Re: BITX40 - frequency spectrum - Raduino irradiation - intermodulation products -
#bitx40help
Frank, Your test equipment is impressive! I would love to have access to something like that. What you are seeing looks very much like what I reported in a post in March,? /g/BITX20/topic/4521126#23229. It appears to be related to harmonics of the 5MHz LO and 12MHz IF. For a long time I have been working on other projects but I have recently returned to the Bitx40 using Allard's sketch. I believe the answer is to use a 19MHz VFO and switch sidebands by moving the 12MHz oscillator and generating USB to mix with 19MHz and end up with LSB on 40m. To do that I need to change the crystal filter (for a 6 pole??) and get a reasonably steep slope on the lower side. Fairly major changes. It would also be interesting to compare the use of square wave and sine wave drive to the final Tx mixer. 73 Brian.
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Thank you Jim,
I will watch for more reports and any videos that might show the CW operation. 72 de Jeff K9JP
On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 3:43 PM, James Shaver (N2ADV) <N2ADV@...> wrote: I do indeed - haven¡¯t tried it on CW yet beyond bench tests of the key but it¡¯s on the list. It appears there¡¯s no ¡°CW Mode¡± but when you hit the key from USB or LSB, it changes to ¡°CW¡±
Jim S.? On Dec 15, 2017, at 2:51 PM, Jeffrey Peters < dek9jp@...> wrote: Excellent Video Jim, N2ADV
Congratulations on your first QSO's and looking forward to get an uBITX someday soon Do you operate CW?? If so, what do you think about the uBITX as a CW rig? 72/73 de Jeff K9JP
-- Not all of me will die - - - The good I do will live forever.? <><
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I do indeed - haven¡¯t tried it on CW yet beyond bench tests of the key but it¡¯s on the list. It appears there¡¯s no ¡°CW Mode¡± but when you hit the key from USB or LSB, it changes to ¡°CW¡±
Jim S.?
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On Dec 15, 2017, at 2:51 PM, Jeffrey Peters < dek9jp@...> wrote: Excellent Video Jim, N2ADV
Congratulations on your first QSO's and looking forward to get an uBITX someday soon Do you operate CW?? If so, what do you think about the uBITX as a CW rig? 72/73 de Jeff K9JP
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Re: BITX40 - frequency spectrum - Raduino irradiation - intermodulation products -
#bitx40help
Thank you Dale,
This group is great and very helpful. Anyone using the Bitx40 on CW and is the CW mod. on the BitHacks page all I need to do? Just looking for a simple CW transceiver, guess I am not much of a phone op. TU de Jeff K9JP
On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 3:10 PM, Dale Brooks KG7SSB <kg7ssb@...> wrote: I had a nasty second harmonic which was greatly improved by adding this cap to the LPF circuit. It also improved the third and 5th order so much I don't even see them on the spectrum analyzer. They are at least -120 db down and below the noise level of the spectrum analyzer.? Dale
-- Not all of me will die - - - The good I do will live forever.? <><
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Yippee! I just received an e-mail from HF Signals that my order was confirmed with a tracking number. I ordered on December 9th also. So hang in there. Takes timne to catch up.
Bill
W6SDI
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
I'm 36 and a chemical engineer by education (I'll also admit, I
was not a big fan of my one electricity & magnetism class
during undergrad), but a recent job change put me into the world
of RF. Rather than slowly absorb it through PowerPoint at work, I
decided to jump in with both feet and learn how it actually works.
I sat for my technician and general in October of this year. The
phone apps definitely helped study for the exams and now for
learning CW.
Bitx is giving me a platform to try new things and do a lot more
than just throw cash at HRO and walk out with an HF rig and
antenna ready to run. It certainly dispels the "You need a $1,000
receiver to do HF" myth that many hams seem to perpetuate, even if
at QRP levels.
