Charlie ZL2CTM Talks Homebrew with NJ7V on Red Summit RF

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV489xbf34I

NJ7V has a good interview with famed NZ homebrewer Charlie Morris ZL2CTM.  Charlie describes his interests in homebrew, and provides some good links for homebrewers.  I agree: understanding is important.  Great stuff!   Thanks to both! 

The WN2QHL N2CQR Drake 2-B

I was telling Steve KW4H and Scott K6AUS about my Drake 2-B (Serial #11976): 

I got mine when I was still a novice on April 11, 1974. I still have it and use it.  It had been spared the Magic Screwdriver, because the previous owner was my Elmer, Hilmar WN2NEC. Hilmar was a no-nonsense German immigrant, a tech who knew which end of the soldering iron to grab.  

The only real mod that it had was the installation of a Jackson Brothers reduction drive. This slowed the tuning a lot, and I lost the calibrated dial skirt, but I think it was worthwhile.  I have tuned "normal" 2-Bs and they seem a bit fast to me. By the way, I think you can tell a true 2-B restorer if he has replaced the string on the tuning mechanism of the 2-B, and he has done it often enough to get good at it!  I am sure Steve is in this category! (Can you imagine a modern rig that actually has a STRING in it?  I can't.  I think those tuning dial strings capture a lot of the charm of these older receivers.)   

When Hilmar sold me the receiver, it had a  really cool big knob on the front.  But he had specified that I had to give that knob back to him -- he had borrowed it from a device at work!  Of course, as a teenager, I dallied.  "I really need that knob," complained poor Hilmar. I found a replacement and gave the knob back to him.    

Years later I think I replaced the power supply capacitors with a replacement from Hayseed Hamfest. 

My 2-B opened up a world of DX for me.  Only two days after I got it, I worked ZL2ACP on 15 CW.  And of course on that same day, I worked KP4USA on 15 meter CW.   The operator was Steve, who is today KW4H.   With my earlier general coverage receiver, I could barely hear 15 meters.  With the 2-B it was easy to tune.  

I have more than 70 Drake 2-B articles on the SolderSmoke blog.  Check them out: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search/label/Drake%202B

My AI QSL Card: Wood Boxes, a D-104, Books, a 'Scope, the EB-63A, Guapo, our Sticker, and a Cup of Coffee! KK0S's Cards

Inspired by the ZL2BNE card sent to me by VK3HN, and the excellent question from Walter KA4KXX,  I endeavored today to create a QSL card that was sort of like that of OM ZL2BNE.  

I kind of like the result: 

-- We have the wooden box rigs.  I am working on one of them.  (That happens a lot!)

-- There is a D-104.

-- We see the EB-63 .1kW Linear. 

--  There are books on the shelf:  SSDRA, EMRFD and SPRAT in a binder.   And we see a book by Hayward.  

-- There is an oscilloscope.  

-- There is a nice map of Northern Virginia and my Maidenhead Grid Square. 

-- We see Guapo, and a cup of coffee. 

-- We also see the SolderSmoke sticker. 

Here is how I did this:  

I used https://www.canva.com/  You have to select the AI option.  Then I told it I wanted it to look like the ZL2BNE card (I sent them a copy).  At that point you have to start modifying what the AI comes up with.  You have to do this many times until you get it sort of right.  

Please send me your results! 

Here are a couple of QSLs that Bruce KK0S did with ChatGPT: 

A Really FB HB QRP QSL Card from New Zealand

 

That's the spirit!  The solder is melting.  Note the oscilloscope.  Note the books on the shelf. This amazingly good QSL card was sent to us by homebrewer Paul VK3HN, who made the contact with ZL2BNE.  

This card reminded me of my first real DX:  ZL2ACP many years ago.  15 meter CW with my new Drake 2B receiver.  I had crossed the Pacific before I had crossed the Atlantic.  I ran upstairs and woke my parents to tell them of this amazing feat!  I still have that QSL card.  

A Very Basic (and Cool) SSB Transmitter from Australia and New Zealand

 

https://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/SC/2026/June

Our good friend Peter Marks VK3TPM sent this to me, after QRP Guru Peter Parker VK3YE alerted him to it.  Silicon Chip is the electronics magazine of Australia. 

