A Father's Day DX-100 Story

Warning:  In this post we are DEFINITELY leaving the world of QRP.  There is nothing even remotely QRPish about the Heathkit DX-100.  This rig is all about power. And weight.  Heavy metal, plate-modulated power.  And weight. 


Back in February of last year, John, K2ZA, and his wife Erika drove down from New Jersey to give me something very special:  the beloved Heathkit DX-100 transmitter of John's (SK) dad.  Here's the report on that memorable day:
http://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2011/02/k2zas-dx-100-arrives-at-soldersmoke-hq.html   


I meant to get the rig on the air right away, but I got distracted by other projects.  Well, this week I decided to get going.  I ordered a new can of Caig Deoxit D-5.   I removed the screws from the front and back of the old rig and carefully (for the sake of my fingers and toes!) pulled it out of its cabinet. 


I found it to be in remarkably good shape. There was a bit of dust and some of the tubes were a bit loose in their sockets, but otherwise it was perfect. 


John's dad had made some mods to the old rig.  The most noticeable were on the front panel.  He got rid of the old plastic Heathkit knobs, and he had added reduction drives for the driver and amplifier tuning caps.  My first instinct was to try to take this rig back to original form, but over time, as the rig sat on the bench, I came to appreciate the work that John's dad had done.  I decided to keep the rig as he had left it. 


John's Dad used this rig on RTTY.  He has an FSK stage attached to the oscillator circuit.   

He also added a very useful VFO "spot" or "net" push button switch on the front panel. And he put a T/R relay in a box on the back of the cabinet.  Useful mods, all nicely done. 


After the cleanup, of course I couldn't wait to get the rig on the air.  Using my old Dominican Republic HQ-100, I fired it up yesterday afternoon on 40 CW.  On the first call I worked KK4RF in Suffolk Va. Then I went to 40 AM and worked a bunch of guys there.  Later I went to the real heartland of heavy metal AM:  75 METERS!  Yea!  They tell me the old rig sounds great.  


This has really been fun.  Thanks John.  Happy Father's Day. 

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Long Lost Varactor Receiver Found!

SolderSmoke fans will recall that for a long time I have been looking for the radio magazine article that propelled me into a  receiver construction project that failed and left me tech-traumatized. I tried to build a solid state receiver back in high school.  All I remembered about it was that it was direct conversion and varactor-tuned.  And that I couldn't get it to work. I think the problem was in the oscillator.   

Well, I think I found it.  Chuck Adams and the qrp-tech guys were talking about a receiver project and someone mentioned the old Herring Aid Five, a receiver companion to the famed Tuna Tin Two.  That got me thinking.  The time of publication was exactly right: July 1976.  I had just graduated from high school.  This morning I renewed my ARRL membership and then immediately accessed the QST archives.  Sure enough, the Herring Aid Five is varactor-tuned.  That has to be it. 

So this one is now definitely on my to-build list.  I will finally get this receiver working.  Sometimes projects take a long time...  Thanks again to all those who helped me in this search. 

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SolderSmoke Podcast #144 FDIM SPECIAL!

Venus glides across the sun's face during its previous transit, seen from Flagler Beach Pier in Florida.

Photograph by Jim Tiller, Daytona Beach News-Journal/AP

June 13, 2012


SolderSmoke podcast #144 is available for download: 


http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke144.mp3


--A CQ from the Rolling Thunder!
--The Transit of Venus.
--JA DX on 17 
--Kick Panel Finale: 
--Workin' on the Workbench (and test gear)
--Billy's Computer Project:  Success! 
--SPECIAL REPORT FROM FDIM
--MAILBAG: Urban legends, Hot Iron, Dry Joints 
--Bluegrass Music

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Homebrew DSB and SSB from M0DAD

This morning I stumbled across the web site of M0DAD.  David has built rigs for 40 meters -- one DSB the other SSB.  The SSB rig is pictured above -- the much-admired "road kill" approach to component acquisition is evident.   David provides excellent schematics and great descriptions of the trials and tribulations of each project.   Check it out: http://www.m0dad.co.uk/

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

Vintage Tektronix Museum

The radio gods seem to have been guiding me to this web site.  Last night I was listening to 17 meter phone and I heard a station calling TEK guru Alan, W2AEW.  I couldn't hear Alan (skip zone and all that) but just hearing his call turned my thoughts to Beaverton, Oregon.  This morning I found a message from Dino, KL0S, alerting me to the VintageTEK museum.  FB!  Analog Rocks On! 


http://www.vintagetek.org/

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

Transit of Venus

Yesterday afternoon at around 5:55 pm local time I was pedaling along the Washington and Old Dominion bike trail, on my way home from work.  I was pedaling a little faster than normal because I wanted to try to see the transit of Venus.  I came across a group of amateur astronomers who had set up their scopes alongside the trail -- they were nervously looking at their watches and the clouds.  I told them that I was going to set up my scope too.  "Hurry up!  You'll miss it! It starts at 6:04!" I pedaled even faster.   


The cloud cover was fairly thick, but just as I pulled into my driveway, the clouds broke and sunshine filled the front yard.  I quickly set up the 'scope and got the sun in the field of view.  First I saw sunspots  -- lots of them.   Then, sure enough, off near the rim was the unmistakeable shadow of Venus.  Billy took the picture (above) with his I-phone 4.   The neighbors and all the kids in the neighborhood came over and  had a look.  It was all very cool.  Mission accomplished. 


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Drake 2-B Market up 436%!

We've been hit by a wave of Drake 2-B e-mails.  We take this as an indication that our effort to manipulate the Drake 2-B market is having some success.  Those of you who have invested in our 
SSDRA2B Mega Capital Growth Fund can probably plan on early retirement.   


-----------------------------------------------------
Bill

After listening to you for the last several weeks talk about the virtures of the Drake 2B I began a never ending drooling for that radio.  I never really understood the power of a podcast until I became obsessed with the 2B.  I had seen several at Dayton a couple of weeks ago but resisted the urge.  But today was the day...At a hamfest in Princeton Ill, there was a lone 2B and 2BQ all dressed up and looking for a place to go.  Into my waiting arms that radio jumped.  I tried but could not put it down.  I got my wallet it out and paid the man.  On the drive home I could hear the 2B  making noises like it was tuning the band just for me.  Oh how happy that 2B is now.  With a little cleanup and a new tube and crystal it will be backing doing what it does best.

Just wanted you to know Bill that if it was not for you there would be a 2B waiting and wanting to be adopted..

Love your podcast, keep it up man.

Steve NU0P
--------------------------------


Bill,
....

I am also happy to report that I have finally laid my hands on my very own Drake 2B.  I have been watching them on ebay for over a year, and I finally spotted one with a reasonable "buy it now" price, so I jumped on it.  As you know, many 2Bs suffer from discoloration and corrosion of the copper plated chassis, but the one I bought is pristine.  I am very pleased.

73 de K8VU

George
---------------------------------------

Maybe a little late , my newly acquired 2B serial no. is 8846 . will it help ? about how old do you think it is ?

Andrew
kd5pnt

Cedar Rapids Iowa
---------------------------------------

Hello Bill

Please attached K9YA article on the Drake 2-B in the June issue.

Kind Regards

Tony G4LLW

-------------------------------------------------------------
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Homebrew QRP Fun on 75 Phone

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! 

  
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

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

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

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
 




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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

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

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:

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

 What happens when it expires?  Does the smoke start to smell bad?   Steve Smith -- please help us out here.


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Sibeband Inversion: 9 MHz, 5 MHz, and the ARRL Handbook

The 2006 ARRL Handbook had it right.  Jeremiah went back and took a look: 


Bill:

I have a comment about the question of the LSB/USB convention mentioned in the most recent SolderSmoke podcast and the follow up blog post:

I checked the 2006 Handbook and there is a sidebar (page 9.27) explaining the 5/9 MHz connection with the Lower/Upper Sideband convention in use today. It explains that there was a popular rig that used a 5 MHz VFO and a 9 MHZ IF that were mixed to create the 75/20 meter RF signals. This is certainly a reasonable method, but would not result in the inversion. The article then goes on to explain, however, that other rigs used a 5 MHz tunable IF and a 9 MHz local oscillator which would indeed result in sideband inversion and thus the convention we use today. 

