Re: adding VK3YE AGC to BITX40
i home brewed peter s (vk3ye) AGC working fine
soundar vu2rjw
On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 12:56 AM, Al Duncan VE3RRD <ve3rrd@...> wrote: I would like to add the audio AGC circuit from Peter VK3YE to my BITX40 (see ) but am wondering about exactly how to integrate it into the current version of the SMD BITX40v3. On Peter's schematic, I assume that the amp block shown at the "receiver audio in" is actually Q16. The 3.3K resistor in Peter's circuit doesn't exist in the BITX40 and I assume that it would have to be added between C115 and the high side of the volume control. The input to Peter's circuit would then come from the C115 end of the 3.3K resistor and the LDR would be placed across the volume control. The easy way to install the 3.3K resistor would be to lift the red wire from the volume control and install the resistor between the wire and volume control terminal. Am I correct in my "assumptions" or did I miss something? His LDR version of an audio AGC looks like it really works well and would make a good addition to the BITX40.?? 73, AL - VE3RRD
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Re: VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
Backlight is working/you adjusted the pot to get good setting and checked the wiring and is matching the raduino script for lcdcrystal?
?
Lcd for $10, there must be cheaper ones to get. Amazon is not my idea of cheapest.
?
Ron ¨C PA3FAT
?
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Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Namens B S
Verzonden: 30 January, 2017 17:10
Aan: [email protected]
Onderwerp: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
?
Dear Jack,
THANKS,
I compiled and UPLOADED with no new results.? No readouit on Screen.? I ordered a new screen from AMAZONE for under $10... ? Hope this works!
?
BOB
K6YN
?
?
My bad: Change this line:
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
LiquidCrystal lcd(8,9,10,11,12,13);
From:
B S <saaint@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
?
I just compiled and UPLOADED the attached program.? DOES NOT DISPLAY
?
Does this work on your Nano:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
void?setup()?{
??// set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
? lcd.begin(16,?2);
??// Print a message to the LCD.
? lcd.print("hello, world!");
}
void?loop()?{
??// Turn off the display:
? lcd.noDisplay();
??delay(500);
??// Turn on the display:
? lcd.display();
??delay(500);
}
From: dj0hf <dj0hf@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
?
Hi Bob,
the simple 'Hello World' sketch normally outputs to the serial port and so wouldn't show anything onthe green screen unless the appropriate libraries have been included and the program extended to include the output to the green screen.
So although it doesn't help you find the problem, your display may not be defective.
Good luck,
Ian
DJ0HF/G3ULO
Am 29.01.2017 um 21:29 schrieb B S:
Thank again for all the help!
I FINALLY got the complied RADUINO sketch to UPLOAD to my NANO..? When plugged into my radio it TUNES the receiver but there is still NO digital read out
on the JHD162A green screen.
I downloaded a simple "HELLO WORLD" sketch from ARDUINO webpage and uploaded that sketch.? Still no reading on the green screen.
I am concluding that my screen is bad..? Is this a reasonable assumption?? ??
IS the JDH659a LCD Display module a direct replacement fit for the JDH162a LCD display?
?
These are all warnings. They have little to do with the running of the program. If it works, OK. If not, you need another configuration
as already mentioned.
john
AD5YE
?
?
?
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Re: VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
Dear Jack,
THANKS,
I compiled and UPLOADED with no new results.? No readouit on Screen.? I ordered a new screen from AMAZONE for under $10... ? Hope this works!
BOB
K6YN
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
My bad: Change this line:
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
to
LiquidCrystal lcd(8,9,10,11,12,13);
and report back.
Jack, W8TEE
From: B S <saaint@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
THANKS!
I just compiled and UPLOADED the attached program.? DOES NOT DISPLAY
see attached Photo
BOB
K6YN
Does this work on your Nano:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
void?setup()?{
??// set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
? lcd.begin(16,?2);
??// Print a message to the LCD.
? lcd.print("hello,
world!");
}
void?loop()?{
??// Turn off the display:
? lcd.noDisplay();
??delay(500);
??// Turn on the display:
? lcd.display();
??delay(500);
}
From: dj0hf <dj0hf@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
Hi Bob,
the simple 'Hello World' sketch normally outputs to the serial port and so wouldn't show anything onthe green screen unless the appropriate libraries have been included and the program extended to include the output to the green screen.
