Re: ?BitX v4 no SSB output after mods
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On Thu 15 Jul, 2021, 5:16 PM Evan Hand, < elhandjr@...> wrote: Hi Jonathan,?
Impressive mods to your rig.??
I would add to Raj's suggestion that you check around the L5 and L7 mod.? Since CW does not use the BiDi amps, and you did modify the connection from the BiDi amps to the mixer, you may have gotten something misconnected, shorted, or open in that area.
Have fun finding the issue.
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Re: ?BitX v4 no SSB output after mods
Hi Jonathan,?
Impressive mods to your rig.??
I would add to Raj's suggestion that you check around the L5 and L7 mod.? Since CW does not use the BiDi amps, and you did modify the connection from the BiDi amps to the mixer, you may have gotten something misconnected, shorted, or open in that area.
Have fun finding the issue.
73
Evan
AC9TU
|
Plugged hand key in before changing setup for hand key - now, no transmit or side tone
#cw
#v6
Just got my uBitx V6 full kit. After completing construction and connecting the antenna and power, I turned on the radio. I plugged my straight key into the key port, and the radio went into transmit mode sending out repetitive dots (or dashs?). I did that a couple of times before I discovered how to change the setting for hand key. Apparently, the default mode is for using a keyer. After changing the mode to hand key, the radio no longer transmits, nor is there a side tone. When I press the key, the radio tx light comes on briefly and then shuts off.
It seems unlikely that putting a straight key into the key port when it is set for a keyer, should cause any harm, but that's what seems to have happened. I have no idea where to look for the problem. I am wondering if anyone else has encountered this issue and how they fixed it.
Thank you!
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Re: ?BitX v4 no SSB output after mods
Does the receiver work ? if it does then check if you got voltage on TX
in the bidi amps.
Q21/21/22 and Q40/41/42 ?
Raj
At 15/07/2021, you wrote:
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Show quoted text
Hi everyone,
I applied some mods to my ??BitX v4 tonight.?? In general they seem
to have worked, but I also seem to have lost the ability to transmit
using SSB (CW seems to work beautifully).?? I was wondering if
anyone could help me debug.
More details follow on the mods I applied and the specifics of the
problem I'm now encountering.
=== What I did ===
I applied to following mods, in the order listed, testing CW into a power
meter? + dummy load after each step:
1. Replaced the four relays near the antenna with the exact model of
Axicom relays suggested
().
This resulted in slightly higher power output (10-20%) on 160m through
20m, and less or no increase in power on 17m-10m.
2. Replaced Q90 and R81
(
)
This increased power a bit on some bands (especially lower ones) and
decreased it a bit on other (especially higher ones)
3. Replaced C81 (per above) and L5 & L7
().
Resulted in increased measured power on all bands, except no effect on
30m
4. Replaced the 6 2N3904s with TO18 2N2222As (checking specs for both to
ensure proper orientation) and doubled up the 4 adjacent resistors (per
Allison's fix above)
Resulted in much higher measured power, nearly twice previous
measurements on some bands, especially 10m, 17m, and 40m.?? Max I
measured is ~26W at 1900kHz and minimum I measured is ~4.3W at 21MHz
(although 21.2MHz was at ~9.3W).
I measured power at a list of 29 frequencies each time, and can send
numbers and/or a graph if anyone's interested.?? I can also send
pictures of the board.?? (Despite it basically being my first time
soldering SMD, I think I did a decent job with all of it.?? And my
solder removal skills definitely got some practice!)
Unfortunately I can't currently measure spurs or harmonics, but the hope
is that these fixes reproduce others' results.
=== Afterwards ===
After I tested power output with CW, I hopped around 80m, 40m, and 20m,
listening to FT8 and WSPR, and tried transmitting in both modes on
40m.?? After my WSPR transmit didn't seem to be picked up by anyone,
I put my power meter inline again and found that SSB doesn't result in
any power out (the relay clicks and the LED wired to the relay lights up,
but there's no RF), with either my computer hooked up (using e.g.
WSJT-X's "tune" button) or a microphone (+whistle test).??
The CW key still results in the power levels I measured after all the
fixes.
I also noted that there is a new smoky smell coming from the
board....?? Upon further inspection I noticed that some of the
2N2222As were a bit warm, but nothing else seemed out of the
ordinary.
=== What I've checked ===
Besides a visual inspection that didn't yield much, I checked the line
from the microphone itself to C60, and it does indeed conduct.??
