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Sept 16, 2024. How a Real Radio should look like!

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

 


The PENNTEK TR-45L CW Transceiver

The PENNTEK TR-45L radio (made in Pennsylvania) screams volumes with an old school analog panel meter alongside a 16X2 LCD. Imagine this jewel sitting on a picnic bench while you send CQ POTA. It is a chick magnet extraordinaire! [A suggested upgrade: A Juliano Blue LCD.]

This is not unlike the time in 1967 while living at 350 Union Street in San Franscisco, where a movie was being made using our parking garage. The movie was Hospital featuring George C Scott and Julie Christie. In 1967 Christie was 27 years old.

It was early morning, and I had a street facing large window slightly above ground level. I opened my drapes while still in my Navy issued skivvies, (having just finished my 4-year obligation) and there was Julie Christie no more than 10 feet from me. It was the same feeling some 60 years later seeing the TR-45L.

Before getting way off on the deep end, the fully fitted TR-45 is about $750 and at the skinny end (stripped down version) about $200 less. I guess a somewhat premium price for a 4 Band 5-Watt CW transceiver. 

A superb looking transceiver!


Today at 84, Julie Christie loses out in the looks department as compared to the TR-45! But in 1967, a really different story!

Quite frankly, I would be hard pressed to justify spending $750 for a rig like this. But given all of its features and small volume production that cost is likely justified. But due to my other obligations simply not on the Santa wish list. However undeniably it does have the look of a high-class hooker!  

Moving from the High-End Honey's to the Bargain Basement Broad's are some offerings from the 4 State QRP Group


Hilltopper 20 Designed by Dave Benson K1SWL

This kit was designed by Dave Benson of Small Wonder Labs (K1SWL). The price is more in line with my budget gag level, about $125, and available from the 4 States QRP Group. 

Indeed, there is some interesting hardware around us but that also suggests that any ham worth his salt could homebrew a CW rig. One of K1SWL's 1st kits was the NE4020 which I totally homebrewed. Your homebrew offering might not look like the TR-45L or a 1960's Julie Christie but certainly would put Fire in the Wire.

TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pets!

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 15, 2024. Homebrew from ZL2 and LA3 Land

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

If you haven't caught on as yet -- there is a ton of homebrew projects being developed from VK/ZL land. Want proof of that statement, just visit VK3YE's You Tube Channel.

A site worth visiting is from ZL2PD. There are many projects on his site which range from test gear to complete radios.

 


The above is an example from his website. This sure lets you see what is going on between the rig and the antenna. Bravo.

 I also suggest getting a membership with the G-QRP Club and  receive the quarterly SPRAT publication which is chock full of useful radios/test gear. A hallmark of this publication is that what is presented is typically not complex nor requires a home loan to undertake. Issue 200 is soon to be in the mailboxes.

The ubiquitous and often cursed LM386 Audio Amp has been put under the microscope by LA3ZA. If you have ever done the homebrew mating dance, then most likely you have touched a LM386!




The internet is a vast resource to peek into shacks the world over and have a look see of what is on the bench. For many US homebrewer hams, regrettably they limited themselves to the work of W7ZOI, W1FB and W1ICP. (Hayward, DeMaw and McCoy). Certainly, these were tall pillars but there are many more homebrew resources now in the world.

We only need look with wide eyes to see the amazing stuff coming from Farhan and Hans Summers. But many highly talented homebrewers are unknown but yet have done significant work to enrich our shacks and give us new toys on the bench.


If you are a US blog reader and are not registered to vote but eligible to do so -- git er done! 

TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pet!

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 14, 2024. More Homebrew Stuff

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Yesterday's posting about ZL2CTM sure must have struck more than a few chords given the higher than usual hits to this blog. While still a single data point, this signals the interest in SSB transceivers and perhaps looking at the work of others. Thanks to those of you who read the blog. Again, Charlie is a terrific resource -- like I said bookmark his blog site. 


An SMD Bilateral IF Module using the Plessey Circuit

 

That said, ultimately a phase of your project entails the actual hardware build and that in turn involves the how you do it and finally the size of the build. I once saw a homebrew SSB transceiver built on a plank 10 inches wide by 4 feet long. That is a lot to lug up a summit while engaged in a SOTA weekend. Another consideration is that you may want to eventually build several variants of the project.

