Category: SolderSmoke Podcast

SolderSmoke Podcast #248 — Back from the Summer — Spurs and Filters, S-meters, 6BA6 mania, Shirtpocket rigs, MAILBAG

The PsssT Kit, coming soon from Mostly DIY RF

SolderSmoke Podcast #248 is available for download:

Audio: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke248.mp3

Video: (800) SolderSmoke Podcast #238 — Spurs and Filters, S-meters, 6BA6 mania, Shirt-pocket rigs, Mailbag – YouTube


Travelogue: Trip to the Dominican Republic 3-9 August. Thinking about the M0NTV video on mixers…

Solder Smoke Shack South is almost done. I am thinking about workbenches, operating tables and antennas. How high should an electronics workbench be? Table height? Or workbench (woodwork) height?

My son and I went to see “Oppenheimer” Trinity test scene very cool. They wanted to see if the gadget would work!

Is the SolderSmoke blog completely archived on the WayBack Machine? Please check and let me know. Thanks.

Bill’s Bench:

–– I’ve been working a lot of DX with the homebrew rigs: Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Hawaii. Lots of fun. 15 meters has been especially good. But the rigs still need work:

— M0NTV’s video got me to put TinySA to work. I found that output from dual banders could be improved. Spurs and harmonics. Yuck. I need more TinySA — ordered the TinySA Ultra.

— Allison KB1GMX helped a lot. EB63A amp was unstable, especially on 10 meters. Higher frequencies are harder! Tightened up shielding, negative feedback, and bypassing. This all helped, but I found that I needed to take the higher frequency LP filters out of the amplifier box. W3NQN filters are better, with steeper skirts and better 2nd harmonic rejections. NanoVNA proving very useful. https://www.gqrp.com/Datasheet_W3NQN.pdf

— Also worked on the Bandpass filters for these rigs. Farhan’s comments on skirts of different filter configurations. Some are “LSB” filters (with steeper skirt at the highest freq) and some are “USB” filters (with the steeper skirt at the lower frequency) See diagrams on the blog page. So I built USB new filters for 12 meters and for 10 meters.





— Danger that my unshielded wooden box rigs might be inviting feedback. So I shielded the 1510 rig with copper guitar amp tape (conductive adhesive). Good stuff.

— Phase Noise rears its ugly head again. See blog posts.

———————-

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:

Mostly DIY RF getting ready to release PsssT kits. Target date: December 18, 2023 (E Howard Armstrong’s birthday). https://mostlydiyrf.com/

Amazon Search box seems to have died. I can’t get it back. Can anyone tell me what happened? (There seems to be “explanations” from Amazon about this, but they are written in a strange language that I cannot follow.) Something similar happened with the Google Ads on this blog page. Apparently you can’t have ads both on YouTube and blogger.

But hey, there is Patreon for those who want to support the podcast and blog.

————————-

Pete’s Bench

An S-meter for Bill?

6BA6 Mania!

QRP SSB with 6BA6

Shirtpocket rig re-build

Mailbag:

Walter KA4KXX has a great article about homebrewing in the September 2023 QCWA Journal.

Steve KC1QAY — Has joined the CBLA. I sent him a 3579 crystal. He built a MMM and experienced JOO. And Allison KB1GMX is in his local radio club. TRGHS.

Ajay VU2TGG in Pune, India — launching a high school receiver effort.

Denny VU2DGR The Wizard of Kerala: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-wizard-of-kerala-india-denny-vu2dgr.html

Joe VK4BYER working with kids a remote Australian community. FB.

Todd K7ZF — Wants to get into homebrewing. Advised him to start small.

Dean KK4DAS: Fixing Hallicrafters Worldwide RX. Ciudad Trujillo! Got question from Mark in the VWS Makers Group: HOW DOES Michigan Mighty Mite REALLY Work. See blog.

Trevor Woods — Info on Super Islander Mark IV made in Cuba from old CFL bulbs. FB.

Bob KD4EBM sent me some great stuff: Sony SW receiver, QCX Mini. Made a CW contact with the QCX. Felt virtuous — it is going to the DR. Thanks Bob.

Peter KD2OMV: One of the guys I worked with the ET-2 transceiver. Great to hear from him.

Armand WA1UQO Richmond area radio museum? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSCmljje1p8

Mike WN2A — Sent me a great care package with lots of toroids. A lifetime supply! Thanks Mike!

Nate KA1MUQ got his Doug DeMaw receiver going after 38 years! FB. Been there, done that!

Tony: G4WIF Liked Valveman video about Gerald Wells. He visited him! https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/08/valveman-story-of-gerald-wells.html

Dean KL7MA Bill talked to him on 15 SSB. He had worked Wes W7ZOI! FB!

SolderSmoke Podcast #247 — Hating on the IC-7300, Pete Goes FT-8 with a KWM-1, Bill’s 15-10 Rig, MAILBAG

Bill’s 15-10 Rig — Click on image

SolderSmoke Podcast #247 is available:

Audio Podcast: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke247.mp3

Video: (482) SolderSmoke 247 — Hating on the IC-7300, Pete goes FT8 (with a KWM-1), Bill’s 15-10 rig, Mailbag – YouTube

Bill’s Bench:

The 15-10 Dual Bander.

n 10 pole crystal filter at 25 MHz.

n G3UUR, Dishal, AADE and all that..

n Testing woes. Looked bad. But it was a bad test cable. Duh.

n VFO (Colpitts) at around 3.5 MHz.

n Buffer blues: Bad J-310s. Beware!

n Variable cap from a Heath Q Multiplier

n A bit of a black art – competing goals. Freq coverage, etc.

n BFO needed an amp to turn on the diodes in the balanced modulator

n TIA amps. SIX dual direction TIAs. 18 transistors.

n On a pine board (like Frank Jones)

n Will use the N6QW all discrete AF amp.

n Maybe an RD16 in the final?

n Will build a second one for the DR.

