Re: SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
We'll have to see if we have enough pico-acres available, but we already have the code for it available from a signal generator project.
Jack, W8TEE
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It amazing just as it is!! Been listening to 40M CW while I work on some photos I took. I swear the receiver is as good as my FT-1200.
Jack, W8TEE
From: K9HZ <bill@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 3:32 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] It's alive!
Whit your TFT interface, his could be a real winner...
Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch – K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner – Operator Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it:
? On Dec 13, 2017, at 1:33 PM, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote: It's a mess, but I have my ?BITX working now. I wanted to get it working before I put it in a case which is why there's wires all over the place as I trimmed none yet. That will happen when I move it to a case, which will likely be the plastic case from Banggood. I just finished wiring it, so I haven't had a chance to really use it, but just tuning across the band it seems very sensitive. I'm using headphones so there's plenty of volume. The encoder appears to be optical (?) as there is  feel of detents when tuning. To all those who are waiting, it will be worth it!! Jack, W8TEE
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Jack, really interested when you get the uBitx boards available.
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On 12/13/2017 7:19 AM, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io wrote: The PCB is a replacement for the Raduino board and uses a TFT color display and an AD9850 Type II DDS for the VFO:
Inline image
It also assumes the BITX40 CW mod, and provides for 3 external "message switches" that allow you to send stored messages from a list of up to 50 messages (useful during CW contests). The board is designed to work with mcufriend displays ranging from 2.4" to 3.5". The code also provides for an off-board RTC, too. The PCB only sells for $8, including domestic shipping. The assembly manual is available in the Files section.
Note: Al Peter (AC8GY) and I are redoing the board for the ?BITX. It's still being designed but we're pretty sure we will use the Si5351 and either the Teensy 3.6 (Arduino compatible) or the ESP32. The screen will likely be a 5" color touch screen and we will likely bring the pins out to headers for experimenting. The additional resources and enhanced computing power brings a lot of computationally-intensive options into play. Since Ashhar has made the rig multiband, the screen info will be expanded from what's shown above. We are making concerted efforts to keep the price of the board down while maintaining its high quality. As always, the code will be Open Source. Al's just moved into a new home and the Holidays have slowed us down. It's too early to say when we will be ready for Beta testing.
Jack, W8TEE
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Re: SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
With a keypad on the screen for direct frequency entry?
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Whit your TFT interface, his could be a real winner...
Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch – K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner – Operator Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it:
email:??bill@... ?
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On Dec 13, 2017, at 1:33 PM, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote: It's a mess, but I have my ?BITX working now. I wanted to get it working before I put it in a case which is why there's wires all over the place as I trimmed none yet. That will happen when I move it to a case, which will likely be the plastic case from Banggood. I just finished wiring it, so I haven't had a chance to really use it, but just tuning across the band it seems very sensitive. I'm using headphones so there's plenty of volume. The encoder appears to be optical (?) as there is  feel of detents when tuning. To all those who are waiting, it will be worth it!! Jack, W8TEE
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?
all sounds good, except I would rather have a
froont firing speaker. don't know what the group thinks about that, but remember
how good they sounded?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 2:00
PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] uBITX Case
Thanks for the input everyone
I spent a couple minutes just sketching up something really quick based on
some of the dimensions. This is a really really rough draft/sketch.
Everything will change once I get my hands on the board. Once
I get the kit, I will reverse engineer the shape of the board(s). Another
thing I see is the heatsinks from the PA, If the case was aluminum, there is a
chance that the PA's could attach to the case but then the size would be
constrained to the board w/ options.?
?
I understand the kit
comes with a BNC so I guess I will stick with that. As for stand offs, I will
change things as I get more information and the unit.
When it comes to the
speaker, I will make sure to specify what I exactly went with. Or I can
possibly incorporate multiple choice of round speakers.?
Since I didn't build a bitx40, I am not sure what to expect that the
moment.
- Jeff (NT1K)
|
Re: SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
Thanks Jack! ?I am very enthusiastic about the possibility. That would be a capability I could not otherwise afford. And a great learning experience trying to assemble it without letting out the magic smoke.?
