Re: New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
Ah, perfect!
I can go camp out in this new forum and avoid
all the talk about new forums.? ? ;-)
Jerry
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On Sun, Aug 19, 2018 at 05:15 PM, Tom, wb6b wrote:
How about "uBITX tech" for all the technical topics, spurs, harmonics, amplifier engineering, IF conversion frequencies chains and gain, filters, measurement, math, software and such. Let the more general uBITX stuff remain in this forum.
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Re: New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
How about "uBITX tech" for all the technical topics, spurs, harmonics, amplifier engineering, IF conversion frequencies chains and gain, filters, measurement, math, software and such. Let the more general uBITX stuff remain in this forum.
Tom, wb6b
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Re: BITX QSO Afternoon/Evening, Sunday, August 19, 3PM & 7PM Local Time, 7277 kHz in North America, 7177 kHz elsewhere.
Hearing K9MV but cant seem to get back to him
Jay-WS4JM
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Re: New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
The name would be best if a quick scan of the name indicated what the group is about. Maybe HBTestEquipment. Still not short, but maybe a compromise. The home brew part could be figured out after the quick scan sees test equipment and one takes a look at the group. There may be enough interest for such a group, but is seems when these splinter groups are formed they get lost in the noise and die. Are there already established groups covering this topic?
As harmonics and spurs are a big uBITX topic at the moment, I'd want to hear about home brew measurement ideas and solutions here rather than search far and wide across the web for random solutions.?
I agree that software should not be separated into another group. Radios and software are completely bound together now days. Would be really hard to discuss complete solutions to problems or improvements or new modes and fun uses for the uBITX or any radios, if the conversation had to be disjointed with the conversation needing to take place in separate forums. The uBITX, because of its cost, is a catalyst for many ideas and uses. Of course, in many cases, software and most other topics here, there have been topics that drifted far off topic. That will never change and as long as it does not go too far can still be informative and interesting.
The uBITX is a software powered radio. When I tune around the bands I hear more digital activity than SSB. Although, I'm happy amazed on how much CW activity there is still going on.
Tom, wb6b
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Tops are flattened.? Likely indicates something is being driven too hard
and your seeing compression.
Allison
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Re: New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
Test gear and test methods.?
Home built and otherwise derived (inclusive).
Construction, calibration, standards, process, math.
Allison
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Re: BITX QSO Afternoon/Evening, Sunday, August 19, 3PM & 7PM Local Time, 7277 kHz in North America, 7177 kHz elsewhere.
Calling CQ on 7.277. I will be listening for a while
Jay Whiskey Sours for Jumping Monkeys
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Re: #bitx40 Article of BITX40 on CQ ham radio magazine of Japan
#bitx40
Hi Akira san,
congratulations for obtaining the certification for BitX40 from the Japanese authorities!
And thank you for publishing your experiences in CQ ham radio magazine.
Your efforts will greatly contribute to the promotion of BitX in Japan!
73 Allard PE1NWL
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Re: New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
Hi Arv,
Great idea, I hope your "spectrum receiver" features prominently :-)
Phrases such as Home Built Test Equipment should be search
engine friendly and describes the group adequately?
tempting to add one or more phrases like amateur or radio to avoid
the porcine connection...
But as you say it starts to get unwieldy....
As the test equipment is not necessarily for the BiTX or uBiTX then
a freshly created group is good.
re adding more BiTX20 focused software / accessories groups
it got shouted down before but I don't see the negatives to using
sub groups off this main one,
if its a related topic otherwise we are diluting the usefulness of
this group.
(Previously it was voiced that everything should be in one place,
and it is....
(if the thread title is not clear and sometimes even if it is:-)
scratch or self built kit questions, or BiTX40 questions get
interpreted as uBiTX etc etc, due to the shear traffic due to it's
recent popularity compared to how this list started.
The BiTX40 wiki is hosted on here, but what has become the go-to
uBiTX 'Wiki' is on Mike's site
(I'm not in any way undermining the value of what Mike is doing, but
there are now many resources out of the IOgroup pages ownership. Not
Mikes, Some of them offer perhaps out of date or misleading info))
Once we are over the current hurdle, I guess Farhan will continue to
add fresh contributions and the product of the month will change
again with 10's of postings a day on something else...
