{"id":7223,"date":"2025-05-29T14:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T04:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/2025\/05\/29\/soldersmoke-podcast-260-fdim-hollow-state-design-petes-bench-and-the-shelf-of-shame-direct-conversion-project-news-how-best-to-preserve-this-blog-deans-bench-and-the-desk-of-despair-bill\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T12:36:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T02:36:16","slug":"soldersmoke-podcast-260-fdim-hollow-state-design-petes-bench-and-the-shelf-of-shame-direct-conversion-project-news-how-best-to-preserve-this-blog-deans-bench-and-the-desk-of-despair-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/2025\/05\/29\/soldersmoke-podcast-260-fdim-hollow-state-design-petes-bench-and-the-shelf-of-shame-direct-conversion-project-news-how-best-to-preserve-this-blog-deans-bench-and-the-desk-of-despair-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"SolderSmoke Podcast #260 FDIM, Hollow State Design, Pete&#8217;s Bench and the Shelf of Shame, Direct Conversion Project News, How Best to Preserve this Blog?, Dean&#8217;s Bench and the Desk of Despair, Bill&#8217;s Bench and the Garage of Grief, MAILBAG"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gilCwOpMini.png\" style=\"background-color: white; font-size: 17px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"188\" data-original-width=\"737\" height=\"103\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/gilCwOpMini.png\" width=\"400\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>SolderSmoke Podcast #260 is available: <\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Audio version: <a href=\" http:\/\/soldersmoke.com\/soldersmoke260.mp3\"> http:\/\/soldersmoke.com\/soldersmoke260.mp3<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b>Video version: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bZzHSjOTbSY\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bZzHSjOTbSY<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Quote from the Old Miltary Radio Net: &#8220;Being on the leading edge is great, but sometimes being on the trailing edge is more fun.&#8221; Indeed. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Heard from an Australian on the Southern Cross Net: &#8220;My antenna needs a lot of Viagra!&#8221; <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>News from Dayton\/Xenia\/FDIM: <\/b><b>Dayton Xenia. Again, we didn&#8217;t go. But Bob Crane W8SX was there and got a nice interview with Grayson, Hans, and Farhan. We are presenting these and more. <\/b><b>Michigan Mighty Mite Revival at FDIM! Jeff W9TH. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Farhan&#8217;s review of Hollow State Design:<i> <\/i><\/b><b><span face=\"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; font-style: italic;\">I am compelled to set aside the<\/span><span face=\"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; font-style: italic;\"> future of my family and to orphan my cats to resume work on the 250v power supply that I built last year. Inshallah, Allah favors those who favor thermatrons! <\/span><span face=\"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; font-style: italic;\"> Grayson&#8217;s book <\/span><span face=\"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; font-style: italic;\">is imbued with deep experimental insights and littered with gems. You have to read it over and over to find new things each time. <\/span><span face=\"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; font-style: italic;\"> <\/span><span face=\"Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;\"><i>It goes into my reference shelf in the lab.&#8221; <\/i> Buy it here:<i> <\/i><\/span><\/b><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ermag.com\/product-category\/books\/\">https:\/\/www.ermag.com\/product-category\/books\/ <\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<div><b style=\"font-family: inherit;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>PETE&#8217;S BENCH:<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>Pete working on <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/n6qw.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/jf3hzb-analog-dial-update.html\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">JF3HZB dial<\/a><b>. Send Pete a Heath mono-bander! <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>MHST on <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/n6qw.blogspot.com\/2025\/04\/uncle.html\" style=\"font-weight: bold;\">shelf of shame<\/a><b>? Even the great ones have to take a break every so often. On the importance of taking a break. Ernest Rutherford 1917 and all that: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/on-importance-of-taking-break.html \">https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/on-importance-of-taking-break.html <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>Channelized 40 meter rig. Heard in Arizona by Andy KB7ZUT on a HOMEBREW SSB Reciever. Very rare. SWL HB2HB. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pete: Thumb broken as a Novice? Early episode of Fat Finger Syndrome? <\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">DC RX NEWS: <\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Quote from N6QW: &#8220;The radios do not build themselves!