So although it doesn't help you find the problem, your display may not be defective.
Good luck,
Ian
DJ0HF/G3ULO
Am 29.01.2017 um 21:29 schrieb B S:
Thank again for all the help!
I FINALLY got the complied RADUINO sketch to UPLOAD to my NANO..? When plugged into my radio it TUNES the receiver but there is still NO digital read out on the JHD162A green screen.
I downloaded a simple "HELLO WORLD" sketch from ARDUINO webpage and uploaded that sketch.? Still no reading on the green screen.
I am concluding that my screen is bad..? Is this a reasonable assumption?? ??
IS the JDH659a LCD Display module a direct replacement fit for the JDH162a LCD display?
BOB
K6YN. ?
These are all warnings. They have little to do with the running of the program. If it works, OK. If not, you need another configuration as already mentioned.
john
AD5YE
|
Hi Simon:
I wasn't criticizing your code at all. I, too, am self-taught (my degree is in economics) and can really appreciate that everyone has to start somewhere. I was simply trying to point out where the code might fail so someone who tries it doesn't get frustrated and give up.
Thanks for the kind words about the 49er...fun little rig! I just had an article accepted by QST for an antenna analyzer our club built. (See pix.) Oddly, the PCB is pretty similar to the 49er!?
73, Jack, W8TEE
From: Kelly Jack <kellyjack1968@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2017 10:14 AM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] New user
Thanks Jack. I am a self taught using the heuristic that if it works ok when I run the sketch then it will do until it doesn't do what I thought it should. ?So I know my coding is not going to be optimal or elegant. Not sure what I did with the volts voltage variables. I may have forgotten to save that last edit.
By the way my first ever dds was based on the one you did for the 49er and I tweaked it to use on the BITX40 before the raduino came out. So my BITX became much more workable thanks to you. (I apologise for turning your elegant coding on that into what is most likely a jumbled mess!) Thanks again.
Regards? Simon VK3ELH
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Thanks Jack. I am a self taught using the heuristic that if it works ok when I run the sketch then it will do until it doesn't do what I thought it should. ?So I know my coding is not going to be optimal or elegant. Not sure what I did with the volts voltage variables. I may have forgotten to save that last edit.
By the way my first ever dds was based on the one you did for the 49er and I tweaked it to use on the BITX40 before the raduino came out. So my BITX became much more workable thanks to you. (I apologise for turning your elegant coding on that into what is most likely a jumbled mess!) Thanks again.
Regards? Simon VK3ELH
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I would suggest the following changes:
#define TWOMIN 120000UL ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?// There's no reason to do the math at runtime
The following statement belongs in setup() as it initializes the time since the program started:
? ??nextRolltime = millis() + TWOMIN;? // variable to test against millis() in the loop
In your loop, the next statement asks the math on two unsigned numbers to yield a signed result:
if ( (unsigned long) (millis() - nextRolltime?) >= 0UL) {?? //checks to see if its time to read the supply voltage again
That statement can yield weird results. ?I would change the if statement block to:
if ( millis() > nextRolltime?) ?{?? //checks to see if its time to read the supply voltage again
?? float supply = (float) analogRead(A1); ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?// read the supply voltage
?? float voltage = supply/50.6; ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? // follow Don's method to determine the denominator
?? float volts = round(voltage*100)/100; ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?// I only wanted one decimal point
?? lcd.setCursor(0,1);
?? lcd.print(voltage,1); lcd.print("V");
? ?nextRolltime?+= TWOMIN; ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?// add two minutes to the rolltime variable to test against for next time. }
You should cast the result of analogRead() to a float, if nothing else but to document what you're doing. Next, in the if block you calculate volts, but never use it. I think you want volts, not voltage, in the first lcd.print() call.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Kelly Jack <kellyjack1968@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 30, 2017 5:50 AM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] New user
Mike,
Then I added Don's (ND6T) hardware mod and code for the voltage measurement which I tweaked to run every two minutes as it was ticking each time it ran - I haven't bothered to sort out the tick.
