QRZ! Ham Radio 4/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 4.iso/files/qrp/archives/94_06_11.txt

Text File | 1994-11-27 | 420KB | 10,694 lines

Subject: Start
From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 07:57:19 1994
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Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 7:58:25 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: what's a 40-40 & how do I get one?
Sender: [e-mail]
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I see a lot of talk about the 40-40. What is it? Who is selling it? and
how much is it? It appears to be a 30 and 40 M QRP rig, but that's all I can
figure out.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks... Kevin N1EPU [e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 10:05:21 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA19285; Sat, 28 May 94 09:06:27 -0500
          28 May 94 14:04 GMT
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 08:45 EST
From: Bob Smith <[e-mail]>
To: QRP <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: QRP Digest V0 #109
Message-Id: <74940528134547/[e-mail]>
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Looking to buy a QRP rig (can that term apply!).
Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

S and S Ark 4
NN1G 40/40
The A an A Engineering 40 Meter
Oak Hills Sprint or Classic.

The question - your opinion on what I will be happiest with.  Only
have time to build 1 and would like to make the most informed decision.

My hot buttons are size and superhet (not absolutely required).

I am familiar with the specs so I am looking more for user opinion.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to joining your esteemed ranks.

From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 11:25:08 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id LAA21424; Sat, 28 May 1994 11:24:55 -0400
Date: 28 May 94 11:21:45 EDT
From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
To: QRP <[e-mail]>
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG  INFO NEEDED
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

I just got a letter from a long time ham (who bought my TT 505 years ago)
who wants a challenge.  He wrote me that he and two others want to "build a
one transistor rig that is powered by a 9v battery".  Kinda sounds like a
perf board job to me -- but maybe FAR has a board that these three could
buy (?)

Well, gang, there it is.  Is there a design out there that is relatively
free of grief so we can get three more members in the QRP fraternity?  A
good first expperience would help.

72/73,

Myron N8DHT



From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 13:14:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id NAA24944; Sat, 28 May 1994 13:14:28 -0400
Date: 28 May 94 13:13:00 EDT
From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
To: QRP <[e-mail]>
Subject: HF TRI-BAND BEAM REPLACEMENT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

As all too many of my QRP-ARCI friends know, I made the worst mistake
possible when I replaced my tri-bander after a direct lightning hit (and,
Yes, it vaporized half of the elements).  By "worst mistake" I mean it is
OK on 10M, 2 megs low on 15M and 4 megs low on 20M and no adjustment is
left!.  To put it another way, it's a nice -- but costly -- dummy load.

Because I don't want to go to the extra labor (not to mention expense) of a
major tower upgrade -- unless I have to -- so, at this point I want to look
at beams smaller than the TH7's.

I would appreciate your personal (or that of other hams known by you)
comments on "CURRENT" manufacture.  I say, "current" (say, last 5 yr or so)
because too much has changed over the years in durability, quality and
performance.  For example, every bit of evidence available to me shows
TELREX's massive quality and support deterioration. True or not, I rule
them out.   Also, please DO NOT refer me to printed reviews. I trusted them
 -- that's what got me into the mess I'm in now! I need your experience.
That,I trust!

Your thoughts please on:  KLM (34-A) -- the smallest physical size of the
bunch;  Hy-Gain (Explorer, TH5);  and Mosely (CL and Pro series only).
There may be another maybe "Force 12" (?). I'll leave that to you.

72/73,
Myron N8DHT

From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 13:16:30 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA14758; Sat, 28 May 94 07:12:17 HST
    id AA12387; Sat, 28 May 94 07:16:10 HST
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 7:16:10 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED
In-Reply-To: Your message of 28 May 94 11:21:45 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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Myron: Yes, I've posted some one x-sistor xmtrs on the net - their
archieved at the qrp ftp site.
You sold a TT 505 years ago? I didn't realize that TT's (teletypes?) were
around 500 years ago!!

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 13:39:46 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id KAA18171; Sat, 28 May 1994 10:39:39 -0700
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 10:39:37 -0700 (PDT)
From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Subject: WPX Contest and QRP activity
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281049.A15892-0100000@netcom6>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
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From:                 [<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>] [e-mail]


Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281024.A15162-0100000@netcom6>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

The QSO's are slow, the propagation isn't very good and either there are
VERY FEW Internet QRP ops on, or propagation to QRP stations is REALLY BAD.
Last night 40M produced QSO's w/ VK, JA, YB, TI, KL7 and many Canadian
prefixes.  Ten sounds dead at my QTH this morning, 15 and 20 have been
North America only for me -- but I have heard some Europe on 20, just
can't seem to work em.  QSO total after 3-hours on-air: fewer than 50.
Come on in!  CUL, 72 de alan

                 [<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>] [e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 18:32:36 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id SAA02962; Sat, 28 May 1994 18:32:11 -0400 (from [e-mail] for <[e-mail]>)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 1994   22:32:05 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED
In-Reply-To: [e-mail]
     Sat, 28 May 94 7:16:10 HST
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Jeff's collection of transmitter projects is available in gopher and WWW
from the CWRU gopher/WWW server.  Here are the links:

Name=Jeff Herman's QRP Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

The "More Projects" menu is extensions to Jeff's projects, plus whatever
other projects I see online that I think are interesting and worth preserving.

Name=More Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

Both of these are off of the W8EDU menu:

Name=W8EDU, the Case Amateur Radio Club
Type=1
Path=1/activities/w8edu
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

If you are a WWW user (that includes Mosaic), use these URLS:

QRP Projects    http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
More Projects   http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
W8EDU Page      http://www.cwru.edu:70/1/activities/w8edu

Enjoy!  I wouldn't mind collecting more projects on this site, if you have
suggestions.

          Stephen


--
Stephen Trier    Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is
[e-mail]  the last you are going to see of him until he emerges on the
KG8IH            other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
             -- Mark Twain, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"


From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 21:50:23 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA24658; Sat, 28 May 94 15:46:02 HST
    id AA26933; Sat, 28 May 94 15:50:01 HST
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 15:50:00 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: DeMaw's 40M VFO
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Gang: Has anyone built the 40M VFO in QRP NOTEBOOK (pages 29-30)? It
calls for a couple MPF102's (RS has them) and a 2N222A (I've got plenty),
and I can scrounge the remaining components.

I'm going to use point-to-point wiring rather than a PC board.

Please let me hear from you if you've built one.

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

From [e-mail]  Sat May 28 22:24:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Sat, 28 May 1994 22:18:23 EDT
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 22:18:23 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Classic - TR Board - R342 ???
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Vms-To: INTERNET"[e-mail]"
Mime-Version: 1.0
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HelP !

I've looked and looked for R 342 on my OHR Classic TR Board - can anyone
help?  I'm sure it's there I just can't find it!

Thanks in advance for the directions -  BTW this is a -very- well done
kit, much better than Heathkit quality - parts, case, board and instruct-
ions are all first rate.

TNX - Bob - WA4ZID

From [e-mail]  Sun May 29 05:38:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
        (Soft-Switch Central V4L380P3); 29 May 1994 05:39:05 EST
Message-Id: <X400.POSTMAS8.0144.1994 0529 0539 0539>
Date: 29 May 1994 05:39:05 EST
From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Mail failure
To: [e-mail]
Comment: MEMO 05.29.94  05.39
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


From: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 7:58:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: what's a 40-40 & how do I get one?

I see a lot of talk about the 40-40. What is it? Who is selling it? and
how much is it? It appears to be a 30 and 40 M QRP rig, but that's all I can
figure out.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks... Kevin N1EPU [e-mail]

------------------------------

From: Bob Smith <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 08:45 EST
Subject: Re: QRP Digest V0 #109

Looking to buy a QRP rig (can that term apply!).
Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

S and S Ark 4
NN1G 40/40
The A an A Engineering 40 Meter
Oak Hills Sprint or Classic.

The question - your opinion on what I will be happiest with.  Only
have time to build 1 and would like to make the most informed decision.

My hot buttons are size and superhet (not absolutely required).

I am familiar with the specs so I am looking more for user opinion.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to joining your esteemed ranks.

------------------------------

From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 94 11:21:45 EDT
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG  INFO NEEDED

I just got a letter from a long time ham (who bought my TT 505 years ago)
who wants a challenge.  He wrote me that he and two others want to "build a
one transistor rig that is powered by a 9v battery".  Kinda sounds like a
perf board job to me -- but maybe FAR has a board that these three could
buy (?)

Well, gang, there it is.  Is there a design out there that is relatively
free of grief so we can get three more members in the QRP fraternity?  A
good first expperience would help.

72/73,

Myron N8DHT



------------------------------

From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 94 13:13:00 EDT
Subject: HF TRI-BAND BEAM REPLACEMENT

As all too many of my QRP-ARCI friends know, I made the worst mistake
possible when I replaced my tri-bander after a direct lightning hit (and,
Yes, it vaporized half of the elements).  By "worst mistake" I mean it is
OK on 10M, 2 megs low on 15M and 4 megs low on 20M and no adjustment is
left!.  To put it another way, it's a nice -- but costly -- dummy load.

Because I don't want to go to the extra labor (not to mention expense) of a
major tower upgrade -- unless I have to -- so, at this point I want to look
at beams smaller than the TH7's.

I would appreciate your personal (or that of other hams known by you)
comments on "CURRENT" manufacture.  I say, "current" (say, last 5 yr or so)
because too much has changed over the years in durability, quality and
performance.  For example, every bit of evidence available to me shows
TELREX's massive quality and support deterioration. True or not, I rule
them out.   Also, please DO NOT refer me to printed reviews. I trusted them
 -- that's what got me into the mess I'm in now! I need your experience.
That,I trust!

Your thoughts please on:  KLM (34-A) -- the smallest physical size of the
bunch;  Hy-Gain (Explorer, TH5);  and Mosely (CL and Pro series only).
There may be another maybe "Force 12" (?). I'll leave that to you.

72/73,
Myron N8DHT

------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 7:16:10 HST
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

Myron: Yes, I've posted some one x-sistor xmtrs on the net - their
archieved at the qrp ftp site.
You sold a TT 505 years ago? I didn't realize that TT's (teletypes?) were
around 500 years ago!!

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

------------------------------

From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 10:39:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: WPX Contest and QRP activity

From:                <Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]


Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281024.A15162-0100000@netcom6>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

The QSO's are slow, the propagation isn't very good and either there are
VERY FEW Internet QRP ops on, or propagation to QRP stations is REALLY BAD.
Last night 40M produced QSO's w/ VK, JA, YB, TI, KL7 and many Canadian
prefixes.  Ten sounds dead at my QTH this morning, 15 and 20 have been
North America only for me -- but I have heard some Europe on 20, just
can't seem to work em.  QSO total after 3-hours on-air: fewer than 50.
Come on in!  CUL, 72 de alan

                     <Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]




------------------------------

From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 1994   22:32:05 GMT
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

Jeff's collection of transmitter projects is available in gopher and WWW
from the CWRU gopher/WWW server.  Here are the links:

Name=Jeff Herman's QRP Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

The "More Projects" menu is extensions to Jeff's projects, plus whatever
other projects I see online that I think are interesting and worth preserving.

Name=More Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

Both of these are off of the W8EDU menu:

Name=W8EDU, the Case Amateur Radio Club
Type=1
Path=1/activities/w8edu
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

If you are a WWW user (that includes Mosaic), use these URLS:

QRP Projects    http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
More Projects   http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
W8EDU Page      http://www.cwru.edu:70/1/activities/w8edu

Enjoy!  I wouldn't mind collecting more projects on this site, if you have
suggestions.

          Stephen


- --
Stephen Trier    Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is
[e-mail]  the last you are going to see of him until he emerges on the
KG8IH            other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
                     -- Mark Twain, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
"


------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 15:50:00 HST
Subject: DeMaw's 40M VFO

Gang: Has anyone built the 40M VFO in QRP NOTEBOOK (pages 29-30)? It
calls for a couple MPF102's (RS has them) and a 2N222A (I've got plenty),
and I can scrounge the remaining components.

I'm going to use point-to-point wiring rather than a PC board.

Please let me hear from you if you've built one.

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 22:18:23 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Classic - TR Board - R342 ???

HelP !

I've looked and looked for R 342 on my OHR Classic TR Board - can anyone
help?  I'm sure it's there I just can't find it!

Thanks in advance for the directions -  BTW this is a -very- well done
kit, much better than Heathkit quality - parts, case, board and instruct-
ions are all first rate.

TNX - Bob - WA4ZID

------------------------------

End of QRP Digest V0 #110
*************************



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From [e-mail]  Sun May 29 09:00:25 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for QRP mail <[e-mail]>); Sun, 29 May 1994 07:59:04 -0500
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 07:57:17 -0500 (CDT)
From: william r finch <[e-mail]>
Subject: Callsigns
To: QRP mail <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Just wondering if somebody in 2-land can tell me what kind of calls
extras are getting there. I will probably be relocating to NY, and was
curious. TNX, es 73s


Bill Finch                          ~ | ~
KF9KI                              ~~ | ~~
Champaign, Il                       ~ | ~
[e-mail]                 /|\



From [e-mail]  Sun May 29 11:47:09 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA25066; Sun, 29 May 1994 11:46:54 -0400
From: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 29 May 94 11:46:54 EDT
Subject: Index Laboratories QRP Rig
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Just received my new Index Labs QRP+ rig.  Is anyone else out there using the
rig?  Sure would like to talk with the other 170+ (and growing) number of
users.  This is a hellova rig.

de Duffy, WB8NUT


From [e-mail]  Sun May 29 12:23:56 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Antenna Matching
To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 11:23:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: Yehuda Harper <[e-mail]>
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL22]
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
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I recently built a 20 meter rock bound CW transmitter.  Using a Diamond watt
meter, I measure an output power of 1.75 watts into a dummy load.  However,
when I feed the signal into a dipole and match the SWR to 1:1, the measured
output drops to 1.25 watts.  If I mismatch the antenna to a 3:1 SWR, I get
a measured output of 2 watts.  Questions:

1)  Why the differences?  Why does the power output go up with a mismatch?
    I would expect the opposite.  I've checked the output filter of the
    transmitter and the # of windings on the torroids and the capacitor values
    are correct for 20 meters.

2)  Am I getting correct power readings?

3)  Should I run the transmitter at 2 watts out into 3:1 SWR or 1.25 watts
    out into 1:1 SWR.  The output transistor doesn't seem to overheat either
    way.

Jim/KB5CTQ

From [e-mail]  Sun May 29 12:30:39 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA22837; Sun, 29 May 94 09:28:13 PDT
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 09:23:57 -0700 (PDT)
From: "H. Ward Silver" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Gain due to mountaint
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.07.9405290953.A22626-a100000@bach>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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> Unless you're talking about Lake Superior!  The Minnesota North Shore has
> intrigued me as a possibility for antennas.  What about a sloping wire (half
> wave at 160 meters) from a cliff down to the water's edge?  Haven't followed up
> on this, but have seen some neat cliffs that climbers were using and wondered...

