G0UPL at Dayton: SSB for the QMX, and Thoughts on Homebrewing

 

Click on the diagram for a better view.

Listen to the interview here: 

http://soldersmoke.com/G0UPL at Dayton 2025.mp3

I think this is what Grayson was talking about when he said that Hans is a genius, and that his SSB project for the QMX was very complicated.  On his website Hans says as much:  "This is a very complex project."  Indeed it is.  Just take a look at the bloc diagram above.  This is not for the faint of heart.  In this interview, he talks about a full year of intense work on SSB for the QMX.  Wow. 

I think Hans makes some good points on why we still homebrew.  I liked his fish analogy:  we can buy all the fish we want at the supermarket, but people still go fishing.  Why? Because they like fishing.  

I'm not too sure about "the IKEA effect."  He seems to be saying that people derive homebrew-like satisfaction from assembling IKEA furniture.  Well, maybe some people do, but I think this is a long way from what we would consider true scratch-built homebrew.  Dean KK4DAS, for example, recently observed that he assembled two IKEA tables, but that this assembly does NOT make him a carpenter.  This is related to our discussion about the differences between ham radio kits and true homebrew:  IKEA flat packs are like the kits.  I think Hans is right about the pride and satisfaction that people get from building their own radio gear.  

Thanks to Hans GOUPL and to Bob W8SX for doing this interview. 

SolderSmoke Podcast #259 FCC ban of DC Receivers. Pete and Stickers, Mouse Knob, MHST. DC RX Update. Dean and SDR RX, Mythbuster Transceiver, Frequency Counter. Bill's Shack -- Suburban Renewal, Boatanchor Removal, DJI Drone . MAILBAG

Dean KK4DAS's 20 Meter Transceiver

Video Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RslKbpBuYDI

Audio Version: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke259.mp3

Reports of FCC action against Direct Conversion receivers. Outrageous!  They are going to prosecute Dean and Bill.  The 85th harmonic was apparently interfereing with Starlink satellites over Melbourne Australia, Bali, New Zealand's North Island, the UK, Sweden, Holland and Argentina. Who knew? 

Here's the question:  How many paragraphs of this post did you read before you realized this was an April 1 thing?  C'mon, please let us know.  Bill falls for one or two every year.  This year he believed that Warren Buffet really had bought Tesla. So, don't feel alone.  Fess up.  

Travelogue:  Pete's trip to Los Olivos.  DMV Real ID Blues.  Going back to San Francisco? Pete, we have some new stickers... 

Pete's Bench:  MHST progress. Raspberry Pi.  VWS.  Transceiver.     K7TFC's Mouse Knob. 

Dean and Bill update on the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Challenge:  56 receivers built.  And 56 is a lot! Info and especially Dean's videos are still up on the Discord server and on YouTube.  Not to late to build!  All builders should try to encourage at least one other person to build this receiver.  In this way, builders become Elmers and homebrewing can spread.  Others have already done this -- you can do it too!  W4KAC built a second one for a friend.  WZ5M built one, helped a friend do a second, and a third one may be on the way.  MakeIt Labs in Nashua, NH is responsible for 4 DC receivers.  See all the completed receivers here: 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/search/label/DC%20RX%20Hall%20of%20Fame

Once you have the receiver going, start the mods!  Front panels!  Antennas! Better tuning!  Si5351s! DSB transmitters! Tell us about your mods. 

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:   Become a Patreon Sponsor!  MostlyDIYRF.  Buy Amazon stuff through the Amazon link on our blog site.  Subscribe to our video YouTube channel. 

Dean's Bench:  SDR Receiver project.  20 meter Mythbuster build (a thing of beauty).  Homebrew Frequency Counter.  Balloons!  

Bill's Bench:  Suburban renewal.  New floor, new paint, got rid of a lot of junk.  New operating table from Husky.  DX-60, DX-40, VF-1, and maybe even the Lafayette HA-600A receiver have to go. Many books and magazines too.   Lightening the load!   But keeping the DX-100, HQ-100, HT-37 and, of course, the Drake 2-B.  Boatanchors station. Beacon operations. 

N2CQR's new operating table

Boatanchor Corner at N2CQR

Bought a new DJI Drone, but will use it in the Dominican Republic (not here!).  And I got my Drone TRUST Certificate. 

Mailbag:  

Dave W2DAB doing Manhattan building on the island of Manhattan!  

Rich K2GJ (ex WA0CGM) -- Nice ham radio memories of his HT-37.  Thanks Rich. 

Wes W4JYK -- A VWS DC receiver. 

A nice note from Farhan VU2ESE. 

Todd K7TFC -- Simple vs. Complex

Paul WA1MAC Gluestick 80 meter QRP

Armand WA1UQO Regen receiver highlighted by AA7EE

Dave AA7EE -- FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE FCC!  Build the DC Receiver! 

Rogier PA1ZZ Many great videos, including one on Heathkit

Bruce KC1FSZ --  Nominated us for ARRL award.  Thanks Bruce. 

Bob KD4EBM--  Looking into Polar Modulation. https://qrp-labs.com/qmxp/ssbbeta.html

Peter VK2EMU -- Thought of Peter when I briefly took down the N2CQR sign he made. 

Victor HI7S -- 46 km away from my place in the DR.  Says I won the lottery...  He is right. 

Jim KI4THC        Got his Extra ticket.  Congratulations Jim. 

Kirk NT0Z    -- On Kits, Hombrew,  and the influence of Russian Homebrewers. 

Were Russian spies taught how to homebrew their own spy radios? 

Rich K2GJ with his 2B, and Heath GR-91

Inside Dean's Transceiver

SolderSmoke Podcast #256: HNY SKN, LA Fires, Barkhausen! Southern Cross, Homebrew vs. Kits, AN762 Kit, Woe, Beacon, ARRL Kids, SDR Build, DC RX videos, Pete Hacked! Power alternatives, KWM4, Mailbag

A Tale of Woe! 

SolderSmoke Podcast #256 is available: 

Audio:  https://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke256.mp3

Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYuEhljOtAQ

Travelouge:  From the DR.  

Happy New Year! 

Fires in LA.  

Dean:  Breaking the Barkhausen criteria.  

Seeing the Southern Cross for the first time in 30 years. 

For all three of us:  The SolderSmoke Homebrew Challenge.  And assembling a kit. https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2025/01/some-history-of-homebrew-ham-radio-from.html

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-magic-that-only-comes-from-radio.html

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2025/01/steve-g0fuw-talks-homebrew-and-kits.html

________________________________

Bill's (Southern) Bench: 

-- SKN with QCX given to me by Bob.  Thanks Bob! 

-- Finishing up the AN762 .1kW amplifier.  Socketry and relays.  Working well.  

-- A tale of woe:  Some difficult troubleshooting on the 15-10 rig. Intermittent oscillation.   Naturally I blamed the TJ DC RX AF amp.  Spent a lot of time working on that amplifier.  But problem always returned.  Started looking at output from carrier osc/BFO.  Waveform weird. Then weirdness disappeared and so did the whooping.  So I rebuilt the entire carrier osc/BFO/ mixer board.  Went back to singly balanced 2 diode mixer.  Used LTSpice for the oscillator amp.. No more whooping.  Turning the diodes on and off  but not quite 7 dbm...  Should I be concerned? 

-- A 10 meter beacon!  28.233   Please listen. Send e-mail reports.   Thanks to WN2A.   

-- Antenna thoughts.  Getting a tripod.  

The HI7/N2CQR 10 meter Beacon

_______________________________

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Become a SolderSmoke patron.  We need the help.  Homebrew is under seige!  We are one of the few sites, blogs, podcasts that are promoting it!  Help us!  

Buy stuff from Amazon and E-bay using the links on our sites. 

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Dean's Bench: 

-- ARRL kids day -- Exhausting.

-- VWS Makers SDR receiver build.  

-- High School DC RX Build news. How to watch the videos.  

_______________________________

Pete's Bench:  

-- Hacked! 

-- Power Alternatives. 

-- Thermatron Finals

-- KWM-4. 

__________________________

Mailbag

Dave Newkirk W9BRD (son of Rod).  Great comments on homebrew radio. And a great picture. 

Derek N9TD built the DC Receiver.  FB Derek! 

Peter VK2EMU at 39C in Australia.  HOT! 

Drew N7DA -- Some great comments on kits vs. homebrew. 

Tommy SA2CLC has a nice video about fixing the cavity resonator in his HP8640.  Respect! 

Ben KC9DLM sent good presentation from India: https://github.com/kholia/talks/blob/master/Dhiru_My_RF_Homebrew_Adventures.pdf

Scott KQ4AOP and Derek N9TD offering to 3D Print PTO coil forms.  FB!  

Donnie WA9TGT on the beautiful signals from DC receivers. 

Chuck KE5HPY's FB Altoids DC receiver. 

Todd VE7BPO:  POPCORN ELECTRONICS IS BACK!  Thanks Todd.  And thanks Vasily! 

Jim KA4THC has his uBITX on the air and is making contacts!  

Farhan VU2ESE fond memories of homebrew dinner with Wes and other HB Heroes (on the blog). 

Charlie ZL2CTM -- About his new Pelican Case SSB rig. 

Walter KA4KXX.  All new hams should build a transmitter. 

