Bill N2CQR Builds Yet Another Mythbuster Transceiver

 This one is for 20 meters (no need for 75) and will go to the Dominican Republic.

6 crystal filter at 5.2 MHz. VFO from old Yaesu FT-101 Termination Insensitive IF amplifiers using boards from Mostly DIY RF No RF amp ahead of the mixer. First mixer is homebrew diode ring. Bandpass filter has 4 LC circuits. Steep skirts. Low insertion loss. Bal Mod/Product detector has two diodes (singly balanced) Carrier osc is crystal controlled and homebrew. Audio amp starts with a 2N3904 amplifier followed by an LM386 board. Transmitter portion will be done next.

The crystal filter as seen on the Antuino

Filter on the blank board. 

Bandpass filter (-20 db = 0)

VFO box, carrier osc, Bal Mod/Product Detector, AF amps

The Antuino looks at the Crystal Filter

How to Organize a Small Shack

A YouTube comment from Paul VK3HN sent me back to "The Spirited Man" YouTube channel, and one of the first things I found was this video about how to organize a small space.  This is very relevant to my shacks in Virginia and in the Dominican Republic. 

Lots of good ideas here, but that propane heater kind of scared me.  And it seemed inconsistent with concerns behind the fire-preventing garbage can.  What do you folks think? 

Thanks Paul. 

 

The Tropics Defined: Sun Directly Overhead on July 31 in Punta Cana DR

July 31, 2024  12:30 Local Time

Check out the shadow at my feet.  The sun is directly overhead.  This happens here on July 31, shortly after noon.  We define "the tropics" as the area of the earth at which -- as some point in the year -- the sun will be directly overhead.   Here we are at about 18 degrees North latitude, so for us, the overhead date is July 31.  We are definitely in the tropics.  A good graphical description of what is happening appears here: 

https://www.suncalc.org/#/18.5548,-68.3853,12/2024.07.31/12:37/1/3

A Wonderful Aeronatical Mobile Contact

 29 July 2024

20S 0943Z 0543L K8JSM/AM Sean, pilot on a 757/300. En route from San Francisco to Orlando with 246 souls on board, including a bunch of kids going to Disneyland.  Was 35,000 feet over Louisiana (12 miles East of Shreveport) when I first spoke to him.  (He had been in QSO with Andrew VK6IK in Western Australia.  I could hear Andrew also.) Sean was using the 400 W Rockwell-Collins transceiver on the plane (that's his picture of the control panel, above), with the antenna vertical in the back vertical stabilizer (rudder). I told him I was running 20 watts from a homebrew rig to a vertical ¼ wave ground plane antenna about 70 feet up; he speculated that the fact that we were both vertically polarized must have been helping.   Sean said he also pilots 767s transatlantic. 

I really had two contacts with him,   Around 0600 local he was calling CQ and no one was answering.  So I called him again and we continued:  I told him about the Aeronautical Mobile contact I had had from Samana.  I also told him about my contacts with MIR and RS-10 (and the RS-10 robot!) from the Dominican Republic 1992-1996.  I told him that Elisa had been present for many of the contacts with Norm Thagard on Mir station (Elisa walked in the HI7 shack at around this time – Sean said hello.)  Sean said he has been a ham for a long time – since before he was a pilot.  He has built a 2 meter “tape measure and PVC”  antenna.  I told him we have a little aircraft radio and use it to listen to the tower at Punta Cana airport, and to aircraft calling the regional ATC in Santo Domingo.  Sean says he too has a little airband receiver and often uses it to listen to airplane tower traffic.  Sean said the airline encourages this kind of contact because it is a way to keep pilots alert on long overnight flights (other pilots have other activities to do the same).  As we spoke he was waiting for a meal (salmon).  He mentioned that he could see the constellation Orion out the window;  I told him I had been looking at Orion in low in the East just before talking to him.  In the end, Sean  had to sign as the plane crossed into Florida and aircraft pilot duties took precedence.  

More info on Sean here: https://www.qrz.com/db/K8JSM     

Thanks Sean!

