Re: Radunio BFO and sketch 1.11
Some time ago I have been experimenting a bit with this too. I can?t exactly remember the required BFO frequency for LSB (while the LO was on the high side of the IF), but I do remember it surprised me that it had to be lower than the original analog BFO frequency (I had expected it to be higher). I seem to remember that it was 11997000 Hz (not completely sure though). 73 Allard PE1NWL
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Re: Radunio BFO and sketch 1.11
I'm not sure what you mean by "a true 12mhz". ? ?The center of the crystal filter and the BFO are both a few khz down from 12mhz. ?Also, those values will vary from rig to rig, since the crystals are matched up by hand at hfsigs. ?I would just adjust the BFO for clearest received signal.
On Tue, May 16, 2017 at 08:29 am, Jonathan Peakall wrote:
However, I guess what I need to do is tweak
the numbers until I get a true 12mHz.
?
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Hi John, I fired up my bitx40 today and so far have no problems with receive. ?Raduinos working OK with no squeals or whistles. However I also have problems with transmit. ?Out of the box it was drawing about 130 ma on receive, but 300ma on idle. ?It went to about 600 ma when HAAA'd and about 6 watts. ?Then suddenly the 600 went away. I tried retuning by turning RV1 down and It will only go to 245 ma fully clockwise. ?So I turned it back up to 300 and tried again. ?No Output. Then turned RV1 to 350 ma. and output came pack. (600ma with voice). ?I then turned the cap and got about 920 ma (stopped there) and output went off again a few seconds later. ?Is there anything else I should check, or follow the sequence that you gave in the ?previous email Thanks Andy
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Also James at qrp kits stands by his product. ?If you smoke a transistor, he will stick one in an envelope. and provide technical support A good outfit. ANG
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Re: Radunio BFO and sketch 1.11
Jerry,
Thanks for the reply. I didn't see it until now, so many emails
(which is great by me).
I used RG174 to bring the BFO out to the board. Both ends have the
shield connected. I have a lot of noise now. Looking at the ubitx
page it looks like the BFO is brought out with regular wire. Am I
missing something?
Dang it, I wrote down what I read for the BFO's actual frequency but
I can't seem to find it. However, I guess what I need to do is tweak
the numbers until I get a true 12mHz.
I'll try the? bypass caps as well. The noise has to go, the rig was
great until I improved it!
Thanks!
On 5/15/2017 10:16 AM, Jerry Gaffke via
Groups.Io wrote:
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Exactly how did you go about connecting the raduino to the BFO?
?I suggest you follow Farhan's lead on the uBitx: ?
I'd expect coax with ground connected on both ends would be
best. ?Put bypass caps across the Raduino's 12v, perhaps 0.1uF
and another one between 1uF and 50uF.
Are you sure your old BFO crystal was oscillating exactly at
11998500 hz? ?You might try moving that around a khz or two in
the sketch, see if that improves things. ?Perhaps hack the
calibrate function so you can set the BFO frequency.
Jerry, KE7ER
On Mon, May 15, 2017 at 10:06 am, Jonathan Peakall wrote:
I used RG174 between the Raduino and the board, with
the shield grounded at both ends. The code modification was to
change this line from:
si5351.output_enable(SI5351_CLK0, 0);
to
si5351.output_enable(SI5351_CLK0, 1);
and add this line:
si5351.set_freq(11998500L*100ULL , SI5351_CLK0);
Is there anything else I should do to the code? Is the noise and
distortion from connecting the shield at both ends?
?
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Re: BITX40 Microphone options
Michael, You should also consider the fact that most ?dynamic microphones output a much lower signal so you will need more gain in the microphone's amplifier.
--
Ion VA3NOI
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Re: BITX40 Microphone options
I have a Baofeng speaker mic repurposed just for a microphone. There are two ways to use the speaker. One is to get a microphone connector with enough pins for mic, PPT, gnd and spkr., what I have done for one radio, so that I can use a standard CB microphone, is to put a "pigtail" for the speaker long enough to plug into the speaker jack. Looks a little odd, but works fine. I do this, as I have stereo mic jack (ptt, mic, gnd) that is wired to be compatible with my Xiegu X1M, so that I can swap microphones and also use my digital jumper cable that I made up for the X1M to use with a SignaLink USB interface.
73 /paul W3FIS
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Re: Raduino v1.10 with CW functionality released
Got it That works, thank you
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Re: Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke.
That magic smoke will get you every time.
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Re: Simple audio muting circuit
Hi John I built and installed your circuit last night for the PTT thump.? It works GREAT! No more thump, at volumes less that 10.? It makes the rig usable again.? Thanks for the good advice. ? I'm also interested in your circuit for adding the CW mode. ? 73, Joe W3TTT ?
On Sun, Apr 30, 2017 at 6:28 PM, John Pieper <j.pieper@...> wrote:
--
73, Joe W3TTT
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Re: Raduino v1.10 with CW functionality released
On Tue, May 16, 2017 12:54, KC8WBK via Groups.Io wrote: I want to stop changing frequency at 7300 and not go above it. Which
variable would set this value as a limit?
