Turkey Day Update

Been working on understanding Return Loss (RL) and also various ways to use a return loss bridge (RLB). Todd, VE7BPO and his RF Workbench series are a great help in learning to make meaningful measurements in a 50 Ohm environment. Now a lot of the equations I have read about are making sense and the numbers are something I can use.

Took a break and built a five-switch 95dB attenuator this evening to use for our local transmitter hunts. Between my homebrewed W7ZOI spectrum analyzer (SA) and my M-Cubed Freq/PWR meter, I verified all the switches and how it performs at 147MHz. Wish the SA would reach up to the VHF, but only goes to about 90 MHz. But, between the SA and the power meter, I was able to satisfy myself that the attenuator does what I want it to do.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so here is wishing all of you a very happy and joyful day. I have many things to thankful for and look forward to eating and playing in the shack later on.

Overdue Update…

Been awhile since I have posted an update…the XYL is in NY for her annual family visit, which leaves me and the cats in charge of things around the QTH. Most of the leaves have fallen and some have been picked up. Looks as though we are going to spend another cold and white season here due to diesel costs.

The PFR-3 and the DC40A are both working and healthy. I just made my first contact on the DC40A, KC9SNC in WI who was also QRP with a Ten Tec. I am getting a tad over one watt out with a 14 volt PS. Now to focus on building a USB-ISP programming adaptor. I keep having issues with my serial to USB adaptor so just decided to buy a USB ISP programming adaptor and be done with problems. Hope to do so AVR and Arduino experiments this winter. Lots of ideas out there and have a couple of books also to learn from.

10, 15 and 20 meters have been really hot lately! I think I could work DXCC in one weekend if there is a contest going on. I remember 10 meters back in the mid-70′s and it was a blast.

OK, need to get some antenna prep work done for a dear friend who needs a new antenna. We have decided to build a G5RV for 40 through 10 meters. I want to play with the NorCal Doublet idea for an RV antenna…looks interesting.

72/73′s for now…Mikey

Lots of Chores Done, Yet so Many to Go

Only have to cover the RV and that will complete this year’s winterizing. Getting ready to put the PFR-3 back together. Got on 40 CW today and checked into the Armed Forces Net…been awhile since I did that. Bob, WB8BOR is normally the NCS and has a super fist.

Plan to play in the shack tonight. Once the PFR-3 is done, might either start the DC-40 from QRP-Kits, or start some basic experimentation stuff on the workbench. Have always wanted to do some impedance matching and determining of amps, oscillators and mixers. Have my trusty Return Loss Bridge (RLB) I built a couple of years ago…but not sure if I understand exactly how it works. In fact, I think I have forgotten more stuff than I have learned over the years…at least it seems that way sometime…LOL.

Just worked T32C on Christmas Island on 10 meters. Haven’t done that sort of thing in years. All the bands have been really good lately. Might drag out my 20 meter homebrew transceiver I built a couple of years ago and play with it.

Not much else to comment on, have a great day and 73′s!

PFR-3 Troubleshooting

Spent some time tonight troubleshooting the dead rig. Found that U2 wasn’t seated properly. U2 is a SA612 that is used as a mixer from IF to audio after the xtal filter. Also found a solder blob that might have been hampering pins 3 and 4.

Taking this rig out of its case is more than what I had imagined. The manual warns of this, but found that they were not kidding. Found that I had to unsolder several wires to get everything free and out so I could work. But, did make a diagram of what I had undone so putting back in the case should not be much of a problem…other than having to re-solder several wires

Activities at WB8ICN

Spent one day sorting boxes in the garage, then the next day went to Shipshewana to the XYL’s favorite flea market, then today I cleaned the garage by building two more shelf units, moving stuff around, burning more junk and throwing a lot of stuff away. Should be able to move the band saw up to the first garage’s workshop so I can cut PCB material during the cold and whiter months.

Weather here has been wonderful and I wish it could be like this year round…fat chance of that, but will enjoy it while I can. Got some antenna projects planned before the white stuff flies including climbing the tower for two projects. Since we will be here for several months while it white…I hope to get a hot antenna up at 45 feet for 2 meters to work SSB and CW. My Yagi for HF seemed to have died, so need to figure out what is wrong it it.

Now that the CC-20 is done, I hope to troubleshoot the PFR-3 and find out what happened to it after I put it in the case. Will know more once I pull it back out of the case and start going it.