Shameless Commerce: Mostly DIY RF and the PSSST kit. Todd K7TFC reports: “The P3ST is on track for Lee Deforest’s birthday release (August 26th). I’m going to send out another newsletter on July 4th, and I’ll give some details on P3ST development.” Results of Todd’s Survey.

Pete’s Bench

n FT-8 on the KWM-1!

n Presentation to the ham club.

n Why the Icom 7300 is the anti-thesis of homebrew.

MMAILBAG:

— SPRAT 195 Summer 2023, in the mailbox. A happy day at N2CQR

— Armand WA1UQO sent a wonderful book about Faraday and Maxwell… And told me Jim K8OI was heading to our area. I met Jim at the VWS Field Day event. FB. Thanks Armand.

— Tony G4WIF sent Father’s Day greetings.

— Alvin N5VZH asking about electrolytics for his 2-B. Hayseed Hamfest!

— John AC2RL replacements for the IBEW. We need to start over!

— Steve “Snort Rosin” Smith WB6TNL was in the area. Sorry I missed him.

— Joh DL6ID helping us to track down origins of a homebrew receiver Grayson saw in Berlin.

— Grayson KJ7UM was in Europe visiting his wife’s relatives. But I think he is back in the USA.

— Walter KA4KXX sent a QRP HB family portrait.

— Wouter ZS1KE sent info on surface mount soldering.

— George Zaff KJ6VU Ham Radio Workbench – re-runs! Recommended audio processor. Let me know how it sounds.

— Michael AA1TJ Great to hear from him.

— Alan Wolke W2AEW on the toroids he used in Diode Ring video. Thanks Alan!

— Dean KK4DAS, AI and SWR meter project And new lexicon word: Hamsplaining.

— Bob N7SUR — Let me know we are semifinalists in the Hack-A-Day prize!

The 15 – 10 rig from above — Click on image


SolderSmoke Podcast #246: PeteGPT! DC RX, Si5351, Franklin osc, Cuban DSB, Hex beams, uBITX mods, DX, 10 meters, MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #246 is available:

AUDIO PODCAST: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke246.mp3

YouTube VIDEO: (247) SolderSmoke Podcast #246: uBITX, Hex Beam, DX, High School DC RX, 10 meter SSB Rig, MAILBAG – YouTube

The AI Deep Fake Threat! PeteGPT!

Hearing Aid info: I can hear the cymbals in my audiogram adjusted Airpods.

Update on the TJ DC RX project – Several receivers working! https://hackaday.io/project/190327-high-schoolers-build-a-radio-receiver

Sunil’s company provides Nano/Si5351 combos. With the KD8CEC software. Very cool. http://amateurradiokits.in They have a new SSB dual band transceiver – the Airpal.

Mark AJ6CU helping me. Sent me Nanos with KD8CEC software. His uBITX Settings Editor seems very cool. https://github.com/AJ6CU/uBITX-Settings-Editor/releases/tag/V2-beta-1 Thanks Mark.

Franklin Oscillators.

Cuban Islander and Jaguey info. Send more!

Fixing up uBITX 2 How Bill blew up TWO Raduino Nanos. My results with the KB1GMX mods. (see below)

Hex Beam work: Adding 10 and 15 meter elements. But now I can hear AM breakthrough from WFAX 1220 AM (5 kW during the day), So I made a high pass filter.

Made first contacts on 15 and 10: Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic.

First contacts with both India VU3TPW and China BA4TB. SSB homebrew.

sBITX news. Taking orders!

Pete’s 10 Meter SSB Project

Mailbag:

–Wes W7ZOI provided great info and analysis on the Franklin oscillator. And lots of great tech info on other topics: http://w7zoi.net/oldtech/ponder.html Thanks Wes!
–Lex PH2LB. uBITX mods. TO-18 Heatsinks. New stickers (see above).
–Kostos SV3ORA and Hans G0UPL about the Franklin Oscillator.
–Listening to HRWB 178: Great stuff, many old friends: George KJ6VU moved to Oregon. Thomas K4SWL on the show. Ben, an old friend of Pete’s, mentions John Zaruba K2ZA – the guy who gave me the DX-100. Wonderful connections.
–Thanks to Todd VE7BPO for sending me another AADE LC meter. I need it for the SSSS.
–Nick MONTV planning a 15/10 meter dualband SSB rig. Me too! See video.
–Trevor Woods in W. Australia – The portrait in Artie Moore’s shack. Chuck WB9KZY – Willam Ramsay
–LA6NCA Helge three tube RX. Regen or DC? Mike Masterson WN2A and I discuss.
–Mike WU2D video on Retro QRP rigs – Steve G0FUW discusses Severn rig long in the works –started 1983 and nearly finished!
–Tim Hunkin of Secret Life fame did video with speaker made from potato ship bag. Discussed with Tony G4WIF and others. Also, Tim has an amazing video on cutting holes in metal. On the SolderSmoke blog.
–Bob Crane W8SX will be covering FDIM for SolderSmoke!
–Glen VE3DNL working on a more sophisticated DC RX.
–Craig KC2LFI from the beach on Grand Cayman. FB.
–Steve EI5DD reports We have changed our name – The May Issue of the HAM RADIO IRELAND Magazine, Ireland’s only independent magazine for the Radio Experimenter: https://docdro.id/SHH0VEy
–Mike EI0CL on 15 meters with Dean KK4DAS. FB
–Howard N3FEL of the Penn Wireless Association wants to do a group build of a DC RX.
–Martin LW9DTR in Buenos Aires looking for help with the code for an AD9850
–Todd K7TFC – always helping other homebrewers.
–Really thoughtful message from Kevin WN7Z


uBITX 2
My KB1GMX mods to uBITX 2

SolderSmoke Podcast #245: Cuban DSB, DC Receiver?, Can you spot the AI? (Prize), Winterfest Loot, Gina’s Podcast, 6BA6 buy, MAILBAG

