Category: SolderSmoke Podcast

SolderSmoke Podcast #209 SKN, Old Rigs, Movie Review, Safety Tips, Mail Bag

SolderSmoke Podcast #209 is Available:

13 January 2019

 http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke209.mp3

An HT-37 “With Presence!” Even on CW! A Straight Key Night Story
Saving a much-loved HT-37
Drake 2-B Alignment
Tweaking the Mate for the Mighty Midget
Fixing a Deaf DC Receiver
A Wobbly National HRO-ish Gear Box
Minimum Discernible Signal Tests
Pete’s Festive Holiday Transceiver in a Bottle

 Movie Review: “First Man” Neil Armstrong goes to the moon.

Safety Tips for 2019: Fuses, Hard Drives, Flu Shots.

MAILBAG:
Dave G6AJW builds Pete’s Sudden Transceiver
Rogier KJ6ETL builds a new shack
Steve N8NM Helps save the HT-37
Jim AL7RV W8NSA builds Parasets
Dave AA7EE puts a beacon on the air — Please Listen!
Jan OM2ATC builds and documents an Si5351 VFO
Bruce KC1FSZ Homebrew’s a BITX
KB1GMX’s Tip on IRF-510 Oscillation Prevention
Ryan W7RLF Homebrews a DC Receiver

 Listening to August K5HCT from the East and West Coasts on 40
Tim WA1HLR rebuilding his 1968 transmitter.


W7RLF Homebrews a Receiver — FB!



Ryan W7RLF has joined the small and elite group of radio amateurs who have homebrewed a receiver. And it is a receiver filled with soul, juju and mojo; the project was inspired by Wes Hayward and Farhan, and used components from Hans Summers. Congratulations Ryan and thanks for all the work you did in documenting your experience.

Who will be the next intrepid ham to join the homebrew receiver club?

Hello Sirs!


This month I read Wes Hayward’s post on the history and heritage of DC receivers in ham radio and it brought a lingering interest to a head. I had to build one. I run the BITX40 and uBITX group on Facebook, and I posted to the other hams there: Which DC receiver should I build? Farhan recommended his DC40. Mind you, I’ve never homebrewed a radio before, so this is all new territory for me.

I did build it, and it does work. It also uses QRP Labs stuff from our friend Hans Summers. This thing has a lot of QRP heritage 🙂 I documented it every step of the way including all of my dumb moves and things I got wrong, and my desire is to inspire others to try homebrewing the way Wes, Farhan, Hans, and you YOU GUYS have inspired me to try it. I am hooked, of course! Here’s a link to my blog to Part 1:


It’s a four part series (unofficially 5 really) with 8000 words to it, and I hope you guys enjoy it and I’d be ticked pink if was worthy of mention on your show. Here’s a video of it too:


73 to you both and I wish you the best!

Ryan Flowers W7RLF

SolderSmoke Podcast #208

SolderSmoke Podcast #208 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke208.mp3

 15 December 2018

 Pete and the California fires
Bill goes to Brooklyn
2 meter simplex
A return of the trivial electric motor
Audio from Mars
HF Conditions — a real mixed bag

 Pete looks back at 2018 — The Year of the SSB Transceiver — Lessons Learned

 Hans Summers, the QSX and the virtues of SDR
W7ZOI’s DC Receiver Retrospective
The 1972 Solar Flare and the Vietnam War

 SHAMELESS COMMERCE: Buy your gifts through the Amazon link to the upper right.
Consider SolderSmoke the book as a gift. Visit Pasta Pete’s for cooking ideas.

Don’t Build It! Sage — but unexpected — advice from Pete.

Straight Key Night approaches.

Book Reviews:
–“What is Real?” (Quantum Physics)
— RHdb by K6LHA.

 Movies
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“First Man” (Not yet!)