The limits are hardcode defined at lines 194 and 195: #define LOWEST_FREQ (6995000L) // absolute minimum frequency (Hz) #define HIGHEST_FREQ (7500000L) // absolute maximum frequency (Hz) You can edit these values and recompile the sketch. 73 Allard PE1NWL
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Re: Raduino v1.10 with CW functionality released
I want to stop changing frequency at 7300 and not go above it. Which variable would set this value as a limit?
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Jack,
Well said. My kids are grown but when they weren't I spent quite a bit of time with kids in Scouts, coaching, etc. There were plenty of boys and some girls fascinated by the Arduino, Linux, Raspberry etc, i.e., open-ended electronics that were free or close
to it. ?All they had to supply was the enthusium and energy of which they had plenty. ?I see the Bitx as an excellent example of all of this plus ham radio.
73,
Pat AA4PG
Pat Griffin
http://www.cahabatechnology.com
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From: BITX20@groups.io <BITX20@groups.io> on behalf of Jack Purdum via Groups.Io <econjack@...>
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2017 9:11:10 PM
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: Re: [BITX20] SMD 20M BITX20
?
I honestly don't know what the cost is to meet FCC compliance, but I do know something about the cost of parts and cases. My concern is not what a company charges
for a kit. I am a strong believer in free markets. That said, I do want to stem the tide I see where new hams get their Tech license and, for budget reasons, buy an HT to work 2M and then drop out. I've talked to several such dropouts and they all said that
2M was like "a public cell phone". Clearly, they did have a diverse ham experience. My hope is for an effective SSB rig for 40M running about 10W that a high school or college student can afford and experience what the HF bands have to offer over and above
a cell phone. The BITX40 does that.?
I bought my BITX40 when there was no VFO or LCD display, so I set about adding one, just like many others. Ashar beat me to the punch by adding those features, but
to his credit, he convinced the distributor to keep the price down. I think the uBITX will play an ever more important role in attracting young hams to move up from Tech to General and Extra. We need young people in our ranks and joining our clubs, not old
fossils like me. That's not to say we can't help "Elmer" them along, and show them the fun of HF, CW, digital modes, homebrewing, and all the other elements that make our hobby what it is.?
As to the BITX20, I want new hams to know alternatives exist. When you think about it, the difference between the BITX20 and BITX40 is the case, dual IRF510's, and
FCC complance weighed against no case, all PCB components in place, a single IRF510, and mounting the controls yourself. (Since both are kits, FCC compliance may be less of an issue, plus members of the users group would jump in with mods to fix it if demanded.)
A new ham not bound by a lawn-mowing budget may prefer the B20 at the higher price point because of its features and looks. Someone with less deep pockets
needs to know about the alternative. Making them aware they have choices is a good thing.
I don't know the precise impact of their work, but I know that the efforts of Ashar, Allard, Jerry, and many others in this group have caused a lot of people to "take
the plunge" into QRP, kit-building, and experiencing new aspects of our hobby. More importantly, they well may have kept them from dropping out of our ranks. The more who stay, the healthier our hobby becomes...to everyone's benefit.
(Climbing down from soapbox...)
Jack, W8TEE
From: John Backo via Groups.Io <iam74@...>
To: BITX20@groups.io
Sent: Monday, May 15, 2017 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] SMD 20M BITX20
$190 is a bit steep. But it includes the case and the digital readout.
Also, this is the BITX20A and BITX17A. These kits include a major
redesign of the original BITX, with a dual IRF510? PA and US FCC
compliance. The BITX20 V.3 (which is now the v.3C) is much closer to the
original, and does not include FCC compliance. The builder has to
figure out a way to make the rig legal in the USA. It is also quite
expensive compared to the original kit.
Both of these designs are good kits for the average QRPer. I sort of
lean towards the BITXnnA, but it is now probably a bit much for the average ham.
john
AD5YE
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Re: Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke.
OK Jim, some here have smoked the pot !!
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At 16/05/2017, you wrote: Oops. I feel like a berk. Honey I smoked the BITX.
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Re: Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke.
John,
He plugged the board connectors by mistake. Unfortunately they are interchangeable!
The polarity would be OK but the C111 would be reverse biased and would have probably damaged the LM386 too.
Both the LM386 and capacitor should be replaced.
Raj
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At 16/05/2017, you wrote: But the speaker connection is designed for a 2.3 mm plug. Are you sure you
didn't just connect up the voltage to the power input plug, but in reverse?
Or did you connect the voltage with the proper polarity but exceed the 12v limit?
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Re: Raduino v1.10 with CW functionality released
Using the Function Button, go to the SETTINGS menu and select "set tune
range" (5 presses). Using the tuning pot set the desired tuning range.
Press FB again to save the setting. Then press FB again for some seconds
to return to the NORMAL menu.
