Material on this web site copyright © 1995-2007, TelePost, Inc. All rights reserved.
Pricing and specifications subject to change without notice.

TelePost Inc.
Larry Phipps - N8LP
Updated 1-31-2008
 
Click here for latest news.


LP-100A Digital Vector Wattmeter

Simple to use... lab quality... groundbreaking features. Much more than just a wattmeter. Available assembled or as a fun to build kit. NIST traceable calibration. Click here for  detailed information, links to reviews, QEX article and more on this exciting instrument.


- Fwd & Net Power - 50mW to 3KW Autoranging
- SWR, R+j|X|, Reflected Power
- 1.8-54 MHz with frequency counter
   for per-band corrections of all parameters
- High resolution Graphic VFD display
- dBm/RL scales with 0.1 dB steps
- Calibrated field strength input (-15 to +33dBm)
- Mode for measuring speech compression
- SWR alarm w/PTT disable & snooze button
- Serial port w/Windows® control & plotting software
- 5KW & 10KW options
- Flash upgradeable

SteppIR Stuff...

SteppIR Programs, Computer control for your SteppIR
SteppIR Tuning Relay

Protect your investment... N8LP SteppIR Tuning Relay disables your amplifier while the SteppIR is tuning. Called "a must have" by members of the SteppIR reflector for anyone who runs high power. Rated 5.0 on eHam.net. Available as a kit or assembled. 


LP-PAN Software Defined IQ Panadapter for Elecraft K3 (prototype stage)...


* Optimized for K3
* Up to 192 kHz display on PC
* 8.215 MHz L.O. for centered display
* Switching quadrature detector for 100dB+ dynamic range
* < -130dBm noise floor
* Buffer amp with very high LO isolation
* Fully isolated inputs / outputs with high quality audio xfmrs
* Works with many SDR programs... custom apps to come
* Point and click frequency control with PowerSDRTM & HRD        
* Shielded metal enclosure in development

Remote Base Station Related Stuff...

LP-Remote , Hardware and software to control your remote base station
Remote Base Help, Interactive help file to aid in setting up a remote base station
Software Station Control, Computer station control
Remote Control of Networked Station Equipment, Using serial servers to extend the range of your serial ports
SteppIR Virtual Control Panel, Remotely control your SteppIR

Other Stuff...

E-Beam Hybrid Minibeam Project

LP-Rotor

Links...

Clifton Laboratories.  Home page of K8ZOA. Jack and I have been friends since college days, and he has a couple of interesting offerings on his web site, with more to come.

Z-90 and Z-91 Panadapter kits.
Available with or without LCD display.
Also work with Windows display program
DDS based for use with any IF up to 50 MHz



                     
Programming the PIC Microcontroller with MBasic, written by Jack Smith, K8ZOA. Excellent course book with lots of useful projects
In depth software and hardware explanations. Includes free compiler for 16F876 PIC. Great learning aid whether you use the MBasic compiler or not.





Swordfish compiler. Fast, structured BASIC... true compiler. The power behind the LP-100. I used Swordfish to write the LP-100 firmware. Jack, K8ZOA also used it to write the firmware for his Z90 Panadapter. We we've been using Swordfish since the Alpha version and more recently in Beta and production release versions. 

Click on the Swordfish logo to read about this great compiler, and to download a demo version which is limited only by restriction on the amount of user RAM available, 200 bytes. Although this may not sound like much memory, Swordfish is so efficient at RAM recycling that Swordfish SE can be used for many "real" programs, not just for experimentation.

If you are a PIC programmer using 18F series devices, or if you simply wish to see the best PIC compiler I've used, visit Swordfish's home page and download Swordfish SE. I recommend it highly.


Windows® Vista Notice: None of my programs have been updated for full Vista compatibility yet. This is probably true of almost all the programs you run. A change to Vista is a major undertaking if you have a lot of existing programs, and should be approached carefully. All of my programs should install and run properly if you have a single user computer or your account has Administrator privileges. I will work to bring each program up to full compatibility though, starting with the LP-100 related programs. In the meantime, if you have any trouble running one of my programs under Vista, please email me for help.


LATEST NEWS: 

1-31-08:
Here's a picture of an LP-100A sitting on top of my new Elecraft K3. There's a LP-PAN panadapter sitting on the LP-100A as well. Follow the links to read more about these two unique products.