This is a really basic, but very cool SSB transmitter that Andrew ZL2PD built into the case of an old microphone.  I think it does a good job of illustrating some of the key elements of an SSB transmitter:  the balanced modulator (to get rid of the carrier), the crystal filter (to get rid of the unwanted sideband), a very simple mixer circuit, followed by a bandpass filter to select only the difference frequency while rejecting the sum.  Finally a good low pass filter.  This transmitter operates on a fixed frequency of around 3.7 Mhz.   The schematic and most of the article appears in the free online version of the magazine:  https://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/SC/2026/June

Andrew ZL2PD has a very interesting web site:  https://zl2pd.com/

Thanks to Peter VK3TPM for sending this to us. And thanks to VK3YE and to ZL2PD. 

SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Used in an SSB QSO in New Zealand by ZL1AUN

 Aaron ZL1AUN used his homebrew SolderSmoke Direct Conversion receiver in a 40 meter SSB contact with his fellow New Zealand radio amateurs.  His transmitter was a modern commercial rig, but his receiver was the Direct Conversion receiver. 

I think Aaron's video is an excellent demonstration of how stable and useful this receiver really is.  

The next step for many will be the construction alongside the DC receiver of a Double Sideband transmitter.  You could make it with only the receiver PTO serving as the common stage.  Just build another mixer, a mic amp,  and an RF amp with low pass filter.  Switch the DC voltage and the antenna from T to R and you will be on the air, on phone,  fully homebrew.  

Here is an article describing how I did this on 17 meters in the Azores in 2001: 

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

Here is the Doug DeMaw article in CQ magazine that got me started in homebrew DSB: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-doug-demaw-article-that-got-me-into.html 

For more information on this project, and for information on how you could build this receiver see: 

Join the discussion - SolderSmoke Discord Server:

https://discord.gg/Fu6B7yGxx2

 

Documentation on Hackaday:

https://hackaday.io/project/190327-high-schoolers-build-a-radio-receiver

 

SolderSmoke YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@soldersmoke

A Saw the Southern Cross (Crux) This Morning (first time in 30 years!)

You can see it (above) in the picture I took this morning, with my Iphone. 

I think I last saw this important constellation more than 30 years ago.  From my observation log: 

DECEMBER 9 1994. MORNING. Went to Parque Mirador Sur near Hotel El Embajador at 5 a.m. Confirmed that I have been looking at the Southern Cross. Below Corvus, Head of the Cross is on a line from Alpha and Beta Centauri. Base of Cross is "three thumbs" from horizon. I calibrate my thumb with Mars and Regulus at 2 degrees. That puts base of cross at 6 degrees off horizon. My Horizon is (90 -18.5 = 71.5 South. So 71.5 - 65.5 BINGO! Agrees with star map declination for Southern Cross. Also Right arm of cross is faint as indicated on star map. Alpha and Beta Centauri off tothe left. Alpha looks red. Beta seems to have two other stars around it. Eureka: Following the line from Alpha and Beta Centauri to the head of the cross, I found a very distinct circular cluster. I think this is the Jewell Box - NGC 4755 (open cluster). Still trying to figure out the constellation (Argo?) that lies to the right of the cross. Looks to me like the false cross. It is bigger than the Southern Cross. Mine seems to have a cluster off the right arm and the left arm has a dimmer star near it. A good morning! (LATER FOUND THAT MY CLUSTER WAS GLOBULAR CLUSTER RNGC 5139. I HAD MISIDENTIFIED ALPHA AND BETA CENTAURI.) 

Here is what Heavens Above predicted for this morning from Punta Cana: 

 

 

Charlie ZL2CTM's New Receiver

It is truly a thing of beauty.  

I really like that variable capacitor.  (Where did that come from?  How can I get one?)   

Charlie's calculations on each of the stages is -- as always -- really nice.  

I like the J-310 infinite impedance detector,  Charlie's use of solder wick,  the wooden base, and his decision to keep the circuitry visible.   

I also like Charlie's decision NOT to put that VFO in a metal box.  Too often we see projects that try to convince us that the receiver just won't work unless everything is hermetically sealed in submarine-like boxes.  Not true!  And Charlie's receiver demonstates this.   

Charlie is clearly keeping up the Kiwi tradition of fine homebrewing exemplified by the Tucker Tin 2,  ZL2BMI's DSB rig,  and many other FB HB projects from ZL. https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search?q=New+Zealand+DSB

Thanks Charlie!  Be sure to check out the rest of his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CharlieMorrisZL2CTM

More Info on the Cuban Jaguey Solid State DSB Transceiver

ZL2BMI Transceiver Layout (not full size here!) 

