Hi, I am getting a buzzing coming through the speaker on my bitx40. Oddly this seems to quieten or completely disappear when I wriggle the power in the back of the case?? Could this be ground related? I can¡¯t see anything obvious...?
Regards Carl.
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On Wed, Feb 28, 2018 at 9:37 AM, John <jjczon@...> wrote: Last week I received my uBitX. AFter wiring up I discovered that I didn't have power on SSB.
The next day when i wanted to investigate my problem I smoked U1 when I plugged in my headphones.
Tonight I unsoldered U1 and after that I powered up. Measured with the scope and I see a signal at the Mike input and on the collector of Q6. So that first part seems to be okay.
What would be the next step to backtrack the fault?
John
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Last week I received my uBitX. AFter wiring up I discovered that I didn't have power on SSB.
The next day when i wanted to investigate my problem I smoked U1 when I plugged in my headphones.
Tonight I unsoldered U1 and after that I powered up. Measured with the scope and I see a signal at the Mike input and on the collector of Q6. So that first part seems to be okay.
What would be the next step to backtrack the fault?
John
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Re: Kd8CEC: where is key type?
Thanks for your support..... 73's Carlos Ik2yra?
Il 28 feb 2018 03:05, "Ian Lee" < kd8cec@...> ha scritto: I saw the mail late because my long vacation was over.
In this semester, I would like to introduce uBITX to students.
so, I am busy making uBITX lecture materials before the new semester starts.
You can read How to CEC Firmware and various videos in my blog.
I found some things I recently uploaded and I linked them below.
About General features
About Memory Channel
About reducing CW Key error
You will also find some resources on the AutoKey (builtin s / w memory keyer), uBITX Manager and more.
Thank you for using my firmware.
Ian KD8CEC
--
Best 73
KD8CEC / Ph.D ian lee
kd8cec@...
(my blog)
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Re: I got my uBITX ... adventurous shipment !
hey Mike, don't take
it out on the poor old Volvo. If it happens to be a 240
series, it has the best 4 cylinder engine ever built. Dump
your old Abba records, rollmops, Bofors gun or similar,
instead!
Bill,VK7MX
On 27/02/2018 10:09 AM, Michael Hagen
wrote:
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Dirty Rotten
Bureaucrats!
I am for sure going
to Dump my Volvo!
Fearing the VAT Tax
here some day!
....
.. ? .... ..
73's
Mike, WA6ISP
On 2/26/2018 2:41 PM, Mikael wrote:
Santa came early this year.?
Finally got the package with my uBITX today. (Ordered Dec
21st)
Well... Now the fun Begins! Case and all other parts arrived
weeks ago.?
Forecast says snow and Cold weather for the weekend so
excellent for Indoor radio assembly
?
My uBITX got held back in Swedish customs for a
few Days and they? slammed me with 25% VAT plus handling fee
which added up to about 42USD
Cheap China packages is history for us in Sweden now since
postal office is introducing a handling fee of 9USD + 25%VATon
declared value
on ALL packages from 1st March regradless of value.
If I order something small for 2USD free shipping from
Aliexpress now - I will pay Ali 2USD and then 9,5USD in VAT
plus handling fee to get the package out in Sweden.
Been known for some weeks now but will be hundreds of
thousand packages already on the way that people never will
pick up now with the new fees
?
Regards
Mikael
--
Mike Hagen, WA6ISP
10917 Bryant Street
Yucaipa, Ca. 92399
(909) 918-0058
PayPal ID "MotDog@..."
Mike@...
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Results of MAX9814 in uBitx
#ubitx
After trying a few schemes I have settled on a MAX9814 circuit for the AGC.
I used the Adafruit board but there are a few variations on eBay with some probably requiring less hacking than the Adafruit design. I had to solder a wire on a SMD component to access the CT (time constant capacitor) pin of the MAX IC, and remove the Electret capsule.
I have attached the schematic and a few pictures of the AGC circuit as I now have in the rig. The 5VDC is taken from the Raduino board.??
Performance wise I took two sets of measures, one with the AGC turned down low and one with the AGC turned one third of the way up.
A few notes on the tests. I used an A/B comparison with an FT-817, with the pre-amp off, receiving??a carrier at 1,500Hz? from local radio stations (with attenuation). The FT-817 S-Meter seem notoriously non-constant in the steps between the S-units, but that is all the reference I have where I am. The AGC voltage is taken from the CT pin of the MAX9814.
