On Sep 16, 2023, at 09:07, Jeff Kelly via groups.io <jkelly@...> wrote:

?

FS Sbitx V2. (No Pi)

Never transmitted. Mint. Minus RPI version. I have Pi‘s if needed. $325 plus ship CONUS only.

Jeff

K2SDR

On Sep 16, 2023, at 14:06, Gordon Gibby <docvacuumtubes@...> wrote:

?Still available?? ?How should I pay you?
Gordon KX4Z

On Sep 16, 2023, at 15:31, Ken N2VIP <ken@...> wrote:

?Gordon,

Have you tried contacting the seller directly?

Ken, N2VIP

On Sep 16, 2023, at 14:06, Gordon Gibby <docvacuumtubes@...> wrote:

?Still available?? ?How should I pay you?
Gordon KX4Z

On Sep 16, 2023, at 3:42 PM, Gordon Gibby <docvacuumtubes@...> wrote:

?Well I just don’t quite know how!

On Sep 16, 2023, at 15:31, Ken N2VIP <ken@...> wrote:

?Gordon,

Have you tried contacting the seller directly?

Ken, N2VIP

On Sep 16, 2023, at 14:06, Gordon Gibby <docvacuumtubes@...> wrote:

?Still available?? ?How should I pay you?
Gordon KX4Z

We were finally able to make email contact and I was able to purchase the V2.
Pishop has raspberry pi 4's in stock at the moment, and although I had a spare one, I picked up an additional one.? ? With MY history, one can never have too many.
Will be interesting to see how the V2 does.? ? Next move is either to ger some of the PUI high-output mics? (rating -24 dB)? or build a small mic preamp.? ?Also plan to test the mic cartridge that came with some uBitx kit, on an icom 7300 and compare to their handheld for sensitivity to sound pressure.

I'm hoping that I can find a way to put the zeners on the gates of the finals, and change out the insulators to the Aluminum nitrides I still have around here somewhere.
Very interesting rig, and the V2 with its diode switching of relays, should be able to do ALE (automatic link establishment)
Really need an ICOM CAT emulation!!

Gordon KX4Z

AH, thanks!!!? ?I didn't kknow that rig cat was implemented.

Watching my output on a 100MHz scope, with my voice and the latest microphone?(I lost the one that came with the rig, my bad) --- I'm only getting at most 1/2 the CW voltage out, which means 1/4 the power (-6dB).? ?If I push the software gain any higher than about 25....there is clear distortion which is obvious on a monitoring radio and also to a friend a little ways away....

I'm using one of the mic elements that went with a ubitx series radio.? ?But the output just isn't quite enough.? ?At least now with me being VERY LOUD into the mic....

I may build a little preamp with a gain of 10 or so to allow me to back down on the software?gain, or get one of the higher output cartridges (-24dBm).? ?I suspect the one I'm using is more like -35 dB which is typical of a lot of them.

I was able to do a comparison this morning between my homemade mic (ubitx cartridge) versus an eBay "Icom" mic -- which works FINE on my 7300.? Switching to the ubitx cartridge, it was modulating basically the same.? ?No discernible difference.? ?Then I switched to a gamer headset with some sort of electret inside and it might have been a tiny bit more output if I put the mic very close (like 1-2 cm) from mouth.? ?But definitely not 10dB stronger.

My experience with Signalinks has always been that the ubitx/sbitx series need a LOT more audio than other rigs in our group's experience.? ?Not a problem.? ?This reduces the risk of rf interference!

I'm just pleased as punch that I was able to mechanically fit the little mic?cartridge into a classic desk microphone == the ones I have don't have the transistor amp, however.

OldFashionedMic.jpg

Crammed plastic-y wrapping material behind the cartridge and put a bit of T-shirt in front of it and it worked in this mic shell.? ?I can pick these up all the time at hamfests for $15.? ? I just can't bear the thought of paying $170 for a desktop mic!!!


