one of the $$$ parts come with the board.	Under $100 +/- brds included.	Under $100
Cost	$30 + $3 shipping	$18 +ship?	$150 Assembled and Tested boards only.	$35+ship (with the main part PIC) (with antenna board)	pic brdonly $5, pic & brd ant brd, plus most hard parts $40 All above plus lcd = $60  for the bulk of it.
Spectrum display	none	none	YES	none	YES via WB6EYV software!	None	no
calibration	manual	manual	manual	manual	custom presets for up to three radio's.	Manual	manual
S-Meter	no	no	no	Yes!	YES	No	no
Processing levels	no	no	YES 3!	?	YES 3!	No	no
GPS support	no	no	no	no	YES! YES! YES!	No	no
Averaging	fixed	fixed	digital	2	No mention	Fixed	fixed
Ant rotation	fixed	fixed	fixed	fixed	Selectable CW or CCW !	Fixed	fixed
Signal processing(DSP)	hardware	hardware	hardware & Software	hardware+Software	Software (with a future!)	Software	hardware
Filtering			Narrow & Software	2hz bandpass	Peaking detect	dsp only
Signal Overload			detected, no display.	yes, led	YES!	?	no
Flux Gate compass	no	no	Not at this time.	no	Nothing mentioned. Not needed with GPS.	No	no

Standard means comes on PC board.

Other sources of project info:
Homing In (Great site)  The monthly source to Amateur DF information.

 Joe Leggio RDF projects page. Some really great stuff ! We got a nice note from Joe here.

Have any neat links you would like to add? Just drop me a note: ke3ht@nobarc.org