Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Pine Boards, Analog VFOs, and Homebrew BITX Transceivers -- AG5VG's Magnificent Creations

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This is amazingly cool.  WE ARE NOT ALONE!  There are others out there breaking the tyranny of the Si5351, building BITXs with analog LC VFOs.  And using copper clad boards affixed to pine boards. Plywood cabinetry!  And medicine bottle coil forms.  Really great.  And what a wonderful workshop. Thanks Michael.     

Good Afternoon Bill,


This is Michael Sahn, AG5VG.

I hope your doing well, all is well here in south Texas. I have recently built a bitx20 receiver and bitx20 for 40 meters receiver.

I built it using the analog VFO and both of mine are stable. What an awesome feeling it is to have a stable homebrew VFO. I have attached pictures .

It’s been a fun journey to get to this step. I have just been enjoying the receiver as Farhan instructed us. Then I’m going to go through the transmit side.

Air core coils are great for VFO. On my bitx40 I used a medicine bottle bottom but I put the VFO in a tin can as you will see in the pictures.

The bitx20 is all out, hand capacitance is a slight issue but it’s all learning experience.
Going to be adjusting the pvc coil bandpass filter inductors, I think the value is a bit off so it’s not as loud as it should be, but everything else is set good.

Just wanted to check in and great job on the videos and podcasts. I really enjoy them

73s
Michael

Click on image for a better view

Click on image for a better view

3 comments:

  1. This is really cool! Thank you for sharing!

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  2. Very nice. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. I can relate to the phrase "breaking the tyranny of the Si5351" , but maybe for different reasons. While the simplicity of the LC VFO is greatly appreciated, my problem with this device is less to do with programming, but is related to the device's sole sourcing. This was problem was magnified by the pandemic when this device was unobtainium. As long as a device, discrete or integrated, is universally available like a transistor, opamp, or much more sophisticated chips that can be functionally replaced by something else, I am good with it. But this device is a lone duck.

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