Homebrew-to-Homebrew Contact on 17 meters with DL2RMM (Video)

 Here is short clip of a very cool HB2HB contact on 17 meters.  Thanks Jens! 

Check out his QRZ page here: https://www.qrz.com/db/DL2RMM

First QSO with the High-School Receiver -- 100 mW to Dipole. (with videos) -- Homebrew to Homebrew!

  

Alan W4AMV in Raleigh NC

Dean KK4DAS and I have been working with a local high school.  The students are building a direct conversion receiver for 40 meters.  

We've been giving out prizes for the first team to complete each stage.   I wanted to give one of the teams a little oscillator that could b heard with their receiver.  So this morning, using a 7040 crystal from the AF4K (SK) company, I threw together a one transistor oscillator.  It has just 8 parts, including the key:

https://makerf.com/posts/ten-minute-transmitter  

I had a low pass filter in the antenna tuner.  The antenna was a low-to-the-ground 40 meter dipole.  The transmitter was putting out around 100 milliwatts.   

N2CQR's Ten Minute Transmitter

The Reverse Beacon Network showed that I was getting out quite well: 

Then I thought, wait a second, let's make a contact with the prototype high-school direct conversion receiver.  

With the receiver hooked up, I again called CQ on 40 CW.  BOOM!   Very quickly Alan W4AMV in Raleigh NC  came back to my call.  Wow!  That's 222 miles.  And a quick check of QRZ.com revealed that Alan is a homebrewer.  Then Google reminded me that his work has been featured on the SolderSmoke blog.    TRGHS. 

I was so excited during this contact that I almost forgot to film it.  But I did manage to get some short clips of the QSO in progress.   You have to listen carefully, but you can hear our calls in there while Alan is transmitting (listen for the lower tone): 

(83) W4AMV as heard in DC RX - YouTube

And in this clip you can watch me transmit using the 10 Minute Transmitter: 

(83) N2CQR transmitting with 10 minute transmitter to W4AMV - YouTube

UPDATE (Feb 27 2023):  I asked Alan about the rig he was using:  "A PLL EXCITER DRIVING A PAIR OF FETS PUSH PULL ABT 50 w to an inverted L at 55 feet. The Rx a single conversion 9 MHz IF and it is connected to an active antenna in the trees out in the woods abt 25 feet up. Uses an automotive whip antenna about 3 feet long. "

Alan's Rig

This little contact is a reminder of the fun that can come from using simple, homebrew, QRP gear.  It is really amazing that the very first contact with this receiver was with another homebrew station.   This all reminds Dean and me of something we have been telling the students:  the little DC receiver they are building is not a toy -- it is capable of being used in real, long-distance contacts.

Thanks Alan!    

N3FJZ Builds PTO for High School DC Receiver

Rick N3FJZ has stepped forward and is building the direct conversion receiver that Dean and I have been working on.  This will be big help in our testing of the receiver.  See above for the video report on his build of the PTO stage. 

When I saw this, I found myself thinking two things: 

1) Those really are "rigs." 

and

2) I am not alone! 

Years ago, I was having a tough day on 40 meters.  The Waterfall Policemen were gleefully attacking my admitedly less-than-perfect SSB signal.   Unbeknownst to me, someone out there was listening, and listening with a homebrew receiver.  A receiver with a PTO.  It was Rick N3FJZ.  He made my day when he sent this video: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2015/02/parasitic-anguish-on-40-then-homebrew.html

Here are the other blog posts on the amazing rigs of N3FJZ here: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search?q=N3FJZ

More to follow, both on Rick's receiver and on the work of other intrepid builders. 

Thanks Rick. 

Hammarlund and Homebrew Heroine: Janis AB2RA, HQ-100 Filter Cap Question

 

I was searching for Hammarlund HQ-100 wisdom when Google pointed me to the Electric Radio articles of Janis AB2RA.  They were in  ER #380 and #381 (February and March 2021).  Lots of good stuff  in there.  