 MAILBAG:
Steve G0FUW
Ed KC8SBV




SolderSmoke Podcast #207 — 15 mtrs, 60 mtrs, Giants of Radio, Cubesats, Pete’s rigs, SDR MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #207 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke207.mp3

 — Giants of Radio
— Pete on 15 Meters
— Bill on 60 Meters with the uBITX
— Pete’s Sudden and Heath Filter Transceivers
— Cubesats to orbit! To the moon! And to Mars!
— Bill rebuilds his 2 meter “Ray-Gun” Quad (for Farhan’s Cubesat)
— Homebrewing Variable caps and stockpiling NP0
— My “by ear” Minimal Discernible Signal Technique
— Thoughts on Direct Sampling SDR and the Radio Art
MAILBAG
— A request for feedback from GQRP
— G4WIF reports G3ROO on UK TV with spysets
— VU3XVR builds FB rig from EMRFD
— M0KOV Charter member of the 3 Scratch-built BITX club
–KD4PBJ’s PTO Turtle DC Receiver
— AB1OP builds Pete’s LBS receiver and gives us a new acronym: SITB
— KD4EBM — Thanks for the scanner Bob!
— A possible sponsor from California…

— Pete’s dream neighborhood…

SolderSmoke Podcast #206 — GQRP CONVENTION SPECIAL EDITION

SolderSmoke Podcast #206 is now available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke206.mp3

 — SolderSmoke resumes after a busy summer.

 — We did a portion of #206 via Skype at the GQRP Convention. Thanks to Steve G0FUW for setting this up. A portion of our participation appears at the end of the podcast.

— Pete’s SDR Rig and his new involvement with WSPR and FT-8

 — The allure of SDR and the pitfalls of complexity.

— Bill’s 135 foot Doublet, 75 AM, 60 USB and 30 Meter CW.

— Plans to change the IF of Bill’s HRO dial receiver.

— Thinking (again) about sold stateing the HW-101.

— Hans Summers, QCX and QSX rigs.

MAILBAG:

Ralph builds Pete’s LBS receiver. FB!

SolderSmoke #205 Solstice, Mars, Antennas, Displays, Phasing Fix, VFOs, Lexicon, MAILBAG

June 23, 2018

 SolderSmoke Podcast #205 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke205.mp3

 — Summer solstice. Mars Observations. Graduations. Internships. Fathers Day.

 — Antenna Angst: Pete’s tribander and Bill’s Moxon. Insulation and resonance?

 — Pete’s work on color displays.

— Bill goes back to fix up older projects:

— Fixing the Frankenstein Phasing RX. Found an open choke!

 — Tightening up the HRO Dial.

— Achieving Juliano Criteria stability on a BITX20 VFO.

— Lexicon additions: “Scratch Built” “Hardrock Radio”

https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/39551/where-does-the-saying-made-from-scratch-originate

 — PastaPete: http://www.pastapete.com/

MAILBAG:
Bob Crane W8SX Corrspondent at FDIM
Ralph AB1OP Building LBS
Bruce KC1FSZ Digital Pot
Jason W5IPA uBITX in Juliano Blue
Rogier KJ6ETL ON THE AIR WITH A uBITX
Special thanks to Tim Walford for 25 years of Hot Iron.

SolderSmoke Podcast #204 April 1, SPRAT Cover 2, uBITX mania, MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #204 is available!

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke204.mp3

 5 May 2018

 April 1 Recap — We thank you for your support!

Pete’s Rig on Cover of SPRAT 174

uBITX Mania

 uBITX Dual Conversion Design

 uBITX Gettng more out of the Arduino/Si5351 combo

 uBITX KD8CEC’s amazing software

 uBITX Future Possibilities

 uBITX On-the-Air Experiences, with CW too!

MAILBAG

 KD8CGH’s Hyderabox — THERE ARE TWO!
QSO with N1AW’s cardboard uBITX
DuWayne on QSO TODAY
Jack 5R8SV — Radio Gods NOT Happy
Jack Purdum W8TEE — Thanks OM
Charles AI4OT
Chris KB4PBT 15 inch telescope
John WJ0NF Reading SolderSmoke
Ken W8KTP Ordering a uBITX
Darren KG7KOI Listening
Gary AK4NA New Word: “Cabinetize” FB OM!

SolderSmoke Podcast #203 Winter, Transceivers, Antennas, DC RX, uBITX, Mixers, ‘fests, MAILBAG

N6QW in 1959. Building an SSB transceiver

SolderSmoke Pocast #203 is (FINALLY!) available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke203.mp3

 24 March 2018

 –The reasons for our delay.
Winter, Computers, College, Family Trees, Lawyers….