Buzz W3EMD  A nice QSO on 10 and then a shout out to the Old Military Radio Net

Stations that heard my beacon and reported to RBN

SolderSmoke Podcast #255 -- Accept the HB Challenge!, DeMaw SSB, Brilliant TR-3, Tube Talk, Ground Truth, Tales of Woe, SDR RX, Pico Balloons, MAILBAG

Mythbuster II -- 20 meters only

SolderSmoke Podcast #255 is avalable: 

Audio:      http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke255.mp3

Video:       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c54qiITMxwM

--   First: Happy Holidays!   I have on a Santa Claus hat!  

-- December 18.  Pete completes another orbit.  Happy Birthday Pete.  Please send him birthday greetings. 

 --  Bill was on Ham Radio Workbench: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/11/bill-n2cqr-appears-as-guest-on-ham.html  Our challenge to HRWB.  Gauntlet thrown down... OUR CHALLENGE HAS BEEN GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED!     We now extend the challenge to the entire SolderSmoke community: Build one of these:  https://hackaday.io/project/190327-high-schoolers-build-a-radio-receiver

Homebrewing is not for the faint of heart!  Accept the challenge!  Build stuff! 

Our question:  Did Doug DeMaw ever build an SSB transceiver?  Starting in September 1985 he wrote a five part series on an SSB TRANSMITTER for QST.  But he prefaces it by asking, "Why would anyone build an SSB transmitter today?" He says it would be fun "for the experience and understanding it would provide." But not for use, you see... And it is not a transceiver. 

Bill's theory about DeMaw, SSB,CW and sideband inversion:  He was a CW guy so sideband inversion did not really matter. He could get it wrong and still make it work.  

Pete's Bench: 

Brilliance and the TR3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C-eYB8yFzg&t=13s

A tale of woe.  Done in by a light bulb.

Thanksgiving dinner and SSB transceivers. https://n6qw.blogspot.com/2024/11/11292024-how-to-homebrew-thanksgiving.html             https://www.pastapete.com/

Hybrid plans:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKUjHZMf3Fs&t=5s

Dean's Bench:

Travelogue – Falcon 9 Launch

Building a homebrew T Match tuner for the end-fed long wave – sourcing the parts, winding the coil – taps, testing 

VWS Makers Projects

SDR Receiver Project – starting in January

VWS Pico Balloon – Traquito - Traquito - WSPR Pico Balloon

Revisiting the 10M DSB rig

Soldersmoke listener challenge – build a DCR with KK4DAS – overview then one board a week

SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:  Mostly DIY RF.    Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel.  And use the Amazon link on our blog.  Become a Patron via Patreon (on the blog). SolderSmoke is now on Blue Sky and Threads -- follow us or at least like us there. Please turn on automatic downloads on your podcast app -- most podcast apps will only store a few episodes. This will help bump the numbers, which will improve visibility.  Please give the show five stars and, if possible, a nice review on your podcast service,  That will help with the discovery rate for people looking for new podcasts.

Bill's Bench:

Is "The Ground" a Myth?   ARRL VP says Ground is a Myth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdX-978tvkY.  Bill disagrees.  Helicopter story.  Refrigerator story.  Original single wire telegraph system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-wire_earth_return

Front Panel and Freq Counter for the Mythbuster II. 

Another Tale of woe:  A mysterious audio problem on the 15-10 II rig.  Done in by.... Duh!   Comparing sideband suppression with Mythbuster I.  Differences in Hfe?  Notes on Mythbuster II build. 

TinySA Ap -- A cure for Fat Finger Syndrome? : http://athome.kaashoek.com/tinySA/Windows/  How to get and load the Ap (you might want to start watching at 1:11) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu4X5dyUlpo&t=2s  General info video on the TinySA Ultra: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C24RnYNOWQ&t=1143s

For the DR shack -- I got a Swan SWR-1A on E-Bay. 

 MAILBAG:   

-- Scott KQ4AOP trying to track down the DeMaw SSB transceiver mystery.  On the DC Receiver: This was my first receiver build and, it was great fun. When you finish the build and prove you are able to tune through the band, you are welcomed into the secret society! The build is the initiation.I am happy to print and ship the PTO if needed. 

-- Bill WA5DSS has built a High School Direct Conversion Receiver! 

-- Grayson KJ7UM liked the 1971 video on old THERMATRON AM radios: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/11/basic-radio-circuitry-1971-film.html

-- Chris KD4PBJ sent nice electronic care package. 

-- Walter KA4KXX is honored that Dean named his dog for him (Walter was just kidding) 

-- Thanks to Bob W8SX for FDIM 2024 interviews.