DC RX Example by KK4DAS

SolderSmoke Podcast #245 is available for download:


Video: (68) SolderSmoke #245: Cuban DSB, DC Receiver?, AI, Winterfest Loot, Gina’s Podcast, 6BA6 buy, MAILBAG – YouTube

Travelogue: Cuba DSB and AM. Jose CO6EC and the Islander. We need more info, especially on the solid state Jaguey rig.

Bill’s bench:

Will the High School DC receivers get finished? Future uncertain. But the project was technically interesting. Great working with Dean KK4DAS. Battling AM breakthrough from Radio Marti. We joked that Dean has been listening to Radio Marti so much that even though he doesn’t speak Spanish, he has noticed an increased urge to liberate Havana.

Audio amps: Harder than we thought. Lots of variation in Hfe of 2n3904s. Oscillations.
Not using feedback amps nor LM386s, nor push-pull. Simplicity is a design goal.

Fixing the tuning (bandspread) problem on the VFO was fun.

Antennas? A quarter wave with ground or counterpoise works well. We tried it. (59) An Antenna for the TJ 40 Direct Conversion Receiver – YouTube
—-
Back to work on the uBITX. I chickened out on replacing the predriver with a BFR-106, but then – Just in time Todd K7TFC and his Mostly DIYRF came out with BFR106 boards! TRGHS. I will do the mods on two uBITX transceivers. I even bought a solder-sucking iron for the second job.

Winterfest Hamfest. Big success. Thanks VWS. HERRING AID FIVE! Simpson 260! QF-1, Another Radio Shack DMM, Eamon Skelton’s Homebrew Cookbook, Knobs, SWR meter.
—-

SHAMELESS COMMERCE:
— Todd’s Mostly DIY RF and the BFR106 boards, and much more: https://mostlydiyrf.com/
— Become a Patreon sponsor of SolderSmoke: https://www.patreon.com/join/4785634/checkout?ru=undefined

—-
Pete’s Bench:

Technical Note: Skype problems. Pete’s Skype kept dropping out. Bad in the last podcast (#244). Three minute gap. I was ready to scrap the whole podcast when Dean KK4DAS offered to help. And he is obviously well qualified: https://potomacofficersclub.com/speakers/dean-souleles/ Dean went to work with AI. And he was able to fill the audio and the video gaps. Can you spot the three minutes of AI? Send me an e-mail with the time segment of the AI/Deep Fake portion of SolderSmoke 244. The first one with the correct answer will win a prize.
SolderSmoke #244:
Thanks Dean!
—-Interview on his Pete’s daughter’s podcast. https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/03/listen-to-pete-juliano-on-his-daughter.html

— 6BA6 e-bay buy. Will we see an all 6BA6 rig from Pete?

— The NCX-5 on e-bay

PETE’S NEW BLOG: https://hamradiogenius.blogspot.com/

Mailbag:

— A New SPRAT arrived in the mail. PH2LB’s Gluestick on the cover.
— Will KI4POV – Awesome homebrew – on the blog.
— Sands, VK9WX listening to SolderSmoke on Willis Island! Wow.
— Andreas DL1AJG in Germany continues with the Electronics for Biologists DC RX build.
— Dean KK4DAS and his homebrew 10 meter DSB rig.
— Jim W2UO built a Michigan Mighty Mite and made a contact.
— Dave K8WPE and the E in IBEW. We need new stickers.
— Bob KC4LB – Surface Mount is SMALL.
— Bruce KK0S on the Herring Aid 5 Board.
— Chuck WB9KZY on Nuclear Monopole Resonance very cool video – on the blog.
— Alan WA9IRS wants a CW editor for his phone. Really.
— Vic WA4THR also working on uBITX power out improvement.
— Tobias weighs in on Kludge. As in Fudge.
— Tony G4WIF notes that when he changes his oil he often removes sludge, not slooge.
— Consultations with Lexicographer Steve KB3SII.
— Walt AJ6T says CW operating declined after FCC ruling in 1970s about callsigns.
— Ramakrishnan VU3RDD now VU2JXN has joined the VWS. An old friend of SolderSmoke. Urged us to launch a blog back in 2008. We announced his daughter’s birth – – now Ram is getting ready to build a DC receiver with her.

