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Almost on the air with first HF unit.? Love the BitX40!? However, this is my first build so a few questions remain (forgive my ignorance):
1) Is there a way to verify that the transmit freq is on and stable?? I do not have another rig to test with.? With Raduino V1.27.1 loaded, I placed a Freq counter antenna near my 50 Ohm dummy load.? Tuned to 7.2364.? ?Pressed PPT with no mic.? Freq meter jumps between 7.2364 and ~7.2911 (first number stable second varies 50-60 Khz above first).? Is this normal?? Am I just seeing noise?? ?I do not think it requires calibration as the readout and first freq at antenna is the same.?
2) With V1.27.1 the volume significantly increases while tuning between 7.230 and 7.300.? This did not occur with V1.01 loaded.? Is this normal?
Thanks,
Gene N2IJF
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Gene, I also noticed about the volume increasing, for me it¡¯s between 7.190 and 7.220. Kind of annoying. Never tested my BITX with a frequency counter before but now maybe I will.
Almost on the air with first HF unit.? Love the BitX40!? However, this is my first build so a few questions remain (forgive my ignorance):
1) Is there a way to verify that the transmit freq is on and stable?? I do not have another rig to test with.? With Raduino V1.27.1 loaded, I placed a Freq counter antenna near my 50 Ohm dummy load.? Tuned to 7.2364.? ?Pressed PPT with no mic.? Freq meter jumps between 7.2364 and ~7.2911 (first number stable second varies 50-60 Khz above first).? Is this normal?? Am I just seeing noise?? ?I do not think it requires calibration as the readout and first freq at antenna is the same.?
2) With V1.27.1 the volume significantly increases while tuning between 7.230 and 7.300.? This did not occur with V1.01 loaded.? Is this normal?
Thanks,
Gene N2IJF
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On Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 08:10 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
With V1.27.1 the volume significantly increases while tuning between 7.230 and 7.300.? This did not occur with V1.01 loaded.? Is this normal?
It is hard to believe that the volume increase could have anything to do with the software. The software only controls the VFO frequency, not the volume of the audio amplifier nor anything in the RF receive signal path. What do you mean exactly by 'volume'? The volume of the audio amplifier? Or is the sensitivity increased making all received signals (as well as the background noise) sound louder? 73 Allard PE1NWL
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I suspect it is the front end filter characteristics.
Disconnect L3 and feed the antenna to C6 C7 junction and see if the
volume across the band is even..
Raj
At 18/11/2017, you wrote:
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Show quoted text
On Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 08:10
pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
- With V1.27.1 the volume significantly increases while tuning between
7.230 and 7.300.? This did not occur with V1.01 loaded.? Is
this normal?
It is hard to believe that the volume increase could have anything
to do with the software.
The software only controls the VFO frequency, not the volume of the audio
amplifier nor anything in the RF receive signal path.
What do you mean exactly by 'volume'?
The volume of the audio amplifier? Or is the sensitivity increased making
all received signals (as well as the background noise) sound
louder?
73 Allard PE1NWL
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The actual volume out of he speaker (mainly noise) increases significantly (3-4X) while tuning across the range mentioned?.? I only have a 1Mhz USB scope but voltage waveform confirms voltage increase to the speaker.??The increase appears to start after
the 7.200 beep but increases until max range 7.300.? I did not perceive this volume change when running V1.01 but I must admit I have not tried any other versions.??
My v3?unit is mostly stock with only mods being the?100pf cap to the output low pass filter, and the double diode to protect Q13.? The main reason for upgrading was I was seeing the?freq jumping at the output. The upgrade did not change that so maybe
I should try a down grade of the?SW maybe to something in?between V1.01 and 1.27.1?? I want to keep this one mainly stock as I want to build another for experimenting but want?to get this one?right first.
Gene N2IJF
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On Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 08:10 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
With V1.27.1 the volume significantly increases while tuning between 7.230 and 7.300.? This did not occur with V1.01 loaded.? Is this normal?
It is hard to believe that the volume increase could have anything to do with the software.
The software only controls the VFO frequency, not the volume of the audio amplifier nor anything in the RF receive signal path.
What do you mean exactly by 'volume'?
The volume of the audio amplifier? Or is the sensitivity increased making all received signals (as well as the background noise) sound louder?
73 Allard PE1NWL
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I'm with Allard (hard to imagine how this is firmware related) and Raj (most likely the BPF at L1,2,3). Though conceivable that the 100pf cap has something to do with it.
> ?I did not perceive this volume change when running V1.01?
Is it possible it was there with v1.01 but you did not notice it?
If you have a second Bitx40v3 with original firmware, then check for the same symptom there.
Do all the mods you did to your first unit one by one, checking after each to see if the symptom has come on.