Which leads me to believe that the problem is something on the
board.
Note that I'm running the ??BitX on a 3A 13.8V power supply.?? I
have a 3A fuse between power in and the on switch, which has never
blown¡ªbut 2.5A fuses used to blow any time I had a little too much
reflected power on some of the hotter (per original power measurements)
bands (not as much of a problem with my current antenna on most
bands).
I don't have much test equipment¡ªmostly just a simple multimeter.???
I might be able to get access to an oscilloscope if really
needed.
Any suggestions for things to check are welcome!
--
Jonathan, KD5CFX
|
?BitX v4 no SSB output after mods
Hi everyone,
I applied some mods to my ?BitX v4 tonight.? In general they seem to have worked, but I also seem to have lost the ability to transmit using SSB (CW seems to work beautifully).? I was wondering if anyone could help me debug.
More details follow on the mods I applied and the specifics of the problem I'm now encountering.
=== What I did ===
I applied to following mods, in the order listed, testing CW into a power meter?+ dummy load after each step:
1. Replaced the four relays near the antenna with the exact model of Axicom relays suggested ().
This resulted in slightly higher power output (10-20%) on 160m through 20m, and less or no increase in power on 17m-10m.
2. Replaced Q90 and R81 ()
This increased power a bit on some bands (especially lower ones) and decreased it a bit on other (especially higher ones)
3. Replaced C81 (per above) and L5 & L7 ().
Resulted in increased measured power on all bands, except no effect on 30m
4. Replaced the 6 2N3904s with TO18 2N2222As (checking specs for both to ensure proper orientation) and doubled up the 4 adjacent resistors (per Allison's fix above)
Resulted in much higher measured power, nearly twice previous measurements on some bands, especially 10m, 17m, and 40m.? Max I measured is ~26W at 1900kHz and minimum I measured is ~4.3W at 21MHz (although 21.2MHz was at ~9.3W).
I measured power at a list of 29 frequencies each time, and can send numbers and/or a graph if anyone's interested.? I can also send pictures of the board.? (Despite it basically being my first time soldering SMD, I think I did a decent job with all of it.? And my solder removal skills definitely got some practice!)
Unfortunately I can't currently measure spurs or harmonics, but the hope is that these fixes reproduce others' results.
=== Afterwards ===
After I tested power output with CW, I hopped around 80m, 40m, and 20m, listening to FT8 and WSPR, and tried transmitting in both modes on 40m.? After my WSPR transmit didn't seem to be picked up by anyone, I put my power meter inline again and found that SSB doesn't result in any power out (the relay clicks and the LED wired to the relay lights up, but there's no RF), with either my computer hooked up (using e.g. WSJT-X's "tune" button) or a microphone (+whistle test).? The CW key still results in the power levels I measured after all the fixes.
I also noted that there is a new smoky smell coming from the board....? Upon further inspection I noticed that some of the 2N2222As were a bit warm, but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.
=== What I've checked ===
Besides a visual inspection that didn't yield much, I checked the line from the microphone itself to C60, and it does indeed conduct.? Which leads me to believe that the problem is something on the board.
Note that I'm running the ?BitX on a 3A 13.8V power supply.? I have a 3A fuse between power in and the on switch, which has never blown¡ªbut 2.5A fuses used to blow any time I had a little too much reflected power on some of the hotter (per original power measurements) bands (not as much of a problem with my current antenna on most bands).
I don't have much test equipment¡ªmostly just a simple multimeter.? I might be able to get access to an oscilloscope if really needed.
Any suggestions for things to check are welcome!
-- Jonathan, KD5CFX
|
Re: Custom software/ screen question
I actually gave this a go, but discovered that my particular AGC's output wasn't very useful, and I didn't polish the feature at all, so didn't publish the code.
Reed
|
Hacking on the BITX40: New PA, filters, VFO and more
#bitx40
Hi everyone,
I've been hacking on my BITX40 since my late wife bought it for me in December 2016. I broke last year, and I just got it fixed and upgraded this week. Moved the IF to 11.0592mhz, replaced the PA, filters, and a lot more! I've got videos on my YouTube channel and an explanation with pictures on my site:
I hope it's informative for some of you who still hack on your BITX40's. They're great little radios to learn on :)?