SolderSmoke Podcast #244 PETE IS BACK! TR-7, CK722, BFR106, HP8640B, High-School Receiver, 10 Min TX, MAILBAG


SolderSmoke Podcast #244 Is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke244.mp3

Video version at:

(118) SolderSmoke – YouTube


HE’S BACK! HOORAY! PETE JULIANO N6QW IS BACK! SOLDERSMOKE COMMUNITY WAS SENT INTO A COLLECTIVE FUNK BY PETE’S ABSENCE. —————- Pete’s TR-7 (SEE VIDEO ABOVE) CK722 The BFR106
Pete’s new blog: https://hamradiogenius.blogspot.com/ —- Update on the high school project: Mixers made. Harder than they seemed. First QSO with the DC RX. Allan W4AMV Homebrewer TRGHS Ten Minute Transmitter – Better than the MMM! AF4K (SK) crystals. Other supporting projects: Farhan in Hyderabad. Rick N3FJZ, Walter KA4KXX, Andreas DL1AJG Electronics for Biologists. Peter Marks VK3TPM (fighting the siren call of the Si5351) . Steven VK2BLQ built a beautiful one. Daniel VE5DLD will build three of them with his students. Orlando PY2ANE is building one in Brazil. This week: The Bandpass Filter. (Thank you Hans Summers) — SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: BECOME A PATRON VIA PATREON. I am posting some fun stuff for the Patrons. AMAZON SHOPPING ADS Now on both the left and right columns. CHECK OUT Mostly DIY RF in the right hand column. —- My HP8640B Lives to Fight another day. Two new DMMs A low-end Fluke and a AstroAI 6000 Electrolytic Replacement Controversy Continues
Mailbag: — Dave AA7EE is blogging again! Yea! — Mike Rainey AA1TJ back in the Hobbit Hole Building a WWVB receiver. — Farhan is coming to FDIM. — Tony G4WIF reminds us that 39 bucks for JUST a 60 MHz counter would be great! — Dave VE3EAC again helped me fix my HP8640B. — Dean KK4DAS finalizing 10 meter DSB rig. FB. Upgraded my NanoVNA. — Mike KD4MM giving me a Nano VNA for the SolderSmoke Shack South. — Ian VK3LA asked what happened to Chuck Adams content. Good question. — Don ND6T and I have been discussing envelope detection. — Nick M0NTV working on AM modulators. He has a new video. — Ciprian YO6DXE built a Ten Minute Transmitter. — Steve EI5DD Connacht Regional News: https://www.docdroid.net/YJAV800/crnews0223-pdf

Hyderabad DC RX Workshop
Farhan explaining the receiver in Hyderabad
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/03/pictures-from-farhans-hyderabad-high.html

SolderSmoke Podcast #243 — HI7/N2CQR, uBITX mods for 10 meters, High-School Direct Conversion Receiver Project Launched (Success!) Mailbag

DC RX and one of the PTO boards we built as demos last night.

February 10, 2023


SolderSmoke Podcast #224 is available.


http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke243.mp3

Video here: (32) SolderSmoke Podcast 243 (video) Hi7/N2CQR, uBITX, Success with High School Receiver Project – YouTube

Pete N6QW had technical difficulties this morning. He insisted that the show must go on. Pete will be back for the next episode.

Travelogue:

Bill in the Dominican Republic for all of January.

HI7/N2CQR Eastern tip of the island. uBITX and dipoles.

20, 17, 10. CW and SSB. SSB was tough and I had reports of RF getting into the signal.

Went to CW.

Worked VWS Mike KA4CDN, and Walter KA4KXX on 20CW.

Finally moved up to 10 CW. Lots of contacts. Even though uBITX very QRP on ten.

I am modifying the uBITX now.

Copper tape shielding to keep RF out.

Low power out not the fault of the IRF-510s. The problem is the 2N3904s.

Will replace with 2N2222 in To-18 cans.

Dean KK4DAS putting KD8CEC software into Arduino. I gave up.

Who sent me this orphan uBITX?

SolderSmoke Shack South in final phase of construction.

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:

Patreon!

Bezos Shopping!

DC Receiver Project

Local High School radio club.

Simple: Like Herring Aid 5 and Wes’s original.

Farhan’s four stages:

BP Filter, Diode Ring, PTO, AF amp.

Simple Colpitts PTO SURPRISINGLY STABLE.

Simple and easy. No chips. No complicated circuits.

Guys have helped test out the design: Rick N3FJZ, Walter KA4KXX,

Daniel VE5DLD, Stephen VK2BLQ and others.

First session last night: We demonstrated build of the PTOs.

They worked (thank God).

Open Circuits book.

Envelope Detection Controversy

Save the Antenna – Book “Losing the Nobel Prize” K1JT

MAILBAG

–Dean KK4DAS 10 meter DSB! Tiny SA ULTRA! FB

–John AC2RL on Elmer W3PHL DSB guy

–AC3K reports inventor of Fender Stratocaster guitar was a ham: W6DOE

–AF8E was doing POTA. I worked him. He said my rig had presence. FB

–Alain F4IET FB DSB rig with mic in Cigar can!

–Daryl N0DP worked him on SSB. He is homebrewing

–Steve N8NM was in for repairs but is on the mend.

–Rick G6AKG working with sub-harmonic mixers and logic chips

–Paul HS0ZLQ Built DC receiver but looking for something else to build. No DSB!

–Steve AB4I – Coherer, Jagadish Chandra Bose, and Marconi

–Eldon KC5U Worked VK5QD right after me and mentioned SolderSmoke FB

–Todd K7TFC is building the DC RX.

–Tony G4WIF and Ian G3ROO using automotive relays for antenna switching. FB.

–Dave WA1LBP Great to hear from my fellow Hambassador (Okinawa)

Older post comments:

–Scott VO1DR was also in CF Rockey’s class! (Blog comment)

–Aurora Aug 4, 1972: Twelve people shared memories. (Blog comment)

–Will WN1SLG Googled novice call and was led to my Novice log.(Blog comment)

SolderSmoke Podcast #242 Mars, New Hams, Direct Conversion, SDR Console, Proficio, PSSST, 8 meters, A BIG MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #242 is available

Audio podcast: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke242.mp3

Video: (362) SolderSmoke Podcast #242 December 3, 2022 – YouTube

Travelogue:

Mars at opposition. Not as good as 2020 (see charts below)

SSSS Prep

Hearing aids and high frequency loss.

