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Date

Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 09:23 pm, William R Maxwell wrote:

Hearing it over the time signal is why it is being suggested that you disconnect the dipole from your main rig and temporarily replace it with a short wire.

You won't harm the Yaesu at he power levels being produced by the Raduino.You are only using the Yaesu to "sniff" the output from the Raduino, in the absence of any other RF test gear.

Bill, VK7MX


Nope...not going to risk the HF rig at all. Five days and we're no closer to finding out anything except I bought junk. I appreciate the help from everyone...especially Gordon. You spent a lot of time walking me through things, doing sketches, etc and I really appreciate it. We started off on the wrong foot, but you're a good man. But, this thing isn't going to work and I'll never be able to fix it. My daughter knows I tried and she'll have to be satisfied with the pre-built one I bought....however it's configured. I'm not touching a thing on it.


uBITX works!

 

Simply couldn't resist haywiring the board and trying it out after getting it today! Despite the precautions about trimming leads, I left them untrimmed and all worked well! Photo enclosed... packaging, well, it's so much fun this way... no, I'll work on something...

On 40 and 80 meters it seems to receive very nicely for the broad filter on CW - no mike hooked up yet. Tuning pretty smooth and functions easy to figure out. Worked a few stations on 40 and 80 for the Wednesday night (Thursday UTC) CWT contest, and it was not too hard to pick stations apart even with the SSB width filter - above all, the sound was clean with several stations in the passband so we're definitely on the right track. Heard some pretty weak stations down to the noise and pulled out a QRPer I could barely read. I was happy to note the rig tuned down below 3.5 MHz down to the 160 meter band and into the upper AM broadcast band.

Issues to work on - and I of course will contribute. None are deal breakers for the kind of rig this is, but of course we can constantly help improve:

Pretty hard pop when it goes into transmit.

The keyer is cleverly implemented, but isn't very forgiving of mis-timings in transition from dit to dah. I'm sure there are limits with the multiple voltage scheme (plus you don't get iambic).

Straight keying was glitchy - whether it was my contacts or whatever, it kept going unresponsive or responding oddly to key presses.

Attaching my good old Wilderness Radio KC-1 counter/keyer made for good CW.

The only menu function that didn't work for me was changing the CW tone - tone changed but grounding PTT didn't make the frequency enter. Other functions where grounding the PTT line was required to confirm worked fine.

All in all - elegant simplicity overall, with just a few things the community can help improve - which is part of the point!

Thank you for this design and getting such a radio board out into the hands of the world!

John Seboldt K0JD
Milwaukee, WI


Re: Apology in advance if dumb question - How do I know my order has been captured?

William Londree
 

Well thanks to your local Postal Service too for the DHL delivery of UBITX. Sure was a pleasant surprise! I still remember the agony of waiting for the BITX40 lat year.

73

Bill

W6SDI


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 09:23 pm, K9HZ wrote:
Follow it through with the video. ?You will isolate the problem(s). ?Its almost fool-proof. ?Make a list and we can help you fix the problem areas.?

I can't. He says that has to be working to go on. It's not.


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

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Hearing it over the time signal is why it is being suggested that you disconnect the dipole from your main rig and temporarily replace it with a short wire.

You won't harm the Yaesu at he power levels being produced by the Raduino.You are only using the Yaesu to "sniff" the output from the Raduino, in the absence of any other RF test gear.

Bill, VK7MX


On 21/12/2017 3:53 PM, tausciam@... wrote:

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 07:59 pm, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
The tuning pot is connected between ground and +5 volts. When you tune it it varies the voltage going into on of the analog ports on the nano. That voltage is mapped and a freq is derived from that. Then the freq info is sent to the Si chip to make that freq happen. Without the pot connected that analog port is floating.
If it's at 5000, I'll never hear it. That stupid time station is way too loud. I have tried it though with the plugs still in....only unplugging it from the LCD so I could raise it up. Still didn't hear it.


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

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Follow it through with the video. ?You will isolate the problem(s). ?Its almost fool-proof. ?Make a list and we can help you fix the problem areas.?


Dr.?William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ

?

