Our Electric Vocabulary

Bob, W8SX, alerted us to this really excellent video. You guys will like it. Thanks Bob!

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UPDATE: HW-7 Fixed After 36 Years

Dave Oldham had sent us a report on his resurrection of a long-broken HW-7. I responded by saying that the FCC should give him a license on the spot, based solely on his HW-7 success. Well, Dave got his license (by the normal procedures) and has put his rig on the air. Here is Dave's report:

Update -- Granted a license today. Couldn't wait to make a contact. Took just a couple of minutes. Heard Dave, N9KKY, calling CQ and I answered him and he heard me. The very first contact this old radio has ever made. Based on his location he was 237 miles from me as the crow flies. My dipole is between 12' to 18' off the ground, so it was NVIS since Dave was off the ends of my wire. Anyway, between whipping the dial back and forth to hear and be heard plus other close stations and my newb status to both sending and receiving Morse, the QSO was short and mostly missed by me. But it was neat hearing my new call sign, KC9WIP, come back to me on this ole girl...I'm happy! 73

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KJ6VU Talks about Microcontrollers at Dayton

Podcast listeners will recall that George, KJ6VU, of Sierra Radio Systems, was a sponsor of SolderSmoke. When I was running George's announcements, I felt kind of bad about the fact that I really didn't have a good feel for the product, or how I might use it. I've also felt guilty about the fact that I haven't yet put to use the HamStack starter kit that George sent me.

I feel that the time is coming for me to redeem myself. The radio gods are pushing me in the direction of microcontrollers:

1) Billy is getting into them.

2) This weekend, for no apparent reason, I started working on my old N3ZI Digital Dial (a gift from Jerry, NR5A). It is built around a microprocessor.

3) I need a new frequency generator.

4) I came across George's video (above)

In the video, George does a great job of explaining how microcontrollers can be used in ham radio. In answering the last question from the audience, he explains the differences between microcontrollers and the new Raspberry Pi boards.

Great stuff! Thanks George!

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Valve line-up of British Homebrew Rig

A number of electro-archeologists out there have asked about the valves found in the old British homebrew rig I presented yesterday. Here you go:

Mic amp: ECC83

What I think is the modulator: EL84

Suspected oscillator: M8162 also marked as 12AT7 WA UJ

What looks like the driver: EL85

Final: QQVC3.10

I'll try to determine the resonant frequency of the tuned circuits.

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Beautiful British Homebrew (with Valves!)

I was rummaging around the junkbox and I found this gem. I probably bought it at the Kempton Park rally in London. I think it is an AM transmitter for VHF. Maybe 6 meters? Or perhaps that British 70 MHz band? What do you guys think? Can anyone estimate the frequency from the size of the coils?

I think the workmanship is beautiful. The technique of putting the tube sockets on a copper clad board is interesting. I wonder why he did that -- obviously he wasn't afraid of metal work. Look at that cable harness work! FB! It's too bad the builder didn't mark it with his call.

Anyone recognize the design? Any idea when this was built? For bonus points: Who built it?

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

The Antenna that Brought us Apollo 11

July 20/21 seemed like a good day to point to the beautiful shot of the Parkes Radio Telescope Dish, the magnificent Australian antenna that brought us the video from the Apollo 11 moon walk.  Like many of you, I was watching.   Three cheers for The Dish!  Three cheers for Apollo 11!


http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120719.html


As we've mentioned, this antenna and the Apollo 11 reception are the basis of a really nice movie called -- THE DISH.  Get it here:



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Fire Breathing Billy!

Don't worry.  It's just corn starch.

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

F8VOA's BITX-20 (and FB Workbench)

A beautiful rig on a really nice workbench! http://www.qsl.net/f8voa/
Don't miss the details of the BITX construction. You have to click the little orange arrows along the right of the page: http://www.qsl.net/f8voa/Bitx%20presentation.html

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Billy got the Arduino going!

LED from AL7RV. Thanks Jim!

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Homebrew CPU

From the site: I understood these computers well, but the processor itself was still a mystery. I wanted to understand that part too, at the logic gate level. I sometimes thought about making my own processor, and designed small instruction sets and instruction formats. But the task seemed beyond the grasp of a hobbyist such as myself.

http://cpuville.com/index.htm

Note the "Homebuilt CPU Web Ring!" FB!

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20