The AGC voltage fluctuates quite a lot, so I tried to record the average value.
At high signal strength, to determine if the saturation was coming from the AGC circuit or the uBitx upstream, I would bypass the AGC and keep the volume down to prevent the audio circuit past the volume pot from saturating. If the harmonics of the audio disappeared, the AGC alone was producing distortion, otherwise it appeared at least before the AGC, and possibly in as well.
Here are the results:
1. "Medium" AGC: input pot turned to about 30% of full scale.
FT817? ? ? ? ?AGC
S-Meter? ? ?voltage(mV)? ? ? ?Notes
S0? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 0? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
S1? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?300
S2? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?350
S3? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?400
S4? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?460
S5? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?510
S6? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650
S7? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750
S8? ? ? ? ? ? ?1,700? ? ? ? ?Large variation. FT-817 S-meter S8 plateau issue?
S9? ? ? ? ? ? 2,200? ? ? ? ? Some saturation of AGC noted (starts to appear in audio FFT, not noticeable)
S9+10? ? ?2,460? ? ? ? ? ?Saturation of AGC audible, but not unplesant.
S9+20? ? ?2,460? ? ? ? ? ?Audible saturation of both uBitx and AGC (harsh sound).
The AGC kicks in early and keeps the volume pretty constant until saturation occurs. Saturation of AGC does limits the dynamic range of receiver.
1. "Low" AGC: input pot turned to about 7-10% of full scale.
FT817? ? ? ? ? AGC
S-Meter? ? ? voltage (mV)? ? ? ?Notes
S0 -S4? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?0? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??
S5? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 50-200? ? ? ? ? ? (100mv avg)
S6? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 200
S7? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 360
S8? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 500
S9? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1,260
S9+10? ? ? ? ?1,800
S9+20? ? ? ? ?2,300? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Saturation of both uBitx and AGC? (visible in audio FFT, but not really audible)? ? ? ? ? ??
S9+30? ? ? ? ?2,400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Audible saturation of uBitx and mostly of AGC.
This is the most "FT-817 AGC" like, from my perspective, and is what I have settled for.? I want to use the AGC voltage as an s-meter input and this setting does produce a gap at the bottom end, but this is not critical IMO.
In both cases I noted some small "clicks" when the AGC kicked in on strong sudden signals.?
The maximum gain of the MAX9814 as set in the schematic attached is of 50dB and requires screened cables in the audio circuit. I originally had the input and output of the circuit fed to a two core "stereo" screened cable and I would get feedback. I had to use two single screened audio cables.
73, John (VK2ETA)
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Re: ergonomic design of front panel
Tim, it was done with a drill, dremel, and finished with a file. Drilled a 1/4 inch hole at each corner inside the measured lines. Cut the straight parts with a dremel, and finished with a file. It is not perfect, but not hard once the measurements are done.?
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Anyone need a genuine uBITX Raduino?
#ubitx
I have two genuine Raduino cards.? One that's been used (the only modification to both of these cards is a 47 ohm 2 watt resistor in series with the 7805 regulator to drop the voltage a bit so it doesn't have to work too hard at input voltages of 12-13 volts DC.? I've also re-located the 7805 to the back side of the card so it doesn't get in the way of things. The second is basically new except for the 47 ohm resistor mod.?? Oh and both of these have the 4.7K resistor on the CW input installed between pin 2 and pin 3 so you can connect pin 2 directly to the tip contact of your key jack.
I am not going to use either of these Raduino's.? I'd like to get US $20 (plus shipping) for the older one and $25 (plus shipping) for the one that came in the kit I just got last week.
Please, if you're interested, lets take the discussion private so as not to clutter up everyone else's email.?? My email address is good on QRZ under W0EB.? I'd prefer to ship to US addresses as the minimum international shipping for these would be $14.25 US.
It's 10:30 p.m. here and I'm going to shut down for the night so I won't be able to answer any emails until tomorrow morning (US Central time).
Jim - Sheldon, W0EB
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Re: uBITX #933/2 is alive and well in Park City, Kansas
#ubitx
Hi Fred, Actually it's not a "dimple" it's a full blown crank. ?Got it off eBay for about 6 bucks US plus shipping - they are sitll available I think.
