Walter KA4KXX and Mike WN2A and I were recently talking about the degree to which we are 100% homebrew. Both these guys come a lot closer to this goal than I do. Here is my assessment of my gear:
I fall far from a state of 100% homebrew grace:
-- I use commercial power supplies. I justify this by saying that I could use batteries, and I wouldn't build them.
-- I use a D-104 with a Tug-8 amp in the base. I justify this by saying that I COULD homebrew a mic, but I'd just be using a commercial electret element.
-- My .1 kW amplifier is from a CCI kit. I find it hard to homebrew 100 watt amplifiers that do not oscillate. Kits make this a bit easier.
-- I use a K4KIO Hex beam. I had a homebrew MOXON, but that got destroyed by a Northeaster. And I have to limit trips up to the roof. Like to zero. (I ask the gutter guy to do this.)
-- I have a DX-100 and an HQ-100 that I use to check into the Old Military Radio Net on Saturday morning. I had a DX-100 as a kid, and John Zaruba K2ZA later gave me his dad's DX-100. That is the one I use. I picked up the Hammarlund HQ-100 in the Dominican Republic in 1993 and have been repairing it ever since. It is not a great receiver, but it looks good atop the DX-100 and I have a sentimental attachment.
-- I have an HT-37 and a Drake 2-B that I have had since I was 14 years old. I have a strong sentimental attachment to this gear. I have worked on most of this old stuff.
The three SSB dual banders that I am running are mostly homebrew. The Mythbuster uses a VFO out of the Yaesu FT-101. The 17/12 rig has an LM386 AF Amp. The 15/10 rig has an SBL-1.
I will try to increase my HB percentage.
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Bill, no need to hang one's head in shame. All HB'ers have factory-built equipment somewhere in their shacks. I keep a museum piece: Lew McCoy's (W1ICP) Drake TR-22- still works. Only a conversation piece, the HB stuff gets all the use.
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your HBI "Home Brew Index"!
Bill, you should not hang your head... All of your rigs have soul. The d104 is a classic... Although I did build my own Homebrew mic including a 3D printed enclosure.. Just saying. I have my 1980s vintage Kenwood on the desk and the Hammarlund HQ-170 that I restored... It was the model my dad had when I was growing up. I did homebrew a benchtop supply for the workbench but it's only 3 amps. Oh, and I do have my dad's actual Collins 30l-1. Not giving it up. Homebrew transceivers include the Furlough 20-40 built during the covid shutdown, The homebrew sbitx, and the latest 20 m. SSB rig inspired by your mythbuster. No shame in using that. Yaesu VFO. And restoring boat anchor rigs is just another Homebrew activity. You didn't send them out to a repair shop, did you? Because if you know stuff you can do stuff. And I think we both get credit for inspiring over 60 Homebrew direct conversion receivers!
ReplyDeleteI started with building my own power supplies, they are pretty easy to homebrew, even rewound a tube transformer per a McCoy QST article for a low voltage supply.
ReplyDeleteBut they were all conventional supplies, got to try building a switching supply one of these days.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
Switching power supplies aren't difficult with TI Simple Switcher and other vendor supplied apps. Key is shielding/filtering. At least plan for it. This applies to some microcontroller boards- like Arduino,etc.
DeleteSPS's allow you to trade off thermal issues for electrical ones, so it's a option. GL!
The thing with commercial switchers is the fan, I like the reliability, small size and light weight but dislike the fan noise !
DeleteBest Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY