Jerry KI4IO (Wizard of Warrenton) Describes His ALL ANALOG Phasing Transceiver -- Bob Crane FDIM interview #3 (audio)

Wow, this one really resonated with me.  Jerry had me won over when, early in the interview, he described his decision to dispense with the Si5351/Arduino combo:  "I said the hell with this digital stuff!"  I hear you Jerry.  I feel your pain OM.  

Jerry then goes on to describe a rig with bits of circuitry from some legendary sources:  The Ugly Weekender transmitter.  SSDRA and EMRFD.  W7ZOI's 1968 Direct Conversion receiver.  

Jerry discusses the "presence" of the direct conversion receiver.  And he decries the pernicious effects of AGC.  (Indeed, real hams MANUALLY control the gain.) 

The Wizard of Warrenton then shares some important tribal wisdom:  After building that new piece of gear, leave it on the bench for a couple of weeks.  Beware of "radio infatuation" (what a great term -- we will have to include this in the lexicon).    Jerry points out that while at first, the new rig will seem just perfect, with time time the need for improvements and modifications will become apparent. 

Jerry also has connections to India and Nepal (where he helped Father Moran).  See: https://www.qrz.com/db/KI4IO

Here is W8SX's interview with Jerry: 

http://soldersmoke.com/KI4IO23.mp3

Thanks Jerry!  Thanks Bob! 

SDR on a Breadboard -- But Isn't This an Old-Fashioned Fantasy?

Nice video, but I'm afraid it is a bit of an old-fashioned fantasy.  It would be nice to think that our beloved analog mixers and direct conversion receivers still have a place in the SDR world.   That may have been true a few years ago when we were using soundcard-based SDRs.  But today we just put an Analog to Digital Converter at the antenna, do "Direct Sampling," create a digital stream, and sent it to the CPU for processing, right?   

Sometimes we think that we can show younger people how our older tech (Direct Conversion receivers) is STILL relevant in the age of SDR radio.  But I can just hear them scoffing at this notion, pointing out that I,Q-to-soundcard front ends have gone the way of the dinosaurs, and all we need now is an ADC and a CPU.  

But hey, I am an HDR guy.  Am I missing something here?  

So Where DID the LSB/USB Convention Come From?

-- Bottom line:   I still don't know why ham radio adopted as a convention LSB below 10 MHz and USB above 10 MHz.  There are several theories. but so far there is no convincing explanation in favor of any one of them. And almost all of the people involved are probably Silent Keys by now; this makes it more difficult to gather first-hand information. 

-- I'm not even sure when the convention began to be observed in ham radio. Many of the early SSB books and articles make no mention of it. We don't see it in early ARRL Handbooks. The first mention of it that I found was in the 1965 issue of the ARRL's "Single Sideband for the Radio Amateur" page 8. This article claims that adding a provision for selectable sidebands would "add appreciably to the cost of the equipment. " It went on to say that,  "For this and other reasons there has been a species of standardization on the particular sideband used in the various amateur bands. Nearly all operations in the 3.5 and 7 Mc. phone sub-allocation is on lower sideband, while the upper sideband is used on 14, 21, and 28 Mc."  

-- We know that the informal convention was being followed as early as 1958.  Jim N2EY reports that in 1958, the manual for the Central Electronics 20A shows that LSB was the "sideband most commonly used" on 75, with USB preferred on 20:

-- Some cite a 1959 ITU recommendation on commercial multiplexed radiotelephony as the reason for the convention.  But I don't think this obscure and long-ago ruling explains the convention.  If this were the case, we'd  see follow-up FCC regulation, and at least some discussion of the ITU recommendation in the amateur radio literature.  But we see none of this.  And, as noted above, by 1958 hams were ALREADY -- on their own -- opting to use LSB on 75 and USB on 20.   The 1965 ARRL SSB book refers not to some hard-and-fast rule, but rather to  "a species of standardization" on LSB and SSB.  That ARRL book said nothing of the 1959 ITU recommendation. 

-- There is a widely held belief that this practice originated in the design of a rig that had a 5.2 MHz VFO and a 9 MHz filter.  According to this theory such a rig -- due to sideband inversion -- would produce LSB on 75 meters and USB on 20.  But, as we have demonstrated, this doesn't work, so this theory has to be discounted. 