Continuing our search for information the Cuban "Jaguey" DSB rig, Trevor Woods pointed me to Dick Pascoe's QRP column in the (below) July 1998 issue of Ham Radio Today.  I think the first SPRAT article about Eric Sears' ZL2BMI DSB rig was in SPRAT 83 in the summer of 1995.  This fits well with the sequence described below by Arnie Coro CO2KK. 

I am still looking for a schematic and pictures of the Jaguey rig: If you can help in this, please let me know.  

ZL2BMI Double Sideband QRP Transmitter in SPRAT #191

Very cool that SPRAT had a Double Sideband (DSB)  transmitter article in its current issue (#191 Summer 2022). The author is DSB guru Eric Sears ZL2BMI,creator of the famous ZL2BMI  DSB QRP transceiver. 

I think DSB is a great way to break into homebrewing for phone.  Building a DSB transmitter is a LOT easier than building an SSB rig.  The DSB transmitter can then be converted into a DSB/Direct Conversion transceiver.   

Here is a link to 75 SolderSmoke blog posts about DSB (keep on scrolling, keep on hitting the "older posts" button): https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search/label/DSB

Here are a bunch of blog posts that mention ZL2BMI: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search?q=ZL2BMI

Thank you Eric, and thanks to G-QRP. 

Summer Solstice -- EITs. Solar Tsunamis. Strange Falcon 9 Spirals Seen in New Zealand

 

Forbes has an interesting article that may help explain the poor Cycle 25 propagation that were talking about in SolderSmoke podcast #238: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2022/03/28/an-increasingly-active-sun-is-now-producing-solar-tsunamis-and-sending-flares-our-way/?sh=613e1dd1fbfd 

And Space Weather website has an interesting piece about some really strange SpaceX Falcon 9-related phenonmenon: 

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=20&month=06&year=2022

Early Radio in New Zealand, and "The Knack"

 

Thanks to Thomas K4SWL of the SWLing Post for alerting us to this gem.  Listen to Sarah Johnston's program describing the origins and early years of broadcast radio in New Zealand. 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/smart_talk/audio/2018821216/voices-in-the-air-sarah-johnston-on-100-years-of-radio

This wonderful recording and article reminded me of a bit of ham radio history involving New Zealand,  and someone who was involved who had a surname similar to mine.  The ARRL book "200 Meters and Down" by Clinton DeSoto reports on page 91 that on May 22, 1924, radio amateurs for the first time made a contact between New Zealand and South America.  Carlos Braggio operated rCB8 in Buenos Aires.  In New Zealand, J.H. O'Meara was at the key in Gisborne. 

Writing of the early amateurs,  DeSoto wrote (on page 92): 

 "Why did they do it?  None but one of them can know, and only he would know the feeling of driving ambition, the relentless call of work to be done, the gnawing discontent that hungers for accomplishment; it would be hard to put into words. The strange thing is that there were folk, everywhere on earth it seemed, who had that urge." 

"The gnawing discontent..."  That is what Jean Shepherd had when he couldn't get his Heising Modulator to work properly.  We've all been there. 

The last line in the quote from DeSoto's book speaks to one of the major themes of this blog and of the SolderSmoke podcast:  the way in which people all around the world got interested in radio in much the same way.  So many of us, all around the world,  often at age 13 or 14, suddenly got interested in radio.  We all had (and have!) "The Knack."  This is really very nice -- it is something that we have in common, something that pulls us together. 

SSB History -- The Tucker Tin 2 (and 3) with a 1961 Recording. Hallicrafters FPM-200 Video by W9RAN

There is so much important SSB history in this video from Bob Nichols, W9RAN.  I liked all of it,  but the on-the-air recording of a 1961 transmission from a Tucker Tin 3 was really amazing.  Check it out. 

Here is the 2014 SolderSmoke blog post about the Tucker Tin 2. You can see the 1961 schematic here: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2014/09/kiwi-lunchbox-sideband-tucker-tin-two.html

As you can see this is a very simple phasing-type SSB rig.  The SSB generator is crystal controlled at the operating frequency.  

Thanks to Bob W9RAN, and thanks to Peter Parker VK3YE for posting about this video on the SolderSmoke Facebook Page. 