John
On 12/15/2017 12:24 PM, Stephen
Harrison wrote:
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I'm 28, maybe I can share a bit of insight, being a
millennial... I was first introduced to ham radio probably 20
years ago in cub scouts, found it fascinating.? The cost of
entry was always the issue for me.?
In college I started playing around with the RTL-SDR dongles
(~$25) and got really interested in decoding or listening to
everything out there.. shortwave, air band, adsb, trunked p25,
pagers, sstv, etc.? I built a lot of different antennas in this
time and also learned a ton about radio and programming, mostly
through reading websites and experimenting.?
I've always had a CB around for work or other reasons, and
whenever I'd hear a signal from across the country I thought,
"wow I really need to get in to ham radio, that's really cool."?
I think about 3 years ago I came across the Baofeng HTs (~$35,
yes I know..) and decided to finally get licensed.?
I used an app on my phone to study.? I'm a civil engineer, but
the first few years of engineering school have a lot of overlap
and I found the test to be very easy.? Probably the most fun I
had was working SO-50 with a homemade yagi and my 5w HT shortly
after I got my license.? Living in an apartment made it
difficult to come up with a good HF antenna scheme.? Eventually
I did get kind of bored with it.?
After moving to a house with space for an HF antenna, I came
across the bitx40 which was a nice, affordable reason to go
after my General.
I've tried to get a few friends in to it but so far it hasn't
stuck with any of them.? One friend and I set up dipoles in our
attics and put CBs in our houses so we could talk to each other,
but that's as far as it went.? Another friend actually did get
his Tech but still hasn't bought a radio.? I demonstrated
working SO-50 to another friend who thought it was cool but
wasn't really interested in pursuing a license.
Maybe that will help provide some insight?
Steve
On 12/15/2017 11:24 AM, Jack Purdum
via Groups.Io wrote:
I changed the
topic to narrow the focus. You're right, Joe, the social media
sites have a lock on young people. My club gives the FCC exams
every month (except Dec.) for free and we always have people
show up; sometimes as many as three dozen. Most are going for
the Tech license to get their toe wet. Then they buy a 2M HT and
we never see them again. I did run into one guy almost a year
later and asked how he was enjoying his license. He said: "I
haven't done anything for the past several months. It doesn't
even let me do what my cell phone does." We need to get Tech's
more than just a small slice of 10M in the HF spectrum.
Otherwise, I think they are missing out on 90% of what ham radio
has to offer. When I was a Novice, we had small chunks of HF
(e.g., 40M) to play with. True, you were rock-bound and limited
to 75W and CW, but I spent almost all of my time on 40M. Britain
has had more success than we have with young people, and I think
part of the reason is because they give their Tech-equivalent
hams small slices of spectrum on all bands, including HF. They
are limited to 5W, but at least they can chase DX. Other than
the rare atmospheric events, DX on 2M is a couple of counties
away with the HT that most end up buying.
I look around at my club and I can almost hear the arteries
calcifying. I can say that 'cuz I'm two years younger than dirt
so I know the aging membership issues quite well. We need some
younger members; perhaps younger than those who are recently
married and starting their families. The real solution: I don't
know, but there are things we can do. I have a FB account, but
probably use it twice a year. I'm not on Twitter. I need to root
around there for a while and see what I can do for the cause.
Jack, W8TEE
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Re: BITX40 - frequency spectrum - Raduino irradiation - intermodulation products -
#bitx40help
I had a nasty second harmonic which was greatly improved by adding this cap to the LPF circuit. It also improved the third and 5th order so much I don't even see them on the spectrum analyzer. They are at least -120 db down and below the noise level of the spectrum analyzer.? Dale
On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 12:58 PM, Jeffrey Peters <dek9jp@...> wrote: Thank you David - N8DAH,
I will read more about the LPF mod. and solder it on today!
I appreciate your help and kindness. 72, Jeff K9JP Traverse City, MI
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Re: BITX40 - frequency spectrum - Raduino irradiation - intermodulation products -
#bitx40help
Thank you David - N8DAH,
I will read more about the LPF mod. and solder it on today!