-- Early SSB activity seems to have been concentrated on 75 meters, and there was a competition for space with AM stations.   SSB operators appear to have used the very upper band edge as their gathering spot.  Using LSB allowed them to operate very close to the upper band edge -- a lot closer than AM stations could go.  This may explain why LSB became the preferred SSB mode on 75.  But how do we explain USB on 20 and above?  That remains a mystery. 

-- It is important to remember that in the early days of SSB, for most hams there were only two important phone bands: 75 meters and 20 meters.  40 meters was CW only until 1952, and even after that was crowded with shortwave broadcast stations.   So a design that allowed for both 75 and 20 was twice as good as a monoband design. 

-- Early on there were designs and parts for phasing rigs.  You could take that ARC-5 VFO at 5 MHz, build a phasing generator around it, and then mix it with a 9 MHz to get on either band.  But with just a simple switch, this kind of rig could operate on USB or LSB on either band.  So the early popularity of this kid of rig does not explain the convention. 

-- There were a lot of surplus 5 MHz ARC-5 VFOs available. There were also FT-243 and FT-241 surplus crystals at both 5 MHz and 9 MHz that could be made into filters.  Later in the 1950s, 9 MHz commercial crystal filters became available.  If you used a 9 MHz filter with a 5 MHz VFO, there would be no sideband inversion in your rig.  If the SSB generator was putting out LSB on 9 MHz, you'd be on LSB on both bands.  So if there was a desire to have LSB on 75, why not just also have LSB on 20? 

-- But if you built a 5.2 MHz filter and a 9 MHz VFO,  you could have LSB on 75 and USB on 20 without having to shift the carrier oscillator frequency.  This would save you the trouble and expense of moving the carrier oscillator/BFO to the other side of the passband.  This desire to economize and simplify may explain why we ended up with LSB on 75 and USB on 20.  But this still begs the question: Why the desire for USB on 20?  

-- Both the manufacturers and the hams wanted there to be sideband standardization.  With monoband rigs, the manufacturers would be able to cut costs by building for only one sideband.  Hams also wanted to cut costs, and they did not want to have to figure out which sideband a station was on when trying to tune him in. 

-- By 1962-1963  Swan and Heathkit were selling mono-band SSB transceivers that used the "conventional" sidebands:  The rigs for 75 and 40 meters were on LSB while the 20 meter rigs were on USB.  There were no provisions for switching to the other sideband. This seems to have reinforced the practice of observing the convention.   (Heath later added sideband switching to the HW monobanders -- in view of the growing observation of the convention, they may have been better off sticking with their original design. Does anyone know why they did this?)  But again, why USB on 20 and above? 

--  In 1963, Swan, by then in Oceanside California, came out with the Swan 240.   Swan used a filter centered at 5174.5 kc. The VFO ran from 8953 kc to 9193 kc on 75 and 20.  The VFO ran from 12222 to 12493 on 40.  This gave the buyer 75 and 40 on LSB, and 20 USB with only one carrier oscillator frequency. (Swan offered a mod that allowed hams to install an additional, switchable carrier oscillator frequency.  I luckily acquired one such modified rig.)  But again, there is an explanation for LSB on 75, but why USB on 20 and above?

This is an important part of ham radio history.   There should be a clear answer.  We need to find it.   If anyone has any good info on this, please let me know.  

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

Hodgepodge: Tablet SDR with a Bluetooth Mouse (video)

I continue to find things in the shack that I can connect to the Hodgepodge.  Here it's an old Android tablet with a Bluetooth mouse.   

The waterfall is pretty, but this addition just shows why SDR is really TOO easy.  The modified RTL-SDR dongle is doing direct sampling, so there is not even any phasing circuitry to tinker with.  All the filtering and sideband selection is happening in software inside the 40 buck Android tablet.  The results look nice, but I don't find it very satisfying -- all I did was connect some cables.  So it's back to HDR for me. 

Kevin AA7YQ (Montana Smoke Jumper) Launches his SDR/HDR Build Blog

 

Earlier this month I posted a note from Kevin AA7YQ describing his effort to design and build a nice transceiver that mixes the best of SDR and HDR.   Kevin has launched a blog in which he will describe the project in more detail.  He is looking for constructive feedback and suggestions.  Check it out: 

http://aa7yq.blogspot.com/.