This morning I happened upon a 2014 SolderSmoke blog post (as you do) about my Tuna Tin 2. Turns out that Janis was my first contact with this rig.  And she too was running a homebrew rig. TRGHS. 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2014/03/i-too-built-tuna-tin-2.html

I continue to work on my HQ-100.  The AC hum is getting worse so I have ordered a replacement capacitor can from Hayseed Hamfest.   But I was a bit confused about which cap to order.  Hayseed has two caps listed for the HQ-100 -- one (it seems) for the early model of this receiver and one for later models.  Is that right?  Did Hammarlund update the power supply to add filter capacitors?  Take a look: 

https://hayseedhamfest.com/collections/hammarlund

Dean KK4DAS is getting ready to work on his dad's HQ-170A.  He too will find lots of wisdom and tribal knowledge on Janis's wonderful web site.  

Her main page: http://www.wireless-girl.com/  (with a vast amount of technical info available through the links on the upper left side of this page) 

About Janis: http://www.wireless-girl.com/AboutMe.html

Thanks Janis!  

The Original Wireless Girl

http://www.wireless-girl.com/OrigWirelessGirl.html

SolderSmoke Podcast #227: Solar System, SDR, Simple SSB, HA-600A, BITX17, Nesting Moxons? Mailbag

SolderSmoke Podcast #227 is available: 

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke227.mp3

Travelogue

Mars is moving away.  Jupiter and Saturn close in the sky.  And the Sun is back in action – Cycle 25 is underway.  Also, the earliest sunset is behind us.  Brighter days are ahead.

Book Review:  “Conquering the Electron”   With a quote from Nikola Tesla. 

No real travel for us:   Hunkered down.  Lots of COVID cases around us.  Friends, relatives, neighbors.  Be careful.  You don’t want to be make it through 10 months of pandemic only to get sick at the very end.  SITS: Stay In The Shack. 

Pete's Bench and Tech Adventures:  

 Backpack SDR  keithsdr@groups.io

 Hermes Lite 2

 Coaching SSB builders

 G-QRP talk  

 A new source for 9 MHz crystal filters

 Bill's Bench: 

Fixing the HA-600A Product Detector.  Sherwood article advice. Diode Ring wins the day.  Fixing a scratchy variable capacitor.  Studying simple two diode singly balanced detectors.  Polyakov.  Getting San Jian frequency counter for it.

 

Fixing up the 17 meter BITX.  Expanding the VXO coverage.  Using it with NA5B's KiwiSDR. 

Resurrecting the 17 meter Moxon.  But WHY can't I nest the 17 meter Moxon inside a 20 meter Moxon?  They do it with Hex beams.  Why so hard with Moxons? DK7ZB has a design, but I've often heard that this combo is problematic.  Any thoughts?   I could just buy a 20/17 Hex-beam but this seems kind of heretical for a HB station.

Suddenly getting RFI on 40 meters.  Every 50-60 Hz. Please tell me what you think this is (I played a recording).  

MAILBAG:  

Dean KK4DAS’s Furlough 40/20

Adam N0ZIB HB DC TCVR

Tony G4WIF  G-QRP Vids.  Video of George Dobbs. 

Grayson KJ7UM Collecting Radioactive OA2s. Why?

Pete found W6BLZ Articles

Rogier KJ6ETL PA1ZZ lost his dog.  And we lost ours. 

Steve Silverman KB3SII -- a nice old variable capacitor from Chelsea Radio Company. 

Dave K8WPE thinks we already have a cult following.

Dan W4ERF paralleling amps to improve SNR. 

Jim W8NSA -- An old friend. 

Pete Eaton   WB9FLW    The Arecibo collapse 

John WB4GTW old friend... friend of: 

Taylor N4TD HB2HB  

And finally, we got lots of mail about our editorial.   No surprise: Half supportive, half opposed.  Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion.  And we are free to express ours.  It’s a free country, and we want it to stay that way. That is why we spoke out.