Owner - Operator

Big Signal Ranch ¨C K9ZC

Staunton, Illinois

?

Owner ¨C Operator

Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ

Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I.

Rent it:


email:??bill@...

?


On Dec 20, 2017, at 11:15 PM, tausciam@... wrote:

I just tried to start the troubleshooting video. First, it's outdated. Second, touching the antenna with a wire caused it to pop and crackle until I put it firm, but I didn't get increased noise.

This thing is just junk. I wasted my money


Re: uBITX Questions

William Londree
 

Or perhaps this one?

https://web.archive.org/web/20111018093646/http://w7zoi.net/lpf-expts/lpf-expts.html


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

I just tried to start the troubleshooting video. First, it's outdated. Second, touching the antenna with a wire caused it to pop and crackle until I put it firm, but I didn't get increased noise.

This thing is just junk. I wasted my money


Re: uBITX working, question about power, PTT pop, LOUD headphone output #ubitx

 

Correction. PTT does nothing but the encoder button only exits the menu. The change to CW tone does not take.

Regards Simon VK3ELH?


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 07:59 pm, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
The tuning pot is connected between ground and +5 volts. When you tune it it varies the voltage going into on of the analog ports on the nano. That voltage is mapped and a freq is derived from that. Then the freq info is sent to the Si chip to make that freq happen. Without the pot connected that analog port is floating.
If it's at 5000, I'll never hear it. That stupid time station is way too loud. I have tried it though with the plugs still in....only unplugging it from the LCD so I could raise it up. Still didn't hear it.


Re: uBITX How to wire key jack for paddles?

 

See picture for paddle wiring. Dot to ring dah to tip.

With code changes could be used for a straight key also assuming it has a mono plug. Read A6 at start up. If 5v run paddle code. If 1.6v run straight key code.

Regards

Simon VK3ELH


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 07:59 pm, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
What do you have for an antenna on the HF rig? Can you make it just a short piece of wire?
A dipole. Not going to change anything on it though. Not going to risk my HF rig over it. But, if I can hear the frequencies when we force it to a frequency, I should be able to hear it when it's tuning, shouldn't I?


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

actually, that pic shows 5 caps and 2 resistors. I suugest that it would be useful in these posts if you refer to components by their numbers on the pcb, for example C1, C6 or C5 for those closest to the Si chip. That will narrow down the effort for those of us looking to reply, as it is our normal mode of referring to them.

Bill, VK7MX


On 21/12/2017 2:47 PM, William R Maxwell wrote:

Nothing obviously awry there.


On 21/12/2017 2:06 PM, tausciam@... wrote:
Here is the picture of the Sis chip




Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Caps look fine to me. The two resistors can't really be seen from the at view, as far as the solder joins closest to the Si5153 are concerned but I would suspect that they are also OK.


On 21/12/2017 2:16 PM, tausciam@... wrote:

Do those two capacitors look bad to you? I didn't notice that before, but where the solder should be looks cratered in that pic


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

Vince Vielhaber
 

When you have the raduino out of the case, is the display no longer connected?

If you have it connected and tune to a freq, then disconnect it that freq is lost unless the tuning pot is coming with it. It should be at either extreme 7.0 or 7.3 but I'm not 100% sure what the extremes are in that. So you'll need to check near 5.000 and 4.700 but that's not a guarantee.

The tuning pot is connected between ground and +5 volts. When you tune it it varies the voltage going into on of the analog ports on the nano. That voltage is mapped and a freq is derived from that. Then the freq info is sent to the Si chip to make that freq happen. Without the pot connected that analog port is floating.

What do you have for an antenna on the HF rig? Can you make it just a short piece of wire?

Vince.

On 12/20/2017 10:46 PM, tausciam@... wrote:
On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 07:38 pm, Vince Vielhaber wrote:

Something just occurred to me. Without the raduino connected in the
case it's still going to do something. You just won't be able to
vary the freq. So with it connected to the USB, see if Farhan's
sketch works on 12.000 - whatever freq is displayed, or somewhere
close to it.

I can't tell which frequency is displayed, but I have tuned it to a
frequency, taken it out, hooked it up to USB and then tried to find it.
I did 12,000 - displayed frequency. Never found it.