Thanks Kevin. 

Nick M0NTV's Really Useful SDR Transceiver (video)

Even though I am more of an HDR guy, I really liked Nick's SDR rig.  I like the modular approach, with all the modules inside a transparent plastic box (see below).  Don't worry about the shielding Nick -- I had the same concern about my BITXs in wooden boxes, but they worked fine. 

Nick really did a great job on the video.  The bloc diagram was especially useful, both on the hardware and on the software.  Very cool.   It is nice to use this phasing approach,  with the digital magic happening at audio frequencies.   I fear that soon FPGAs and direct digital sampling will take the hardware fun out of these rigs.  We already have a bit of that with the RTL-SDR dongles. 

Very cool how the Teensy takes care of the 90 degree audio shift.   I had to do that with chips in my phasing receiver. When I first saw Nick's bloc diagram, I was looking for the audio phase shift network -- then he explained that that was in software, in the Teensy. 

Nicks arrangement for switching the filters is very nice.  

Thanks Nick!  

 

VK3YE's Super Simple Phasing Receiver

Really simple, really nice.  I like the innovative way they achieved the RF quadrature: they did it by splitting and phase-shifting the RF signal, not the VFO signal.  I also like Peter's use of the AM broadcast signal to demonstrate the sideband suppression. Then, SSTV for icing on the cake. 

Mixer Insights using Propellers and Cameras -- From Walla Walla University. And SDR Design Info.

 

Pete Eaton sent us this video from the 2020 ARRL/TAPR Communications Conference.   I have the portion of interest cued up (above).  (The portion of interest begins at 6:59:46.)

There is a lot of really cool SDR design info in this video and in the associated paper  (the TAPR site says you have to pay the ARRL $9 for the paper, but in the comments someone says the papers will be available free after the conference).  

What caught my attention was the students' discussion of mixer action.   They use an analogy with a spinning propeller (the incoming RF) and a camera (triggered by the local oscillator) that samples the incoming signal at a specific rate. This is analogous to a Quadrature Sampling Detector. 

The really interesting part for me was how this analogy allows us to see how phase differences between the desired signal and the image signal arise.   These phase differences permit an SDR receiver (or indeed an old fashioned phasing Direct Conversion receiver) to reject the image while allowing the desired signal to pass.  

This is a key point in understanding mixers, and is really quite amazing. Before I saw this video, I had just come to accept (without understanding WHY) that the desired signal and the image signal would have phase differences, EVEN IF THEY WERE COMING OUT OF THE MIXER AT THE SAME FREQUENCY.  It is this phase difference that allows us to knock one down while allowing the other to pass. The propellers and cameras of Walla Walla University gave me insight as to how and why these phase differences exist.  

In their paper, the Walla Wall group mention uSDX, the project that is currently generating so much excitement around the world: 

Low-cost is not the only reason SDRs have become more popular among the amateur radio

community. More recently, Guido Ten Dolle’s μSDX open source transceiver has generated

increasing interest in quadrature sampling down-conversion SDRs in the homebrew QRP

community. Guido, PE1NNZ, was able to modify the QCX, QRP transceiver for SSB operation

with an efficient class-E amplifier, using only an ATMEGA328 and Arduino code to run the QSD

SDR. This groundbreaking work in this type of SDR has inspired various renditions of Guido’s

radio, fostering a lively groups.io group that can be followed at https://groups.io/g/ucx.

Kudos to Caleb Froelich, Dr. Rob Frohne KL7NA,  Konrad McClure, Joshua Silver, and 

Jordyn Watkins KN6FFS,  all of Walla Walla University,  for some really impressive work.  (BTW:  Rob tells me that back in the mid-90s he too built one of Rick Campbell's phasing receivers and wrote a QST article about it  (probably the first SDR article published by QST).  Details on the project are here: http://fweb.wallawalla.edu/~frohro/R2_DSP/R2-DSP.html

QCX SSB -- But How Much QCX Remains?

Hack-A-Day carried a very nice video describing recent efforts to turn Hans Summers' amazing QCX CW monoband transceiver into a multi-mode, multi-mode (including SSB) rig (see above).   This is project will greatly interest QCX and SDR fans.  