Jim
------ Original Message ------
Sent: 2/27/2018 9:40:34 PM
Subject: Re: [BITX20] uBITX #933/2 is alive and well in Park City, Kansas #ubitx
Jim,
I notice your VFO knob with the dimple.
Is that knob something that you can get new?
I have looked around for VFO/tuning knobs and I have not been able to find a new one at a reasonable price. I suspect that HF rig manufacturers might sell one from their rig range as a spare part, but I think the price will match the price of a uBitx.
73
Fred
VK2EFL?
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Re: uBITX #933/2 is alive and well in Park City, Kansas
#ubitx
Nicely done I can't wait to get mine.?
Just built the bitx40 recycled a case and had to 3d print the knobs. He sure used long stems on the knobs.?
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Re: uBITX #933/2 is alive and well in Park City, Kansas
#ubitx
Jim,
I notice your VFO knob with the dimple.
Is that knob something that you can get new?
I have looked around for VFO/tuning knobs and I have not been able to find a new one at a reasonable price. I suspect that HF rig manufacturers might sell one from their rig range as a spare part, but I think the price will match the price of a uBitx.
73
Fred
VK2EFL?
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I am not that surprised that you haven't had a confirmation yet. I orderd mine in the first week of January and have not heard anything yet, aside from an email apologizing for the delay. My friend ordered a ubitx in the end of December with DHL shipping and it showed up yesterday. As others have said, the tracking number should show up in PayPal, but that is about it.
Will
KG7YQB
Sent from ProtonMail mobile
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-------- Original Message -------- On Feb 27, 2018, 7:57 PM, K5ESS < k5ess.nothdurft@...> wrote:
While some say they¡¯ve received notifications I never received any.? Ordered on 18 Dec and received around Feb 8.? After it¡¯s been shipped your Paypal account will indicate such and give you a tracking number (at least if you had it shipped DHL). Mike K5ESS ? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of kc4nyk@...
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 5:25 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] uBitx questions ? I ordered on Feb 18th but as of yet have not gotten any confirmation by email or otherwise. I think last time (Bitx40) I got a confirmation of order and then when shipping. Just wondering if those notifications have changed. I's' not a big deal but these days if I don't hear anything I tend to assume the worse. :P
Anyway Great job on inspiring Ham Radio worldwide.!!
|
Re: Shipping notification
From the DHL tracking site:
| Wednesday, February 28, 2018 |
Location |
Time |
Piece |
| 6 |
Departed Facility in DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA |
DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA |
08:01 |
1 Piece
|
| 5 |
Processed at DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA |
DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA |
07:15 |
1 Piece
|
| 4 |
Arrived at Sort Facility DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA |
DELHI (NEW DELHI) - INDIA |
06:34 |
1 Piece
|
| Tuesday, February 27, 2018 |
Location |
Time |
Piece |
| 3 |
Departed Facility in HYDERABAD - INDIA |
HYDERABAD - INDIA |
23:26 |
1 Piece
|
| 2 |
Processed at HYDERABAD - INDIA |
HYDERABAD - INDIA |
23:06 |
1 Piece
|
| 1 |
Shipment picked up |
HYDERABAD - INDIA |
16:18 |
1 Piece
|
Estimated Delivery:Tuesday, March 06, 2018By End of Day
|
uBITX #933/2 is alive and well in Park City, Kansas
#ubitx
The Circuit Specialists extruded aluminum case arrived yesterday and I spent most of the day milling the display window slot (4 line by 20 character display) and getting the holes drilled for the jacks & switches.? Had errands to run this morning so I didn't get back to wiring it up until around 3 p.m. and smoke tested it about 7:30 this evening.? All the magic smoke is still firmly locked in all the components and it really runs well. I didn't bother even installing the Raduino that came with it.? I put one of our "RadI2Cino" I2C Raduino replacement cards in it.? I calibrated it to WWV at 5 MHz (couldn't hear the one at 10 MHz) and it was on the air.   
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Hello Tim, I am sure you will have fun with your uBitx. The more I work on this unit, the more I appreciate what a great achievement it is for the price point. Add a few circuits, Ian's software and you have a rig that had not much to envy from the commercial rigs IMHO. Back to the AGC. Yesterday I focused on the MAX9814 solution as I have ripped off the other schemes from my rig.? I found an error on my board which was limiting the AGC effect of the MAX9814 so it is much happier now.?