Some Pictures of SolderSmoke Shack South

That's me at the operating position.   Window looks out to the terrace and to the ocean to the East, the  Mona channel.  The shack is on the top (seventh) floor. 

Here is the view from the terrace, looking South.  The big terrain feature is Cabo San Rafael. 

From the terrace looking North. 

Looking East into the morning sun 

From the terrace looking West. 

Antennas will go up there.  Perhaps solar panels too.  

A bog portion of the shack is a workbench with tools and test gear.  

Yesterday an old friend from Santo Domingo, Luis Ernesto HI8LEZ stopped by.  Thirty years ago we were pioneers in the use of amateur radio satellites from the Dominican Republic.  Luis Ernesto is in the book! 

SolderSmoke Podcast #252 -- First Podcast from SolderSmoke Shack South

For the moment this podcast is video only.  The video appears above.  Here is the URL for the video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeNTv3YjiHU  We will try to get the usual audio podcast version out soon. 

-- This is the first podcast from SolderSmoke Shack South:   Eastern tip of Island of Hispaniola.  Cap Cana, DR, 70 feet up, 1 mile from Mona Channel.  Seventh floor shack with view of the ocean.  Antennas:  Dipoles for now, maybe Moxons or Hex later. STARLINK

- The San Francisco case against me.  One guy thinks we DESERVE prosecution!  Get off of my lawn! 

Like the library cop on Seinfeld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9tP9fI2zbE

But one fellow wrote letter to the mayor asking for leniency.  Proposes "Bill Meara Day in SF." FB!  I fell victim myself this year:  Mike WU2D got me with WA1HLR on SSB video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLvCNJ_OnEc

-- Dean:  Fighting a spur in the sBITX.  Filters? 

-- Dean:  Exploring Class A, Class AB and the RD06HHF1

-- Dean: Extensive work on getting flat gain from FETs up through 10 meters. 

-hh- Dean and Bill:  OIP3 measurement and setting the bias on an RD06HHF1

-- Pete:  Discovers for all of us "RF Man"   In spite of all the CB stuff, he is the THE MAN!  On YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@rfmanchannel6915

-- Pete fixes Dean's relay chattering problem: SUBTHRESHOLD CONDUCTION!  Yikes!  

-- Pete's refurb and rejuvenation of the Drake Twins, 

-- MXM news.  New docs, and ads from WD5L. All on the blog. 7030 crystals.  Why MXM? Chuck Adam's mods, Joh DL6ID's questions about VFO.  Yes!  VFO from RX.  Was Bruce Williams an early Swan Designer? 

-- Weird paradox with 25 MHz filter:  Low profile xtals have higher Q, but produce more rounded passbands.  Why?  I note that Minima's 20 MHz filter also had curved passband. 

-- Allison's wisdom on filters at higher frequencies.  The importance of physical layout.  Diodes in the dark!  It is indeed more difficult up there.  But don't let the perfct be the enemy of the good!

-- Is Bill  the only one to ever build a 10-15 Dual Bander using a 25 MHz crystal filter.  Why?  Farhan's Minima has a 20 MHz 6 pole QER crystal filter.  And it too had a rounded passband.  But it tooc WORKED.  

-- Did my receiver sound tinny due to rising frequency response of uBITX Rev 4 amp?  Yes! So I put in a  TJ DC RX Af amp.

-- Bill BLOWS UP a Tiny SA Ultra. Ooops.  But quickly got a new one from R&L Electronics.  Very, very useful.  I knew 25 MHz IF rigs were inferior, but by how much?  How much was the carrier suppressed?  Which filters worked better?  What was the opposite sideband rejection.  TinySA permitted measurement and comparison. 

-- Bill quit 15 meter SSB (for a moment) and went to the 1.22 nanometer band with a Wilson Clound Chamber.  Videos on the blog. 

SHAMELESS COMMERCE:  Thanks to new Patreon sponsors.  I am sending some additional video content to the sponsors.

MAILBAGg

-- Thanks to Bob Crane W8SX for FDIM interviews.  I will get them out! 