As the water surface helps mostly in the directions across it, Lake
Superior from the southern shore isn't going to do you much good in Field
Day.  However, there are a number of peninsulas which extend out into the
lake which would be quite good for propagation in many directions.  If you
could find a cliff with exposure across water to the south, so much the
better.

GL, Ward N0AX



From [e-mail]  Sun May 29 13:49:23 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 12:48:38 -0500 (CDT)
From: James Speer <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

You might suggest to your friend that there are a number of good books with
suitable circuits around. E.g., Hayward & Demaw's _Solid State Design for the
Radio Amateur_. Might also suggest dead bug construction for something that
goes together quickly and works well. Might finally suggest TWO transistors --
why would you EVER choose to key the oscillator (chirp, chirp)...

72!
Jim   K5YUT
 P. S. See p. 27 in Hayward & DeMaw for "the universal QRP transmitter." Any
band from 160 to 10; DOES key the oscillator on the lower bands, but not
the higher; uses 2 or 3 transistors, and once you had acquired a crystal and
wound a couple of inductors, could be glued together in an hour. Guess my point
is that it's not very much harder to build something that will provide real
satisfaction for a long time.

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 01:58:21 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id WAA16246; Sun, 29 May 1994 22:58:17 -0700
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 22:58:16 -0700 (PDT)
From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Subject: WPX
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405292222.A13811-0100000@netcom8>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hiya, ...  ran 5-watts for 5-hours (a little Friday nite, a little Saturday
morning and a little Sunday afternoon) ... and appropriately enough racked
up 72 QSO's!  Got some good ones on 40m -- JA, VK, YB, 20-and-15 had a
lot of Carribean activity -- 6Y, NP2, KG4, KP4, VP2
and 10 yielded 3- L's (Argentina) stations!
Propagation folks say there was a solar flare.  And I did not hear any of
the QRP Internet gang (maybe they were saving themselves for the sprint).
73, 72 de alan


    72 Q's   62 Prefixes  =  8,680 points


                 [<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>] [e-mail]



From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 05:19:25 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Mon, 30 May 1994 17:18:25 +0800
    id aa00547; Mon, 30 May 94 8:27:14 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0q82fT-000QFbC; Mon, 30 May 94 16:25 SST
    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0q82V1-000GusC; Mon, 30 May 94 16:15 SST
           Mon, 30 May 1994 04:13:43 SST
Date:      Mon, 30 May 1994 04:13:42 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   NN1G audio output question.
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi Gang,

        This is a question regarding the audio output of the NN1G RX board.
Why does the output comes from the 10 ohm resistor instead of the usual pin
5 of the LM-386? Is there a reason for this? Or is it an error?

        From what I understand, the 10 ohm resistor with the 22 uF cap forms
the Zobel Network and the output really should NOT come from there. In fact
most other circuits have their output coming from pin 5. Does anyone know
the reason behind this?

        I would like to drive a speaker so I was wondering if it would be
possible for me to take the output from pin 5, nothing else barring.

        Please comment. Tks.

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 05:52:15 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Mon, 30 May 1994 17:51:59 +0800
    id aa00832; Mon, 30 May 94 9:27:50 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0q82qB-000QFgC; Mon, 30 May 94 16:36 SST
    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0q82hy-000GusC; Mon, 30 May 94 16:28 SST
           Mon, 30 May 1994 04:27:00 SST
Date:      Mon, 30 May 1994 04:26:59 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   NN1G RIT
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi Gang,

        Just FYI, I managed to get my RIT for the NN1G working, gives me +-
1 kHz on the VFO. Works beautifully. Uses:-

        1       MV2106 or MV2104 or MV2105
        1       2N3906 PNP transistor
        1       IN914 or IN4148 small silicon signal diode
        3       10k  1/4 watt carbon film resistor
        2       100k 1/4 watt carbon film resistor
        1       33k  1/4 watt carbon film resistor
        1       10k linear variable resistor
        1       10pF NPO ceramic disc capacitor
        1       0.001uF ceramic/mylar capacitor
        1       0.1uF capacitor (any monolithic type)

        Lesee if there is enough interest to get me to post the mod (if
there isn't one already). This mod can be done without soldering to the
board. Needs soldering to the air variable though.

        Now, I am gonna add an audio filter to this thing to see what
happens. Next will be a little modified TX PA section.

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 06:04:32 1994
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        (Soft-Switch Central V4L380P3); 30 May 1994 06:04:06 EST
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Date: 30 May 1994 06:04:06 EST
From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Mail failure
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Comment: MEMO 05.30.94  06.04
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From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Date: 29 May 1994 05:39:05 EST
Subject: Mail failure

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 7:58:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: what's a 40-40 & how do I get one?

I see a lot of talk about the 40-40. What is it? Who is selling it? and
how much is it? It appears to be a 30 and 40 M QRP rig, but that's all I can
figure out.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks... Kevin N1EPU [e-mail]

- ------------------------------

From: Bob Smith <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 08:45 EST
Subject: Re: QRP Digest V0 #109

Looking to buy a QRP rig (can that term apply!).
Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

S and S Ark 4
NN1G 40/40
The A an A Engineering 40 Meter
Oak Hills Sprint or Classic.

The question - your opinion on what I will be happiest with.  Only
have time to build 1 and would like to make the most informed decision.

My hot buttons are size and superhet (not absolutely required).

I am familiar with the specs so I am looking more for user opinion.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to joining your esteemed ranks.

- ------------------------------

From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 94 11:21:45 EDT
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG  INFO NEEDED

I just got a letter from a long time ham (who bought my TT 505 years ago)
who wants a challenge.  He wrote me that he and two others want to "build a
one transistor rig that is powered by a 9v battery".  Kinda sounds like a
perf board job to me -- but maybe FAR has a board that these three could
buy (?)

Well, gang, there it is.  Is there a design out there that is relatively
free of grief so we can get three more members in the QRP fraternity?  A
good first expperience would help.

72/73,

Myron N8DHT



- ------------------------------

From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 94 13:13:00 EDT
Subject: HF TRI-BAND BEAM REPLACEMENT

As all too many of my QRP-ARCI friends know, I made the worst mistake
possible when I replaced my tri-bander after a direct lightning hit (and,
Yes, it vaporized half of the elements).  By "worst mistake" I mean it is
OK on 10M, 2 megs low on 15M and 4 megs low on 20M and no adjustment is
left!.  To put it another way, it's a nice -- but costly -- dummy load.

Because I don't want to go to the extra labor (not to mention expense) of a
major tower upgrade -- unless I have to -- so, at this point I want to look
at beams smaller than the TH7's.

I would appreciate your personal (or that of other hams known by you)
comments on "CURRENT" manufacture.  I say, "current" (say, last 5 yr or so)
because too much has changed over the years in durability, quality and
performance.  For example, every bit of evidence available to me shows
TELREX's massive quality and support deterioration. True or not, I rule
them out.   Also, please DO NOT refer me to printed reviews. I trusted them
 -- that's what got me into the mess I'm in now! I need your experience.
That,I trust!

Your thoughts please on:  KLM (34-A) -- the smallest physical size of the
bunch;  Hy-Gain (Explorer, TH5);  and Mosely (CL and Pro series only).
There may be another maybe "Force 12" (?). I'll leave that to you.

72/73,
Myron N8DHT

- ------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 7:16:10 HST
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

Myron: Yes, I've posted some one x-sistor xmtrs on the net - their
archieved at the qrp ftp site.
You sold a TT 505 years ago? I didn't realize that TT's (teletypes?) were
around 500 years ago!!

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

- ------------------------------

From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 10:39:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: WPX Contest and QRP activity

From:                ?<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]


Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281024.A15162-0100000@netcom6>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

The QSO's are slow, the propagation isn't very good and either there are
VERY FEW Internet QRP ops on, or propagation to QRP stations is REALLY BAD.
Last night 40M produced QSO's w/ VK, JA, YB, TI, KL7 and many Canadian
prefixes.  Ten sounds dead at my QTH this morning, 15 and 20 have been
North America only for me -- but I have heard some Europe on 20, just
can't seem to work em.  QSO total after 3-hours on-air: fewer than 50.
Come on in!  CUL, 72 de alan

                     ?<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]




- ------------------------------

From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 1994   22:32:05 GMT
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

Jeff's collection of transmitter projects is available in gopher and WWW
from the CWRU gopher/WWW server.  Here are the links:

Name=Jeff Herman's QRP Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

The "More Projects" menu is extensions to Jeff's projects, plus whatever
other projects I see online that I think are interesting and worth preserving.

Name=More Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

Both of these are off of the W8EDU menu:

Name=W8EDU, the Case Amateur Radio Club
Type=1
Path=1/activities/w8edu
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

If you are a WWW user (that includes Mosaic), use these URLS:

QRP Projects    http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
More Projects   http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
W8EDU Page      http://www.cwru.edu:70/1/activities/w8edu

Enjoy!  I wouldn't mind collecting more projects on this site, if you have
suggestions.

          Stephen


- - --
Stephen Trier    Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is
[e-mail]  the last you are going to see of him until he emerges on the
KG8IH            other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
                     -- Mark Twain, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
"


- ------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 15:50:00 HST
Subject: DeMaw's 40M VFO

Gang: Has anyone built the 40M VFO in QRP NOTEBOOK (pages 29-30)? It
calls for a couple MPF102's (RS has them) and a 2N222A (I've got plenty),
and I can scrounge the remaining components.

I'm going to use point-to-point wiring rather than a PC board.

Please let me hear from you if you've built one.

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

- ------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 22:18:23 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Classic - TR Board - R342 ???

HelP !

I've looked and looked for R 342 on my OHR Classic TR Board - can anyone
help?  I'm sure it's there I just can't find it!

Thanks in advance for the directions -  BTW this is a -very- well done
kit, much better than Heathkit quality - parts, case, board and instruct-
ions are all first rate.

TNX - Bob - WA4ZID

- ------------------------------

End of QRP Digest V0 #110
*************************



- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--


------------------------------

From: william r finch <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 07:57:17 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Callsigns

Just wondering if somebody in 2-land can tell me what kind of calls
extras are getting there. I will probably be relocating to NY, and was
curious. TNX, es 73s

Bill Finch                          ~ | ~
KF9KI                              ~~ | ~~
Champaign, Il                       ~ | ~
[e-mail]                 /|\



------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 29 May 94 11:46:54 EDT
Subject: Index Laboratories QRP Rig

Just received my new Index Labs QRP+ rig.  Is anyone else out there using the
rig?  Sure would like to talk with the other 170+ (and growing) number of
users.  This is a hellova rig.

de Duffy, WB8NUT


------------------------------

From: Yehuda Harper <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 11:23:31 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Antenna Matching

I recently built a 20 meter rock bound CW transmitter.  Using a Diamond watt
meter, I measure an output power of 1.75 watts into a dummy load.  However,
when I feed the signal into a dipole and match the SWR to 1:1, the measured
output drops to 1.25 watts.  If I mismatch the antenna to a 3:1 SWR, I get
a measured output of 2 watts.  Questions:

1)  Why the differences?  Why does the power output go up with a mismatch?
    I would expect the opposite.  I've checked the output filter of the
    transmitter and the # of windings on the torroids and the capacitor values
    are correct for 20 meters.

2)  Am I getting correct power readings?

3)  Should I run the transmitter at 2 watts out into 3:1 SWR or 1.25 watts
    out into 1:1 SWR.  The output transistor doesn't seem to overheat either
    way.

Jim/KB5CTQ

------------------------------

From: "H. Ward Silver" <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 09:23:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Gain due to mountaint

> Unless you're talking about Lake Superior!  The Minnesota North Shore has
> intrigued me as a possibility for antennas.  What about a sloping wire (half
> wave at 160 meters) from a cliff down to the water's edge?  Haven't followed
 up
> on this, but have seen some neat cliffs that climbers were using and wondere
d...

As the water surface helps mostly in the directions across it, Lake
Superior from the southern shore isn't going to do you much good in Field
Day.  However, there are a number of peninsulas which extend out into the
lake which would be quite good for propagation in many directions.  If you
could find a cliff with exposure across water to the south, so much the
better.

GL, Ward N0AX



------------------------------

From: James Speer <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 12:48:38 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

You might suggest to your friend that there are a number of good books with
suitable circuits around. E.g., Hayward & Demaw's _Solid State Design for the
Radio Amateur_. Might also suggest dead bug construction for something that
goes together quickly and works well. Might finally suggest TWO transistors --
why would you EVER choose to key the oscillator (chirp, chirp)...

72!
Jim   K5YUT
 P. S. See p. 27 in Hayward & DeMaw for "the universal QRP transmitter." Any
band from 160 to 10; DOES key the oscillator on the lower bands, but not
the higher; uses 2 or 3 transistors, and once you had acquired a crystal and
wound a couple of inductors, could be glued together in an hour. Guess my poin
t
is that it's not very much harder to build something that will provide real
satisfaction for a long time.

------------------------------

From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 22:58:16 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: WPX

Hiya, ...  ran 5-watts for 5-hours (a little Friday nite, a little Saturday
morning and a little Sunday afternoon) ... and appropriately enough racked
up 72 QSO's!  Got some good ones on 40m -- JA, VK, YB, 20-and-15 had a
lot of Carribean activity -- 6Y, NP2, KG4, KP4, VP2
and 10 yielded 3- L's (Argentina) stations!
Propagation folks say there was a solar flare.  And I did not hear any of
the QRP Internet gang (maybe they were saving themselves for the sprint).
73, 72 de alan

        72 Q's   62 Prefixes  =  8,680 points


                     <Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]



------------------------------

End of QRP Digest V0 #111
*************************



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 06:42:56 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a8/IDA-1.4.4 for [e-mail]); Mon, 30 May 1994 06:41:49 -0400
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 06:37:47 -500 (EDT)
From: James Lyons <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Antenna Matching
To: Yehuda Harper <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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On Sun, 29 May 1994, Yehuda Harper wrote:

> I recently built a 20 meter rock bound CW transmitter.  Using a Diamond watt
> meter, I measure an output power of 1.75 watts into a dummy load.  However,
> when I feed the signal into a dipole and match the SWR to 1:1, the measured
> output drops to 1.25 watts.  If I mismatch the antenna to a 3:1 SWR, I get
> a measured output of 2 watts.  Questions:
>
> 1)  Why the differences?  Why does the power output go up with a mismatch?
>     I would expect the opposite.  I've checked the output filter of the
>     transmitter and the # of windings on the torroids and the capacitor values
>     are correct for 20 meters.
>
> 2)  Am I getting correct power readings?
>
> 3)  Should I run the transmitter at 2 watts out into 3:1 SWR or 1.25 watts
>     out into 1:1 SWR.  The output transistor doesn't seem to overheat either
>     way.
>
> Jim/KB5CTQ

I've experienced this effect before and I suspect it is due to the
presence of harmonics which register on the dummy load but not on the
frequency sensitive dipole.  Mismatching can produce all sorts of high
apparent outputs but I don't believe they are real.  Go with the matched
antenna and the 1.25 watts.

