Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
Here is a comprehensive build of the cheapo Chinese amplifier with a circuit diagram and confirmation that it works too!!
On 12 July 2018 at 07:32, Michael P. Rioux <mike@...> wrote: I¡¯ve built two of the Hardrock 50¡¯s. They are great amps and pretty bullet proof. I¡¯ve used them on several trips outside the USA and they¡¯ve done a great job of getting my KX-3¡¯s signal out. I expect it will do the same for my uBitX if I ever decide on what display and cabinet to use¡.. Complete integration between the Hardrock and the ubitX should be doable the same as between the Hardrock and the KX-3. Too many projects, too little time.
73, Mike W1USN
On Jul 12, 2018, at 12:08 AM, N8DAH < Dherron@...> wrote:
Just my 2 cents. After getting two versions of the "cheapbay" amp I can say the best thing I did. Bought a proper kit like a WA2EBY and built it.The Hardrock 50 was also a great amp but the cost is pretty high. I have not used a HFpacker but know a few qrp guys that swear by them as well. If you really want 100W look at the HLA-150. I have had much better luck with building a known kit then trying to save a few bones on the cheaper kits with next to no info on them. In any event best of luck.
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David ?N8DAH
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
I¡¯ve built two of the Hardrock 50¡¯s. They are great amps and pretty bullet proof. I¡¯ve used them on several trips outside the USA and they¡¯ve done a great job of getting my KX-3¡¯s signal out. I expect it will do the same for my uBitX if I ever decide on what display and cabinet to use¡.. Complete integration between the Hardrock and the ubitX should be doable the same as between the Hardrock and the KX-3. Too many projects, too little time.
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On Jul 12, 2018, at 12:08 AM, N8DAH < Dherron@...> wrote:
Just my 2 cents. After getting two versions of the "cheapbay" amp I can say the best thing I did. Bought a proper kit like a WA2EBY and built it.The Hardrock 50 was also a great amp but the cost is pretty high. I have not used a HFpacker but know a few qrp guys that swear by them as well. If you really want 100W look at the HLA-150. I have had much better luck with building a known kit then trying to save a few bones on the cheaper kits with next to no info on them. In any event best of luck.
--
David ?N8DAH
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
Just my 2 cents. After getting two versions of the "cheapbay" amp I can say the best thing I did. Bought a proper kit like a WA2EBY and built it.The Hardrock 50 was also a great amp but the cost is pretty high. I have not used a HFpacker but know a few qrp guys that swear by them as well.
If you really want 100W look at the HLA-150. I have had much better luck with building a known kit then trying to save a few bones on the cheaper kits with next to no info on them.
In any event best of luck.
--
David
?N8DAH
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
I just received info that ebay will pay back all money as the trader had not provided any postal tracking number. Warning for the trader named kiss_buy. He seems to be on all major shopping sites.If a trader do not provide you with a registred postal number cancel the order by return. Inform the shopping site and if used PayPal accordingly.
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
I built the 70 watt model. I changed
the 2 IRF530s to 4 IRF520s. The IRF530s oscillated and failed
quickly. They also run very hot. The IRF520s run much cooler (2x
as many junctions) and are stable putting out 50 watts on 20
meters. The output on 15 and 10 is less, but the uBitx puts out
less on those frequencies. I am working on getting it working on
all bands, but for now I just use it on 20.
Howard
On 7/11/2018 8:42 PM, Richie Chambless wrote:
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The 45 watt and 70 watt amps use the IRF530, and I own both. They
do work, but not for long at the advertised power. It¡¯s very easy
to push too hard on the drive and blow the FETs. The 45 watt
version only takes 10 milliwatts of drive to get full power, so it
can be connected directly to the BitX 40 T/R relay with a 3 to 6
dB pad (bypassing the PA). You can get about 25 watts out on 13.8
volts. The 70 watt amp needs about 1 to 3 watts of drive to work,
but can produce 40 to 50 watts from 80 to 20 meters. The output
falls off sharply after that. Either way, but some extra
IRF530s... you will need them!
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
The 45 watt and 70 watt amps use the IRF530, and I own both. They do work, but not for long at the advertised power. It¡¯s very easy to push too hard on the drive and blow the FETs. The 45 watt version only takes 10 milliwatts of drive to get full power, so it can be connected directly to the BitX 40 T/R relay with a 3 to 6 dB pad (bypassing the PA). You can get about 25 watts out on 13.8 volts. The 70 watt amp needs about 1 to 3 watts of drive to work, but can produce 40 to 50 watts from 80 to 20 meters. The output falls off sharply after that. Either way, but some extra IRF530s... you will need them!