By using two tools, CNC Milling and SMD hardware it is possible to 1) shrink down our circuits and 2) have PC Board repeatability. Whilst there are those who champion Manhattan Glue down, the SMD and CNC facilitate rapid prototyping. Mind you nothing wrong with the Glue Down but it does add time and starting from scratch for a second build. 

Yesterday's blog showcased ZL2CTM's strip board Audio Amp stage. I built this same circuit some 12 years ago for my KWM-4 and just recently cut another PC Board for the same circuit. See below. Of note -- the new board needs a cleanup, and the burrs sure signal my engraving cutter is getting dull. The important message is that if I want another board -- just punch the Start button.
 

 


A CNC enables Cutting those nice Square Holes!

Use of the CNC goes way beyond cutting circuit boards. A huge additional use is cutting holes in panels and even engraving panels. You are only limited by your imagination. Once I even made a custom bumper mount for my Jeep Wrangler using my CNC.

Shown below is a unit suitable for cutting those nice rectangular holes and available from Lauren Sanchez's boyfriends gift store (Amazon).  A bit more info on CNC milling is at: https://www.n6qw.com/CNCMILL.html



Lunyee 3018 Pro about $350

In the above Gantry Style CNC, the bed moves in the Y direction while the router head itself moves in the X and Z directions. 

The bed on the CNC my #3 son built for me does not use the gantry system. My bed moves in the X and Y direction and the router head only moves in the Z direction. 

TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pet!


73's 
Pete N6QW

Sept 13, 2024. A Simple SSB Transceiver

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Mark this call sign down, ZL2CTM! That call belongs to Charlie Morris a homebrewer extraordinaire. You must look at his blog where he designs a Simple SSB Transceiver. Charlie takes you step by step to design a simple SSB transceiver. A modular builder, his designs give you the excruciating detail about the individual modules. Check it out and yes, we have another offshore homebrewer.



ZL2CTM's Strip Board Audio Amp: NE5534 + LM380

Charlie favors the use of Single Sided Copper Strip Board which facilitates rapid prototyping and something that is an alternative to the glued down (messy) Manhattan Squares.


A 2N3904 IF Amp Stage from ZL2CTM

The above IF Amp stage is designed right before your eyes on the blog and so it is more than a building experience -- it is a learning experience! Check it out!

I have the pleasure of knowing Charlie and he is indeed an international ham radio homebrew resource. Charlie also has an extensive library of You Tube videos for your dining and dancing pleasure!

Finally, TYGNYBNT and Don't eat your pets!

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 12, 2024. Some Homebrew being done Offshore.

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

 



Peter, DK7IH, designed and built this Micro-20 SSB Transceiver. I believe it is about 220 cubic centimeters. One of my original shirt pocket 20M SSB transceivers was 16 cubic inches (2X2X4). But if you do the math that is 250 cubic centimeters so bigger than DK7IH's Gem.

When you look at DK7IH's documentation, you quickly get a sense of a Sardine can chock full of Sardines. Bravo Peter!

In a tip of the cap to DK7IH, Paul VK3HN, has created a design based in part on Peter's work and can be seen here. Bravo Paul!



Thus, another diminutive (pocketsize) SSB & CW Homebrew Transceiver perfect for lugging up a very small hill and yelling CQ SOTA.  Thanks to the Internet we have homebrewers separated by maybe 10,000 miles sharing information and ideas.

Their work, as I can attest, was more than a single weekend effort with Manhattan squares and pine boards. Their small size creates a whole plethora of problems ranging from unwanted circuit feedback, to heat effects and finding those really small components.

But most importantly, Peter and Paul looked beyond the existing rig templates and came up with a topology that not only works very well but is really compact. The embodiment of the "Best of All Worlds". Again, from my personal experience a very tough nut to crack. These two hams are true world class homebrewers. Check out their work and pick up a few ideas to include in your projects. 

In a shameless plug for my work, the smaller 16 cubic inch shirt pocket SSB transceiver has grown to 24 cubic inches to include the nifty Color TFT display and additional upgrades with a receiver RF amplifier and full band coverage. 




TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pet!

73's
Pete N6QW





Sept 11, 2024. Everything that is folded is to be rolled and everything rolled is to be folded!

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Our mandatory "bait photo" ~ $35 for a 7" HDMI Display

Those words were barked to a group of US Navy Midshipmen (me included) by Marine Drill Instructors just prior to a barracks inspection during a summer training cruise. 