THANKS for the tip on the riccat.? ?I may need to upgrade software....
Gordon KX4Z


On Mon, Sep 18, 2023 at 7:24?AM Rafael Diniz <rafael@...> wrote:

Hi Gordon,

Mic pre-amp? I understand if the mic is of better quality, but
amplification is something definitely not needed, as the level is
totally software controlled.

rigctl "network" CAT is already implemented in Ashhar implementation.

- Rafael

On 9/18/23 09:00, Gordon Gibby wrote:
> We were finally able to make email contact and I was able to
purchase
> the V2.
> Pishop has raspberry pi 4's in stock at the moment, and although
I had
> a spare one, I picked up an additional one.? ? With MY history, one
> can never have too many.
> Will be interesting to see how the V2 does.? ? Next move is
either to
> ger some of the PUI high-output mics? (rating -24 dB)? or build a
> small mic preamp.? ?Also plan to test the mic cartridge that
came with
> some uBitx kit, on an icom 7300 and compare to their handheld for
> sensitivity to sound pressure.
>
> I'm hoping that I can find a way to put the zeners on the gates
of the
> finals, and change out the insulators to the Aluminum nitrides I
still
> have around here somewhere.
> Very interesting rig, and the V2 with its diode switching of
relays,
> should be able to do ALE (automatic link establishment)
> Really need an ICOM CAT emulation!!
>
> Gordon KX4Z
>

Hi Rafael -- Yes, I'm familiar with that.? ?What I measured was the output RF voltage into a dummy load on a scope, in CW, which establishes the RF output power.? ? For example, the two-tone output peak power will be the same.

Then I switched to the LSB (or USB) positions and tried talking LOUDLY into the microphone quite?close.? ?I just didn't get near the same output, at a mic gain of 25 -- and moving much higher than this gave obvious distortion (which has been observed by many more than me).? ? So I think the mic element I have is not high enough output.? ? I have to use exceptionally?high analog voltages from digital Signalink-type devices also, so the input sensitivity of the sBitx is designed to require a bit higher RMS voltage.

I later compared the output of the homemade cartridge mic to a mic for an ICOM by using both to drive a 7300 and ocmparing?the output RF watching all the meters and ALC indications on the Icom 7300.? ?the mic cartridge was performing similarly to an icom type (3rd party) mic.? ?This isn't an exact measurement since it is ME speaking into it, but similar.? ?I then repeated the xperient using an analog output gamer headset and similar.

Hope that helps!
Gordon KX4Z


On Mon, Sep 18, 2023 at 8:04?AM Rafael Diniz <rafael@...> wrote:

Did you try to increase the radio band gain (in the config file)?

