¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

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Date
Tracking shipment

 

Can anyone that's already received a BITX40 tell me if you get any emails that confirm when the order is shipped or even maybe a tracking number? Or is it just a surprise when it shows up?

Thanks,
Roy
WA0YMH
Low current drawn by PA of BITX40

Leon Choondal
 

Hai all
The? BITX40 board arrived intact and? connected and put in a neat metallic cabinet. Rx is working excellently well. Unfortunately the Tx is yet to perform as prescribed. The PA is drawing only 100mA when connected to 24V. The current remains same when the voltage was changed to 12V. No change in the current drawn with a "Hallow" to the mic.

Equipped with the least testing equipments, can anyone figure out the various voltage/current across the final PA stage?

Thanks and regards

VU3CGL
CG Leon

My BITX40 has arrived...

 

Compliments of the season to you all.
I have spent the last 3 days putting my rig together and playing around with it.
It is temporarily mounted in a plastic food container and receives very well.? It is the model before the
$59.00 Christmas one.? A couple of bad solder joints but now it's going great.
I use my 13.8V PSU adjusted to 12V and an end fed EARC 6_40 antenna (new QTH and not much room for a proper antenna).? Would it work OK on 13.8V?
I use a KW107 ATU with dummy load that has been tuned up on 40m on my FT-101E.
I feed BITX40 into the dummy load - turn on the 101E press PTT and listen for the squeal on the 101E.
Fully anti-clockwise tuning pot and the 101E squeals at about 7.010mHz.? Setting the 101E to 7.050 and turning the BITX40 I find the next squeal etc. etc.? At a little bit before the VFO tuning pot midpoint I hear
a squeal at 7.500mHz.? I stopped there.? Tuning for a clear, readable SSB signal is very touchy but when you
get it right it is rock solid.
I have made no changes or adjustments after completing assembly.? No QSOs as yet.? just getting the hang
of things? - ? and waiting for my $59.00 kit to arrive.

Thanks and regards - Noel VK2CAO
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

John
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Hello All, I have been watching all the posts over the last few weeks regarding the VFO/DDS question for the Bitx40, Let me say that I got one of the earlier Bitx40's and immediately converted it to run on a N3ZI DDS which I had from a previous project, and may I say here that the Bitx40 is a fantastic little rig, and I have had many happy QSO's using it, the receiver compares very favorably with some of the Yaesu and Kenwood units I have in the shack.

Now back to the DDS question !! Some of you may remember the MINIMA transceiver that Farhan designed, well for that project he designed a separate DDS pcb using an Si570 and ATMEGA328P with Arduino software, it used a 10K pot for tuning.?

A small group was testing out the unit together, and WA0UWH Eldon Brown designed a sketch which eventually resulted in a DDS which had everything, The tuning range can be altered from 1hz -1mhz by simply moving the Curson , for multiband operation the band (IF,s) can also be changed with an Up or Down button, and it was eventually designed to also change the Lowpass filters in the output automatically as the band was changed.

May I respectfully ask Farhan to have another look at his Minima DDS and using Eldon's Sketch would give everything that I have seen asked for on the group;

Eldon Brown WA0UWH blog can be found at

After all why are we trying to re-invent the wheel!!!!

73

Happy New Year to you all

John

mi0dfg





On 27/12/16 04:37, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] wrote:

?
At times, the noise contributes to this as well. Solder a 0.1uf capacitor across the pot's ground and wiper lugs.

- f

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:05 AM, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
It should work if you have derived the same power line as the Arduino's 5v line. in the function doTuning(..) there is a line that triggers the step up beyond 1010, you could reduce the 1010 to 950 and try it.

- f


On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:03 AM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?
Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?
John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM



Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý



Sent from an iPhone, don't ask whose.

On Dec 26, 2016, at 8:58 PM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:


When the ADC is set to 5V full scale the reference is the 5V ADC supply line so it is ratiometric, meaning the ADC reading (in this case) is independent of the absolute supply voltage (noise is another matter).?
?

I'm using the 5V supply from the Nano but they sometimes are lower like 4.7, so I thought that might affect the upper end. I have not measured it yet, I will do that tomorrow. I do have .1mfd cap soldered across ground and the wiper. If all else fails I will change the values in the Sketch. Thanks.
_,___
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

I'm using the 5V supply from the Nano but they sometimes are lower like 4.7, so I thought that might affect the upper end. I have not measured it yet, I will do that tomorrow. I do have .1mfd cap soldered across ground and the wiper. If all else fails I will change the values in the Sketch. Thanks.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 8:35 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?

