Samana Shack

Just like in "How's DX?"

VE7BPO's QRP POPS IS BACK!

We were all understandably concerned when Todd VE7BPO announced this Fall that he was taking down his beloved QRP POPS web site.    I'm pleased to report that Todd has transitioned from Web Site to blog.   The spirit of QRP POPS lives on here: 

http://qrp-popcorn.blogspot.com/

There are also links on this blog to all the great stuff that was on Todd's site: 

http://qrp-popcorn.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_9.html

Three cheers for Todd!  Hip-hip...

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Now in Santo Domingo

I wrapped up my Samana HI9 operation yesterday morning.  I found a very friendly Spanish-language round table - they were all willing to try to pull my QRP DSB sigs out of the noise.  Within a few minutes I worked KI4PZE, CO8OT,WA4RME,and CO8KB.   So that made a total of 18 solid contacts with 3 more that might not qualify as full-fledged QSOs.
We have moved on to very urban Santo Domingo -  no room for antennas here!

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

A Very Simple and Stable VFO

From the November 1964  issue of 73 Magazine, by way of a compendium book sent to me from New York City by Dave W2DAB, comes words of wisdom about how to make a simple, super-stable VFO. Lots of great ideas in this article.  My favorite was running the thing off D cell batteries and leaving it on all the time!  The article was written by Roger Taylor, K9ALD. 

Here is the article: 

http://archive.org/stream/73-magazine-1964-11/11_November_1964#page/n11/mode/1up

Thanks to Dave, Roger, Wayne Green and the Internet Archive. 

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Pete Tries Baluns on the DBM

A couple of weeks ago I ran a post about an old 73 Magazine article that extolled the virtues of putting baluns at the RF input and IF output of diode ring mixers.   Dedicated experimenter that he is, Pete Juliano gave it a try: 

Hi Bill,

I did the modification and used 20 bifilar turns of #26 on a FT-50-43 core for each transformer.

The most important observation is that I did not see any degradation of performance and in fact I think has helped an overloading situation I was seeing on some extremely strong signals.

The photo is of a DBM that is behind a bilateral stage that on Rx is the RF amplifier and on Tx is the Tx pre-driver. I do have another single transistor RF amp ahead of this. In normal operation the next stage would be the Band Pass Filter.

The back end is an IF amplifier, AGC, Product Detector, balanced modulator and mic amp stage all on a board that came out of a Hallicrafters FPM-300 SSB/CW transceiver. There is a you tube video of this prototype project.

73’s

Pete N6QW 

Thanks Pete! 

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Double A DSB DXpedition

Having a lot of fun with my old Azores 20 meter DSB rig here in the Dominican Republic. So far 11 solid contacts. People are amazed when I tell them the power source is 10 AA batteries! I feel I am redeeming myself as a QRPer after transgressing with the 120 watt amp project. We leave Samana and go to Santo Domingo on Sunday. 73 Bill

Sent from my iPhone

In Samana

Current portable ops in Samana!
YouTube video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBCg3-feSrc&sns=em


Also. Today is Pete Juliano's birthday!  Send him greetings!

N5AB's Mighty Midget 40

Bill & Pete,

Your recent podcast on the Michigan Mighty Mite got me excited about hooking up

the one I built a few months ago.

The wattmeter claims it’s putting out 700 mW into a dummy load.

The old crystal I’m using is 7.108 mHz

The shack receiver verifies I’m on 7.108

The receiver also says I’m very strong on 14.216

I added a low-pass filter kit (now apparently discontinued) from kitsandparts.com

Even with the filter, I’m still hearing a strong signal on 14.216.

I’m not sure what’s going on here. Perhaps the transmitter coil is radiating the harmonic I’m

hearing on the shack reciever.

You guys are putting out some great podcasts! keep up the good work.

Bill N5AB

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Liberating a 3.579 Rock in a Home Depot Parking Lot

I think Ben should give that crystal another chance.  It may still be working on 3579.  But in any case, for the quick thinking and dedication to the cause displayed in that Home Depot parking lot, I hereby award Ben KK6FUT the Brass Figlagee medal.   (Who can tell us the origin of that prestigious award?) 

Hi guys, thought I’d share my story about two free toilets, Home Depot, the record breaking rainfall, and my failed attempt to join the Colorburst Liberation Army.

 

The short version, is our local water company gave away free low flow toilets today, and in my process of (absolutely failing) to install them at home (give me solder over plumbing any time!!) ran to Home Depot for some parts.

 

In the parking lot, someone had smashed a television set, and I suddenly recalled your story about how old televisions use 3.579Mhz crystals!!

 

I jumped out of my car, and immediately spotted and “liberated” the crystal above! I pulled it from the TV while in the middle of the parking lot...

 

However, it appears the rain the TV had been subject to in the last few days (or maybe the smashing) changed the crystal in question somewhere in the range of 10.2Mhz to 10.4Mhz... So no go! But an amusing adventure anyway, and I do have a random 10.4Mhz crystal to show for it.

 

Ben

KK6FUT

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

A New Jersey Battalion for the CBLA? The NJQRP SNAP on 3.579

Back in 2000, the NJQRP club came up with a nice little transmitter called the SNAP. It was designed by Chuck Adams K7QO.   Dave K5YFO alerted us to it and suggested it as an alternative to the Mighty Midget.  One advantage over the MMM is that the SNAP needs no variable capacitor.  But it does need a couple of coils wound on toroids.   The SNAP design includes a low pass filter, something that has to be added on to the MMM.  Check it out.   Even if you've already built the MMM, you could easily take the crystal and use it in a SNAP build.  

More info on the SNAP here: 

http://www.njqrp.org/atlanticon/atlanticon%202000/snap.html 

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Another Great Blog from Canada

Earlier we wrote about QRP POP's reemergence in blog form. 

Here's another great blog from Canada, this one from Steve VE7SL: 

http://ve7sl.blogspot.com/ 


Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Midwest Mighty Mite from KK0S

Wow, beautiful job Bruce.  I was hoping that a check of the Reverse Beacon Network would reveal that someone had heard you, but no joy.  Keep at it.  You may become the first CLA member in this round to make a contact.  

Bill - 

Hello from the Midwest chapter of the CLA.  Here's pix of my just completed Michigan Mighty Mite.  Nothing was purchased specifically for this project.  It was put together using only parts already on hand.  The only previously unused parts were the front panel sockets and one resistor.  The rig uses a 2N2219A transistor salvaged from a junked industrial control board and a color burst crystal that actually first oscillated in a tube-type color TV some 40 years ago.  Loading into my ground-mounted vertical, this MMM seems to be most stable at a draw of 87ma at 12.6 volts.  The arithmetic seems to work out at somewhere around 650mw into the ether.  I called for about half an hour around 2300Z, but got no takers... it was still pretty early for 80m and I had an extremely high local noise level.  The rig seems to run about 1khz high. I'll give it another go this weekend. 

72 - Bruce - KK0S.

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20