¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Date

Re: speaker issue

 

i dont have another speaker, i wired up the headphone jack though and put a headset on it and it sounds great at higher volume.?


Re: JT65 on the BitX

College Professor Simon Thompson
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

What size of capacitor should I use in the mic line to block dc? And does the capacitor go across the mic lines, or just in line with the positive mic lead?

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 5, 2017, at 3:55 PM, Ed, K5TX <k5txradio@...> wrote:

Thanks for the input. That is a great help.

I wanted to know if JT65 is possible with the BITX and your answers verified that it is.

I am currently using WSJT-X software with a home made interface with an old ?KenwoodTS-530s.

It works well, but does drift more that I would like.

Thanks again,

?

Ed, K5TX

?

Sent from for Windows 10

?

From: Ed, K5TX
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 8:55 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [BITX20] JT65 on the BitX

?

Hello -

I am interested in using a BitX on 40 meter JT65. has anyone tried it? How well does it work?

Thanks, Ed, K5TX

?

<70667CC231FA4CF49472326690D4F0EC.png>


Re: JT65 on the BitX

Ed, K5TX
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Thanks for the input. That is a great help.

I wanted to know if JT65 is possible with the BITX and your answers verified that it is.

I am currently using WSJT-X software with a home made interface with an old ?KenwoodTS-530s.

It works well, but does drift more that I would like.

Thanks again,

?

Ed, K5TX

?

Sent from for Windows 10

?

From: Ed, K5TX
Sent: Friday, March 31, 2017 8:55 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [BITX20] JT65 on the BitX

?

Hello -

I am interested in using a BitX on 40 meter JT65. has anyone tried it? How well does it work?

Thanks, Ed, K5TX

?


Re: Quick turn around

 

ordered 3/25

shipped 3/29

arrived 4/5

need to pick up at the post office will prividr S/N as soon as i pick it up

73

Miguel?

N4MMT


Re: Quick turn around

Gene Nitschke
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

This is my second one:

Ordered 2/28

Shipped 3/11

Arrived 4/5


Cannot quite make out teh SN so included a photo for someone else to figure out.


Gene?

N2IJF


Re: Help!

 

Is there a red led on the nano blinking about once a second? If so, then a shorted wire wiped the program. And you will have to reload it. It's a pretty common accident that happens. Be sure to ask if you need more help, or if it's something different.


Re: CLAREMORE, OK Hamfest this weekend and my BITX40

 

I thought the same thing about a wiki instruction page. Can you imagine the benefits to a newcomer? But it invites a lot of arguing about what should be said, and how to say it. To fix my pet peeve would take less time than it took me to write this. Polishing the official instruction page would seem to be important.?

A wise old ham Named David Casler KE0OG explained that there is a cultural difference between American, and Indian hams. When American hams build a kit, they expect it to work. Put it on the air, and that's it. But it is to be understood that the kit is minimalist, and experimentation, and expansion are expected.?

And I personally believe all businesses should do everything to eliminate confusion about the product and how to assemble it, and use it. If your instructions lead me to breaking it, or not operate it properly. That's your fault. And you should make it right. Or refund the money if they can't use it after you did everything to help them. It's cheaper to win back an old customer, than to get a new one.

Perhaps I should invite Mr. Farhan to explain why step #5 of the alignment was apparently removed. Was the end user adjustment of R136 causing liability issues? If it's better for us not to touch it, why still make it adjustable? Why not a fixed resistor in it's place? Or is this another playful way of leaving it to us as an exercise to figure out for ourselves??

Contrary of how it might seem, I would like to resolve this and move on. Imagine, no one talking about low power or low audio because of good instructions, and knowing what you should really expect. Imagine the ingenuity of customization if there are no hiccups getting started.?

The documentation for the uBITX will really have to be top shelf when that product is sold. Since it does more, there is more to be misunderstood.?


Help!

 

Hi, In desperation I am asking for help.

I built the nano Bitx, was working fine.

Foolishly I decided to tidy up the long connections.

Now all I get is a row of squares on lcd and occasional audio noise.I assume its the nano has given up.The led is on.Resoldered some iffy solder joints. So frustrating I was really impressed with the receiver.I might add that I had fitted a ten turn pot.It was around the wrong way so I reversed connections in my tidying up.

Argh the fun of building stuff.!

Did notice that the v in on nano reads 4.59 although the 5v reg is producing 5v.

Hope someone has a clue.