AirPods as hearing aids.

Out in the Shenandoah with a Baofeng.

Success among TJ High School students.

Satellite in space?

PARTSCANDY

Bill’s Bench:

Direct Conversion Receiver: IT IS ALIVE! EVEN IN LTSPICE

PTO works very well.

Diode ring — really needs a diplexer, Radio Marti.

AF amplifier simplicity.

But WHY can’t you listen to DSB on a DC receiver? Now I know.

How does a diode detector work? Is the envelope real? Is it square law?

The benefits of writing… 1967 and 1966 articles on PTOs and 2Qs.

Shameless Commerce Division:

— MOSTLY DIY RF! NEWS FROM PORTLAND! Get your free Michigan Mighty Mite.

— YouTube Goal Reached. Thanks! Keep watching. Subscribe!

— Keep buying from Bezos using the link on the right-hand column of the blog page.

— Become a Patreon sponsor! Left hand column of blog page.

— I have ads on the blog page, but I have configured to avoid troublesome ads — dating sites, etc.

Pete’s Bench

— Stepper motor, LCD and Arduino for my little DC RX?

— SDR Console

— PSSST, BOMS, Schematics and spoon feeding…

— Proficio SDR by Multus

— 8 meters?

Mailbag

— Alan Yates VK2ZAY now also W7ZAY PTOs, trivial motors, a broken ankle…

— Dhaka Jack AI4SV formerly of Cyprus, Madagascar and Northern Virginia. has moved to France!

— John WB5OAU/K5MO An old friend. FMLA as “Glowbugs Noir”

— Dale Parfitt W4OP on the Homebrew 2Q from 1967

— Nick M0NTV Glue Sticks, PTOs, DC receivers and AM breakthrough testing.

— Todd K7TFC suggests “cool” names for DC RX PT Cruiser? PT109? PT73?

— Levi replacing Selenium diodes in a Globe VFO. I am not alone!

— Juanjo EC5ACA wants to build DC RX . FB.

— Dave designed a discrete LM386. Picked up by Jenny at HackaDay. Can you build this?

— George Zaff. HamRadio Workbench Spiritual Brother of SolderSmoke.

— Alain F4IET — Still building DC receiver. FB. Sorry I got the call wrong.

— Drew N7DA Building Pixies with 3D forms.

— Toni G6XMO in Sheffield getting a 3D printer business going: https://www.whizz3dparts.co.uk/

— Chuck KE5HPW restoring an old SW-54. Pete is skeptical.

— Lex and Jesse like Colin’s placement of WYKSYCDS sticker on his Homebrew rig.

— Jim KI4THZ joined the Vienna Wireless Society — FB on the faculty at GMU

— Tony G4WIF suggested mechanical counter for DC RX PTO freq readout. I have some in the junk box.

— Our old friend Jonathan-san in W0XO now a Patreon sponsor. Origato!

— Thomas K4SWL sent him video of Tiny SA watching Vatican Radio sign off for the day.

— Farhan and Chuck Penson liked blog post about Heathkit Digital Rig SS-8000 1978!

— Ed KC8SBV working on DC receivers — I recently used the Peppermint Bark box he sent.

— Old friend Bob KD4EBM on the linearization of the R-390s. Hard to homebrew one of those!

— George from VWS trying to figure out how (if?) Marconi got his coherer to work DX…

— Steve EI5DD sends Connaught Radio news: https://www.docdroid.net/Q1lBoyi/crnews1222-pdf#page=36

Won’t have another Podcast until the new year so Happy Holidays to all! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!




SolderSmoke Podcast #241 Mars, Direct Conversion, PTOs and Glue Sticks, Anniversary of the BITX20, Multus Proficio SDR, Boatanchor Station, MAILBAG

The board I use to test DC RX circuits

SolderSmoke Podcast #241 is available

Audio (podcast): http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke241.mp3

Video (YouTube): (215) SolderSmoke Podcast #241 October 28, 2022 – YouTube

Introduction:

Back on Mars. Opposition approaching. I have a Mars filter. And (like T.O.M.) a Mars globe.

N2CQR DXCC done

SolderSmoke in the WayBack Machine

Sticker news

PARTS CANDY — Don’t Scrimp with a Crimp!

Bill’s Bench

School DC RX projects — in Hyderabad and Northern Virginia.

Direct Conversion Receivers — Keeping it Simple, Learning a Lot. A step beyond the Michigan Mighty Mite. Do we really need 100db? Do we really need to shield VFOs? Farhan’s super-simple and stable Colpitts PTO. Audio amps, 1000-8 transformers and rolling your own LM386

PTOs and Glue Stick PTOs. Paul Clark WA1MAC. Brass vs. Steel bolts. #20 thread vs. #28 thread. Backlash Blues. The best Glue Sticks.

2 meters and the VWS. Bill has a Baofeng.

SHAMELESS COMMERCE: MOSTLY DIY RF

Pete’s Bench

20th Anniversary of the BITX20 Pete’s early BITX rigs.

Computer Woes

The Multus Proficio SDR rig

Simple SSB in China BA7LNN

Things of beauty: Tempo One, NCX-3 and a SBE-33

MAILBAG

— NS7V is listening.