Perhaps someone else can give you a better explanation.

72,

Jim, VE2KN




From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 07:03:48 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
   with BSMTP id 1652; Mon, 30 May 94 06:57:42 EXT
Message-Id:  19940530.065740.ATXR@CENVMC
Date: 30 May 94 06:57:40 EXT
From: [e-mail]
To: qrp for sending messages <[e-mail]>
Subject: transportable antenna
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

From: Ted Rosen, Architectural Technology Department
Thanks to all who responded to my request on transportable antennas.
There is also a good article in the June 94 QST, p68-69. I will
let you know when I get the antenna working.
73 de Ted, VA3TAR


From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 09:23:08 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Mon, 30 May 1994 08:23:42 CDT
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 08:23:42 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ARK 4
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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Well got real depressed Friday night and finished the ARK4..was
smart and didn't try to fire it up...

Saturday fired it up.. nothing fried..but no audio in the
receiver.. took it apart heated up a bunch of solder joints..
checked everything with a magnifying glass.. finally went to the
trouble shooting section and saw that you are suppose to have a
jumper till you get the audio filter in.. put in the jumper .. the
receiver worked fine.. got a signal coming in with a dumby load
and the power meter on my work bench..figured that was a good sign
HI HI.. the receiver was tuned.. played with the coils.. but they
were PERFECTLY set when I fired it up.. the receiver worked
great.. put in the fine tune, rit and audio filter and fired it up
again.. no audio.. started to think I needed to put the jumper
back in.. but knew better.. finally realized I hadn't put the chip
in the audio filter.. put it in and the rig worked a lot better.

Took the board over to the operating bench and hooked it up..
checked and made sure TX and REC were on the same freq.. did my
usual last minute minor tweek.. made a QSO immediately .(and this
is big power Contest weekend) after about 5 more contacts..
decided to put the cover on.  Worked everyone I heard and heard
about everything that the 850 could hear...

Found the rig is a bit useless without the audio filter engaged..
like the fine tune on the ARK4 better than the buttons on the
ARK40.. actual didn't mind the thumbwheels for contesting.. liked
the detents on the fine tune. Made a couple of longer QSOs.. rock
solid VFO and good reports. Mine puts out about 5 watts. .good
looking wave form.

Was operating about 1/2 day before I realized I had built the rig
and didn't have to do any wiring of the controls.. boy do I
appreciate that..not one wire (like the Norcal 40).

I think the rig has about one of the best receivers I ever built
and like the way it works..

I can live with the minor inconvenience of the thumbwheels.. I
thought the audio was a little weak.. only MAJOR complaint is the
relays.. they are the loudest things I ever heard..ruin it for
me.. I think this could be one of my favorite rigs except for this
flaw.. I took the rig apart and packed it in foam.. doesn't help.
I am using computer amplifed speakers.. they amplify the relay
clicks also.. noticed with the headphones on .. doesn't really
seem to be much of a problem. .can't really hear the clicks.. but
I don't like headphones.. so have to do something about this.. my
Gary Breed from 624 kits had very quiet relays.. I wonder if I can
just find a plug in replacement relay...any suggestions.. or maybe
come up with a solid state switching circuit.. but must be some
reason Dick didn't do this.

I think the rig is very rugged, a great size for backpacking, a
great kit, great quality parts, great directions.. great receiver
and TX, about the easiest QRP kit to tune up but the kit has
some minor flaws.

73

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 09:54:41 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Mon, 30 May 1994 08:55:15 CDT
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 08:55:15 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: contest
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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> From:                 [<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>] [e-mail]
>
>
> Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281024.A15162-0100000@netcom6>
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
>
> The QSO's are slow, the propagation isn't very good and either there are
> VERY FEW Internet QRP ops on, or propagation to QRP stations is REALLY BAD.
> Last night 40M produced QSO's w/ VK, JA, YB, TI, KL7 and many Canadian
> prefixes.  Ten sounds dead at my QTH this morning, 15 and 20 have been
> North America only for me -- but I have heard some Europe on 20, just
> can't seem to work em.  QSO total after 3-hours on-air: fewer than 50.
> Come on in!  CUL, 72 de alan
>
>                  [<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>] [e-mail]
>
>
>
Well, I got my ARK4 together in time for the contest.. didn't know
there was a contest.. but found out quick enough.  Worked everyone
about first call.. wasn't contesting, just testing out a new rig..
the way I was going.. if I had the time.. could have done real
well I believe.. not too much DX.. worked a couple.. but NO
PROBLEM working all over the US, one Mexico and a bunch of
Canadian.

73

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 11:50:05 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id RAA10826; Mon, 30 May 1994 17:53:53 +0200
    id AA10782; Mon, 30 May 94 17:47:30 +0200
    id AA04533; Mon, 30 May 94 17:50:45 +0200
From: "Behrens J\vrg" <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
    id AA03276; Mon, 30 May 94 17:50:45 +0200
Date: Mon, 30 May 94 17:50:45 +0200
To: [e-mail]
Subject: OHR-Spirit problem
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

This is a question to the OHR-kit experts of this list. I've finished
my OHR-Spirit recently (great kit! well - others dit comment on that
already) and it seems to work nicely (the sensitivity is great!) but
I'm wondering if it's usual that one has to turn on the volume to
about 80% level in order to get some reasonable output. The phones
I'm using are ok ;-) The band is 20m, the antenna is a multiband
40/20/15 which works fine with a R5000 HF receiver, and DC voltage
supply is fine, too. Any ideas?

Thanks for any comments,


73, Joerg (HB9 - TXing into a dummy load - still didn't have time for
the exam...)

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 12:12:34 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA27447; Mon, 30 May 94 09:01:10 PDT
    id AA770313959 Mon, 30 May 94 09:05:59 PST
Date: Mon, 30 May 94 09:05:59 PST
From: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: R1 update
Sender: [e-mail]
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Thanks to everybody who wrote privately about this.

The machine is complete back to the volume control, which is
about 65% of the circuitry. I'm using a 10-by-15 cm PC board
(4 by 6 inches, approximately), and it's far from crowded.

My first smoke test was when I had completed the output
stage, back to the pot that sets the bias on the output
transistors. I checked that the resistance across the power
leads was somewhere between zero and infinity, observed a
small variation when I twiddled the bias pot (a nice
worm-drive one), and hooked the thing up to some headphones
and a 9 volt battery to see what would happen. I like to use
somewhat tired batteries for this, to keep the voltage down,
and to limit their current capability. My 12 amp Astron
supply could vapourise the whole thing in milliseconds if
something went wrong...

The output stages came up with a soft thump, and when I
cranked the input current up to 45 mA was able to brush my
fingers across the inputs and hear appropriate noises in the
headphones. Yahoo!

The next stage was the LM387 and the last filter, and this
was a mixed success. The input current jumped sharply (60
mA) and instead of a soft thump I got a sharp click when I
applied power. And couldn't hear any output. Since I may
have indeed goofed (the signal levels and impedances may
also be resistant to noise off one's fingers...) I'll set it
aside for the moment and start work on the mixer, input
diplexer, and so on. That's all that's left, anyway.

Further updates to follow.

73 from Burnaby,
laura VE7LDH/XL7LDH
             ^^^ special prefix to commemorate D-Day

From [e-mail]  Mon May 30 17:02:30 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA17055; Mon, 30 May 94 10:57:40 HST
    id AA26355; Mon, 30 May 94 11:02:08 HST
Date: Mon, 30 May 94 11:02:08 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: antennas over saltwater
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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Speaking of antennas over saltwater, if you've ever driven around the south-
east portion of San Francisco Bay you've noticed a couple broadcast
stations (non-qrp) with their antennas sitting in the shallow water of
the bay. Excellent ground system. If one of those stations ever goes off
the air I'd love to hook up a qrp 160M rig to the antenna and see what
it could do.

Jeff NH6IL

From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 07:06:09 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
        (Soft-Switch Central V4L380P3); 31 May 1994 07:06:07 EST
Message-Id: <X400.POSTMAS8.0429.1994 0531 07060706>
Date: 31 May 1994 07:06:07 EST
From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Mail failure
To: [e-mail]
Comment: MEMO 05.31.94  07.06
Sender: [e-mail]
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From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 04:13:42 SST
Subject: NN1G audio output question.

Hi Gang,

        This is a question regarding the audio output of the NN1G RX board.
Why does the output comes from the 10 ohm resistor instead of the usual pin
5 of the LM-386? Is there a reason for this? Or is it an error?

        From what I understand, the 10 ohm resistor with the 22 uF cap forms
the Zobel Network and the output really should NOT come from there. In fact
most other circuits have their output coming from pin 5. Does anyone know
the reason behind this?

        I would like to drive a speaker so I was wondering if it would be
possible for me to take the output from pin 5, nothing else barring.

        Please comment. Tks.

73,
Daniel
- --
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

------------------------------

From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 04:26:59 SST
Subject: NN1G RIT

Hi Gang,

        Just FYI, I managed to get my RIT for the NN1G working, gives me +-
1 kHz on the VFO. Works beautifully. Uses:-

        1       MV2106 or MV2104 or MV2105
        1       2N3906 PNP transistor
        1       IN914 or IN4148 small silicon signal diode
        3       10k  1/4 watt carbon film resistor
        2       100k 1/4 watt carbon film resistor
        1       33k  1/4 watt carbon film resistor
        1       10k linear variable resistor
        1       10pF NPO ceramic disc capacitor
        1       0.001uF ceramic/mylar capacitor
        1       0.1uF capacitor (any monolithic type)

        Lesee if there is enough interest to get me to post the mod (if
there isn't one already). This mod can be done without soldering to the
board. Needs soldering to the air variable though.

        Now, I am gonna add an audio filter to this thing to see what
happens. Next will be a little modified TX PA section.

73,
Daniel
- --
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

------------------------------

From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Date: 30 May 1994 06:04:06 EST
Subject: Mail failure

From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Date: 29 May 1994 05:39:05 EST
Subject: Mail failure

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 7:58:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: what's a 40-40 & how do I get one?

I see a lot of talk about the 40-40. What is it? Who is selling it? and
how much is it? It appears to be a 30 and 40 M QRP rig, but that's all I can
figure out.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks... Kevin N1EPU [e-mail]

- - ------------------------------

From: Bob Smith <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 08:45 EST
Subject: Re: QRP Digest V0 #109

Looking to buy a QRP rig (can that term apply!).
Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

S and S Ark 4
NN1G 40/40
The A an A Engineering 40 Meter
Oak Hills Sprint or Classic.

The question - your opinion on what I will be happiest with.  Only
have time to build 1 and would like to make the most informed decision.

My hot buttons are size and superhet (not absolutely required).

I am familiar with the specs so I am looking more for user opinion.

Thanks in advance and looking forward to joining your esteemed ranks.

- - ------------------------------

From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 94 11:21:45 EDT
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG  INFO NEEDED

I just got a letter from a long time ham (who bought my TT 505 years ago)
who wants a challenge.  He wrote me that he and two others want to "build a
one transistor rig that is powered by a 9v battery".  Kinda sounds like a
perf board job to me -- but maybe FAR has a board that these three could
buy (?)

Well, gang, there it is.  Is there a design out there that is relatively
free of grief so we can get three more members in the QRP fraternity?  A
good first expperience would help.

72/73,

Myron N8DHT



- - ------------------------------

From: "MYRON R. KOYLE" <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 94 13:13:00 EDT
Subject: HF TRI-BAND BEAM REPLACEMENT

As all too many of my QRP-ARCI friends know, I made the worst mistake
possible when I replaced my tri-bander after a direct lightning hit (and,
Yes, it vaporized half of the elements).  By "worst mistake" I mean it is
OK on 10M, 2 megs low on 15M and 4 megs low on 20M and no adjustment is
left!.  To put it another way, it's a nice -- but costly -- dummy load.

Because I don't want to go to the extra labor (not to mention expense) of a
major tower upgrade -- unless I have to -- so, at this point I want to look
at beams smaller than the TH7's.

I would appreciate your personal (or that of other hams known by you)
comments on "CURRENT" manufacture.  I say, "current" (say, last 5 yr or so)
because too much has changed over the years in durability, quality and
performance.  For example, every bit of evidence available to me shows
TELREX's massive quality and support deterioration. True or not, I rule
them out.   Also, please DO NOT refer me to printed reviews. I trusted them
 -- that's what got me into the mess I'm in now! I need your experience.
That,I trust!

Your thoughts please on:  KLM (34-A) -- the smallest physical size of the
bunch;  Hy-Gain (Explorer, TH5);  and Mosely (CL and Pro series only).
There may be another maybe "Force 12" (?). I'll leave that to you.

72/73,
Myron N8DHT

- - ------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 7:16:10 HST
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

Myron: Yes, I've posted some one x-sistor xmtrs on the net - their
archieved at the qrp ftp site.
You sold a TT 505 years ago? I didn't realize that TT's (teletypes?) were
around 500 years ago!!

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

- - ------------------------------

From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 10:39:37 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: WPX Contest and QRP activity

From:                ?<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]


Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281024.A15162-0100000@netcom6>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

The QSO's are slow, the propagation isn't very good and either there are
VERY FEW Internet QRP ops on, or propagation to QRP stations is REALLY BAD.
Last night 40M produced QSO's w/ VK, JA, YB, TI, KL7 and many Canadian
prefixes.  Ten sounds dead at my QTH this morning, 15 and 20 have been
North America only for me -- but I have heard some Europe on 20, just
can't seem to work em.  QSO total after 3-hours on-air: fewer than 50.
Come on in!  CUL, 72 de alan

                     ?<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]




- - ------------------------------

From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 28 May 1994   22:32:05 GMT
Subject: Re: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

Jeff's collection of transmitter projects is available in gopher and WWW
from the CWRU gopher/WWW server.  Here are the links:

Name=Jeff Herman's QRP Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

The "More Projects" menu is extensions to Jeff's projects, plus whatever
other projects I see online that I think are interesting and worth preserving.

Name=More Projects
Type=1
Path=1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

Both of these are off of the W8EDU menu:

Name=W8EDU, the Case Amateur Radio Club
Type=1
Path=1/activities/w8edu
Host=gopher.cwru.edu
Port=70

If you are a WWW user (that includes Mosaic), use these URLS:

QRP Projects    http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
More Projects   http://www.cwru.edu:70/1m/activities/w8edu/more.projects
W8EDU Page      http://www.cwru.edu:70/1/activities/w8edu

Enjoy!  I wouldn't mind collecting more projects on this site, if you have
suggestions.