Space on a Navy ship is at premium and so personal items are rolled or folded to fit in very small lockers. As usual, the Navy prescribes what is folded and what is rolled. This is a prime example of getting your underwear tied in a knot. 


Two Lockers Stacked

The Saturday morning inspection reversal by the Marines had another purpose and that was to teach the art of adapting, improvising and overcoming an unexpected turn in the road.

I never forgot that lesson and now it is just a part of my life. Whilst dabbling with the electrons it is just a part of the process. A variant is thinking out of the box. 

Often, I will build a prototype and observe the knots and warts which are then addressed in the second build. The lesson, get it working properly 1st and then you can make it pretty. 

It also is a strong point for building in modules as it provides three huge benefits.

1) Being able to test and align a specific sub-element of the whole circuit. Read you know that part works!
2) Having a benchmark and documentation of how a specific circuit performs. Read future troubleshooting has a reference point.
3) The opportunity to experiment with alternate modules such as Audio or Microphone Amplifiers. Read the Modular Approach facilitates such experimentation.

 TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pet!

73's
Pete N6QW


Sept 10, 2024. When a 50 DB over S9 Signal is not enough Fire in the Wire

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Instead of a "Guess Meter" I have been looking at the S Meter Signals coming from my SDR Software. The 1st question out of the Cracker Jack Box is the accuracy of what is being seen. That also raises issues of any calibration and to what standard is being set for the measurements.

I have long felt that an S Meter was a crutch to be able to say to the station on the other end well you are hardly moving the needle. Or the most venerable and cherished response: "you are so strong you're pinning the meter". In reality there is only one measure, and it is binary! You are either being heard, a 1, or I can't hear you, a 0.

As with everything YMMV but unless calibrated and tested what you see on a panel meter or on a display is always suspect. That is why my binary approach may have some validity -- you are either a 1 or a 0!

TYGNYBNT.

73's
Pete N6QW

S Meters and 50dB/9

So just what are S Meter readings, and I must quickly add the reading is highly dependent on the antenna fitted to the radio. A world class radio connected to a 1-foot piece of wire may hear things but certainly lacks the accuracy and likely to miss that 100-milliwatt FT-8 station operating into a low hung dipole on Kingman Reef (KH5K prefix). 

There is a basic underlying assumption and that is the antenna presents 50 Ohms to the receiver input. This sort of says at minimum it is an antenna cut for the band in use and has a 50 Ohm impedance.



(As found in Wikipedia)

The IARU had a recommendation to define a standard where an S9 signal is 50 microvolts (rms) at the input or -73dBm.

The recommendation further defines that a difference of one S-unit corresponds to a difference of 6 decibels (dB), equivalent to a voltage ratio of two, or power ratio of four. Thus, a 1-watt QRP signal that registers an S2 to jump to S3 would have to be like 4 watts. [10*log (4/1) = 6dB]


I used an Online Calculator to affirm 50.2uv (rms) = -73dBm resulting in an S9 report.









Sept 9, 2024. Single Conversion versus Dual Conversion.

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Most of the time when an Owner purchases a non-SDR commercial radio, the last thing to be considered is how many conversions are involved. 

The quick look criteria for the purchaser is how does it sound, the power output, how many bells and whistles are included and if it is the most popular. 

Everyone knows you are judged by the radio you are using. The more expensive the radio the more status you have in the greater ham community. Sadly, when you announce you are using a homebrew radio, the comment that follows: "Well it sounds OK for a homebrew radio".

But for the homebrewer the choice of single, dual or multiple conversion suddenly becomes the burning question of the day. Quite obviously a single conversion likely involves less circuitry which translates into less cost. The less circuitry approach also sidesteps the issue of unwanted mixing products and at times can drive some innovative solutions. 
 
At this point proponents of single versus dual conversion are on par with our current political environment as to mine is better (or bigger) than yours. Actually, the choice may be more of how to best adapt what you have.
 
But single conversion also presents some challenges when trying to fabricate a rig for the higher frequencies especially when trying to use crystal filters that are in the range of 3 to 10MHz. Suddenly, if you are so inclined to use LC Analog VFO's there are some challenges to building a stable 25 MHz VFO. 
 