73s Colin G8LDJ


Re: speaker issue

 

you need to remove C113 - that will help your audio. ?


Re: speaker issue

 

Well... the quickest way to tell would be to try another speaker and see if the problem repeats. If it does, then your audio amp might have an issue. If it sounds "clean", then the speaker you bought has the problem. Just looking at the specs of the speaker quickly, it looks as if it should handle the full output of the bitx without a problem. I have not yet done an exhaustive test of my receiver, but with a similar speaker design as yours, I get a lot of bad sounding stuff at high volumes. I wonder if the audio amp is oscillating or something? I'll have to see when I get a chance.



speaker issue

 

I have this speaker?

currently hooked up, and it sounds good at low volume but once i crank it up to medium the voice starts to get all distorted and im forced to turn the volume down to copy whats being said.

did i pick a crappy speaker or should i be putting a resistor or capacitor or something in line to fix this?


Re: CLAREMORE, OK Hamfest this weekend and my BITX40

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Bitx40, as I see it is more rooted in the open-source/maker culture, support and documentation are mostly a community thing. I think that's great, as the limits on what's possible is only set by the communities imagination ?(well, and science..)

If one wants a more traditional "kit" bitx, I believe qrpkits makes one, it costs about 2 or 3 times as much. ?I suspect that realistically is what that level of service costs..

Isn't it wonderful to have choices?!

Jasper ag7bx

Sent?from?my?BlackBerry?10?smartphone.
From: Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io
Sent: Wednesday, April 5, 2017 2:12 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] CLAREMORE, OK Hamfest this weekend and my BITX40

At $59, I'm plenty happy. ?Even if the $1000 Elecraft has a better manual. ?Would be good if somebody at hfsigs had time to update the wireup instructions, though if they can just keep kicking out boards as well as they have they are doing more than good enough. ?Perhaps we copy the entire wireup webpage over to the wiki and have at it, point new users to to our edited version.

Kind of reminds me of my wasted youth, working in the bay area back in the late 70's. ? KFAT radio's signature piece was ?"Mooseturd Pie" by Utah Philips. ?Worth a listen, you can look it up..


On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 11:48 am, John Smith wrote:

I think Farhan should finish writing?the instructions himself. Since it it his own product.?

On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 08:12 am, Jack Purdum wrote:
I understand John Smith's frustration with the directions. I've also seen he follows what goes on here, so perhaps he could write a set of new instructions and post them here and give distribution rights to HF Signals. I think all of us would appreciate that and I think we'd see the volume of posts from new members fall dramatically if he does.

?

?



Re: New board design

 

Also, if scratch building, look over Farhan's new improved creation: ?

That may or may not someday be sold as a stuffed board by hfsigs. ?But first, Farhan would like a few people to build a few and report any issues.


On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 01:57 pm, Jerry Gaffke wrote:

Likely ok. ?Read these posts:

? ??/g/BITX20/message/17967

? ??/g/BITX20/message/19289


. . .

On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 11:30 am, KE8CPD wrote:

so I was toying with the idea to create my own board using eagle software and include some different mods and also include the hardware for the radiodiuno. my concern is stepping on people's feet ( ie if it's copywriten).

?


Re: CLAREMORE, OK Hamfest this weekend and my BITX40

 

At $59, I'm plenty happy. ?Even if the $1000 Elecraft has a better manual. ?Would be good if somebody at hfsigs had time to update the wireup instructions, though if they can just keep kicking out boards as well as they have they are doing more than good enough. ?Perhaps we copy the entire wireup webpage over to the wiki and have at it, point new users to to our edited version.

Kind of reminds me of my wasted youth, working in the bay area back in the late 70's. ? KFAT radio's signature piece was ?"Mooseturd Pie" by Utah Philips. ?Worth a listen, you can look it up..


On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 11:48 am, John Smith wrote:

I think Farhan should finish writing?the instructions himself. Since it it his own product.?

On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 08:12 am, Jack Purdum wrote:
I understand John Smith's frustration with the directions. I've also seen he follows what goes on here, so perhaps he could write a set of new instructions and post them here and give distribution rights to HF Signals. I think all of us would appreciate that and I think we'd see the volume of posts from new members fall dramatically if he does.

?

?


