Dave,
Something like this will work on PCB wih drill set to shallow depth. I
use a 1Hp motor stand drill.
Raj
At 16/04/2021, you wrote:
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Ash,
Thanks for the construction tips.
What kind of saw do you use cut squares. A table saw set very low??
Maybe an angle grinder?
--
73
Dave
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Ash,
Thanks for the construction tips.?
What kind of saw do you use cut squares. A table saw set very low?? Maybe an angle grinder?
--
73
Dave
|
Re: Waiting with Bated Breath
Ken, I confess I have been quite new with the RPi series and had not heard of the 3A+, but it looks interesting, although 3X the price. In my case, my son gave me a Pi-zero "kit" to play with and I decided to see if I could make a cheap, lightweight and compact system to fit in the bag with my portable station. It actually works remarkably well making some allowances for processing power, and I've had many nice contacts that way. I will be demonstrating it at a local Maker Faire this weekend.
=Vic=
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Yet another designated driver on the information super highway. On Apr 15, 2021, at 9:23 PM, Tom, wb6b <wb6b@...> wrote:
In my High School electronics one of first projects was a one or two tube AM radio. The most fun part of the class was being there as students finally powered their weeks of works up, and just waiting for the various clouds of smoke --- and the best --- exploding electrolyte capacitors.?
In the same lab I previously mentioned, there was another project, a basic power supply, transformer, bridge rectifiers and a cap. Friend of mine built one and plugged it in and... bang, poof... electrolytic cap was bubbling. He yanked the plug but it kept bubbling. ?I looked it over and un-plugged the power supply. ?My friend had unplugged his soldering iron.?
The first students seem rather cavalier in powering up their radios. The following groups of students showed greater degrees of trepidation as they powered up theirs. Many, started checking out the available Simpson 260 VOMs from the tool cabinet and going over everything one more time before the power test.?
The prized construction tool of the day were Greenly chassis punches. You were an elite power builder if you had a set of those.?
Tom, wb6b
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On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 01:21 PM, Clark Martin wrote:
One was a simple metal chassis with three tube sockets mounted with various wires connecting pins (totally non-functional circuit) and all the wire nicely laced.
In my High School electronics one of first projects was a one or two tube AM radio. The most fun part of the class was being there as students finally powered their weeks of works up, and just waiting for the various clouds of smoke --- and the best --- exploding electrolyte capacitors.? The first students seem rather cavalier in powering up their radios. The following groups of students showed greater degrees of trepidation as they powered up theirs. Many, started checking out the available Simpson 260 VOMs from the tool cabinet and going over everything one more time before the power test.? The prized construction tool of the day were Greenly chassis punches. You were an elite power builder if you had a set of those.? Tom, wb6b
|
The goal is not 'just' an operational radio, it is also about demonstrating the design and build processes (as I read it). From their website homepage:
Educational Value Added This is meant to be an advanced Soldering project that those truly dedicated to soldering can assemble. It is meant to be practice in RF PCB design and Analog RF electronics. The project will also give local amateur operators access to a low cost rig while also learning soldering.
I don't think handing someone HF Signal's no-solder 'kit' would accomplish the same goal.
The end product, a "low cost rig," is almost incidental to exercise of practicing "RF PCB design and RF electronics."
As I see it, they took Ashhar's schematic, and collectively turned it into a well laid-out PC board, populated and soldered it, and then tuned and calibrated it.
I think it looks like a great class, and if it costs a bit more, it is well worth it, in my opinion.
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On Apr 14, 2021, at 06:26, Dennis Zabawa <kg4rul@...> wrote:
?It seems their BOM totals $190USD.? You can buy a basic kit w/ acrylic front/rear panels and mike, shipped via DHL, for $160USD.? I guess there is a price for education!
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I prefer al-fresco Manhattan construction...... presenting the Furlough 2040 - based on Pete Juliano's Simple SSB...? not so elegant looking - but a thing of beauty for me!?? I'm working with a Maker group of 20 guys now all building this scratch-built rig - not a printed board in sight!? Tough to toss in a backpack though!  73, Dean? KK4DAS
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Jerry
Wow half hour, those of us who did previous versions may be groaning.?
Yes there is no button for fast tuning, hence this feature. You might miss it when its gone, or you may wish to slow it down.?
You may need nearly 3 amps to go into transmit.?
Mod it as you please.?
Curt
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The doorbell just rang. It was a DHL courier with the UBITX. I just put it together. Calling it a "kit" is IMHO a little overblown. It was all of a half hour effort to bolt everything together. The only issues I had were
1. Tape residue on the top panel. WD-40?
2. The volume control shaft is *barely* long enough to get the knob on it.
I might want to chuck the knob on my lathe and turn it down a bit so it
can get a better bite without scraping the front panel.