          Stephen


- - - --
Stephen Trier    Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is
[e-mail]  the last you are going to see of him until he emerges on the
KG8IH            other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
                     -- Mark Twain, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
"


- - ------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Sat, 28 May 94 15:50:00 HST
Subject: DeMaw's 40M VFO

Gang: Has anyone built the 40M VFO in QRP NOTEBOOK (pages 29-30)? It
calls for a couple MPF102's (RS has them) and a 2N222A (I've got plenty),
and I can scrounge the remaining components.

I'm going to use point-to-point wiring rather than a PC board.

Please let me hear from you if you've built one.

.73,
Jeff NH6IL

- - ------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 22:18:23 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Classic - TR Board - R342 ???

HelP !

I've looked and looked for R 342 on my OHR Classic TR Board - can anyone
help?  I'm sure it's there I just can't find it!

Thanks in advance for the directions -  BTW this is a -very- well done
kit, much better than Heathkit quality - parts, case, board and instruct-
ions are all first rate.

TNX - Bob - WA4ZID

- - ------------------------------

End of QRP Digest V0 #110
*************************



- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
- --


- ------------------------------

From: william r finch <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 07:57:17 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Callsigns

Just wondering if somebody in 2-land can tell me what kind of calls
extras are getting there. I will probably be relocating to NY, and was
curious. TNX, es 73s

Bill Finch                          ~ | ~
KF9KI                              ~~ | ~~
Champaign, Il                       ~ | ~
[e-mail]                 /|\



- ------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 29 May 94 11:46:54 EDT
Subject: Index Laboratories QRP Rig

Just received my new Index Labs QRP+ rig.  Is anyone else out there using the
rig?  Sure would like to talk with the other 170+ (and growing) number of
users.  This is a hellova rig.

de Duffy, WB8NUT


- ------------------------------

From: Yehuda Harper <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 11:23:31 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Antenna Matching

I recently built a 20 meter rock bound CW transmitter.  Using a Diamond watt
meter, I measure an output power of 1.75 watts into a dummy load.  However,
when I feed the signal into a dipole and match the SWR to 1:1, the measured
output drops to 1.25 watts.  If I mismatch the antenna to a 3:1 SWR, I get
a measured output of 2 watts.  Questions:

1)  Why the differences?  Why does the power output go up with a mismatch?
    I would expect the opposite.  I've checked the output filter of the
    transmitter and the # of windings on the torroids and the capacitor values
    are correct for 20 meters.

2)  Am I getting correct power readings?

3)  Should I run the transmitter at 2 watts out into 3:1 SWR or 1.25 watts
    out into 1:1 SWR.  The output transistor doesn't seem to overheat either
    way.

Jim/KB5CTQ

- ------------------------------

From: "H. Ward Silver" <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 09:23:57 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Gain due to mountaint

> Unless you're talking about Lake Superior!  The Minnesota North Shore has
> intrigued me as a possibility for antennas.  What about a sloping wire (half
> wave at 160 meters) from a cliff down to the water's edge?  Haven't followed
 up
> on this, but have seen some neat cliffs that climbers were using and wondere
d...

As the water surface helps mostly in the directions across it, Lake
Superior from the southern shore isn't going to do you much good in Field
Day.  However, there are a number of peninsulas which extend out into the
lake which would be quite good for propagation in many directions.  If you
could find a cliff with exposure across water to the south, so much the
better.

GL, Ward N0AX



- ------------------------------

From: James Speer <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 12:48:38 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: MILLIWATT RIG INFO NEEDED

You might suggest to your friend that there are a number of good books with
suitable circuits around. E.g., Hayward & Demaw's _Solid State Design for the
Radio Amateur_. Might also suggest dead bug construction for something that
goes together quickly and works well. Might finally suggest TWO transistors --
why would you EVER choose to key the oscillator (chirp, chirp)...

72!
Jim   K5YUT
 P. S. See p. 27 in Hayward & DeMaw for "the universal QRP transmitter." Any
band from 160 to 10; DOES key the oscillator on the lower bands, but not
the higher; uses 2 or 3 transistors, and once you had acquired a crystal and
wound a couple of inductors, could be glued together in an hour. Guess my poin
t
is that it's not very much harder to build something that will provide real
satisfaction for a long time.

- ------------------------------

From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 29 May 1994 22:58:16 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: WPX

Hiya, ...  ran 5-watts for 5-hours (a little Friday nite, a little Saturday
morning and a little Sunday afternoon) ... and appropriately enough racked
up 72 QSO's!  Got some good ones on 40m -- JA, VK, YB, 20-and-15 had a
lot of Carribean activity -- 6Y, NP2, KG4, KP4, VP2
and 10 yielded 3- L's (Argentina) stations!
Propagation folks say there was a solar flare.  And I did not hear any of
the QRP Internet gang (maybe they were saving themselves for the sprint).
73, 72 de alan

        72 Q's   62 Prefixes  =  8,680 points


                     ?<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]



- ------------------------------

End of QRP Digest V0 #111
*************************



- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--


------------------------------

From: James Lyons <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 06:37:47 -500 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Antenna Matching

On Sun, 29 May 1994, Yehuda Harper wrote:

> I recently built a 20 meter rock bound CW transmitter.  Using a Diamond watt
> meter, I measure an output power of 1.75 watts into a dummy load.  However,
> when I feed the signal into a dipole and match the SWR to 1:1, the measured
> output drops to 1.25 watts.  If I mismatch the antenna to a 3:1 SWR, I get
> a measured output of 2 watts.  Questions:
>
> 1)  Why the differences?  Why does the power output go up with a mismatch?
>     I would expect the opposite.  I've checked the output filter of the
>     transmitter and the # of windings on the torroids and the capacitor valu
es
>     are correct for 20 meters.
>
> 2)  Am I getting correct power readings?
>
> 3)  Should I run the transmitter at 2 watts out into 3:1 SWR or 1.25 watts
>     out into 1:1 SWR.  The output transistor doesn't seem to overheat either
>     way.
>
> Jim/KB5CTQ

I've experienced this effect before and I suspect it is due to the
presence of harmonics which register on the dummy load but not on the
frequency sensitive dipole.  Mismatching can produce all sorts of high
apparent outputs but I don't believe they are real.  Go with the matched
antenna and the 1.25 watts.

Perhaps someone else can give you a better explanation.

72,

Jim, VE2KN




------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: 30 May 94 06:57:40 EXT
Subject: transportable antenna

From: Ted Rosen, Architectural Technology Department
Thanks to all who responded to my request on transportable antennas.
There is also a good article in the June 94 QST, p68-69. I will
let you know when I get the antenna working.
73 de Ted, VA3TAR

------------------------------

From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 08:23:42 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: ARK 4

Well got real depressed Friday night and finished the ARK4..was
smart and didn't try to fire it up...

Saturday fired it up.. nothing fried..but no audio in the
receiver.. took it apart heated up a bunch of solder joints..
checked everything with a magnifying glass.. finally went to the
trouble shooting section and saw that you are suppose to have a
jumper till you get the audio filter in.. put in the jumper .. the
receiver worked fine.. got a signal coming in with a dumby load
and the power meter on my work bench..figured that was a good sign
HI HI.. the receiver was tuned.. played with the coils.. but they
were PERFECTLY set when I fired it up.. the receiver worked
great.. put in the fine tune, rit and audio filter and fired it up
again.. no audio.. started to think I needed to put the jumper
back in.. but knew better.. finally realized I hadn't put the chip
in the audio filter.. put it in and the rig worked a lot better.

Took the board over to the operating bench and hooked it up..
checked and made sure TX and REC were on the same freq.. did my
usual last minute minor tweek.. made a QSO immediately .(and this
is big power Contest weekend) after about 5 more contacts..
decided to put the cover on.  Worked everyone I heard and heard
about everything that the 850 could hear...

Found the rig is a bit useless without the audio filter engaged..
like the fine tune on the ARK4 better than the buttons on the
ARK40.. actual didn't mind the thumbwheels for contesting.. liked
the detents on the fine tune. Made a couple of longer QSOs.. rock
solid VFO and good reports. Mine puts out about 5 watts. .good
looking wave form.

Was operating about 1/2 day before I realized I had built the rig
and didn't have to do any wiring of the controls.. boy do I
appreciate that..not one wire (like the Norcal 40).

I think the rig has about one of the best receivers I ever built
and like the way it works..

I can live with the minor inconvenience of the thumbwheels.. I
thought the audio was a little weak.. only MAJOR complaint is the
relays.. they are the loudest things I ever heard..ruin it for
me.. I think this could be one of my favorite rigs except for this
flaw.. I took the rig apart and packed it in foam.. doesn't help.
I am using computer amplifed speakers.. they amplify the relay
clicks also.. noticed with the headphones on .. doesn't really
seem to be much of a problem. .can't really hear the clicks.. but
I don't like headphones.. so have to do something about this.. my
Gary Breed from 624 kits had very quiet relays.. I wonder if I can
just find a plug in replacement relay...any suggestions.. or maybe
come up with a solid state switching circuit.. but must be some
reason Dick didn't do this.

I think the rig is very rugged, a great size for backpacking, a
great kit, great quality parts, great directions.. great receiver
and TX, about the easiest QRP kit to tune up but the kit has
some minor flaws.

73

Jeff, AC4HF

------------------------------

From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 08:55:15 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: contest

> From:              <Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]
>
>
> Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9405281024.A15162-0100000@netcom6>
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
>
> The QSO's are slow, the propagation isn't very good and either there are
> VERY FEW Internet QRP ops on, or propagation to QRP stations is REALLY BAD.
> Last night 40M produced QSO's w/ VK, JA, YB, TI, KL7 and many Canadian
> prefixes.  Ten sounds dead at my QTH this morning, 15 and 20 have been
> North America only for me -- but I have heard some Europe on 20, just
> can't seem to work em.  QSO total after 3-hours on-air: fewer than 50.
> Come on in!  CUL, 72 de alan
>
>                    <Alan Kaul, W6RCL>! [e-mail]
>
>
>
Well, I got my ARK4 together in time for the contest.. didn't know
there was a contest.. but found out quick enough.  Worked everyone
about first call.. wasn't contesting, just testing out a new rig..
the way I was going.. if I had the time.. could have done real
well I believe.. not too much DX.. worked a couple.. but NO
PROBLEM working all over the US, one Mexico and a bunch of
Canadian.

73

Jeff, AC4HF

------------------------------

From: "Behrens J\vrg" <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 94 17:50:45 +0200
Subject: OHR-Spirit problem

This is a question to the OHR-kit experts of this list. I've finished
my OHR-Spirit recently (great kit! well - others dit comment on that
already) and it seems to work nicely (the sensitivity is great!) but
I'm wondering if it's usual that one has to turn on the volume to
about 80% level in order to get some reasonable output. The phones
I'm using are ok ;-) The band is 20m, the antenna is a multiband
40/20/15 which works fine with a R5000 HF receiver, and DC voltage
supply is fine, too. Any ideas?

Thanks for any comments,


73, Joerg (HB9 - TXing into a dummy load - still didn't have time for
the exam...)

------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 30 May 94 09:05:59 PST
Subject: R1 update

Thanks to everybody who wrote privately about this.

The machine is complete back to the volume control, which is
about 65% of the circuitry. I'm using a 10-by-15 cm PC board
(4 by 6 inches, approximately), and it's far from crowded.

My first smoke test was when I had completed the output
stage, back to the pot that sets the bias on the output
transistors. I checked that the resistance across the power
leads was somewhere between zero and infinity, observed a
small variation when I twiddled the bias pot (a nice
worm-drive one), and hooked the thing up to some headphones
and a 9 volt battery to see what would happen. I like to use
somewhat tired batteries for this, to keep the voltage down,
and to limit their current capability. My 12 amp Astron
supply could vapourise the whole thing in milliseconds if
something went wrong...

The output stages came up with a soft thump, and when I
cranked the input current up to 45 mA was able to brush my
fingers across the inputs and hear appropriate noises in the
headphones. Yahoo!

The next stage was the LM387 and the last filter, and this
was a mixed success. The input current jumped sharply (60
mA) and instead of a soft thump I got a sharp click when I
applied power. And couldn't hear any output. Since I may
have indeed goofed (the signal levels and impedances may
also be resistant to noise off one's fingers...) I'll set it
aside for the moment and start work on the mixer, input
diplexer, and so on. That's all that's left, anyway.

Further updates to follow.

73 from Burnaby,
laura VE7LDH/XL7LDH
             ^^^ special prefix to commemorate D-Day

------------------------------

From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 30 May 94 11:02:08 HST
Subject: antennas over saltwater

Speaking of antennas over saltwater, if you've ever driven around the south-
east portion of San Francisco Bay you've noticed a couple broadcast
stations (non-qrp) with their antennas sitting in the shallow water of
the bay. Excellent ground system. If one of those stations ever goes off
the air I'd love to hook up a qrp 160M rig to the antenna and see what
it could do.

Jeff NH6IL

------------------------------

End of QRP Digest V0 #112
*************************



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 07:42:48 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 31 May 94 06:39:47 EDT
From: C=[e-mail]
Subject: INFO ON "WIREMAN"
To: [e-mail]
Cc:
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

For those interested,

The Wireman, Inc.
261 Pittman Road
Landrum, SC  29356

Tech Help [phone]
Orders Only (800)727-WIRE, (800)433-WIRE

P.S.  "The Wirebook" is a catalog/handbook, it's worth considering.

I am not affiliated with or own any interest in this company....info only.
I use "The Wirebook" on the job as a training aid to install connectors.

KT3A, Cameron.


From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 09:02:15 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id JAA25235; Tue, 31 May 1994 09:01:50 -0400 (from [e-mail])
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 31 May 1994   13:01:40 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Mail failure
In-Reply-To: [e-mail]
     31 May 1994 07:06:07 EST
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


We have a problem here.  The "Mail failure" message is going to repeat
every day, getting longer and longer as it includes each day's digest.
Each digest includes the previous day's "Mail failure" message, so it
will get worse and worse.

Is our QRP admin still on vacation?  Who has the power to figure out what
address is causing the bounces and delete it?

Headers from the most recent bounce are included below.

