Exorcism Not Quite Complete -- Thinking of Other Options

As often happens, I may have jumped the gun in declaring the exorcism of my 17 meter transmitter to be a success. As readers of this blog will recall, my problem was that when trying to "net" my separate 17 MHz receiver and transmitter, at around 18.116 MHz I could hear more than one tone as I tried to get to zero beat.  The 8th harmonic of my 5.176 MHz carrier oscillator was mixing with the 23 MHz VXO signal and producing a spur.  I could probably knock the level of this spur down below FCC limits, but -- and here is the problem -- I probably could never knock it down to the point that it would not be audible in the sensitive receiver that sits right next to the transmitter.  So this is really a netting problem, not really a spur problem. 

I don't want to try another filter frequency -- I have VXO crystals that really work only with a filter at 5.176 MHz.

So here is my current idea:  Build a receiver board and turn this thing into a transceiver.  Switch with relays the input and output of the 5.176 MHz filter, and use relays to switch to the receiver board the VXO and carrier oscillator signals. 

Making this thing a transceiver would eliminate the need for netting.  This should solve my problem. 

What do you folks think? 

73  Bill 

Roy Lewallen W7EL Gives Us All EZNEC for FREE! Thanks Roy! (Video)

Free download here: https://www.eznec.com/

Thanks to Roy Lewallen W7EL for this great gift to the amateur radio community.  

And thanks to G-QRP for the excellent video (above) of Roy talking about antenna modeling.  

Exorcism Completed! Getting Rid of the Spur in my 17 meter SSB Transmitter using a TinySA (video)

To re-cap:  The problem became evident when trying to "net" or "spot" my transmitter onto my receive frequency.  Around 18.116 MHz, I could hear at least two tones in the receiver as I moved the transmitter frequency.  I needed to get rid of the extra tone. 

First, thanks to all who sent in suggestions.  They came in literally from around the world, and this is a demonstration of the IBEW in action.  I used or at least tried all of them.  They were all good ideas. 

Following Vasily Ivananeko's pseudonymous suggestion I rebuilt the carrier oscillator (apologies to G3YCC).  I used the carrier oscillator/buffer circuit from Farhan's BITX20.   

Henk PA0EME said I should look at the signal level at the input ports of the NE602 mixer.  Henk was right --- the VXO input was far too high.  I lowered it, but the problem persisted. 

At first, I thought that the spur in question was so small that it would not show up on the air.  I could not see it in the TX output using my TinySA spectrum analyzer.  That was good news and bad news:  Good that it was not showing up on the air, bad that I could not see it in the TinySA and use that image in the exorcism. 

At first I thought that the spur was being caused by the 10th harmonic of the carrier oscillator and the third harmonic of the VXO.  This seemed to fit.  So, following VK3YE's sage advice, I built a little 69 MHz series LC trap (using a coil sent by AA1TJ, on a board CNC'd by Pete N6QW).  That trap succeeded spectacularly in crushing the 10 harmonic.  Look at these before and after shots on the TinySA: 

Before Trap

After Trap

Spectacular right? But guess what?  The problem was still there.  

I scrutinized the situation once more. I realized that the spur would be more visible if I put the TinySA on the input of the transmitter's PA (a JBOT amp designed by Farhan) as opposed to putting it on the output.  Watching the spur and the needed signal move in the TinySA as I tuned the VXO, I realized that they were moving in opposite directions.  This indicated that the spur was the result of a carrier oscillator harmonic MINUS a VXO-generated frequency (as the VXO frequency increased, the spur frequency decreased).  Looking at my EXCEL spread sheet, I could see it:  8th harmonic of the carrier oscillator MINUS the main output of the VXO. 

To confirm this, I plugged the values into W7ZOI's Spurtune program.  Yes, the spur popped up and  moved as predicted.  

For further confirmation I shut down the carrier oscillator by pulling the crystal from the socket, and then just clipped in a 5.176 MHz signal from my HP-8640B signal generator (thanks KB3SII and W2DAB). Boom!  On the TinySA, the spur disappeared.  Now I at least knew what the problem was:  a harmonic from the carrier oscillator.  