This is where creativity comes into play as friend N2CQR did with a 10/15M rig. His answer was to homebrew a 25MHz Crystal Filter so with a VFO in the 80M band (3.5 to 4 MHz) you can operate on either band with no sideband inversion. High stability and low frequency drift are the result of the low frequency VFO choice.

But what if you had a really neat 455kHz Mechanical filter and wanted to operate multiple bands. The low frequency filter presents problems in single conversion circuits such as images that start as soon as you move beyond 80M. With the low frequency filters, the use of multiple conversions eases the frequency translation and resolves many of the image issues.
 
KWM-4 Block Diagram

The above block diagram is for a dual conversion all band SSB/CW transceiver (less 30M) using a Collins 455kHz Mechanical Filter. This is an eye chart and difficult to understand unless you have built dual conversion radios in another life.

Basically, all on the air signals are converted to a 10.7 MHz 1st IF and are passed through a roofing filter (10.7 MHz Crystal Filter +/- 3.75 kHz wide). In a second conversion the signals are mixed with a 10.245 MHz Computer Crystal LO signal to produce one output at 455kHz. From there it is a standard 455KHz IF and so on.

Now on transmit, since this is all bilateral circuitry two mixing products come to the 10.7 MHz Crystal Filter. One is at 0.455MHz + 10.245Mhz = 10.7 MHz and the 2nd at 10.245MHz - 0.455MHz = 9.79MHz which is way outside the crystal filter pass band.

I have had great success with this radio and on the air, reports affirm that it is indeed doing well and if I didn't tell you then you would not know it is a homebrew radio. Check my QRZ page for more photos and circuit descriptions.

Of all the radios I have built only two are multiple conversions including the KWM-4 and a solid-state version of the HW-101 which can be seen here. Thus, most of the time I use single conversion because the frequency translation is made easier with the Arduino/Si5351.

TYGNYBNT

73's
Pete N6QW


 
 
 

 

September 8, 2024. CQ Contest CQ Contest this is XV9_

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Holy Smokers it is now full swing back where every weekend is a stupid contest to gum up 20M. Of note yesterday around 7AM local time the Far East was booming through and lighting up my spectrum display on my HL2 SDR. 


One call sign perked up my ears and that was a station looking for contacts from North America and whose call sign began with XV9. In perfect English this DX station was looking for contest contacts. In case you don't know the XV9 was from downtown Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon to us OTs). Wow, 60 years does change things.

There were other Far East DX stations on as well like from Maylasia and Indonesia. One problem here at N6QW -- I had to QRT for my shift at the Board and Care facility, so I reluctantly pulled the Big Switch.

Now something from Lauren Sanchez's boyfriend. It is a 10.7 MHz Crystal Band Pass Filter Why this caught my eye was that I designed a similar circuit for use in my KWM-4 and used it as a roofing filter in one of the conversions. Mine used a +/-3.75kHz filter and with a computer crystal at 10.245 MHz as a 2nd LO, drops you down to 455kHz and on to a mechanical filter. 

You can find 3kHz wide 455kHz filters (KWM-1, and 75A4) and so you could have a full ranged SSB signal. I think this 10.7 MHz filter costs around $26. The KWM-4 1st conversion puts all bands (less 30M) at 10.7 MHz then this filter and the 2nd conversion to 455kHz. 

This also was a part of the solution to the CW problem with the KWM-2. CLK1 on the Si5351 can generate a signal at 455KHz which is keyed in a buffer stage and bypasses the Mechanical Filter.


A Crystal 10.7 MHz Band Pass Filter

It is 4AM and the temperature inside my home was 86F and thus on with the AC so I can write this blog. We have been seeing temperatures well over 105F for the last four days and the kicker is next week we will be lucky to see 75F as a high. There is no climate crisis!

Now to a photo that mates the high temperatures with a solution.  Simply open the doors and stand in front of the shelves to cool down. (Not a really good solution but a solution!)




The bonus is you can snack while you cool down.

TYGNYBNT.

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 7, 2024. Those 20kHz wide Hi Fi SSB Signals

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

You certainly can hear it but with an SDR Radio you sure can see it. I was listening to 40M and saw a really wide signal and it was loud too! 




This is a group that regularly occupies this frequency, and they are not speaking English so it may be hard to communicate to them to crank it back. Kind of obvious that they ride over any one close by! Their home seems to be 7.133MHz.