It should work if you have derived the same power line as the Arduino's 5v line. in the function doTuning(..) there is a line that triggers the step up beyond 1010, you could reduce the 1010 to 950 and try it.

- f


On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:03 AM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?

John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 


On Dec 27, 2016 10:17 AM, "Sandeep Lohia" <sandeeplohia12@...> wrote:
>
> Rotary step size, 1 Hz or 10 Mhz...

& all digits in between...
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

Rotary encoder also contributed noise when touched, like AK47.
Good solution...

Rotary encoder has in built push button that can be used as step size, 1 Hz or 10 Mhz...

Carbon film Pot don't last long if not wire wound, Rotary encoders costs as little as Rs 70/-

'Repair & Reuse or Recycle E-Waste'


On Dec 27, 2016 10:07 AM, "Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20]" <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

At times, the noise contributes to this as well. Solder a 0.1uf capacitor across the pot's ground and wiper lugs.

- f

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:05 AM, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
It should work if you have derived the same power line as the Arduino's 5v line. in the function doTuning(..) there is a line that triggers the step up beyond 1010, you could reduce the 1010 to 950 and try it.

- f


On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:03 AM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?

John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

Jack Purdum
 

This could be what I call a "corner bug"...a bug that hides at the extremes of a variable. I haven't check this yet, but keep in mind that the converter has 10 bit resolution, so the range is 0-1023, not 1024. I wonder if that might be an issue?

Jack, W8TEE


From: "Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20]"
To: "BITX20@..."
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 11:35 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

?
It should work if you have derived the same power line as the Arduino's 5v line. in the function doTuning(..) there is a line that triggers the step up beyond 1010, you could reduce the 1010 to 950 and try it.

- f


On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:03 AM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?
Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?
John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?
Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??

Thanks
John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

At times, the noise contributes to this as well. Solder a 0.1uf capacitor across the pot's ground and wiper lugs.

- f

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:05 AM, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
It should work if you have derived the same power line as the Arduino's 5v line. in the function doTuning(..) there is a line that triggers the step up beyond 1010, you could reduce the 1010 to 950 and try it.

- f


On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:03 AM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?

John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

It should work if you have derived the same power line as the Arduino's 5v line. in the function doTuning(..) there is a line that triggers the step up beyond 1010, you could reduce the 1010 to 950 and try it.

- f


On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 10:03 AM, Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?

John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Farhan,

I breadboarded your Raduino to try it out, and I have to say I rather like it, however sometimes when I turn the pot all the way clockwise it won't go into the mode that counts up at a higher step rate. It will always work when rotating it down or counter clockwise. Do you have a idea why it does this? I have tried 3 different 10K pots with the same results. Is this a function of the 5V supply needing to be exactly 5V.

Joel Caulkins
KB6QVI

On Dec 26, 2016, at 6:44 PM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:

?

John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

Jack Purdum
 

I do use a rotary encoder to tune my Forty-9er (see March, 2016, QST) and will likely soon add one to the BITX40 I just bought. The increment is an issue that is often one of personal preference. For CW, I use a 100Hz increment as the default. However, if I want to traverse from one end of the band to the other, it takes a bazillion turns of the encoder shaft to make the move. To overcome this limitation, I wrote a routine that senses how fast you are turning the encoder shaft using one of the Nano timers. If the "detent spacing" is fairly long, that is interpreted as you slowly fine tuning a station. If the spacing is short (and you can define the time differences), the software automatically increases the increment to 50KHz (which you can also set). As you zero in on your target frequency and slow down the shaft turning rate, the software automatically drops down to the default tuning increment (e.g., 100Hz, or whatever).?

My article appears in?¡°Rotary Encoders Revisited¡±, QRP Quarterly, April, 2016.?

Jack, W8TEE


From: "John Jackson jjack718@... [BITX20]"
To: "BITX20@..."
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 10:54 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

?
Ashhan,

Thanks for the reply. ?Yes, I understand the tuning element is a pot driving an ADC and the limitations of cheap rotary encoders. ?

50 hz is a pretty big tuning step, I just played around with my store ?bought rig and in most cases it was not possible to get reasonably natural and intelligible voices with 50 hz steps. ?Better only 25 khz tuning range and 25 hz resolution. ?I guess I will see how it works out when I get the box.

