OK, I take back all of the bad things I said about the 75 meter phone band. I recently finished work on my Kick Panel 75 meter DSB rig. Last week I took portions of the multiband antenna that Solder-Lexicographer Steve Silverman sent me and turned it into a 75 meter dipole. It is now suspended in the trees above my house. With some trepidation I ventured out into the 75 meter ether. And, to my surprise I found friendly hams willing to give my 3 watt DSB signal a chance. The first contact was with K2WS. I had called Billy into the shack, thinking that I was just going to show him the beauty of a Direct Conversion receiver. To my astonishment I found K2WS calling CQ! On 75! Who knew? I gave him a call and -- BINGO -- we had a wonderful QSO. Alan is at the other end of the tech spectrum -- he was running a Flex Radio. With that rig's panoramic display he was able to SEE that I was running DSB. Very cool. Billy was duly impressed.
Yesterday morning I ran into a very congenial bunch of guys from the Gallups Island Radio Club. They welcomed me into the group and allowed me to join in the roundtable. Thanks guys!
Then came the icing on the cake. This morning I heard a familiar voice calling together the Mid Atlantic chapter of the Quarter Century Wireless Association. Could it be? Yes indeed, it as an old friend, Ray, a guy who had brought me into the QCWA group during our previous stint in Northern Virginia. I checked into the net and had a great time.
Above you can see the latest version of this long-evolving rig. It has a built-in speaker. Below you can see it with the top off.
Three cheers for 75!
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Sunday, May 27, 2012
Soldering in SPAAAAACE!
Take a look at this NASA page on zero gravity soldering. Just look at that rosin go!
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/16aug_solder/
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/16aug_solder/
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
solder,
space program
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Communal Shacks: TechShops
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-23/techshop-paradise-for-tinkerers#p1
We've talked about these places before. Lots of potential here! I'm pleased to see that one of them is coming to my area.
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
We've talked about these places before. Lots of potential here! I'm pleased to see that one of them is coming to my area.
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
workbench
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Update from the QRP Ranch
Bill,
Really enjoyed SolderSmoke 143, great job as always.
I wanted to fill you in on the happenings at the WA6ARA QRP Ranch. A bunch of us are doing a kit build. We meet at the QRP Ranch Man Cave for a few hours of building several times a week. Several of us are building the 40 meter SSB rig that won the homebrew challenge a couple years ago and there are a couple BTX20s and 17 meter rigs being built as well. I'd like to say they are from scratch but alas, we are building them from Hendrick's QRP kits. The first one has been completed, a BTX17, by a 15 year old Extra Class ham in about 3 days. BTW - he already had WAS and DXCC. The next project is the W6JL 50 watt amplifier that won the amplifier homebrew challenge. I am building both the 40 meter and the BTX17 rigs. The 40 meter rig, plus amp is going in a ammo can and then in the jeep for back country emergency use. I've enclosed a couple of photos, including the required chocolate chip cookies to keep the gang going and the solar oven to cook them in.
--
Mike Herr
WA6ARA
DM-15dp
Home of The QRP Ranch
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Really enjoyed SolderSmoke 143, great job as always.
I wanted to fill you in on the happenings at the WA6ARA QRP Ranch. A bunch of us are doing a kit build. We meet at the QRP Ranch Man Cave for a few hours of building several times a week. Several of us are building the 40 meter SSB rig that won the homebrew challenge a couple years ago and there are a couple BTX20s and 17 meter rigs being built as well. I'd like to say they are from scratch but alas, we are building them from Hendrick's QRP kits. The first one has been completed, a BTX17, by a 15 year old Extra Class ham in about 3 days. BTW - he already had WAS and DXCC. The next project is the W6JL 50 watt amplifier that won the amplifier homebrew challenge. I am building both the 40 meter and the BTX17 rigs. The 40 meter rig, plus amp is going in a ammo can and then in the jeep for back country emergency use. I've enclosed a couple of photos, including the required chocolate chip cookies to keep the gang going and the solar oven to cook them in.
--
Mike Herr
WA6ARA
DM-15dp
Home of The QRP Ranch
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
BITX20,
Clubs,
Solar power
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Two great sites from Rogier
Our Bay Area correspondent Rogier (orignally PA1ZZ, now KJ6ETL) recently sent us links to two very interesting sites. The first is a collection of Jean Shepherd programs. EXCELSIOR!
http://www.flicklives.com/Mass_Back/massbackpodcast.xml
The second is a collection of electronics tutorial videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Afrotechmods?feature=watch
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
Jean Shepherd,
video
Friday, May 18, 2012
Feynman on Electricity
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
Feynman -- Richard,
Physics,
video
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Has your solder EXPIRED?
Wow, here's another thing to worry about: Has your solder expired? Is it past its "use by" date?
This came up in the discussion of the Heathkit voltmeter being built on the Evil Mad Scientist blog (see our post on this from a few days ago). One commenter wrote:
None the less, the solder manufacturers are explicitly clear on the subject.
Alpha, the manufacturer of the solder included with this kit, says of (at least one of their) flux-cored solders, "If >36 months from manufacture, please submit sample to Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials for testing."
What happens when it expires? Does the smoke start to smell bad? Steve Smith -- please help us out here.
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
This came up in the discussion of the Heathkit voltmeter being built on the Evil Mad Scientist blog (see our post on this from a few days ago). One commenter wrote:
If you ever look at a spool of solder-- one made for use in industry --it will have an expiration date. And that date always seems surprisingly soon, to us.
Here in Silicon Valley, we regularly purchase solder (including
flux-cored 60/40) that is discounted because it is sold after its
stamped expiration date-- sometimes as much as five years past. To us,
this is just "a good deal." We've had some spools work better than
others, and it would be very hard for us to *prove* that one is "bad"
because it's old.
None the less, the solder manufacturers are explicitly clear on the subject.
Kester, one of the most important manufacturers, says "Flux
cored solder wire has a limited shelf life determined by the alloy used
in the wire. For alloys containing more than 70% lead, the shelf life
is two years from date of manufacture. Other alloys have a shelf life
of three years from date of manufacture."
Source: http://www.kester.com/Portals/0/Knowledge_Base_Articles/Shelf_Life_Policy.pdf
Alpha, the manufacturer of the solder included with this kit, says of (at least one of their) flux-cored solders, "If >36 months from manufacture, please submit sample to Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials for testing."
Source: http://alphacpmd.com/~/media/Files/CooksonElectronics/TB-RELIACORE15-WRC-USAPE-SM334-9%20%2010-09-28.pdf
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Labels:
solder
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