On Tue, May 14, 2024 at 06:19 AM, PJ2BVU wrote:
I am almost ready to order the board only and have a few questions.
Power consumption 9A which is 108W. Really? That must be for the original version with the 40W PA. What is the real consumption?
- This is wrong information. If you turn on the basic device, then (in case of a 12.5V power supply) 0.6A (8-9W), depending on the output power/band during transmission (8-20W RF) the current consumption is 4-6.3A (50-74W) I use a power supply with current limiting , because I don't like frequent replacement of parts.
Is there a good quality picture of the board somewhere? What I find is not very good. Most pictures also show a blue daughter board which seems to lay crooked on the board. Is this the? codec which would plug vertically to the connector next to it?
A clearly visible image of the v2 appeared around February last year, which is a purple pcb assembly. The current black pcb, it is harder to recognize the line routing here. The girl's board at RTC module, which has a 2032 battery holder (you have to buy the battery from the local dealer, because the supplier does not undertake the delivery of hazardous materials)
There is mention of a RTC. What kind of battery is used and does it come with the board.
Speaker connector: what kind of connector is used? I don't see any mention of a pigtail being provided with the board. Where I live I won't be able to find such a connector if it does not use Dupont cables and it will cost me a fortune to order one. It would be very much appreciated if a pigtail was included with the board.
- try to ask for this when ordering.
Output power for accessories: it would be nice to have such a feature - for example for an antenna tuner. Is there a location on the board to tap the 12V.
- Since you feed the power supply to the device via the XT60 connector, forget that you take the power supply out of there. Use a current-limiting external power supply if you don't like frequent component replacement. Otherwise, use an antenna that does not require a tuner. I have a vertical Delta Loop antenna that can be used on 3 bands. It can be used well on all three bands (7-14-21MHz (43.8m loop)
Documentation: I have problem finding anything. I found the schematics for the V3 board and that's about it. The Hello2 file is for the V2 version. Where can I find the V3 software domunentation. Being an open source project there must be a BOM, build instructions, ... somewhere. Where?
- Do not look for a parts list, you will find an electrical diagram in pdf format among the software published on github.
What are the differences berween the V2 and V3 boards.
The v2 was made with IRFZ24N and the v3 with IRF510.
I watched a Youtube video from KX4Z (Massively improved sBitx). He has a DE board so I guess most of his mods have already been made. I read that the oscillator has been rewired to another one from the 3 available so I guess the spurs problems are gone. What about the resistors to protect the diodes?
The DE version was the first stage of initial development, followed by v2 and currently v3. So the DE can be found with the developers.
Regarding the PI wouldn't a 4GB version be better? As I will also have to get a PI I will get a 4GB version, a 8GB would be overkill. The extra consumption between 2GB and 4GB would be negligeable compared to the 9A :-).
- RPi 4GB is more than enough for normal use. For me, the sbitx software controls the radio. I use jtdx and an external LOG program (cqrlog) for your digital modes. If you want to program or develop, you should have more memory.
Other members having ordered the board only are welcome to relate their experience and make suggestions about things I did not thing about.
- I have a v2 version without RPi, with display, housing, built-in speaker, so it is not necessary to purchase only the RPi, the rest are built-in. I have made some modifications in the last year. I only recommend the modifications I make to those who have already repaired and modified electrical devices and have an affinity for repair.
I hope I could help you.
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Gyula HA3HZ
HA3HZ