Just 30 minutes prior to this, my wife Elisa happened to see on Instagram a map showing the flight path of the Falcon 9. We didn't know that this was coming! I checked and got a live feed from Cape Canaveral of the launch. I figured we might see something if we looked to the north-west. Wow, did we. The Falcon 9 put on an amazing display. On January 25, 2025 we had seen a meteor-bolide fireball on a similar track. That was quite something, but this was really amazing. You can hear our excitement in the audio.
Thr bright object is Venus. The rocket appears to turn off its engines shortly after (from our point of view) it passes Venus.Podcasting since 2005! Listen to Latest SolderSmoke
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Monday, February 17, 2025
Direct Conversion Receivers -- Some Amateur Radio History
Sunday, February 16, 2025
Why Should We Build Analog Gear When the World has Gone Digital?
Our friend Todd (Vasily) had recently been thinking about this on his excellent Popcorn Electronics blog:
https://qrp-popcorn.blogspot.com/
There are many answers to this question. Todd's post made me think about a message from Farhan VU2ESE on this same subject. See: https://www.vu2ese.com/index.php/2022/08/04/daylight-an-all-analog-radio/ My comment and a quote from Farhan appears below:
Hello Todd! I have been thinking about the same things. As you know there is a lot of magic in using gear that you have built yourself. And it is still possible to do this. But I think the builder has to make some choices: Building it yourself might -- as you say -- require you to move away from the perfection, bells and whistles of the modern ICOM 7300 style rigs while embracing the simple functioning of analog rigs. Farhan was thinking of this three years ago:
"So here we are, talking analog radios in 2022. Here is the memo : The analog never died. The world is analog all the way, until you descend into Quantum madness. The antennas are analog, Maxwell died a content, analog man. Our radios, ultimately, are analog machines and we are all analog beasts too. Amateur Radio technology has evolved into the digital domain. However, it has only made it easier for us to do analog with computers to simulate and print our circuits. So, it’s time to bid good bye to our Arduinos and Raspberry Pis and build an Analog Radio for ourselves. So let’s see what we can achieve in hindsight, a return to our native land and a rethink of our approaches. The radio is called Daylight Again, a nod to being back at the FDIM in 2022 after a gap of two years. It is named after the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s song that had been humming all the time while put this radio together, emerging after 2 years of lockdown. This radio that took two days to come together, no actually two years! That’s: parts of it got built and stowed away, thoughts were struck in the shower, questions popped up during early morning cycle rides and notes and circuits were scribbled in the notebook. I must take the first of many diversion here: I hope you all maintain a notebook. Write down the date and whatever you thought or did on the bench and the result. Nothing is trivial enough to leave out. Wisdom comes to those who write notes. I started to build this on Saturday the 14th May and I checked into the local SSB net on Monday morning, the 16th May 2022. Back to the radio. What can an analog radio do that will appeal to us homebrewers?"
More to follow. 73 Bill Hi7/N2CQR
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Heard on the Old Military Radio Net: W4SVA
So there I was, early Saturday morning (earlier here -- we are one hour ahead of the East Coast) listening -- as I do -- to the Old Military Radio net. 3385 kHz AM. I use the K3FEF Web SDR in Pennsylvania. I heard a station that sounded familiar: Chris W4SVA. He said he was in the Shenandoah valley and was receiving on an R-390A and transmitting with a homebrew rig. I kind of remembered talking to a guy with a station like that. I searched through the SolderSmoke blog. No joy. Then I remembered it was probably a log entry. There he is, W4SVA. Here is his QRZ page: https://www.qrz.com/db/W4SVA I was almost certainly on the K2ZA DX-100.
Here's my log entry:
------------------
12 August 2018
75AM W4SVA Chris in the Shenandoah, 15 miles south of Harrisonburg. Very FB. AM guy. Building rack-mount rig. Lots of HB stuff. Sent him the Shenandoah rocket pictures.
--------------------
I also heard Buzz W3EMD from the Hudson Valley -- the dynamotor was clearly audible. FB Buzz.