But I wondered how much of the old QCX is still there after the modification.  Not much, it turns out.  

Here is the bloc diagram of the QCX.  It is essentially a phasing rig, using the same principles as my venerable HT-37 transmitter and my version of KK7B's R2 receiver: 

Yesterday Paul VK3HN sent me the schematic of the new multi-mode, multi-band version:  

Notice how different it is.   I thought that perhaps the new rig would keep something of the I-Q circuitry of the QCX, but it does not.  This is not a criticism, just an observation.  

But here is something that harks back to a topic we've been debating on the blog and podcast.  Notice that the top diagram is a bloc diagram.  There is a lot of circuitry in most of those boxes -- lots of resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transistors.   There is a schematic diagram under that bloc diagram.  But look at the second diagram.  While it looks like one, that one is NOT a bloc diagram. That IS the schematic diagram.  Most of the circuity has been sucked into the chips.  

While many will prefer the rig described by the second diagram, I remain an HDR guy, and don't really like seeing the circuitry disappear into the ICs.  But, to each his own.  This is all for fun.  Congratulations to the guys working on the new rig. 

SolderSmoke Podcast #222 Antennas, Phasing, VFOs, 2-Bs, 6 years of N6QW, MAILBAG

After 46 years, finally a dial skirt

SolderSmoke Podcast #222 is available:  

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke222.mp3

No travelogue but… SolderSmoke Almanac!

Memorial Day in U.S.

End of Ramadan so Eid Mubarak! 

#222 marks SIX YEARS of Julian-ismo.  He started on SS 161.  Thanks Pete. 

Thanks to all who sent good wishes on Billy's graduation.  He heads to Boston and the lab in a week or so.  Very proud. 

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

Bill was on Ham Radio WorkBench Podcast  

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

PETE'S WORKBENCH

-- Antenna Ideas -- Don't Buy that $165 dollar dipole!  It is just wire!   

-- THE PHASING RIG. Does this point to a need for meditation?  Or at least some temporary disengagement? Tribal wisdom from Pete. 

-- DEAN KK4DAS's rig.  The Furlough 40.  Troubleshoot.  Tribal knowledge. 

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

-- SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:   AMAZON BOX -- SEARCH FOR ANYTHING OU WANT THERE.  

-- PLEASE PUT COMMENTS ON THE SOLDERSMOKE BLOG POSTS. 

-- PLEASE CHECK OUT THE SolderSmoke YOUTUBE VIDEOS. 

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

BILL's WORKBENCH

n  Shortwave dials and exotic locations.  Java!  

n  Galaxy V VFO Project. Series-tuned Colpitts.  

n  DRAKE 2-B.  Hayseed Recap. Put the skirt back on the old rig.  Reduction drives?   

SHOPPING BAG: 

I got a replacement for the Xtronics 4000 soldering station.  Yaogong worked! 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078WB9Z2R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1  

Ordered screws and stuff from McMaster -- Came very fast! 

Working on a resistor kit from Mouser. 

MAILBAG: 

VK2BLQ's Phasing RX with an HRO dial.  Cool Retro.  

Adam N0ZIB -- Cool station.  TFT screen Aluminum welded box. FB. 

Karl G7AFT    BITX 40 doing USB and LSB by changing the VFO freq.  Pete's trick! 

Jerry KI4IO  out in nearby Warrenton.   Hope to be able to meet up soon. 

Keith N6ORS's Hot Mustard Phasing Board. 

Mike N5GTF'd FULLY INDOOR Quarantine Receiver.  Need a slogan for the antenna!

Nick M0NTV's Bread Bin 80 Quarantine rig

Bruce KC1FSZ   Quarantine 10 -- Brave man in solar minimum. But I hear 10 is opening.

Talking to Grayson Evans KJ7UM  TA2ZGE about Collins 9.9 MHz transformers.

Talking to Alan Wolke W2AEW about Drake 2-B stuff  Was there a reduction drive?

Paul VK3HN about Ceramic filter spurs.

Peter VK2EMU notes no animals were harmed in the making of my videos.  But many electrons were agitated. 