This goes in the definitions: #define TWOMIN (1000UL * 120)? // two minutes
unsigned long rolltime = millis() + TWOMIN;? // variable to test against millis() in the loop
This goes in the loop: if((long)(millis() - rolltime) >= 0) {?? //checks to see if its time to read the supply voltage again
?? float supply = (analogRead(A1));? // read the supply voltage
?? float voltage = supply/50.6;? // follow Don's method to determine the denominator
?? float volts = round(voltage*100)/100; // I only wanted one decimal point
?? lcd.setCursor(0,1);
?? lcd.print(voltage,1); lcd.print("V");
rolltime+=TWOMIN; // add two minutes to the rolltime variable to test against for next time. }
As its currently set up the voltage is tested for the first time only after two minutes after power on.?I'm sure it could be rewritten to test immediately. I haven't bothered with it yet.
Happy to load it up in full but I would like to clean it up a bit, I'm a lazy coder and cut and paste a lot of stuff without commenting and also take shortcuts like commenting out bits I don't need. There are also some other lazy tweaks that I've done to personalise it to my preferences which again are not well formed code, but work as quick hacks.
Also, there is no crediting in there for the bits I've brought in so I'd like to make sure that's good too.
Regards
Simon
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Mike, There is nothing of mine in there.? I started with Ron's (PA3FAT) sketch which has the encoder?stuff and removed the s meter code.?All I did was comment out the smeter and bargraph functions in the loop. ?/g/BITX20/files/Radruino%20with%20rotary%20encoder%20and%20S-meter
Then I added Don's (ND6T) hardware mod and code for the voltage measurement which I tweaked to run every two minutes as it was ticking each time it ran - I haven't bothered to sort out the tick.
This goes in the definitions: #define TWOMIN (1000UL * 120)? // two minutes
unsigned long rolltime = millis() + TWOMIN;? // variable to test against millis() in the loop
This goes in the loop: if((long)(millis() - rolltime) >= 0) {?? //checks to see if its time to read the supply voltage again
?? float supply = (analogRead(A1));? // read the supply voltage
?? float voltage = supply/50.6;? // follow Don's method to determine the denominator
?? float volts = round(voltage*100)/100; // I only wanted one decimal point
?? lcd.setCursor(0,1);
?? lcd.print(voltage,1); lcd.print("V");
rolltime+=TWOMIN; // add two minutes to the rolltime variable to test against for next time. }
As its currently set up the voltage is tested for the first time only after two minutes after power on.?I'm sure it could be rewritten to test immediately. I haven't bothered with it yet.
Happy to load it up in full but I would like to clean it up a bit, I'm a lazy coder and cut and paste a lot of stuff without commenting and also take shortcuts like commenting out bits I don't need. There are also some other lazy tweaks that I've done to personalise it to my preferences which again are not well formed code, but work as quick hacks.
Also, there is no crediting in there for the bits I've brought in so I'd like to make sure that's good too.
Regards
Simon
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Simon, Sorry to hijack this post... Could you please upload your sketch with the rotary encoder and voltage check?
Thank you!
Mike WA3O
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Re: New 10 turn pot for $10.00
?we might not need super precision i suppose.this normal bourns pot with a knob costs less at 35% around, and shipping is free. Sarma vu3zmv
?
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@John, I am sure everything is settup correctly. I also tried to press the reset button. Nothing helped. I did so many Arduino uploads in the past (for my RC models stuff) and never had that problem. Wether my nano died or the drivers I have installed over time do harm each other.
@Rich, no worry. I totally understand, that we should only write in english, so everybody can understand. When I red the german answer to my post, it was some kind of a reflex to answer in german. And don't mind about the headacke of that Lutheran Gesangsbuch. If it is something like I think it is, it would give me headache too ;-)
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Re: New 10 turn pot for $10.00
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On Sun, Jan 29, 2017 at 2:27 PM, KC8WBK via Groups.Io <cruisenewsnet@...> wrote: Using a 10 turn pot with a Raduino is going to be frustrating, you will have to turn to the end of the band to shift the band frequency up or down.? I have not tried a 10 turn pot with the Raduino so I could be wrong.?
