The Internet is Dying

 Thanks to Rogier PA1ZZ for sending this.  Rogier is a real human! 

ElectroBOOM! CuriousMarc Tries (and fails) to fix an old HP182C Oscilloscope -- Words of Wisdom for all Homebrewers

"You try your best to improve something that already almost works... and then you ZAP it entirely in the process.  This is the worst feeling ever.  But don't kick yourself.   This is our lot.  We are made to suffer." CuriousMarc

Indeed.  Take heart homebrewers.  Even CuriousMarc (who is a ham!) has been there and done that. 

This particular CuriousMarc episode was, I think, especially good: 

-- It reminded me of WHY I gave up on my beloved Tek 465 and went with Rigol DSO scopes.  I found I was fixing the Tek scope too often.  Plus, my Tek 465 had PLUG-IN TRANSISTORS.  Yikes!  One false move and you would insert 2 or 3 new problems into the already broken 'scope.  The high voltage in there was really scary.  I had to borrow a high voltage probe from Alan W2AEW.  I survived, but we shouldn't have to risk our lives for hobby test gear!

-- I would advise all homebrewers to be more careful around the really high voltages you will find in old 'scopes and TVs.  Remember the lesson of Ross Hull:

https://www.wia.org.au/members/contests/rosshull/documents/Ross%20Hull%20-%20VHF%20Pioneer.pdf

Read the article that starts on page 7:

 https://www.rsp-italy.it/Electronics/Magazines/QST/_contents/QST%201938_11.pdf

-- Marc struggled with a junction FET.  This reminded me of the raging J310 debate on the Discord channel for the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver. 

-- We see the oscillator signal flat-topping when it turns on the diodes -- again DC RX memories. 

-- Marc had trouble seeing how the oscillator would start.  I too had trouble understanding how an oscillator would get going. 

-- At one point Marc replaced a transistor with a device that grounded the drain.  This will happen if you switch too quickly from say an RD06 to an IRF-510.   With the IRF-510 you need to insulate the tab from the grounded heat sink.    

It will be great to see, in subsequent episodes, how Marc makes it work.  It is really great to see someone present an unvarnished view of how troubleshooting really works.  

Thanks Marc.   73 

Here is Marc's YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousMarc

FAKE, FRAUDULENT COMPONENTS on Ali Express

We had been thiking that no one would go to the trouble of deliberately labeling electronic components as something that they are not.  Surely, we thought, the fake components we were seeing we probably just factory rejects that were swept up off the floor and sold rather than being discarded. 

But it is much worse than that.  This video from Spain shows how someone is taking PNP transistors and DELIBERATELY labeling them as Unijunction transistors.  And then selling the fake UJTs on Ali Express. 

The Spanish video priducer is, I think, far to kind to the fraudsters.  He claims that they are simply trying to get a decent price for their product. Apparently, in this view, buyers are unwilling to pay what it would be worth to make REAL UJTs.  So, what is a producer to do?  Just take some BJTs and FRAUDULENTLY labelt them, selling them as real UJTs to unsuspecting buyers. 

There is no sugar-coating this.  This is fraud.  

The video from Spain appears above.  Here is the article from Hack-A-Day:

https://hackaday.com/2025/08/04/the-scourge-of-fake-retro-components-like-unijunction-transistors/

Paul K9ARF -- SolderSmoke and a Knack Story

Bill:

Having been an occasional Solder-Smoke listener, I recently purchased your book "Solder Smoke Adventures" to read during vacation.  Previously I limited reading material to technical material, but I retired two years ago and can now allow myself to read stuff just for fun.  I devoured your book.

I found you and I to be kindred spirits, seeking to understand the mysteries of electricity and electromagnetic waves as we follow life's path.  We're close to the same age, you're a couple years my senior.

My fascination with electronics began as a boy when my Dad and I put together a crystal receiver as a Cub Scout project.  I fondly remember my father scrambling up on the roof to string a long wire as an antenna, and then listening to the Cubs ballgame in the earpiece.  No batteries required!

I exhibited "knack" tendencies later as an early teen.  At a local estate sale I picked up some magazines teaching basic TV repair, and a box of parts that previously was a portable B/W TV.  My family was amazed when I resurrected that little TV set.

My career path went into audiovisual interests - I heard broadcast engineers made a lot of money, so I went to Milwaukee Area Tech College electronics communications program.  The students there ran UHF channel 36 alongside the professionals running TV channel 10 (both pbs affiliates).  On the way to getting your 1st class "phone" license, we learned 2way radio (2nd class).  I found that repairing things was far more fun than pushing buttons in Master Control, so I ended up working in 2way.

While attending MATC, I met some guys who were hams - and they invited me to my first-ever hamfest.  Wow.  A gathering of electronics enthusiasts, many who also have "the knack".  I purchased a couple of old books cheap, not knowing this would steer my life in the future: the antenna book and a 1970s radio amateur handbook, both from ARRL.  Reading these books, I was intrigued by people who design and build their own equipment - the ultimate in coolness!

