Two Videos from Farhan's Visit (more to follow)

 

Farhan Visits Northern Virginia En Route to FDIM (Videos to Follow)

Mike KD4MM, Farhan VU2ESE and Dean KK4DAS

Farhan VU2ESE was in Northern Virginia this week, on his way to the Four Days in May Event at the Dayton Hamvention.   We had a great visit with Farhan.  We took him out to the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology where he shared with the students tribal wisdom about building CubeSats and about building simple direct conversion receivers.  Farhan's use of direct conversion receivers to teach homebrewing to students in Hyderabad inspired our efforts in Northern Virginia.  We often referred to Farhan when speaking to the students here, so it was really great to give them a chance to talk to him directly. 

From the high school we went to the local restaurant at which Vienna Wireless has its weekly lunch. Many of the people at this lunch are also members of the VWS makers group.  This was a lot of fun. 

Don KM4UDX even brought in his somewhat eccentric build of the uBITX transceiver designed by Farhan.  Don's rig is labeled "The uBITX of Life."  It has also been called "The Franken-uBITX." Whatever the name, Farhan was clearly pleased to see Don's handiwork. 

I shot a lot of video during Farhan's visit (last time I failed to do this and regretted it).  I will put these videos up on the SolderSmoke YouTube channel during the days ahead. 

Thanks Farhan! 

SolderBaloney and SolderTruth

This is so nuts that it actually had me checking to see if this was possibly an April 1 joke.  But alas, it was put out on March 30 and is apparently quite serious.  Rogier PA1ZZ sent me this.  I think his reaction was the same as mine.   My message to Rogier: 

Ha!  He misses the key point:  HOW MANY OXYGEN MOLECULES ARE IN THE SOLDER?   Here at the SolderSmoke Laboratories we only use oxygen-free solder.  And wire.  Sounds MUCH better.  Just kidding.  I think this is audio-fool  hogwash.  I'm sure my friend Ron WA6YOU (a real solder expert) will agree.    How dare this guy in the video besmirch the name of good ole 60/40 Kester!   And even at the local high school, Dean and I were pleased to find that all the students and their teacher had already REJECTED lead-free solder.  Also, this guy seems to think that the lead has been replaced by silver.  Dude, that would be some expensive solder!   His explanation of rosin is, I think, kind of shaky.  Thanks for sharing Rogier.   73  Bill 

Next I suppose we'll have recommendations on how different solder mixes can produce different audio effects:  "For a more mellow sound, go with 60/38 and 2 percent copper!"  

I immediately sent this to my friend Ron WA6YOU, a noted expert on this subject: 

Ron's response: 

OMG!!!!!  I don't know where to start and I haven't even had breakfast yet.  First off Sn60/Pb40 contains NO silver and melts at 361 F and yes I do have my irons in class set to 800 F.  Today in my classes I use Sn63/Pb37 since it is Eclectic....it is either solid or liquid and no in between.  For the cables I build for the satelittes (center pin of SMA male connectors), I use KESTOR Sn62/Pb36/Ag02 which is only 2% silver and called silver bearing.  You can still buy it on  Amazon.  As for flux, I use Kester RMA186 liquid and contrary to Paul, it does not "make the solder melt"....it basically de-oxidizes and provides a path for the solder to flow.  The flux inside the solder melts at 347 F.....BEFORE the solder melts at 361 F thus making the path for flow.  Remember when we were kids and had the little round can of Kester flux that you would dip into?

  

FYI:  To solder the pin of an SMA connector I do NOT rely on the flux inside the solder....Prior to inserting the center conductor of the RG-316/DS (mil-spec double shield teflon)  I apply a "dropllet" of RMA186 on the 7 stranded wire tip and insert it into the pin.....next I apply another "droplet" into the inspection hole (not called a solder hole).  Then I put a droplet of silver bearing solder on the PIN TIP of my iron and apply it directly to the hole in the pin.....magnification is definitely needed.  The solder flows into the hole and I tell my students that if you don't see an outline of the inspection hole, then you used too much solder and the pin will not insert into the into the body of the SMA.  I can make 6 to 8 cables an hour and all are within 1 (ONE!!!) MM tolerance in lengths.  If they want a cable 138 mm long from connector front to front, then it can't be 137 or 139 mm.....yep I can do that and I would love to show you all sometime.  And yes I crimp the ferrule.  I have 8 birds in space and the last three have 80 cables each of mine made in my basement.  

I am just waiting for the day when some USG safety officer comes into my class and has me surrender all "lead solder" and have to replace it with SAC305.  See my handouts below from my lesson plan.  Let me demo this for you all sometime.  It is said that I can put a Type-N male connector on a garden hose......HI HI.