The pot supplied in the kit works well with a small knob on it, you can still fine tune the frequency step by step, and you can easily move to the ends of the turn to shift the band frequency.
If you are using the analog VFO, then a 10 turn pot is very useful.
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Mods I've done.
1. DDS vfo - i got one of the pre raduino ones. 2. Remove cap between pins 1 and 8 of the lm386 and replace with a switch so there is both cap and no cap options. 3. Additional power jack to feed in 24v to the power amp. Its on a switch so i can run it with 12 volts off one supply also. 4. Replace the cap in the bfo with a trimmer per recommendation of Peter VK3YE. 5. Replaced the volume/switch pot with a separate new pot and switch. 6. Put the upgrade raduino module in and converted it to use a rotary encoder. 7. Added the voltage readout to the display.
A couple of failed mods that I've undone. Relays to eliminate the PTT pop - didn't work. S meter on the raduino - too noisy.
Oh, and bigger heatsink when i did the higher voltage mod.
Regards?
Simon? VK3ELH?
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Bitx40 raduino, was low output, now no output.? Watt meter gives a quick spike to about .25W, then zero Watts. Any help is appreciated. Chuck AC7QN
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Re: VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
My bad: Change this line:
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
to
LiquidCrystal lcd(8,9,10,11,12,13);
and report back.
Jack, W8TEE
From: B S <saaint@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
THANKS!
I just compiled and UPLOADED the attached program.? DOES NOT DISPLAY
see attached Photo
BOB
K6YN
Does this work on your Nano:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface
pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
void?setup()?{
??//
set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
? lcd.begin(16,?2);
??//
Print a message to the LCD.
? lcd.print("hello,
world!");
}
void?loop()?{
??//
Turn off the display:
? lcd.noDisplay();
??delay(500);
??//
Turn on the display:
? lcd.display();
??delay(500);
}
From: dj0hf <dj0hf@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
Hi Bob,
the simple 'Hello World' sketch normally outputs to the serial port and so wouldn't show anything onthe green screen unless the appropriate libraries have been included and the program extended to include the output to the green screen.
So although it doesn't help you find the problem, your display may not be defective.
Good luck,
Ian
DJ0HF/G3ULO
Am 29.01.2017 um 21:29 schrieb B S:
Thank again for all the help!
I FINALLY got the complied RADUINO sketch to UPLOAD to my NANO..? When plugged into my radio it TUNES the receiver but there is still NO digital read out on the JHD162A green screen.
I downloaded a simple "HELLO WORLD" sketch from ARDUINO webpage and uploaded that sketch.? Still no reading on the green screen.
I am concluding that my screen is bad..? Is this a reasonable assumption?? ??
IS the JDH659a LCD Display module a direct replacement fit for the JDH162a LCD display?
BOB
K6YN. ?
These are all warnings. They have little to do with the running of the program. If it works, OK. If not, you need another configuration as already mentioned.
john
AD5YE
|
If you are going to mod the radio, I suggest you order a second one because they are easy to break and a second one provides a reference how to fix the first one. 1. The mod that made the biggest improvement for me was an RF Gain knob.? I added a 10k ohm variable resistor (potentiometer) in series
with R16, so I now have an RF Gain control on my radio.? It certainly
improves the user experience when listening to high power signals. Remove R16, solder two wires to the pads, connect them to a potentiometer with a 220 ohm resistor in series.? I used a 10k pot, but a 5k or even a 1k would probably also work, I use less than 10% of the turning angle. I can turn down the high power signals and listen to them without damage to my ears, or I can turn down the noise while monitoring a frequency, and turn it back up when I hear something interesting.? The receiver as delivered is seriously loud in headphones, hopefully this will reduce my future hearing aid bills.
2. I did this mod and I believe it helps but I have not heard my signal yet, so can't confirm that:? I paralleled a 22pf capacitor and a 5pf cap in the same method as the vk3ye video. Audio sounds more punchy. It also helps to speak loud with the mike right next to your mouth. I had some faint signal qso's where they couldn't hear me until I very clearly and loudly barked out my call. The power meter jumps higher the louder you speak.