Thanks Chris. And thanks again to John Zaruba for the DX-100.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Challenge -- Bonus Video -- Using an Oscilloscope to Test Your Receiver
SolderSmoke Challenge – Bonus Episode – Using your oscilloscope to test your DCR
New homebrew radio builders often struggle with test and measurement. You can build a board perfectly but if you don’t have your tools setup correctly you won’t be able to tell if your board is working, or worse you’ll thing it is not working when it is working perfectly. In this bonus episode Dean, KK4DAS takes us through the basics of configuring and oscilloscope to test the boards, particularly the PTO oscillator, buffer, and the mixer.
We say this often, but if you really want to learn about oscilloscopes and test and measurement there is no better resource than our friend Alan, W2AEW’s YouTube Channel. Check it out!
Alan Wolke, W2AEW’s YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@w2aew?si=
Join the discussion - SolderSmoke Discord Server:
Documentation on Hackaday:
https://hackaday.io/project/
SolderSmoke YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@
SolderSmoke blog DCR posts:
Sunday, February 9, 2025
Light Beam Communication from the Dominican Republic?
Saturday, February 8, 2025
SolderSmoke Challenge -- Direct-Conversion Receiver Video #5 -- Building the Audio Frequency Amplifier
SolderSmoke Challenge – Direct Conversion Receiver – the Audio Amplifier Build and Receiver Demonstration
In this episode Dean, KK4DAS wraps up the initial build of the SolderSmoke Challenge DCR. He takes us through the audio amplifier stage and demonstrates the newly built receiver just moments after connecting the audio module to the mixer and hooking up a speaker. The audio module is conceptually simple – three nearly identical stock-standard common emitter audio amplifiers which provide the 80-100 dB of amplification you need to go from microvolts of RF to volts of audio to drive a speaker. The challenge with all that amplification in a small board is to keep it amplifying but to stop it from oscillating and as you’ll see in the video, good construction technique is critical to good performance.
And wow! We now have more than 30 builders working on the SolderSmoke Challenge, with more builders completing the challenge every day. And those are just the ones who are active on tour Discord server. If you have completed the DCR or even if you have just started building it, we want to hear from you. Send a picture or better yet a video – make it a selfie and you can join the SolderSmoke challenge hall of fame!
And if you are not yet building it, you must ask yourself one question:
What are you waiting for?
Join the discussion - SolderSmoke Discord Server:
Documentation on Hackaday:
https://hackaday.io/project/
SolderSmoke YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@
SolderSmoke blog DCR posts:
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.
Thursday, February 6, 2025
SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Challenge: A Short Video from Dean about the Virtues of Building the AF Amplifier ONE STAGE AT A TIME
Dean will soon post his longer video on how to build the fourth and final board of the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Challenge receiver, but we know many builders are chomping at the bit, and are going ahead with the building of the AF amp board. We hope that this short preliminary video will help. Here Dean descibes the benefit of building the three stage amp, ONE STAGE AT A TIME.
Response to the challenge has been great. There are at least 30 receivers under construction around the world. Many are already inhaling RF. All of the problems that arise with true homebrew are being identified and fixed. Dean's full AF amp video will be out shortly. Thanks Dean!Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Mr. Carlson Restores a BC-348 -- But 40 Meters Sounds Very Weak. Why?
Saturday, February 1, 2025
SolderSmoke Challenge – Direct Conversion Receiver – the Band Pass Filter
The SolderSmoke DCR challenge is going well. Our Discord server is bustling with activity and we are impressed that several intrepid homebrewers have already completed the receiver. So, we know that you can too! In this episode Dean, KK4DAS walks us through the design and construction of third of our four boards, the 40-meter band pass filter. The band pass filter ensures that the only signals that get through the receiver to the speaker are those that are in the 40-meter band. Dean also gives an update on the Challenge and discusses some recent improvements we've made to the circuits based on feedback from our builders.