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Basic board test: 130ma @ 12.5 volts
#ubitx
Hello!! New uBitx V4 builder here. ?Instructions call for a plain board power up with no connections beyond power Jack. So I have no plug in cables at all. No ardunio. Nada. zip attached. ?With power 12.5v I get 130ma. ?This is above specs of 80-100ma. Is the extra 30ma due to the extra half volt above 12? Or do I have a problem someplace? ? Thank you all VERY much.
Don
Km4udx
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
That amp seems to be very similar to this one
but without the first stage and LPF.
There is some info on this one, if you search around the web. But some of the info is conflicting.? It puts out about 30-35W but like most of these cheap amps, power falls away from 40M up.
glenn
vk3pe
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Re: Inexpensive eBay Amplifier Kits
I ordered this PA and a low pass filter board three month ago. The items have not arrived. During several weeks I have now had email discussion throw ebay with this? trader to either send me a replacement or refund me. That has not worked out. The trader did NOT use any registred postal shipment which makes it impossible to trace the shipment. He did not even had my postal address when we discuss a replacement shipment. My advice. Do not buy anything from traders who do not use registred postal service. Do not use traders who has a US-warning on the PayPal service.
This PA will come without any schematics or essembly instruction something that is common for all DIY item from China. Don?t expect hem to send you any info after shipment. Luckely there are a number of instructions on the net which might help you to assembly this type of constructions. Many PA constructions from China seems to suffer from instability. Some of them use re-used outdated final transistors. They are cheap so you get what you pay for. Check on the net for people who has dealt with the DIY item you intend to buy before order.?
I have instead bought a ready assembled PA fully linear within .5 dB for 1.0-30 MHz- Input 100 mV and output 30-40 class AB SSB from Russia. Check RV3YF WEB site for more info and order instructions. Fast delivery with schematics. You need to add your own heatzink. He also have some interesting? s-meter and SWR display which I intend to add to the uBITX.
Ulf/sm0cgl
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Ludwig, John VK2ETA just posted a reminder of the diagnostic software he had created to test communication between the Nano and the SI5351 in a different thread. /g/BITX20/message/54073Very applicable to your situation. Regards, Gary
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Re: uBITX raduino no if output help please
Hello Mike,?
You may also try to see If the Arduino is communicating with the si5351 before changing the nano.
In the files section I uploaded some time ago a diagnostic sketch that tests if the i2c bus is locked (short on bus or other device pulling it down), if it can find the si5351 at the expected address and if it can talk to it.
It uses the serial monitor so the test can be done with the Raduino unplugged from the board to eliminate as many variables as possible.
73, John (VK2ETA)
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Re: Lousy Band Conditions
#ubitx
A while back 20m was almost dead for me.? Thought it could be the band conditions.? I live in a mobile home park and my antenna is 2 pairs of ham-stick type mobile antennas set up as 2 dipoles.? One pair for 20m and one pair for 40 meters mounted 90 degrees from each other 16' up on a paint pole.?? A single coax feeds a T fitting to the lower antenna, 40m, and then up to a 90 fitting feeding the 20m.? My top 90 went bad.? The moral of my story is if the band seems dead the check the antenna.? 20m was flat lined on my Youkits Analyzer. -- Lee - N9LO? "I Void Warranties"
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Allard, I reverted back to 1.09 (the other version that I downloaded some time ago from github) and I run through calibration. Everything works as it should now. I'll pass on 1.27.7 for now. Thank you! 73, -- Ion
VA3NOI
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Re: uBITX raduino no if output help please
Actually, Arduinos and Raduinos are ESD sensitive parts, although most of us don't always treat them that way.? They are so inexpensive and available that ESD damage prevention measures may not be warranted.? My Raduino and uBitX arrived in non-conductive plastic bubble wrap, not exactly a good way to prevent static discharge damage, but probably ok for what they cost.
If a single (or more) I/O circuit is damaged, the display may continue to operate normally.? The opposite can also happen where the display doesn't work properly, but everything else does.? Dont rule out damage to the Raduino board, either.? It, and the display are also ESD sensitive as well.
Sometimes a static discharge will only scramble some memory bits, but more often than not, it permanently damages some portion of the chip.
Sadly, you will not be able to see the damage.? In the old days, if your prone tip slipped, you would see a bright flash along with a great "zap" sound.? When you came to your senses, there was your radio playing happily away, but your probe tip was melted, or gone!? Today, if you get a tiny, even invisible arc, transistors throughout the radio will unzip like a zipper.? That is the price of the great progress we have made in the miniturization of electronics.
