开云体育

On Sun, Jun 26, 2022 at 12:34 PM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:

With the proliferation of cell phones

I remember many ham radio construction projects that used analog telephone handsets as an core component in the design. They were a very common and available thing.

I think more new ham radio design should use a smart phone as a handset now, for the same reason as the old analog ones were used in the past. Smartphone are really available in quantity. And the ones that are not the latest model can be dirt cheap.?

I like esthetics, I like the smart knob. But, maybe some engineer/entrepreneur will decide to make something like it with reduced cost. I think it would look great. Looks are a big deal on most commercial rigs, so why not on personal projects. I do think that 100 pulse per revolution two speed dial shown in an earlier post is very cool, too.?

Always kind of amazed me that people fret about using a Nano and avoiding more powerful processors (or possibility multiple tiny processors), yet have no problem attaching a Nextion display that has a vastly more powerful processor to the Nano. Actually I have no issue around that either. Nextion displays at least were readily available and did their job nicely. And if the controlling processor is less powerful than the display peripheral, so be it. Well, until this chip shortage, the cost considerations of the power of the processors was unimportant. The ease of putting together the project was the important factor.?

Tom, wb6b

On Sun, Jun 26, 2022 at 11:59 AM, Jeffrey Benedict wrote:

crusty guy came back: "I LIKE KNOBS" in caps.

I'm a fan of knobs too.?

"Back in the day", when microprocessors were new and things like the 8080, 8748, 6800 and 1802 were state of the art, I proposed we use a microprocessors in one of the instruments we manufactured.?

This was a company that made a line of specialized process control and laboratory measurement equipment. Much of out systems involved measuring microvolt signals and micro-ohm resistance changes over long periods of time. For some of our equipment the measurements involves extensive curve fitting and functions like multiplications all done in the op-amp analog world. Although one clever engineer created a bistable oscillator using a CD4001 chip and some other trickery, that if you integrated the output could implement an accurate and stable multiplier. I believe he was able to get some other nonlinear functions as well. As long as you did not need sub-second response, this was an amazing little circuit we used in a few places.?

Because of the cost of the many parts needed to do the analog math and calibration of each system, I proposed building a new project with a microprocessor.?

Wow, was I shot down down in flames. I heard in no uncertain terms, that they did not want a keyboard and all sorts of codes and odd button pressing arrangements to make the operation impossible to understand for the user.

But the thing was I agreed. I explained that the front panel would look no different, a discreet switch or knob for everything, just as in our current instruments. I tried to get across that the internals of the circuitry and the extensive math done by complex finicky analog circuitry could be done more economically, and be more stable, with a microprocessor.?

But, I could never get them to hear that. Microprocessors equaled keypads and cryptic user interfaces. So I designed my next instrument in good old analog. At least I was able to make use of some new "zero offset" op-amps that came along to lessen the need for periodic return of instruments for recalibration. (That was the golden olden days where that was not seen as a profit center, we did not design things to need to be returned and calibrated more than necessary.)

My theory as to why you can't use reason to overcome unexplainable fixed opinions in the executive tier of the company you work at is that, the president or whoever is the blocking factor, has a neighbor in their exclusive gated community or a golf buddy that is a self proclaimed expert on the subject of some new technology with a understanding gained from gossip and trivialized articles in the business journals.?

Anything you say or logical reasoning you try will be crosschecked with the executive's favorite golf buddy/neighbor expert and steered back to the "experts" original opinion no matter what new information you try to present.?

Now if engineers knew how to make emotional appeals that somehow relate circuit stability and parts count to bigger luxury cars, more vintage wines at exclusive restaurants or maybe a private jet for the exec, you would have your argument made. But still will never have, as a engineer nerd, the same status in opinion forming as the neighbor or golf buddy.?

Tom, wb6b

OK, a new problem here. One of the IRF510 final heatsinks never was seated on the board from the factory. No big deal, it just sat higher and I compensated in the case to be sure it got cooling. However, in all the in and out and repair going on, those unsupported leads have been flexed back and forth until the outside leads broke. OK, I think I have a stock of replacements and I am still trying to get a bit of lead stil stuck in the hole out, but while I was looking I see what I have are IRF510N devices, although they were sold as IRF510 on the bag. A quick read of some data on the little transistor tester say the original had a C of 0.426nf? and a Vt of 8.4v while the IRF510N's are pretty consistently testing at around 1.4nf for C and 2.4v for Vt. Frankly, I don't know what that means. Can I replace just the broken IRF510 with an IRF510N? I'll certainly plan on rebiasing, of course...

=Vic=

Jeff wrote:
"Sometimes, we do things just because we want to do them."

With the proliferation of cell phones and satellite internet these days,
it's getting harder to justify my time spent on ham radio
other than to say "I want to do it".? Now that I'm retired,
I spend most of my time on hobbies like that.
For example, right now I'm off in the Bitx20 forum.

A nano driving an si5351 is way better than an old school analog VFO.
Having fiddled with drifty VFO's over the years, I'm ready to move on
to other challenges.

Those that find the smart knob compelling can have at it,
I'll instead marvel at the feel of a good off-the-shelf rotary encoder.
Spend my time on that long list of other uncompleted mostly useless projects.