--Wes -- W7ZOI has a new TIA amp with variable gain on his web site: https://w7zoi.net/

-- Geoff N6GWB's Rad Receiver https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-rad-receiver-from-n6gwb.html

-- Dave K1KA sent Ensemble RTX SDR parts.   Thanks Dave. 

-- Chuck Adams AA7FO provided good background on my MXM rig, including the meaning of MXM (1990) . Again, great to hear from Chuck, a true homebrew hero.

-- Gerardo HI8P collecting info on the other HI8P, my friend Pericles (SK) 

-- Alvin N5VZH picked up a Silktronix CB VFO.  What to do? 

-- Jorgen SM4WWG listening from Sweden, and making PCBs.  FB! 

-- Mike WN2A  Wondered about opposite sideband rejection of MXM.  Not great. 

-- George WB5OYP loaned me a book from Elmer Bucher.  THE Elmer?   https://k9zw.wordpress.com/2020/01/24/on-the-origins-of-elmer-a-reasonable-theory/

-- Wes W7ZOI, Farhan VU2ESE -- Thanks for help on filter issue. Thanks too to Alan W2AEW and G3UUR

-- Josh G3MOT -- Nice message of support in our "struggle" with SF authorities. Going portable to Vancouver island in August.  VE7/G3MOT

-- Paul VK3HN -- Antipodean solidarity.  Thanks Paul. 

-- Rogier PA1ZZ -- great input and help. Thanks

-- Tony G4WIF reminded me of G3ROO's  parasets.  See Blog

-- Pavel CO7WT His experiences (building, freezing, heating) the VFO in the Jaguey DSB rig.

-- Grayson KJ7UM Sent latest ER with his Collins 51S-1 story. Thanks Grayson. 

-- Allison KB1GMX  Commiserating on higher freq crystal filters. Thanks Allison 

-- Wes W4JYK Notes that Dewey, Cheatam and Howe are based in SF. Can they help with sticky sticker problem? 

15/10 SSB Rig On-The-Air from HI7

I'm going to move the antenna up onto the roof (out of sight). 

 

Progress Report Video on the SolderSmoke Shack South

The new shack is coming together in HI7 land.   I will need a shelf for the test gear -- I am looking for something thatcan sit on the main workbench -- the wall behind the bench is drywall and won't support any weight.   I will have to get some plywood to protect the nice woodwork. I have melted some solder already -- I had to fix the little magnifying lamp -- it felt good to get back in the game.  

The AM radio station that was providing background music was from just across the Mona passage -- they were in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.   My S38-E shows the frequency as being a bit above 700 kHz, but as with most things S38-E, this readout is suspect.  Can anyone tell me the call sign of this station?  

I have been using the homebrew 15-10 rig, but only in receive mode so far.  

I am also doing some VHF scanning, using a Realistic Pro-36 scanner that Bob KD4EBM gave me.  So far I am picking up aircraft approaching Santo Domingo from the East.  I have the maritime calling freq also programmed in and hope to hear some ships at sea.  Thanks Bob. 

Dino asked about astronomy.   As you can see in the video, the Orion telescope is ready to go, but we are in rainy season here, so the skies aren't too great right now.  They will be better in the winter. 

Hurricane Beryl is approaching, but current projections are for it to pass to our south on Tuesday. The eye of the storm is not expected to hit this island.   

Sticker Madness, HI7, April 1

Our friend Lex astutely focused on the date of the release of our report about legal prosecution by the City of San Francisco.  The truth is that we made almost all of this up.  We did put a sticker on a lamp post at Haight and Ashbury.   Dave AA7EE did visit the site and report that the sticker had been removed.  But all the rest was made up.  We did catch several people in this annual April 1 joke.  Unfortunately, not everyone who was taken in was outraged by the city's supposed action. In fact, we got one e-mail SUPPORTING the prosecution.  This fellow said, essentially, that we were getting what we deserved, that we should take this as a life lesson, and stop with the sticker-vandalism.  He was serious.  Jeez.  APRIL FOOL!   We will talk more about this in the next podcast. 