I guess what really kept me interested in reading your book is your desire to understand the basic building blocks of electronics - how does it work?  This mirrors my personal experience.  Though I have formal electronics training, my schooling was aimed mostly at troubleshooting, finding the malfunction.  The understanding of why the components in a circuit are the values specified and how they produce the desired output was, like you, a lifelong learning process I still work on today.

My adventure into Amateur Radio was delayed by life activities: marriage, a house, and a child.  It didn't help that I never met any hams in rural north Wisconsin.  I finally met an amateur who was a VE, and Radio Shack study materials had me on the way in 1990-91.

I tested in early '91 and passed the Novice, Tech, and 5 wpm code - the VE knew that I was a career radio tech, and at his urging I passed the General written test too.  My initial call was N9KQX (a horrible cw call).  The next months had me work on my code speed and study the Advanced material, and later I became KF9GQ.

At that test session, I sat alongside a gentleman who was taking his 20 wpm code test (wow).  A few months later he was one of my interviewers as I applied for a new job - Radio Tech for the Electric & Gas utility in Green Bay.  I believe my ham radio hobby helped me land that position, which I held 30 years to retirement.

When the vanity call sign program started, I changed my call to K9ARF "amateur radio fun" (yes, I like dogs...) or "analog radio fan" - life must include a sense of humor.

In my years as a ham, I have done quite a bit of homebrewing, from repeaters and accessories for my station, to test gear and complete transceivers.  My proudest projects were building W7ZOI's spectrum analyzer and a multiband KK7B based phasing transceiver using AA0ZZ's DDS synthesizer kits.

I want to thank you and the other solder smoke guys for what you do.  Hopefully I will someday have an opportunity to meet you in person to share a cold beverage, laugh and tell stories of molten solder variety.  Keep up the good work!!

73 de K9ARF Paul, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Bill WA5DSS's FB SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver

 

Bill WA5DSS built this beautiful receiver back in December 2024.  Somehow I failed to include him in our Hall of Fame.  Well, better late than never, right?   Please let me know if we have missed anyone else. 

I think it looks and sounds great, on both CW and SSB.   Note the Costa Rica station in there in the SSB portion of the recording.  

Back in December 2024, Bill wrote: 

Bill, Dean,
I forgot to send you a recording. This is what I recorded last night. I did not let it “warm up” so the stability is a little better after awhile. Also, I have a knob for tuning…just haven’t hacked off the head of the bolt yet.

I have put the receiver up for now. I am trying to get a Heathkit DX-60 on the air for New Years Eve Straight Key night. It’s the only time I attempt a straight key. Also I am amazed at how difficult it was to operate these old cw radios. No wonder I didn’t get many contacts back in the early sixties...

...This has been an interesting project for me. I have built many kits since becoming interested in electronics during the 1960s but this is the first time I have started with unetched boards. I think I prefer the “dead bug” style over Manhattan. I don’t have the patience to plan out where all those islands go! 

Bill WA5DSS

The Guy with the USB-powered X-Ray Machine -- The Identity of the Project 326 Builder

This morning a comment came in from Hong Kong/Shenzhen that explained who Project 326 is and why he was saying "tubes" and not "valves": 

--------------------

Thank you for featuring my video. Some background for you, I am a British engineer and have lived in China for over 20 years. I am resident in both Hong Kong and Mainland China (Shenzhen, which is just over the border from Hong Kong). I used the term vacuum tubes as most of the viewers are from the US and us Brits are fully conversant with both terms, but in the US, they are often less 'bilingual' in these kinds of phrases.

Hope that helps!

----------------------

It does indeed help a lot.  Please continue to make great videos like the one about the USB X-Ray machine.  

Here is the channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/@project-326

Joe N90K's FB SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver

Congratulations to Joe N9OK on his homebrew build of the SolderSmoke direct conversion receiver. Welcome to the Hall of Fame Joe.  

Joe makes some very nice comments on the benefits of doing this in a homebrew way:  

I've build many dozens kits over the years, esp Knight, Heath, K2, K3, and others. This was my first receiver built from scratch. It works surprisingly well and has decent sensitivity. Thanks @Bill N2CQR and Dean @Soldersmoke for creating this challenge. It was fun and non-trivial. The only stage I had issues with was the amplifier, which was too compact on v1. v2 works well.

I think Joe should hold onto that smaller version of the AF amp. I think he could get that stablized and it could become the heart of yet another FB DC RX.

Joe went the extra mile and measured the minimum discernible signal of the receiver:

 

I see no problem with Joe's measurment technique.  I think the key word here is "discernible."  Often people will focus on the RF signal that will produce a 3 db or 10 db increase in audio signal.  But Joe has just looked at the RF signal level that will create a discernible audio signal.  That is fine.  As Joe demonstrates, this simple DC receiver is remarkably sensitive.  

