|
?I work only CW and reading what U guy's are saying, this may not be the rig for me. A good internal keyer is a must and with only one IF BW, this would not serve me well. I could add a good keyer module and a variable bandpass audio filter.....but, then the price as increased quite bit....
Any serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
_._,_._,_I
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it’s a 100$ radio, think some limitations are to be expected.
?
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Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Namens WB4AEG via Groups.Io
Verzonden: 21 December, 2017 18:39
Aan: [email protected]
Onderwerp: [BITX20] Cw only
?
?I work only CW and reading what U guy's are saying, this may not be the rig for me. A good internal keyer is a must and with only one IF BW, this would not serve
me well. I could add a good keyer module and a variable bandpass audio filter.....but, then the price as increased quite bit....
Any serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
|
Not very helpful....But tks anyway...
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-----Original Message-----
From: ron van doremalen (PA3FAT) <ronvandoremalen@...>
To: BITX20 < [email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 12:47 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
it’s a 100$ radio, think some limitations are to be expected.
?
?
?I work only CW and reading what U guy's are saying, this may not be the rig for me. A good internal keyer is a must and with only one IF BW, this would not serve
me well. I could add a good keyer module and a variable bandpass audio filter.....but, then the price as increased quite bit....
Any serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
|
Not meant to be rude, but it is what it is. And yes a separate cw signal injected instead of a software generated cw keying solution would have been better. The Arduino is not that powerful to handle all that it is required to do. It can
come close to some point. But the specifications and options available can only come via hacking and extending what is basically there.
?
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Van: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Namens WB4AEG via Groups.Io
Verzonden: 21 December, 2017 18:50
Aan: [email protected]
Onderwerp: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
?
Not very helpful....But tks anyway...
-----Original Message-----
From: ron van doremalen (PA3FAT) <ronvandoremalen@...>
To: BITX20 <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 12:47 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
it’s a 100$ radio, think some limitations are to be expected.
?I work only CW and reading what U guy's are saying, this may not be the rig for me. A good internal keyer is a must and with only one IF BW, this would not serve
me well. I could add a good keyer module and a variable bandpass audio filter.....but, then the price as increased quite bit....
Any serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
|
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From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of WB4AEG via Groups.Io
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2017 12:39 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [BITX20] Cw only ? ?I work only CW and reading what U guy's are saying, this may not be the rig for me. A good internal keyer is a must and with only one IF BW, this would not serve me well. I could add a good keyer module and a variable bandpass audio filter.....but, then the price as increased quite bit.... Any serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
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I operate mostly CW as well but I don't mind if the radio doesn't have an internal keyer.. But I am concerned about the ability of the radio to switch cleanly into CW without generating spurious dits and dahs in the process, as is being reported. Hopefully that's just a software fix.
Paul ZS2OE
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Thanks, I'm going to hide in the bushes and watch for a while...Hal/WB4AEG
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-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Smith <paulsmi55@...>
To: BITX20 < [email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 1:28 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
I operate mostly CW as well but I don't mind if the radio doesn't have an internal keyer.. But I am concerned about the ability of the radio to switch cleanly into CW without generating spurious dits and dahs in the process, as is being reported. Hopefully that's just a software fix.
Paul ZS2OE
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But it's TRUE! And part of the point is to hack it and improve
it. I'm amazed already overall for how clean it sounds overall for
a cheap general coverage radio.
John K0JD
On 12/21/2017 11:49, WB4AEG via
Groups.Io wrote:
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Not very helpful....But tks anyway...
-----Original
Message-----
From: ron van doremalen (PA3FAT)
<ronvandoremalen@...>
To: BITX20 <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 12:47 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
it’s a 100$ radio, think
some limitations are to be expected.
?
|
I use mine on CW (granted not in a while but that's another story) with a qrpguys keyer, I don't use the built in keyer. Works great no sig issues and with the nescaf I built into it runs top notch for RX now as well. Give it a go they are fun little rigs.
?