  

Thanks for the link and remember.....The US is one of the few countries still using lead.  Hoard your lead solder.....the day is coming.

73 de Ron, WA6YOU

Solder and flux in use at N2CQR

By Jeff Murray K1NSS (2014)

Jam on Radar Antenna of Jupiter-bound Spacecraft FIXED! Antenna deployed!

Great news. This stuck antenna was getting me down.  Three cheers for the ESA folks who fixed it from afar.  

https://phys.org/news/2023-05-stuck-antenna-freed-jupiter-bound-spacecraft.html

Here is how they did it: 

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Juice/Juice_s_RIME_antenna_breaks_free

The RIME antenna looks a bit like one of my dipoles! But it can look 9 km into the ice. 

And what a great name:  Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer.  Juice. 

Godspeed JUICE!  

SolderSmoke Podcast #246: PeteGPT! DC RX, Si5351, Franklin osc, Cuban DSB, Hex beams, uBITX mods, DX, 10 meters, MAILBAG

 

SolderSmoke Podcast #246 is available: 

AUDIO PODCAST: http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke246.mp3

YouTube VIDEO: (247) SolderSmoke Podcast #246: uBITX, Hex Beam, DX, High School DC RX, 10 meter SSB Rig, MAILBAG - YouTube

The AI Deep Fake Threat!  PeteGPT!

Hearing Aid info:  I can hear the cymbals in my audiogram adjusted Airpods.

Update on the TJ DC RX project – Several receivers working! https://hackaday.io/project/190327-high-schoolers-build-a-radio-receiver

Sunil’s company provides Nano/Si5351 combos.  With the KD8CEC software. Very cool.  http://amateurradiokits.in They have a new SSB dual band transceiver – the Airpal.

Mark AJ6CU helping me. Sent me Nanos with KD8CEC software. His uBITX Settings Editor seems very cool. https://github.com/AJ6CU/uBITX-Settings-Editor/releases/tag/V2-beta-1  Thanks Mark.  

Franklin Oscillators. 

Cuban Islander and Jaguey info.  Send more!

Fixing up uBITX 2   How Bill blew up TWO Raduino Nanos. My results with the KB1GMX mods. (see below)

Hex Beam work:  Adding 10 and 15 meter elements.  But now I can hear AM breakthrough from WFAX 1220 AM  (5 kW during the day),  So I made a high pass filter.

Made first contacts on 15 and 10:  Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic.

First contacts with both India VU3TPW and China BA4TB.  SSB homebrew.

sBITX news. Taking orders!

Pete’s 10 Meter SSB Project

Mailbag:

--Wes W7ZOI provided great info and analysis on the Franklin oscillator. And lots of great tech info on other topics: http://w7zoi.net/oldtech/ponder.html Thanks Wes!
--Lex PH2LB. uBITX mods. TO-18 Heatsinks. New stickers (see above).
--Kostos SV3ORA and Hans G0UPL about the Franklin Oscillator.
--Listening to HRWB 178: Great stuff, many old friends: George KJ6VU moved to Oregon. Thomas K4SWL on the show.  Ben, an old friend of Pete’s,  mentions John Zaruba K2ZA – the guy who gave me the DX-100. Wonderful connections.
--Thanks to Todd VE7BPO for sending me another AADE LC meter. I need it for the SSSS.
--Nick MONTV planning a 15/10 meter dualband SSB rig. Me too! See video.
--Trevor Woods in W. Australia – The portrait in Artie Moore’s shack. Chuck WB9KZY – Willam Ramsay
--LA6NCA Helge three tube RX. Regen or DC? Mike Masterson WN2A and I discuss.
--Mike WU2D video on Retro QRP rigs – Steve G0FUW discusses Severn rig long in the works –started 1983 and nearly finished!
--Tim Hunkin of Secret Life fame did video with speaker made from potato ship bag. Discussed with Tony G4WIF and others. Also, Tim has an amazing video on cutting holes in metal. On the SolderSmoke blog.
--Bob Crane W8SX will be covering FDIM for SolderSmoke!
--Glen VE3DNL working on a more sophisticated DC RX.
--Craig KC2LFI from the beach on Grand Cayman. FB.
--Steve EI5DD reports We have changed our name - The May Issue of the HAM RADIO IRELAND Magazine, Ireland’s only independent magazine for the Radio Experimenter: https://docdro.id/SHH0VEy
--Mike EI0CL on 15 meters with Dean KK4DAS. FB
--Howard N3FEL of the Penn Wireless Association wants to do a group build of a DC RX.
--Martin LW9DTR in Buenos Aires looking for help with the code for an AD9850
--Todd K7TFC – always helping other homebrewers.
--Really thoughtful message from Kevin WN7Z

uBITX 2

My KB1GMX mods to uBITX 2