-- Tony G4WIF insomnia driving him to podcasts.  Amazed by quantity of food eaten on Thanksgiving. 

-- Nice comment from Trigger about the podcast.

-- Clint says "valves" when he means THERMATRONS.   Kindly asks about "Oooo Thats Awesome"

-- Eric 4Z1UG faced with a new challenge.  Get well soon OM.

-- Sam WN5C and his Chat GPT AI Elmer. 

-- Paul VK3HN on using AI for electronic design.  I dunno... Apocalypse Now in the DR?

-- Tommy SA2CLC FB old military gear on QRZ site. Helps with HP8640B repair. 

-- Mike WN2A nice comments on Chappy Happy's FB Tezukuri DC RX https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/11/tezukuri-and-chappy-happy-amazing.html 

-- Allison KB1GMX.  Good info on ground truth. 

-- Phil W1PJE Had to throw out 15 test leads.  Fake wire!  

--Todd K7TFC Thoughtful comments on AI and ChatGPT, Help with TinySA Ap 

-- Steve KW4H Boatanchor guy.  Likes that we often scratch our heads trying to understand. 

-- Nick M0NTV built a 40 meter DC receiver: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/12/a-40-meter-direct-conversion-receiver.html

-- Dave AA0KU asks about CCI amp (AN762)  Also woking on Drakes. 

-- Jack (Dhaka Jack!) F4WEF/AI4SV  Good thoughts on how to bolster SolderSmoke's ratings.

--Tobias thinks the decline IS ALL HIS FAULT!   

-- Tony VE7JUL building a TJ DC RX.  Go Canada! Dean says: 3D print PTO former at 110%

-- Jim KI4THC getting his uBITX on the air. 

10S November 23, 2024 1517Z SV1AER Kostas in Athens.  Said a very sincere “Oh my goodness! Congratulations!  That is not a very common thing!” when I told him rig was homebrewed.  Nice fellow.  Great response. 

Sherwood: "It's Time to Clean Up our Transmitters"

 

http://nc0b.com/qst-article/NC0B-QST-Nov-2019.pdf

As an analog, HDR, discrete component, radical homebrew fundamentalist, obviously I have been concerned about all the hype about SDR.  SDR advocates often make it sound as if those of us who build with discrete analog components (crystal filters!) are hopless troglodytes, about to be thrown on the ash heap of radio history.  Or something like that.  They sort of imply that without the cleansing benefits of SDR, our signals will remain hoplessly dirty. 

I find it interesting that Sherwood concluded that the cleanest transmitter he ever owned was a Collins 32S-3!  He compared the two tone output of this old rig to that of a modern transceiver.  This was in 2019.  See above.  HDR wins. 

Don't get me wrong.  I want to clean up the signals from my HDR rigs.  But I am encouraged by Sherwood's remarks.  I do not think I will have to go SDR in order to have a clean signal.   I may just  do some two-tone tests on the rigs,  make some adjustments, and maybe build a class A Thermatron .1 kW linear. 

Ham Radio Workbench: Stuffing Digital Stuff Into Poor Old Boatanchors

Let me start by saying that I LIKE Ham Radio Workbench.  But I found a lot in the current edition that I disagreed with.  The whole panel seems to be chuckling at the older gear.  And the guest is from... Flex radio.   So what do you expect?  The title was "Radio Rejuvenation" -- I expected something different.  I thought we'd hear more about how to get old tube radios going.  Instead, the  focus seems to have been on how to take an old radio and stuff an RTL dongle, or a Raspberry Pi, or a Flex radio in there.  Yuck.  

At one point they are laughing at old magic eye tubes!  They wonder if there is a digital way of recreating this tube in digital form.  Sorry fellows, that has already been done: 

https://hackaday.com/2023/04/12/the-eyes-have-it-with-this-solid-state-magic-eye/

Even an analog guy like me spotted that one. 

Here is the show:  

https://workbench.libsyn.com/hrwb-213-radio-rejuvenation-with-dan-quigley-n7hq

But hey, like I always say:  To each his own.  I'm sure many people like this approach.  It is just not for me. 

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

Woebot -- An AI-Based Therapy Bot for Us?

 

This was on 60 Minutes last night.  Of course it made me think of our many "Tales of Woe."  Perhaps this could be of use to us.   But I wonder how the bot would react to our typical problems: 

"I am feeling bad about myself becasue my RF amplifier keeps going into oscillation.  What should I do?"

"My opposite sideband suppression is inadequate because my filter skirts are too wide. What is your advice?" 

"My LC VFO drifts slightly and my SDR-using friends taunt me about this.  I feel dejected.  What should I do?"  

"The Raspberry Pi in my SDR rig is hallucinating and I can't find the needed wisdom files. Is there a support group for this?" 