— Graham G3MFJ sent SPRAT on a stick.

— Nick M0NTV FB Glue Stick and 17 Shelf videos.

— Dino KL0S HP8640 Junior

— Mark AA7TA Read the SolderSmoke Book

— Steve EI5DD Connaught (Ireland) Regional News

— Dave K8WPE Planting the seeds of ham radio interest

— Peter VK3YE Ruler idea on PTO frequency readout

— Michael AG5VG Glue Stick PTO

— Tobias A polymath with UK and Italy connections. And cool tattoos.

— Alain F4EIT French DC receiver

— Michael S. was in USMC, working on PCM/TDM gear

— Alan Yates writes up Amazon transformer problem

— Todd VE7BPO, Dale W4OP, Wes W7ZOI

— Farhan VU2ESE sent me an sBITX

— Todd K7TFC The Revenge of Analog

— Jim Olds Building QRP HB gear


The Multus SDR rig Pete discussed

The older rigs Pete mentioned


My version of DC RX that Farhan is working on

My PTO with VK3YE’s ruler frequency readout


SolderSmoke FOREVER! Archived in the WayBack Machine

There were recently some stories about an effort to put on the Internet Archive recordings and other material from the history of ham radio. I am pleased to report that the SolderSmoke podcasts have been included in the new collection:


They also archived the recordings of my contacts with the MIR space station (and other spacecraft) from the Dominican Republic in the mid 1990s:


I have also suggested that they find a way to archive all of Jean Shepherd’s recordings about ham radio.

Thanks to Kay K6KJN for putting our material into the archive.

Video version of SolderSmoke Podcast #240

Show notes appear in blog post below.

I had some technical problems that caused audio distortion, but we talked about so much good stuff that I decided to go ahead and post the podcast. We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good enough.

Thanks again to Pete Juliano for his willingness to use a big chunk of his very limited free time.

SolderSmoke Podcast #240 NIMCELS? Hex DX, CBLA RX, PTO? Solid State HT-37? Exotic caps, Benches, SBE-33, TenTec 540, KWM-1 MAILBAG

SolderSmoke #240

Monday September 19, 2022

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke240.mp3

Sorry, I had some technical difficulties so my audio is a bit distorted.

NIMCELS? Niche Internet Micro Celebrities. I dunno…. Can our listeners come up with an acronym that describes our place in the universe?

Sponsors: Parts Candy. Carlos in Chicago. Great leads. Don’t scrimp with a crimp! You need some good quality test leads on your workbench. Get yours from Carlos. Click on the picture on the blog page or go to PartsCandy on e-bay.

“Techno Wizardry”? Our lawyers at Dewey Cheatham and Howe will be after them for that!

Bill’s Bench:

Hex Beam has made me a DXer. 91 countries. Having fun. Mozambique (Long path), San Andres island, and Saudi Arabia, all on Friday. All homebrew SSB 100 watts.

Put my old 20 meter CW station back on the air: Barebones superhet and the VXO 6 watter. WYKSYCDS. This may be one of very few CBLA Receivers in the world!

Been getting active in the Vienna Wireless Society. Dean KK4DAS is President and a lot is happening in the Club. Makers group. Lunch with the group on Tuesdays. Lots of fun.

We are looking at Farhan’s Daylight Again Analog rig. Using parts from Dean’s 3D printer, we have made PTOs. See blog post for picture. (But are they really PTOs? Or just Variable Inductors?)

VFO madness. Solid stating an HT-37 VFO. Grayson: “You have clearly lost your mind.” Perhaps. 100 MHz FM broadcast RFI. This brought me to capacitors and linear tuning:

SLC, SLW, SLF and Midline/Centerline caps. Do special caps explain why some VFOs have linear tuning while others do not? NO, not really. You can get linear tuning with ordinary caps. See blog post

Working on the bench. Reading Adam Savage’s book on workshops and tools. (link to the book in the right hand column of the blog. Some other workbench links on the blog. Upgrading tools and test gear. I have a proper bench power supply. Better side cutters. Engineering rulers. Digital calipers. Better solder (I was talking to Ron WA6YOU – a real solder authority – about this. Kester 60/40 ).

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:


mostlydiyrf.com

Currently offering seven items:

· UDVBM-1 (in three versions)

· PG-TIA Broadband IF Amplifier

· TIA-AGC IF Amplifier

· Dual-Gate MOSFETs

· OA741D Op-Amp (discrete components)

· 8-Pole QER Crystal Filter

· I2C Rotary Encoder

Three more are shown as coming soon:

· GP Audio Amp (general-purpose audio amp)

· HyCas IF Amplifier with AGC

· M-Cubed (Michigan Mighty Mite kit)

· Mostly DIY RF offers hardware for hardware-defined radio. That’s not a comment on software-defined radio. SDR is cool and useful, and it has its place.

· In fact, I believe in explicitly making use of technology from all eras (vacuum tubes, discrete semiconductors, and integrated circuits

· What does “mostly” DIY mean? It means making what you want and using ready-made for the rest. Even the most fanatic DIY’ing home brewer does this without much thought. He uses components he didn’t fabricate, electricity he didn’t generate, and theoretical knowledge he didn’t discover. One can’t fight all battles, one has to choose which to fight and which to leave to others. If an appliance-operating Ham doesn’t want to fight at all, that’s okay, but Mostly DIY RF has nothing to offer him.