1-10-08:
The LP-100A started shipping Monday 1-07-08, and we have shipped over 20 meters this week so far. We are quickly working through the crush of orders received after the announcement of the "A" version of the LP-100. We are caught up on kit shipments, and  will be caught up early next week on orders for assembled units.

12-18-07:
There is a design change coming in Run 8 of the LP-100. I found out recently that promised continued availability of the PLED displays I use in the LP-100 could not be met. It's a shame because I love this display, and it has been one of the favorite features of the LP-100. After considerable interfacing work, I have succeeded in making use of a high resolution graphic VFD display.  Here is a comparison of the new display (top) and the PLED (bottom).


The VFD display is shown with a neutral density filter to improve contrast. This is one area where the PLED excels. Because the VFD I used is a graphic array, I was able to create a continuous bargraph with 90 bars in the space of the 60 bars in a standard character based VFD display. The character based VFD also has fairly wide gaps between each group of five bars. The graphic display provides 1% resolution with the default bargraph range settings for even easier tuning.

Since this required a number of PCB changes, I decided to give the new version an "A" suffix. I took this opportunity to also add a front panel power switch, which was the most often asked for new hardware feature by LP-100 users. Other than display related changes and the switch, the LP-100A is identical to the LP-100, and all future firmware updates will be applied to the LP-100 and LP-100A equally.

If there is demand for it, I will offer a retrofit option for LP-100 owners who might want to change to the new display, now or in the future. I have a more than sufficient supply of PLEDs for warranty replacement purposes for current owners. Should a failure ten years down the road necesitate replacement of the PLED, there are character based VFD replacements which will drop into the LP-100, and they are widely available from numerous vendors.

The LP-100A price will be $25 more than the LP-100, and availability is targeted as late December/early January. 

NEW. 10-11-07:

LP-100 run 7 kits started shipping a week ago, and run 7 assembled units started shipping this week.  We should be back to normal stock levels next week. Check out this hot selling product at LP-100.

NEW. 9-29-07:

LP-100 run 6 is sold out, but run 7 kits should be shipping within a few days, and assembled units about a week later. We are extremely grateful to the many customers who have purchased this revolutionary meter, especially the early adopters. The response has been overwhelming, making the LP-100 one of the hottest selling station accessories on the market.  Come see what all the excitement is about at LP-100.

NEW. 7-15-07:

LP-100 Product Review in August 2007 QST. Go to the LP-100 web page to see the review.
 

NEW. 6-24-07:

LP-100 VCP and PolarPlot now work together. PolarPlot is a freeware program written by Bob Freeth, G4HFQ. It is designed mainly to create polar antenna plots from power samples, but it can also produce histograms of power over time. I have added support for PolarPlot in LP-100_VCP ver. 1.0.7, and Bob has provided an input selection for LP-100 in PolarPlot. Combined with the nifty high-sensitivity calibrated Field Strength feature of the LP-100, PolarPlot provides a slick way to plot beam patterns, calculate gain, etc.

For more information on the LP-100/PolarPlot combination, see the LP-100 web page or the Software section of the latest LP-100 manual.


NEW. 4-28-07:


Kit builders alert... Elecraft announces the K3!

Here's a mockup of the LP-100 sitting atop this exciting new rig. The LP-100 styling matches nicely with Elecraft's newest offerings... the K3, KPA-800 and KPA-1600 amps. Build the highest performance wattmeter kit in history to go along with the highest performance tranceiver kit in history!

NEW. 4-27-07: The 5th run of LP-100s is half sold out. Both kits and assembled units are in stock for next day shipping. I have ordered parts or the next run since I expect to sell out at Dayton as I did last year. The 6th run should be ready to ship immediately following Dayton. For more info, check out the LP-100 page.

NEW. 4-13-07: The 5th run of LP-100s is well underway. I shipped two batches of kits this week, and have a large batch of assembled units in stock which will start shipping Monday 4-16 after final checkout and calibration. For more info, check out the LP-100 page.

NEW. 3-20-07: The 4th run is sold out.  The 5th run has been ordered, and should be ready to ship in 2-3 weeks. Shipments for the 5th run will be based on order date. If you're in a hurry, it is best to place an order now, but remember that PayPal will process your card immediately. If you phone in an order, however, I will not process the card until shipment is imminent. For more info, check out the LP-100 page.