"I have discovered spurs in the output of my transmitter.  They are 60 db down, but I still can't stop thinking about them.  What should I do?"

I can't help thinking that if Jean Shepherd had access to something like this, his Heising modulator trouble might not have spoiled his date with the girl from his school.  

What do you guys think about the Woebot?  

SolderSmoke Podcast #251 Aurora! CBLA, Winterfest, Legal Action Against SolderSmoke, HB sBITX, SDR, Raspberry Pi, Rounded Passbands, MAILBAG

Aurora Picture by Dean KK4DAS

SolderSmoke Podcast #251  4-1-2024

Audio: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke251.mp3

Videos: Podcast 251 Aurora! CBLA, Winterfest, Legal Threat, sBITX, SDR, RaspPi, Rounded Passbands, MAILBAG (youtube.com)

Travelouge:  Dean goes to the North Pole to see Aurora. 

A CBLA Call to Arms! 

Winterfest.  Lots of goodies.  MXM Industries 40 meter transceiver. 1 dollar. 

Jean Shepherd. Recording of Bill talking to Shep in 1976. 

 https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2024/03/listen-to-me-talking-to-jean-shepherd.html

Legal Trouble: Could put us out of operation for a while.  We need listener input. 

November 2023

December 2023

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Pete's Bench

Homebrew SDR (based on Zl2CTM’s original design) and how good it sounds.

Raspberry Pi Zero W is now working on FT-8 with digital adapter.

Ferrite Cores at Digi-Key (a replacement for the FT-37-43 where  you buy 100 and the price is 21 cents/each)

ADE-6 –great specs in HF but more expensive than the ADE-1

For Pete's recent blog posts, go to this site and click on "Archive" in the right column: 

https://n6qw.blogspot.com/2024/03/march-31-2924-happy-easter-to-those-who.html

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Dean's Bench 

sBITX progress, McGyver-ing a lifted pad, replacing crystal on the CODEC board, sBITX success! See: 

https://kk4das.blogspot.com/2024/03/homebrew-sbitx-tx-modules-pa-lpf-and-mic.html

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Shameless Commerce Division:  Please use the Amazon link on the blog to start your Amazon purchases. And please consider using Patreon to support the podcast and blog.  We try to send extra content to our Patreon supporters. Mostly DIY RF --  Boards, Kits and Pete's PSSST

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Bill's Bench

More trouble with the 15-10 rig.  Rounded passbands in 25 MHz filter. See figure 4 in both links: 

https://www.arrl.org/files/file/QEX_Next_Issue/Nov-Dec_2009/QEX_Nov-Dec_09_Feature.pdf

https://www.networksciences.com/pdfs/tutorial.pdf

Experimenting with Balanced Mixers and Product Detectors. Paul VK3HN  Suggests the MC1496 chip; Walter KA4KXX points to SSDRA circuits

But it is on the air!  Using the PA from a BITX40 module and an RD06.  

Put an OLD dial from Pericles HI8P on 15-10 version 1.  Soul in the new machine.

Pericles' Dial on the 15-10 Rig 

Mailbag: 

Grayson KJ7UM's Hollowstate video. 

Mike WU2D's amazing 10 meter DSB transceiver. 

Jack AI4SV (Dhaka Jack) liked video of recent QSO with AzoresDSB rig

Mike AA1TJ and Dave AA7EE on backwaves and 100 uW QRPpppp

Dave G3UUR  on my curved passband problem

Alan W2AEW heard my only QSO with the MXM indsutries SupeRX/TX40

Wes W7ZOI, Mike WN2A, Walter KA4KXX. Farhan VU2ESE on passband, 

Ramakrishnan sent article about Charles Proteus Steinmetz.  Beautiful. 

Justin AC8LV built a receiver!  FB. 

San Francisco QRP:   KDOFNR TouCans Rig, and N6ASD Zinc-Oxide TX

Frank KC8JJL -- Another guy who heard first ham sigs from a homebrew rig. 

Nate KA1MUQ's homebrew thermatron superhet

Dino KL0S sent info on the PAL CB VFO I picked up at Winterfest. Airborne! 

Bob W8SX will be once again doing SolderSmoke interviews at Dayton.  Thanks Bob

Peter VK2EMU  Always good to hear from him.

Tobias Feltus -- Wisdom teeth removed, wondering if he will get sBITX hallucinations...

Rick WD5L continues to work on his Herring Aid 5

Ciprian YO6DXE wants to learn CW. No alerts from his FB Blog!

Todd K7TFC -- Likes CW, says it eliminates the Blah-Blah-Blah 

F1BFU's Amazing PSSST VFO

KD0FNR's Amazing San Francisco TouCans Rig -- A Rockmite and a Tuna Topper in a Pineapple Can Mounted on the Dipole in a Shopping Bag

Click on the image for a better look

This post has a definite San Francisco vibe. 