Re: New board design

 

Likely ok. ?Read these posts:

? ??/g/BITX20/message/17967

? ??/g/BITX20/message/19289


On Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 11:30 am, KE8CPD wrote:

so I was toying with the idea to create my own board using eagle software and include some different mods and also include the hardware for the radiodiuno. my concern is stepping on people's feet ( ie if it's copywriten).

?


Re: JT65 on the BitX

 

I used a "SignaLink USB" interface. This, like other interfaces, gives me a external sound card in a little box that also includes transformer isolation for the audio lines and a relay for PTT.?

On my BITX I added a jack with mic speaker and ptt lines to it. Don't forget to put a cap in series with the mic line to block dc. I used the speaker output after the volume control but it would be slicker to use a fixed "line" level instead.?



Re: I think this is absolutely amazing!

 

At the risk of being accused of burning bandwidth, to state that I too
love the Bitx40 for keeping my brain jumping with new
discoveries...while looking at all the ready-to-run stuff like the
IC-7300, IC-7100, Yaesu's and Kenwood's etc and going....ho-hum. -
Rich WB2GXM

On 4/5/17, Sasi Nayar <sasinayar@...> wrote:
So true. I have a few commercial rigs. It has never been this exciting!
There are quite a few interesting hacks and you end up customising a
rig that fits your requirement. Interesting learning experience too -
sometimes steep like the Raduino programming - something I have never done
before!
73
Sasi
VK5SN


Builders Manual

 

Hi Folks,

Just my two cents about a builder's manual for this kit or any other. I have been building/assembling kits for the past few years. Some successful, some not. Yes, its always a learning experience but a Good or Great Builder's Manual is essential. Building can be Fun or the Ultimate Frustration! Depends on your ability, previous education, and support system.

My personal background was 4 yrs of Technical High School back in the early 80's. I did get my Ticket in 1983( while in HS)?but spent most of my time operating or reparing electronic stuff.

A few years ago, once my children got a bit older, I had more time to really get back into the Hobby. One of my goals was to build my own HF Rig- See Elecraft K2. But there was no way I was going to spend about $1000.00 for a Kit that might not work! So I went about building some smaller less complicated kits, test instruments, power distrubution systems, etc also at a lower cost. Once I became confident in my schematic reading, component identification,? and soldering skills, I went on to bigger, more complicated kits. Eventually, after about a year +, I sold off my Yaesu FT-897 and purchased a K2 Kit with some bells and whistles, and proceeded with the build. My K2 is a wonderful rig. And yes I had some help during and after the build.

Some of?my earlier kits resulted in frustration due to the manuals being untidy/incomplete. Some simply were a picture of the finshed item, some had good instructions for building but nothing about actual usage of the item or how troubleshoot problems. Not to mention modifications that were needed just to get the item to work, never mind mods for better performance, more output power, etc.

So, if you are going to produce a product, Please create, outsource, or make a relevant webpage?with information about your product?so that your paying customers and fellow hobbyists can build, operate and enjoy your product.??

All Hams love to play with their gadgets, but we must go about our building, assembling, etc., with an eye to safety and patience. Society today wants it stuff yesterday and failing to use patience and deliberance leaves us with frustration, a sour taste in our mouths, and a pile of expensive/cheap junk! Also lighter in the pocketbook. No one wants to waste time and money.

Kit building should be a Fun, Educational, and Satisfying endeavour.

It's a Great Feeling when you finish a project and can say, I Built That! and it WORKS!!

73,

Kevin Gilot NZ1I


Re: CLAREMORE, OK Hamfest this weekend and my BITX40

 

You really need 2A power to stop the motor boating....
The tuning and power knobs wiring is orintated with you looking at the knob shaft and connections on top.
From what I see in your pics the antenna lead looks too long...should be no more than 3 inches...that is all I have for you sorry.

N5PAN (Mike)

JARC Member
100WattsID: 850
NAQCC: 8300
SKCC: 15296

On Apr 4, 2017 11:54 PM, "Lawrence Macionski via Groups.Io" <am_fm_radio=[email protected]> wrote:

Well, it has come to this... I have been reading daily this blog. even read it prior to my BITX40 arriving over month ago. I mounted it on a board, ordered a popular instrument case? for it, plus knobs, a speaker, even a heavier heat sink, fuse holder and then it sat.. I tried to do the calibration with V1.01 and it just didn't seem right...I have never transmitted with it. never got that far..

Reading? the blog daily...not only is everybody putting in their 2 cents, but everyone is heading in 10 different directions. 80 meters, 20 meters, Raduino, QRPlabs.com vfo's, USB, CW, changing the BFO...AGC, speech processing.......it's a wonder no one has put it on 2 meters ....