3. I removed c113 but this may not be necessary if you do mod 1, above. 4. I haven't done this yet, but a shuttle tuning mod is in my future.? I only have one working Raduino with another in the mail, but when I get my second one, I will start programming the arduino sketch to do various things.? I have a shuttle tuning sketch written up but not tested yet.? Shuttle tuning is where the frequency does not change with the knob at a center point, but if you move it left or right the frequency goes down or up until you move it back to the center point.? The frequency will move faster the further you turn the knob left or right. You don't have to do any of these mods, the radio is good out of the box.? But if you like to tweak things, modding can be fun.
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Re: VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
Dear Joel,
Thanks!? Tried it ..? no change..
B
K6YN
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Show quoted text
Bob,?
I know this is very simplistic, but have you adjusted the contrast pot under the display? Without it adjusted correctly you won't see anything but squares on your display. Just a thought.
Joel?
KB6QVI
On Jan 29, 2017, at 3:05 PM, B S < saaint@...> wrote:
THANKS!
I just compiled and UPLOADED the attached program.? DOES NOT DISPLAY
see attached Photo
BOB
K6YN
Does this work on your Nano:
#include <LiquidCrystal.h>
// initialize the library with the numbers of the interface
pins
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,?11,?5,?4,?3,?2);
void?setup()?{
??//
set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:
? lcd.begin(16,?2);
??//
Print a message to the LCD.
? lcd.print("hello,
world!");
}
void?loop()?{
??//
Turn off the display:
? lcd.noDisplay();
??delay(500);
??//
Turn on the display:
? lcd.display();
??delay(500);
}
From: dj0hf <dj0hf@...>
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Sunday, January 29, 2017 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] VFO & Digital Read out Does Not work (where do I get software for the
Hi Bob,
the simple 'Hello World' sketch normally outputs to the serial port and so wouldn't show anything onthe green screen unless the appropriate libraries have been included and the program extended to include the output to the green screen.
So although it doesn't help you find the problem, your display may not be defective.
Good luck,
Ian
DJ0HF/G3ULO
Am 29.01.2017 um 21:29 schrieb B S:
Thank again for all the help!
I FINALLY got the complied RADUINO sketch to UPLOAD to my NANO..? When plugged into my radio it TUNES the receiver but there is still NO digital read out on the JHD162A green screen.
I downloaded a simple "HELLO WORLD" sketch from ARDUINO webpage and uploaded that sketch.? Still no reading on the green screen.
I am concluding that my screen is bad..? Is this a reasonable assumption?? ??
IS the JDH659a LCD Display module a direct replacement fit for the JDH162a LCD display?
BOB
K6YN. ?
These are all warnings. They have little to do with the running of the program. If it works, OK. If not, you need another configuration as already mentioned.
john
AD5YE
<DISPLAY.jpg>
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Re: Raduino schematic additions
Hi all, I have spent a long time trying to get a few of the "A" input features that are included in the raduino sketch working. Unfortunately I am having little success. The Calibration mode works as expected and I can reassign this successfully to any of the other available A inputs (proving that the hardware is working fine), however none of the other features in the code work. That is:
-VFO A/B toggle (A3 double tap to GND) -VFO Copy (A3 Hold to GND) -RIT (A3 Tap to GND) -"TX" display on screen (A6 to GND)
It is driving me nuts. Ashaar commented elsewhere that it was not working possibly?due to buggy timer code. I have edited the timers in many ways but still it doesn't work for me.? Can anyone here have a look and see why its not working? I am not an Arduino expert but I know enough to be dangerous :). ?
Cheers ?
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Hi everyone, ... and greetings from Calgary, Canada I ordered BITX on January 9, and eagerly waiting to receive the package, it's still in transit. I want to thank Ashhar and everyone else who put the effort into project like this one. Snow is slowly melting here and soon it will be time to put up some antenna ;) Anyway, I'm glad that group like this exist, I'm sure that I'll be able to find lots of anwsers here on many questions that will crop up when kit arrives and I put my hands on it. Still looking for the box ...
Cheers, and see you somewhere on 40m ...
73,? Goran VE6GPO
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Soundararajan Ra.
Goran VE6GPO
Joel Caulkins/N6ALT