Dave,
I have a BITX40 unbuilt kit, as received from India.
Drop me an e-mail if you are interested. My e-mail address may be easily found on the 'net.
Regards,
Mark, G4FPH.
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Welcome to the group Ross.
I am sure you will enjoy the build. I certainly did. We are ready for your questions.
There are very knowledgeable people here (I am not including myself in that category, I know just enough to be dangerous..hihi).
All the best,
73, John (VK2ETA)
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
In Photos under my call (ab7vf)? I've uploaded photo of -20 db tap (goes between transmitter output and dummy load)
easy, peasy 20 db loss without adjustment ...scale it for -30 or -40 db as needed (change # of windings on transformer)
Jim
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Woohoo, ordered the ubitx just before Christmas and got it yesterday. ?Not since Western Australia is just down the way from India. ?Iwas in a radio club in high school, I am 63, so a late returner to the world of radio fun,expect queries. ?Cheers Ross?
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Re: KD8CEC - Nextion Display - IAN questions
Thanks for all the information regarding the Nextion Displays..
I have finally installed the 5" display and it works very well!
My question is, Has anyone devised a way to eliminate the buzzing
noise on the upper bands?
Kind Regards...
Rich
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
Hi, I've got a couple of these arriving on a slow boat from China.  Also ordered an assortment of fixed attenuators from the same seller. I'd rather overload and possibly burnout a 4 dollar attenuator than the programmable ones. This should help provide more accurate readings if I try to use any receiver SDR, RF Explorer or whatever.? I agree that if using a SDR (cheap dongle or otherwise) for harmonic measurements, it will most likely be necessary to put a notch filter on the fundamental frequency after it's level is measured. As overload will likely be an issue with all of these.? For indicating IM or other distortion around your signal, the SDR dongles may be a good way to monitor your signal. Although they may not provide "laboratory" precision, it is still good indicator. Also, somewhere I saw an article showing a small receiver that was basically a synthesizer?chip and a double balanced mixer, built by?Ashhar Farhan for testing his Cube-sat. I believe there was some mention that the circuit could be adapted into a more general spectrum analyzer. The less stuff in the RF path, the less stuff to overload.? Tom, wb6b
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
Personally, I am happy to see the SA, etc., discussions.
While I am not into doing this, it does make me stop and
think and I'm learning some things in the process. Also,
here and there are some side comments that have given
me some other interesting data to absorb and I appreciate
it. This is just my opinion, though. Use it as you willl.
Bob ¡ª KK5R
--------------------------------------------
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On Mon, 1/21/19, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io <jgaffke@...> wrote: Subject: Re: [BITX20] Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design? To: [email protected] Date: Monday, January 21, 2019, 2:06 PM Given the issues with spurs and harmonics, any talk of cheap ways to do an SA?seems entirely appropriate here.? Perhaps some would prefer not to think about it? A long winded discussion about a Bitx20 will raise objections here from a few of those who think it should be all about their uBitx. And hey, don't be talking about that software stuff! The HBTE SA discussion was mostly about stringing together a bunch of ebay modules to create an SA. The RTL-SDR's can be had on ebay, and require a bunch of other things strung in there with it to be a functional SA.? I don't see much difference. I'm happy to discuss this further either here or on HBTE. /rant > Since I now see objections to this thread from Mars I am out of it. Very cool! Who do you know from Mars? Jerry, KE7ER On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 10:40 AM, Bill Cromwell wrote: The HB in HBTE is for home brew. RTL-SDR and those other gadgets are not home brew. It's doubtful they belong there either. Maybe there is an RTL-SDR group somewhere. Since I now see objections to this thread from Mars I am out of it.
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Re: Good mic for Ubitx and Bitx40
I have had good audio reports using my Icom 7300 mic with the
BITX40.
Denis, WB8SKP
On 1/21/2019 10:45 AM, Daimon Tilley
wrote:
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I use one with my Yaesu FT891 and it seems fine. Not tried it with
the ubitx though.
Check? this out!
I have no clue how well this microphone would work for the
uBITX & such, but for <$30.00 it SURE looks impressive!
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
Thanks!
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On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 12:18 PM, Allen Hill wrote:
Hi guys, I've owned an RF Explorer for a couple of years now. It's not a Rigol, etc. But is an extremely useful instrument. The guts is a SILABS transceiver and a PIC controller. See the original website here, http://j3.rf-explorer.com.? Loads of info, you can drill down and get access to schematics and code.
I've used it for many radio and OTA TV measurements with great success. It's easily automated with Python SW (I've done it).