But the Tuning clicks are a problem unresolved... and the only mod I did (22uf caps both sides of the raduino voltage regulator)? and still have clicks. I am hearing the new SI5351 libraries have issues.. Bottom line is.... no one can tell me-- what a plane jane BITX40 without issues should have. I am saying? the way it was delivered was not perfect. We all know the calibration was never stored. the second harmonic is too high.? Tuning clicks and a birdie..no diodes on the relays...So.. to me it's not battle ready.

I'm confused and disillusioned....All I wanted was a 40 meter SSB QRP rig. One that doesn't have all these issues that continue to crop up.? I think it's time to move on. I am going to take it there and put it out on my table.. I am not giving it away.. It's mounted on a board and I have a case and a new? ICOM mic for it.??

????????? ?

Even a 12V wall wart that works well- 1.25A. Matching knobs and so on. I have more than $90 in it... If you want to buy it, I will be at Claremore when it opens Tables A9-10-11-12. This Friday and Saturday.. de Larry W8LM



Re: CLAREMORE, OK Hamfest this weekend and my BITX40

Tim
 

Larry
By it's very nature there is s no official anything with the bitx40. It is makerware. But to work to a point then left up to you and others to experiment with. Some choose to add cw or make it work on other bands. Others choose to tweeking the? software. There are steps to troubleshoot. Hfsigs makes it then allows us to experiment with it through open source design. Sorry that it seems you wanted a complete service manual and didn't get it.

"Lawrence Macionski via Groups.Io" <am_fm_radio@...> wrote:

Thanks to all that commented. First- I DO NOT expect it to work like any commercial rig. I am shocked that someone would think I'm expecting more than it is. I've been a ham for 50 years, Home brewed from my 1st rig till today.? However, When I bought it,? I anticipated that I could have it "checked out"? then transferred to my case in a few hours. My point is clear- I was admonished in a reply "if you followed the guidelines about keeping the leads short, there would be no clicks. see the videos posted."? Guidelines? video's?Just where are they? At hfsigs.com? their "wireup.html" is ambigious-

#1.The tuning pot and volume is depicted in such a way that it could be facing you or you're looking at the back.

#2. The pictorial does not show the cap on the tuning control. Only lists in in a instruction step.

#3. The calibration of the raduino is faulty because V1.01 does not store the new value. I see V1.02, V1.03, V1.04 mentioned at groups.io.. YET nowhere at hfsigs.com does it say-- hey! we approve using this sketch.. nowhere does it say, a unit manufactured today is identical to mine (same calibration problem) or has it been rectified, and IF SO- I'd like to update mine identically.?

#4. Doesn't recommend a single "upgrade" such as fuses, reverse polarity protection, diodes on the relay coils, which sketch is approved standard. What about 2nd harmonic suppression?

Frankly, because the the only source of daily information happens to be groups.io/BITX20.. it is a haven for 20 meter versions, 80 meter versions, various boards from various sources,? rotary dials , analog VFO's... I have a BITX40V3 with Raduino!!!? I am interested in "fine tuning" ONLY that, debugging ONLY that!... No where is there a single source for that..SPECIFIC "OFFICIAL" DOCUMENTATION IS LACKING. Just today I read Serial N3-771V was delivered.. Will he experience the same issues I have? I think so, but I don't know... So if I sell it off this weekend, I move on. We all know hams that had the same rig for 30 years and others that change rigs like you change you socks. I'm offering it to anyone that wants it Friday who is a the hamfest and eager to work through all issues I PERCEIVE as problems. Kind of like the high school kid that buys a car for $100 than needs weeks of work and parts... Just how much time and money do I want to put into it? Clearly it is minimalist, yet advance is some aspects. Kudo's? BUT- I have hours and hours reading, maybe 2 hours just putting it on a board and firing it up to receive and calibrate, and when I took it to the ham club meeting -- it was not calibrated.. I didn't know why. but reading the blog I found out, calibration is not stored and I powered it down to take to the meeting. So, I set it aside while additional parts ordered arrived. Yet I continued to read and plan. Till I reached this tipping point. Now I have second thoughts rightfully so. Maybe if it comes home with me, I 'll finish it If I sell maybe I may decide to buy one again in the future, maybe not. Don't have a crystal ball.?

Larry W8LM