Yesterday the Electoral College voted, finalizing the results.  All Americans should be proud that the U.S. was able to carry out a free and fair national election with record turn out under difficult circumstances. And all loyal Americans should accept the results. That’s just the way it works in a democracy.

We are glad we said what we said. It would have been easier and more pleasant to just bury our heads in the sand and say nothing.  But this was a critically important election and we felt obligated as Americans to speak out.  We'd do it again. And in fact we reserve the right to speak out again if a similarly important issue arises.  

HB-2-HB Contact! N4TD's Amazing Homebrew 20 and 40 meter SSB Transceiver

 

Oh man, this doesn't happen every day.  Using my homebrew BITX 40 DIGI-TIA,  I had just finished a great QSO on 40 meters with Greg W8GP, talking about Heathkits and homebrew radio.   Then I got a call from Taylor N4TD.  He told me he is a SolderSmoke listener.  Then he just casually mentioned the really big news:  HE TOO WAS ON A HOMEBREW RIG! 

I told Taylor that this a rare occurrence.  He agreed. 

Taylor told me his rig is for 20 and 40.  It is a single conversion design with a 9 MHz IF and a crystal filter.  Using a Ukraine-made PA board, it puts out 50 watts.  

Taylor sent me some pictures and wrote: 

Hi Bill,

It was great to work you homebrew to homebrew.  As you said, that doesn’t happen very often.  I used a modular architecture for this radio.  The module size is the ExpressPCB miniboard  size, so they are less expensive and all the same size so they can be moved around.  All the boards are homebrew except for the final amplifier module.  The PA module I got from 60dbm in Ukraine through eBay.  I had tested this module before and found it to be solid, and it was more economical than building the PA from scratch.  It delivers 50W+ and has been reliable through all my sometimes abusive testing.  

73 Taylor N4TD

Taylors rig -- Top view

Taylor's rig -- Bottom view

Arduino, Si5351, GPS linked atomic clock, GPS disciplined frequency counter and more...

Wow, it has been a while since I first talked to Rick, N3FJZ.  Above you can see his QSL card.  And here is a link to a SolderSmoke blog post (with videos) that describes our Homebrew to Homebrew contact:

http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2015/10/hb2hb-n3fjz-n2cqr-si5351-and-bitx-tias.html

The e-mail below shows that Rick continues to melt solder, bringing into his rigs some very cool technology:  atomic clocks, GPS modules, and color displays.  That's a long way from the original PTO Direct Conversion receiver that he first heard me with.  FB Rick! 

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

Leif, 

I've made great progress on my Arduino Mega 2560 based rig controller I call the ZX-Front-Panel. I just finished a feature I always wanted which is a built-in *GPS disciplined frequency counter*. It uses the 1-pulse-per-second timing output from the GPS module to create a frequency counter with atomic-clock accuracy. It's on the solderless breadboard with the rest of the ZX-Front-Panel right now, and even so, it can count up to 30MHz with no trouble! and it should be able to count up to 100MHz or more if built on a ground plane with a little shielding. The best part about it is that it only required one additional chip (a 74LV8154 32-bit counter $1 from Mouser) in addition to the existing parts already on the ZX-Front-Panel; i.e. the Arduino Mega 2560 ($10), the Ublox NEO-6N GPS module ($15), the display ($25), and the Si5351 PLL RF Oscillator ($8). 

Check out my video series covering the ZX-Front-Panel development progress. The first link below will bring up the video page on my website with the latest video at the top, so you'll have to scroll down a bit to get to the earlier development stages. Check out the rest of the website too for the schematics of my Bitx / TIA inspired rig design (which I call the ZX-SSB-II) that I used an early version of to make my first HF HB2HB contact with Bill (N2CQR) back in 2014 or so (Bill and Pete, via the Soldersmoke podcast, were my inspiration to build my first SSB homebrew rig). 