--
Ryan Flowers - W7RLF
|
Dude check adafruit they have mini clips lady ada uses them !=8)
On Wed, Jul 14, 2021, 9:52 AM Bill Robbins < wa8cdu@...> wrote: Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but bear with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD alligator clips.? I have purchased new clips in bundles of 10 at ham shows, etc.? When pinched they tend to go side to side rather than vertically.? I search the web but don't trust the photos and representations.?
Anyone?
Bill
|
Hi please tell us the price in USD so I can pay. It looks like one board is going to cost me around 10 usd perhaps I'm wrong but sounds about right. Then whatever shipping costs.?
Hi Ramon,
Did you place an order for the boards ?
Best regards, Peter.
|
Hello Mike , try Hirschman products : german?quality .
73 HB9EFN Georges
On Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 6:02 PM Gerald Sherman < ve4gks@...> wrote:
You might? also look for "battery clips".? I have found some of
these to be a bit better, although they are bigger (and a bit more
expensive).
Sent by the Thunderbird
On 2021-07-14 10:46 a.m., Arv Evans
wrote:
Many
places sell similar items.? Just do a Google search for
"alligator Clips" to
see
what is available in different configurations.
Arv
_._
On Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 9:44
AM Bill Robbins < wa8cdu@...> wrote:
Arv and the rest.? Thanks for the responses.? Do you know
if you can get them with schrod and wired?
On 7/14/2021 11:29 AM, Arv Evans wrote:
Sometimes
we are our own worst enemy.? When you go for the least
expensive parts,
sometimes
you get just what you pay for...cheap parts, poor
performance, and so on.
Alligator
clips (crocodile clips in some countries) either have
mated indentations for
the
hinge, or a rod through both parts to make the hinge.?
The rod or axle type hinge
is
more accurate, reliable, and precise...but they do
cost more.?
_._
I
agree,a lot of alligator clips for the low current
circuit voltage type are very flimsy and tend to
twist.I happened across some better quality ones
at a UK radio rally and bought loads and made my
own up.All the fleabay ones I have seen are
flimsy.
Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but
bear with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD
alligator clips.? I have purchased new clips in
bundles of 10 at ham shows, etc.? When pinched
they tend to go side to side rather than
vertically.? I search the web but don't trust the
photos and representations.?
Anyone?
Bill
|
Ace Hardware has them.
Sent from my MetroPCS 4G LTE Android device
------ Original message------ From: Bill Robbins Date: Wed, Jul 14, 2021 10:52 AM Cc: Subject:[BITX20] Alligator Clips
Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but bear with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD alligator clips.? I have purchased new clips in bundles of 10 at ham shows, etc.? When pinched they tend to go side to side rather than vertically.? I search the web but don't trust the photos and representations.? Anyone? Bill
|
Re: Custom software/ screen question
hi James,
I do not know of a firmware version that has an S meter function and works with the stock v6 display.? The CEC versions work with either a character display like the original 16x2 display or a Nextion display.? The graphical display of the v6 takes up a lot of the scarce Nano resources to fill it out.? Not sure there is enough left to add any other features than those that come with the original firmware.??
You could try searching the messages on this list server to see if anything comes up.? Most that want an S meter function that I know of swap out the original display for a 2.8" Nextion and use the KD8CEC software.
73
Evan
AC9TU
|
Re: Custom software/ screen question
If the S-meter code was written for the Nextion, yes, you will need to alter the code. To me, the Nextion has a weird way of displaying things, requiring the use of their editor. Perhaps the good thing about it is that you can save a screen to an SD card, which means you don't chew up that memory while it's not being displayed.
Jack, W8TEE
On Wednesday, July 14, 2021, 1:09:25 PM EDT, James Pridgen <pridgenj@...> wrote:
Sorry for the maybe naive question but here it is. i have the uBitx v6 if i wanted to change the firmware to one that maybe compatible with a s-meter do i need to change the tft screen that came with the uBitx to the nextion??
I was thinking about using something like the CEC Firmware. Any thoughts?
James
K4BXJ
-- Jack, W8TEE
|
Custom software/ screen question
Sorry for the maybe naive question but here it is. i have the uBitx v6 if i wanted to change the firmware to one that maybe compatible with a s-meter do i need to change the tft screen that came with the uBitx to the nextion??
I was thinking about using something like the CEC Firmware. Any thoughts?
James
K4BXJ
|
You might? also look for "battery clips".? I have found some of
these to be a bit better, although they are bigger (and a bit more
expensive).