N6QW Phase Shift Success -- It aint over 'till the fat lady sings

I,Q, and HRO: VK2BLQ's Phasing Receiver with an HRO Dial

I had occasionally fantasized about connecting Armand's HRO dial to the rotary encoder of an Si5351, but I think this was more of a nightmare than a fantasy.   I don't think Stephen VK2BLQ went this far -- I suspect that his HRO dial was connected to an analog VFO.  But still, the combination of HRO with I&Q seems a bit edgy...  FB Stephen.  Please send us more info on this amazing receiver. 

  

Hi Bill,

Hope you are safe there with the bad weather.

Recently you  mentioned HRO dials and the need to build a radio around one and Pete has been discussing phasing SSB; attached photo is a phasing receiver on 80 and 40 m, a combination of both HRO and IQ that I built many years ago, and thanks to Pete I shall get it running again.

And Bill, like you I am from the IGY of 1958 and retired with more free time on my hands.

Best regards to you and your family, especially young Billy.

Stephen,

VK2BLQ

N6ORS's Hot Mustard Phasing Board. And how Phasing Works.

Keith N6ORS is a prolific homebrewer and a frequent contributor to the SolderSmoke blog.  Many of you will remember his MINEX rig.  And who can forget his SDR creation,  called (by him!) "Satan's Digital Radio"?  Well, Keith is at it again, this time working on a phasing rig. 

HI Bill,

Its been a while.  Lately I've been working on a phasing transceiver

that fits in a tiny can.  Its called Hot Mustard. You need hot mustard

when you hamming. I finished the phasing board, its 10 poles , 5 in each

phase branch. here is a pic.  Building the cpu board

next. I'll document this one for a change hihi.
73,

Keith N6ORS

A while back I did a little diagram that -- for me -- explains how phasing cancels one of the sidebands.  It appears below.   I think Keith's board is for the 90 degree audio phase shift.   You can see how, by changing the shift from you can affect the degree of sideband suppression.   I guess by going from -90 to +90 you could completely switch sidebands.  

This diagram shows a direct conversion receiver with the VFO tuned to 7200 kHz.  There is a signal at 7202 kHz and another signal at 7199 kHz.  In a simple direct conversion receiver, BOTH these signals would produce audio tones in the receiver output.  You'd hear both a 2 kHz tone and a 1 kHz tone. Assume you only want to hear the 1 kHz tone resulting from the 7199 kHz signal.  Phasing lets you do this. Here's how: 

-- First split the VFO signal into its "normal" output and an output that lags by 90 degrees (-90) 

-- Consider the output from the top (normal) mixer to be your reference signal. 

-- Because of the lag in the VFO signal going to the bottom mixer,  the output from the bottom mixer will have the 1 kHz signal 90 degrees ahead of the reference signal (+90) while 2 kHz tone will be 90 degrees behind the reference signals (see "scope view") above.  This is a consequence of the mixer math.  

-- Now, in the bottom signal path, shift BOTH audio tones by -90 degrees (in relation to the top reference signal).  I think this is what Keith's board is doing. 

-- With this -90 degree shift, the 1 kHz signal on the bottom path will be IN PHASE with the 1 kHz signal at the top.  But the 2 kHz signal in the bottom path will be 180 degrees OUT OF PHASE with the (top) reference signal path. 

-- The two signal paths are combined before going to the audio amplifiers. The 1 kHz signal is reinforced while the 2 kHz signal is "nulled out."  

The same principle can be used on transmit.  Instead of two receive mixers, you have two balanced modulators.   Both are putting out upper and lower sidebands.  Instead of the VFO you have the carrier oscillator.  By using the same phase shifting techniques you can reinforce one of the transmitter's sidebands while nulling out the other. 

SolderSmoke Podcast #221 is available -- Quarantine Rigs, Phasing, SWL, Parts Suppliers, Mailbag

Q-31.  "Roll-bar" on cap.  Note RGS316 coax between stages. Country markings on tuning dial

SolderSmoke Podcast #221 is available: 

25 April 2020

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke221.mp3

Obviously no travelogue.   QUARANTINE.  SITS.

Good news:   Lawyers at Dewey Cheatham and Howe report that SolderSmoke will NOT be taken off the net for brazen promotion of the S-38E receiver.

Also some good news on the FT8 vs. FT-FAKE issue.  That report itself was fake.  