YouTube videos: http://www.remmepark.com/circuit6040/ZX-SSB-II-Front-Panel/ZX-SSB-II-Front-Panel.html#video 

Homepage: http://www.remmepark.com/circuit6040/index.html

Dean AC9JQ and I have been communicating via emailing about his progress in building his own copy of the ZX-Front-Panel, and I'm very excited to learn that he might be thinking about producing a future homebrew rig featuring the ZX-Front-Panel as its controller/VFO. The best thing about the ZX_Front-Panel is that ounce you install the sketch into the Arduino Mega, you don't need to modify the Arduino sketch itself when you build your rig; i.e. the SSB crystal filter's center frequency (the I.F. frequency), the Si5351's clock output drive level, the display brightness and contrast, and the Si5351 crystal correction factor (crystal trim) are all configurable, real-time, right from the ZX-Front-Panel's user interface, and once set, can be saved to the Arduino's non-volatile EEPROM to be automatically loaded on the next power-up. Also, since it has a GPS module, it features a UTC/Local real-time clock with atomic clock accuracy too. 

Anyway that's all for now, take care Leif. 

73 Rick.

Listen to Homebrew-to-Homebrew Quarantine Contact with Glenn KU4NO on his 37 year-old Homebrew SSB Transceiver

This was really amazing.  I had been feeling guilty about not getting on the air much during quarantine.  I mean, we have these airwaves and we have the gear, right? Shouldn't we be more social, more friendly and get on the air more?  I tried yesterday with marginal results (conditions were poor).  I called CQ on 40 SSB this morning -- nil, except for one grumpy guy who said I was splattering on his morning coffee clatch. Then I heard KU4NO calling CQ.  I did not recognize the call.  But when I told him I was on a homebrew transceiver, he matter-of-factly sad that he too was on a homebrew rig.  When he started to describe it  (see below), it all came back me.  His is one of the most soulful of homebrew SSB rigs.  And I realized that it may also be THE OLDEST HOMEBREW SSB RIG STILL IN USE IN THE WORLD.  (If anyone knows of a homebrew SSB transceiver older than 37 years and still on the air, please let me know.)  This was exactly the kind of contact that I needed.  TRGHS. 

Glenn put out a lot of homebrew wisdom.  He said a lot of inspiring things.  (He did also at one point talked about wanting to shoot his plasma TV, but that's understandable.)  So I recorded most of our contact.  (I have his permission to put it on the web).   

You can listen to our contact via the YouTube video above.  

For my report on an earlier contact with Glenn click here: 
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-rig-with-maximum-soul-5-band.html

So, it is worth it to get on the air.  They are rare, but people like Glenn are out there, running very interesting rigs. And when you find them, you feel like you've hit the jackpot. 

Thanks Glenn! 

N3FJZ's Al Fresco. BITX-inspired, TIA. 50 Watt, SSB Rig (Video)

The last blog postings on Rick N3FJZ were in 2015.  Rick sent me a very uplifting reception report, then we had a pretty amazing Homebrew-to-Homebrew contact.  

Paul Taylor VK3HN yesterday alerted me to a new YouTube video that shows the progress Rick has made with his homebrew SSB rig.   

This is a great example of true amateur SSB construction.  Rick is making use of a combination of digital and analog technology.  He is adapting circuitry developed by others and using it to meet his needs.  During the development stage he is keeping the circuit open (Al Fresco) so that he can easily work on it.  

FB Rick.  

A Rig with Maximum Soul: The 5 Band Transceiver of Glenn KU4NO

That's the front panel.  Glenn's kids and grand kids liked sitting on his lap while he played radio and putting stickers on it

This is one of the best HB2HB contacts I've had.   I was just getting ready to sign off on 40 meters when I heard someone calling me. It was KU4NO.  I thought I'd just give the OM a quick report.  Then he said, "My rig is homebrew too."   And wow, it is indeed!  When he said this my first thought was that maybe this was a kit rig, but no, it turns out that this rig is the scratchyist of scratch-built rigs -- true hardcore hardrock homebrew. 

