Friday, January 2, 2026

Spark Gaps and Coherers demonstrated and Measured by CuriousMarc

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CuriousMarc provides a good demonstration of how spark transmitters work with coherer detectors.  His measurements are really illuminating. ...
Thursday, January 1, 2026

Walter KA4KXX's Innovative 20-meter SolderSmoke Direct-Conversion Honorable-Mention Receiver

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  It is a thing of beauty.  We were really pleased to see our old friend Walter KA4KXX take on the SolderSmoke challenge, and we weren't...
3 comments:

Let's Start the New Year with... THE KNACK!

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Happy New Year everyone!  Our friend Rogier PA1ZZ sent this to me. I'm sure there are parts of it that people will disagree with, but th...
2 comments:
Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Is the Veritasium Guy Retiring? Google says SolderSmoke is "Low Value Content."

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I have been a fan for many years.  His comments on the vile influence of the algorithm and AI are right on target.   Google recently informe...
9 comments:
Saturday, December 27, 2025

The Coastwatchers -- Their Rigs and Their Islands

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  AWA Teleradio 3BZ used by coastwatchers during the war Source: Australian War Memorial (P01035 .006) Here is a great site about the AWA 3B...
1 comment:
Thursday, December 25, 2025

Alexanderson Alternator on 17.2 kHz Copied by YO2DXE in Romania

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  On December 1st 1924, the 20kW Alexanderson Alternator with the call sign "SAQ" was put into commercial operation with telegram ...

The AN/PRC-74 -- A Covert Contact, An Analog Synthesizer, A Benefit of Channelization, and a Good Thing about Band Noise

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I have a sentimental tie to this older military transceiver, for several reasons:   -- This was probably the transceiver that we hauled into...
2 comments:
Wednesday, December 24, 2025

A VERY Interesting Old "Steam Punk" Homebrew Thermatron Rig -- Can You Suggest A Home for this Rig? (Video)

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Oh man.  They got me at the breadboard, but there was so much more:   -- A mercury switch --  A homebrew variometer -- A reading lamp -- A s...
1 comment:
Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Pete N6QW Asks Copilot about Homebrew vs. Store Bought

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Copilot is remarkably perceptive.   This AI-generated message really explains very well the differences between homebrew and store bought ge...
4 comments:
Sunday, December 21, 2025

Frank Jones W6AJF on Homebrew, Thermatrons, and VHF

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We are in the Dominican Republic now. I thought SolderSmoke blog readers would like the introduction to Frank Jones W6AJF's VHF handbook...
2 comments:
Saturday, December 20, 2025

Bricoleur -- "Someone Who Fixes Stuff with Whatever he Finds Around"

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A short time ago Paul VK3HN told us about the term bricolage. It seemed to capture much of the homebrew spirit.  This morning I heard Van Ne...
1 comment:
Friday, December 19, 2025

Why 3.579 MHz for Old Color TVs? The Origins of the CBLA

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As the Commanding General of the Color-Burst Liberation Army, I have often wondered why so many of these 3.579 MHz crystals were made.  Heck...