NEW. 03-11-07. The 4th run is quickly selling out... I only have about 10 units left. The 5th run was ordered a while back, and should be ready to deliver in 2-3 weeks. For more info, check out the LP-100 page.

NEW. 01-25-07.
Lots of news for the new year. The 4th run is underway and kit shipments will start this week. Assembled units will follow in 10-14 days. The LP-100 Plot program is available for download. This program allows plotting of SWR, Z, Phase, R+jX, RL, reflection coefficient and Smith chart vs. frequency using the LP-100 and your transmitter. The program will directly control Elecraft K2 and Kenwood radios, and links to
TRX-Manager, DXLabs Commander or Ham Radio Deluxe for control of almost any rig. The plots can be printed, saved as picture files or exported as text files for import into Excel.  For more info, check out the LP-100 page.

NEW. 12-19-06.  The third run of LP-100s is almost sold out due to very strong Christmas sales... the fourth run is underway and should begin shipping in mid-January. The word is spreading about the LP-100, and the best just keeps getting better. Firmware version 1.1.45 is ready for download and flash programming. There are a half-dozen new features, including a "wicked fast" bargraph speedup according to one customer ;-) For more info, check out the LP-100 page.

NEW. 8-18-06. The second run of LP-100s is well underway, and orders are piling up fast. Expected deliveries will start about September 15. Don't miss out on this run. If you're on the bubble, check out the eHam.net reviews link and customer testimonials on the LP-100 web page.

NEW. 7-20-06. 90 LP-100s have been shipped to date, including all of the kits. I hope to wrap up the assembled units this week. I have all 10 remaining controllers finished, with just the couplers left to do. The LP-100 Yahoo Group is going strong with 58 members. To join, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LP-100/

NEW. 6-15-06. Deliveries of the LP-100 started 2 weeks ago. I hope to have all units delivered in the next two weeks. I have about 30 pre-orders for the second production run, and plan to officially launch that run in a couple weeks, after the first run is all delivered. 

I have added a picture gallery page to document completed LP-100 kits as I receive the pictures and comments. The link is near the top of the LP-100 page. I have also started an LP-100 Update page, with the MCLoader software and latest firmware for the LP-100. I have added an additional CAL screen to allow for more precise optimization of the phase comparator in the latest release, version 1.0.2. The LP-100 Update page can be reached by a link on the lefthand sidebar of any page of my site, or you can link directly to it here.

NEW. 5-22-06. We had a very successful Hamvention, selling out the first run of LP-100s. For information on how to get in on the next production run, click on the LP-100 link above.

NEW. 4-1-06. I have been assigned a booth number at Dayton. We will be in booth #517, across the aisle from SteppIR and next to microHam America. There are still a some LP-100s available from the first production run, with deliveries expected to begin at the end of April. A second production run will follow Dayton, with expected deliveries in late June and July. Order now to avoid the Dayton crush.

NEW. The LP-100 has been tested by an FCC accredited lab and is Verified as meeting the requirements for radiated emissions for FCC Part 15 A & B, ICAS part B (Canada) and 89/336/EEC:EN55022 Class B (Europe).  Click here for more details.

NEW. LP-100 adds complex RX impedance display. I have finished testing on this coolest new feature of the LP-100. Details and results can be seen on the LP-100 webpage.  I will start taking orders soon for the LP-100, pending FCC Verification.  The LP-100 project has undergone some subtle improvements since its first publication here in Jan 2004 as the "E-Meter", and subsequent publication as the LP-100 in Jan/Feb 2006 QEX. This latest improvement is the most significant new addition, while still retaining all of the original's cutting edge features.
NEW. I will be displaying all my products at Dayton this year in an inside booth. Look for all my products on display at the booth. Watch this site for booth # and more info in the next couple weeks.  Also, I hope to be showing a product designed by a friend of mine which will be a standalone microprocessor/DDS based panadapter which will work at any IF frequency and display results on an LCD graphic display. It will include Windows software for more functionality and display options, and can be built with or without the LCD.