I checked my log.  I had worked Glenn once before, in December 2001.  I was in the Azores.  And he was using this same rig.  Glenn told me that for all these years, this has been his ONLY rig.  A friend gave him a modern commercial rig, but he prefers this one.  I understand completely.  

At first, Glenn made me promise not to share the pictures with anyone. He seemed a bit embarrassed by his creation.  I told him that SolderSmoke readers would appreciate his rig and see the value of it. I explained that we all have soldering iron scars on our fingers, and clothing that has been stained by ferric chloride.  We LIKE ugly.  It took some persuasion, but I got  him to agree to let me share this with the group.  

Glenn reports it is based on a "5 band transceiver" circuit in the 1976 or 1977 handbook. (i don't have one and can't find it on-line -- can anyone get us a copy of the schematic and article?)

So I say THREE CHEERS for Glenn KU4NO and his homebrew 5 band transceiver.   For me, the stickers are the most important feature of this rig.  Please e-mail me your comments on Glenn's rig - in an effort to let him know how much we appreciate and understand his effort, I will pass them on to him. I wish more hams would follow his example. 

Glenn wrote: 

Oh well I'm not too concerned about who sees it. 

I just wouldn't want to cause anyone to follow my example. 

Maybe you could call it "a tornado goes through a junkyard."

Just kidding around ...no restrictions...I'm sure it will be forgotten soon ..... but I will be innocent of any harm caused by it. 

Its the only rig I've ever owned when we contacted before it was with it. 

The inspiration article in the 76 or 77 handbook is worth a look.  

The VFO tuning cap and mount came from a CB "slider" one of my brother-in-laws gave me  it seems to work well

 

Glenn

Picture Above:  top view upper left power out two IRF 510s from w2eby ( I think) 30+ to 60+ watts across HF love this circuit, small board connected at right angle is 1/2 watt driver from Harrys Homebrew page 2n2222 driving 4 2n2222s beautiful circuit

lower left power transformer 

one of two wafer band switches in middle   ....  under wafer switch is hf mixer and single balanced mixer to generate ssb

 LO from progressive receiver top right ... heat sink just to left and lower unused voltage regulator

  RF amp and wafer switch lower right used for transmit and receive

 

LO tuning cap and hf mixer modulator circuit

 

 RF amp

 Crystals for mixing, BFO, old detector circuit.  Old circuit that repeated CQ call, chip from Radio Shack

Some micro relays ...... audio amp at bottom and two switchable compressor circuits one using an SL 1626 and one lifted from a President model CB radio  and some filter caps

 

New IF AGC audio detector uses three ca 3028As from 67 handbook schematic is wrong can you find the mistakes? it was printed wrong twice i use an s meter with it

Close up of power output and lower left  rf output filters  

 

Homebrew Juju -- HB2HB

Oh man, last night the Radio Gods were on my side.  I only had about a half hour on 40 SSB, but I had some really nice QSOs.   WB2HJK George in NYC was very interested in the BITX revolution.  W3BT in Philadelphia is a kind-hearted OT who ran an ENORMOUS Yagi atop a row-house in the city -- the antenna extended over the street and TWO of his neighbors houses.  Never had a TVI problems. FB.  SS listener WA3O Mike called in -- Mike is the fellow who gave me my HW-7.  Mike has been running his uBITX into a homebrew 500 watt LDMOS amp. FB Mike.  

Then the real miracle happened.  Just as I was about to throw the switch, Glenn KU4NO called.  I decided to give him a report.  But then he said something I rarely hear:  "My rig is homebrew too!"  I checked the log -- I had spoken to Glenn before, but our last QSO was in December 2001.  I was in the Azores.  Glenn was on the same homebrew rig.  We had a nice talk about his rig.  FB.   