In a hurry to try it out, I hooked it up to an old 3-terminal-regulator power supply with clip leads. I gotta say, it's a lot of radio for $200.
It passes the WWV test for frequency accuracy - tune 10Mhz and verify that USB sounds the same as LSB... I found the auto-fast-tuning a little disconcerting - whip the knob to get up to THERE, and all of a sudden it's in fast mode and way past. I might want to modify the firmware to change that.
- Jerry KF6VB
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Re: Linear Amplifier Build
Yes.
(3) Exhibit no amplification (0 dB gain) between 26 MHz and 28 MHz.
Vince - K8ZW.
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Show quoted text
On 04/15/2021 02:02 PM, jerry@... wrote: There used to be a rule that commercial linears could not work on
10M - companies would make them topping out at 15M, and offer a kit
to get 10M to licensed amateurs. Is that still in place?
- Jerry KF6VB
On 2021-04-15 10:58, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
Further, it refers to the input of the amp to the output of the amp,
not the internal stage(s). Many LDMOS amps I've seen have an
attenuator on the input port inside the amp. The 15db factor comes
before this attenuator unless the attenuator is mounted on the
outside.
Vince - K8ZW.
On 04/15/2021 01:57 AM, Dale Frye wrote:
There is a restriction in Part 97 section 97.317 that does place a
limitation of 15db gain on an external RF amplifier to receive FCC
certification. However certification is only needed for an external ham
RF amplifier constructed by someone without a ham license. (97.315)
So yes, there is a 15db limit but it does not apply to an external RF
amplifier used on the ham bands constructed by someone with an amateur
radio license.
--
K8ZW
--
K8ZW
|
Didn't say it would work for RF, only that it looked cool. Given all of the LEDs in the photo, it's probably not doing anything at RF. Al and I have fabricated PCB's using the same ground plane/etched pads technique and it works well and is quick, albeit not very pretty. Construction methods are influenced by what you're trying to do.
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, April 15, 2021, 4:26:13 PM EDT, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
The trouble with neat looking circuits is that they are invariably trouble at RF. In Manhattan construction, the pads for inadvertent capacitors of really poor quality that degrade the rf performance if filters,? leak away rf to the ground. By bending component leads sharply, you create small inductances that could even couple with each other. This is why, the ugly works so well. There are very miniscule capaictances, the leads are straight and point to point, and there is a good, large ground that works without a hitch. I have used a method if scoring squares on one side of a double sided copper clad board. To makena ground connection I drill a hole and solder the sqaure to the ground plane bottom layer. It works, sorta.the filters are shallower, but I can work with SMD without needing to print a board.
Actually, I find that pretty cool!!
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, April 15, 2021, 10:55:46 AM EDT, Tom, wb6b < wb6b@...> wrote:
On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 08:33 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
Squaring off all the wires like that was typical of radios built 100 years ago:
Maybe we should stare constructing like this. (below) Also can't wait to see the papers the students in the workshop produced. Like papers of page after page of pure calculus describing the uBitx in the longest possible of equations. Although, in reality, it might be fun to see some of the breakdowns of the design.? ------- ![]() --------- Tom, wb6b
--
Jack, W8TEE
--
Jack, W8TEE
|
The trouble with neat looking circuits is that they are invariably trouble at RF. In Manhattan construction, the pads for inadvertent capacitors of really poor quality that degrade the rf performance if filters,? leak away rf to the ground. By bending component leads sharply, you create small inductances that could even couple with each other. This is why, the ugly works so well. There are very miniscule capaictances, the leads are straight and point to point, and there is a good, large ground that works without a hitch. I have used a method if scoring squares on one side of a double sided copper clad board. To makena ground connection I drill a hole and solder the sqaure to the ground plane bottom layer. It works, sorta.the filters are shallower, but I can work with SMD without needing to print a board.
Actually, I find that pretty cool!!
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, April 15, 2021, 10:55:46 AM EDT, Tom, wb6b < wb6b@...> wrote:
On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 08:33 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
Squaring off all the wires like that was typical of radios built 100 years ago:
Maybe we should stare constructing like this. (below) Also can't wait to see the papers the students in the workshop produced. Like papers of page after page of pure calculus describing the uBitx in the longest possible of equations. Although, in reality, it might be fun to see some of the breakdowns of the design.? ------- --------- Tom, wb6b
--
Jack, W8TEE
|
uBitx v6 kit to amateur radio kits.in case upgrade
I purchased the
uBitx v6 kit and want to upgrade the case and display to
the
amateurradiokits.in Universal Case Black For uBitx Nextion
Display Fitting 5 Inch
I have looked
over the case and the pics all show the uBitx v5 board...