There are limitations, some mentioned on a thread in the HBTE forum. Let me know if you have particular questions and I'll try to answer them.
Thanks!
Allen Hill, KI4QCK
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Re: New ubitx CW not transmitting
Steve,
BINGO!? That fixed it.? Glad it was an ID-10-T error (software developer code name for "idiot" users) and not a hardware problem.?
Is there a good PDF user manual for us newbies?
Many thanks!
Allen KC8VRI
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
Hi guys, I've owned an RF Explorer for a couple of years now. It's not a Rigol, etc. But is an extremely useful instrument. The guts is a SILABS transceiver and a PIC controller. See the original website here, http://j3.rf-explorer.com.? Loads of info, you can drill down and get access to schematics and code.
I've used it for many radio and OTA TV measurements with great success. It's easily automated with Python SW (I've done it).
There are limitations, some mentioned on a thread in the HBTE forum. Let me know if you have particular questions and I'll try to answer them.
Thanks!
Allen Hill, KI4QCK
On January 21, 2019, at 2:21 PM, Evan Hand <elhandjr@...> wrote:
My thoughts are that as long as the cost fits in the cool toy range for your budget, then the RF Explorer is a reasonable way to learn about spectrum analysis without going in to the $700 plus toy range (some peoples toy budget are greater than mine:).? The advantage of even a low accuracy device like the RF Explorer you can have a reasonable expectation that it works.? There is less of a chance of an error in construction, and recourse to the supplier if there is an issue.? I know that I have learned a lot about SAs through the process, as well as RF measurements in general.? I know with some certainty that the weird results were more likely my process error, as opposed to the device not working.? If this would have been a kit I would have been looking for the construction error, instead of the operator error.
To my way of thinking, there is a spectrum (no pun intended) of probability of working out of the box, with for me the low end being the kit and the high end the certified test equipment.? With that you couple in the possibility of damage due to overload (I am still getting my head around attenuators and how to connect them to the uBitx) that I would be concerned that I burn out the higher priced device.
I do know that I will be purchasing either a Rigol or Siglent SA in the future.? ?I am just not ready to do so until I know more.?
A topic on how to connect or test the uBitx for spurs and harmonics would be a good topic for this group.? At this stage I can share how I used the RF Explorer to verify the 3rd order harmonic from 7.01 (there is code to prevent CW from working at 7.000mhz that I found out after a gut wrenching "OH NO" when I thought I blew the finals).? That would include the first ugly dummy load to the way that I created an attenuator out of a dummy load, rf tee connector and a piece of wire sticking out of the tee.? This would not be needed if there was a way documented on how to reduce and then restore the power out of the uBitx and yes I know that R1 can do this, just not sure how to set it back again at a point where I will not blow the finals on the lower bands.
Lots of possibilities, if only I were retired (again).
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Re: New ubitx CW not transmitting
In the settings menu, you will find the default keying mode is set to use an iambic keying paddle. Change that setting to use a hand key.
73, Steve, N3SB
On Jan 21, 2019 3:11 PM, "Bob Hart" < bjh141@...> wrote:
I Have the same problem with exactly the same symptoms.? ADC values go from 1023 to 0 when I press the key but ubitx does not go into transmit (no relay clicks). Software version 4.3.? Will have to check the source code to see what is happening.
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Re: New ubitx CW not transmitting
I Have the same problem with exactly the same symptoms.? ADC values go from 1023 to 0 when I press the key but ubitx does not go into transmit (no relay clicks). Software version 4.3.? Will have to check the source code to see what is happening.
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
My thoughts are that as long as the cost fits in the cool toy range for your budget, then the RF Explorer is a reasonable way to learn about spectrum analysis without going in to the $700 plus toy range (some peoples toy budget are greater than mine:).? The advantage of even a low accuracy device like the RF Explorer you can have a reasonable expectation that it works.? There is less of a chance of an error in construction, and recourse to the supplier if there is an issue.? I know that I have learned a lot about SAs through the process, as well as RF measurements in general.? I know with some certainty that the weird results were more likely my process error, as opposed to the device not working.? If this would have been a kit I would have been looking for the construction error, instead of the operator error.
To my way of thinking, there is a spectrum (no pun intended) of probability of working out of the box, with for me the low end being the kit and the high end the certified test equipment.? With that you couple in the possibility of damage due to overload (I am still getting my head around attenuators and how to connect them to the uBitx) that I would be concerned that I burn out the higher priced device.
I do know that I will be purchasing either a Rigol or Siglent SA in the future.? ?I am just not ready to do so until I know more.?