Have you spot checked your transmitted signal to ensure it does not look like the photo above? Then again if you have a 5 in your call with last two of the suffix letters being AC then you want it like that!

Yes, you can check your signal with the Internet SDR sites, for us on the left coast, like Half Moon Bay or up in Utah -- that is worth the exercise even if you are running a homebrew Analog VFO, old school radio. Regardless how we generate a signal it is our responsibility to ensure the bandwidth is way less than 20kHz for SSB and that it is clean.

For me I can use my HL2 SDR with a short length of snoop antenna to evaluate radios I have built and that has been very useful in the initial set up.

So, how does your signal look and sound on the air?

TYGNYBNT. No Picture No Views.

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 6, 2024. Time for courtesy and civility.

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

 A Big Grumble this morning! A personal experience from my brief time on the air yesterday. A station on 20M was calling CQ and had a bit of a pileup. I responded with my call, and he said QW go ahead. A station from 5 land with a 20kHz wide over driven signal who's last two letters were AC jumps in and starts yakking.


AC is not even close to QW and basically, I was stepped on. I have an inkling as to his political sway but basically not a good operator and totally inconsiderate. He is an affront to the tenets of our beloved hobby. May his coax fail and he blows his final!

But in a glass half full a reminder to us all about on the air courtesy and the need for each of us to practice civility.

I understand that on hackaday today there is featured a simple SDR circuit. Take a look. With a bit of rearranging, it can be made into a transceiver.

Now for the mandatory required photo so readers will look at this blog. An example of a QST project. I hope he didn't build it like shown in the ARRL article as it lacks some critical safety features. But it sure looks so cool! Oh and again Oh, that wasn't very civil of me. But I do have genuine concerns about things like fuses in power supplies and Cathode versus Plate metering in open chassis rigs.




TYGNYBNT. Be courteous and display civility.

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 5, 2024. Up Periscope!

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

A staple of the WWII submarine movies, that command by the Captain or OOD was so that the literally blind submersed submarine could assess the physical situation on the surface.

For us hams we should "up periscope" when it comes to our station equipment and antennas. That is where having a SDR radio is a great "up periscope". Even if I will be operating a homebrew rig or old boat anchor, the SDR lets me see the whole band to get a snapshot view of the band activity in literally real time. 

Yes, you could take your non-SDR radio and tune up and down the band and that would yield a small snippet in 2.7 kHz chunks. But it would be hard to look at the whole band activity in one view using this approach. Your Nano VNA likely would not help but the Tiny SA would certainly give a larger view of the band activity. 

There are those who would posit who cares about total band activity. This is on par with the old blind date axiom, and you get what you get. When I was the OIC of the Advanced Party returning from Vietnam, the CO's XYL thought I needed a blind date. Wow what a score -- she was a knockout looking blonde with a body to match. There was only one problem, I stood 5'6" and she was 6'6". It was a fun evening and totally delightful. So not all bad and the non-SDR radio will get many QSOs. 

Given my home situation and my limited operating time, I need to be efficient when I get on the air.  Certainly, having a view of the whole band lets me maximize that operating time.

Up periscope is also appropriate in our current political environment. 

So, here is a photo to attract blog readers otherwise no one looks. I have the data -- no photos results in fewer readers. 



This is an up periscope for an LCR Meter. I would acquire this jewel given a choice of a Nano VNA or LCR meter. Costing about $130 at Lauren Sanchez's boyfriend gift shop, it is a great sub for the AADE unit no longer available.

Up Periscope TYGNYBNT

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 4, 2024. Match that antenna!

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

We will now start a discourse about antenna tuners, a subject that rivals our current nationwide polarization over political candidates and political parties. In the end it will boil down to just a few thousand votes. So, to those few hams who will decide, I make my case for antenna tuners.


Firstly, why antenna tuners? Well to start with, our transmitters like to be matched to the load. You know that 50 Ohm thing. Matching theory says the maximum power will be transferred from the source to the load when there is a match. Along the way hidden in the bushes is harmonic suppression and reduction of possible damage to your final transistors caused by a mismatch.

In theory an antenna designed specifically to be at the operating frequency and presenting that magic 50 Ohm load can be directly connected to your transmitter and all is right with the world! Few antennas meet that criteria over a whole band of operation let alone multiple bands. That is where, as hams, we get greedy and want that single antenna to be matched over multiple bands and covering the whole band. 