Ham Radio Ireland Magazine available for free download

I was recently talking on 17 meters to my good friend Mike EIOCL.  He mentioned that Steve Wright EI5DD had put out new editions of Ham Radio Ireland -- a very FB publication.  This morning a message from Steve showed up in one of my e-mail accounts: 

Hi,

 

Here is the link to the latest August 2025 issue of Ham Radio Ireland Magazine, A free publication downloadable from the following link in PDF Format https://docdro.id/Hg8uxRx

 

 

Recently we introduced the facility of an Online FlipBook which enables you to turn the pages on Screen.

 

Here is the link to the FlipBook https://heyzine.com/flip-book/7b84284360.html

 

Once the link opens there is a box at the top right-hand corner which will enable enlargement and clicking on the Cloud Icon will allow the PDF to be downloaded. There is even a share facility.

 

If you have enjoyed our magazine, please share on social media or distribute around you club members as this will increase our circulation.

 

If you are a Secretary of a club do feel free to send us information about your planned activities and we will include them in our news section. It is free publicity.

 

Steve EI5DD Editor

John EI3HQB Sub Editor

---------------------------

Check it out!  Thanks Steve and John.  And thank you Mike! 

The Decline in Quality

"Artificial intelligence itself could deteriorate if no action is taken. In 2024, bot activity accounted for almost half of internet traffic. This poses a serious problem: language models are trained with data pulled from the web. When these models begin to be fed with information they themselves have generated, it leads to a so-called “model collapse.” "

https://english.elpais.com/culture/2025-07-20/the-bewildering-phenomenon-of-declining-quality.html

The Red-Shifted Neutral Hydrogen Signal from the Cosmic Dark Ages is in the Range of our Direct Conversion Receiver

On the flight to the Dominican Republic I was listening to Fraser Cain's interview with Dr. Christiaan Brinkerink.   I was kind of blown away when they started talking about where the neutral Hydrogen signal would be NOW, after the all of the cosmological red shift.  Asked this question, Christiaan kind of casually responds that it would be "just above 7 MHz."  He talks about this at 41 minutes and 41 seconds in the video above.  He points out that this represents a redshift of about 200.   Wow, that is just where our SolderSmoke Direct Conversion receivers tune, and where their PTO/VFOs operate.  And we thought Radio Marti was a factor to consider!   No wonder Christiaan and his colleagues want to go to the far-side of the moon.  They want to get above the ionosphere, but they also want to get the shielding provided by the moon to protect them, I suppose, from signals like those being produced by the 40 meter ham band, and, (to a lesser extent) by devices like our little oscillator. 

You can watch Fraser's interview with Christiaan above.  It is really interesting and inspirational.  Christiaan talks about dipole arrays, RFI, interferometers, sensitivity, signals of "several kHz" in width, dynamic range, and other topics known to us.  Christiaan is an "Instrument Systems Engineer" at Radboud University.  I think he deserves a ham radio license.  Maybe he should build a SolderSmoke Direct Conversion receiver.  Fraser should build one too.  

Here are a couple of links to articles about this: 

https://www.universetoday.com/articles/observing-the-dark-ages-of-the-universe-from-the-far-side-of-the-moon

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10961189/

Thank you Fraser and Christiaan. 

Fritz's FB SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver

Fritz did an excellent job on his build of the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion receiver.  Fritz writes: 

Hi folks!  First-time radio builder here, and I've just completed my DCR build! (Pic and video below...)

I have a background in electronics, but mostly audio, digital, video games, tube guitar amps, etc.  My only previous experience with radio was a restoration of a small AA5-style radio for a friend.  I first saw this project featured on w2aew's site and it seemed too fun not to try.  First go with Manhattan construction, too, and I really enjoyed it!

Though I built everything on one board, I did test the modules one by one as I went.  I did build and test the audio amp "left to right" instead of the other way around, because I have enough bench gear that I could check as I went without relying on the speaker. 

My audio amp build did tend to motorboat turned about half-way up, particularly with no RF input.  It was easy to see on the 'scope that the DC power bus was the feedback path.  Threw a couple 470uF on there and that pretty well quenched it.  In addition to the coil former, I also 3d printed a battery clip and and bracket for the volume pot.

Tuning turned out to be pretty delicate/twitchy, but I am getting better at it.  I opted to start with the 28 TPI steel screw after reading some things on the blog.  I will probably end up moving some of the windings off the tuning former to try and improve this, and/or investigate a fine tuning option.

I am running right now with a 33' wire out my basement window, up the side of the house, and partway across my flat roof, plus a 16' counterpoise on the basement floor.  Will probably get more ambitious with a feedline to a vertical wire in a tall tree in the backyard away from the house this upcoming week.

No license or callsign yet, but I've definitely got the bug with this project, so am reading the materials and hope to take the exam(s) soon!

-----------------

Congratulations Frtiz -- Welcome to the Hall of Fame! 

Britain's EF-50 Valve (Tube, Thermatron) in WWII

Thanks to Rogier PA1ZZ for sending us this.