        Stephen

Return-Path: [e-mail]
    id HAA20056; Tue, 31 May 1994 07:46:59 -0400 (from [e-mail] for <[e-mail]>)
        (Soft-Switch Central V4L380P3); 31 May 1994 07:06:07 EST
Message-Id: <X400.POSTMAS8.0429.1994 0531 07060706>
Date: 31 May 1994 07:06:07 EST
From: "POSTMASTER" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Mail failure
To: [e-mail]
Comment: MEMO 05.31.94  07.06
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk



--
Stephen Trier    Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is
[e-mail]  the last you are going to see of him until he emerges on the
KG8IH            other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
             -- Mark Twain, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"


From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 09:57:41 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: 31 May 1994 09:50:41 U
From: "Bob Scott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: R1 ???
To: "QRP" <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

                      R1 ???
OK, I give up.  I have searched my archives and hoped that someone
else would ask, but since no one has.  What is a R1?  I know it
is a receiver of some sort and that Laura is building one, but
where do I find the circuit (or is it a commercial kit?)?

Hope that all had a good weekend.  I borrowed a 100 Mhz scope from
work and spent part of the weekend discovering that my power
meter was bad and that my NorCal 40 was putting out 1.4 watts vs
the <.5 watt I thought it was.  Also checked out and
aligned my Oak Hills Spirit while I was at it.  All thanks to the
article in the latest QRPp on measuring output power.

Looking forward to Manassas hamfest this weekend.

Thanks in advance.

73  Bob AC4QO



From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 11:51:11 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Tue, 31 May 1994 10:51:31 CDT
Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 10:51:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: ARK4->ARK4
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Vms-To: QRP
X-Vms-Cc: JMG
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

HI,

finally got to do something I consider nifty (now there's an old
time word for you youngsters).

Nils, WB8IJN had finished his ARK4 just a wee bit ahead of when I
got mine on the air. We have been communicating regularly via
EMAIL about progress and impressions. Well last night we had a
sked.

The sked was for 7.047 (not 7.048 or 7.046). Nils called me via
phone and talked for a while. The bands were TERRIBLE.. but we had
no problem for about 95% of the QSO.. fun talk.. realy nice to
hear what a rig you just finished sounds like from the listener's
end. I was using a Gap Vertical and I believe Nils was using a
dipole (may be wrong.. old age wipes the memory). There was NO
DRIFT at all.. very nice... and the audio filter on my rig was
quite effective.

My only complaint about the rig is the relays.. and going to try
different type or find some way around it.. told Nils who use to
work for Drake, that he needed to design a solid state switching
circuit for it.

PS.. I am going to leave for Cancun on Sunday. Thinking about
bringing my MFJ 20 meter SSB and a dipole and a battery.

73

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 12:03:26 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA03223; Tue, 31 May 94 08:51:47 PDT
    id AA770399765 Tue, 31 May 94 08:56:05 PST
Date: Tue, 31 May 94 08:56:05 PST
From: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], "Bob Scott" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: R1 ???
Sender: [e-mail]
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     Bob,

     sorry for not filling people in on this...the R1 and R2
     receivers and T2 exciter are the result of work done by Rick
     Campbell KK7B, and written up in QST. KK7B started with the
     fact that the signals coming off a 40 meter dipole at night
     have a larger dynamic range than a CD recording, and used
     modern computer techniques to create a direct conversion
     receiver that would receive such signals with no distortion,
     clipping or hum. It uses LC filters to set the audio
     bandpass (the filters have a 180 dB dynamic range - try
     matching that with op amp active filters!) and the same sort
     of complementary-symmetry output circuit you would see in a
     nice stereo amplifier.

     The R2 receiver extends the R1 by adding a second mixer and
     phase shift networks to create a phasing single signal
     direct conversion receiver. Like a phasing SSB exciter in
     reverse - except that with modern components and computer
     analysis we can achieve 30-40 dB of stable, idiot-proof
     opposite sideband suppression with off-the-shelf 1%
     components.

     The T2 exciter uses many of the same components as an R2
     receiver to create a phasing SSB exciter.

     The R1 is in QST, August 1992. The R2 is in the January 1993
     issue, the T2 is in March 1993, and a final article tying
     things together in in the May 1993 issue. I'm typing these
     in from memory - please check before ordering back issues.

     I (and many others) would kill for a kit, especially for the
     R2 and T2 which require some closely-matched (and large)
     capacitors and inductors. In the meantime I've scrounged
     enough locally for a first iteration of an R1, and am
     ordering some goodies from Digi-Key to upgrade the results.

     73 from Burnaby,
     laura VE7LDH

From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 12:21:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id JAA07313; Tue, 31 May 1994 09:20:41 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Mont Pierce)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: "R1" defined:
To: [e-mail] (Bob Scott)
Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 09:20:40 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]> from "Bob Scott" at May 31, 94 09:50:41 am
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>
>                       R1 ???
> OK, I give up.  I have searched my archives and hoped that someone
> else would ask, but since no one has.  What is a R1?  I know it
> is a receiver of some sort and that Laura is building one, but
> where do I find the circuit (or is it a commercial kit?)?

This is the direct conversion receiver designed by Rick Campbell.  624
kits sells it in kit form as the "Classic 40m Receiver Kit" for $66(?).

The R1 write-up by Rick Campbell is in the August 1992 QST.  Some months
later he wrote about the R2 receiver.  Similar to R1 except uses phase
matching to get a single signal output (USB/LSB).


73,
--
Mont Pierce

+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Ham Call: KM6WT             Internet:  [e-mail]                  |
|    bands: 80/40/20/15/10/2                                              |
|    modes: cw,ssb,fm                                                     |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 13:04:41 1994
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    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA02970; Tue, 31 May 94 12:03:38 -0500
Date: Tue, 31 May 94 12:03:38 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Sprint
Sender: [e-mail]
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Gang,

The QRP ARCI Sprint was Sunday from 2000-2400 LOCAL time.

If you remember, I promised a run for the money.  Well,
Saturday, I mowed the acre by pushing a mower around it
for 5 hrs, about 6 miles I figure.  Good exercise, but I
don't recommend it for everyone.  :-)

Since, I was already dirty, I decided to do something that
I had wanted to do for some time.  I took down the 80M long
wire.  I put back up, in the same direction, a 40M long wire.
This to test over the next year how much difference there is
between the two.  Not a real scientific test, but it's real.

So, I cleared the social calendar for Sunday night (she went
to OK for family reunion anyway)  :-)  Well, sorry to say
the weather did not cooperate at all.  Starting about 6 or 7 local
time, we went into a tornado watch until 3 am on monday.  I
unplugged the shorting wire from the 450 ohm twinlead and WOW!!

Three inch sparks.  Thanks but no thanks.  Think I'll sit this one
out.  I tried every hour to see if I could work on the antenna, but
no luck.  The MFJ tuner would ark inside.  Gotta take it apart to
check for any damage later to day.

So, didn't get to work anyone on the new NN1G rig for 40M.  Review
in latest K5FO newsletter.  :-)  To follow on net later next week
from CA.

Let's get a notation going:  I'll start and we'll agree or
disagree as follows---

NN1G Mark 1 --- the original NN1G as written up in Jan 1993 QQ

NN1G Mark 2 --- the modified NN1G in Jan 1994 QQ with larger IF cans

NN1G Mark 3 --- a.k.a. NE-QRP 40-40 and 30-4 kits as sold by NN1G


The Mark 2 is sold by Dan's Small Part's and Kits, 1935 S. 3RD W.,
#1, Missoula, MT 59801  [phone]  Cost is $59.95 and $3.95
for shipping.  I may be off a little on the shipping.

The Mark 3 is sold directly by Dave Benson, NN1G, for $40 plus
$1.95 for shipping.  See archive for information and details.

I will post a more detailed analysis and comparison week.  This
week is filled scrambling to get to San Jose again on sunday for
one week.  Those of you who missed me last trip, let's plan now
and get it locked down.  Dinner at Two Guys from Italy.  Bring
a rig.  I'll bring the new rig, NN1G Mark 3.  Sched available
on 40M also this week and next.

Guess I better add this.  The Mark 3 is varactor tuned, does not
have case, pots, and connectors.  I'll let you know on the drift,
but it seems to do well so far.  Not silk screened, but that is not
an issue with me.  It forces me to be more careful and makes it more
homebrew.  (:-)

Bob Gobrick, I received your UPS package just now.  I'll have
the rig up and fixed and back on to you tomorrow.

dit dit

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 13:35:42 1994
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   Tue, 31 May 94 13:34:29 EDT
          id 6955; Tue, 31 May 1994 13:34:21 EDT
   with TCP; Tue, 31 May 94 13:34:20 EDT
      id AA5470; Tue, 31 May 94 13:15:52 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 31 May 94 13:11:18 EST
From: "Robert E. Easton"                          <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "Robert E. Easton"                            <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: OHR Spirit Problem
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> I'm wondering if it's usual that one has to turn on the volume to
> about 80% level in order to get some reasonable output. ...

I run the audio at about the 40% setting on my Spirit and have plenty of
volume.  That's with 8 ohm headphones.  The only time I need too crank it up
is when I use an external speaker.   Maybe you need to look for a bug...

 Bob Easton


From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 16:20:05 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Wed, 1 Jun 1994 04:19:28 +0800
    id aa03241; Tue, 31 May 94 19:43:18 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0q8ZIc-000QG4C; Wed, 1 Jun 94 03:16 SST
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           Tue, 31 May 1994 15:21:09 SST
Date:      Tue, 31 May 1994 15:21:08 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   NN1G RIT
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi,

        There was a few request for the RIT circuit for the NN1G so I
thought I'd post it here. Sorry for the poor ascii circuit diagram :)


                                         o------o-------o-----------o gnd
                                         |      |       |
                                        ===.1   |2     ===.1
        100k                      10k    |   +-------+  |
+Vcc o--\/\/\--o              o--\/\/\---o---| 78L08 |--o-----------o +Vcc
               |              |             1+-------+3
               |              |     VR1
               |              o----\/\/\----o                10pF NPO
               |              |             Z VR3 33k        o--||--o VC
               |              |             Z<---\/\/\--o    |
       IN914/  |             e|      VR2    Z           |    |
       IN4148  |       10k b /   o--\/\/\---o   o--o----o    |
 key o---|<|---o---\/\/\----|    |              |  |   100k  | MV2106
               |             \   |   10         |  o--/\/\/--o--||<|--o
              === .1       c  o--o--\/\/\--o   ===                    |
               |                           |    |.001                 |
 gnd o---------o---------------------------o----o---------------------o

 All capacitor values are in uF unless otherwise stated. All are ceramic
discs but decoupling capacitor types are not critical. Resistors are all
1/4 watt 5% carbon film.

     VR1 and VR2        presets valued between 10k to 50k, optional.
     VR3                linear 10k variable resistor, with center indent??
     MV2106 or MV2105   Varicap diode, MV2104 should also work.
     78L08 or 78L09     Voltage regulator
     VC                 Air Variable tuning capacitor in NN1G,
                        Not the grounded end but the "live" end.

        There you have it. Lemme know how it works out. The following are
some comments and instructions.

1.      Keep all leads short if possible. Leads around the MV2106 and the
        10 pF NPO capacitor should be especially short. Leads leading to VR3
        may be longer if necessary, this is not as critical. If possible,
        try mounting the 100k, the MV2106, and the 10pF components as an
        "ugly" style assembly direct on the Variable capacitor.

2.      VR1 and VR2 may not be necessary. Their values, when used, should be
        set to the minimum possible value that works. Usually only one or
        the other is needed, never both. The purpose of this is to set the
        center of the RIT. You should ground the key and measure the voltage
        at the wiper of VR3 and note it down. Now, set the RIT at the center
        position and vary VR1 or VR2 so that the wiper voltage is the same
        as that when the key is grounded.

3.      Connect the wiper up in the direction you wish your RIT to behave,
        ie. the top and low end of the VR3, may be reversed if you wish.

4.      After this, you may need to readjust L1 (VFO) for the new range. The
        other coils need not be readjusted.

        That's it. RIT for the NN1G. Lemme know how it works out for any of
you who tries this.

73,
Daniel

p.s.    I am still looking for ways to stabilize the TX section of the NN1G.
        The circuit and the layout results in a very unstable system. Has
        anyone found a fix for this. Pse don't tell me I got to do this
        myself again!!!

pps.    I added an audio filter to my NN1G to accompany the RIT circuitry.
        Works beautifully now. :)
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Tue May 31 20:39:23 1994
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  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for <[e-mail]>); Wed, 1 Jun 1994 10:39:08 +1000
          via Charon-4.0-VROOM with IPX id 100.940601104011.352;
          01 Jun 94 10:37:37 -1000
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Date:     1 Jun 94 10:40:00 GMT+1000
Subject:  re: Antennas over salt water
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In the past I worked for quite a few years as a Radio Officer on merchant
ships.
On a number of occasions I built up cw QRP rigs from junk box parts and some
of the results were quite astounding.
Probably the best was running about 50mW o/p to the main transmitting
antenna on the ship (an inverted 'L') and working back to VK land from near
the Aleutians.
Guess there's nothing like a big antenna with a 1000 foot long steel hull
sitting in salt water for an earth.....

73s

Bob.
--
 __________________________________________________
|  email:         [e-mail] |
|                                                  |
| postal:         Robert Reid,  Dept of Psychology |
|                 University      of      Tasmania |
|                 GPO Box 242C,  Hobart,  Tasmania |
|                            |  Tel:  [phone] |
|                 Australia. |  Fax:  [phone] |
 --------------------------------------------------

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 04:48:29 1994
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  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Wed, 1 Jun 1994 16:47:58 +0800
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           Wed, 01 Jun 1994 03:55:23 SST
Date:      Wed, 01 Jun 1994 03:55:22 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   NN1G RIT
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi Gang,

        The RIT I posted was designed with the Mark II in mind but the way
it was designed means that it can probably work with any VFO circuitry which
uses a 15-25 pF air variable as the main tuning capacitor. No big deal to it
and it seems to work very well for me. Gives me +- about 1 kHz which is the
way it should work :)

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 07:01:46 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    (1.37.109.4/15.6) id AA06800; Wed, 1 Jun 94 13:03:10 -0600
X-Nupop-Charset: English
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 13:01:00 +0200 (EET)
From: "Jon Iza" <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Hola, amigos
Sorry for the bandwith. I've tried to ping N9JZW for more info on his DDS
transceiver but email bounced somewhere at cwru.edu.
Anyway, it looks from the archives there was a kit by Elktronic,NE but
I've been unable to find additional information or address. Any clues?
72 + 73 from  Jon, EA2SN

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 12:04:30 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 09:04:42 -0800
To: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Wayne Burdick)
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Bay-Area QRPers:

I'm doing a talk on QRP at the Palo Alto radio club (PAARC) this Friday
night at 7:00 PM.  This is not a club known for QRP enthusiasts, so I could
use a few sympathizers in the audience :).  Think up some snappy questions
and bring your homebrew gear if you're so inclined.  I'll be demoing the
new NorCal Sierra multiband rig (our latest NorCal club project) and the
NorCal 40, along with some older stuff including the Safari-4 (from the '90
QEX article).