PETE’S PROJECTS:

Phasing SSB

And what’s this about a tube CW rig?

Dean KK4DAS builds Pete’s Simple SSB rig. Quarantine Rig: The Furlough 40.  See: https://kk4das.blogspot.com/

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:  NEW AMAZON LINK IN THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF SOLDERSMOKE BLOG. .

BILL’S BENCH:

QUARANTINE PROJECT:    Q-31 AM SW Receiver.  April 4 through April 19.   15 days of fun.   Learned a lot. 

Need to pay attention to total gain.  Need to measure.   Not always easy.  My resistor-based technique.

AM detection can be more difficult than SSB/CW detection.  Germanium diodes make a big difference.

But…I don’t have to build a BFO, because these signals bring their own beat frequency.

455 CAN BE PROBLEMATIC AS AN IF – image response, making impedance matching transformers tough at those low frequencies.   But WIDE filters available.  

LM386 AF chip make a LOT of audio.  Hard to reproduce these great results. 

Great stuff you can listen to on 31 meters (9.4 –10 MHz):

n  DX WaveScan

n  WRMI Rock and roll

n  VORW music show

n  Radio Nacional De Espana (Madrid)

n  China Radio International  soap operas and Confucius philosophy lessons.

n  China Radio International Chinese Lessons.

n  Radio Greece

n  Radio Republica (France)

n  Radio Havana Cuba

n  Radio Saudi Arabia

n  WBCQ – They advised listeners to fix up an S-38 during quarantine! !!!!!!!

n  WWV

SHOPPING BAG -- THINGS TO GET:

-- Great source for hardware (screws, nuts, bolts and more):  McMaster-Carr   https://www.mcmaster.com/ 

-- Thermax RGS316 coax.   Great stuff.   Thanks Jim  In some ways better than Belden 1671A https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2012/03/murphys-whiskers-shaved-with-belden.html

-- Copper Clad board:  Pete’s boards use CEM 1. CEM 1 is low-cost, flame-retardant, cellulose-paper-based laminate with only one layer of woven glass fabric.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18-pcs-Copper-Clad-Laminate-Board-Single-Sided-4-x-6-CEM-1-060-2-oz/311756276147?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

-- BEST TEST LEADS: https://www.ebay.com/itm/BEST-TEST-LEADS-PERIOD-Hand-Soldered-MINI-CLIP-Version-32-16AWG-Ultra-Flexible/233519356767?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

NEED/WANT: 

-- Thermaleze magnet wire.  First encountered in QRP GUYS EFHW tuner kit.  Very FB

http://www.amidoncorp.com/thermaleze-coated-magnet-wire/

Resistor kits

NP0 cap kit

Replacement Iron for XTRonic 4000 Iron.

RIGOL PROBES Why do we burn through so many of these?

MAILBAG:

-- Eric 4Z1UG Episode 300 Special

-- Farhan working on ventilators. Special thanks to Dr. Gordon Gibby KX4Z. 

-- Jonathan-San working out of new shed in Seattle

-- Grayson reminds us of the Fran Lab: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMLgHbpJ8qYqj3CkdbvC0Ww

-- WRMI likes SolderSmoke

-- Peter VK2EMU continues to build his amplifier.  But it is NOT for 50 MHz.  It does have 6 different meters on the front panel.  But it is not a 6 meter rig!

-- Rich K7SZ – “now look what you’ve done”   Fixing up an S-38

-- Rich WD3C  Provided some great SWL links:

https://www.short-wave.info/ if you move the green dot to your location it will predict what the signal strength would be at your location and will also allow you to search by station, language, frequency, etc. 

Thomas Whitherspoon, https://swling.com/blog/  Another, https://shortwaveschedule.com/ and of coarse https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php all the pirate broadcasters show up here. 

-- Paul KL7FLR amazing S-38E diagnosis from afar. Paul's toroid tool (more to follow on this). 

Pete's Quarantine 6V6 Rig

SolderSmoke Podcast #220 -- S-38Es, AD9833s, Pete's Phasing Rig, FT-8

Java on the S-38E Tuning Dial

SolderSmoke Podcast #220 is available

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke220.mp3

Hunkered Down.  StayInTheShack:  SITS!  Flatten the Curve!  It is working.