OK, need a hot shower and maybe a campfire to make my old body feel better…

CC-20 Completed

Completed the CC-20 including a 2-way QRP contact with N1WPU in Maine.

I get about 2.5 watts out and the receiver does a really good job compared to my FT-2000. Dave, AA7EE also is done and did a superb job of building his and also documenting the completed project. Check out his blog at http://aa7ee.wordpress.com/.

Here are two pictures of my completed CC-20 in its PCB fashioned case.

CC-20 Build Completed

Finished the build on the beta CC-20 tonight. Have a tad over 2.5 watts…but want to look at output on SA and then listen to the tone on the FT-2000. Had a couple of issues along the way…but overall, enjoyed the build despite the dislike of SMDs. The CC-20 was built using 0805 sized parts and found that I could handle them comfortable. Did discover that SMD pinouts of BJTs and FETs are not the same as thru-hole parts…and that slowed me up some.

I still need to figure out why the PFR-3 died when I put it in its case. I have power getting to it…but no audio, and yet have to check transmit. Rain is in the forecast till Thursday, so guess I will start on that tomorrow once I decide how I want to case the CC-20.

CC-40 Continued

Re-installed the resistor and cap that were part of the pre-mod’s that Jason had done and back on track. Nearly finished with the receiver portion of the project. At that point, I will wait as three new parts (replacements) are on their way to the QTH. Then I can finish it and try it out…aaaahhhh!

Foggy this morning and shorten my walk to one mile…the cars were not slowing down much and I got tired of walking in wet grass and weeds. I try to walk 1.8 or so miles each morning while listening to old podcasts of Solder Smoke. I gain a lot of insight from the first 45 solder smokes that were made. I really miss Mike, KL7R…wish someone like him would step up and get with Bill to make solder smoke what it used to be. Anymore, it seems like a talk show and not a ham radio discussion of homebrewing and QRP topics. But Bill has pressed on with the podcasts, so I try to listen to each new podcast with the intent that was behind it so many years ago.

Hope to dig thru several boxes in the garage to find parts for the October Third Saturday Breakfast in Ann Arbor. The parts are to be part of the free swap/trade we used do to last year. Good way to get new parts/stuff and share some of my stuff I will never use.

CC-40 Progress

I was doing well until last night…due to my being lazy and not asking a simple question, I am now retreading a couple of steps. I thought I had discovered a couple of artifact (misplaced-not needed) pre-installed parts and removed them from the beta CC-40 PCB. Then when I had finished installing parts for the Product Detector/BFO I could not get the 4.166MHz signal to appear. Come to find out, those artifact parts were part of the designer’s mod’s he had done before sending the kit to me. Now I have to re-attach them or send the PCB back to Jason and he will do it for me.

But I was happy that I didn’t discard those two tiny (0805) smd parts, and now will attempt to re-attach, retest and then move on. Actually having fun attaching all those tiny parts, one at at time, to the PCB. Good therapy for an old man like me…LOL.

Trying to accomplish one task a day and start clearing up my “Honey-Do” list. Got two items done today…tomorrow I go north to attend a memorial service for a dear friend and fellow ham, WD8LUM.

Wonderful weather today, but it is starting to be quite cool at night around here. No snow yet…but I know it can’t be far off!

PFR-3 and CC-40

What a change of plans. Our tow vehicle (Dodge 350 RAM) blew a couple of brake lines as I was hooking it up the RV. Cost of repairs (along with some additional items I wanted done) far exceeded the cost of the entire trip…in short, we stayed home.

So I finished the PFR-3. The receiver sounded great during the alignment and testing, and then had good power out when I did the transmit portion. But, when I installed it in its case, the receiver (at least the AF) was dead. Didn’t check the power-out. Decided to let it sit on the table for a bit and move on.

Just finished putting all the smd parts in egg cartons and verified the parts count. 0805 smd parts seem to look smaller and smaller all the time . Decided to get the CC-40 done, then go back and fix the PFR-3 issue(s)…then maybe tackle the KX1 I have had sitting here for way too many years.

I think I will use my DROP-BOX feature to document the CC-40 build as it is resided on both shack PCs. Hope my eyes hold up for this project! Dave, AA7EE is waiting for some parts…so maybe I will catch up to him yet.

72/73…Mikey