LP-100 in Jan/Feb QEX. My LP-100 wide dynamic range digital directional wattmeter project is featured in the January/February issue of QEX. Kits and assembled units should be ready for sale in about a week. The project has undergone some improvements since the article was written that are being tested at this time. Click here for the LP-100 web page, or here to download the QEX article.

Wattmeter Comparison Chart. In an effort to alleviate any confusion between the several wattmeter projects that I am working on, I have created a comparison chart that should address the suitability of application differences between the three projects. Click here for the chart.


LP-300 Handheld Wattmeter. I am in the process of prototyping/testing a new handheld digital directional wattmeter for field use... the LP-300. It features a large display with simultaneous numerical power and SWR display, along with high resolution bargraphs for graphic display of both parameters. It displays from .01W to 120W, and SWR from 1.1 to 9.9, and easily fits in the palm of your hand. For pre-release info, click here.


LP-200 Ready to Order. I am now taking orders on the LP-200 Dummy Load/Digital Wattmeter. It comes in two flavors... 30w and 120w. It has better than 5% accuracy from maximum rated power down to 100mw, and is accurate within +/- 1 digit down to 1mw. If you need a quality dummy load with digital power readout, this is the kit for you. It's a perfect addition to any bench. It will be offered only in kit form, and is patterned after the concept of the Elecraft mini modules. In other words, no cabinet... but my project does come with a bottom plate, and can easily be installed in a cabinet for those who want to do a little machining. I'm also considering a cabinet option. Click here for details.

Let me design/build a complete remote station for you. Custom hardware and software design to meet your specific needs. Many options available. Fully documented with setup and configuration details. Email me for a quote.

I have finished testing and final software tweaks on the new LP-Remote hardware/software system, and have sold half-a-dozen boards. I have posted pricing info and PayPal links for both the kit and assembled versions. Click here for more info.

Check out the  Software Station Control and Remote Control of Networked Station Equipment links for info relating to the QST remote control article.  Also, LP-Remote has details of my new remote control board which is aimed directly at ham remote base station control. In addition to this, I have started an extensive howto help section with updated info and links to specific hardware and software that can be used for remote control, along with installation and configuration info at Remote Base Help.  Any questions on information not covered yet can be directed to my email.

I have redone my website so that all of the above links are now separate pages. This was done to make the page load faster on slower connections, and let the visitor choose what sections to browse.

ARRL has accepted my manuscript on the LP-100 project (previously called E-Meter), for publication in QEX in the near future. Stay tuned for more info on an upcoming kit version to tie into the publication of the article.  I showed the LP-100 at Dayton with lots of positive feedback. I am still gathering "tentative orders" to determine volume for the first production run. See the LP-100 section for more news, including tentative pricing.

Remote operation of the LP-100 is now supported through TRX-Manager's OLE interface. A remotely located LP-100 can be monitored within TRX-Manager for Power, SWR and SWR Limit. In addition, full remote operation of the LP-100 is possible through TRX-Manager Remote by using a special version of the LP-100 VCP.

The first production run of SteppIR Tuning Relays have been sold out. The second production run is now ready for shipment. Follow the SteppIR Tuning Relay link above for more details. Anyone who has a SteppIR antenna and runs more than 200 watts needs one of these!

LP-Rotor is now supported in N1MM's contest software... plans are underway to support up to three instances of LP-Rotor from N1MM's software.

LP-StepLink has been updated and now supports source linking to both TRX-Manager and DXLab's Commander. It also provides a pegasus.out file to allow interfacing to logging programs that support this format like DXBase.

LP-Footswitch 1.1.0 is available for download. It adds several new features for use with TRX-Manager, both for local and remote control of a rig's PTT with a footswitch.

I have submitted a comprehensive article detailing the theory behind the receive portions of the E-Beam, as well as complete construction details to ARRL for possible publication in QEX. I have now finished all testing of the transmit circuitry and software. I still have to finalize the PIC controller and move it from breadboard to final packaging.

My SteppIR Virtual Control Panel is finished to allow software control of the SteppIR controller, especially for remote base operation. The program supports all of the serial interface features of the SteppIR controller.

I have also added a simple remote software monitoring program called LP-Status that uses serial port handshaking pins to display the status of remote switch closures.

73,
Larry - N8LP 
email

Material on this web site copyright © 1995-2006, TelePost, Inc. All rights reserved.



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