 

The Chatham Islands

ZL2CTM's Simple SSB Transceiver

Congratulations to Charlie Morris ZL2CTM for his first contact with his Simple SSB rig.  

There are so many cool things in Charlie's video, starting with his mention of having been woken up early (2 am)  by the very strong earthquake off New Zealand.   Exhibiting true homebrew spirit, Charlie apparently went straight for the shack and worked on his rig.  FB OM. 

Al fresco!  I love the spacious layout on the board and the obvious division into stages.  And I like the wooden board that holds it all together. 

I like the idea of two bandpass filters -- this is simpler than switching one from transmit to receiver.  

Hooray!  Homebrew diode ring mixers!   Yes! 

I think Charlie follows the UK convention with his T/R switch -- they have up as off.  I may be wrong but I think most US homebrewers have up as on, and up as transmit.  Cultural differences. 

Notice Charlie touch-testing the heatsink during that first QSO.  We all do that. 

I like the 24 volts on the IRF-510 drain.  Allison always said that IRF-510s run better at 24V than they do at 12V. 

Of course I disagree a bit on the issue of analog VFOs. But this is just a matter of personal circuit preference. 

Charlie's calculations and notes are really wonderful.  His candid discussion of impedance matching is especially useful.    I think his use of loose-leaf  sheets of paper is wise and it paves the way for a useful folder for each HB rig. 

Here is the introductory video for Charlie's Simple SSB project: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgQUG0AImKY&list=PLxU5OX0SLgIPdYj_MZG03CeimbRU6Btml

Here is Charlie's 10 part video series on his simple SSB rig: 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxU5OX0SLgIPdYj_MZG03CeimbRU6Btml

And here is Charlie's YouTube channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/c/CharlieMorrisZL2CTM/videos

Thanks Charlie! 

A Song Fom Dexter ZL2DEX

From a post on on "ZL Amateur Radio & Friends,"  in response to a complaint about the lack of activity (with apologies to Paul Simon):  

'50 Ways':

"Get on the band, Stan,
Trigger the mic, Ike,
Tap your key, Lee,
Listen for me.
Paddle the bug, Doug,
Watch the waterfall, Paul,
Just QSO, Joe,
when conditions agree."

73

Dex, ZL2DEX

ZL2CTM Charlie Morris on "QSO Today" with Eric Guth 4Z1UG

Eric Guth 4Z1UG had a really nice interview with our friend Charlie Morris ZL2CTM.  Charlie shared with Eric a lot of wisdom about how to homebrew radio gear.  I especially liked Charlie's comments on keeping most of his rigs on the wooden prototype boards.  He said something important when he talked about the benefits of taking a break from a difficult problem, then coming back to it with a rested and refreshed mind. I noted, however,  that he said most of these frustrating problems have to do with software.  

I got got several chuckles out of Charlie's comments on the difficulty of building stable analog LC VFOs (here he seemed to be channeling our good friend Pete Juliano).  I chuckled because as I listened I was happily building the analog LC VFO for my Q-31 Quarantine receiver.  The centerpiece of this project is a variable capacitor that Pete gave me;   Pete took it out of an old  Galaxy V transceiver.   Believe me guys, no rotary encoder could possibly look as nice or have as much soul as that capacitor from Pete, with all its gears, reduction drives, and anti-backlash mechanisms.  It even smells of machine oil.  Call me a Luddite, but I will stick with the coils and capacitors.  

Listen to the interview here: 

https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/zl2ctm

Thanks to Charlie and Eric. 

ZL2CTM's Inspirational Tramping Transceivers (videos)

Charlie Morris ZL2CTM is working on portable (tramping) transceivers. Check out his amazing and innovative enclosures and circuit boards.  Really nice. A great way to keep that beautiful circuitry visible. 

More details on Charlie's blog: 

https://zl2ctm.blogspot.com/2019/12/40m-ssb-tramping-rig.html

Thanks Charlie.  Happy trails!  73

SolderSmoke Podcast #214 is FINALLY out!

WE ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE AUDIO QUALITY.  IN THE FIRST RELEASE OF THIS PODCAST SOME OF THE AUDIO WAS KIND OF MUFFLED.  I TRIED TO FIX IT THIS MORNING AND I THINK I MADE SOME IMPROVEMENTS.  THE IMPROVED AUDIO IS NOW AT THE LINK BELOW.  

