This sounds an awful lot like the problem the NORCAL guys had when they released the 38 Special transceiver kit many years ago...They nicknamed the issue 'The Thump" .Not sure they ever came up with a solution..try to track down old issues of QRPp..there was a lot of discussion about it in there. There maybe some folks on QRP-L that were around during that era.

Brian K9WIS

The schematic that someone showed earlier was ingenious because it used one of the transformers as a stepUP transformer to drive the rectification circuit....that makes it easier to turn the transistor on and key the rig.

We went a little different in Alachua County with a 1-transistor simple audio amplifier before the rectification and we used a RELAY which DRAMATICALLY reduced our radio frequency interference impacts. I had 40 boards made and they are basically ALL GONE. Had to order three more recently. We had a lot of fun with this --- many of our members had never soldered before and knew nothing about resistors, capacitors and transistors....it was a lot of learning for everyone and benefitted our group tremendously.

I also use Signalinks where forced to, but this was way way way cheaper. Some of them we boxed inside 4" electricla boxes (which are dirt cheap).

Knowledge allows you to save oodles of $$$ as is obvious by the Farhan creation.....

Gordon


________________________________________
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of KC9SGV <kc9sgv@...>
Sent: Monday, January 8, 2018 4:59 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Going digital? #ubitx

The Signalink USB has it's own VOX circuit.
An opto coupler.
You will still have to make your own cables.
Around $120.
So the other options are cheaper.

Bernie,
KC9SGV


Sent from my iPad

On Jan 8, 2018, at 2:38 PM, B C <k9wis@...> wrote:


Yes...Isolate the radio from the computer using transformers and optos...bad things happen with rf and ac otherwise...

Check out this simple interface...Its the one I use..W9XT even shares the schematic


Brian K9WIS

The Signalink USB has it's own VOX circuit.
An opto coupler.
You will still have to make your own cables.
Around $120.
So the other options are cheaper.

Bernie,
KC9SGV


Sent from my iPad

And keep in mind that on the B40 the cap across the PA Power pins is only a 25 volt electrolytic.

Vince.

--
Michigan VHF Corp.

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Looks like that site has not added new drivers for radios in years... and the newest ones appear to be geared to VHF handhelds?

It seems like everyone is now focused on ubitx. I hope someone can assist me in getting my "old" bitx 40 up and running again. It has been down (receiving great, no transmit) for a few months. Today I decided to tackle it. Got a good light and a magnifier. I took voltage readings and compared them to Randy's voltage chart. Only 2 slight differences. Q15 gate reads .3vdc in receive normal in transmit and Q16 emitter reads .01 vdc in transmit normal in receive. When I check current in the PA power feed line all is normal but no increase in current drawn when I HALLOWWW. The PA bias setting is 120ma and I haven't messed with R136. Not sure how to set that anyway. I've checked continuity in my microphone line and temporarily changed mic elements. I've tried tracing the audio input circuit but dont have the right equipment to do an audio signal trace or inject an audio signal in the audio input circuit. Relay clicks sound normal upon PTT. Jerry Gaffke has published some nice troubleshooting information, but no luck so far. I think it may be something obvious. It worked when I last used it and didn't when I turned it on a month later. Help! ?Thanks, Mike

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Ups... !!!

We are working on similar approaches, but I'm on the draft board yet. Last night I was drafting a Chirp driver for the actual ubitx code I found here:

The firmware mod is trivial, the Chirp diver kind of trivial as I have a few years as an active Chirp's developer, some testing and validation will be required and that takes time (a week or so).

What is the latest killing firmware repository for the uBitx?

Would you like to manage settings and memory channels from Chirp for the bitx40 (v1 & v2) from Allard, and the latest killing firmware for the ubitx?

For those how don't know Chirp (), It's a cross platform (Linux, Windows, MacOS) python software with the LoTR philosophy:

"One software to program all radios"

Currently supporting about 200+? radio models from 28 brands () and with an active developer and users community.

Cheers, Pavel CO7WT.

I wrote and tested the Yaesu compatible CAT protocol. You can see it in the past posting.


I will release the firmware I made tomorrow. The program will also be release.

Currently, only the firmware I created can communicate, but the protocol added for uBITX only is within 20 lines.
Adding about 20 lines to the original source will probably work.

How to modify the original source will be posted later.

My vacation is short and I am working very busy to release the beta version of firmware I made so far tomorrow.
Most of the beta testers that we tested until last week reflected the opinions, but I hope to make something that is not done yet.
--
Best 73
KD8CEC / Ph.D ian lee
kd8cec@...
(my blog)

-- 
73 CO7WT, Pavel.