I appreciate your help and kindness. 72, Jeff K9JP Traverse City, MI
On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 2:11 PM, N8DAH <Dherron@...> wrote: Jeff that cap mod for the LPF IS for the Bitx40.
-- Not all of me will die - - - The good I do will live forever.? <><
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Excellent Video Jim, N2ADV
Congratulations on your first QSO's and looking forward to get an uBITX someday soon Do you operate CW?? If so, what do you think about the uBITX as a CW rig? 72/73 de Jeff K9JP
On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 2:25 PM, James Shaver (N2ADV) <N2ADV@...> wrote: Working well on 20 meters. First contact went great. ? Now checked into the 20 meter OMISS net on 14.290.?
73,
Jim S.? N2ADV
-- Not all of me will die - - - The good I do will live forever.? <><
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Working well on 20 meters. First contact went great. ? Now checked into the 20 meter OMISS net on 14.290.?
73,
Jim S.? N2ADV
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. ?Hello Jeff NT1K. Seems you have the experience and knowledge to do a fine job building a 18 gauge steel case for the #ubitx . ? your imgur drawings are spot on like what I thought would work for the bitx40 case. ? Speaker in the top half of the clam shell. I put both a SO239 and bc connector on the back panel for the RF.? Fred Finster. WB7ODY Wb7odyfred@...Or info@.... Sorry can't remember the correct address. ? Would like to exchange information with you Jeff about building a case for the ubitx radio, speaker size, battery mounted inside case for portable operation. ? Is Heathkit style turqois blue green like 2632. Or 2622 powder coat color ?possible. ? (Numbers from memory, but can't remember correctly for sure). ?Maybe could buy unpainted and powder coat locally at Salem powder coating. ?
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
I was not aware of the Stars program. I'll bet there are a lot of Caribbean countries that would jump on board given the horrible summer they had and, in some cases, a total loss of communications infrastructure. A couple of ?BITX's, some wire, a solar panel and batteries and they'd be in business.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Michael Babineau <mbabineau.ve3wmb@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
I think that the affordability of the uBITX could make it into a game-changer.
Many Ham clubs have money sitting in the bank that they don't know what to do with.
Just think, if only 500 clubs around the world would spent $1000 to buy?uBITX kits and distribute them to Hams around the globe from poorer countries, who need equipment but can't afford a transceiver, we could have almost?5000 more DX stations on the air.?
The IARU already has a program in place called STARS, to help promote Amateur Radio in developing nations, perhaps this could this would be a way to get uBITX rigs into the hands of Hams who need them?
Cheers
Michael VE3WMB
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Re: BITX40 - frequency spectrum - Raduino irradiation - intermodulation products -
#bitx40help
Jeff that cap mod for the LPF IS for the Bitx40.
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
I think that the affordability of the uBITX could make it into a game-changer.
Many Ham clubs have money sitting in the bank that they don't know what to do with.
Just think, if only 500 clubs around the world would spent $1000 to buy?uBITX kits and distribute them to Hams around the globe from poorer countries, who need equipment but can't afford a transceiver, we could have almost?5000 more DX stations on the air.?
The IARU already has a program in place called STARS, to help promote Amateur Radio in developing nations, perhaps this could this would be a way to get uBITX rigs into the hands of Hams who need them?
Cheers
Michael VE3WMB
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
In the spirit of resources for new hams and potential hams here are some links to websites I maintain:
On Fri, Dec 15, 2017 at 11:24 AM, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io <jjpurdum@...> wrote: I changed the topic to narrow the focus. You're right, Joe, the social media sites have a lock on young people. My club gives the FCC exams every month (except Dec.) for free and we always have people show up; sometimes as many as three dozen. Most are going for the Tech license to get their toe wet. Then they buy a 2M HT and we never see them again. I did run into one guy almost a year later and asked how he was enjoying his license. He said: "I haven't done anything for the past several months. It doesn't even let me do what my cell phone does." We need to get Tech's more than just a small slice of 10M in the HF spectrum. Otherwise, I think they are missing out on 90% of what ham radio has to offer. When I was a Novice, we had small chunks of HF (e.g., 40M) to play with. True, you were rock-bound and limited to 75W and CW, but I spent almost all of my time on 40M. Britain has had more success than we have with young people, and I think part of the reason is because they give their Tech-equivalent hams small slices of spectrum on all bands, including HF. They are limited to 5W, but at least they can chase DX. Other than the rare atmospheric events, DX on 2M is a couple of counties away with the HT that most end up buying.