73,

Jeremiah, KB0OFF

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GE Ham News -- All of Them! (1946-1963)

Walter, AJ4UM, alerted us to this. Here's yet another treasure trove of ham radio literature.  I'm going to have to retire just to make time to read all the stuff that is coming on line! 
http://n4trb.com/AmateurRadio/GE_HamNews/ge_ham_news.htm


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EDN Article on Performance of Modern Ham Transceivers

Mike, KC7IT, alerted us to a very interesting EDN article about the performance of modern ham transceivers:
http://www.edn.com/article/521690-High_performance_HF_transceiver_design_A_ham_s_perspective.php?cid=Newsletter+-+EDN+Fun+Friday


On the phase noise, how do old fashioned LC or crystal oscillators compare to modern PLL or DDS circuits?


And congrats to Elecraft for the high ratings on their K3.



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In the Shadow of Giants (at Tektronix)

From: Dave Haupt
Subject: Club 465
To: n2cqr
Date: Monday, May 7, 2012, 1:40 PM

I work at Tektronix, in a group that designs, among other things, front-ends for our spectrum analyzers.  In our lab full of gear, the most coveted scopes are the 465, the higher frequency 475 and the ultimate manifestation of the breed, the 2465 (four 350MHz channels).  Yes, we have the more recent higher-frequency digitizing scopes in the lab, and for much of what we develop, we need the higher frequency and superior triggering capability.  But for ease of use, confidence that what's on the screen is the real signal and not some processor's guess, those of us with more gray in our hair than any other color still have warm and fuzzy feelings toward a good analog scope.

What REALLY makes me stand still in my tracks is when I comment to someone at work that I have a 465 at home, and they reply, "Oh, yeah, I remember that design.  I did the horizontal sweep circuit."  Talk about standing in the shadows of history!

Dave W8NF

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Evil Mad Scientist Builds a Heathkit

You guys will get a kick out of this:  An old unbuilt Heathkit is discovered, and is then put together by "Evil Mad Scientist." EMS obviously loves electronics, but is clearly of the digital/IC generation:    "The tubes are gorgeous!  Their exteriors are glass with electrodes extending from the bottom!"  Wow.

The Evil Mad Sci guy fears that the solder provided by Heath will have "gone bad over time" and says that he will use "more modern solder."  Hold your horses Frankenstein! Don't you dare put that Heathkit together with lead-free solder!  That could tear a hole in the fabric of space time!  Also, I dunno about the idea of putting all the components on the lugs and rotary switch terminals first, with all the soldering coming later.  The boys at Benton Harbor wouldn't have liked that.  And you might want to gradually bring the voltage up on that big electrolytic cap up using a variac.  Which brings to mind some needed advice:  BE CAREFUL!  You have moved out of the realm of 12 V DC.  That old Heathkit could zap you good! 

http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/heathkit-part1


Thanks to Mike Butts for alerting us to this.

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USB/LSB Urban Legend DEBUNKED!

Astute aficionados (like Steve --Snort Rosin -- Smith) immediately recognized that I was talking rubbish when, in SolderSmoke 143, I said that the current LSB/USB convention on the HF bands has its origins in the FACT (not!) that when using a 9 MHz filter and a 5 MHz VFO, with a single carrier oscillator crystal you can very conveniently get USB on 20 and LSB on 75, supposedly because of "sideband inversion" that takes place when you switch from the sum product of the second mixer (20 meters) to the difference product (75 meters).  I got out paper and pen and quickly discovered that Steve was right.  No sideband inversion with this scheme.

I was susceptible to this urban legend because when I was building my 17 meter SSB rig out in the Azores,  I used a 5.174 MHz filter from an old Swan 240.  I started out with a VXO running around 12.9 MHz, obviously using the sum output from that second mixer.  Later, I decided to move the VXO up to around 23.3 MHz and take the difference product.  Here I DID get a sideband inversion, and I had to go back to the carrier oscillator and change the crystal so as to get LSB coming out of the filter.  When this 5.173 MHz LSB went to the second mixer, the sideband inversion took place and --Viola!-- 17 meter USB resulted. 


The key factor here of course is that the VFO freq was now ABOVE the filter freq.  


In the podcast I said that I "learned" about the alleged origins of the LSB/USB convention from the 2006 ARRL handbook.   I had read it very quickly while in the local library.  I don't think they would have gotten this wrong.  It was probably my quick reading of the article that caused the rubbish talk.  


Maybe it was this:   Could it have been that in the early days of SSB, guys were using a 5 MHz FILTER with 9MHz VFOs?  Maybe from old Command Set surplus gear?  With the VFO above the filter freq you would get the sideband inversion that I was babbling about, right?   Or might this have been the result of the phasing method of sideband generation popular back in the day?   
 

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