I know the podcast has been delayed by a lot, but I am still getting things set up here in HI7 land.  I hope we will soon be podcasting with particpation from California (N6QW), Northern Virginia (KK4DAS), and the Dominican Republic (HI7/N2CQR).  

Happily, my Dominican ham radio license came through  -- I will be HI7/N2CQR for the next year.  At some point I hope to take the Dominican exam and get a real Dominican call. 

Lex has been our main point of contact in Europe on sticker distribution (aka VANDALISM!). Lex writes:   

Hello all,

Shocked to hear about the "Legal action against Soldersmoke" in podcast : 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/04/soldersmoke-podcast-251-aurora-cbla.html

Which could mean a few things : 

1. some official is trying to make a career and he will be very busy because there are a lot of stickers in San Fransisco to remove.
2. somebody did remove the sticker because they are highly collectable and somebody at soldersmoke HQ saw a opportunity to made one of the best april fools jokes in soldersmoke history pulling the listeners (and readers) leg. 
   
3. somebody use photoshop and made one of the best april fools jokes in soldersmoke history pulling the listeners (and readers) leg. 

Looking at the release date of the soldersmoke podcast 251, IMHO #3 is the most possible with #2 as a good second. When #1 is the real reason, that sucks big time :-(  (so I'm hoping for the april fools joke outcome)

Let's continue and get on topic to this e-mails subject.

My XYL and I are just back from a holiday to Berlin and aside of the architecture, visiting a large number of museums and historical exhibitions, there was one place on my personal list I wanted to visit : the "Teufelsberg". 

*  The "Teufelsberg" (Devil's Mountain) is a artificial mountain build with rumble of the ruins of Berlin on top of the “Wehrtechnische Fakultät”, covert soil and plated full with trees. In the early 70's the location became one of the most important locations for the United States’ National Security Agency (NSA) outside the United States. The facility monitors Soviet and Eastern Bloc communications and gathers important information on the activities of Warsaw Pact countries. 1992 the side got intrest of creative minds and started to get covert by street art.

More info about the history can be found on there website:  https://www.teufelsberg-berlin.de/en/history/

Not only the historical part of the site, but also because the XYL and I love street art, we took a day visit it. Aside from the nice walk to it, the excellent view and the great pieces of street art, when you are at a site where street art is present all over the place and even is encouraged (and legal) and you "accidently" just happen to have a few soldersmoke stickers in you bag, you just have to use them. So as of this moment, Soldersmoke is present a the formal National Security Agency (NSA) spy station in Berlin. 

I added a few images as a attachment to this e-mail including one to show the great view over Berlin when you on the top deck (only showing one placement, the other 2 are hidden in plane site). 

In short : when you can apricate street art and visit Berlin, a visit to the "Teufelsberg" is almost a must. IBEW bonus : there are a few soldersmoke stickers hidden on the top dek for you to find ;-)

73 from PA 

Lex PH2LB 

mail : lex@ph2lb.nl
home : http://www.ph2lb.nl/   
twitter : https://twitter.com/lex_ph2lb  
call : PH2LB 

"Life's like a role playing adventure. You
need to solve the puzzles first before
they let you go to the next level."

Greetings from Low Earth Orbit

We are in the Dominican Republic for a little while. Yesterday we got Starlink working.   The picture show me holding the cell phone heralding the good news.  I am setting up SolderSmoke Shack South.  More to follow.  

Some of my Double Sideband Rigs: Azores, Virginia, Dominican Republic

The above video describe a round of mods to the much modded DSB rig. And my alleged winning of the ARRL Sweepstakes (in a very elite category). 

The video above shows where I took the rig in 2014.  Bahia Rincon, Samana peninsula, Dominican Republic.  You can also see my power supply. 

Here is an article on the first DSB rig that I built, out in the Azores:  

https://www.gadgeteer.us/17METER.HTM

I think the article captures well the trials and tribulations faced by new homebrewers, perhaps with the twist that comes from being out in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.  

Mike WU2D is having similar fun with his homebrew 10 meter DSB transceiver: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZt1LTGyoHc

I was struck by how similar Mike's early QSO experiences were with mine.  We both put our DSB transmitters on the air before they made their way into real cabinets or boxes. 