At N6QW I have that single antenna, and it is used over multiple bands but in between my rigs and that antenna is my homebrew AMU (Antenna Matching Unit). 





My AMU has been used at legal limit power levels and runs cool as a cucumber. The form is a T Type tuner with a tapped inductor in the vertical part of the T and two series variable capacitors in the horizontal section. 




The caps are good for 7.5 KV and are rated at greater than 100pF. Note the wide spacing between capacitor plates. On one of the caps is a switchable additional 100pF doorknob capacitor and is engaged on 75/80M. I use a heavy-duty banana plug and jack to manually switch in that capacitor. Note the isolated shaft couplers on the controls so there is a physical separation between the knobs and the actual hardware.

In the middle photo shows my homebrew unit sitting on top of a MFJ Versa Tuner V -- a total piece of junk and not as good as my homebrew unit as it will not match my single antenna to all bands. So, the homebrew stuff is better.

My single antenna is a 40-meter Delta Loop which at its apex is 35 feet high and fed at the top with 450 Ohm line about 45 feet long and connected to a 10kV 9:1 Balun (DX Engineering). To the balun is 100 feet of RG-8 coax (the good stuff) to the homebrew tuner. 

Of note it is possible to add a balun right at the tuner so you could use open wire feeder from the AMU to the antenna.

Now to the conflict and conflagration. Some readers will argue SWR doesn't matter and there is no need to match the antenna to the load. Keep telling yourself that as you send away your ICOM IC7300 to have the finals replaced. 

It took a bit of time to find the hardware but at a total cost of about $300 is far less expensive than that MFJ (Mighty Fine Junk) unit. I should mention my #3 son did some machining work for a ham in the SF Bay Area and he took the MFJ tuner as payment -- so a gift to me. 

This is where TYGNYBNT is spot on!

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept 3, 2024. The Top of Cycle 25 may be near at hand. Build a Beam!

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

It is with great delight and personal experience that I present the ZL Special a two-element beam antenna that traces its roots to New Zealand. A tip of the cap to our friends in ZL land for being ahead of the curve while being frugal.


The year was 1982 and I had just moved my family to St Louis to start a new job. The XYL was very pregnant with our 4th child, and we moved into a large home that despite a healthy downpayment still would tax my resources. 

I wanted a beam but had to do it on the cheap. The answer was a ZL Special Wire Beam antenna that used aluminum tubing and bamboo for the support elements. The electrical radiating part was 450 Ohm Ladder Line duct taped to the bamboo. Keep in mind the now currently popular Hex Beam antenna is a two-element wire beam.

The boom structure sketched below was made from 2X2's to keep the weight down.   



Two element beams have amazing properties but always must be carefully evaluated. The Forward Gain is not 13 dB (like a Rhombic) nor is the Front to Back Ratio 30 db. But 3 or 4dB Forward Gain and perhaps 10 to 12 dB FB Ratio is more like it with the added bonus of side signal rejection is the package. Not a 29A nor a 44DD but somewhere in between. The major appeal is low cost and light weight. The big bonus -- easily home constructed.

It worked well and was a huge step up from a dipole facing a fixed direction. It lasted long enough to where my financial situation improved, and I was transferred to Arizona. Time for a multiband commercial 3 element beam. 

Today I would opt for the 10M version given the sunspot cycle rapidly approaching its zenith.  This keeps the size down and somewhat more manageable to erect. Keep in mind that a bit more thought about the physical construction is mandatory if you live in places like Minot, ND or Gallatin Gateways in Montana.

The other limitation is that typically the ZL Special is a single band beam whereas the Hex Beam is multiband with a single feedline. Obviously, the Hex will cost more but if you are on a ham radio gear diet then the ZL may fit the paradigm.

TYGNYBNT!

73's
Pete N6QW


Sept 2, 2024. Thank the labor movement for the day off.

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Ahh Labor Day, the last day before back to school, the closing of many summer venues, the transition to snow tires and changing the anti-freeze in your car. Don't forget to PM the snow blower. Last but not least and somewhat sadly, the YL's move from the mostly see through tank tops to bulky warm sweaters that hide everything. 

But that also signals two months of political ad nauseum ads and TV essentially a 24/7 blitz of messages that say vote for me. Good thing we have ham radio as a safe harbor. 