A topic on how to connect or test the uBitx for spurs and harmonics would be a good topic for this group.? At this stage I can share how I used the RF Explorer to verify the 3rd order harmonic from 7.01 (there is code to prevent CW from working at 7.000mhz that I found out after a gut wrenching "OH NO" when I thought I blew the finals).? That would include the first ugly dummy load to the way that I created an attenuator out of a dummy load, rf tee connector and a piece of wire sticking out of the tee.? This would not be needed if there was a way documented on how to reduce and then restore the power out of the uBitx and yes I know that R1 can do this, just not sure how to set it back again at a point where I will not blow the finals on the lower bands.
Lots of possibilities, if only I were retired (again).
73
Evan
AC9TU
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
Given the issues with spurs and harmonics, any talk of cheap ways
to do an SA?seems entirely appropriate here.?
Perhaps some would prefer not to think about it?
A long winded discussion about a Bitx20 will raise objections here
from a few of those who think it should be all about their uBitx.
And hey, don't be talking about that software stuff!
The HBTE SA discussion was mostly about stringing together a bunch
of ebay modules to create an SA.
The RTL-SDR's can be had on ebay, and require a bunch of other things
strung in there with it to be a functional SA.? I don't see much difference.
I'm happy to discuss this further either here or on HBTE.
/rant
> Since I now see objections to this thread from Mars I am out of it.
Very cool!
Who do you know from Mars?
Jerry, KE7ER
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On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 10:40 AM, Bill Cromwell wrote:
The HB in HBTE is for home brew. RTL-SDR and those other gadgets are not home brew. It's doubtful they belong there either. Maybe there is an RTL-SDR group somewhere.
Since I now see objections to this thread from Mars I am out of it.
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Re: New ubitx CW not transmitting
See attached photos of what I mean about going into "Settings" and the ADC value change when I press the key.? Sorry the poor photo quality.? In the second photo, I press the key and the value changes to 0 until I let up on the key, so it is seeing my key presses, yet, it will not go into TX mode during normal operation.? Just sits in RX mode and does nothing.
???
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Re: Spurs/Harmonics fixes for v4 based on v5 board design?
Hi Jerry,
The HB in HBTE is for home brew. RTL-SDR and those other gadgets are not home brew. It's doubtful they belong there either. Maybe there is an RTL-SDR group somewhere.
Since I now see objections to this thread from Mars I am out of it.
73,
Bill KU8H
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On 1/21/19 1:20 PM, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io wrote: The discussion here thus far seems appropriate for this bitx20 group.
If we're running off into the weeds on SA's much further though,
might want to move it over to the HBTE group.
Jerry
On Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 10:04 AM, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
There has been some discussion lately in
/g/HBTE/messages?expanded=1
about various approaches to building a spectrum analyzer.
--
bark less - wag more
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Re: New ubitx CW not transmitting
Hi Curt,
Thank you for your reply.
I think I have seen the diagram if you want to use a paddle, then you need to use use different value resistors for the dit and dah respectively.? I'll research that after I get the straight key working.
As I mentioned in my original post, going into the ubitx "Settings", specifically "6:Setup>Read ADC" the bottom line shows 1032.? When press the key, it changes to zero.? When I release the key, it goes back to 1032, so the Aurduino is getting the information, so the connections have to be ok - ???? Seems the Aurduino is not sending the information on to the TX relay/logic - ???
PTT and the mic work fine.? TX led changes, and I get motion on the power meter.
It's a mystery...
Allen KC8VRI
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Re: New ubitx CW not transmitting
Hi,
I have a V3 uBitX and now running the CEC software. I don't recall an "ADC" menu item so I don't know what that is for. I did just look through the setup menu on mine and I see "ADC line monitor". I will have to look it up in the manual to see what it's for. I must have blown by it thinking it is for some mod that I have not installed.
73,
Bill KU8H
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On 1/21/19 1:25 PM, howellubeen@... wrote: Hi Bill,
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, when I PTT the mic (and talk), the unit goes into TX mode and my external power/water meter moves back & fourth.? When I key down on the straight key, the display, nor the TX led, nor the power meter give any indication of CW being transmitted.
With the straight key installed, it stays in RX mode, however, the when I key from the ADC setting, the value changes from 1032 to 0 when I key down, so the Aurduino is getting the key press.? Seems the Aurduino is not sending the key press to the TX circuit - ???
--
bark less - wag more
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I have both. Two different radios. They have a lot ifsimilarities, a lot of differences. If you are only going to get one, get the uBitx as it is the entire HF band, not just 40 meters.
--
72 and God bless
KD4EPG
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Bob Lunsford