?
I also found the reason for what I thought was low signals distortion. It was in fact a very sharp impulse noise, I suspect the solar inverter next door as the noise disappeared in the evening as the sun went down (I am not at my home QTH at present so I am discovering the local QRN as I go). The FT-817 does pick it up as well, but since the uBitx sound level is a bit down even at max volume that noise was not that obvious with the AGC bypassed, but quite audible when the AGC was at max gain.
?
So far the MAX9814 solution has been the best from my perspective as I am trying to somewhat reproduce a commercial rig's AGC effect.
?
I am posting the results in a new thread, specific to the MAX9814. All the best, 73, John (VK2ETA)
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My notification was FROM paypal. You might want to check your settings in paypal.
Vince.
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On 02/27/2018 09:57 PM, K5ESS wrote: While some say they¡¯ve received notifications I never received any.
Ordered on 18 Dec and received around Feb 8. After it¡¯s been shipped
your Paypal account will indicate such and give you a tracking number
(at least if you had it shipped DHL).
Mike
K5ESS
*From:*[email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of
*kc4nyk@...
*Sent:* Tuesday, February 27, 2018 5:25 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* Re: [BITX20] uBitx questions
I ordered on Feb 18th but as of yet have not gotten any confirmation by
email or otherwise. I think last time (Bitx40) I got a confirmation of
order and then when shipping. Just wondering if those notifications have
changed. I's' not a big deal but these days if I don't hear anything I
tend to assume the worse. :P
Anyway Great job on inspiring Ham Radio worldwide.!!
--
Michigan VHF Corp.
|
While some say they¡¯ve received notifications I never received any.? Ordered on 18 Dec and received around Feb 8.? After it¡¯s been shipped your Paypal account will indicate such and give you a tracking number (at least if you had it shipped DHL). Mike K5ESS ?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of kc4nyk@...
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2018 5:25 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] uBitx questions ? I ordered on Feb 18th but as of yet have not gotten any confirmation by email or otherwise. I think last time (Bitx40) I got a confirmation of order and then when shipping. Just wondering if those notifications have changed. I's' not a big deal but these days if I don't hear anything I tend to assume the worse. :P
Anyway Great job on inspiring Ham Radio worldwide.!!
|
BITX40 carrier and low output
Hi everyone,
I recently finished mounting my BITX40 in a box and wiring up everything. The receiver works great, but I've got a couple of problems on the transmit side:
1) There appears to be a fair amount of carrier on the transmitted signal (confirmed by a friend about a mile away), at roughly the same amplitude as my audio. Is there a carrier null adjustment I can make? If so, how do I do it?
2) I also seem to have very low output power. My friend said the signal he was receiving from me sounded more like a half-watt than 5 watts, and when I hooked the rig up to a wattmeter, he was right on the nose - 1/2 watt out, and only when I really shouted into the mic (a standard computer mic/headset combo). At a normal speaking level, the meter barely moved. Does this suggest a problem with the PA? One note on the PA - I accidentally wired up the PA power line directly to the 12v input rather than the on/off switch, so it's powered up whenever the rig is plugged in. But I generally unplug the radio when I'm not using it, so it didn't seem worth the trouble to rewire it.
Comments or suggestions? Is there a mic gain control I can adjust? Suggestions for troubleshooting the PA?
Vy tnx & 73,
Rich W2VU
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Hi All,
I've too many project gathering dust, with a new uBITX recently arrived and a BITX-40 kit purchased in Dec 2016? still untouched!? ?So... the BITX-40 kit is for sale; $45 + shipping.
This is the original, non-Arduino version, which uses varactor tuning.? The board is completely assembled (in India), and a separate bag of controls, connectors and wiring.? Photos on request.
North America only; PayPal, money order, or good ol' cash.
Thanks & 73,
~ David, KG0EW
? ?Louisville, CO
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--
Mike Hagen, WA6ISP
10917 Bryant Street
Yucaipa, Ca. 92399
(909) 918-0058
PayPal ID "MotDog@..."
Mike@...
|
Jim Sheldon
_Dave_ AD0B
W4WKU