IK0IXI's Homebrew QRP SSB XCVR (8 bands!)

SolderSmoke #94

http://www.soldersmoke.com

SolderSmoke #94

November 2, 2008
Halloween in Rome, Autumn rains
Building Class A Amps with Spice, Copper, SSDRA, EMRFD
Wes on oscillator output wave forms
Inspirational article in "Air and Space" Magazine
Book Review: "My Detachment" by Tracy Kidder
Autumn SPRAT
SPECIAL REPORT FROM G-QRP MINI-CONVENTION
Aliens on 80 meters
MEPT: Can you see me?
Softrock 40 Group tries to digitize N2CQR
Homebrew solar panels
Request for assistance.. .
MAILBAG:
Alan Yates in cahoots with AA1TJ
Les gets our logo on I-tunes
Paul WA1MAC gets 2 2Bs
Scott KD5NJR on KSC honeymoons
Bruce VE9QRP on new free QUCS simulator
Keith G0CZR on bubble wrap insulation
Bob KD4EBM on green laser dangers
John VK3AJG designs 80 meter SSB rig
Todd KE7KXI on Knack relapse, old electronics smell
Jerry NR5A BACK IN ACTION!
Bob N7ZF on SolderSmoke Facebook

Homebrew Solar Panels

I hate to tell you, but all you guys who are using STORE-BOUGHT solar panels are a bunch of APPLIANCE OPERATORS. Time to roll your own, and REALLY make your own electricity.
Woody, KF4TQJ, sent me this interesting link on how to make your own solar panel:
http://www.thesolarplan.com/articles/your-own-solar-panel-collector.html
Before you get carried away by homebrew enthusiasm, scroll down a bit on that page and check out the cost estimates for large scale application of this technology.

See if you can see my signal 10140055 Hz

If Italy is in daylight, you should be able to see my 50 milliwatt FSK signal on one of the European on-line grabbers.

IK0VVE has a nice grabber aggregator site that includes a sun clock. Here it is:
http://www.ik0vve.net/mept6.aspx

Just see if the sun is shining here, then scroll down and take a look at either PA1SBD's site or ON5EX's. Sometimes I can also be seen on I2NDT's.

You should see my signal around 10140055 Hz. It looks kind of like a square wave. Read the Morse along the bottom (my FSK is upside down).

For extra credit, see if you can see Paolo's solar beacon. It too looks like a square wave, but with no Morse. He's running 2.5 milliwatts.

Please let me know if you succeed in seeing our sigs.

Arduino -- Italian Open Source Hardware

Scott Haley in Tulsa alerted me to this very interesting article in Wired magazine. How do you say Knack in Italian? Check it out: Wired article on Arduino

Aliens on 80 meters!

Graham, G3ZOD, was looking at the 80 meter band using the on-line SDR receiver in the Netherlands (http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl) This is what appeared on the screen. Looks like you can work some real DX on 80 these days. The big issue will, of course, be DXCC credit. And I imagine getting a QSL card might be a bit tricky.

The Flea: Minimalist QRP from Catalonia

Here is a really interesting little rig from Joan, Ea3FXF, and Eduardo, EA3GHS. They have a very nice web site with more info, including SPICE simulation files and SPICE waveform results.
Check it out: http://ea3fxf.googlepages.com/flea