————–

I need YouTube viewing hours. So I am putting some of the best SolderSmoke podcasts up on the YouTube channel. Please listen/watch on YouTube. Here is the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv9MEKq1quk-gnxog7eBqY_y7cpQadf6T

Google feed no longer sending our e-mails. So please follow the blog, Get yourself a blog feed reader. I use Feedly. It is free. Download, search in Feedly for SolderSmoke, hit subscribe and you are done. https://feedly.com/i/discover Follow Pete’s blog too! It is easy.

Pete’s Bench

Resurrections:

SBE-33!

TenTEC Model 540

KWM-1

Mailbag:

Dan KC5VPI getting into homebrewing. No longer WRONG!

Michael AG5VG built subharmonic DC receiver, put it on 40 and 20. FB.

Mike AA9IL working on old tube stuff including a DX-100 AMD UUHF gear up to 122GHz.

Ed WA4MZS liked the SolderSmoke book. USCG vet. As is Mike Rainey AA1TJ Semper Paratus!

Clint KA7OEI – The Music of the Beams – My Hex does not sing! So far!

Walter KA4KXX – The Knack started early. Video of getting a toolbox for Christmas. And working on PTOs! He likes them!

Phillip G4HOJ Also working with subharmonic mixers – using the more complex 4 diode version.

Peter GW4ZUA Built an amazing rig from RADCOM (1980s) Cool VFO with varactor fine tuning and a coil with a dust core that was cut in half to minimize temp effect. Box now holds 3 band version of Pete’s SimpleCeiver. FB.

Bruce KC1FSZ building 25 Watt amp for his Peppermint Bark rigs. We won’t turn him in to the QRP authorities.

Grayson KJ7UM tested the 12BY7A from my DX-100 VFO. It was in fact weak. Thanks Grayson.

Charles Smith KV4JT has some really interesting stuff on how to solid state tube gear. Especially R-390s. https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2022/08/trigger-warning-solid-stating-old-tube.html

Gianfranco I0ZY Old friend from Rome. Amplifier manufacturer. FB.

Paul WA1MAC getting started again after long hiatus.

Vasily.. I mean Todd VE7BPO. Always great tech info. Thanks.

Mark WB8YMV building a superhet with a 455 kc IF.

I sent Farhan some comments on his Daylight Again video: He wrote back “I marvel at their stamina to watch an hour long video of a man talking with a funny accent!”

SolderSmoke (Old Smoke) Podcast #103 — March 15, 2009 — From Rome — QRSS, Knights and Wizards, LTSpice, and an Echolink QSO with Jeff KO7M (the guy with the Piper Cub)

15 March 2009 

Beware the Ides of March! Ostia Beach and Ostia Antica 248 Knights of QRSS. And Wizards! ET Phones Home (with QRSS?) Possible new grabbers in VK6 and Dubai Telescope, Satellites... REAL QRP QSOs on 80 and 40 Saving an old Toshiba Laptop ECHO-QSO WITH JEFF, KO7M: -- Piper Cubs and MFJ Cubs -- Satellite QSOs -- LT Spice and test gear MAILBAG: Gene W3PM listens from QE2, HB WSPR rig Jim AL7V sending parts for my W3PM rig Jim AB3CV's color burst Gnat Jason NT7S on Tektronix guys and SolderSmoke Kevin ZL3KE on old computers Paul M1CNK's DDS 30-based QRSS beacon Soeren OZ2DAK on exercise bikes to power beacons

An Especially Good (Old) SolderSmoke Podcast

February 22, 2008
— We were in Rome.
— I read a 1931 QST ad sent to me by my fellow “Hambassador” David Cowhig, WA1LBP; David was in Okinawa when he sent it.
— I describe Wes Hayward’s comments about Pat Hawker, G3VA.
— I talk about getting on the air with my HW-8 (after fixing it!), re-tubing my Drake 2-B, and putting up a 30AWG antenna in Rome.
— I describe meeting up with Roman hams (including amplifier manufacturer I0ZY!) and visiting the local radio club.
— The Science Museum in Florence, Italy.
— DSB from Rome with my NE602 rig.
— Tony Fishpool and Graham Firth’s Test Gear book.
— An important corollary to Murphy’s Law.
— Listening to SolderSmoke from safari, under the Southern Cross in South Africa.
— Ron Sparks calls in from Dubai.
You can put on a playlist of all the SolderSmoke podcasts here:

SolderSmoke Podcast #73 Jan 2, 2008 — AA1TJ Circuits and Poetry, Mixers, CW, Straight Key Night at WA6ARA, Boatanchors in South Africa with ZS6ADY (Part 1)

This is the first in a series of four podcast that include Echolink conversations with Andy ZS6ADY about old tube radios (boatanchors) in South Africa. Click on the YouTube link above to listen.

January 2, 2008 SPECIAL NEW YEAR’S EDITION AA1TJ’s circuitry and poetry. Homemade tubes. Book Review “Early Radio” by Peter Jensen. The Vatican’s antennas. Google Earth flight simulator. Mixer madness continues (now in LTSpice). Mars-asteroid collision? Bollywood: The BITX-20 connection. BANDSWEEP: Straight Key Night at WA6ARA. ECHO-GUEST: Andy, ZS6ADY, South African Boatanchor fan. MAILBAG: Jake N4UY(NOVA QRP), Steve G0FUE (Bath Build-a-thon), Nigel M0NDE

SolderSmoke Podcast #156 — November 4, 2013 — Interview with Peter Parker VK3YE of Melbourne, Australia

November 4, 2013
Special hour-long interview with Peter Parker, VK3YE
— Early experiences with radio
— CW
— DSB Gear
— Simple gear, and gear that is TOO simple
— VXOs, Super VXOs and Ceramic Resonators
— Building receivers
— Chips vs. Discrete
— Making the leap to SSB
— The Knob-less wonder and the BITX
— No need for a sophisticated workshop
— Advice for new phone QRPers