Here's mine from 2001 in the Azores: 

Yet ANOTHER Homebrew 15-10 SSB Transceiver (Video #1)

A homebrew 15-10 SSB Rig for the Dominican Republic:

This is my second build of this rig.

I am using a 10 pole crystal filter that I built for the first build, but did not use. I am also using the tuning capacitor from a Galaxy V's oscillator -- I like the anti-backlash gears and the reduction drive. This rig is built on a pine board covered with adhesive copper tape. It has been built stage-by-stage on copper-clad boards using the Manhattan construction style.

The structure of the rig is basically that of a BITX rig -- the RF and IF amplifiers are Termination Insensitive Amplifiers.

Soon the receiver will be completed. I will then build the stages needed for the transmitter portion of the transceiver.

I will take this rig with me to the Dominican Republic.

7J6CBQ on Okinawa -- And a Translation of a Science Fiction Novel about Ham Radio in China

 

The article about Sergeant Malik Pugh USMC on Okinawa brought back memories from the 1990s. David Cowhig was 73 Magazine's Hambassador on Okinawa -- I had the same "position" in the Dominican Republic.  David and I were both in the Foreign Service;  we joked that 73 had afforded us our only chances to be ambassadors of any kind.  David's Okinawa QSL and the opening from his initial report to 73 magazine appear above.  You can see more here: 

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1992-12/page/82/mode/1up

• https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-04/page/82/mode/2up
• https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-04/page/84/mode/2up
• https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-04/page/86/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-06/page/76/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-07/page/82/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-08/page/78/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-11/page/84/mode/2up

https://archive.org/details/73-magazine-1993-12/page/78/mode/2upmode/2up

A couple of my own "dispatches" as Hambassdor to the Dominican Republic appear here: 

https://www.gadgeteer.us/DRDISP.HTM

Back in the 90's David sent me an old QST Magazine.  I wrote about this on the SolderSmoke blog: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2015/07/been-there-done-that-he-begged-his.html

Later, I learned about another "Hambassador" who was still active as a radio amateur: Ron Gang 4X1MK:  

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2017/10/ron-gang-4x1mk-on-qso-today-podcast.html

Finally (and this is really cool):  David Cowhig has been putting his language skills to good use, translating Chinese written material.  He sent me his translation of the opening chapters of a Chinese science fiction novel about ham radio.   Readers of the SolderSmoke Daily News will like this: 

https://gaodawei.wordpress.com/2021/12/18/chinese-sf-ham-radio-web-novel-we-live-in-nanjing/

We Live in Nanjing 《我们生活在南京》

Thanks David! 

Ham Radio Pico Balloons Feared Shot Down by USAF

The Aviation Week article below helped to confirm some of my worst fears about the balloon thing.  For a long I've wanted to launch one of these balloons.  Recently I've been thinking about doing it from SolderSmoke Shack South (in the Dominican Republic -- they are BIG on party balloons down there!). 

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/hobby-clubs-missing-balloon-feared-shot-down-usaf?fbclid=IwAR0ra3U4QPlzrNiVDNXz1UzQdDNfFUpccrQIRhVaCKkrZWHIPXQ0hwxEVKI

Check out Hans's site about the circumnavigators: 

http://www.qrp-labs.com/circumnavigators.html

SolderSmoke Podcast #243 -- HI7/N2CQR, uBITX mods for 10 meters, High-School Direct Conversion Receiver Project Launched (Success!) Mailbag

 

DC RX and one of the PTO boards we built as demos last night. 

February 10, 2023

SolderSmoke Podcast #224 is available. 

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke243.mp3

Video here: (32) SolderSmoke Podcast 243 (video) Hi7/N2CQR, uBITX, Success with High School Receiver Project - YouTube

Pete N6QW had technical difficulties this morning.  He insisted that the show must go on.  Pete will be back for the next episode. 

 

Travelogue: 

Bill in the Dominican Republic for all of January.  

HI7/N2CQR  Eastern tip of the island. uBITX and dipoles. 