Very cool about the space pen.
I would have loved to have had one when I was 12 yrs old.
Come to think of it, I might love to have one now in my late 60's.

Jerry, KE7ER

Sometimes, we do things just because we want to do them. ?I mentioned in another group something about computer controlldr HF rigs to be kind neat. ?A crusty guy came back: "I LIKE KNOBS" in caps. So, the VFO with the numerical and dial display plus a big know would be something Crusty Man would like. Or not. ?The tools we have to work with today can do a lot. When "useless projects" are completed, many skills are learn which might be utilized in more substantial, usable projects.

ObGroup: Had a "Space Pen". Worked well. ?Never had much need to write in upside down in outer space but... I had a Space Pen. I lost it somewhere. I was 12 years old. Thing happen.
--
Jeff, K7AIL ?CN87

raoul@...

B4 I desolder any pin (or order a new Arduino) I tryed an Old Arduino and the original display and I actually heard a broadcast around frq. 3758 (?)?
I noticed that the heatsink on the Arduino board is VERY hot
The story continues…

73 de sm0try

Ok i will check the IF frq., and try desolder the pins or find?
lose pins to solden to the Nano … or try to order nano with lose pins via internet (takes a while) …

Have you per chance installed the wrong IF frequency. Early models ran 12mhz and yours is 11. If it worked prior then it is not a mechanical issue I assume? the tuning dial works?? The software package is configurable.

You are right that the pins are on the opposite side of "normal".??
--
73
Dave

Thanks for Your reply all,
I have now bought a new Arduino Nano, ?I read somewhere that the pin should be soldered on the otherside of the board (sometimes). I just want to know if this needs to be desoldered or of it workshop out of the box. Picture attachés…

Ulf,

Can you please give us a little more information on the status before you made the screen change, which files you loaded into the Nano, and if you replaced the Nano before the upgrade?

The times that I have seen this problem, it was one of 3 things:
1 - Loaded the incorrect software
2 - Replaced the Nano and with it the calibrations
3 - Inserted the Raduino one pin off into the mainboard.

To Track down a hardware issue, I would take a piece of wire and start at the input to the LM386 audio amp and work the way up to the antenna verifying that you have a change in volume of any noise coming from the audio.

73
Evan?
AC9TU

Ulf,
on? you r screen you posted it looks like the spk is not highlighted. is it possibly muted for some reason? try plugging inn headphones to see if you have any audio at all.

73
David
ac9xh

ulf,

importing factory software, i believe,wont work on the nextion display since its for a tft display.

re-read post.so i believe you have to try the one of the older nextion software.. if it still doesnt work, rip out the nextion and go back to stock. after which install the n8me software for the tft.

73
David
ac9xh

Ulf,

That was just my take of it. Some here might have experienced the same problem,but since you put in a nextion display and uploaded different firmware, i would check the wiring ,making sure its 100% correct. then reload the software to nextion.Been awhile since i changed firmware on my ubitx v6,.if it still doesnt take care of it, i would re install the stock firmware and display. if the receive comes back, it means something is wrong with your upgrade to nextion display.

You might have a corrupted file?not a guru on software,just troubleshooting components,and such.

hope this suggestion helps. if not, Ask Evan, and others here who have lots more experience on this software matter.

73
David
ac9xh

First, check your antenna connections inside the rig,then check all other interconnecting cables.make sure they are all installed properly, then

I would re-install your stock firmware and display if nothing else is wrong.
if your receive comes back, you might have corrupted the uploaded file to the ubitx by some weird chance.



73
David
ac9xh

A good story, though not quite correct.? In the mid 60's,? NASA was using mechanical pencils (possibly leaving bits of graphite floating in the air) and the Soviets were using grease pens.? The Space Pen was developed independently by Fisher Pens on their own dime.? Both NASA and the Soviets bought them in bulk for $2.39 each, have been using them ever since.? The pen has many advantages, and is popular for those earth bound as well.? You can buy one today for around $20.



Jerry, KE7ER

I remember the 1960s space race. One of the challenges for the US was to make a ball point pen that writes in free fall gravity. We spent tons of money, I think for a while they were available to the general public.

The Soviets decided that they could use a pencil - duh-

The powered knob while cute doesn't really make things work better.?

My hands are? getting arthritic and needed more grip on some knobs on my antenna tuner. So made some knobs with handles.?

--
73
Dave

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Jack, W8TEE

Hi All,

I think i have messed up my uBTIX version 6 ;-(

Installed Nextion Display and KD8CEC Software ver 1.200. I can't hear anything och dont have any reception. I have tryed to do a calibration but I cant get the rig to receive anything.? I have tryed to import factory settings but it didnt help either.? Any help are appreciated;-)

73 de sm0try

That smart knob appeals to me about as much as
a smart refrigerator that orders eggs when we're getting low.
Which is to say: Not at all.
Unnecessarily complicated.

I'm with Dennis.??
Better off just spending more than $0.50 on a good rotary encoder.
Though the $0.50 ones work surprisingly well.

Jerry, KE7ER