 — Winterfest 2018
— Pete launches 2018 THE YEAR OF THE TRANSCEIVER
http://n6qw.blogspot.com/
— SDR – Satan’s Digital Radio?
— Direct Conversion Receiver Projects
— Mixer Musings
— A Thailand Troubleshoot
— Nor’Easter knocks out Bill’s Moxon — An appliance replacement?
— Homebrew Electret Mics. Seriously.
— uBITX Build with Rogier
— Civilized Crystal Testing
— Baofeng!
— DRAGNET

 — MAILBAG
KD4PBJ’s REGEN
N6ORS’s SDR rig
Mike Rainey’s DX-100

SolderSmoke Podcast #202 Cover-Rig, SKN, Pete’s Vector Boards, uBITX, K1BQT rig, MAIL

SolderSmoke Podcast #202 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke202.mp3

 13 Jan 2018

 Opening music from Shel Silverstein and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
On the Cover of the Rolling Stone or On the Cover of SPRAT magazine.
Travelogue and Weather Report
— Bill’s trip to the Dominican Republic. SWL on the beach. Return to the ice box.
— Dramatic events in California.

— Reading Chinese Sci Fi with lots of radio in it. “The Three Body Problem” by Cixin Liu

Straight Key Night. IN QRP MODE THANK YOU. With nephew Jeffrey. Annual event — worked Jim W1PID friend of Mike Rainey.

Steve Murphy and Jeff Damm on QSO Today. FB.

Oh your rig is homebrew? “It must be propagation.”

ER Reading about G3UUR

Hams avoiding 60 meters due to 100 watt limit. SAD.

Bill’s Bench: Continuing series on the Ceramic Discrete DC receiver. Described the oscillator and the AF amp. Next we will do the Mixer. The most interesting stage. Nephew John Henry and niece Helena visiting today.

Pete’s bench. uBITX adventures.
The K1BQT IC transceiver.

The Vector Board building technique. See http://n6qw.blogspot.com/


MAILBAG
Paul KA5WPL Looking for project with his son. Sawdust. Thanks again Steve Silverman.

Chris Waldrup OM PBJ thanks for the gift

Pete in contact with Sven Johnson
Chuck KE5HPY sent us picture of fashion model with boatanchors in background Grayson recalled 73 magazine covers…

Pete WB9FLW Bilateral SBE-33 ad “with inherent stability” That’s the best kind!
Bruce KK0S experimenting with AF amps for the DC receiver

John KE5ETX Attempting CBLA

SolderSmoke Podcast #201 Santa, Storms, BUILDING A DC RX, SDR, uBITX

SolderSmoke Podcast #201 is available: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke201.mp3

9 December 2017

 Santa Juliano

 Forest fires, snow storms, and an earthquake.

Santa arrives from Hyderabad — uBITX in the house.

Radio history. First transtalantic amateur contacts.

Bill’s International Brotherhood Ceramic Discrete Direct Conversion Receiver Project.
— Goals — Build your own receiver. Really. From scratch. No cheating.
— How to get started. Get parts and tools.
— Stage by stage.
— VFO first — maybe build two.
Bill built two already
— Nephew is testing the first one.
— Polyvaricon limitations.
— Varactor limitations
— Variable cap limitation.
MEETING THE JULIANO STABILITY CRITERIA

 Understanding the F5LVG mixer

 Pete goes to the dark side with an SDR receiver.
Pete’s 800 Watt Amplifier gives him trouble. TRGHS.

People in the News
Cliff Stoll — Still Passionate about Electronics
Peter Parker — VHF/UHF By the Bay
Yardley Beers — Early SSB with “The Black Rose”
John Kraus — Moonbounce without the Moon.

MAILBAG





SolderSmoke Podcast #200! 17, Knack Nobel, QCX, 630, UHF, Fessenden, TROUBLESHOOTING

DL3AO 1950

SolderSmoke Podcast #200 — TWO HUNDRED!!!!– Is available

 http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke200.mp3

 — Old friends on 17 meters.

— Another Knack Nobel in Physics.

— Hans Summers’ QCX transceiver: $50 IS THE NEW 10 GRAND!

— New Bands! 630 and 2200 Meters. BIG ANTENNAS!

— Nuke Powered QRP. No joke!

— The Challenge of UHF. Not for the faint of heart.

— Reginald Fessenden, Father of Phone.

PETE’S BENCH REPORT: The New Simple-ceiver. Soon to be a Transceiver.

BILL’s BENCH REPORT: Discrete, Direct Conversion, Ceramic Receiver in iPhone Box.