Yes...Isolate the radio from the computer using transformers and optos...bad things happen with rf and ac otherwise...

Check out this simple interface...Its the one I use..W9XT even shares the schematic


Brian K9WIS

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Hey, I got 2 SI5351 PCBs and Kits.? Better too!? Don't buy elsewhere.

Small or Lotsa Clocks with extra I2C Address and 8 clocks (the 20 Pin IC).

Ha.. Ha..? Ask Vince on this list about Lotsa Clocks!

Email for info, I got lots of PCBs.

MotDog@...
Mike, WA6ISP

If you're going to use the Si5351, take a look at QRP-Labs Si5351A synthesizer kit.

Jack, W8TEE

---

From: John P <j.m.price@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, January 8, 2018 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Digitally Controllable Heathkit Vacuum Tube Radio

On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 06:37 pm, Gordon Gibby wrote:

Using the bitx40 Raduino, I can fully tune (one any one band) the Heathkit SB-100 vacuum tube radio now.? ?In order to change to a different band you do two things:

Gordon. Are the details of your work published anywhere? I'm about to try the same trick on my?old Swan-250C (single band) 6 meter rig. I'm debating whether or not to use Jack's basic VFO circuit & software with an added Si5351?board to provide the carrier oscillator and calibration function, or to just do it all with the Si5351. I'm particularly interested if you had any issues with drive levels or square wave filtering between the digital VFO and the tube radio.

Thanks!
--
John - WA2FZW

-- 
Mike Hagen, WA6ISP
10917 Bryant Street
Yucaipa, Ca. 92399
(909) 918-0058
PayPal ID  "MotDog@..."
Mike@...

If your computer has a serial port ( or use a usb to serial converter) you should beable to configure the software to generate a ptt signal that would go to your radio's ptt port..I am assuming the uBitx has a ptt input ( I hope so, I ordered the ubitx to do portable digital)
Brian K9WIS

Subject: [BITX20] Going digital? #ubitx
Priority: Normal Date: Monday, January 8, 2018 9:23 AM Size: 4 KB
I've been wanting to get into the digital modes so I hooked the radio to the P-loop antenna and directly to the internal soundcard on my computer sitting on my office and was pleased at the waterfall on the 20m ft8 frequency. Wsjtx was quite busy with the decoding signals. As I understand it the radio needs a vox circuit in order to transmit. I've run across schematics but am a little intimidated by them. Does anyone know of a vox kit anywhere? I'm assuming such a kit would plug into the ptt?

On Mon, Jan 8, 2018 at 11:59 am, Jack Purdum wrote:

If you're going to use the Si5351, take a look at QRP-Labs Si5351A synthesizer kit.

I ordered a couple of the Adafruit boards. Basically the?same thing already assembled except for the header pins.
?
--
John - WA2FZW

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Thanks Jack,? given the current inability to get raduinos, that is a viable alternative that i've considred.

Right now I just built my first swr meter kit and have mapped out (this is new stuff for me!) how to connect the Adafruit si5351 to a nano to drive a resistive swr bridge (next project) and make an antenna tuner.? ? ?The swr meter kit I soldered last night is to make an arduino based SWR meter.? ?This is quite fun stuff!!!!? But I'm sure you know that.....

I have two Heathkits controlled by Raduino's current and the third is on the way.? ?Modified my code to have a small array to keep the various crystalls from several heathkits.

I should be able to get a single bander to work as well, and cover a wider frequency range than their original.? This technology is amazing.

cheers,

gordon

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It wasn't hard at all.? ?The levels appeared to be very similar and in my case the vfo of the tube rig was set for 50 ohms also.??

Plain old square wave, worked fine.? ?

Hven't formally written it up yet --- will have that done wtihin a week or two...here's an oveview document:

?

I have designed a little circuit to provide some EMP protection for the Raduino, and am waiting on boards to return....

Yes, sorry, I meant it was a shame that the LCD voltmeter module was very noisy.

On Tue, Dec 5, 2017 at 06:37 pm, Gordon Gibby wrote:

Using the bitx40 Raduino, I can fully tune (one any one band) the Heathkit SB-100 vacuum tube radio now.? ?In order to change to a different band you do two things:

Gordon. Are the details of your work published anywhere? I'm about to try the same trick on my?old Swan-250C (single band) 6 meter rig. I'm debating whether or not to use Jack's basic VFO circuit & software with an added Si5351?board to provide the carrier oscillator and calibration function, or to just do it all with the Si5351. I'm particularly interested if you had any issues with drive levels or square wave filtering between the digital VFO and the tube radio.

Thanks!
--
John - WA2FZW