Hamilton KD0FNR appeared on the SolderSmoke blog way back in 2011.  Perhaps he should join forces with N6ASD who lives quite close to him in SF, and seems to share radio interests.  Also in their area is the esteemed Bay Areas blogger and homebrewer Dave AA7EE ; Dave recently sounded the CBLA alarm, alerting us to the presence of an intruder on 3579 kHz.  In the process, Dave mentioned the Pt. Reyes Web SDR, the presence of which came as welcome news to Hamilton. Finally, Dave and Hamilton mention the KPH Web SDR, which brings to mind Dick Dillman W6AWO who has been on the SolderSmoke blog several times.  

Hamilton and his kids have their rig (a Rockmite and a Tuna Topper in a Dole Pineapple can) mounted at the feedpoint of their dipole (in the red shopping bag above).   They link to it via WiFi and Bluetooth. FB.  Thomas Witherspoon has a nice presentation (by KD0FNR) of the TouCans project on his blog: https://qrper.com/2023/12/field-radio-kit-gallery-kd0fnrs-rockmite-20-and-tuna-topper/ 

Hamilton KD0FNR writes: 

At the moment, the kids whose dad I am, better known as the gang—12, 10, and 8 year-old Diaze, Mota, and Tawnse.. all internet aliases—are big into 20 meters QRP CW with Project TouCans, a Rockmite coupled to a Tuna Topper. The radio and the amp that popped us out of QRPp to plain-old QRP are both housed in a Dole Pineapple can with a tuna can as a cover and antenna mount. The whole rig is still very much mounted in our half-wave dipole! 

Project TouCans consists of a Rockmite feeding a 5 Watt Tuna Topper, all of which is housed in our dipole antenna. The Rockmite has a single crystal bandpass filter on it's rx input. That makes it a pretty wide reciever which is fine, but it's particularly sensitive to its tx frequencies, 14075.5 and 14058 kHz AND—for some reason I have yet to understand—10459 kHz. By watching the SDRs that now—thanks Dave—envelope us here at our home QTH in San Francisco, we can see the frequencies of incoming signals. That information keeps me from responding to 14059 kHz signals in vain.

And now, the headphone repeater: TouCans is completely wireless with respect to the ground. That means there's no power line, no feedline, no keyer lines and no headphone line. Keyer controls are handled via wifi to a Raspberry Pi Pico-W on the rig while audio is brought back to my headphones via Bluetooth. Power is provided by a USB-C battery pack that lives in the rig which is mounted above us in the antenna. (Yes, all of this is becuase I thought feedlines matches and baluns were too mystical and hard to understand years ago. Yes, this has probably all been more work than a balun. Yes, I am still totally enamored of my original design decision. :) ) Anyway, the bluetooth range is about 50 feet and the wifi range is shorter than that. The short of it is—pun not intended—that I can't quite use the rig while I'm in my office. But, I can send CQ to the rig every half minute or so via a memory keyer, then turn on the SDR in my office, and then sprint a bit closer to the rig when someone calls back. (It helps that houses in SF are a bit tiny.) So, SDRs are kinda an integral part of our QTH setup and it's awesome to learn about a new—to us—one! Thanks again!

W1QG's Cave Dust Twins (and other Homebrew Rigs -- SDR and HDR)

I kind of arrived at Dick Benson's QRZ.com page by accident, but what a happy accident it was.  There is a lot of homebrew goodness on Dicks page, both SDR and HDR.  

Check it out:  https://www.qrz.com/db/W1QG/

Dean's Amazing Homebrew sBITX

 

I was kind of making fun of  it during SolderSmoke podcast #250, but later that same morning I had a chance to watch the KK4DAS homebrew sBITX in action, in person, and I must say, it was very impressive.  This may be the only homebrew sBITX in the world (please correct me if I'm wrong).  

In the picture above you can see the amalgamation of traditional superhet with modern DSP.  Even for an HDR guy like me, the result is really cool.  Once again, I experienced waterfall envy.  And the sBITX receiver sounds great. 

Dean has written up his experiences with this rig in a blog post.  Check it out for more info: 

https://kk4das.blogspot.com/2024/02/homebrew-sbitx-receiver-gound-bounce.html

Thanks Dean! 

Make Your Own SDR Software! And, "Analog Man" by Joe Walsh of the Eagles (WB6ACU)

The above video appeared on Hack-A-Day this morning.  ON THE SAME MORNING, Bruce KK0S happened to send me this version of Joe Walsh WB6ACU's song "Analog Man." This version has the lyrics.  Thanks Bruce. 