Glenn told me that in all his years on the air, he has only had a few contacts with other homebrew stations.  He had a list of them:  1) W4ZCB, 2) N6ORS (FB! SS Listener!), N2CQR ("No wait -- I just heard you but we didn't talk.") and W2JUQ.  I will tell Glenn that he needs to add CU2JL to the list -- that was me in 2001 and I was indeed homebrew DSB.) 

To top it all off, Dino KL0S was listening and recorded the final part of the QSO.  See below. (The video might take a few minutes to load.) 

In honor of that FB night on 40 I am re-posting the animated GIF of my BITX-17 build.  I hope it doesn't make you seasick!  

Also, I think we need to add a term to the SolderSmoke lexicon:  Juju.   As in Homebrew Juju. See:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juju   Right?  What do you think Steve Silverman? 

HB2HB QSO with KC1FSZ and his Al Fresco Scratch-built BITX

I had some good luck on the ham bands last weekend.  First, I was called by Bruce KC1FSZ -- this time he was on his Al Fresco scratch-built BITX-on-a-board.  FB.  The next day, I called CQ on what seemed like an empty 17 meter band.  I heard someone come back -- it sounded like DX.  I had to swing the Moxon a bit -- oddly, I thought, to the south-east.  FR5FC was calling me from Reunion Island.   TRGHS. 

Here's a follow-up message from Bruce: 

Hi Bill:

Great to catch up with you on 40m yesterday.  I was using the Peppermint II which is a scratch-build of the BITX-40 for the most part, although I did my own digital VFO/BFO and made a few other modifications in order to be able to use it on 80m.  It took about 8 months of noodling to get the thing to work, but it was a great learning experience. 

As discussed, I’m working on a 24V power supply (LM723 + 2N3055) and a push-pull IRF510 final so that I can get some more power.  

I got a few more Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark tins off of EBay so I’m ready to start boxing things up as soon as the linear is working. 

73s,

Bruce KC1FSZ

Amazing Homebrew/Boatanchors QSOs on 40 --Six solder melters in a row!

Al W8VR

After a day of happy tinkering with the Direct Conversion receiver I've been working on, I turned off the soldering iron and got on 40 meter SSB with my BITX Digi-Tia. 

First -- Steve W4IJ came back to my CQ.  Steve is a boatanchor enthusiast and has written for Electric Radio magazine.  FB. 

W4IJ Boatanchors

When Steve signed off, I got into a contact with Pete W8NBO.  We had spoken before and he had told me of a homebrew transmitter he'd built as a kid.  This time I asked for details: It was a 6AG7 oscillator to a 6L6 amplifier.  He ran it with an S38 (brave man!).  He described what must have been a very painful effort to hack (literally) the needed holes in the transmitter chassis using just a spike, a hammer and a file.  I told him this brought back my memories of similarly painful chassis work (mine was for a power supply for a Heath HW-32A).

At this point we were joined by Arnie, W2HDI.   Arnie's rig is in Stowe Vermont, but he was running it remote from the South of France where he and his wife were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  Arnie shared with us memories of similar chassis pain -- his were related to an external modulator that he built for a DX-40. I think he said that all he had was a hole punch and a file.  Oh, the humanity! 

Then Al W8VR joined the conversation.  Al said that he's been in the game so long that his early rigs were built using cigar boxes as chassis.  I pointed to a connection:  I noted that my BITX rigs are enclosed in what could be considered cigar boxes.  Al's QRZ page picture has a magnificent AM rack rig that he said was actually built twice.  There is also an HRO-60 in the picture.  FB. Check it all out at Al's web site.  Click on the mic for the write ups, the key for the pictures.  http://www.w8vr.org/

Then Dennis K0EOO called in.  Holy Cow!   Dennis and I spoke not long ago.  You may recall my enthusiastic write up of his beautiful 1974 SSB rig: 

http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2017/08/k0eoo-homebrew-ssb-in-1974.html

and

http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2017/08/more-on-k0eoos-amazing-homebrew-ssb-rig.html

This was almost too much.  Rarely will you spontaneously come across so many hams who have melted so much solder.  FB. 