Maybe take a drastic step of changing the groups name, "BiTX20"
doesn't reflect a majority of the current posts, maybe relax the
name to incorporate the current prebuilt products
BiTX & uBiTX experimentation, development etc, group
confusion reigns.... :-)
Throw it all to another members vote??
Alan
On 19/08/2018 23:09, Arv Evans wrote:
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Hello
A
few days ago I mentioned an idea for starting a separate
discussion group for
home-brew
ham radio test equipment.? The idea still seems interesting
but I seem
to
be struggling with what to call the group.? It needs to be
short enough to type in
easily,
and still definitive enough to not be confused with equipment
for testing
pigs
or homemade beer,? Some possible options that come to mind:
- ???
(probably too long)
- ?
(Home Brew Test Equipment)
- or....?
There are probably a myriad of better names.? Any ideas?
My Linux NFS File Server has a Test Equipment directory
that already has
several ideas which could be used as a start for this new
discussion group.
I
am sure that others have similar card files or computer files
which would be
interesting
to the rest of us who like building our own test equipment.?
This
does
raise questions about how to differentiate hardware test
equipment
projects from combination hardware and software based test
equipment?
On
a slightly different direction........
In
the past there have been a few complaints about the amount of
software
discussion
here on the BITX20 forum.? That raises the question of
possibly
starting
a separate discussion group specifically for software that is
relative
to
BITX based equipment.? Again, if such a forum were
established, what
In
the case of Homebrew Test Equipment and a possible new
BITX-Software
group
we would need a couple of volunteer moderators for each group.
We
already have spawned an Antenna discussion group at
which
is working quite well.? The moderators are doing a good job
and some
interesting
discussion has started.
I
can start new discussion groups, but it is possible that
someone else could do
the same.? The process involves logging into the " create
a group" page and
filling
out the form.? The process is quite easy
and straightforward.
It
will not hurt my feelings if you want to start one of the
above groups, or another
group.?
If you have ever envisioned yourself as being the Lord and
King of a
discussion
group...Go For It !
Arv?
K7HKL
_._
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Re: Low Power Output for Hendricks BitX20A - Watt meters and Scope readings do not agree....
#bitx20
Allison, I am totally aware of the difference 1dB makes at the Rx end. Nil. ?
My point was that uncertainty of +-1dB gives quite a wide level of power levels expressed in Watts, which is the unit most Hams measure by.
As to SA levels of accuracy of 0.1dB that may be possible in today¡¯s very expensive SA¡¯s, I don¡¯t know, but those SA's usually not available to the average ham shack.
Which still means that it¡¯s difficult to measure accurately, attenuators and cables.? The attained measurement accuracy will be relative to the method used. And the accuracy of the standard they are measured against.
?
Glenn
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Re: A modern AD or SI5351/570 for an old dial !
And if you can find or fit one of appropriate size, replace 'in toto'. Could even give a 'dial pointer'.
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Re: New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
This forum has had an awful lot of traffic for the last six months,
but that may recede back to the levels of a year ago.
I'd prefer to keep the software discussion within this forum.
Regarding the test gear forum, I'd go with hamtest of the choices you gave.
Maybe hamtestgear, to avoid confusion with the FCC exams.
?
Jerry
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pix or it didn't happen Also, too meant to put this up earlier . for some guidance as to how the "big boys" do it, google "arrl lab test procedures manual" Maybe some insight ..Jim 
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Re: A modern AD or SI5351/570 for an old dial !
Should be possible to use the old HW7 mechanical dial to program an Si5351.. I assume the rig has the usual variable cap in the VFO for tuning, 180 degrees of rotation. One possibility would be to replace the variable cap with a high quality linear potentiometer, watch the voltage from the pot with an ADC? ?Use that measured voltage to program an Si5351. After mechanically installing the pot, use the ADC to measure the voltage at the bottom of the dial? and at the top for each band, and associate those ADC values with the dial frequency at those positions? All points in between are linear on both the dial and on the pot, and so should map well enough.? A 10 bit ADC is just barely sufficient, 12 bits would be better. If the dial is not quite linear, the software could perform piecewise linear interpolation. The Bitx40 used a pot for tuning, read from an ADC, programming an Si5351.. So the code is pretty much already written. I suggest you start with Allards codebase, he takes a number of measures to avoid? noise from the pot which would otherwise cause small jumps in frequency. ? ?? Alternately, use an ADC and digital IO pins to measure the existing variable capacitor: ? ?? /g/BITX20/message/52471Jerry, KE7ER
On Sun, Aug 19, 2018 at 02:05 PM, ajparent1/KB1GMX wrote:
This has appeared in may places...
it would be a royal pain to get a mechanical dial to encode to feed a DDS or 5351/570.