&#8221; <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Alan W2AEW <a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/alan-wolke-w2aews-fb-homebrew.html\">finishes Direct Conversion Receiver<\/a>. And even he worries about feedback! <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Phil W1PJE <a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/04\/phil-w1pjes-amazing-mit-soldersmoke.html\">MIT receiver<\/a> (with cool MIT stuff). Coming to see us! <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">KN6FVK&#8217;s Barkausen-Be-Gone Spray :<a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/john-kn6fvks-fb-homebrew-soldersmoke.html\">https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/john-kn6fvks-fb-homebrew-soldersmoke.html<\/a><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>Indian hams working DC RX. <\/b><span face=\"\"Trebuchet MS\", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;\">VU2JXN Ramakrishnan, <\/span><span face=\"\"Trebuchet MS\", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;\">VU2TUM Puneit Singh, Ashish N5ASD, building one in Bangalore with 3D printed form from Scott, KQ4AOP. Ramakrishnan is planning on building a second receiver with his daughter. <\/span><span face=\"\"Trebuchet MS\", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;\">On June 22, 2008 in SolderSmoke #86 we reported on the birth of Ramakrishnan&#8217;s daughter. This is that same daughter!<\/span><span face=\"\"Trebuchet MS\", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #333333; font-weight: bold;\"> See:<\/span><span style=\"color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;\"><span face=\"\"Trebuchet MS\", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white;\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2024\/01\/long-time-soldersmoke-supporter.html\"><span face=\"Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\"><span>https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2024\/01\/long-time-soldersmoke-supporter.html<\/span><\/span><span face=\"\"Trebuchet MS\", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif\" style=\"background-color: white;\"> <\/span><\/a> <\/span>H<span style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-weight: bold;\">ow to get a PTO form in India. A tip from Ramakrishnan: &#8220;I got the 3d printing done via <\/span><a data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/robu.in&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1746723919347000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1bubYIj5NDosmQLBwcCigk\" href=\"https:\/\/robu.in\/\" style=\"background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-weight: bold;\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/robu.in<\/a><span style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-weight: bold;\"> with 1:1 size. After uploading the stl, I received it by post in 5 days or so.&#8221;<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><span style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-weight: bold;\">German students of Andreas DL1AJG. and Canadian students of Daniel VE5DLD. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><span style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-weight: bold;\">Receiver built in Singapore! 9V1\/KM7ABZ<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>John M0XJA reports 8 members of his <a href=\"Hi yeah my name's John Call M0XJA and the club is TDARS in Telford Shropshire UK https:\/\/tdars.org.uk\/\">club<\/a> are building this receiver. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;\">Chuck N4AVC got his PTO coil form 3D printed at the local library. For free! FB! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-weight: bold;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Few admit to being fooled by April Fool story. But still, inspirational. VK3HN was going for a few seconds &#8212; SOTA AI chatbots? John West liked the 85th harmonic threat. <\/b><\/p>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">What next after DC RX? Choose carefully! Don&#8217;t bite off more than you can chew. <\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Do some mods! Build something else! And remember to be a homebrew Elmer. Help someone else build the receiver. <\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Check out the SolderSmoke blog on the WayBack Machine. The blog, not the podcast. www.soldersmoke.blogspot.com Would this be a useful backup if Google were to pull the plug on blogspot? Is the format OK? Is the template recoverable? How best should we backup the SolderSmoke blog? <\/b><\/p>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Be a Patreon SolderSmoke Sponsor! Please subscribe to the YouTube channel! Buy your Amazon stuff through our link. Buy stuff from Mostly DIY RF. <\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><br \/><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><b>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/b><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><br \/><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n<div><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">DE<\/span><\/b><b>AN&#8217;S BENCH:<\/b><\/div>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Dean has completed <a href=\"https:\/\/kk4das.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/kk4das-mb-20-transceiver-complete.htm\">his Mythbuster<\/a>:<a href=\"https:\/\/kk4das.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/kk4das-mb-20-transceiver-complete.html\"> https:\/\/kk4das.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/kk4das-mb-20-transceiver-complete.html <\/a> Plexiglass top! <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Diode switching<\/b>. <\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Dean: Build of the SDR receiver. Microscope required? <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">____________________<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">BILL&#8217;S BENCH:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/05\/hcjb-is-now-in-western-australia-in.html\">VK6JDW and HCJB in the Kimberly. <\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span face=\"proxima-nova-n7, proxima-nova-n6, proxima-nova, sans-serif\">The stages of separation: Shack, Garage, Car trunk: HP-8640B and HAMEG scope saved from garage. HP-8640B repair. HAMEG Modulation Monitor. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit;\">=================<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit;\">MAILBAG<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Wouter ZS1KE. Thinks Soviet spies COULD homebrew. Hamilton KD0FNR concurs. <\/b><\/span><\/span><b style=\"background-color: white;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soldersmoke.blogspot.com\/2025\/04\/agent-sonya-did-soviet-spies-really.html\">Agent Sonya and Soviet Spy homebrew<\/a>. Copacetic Flow. I dunno&#8230;.<\/b><b style=\"background-color: white; font-family: inherit;\">I dunno&#8230; <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Hamilton KD0FNR grew up in New Mexico, supports my idea of Starlink deorbit. See : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kallmorris.com\/columns\/goodness-gracious-green-balls-of-fire\">https:\/\/www.kallmorris.com\/columns\/goodness-gracious-green-balls-of-fire<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Adam N0ZIB Heard my 10 meter beacon from the DR. 28,233.5 MHz On now. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Rick N3FJZ Great memory Direct Conversion messages. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; John KN6FVK had fun with DC RX. Tattoos on Board. We need a high sign! Like the Little Rascals. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Adrian M7EFO DC RX builder in GQRP. FB.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Steve KW4H Kits not the same as homebrew, but old Boatanchor kits have value. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Mike WU2D &#8212; Old buddy Charles Kitchen SK. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Craig &#8212; Some really nice feedback on Hack-A-Day re DC RX and Dean&#8217;s videos. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Peter VK3TPM proposes a certificate for SolderSmoke DC RX Honor Roll. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Michael WN2A used a 3 inch reflector from Northern New Jersey. Edmunds Scientific &#8220;Space Conqueror&#8221; <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Phil W1PJE and Mike WN2A lament that our eyes don&#8217;t pick up radio frequencies. This would be a great troubleshooting tool! I can SEE the IMD! Perhaps some tin foil hats? <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; John WPE9IRS SW listener! Heard my beacon. Many SWLs switching to tuning in ham stations. <\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Peter VK3YE found a homebrew 160 meter double-sideband transciever at a hamfest. He also found &#8220;Solid State Basics for the Radio Amateur &#8212; A QST Anthology&#8221; NOT SSDRA. But good!<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b>&#8212; Peter VK2EMU From the Southern Cross (I took a picture of it in the DR!) Building the DC RX!<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\"><b> <\/b><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ramakrishnan.jpg\" style=\"background-color: white; font-size: 17px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" border=\"0\" data-original-height=\"503\" data-original-width=\"512\" height=\"314\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ramakrishnan.jpg\" width=\"320\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"><span style=\"background-color: white;\"><span face=\"proxima-nova-n7, proxima-nova-n6, proxima-nova, sans-serif\" style=\"font-size: 17px;\">Ramakrishnan VU2JXN<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SolderSmoke Podcast #260 is available: Audio version: http:\/\/soldersmoke.com\/soldersmoke260.mp3 Video version: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bZzHSjOTbSY Quote from the Old Miltary Radio Net: &#8220;Being on the leading edge is great, but sometimes being on the trailing edge is more fun.&#8221; Indeed. Heard from an Australian on the Southern Cross Net: &#8220;My antenna needs a lot of Viagra!&#8221; News from Dayton\/Xenia\/FDIM: &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/2025\/05\/29\/soldersmoke-podcast-260-fdim-hollow-state-design-petes-bench-and-the-shelf-of-shame-direct-conversion-project-news-how-best-to-preserve-this-blog-deans-bench-and-the-desk-of-despair-bill\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;SolderSmoke Podcast #260 FDIM, Hollow State Design, Pete&#8217;s Bench and the Shelf of Shame, Direct Conversion Project News, How Best to Preserve this Blog?, Dean&#8217;s Bench and the Desk of Despair, Bill&#8217;s Bench and the Garage of Grief, MAILBAG&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7224,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,35,248,154,68,41,49,90],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-direct-conversion","category-direct-conversion-challenge","category-evans-grayson","category-india","category-juliano-pete","category-soldersmoke-podcast","category-souleles-dean"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7223","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\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7223"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7223\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7226,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7223\/revisions\/7226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7223"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7223"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.homebrewradio.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7223"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}