Following good troubleshooting practice, I turned off the gear and went to bed.  When I woke up, an idea came to me:  Before launching into a lot of filtering and shielding, just try running the carrier oscillator at a lower voltage, seeing if doing so might reduce the harmonic output.   I disconnected the carrier oscillator board from the main supply and clipped in a variable voltage bench supply.   Watching the signal on my TinySA, I watched as the spur completely disappeared as I reduced the voltage from around 13V to 10V  (see video above).  The main signal frequency level did not change much.  I tested this by listening for the hated extra tones.  They were gone.  Exorcised.  

Key lessons: 

-- Spur problems are difficult to troubleshoot.  Armstrong's superhet architecture is, of course, great, but this is definitely one of the pitfalls.  Single conversion makes life easier.  IF selection is very important. Choose wisely! 

-- When looking at the TinySA as you tune the rig, pay attention to which way the spur is moving.  This provides an important clue regarding the combination of harmonic you are dealing with. 

-- The TinySA is a very useful tool.  It seems like it is easier to use than the NanoVNA (which is also a fantastic tool). 

-- It can be fun and rewarding to re-visit old projects.  In the years between original construction and the re-look, new test gear has become available, and the skill and experience of the builder has improved.  So problems that once seemed insurmountable become fix-able. 

-- Thinking through a problem and thinking about possible solutions is very important.  It pays to step away from the bench to think and rest.  Rome wasn't built in a day. Here's a rough block diagram that I drew up (noodled!) while trying to figure out this problem: 

1BCG -- The 100th Anniversary of the Trans-Atlantic Test

Thanks to the Antique Wireless Association for this really wonderful video, and for their involvement in the 100th anniversary event.  Special thanks to Ed K2MP. 

On December 11, 2021, the 1BCG team in Connecticut had some technical difficulties.  As we all know, that is part of being a radio amateur. Details of the problems are presented here: 

http://1bcg.org/1BCG/the-special-event-transmitter/

Phil W1PJE managed to hear and record some of the 2021 transmission (Thanks Phil).  Listen here: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uPvD9Qh-VJTnyDzOPPSrYfbksks8sQsx/view?usp=sharing

Phil also sent this spectrogram of the signal. 

Good thing Paul Godley ran into Harold Beverage on the ship going over. 

And imagine me complaining about having to step out into the carport to adjust my antenna -- Godley had to trek one mile THROUGH SEA-WEED to adjust his.  Respect.   

SolderSpace! N2CQR from Geostationary Orbit

 

Farhan VU2ESE kindly invited us to talk to his Lamakaan Amateur Radio Club.  They did a simulcast through the QO-100 Geostationary Satellite.  This picture shows N2CQR being beamed into India from 22,500 miles.   Note the ET-2 and the Mythbuster on the bench.  This was a lot of fun.  Thanks Farhan! 

Straight Key Night 2021/2022 (Videos) -- Happy New Year!

I made a few contacts on 40 meter CW using my old Hallicrafters HT-37 and Drake 2-B. 

Happy New Year to all!  73   Bill 

An Interview with Paul Lutus (Audio)

https://corecursive.com/remote-developer/

Thanks to Bob Scott KD4EBM for alerting us to this wonderful interview. 

Troubleshooting Apollo: 23 MHz Crystals in a NASA Ground Receiver

More amazing Apollo stuff from CuriousMarc. 

Here we see them struggling to find the proper frequency for one of the oscillators in a dual conversion UHF receiver from the Apollo program.  For the VCO, they needed a crystal in the 23 MHz range. They faced the same questions we face:   Series or parallel?  Load capacitance?  Fundamental or overtone? 

It just so happens that at this moment I have on my bench the 17 meter SSB transmitter that I built some 20 years ago.  And the VXO in it uses crystals in the 23 MHz range.  TRGHS. (More on the spur problem with this rig soon.  The solution does involve the 23 MHz VXO.) 

Very cool that CuriousMarc found a manufacturer still willing to produce custom-made crystals. JAN flashbacks!  LapTech Precision in Canada: https://www.laptech.com/index.php

The video above is Episode 8 in the Apollo Comms series.  If you go back one episode, you can watch Marc and his assistant troubleshoot the NASA Apollo UHF receiver.   They use very familiar troubleshooting techniques.  This reminded me a lot of what we do with older, potentially modified gear.  They were able to figure out what was wrong and  how a mod had changed things.  This set the stage for the crystal replacement selection we see in Episode 8.   Here is Episode 7: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qA41A_Ies

Note:  The frequencies in this Apollo receiver were listed in Megacycles, not Mega Hertz. 