20, 17, 10.  CW and SSB.  SSB was tough and I had reports of RF getting into the signal.

Went to CW. 

Worked VWS Mike KA4CDN, and Walter KA4KXX on 20CW.

Finally moved up to 10 CW.  Lots of contacts. Even though uBITX very QRP on ten.

I am modifying the uBITX now.  

Copper tape shielding to keep RF out.

 Low power out not the fault of the IRF-510s.  The problem is the 2N3904s.

Will replace with 2N2222 in To-18 cans.

Dean KK4DAS putting KD8CEC software into Arduino.  I gave up.

Who sent me this orphan uBITX?

SolderSmoke Shack South in final phase of construction.

 

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:

Patreon!

Bezos Shopping!

 

DC Receiver Project

Local High School radio club. 

Simple:  Like Herring Aid 5 and Wes’s original.

Farhan’s four stages:

BP Filter, Diode Ring, PTO, AF amp. 

Simple Colpitts PTO SURPRISINGLY STABLE.

Simple and easy.  No chips.  No complicated circuits.

Guys have helped test out the design:  Rick N3FJZ, Walter KA4KXX,

Daniel VE5DLD, Stephen VK2BLQ and others. 

First session last night:  We demonstrated build of the PTOs.  

They worked (thank God).

 

Open Circuits book.

Envelope Detection Controversy

Save the Antenna – Book “Losing the Nobel Prize” K1JT

 

MAILBAG

--Dean KK4DAS 10 meter DSB!  Tiny SA ULTRA! FB

--John AC2RL on Elmer W3PHL DSB guy

--AC3K reports inventor of Fender Stratocaster guitar was a ham: W6DOE

--AF8E was doing POTA.  I worked him. He said my rig had presence. FB

--Alain F4IET FB DSB rig with mic in Cigar can!

--Daryl N0DP worked him on SSB.  He is homebrewing

--Steve N8NM was in for repairs but is on the mend.

--Rick G6AKG working with sub-harmonic mixers and logic chips

--Paul HS0ZLQ Built DC receiver but looking for something else to build. No DSB!

--Steve AB4I – Coherer, Jagadish Chandra Bose, and Marconi

--Eldon KC5U    Worked VK5QD right after me and mentioned SolderSmoke FB

--Todd K7TFC is building the DC RX.

--Tony G4WIF and Ian G3ROO using automotive relays for antenna switching. FB.

--Dave WA1LBP Great to hear from my fellow Hambassador (Okinawa)

Older post comments:

--Scott VO1DR was also in CF Rockey’s class! (Blog comment)

--Aurora Aug 4, 1972: Twelve people shared memories.  (Blog comment)

--Will WN1SLG Googled novice call and was led to my Novice log.(Blog comment)

My HI7/N2CQR QSL Card

My fellow Vienna Wireless Society Member Ron WA6YOU is a real expert collector of QSL cards.  He was rightly critical of a very crude homebrew QSL that I made a while ago.   So when I got back from the Dominican Republic I decided I had to clean up my act.  Some Googling, some printer ink, and some cardstock later, I came up with the above.   I kind of like it -- it looks better (believe me!) than my earlier effort, but it retains an element of homebrew (I kind of made it myself).  

The picture is of Juanillo Beach, the beach we use when in Cap Cana.  This one was filled out for Mike KA4CDN, who was the only Vienna Wireless Society member I contacted from HI7.  

I made about 38 contacts from HI7.  If anyone out there worked me and wants a card, my printer is at the ready!  

To make the card, I used:  https://www.radioqth.net/qslcards

Working Walter KA4KXX from Hispaniola

 Walter KA4KXX in Orlando has been a prolific builder of rigs for many years, and has been a great friend of SolderSmoke:  Here are some of the SolderSmoke podcasts and blog posts in which Walter's solder melting was mentioned: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search?q=KA4KXX

As we approach the end of our current stay in the Dominican Republic, I could not miss out on the chance to work Walter with his homebrew rigs.  Even though the space weather was stormy, and my dipole was droopy, we arranged to meet up on the high end of the 20 meter CW band this morning.   See the results in the video above.  A solid QSO with Walter.  He says it is HB2HB, but truth be told I was on a uBITX that was built more by Farhan than by me.  But this was a great contact.  Walter started with a 50W rig, then switched to his 3 watt rig with a DC receiver.  FB

Here is the e-mail I received from Walter after the QSO: 

Dear Bill:

Many thanks for the great video, and when

you return to Virginia look for your mailman

to bring a postcard from me!