The club meets at 700 Alma (Menlo Park Recreation Center).  For directions
or other info call Andy Korsac at 415-366-5228 (home) or 408-433-4828 x2720
(work).

Looking forward to meeting some more local QRP folk.

72,
Wayne




From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 12:17:10 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
          Wed, 01 Jun 1994 10:08:20 CDT
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Anderson -7325)
Subject: Heathkit Model HW-7
Date:
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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Can anyone on the QRP list help Stephen?  This message
was on the rec.radio.amateur.equipment list.  Please
reply to Stephen.

72 de kevin, kb9iua

--- Forwarded message follows ---
From: [e-mail] (Stephen John Farthing)
Subject: Heathkit Model HW-7
Date: Sat, 28 May 1994 16:42:07 +0000
I recently sat the UK Radio Amateurs Exam and have bought a Heathkit HW-7 to
get on the air with. Unfortunately it came without manuals.

Also I have heard that there is a publication called
the "Hot Water" book with details of modifications ect.

Can anyone out there help me with these, or any other details of the HW-7?

--
Steve Farthing | [e-mail] |
Meklsham       "Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived
Wiltshire UK    forwards" Soren Kierkegaard 1813-1855

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 14:33:36 1994
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    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA04628; Wed, 1 Jun 94 13:32:38 -0500
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 94 13:32:38 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: 1994 Spring QRP ARCI QSO Party
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Gang,

I got all the results of the above.  I'll post them
tomorrow after I get them scanned in.  No way that I
want to spend my time typing 'em all in.  :-)

Internet #1    ---   225,764 Points

   KU7Y   -  15,750 points
   WA4VQD - 201,096 points
   NR3Z   -   8,918 points

Internet #2    ---    61,394 Points

   AC4HF  -  45,927 points
   K5FO   -   9,230 points
   KD4YRN -   6,237 points


Congratulations to #1.  One of my team members,
who shall remain nameless, sent in his 220,000
points after the cutoff point.  :-)  It's OK,
it was fun anyway.  Other team members missing
too.

The soap box section shows that everyone had
lousy conditions.

The winner of the contest was a first timer.
Not a member of QRP ARCI, located in CO, and
had a tower with single band multi-element
beams for 20 and 40M on a very very high tower.
:-)  Again, summary to follow tomorrow.

I think antennas are everything in this game.

OK.  Just a quickie.

dit dit

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 17:09:01 1994
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    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA05167; Wed, 1 Jun 94 16:07:59 -0500
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 94 16:07:59 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Political Statement by K5FO
Sender: [e-mail]
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Gang,

Excuse the bandwidth here, but I think this is important
enough that I beg the indulgence of the group.  Typically
we don't go into flame wars, but I'd guess once in a while
we need to stir the waters.  Again, please forgive me for
I know not what I do.

------------------------------------------------------------

On Nov 13th of last year (1993) I posted the following.  Nice thing
about internet.  Everything that you say and do is archived.
Bad thing about the internet.  Everything that you say and do
is archived.

.........here it is verbatim from the archives.......


Date: Sat, 13 Nov 93 21:26:36 -0600
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Hambrew es QRPp Review


Gang,

I received a few days ago in the mail two items:  QRPp - Journal of the
Northern California QRP Club and Hambrew - for Amateur Radio Designers
and Builders.

Let me give my impressions of both, and these are my impressions and
mine alone.

                        HAMBREW                  QRPp

Date                    Autumn 1993              December 1993
Pages (including cover) 48 pages                 60 pages
Size                    5.5"W x 8.5"H            5.5"W x 8.5"H
Weight                  2.7oz                    2.3oz
                        (weighed on electronic postal scale)
Postage, if mailed 1st  $0.75                    $0.75
      I don't have the 3rd class rates........
Paper                   60lb slick               20lb nongloss
Pictures                3 full page shots B&W    No full page photos
                          including F&B covers
                        22 B&W Photos (good qua.) 1 B&W Photo (scanned)
                        total space of 10 pgs     about 1/3 page total
Cartoons                2/3 of a page total      none
Advertising             4.5 pages                none

HAMBREW ARTICLES (already table of contents posted to net)
  1.  Ramsey 30 Meter Transmitter Kit Review - Ramsey might go
  after them after this one.  They changed the box (RS), added LED
  pwr, and other stuff to really canabalize (sp?) the thing.  I
  personally don't think the results could be counted as a Ramsey
  kit.  :-)  I really didn't like the way they split the article
  after one page and continued toward the last of the publication.
  They did this in a bunch of places.  A definite turnoff for me.

  2.  Zapp The DX With The Zapper - how to build a mobile antenna
  for about $30 to $50 using PVC es stuff.  "The Zapper" a play
  on the "Bug Catcher".  ;-)  Cute.

  3.  The NorthWest QRP Club "30-30" CW Transmitter by KG7CR.
  A crystal controlled QRP rig.  2.5 pages including one page
  for schematic and parts list and .5 page for winding toroids.
  Not much meat at all, like maybe a PC board layout for those
  who are interested.

  And other articles, which I leave for the others in the group
  to give us their feedback on.  I wasn't too thrilled myself,
  but that's just me, I'm sure.

QRPp Articles (already a table of contents posted to the net, I think)
  1.  A bunch of articles by various people from this group, including
  yours truly.  So, a bunch of it will be review for those who read
  this group.
  2.  Article by Wayne Burdick, N6KR, designer and father of the
  NorCal 40 Rig!  This article alone is worth the $5 price for a
  whole years subscription to the newsxxxxx  ooops, Journal of
  the Northern California QRP Club.  :-)  Four pages of the description
  of the circuits and two full pages for the schematics.  So, those of
  you who did not get to buy the kit, here's your chance to get a
  look at it.  No PC board layout.  We'll let Wayne worry about that
  deal.  It's his puppy, so to speak.
  3.  Three and a half pages on an Audio Filter by Jim Pepper, W6QIF,
  including graphs of frequency responses and circuit diagrams.
  4.  Three and a half pages with NorCal Club members, numbers,
  and addresses.  I see some of you there in the list.  Who's who of
  the internet.  :-)

  And I didn't want to get too detailed in the reviews.

  Summary.  Hambrew - $20 per year, four issues sent 3rd CLASS mail.
            QRPp    - $5  per year, four issues sent 1st CLASS mail.

I enjoyed the QRPp more and spent more time wading through it, since
it has more print and more info and a lot fewer pictures and advertising.

Hambrew, P.O. Box 260083, Lakewood, CO 80226-0083 $20/yr
QRPp, Jim Cates, WA6GER, 3241 Eastwood Rd., Sacramento, CA  95821 $5/yr

I don't think that Hambrew is aimed or going to attempt to do much for
the QRP crowd.  I got a call from George De Grazio, WF0K, Publisher,
after I called on his 800-5-HAM-RIG number to see where my copy was.
I received a copy first class mail a few days letter with note that
this was a sample issue.  What?  I paid $20 for one year plus a bonus
issue.  Does he not have me down as a regular subscriber?  Those of
you who have not received your issue, call him.  Since they are being
sent 3RD Class mail and we know what the US Postal Service does to
third class mail, I'd check up on it.

Oh.  There will be no back issues of QRPp.  Issue will be mailed
out Dec 1, 1993 first class mail.  Be sure to get your money in
post haste.

DISCLAIMER:  I am a member of the NorCal Club, but I don't get anything
special from them, so this is a review on what I have seen.  The above
is my opinion(s) and I'd be glad to have anyone in this group that has
seen the Hambrew issue and disagrees with the review, let US know.  I
make errors, but rarely.  :-)

dit  dit
.......end of article except for signature....

-------------------------------------------------


Now excerpt in its entirety from "The NWQ Newsletter",
Volume 2 Number 6, A Publication of The Northwest QRP
Club, April 1994.

  "Literary Criticism" well-meaning or mean-Sprited?

    By Bill Todd - N7MFB
    President, NW QRP Club


"Earlier this month, I read an article in a fairly new QRP
Publication that was quite disturbing to me personally.

The article in question was a point by point comparison and
criticism of the writers favorite QRP Publication and that of
the first issue of the "HamBrew" magizine (sic) (which is not a
QRP publication in the first place).

The writer went on and on about how his favorite QRP magazine
was vastly superior in every way to the "Hambrew" magazine. The
writer even made fun of the paper "Hambrew" is printed on.  Although
I have not seen it, I understand that this same writer also wrote an
article that was carried on the Internet BBS system criticizing the
very first issue of the Colorado QRP Club's "Low Down" magazine.

I wonder - what is the purpose of this kind of literary criticism?
It struck me at the time as being just another example of an individual
trying to put someone down to make himself look good.  If the writer
really cared about improving "Hambrew", wouldn't a personal letter
have been more appropriate?

I can tell you from personal experience that the Editor of any
publication receives constructive criticism from time to time.  It
is never pleasant to receive these letters, but I feel they are
necessary.  Public criticism on the other hand, is not constructive
but often mean-spirited.

I call on my fellow QRP editors to show some responsibility, and not
allow these self serving 'critiques' to see their way into any more
QRP publications."

------------------------------------------------------------

pp 1.  He's read QRPp!!

pp 2.  Quite a jump here.  I didn't say that QRPp was my favorite
       QRP publication.

pp 3.  I did not make fun of the paper.  I have published 58 refereed
       articles in physics journals and four books.  I think I know
       English, but someone point it out to me if I missed the point.
       How can you call Internet a BBS system?  How can you talk about
       something (my review of CQC) you haven't read?

pp 4.  I was not trying to make myself look good.  I don't have an ego
       problem.  Ask anyone who has personally met me.  I did the
       review for the QRP mailing group.  I did it to help people,
       who with their own hard earned money have to make decisions
       on where to get the best and most information for their
       money.  I used the data at hand, not go around and create it.

pp 5.  I completely disagree with this paragraph in it's entirety.
       The purpose of a review is to provide one's view(s) on a topic,
       another piece of work, or manufactured goods.  You can not
       supress freedom to convey one's view(s).  The review is one
       such method for doing so.  Mr Todd would like everything to
       be perfect, but unfortunately that is not the case.  To call
       me mean-spirited (implied by the fact that he used the term
       often and in reference to my posting) is carrying his critique
       too far and I take it personally, both to myself and my
       reputation.

pp 6.  Looks like I won't get to publish anymore, since he has called
       on all newsletters to no allow "these self serving critiques"
       to be published.  This paragraph says that maybe the article
       shouldn't have been published either.  Looks like I'll have
       to start my own newsletter.  :-)  :-)

I was disturbed by all this for several reasons.  It was aimed at me.
It was an assault on my character.  Someone distorted (I think) the
facts.

I think I have been positive in 95% or more of my posts to this group.
Shakespeare was right.  The world is a stage.

NOTE:  The logo for Twilight Publishing Company, created early last
       year looks similar to the NW QRP Club's logo.  It was copied
       and I have witnesses to that fact.

I now go and crawl back into my cave.

dit dit

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 19:27:01 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 01 Jun 94 01:04:08 GMT
From: [e-mail] (George Dobbs G3RJV)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail],
        <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: R1 ???
X-Mailer: PCElm 1.09
Lines: 30
Sender: [e-mail]
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In message <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>
>      Bob,
>
>
>      The R1 is in QST, August 1992. The R2 is in the January 1993
>      issue, the T2 is in March 1993, and a final article tying
>      things together in in the May 1993 issue. I'm typing these
>      in from memory - please check before ordering back issues.
>
>      I (and many others) would kill for a kit, especially for the
>      R2 and T2 which require some closely-matched (and large)
>      capacitors and inductors. In the meantime I've scrounged
>      enough locally for a first iteration of an R1, and am
>      ordering some goodies from Digi-Key to upgrade the results.
>
>      73 from Burnaby,
>      laura VE7LDH

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE IS A KIT FOR THE R1 AND R2 ON THE WAY

I AGREE ON ALL THAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE DESIGNS - THE ORIGINAL QST
ARTICLE ON THE R2, IS, I BELIEVE, THE BEST AMATEUR RADIO ARTICLE I HAVE
READ IN MANY YEARS.

WATCH THIS SPACE........   73
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George Dobbs G3RJV                  "It is vain to do with more,
G-QRP Club                           what can be done with less."
-------------------------------------------------- William of Occam (1290-1350)

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 21:18:13 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id VAA14353; Wed, 1 Jun 1994 21:17:35 -0400
    id AA03928; Wed, 1 Jun 1994 21:16:42 -0400
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 21:16:42 -0400 (EDT)
From: howie cahn <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Political Statement by K5FO
To: Chuck Adams <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Sender: [e-mail]
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For what it's worth...

I thought Chuck's post comparing the two publications was quite appropriate
and accurate. If I tried to make a similar comparison, I would have said
about the same things.

72/73... howie
[e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  1 22:14:07 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 1 Jun 1994 19:14:16 -0800
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Wayne Burdick)
Subject: NorCal Sierra
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi gang,

Back in January I sent out preliminary specs on the NorCal Sierra kit,
including some speculative pricing.  A lot has changed since then; we now
have three working prototypes, final specs, and final pricing.  (If you
haven't heard of the Sierra, it's a multiband, superhet transciever kit
that covers 80 through 15 meters using plug-in modules.  It covers 150KHz
on each band, puts out 2 to 4 watts, and the receiver has a crystal filter
and good AGC range.  The rig is intended for backpacking: small, only 30mA
receive-mode current drain, and you can store the band modules in the
cover.  The kit comes with everything including a custom case, like the
NorCal 40.  Plenty of room for add-ins, since everything mounts on a single
board.  You add the paint and decals.)

We sent out a brochure to all NorCal members last month.  If you are
interested in the Sierra but did not get a brochure, let me know and I'll
send you one.  It includes a high-resolution drawing showing what the rig
looks like from the top and front.

The rig is priced so that the club won't lose money, but it's still way
under anything else you can get that's multiband ($160 for the basic rig,
$25 for each band module).  By the way, if you want to take a "wait and
see" attitude (often a wise course), don't worry; we will probably put
together some extra kits beyond what is ordered and make them available
after the first wave have been built.  Little refinements in the
documentation are inevitable.

The rig is a club project, so if you're not a member of NorCal, you'll have
to come up with $5 for dues.  Doug Hendricks puts out a great quarterly
newsletter for the money.

73,
Wayne

P.S. -- Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions about the Sierra
design.  Our next project--I hope--will be a miniature automatic antenna
tuner for QRP rigs, and we could use your suggestions for that one, too.
(Does anyone already make a cheap, miniature, automatic antenna tuner?)


