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Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today

Pat Anderson
 

A big thanks to Bob Gass, N4FV, who has very patiently answer my innumerable stupid questions via emails!

The Raduino and the frequency display are assembled with the standoffs. The eight pin cable is attached, and the five pin cable is attached, although since the sixteen pin connection is on the opposite side of the Raduino PCB than the five pin connector, I don't know if I have the five pin cable on the correct end of the sixteen pin connector. See photo attached.The standoffs are attached to the main board and all the cables are plugged in.

I have ordered several other things, like a 10 turn pot, a 3" speaker, a couple of 1N4148 diodes for Q13 protection (the diode package is 100 pieces, not sure what I will do with the other 98!), and the 100 pF 100 volt capacitor for second harmonic reduction ("Minimum BITX-40v3 Hacks"). I will also fuse the positive side of the power in with a 2 amp fuse. Some of this stuff was ordered from eBay and is coming from China, so I have no idea when I will actually get it. My soldering station, matt and third had will arrive from Amazon today.

I spent some time in the wood shop on a wooden case or cabinet of 1/4" birch plywood, but I can see that won't work for the face plate. So I will either figure that out, or more likely, buy a nice custom case from amateurradiokits.in.? It really doesn't matter, since I am here in Arizona in an RV park with no antenna until April, so I am really nowhere close to starting to operate anyway.

Now, this may not sound like a lot, and it isn't, but I am MILES ahead of where I was when I first opened the little plastic box and felt a rising panic looking at all the kit parts!
Donald
 

Pat,

I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers. Palomar is just one company selling them:



Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.

Donald, KB5PWL
 

look at;

-----Original Message-----
From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today

Pat,

I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
Palomar is just one company selling them:



Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.

Donald, KB5PWL
 

Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

On Mon 25 Feb, 2019, 3:30 AM Truffies, <truffies@...> wrote:

look at;? ?


-----Original Message-----
>From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
>Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today
>
>Pat,
>
>I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
>Palomar is just one company selling them:
>
>
>
>Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.
>
>Donald, KB5PWL
>
>
>
>
 

I don't know why many choose to buy, rather than build their own wire antennas...

Here's how to make one>??

On Sunday, February 24, 2019, 10:59:31 p.m. EST, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:


Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

On Mon 25 Feb, 2019, 3:30 AM Truffies, <truffies@...> wrote:

look at;? ?


-----Original Message-----
>From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
>Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today
>
>Pat,
>
>I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
>Palomar is just one company selling them:
>
>
>
>Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.
>
>Donald, KB5PWL
>
>
>
>
Pat Anderson
 

Right on, and thanks, Ashhar, you invented a wonderful thing in the bitx-40! It will be a simple 66 foot dipole at home!


On Sun, Feb 24, 2019 at 8:59 PM Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

On Mon 25 Feb, 2019, 3:30 AM Truffies, <truffies@...> wrote:

look at;? ?


-----Original Message-----
>From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
>Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today
>
>Pat,
>
>I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
>Palomar is just one company selling them:
>
>
>
>Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.
>
>Donald, KB5PWL
>
>
>
>
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

In case you decide to build an end-fed, here's a link to a very popular design that's simple to construct and reportedly works great:

Link:??

eHam Reviews:??

Ken, N2VIP

On Feb 24, 2019, at 9:59 PM, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:

Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f
brad martin
 

Yep make one!? Super easy and saves you a bunch. Just rebuilt mine today (it was really ugly before) and they works great.? Mine is a 40-10m version so it includes the 100pf cap.

Brad
KG5SPR?



On Sun, Feb 24, 2019 at 11:30 PM Ken Hansen <ken@...> wrote:
In case you decide to build an end-fed, here's a link to a very popular design that's simple to construct and reportedly works great:

Link:??

eHam Reviews:??

Ken, N2VIP

On Feb 24, 2019, at 9:59 PM, Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:

Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

--

Donald
 

¿ªÔÆÌåÓý

Well, for me, I have already spent enough hours of my life looking at different websites, to find all the pieces parts for a project (the least enjoyable part of the process). Sometimes, I will spend more money for an assembled project, and have more time for radioing. It's the same reason I bought a Bitx-40 with pre-assembled boards.

Other people may have different reasons.

On 2/24/2019 9:59 PM, Ashhar Farhan wrote:

Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

On Mon 25 Feb, 2019, 3:30 AM Truffies, <truffies@...> wrote:

look at;? ?


-----Original Message-----
>From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
>Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today
>
>Pat,
>
>I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
>Palomar is just one company selling them:
>
>
>
>Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.
>
>Donald, KB5PWL
>
>
>
>
 

yeah, it was the same with me. i tried making all kinds of baluns, finally, i made an 'L' tuner for the efhw. it works very well.
- f?

On Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 12:31 PM Donald <donwestpwl@...> wrote:

Well, for me, I have already spent enough hours of my life looking at different websites, to find all the pieces parts for a project (the least enjoyable part of the process). Sometimes, I will spend more money for an assembled project, and have more time for radioing. It's the same reason I bought a Bitx-40 with pre-assembled boards.

Other people may have different reasons.

On 2/24/2019 9:59 PM, Ashhar Farhan wrote:
Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

On Mon 25 Feb, 2019, 3:30 AM Truffies, <truffies@...> wrote:

look at;? ?


-----Original Message-----
>From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
>Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today
>
>Pat,
>
>I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
>Palomar is just one company selling them:
>
>
>
>Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.
>
>Donald, KB5PWL
>
>
>
>
 

Exactly Frahan.
I have never bought a commercial antenna and have always made my own including a 2 El Quad for 20, 15 and 10M.
This includes antennas from 160 to 2M, including 6 and 4M.
Have a look at a simple vertical using a fibreglass extendable fishing rod.

I used to do the MARL Magazine between 2005 - 2011 in both Maltese and English, but then other priorities and lack of time took over.
You can go to? and download all the issues?
Regards
Lawrence

On Mon, Feb 25, 2019 at 3:59 AM Ashhar Farhan <farhanbox@...> wrote:
Why would you buy it? Just get 66 feet of any wire from home depot and wind your own transformer.
- f

On Mon 25 Feb, 2019, 3:30 AM Truffies, <truffies@...> wrote:

look at;? ?


-----Original Message-----
>From: Donald <donwestpwl@...>
>Sent: Feb 24, 2019 2:37 PM
>To: [email protected]
>Subject: Re: [BITX20] Bitx-40 - Where I Am Today
>
>Pat,
>
>I have heard that end-fed antennas are becoming popular with RVers.
>Palomar is just one company selling them:
>
>
>
>Their site also has some information on that type of antenna.
>
>Donald, KB5PWL
>
>
>
>

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