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Saturday, June 8, 2013

R-390A and Homebrew TX put in Transceive Mode (VIDEO)



N8ZRY has a very nice video on his recent adventures with the legendary R-390A receiver (want one!) and his homebrew 20 meter SSB transmitter.  He manages to essentially put the receiver and transmitter into "transceiver" mode.  Very nice.  I wonder if he had previously used the old standard "spot" or "net" "zero beat by ear" method?  This video has me thinking about ways to bring my many separate receivers and transmitters closer together. The problem is that they all use different IF frequencies (the crystal filters are at different frequencies).  But using my Arduino-based DDS VFO, I guess it wouldn't be too difficult to program the thing to generate one VFO freq for transmit, and a different VFO freq on receive, in effect putting the transmitter and receiver on the same frequency. 

Both the R-390A and the homebrew transmitter look great.   Thanks Greg!


Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Friday, June 7, 2013

Dutch Knack During WWII

 
de_jongens_van_de_hobby_club
 
There is a very nice article on the MAKE blog this morning: 
http://blog.makezine.com/2013/06/06/an-early-maker-story-from-holland/
 
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Quote of the Day: On Tinkering

Finally, some justification for my "build first, design later" method:

"Contraptions, machines, wildly mismatched objects working in harmony -- this is the stuff of tinkering.  Tinkering is, at its most basic, a process that marries play and inquiry."

from www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering   Quoted in Massimo Banzi's book "Getting Started with Arduino."

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Alan Yates, VK2ZAY, is back in the knack!


I was getting kind of worried.  I hadn't seen any new articles on Alan's excellent web site.  But on my last visit I learned that he has moved to Seattle and is going to Maker Faires:  http://www.vk2zay.net/article/268

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Save 20% on Knack Books

Save 20% on your next order by using code GLOW at checkout. Offer ends June 7 at 11:59 PM PDT
Codeword: GLOW.   Very appropriate for Grayson's Thermatron book: 



http://www.lulu.com/shop/grayson-evans/hollow-state-design/paperback/product-20987562.html


And also for mine (tubes, QRP fireflies and all that):



http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/soldersmoke

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Monday, June 3, 2013

1-29 MHz In One Small Box

 
This weekend I put the Arduino/AD9850 Direct Digital Synthesis device into a box this weekend.  It is sort of evolving into a general purpose HF signal generator and/or VFO.  It is really kind of neat that this little collection of boards can generate RF across that range, with accurate digital readout.  Thanks again to Richard Visokey, AD7C, for the circuit and the code.  As you can see, my cabinet making skills will never land me a job on the Discovery Channel,  but I'm kind of pleased with the box.  I picked up the wood panels from a hobby/craft shop. 

 
 
I left a lot of space in the box.  I envision an amplifier taking the output from its current .4 milliwatts up to around 10 milliwatts, followed by step attenuators (pads).
 

Here is the other end.  Of course, I could have just taken the ATMega chip out and avoided putting the whole Arduino board inside the box, but I'll leave that exciting digital adventure for a future project.


Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Simple Homebrew SDR



I know that "simple" and "homebrew" aren't the words that come to mind when we think of Software Defined Radios, but minimalist guru Peter Parker, VK3YE, reminds us that with little more than an antenna, a diode, a crystal oscillator and a connection to the computer soundcard, you can dive into the world of SDR. 

I've been doing this for some time now, but my receiver uses a 40673 dual gate MOSFET and a universal VXO from George Dobbs, G3RJV.  I've been running mine with the FLDIGI and JT-65 HF programs.  Peter's video alerted me to the charms of SDRadio from Alberto, I2PHD.  This is a very nice program.  Of course, I'm always happy to add a dash of Italy to my operations.  Thanks Peter!  Thanks Alberto! Thanks George!


Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm Our coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmoke Our Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20
Designer: Douglas Bowman | Dimodifikasi oleh Abdul Munir Original Posting Rounders 3 Column