Jerry, KE7ER
On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 07:30 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
The actual volume out of he speaker (mainly noise) increases significantly (3-4X) while tuning across the range mentioned?.? I only have a 1Mhz USB scope but voltage waveform confirms voltage increase to the speaker.??The increase appears to start after the 7.200 beep but increases until max range 7.300.? I did not perceive this volume change when running V1.01 but I must admit I have not tried any other versions.??
?
My v3?unit is mostly stock with only mods being the?100pf cap to the output low pass filter, and the double diode to protect Q13.? The main reason for upgrading was I was seeing the?freq jumping at the output. The upgrade did not change that so maybe I should try a down grade of the?SW maybe to something in?between V1.01 and 1.27.1?? I want to keep this one mainly stock as I want to build another for experimenting but want?to get this one?right first.
?
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Jerry, Raj,
Thanks for?the feedback.? I will try going back to an earlier version and see if that changes things as that is easiest change.? Will then try removal of the 100pf and finally moving antenna to C5/C6 junction (with L3 disconnected).? Do you believe one of
these may also be affectng?the freq output changing (which bothers me more than the volume change)?
The 2nd BitX is still in the box unpacked but maybe it is time to find some space on the bench for another one!
Gene N2IJF
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I'm with Allard (hard to imagine how this is firmware related) and Raj (most likely the BPF at L1,2,3).
Though conceivable that the 100pf cap has something to do with it.
> ?I did not perceive this volume change when running V1.01?
Is it possible it was there with v1.01 but you did not notice
it?
If you have a second Bitx40v3 with original firmware, then check for the same symptom there.
Do all the mods you did to your first unit one by one, checking after each to see if the symptom has come on.
Jerry, KE7ER
On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 07:30 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
The actual volume out of he speaker (mainly noise) increases significantly (3-4X) while tuning across the range mentioned?.? I only have a 1Mhz USB scope but voltage waveform confirms voltage increase to the speaker.??The increase appears to start after
the 7.200 beep but increases until max range 7.300.? I did not perceive this volume change when running V1.01 but I must admit I have not tried any other versions.??
?
My v3?unit is mostly stock with only mods being the?100pf cap to the output low pass filter, and the double diode to protect Q13.? The main reason for upgrading was I was seeing the?freq jumping at the output. The upgrade did not change that so maybe
I should try a down grade of the?SW maybe to something in?between V1.01 and 1.27.1?? I want to keep this one mainly stock as I want to build another for experimenting but want?to get this one?right first.
?
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?Gene, > Do you believe one of these may also be affectng?the freq output changing (which bothers me more than the volume change)?
That business of the transmit frequency moving 50khz is very weird,
can't imagine why it would do that. ?
> Pressed PPT with no mic.? Freq meter jumps between 7.2364 and ~7.2911
> (first number stable second varies 50-60 Khz above first).? Is this normal?? Am I just seeing noise??
I'm not convinced this is real,?
A SingleSideBand transmitter with no input at the mike will not transmit anything at all.
Well, a perfect one would not, you will have some residual carrier, but not at all clear if the freq meter
has sufficient signal, or perhaps it is being overloaded. ?Perhaps it is even seeing some other stuff
like BFO or VFO getting coupled in there to confuse things.
Can you find somebody with a shortwave receiver that has a bfo suitable for receiving an SSB signal?
Here's a cheap one: ?
And cheaper still: ?
Or get one of these, I hear the receiver on it is pretty good: ?
I would recommend doing Allard's 10k resistor mod so you can transmit a CW carrier with key down.
That should be a clear tone in any shortwave receiver with a bfo.
If you don't supply power to the IRF510 at the PA-PWR1 connector, you wont be transmitting anything
and won't need a dummy load but a nearby receiver should still hear a signal from Q14.
?
It's possible the BFO or VFO really are moving around, that's the only way this frequency change could be real.
You can listen to our BFO using that same sw receiver tuned to 12mhz. ?With the Bitx40 tuned to 7.2mhz
the VFO will be found on your radio dial at 12-7.2 = 4.8mhz.
Jerry
On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 07:58 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
?
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You probably are getting an initial carrier burst when you press push-to-talk,
then the signal dies out if there is no audio.?
Jerry
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On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 09:05 pm, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
A SingleSideBand transmitter with no input at the mike will not transmit anything at all.?
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Jerry,
Ordered one of the CW kits.? May be a couple of weeks.
Was going to try a different SW version but now laptop Arduino SW does not show ports anymore.? I will work this one separately, apparently many have had this problem.
Will also?try??Allard's 10k resistor mod, once I have Arduino
fixed.
Thanks for all the help.? Maybe the best would be to get the second BitX operational and compare!