THE EDUCATIONAL PORTION OF TODAY’s PROGRAM:
HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT A HOMEBREW RECEIVER.

MAILBAG.

DL3AO 1950


SolderSmoke Podcast #200! 17, Knack Nobel, QCX, 630, UHF, Fessenden, TROUBLESHOOTING

DL3AO 1950

SolderSmoke Podcast #200 — TWO HUNDRED!!!!– Is available

 http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke200.mp3

 — Old friends on 17 meters.

— Another Knack Nobel in Physics.

— Hans Summers’ QCX transceiver: $50 IS THE NEW 10 GRAND!

— New Bands! 630 and 2200 Meters. BIG ANTENNAS!

— Nuke Powered QRP. No joke!

— The Challenge of UHF. Not for the faint of heart.

— Reginald Fessenden, Father of Phone.

PETE’S BENCH REPORT: The New Simple-ceiver. Soon to be a Transceiver.

BILL’s BENCH REPORT: Discrete, Direct Conversion, Ceramic Receiver in iPhone Box.

THE EDUCATIONAL PORTION OF TODAY’s PROGRAM:
HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT A HOMEBREW RECEIVER.

MAILBAG.

DL3AO 1950


SolderSmoke Podcast 199 Eclipse, Regen, BITX, DC RX, 3D OLEDS, Iphone Boxes, Mailbag

SolderSmoke Podcast #199 is available.

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke199.mp3

 2 September 2017

 The Eclipse. The Floods.

Sawdust Regen gets John Henry off to a good start.
Voltage regulators as audio amplifiers

 The return of the Simple-ceiver (Direct Conversion)

 Ceramic Resonators

 3D OLEDS

 iPhone Boxes as rig enclosures

 Electric Radio on Frank Jones

 17 Meter Contacts

MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #198 – D-104, HW-8, Juliello, DIFX, Dishal, Baofeng, MAILBAG

Bill Breshears WC3K (SK)
SolderSmoke Podcast #198 is available.


29 July 2017

Sign on a beach store: SHACK-TACULAR!

Noticed that EB63 amp was getting hot. Why?
TT2, Herring Aid5, Farhan’s Key: QRPp and CW! See?
D-104 lore — Reading from Bill Breshear’s (WC3K) ER article
Astatic crystal/ceramic element — disappointingly flimsy
Electret-ing it. The G-Spot (see picture above)
Walery KB2FIV sent crystal mic element and piezo buzzer (reverse for mic!) FB
HW-8 AF filter Center Frequency Problem. IT’S TRUE! Fixed! Finally.
Shack re-org at N2CQR
Got Steve Silverman’s HP 8640B Sig gen on the bench. Required reinforcement
Pete’s new DIFX
LM373 rigs. Perhaps with that CA3020 Pete sent me. Chips Ahoy!
Juliano Yellow? Origins of Blue? Juliello? Julionyx?
HB Crystal Filter Capitulation? Don’t give up Pete — just dish the Dishal!
Ceramic VXOs? K.P.S. Kang
Crystal testers by G7WKE and Dino KL0S. Impressive.

Antennas and BITX40 modules. Antennas are important.
Bill’s new Baofeng HT on 440.
Fixing my Sony SW7600GR
MAILBAG
Steve Silverman alerts us to NYC radio row now in the Bronx.
Tony G4WIF on the cover of SPRAT — Getting the Don Cameron award. FB
Armand WA1UQO points out that the Berryville hamfest is coming up…
Thomas KK6AHT F4HDQ writes in.
On the air with W8NSA

Juliello. No.

SolderSmoke Podcast #197: Farhan, Fame, ‘Fest, Testgear, SSB History, Dishal Dystopia, QRP CW, MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #197 is available:


Up in NYC, met Dave W2DAB. got Steve Silverman’s HP 8640B Sig Gen.
Farhan’s visit to SolderSmoke HQ
Got me a TEK1401A Spectrum analyzer
Farhan at “Geekfest” @W7ZOI http://w7zoi.net/Farhan-visit.html
BITX40 Modules. 5,000 already. 1,000 a month.
The BITX pronunciation problem.
QRP Hall of Fame. I suspected April 1 reprisal! “I am unworthy”
Dusting off my Tuna Tin 2, Herring Aid 5 and Farhan’s key from India.