As other suggested a tiny oled display is a good way to go.
One I've seen was pretty slick but much more effort was to place a larger matrix
LCD (or oled) behind the existing slot and make a software moving dial display.
Takes a bit of programming to paint the dial (curved with dots and numbers)
and update it with a standard encoder.
To do that in the HW7 would be a lot of work.
Allison
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Re: Modular uBitx - "Ex: Harmonics"
Allison
Oh well, it was worth asking.
Randy, K7AGE
On Sun, Aug 19, 2018 at 10:38 AM, ajparent1/KB1GMX <kb1gmx@...> wrote: Randy,
Its not a drop in as you need about 13dbm (20mw) of drive.? Many of
the ills noted are before that.? Using Q90 and predriver stages would
give you that but,? by then its already not gain flat by any means.
It would not solve many of the issues by a long shot because of that.
A driver and predriver would be needed, better output filters are still
a must.? In a modular component system the modules still have to?
perform well.??
Allison
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New Group Specifically for "Homebrew Test Equipment"
Hello
A few days ago I mentioned an idea for starting a separate discussion group for
home-brew ham radio test equipment.? The idea still seems interesting but I seem
to be struggling with what to call the group.? It needs to be short enough to type in
easily, and still definitive enough to not be confused with equipment for testing
pigs or homemade beer,? Some possible options that come to mind: - ??? (probably too long)
- ? (Home Brew Test Equipment)
- or....?
There are probably a myriad of better names.? Any ideas? My Linux NFS File Server has a Test Equipment directory that already has several ideas which could be used as a start for this new discussion group. I am sure that others have similar card files or computer files which would be
interesting to the rest of us who like building our own test equipment.? This
does raise questions about how to differentiate hardware test equipment
projects from combination hardware and software based test equipment?
On a slightly different direction........
In the past there have been a few complaints about the amount of software
discussion here on the BITX20 forum.? That raises the question of possibly
starting a separate discussion group specifically for software that is relative
to BITX based equipment.? Again, if such a forum were established, what
In the case of Homebrew Test Equipment and a possible new BITX-Software
group we would need a couple of volunteer moderators for each group.
We already have spawned an Antenna discussion group at
which is working quite well.? The moderators are doing a good job and some
interesting discussion has started.
I can start new discussion groups, but it is possible that someone else could do the same.? The process involves logging into the " create a group" page and filling out the form.? The process is quite easy and straightforward.
It will not hurt my feelings if you want to start one of the above groups, or another
group.? If you have ever envisioned yourself as being the Lord and King of a
discussion group...Go For It !
Arv? K7HKL
_._
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Howard,
As a learning test bed and experimental platform its great.? I've had a lot of fun with
it and it has lead to other projects.? I'm sill playing with the Raduino as I write.
As a result a beat Atlas210X will get the ideas born with Raduino but in a old
school 5 band (80/40/10/15/10) radio but with modern ideas like split dual VFO,
and other tricks the Arduino/5351 combo can deliver.? That and a really nice
power amp for QRP.? ReAtlas210 maybe.? It was a good radio that worked
but that sample had a VFO that was really bad and someone hacked up
the power amp.? As many might now its also modular inside with the three
plug in boards.
Allison
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On Sunday, August 19, 2018, 12:24:04 PM PDT, Kevin Rea <reakevinscott@...> wrote:
Hi Jim, how do you connect the ubittek to the oscilloscope?
_._,_._,_
For two-tone test?? "ubitx">>>>dummy load>>>>Tektronix P6100 10:1 probe to hot end of dummy load QRP levels will not exceed scope limits (5 w ~ 40 V (p-p)
Jim
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On Sunday, August 19, 2018, 10:41:59 AM PDT, ajparent1/KB1GMX <kb1gmx@...> wrote:
Lets see if that is near the same on 20M. Allison
_._,_._,_
I expect to do another series at the dummy load soonest
Jim
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Jay - WS4JM
Allard PE1NWL
Alan de G1FXB