I look around at my club and I can almost hear the arteries calcifying. I can say that 'cuz I'm two years younger than dirt so I know the aging membership issues quite well. We need some younger members; perhaps younger than those who are recently married and starting their families. The real solution: I don't know, but there are things we can do. I have a FB account, but probably use it twice a year. I'm not on Twitter. I need to root around there for a while and see what I can do for the cause.
Jack, W8TEE
-- Anthony Luscre
K8ZT Assistant Ohio Section Manager for Education Outreach ARRL - The National Association For Amateur Radio? ?
a@... (best for Education & Technology)
The Web Resource Hoarder- Web Resource Hoarder Blog
K8ZT Radio Website- My Radio Blog-?
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Re: Two little circuit boards for my Bitx40 txcvrs
I ordered the two little circuit boards as well.
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
If you want to attract a crowd (including the police!) go to a park, put up a portable antenna (mag loop, Buddipole, even a Hamstick), set up your radio with a battery or small (10W) solar panel, and start calling CQ. People are naturally curious when they see this. If you want a larger crowd, tell them you work for the gov't but can't tell them any more than that or you'd have to kill them.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 1:33 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
Given the shrinking urban spaces, we need to take the sota movement, combining radio and outdoors. weekend radio meets in parks, fox hunts and pedestrian contests are the way to go me thinks. - f
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
Given the shrinking urban spaces, we need to take the sota movement, combining radio and outdoors. weekend radio meets in parks, fox hunts and pedestrian contests are the way to go me thinks. - f
On 15 Dec 2017 10:12 pm, "WERNER G VAVKEN" < wernervavken@...> wrote: Jack, you are spot on. It is mission critical to get new hams ACTIVE both on the air (including HF) and also to get them on the road to get their hands dirty building hardware, including antennas.? The uBitx is a great way to do this that I will use next month¡see below. I ordered 8 of them and 8 plastic cases from BangGood.?
I am a retired EE with over 30+ years experience in designing hardware and radio systems from audio thru 40GHz. Teaching is my new passion. I have been teaching ham courses (and how to put science experiments on the ISS) at the high school level for over seven years. My ham classes (disguised with the name Satellite Tracking) is a high school level ?¡°science elective¡± and I offer it over three semesters to allow students to earn their Tech, General and Extra class licenses. Doing it over a 4+ month period, for each level, I actually get to TEACH the relevant material, have students build stuff and get them on the air. They also learn a lot about tracking satellites.
Every one of my new ham student ¡°earns" an Alinco DJ-G7 triband HT ?and an Elk LPA Antenna to track satellites if they pass the Tech exam. They also build an EggBeater antenna I designed and presented at recent Pacificon events,?
Next Semester they will each build one of the uBitx transceivers and a 40M dipole and they WILL get on HF!
BTW, Jack, we have a mutually close friend, Dennis -W6DQ, I manage the Collins Collectors Association West Coast Friday night NET on 3895 at 7PM. He is one of my NET control operators for that net!
Thanks for all you do for our Ham Radio hobby and, of course, your contributions to this uBitx, etc.