Has anyone
done this upgrade and if so any links to the instruction for
the upgrade.
Thank You
--
Sal P. De Franco
N6SPD
There are three kinds of people in this world:
Those who make things happen...
Those who watch things happen...
and Those who don't know what the !@#$ is happening!!!
|
Re: Linear Amplifier Build
There used to be a rule that commercial linears could not work on
10M - companies would make them topping out at 15M, and offer a kit
to get 10M to licensed amateurs. Is that still in place?
- Jerry KF6VB
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 2021-04-15 10:58, Vince Vielhaber wrote: Further, it refers to the input of the amp to the output of the amp,
not the internal stage(s). Many LDMOS amps I've seen have an
attenuator on the input port inside the amp. The 15db factor comes
before this attenuator unless the attenuator is mounted on the
outside.
Vince - K8ZW.
On 04/15/2021 01:57 AM, Dale Frye wrote:
There is a restriction in Part 97 section 97.317 that does place a
limitation of 15db gain on an external RF amplifier to receive FCC
certification. However certification is only needed for an external ham
RF amplifier constructed by someone without a ham license. (97.315)
So yes, there is a 15db limit but it does not apply to an external RF
amplifier used on the ham bands constructed by someone with an amateur
radio license.
--
K8ZW
|
Re: Linear Amplifier Build
Further, it refers to the input of the amp to the output of the amp, not the internal stage(s). Many LDMOS amps I've seen have an attenuator on the input port inside the amp. The 15db factor comes before this attenuator unless the attenuator is mounted on the outside.
Vince - K8ZW.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 04/15/2021 01:57 AM, Dale Frye wrote: There is a restriction in Part 97 section 97.317 that does place a
limitation of 15db gain on an external RF amplifier to receive FCC
certification. However certification is only needed for an external ham
RF amplifier constructed by someone without a ham license. (97.315)
So yes, there is a 15db limit but it does not apply to an external RF
amplifier used on the ham bands constructed by someone with an amateur
radio license.
--
K8ZW
|
|
|
Re: Waiting with Bated Breath
Vic,
Don't forget the "in-between" Raspberry Pi that sits between the tiny Pi Zero and the full-size Pi 3 and 4 - the Model 3A+ RPi. It has a quad-core processor but lacks the RJ-45 and several of the USB ports on a 'regular' RPi.
It is twice the size of a Pi Zero, but provides more processing 'umph' than the Pi Zero. Ken, N2VIP?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On Apr 13, 2021, at 04:27, Vic WA4THR via groups.io <vhklein@...> wrote:
?I have been doing the remote control thing for digital modes lately using a little Raspberry Pi-zero W which has built in WiFi. The intention was to act as a local hotspot when out in the boonies so I can use an inexpensive tablet to control it, but I have even left it connected at home and linked to it while waiting for a car repair many miles away and made contacts on FT8 and PSK31. The Pi-zero is a bit limited in processing capability, but cheap and the size of a stick of gum, so it was good for the lightweight portable application I intended. If size and weight (and cost) are not factors, better results could probably be had with one of the bigger brothers like the Pi-4.
=Vic=
|
Actually, I find that pretty cool!!
Jack, W8TEE
On Thursday, April 15, 2021, 10:55:46 AM EDT, Tom, wb6b <wb6b@...> wrote:
On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 08:33 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
Squaring off all the wires like that was typical of radios built 100 years ago:
Maybe we should stare constructing like this. (below) Also can't wait to see the papers the students in the workshop produced. Like papers of page after page of pure calculus describing the uBitx in the longest possible of equations. Although, in reality, it might be fun to see some of the breakdowns of the design.? -------  --------- Tom, wb6b
-- Jack, W8TEE
|
It does have a nice Faraday cage for shielding.
Jerry, KE7ER
On Thu, Apr 15, 2021 at 07:55 AM, Tom, wb6b wrote:
On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 08:33 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
Squaring off all the wires like that was typical of radios built 100 years ago:
Maybe we should stare constructing like this. (below)
Also can't wait to see the papers the students in the workshop produced. Like papers of page after page of pure calculus describing the uBitx in the longest possible of equations.
Although, in reality, it might be fun to see some of the breakdowns of the design.?
-------
|
On Wed, Apr 14, 2021 at 08:33 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
Squaring off all the wires like that was typical of radios built 100 years ago:
Maybe we should stare constructing like this. (below) Also can't wait to see the papers the students in the workshop produced. Like papers of page after page of pure calculus describing the uBitx in the longest possible of equations. Although, in reality, it might be fun to see some of the breakdowns of the design.? -------  --------- Tom, wb6b
|
Raj vu2zap
_Dave_ AD0B
Vic WA4THR
Bob Lunsford