Gene N2IJF
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?Gene,
> Do you believe one of these may also be affectng?the freq output changing (which bothers me more than the volume change)?
That business of the transmit frequency moving 50khz is very weird,
can't imagine why it would do that. ?
> Pressed PPT with no mic.? Freq meter jumps between 7.2364 and ~7.2911
> (first number stable second varies 50-60 Khz above first).? Is this normal?? Am I just seeing noise??
I'm not convinced this is real,?
A SingleSideBand transmitter with no input at the mike will not transmit anything at all.
Well, a perfect one would not, you will have some residual carrier, but not at all clear if the freq meter
has sufficient signal, or perhaps it is being overloaded. ?Perhaps it is even seeing some other stuff
like BFO or VFO getting coupled in there to confuse things.
Can you find somebody with a shortwave receiver that has a bfo suitable for receiving an SSB signal?
Here's a cheap one: ?
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www.qrpkits.com
To order this kit, use the buttons below. (you do not have to have a PayPal account to pay for items using a credit card) NOTE Use Add to cart buttons to add an item ...
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And cheaper still: ?
|
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www.ebay.com
This suite is PIXIE low power transceiver classic, recommend the use of Google search Pixie QRP, will see a lot of English website of its. Note: Pixie QRP is a transceiver for most primary, primary enthusiasts use. | eBay!
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Or get one of these, I hear the receiver on it is pretty good: ?
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www.hfsigs.com
Paypal We accept payments through paypal as a safe payment system for you. If you don't have a paypal account, choose to pay with your credit card/debit card on the ...
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I would recommend doing Allard's 10k resistor mod so you can transmit a CW carrier with key down.
That should be a clear tone in any shortwave receiver with a bfo.
If you don't supply power to the IRF510 at the PA-PWR1 connector, you wont be transmitting anything
and won't need a dummy load but a nearby receiver should still hear a signal from Q14.
?
It's possible the BFO or VFO really are moving around, that's the only way this frequency change could be real.
You can listen to our BFO using that same sw receiver tuned to 12mhz. ?With the Bitx40 tuned to 7.2mhz
the VFO will be found on your radio dial at 12-7.2 = 4.8mhz.
Jerry
On Sat, Nov 18, 2017 at 07:58 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
?
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If that's the $1.98 ebay Pixie transceiver, let us know if it actually works.
That would be amazing.
Of course, you will need an Extra Class license to put that 7.023mhz crystal oscillator on the air,
a different crystal will probably cost you yet another $1.98. ?Unfortunate.
Should be able to hear the Bitx40 transmitting into a dummy load if you tune the Raduino to around 7.023mhz
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On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 05:35 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
Ordered one of the CW kits.? May be a couple of weeks.
?
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This Pixie? ?
On Monday, November 20, 2017 11:51 PM, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io <jgaffke@...> wrote:
If that's the $1.98 ebay Pixie transceiver, let us know if it actually works.
That would be amazing.
Of course, you will need an Extra Class license to put that 7.023mhz crystal oscillator on the air,
a different crystal will probably cost you yet another $1.98. ?Unfortunate.
Should be able to hear the Bitx40 transmitting into a dummy load if you tune the Raduino to around 7.023mhz
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 05:35 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
Ordered one of the CW kits.? May be a couple of weeks.
?
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Yup.
Second to the last slide of your document shows the "Chinese Rendition", including the 7.023mhz crystal.
As low as $1.98 on ebay in that link I gave, most are way up there around $3 or so.
And you thought $59 was cheap.
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On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 09:28 pm, Thomas Sharka wrote:
This Pixie?
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The Pixie (commercial or home-brewed) makes an interesting piece of test equipment
for your workbench.? With a signal generator (or Si5351a from QRP-Labs) and plug-in
LPF modules, it can be quite frequency agile.? If using an Arduino and Si5351a you can
monitor receive signal levels by rectifying audio output and using an Arduino ADC
input.? RF output level can be controlled ( ? ) by using a 10K pot in place of the key. ?
Lots of additional modifications are possible to suite your particular needs, including
sending various protocols (CW, PSK, etc.).
Arv K7HKL
_._
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:19 PM, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io <jgaffke@...> wrote: Yup.
Second to the last slide of your document shows the "Chinese Rendition", including the 7.023mhz crystal.
As low as $1.98 on ebay in that link I gave, most are way up there around $3 or so.
And you thought $59 was cheap.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 09:28 pm, Thomas Sharka wrote:
This Pixie?
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Hi Jerry, The link you mention,?, is our club web site and documents our first club build. We built 30 or so Pixies and exposed many to their first soldering adventure. I? would consider the Pixie to be an interesting experiment rather than a viable transceiver, but yes they do work. With much time and patience and a good antenna I was able to work Brazil from New England, one of the few contacts I was able to make.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:51 PM, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io <jgaffke@...> wrote: If that's the $1.98 ebay Pixie transceiver, let us know if it actually works.