? 73¡¯²õ
WERNER G VAVKEN, WB6RAW Cell: 408-375-6165
On Dec 15, 2017, at 8:24 AM, Jack Purdum via Groups.Io < jjpurdum@...> wrote:
I changed the topic to narrow the focus. You're right, Joe, the social media sites have a lock on young people. My club gives the FCC exams every month (except Dec.) for free and we always have people show up; sometimes as many as three dozen. Most are going for the Tech license to get their toe wet. Then they buy a 2M HT and we never see them again. I did run into one guy almost a year later and asked how he was enjoying his license. He said: "I haven't done anything for the past several months. It doesn't even let me do what my cell phone does." We need to get Tech's more than just a small slice of 10M in the HF spectrum. Otherwise, I think they are missing out on 90% of what ham radio has to offer. When I was a Novice, we had small chunks of HF (e.g., 40M) to play with. True, you were rock-bound and limited to 75W and CW, but I spent almost all of my time on 40M. Britain has had more success than we have with young people, and I think part of the reason is because they give their Tech-equivalent hams small slices of spectrum on all bands, including HF. They are limited to 5W, but at least they can chase DX. Other than the rare atmospheric events, DX on 2M is a couple of counties away with the HT that most end up buying.
I look around at my club and I can almost hear the arteries calcifying. I can say that 'cuz I'm two years younger than dirt so I know the aging membership issues quite well. We need some younger members; perhaps younger than those who are recently married and starting their families. The real solution: I don't know, but there are things we can do. I have a FB account, but probably use it twice a year. I'm not on Twitter. I need to root around there for a while and see what I can do for the cause.
Jack, W8TEE
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
I thought I should have a radio in case of emergencies.? Then I thought about scale of emergencies, so I thought of SW.? But hams are working some emergencies so being able to listen to HF SSB would be good.? And if I'm in that big of an emergency then being able to talk would be better.
Back in the early 70s I'd run into a Heathkit catalog and saw the ham rigs.? I built their code oscillator to learn code, but never followed through.? A friend of my dad gave me an ARRL handbook.? That was always in the back of my mind.
Fast forward the emergency radio thoughts, and how big of an emergency.? I looked into getting my ticket, and after some online study passed my general about a year ago.? Got a cheapo HT and figured out how to use the local 2M repeater and did some rag chewing with locals.
I kept poking around the internet looking for ways to get on HF without spending a lot of money.? (Our first grandchildren have also arrived in the last couple of years, and they are another expensive hobby.)? CW can be done on the cheap, but I still haven't (I know!) learned code.? The BItX40 fit the bill very nicely; I didn't want to spend a lot of time building something.? I also found SDR, which feels like having one of those vans with five guys in the back looking for Jason Bourne.? So when the ?BitX came available, much to my surprise as I was thinking it would be another six to twelve months out, it pretty much filled out my basic wants.? Of course I still need to learn code, figure out the digital modes, build antennas, hack at hardware, learn Arduino/Raspberry code, and so on.? It'll keep my curiosity engaged for a long time.
Plus I get to interact with a new bunch of very interesting people.
PS? Don't get me started on the sorry state of mathematics education.
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Re: ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
All good points. When Sandy hit the East coast, ham radio was the only thing working for hundreds of miles. The cell towers were either down or non-functioning. A ?BITX, my 20000mAhr Li-ion battery pack, and a hunk of wire and I'm more valuable than AT&T.
Jack, W8TEE
From: Doug W <KD9CYF@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2017 1:09 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] ?BITX as a Tool for Recruiting New Hams
I remember hearing about ham radio as a cub scout.? It didn't appeal to me then because I only saw it as a way for cranky old men to argue with other cranky old men.? Two things that I think about a lot now that would have pushed me over the edge then are the fact that as long as you can find a battery ham radio works when nothing else does.? Be it hurricanes or zombies or whatever you can communicate to give help or find help.? Secondly, we have billions of dollars worth of radio spectrum that the government keeps out of the hands of big corporations as long as we keep using it.? I keep reading kids these days want to help and hate big business and big government.? With a few bucks and a wire in a tree you can address both.
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Fred Finster
N8DAH
Anthony Luscre
Arvo W0VRA