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On Dec 13, 2017, at 14:47, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote: That's the reason for the additional horsepower. I will admit that I'm getting into an area of development that's new to me, but one that I'm very excited about. The goal is a 5" panadapter touch-screen display that's not tethered to a PC or laptop and still stay under a $200 price point, including the ?BITX. The good news is that I don't know enough EE stuff to not try, although Al's smart enough to rein me in where need be.
Jack, W8TEE
From: KN4GUY JOHN DEJARNETTE <KN4GUY@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 2:35 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
Jack
Any possibility of getting the waterfall display functionality into your next revision of W8TEE TFT? ?
It would make the uBitx a wonderful piece of kit for family outings.?
-John? On Dec 13, 2017, at 13:34, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote: I also own an Elad SDR xcvr and really like it as I can use it without a PC (no fancy display) or with one (very fancy display). The only reason I can see for not using the BITX with one is the cost. The SDRPlay is fairly cheap, but still $100 for functionality that's (mostly) already in the BITX. I really like having the SDR display during FD or contests, since I tend to be a jump-and-pounce contester.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Arvo KD9HLC via Groups.Io < arvopl@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 1:27 PM Subject: Re: [BITX20] SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40? On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 10:20 am, Jack Purdum wrote:
I have an RSP1A...it's amazing!
What would be the advantages of using anything else for RX?? (I'm kinda new at all this.) And if one is going to set up a spectrum analyzer that (from what I understand from the original post) picks off the incoming signal inside the BitX, why not just use the SDR for RX?
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You can make an encoder free running like a pot, just remove the ball.
I did it with an encoder that I use to tune my PC with HDSDR.
Phil - G7BZD
On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 7:33 PM, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io <jjpurdum@...> wrote: It's a mess, but I have my ?BITX working now. I wanted to get it working before I put it in a case which is why there's wires all over the place as I trimmed none yet. That will happen when I move it to a case, which will likely be the plastic case from Banggood. I just finished wiring it, so I haven't had a chance to really use it, but just tuning across the band it seems very sensitive. I'm using headphones so there's plenty of volume. The encoder appears to be optical (?) as there is  feel of detents when tuning. To all those who are waiting, it will be worth it!! Jack, W8TEE
|
Re: SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
The really cheap SDR dongles (meant for DVB-T television reception, $10) can get down to 30mhz without a downconverter (as I recall).
They only have an 8bit A2D converter, so reception with the uBitx receiver would have much more dynamic range.
The uBitx has a 45mhz first IF which should be within reach for the DVB-T dongle for displaying a spectrum of what's in the band,
tap in the dongle just prior to the 45mhz crystal filter so you can see more than a few khz worth. ?Downside is this may inject a lot of hash
into the uBitx receiver, good luck getting rid of that. ?Maybe a buffer amp of the 45mhz IF inside the uBitx enclosure, a coax going out
to a separate box for?the dongle?
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On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 10:27 am, Arvo KD9HLC wrote:
What would be the advantages of using anything else for RX?? (I'm kinda new at all this.)
And if one is going to set up a spectrum analyzer that (from what I understand from the original post) picks off the incoming signal inside the BitX, why not just use the SDR for RX?
|
Re: SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
That's the reason for the additional horsepower. I will admit that I'm getting into an area of development that's new to me, but one that I'm very excited about. The goal is a 5" panadapter touch-screen display that's not tethered to a PC or laptop and still stay under a $200 price point, including the ?BITX. The good news is that I don't know enough EE stuff to not try, although Al's smart enough to rein me in where need be.
Jack, W8TEE
From: KN4GUY JOHN DEJARNETTE <KN4GUY@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 2:35 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
Jack
Any possibility of getting the waterfall display functionality into your next revision of W8TEE TFT? ?
It would make the uBitx a wonderful piece of kit for family outings.?
-John? On Dec 13, 2017, at 13:34, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote: I also own an Elad SDR xcvr and really like it as I can use it without a PC (no fancy display) or with one (very fancy display). The only reason I can see for not using the BITX with one is the cost. The SDRPlay is fairly cheap, but still $100 for functionality that's (mostly) already in the BITX. I really like having the SDR display during FD or contests, since I tend to be a jump-and-pounce contester.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Arvo KD9HLC via Groups.Io < arvopl@...> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 1:27 PM Subject: Re: [BITX20] SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40? On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 10:20 am, Jack Purdum wrote:
I have an RSP1A...it's amazing!