A blog reader from the UK has been integrating tubes and transistors into a common circuit capable of spurting RF into the ionosphere. Bravo! Undaunted by the naysayers who only think Tubes or Transistors but not in the same circuit, he has pressed on and so a tip of the cap to him. His next project is the Rx side. 








It can be done!

Take this next two months and challenge yourself to come up with a nifty project like this -- and soon you will be thinking Turkey Day is here.

TYGNYBNT!

73's
Pete N6QW

Sept. 1, 2024. Labor Day weekend 2024 and time to celebrate with a rig of old.

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Reliving the past with a rig of old. Celebrating Labor Day 2024 with a rig not unlike the full figured Mary Jo in the back seat of the 57 VW Beetle. The KWM-1 and the 57 Beetle were manufactured in the same year.



I noted in the video a high-pitched whine and a lot of noise. I could not find the DSP or Noise Reduction buttons or menus (there are none) and this gives a view of what it was like 67 years ago to operate SSB straight out of the bottle. Evidently, I was heard OK at the other end. 

Did anyone notice the drift correction? The rig was just turned on and things we expect and take for granted today were not available in the late 50's. Keep in mind in one small box was a 100-watt globe spanning transmitter and receiver which was a seismic shift forward along the technology continuum. One of the 1250 KWM-1's ended up in a U2 Spy plane shot down over Russia.


TYGNYBNT

73's
Pete N6QW 

August 31, 2024. Last Day of August time to think about Elections.

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Time to take a break from PNP Transistors and so a bit of a tour through Lauren Sanchez' boyfriends gift shop.


This is a Touch Screen Display costing about $17 that plugs into a Arduino Mega 2560 -- it sure caught my eye.


Finally, a dialing keypad (using the touch screen) I can actually see and work with my Fat Fingers. Don't know how complex the programming would be but imagine this as a front panel on a homebrew radio where you can tune and control your rig. I have done it with a mechanical keypad, but this would be a different mouse trap.

It makes the wiring a lot easier as it simply plugs into the Mega 2560.


I find it refreshing that tools such as this are priced to be affordable. It is a great time for homebrewing.

TYGNYBNT


73's
Pete N6QW

August 30, 2024. A PNP 20M SSB Transceiver

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Shown below is the Block Diagram for the 20M PNP SSB Transceiver steered in the Transmit Mode. The components shown in the dotted block are relay steered so that the block module is single pass and amplifies in a single direction.


The Block diagram show steered in Transmit. 


Essentially the steering process works so that the IF Module input follows the Balanced Modulator on Transmit and then the input side follows the Receive Mixer on Receive. All done with some relays and a bit of RG174U coax.

For those who count things in detail, this block diagram is not unlike what was used for the PSSST Transceiver which can be found on my website. Yes, a warmed over P3ST only using PNP devices.

TYGNYBNT.

73's
Pete N6QW




August 29, 2024. The PNP Microphone Stage

✇N6QW ~ The Ham Oracle
N6QW

Hang in there as we soon will complete the PNP journey to develop a rig that employs PNP transistors throughout the topology. So far, we have presented simulations of the circuit modules which can be duplicated by blog readers using LT Spice. 

Essentially, the 2N2907 and 2N2905 are doing the heavy lifting and we have identified a P Type MOSFET to replace the IRF510. 

Today's post adds the 2N2907 Microphone Amplifier stage. This stage cranked wide open can deliver about 29 dB of gain over the speech range 300 to 3000 Hertz. You will not get glowing reports about speech at 100 Hz, but your signal will have a lot of punch for breaking pileups running QRP power levels.

 

 

 

 


By way of recap, we have:

1) A 2N2907 Microphone Amp
2) A 2N2907 and 2N2905 Audio Amp
3) Two 2N2907's in the IF Module
4) A 2N2907 RF Amp/Tx Pre-Driver
5) A 2N2905 Driver Stage
6) P Type MOSFET for the Final Amp
7) Two ADE-1's for the PD/BM and Rx/Tx Mixer
8) Si5351 + Arduino for the LO and BFO

Yes, you guessed it still to come a block diagram and a recap posting of all of the circuit simulations.

See that was not too bad so now back to all of those mysterious menus hidden behind the ICOM IC7300 buttons.

TYGNYBNT

73's
Pete N6QW
❌