EMRFD Joy of Oscillation (Part 1)

Guys:

I have been catching up on the last few SolderSmoke podcasts after
that little QSO Today diversion.  I wonder how many others did the
same thing?  I have really enjoyed these recent 'casts.  Lots of
fantastic HB content.  Funniest moment was when Bill described his
post-project workshop as looking like the aftermath from an electronic
barfight.

I took a new ham up on a SOTA activation last year.  Then about a
month ago, he said that he wanted to do HF HB.  He said he had been
googling and found so much that he didn't know where to start.  I told
him that I'd be interesting in doing a beginner HF HB project with
him.

I could have pointed him to LBS, et al.  I could have pointed him to
the Michigan Mighty Mite.  I did neither.  I pointed him to:http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~campbell/EMRFD1dot34.pdf  Note the name of
the document.  I pointed him also to:http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Product%20Notes/chapter_1.pdf 
(Did you guys know that chapter was online and free?)  We scaled to 20m and
kitted parts for this.  And parts for a 4th transistor PA for serious
QRO.  :-)

Two others joined us building for 40m.  Check out the attached photos
of the first 3.  The joy of oscillation was experienced by all.

After testing each oscillator, and borrowing from an article KK7B ran
in CQ VHF, I told each that he had to ID every 10 minutes.  Even
though nobody was going to hear these signals a few hundred yards
away.  (But it sounds loud on a shortwave portable a few inches away!)
 I even wrote out the dots and dashes for a couple of them.

Next stop:  to have everyone find a curbside TV discard, rip out some
parts, and get on 5 meters!  Haven't we gotten it back now, after the
transition to digital TV?   :-)

OK, maybe the next stop is to add some gain stages and experience the
joy of communication.  The joy of QSO-ification?  The joy of
EM-radiation?  :-)

Best regards,

Drew
kb9fko

2 Attachments

OzarkCon is Coming Up -- April 1-2

http://www.ozarkcon.com/index.php

Elser-Mathes Cup Opportunity!

I'm sure he'll be on the air.  With a homebrew rig.

Stay thirsty my friends!

A Knack Victim's Midlife Crisis

Thanks to Steve WA0PWK for sending us this Jim Williams cartoon.  

Been there, done that. It doesn't mean you are a bad person.

German Mighty Mite works Venice on 40 (video)

In spite of being a bit off frequency, sTef,  DL1FDF (aka VY1QRP) has been inducted into the Color Burst Liberation Army.  Congratulations sTef!  Normally we would requite operation on 3.579 MHz, but sTef has been granted special dispensation because 1) he doesn't have a 3.579 MHz rock, 2) our stock of this crystal has been depleted, and 3) he actually made a contact with this rig, working II3ICZ in Venice.  FB sTef.  If anyone has a color burst crystal for sTef, please let us know.    

sTef writes:

I would like to say „Thanks" to both of you for your ongoing inspirations in soldering and homebrewing.  After 15 years out of ham radio it were you two guys who got me back into the world of -> SOLDERSMOKE. Thanks for that.And belive me been away for 15 years and now getting back into it feels a sometimes a little bit too "digital“ …. ARDUINO or NOT TO ARDUINO ? This is the question….

Anyway…

So what could be more sophisticating than having a MMM ready on the work bench and answering a CQ call on 40m with that thing and be heard. 

Yes, the first QSO today with my MMM was for you both.

I worked the Italian Radio Station II3ICZ. I was 559 into Venice with 0.5 watts from the MMM into my full-size triple leg for 40m.

Adafruit Profiled in "The New Yorker"

Congratulations to Limor Fried.  Her company got a very nice write up in "The New Yorker."

http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/limor-frieds-artful-electronics

"My Favorite Programming Language is Solder" -- Boldport Kits

Look closely at the inscription on that USB stick.   Obviously I sympathize.   The folks at Boldport have some very interesting ideas and projects.   And they operate from a very cool location, just south of the river Thames, not far from my old home in London. 

Here is their main site: http://www.boldport.com/blog/2016/2/21/boldport-club-project-1

Here is where you can subscribe to receive a monthly project (with parts!) from them:
https://boldport.cratejoy.com/

As for the solder quote from Bob Pease, this was discussed before on this blog, back in 2011.  We were talking about an intereview that had been done with Alan Wolke W2AEW:

I also liked Alan's response to the question about his favorite software tool: "Gee, solder is soft, can we consider that software? I use a lot of that!" This is very reminiscent of a quote from the legendary Bob Pease (colleague of Jim Williams): "My favorite programming language is solder." (That quote was sent to me by Steve WA0PWK. Thanks Steve.)