I'm a retired EE, but my only coding experience was fortran 4 in college in the late 60s, I was more of a hardware and applications guy - - So I'm not going to be able to write new code for it. ?Any chance that for your next software build you can use one of the spare inputs to change the tuning rate?? ? 50 khz for 300 degrees of rotation is pretty fast tuning, I was planning to use a 1k pot wired as a variable resistor in series with the main tuning pot as a 'fine tuning', but that will be difficult with your ?up/down 10 khz scheme. ?25 khz for 300 degrees tuning rate wouldn't be bad.

So... we will see how it works.

tnx / 73 ?John ? N9BTM/YN8BTM




From: "Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20]"
To: "BITX20@..." Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

?
John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?
Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??

Thanks
John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

Ashhan,

Thanks for the reply. ?Yes, I understand the tuning element is a pot driving an ADC and the limitations of cheap rotary encoders. ?

50 hz is a pretty big tuning step, I just played around with my store ?bought rig and in most cases it was not possible to get reasonably natural and intelligible voices with 50 hz steps. ?Better only 25 khz tuning range and 25 hz resolution. ?I guess I will see how it works out when I get the box.

I'm a retired EE, but my only coding experience was fortran 4 in college in the late 60s, I was more of a hardware and applications guy - - So I'm not going to be able to write new code for it. ?Any chance that for your next software build you can use one of the spare inputs to change the tuning rate?? ? 50 khz for 300 degrees of rotation is pretty fast tuning, I was planning to use a 1k pot wired as a variable resistor in series with the main tuning pot as a 'fine tuning', but that will be difficult with your ?up/down 10 khz scheme. ?25 khz for 300 degrees tuning rate wouldn't be bad.

So... we will see how it works.

tnx / 73 ?John ? N9BTM/YN8BTM




From: "Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20]"
To: "BITX20@..."
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 8:44 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

?
John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?
Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??

Thanks
John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: Entrepreneurs, the BITX 40, and Rupees

 

We are onto it. We are meeting a box manufacturer today who has promised us something durable within a few days.

- f

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 8:11 AM, ve3mic@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Hello Ashhar,


After listening to the packaging issues from many on this Yahoo Group, and from my own experience, I believe the weak link is at the corners. My parcel also arrived with one on the corners of the box split wide open, and if it weren't for the Styrofoam sheet, the BITX40 would have arrived damaged.?if the sides of the box were re-enforced a little, it may solve the packaging/shipping issues. My suggestion would be to add a boxboard(cardboard) strip around the inside parameter of the box. This should prevent the box from collapsing and the corners from splitting.

73 & Thank you for this wonderful project?
de Mike ?VE3MIC
Re: tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

John,

the step size is 50 Hz as shipped. the tuninng is not by a rotary encoder. it is with a potentiometer. here is how it works:

- The tuning pot is connected to the ground and 5v lines. The middle wiper is connected to the analog input of the Arduino.
- The Arduino can read the setting of the pot as 0 to 1024.
- This corresponds to a range of 1024 x 50 Hz, approximately 50 KHz or range.
- When the pot is turned fully to the left, (the analog port reads less than 10), the frequency starts ticking down in steps of 10 Khz at about five times second
- When the pot is turned fully to the right, (the analog port reads more than 1010), the frequency starts ticking up in steps of 10 Khz at a similar rate

Why was this done??
- The pot gives you 1000 distinct 'steps' in its range, a low cost rotary encoder can give you not more than 96 (24 steps x 4 phases).?
- Pots are in everybody's junkbox, it was cool to explore a new way of tuning
- It is surprisingly easy to use. I no longer have to keep spinning the tuning wheel to get from one end of the band to another

There is a Easter egg with a 'function button' in the Raduino code. If you can wire up an additional push button, you can get dual VFOs. If you can wire up an additional transistor, you can get RIT (receiver incremental tuning).?

- f

As there is a full Arduino Nano on-board, you can reprogram it to anything you like

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 7:57 AM, jjack718@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
?