If you set the tune range to for example 200kHz, it means the span between
the lower and upper pot limit is 200kHz. But you can still tune beyond
that 200kHz range with the 'fast tune' feature that becomes activated when
you hit one of the pot limits. What happens then is that the whole range
will shift up/down in steps of 10 kHz. The absolute range is always 7000 -
7500 kHz.
For a 10-turn pot I recommend a tuning range value of max 200kHz. Higher
is possible, but tuning may become quite "touchy". And as explained above,
you don't normally need such a large range because you can always still
tune beyond the original range limits.
Hope it's more clear now.
73 Allard PE1NWL
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On Tue, May 16, 2017 03:15, KC8WBK via Groups.Io wrote: I just upgraded to v1.10 with a 10 turn pot, a very nice improvement, this
radio keeps getting better and better!
How do I limit the range of the tuner from 7.0 to 7.3 MHz?
I am using a 10 turn pot with the 300 kHz function set. It currently goes
up to 7.5 and down to just below 7.0 MHz.
It looks like LOWEST_FREQ and HIGHEST_FREQ are commented out.
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Re: Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke.
The ground pin is the same on both which puts the +V on the negative side of C111 which I bet is totally fried and possibly the opamp as well but beyond that I don’t see additional paths to other circuitry . ? v/r Fred W4JLE ?
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From: BITX20@groups.io [mailto:BITX20@groups.io] On Behalf Of Daniel Isaza
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 03:25
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke. ? The speaker and the PA power have the same connector on the board, I think Jim switched those wires while wiring everything up ? On Tue, May 16, 2017 at 2:19 AM, John Backo via Groups.Io <iam74@...> wrote: But the speaker connection is designed for a 2.3 mm plug. Are you sure you
didn't just connect up the voltage to the power input plug, but in reverse?
Or did you connect the voltage with the proper polarity but exceed the 12v limit?
If that is the case, likely many things were blown up and the whole board will
have to be replaced.
If it was the speaker connection, the damage may be local, but I don't see
from the schematic how that could have happened. There is no direct
connection from ground to +voltage at that point. If there was smoke,
there had to be a connection somewhere...just where will determine
the fix, if any. The logical connection would be through the LM386 and
the output capacitor.
But that is connected to the RX + line, and more components may have
become involved. Check the resistance values of R110 and R112 to see if
they have changed significantly. That might be a clue...
john
AD5YE
?
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Re: Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke.
I suspect it will be much easier than you think. Most likely the smell was the polarized caps on the output of the amplifier. These normally emit a lot of smoke and leave very little indication such as swelling etc. Looking at the schematic I would replace C111 and go from there. ? v/r Fred W4JLE ?
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From: BITX20@groups.io [mailto:BITX20@groups.io] On Behalf Of Jim McKay
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2017 02:31
To: BITX20@groups.io
Subject: [BITX20] Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke. ? Oops. I feel like a berk. Honey I smoked the BITX. ? I just got my BITX40 set up and A Ok on receive. I disconnected everything as I was putting it all in a box but when I put it back together I connected the Power Amplifier voltage to the Speaker PCBplug. There was smoke and an acrid smell from the area of the speaker pcb plug. I think I have fried my board. No obvious signs of damage like bulging capacitors or broken tracks but doesn’t work now. Raduino still A OK but no sound on receive and no power out on transmit. ? Gutted. Where to start fixing my mistake ??? I am not experienced in repairing electronics so please can somebody help me. Feeling stupid. ? Thank you. ? Jim ?
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Re: Almost finished, for now...
On Tue, May 16, 2017 03:50, Brian D. K2BRZ wrote: Thanks, Allard. That makes sense. I really like what you've done with
1.11, I can't believe you're working on 1.13 already! I think my eeprom
may reach it's write limit just from me upgrading your versions!
Sorry I meant 1.12, lost count myself :=)
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Re: Need help I put volts on the speaker connection. Ouch. Smoke.
Hi John
The speaker and the PA power have the same connector on the board, I think Jim switched those wires while wiring everything up
On Tue, May 16, 2017 at 2:19 AM, John Backo via Groups.Io <iam74@...> wrote: But the speaker connection is designed for a 2.3 mm plug. Are you sure you
didn't just connect up the voltage to the power input plug, but in reverse?
Or did you connect the voltage with the proper polarity but exceed the 12v limit?
If that is the case, likely many things were blown up and the whole board will
have to be replaced.
If it was the speaker connection, the damage may be local, but I don't see
from the schematic how that could have happened. There is no direct
connection from ground to +voltage at that point. If there was smoke,
there had to be a connection somewhere...just where will determine
the fix, if any. The logical connection would be through the LM386 and
the output capacitor.
But that is connected to the RX + line, and more components may have
become involved. Check the resistance values of R110 and R112 to see if
they have changed significantly. That might be a clue...
john
AD5YE
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Allard PE1NWL
Ion Petroianu, VA3NOI
W9ZIM
Raj vu2zap