Thanks to Bob Scott KD4EBM for alerting us to this. 

McCoy SSB Crystal Filters (1963) -- But Apparently NOT the Real (Lew) McCoy

 

Last month we were talking about this company.  Someone thought it was run by Lew McCoy of ARRL Homebrew fame, but it now appears that our Lew McCoy was not involved in the company. 

Note how they provide TWO carrier oscillator/BFO crystals for each 9 MHz filter, one for USB, the other for LSB. 

They were pricey too:  In 2021 dollars, that Golden Guardian would cost $390. 

Thanks to the K9YA Telegraph for posting the ad. 

My Kind of Chip: A Homebrew Discrete 555 Timer Built on Wooden Boards (video)

This is really beautiful. Radraksha Vegad (Pargrahi) from India built a discrete component version of the venerable 555 timer chip.  He built it on wooden blocks.  This leads to the kind of understanding that even Jean Shepherd would have admired.  No longer is the 555 a little mysterious black box.  No, Pargrahi shows us how it works.   

 I know we could do something similar with the NE602 or the LM386.  But probably not with an Arduino microcontroller or an Si5351.  And that says something about understanding and complexity. 

Thanks Radraksha.  And thanks to Hack-A-Day for alerting us to this: https://hackaday.com/2021/12/20/all-hail-your-new-giant-555-timer-overlord/#more-512230 

How to Fix the Spur Problem in my 17 Meter SSB Transmitter?

 

I built the transmitter almost 20 years ago.  It is in the larger box, which originally housed a Heathkit DX-40.  There is a lot of soul in that old machine.  Details on this construction project are here: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2021/12/junk-box-sideband-from-azores-2004-qst.html  (The smaller box is a Barebones Superhet receiver set up for 17 meters.) 

In the 2004 QST article I discuss a problem I had with "spotting" or "netting."  This is something of a lost art, something that you had to do back in the pre-transceiver days, when running a separate transmitter and receiver.  This was how you got the transmitter on the receiver's frequency.  Essentially you would turn on the carrier oscillator and the VFO and let a little signal get out, enough to allow you to tune the VFO until you heard zero beat on the receiver.  My problem was that around one particular frequency, I would hear several zero-beats.  This made netting the receiver and the transmitter hard to do.  

Important note:  This is really just a problem with the "netting" or "spotting" procedure -- the problematic spur does not show up in any significant way in the output of the transmitter.  I can't see it on my TinySA.  But it is strong enough to be heard in the unmuted receiver sitting right next to the transmitter. And that creates the netting problem. 

In the QST article, I said that I noticed that the problem seemed to be centered around 18.116 MHz.  As I approached this frequency, the tones -- desired and unwanted -- seemed to converge. That was an important clue.  In the article I said I thought that I could eliminate the problem with just one trimmer cap to ground in the carrier oscillator, but looking back I don't think that this really fixed the problem. 

I recently took a fresh look at it.  Exactly which frequencies were causing the unwanted signals that appeared in my receiver? 

I used an Excel Spread sheet to find the culprits. 

The first column shows the carrier oscillator and its harmonics.  The second column shows the VFO when tuned for a signal at 18.11668 MHz (23.2927-5.17602), along with its harmonics.  Check out the 10th harmonic of the carrier oscillator and the third harmonic of the VFO: 69.8781-51.7602 = 18.1179.   Those two harmonics would produce the problem I had been experiencing. 

I turned to one of Wes Hayward's programs for confirmation.  Spurtune08 came in the EMRFD software package. Here is what I saw when I plugged in the above frequencies:    

You can see the little spur off to the left of the main signal.  In the program, as I tune the 23 MHz VFO frequency, the spur moves closer to the main frequency as I approach 18.116 MHz, just as it does in the real rig.   Note that I have only turned on the 10th harmonic of the carrier oscillator and the 3rd harmonic of the VFO.  Spurtune08 is very useful.  Thanks Wes! 