- Rafael

On 9/18/23 12:58, Gordon Gibby wrote:
> AH, thanks!!!? ?I didn't kknow that rig cat was implemented.
>
> Watching my output on a 100MHz scope, with my voice and the latest
> microphone?(I lost the one that came with the rig, my bad) --- I'm
> only getting at most 1/2 the CW voltage out, which means 1/4 the
power
> (-6dB).? ?If I push the software gain any higher than about
> 25....there is clear distortion which is obvious on a monitoring
radio
> and also to a friend a little ways away....
>
> I'm using one of the mic elements that went with a ubitx series
> radio.? ?But the output just isn't quite enough.? ?At least now
with
> me being VERY LOUD into the mic....
>
> I may build a little preamp with a gain of 10 or so to allow me to
> back down on the software?gain, or get one of the higher output
> cartridges (-24dBm).? ?I suspect the one I'm using is more like
-35 dB
> which is typical of a lot of them.
>
> I was able to do a comparison this morning between my homemade mic
> (ubitx cartridge) versus an eBay "Icom" mic -- which works FINE
on my
> 7300.? Switching to the ubitx cartridge, it was modulating
basically
> the same.? ?No discernible difference.? ?Then I switched to a gamer
> headset with some sort of electret inside and it might have been a
> tiny bit more output if I put the mic very close (like 1-2 cm) from
> mouth.? ?But definitely not 10dB stronger.
>
> My experience with Signalinks has always been that the ubitx/sbitx
> series need a LOT more audio than other rigs in our group's
> experience.? ?Not a problem.? ?This reduces the risk of rf
interference!
>
> I'm just pleased as punch that I was able to mechanically fit the
> little mic?cartridge into a classic desk microphone == the ones
I have
> don't have the transistor amp, however.
>
> OldFashionedMic.jpg
>
> Crammed plastic-y wrapping material behind the cartridge and put
a bit
> of T-shirt in front of it and it worked in this mic shell.? ?I can
> pick these up all the time at hamfests for $15.? ? I just can't
bear
> the thought of paying $170 for a desktop mic!!!
>
>
> THANKS for the tip on the riccat.? ?I may need to upgrade
software....
> Gordon KX4Z
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 18, 2023 at 7:24?AM Rafael Diniz
<rafael@...>
> wrote:
>
>? ? ?Hi Gordon,
>
>? ? ?Mic pre-amp? I understand if the mic is of better quality, but
>? ? ?amplification is something definitely not needed, as the
level is
>? ? ?totally software controlled.
>
>? ? ?rigctl "network" CAT is already implemented in Ashhar
implementation.
>
>? ? ?- Rafael
>
>? ? ?On 9/18/23 09:00, Gordon Gibby wrote:
>? ? ?> We were finally able to make email contact and I was able to
>? ? ?purchase
>? ? ?> the V2.
>? ? ?> Pishop has raspberry pi 4's in stock at the moment, and
although
>? ? ?I had
>? ? ?> a spare one, I picked up an additional one. With MY
history, one
>? ? ?> can never have too many.
>? ? ?> Will be interesting to see how the V2 does. Next move is
>? ? ?either to
>? ? ?> ger some of the PUI high-output mics? (rating -24 dB)? or
build a
>? ? ?> small mic preamp.? ?Also plan to test the mic cartridge that
>? ? ?came with
>? ? ?> some uBitx kit, on an icom 7300 and compare to their
handheld for
>? ? ?> sensitivity to sound pressure.
>? ? ?>
>? ? ?> I'm hoping that I can find a way to put the zeners on the
gates
>? ? ?of the
>? ? ?> finals, and change out the insulators to the Aluminum
nitrides I
>? ? ?still
>? ? ?> have around here somewhere.
>? ? ?> Very interesting rig, and the V2 with its diode switching of
>? ? ?relays,
>? ? ?> should be able to do ALE (automatic link establishment)
>? ? ?> Really need an ICOM CAT emulation!!
>? ? ?>
>? ? ?> Gordon KX4Z
>? ? ?>
>
>
>
>
>
>

On Sep 25, 2023, at 15:55, Gordon Gibby via groups.io <docvacuumtubes@...> wrote:

?

My homemade microphone with a -24DB rated Mic cartridge work just fantastic. Able to get full power output with my normal voice with just a little bit of a close setting. ?I have three remaining cartridges from digikey, ?so lots of high power output mics I can make in the future. ?I bet in a year or two I’ll find the original mic that I lost….

The sBitx V2 that I purchased without the pi, got turned on for the first time today. Added power poles to the incredibly thick and wonderful power cables, and also added in my homebrew design polarity protector (P channel MOSFET system)?

turned it on with a little bitty wall wart 12 V power supply just in case, and all went just wonderful.

I might mention that I heard a tiny rattle inside when it first got unboxed after having been shipped to the original owner and then shipped again to me. ?(So TWO shippings) What fell out was a tiny bit blob of solder. ? Very glad to have found that! ??

after I do some more testing on it (in original factory condition), I plan to try and add Zener protection on the final MOSFETs, and also change out the Mica insulator for aluminum nitride.?

VERY impressed with the case and mechanical design of this unit. Great job, Ashhar! ?Fits together like a glove. Took me a bit to get the DSI cable into the pi with my less-dexterous ?fingers — but success! ? Thinking about putting up a whole new antenna for myself 100 m away from my 2 WINLINK ?24/7/365 gateways so I’ll get to do more ham radio myself!!

gordon kx4z?