The Manassas Hamfest: OLD crystal gear. 20’s and 30’s stuff. Leon Lambert RX and Philmore Fixed Crystal Detector.
Reminder of how YOUNG the radio art is.
RELATED: Bell System 1953 Transistor Documentary. 11 year old Pete and his CK722.
Bought some good stuff from Charles AI4OT.
Armand WA1UQO gave me a big collection of Electric Radio. So much history and HB wisdom in there. Frank Jones and Lafayette Radio. Jim Lamb and 1930s SSB.
Is the CK-722 the source of Pete Juliano’s affinity for Juliano Blue?
Was Wes Hayward already using Juliano Blue?
“Your rig sounds real good for a homebrew rig!”
“Well, your rig sounds pretty good for a Yaesu!”
Related topic: Going over the Waterfall: The SDR Superiority Syndrome. Feathering.
ARRL Arduino Book by Popiel. Very nice. Right level. Lots of good info.
BENCH REPORT:
Pete’s Dishal Dystopia — Is the perfect TRULY the enemy of the good enough?
Bill’s NE602 RIG:
Replaced OLED. Blue one seems noisier. Shielded it with copper flashing.
Made me yearn for bigger boxes WITH A HOOD!
DOCUMENTING WITH LTSPICE
MAILBAG:
Special Thanks to our correspondent in the Dayton Xenia Metropolitan area — Bob Crane W8SX.
Jack Welch, AI4SV 5R8SV — Our Man in Antanarivo — Sent me a GREAT BOOK “I, Libertine” by Frederick R. Ewing. EXCELSIOR!
Bruce KC1FSZ https://www.qrz.com/db/kc1fsz Building Scratchbuilt BITX. On the way put the VFO where the BFO should go and had a DC RX. FB
Greg, VK1VXG Suggestion for WA8WDQ on Arduino serial plotter
http://www.instructables.com/id/Ultimate-Guide-to-Adruino-Serial-Plotter/

Ben KC9DLM Mercury PTO. In a syringe! No thanks! Maybe add some high voltage and selenium. And a radium dial! Yea!
KY3R’s metalized cigar boxes! FB On Blog.
Richard WB2PEF has revived his Doug DeMaw 8P6 rig. FB. But bothered by PTT thump.
Update on Dave AA7EE (from Mike KC6SAX)

AI4OT and N2CQR
N2CQR AND W2DAB

SolderSmoke Podcast #196 Rockets, Pete’s EXPULSION, SDR, DiFX, ‘602 rigs, T.O.M.

View from rocket. I’m in front of the swing-set, with hat on. Billy to my left.

SolderSmoke Podcast #196 is available.
5 May 2017
http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke196.mp3

 Shenandoah Rocket Launch — With video!


Pete and the QRPARCI HOF: We thank you for your support!
Note the strange seasonality of these kinds of events… Always in the Springtime…
April is the cruelest month. Especially the FIRST DAY!
Feel Tech Follow-up — the DC blocking cap issue.

HBTV? Roku Challenge?

A tube of Desitin? Why?


SDR Misadventures.

SDR on a tablet Just like WA7HRG
Pi Day More RaspPi Linux observations TOO HARD
The problem of Si5351 and updated libraries — old sketches don’t work!
My SDR question: If we go with direct sampling, no need for I and Q at front end No image problem, right? But why is there often a digital I and Q in the direct sampling receivers?
BITX MODULE
Getting RF in through the DDS jack.
Electric Radio: Reading from the history of SSB. And from the T.O.M. article
Joe Carr K4IPV : Homebrew Hero from Falls Church Va. Any more info on him?
Pete’s newest DifX
Pete’s new digital scope.
Bill’s NE602 RIG, Epiphyte History.
He put AADE crystal filter impedance match circuits in backward That’s why he needed RF amp. Duh.
The perils of a crowded box
Building RF amp board (BITX Module design) for the NE602 rig.
NE602s do not put out a lot of power. uW
BITX Module Amp circuits very stable.
Chassis as the heat sink.
Mic amp? We don’t need no stinkin’ mic amp! But yes, we do. 741 on the way.
Parts on e-bay very expensive! Back to the hamfests. On to Manassas!

Congrats to Tony Fishpool G4WIF, who received the Don Cameron, G4STT, Award for an outstanding contribution to low power amateur radio at the RSGB AGM meeting in Cardiff.


 MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Podcast #195: (We need some help!) BITX, 60, SSB History, Tribal Socketry

SENDING IT BACK


 SolderSmoke Podcast #195 is available. Link appears below (scroll down)

 We’ve got a problem: Pete Juliano and the QRP Hall of Fame 🙁 PLEASE HELP!


BENCH REPORTS
Pete Releases Smoke (wiring harness)
Pete’s DifX on 60
Architecture and Dual Conversion (uBITX: uses ALL THREE clocks on the Si5351)
The Big Kahuna
ON HACKADAY with Philco SB100 SEE! QRP!!!!!
BITX60
Cap Stack Hack mod (with leads)
Let the smoke out of an Si5351 (shorted output) Several actually.
(Same day delivery zone for Amazon — but no drones or parachutes yet.)
Installed scanning switch
Observations on 60. All the weird bands have a 6 in them: 160, 60, 6
The good: 100 watt limit, wire antennas
The bad: Kind of cliquish– like 75, not much of a CQ band. Channels. Not much activity.
Met Josh KE8CPD on 40. BITX 40!
TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE:
Socketry: How to keep BNC jacks from spinning loose?
Do you heat shrink?
Feel Tech Sig Gen might not have blocking cap at the output.
Speaking of which, when I spoke of the Ne602, I mostly meant blocking caps, not bypass caps.
How come they don’t have a cable TV channel devoted to radios? They have HGTV? Why not HBTV?
REPORT FROM WINTERFEST
Bad weather. Tailgaters wimped out!
Combined forces with Armand WA1UQO.
Met up with Charles AI4OT.
Acquisitions: 1/4 phono jacks, carbon mic, vero board, disc caps, weather radio,
LARGE collection of Electric Radios from Armand. Wow.
Electric Radio notes: 1st Fifty Years of Sideband 1991 articles by Jim Musgrove K5BZH
Why LSB on 75? — so AMers couldn’t follow to top of band
W2, W6, W8s liked phasing, W3, W4, W0 more into filter rigs.
Early SSB guys turning on carrier and talking AM hams into SSB RX.
Kelvinator Refrigerator rigs.
A reading on the homebrewing of SSB rigs.
Tony Fishpool on QSO Today! Pete mentioned prominently.
Good Hacks from ND6T on BITXHacks, Stockton Bridge
MAILBAG

LINK: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke195.mp3

SolderSmoke Podcast 194 – Approaching the Digital-Analog Singularity

SolderSmoke 194 is available (scroll down for link)
March 4, 2017

BIG NEWS: uBITX from Farhan
BENCH REPORTS
Pete: Recycling Old Boards
Working on Arduinos and advanced displays
Bill: SDR Adventures and Misadventures.
RTL-SDR is fun. Built HB front end.
HDSDR under Windows is fun and easy.
Thought about Raspi3, 7 inch touch screen, Linux, software YUCK.
Followed advice of Ken G4IIB and got a 50 buck tablet with Google Play.
Who needs tiny OLEDs? Use a 7 inch tablet as your display!
Building a Ceramic Resonator for the HRO 455 kc filter
The value of doing something different.
Boxed up my NE602 OLED rig.
OLED noise and ACTIVE decoupling.
NE602 and MOSFET tips
LEXICON:
OTD Obsessive Tinkering Disorder G6LBQ
“A Thing of Beauty”
Source of Tombstoning term: Don ND6T.
Ken G4IIB’s extremely smooth audio.
ON THE AIR:
On AM on 75 and 40. Fun. Old Military Radio Net and “The Lonely Guy Net” on 75 Saturday morning.
Good old 17 meters. Open at mid-day
HB2HB on 40 with W0PWE.
Listening on 60
Hambrew magazines disappeared, but are back now.
EMRFD Classic Edition available
New Posts to BITX HACKS
MAILBAG:
Gloves follow-up. Not a good idea.
VK3YE’s QRP by the Bay event and a new book!
Colin M1BUU achieves Mountaingoat status
Martin A65DC JoO MMM in the UAE
Tom NY2RF Editorial with mention of JoO!
Lots of Al Fresco rigs: W8LM BITX on a board, Brad WA8WDQ DC RX, KA4KXX Al Fresco OZ DSB
ON6UU DSB from Spain via Belguim
Hugh ZL1UEM SMALL Si5351 OLED
Cookie Tin rigs VK2EMU’s Biscuit Tin DC RX, WA7HRG’s Popcorn rig
VK4FFAB FB LTSPICE intro
Ken G4IIB’s BITX adventure (with VERY smooth audio. How smooth? We can’t say.)
VU2XE’s BITX with a CAD box
G0ETP’s shockingly beautiful SDR receiver
Alan W2AEW on the mend with broken ankle. His videos are a treasure trove of tribal knowledge.