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 07:16:31 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
   with BSMTP id 0450; Thu, 02 Jun 94 07:15:56 EXT
Message-Id:  19940602.071555.ATXR@CENVMC
Date: 02 Jun 94 07:15:55 EXT
From: [e-mail]
To: qrp for sending messages <[e-mail]>
Subject: ohr Classic
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

From: Ted Rosen, Architectural Technology Department
I am happy to report that my ohr Classic is now up and running. I am
really pleased with this kit. It was the first transceiver kit that
I have built, and there was much for me to learn from it. Thanks to
all on this listserv for their comments and suggestions, and
special thanks to Jeff, AC4HF,  and Dick at OHR who was particularly
helpful. I would be interested in hearing from others who have
built this kit.
Ted, VA3TAR


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 08:34:08 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA28690; Thu, 2 Jun 94 08:33:05 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 08:33:03 -0400
From: [e-mail] (CONTRACTOR Larry Keith;653 CCSG/SCT)
Subject: Gel-cell charger?
To: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


I think I remember seeing a post about a gel-cell charger available
>from Alltronics or  All Electronics..

If someone has that info, please e-mail to me..

tnx,

Larry, KQ4BY

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 08:59:14 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA13107; Thu, 2 Jun 94 08:58:48 EDT
          id AA106463; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 09:00:28 -0400
          id AA131531; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 08:56:56 -0400
From: [e-mail] (Bruce Lifter)
Message-Id: <9406021256.AA131531@sarsa>
Subject: Re: Hambrew es QRPp Review
To: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 08:56:55 -0500 (EDT)
Cc: [e-mail] (Bruce Lifter)
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]> from "Chuck Adams" at Jun 1, 94 05:32:17 am
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL20]
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Chuck Adams wrote: >.
>.
>. pp 4.  I was not trying to make myself look good.  I don't have an ego
>. problem.  Ask anyone who has personally met me.  I did the
>. review for the QRP mailing group.  I did it to help people,
>. who with their own hard earned money have to make decisions
>. on where to get the best and most information for their
>. money.  I used the data at hand, not go around and create it.

I appreciated the comparison and thought it was appropriate for the
QRP reflector. I was quite surprised, however, to see the comparison
in QRPp. I did not think that this was appropriate for QRPp since it
did give the air of "tooting ones own horn" at the expense of another.

To the best of my knowledge, Chuck is member of several (many?) QRP
organizations. It is quite appropriate for him to compare any two
magazines on the QRP reflector. His inputs are respected by myself and
others on the reflector.

This is no different than critical reviews of two rigs on the reflector.
If a critical review of the NN1G 40/40 versus the NorCal 40 appeared on
the reflector, and the reviewer praised the NN1G over the NorCal, I would
not expect to see that review in the NE QRP newsletter either!

Hopefully this will not change the great job Doug and the gang is doing
with the NorCal QRPp newsletter! Too much editing can be even worse than
not enough.

73,

Bruce, KR4AQ, NorCal #185

(I receive only the QRP-digest. If there are any replys to the above,
please copy me direct via email in addition to the reflector, else I won't
see it until tomorrow.)

--
Bruce Lifter
Harris Corporation                                                MS: R5-202
Controls Division                              email: [e-mail]
-.. .  -.- .-. ....- .- --.-                                        de KR4AQ


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 09:03:53 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA11691; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 09:03:41 -0400
    id AA22779; Thu, 2 Jun 94 09:04:33 EDT
    id AA29089; Thu, 2 Jun 94 09:04:28 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Political Statement by K5FO
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 01 Jun 94 16:07:59 CDT."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 94 09:04:27 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

So which "fairly new QRP publication" did this get reprinted in?
I assume they didn't bother to ask permission.

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 10:18:20 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 10:16:13 EST
Date: 02 Jun 1994 10:16:13 -0500 (EST)
From: "DONALD A. COLEMAN (EXT. 2850)" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Antennas over salt water
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Vms-To: IN%"[e-mail]"
X-Vms-Cc: IN%"[e-mail]"
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Gang,

Maybe you don't always need the steel hull or even the salt in the water.

I recall a story told me by a ham I qso'ed years ago.  He told me he once put
up a forty-meter dipole over a narrow stretch of river--the Hudson, I think.
His qth was on a cliff, and the other end of the ant. was on an opposite clif.
He said he could hear Europeans all day every day on forty but couldn't break
them, perhaps because the Eu stations didn't expect a u.s. station to be trying
that during the day.

I know I've had marvelous luck with only three watts from a location in New
Brunswick, Canada, that was right beside a salt-water inlet there.

72.4945223

W1VOQ

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 10:42:19 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA14287; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:40:27 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
    (1.38.193.4/16.2) id AA03764; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 10:39:59 -0400
From: Tom_Jennings <[e-mail]>
Subject: Loop Antenna
To: [e-mail] (qrp mailling list)
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:39:59 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi QRPers

I am gathering the parts for the "Compact Loop Antenna for
30 through 12 Meters" which was written up in the May, 1994
QST. I will be using it for my 20 Meter NN1G rig.

I was wondering, before I get too far along, if any one
built it and if someone did: Any hints in building it? and
how does it perform?

Thanks and 73

TJ, kv2x

--
-------------------------------------------------------------
                               |
Thomas J. Jennings             | Tel: [phone]
Development Engineer           | Fax: [phone]
                               |
ABB Process Automation         |
Post Office Box 22685          |
Rochester, New York 14692-2685 |
                               |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Internet: [e-mail]
-------------------------------------------------------------

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 10:49:25 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 09:49:31 CDT
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 1994 09:49:31 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Classc->ARK4
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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X-Vms-Cc: JMG
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Howdi,

about ready to leave for Cancun.. sure was stupid of me to sell
all my small CW 20 meter QRP rigs.. now only have my MFJ SSB, If I
can think of a way to fit it, may bring the OH.. don't really want
to take a chance of scratching it up.. real pretty rig.

Been using my ARK4 and OH Classic as my main rigs now.. really
giving them a workout. Both are TOP of the line.. both in TX and
Rec.

I found that the ARK4 relay problem really isn't a problem if you
use headphones (which is was designed for).. seems the amplified
speaker just amplifies the relay click .. and the headphones
ignore it about totally.

The bands were really poor last night.. good testing conditions..
did a lot of switching back and forth on real weak signals between
the two rigs.. they are both exceptional in the receive... think
if the signal is there. .you will hear it..

I would love to get both rigs into the communications lab here on
campus and see what the numbers say.. I usually rely on .. on the
air performance.. but these two are really close.. have my guesses
and would love a precision answer.. I would bet that both would
come up with some impressive numbers.. anyone out there have one
of these and access to a testing lab?

I might be able to get them in for testing some time this summer.

73

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 11:55:32 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 08:55:34 -0800
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Wayne Burdick)
Subject: Re: NorCal-40
Cc: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

>Will the Sierra Rig design/artwork make it into the public domain?
>Personally, I think that of course you have the right to keep you designs
>to yourself, but the bottom line is that people that build kits, build kits.
>And the poeple that like to scrounge, and build their own p.c. boards are
>very unique...

Brad,

Thanks for your comments.  The club is now selling a "Partial Kit" of the
NorCal 40 with just the PC board, case, and manual, but at this point we
could also supply just the documentation for those who want to do it all
themselves.  This will also be the case for the Sierra at some point.

You can call Jim Cates anytime to ask for a copy of the manual, paying only
for postage and printing costs (about $2 I'd guess).  His number is
916-487-3580.

As for writing an article on either the NorCal 40 or the Sierra, I expect
to do this later this year. I may try to interest ARRL Hq in the Sierra for
the Handbook or for QST.  In the mean time, the entire design of all NorCal
rigs is copyrighted, so I'd prefer that you go through Jim to obtain the
documentation.

73,
Wayne



From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 12:40:38 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    for [e-mail] id AA20704; Thu, 2 Jun 94 09:40:19 -0700
    for @sgi.sgi.com,@FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA29577; Thu, 2 Jun 94 11:39:48 -0500
    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA06793; Thu, 2 Jun 94 11:39:47 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 11:39:47 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: K5FO/6
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Gang,

Sorry to broadcast this, but it's the only way I see
to do it.

The San Jose crowd.  Next week, Tuesday, June 7th,
at the restaurant "Two Guys from Italy" at 7pm local.

I'll be there and Doug Hendricks will be down from
Dos Palos and hopefully Wayne Burdick can make it
also.  Show and tell time.  Bring a rig, bring a
camera, and bring yourself (most important of all).

I believe the restaurant is on Rio Grande Ave/Blvd (?).
Locals can give us directions on the mail server here.

Now all the rest of you guys/girls on the mail server.
You too can let us know when you're traveling and
broadcast it.  Never know who you'll meet and isn't
it what it's all about?  Fun, Food, and Fellowship.
It doesn't get any better than this.

Bon Appetito (excuse my Italian),

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 13:06:42 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (InterLock SMTP Gateway 1.1 for <[e-mail]>);
  Thu, 2 Jun 1994 13:06:01 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
    id AA02257; Thu, 2 Jun 94 13:05:23 EDT
    id AA22932; Thu, 2 Jun 94 13:03:56 EDT
    id AA01460; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 13:03:54 +0500
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 13:03:54 +0500
From: [e-mail] (Eric Bates)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Loop Antenna
X-Sun-Charset: US-ASCII
Content-Length: 1272
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----- Begin Included Message -----

< stuff deleted >

Hi QRPers

I am gathering the parts for the "Compact Loop Antenna for
30 through 12 Meters" which was written up in the May, 1994
QST. I will be using it for my 20 Meter NN1G rig.

I was wondering, before I get too far along, if any one
built it and if someone did: Any hints in building it? and
how does it perform?

Thanks and 73

TJ, kv2x

< more stuff deleted >

----- End Included Message -----

Tom,

I have a version up and running and parts for a second laying around. I use the
one on 15 and 20 meters and it works fine. As I also have an MFJ tuner in the
path there somewhere, I don't seem to have any real problems tuning down to a
virtual 1:1 ratio. Signal reception is very good, but is also very directional
(ie. from my QTH just north of Detroit, I hear LA and TX great, but nothing off
the sides). I was going to attempt to have two set up, one pointing N-S and the
other E-W and use a coax switch or some other means to change which one I use
to somewhat compensate for the directional nature of my installation.

I don't know if I'd highly reccomend it. A full-fledged beam would obviously
be better, but as I need to camoflauge my operations it serves my purposes
well.

73/CUL,

Eric
AA8MD

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 13:13:26 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA10222; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:12:59 PDT
    id AA15552; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:12:58 PDT
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:12:58 PDT
From: Roger Traylor <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: The Wireman.... found
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Gang,
    If anybody else is interested, "The Wireman's" phone number is:
    1-800-727-9473. They will send you their catalog for $2. They
    will let you put the $2 on a credit card too. Nice folks.

    Thanks to:
    Gary M Diana <[e-mail]>
    Jeff Anderson <[e-mail]>
    Gene Brignam <[e-mail]>
    (Gene, I couldn't reach you via the above address.)

    Roger Traylow WB4TPW
    [e-mail]


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 14:49:41 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id LAA07627; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 11:49:13 -0700
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 11:49:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Alan Kaul <[e-mail]>
Subject: Intergalactic Field Day (fwd)
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9406021114.A7147-0100000@netcom12>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi, ALL>  attached is from another reflector (contesting) where the
discussion has been raging on whether or not field day in Europe (this
week) should be combined with field day in USA (at end of June).  I
forward it here because the author is suggesting a real field day for
battery operated QRP.

                 [<Alan Kaul, W6RCL>] [e-mail]


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:55:16 EDT
From: robert penneys <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Intergalactic Field Day


It certainly can be appalling watching a thread take off on whatever dubious
topic.

My vote is certainly NOT to escalate Field Day into a more competitive, exclusive
event for a dwindling amount of participants.  Those of us who want to knock
ourselves out have every opportunity, and the rest should have as much fun and
socializing as possible, perhaps to have a pleasant taste of amateur radio.

So, please listen closely for the N.E.R.D.S. first battery powered QRP effort.
I've wanted to try it for a couple of years.

Bob



Bob Penneys, WN3K   Frankford Radio Club  Internet: [e-mail]
Work: Ham Radio Outlet (Delaware) [phone];  fax [phone]
Mail at home:  12 East Mill Station Drive   Newark, DE 19711  USA


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 15:28:22 1994
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 <[e-mail]>; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 14:28:46 CDT
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 1994 14:28:46 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Jeff Herman Projects
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all,

I have had a ham who doesn't have access to the full internet
functionality request I send him a file with all the Jeff Herman
projects.. I got to it via WWW.. but don't have the hours I need
to download each file, combine them and then retransmit.. anyone
have all the projects as a single file?

thanks

73

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 15:36:42 1994
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Date: Thu, 02 Jun 94 12:27:42 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 436 Text
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Subject: Re: K5FO/6
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> The San Jose crowd.  Next week, Tuesday, June 7th,
> at the restaurant "Two Guys from Italy" at 7pm local.



Is this the restaurant in Mountain View?  If so, it's in the shopping center on
the SW corner of Grant Road and El Camino (and only about 4 blocks from my
house!).

Or is there another "Two Guys..." in the South Bay?

Let me know!  It would be fun to meet you and other South Bay QRPers.

- Jeff, WA6AHL

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 16:00:26 1994
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   with BSMTP id 8108; Thu, 02 Jun 94 15:59:19 EDT
Date:         Thu, 02 Jun 94 15:38:24 EDT
From: Mike Thomas <[e-mail]>
Subject:      NN1G for 40M
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I don't think my first post was successful so I will try again. Could
someone post or e-mail me the mods/parts needed to alter the NN1G plans
stored at think.com from 20 meters to 40 meters. I have caught the building
bug and would like to build the NN1G for 40. Maybe the 40 meter version
could also be posted to think.com for everyone's use.

Thanks. 72

Mike Thomas
KE4LAU

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 16:25:05 1994
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    id AA14187; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:18:47 HST
    id AA26805; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:24:32 HST
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:24:31 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: winding coils (again)
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In winding an inductor using a toroid the first wind is the wire lead
initially going through the `hole' (against all intuition) so I would
assume one would start the initial wind from the `outside' and not
the inside.
But when winding wire around a cardboard form (from the bathroom)
there is no `inside' or `outside' so I've always counted as the first
turn when the wire returns to the point where the initial lead extends
downward.
Correct?