?73
? David
|
i have been using a straight key for sometime. i have found no glitches in the straight key. i used the iambic keyer just for a few quick QSOs. I am straight key guy, hence the keyer code will need some improvement. the cw is NOT generated with a side tone injection. The CW is generated by the SI5351 by putting it directly on the tx frequency. For those wishing to have a narrower filter, all you hve to do is to add another 220pf capacitors in parallel to the 100pfs across the ladder filter.
- f
On Fri, Dec 22, 2017 at 12:10 AM, N8DAH <Dherron@...> wrote: I use mine on CW (granted not in a while but that's another story) with a qrpguys keyer, I don't use the built in keyer. Works great no sig issues and with the nescaf I built into it runs top notch for RX now as well. Give it a go they are fun little rigs.
?
?73
? David
|
If you are fine with a straight key or with an external keyer of some sort,
then it should be quick to modify the sketch to remove the internal keyer and use?
the wire for keying as a digital input instead of being read through the A2D.
Removing the keyer would make room in Raduino flash for other stuff.
There is still a spare uBitx Raduino pin (soon to be used on some other feature, I'm sure)
so could use the current keying pin plus the new pin for dit and dah from a paddle
if you want the internal keyer to operate, both operating as digital IO.
Going to digital IO avoids the any delay in getting a response through the A2D
Perhaps inconsequential, but no A2D dependence just strikes me as far more robust.
On some rigs, if the dit line is low at power up, then it goes to straight key mode.
I'll probably have an internal keyer in the Raduino, and try Jack's i2c LCD display.
?
Jerry, KE7ER
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On Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 10:32 am, WB4AEG wrote:
I operate mostly CW as well but I don't mind if the radio doesn't have an internal keyer.. But I am concerned about the ability of the radio to switch cleanly into CW without generating spurious dits and dahs in the process, as is being reported. Hopefully that's just a software fix.
|
Ashar,
Thanks for the clarification on the CW mode. I too am a CW op and don't mind using an external keyer to give me all the memories and things as well. I am assuming that if the straight key works well, an external keyer should work well even at higher speeds?? Also, what is the time frame for the preorder/intro price of $109? When will the price go up to $129? I am thinking of seeing how the budget is after Christmas settles down. Thanks for the great support for the hobby! 73 Don VE3IDS
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The K1EL K16 keyer kit is only $20 and you can get a 1Khz / 300 Hz DSP audio filter module (pre-assembled) from SotaBeams for about $30 ...
that is only $50 total. ?You won't end up Ten-Tec QSK but it will still make a pretty decent little CW rig for < $200 total , which is hard to beat.?
Michael VE3WMB?
|
I'm well aware of all that but I'm still not a buyer ....?
?
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-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Babineau <mbabineau.ve3wmb@...>
To: BITX20 < [email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 3:57 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
The K1EL K16 keyer kit is only $20 and you can get a 1Khz / 300 Hz DSP audio filter module (pre-assembled) from SotaBeams for about $30 ...
that is only $50 total. ?You won't end up Ten-Tec QSK but it will still make a pretty decent little CW rig for < $200 total , which is hard to beat.?
Michael VE3WMB?
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SO,
being ever so helpful....
The QRP - LABS QCX: 5W CW transceiver
Mono Band, but a ground up CW only design, with inbuilt iambic A/B,
Straight key or Ultimatic modes. CW message memories.
high efficiency Class E PA stage optimised for battery operation
High IP3 Tayloe Detector/ IQ Mixer frontend, In-built HI-PER-MITE CW
filter, DSP assisted CW decoder. All self contained with no need to
tether to a PC for it all to work.
AND all for LESS THAN $50, so buy yourself two, one each for each of
your favourite bands....
Alan
On 21/12/2017 17:49, WB4AEG via
Groups.Io wrote:
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Not very helpful....But tks anyway...
-----Original
Message-----
From: ron van doremalen (PA3FAT)
<ronvandoremalen@...>
To: BITX20 <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 12:47 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
it’s a 100$ radio, think
some limitations are to be expected.