SolderSmoke Podcast #193: BITX 40, OLEDs, KWM-4, Noise Abatement

SolderSmoke 193 28 Jan 2017


Report from Pete on BITX 40 Session with California radio club.

Update on the BITX40 Module Revolution
— Check out the BITXHACKS page. Send in contributions.
— BITX20 mailing list very active.
— Raduino!
— Interview with Farhan with W5KUB — Eliminating the commercial gear.
— BITX 40s on the beach in Australia. FB

Bench Reports:

Pete:
— Color Displays!
— KWM-4
— OLED MADNESS!

Bill:
— Fixing up the old HT-37 HT37 to HT37 QSO with W1ZB
— Dabbling in VHF with Ramsey Aircraft band receiver. NOT FUN.
— Going all IC with Si5351 OLED NE602 rig.
— BANDSWEEP
— OLED Noise and the Active Decoupling solution.

Using LTSPICE as a diagnostic or understanding tool.

Of Waterfalls, Homebrew Rigs and Casual Critics on 40 meters. Words of Wisdom from W8JI.

LEXICON: HAYWIRE TOMBSTONE BIKESHEDDING from Todd K7TFC

Some great recent interviews by Eric 4Z1UG:
Ian G3ROO Origins of ROO Regen at age 8
Hans Summers G0UPL Balloons! NO COMMECIAL GEAR
David White WN5Y ELECTROLUMINESCENT RECEIVER EXPLAINED
Rob Sherwood NC0B

MAILBAG:

Chris KD4PBJ’s BITX 40 with improved stability
Jerry W0PWE built a DIGITIA! Very nice. Worked Keith N6ORS and heard me! TRGHS
Mike AB1YK’s Al Fresco Scratch built BITX. But give that LC VFO another chance Mike!
Steve N8NM 30 meter rig with salvaged CB LC VFO. FB
Keith N6ORS Franken SDR rig with parts from the 1980s. FB
SKN Bandscan from Mike WA6ARA I worked W1PID Jim!
What is Mikele up to?
Rocking Johannesburg and Kirghizstan via local repeaters:


SolderSmoke Podcast #192 FPM Rig, BITX Module Madness, HRO Al Fresco, Boatanchor Day, Mailbag


 SolderSmoke Podcast #192 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke192.mp3

N6QW COMPLETING AN ORBIT TOMORROW!!!! Happy Birthday Pete!
Shortwave Woes: Deception and Disappointment!
Voice of Vietnam! But it is from Cyprus Creek S.C.
Radio Athmeeya Yatra in Punjabi! but it is in Nauen Germany. Yuck!
Sort of like these 9 cents per minute on-line relay ham stations. Yuck I say!
You know you are a hardcore homebrewer when a near empty can of Deoxit makes you nervous, so you order more, just in case.
Bench Reports:
Pete:
FPM FPM FPM!!! Tell us about it!
BITX 40 Module in Juliano Blue
Explaining the BITX 40 to the local club.
CULTURE SHOCK! Plug and play vs. Hardcore Homebrew.
Bill:
An EXTROVERTED BITX 40 Module
QRO with 24 volts on the Drain: 20 watts out. Heatsink upgrade, Chris KB4PBJ Thanks.
Analog Readout — Dymo tape and a Sharpie arrow
REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTION Where the perfect is the enemy of the good enough.
HRO no longer AL FRESCO Boxed up. Thanks Armand. Thanks Tim Sutton. Still working on AM receiver. Not inhaling very well.
Boatanchor Day: Fixed HT37 and hurt my back. Really. Got 160 meter station going. Changed ball bearings on CW key.
Next project. Another BITX 40, but perhaps for 160, 75 and 60 with Si5351 and plug-in filters.
Sideband History: THE SIDEBAND SUZY AWARD. Pete deserves this. I say we revive it.
LEX: Al Fresco. And Tim Walford calls them “Blackbox rigs” not “rice boxes”
HB2HB contacts. Often with guys who built their linear. I say that counts Too!
MAILBAG