That would be amazing.
Of course, you will need an Extra Class license to put that 7.023mhz crystal oscillator on the air,
a different crystal will probably cost you yet another $1.98.? Unfortunate.
Should be able to hear the Bitx40 transmitting into a dummy load if you tune the Raduino to around 7.023mhz
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 05:35 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
Ordered one of the CW kits.? May be a couple of weeks.
?
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A question on the Pixie; what is the "MG" component that is being used for side tone?? Thanks, 73, Karl, KO8S
On Sunday, November 26, 2017 9:16 AM, Willy <W1LY@...> wrote:
Hi Jerry, The link you mention,?, is our club web site and documents our first club build. We built 30 or so Pixies and exposed many to their first soldering adventure. I? would consider the Pixie to be an interesting experiment rather than a viable transceiver, but yes they do work. With much time and patience and a good antenna I was able to work Brazil from New England, one of the few contacts I was able to make.
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 11:51 PM, Jerry Gaffke via Groups.Io <jgaffke@...> wrote: If that's the $1.98 ebay Pixie transceiver, let us know if it actually works.
That would be amazing.
Of course, you will need an Extra Class license to put that 7.023mhz crystal oscillator on the air,
a different crystal will probably cost you yet another $1.98.? Unfortunate.
Should be able to hear the Bitx40 transmitting into a dummy load if you tune the Raduino to around 7.023mhz
On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 05:35 pm, Gene Nitschke wrote:
Ordered one of the CW kits.? May be a couple of weeks.
?
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Regarding the need for something to monitor transmissions from the Bitx40v3 during testing,
the SoftRock Lite II Combined Receiver Kit at $21 might be the best bang for the buck,
assuming you already have a computer with appropriate sound card: ?
Feed a 1khz tone at 50mv or so max into the mike input, zoom in on the computer monitor
to check the suppression of the carrier and opposite sideband. ?Should see a single peak.
A two tone audio signal into the mike should show two peaks, as you turn up the injected 2 tone audio signal
and/or R136, additional nearby peaks will start to appear indicating distortion.?
But most any SW receiver capable of hearing 40m would solve the immediate issue for the original post in this thread.
Even the $1.98 pixie.
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On Sun, Nov 26, 2017 at 06:16 am, Willy wrote:
I? would consider the Pixie to be an interesting experiment rather than a viable transceiver, but yes they do work.
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The Pixie sidetone is generated by some sort of piezoelectric buzzer/sounder, rated to sound off when given 9v to 12v.?
These generate a steady tone of maybe 2khz or worse when fed a DC voltage.
Here's one, there's cheaper out there: ?
There are other piezoelectric transducers that appear identical, but these only click once when fed DC.
You would have to feed those a square wave to get a tone out of them.
He's one of those: ?
A buzzer like this could be used for a sidetone on the Bitx40 as well,
if you don't like how Allard is injecting a square wave into the speaker.
Jerry, KE7ER
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On Sun, Nov 26, 2017 at 09:34 am, Karl Schwab wrote:
A question on the Pixie; what is the "MG" component that is being used for side tone?? Thanks, 73, Karl, KO8S
?
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You could feed Allard's sidetone square wave into the clicky type transducer from Adafruit.
Or you could feed Allard's 5v DC signal that goes over to the 10k resistor into the modulator
as a source to a steady-tone-with-DC type transducer from Amazon (but choose one that works at 5v).
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On Sun, Nov 26, 2017 at 09:54 am, Jerry Gaffke wrote:
A buzzer like this could be used for a sidetone on the Bitx40 as well,
if you don't like how Allard is injecting a square wave into the speaker.
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Hi Karl, "MG" is a? buzzer which can be disabled by by pulling a shorting tab. It produces a pretty disturbing tone. 73 Willy
On Sun, Nov 26, 2017 at 12:34 PM, Karl Schwab via Groups.Io <ktschwab@...> wrote: A question on the Pixie; what is the "MG" component that is being used for side tone?? Thanks, 73, Karl, KO8S
On Sunday, November 26, 2017 9:16 AM, Willy <W1LY@...> wrote:
Hi Jerry, The link you mention,?, is our club web site and documents our first club build. We built 30 or so Pixies and exposed many to their first soldering adventure. I? would consider the Pixie to be an interesting experiment rather than a viable transceiver, but yes they do work. With much time and patience and a good antenna I was able to work Brazil from New England, one of the few contacts I was able to make.
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Allard PE1NWL
Raj vu2zap
Willy