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Mark,
KE6BB
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Re: No CW Key Jack Wiring (Check My Work)
#ubitx
The wire colors have the same order as the resistor color code: black, brown, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet.? You labeled the connector "Raduino," so the "R" is at the violet-wire end, and the "o" is at the black-wire end of the connector as shown in the photo.
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Jon Titus, KZ1G
Herriman, UT USA
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Ion,
Do you see "loading standard settings..." on the display each time you
power on the radio?
If so, it means that for some reason your Raduino restores the "factory"
settings each time at power on.
This should normally only happen
- after a version update
- when the Function Button is held pressed during power on
- when the CAL wire is shorted to ground during power on
73 Allard PE1NWL
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On Wed, July 11, 2018 15:32, Ion Petroianu, VA3NOI wrote: Forgot to add that I flashed back to version 1.09 and I was able to
calibrate and the radio remembers the calibration and the last frequency
used.
Thank you again,
--
Ion
VA3NOI
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Hi Ludwig,
Surprised of no replies on this, so I'll throw out a few ideas to stir up the conversation.
From your description, it seems to be an issue with the I2C/SI5351.
1. I?doubt there is a software bug with KD8CEC v 1.080 that is the reason for your issue.? But, I recommend you use the same firmware you used before the 'incident' to remove this as a variable.
2. With a SI5351 sourced from Ebay, the questionability of the part is of course raised.? There are part variants.?(some may not be intended for general market release)? Could you share the part number from the actual unit you installed??
Based on the data sheet I believe Silicon Labs ships parts that are factory programmed?to allow the part to generate 'clks' at power-up (without a I2C connection required)
3. It is not a trivial?solder rework to replace the SI5351.? Not to question your skills, but are all the leads properly soldered, with no opens/ shorts?
You have measured signals on CLK0-2, but there could be an issue with SDA,SCL.
4. Since you have a scope :), you can look at the SDA,SCL signals?at the pull-up resistors and at the SI5351 leads.
5. SI5351 supports 2 IC2 addresses, in this package the LSB is hard wired.??The addr?should be 0x60, but there could be a slight chance the ebay one is 0x61
This can be changed in the firmware #define SI5351BX_ADDR 0x60? -> SI5351BX_ADDR 0x61? (simple and fast to give it a try)
There are many solutions to get?a microprocessor and SI5351 combination working again in your uBITX, so no need to worry.
You should also feel comfortable sharing the details of the incident with this group so we can better understand how the SI5351 and Arduino became Non Functional as it applies to getting your uBITX functional.
I am inferring for now that you only have an issue with the Radiuno board.
Regards,
Gary
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Re: NEXTION DISPLAY UPDATES For KD8CEC ver 1.094 up
Thanks Mark, haven't measured anything yet....if the Nextion on a
Sunil case proves unworkable, well, will just have to leave v1 uBitx
in the case and buy a shiny new v4 for the Nextion version, with a
homemade enclosure. And why not, I may ask! - Rich
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On 7/10/18, Mark M <junquemaile@...> wrote: I have one of Sunil's cases and was looking at a way to use a Nextion
without major butchering of the nice case. The 2.4" that I have looks
like it might just barely fit...I measured the height of the display as
about 43mm and the distance from the top edge of the front panel to the
top of the jack labels is about 48mm. The 3.2" display is about 47mm
high. Looks like either might fit but it would be close, if you don;t
want to cover up the labels. A bezel would add some to the size of the
display.
I have a second uBitX waiting to be assembled. I think I'll leave the
first one in Sunil's case with the 16x2 display (altho I swapped it for
white-on-blue version that I like better) and build the second one into
another case that I can set up the way I like it.
Also, I believe that Sunil is planning to offer cases cut for some of
the Nextion displays but I don't know how far along he is with that.
Maybe he'll chime in here with more info.
Anyway, just some info that may be of use.
(We might want to start a new thread about this.)
Mark AA7TA
On 7/10/18 7:20 PM, Richard Spohn wrote:
Thanks Joe. I think the size of my display then, will depend on how
much space there is on the panel...I bought one of Sunil's cases, and
now I'm thinking I could mount the correct size of Nextion in a bezel
with bolts mounted on the back that are spaced to hold the Nextion to
the front of the case, covering the hole in it that was meant for the
16x2. That could work pretty nicely. ...
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Removing insulation from fine wires
Many thanks all suggestions. Guy's was the best for me. Adjusted Radio Shack simple stripper and it works perfectly.
John Vo1jcc.
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Re: Lousy Band Conditions
#ubitx
Sorry Doug,
Got you confused with the OP.
Joel
N6ALT
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4Z1NT
N8DAH
Lee
Ion Petroianu, VA3NOI
Mark, KE6BB
Allard PE1NWL
Joel Caulkins/N6ALT