So, what is to be done?   For now, I am just restricting my operations on 17 meters to above 18.120 MHz.  (I worked several DX stations with it on December 27.)  But obviously I need to fix this. This rig needs an exorcism.  I think I only need to get rid of one of the harmonics, and the 10th harmonic of  the carrier oscillator seems easier to kill.  I'm thinking of putting the carrier oscillator in an Altoids box, and then adding some filters to knock down the 10th harmonic. 

Here is the G3YCC schematic that inspired this rig.  I used G3YCC's carrier oscillator and balanced modulator circuits, just using a 5.176 MHz crystal and changing the tank circuit in the collector: 

How would you folks knock down that 10th harmonic? 

A Christmas Story: Mike AA1TJ Builds Receiver for 486 kHz, Listens to Fessenden Commemoration (Audio)

Mike's 486 kHz receiver

As if being able to get home on Christmas Eve 2021 and then catching the Webb Telescope launch was not enough, Santa had another gift for us:  Michael Rainey, AA1TJ, the Homebrew Hero of the Hobbit Hole, was back at it, melting solder. Mike threw together a regen receiver that allowed him to receive a transmission commemorating Reginald Fessenden's historic first transmission of phone signals.  I was really pleased to once again be able to read about an AA1TJ radio adventure.  Thanks Mike!  Here is what Mike heard: http://soldersmoke.com/AA1TJ 920km.mp3

Mike wrote: 

My chum, Peter/DL3PB, recently told me that Brian/WA1ZMS would broadcast a commemoration of Reginald Fessenden's mythical (operative word) 1906 Christmas Eve AM transmission. Doesn't that sound like fun?

True to form, I began scratch-assembling my receiver yesterday afternoon just as Brian went on the air. Then again, a two-transistor regenerative radio for 486kHz isn't exactly rocket science. In any case, I was up and listening inside of a half hour.

 
What did I hear? Static. Just static. As a sanity test I quickly tuned down to 371KHz to find my favorite non-directional beacon, "GW," beaming in loud and clear from Kuujjuarakip.

 
Kuujjuarakip?

Kuujjuarakip is a tiny settlement of mostly Inuit and Cree inhabitants located up on Hudson Bay. The villages are primarily accessible by air and water so a robust radio beacon is an obvious necessity.

 
Satisfied that my receiver was working properly, I re-tuned to 486kHz. Back to static. On the bright side, at least there were no commercials. I continued listening intently until Vic called me to dinner. After the dishes were done I slipped back down to my underground radio shack for one last try.

I heard it right away. Beneath the static I heard a weak, out-of-tune, solo violin playing, "Oh, Holy Night." The signal strength varied wildly with ionospheric propagation. When the signal finally climbed high enough above the noise I ripped out the bipolar transistor audio amplifier stage, connecting my headphones directly to the junction field effect transistor detector output terminals. Of course the audio was far weaker now, yet I could easily follow the tune until it eventually faded away. Not bad for an estimated 15 watt ERP AM signal from a distance of 920km. And on 486kHz, no less, just a hop-skip-and a jump from the old 500kHz Maritime CW band; where countless ship radio operators went to send their last SOS.

 
Returning to the house, I emailed my reception report and included a short recording that I had made of it. Brian replied just after midnight; apparently, equally as stoked

"Yours’ is the best DX ever given your regen RX! Way to go! I just love it."

He went on to tell me that he was born and raised in Vermont, but he'd been working as a radio scientist down in Virginia since 1990. Told me his heart was still here in the Green Mountains and he was touched to learn his meager signal had found its way back there on Christmas Eve. All in all, a night to remember.

 
If you're still with me I hope you'll listen to the short NPR story in the provided link. It originally aired on the supposed 100th anniversary of this event. It's not just about radio history. It's about belief, memory and the myths we lug around in our heads. I thought it was well done.

 
Cheers,
Mike

Listen to what Mike heard. He says he "merely connected the mic input line of my computer across the headphone terminals. Some of the noise in the recording, - certainly the higher frequency stuff - is a byproduct of the computer. The headphone audio with the computer switched off was much more pleasant."  Here it is: http://soldersmoke.com/AA1TJ 920km.mp3

NPR story (audio and text)

https://www.npr.org/2006/12/22/6665738/christmas-eve-and-the-birth-of-talk-radio?fbclid=IwAR1G3ZchgTCc2EDnkS5BCxGARwsa87bvf0LO9nd5hfLQDvb96fR6w0dBzw4