4 November 2019 (shockingly late!)

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke214.mp3

The visit of Farhan to Northern Virginia
"I heard this guy from Southern California on 20..."
Fire Report from Pete

Pete's Bench Report
"When you know stuff, you can do stuff!" 
The CRAP rigs 
Old Boatanchors -- the Swan 120  with SUPER STABLE ANALOG VFO! 
Ten Tec rigs dial cord replaced with Chinese digi sig counter 
Pete's 500 mW encounter with a QRO curmudgeon
The ZL2BMI Challenge has Pete building crystal filters
The Left Coast Loafer CW rig 

Bill's Bench Report

ET-2 Refinements
N0WVA's Regen Receiver 
Going from ET-1 to ET-2
J-310s vice MPF-102
100 mW from a single J-310
Receiver kind of deaf -103 dbm MDS
10 contacts so far in 9 states 
THREE contacts yesterday.
Worked Wisconsin - 633 miles on 92 mW 
We are at sunspot minimum. 
"Rage, rage against the dying of the light." 
Simplicity is the real reason for CW 

IDEA:  Get those Michigan Might Mites on the air! 
Use Reverse Beacon Network to see if you are getting out 
Use SDR receivers to make contacts

MAILBAG
DL1AJG
KC6SAX
W9VNE
KA4KXX
N0WVA
Zl2BMI
AJ6BD  

ZL2CTM's Homebrew Transceiver Project

Wow, Charlie has a lot of very cool ideas in this initial video.   Some suggestions: 

-- With the IRF-510 in the final, beef up the heatsink, and follow Farhan's lead by including an option for 24 volts on the drain.  That would take you  up to 20 watts or so (for those who are so inclined). 

-- Could that Teensy SDR board work at the IF frequency?  If so, consider putting it ahead of the crystal filter.  This would enable us all to join the Waterfall Signal Purity Police Force. 

-- I love the OLEDs too, but I found them to be noisy.  I minimized the noise with shielding around the OLED and active decoupling on the power line to the AF amplifiers.

More of Charlie's work here: 

https://plus.google.com/107506245856154702088

ZL1UEM'S Tiny OLED Si5351 Arduino VFO

Hugh ZL1UEM has come up with a very creative way to take maximum advantage of the small size of the Si5351 board, the Arduino, and the OLED display.  He even has the rotary encoder in there.  Look carefully -- he uses both sides of the board.  Very nice. Thanks Hugh!

Hi Bill,

First let me say that I have been an avid follower of the SS blog and podcasts since the days of your podcasts involving Mike KL7R.

Like many others I was tempted to purchase the $49 surface mount module from HF Signals.  As a keen home brewer I felt guilty about employing a prebuilt board but excused my decision on the grounds that I would build a DDS and other accessories myself.

In addition to follow the SS blog I also check Pete's blog regularly and was excited by his OLED VFO for the Bitx40.

I constructed it on a small double sided matrix board with plated through holes.  A bit of noodling led to the layout shown in the photos.  There is only one board with components mounted on both sides.  The board came to life on the first power up but the text spilled off the bottom of the display.

I assumed that the sketch that I had downloaded from Pete's blog was for a different OLED module.  I knew that he had also used a yellow/blue OLED, the same as mine, previously so emailed him requesting a sketch for this OLED.

I was taken aback when he informed me that the sketch I had was the same for both the dual colour OLED and the black and white one too.  Pete suggested that I swot up on the use of OLEDs generally and that perhaps I should first experiment with the text size to begin with.  He also offered some advice about the mapping of the screen.

I soon discovered that the text size was not the cause of my grief and that I needed to look elsewhere.

I first tried running the ssd1306_128x64_I2c sketch from the sample sketch folder and was rewarded with the message "Height incorrect, please fix Adafruit _SSD1306.h".  A search of the Internet revealed that I needed to edit the .h file and find "#define SSD1306_128_64" which was commented out and uncomment it and make sure that the other two options, _32 and _16, were commented out.

My next problem was how to edit the specified .h file.  I tried notepad but the text all ran together.  Another internet search revealed that Notepad++ was a suitable choice and it did indeed cut the mustard.

A reload of the sketch completely restored the display to full functionality.

All this may be obvious to many but it was all new to me and if I had not been prompted by Pete l would not have had learnt so much and would not have had the same sense of achievement when it all came together.

Many thanks to you and Pete for providing a focus for my hobby.

73's
Hugh ZL1UEM