?
?
?I
work only CW and reading what U guy's are
saying, this may not be the rig for me. A
good internal keyer is a must and with only
one IF BW, this would not serve me well. I
could add a good keyer module and a variable
bandpass audio filter.....but, then the
price as increased quite bit....
Any
serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
|
?If what you want is a CW rig, specialized products designed specifically for exactly that goal may well be a better choice!
Others may choose a transceiver that can also do voice, psk, mt63, winlink, olivia, etc., and might not be? as well-adapted for CW.?
to each his own!? ?Ham radio is a diverse hobby, and manufacturers do the best they can in the niche they target with the ideas and materials they have with which to work.? ?Each has value.
cheers,
gordon
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SO,
being ever so helpful....
The QRP - LABS QCX: 5W CW transceiver
Mono Band, but a ground up CW only design, with inbuilt iambic A/B, Straight key or Ultimatic modes. CW message memories.
high efficiency Class E PA stage optimised for battery operation
High IP3 Tayloe Detector/ IQ Mixer frontend, In-built HI-PER-MITE CW filter, DSP assisted CW decoder. All self contained with no need to tether to a PC for it all to work.
AND all for LESS THAN $50, so buy yourself two, one each for each of your favourite bands....
Alan
On 21/12/2017 17:49, WB4AEG via Groups.Io wrote:
Not very helpful....But tks anyway...
-----Original Message-----
From: ron van doremalen (PA3FAT)
<ronvandoremalen@...>
To: BITX20 <[email protected]>
Sent: Thu, Dec 21, 2017 12:47 pm
Subject: Re: [BITX20] Cw only
it’s a 100$ radio, think some limitations are to be expected.
?
?
?I work only CW and reading what U guy's are saying, this may not be the rig for me. A good internal keyer is a must and with only one IF BW, this would
not serve me well. I could add a good keyer module and a variable bandpass audio filter.....but, then the price as increased quite bit....
Any serious CW ops using this rig?? Hal/WB4AEG
|
Allard's keyer is working quite well on the Raduino for the Bitx40v3, additional cost is $0.00
We have the two digital input pins available for dit and dah on the uBitx to get around the contact impedance issue.
Straight-key can be a config change, or just close the key at power up.
A good enough op-amp based audio filter should be possible with a couple dollars worth of parts
Plenty of examples in the amateur literature going back about 50 years.
A really good audio filter might go with a switched cap filter like the NESCAF,
the chip required there is between $1.50 and $7 depending on which flavor, where, and how many.
Clock it from a counter-timer on the Raduino.
That chip plus $0.10 worth of C's and R's is about all you need, maybe a switch to select it.
? ??
Good fast QSK might be a bit more difficult to implement, but certainly possible.
I'd prefer to go without the transmit-receive relays, examples of this for the Bitx40v3 have been presented
No, you don't need to double the price of the uBitx to use it for CW.
Jerry, KE7ER
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On Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 12:57 pm, Michael Babineau wrote:
The K1EL K16 keyer kit is only $20 and you can get a 1Khz / 300 Hz DSP audio filter module (pre-assembled) from SotaBeams for about $30 ...
that is only $50 total. ?You won't end up Ten-Tec QSK but it will still make a pretty decent little CW rig for < $200 total , which is hard to beat.?
|
Allards code needs you to choose the kind of keying you want. Perhaps, a back port of hus keyer will resolve this. We are waiting for him to get his hands on the ubitx... - f
On 22 Dec 2017 3:25 am, "Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io" <jgaffke= [email protected]> wrote: Allard's keyer is working quite well on the Raduino for the Bitx40v3, additional cost is $0.00
We have the two digital input pins available for dit and dah on the uBitx to get around the contact impedance issue.
Straight-key can be a config change, or just close the key at power up.
A good enough op-amp based audio filter should be possible with a couple dollars worth of parts
Plenty of examples in the amateur literature going back about 50 years.
A really good audio filter might go with a switched cap filter like the NESCAF,
the chip required there is between $1.50 and $7 depending on which flavor, where, and how many.