I am currently struggling with some DNS server problems.  Dean KK4DAS is helping me.  In spite of many years on the internet, this DNS problem has reminded me that, like Joe Walsh, I am an analog man.  I mean, just take a look at my Mythbuster rig: (1382) Mythbuster for Lamakaan ARC - YouTube

But there are limits to my analog fanaticism.  First, while Joe proclaims that he is looking for an analog girl, I very luckily found a digital girl.  Elisa is quite digital.  Second, even though digital tech is not my thing, I am willing to accept its usefulness.  I mean, there is so much we wouldn't be doing if we were all "analog men." Like going to the moon. 

This is a hobby -- it is all for fun.  Whatever floats your boat, right?  Still, Joe's song reminds me a bit of the old "SPARK FOREVER!" that you can still see on old QSL cards. That's kind of sad.  I just recognize that my comfort zone is more analog than digital.  

HB2HB -- A Contact with Denny VU2DGR (video)

At first I didn't realize it was Denny.  On September 11, 2023 at about 2330Z I had walked back into the shack after dinner.  I think DX spots showed an Indian station on 20 meter SSB.  Without realizing who it was, I tuned him in on my Mythbuster rig, heard the other station sign off, and quickly threw in my call.  Denny came back to me right away, and I think both of us then realized that we recognized the call of the other station. Wow, it was Denny, VU2DGR, the Wizard of Kerala!   At the time of the QSO, I didn't have my phone with me; after we spoke, I went to get it,  so the video above captures part of Denny's subsequent contact. (You can also at one point hear Guapo barking.) 

Denny has been running a wonderful station that combines SDR gear with and HDR tube type amplifier and a homebrew Moxon.  

Here is Denny's station. The transceiver is a RadioBerry.  the amplifier and power supply are on the other table.  

Here is the homebrew tube-type amplifier.  This is the part of the station that really puts the HB in HB2HB! That's the power supply on the left and the amplifier itself on the right: 

That amplifier has three 807s in it, with a 6L6GC: 

Here's a video on the RadioBerry transceiver. 

Finally, here is Denny's magnificent homebrew 20 meter Moxon: 

Thanks Denny! 

The Wizard of Kerala (India) -- Denny VU2DGR -- SDR and HDR

 

His signal was just booming in on 20 meter SSB yesterday evening.  It was one of the strongest signals I've heard from India.  I wasn't able to get through the pileup, but I heard mention of a homebrew station at his end...  Sure enough a look at his QRZ.com site shows that a LOT of solder has been melted in his shack.  Both SDR and HDR stuff.  Tube projects including an 807 amplifier made from "components collected from the scrapyard." And a homebrew 20 meter Moxon.  Check it out: 

https://www.qrz.com/db/VU2DGR 

FB Denny!

Kerala is on the southwest tip of India.  It is something of a hotbed of technological innovation.  My only Indian contact using my current series of homebrew dual-banders was with VU3TPW -- Renju is also in Kerala. 

Hans Summers G0UPL and his new QMX: The Bob Crane W8SX FDIM Interviews Part 1 (audio)

http://qrp-labs.com/qmx.html

We are very pleased and grateful to present this year's series of Four Days in May interviews by our FDIM correspondent Bob Crane W8SX.   Once again Bob did an outstanding job interviewing the FDIM participants. 

In this interview, the amazing Hans Summers talks about his latest QRP Labs kit, the QMX.  It is a combination of the QCX Mini and the QDX.  

Hans explains the M:  QMX. The M is for Marriage. Magnificent. Merger. Marvelous, many things like that. It’s what you get when you marry the mechanical and conceptual design of QCX-mini, with the SDR, multi-band digital implementation of QDX. Simply: QDX + QCX-mini = QMX. 

It has a very clever switching power supply that automatically adjust to prevent spurs and harmonics from the power supply from appearing in the band of interest. 

I was especially interested in his plans to implement an SSB option in future software updates.  Hans will use the same very complicated SSB generation scheme used in the trueSDX rig, but hopes to achieve higher performance and  improved signal quality due to the much more robust hardware of the QMX. 

Here is the interview: 

http://soldersmoke.com/G0UPL23.mp3

Here is the QRP Labs site about the QMX:  http://qrp-labs.com/qmx.html

Here is the QRP Labs web site: http://qrp-labs.com/

And here is a really wonderful and very current article by Hans on the evolution of QRP Labs and its rigs from 2010 right on up through 2023 and the QMX.  It is really interesting: 

http://qrp-labs.com/images/qmx/docs/fdim2023.pdf

Thanks to Bob Crane W8SX, Hans Summers G0UPL, and all of the FDIM organizers. 

