K.P.S. Kang's Minimalist VXOs (and one for the BITX)

K.P.S. Kang provides us with some great ideas for simple VXOs.  He includes an intriguing reference for a 5 MHz circuit useable in a BITX.  Tell us more OM! 

http://smallwonderqrp.blogspot.com/2017/07/vxos-simple-minimalists-signal-sources.html

NYC's Radio Row Survives (sort of) in the Bronx

Thanks to our friend (and official lexicographer) Steve Silverman KB3SII for alerting us to this important bit of radio news from the Big Apple.  It seems that a part of old Radio Row was saved and moved -- first to Brooklyn and now to the Bronx.   I got a kick out of some of the comments in the New York Times article about the store:  The insurance company determined that the contents of the store were "non-pilferable." And one young audio enthusiast was quoted as saying that old American tubes "sound better" than Chinese tubes.  I guess they have more presence.  Or brightness.  And less feathering.  Or something.

Here is the 2011 NYT article: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/nyregion/leeds-radio-is-a-haven-for-lovers-of-all-things-analog.html   


To N2CQR  

Jul 17 at 12:26 PM

Bill

Radio Row survives in a storefront in the Bronx, by appointment only.  Leeds Radio was started in 1923 and survives because an enterprising customer bought it from the 72 year old owner.

But this is where you can shop any time for stuff that should be in your junk box:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LeedsRadio

Yikes, what is the world coming to?

I promise to keep any information about what you actually buy on that site a secret!

73

Steve  KB3SII  ... .. ..

PS  When I was 11 (and WN1ZPT) , my parents visited NYC and gave me $10 and sent me alone on the subway to the real Radio Row.  I was in heaven for a few hours!  Got good stuff too.

Excellent Description of the Electret Microphone

I've been experimenting with electret replacements for the D-104 crystal element.   I found this site with a really excellent description of what lies inside those little electret capsules.  Here it is: 

http://www.openmusiclabs.com/learning/sensors/electret-microphones/index.html

Dino's FB W1FB Crystal Tester

A couple of weeks ago I noted that the complexity of DeMaw's circuit caused many of us to wimp out on this test gear project.  I joked that those who had built the device might be able to set up small businesses to do the testing for the rest of us.  Perhaps our friend Dino can cut a deal with G7WKE to divide up the world market for crystal testing: Dino could have the Western Hemisphere while Rob covers Europe and points East.  

Bill -

Enjoyed seeing someone else who has built Doug’s crystal tester on the blog.  Here’s mine, built this back in early 2007.  Anyone who wants to duplicate the tester can find the article in the January 1990 issue of QST or the updated article in the W1FB Design Notebook (page 192).  Note that the QST article has a missing component value and a missing component (both corrected in the Design Notebook):

(1) R24 is missing its value - it’s marked in the Notebook as 56 ohms.

(2) There should be a 220 ohm resistor connected between the output pin of U2 the LM317T regulator and the top of R1 the voltage adjust pot that is connected between U2’s adjust pin and ground [corrected in the March 1990 QST Feedback column].

I built a FT-243 adapter to let me work with larger crystals.

73 - Dino KL0S

And Now For Something Completely Different: 70cm FM

So there I was, talking to KE5FV on my scratch-built 17 meter BITX, when in walks my son Billy with this walkie talkie.  "Hey Dad, I'm cleaning out my room -- could you use this?"  I'd seen it before but I thought it was some Family Radio Service device that he had picked up.  But no!  It is one of those very cheap Baofeng UV-5R FM transceivers.  I soon found myself scrolling through menus, trying to figure out how to use the strange new appliance. 

I got it on 70cm and soon established contact with a Bill W3HXF -- that was my first ever UHF contact.  We then switched to 2 meter simplex. 

It works fine.   I've been looking for something different.  This could be fun.  Any suggestions on how to make the most use of this thing?