Peter’s Blog: https://vk3ye.com/

Peter’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/vk3ye/featured

Mike Caughran KL7R’s Last Podcast

Mike KL7R (SK) during a visit to the AL7FS shack.
This was Mike Caughran KL7R’s last podcast. He died in a car accident shortly after we made this program. January 13, 2007. Mike’s oscillator work. Michigan Mighty Mite. Lasers, diodes, and Einstein. Laser communication experiment. W7ZOI-KL7R QSO on SKN.M0HBR’s feedback amps.The new comet. Saturn, Jupiter and calculation of c. 17 meter QSOs. New SPRAT CD. MAILBAG: China enigma, VE4KEH, M0DAD, GU0SUP, M1CNK, K4AHU, KD4EDM, KG9DK, AA6KI, VA7AT ON5EX
———————
Mike’s Obituary from the February 2007 ARRL Letter: 

Mike Caughran, KL7R, SK: Well-known low-power (QRP) and homebrewing enthusiast Michael S. "Mike" Caughran, KL7R, of Juneau, Alaska, died January 22 of injuries suffered in an automobile accident in Hawaii. He was 51. Caughran may be best known as one-half of the team -- with Bill Meara, N2CQR/M0HBR -- that created and produced the weekly SolderSmoke podcast <http://www.soldersmoke.com/>. "I think people were drawn in by Mike's friendly voice and manner," Meara commented on a memorial page for KL7R <https://kiwi.state.ak.us/display/mc/Home>. A member of ARRL and the Juneau Amateur Radio Club, Caughran also wrote articles for the Michigan QRP Club's T5W newsletter and he was an active ham radio contester. "Mike was one of those people who you instantly like because of his honest, straightforward and humble way of talking and expressing ideas," said Mike Hall, WB8ICN, who edits T5W. "His co-hosting of SolderSmoke provided me hours and hours of enjoyment." Caughran was an IT professional with the State of Alaska. Survivors include his wife and son.

On our 17th Anniversary: SolderSmoke Podcast #179 — TENTH ANNIVERSARY SHOW — A Walk Down Memory Lane

On August 21, 2005 Podcast #1 was uploaded to our old GeoCities host. Just prior to that Mike KL7R set up a Yahoo Mail account. I still use it. Yahoo sent me an e-birthday card!


I put our 10th Anniversary Podcast on the YouTube Channel today. Click above. Show notes below

———————————

22 August 2015

YESTERDAY MARKED 10 YEARS OF THE SOLDERSMOKE PODCAST
— A clip: The first minutes of SolderSmoke #1
— A trip down SolderSmoke memory lane.
— The SolderSmoke lexicon — words and phrases we use (a lot).

BENCH REPORT

— Pete’s antenna project.
— Pete’s new Blog: http://n6qw.blogspot.com
— Bill’s big amplifier problem fixed thanks to Allison KB1GMX.
— Six digit freq readout with an Altoids case.

THE Si5351 PHASE NOISE CONTROVERSY

— ALL oscillators make noise.
— Keeping things in perspective: It is 100 db down!
— Observations and tests from LA3PNA, NT7S, and K0WFS:
http://k0wfs.com/2015/08/21/si5351-phase-noise-and-thd-tests-using-an-agilent-e4402b-spectrum-analyzer/

http://nt7s.com/2014/11/si5351a-investigations-part-7/

— Try it, you’ll like it! The benefits trying things on real rigs.

NEWS
Interviews on “QSO TODAY” with Eric 4Z1UG.
Horrible band conditions.
Looking at Saturn with telescope.

MAILBAG

Another recruit for the CBLA: Paul KA5WPL.
Ron G4GXO on Bell-Thorn and Eden9 SSB rigs.
Rupert G6HVY on Kon Tiki radio and Mr. Spock.
Mikele’s Croation BITX rigs.
Dean AC9JQ’s TIA.
Bryan KV4ZS will build an LBS receiver.
Dave Anderson give Pete good antenna advice.
Steve Smith moves in from the garage.
Pete has built 12 SSB transceivers. Intervention time?

——————

SolderSmoke’s 2006 Interview with Farhan (and pictures from his 2019 visit)

Farhan in N2CQR shack with ET-2 on bench
October 2019

Here is the YouTube version of the SolderSmoke Podcast #34

https://youtu.be/q-L4IE9f1aA

Farhan with Bob Bruninga WB4APR (SK)
https://www.qrz.com/db/WB4APR

With Bill and Abe Lincoln
With Einstein
Correcting an Einstein equation
With Elisa

Tuning Bill’s BITX 20

Pete N6QW’s First SolderSmoke Podcast

May 26, 2014. Pete Juliano’s first SolderSmoke podcast. I think we both thought that this would be a one-time appearance. But one show led to another and soon we were in a permanent podcast collaboration. This was a very fortunate development, for me, for the podcast, for all our listeners, and for ham radio. Thanks Pete!

A Blast from the Past: The First SolderSmoke Podcast

I am gradually — maybe one every few days — going to put older SolderSmoke podcasts up on the YouTube channel. Here is SolderSmoke Podcast #1. This podcast was first uploaded on August 21, 2005.

Be sure to check out the new Playlists on the SolderSmoke YouTube channel:

Thanks to Ciprian YO6DXE for the wallpaper! And thanks to Dave K8WPE for the idea of reposting “Old Smoke.”