Icing on the cake:   When I returned to the bench, I fired up the DC receiver and heard Mike KN4EAR talking about his BITX40.  I switched to the Digi-Tia and gave Mike a call.  He reports making many contacts with his rig. FB. 

TRGHS. 

Six Stations Worked on BITX Night

I had a a good session with the BITX gang on 7277 kHz starting at  7pm local last night.  Keith N6ORS was on with his MIN-X rig (picture above).  Michael  KN4EAR's signal is much improved (Michael had worked Barcelona with his BITX40 Module earlier in the day). Randy WB5YYM's rig (featured last week on this blog) was booming in from Arkanas.  

LOG: WI1B Ken on BITX, AA4PG Pat, KN4EAR Mike in Falls Church, N6ORS Keith on MIN-X, W1LY Willy,  WB5YYM Randy in Arkansas

HB2HB! BITX40-BITX40 with KC1FSZ

This was very cool.  I got on 40 SSB this afternoon with my trusty Digi-Tia.  I heard a station saying he was running 5 watts... Hmm, could that be a BITX40?  Indeed it was.  And it was the Peppermint Bark BITX 40 of Bruce KC1FSZ that we featured a few weeks ago.   He was up in Boston.  K3MY was kind enough to let us have the frequency.  Bruce and I had a nice contact.  He told me he is working on a completely scratch-built BITX.  FB.  TRGHS.   

HB2HB: Contact on 40 meters with W0PWE

I got on 40SSB this evening and called CQ with my BITX DIGI-Tia.  Hooray!  Jerry W0PWE answered me with HIS 40 Meter DIGI-TIA.  His is still Al Fresco style.  Very nice.  We add this to the homebrew to homebrew scorecard.  Thanks Jerry!

Jerry's rig:

HB2HB: N6ORS, W0PWE (and me!)

This is so cool.  Jerry W0PWE has built a magnificent BITX.   With a digital VFO and Termination Insensitive Amplifiers, I think it qualifies as BITX DIGI-TIA #2.   Running it "al fresco" he was tuning around on 40 and he heard DIGI-TIA #1 (mine!).  As soon as he finished soldering in the power amplifier, he put it on the air and, in his second contact, worked Keith N6ORS -- Keith was running his MIN-X rig.  Clearly TRGHS. Great work Jerry!

Hello Bill,

Jerry here W0PWE in Iowa. I save up your podcasts and listen to them when I travel. A year or two ago you and Pete got me interested in the BitX and I finally took action. I have plenty of other
projects I should finish but boy was it ever fun to start a new one. This morning I soldered the
last part in my newly hatched Bitx, drug it over to the operating position and had two great QSOs
with it. See attached photo shows the rig as it was during those QSOs.

When I finished my first QSO with W9SX, Keith in WI N6ORS called me. He was running a multi-band Bitx he had built and we had a great HB2HB qso. Awesome!

My rig is scratch built, mostly SMT and generally follows the 40M schematic that Farhan has on
his HFsignals page. I am using the Kopski/Hayward TIAs though and I designed a 6 pole crystal
filter for it since 6 of the 10 crystals I bought were very similar when I characterized them
with my PHSNA setup. It uses the Adafruit SI5351 board and I modified a sketch that LA3PNA wrote for the Arduino. 

I designed and fabricated the boards for it using the software and process described by K7QO and
W5DOR. Toner transfer with the Hammerhill Gloss paper is working great. The heatsink on my IRF510 is a little light. I could smell the MOSFET warming up during a few of my lengthy transmissions with Keith.

Now the SWL report. While listening on the receiver portion of my Bitx last week I heard you on
7260 at about 0030Z. I think that was Tuesday or Wednesday. I wished I could give you a call but
at that point my PA was merely a few traces on the computer screen. Hope to hear you again on
40M.