Join the discussion - SolderSmoke Discord Server:
Documentation on Hackaday:
https://hackaday.io/project/
SolderSmoke YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@
SolderSmoke blog DCR posts:
USAF Video: Why SSB is Superior to Ordinary AM
Friday, January 31, 2025
Update from KK4DAS on the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Challenge: BP Filter Added to Circuitry -- Full Video on BP Filter Soon
Radio Antenna Fundamentals Part 1 -- 1947 USAF Film
Thursday, January 30, 2025
Video of images and Data Stream: Huygens Probe Parachuting onto Titan
Diode Ring VFO Part II: How Much LO into a Diode Ring?
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Other Workshops: Making The World's Smallest Motor
Monday, January 27, 2025
First 10 Meter AM Contact from Hi7/N2CQR
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Fireball (Meteor) Over the Dominican Republic
I hadn't seen one of these since March 1995 (I was in the Dominican Republic then too!):
7 MARCH 95 EVENING: POSTED ON CIS:
Also observed a pretty spectacular fireball in the North (near Polaris) at about 2330. So bright I thought it was a skyrocket. Very slow moving looking like pieces falling off it.
SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Challenge The Mixer and Diplexer
SolderSmoke Challenge – Direct Conversion Receiver – the Mixer
The mixer is the heart of the direct conversion receiver. It’s the circuit that makes a receiver a receiver. It takes the RF from the antenna and mixes it with the local oscillator to extract the audio. In this video, Dean, KK4DAS walks us through the design, build and testing of the double balanced diode ring mixer we chose for the SolderSmoke Challenge DCR. He also explores some of the myths, legends, and lore around mixer design. If you are not yet convinced, we can make an effective receiver with just four simple boards you definitely want to watch this vido to the end. Mixers have been a passion (some say obsession) of mine for a long time. If you search for “mixer” on the SolderSmoke blog you will find many postings over the years. Whenever I want to learn more about some RF circuit or other I always turn to Alan Wolke, W2AEW’s excellent YouTube video series. In the video linked below Alan does an excellent job of explaining mixer theory and demonstrating how the switching action of the diodes produces the sum and difference frequencies.
Related links:
Alan Wolke, W2AEW - YouTube Video #167:
How a Diode Ring Mixer works | Mixer operation theory and measurement
https://youtu.be/junuEwmQVQ8?
SolderSmoke Blog on Mixers:
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.
Join the discussion - SolderSmoke Discord Server:
Documentation on Hackaday:
https://hackaday.io/project/
SolderSmoke YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@
SolderSmoke blog DCR posts:
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
A Tale of Woe from Mike WU2D, PLUS: The Importance of Band Noise
SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Challenge -- Soldering!
The DCR challenge is going well, and we have several builders making good progress. We noticed that some first-time builders are having a little trouble with soldering. Cold or weak solder joints are the bane of the of the homebrew builder’s existence. It happens to all of us. A board that was working fine suddenly is not working – you poke around and touch some part and the board springs to life – you just found a cold solder joint. Dean, KK4DAS put together a short bonus video just on soldering. He covers the tools you need for a basic soldering station, and step-by-step instructions for reliable soldering Manhattan Style.
No Bunching Up! It is Possible to Achieve Dial Linearity (and Stability) with an LC VFO

One of the major complaints about LC VFOs is that they allegedly cause "non-linear tuning." Essentially, this complaint claims that you will inevitably end up with your frequencies all "bunched up" at one end of the tuning range, with frequencies greatly "spread out" at the other end. BUT WE HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT NECESARILY TRUE. With a bit of careful design work, you can avoid the dreaded "bunching up." I have used the calculator in Bob's Electron Bunker to DESIGN VFOs that do not "bunch up" the frequencies.
Monday, January 20, 2025
SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Project -- Video #2 -- Building the PTO/VFO
The response to the SolderSmoke DCR challenge has been terrific -with nearly 7,000 views of the first episode! Thanks so much for checking it out. The goal is to convince you that you can build your own receiver and then go get you started on Homebrew ham radio. We already have confirmation that it can be done! Congratulations to Peter, VK3PTM and Matthew, KY4EOD who have both completed the receiver. The boards look good and, even better, they sound great. Videos and descriptions are here on the blog and on the SolderSmoke Discord sever. Speaking of the Discord server, we already have a very robust conversation going, It’s a great place to give feedback and to get your questions answered. Builders are helping builders and we at SolderSmoke are trying to answer as many of your questions as we can. This is a beginner’s project, so all are welcome.