Teaching English again – via Zoom.  Kids completing the school year remotely.  

BILL'S BENCH

-- Finishing up on the S-38Es.

  

-- I wrote up my alignment, isolation and dial string experiences.

-- SWL  WRMI Radio Miami International on 39 meters 9.4-9.9 MHz.  Rock and Roll.

-- S-38E work is causing me some serious legal problems.  They are threatening to take down our sites and our podcast.   Google has put a CEASE AND DESIST ORDER on my blog:   Check it out http://soldersmoke.com/CEASEANDDESIST.JPG

--S-38E caused me to want to get my HRO dial receiver on the SW broadcast bands with a good AM detector.  

-- Next up: Hayseed Hamfest cap for my Drake 2-B.  And I have an idea on how to easily broaden it for AM:  Tap the 455 kc output on the Q multiplier jack.  455 AM detector to audio amp. 

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION

PETE’S BENCH

AD9833

Phasing Rig Project

.

DEAN’S PROJECT – Step by step.  Trouble shooting.  Understanding.  Receiver triumph.  FB.

MAILBAG

Jack 5B/AI4SV doing well in Cyprus

Daniel SA7DER listens during commute in Sweeden.

Peter VK2EMU building a 6 meter amp.  With Tubes

Jim WA8ZHN  says there are still 7751 Novices on the books.   FB.

Mike WB2BLJ modding his BITX – having a lot of fun.

Fred KC5RT – Great idea on isolation transformer in my S-38E.  

Jerry Palsson: S-38C's curves vs. S-38E's exotic places.  Java. 

Krakatoa East of Java

The Year of Living Dangerously

Anonymous mail:  FT-8 DX -- Are these contacts legitimate? See below. 

Dear Bill and Pete: 

I've been meaning to share with you something that has come to my attention by a rather circuitous route. 

As you guys know, I've been involved in the software/IT side of ham radio for many years. I've watched many digital modes come and go.  I've always enjoyed my work, but lately I've seen something that makes me uneasy. 

I'm sure you guys have heard of the fantastic DX that is being worked by many guys using FT-8.  It seems like all they need to work Jakarta is a couple of watts to a wet noodle. Shazam!  Contact! 

Well, I learned something that calls into some question the legitimacy of many of these contacts....  

As i understand it, certain manufacturers, in cahoots with a major American ham radio organization (that happens to be very dependent on ad revenue from that manufacturer), have secretly set up a system that combines the internet and ham radio. 

Here is how it works:  Suppose Joe Ham gets on FT-8 on 40 meters.  He puts out a call using his QRP transmitter and the aforementioned wet noodle.  No way that signal is going to Jakarta, right?  Well, it will with a bit of help.  

The system has SDR transceivers  and great antennas set up at strategic points around the world -- these are really great locations -- think mountain tops near the coastlines, always with high speed internet T5 connections. I think this is part of the whole “contest superstation for on-line lease” business model.  

One of these stations picks up Joe Ham's FT-8 call. Sometimes it will just re-transmit it, sometimes is will send it to a counterpart station on the other side of the globe.  Bingo, Joe Ham's signal is suddenly in Jakarta.  A station there enthusiastically responds, and that signal goes back with the same kind of repeater/ internet assist.  This is all done out of the reach of the FCC.  They are usig overseas locations,  some of them in Mexico.

Of course they have to be careful not to "facilitate" these kinds of contacts during times in which the bands are obviously dead,  That's why 40 is so useful for this system.  Obviously they can't keep this kind of thing secret forever -- they just want to get guys hooked on FT-8, then they can reveal the system, selling it as nothing unusual, you know, sort of akin to Echolink.  

Of course, this hasn't been made public (for obvious reasons!) but I can tell you the name of the system:   They tried to make it sound like something familiar (in this case like APRS): They call it  "Automatic Private Radio Internet Link 1."  My understanding is that when they do their “roll out” they will offer the new service to those willing to pay a subscription.

Obviously as an old-school, traditional ham, I'm troubled by all this.  What do you guys think?  I wonder what your listeners would think. 

Please don't mention my name..  But here is a site that describes the new system: 

http://www.automaticprivateradiointernetlink1.com/

Thanks and 73... 

Please let us know if you have any information on this, or have observed any unusual and suspicious success with FT-8.