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio??? Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: Entrepreneurs, the BITX 40, and Rupees

 

Hello Ashhar,

After listening to the packaging issues from many on this Yahoo Group, and from my own experience, I believe the weak link is at the corners. My parcel also arrived with one on the corners of the box split wide open, and if it weren't for the Styrofoam sheet, the BITX40 would have arrived damaged.?if the sides of the box were re-enforced a little, it may solve the packaging/shipping issues. My suggestion would be to add a boxboard(cardboard) strip around the inside parameter of the box. This should prevent the box from collapsing and the corners from splitting.

73 & Thank you for this wonderful project?
de Mike ?VE3MIC
tuning step size for the SI5351 / Radunio version

 

Can anyone tell me what the tuning step size is for the SI5351 / Radunio version of the radio?? ?Any info on the DDS noise pedestal - - does the audio sound as clean as the analog VFO version or does it get that 'grainy digital' sound??


Thanks

John ?N9BTM / YN8BTM
Re: Raduino code

Jack Purdum
 

Looks great! I can't wait to try and get my other code working with it, too.
Jack, W8TEE

From: "Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20]" <BITX20@...>
To: BITX20@...
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Re: Raduino code

? Jack,?Yes, 1.6.12 will compile, here's some shots of it working

Joel?KB6QVI
On Dec 26, 2016, at 11:27 AM, Jack Purdum econjack@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:


? Yes, that's what I said: I could compile and link the code, but could not test it because my DDS is in use. I have not downloaded/installed 1.8 yet, as I want to get my current project stable. Can you compile/link with 1.6.12? I'm running Win 7.
Jack, W8TEE

From: "Joel Caulkins caulktel@... [BITX20]" <BITX20@...>
To: BITX20@...
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Re: Raduino code

? Jack,
You don't need to hook it up to see if it will compile, just set the board for a Nano, right? So you are saying it is compiling fine for you? I upgraded my IDE to 1.8 and checked all my libraries and they are the latest greatest. I don't want to downgrade my si5351 libraries because they work with all my other projects. The code should be upgraded to work with the latest libraries.

Joel?KB6QVI
On Dec 26, 2016, at 8:56 AM, Jack Purdum econjack@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:


? I can't hook up the Si5351 right now as it's "employed" elsewhere. However, using Arduino IDE 1.6.12 I have no problems compiling or linking the code. After my other project is done (or if the other Si5351 arrives), I'll try to compile/link again and report what happens.
Jack, W8TEE

From: "ron van doremalen ronvandoremalen@... [BITX20]" <BITX20@...>
To: "BITX20@..." <BITX20@...>
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2016 11:39 AM
Subject: RE: [BITX20] Re: Raduino code

? Check if SI5351 has 1.1.2 library version installed. Did not yet check BITX40 code in? details but might be the issue here.(Manage libraries, filter SI5351 and use the pulldown button on the left bottom, select 1.1.2 and install this.
Compiling ok now? Then this was the issue.

Can¡¯t find the SI5351 library, check the rar filename. Rename it to something without ¡°-¡° in it. And add zit via Manage libraries again. ? Hope this will get you forward. ? Ron ¨C PA3FAT ? Van: BITX20@... [mailto:BITX20@...]
Verzonden: 26 December, 2016 17:35
Aan: BITX20@...
Onderwerp: Re: [BITX20] Re: Raduino code ? ? I'm using Arduinio IDE V 1.6.10 and it won't compile on it either with it set for a Nano. I have all the latest Si5351 Libraries from NT7S and Adafruit, but that isn't what its complaining about anyway. It's hanging up on all reference to clk2 BFO. I don't know what to do, I'm no coder:-( ? Joel? KB6QVI
On Dec 26, 2016, at 4:35 AM, Ashhar Farhan farhanbox@... [BITX20] <BITX20@...> wrote:
? the version 1.8 of arduino is complaining about const chars. can you fix that as well? i will pull all of that together and test on the boards. - f ? On 26-Dec-2016 4:46 pm, "scytale30@... [BITX20]" <BITX20@...> wrote:
? I downloaded the repository and installed the Si5351 library.? I discovered that the sketch does not compile with the latest version of the Si5351 library, version 2.? ? I've just submitted a pull request on GitHub which adds instructions to the README which describe the installation process for version 1.1.1 of the Si5351 library. ? Looking forward to experimenting with the code. ? Matt ? VK6MR - AI6SO







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Re: Transmit power supply?

 

Bill N2CQR has used 24 VDC on his BitX40 for transmit power, getting about a Watt per Volt. Look through his blog entries for November.

73,

Todd K7TFC

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