What would be the advantages of using anything else for RX?? (I'm kinda new at all this.) And if one is going to set up a spectrum analyzer that (from what I understand from the original post) picks off the incoming signal inside the BitX, why not just use the SDR for RX?
|
Re: SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
Jack
Any possibility of getting the waterfall display functionality into your next revision of W8TEE TFT? ?
It would make the uBitx a wonderful piece of kit for family outings.?
-John?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Dec 13, 2017, at 13:34, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote: I also own an Elad SDR xcvr and really like it as I can use it without a PC (no fancy display) or with one (very fancy display). The only reason I can see for not using the BITX with one is the cost. The SDRPlay is fairly cheap, but still $100 for functionality that's (mostly) already in the BITX. I really like having the SDR display during FD or contests, since I tend to be a jump-and-pounce contester.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Arvo KD9HLC via Groups.Io <arvopl@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 1:27 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] SDR dongle for spectrum analyzer with signal from Bitx40?
On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 10:20 am, Jack Purdum wrote:
I have an RSP1A...it's amazing!
What would be the advantages of using anything else for RX?? (I'm kinda new at all this.) And if one is going to set up a spectrum analyzer that (from what I understand from the original post) picks off the incoming signal inside the BitX, why not just use the SDR for RX?
|
It's a mess, but I have my ?BITX working now. I wanted to get it working before I put it in a case which is why there's wires all over the place as I trimmed none yet. That will happen when I move it to a case, which will likely be the plastic case from Banggood. I just finished wiring it, so I haven't had a chance to really use it, but just tuning across the band it seems very sensitive. I'm using headphones so there's plenty of volume. The encoder appears to be optical (?) as there is  feel of detents when tuning. To all those who are waiting, it will be worth it!! Jack, W8TEE
|
Programming (re-programming) the Arduino in your uBITX transceiver
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All sorts of ways to do this.
If the case is metal, I'd attach the IRF510's directly to the metal case using standard TO220
insulating washers and heat transfer compound. ?The case is the heatsink.
If case is plastic, I'd insulate the IRF510's from the heatsink(s), have the heatsink protrude out the back
where it can catch some airflow and you can easily determine how hot it's getting.
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On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 11:10 am, ekelley wrote:
The heatsink needs to be insulated from the case. Probably best to leave
a little space behind it!
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There have been many posts over the years that talked about making or purchasing
suitable cases for various BITX rigs.? All involve some amount of measuring and
cutting appropriate holes.?
Simplest case might be just a wooden board with aluminium or plastic panels fastened
to front and back with screws.? This is interesting because it lets you play with placement
of components at relatively little expense.
This simplest approach was beneficial to me in housing my uBITX because it let me
know that the PCB mounted 8-pin connector is close enough to the front panel that I
needed to allow more width for mounting some front panel controls.? It also let me
play with rear panel design for using larger heat sinks on the IRF510 MOSFETs.?
A slightly more complex chassis might be the clam-shell type with lower shell holding
the transceiver and the top shell fastened in place with small angle-brackets of even
just square pieces of wood.?
In the US we have companies marketing replica 30-caliber ammunition boxes.? These
are plastic or metal and seem almost perfect for making your BITX portable and rugged
enough for transport.? A recessed front panel can be fabricated from plastic or metal
and fastened in place with small L-brackets or plastic or wooden blocks that have screw
holes at right angles to each other.? A second one of these ammo-can boxes could be
used to house a suitable size battery or a lot of 18650 size LIPO cells and charger.
???
In addition there are "found" boxes that might be suitable for housing your BITX, and
commercial cases that are made specifically as electronics housings.
Arv? K7HKL
_._
On Wed, Dec 13, 2017 at 8:16 AM, Jeff (NT1K) <yccc@...> wrote: Hello all,?
I'm new to the group. I was sent here from a where they were talking about a case. I work as engineer/drafter at sheet metal fabrication company. We design, manufacture and powdercoat all sorts electronic enclosures for customers.
If I made the cut-off, I will hopefully be receiving a ubitx soon and I will be designing a case to fit the ubitx. There is a possibility of mass producing cases. It could something along the lines of but designed with stand offs for the board and screen, speaker cutout (we would have to agree on a speaker) and powdercoated mini texture black. Once I get a design I could get it properly quoted and let you all know the price. Of course it would have to be on a pre-order basis.
Price will obviously be effected by demand, the more that can be made, the cheaper it can be. Other cost savings would be the removal of press fittings and coatings.
Let me know what you think
- Jeff (NT1K)
|
The heatsink needs to be insulated from the case. Probably best to
leave
a little space behind it!
On 12/13/2017 1:00 PM, Jeff (NT1K)
wrote:
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Show quoted text
Thanks for the input everyone
I spent a couple minutes just sketching up something really
quick based on some of the dimensions. This is a really really
rough draft/sketch. Everything will change
once I get my hands on the board. Once I get the kit, I will
reverse engineer the shape of the board(s). Another thing I see
is the heatsinks from the PA, If the case was aluminum, there is
a chance that the PA's could attach to the case but then the
size would be constrained to the board w/ options.?
?
I understand the kit comes with a BNC so I guess I will stick
with that. As for stand offs, I will change things as I get more
information and the unit.
When it comes to the speaker, I will make sure to specify what I
exactly went with. Or I can possibly incorporate multiple choice
of round speakers.?
Since I didn't build a bitx40, I am not sure what to expect
that the moment.
- Jeff (NT1K)
|
Thanks for the input everyone
I spent a couple minutes just sketching up something really quick based on some of the dimensions. This is a really really rough draft/sketch. Everything will change once I get my hands on the board. Once I get the kit, I will reverse engineer the shape of the board(s). Another thing I see is the heatsinks from the PA, If the case was aluminum, there is a chance that the PA's could attach to the case but then the size would be constrained to the board w/ options.?
?
I understand the kit comes with a BNC so I guess I will stick with that. As for stand offs, I will change things as I get more information and the unit.
When it comes to the speaker, I will make sure to specify what I exactly went with. Or I can possibly incorporate multiple choice of round speakers.?
Since I didn't build a bitx40, I am not sure what to expect that the moment.
- Jeff (NT1K)
|
I like what i hear!
Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ ? Owner - Operator Big Signal Ranch – K9ZC Staunton, Illinois ? Owner – Operator Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I. Rent it:
email:??bill@... ?
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On Dec 13, 2017, at 9:16 AM, Jeff (NT1K) < yccc@...> wrote: Hello all,?
I'm new to the group. I was sent here from a where they were talking about a case. I work as engineer/drafter at sheet metal fabrication company. We design, manufacture and powdercoat all sorts electronic enclosures for customers.
If I made the cut-off, I will hopefully be receiving a ubitx soon and I will be designing a case to fit the ubitx. There is a possibility of mass producing cases. It could something along the lines of but designed with stand offs for the board and screen, speaker cutout (we would have to agree on a speaker) and powdercoated mini texture black. Once I get a design I could get it properly quoted and let you all know the price. Of course it would have to be on a pre-order basis.
Price will obviously be effected by demand, the more that can be made, the cheaper it can be. Other cost savings would be the removal of press fittings and coatings.
Let me know what you think
- Jeff (NT1K)
|
I guess from the comments that a pre-punched case sounds really
good. To solve the
problem of the antenna connector, don't punch it, leave it for us to
pick which one to use
I like BNC but all my antenna's are 239 so I will use 239 - no more
adapters. My BitX40
has a built in switching power supply (very small) 3 amps. But to
keep it small I will
go outboard with the PS.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with
Ed
On 12/13/2017 9:16 AM, Jeff (NT1K)
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Hello all,?
I'm new to the group. I was sent here from a where they were
talking about a case. I work as engineer/drafter at sheet metal
fabrication company. We design, manufacture and powdercoat all
sorts electronic enclosures for customers.
If I made the cut-off, I will hopefully be receiving a ubitx
soon and I will be designing a case to fit the ubitx. There is a
possibility of mass producing cases. It could something along
the lines of
but designed with stand offs for the board and screen, speaker
cutout (we would have to agree on a speaker) and powdercoated
mini texture black. Once I get a design I could get it properly
quoted and let you all know the price. Of course it would have
to be on a pre-order basis.
Price will obviously be effected by demand, the more that can be
made, the cheaper it can be. Other cost savings would be the
removal of press fittings and coatings.
Let me know what you think
- Jeff (NT1K)
|
Arvo W0VRA
K9HZ
ekelley
Jeff (NT1K)