Just after your phone call this morning I scanned

the band from 14.025 to 14.300 and heard only one

SSB QSO at 14.347, and even now I only hear

a half dozen SSB signals, so that makes what

we did even more amazing. 

The first photo below is my 3.5 watt NE602 direct conversion 

rig which is about 2 years old.  The transmit signal is created

by putting a 3 MHz VFO signal into an NE602 mixer with an 

11 MHz crystal, so the rig can receive CW and SSB from 

14.025 to 14.300 and can transmit CW anywhere in that range

with good frequency stability. 

The bottom photo is my new full break-in CW 50W rig which 

I just put on the air about a week ago and is still in the finalization stage.  

I am not yet happy with it, but then again I am more particular

now than I used to be.  It is really a trans-receiver with a single 

conversion superhet receiver at the bottom of the board using 

an NE602 pair with a 3-crystal 4 MHz 900 Hz bandwidth filter, 

and a single 10.080 crystal VFO which is tuned with a polyvaricon

for operating between 14.061 and 14.068 MHz.  

At the top is the VXO transmit section using a pair of 14.070 

crystals pulled down into the operating range.  This signal

is buffered and amplified to about 500 mW which is all that 

the MRF101 RF Power Amplifier needs.  Visible behind the

board is an AC-powered 24 VDC switching power supply which 

is connected in series with the 12 VDC battery to 

power the final stage with about 36 VDC.  The main 12 VDC is 

provided by a bench power supply which is not in the photo.

In both rigs the morse code key is the microswitch 

at the lower right corner.  (Way more handy and elegant 

than your key, I might say?)

This morning each of these rigs was connected to its own

end fed half wave antenna, one in my backyard 

and the other on the side of my house.  My antenna analyzer

shows them to be essentially equal, but my 50W rig does

not like one of them at all.

Making our international homebrew-to-homebrew contact 

today was a terrific ham radio experience, so thanks for all 

you do!

73,

Walter 

KA4KXX

Orlando, FL

Working Vienna Wireless Society member (KA4CDN) from Hispaniola

We'll be heading back to the States soon and I was feeling guilty about 

not having worked anyone from my home club (the Vienna Wireless Society). 

On Wednesday night I Zoomed in to the club's Maker group -- this made me want 

to make at least one contact with the club.  Plus Walter KA4KXX  in Orlando has 

been trying to set up a sked on 20... This morning I saw that the SFI was up above 200. 

I lengthened the dipole so it would resonate on 20 meters (on this trip it started on 20, went to 17, back to 20, down to 10 and now, back to 20!). I worked one station on SSB, then sent a text to the club's DX spotter group, saying that I would be calling CQ on 14.060 MHz.   Soon I got a call from club member (and Maker) Mike KA4CDN.  We had a nice QSO.  Thanks Mike (video of our QSO above). I will try with Walter tomorrow.  

 

On Ten Meters with a uBITX from the Eastern Tip of Hispaniola

On ten from HI7.  Cluster spots, DX, CW, and the Reverse Beacon Network. 

 

Happy New Year and Straight Key Night from HI7/N2CQR

HNY from HI7!  In keeping with SolderSmoke tradition, I recorded the above greeting.  If you look over my right shoulder, or in the picture below, you can see the apartment building we will be moving into (at least for the winter months) later this year.  There will be a small shack on the top level.  And yes, a telescope.  

This morning I fired up the uBITX on 20 CW and made two Straight Key Night contacts.  My key is the straightest of the straight --  a homewbrew thing made from an old hack-saw blade,  copper tape, brass screws, scrap wood, and duct tape.  Picture below.  

73 to all!  HNY and good luck in 2023!