73/72,
Jerry - W0PWE

BITX40 to BITX40 In Australia -- Both Rigs on the Beach, Video at Both Ends

There is so much great homebrewing going on down-under.   It makes me jealous.  And so much of it is for phone.  FB.

I really like VK3YE's sand graphic proclaiming to the world (or at least to the beach!) that a BITX40 to BITX40 contact had been made. 

Looks like both rigs were using VK3YE's ceramic resonator mod for the VFO.

Be sure to check out the BITX 40 Mods blog:
http://bitxhacks.blogspot.com

TRGHS! HB2HB! Homebrew Extravaganza on 40 Meters!

AC7M HB Amp and HB Power Supply

I was flying solo last night.  Everyone else in the house was out.  So I turned to ham radio for some company.  And I was rewarded.    

I called CQ with my BITX DIGI-TIA rig and was immediately answered by Doc AC7M in far-off Twin Peaks, Idaho.   Doc was running a K3 to a homebrew solid state full gallon amp.  And get this -- Doc had also homebrewed the 3 kw switching power supply.  I looked at my store-bought supply and felt like an appliance operator.  I hang my head in shame.

As we discussed solid state amplifiers, we were joined by another builder of silicon after-burners: Don K9AQ, who called in from a beautiful cabin in rural Wisconsin. Don's amp is based on the venerable EB-104 design.   

Both Don and Doc talked about the work of W6PQL.   He has a really amazing site devoted to homebrew solid stat amps, and he is selling lots of great boards and parts for this kind of project:
http://www.w6pql.com/  

As I finishing up with Don and Doc, I got a very welcome call from an old friend from the SolderSmoke community: Dino KL0S.  He as booming in from Williamsburg, Va.  Dino has an amazing workshop.  He is building a serious vertical antenna for 160 meters.  Dino is going for the DX.

Dino's Bench

At this point Mike WA3O in Pittsburgh called in.  And get this:  Mike heard me on his new BITX 40 Module.  The Radio Gods Have Spoken! (TRGHS!).  We switched up to 7.285 MHz where I fired up my BITX 40 Module for a BITX40-BITX40 QSO (albeit not at QRP levels).
We should definitely make more use of 7.285 for BITX40 and other HB QRP SSB QSOs.  1930 EST (0030 Z) seems like a good time.

Finally, just when I was thinking that things couldn't get any better, they did:  Armand WA1UQO called in from Richmond.  Armand and I collaborate on parts acquisition at Virginia hamfests.  We specialize in the contents of the musty cardboard boxes found under the tables.  We discussed the DISRUPTIVE influence of Farhan's BITX 40: All around the world, other homebrew projects are being literally pushed aside on workbenches to make room for that fantastic little module from Hyderabad. 

I was very pleased to hear that Armand is building an analog VFO for his module, using a coil in the 4 uH range, wound on a piece of cardboard tube from a coathanger.  The inspiration for this kind of coil (which I now have in THREE rigs) came from Farhan, who used sipping straws from fast-food restaurants as coil forms in a sig generator that he built years ago.  This week, seeing a Facebook picture of my daughter and me in a restaurant with drinking glasses in front of us, Farhan asked if I had brought home the straws. 

HB2HB: Butch K0BS with a KWM2 and a Hombrew 4-1000 Amp

Wow!  Now THAT is a shack! This morning I heard Butch K0BS and his friends on 40 meter SSB.  I knew I was listening to the voices of kindred spirits when I heard them talk about a drifting VFO and the need to heat up the filaments of an ART-13.   As the group was shutting down to begin their preparations for Thanksgiving dinners, I gave Bruce a call with my BITX 40 Module. He was on a KWM-2 (the rig that had been drifting a bit) and a homebrew 4-1000 amplifier.  I told him that I think a bit of VFO drift is a sign of good character. 

You really need to check out the pictures on Bruce's QRZ.com page:  

https://www.qrz.com/db/K0BS

Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating the holiday.