{"id":424,"date":"2012-10-05T09:32:00","date_gmt":"2012-10-04T23:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/2012\/10\/05\/sputnik-party-2012-soapbox\/"},"modified":"2025-07-20T13:07:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T03:07:35","slug":"sputnik-party-2012-soapbox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/2012\/10\/05\/sputnik-party-2012-soapbox\/","title":{"rendered":"Sputnik Party 2012 Soapbox"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/div>\n
Poster by Steve “Snort Rosin” Smith<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n


<\/b><\/span><\/span> 3 October from AA1TJ:<\/b><\/span><\/span>

<\/span><\/span> Here’s an admittedly late reminder that the Sputnik Party begins<\/span><\/b>
tomorrow (4 October). I’ve been preoccupied with non-hobby concerns in<\/b><\/span>
recent months but I did manage to throw something together for the<\/b><\/span>
event.<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> My transmitter follows the lines of the 10mW, battery-powered, RF<\/b><\/span>
beacon that was carried into orbit in 1958 by “Vanguard 1.” You may<\/b><\/span>
recall this is the one Premier Nikita Khrushchev characterized as “the<\/b><\/span>
grapefruit satellite.”<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> My present build uses essentially the same circuitry and componentry<\/b><\/span>
as did an earlier, 20m version; details of which can be found at<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> http:\/\/aa1tj.blogspot.com\/2012\/06\/vanguard-1-satellite-transmitter.html<\/b><\/a>

<\/b> The 15m version drives a 44m end-fed wire with 30milliWatts.<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> The receiver that I built for the event is essentially a “Q-multiplier<\/b><\/span>
-> detector” type regenerative job. However, the Q-multiplication is<\/b><\/span>
accomplished by a parametric amplification using a quartz-crystal<\/b><\/span>
controlled pump. I thought it would be historically appropriate given<\/b><\/span>
that parametric amplifiers were all the rage in the late 1950’s.<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> I put together the keying and R\/T changeover circuitry this morning.<\/b><\/span>
When it appeared that “all systems were go” I began sending CQs on<\/b><\/span>
21.060MHz. The band, or at least that portion of the band (the<\/b><\/span>
receiver only tunes from 21.060 to 21.064MHz), seemed rather quiet,<\/b><\/span>
but my 6th call netted a “dit dit dah dah dit dit.” Resending my call,<\/b><\/span>
I was very pleased to hear HB9DCL come back to me from just outside of<\/b><\/span>
Zurich. The reports were 579\/339. Frank was running 5W to a log<\/b><\/span>
periodic antenna. I sure hope this is a sign of things to come!<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> I hope to be at the key by 1300Z tomorrow. Although my little<\/b><\/span>
“grapefruit” only puts out 30mW, folks running “Sputniks” made from<\/b><\/span>
ex-Soviet subminiature “rod tubes” should be at least two S-units<\/b><\/span>
stronger. A number of European stations will be operating this year<\/b><\/span>
and at least one station that I know of will be QRV from Japan. Just<\/b><\/span>
listen for the beeps and give them a call!<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> Thank you,<\/b><\/span>
Mike, AA1TJ<\/b><\/span>

<\/span> …………………..<\/span>

<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
04\/10\/12 ( first day)<\/div>\n
dear friends &Sputnikers<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
today a Belgian “sputnik clone” crossed the pond<\/div>\n
first hit<\/div>\n
15:22 with N0UR a 2 x sputnik “solid” QSO<\/div>\n
\n
Jim wrote: Thanks QSO, here is how you sounded in MN<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n
( in attach)<\/em><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
16:00 second hit with AA1TJ , Mike “the inventor of all this Sputnik madness” hix 3 <\/div>\n
this time a bit more difficult but at last we could manage to exchange reports,<\/div>\n
between the QRM and noise at last got confirmation , <\/div>\n
Mike’s sigs here where 339 but still copyable<\/div>\n
all OK with my 559 sigs then suddenly some other sputnikers came on the scene and I lost Mike<\/div>\n
nevertheless<\/div>\n
with my 60 years again excited as a young boy<\/div>\n
as we made some history today hi x 3<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
will take a picture<\/div>\n
for the moment a complete mess as the DC\/DC invertor inside the sputnik broke down<\/div>\n
lost the very early contact with UA1CEG suddenly no more power in the SPUTNIK-cabine LOL<\/div>\n
had to drag my new testbench power supply (still under construction )<\/div>\n
or lot of things to fix for those lausy 700 milliwatts hahahaha<\/div>\n
73 to all<\/div>\n
Jos<\/div>\n
ON6WJ<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
……………………………<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
News flash…Sputnik worked Vanguard across the pond. I just sent this<\/b><\/span>
letter to some of the guys<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> Dear Friends<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> I won’t forget this morning’s QSO with ON6WJ anytime soon! As he<\/b><\/span>
beeped\/called CQ I could hear him riding on waves of QSB. I kept<\/b><\/span>
hoping he would end on the top of the wave. It happened one time and<\/b><\/span>
Jos sent “AA1TJ?” but by the time I re-sent my call we were back in<\/b><\/span>
the trough of the wave. He started calling again and once again I<\/b><\/span>
crossed my fingers. Finally it happened, he ended on top of a<\/b><\/span>
particularly strong peak…and sure enough, he copied my callsign. It<\/b><\/span>
took more effort to exchange the reports but we eventually did it! He<\/b><\/span>
confirmed my 559 and I did the same for my 339 report. It must be true<\/b><\/span>
that anything worthwhile doesn’t come easy, because the more difficult<\/b><\/span>
the QSO the more I seem to enjoy it! I copied Jos’ info: “SPUTNIK PWR<\/b><\/span>
700mW = ANT 3EL YAGI” perfectly on my tiny receiver. Just as amazing,<\/b><\/span>
he copied my 30mW transmitter made from one PNP Germanium transistor<\/b><\/span>
dating from September of 1959. Needless to say, I’m a happy camper<\/b><\/span>
today. Merci Beaucoup, Jos.<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> Just above my operating frequency I heard PA0PJE sending “CQ Sputnik.”<\/b><\/span>
You had a beautiful signal here, PJ! It was easily S6 on the peaks. My<\/b><\/span>
transmitter frequency trimmer adjustment is buried in a rat’s nest of<\/b><\/span>
wires which I didn’t dare stick my hand in so early in the day.<\/b><\/span>
However, if I hear you again I will definitely risk it.<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> Thanks Carlo\/IZ4KBS and congratulations on your Russian QSO. Any<\/b><\/span>
contact all with this simple stuff is reason for a celebration!<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> …and now back to the Hobbit Hole for another dose of QRPp.<\/b><\/span>

<\/b> 73\/72,<\/b><\/span>
Mike, AA1TJ<\/b><\/span><\/div>\n


<\/b> <\/p>\n

Our book: “SolderSmoke — Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics” http:\/\/soldersmoke.com\/book.htm<\/a> Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http:\/\/www.cafepress.com\/SolderSmoke<\/a> Our Book Store: http:\/\/astore.amazon.com\/contracross-20<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poster by Steve “Snort Rosin” Smith 3 October from AA1TJ: Here’s an admittedly late reminder that the Sputnik Party begins tomorrow (4 October). I’ve been preoccupied with non-hobby concerns in recent months but I did manage to throw something together for the event. My transmitter follows the lines of the 10mW, battery-powered, RF beacon that … Continue reading “Sputnik Party 2012 Soapbox”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":425,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[157,96,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aa1tj","category-russia","category-space-program"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":426,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424\/revisions\/426"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}