Hans G0UPL-- Homebrew Hero

Farhan's sBITX -- Taking Orders! (Video)

It is really looking great.  Congratulations to Farhan for bringing yet another amazing rig to the amateur radio community.   

Order yours here: 

https://www.hfsignals.com/

SDR Direct Sampling: The End of Homebrewing (as we know it)

I sometimes hear hams claim that our efforts to build simple direct conversion receivers are "very relevant" to modern technology and are "directly applicable" to today's communications techniques.  These hams will say that direct conversion receivers are at the heart of modern rigs. 

That's a nice thought, and it might have been true in the past, but I don't think it is true anymore.  

I think the future is what you see written on the black box (!) that encloses the receiver in the above video: "DIRECT SAMPLING RECEIVER."   In the recent past we did have two direct conversion receivers in the front end of SDR receiving systems.  These receivers produced I and Q signals that were fed into the computer (often via the sound card).  That was nice.  

But the writing has been on the wall for a long time.  There is no longer a need for all that direct conversion and I and Q.  Just put a fast Analog-to-Digital converter chip at the front end, convert the entire HF spectrum to a digital stream, and send that stream to your computer.  Or to another part of your "rig."  As in the ubiquitous 7300. 

I don't mean to be a Luddite here.  That big waterfall is very nice.  The receiver sounds great.  But I am a homebrewer and I prefer to build my own gear.  Ordering this black box on my phone,  having it delivered by Bezos to my front step, and then updating the driver, is not what I consider homebrew radio.  

A couple of things I spotted:  The Si5351 chip in the box -- at least one part was recognizable.  And the completely vertical skirts on all the SSB signals -- lots of 7300s out there.  

Hey, to each his own, YMMV, whatever floats your boat.  Just don't kid yourself into thinking that our beloved DC receivers are still somehow being used in these modern black boxes. 

SolderSmoke Podcast #241 Mars, Direct Conversion, PTOs and Glue Sticks, Anniversary of the BITX20, Multus Proficio SDR, Boatanchor Station, MAILBAG

The board I use to test DC RX circuits 

SolderSmoke Podcast #241 is available

Audio (podcast):  http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke241.mp3

Video (YouTube): (215) SolderSmoke Podcast #241 October 28, 2022 - YouTube

Introduction:

Back on Mars.  Opposition approaching.  I have a Mars filter.  And (like T.O.M.) a Mars globe. 

N2CQR DXCC done

SolderSmoke in the WayBack Machine

Sticker news

PARTS CANDY -- Don't Scrimp with a Crimp! 

Bill's Bench

School DC RX projects -- in Hyderabad and Northern Virginia. 

Direct Conversion Receivers -- Keeping it Simple, Learning a Lot.  A step beyond the Michigan Mighty Mite. Do we really need 100db?  Do we really need to shield VFOs?  Farhan's super-simple and stable Colpitts PTO.  Audio amps, 1000-8 transformers and rolling your own LM386

PTOs and Glue Stick PTOs.  Paul Clark WA1MAC. Brass vs. Steel bolts.  #20 thread vs. #28 thread.  Backlash Blues. The best Glue Sticks. 

2 meters and the VWS.  Bill has a Baofeng. 

SHAMELESS COMMERCE:  MOSTLY DIY RF

Pete's Bench

20th Anniversary of the BITX20   Pete's early BITX rigs. 

Computer Woes

The Multus Proficio SDR rig

Simple SSB in China  BA7LNN

Things of beauty: Tempo One, NCX-3 and a SBE-33

MAILBAG

-- NS7V is listening.

-- Graham G3MFJ sent SPRAT on a stick.

-- Nick M0NTV  FB Glue Stick and 17 Shelf videos.

-- Dino KL0S HP8640 Junior

-- Mark AA7TA   Read the SolderSmoke Book

-- Steve EI5DD Connaught (Ireland) Regional News

-- Dave K8WPE  Planting the seeds of ham radio interest

-- Peter VK3YE Ruler idea on PTO frequency readout

-- Michael AG5VG Glue Stick PTO

-- Tobias  A polymath with UK and Italy connections.  And cool tattoos.

-- Alain F4EIT   French DC receiver

-- Michael S.  was in USMC, working on PCM/TDM gear

-- Alan Yates writes up Amazon transformer problem

-- Todd VE7BPO,  Dale W4OP, Wes W7ZOI

-- Farhan VU2ESE sent me an sBITX

-- Todd K7TFC   The Revenge of Analog

-- Jim Olds    Building QRP HB gear  

The Multus SDR rig Pete discussed

The older rigs Pete mentioned

My version of DC RX that Farhan is working on

My PTO with VK3YE's ruler frequency readout

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?