SolderSmoke Podcast #262 is available:
Audio only: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke262.mp3
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSUyE4IaHFw&t=61s
Intro:
-- We are over 100 on the Direct Conversion Receiver Builds. We talked about the receiver project at the GQRP convention. Video on the blog.
-- G4 Geomagnetic storm November 11-12. Messed up my computer. Blackout in the DR?
Pete:
-- USMC Birthday. Having served alongside them they have my deepest respect. Veterans Day.
-- Think about supporting those without a job this Thanksgiving. Cash to various organizations is best.
-- 50 Hz off frequency -- What does that mean if you tune by ear and not by mouse/waterfall?
-- The Hybrid Wireless is on the air. A unique build and not often seen.
-- Progress on the HOMEBREW MOSFET amplifier. Claude helped.
SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: Mostly DIY RF. Become a SolderSmoke Patron. Buy stuff from Amazon through the link on this blog (in the right side column).
Bill:
-- Preping for VHF in HI7. Can I kerchunk Boricua repeaters with Tropo? See: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2025/09/puerto-rico-dominican-republic-tropo-on.html
-- Bill's mixer obsession. Grayson's HSD Chapter 12. The importance of knowing "the paticular go of it." EMRFD Chapter 5.
-- The new look for the SolderSmoke blog.
MAILBAG:
-- Todd VE7BPO -- Doing well.
-- Grayson KJ7UM on the loss of Jim Tonne W4ENE. Gone, but through his writting, continuing to contribute.See: https://web.archive.org/web/20220429224036/http://tonnesoftware.com/appnotes/demodulator/EnvelopeDemodulators.pdf
-- Camden is a 23 year-old blind ham who is looking for some homebrew help. He lives in Pleasant City, Ohio, about an hour east of Columbus. Can you help him? camden@bopp.net
-- Dale Parfitt into the QRP Hall of Fame! The Radio Gods Approve!
-- Paul VK3HN -- Bricolage, Cacharreo, Artilugio, and Jugaad. SA612 going obsolete.
-- Mike WN2A Mixers and all that. Tropo. "Greetings from the National Radio Noisy Zone!" (NJ)
-- Peter Marks VK3TPM -- SolderSmoke template help -- Digital HF Voice
-- Walter KA4KXX -- A great book by L.B. Cebik
-- Bob KD4EBM -- The Bob Pease Analog Troubleshooting book. Pease quote: "My favorite programming language is solder,"
-- Cor PA3COR Difference between mixers and adders
-- Mike WA3O I still have his HW-7. Amazing water-cooled amplifier. VK3MO.
-- Samuele IU2QBW An Italian Homebrewer https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2025/10/a-wonderful-homebrew-direct-conversion.html
-- Pil Joo VA3GPJ Experimenting with TIA amps.
-- Farhan VU2ESE -- USB and LSB LC filters -- Applicable for crystal filters too?
-- Rogier PA1ZZ Thanks for the great videos!
-- Captain Mike KX4WC Aeronautical Mobile --Santiago, Chile to Panama! With Mike WA3O and Ian VK3MO: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2025/11/vk3mo-and-wa3o-brotherhood-of-ham-radio.html
-- Dave AA7EE A completely AI SolderSmoke? "Open the pod bay doors Hal."
-- Pat W3RGA heard my 1 watt HI7 beacon. Thanks Pat.
-- Patrick Voets -- A Belgian living in the Netherlands -- supports our defiant NIMCEL position!
-- Brian "Moses" Hall K8TIY, Father of Robert of "Crank it in Robert" fame. Check out the video. Young Robert appears around the 45 minute point: https://youtu.be/Xqs2Ihucr6I?t=2730
-- Will Harris KI4POV -- an esteemed homebrewer -- asks about using 75 ohm coax. I say yes, Pete tells him how to do it right.
Regarding Pete's question about QSL World, yes, I received an email from them first several months ago regarding a Cuban station (CO7IG) with whom I had a QSO in 2024. I did not reply at that time but recently they sent me another email so I went to their website, which looked legitimate, and I sent an electronic confirmation of the QSO from there. -- Walter KA4KXX
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear that Dean got his amplifier sorted out. Sometimes you just need to crank it in!
ReplyDeleteThe problem with the RD100HHF1 Mitsubishi RF
ReplyDeletePower transistor is that apparently no ham has ever documented
a design that was successfully homebrewed.
So the only reference is the convoluted and impractical
test circuit schematic on the manufacturers spec sheet,
which shows the bias voltage as Vgg, but with no value
provided and no other mention of Vgg in the entire
spec sheet.
However, there is a graph labeled Vgs showing a desired range
of 4 - 6 volts and although it is not clearly labeled as the
bias voltage, apparently that is what it is so Vgg is a probably a misprint on the schematic.
Generally speaking, I have found many of the Mitsubishi
spec sheets to be poorly done. For example, have a look
at the spec sheet for the MRF101 by NXP Semiconductors
which is the basis for one of the designs by Jim Veatch WA2EUJ
and you will see quite an improvement.
However, if on-the-air results are good for Dean, then the path to
success will be much easier when Bill and Pete homebrew their RF Power Amps! --Walter KA4KXX