Sent by the Thunderbird
On 2021-07-14 10:46 a.m., Arv Evans
wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Many
places sell similar items.? Just do a Google search for
"alligator Clips" to
see
what is available in different configurations.
Arv
_._
On Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 9:44
AM Bill Robbins < wa8cdu@...> wrote:
Arv and the rest.? Thanks for the responses.? Do you know
if you can get them with schrod and wired?
On 7/14/2021 11:29 AM, Arv Evans wrote:
Sometimes
we are our own worst enemy.? When you go for the least
expensive parts,
sometimes
you get just what you pay for...cheap parts, poor
performance, and so on.
Alligator
clips (crocodile clips in some countries) either have
mated indentations for
the
hinge, or a rod through both parts to make the hinge.?
The rod or axle type hinge
is
more accurate, reliable, and precise...but they do
cost more.?
_._
I
agree,a lot of alligator clips for the low current
circuit voltage type are very flimsy and tend to
twist.I happened across some better quality ones
at a UK radio rally and bought loads and made my
own up.All the fleabay ones I have seen are
flimsy.
Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but
bear with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD
alligator clips.? I have purchased new clips in
bundles of 10 at ham shows, etc.? When pinched
they tend to go side to side rather than
vertically.? I search the web but don't trust the
photos and representations.?
Anyone?
Bill
|
Looking for the best?... Mueller??
|
Many places sell similar items.? Just do a Google search for "alligator Clips" to
see what is available in different configurations.
Arv _._
On Wed, Jul 14, 2021 at 9:44 AM Bill Robbins < wa8cdu@...> wrote:
Arv and the rest.? Thanks for the responses.? Do you know if you
can get them with schrod and wired?
On 7/14/2021 11:29 AM, Arv Evans wrote:
Sometimes
we are our own worst enemy.? When you go for the least
expensive parts,
sometimes
you get just what you pay for...cheap parts, poor performance,
and so on.
Alligator
clips (crocodile clips in some countries) either have mated
indentations for
the
hinge, or a rod through both parts to make the hinge.? The rod
or axle type hinge
is
more accurate, reliable, and precise...but they do cost more.?
_._
I
agree,a lot of alligator clips for the low current circuit
voltage type are very flimsy and tend to twist.I happened
across some better quality ones at a UK radio rally and
bought loads and made my own up.All the fleabay ones I
have seen are flimsy.
Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but bear
with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD alligator clips.?
I have purchased new clips in bundles of 10 at ham shows,
etc.? When pinched they tend to go side to side rather
than vertically.? I search the web but don't trust the
photos and representations.?
Anyone?
Bill
|
Arv and the rest.? Thanks for the responses.? Do you know if you
can get them with schrod and wired?
On 7/14/2021 11:29 AM, Arv Evans wrote:
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
Sometimes
we are our own worst enemy.? When you go for the least
expensive parts,
sometimes
you get just what you pay for...cheap parts, poor performance,
and so on.
Alligator
clips (crocodile clips in some countries) either have mated
indentations for
the
hinge, or a rod through both parts to make the hinge.? The rod
or axle type hinge
is
more accurate, reliable, and precise...but they do cost more.?
_._
I
agree,a lot of alligator clips for the low current circuit
voltage type are very flimsy and tend to twist.I happened
across some better quality ones at a UK radio rally and
bought loads and made my own up.All the fleabay ones I
have seen are flimsy.
Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but bear
with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD alligator clips.?
I have purchased new clips in bundles of 10 at ham shows,
etc.? When pinched they tend to go side to side rather
than vertically.? I search the web but don't trust the
photos and representations.?
Anyone?
Bill
|
Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.? When you go for the least expensive parts, sometimes you get just what you pay for...cheap parts, poor performance, and so on. Alligator clips (crocodile clips in some countries) either have mated indentations for
the hinge, or a rod through both parts to make the hinge.? The rod or axle type hinge
is more accurate, reliable, and precise...but they do cost more.?
_._
I agree,a lot of alligator clips for the low current circuit voltage type are very flimsy and tend to twist.I happened across some better quality ones at a UK radio rally and bought loads and made my own up.All the fleabay ones I have seen are flimsy.
Fellows builders.? This might seem trivial but bear with me.? I cannot find a source of GOOD alligator clips.? I have purchased new clips in bundles of 10 at ham shows, etc.? When pinched they tend to go side to side rather than vertically.? I search the
web but don't trust the photos and representations.?
Anyone?
Bill
|
|
|
Raj vu2zap
ETAPRIME