Clock it from a counter-timer on the Raduino.
That chip plus $0.10 worth of C's and R's is about all you need, maybe a switch to select it.
? ??
Good fast QSK might be a bit more difficult to implement, but certainly possible.
I'd prefer to go without the transmit-receive relays, examples of this for the Bitx40v3 have been presented
No, you don't need to double the price of the uBitx to use it for CW.
Jerry, KE7ER
On Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 12:57 pm, Michael Babineau wrote:
The K1EL K16 keyer kit is only $20 and you can get a 1Khz / 300 Hz DSP audio filter module (pre-assembled) from SotaBeams for about $30 ...
that is only $50 total.? You won't end up Ten-Tec QSK but it will still make a pretty decent little CW rig for < $200 total , which is hard to beat.?
|
I agree with Alan .. if what you want is a CW-only rig then go with the QCX from QRP Labs. This is a fantastic little mono-band rig at an amazing
price.?
Cheers
Michael VE3WMB?
|
Michael's suggestion of the SotaBeams audio filter for CW (and SSB) looks good, I assume his one: ? ?? Seems comparable to the NESCAF: ???? For a one-off, that's? good deal, scratch building would cost a week. Farhan's suggestion of using a 1.8432 mhz crystals for a CW filter in parallel with the 12mhz SSB filter? is also a possibility:?? /g/BITX20/message/36041?? Given the low crystal frequency and the narrow bandwidth required, we aren't too worried about ripple. Should be easy to reproduce, I'd try to get crystals from the same manufacturer and match frequencies. The switched cap audio filters would be far more flexible, but the crystal filter would do a better job of rejecting strong adjacent signals, and quite a bit cheaper.? Might require a separate tap on the impedance matching transformers. We might think of creating an auxiliary board as a kit for the uBitx with a CW filter of some sort and?a bunch of other stuff.? Perhaps good AGC (and manual RF gain) and an inline SWR meter.? Plus an AD8307 for use as an S meter and rf probe and sweeperino. Glue it to the back of the uBitx main board. The Bitx20A from Pacific Antenna has done away with relays, should give fast QSK: ? ?? They snuff out any transmitted signal into the receiver using a string of series and shunt NFET's. More typically, a PIN diode scheme is used, perhaps using 1n4007's as PIN diodes. See post? ?? /g/BITX20/message/32109and the thread around it for a discussion on using PIN diodes for a transmit/receive switch. Also of interest in the thread is the discussion about needing AGC prior to the audio pre-amp, as that pre-amp is a dynamic range bottleneck in the Bitx40v3 and likely in the uBitx as well. In the post, I suggest rectifying some of the transmit RF to create a DC signal to bias the pin diodes. Somewhere, perhaps in this forum, I later saw a circuit diagram that implemented something like this.? Saved a link to that circuit but have now lost it, does anybody have a pointer to that circuit? The band switching relays for the LPF's can stay, they won't be switching around much. But I'd get rid of the two transmit-receive relays using silicon devices. The rx ptt pop can be solved by Simon's NFET to shunt the audio to ground:?? /g/BITX20/wiki/AudioMutethe tx carrier burst perhaps by Raj's series cap. With all that, this could be a very nice CW rig. Jerry, KE7ER Jerry Gaffke wrote:
Good fast QSK might be a bit more difficult to implement, but certainly possible.
I'd prefer to go without the transmit-receive relays, examples of this for the Bitx40v3 have been presented
No, you don't need to double the price of the uBitx to use it for CW.
Jerry, KE7ER
On Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 12:57 pm, Michael Babineau wrote:
The K1EL K16 keyer kit is only $20 and you can get a 1Khz / 300 Hz DSP audio filter module (pre-assembled) from SotaBeams for about $30 ...
that is only $50 total.? You won't end up Ten-Tec QSK but it will still make a pretty decent little CW rig for < $200 total , which is hard to beat.?
|
N8DAH
Don VE3IDS
Alan de G1FXB