In episode 2 of the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver challenge we tackle the PTO. We discuss a bit of the theory, walk through the schematic, and take you step-by-step through building and testing the oscillator and buffert. By the time we are done we will have achieved JOO! (the Joy of Oscillation). And when you build it you will be 1/4th of the way to having build your own 40 meter receiver.
Links:
Join the discussion - SolderSmoke Discord Server
Documentation on Hackaday
https://hackaday.io/project/
SolderSmoke YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@
SolderSmoke blog
SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Project: The Input to the Mixer from the VFO -- How Much Is Enough?
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Looking for Contacts on 10 meter AM from the Dominican Republic -- 29.005 MHz AM
I was listening to the Old Military Radio Net this morning and I heard Tim WA1HLR talking about some contacts that he had made on 10 meters, near 29 MHz. So I pulled my modified CB rig off the shelf, connected a power supply and my 10 meter vertical, and began to listen. Soon I heard CQs! One from G4ITR and then one from G4VZR. I now have high hopes for at least one QSO. So please, point those ten meter beams at the Dominican Republic and give me a call. I am on 29.005 Mhz.
73 Bill HI7/N2CQR
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Ugly and Manhattan Construction from Popcorn Electronics
Some people apparently dislike these techniques. To each his own, but I like the Manhattan method. In fact, in the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion project, we are recommending the use of Manhattan circuit board tecniques. With Manhattan, you get a lot flexibility. At one point, for example, the High School students told us that they had forgotten to put a needed pad on the board. No problem! Just glue in a new one. Or if you put in one too many, just take one off.
You also keep all the circuitry and all the connections on one side of the board. This facilitates repair or modification. This kind of thing is not so easy when you have components on one side of the board and the connections on the other side. You spend a lot of time flipping boards over, breaking wires, trying to remember what goes where. Also, because the pads push the connections a couple of millimeters above the ground plane, I find that Manhattan technique actually reduces the chances for an accidental short to ground.
There has been some discussion of where the term "Manhattan style" comes from. Having been born on Manhattan island, I too wonder about the origin of the term. Some see it as the result of the grid pattern (like Manhatten's street grid) that results from the rectangular or square pads that are often used. Others point to the vertical parts placement that we see when looking at a board from the side -- the parts look like the skyline of Manhattan. Either explanation, I think, works.
Here is a Manhattan-style board I recently built in the Dominican Republic for my homebrew 15-10 meter SSB transceiver. I couldn't find any Gorilla glue here, so I went with Loctite Coqui. Same stuff. Latin American super glue!
The 10 meter Beacon at HI7/N2CQR (and reception reports)
Above is the 10 Meter beacon at HI7/N2CQR.
The first one to hear the beacon was Dean KK4DAS in Northern Virginia, within hours of it going on the air. Here is Dean's recording of what he saw and heard:thanks for info. 3 Watt can be loud on 10 if condx are good :)
The west direction skimmer setup on 10 m is a 6 el Yagi into a SDR with
AD9255 adc and XC7Z020 fpga.
A design by Pavel Demin which I am testing for a while now.
Enjoy the Caribean, here its minus 2 C and boot high snow.
73, Rico
DF2CK
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity --- Wonderful Video by Jim Al-Khalili (sent to us by Ashish N6ASD)
Jim talks about the early transatlantic cables, and why some of them didn't work.
We see Jagadish Chandra Bose developing early point-contact semiconductors (because the iron filings of coherers tended to rust in the humid climate of Calcutta!)
There is a video of Oliver Lodge making a speech. There is a flip card video of William Crookes (one of the inventors of the cathode ray tube and the originator of the Crooke's cross).
We see actual coherers.
There is simply too much in this video for me to adequately summarize here. Watch the series. Watch it in chunks if you must. But watch it. It is really great.
Thanks Ashish. And thanks to Jim Al-Khalili.