I did remove the caps. They look fine to me.

--
Michigan VHF Corp.


Re: Apology in advance if dumb question - How do I know my order has been captured?

 

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I noticed mine got here fast, thank you Ash.

Joel?
N6ALT

On Dec 20, 2017, at 7:42 PM, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:

Our local post office refused to handle so many orders, so the gang decided to post all the usa ones through dhl anyway so you guys can get them all before christmas.
We didnt do that for europe because of their ridiculous custom duty that is invoked onky if we send it via dhl, so those stay with india post.

- f

On 21 Dec 2017 7:16 am, "William Londree" <ventura_bill@...> wrote:
Mine came via DHL though I did not order carrier service. I just assumed that Ashar and the Elves were adding a bit of Seasons Spirit for the early batch to get here ahead of Christmas.
At any rate, Thank You guys for getting it here early and let me know if additional charges are required.

73s

Bill

W6SDI


Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Nothing obviously awry there.


On 21/12/2017 2:06 PM, tausciam@... wrote:

Here is the picture of the Sis chip



Re: Help! I think I may have just ruined my 9 year old's Chanukah

 

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 07:38 pm, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
Something just occurred to me. Without the raduino connected in the case it's still going to do something. You just won't be able to vary the freq. So with it connected to the USB, see if Farhan's sketch works on 12.000 - whatever freq is displayed, or somewhere close to it.

I can't tell which frequency is displayed, but I have tuned it to a frequency, taken it out, hooked it up to USB and then tried to find it. I did 12,000 - displayed frequency. Never found it.

?

I did remove the caps. They look fine to me.


Re: Ordered the 10th, no tracking number yet

 

There was some trouble at dhl bangalore, it has been resolved. Await the shipment details soon.
- f

On 21 Dec 2017 6:58 am, "Gene Nitschke" <genenitschke@...> wrote:

Ordered on the 10th.

Received Paypal tracking on the 19th.

Received today 20th?(Upstate NY, USA)


Gene N2IJF




From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Charlie Morrison <charlie@...>
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2017 6:18 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Ordered the 10th, no tracking number yet
?

Hi Marco

?

Tnx for the info, But the radios are coming to UK via Royal Mail¡­maybe their tracking system will show something

?

73 , Charlie GI4FUE

?

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of M Garza
Sent: 20 December 2017 21:56
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Ordered the 10th, no tracking number yet

?

This is normal if ordered via India Post.? The radio is probably sitting at customs.??

You will be able to track it via the USPS website once it gets into their possession.??

This will take a week or two.

?

Hope this helps.

?

Marco - KG5PRT

?

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 3:32 PM, Charlie Morrison <charlie@...> wrote:

Same here Phil..no movement since 15th

?

Charlie ¨C GI4FUE

?

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of philip yates
Sent: 20 December 2017 18:58
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Ordered the 10th, no tracking number yet

?

Mines been sat with Mumbai Air since the 15th, after being inserted into bag ?

?

And thats as far as it has gone ? may need the helping hand of one of Santa's elves.

?

Phil - G7BZD

?

On Wed, Dec 20, 2017 at 11:16 AM, Raj vu2zap <rajendrakumargg@...> wrote:

I got the same mail one week ago, no sign of it (in India!)

At 20-12-2017, you wrote:
>I also ordered on the 10th. No indication about shipping so far although an email was returned saying it would be sent in the "next couple of days."


?

?

Virus-free.

?

?


Re: Apology in advance if dumb question - How do I know my order has been captured?

 

Our local post office refused to handle so many orders, so the gang decided to post all the usa ones through dhl anyway so you guys can get them all before christmas.
We didnt do that for europe because of their ridiculous custom duty that is invoked onky if we send it via dhl, so those stay with india post.

- f

On 21 Dec 2017 7:16 am, "William Londree" <ventura_bill@...> wrote:
Mine came via DHL though I did not order carrier service. I just assumed that Ashar and the Elves were adding a bit of Seasons Spirit for the early batch to get here ahead of Christmas.
At any rate, Thank You guys for getting it here early and let me know if additional charges are required.

73s

Bill

W6SDI