Jeff NH6IL (ex WA6QIJ)  (licensed as a general for 18 years and still
                                  asking novice questions)

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 16:41:05 1994
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    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA28238; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 16:40:48 -0400
From: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer
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To: [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 94 16:40:45 EDT
Subject: Index Labs address and phone
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Many of you have asked for more information of the new Index Labs QRP rig.
 Also, you have asked how to get in touch with Index Labs.
So here's the scoup:

The rig is shaped like a big brick.  It is 5 1/2" wide x 4" high and 6" deep.
 It has an LCD display, XIT, RIT, 20 memories, built in keyer, up to 5 watts
output on SSB and CW, SCAF Digital Audio Filters with variable bandwidths
from 100 hz to 2400 hz, full break-in on CW,  receive attenuator, analog
meter, and 4" speaker with plenty of audio.  Receiver continuously tunes from
1.8 to 29.7 mhz.  Transmits on all amateur bands with overlap at each end.
 Current drain on receive is only .14A and 1.5 A (@ 5 watts) on transmit.
 This is a serious QRP rig.   The rig is solidly built with high quality
components.  Price for all this is $595 and it is NOT a kit.  I think the
price is a steal but that is a relative statement.

You can reach Index Labs at 206-851-5725.  Their address is 9318 Randall
Drive N.W., Gifg Harbor, Washington 98332.

----Duffy de WB8NUT


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 16:41:10 1994
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Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 15:40:18 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
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To: [e-mail]
Subject: K5FO Newsletter V1#1
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Gang,

I sit here redfaced.  If you remember the week that I sent out
number 1 I was in TX and then CA.  Well, as it turns out, I
messed up.  Some of you did not receive your first issue due
to a clerical error (I screwed up).  I have put them in the
mail today.  I will promise to do better tomorrow on issue #2.

My sincere apologies.  If you aren't making mistakes you aren't
doing anything.  HEY, if it was easy everybody would be doing it.

dit dit
Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 17:20:55 1994
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    id AA05412; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 17:05:57 -0400
    id AA25648; Thu, 2 Jun 94 17:06:20 EDT
    id AA17090; Thu, 2 Jun 94 17:06:18 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: winding coils (again)
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Thu, 02 Jun 94 10:24:31 -1000."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 94 17:06:17 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> But when winding wire around a cardboard form (from the bathroom)
> there is no `inside' or `outside' so I've always counted as the first
> turn when the wire returns to the point where the initial lead extends
> downward.
> Correct?

Correct.

> In winding an inductor using a toroid the first wind is the wire lead
> initially going through the `hole' (against all intuition) so I would
> assume one would start the initial wind from the `outside' and not
> the inside.

For toroids, the Handbook suggests starting windings at the center of
the outside face, and counting the number of times you return to that
centerline.  I don't have a recent Handbook handy, but it's in Chapter 2,
"Electrical Laws and Circuits", of the 1984 Handbook, under "How to Wind
Toroids" (which is at the end of the Transformers subsection, not Inductors).
(Page 2-32 if you just ACCIDENTLY happen to have that copy.)


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 17:24:25 1994
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From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA11179; Thu, 2 Jun 94 17:24:10 EDT
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 17:24:10 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: "JEFF M. GOLD"'s message of Thu, 02 Jun 1994 14:28:46 -0500 (CDT) <[e-mail]>
Subject: Jeff Herman Projects
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   Date: Thu, 02 Jun 1994 14:28:46 -0500 (CDT)
   From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>

   all,

   I have had a ham who doesn't have access to the full internet
   functionality request I send him a file with all the Jeff Herman
   projects.. I got to it via WWW.. but don't have the hours I need
   to download each file, combine them and then retransmit.. anyone
   have all the projects as a single file?

anonymous ftp at think.com, in /pub/radio/ham/qrp/qrp-projects.

--bruce WT1M

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 17:59:39 1994
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    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA07480; Thu, 2 Jun 94 16:58:42 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 16:58:42 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: K5FO Newsletter
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On the previous post.  My error only effected 11 people out
of 115.  So I guess I get a B+.  :-)  Those 11 people are
very important, so I'm sorry.

dit dit
Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 18:17:36 1994
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    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA16442; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 18:17:26 -0400
From: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer
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To: [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 02 Jun 94 18:17:25 EDT
Subject: Thanks for favorite circuits....
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Thanks to all who responded to my request for favorite qrp circuit
projects--got some great ideas and plans.  Anyone who has interest along
these lines and hasn't perused the CWRU files mentioned here by Stephen Trier
KG8IH should check them out--they are an interesting diversion from the tried
and true circuits of Hayward, DeMaw, Lewallen, etc.

Again, Thanks to all!!


72 (+/- 1) Jim N0OCT
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 18:46:57 1994
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    id AA28330; Thu, 2 Jun 94 12:40:32 HST
    id AA06215; Thu, 2 Jun 94 12:46:22 HST
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 12:46:22 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: Gary M Diana <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: winding coils (again)
In-Reply-To: Your message of Thu, 02 Jun 94 16:46:19 -0400
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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In regard to winding toroids vs cardboard forms:

Yes, Gary, that makes a great deal of sense. That's what I've always thought,
but when I recently read that (what I thought would be) the 1st turn around
the toroid should be counted as turn 2 because it has entered the field twice
(or equivalently, where you start should count as a completed turn) I became
comfused...


I don't use toroids, mainly because they're hard to  come by here in
Hawaii - our one and only ham/commercial radio supply shop, Honolulu
Electronics, doesn't carry toroids. I've been on the phone calling
other electronics suppliers - one place, called IC Supply, carries
toroid forms  but he doesn't know what their specs or model numbers
are - he said he lets the buyer browse through the box to `eyeball'
ones they need...

Must be the tropical heat that causes this type of thinking here in the
islands...


.73,
Jeff NH6IL

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 19:00:33 1994
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    id AA29737; Thu, 2 Jun 94 12:54:28 HST
    id AA06993; Thu, 2 Jun 94 13:00:19 HST
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 13:00:18 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: toroids
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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I know the using toroids gives an inductor a higher Q value, and the
other benefits are that the field is completely self-contained and
fewer winds are necessary as compared to an airwound inductor, BUT
will there be any on-the-air difference in performance to be noticed
between toroidal wound and air-core inductors?

Jeff NH6IL

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 19:04:52 1994
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Date: Thu, 02 Jun 94 01:03:05 GMT
From: [e-mail] (George Dobbs G3RJV)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Rick Campbell Boards
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I have noticed some mail about the Rick Campbell R2/T2 Boards.
I have been informed that Bill Kelsey, N8ET, will be doing kits shortly.
So far no prices, date of release, etc.  But those interested can contact
Bill on email : [e-mail]

I regard this is very exciting news as I still consider the articles by
Rick, in QST, the best amateur radio technical articles I have read in
many years.
Like others - I await further news with interest.
72/3
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
George Dobbs G3RJV                  "It is vain to do with more,
G-QRP Club                           what can be done with less."
-------------------------------------------------- William of Occam (1290-1350)

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 21:49:52 1994
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    id VAA01890; Thu, 2 Jun 1994 21:49:22 -0400 (from [e-mail])
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 3 Jun 1994   01:49:15 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Jeff Herman Projects
In-Reply-To: [e-mail]
     Thu, 02 Jun 1994 14:28:46 -0500 (CDT)
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That's a good idea, Jeff.  I added a way to get all of the projects in one
text file.

Via WWW:
    http://www.cwru.edu/0/activities/w8edu/herman.projects

Via Gopher:
    Name=Jeff Herman's QRP Projects (all in one file)
    Type=0
    Path=0/activities/w8edu/herman.projects
    Host=gopher.cwru.edu
    Port=70

The pointers I gave last time still work fine for browsing.

       Stephen


--
Stephen Trier    Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is
[e-mail]  the last you are going to see of him until he emerges on the
KG8IH            other side of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.
             -- Mark Twain, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 23:48:45 1994
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    for @sgi.sgi.com,@FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA04085; Thu, 2 Jun 94 22:47:50 -0500
    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA07841; Thu, 2 Jun 94 22:47:49 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 22:47:49 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: K5FO/6
Cc: [e-mail]
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Jeff,

Grant Road and El Camino it is.  Everybody be there and be
square at 7pm sharp.  Well, plus/minus.  :-)

This is in Mt View next Tuesday.

dit dit
Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 23:50:26 1994
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    for @sgi.sgi.com,@FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA04088; Thu, 2 Jun 94 22:49:34 -0500
    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA07851; Thu, 2 Jun 94 22:49:33 -0500
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 22:49:33 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: K5FO Newsletter
Sender: [e-mail]
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If you subscribed, you will get #1.  No problem.

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  2 23:51:12 1994
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    id AA19856; Thu, 2 Jun 94 21:53:07 MDT
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 21:53:06 -0600 (MDT)
From: Rick Zabrodski <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: Rick Zabrodski <[e-mail]>
Subject: crystal source
To: qrp forum <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.89.9406011915.A15690-0100000@ume>
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need a few qrp freqs and a custom crystal to make my hw9 work on warc bands
sources and addresses?
thanks!                        ___
                                |
                   ------------(*)-------------

******************************************************************************-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Rick Zabrodski BSc, MD, CCFP(E)       *            VE6GK "glider king"
EMAIL:  [e-mail]          *            "M.D. on weekdays"
Packet: VE6GK@VE6YYC.#cgy.ab.can.na       *          "Solar powered aviator
Phone: [phone]   Fax: [phone]     *               on weekends!"
******************************************************************************





--1392555948-1472418420-770520903:#15690--



From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 03:04:25 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
          3 Jun 94 0:04 PDT
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NorCal 40, max voltage?
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 1994 00:04:04 -0700
From: Clark Savage Turner WA3JPG <[e-mail]>
Message-Id:  <[e-mail]>
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Howdy all:

I am finally taking off for the Pacific Crest Trail in my Spiritual Quest
(my 40th year :-), and I am taking 2 meters and the NorCal, of course.
I got myself a 10 AA battery holder, and am considering 10 AA alkaline
cells, total 15 + volts to start, then the voltage curve goes down,
but I have plenty left as it drops.

Question: how about a little bit above 15 volts for the NorCal?  Bad?
I know that many alkaline cells will come out of the package above
1.5 volts, so I am wondering.  I could always take one cell out and
have a pack start at 13.5 volts and I still have some leeway down the
voltage discharge curve.

Wish me luck.  My schedule is not final yet, but I will leave from
the Mojave Desert heading up into the Sierras this weekend, and will
travel up to two months, may get to Oregon.  Will probably have skeds
on 7040 every couple of days in the early afternoon.

72

Clark
WA3JPG

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 06:25:16 1994
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    id GAA01502; Fri, 3 Jun 1994 06:24:58 -0400 (from seastar!jjw for [e-mail])
    id m0q9UPB-0002g1C; Fri, 3 Jun 94 04:15 EDT
    id m0q9Ee4-0004pAC; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:25 CDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:25 CDT
From: [e-mail] (John Welch)
To: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
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Newsgroups: qrp
Path: jjw
From: [e-mail] (John Welch)
Subject: Re: Address of Elktronic,NE
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 15:25:17 GMT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Distribution: local
References: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] (John Welch)
Followup-To: qrp
Organization: Welch Research Laboratories.

As quoted from <[e-mail]> by nshore!usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu!bi.ehu.es!iapizloj ("Jon Iza"):

> Hola, amigos
> Sorry for the bandwith. I've tried to ping N9JZW for more info on his DDS
> transceiver but email bounced somewhere at cwru.edu.
> Anyway, it looks from the archives there was a kit by Elktronic,NE but
> I've been unable to find additional information or address. Any clues?
> 72 + 73 from  Jon, EA2SN

   Hmm, email shouldn't have bounced... [e-mail] is only 2 hops
off from cwru.edu *unless* you used my older address,
[e-mail] - that was a few years ago...).  Anyway,
Elktronics NE has moved, and is at 12536 T.R. 77, Findlay OH  45840
and the phone # is [phone].
   Elktronics and Kanga have TW-1 kits now, and if you're looking for
the EPROM controller board I have programmed EPROMS for $15 ppd if you
cannot get access to a burner (the software is on 73's BBS, both
source (Turbo C) and executable for PCs - sorry I don't have a Mac.)


--
While (its_not_working())                            John Welch, N9JZW
  mess_with_it();                                    [e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 06:25:20 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id GAA01494; Fri, 3 Jun 1994 06:24:53 -0400 (from seastar!jjw)
    id m0q9UPF-0002gHC; Fri, 3 Jun 94 04:15 EDT
    id m0q9EoS-0004pAC; Thu, 2 Jun 94 10:36 CDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (John Welch)
Subject: Re: NorCal Sierra booklet
To: [e-mail] (Wayne Burdick), [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 2 Jun 1994 10:36:07 -0500 (CDT)
Organization: Welch Research Laboratories
X-Location: McHenry, ILLinois  60050-1461
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In your article <[e-mail]> ["NorCal Sierra"], you wrote:

> We sent out a brochure to all NorCal members last month.  If you are
> interested in the Sierra but did not get a brochure, let me know and I'll
> send you one.  It includes a high-resolution drawing showing what the rig
> looks like from the top and front.

   I joined on Saturday night at Dayton - Doug thought I was already a
member but I wasn't at that point, so I joined.  Would it be possible
for a copy of the booklet to be sent to me?  John Welch  1307H N.
Richmond Rd  McHenry IL  60050.

   I don't recall if this is just a CW rig or will it also do SSB?
And what frequency is the IF?  If it's at 9MHz, I can probably match
up several sets of filters using crystals from Hosfelt Electronics in
Ohio.  (see June QRPp, and the next upcoming issue for details...)

--
John Welch, N9JZW

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 07:22:26 1994
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  (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for [e-mail]); Fri, 3 Jun 1994 07:24:00 -0400
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 07:24:00 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (Jerry Sy)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: need antenna tuner recommendations
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
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hello!
I am new in qrp and would like to get recommendations for
an antenna tuner.  is the $89 MFJ tuner (advertised together
with their qrp rigs) ok ?  do antenna tuners require power
supply ?  I am going to the BreezeShooters hamfest this sunday
and hope to pick one up.

I got an ohr spirit 40 and a homemade iambic key. I'll be
in nyc all week next week, anybody in the area want to help me
with my cw qso ?

thanks in advance

73s de jerry N3RKD


--


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 09:17:11 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA17655; Fri, 3 Jun 1994 09:16:52 -0400
From: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 94 09:16:51 EDT
Subject: Index address correction
Sender: [e-mail]
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Whoops, sorry folks....the city is Gig Harbor not Gifg.  That was a typo.

......Duffy de WB8NUT


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 09:54:16 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri,  3 Jun 94 08:56:46 EDT
From: C=[e-mail]
Subject: KT3A/9
To: [e-mail]
Cc:
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hello,

I'll be in Chicago on business 6 to 10 June.  Any qrp'ers interested in a get
together?  Any club meetings that week?

73/72 de Cameron, KT3A


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 11:30:34 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    for [e-mail] id AA15718; Fri, 3 Jun 94 08:30:09 -0700
    for @sgi.sgi.com,@FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA07498; Fri, 3 Jun 94 10:29:35 -0500
    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA08822; Fri, 3 Jun 94 10:29:34 -0500
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 94 10:29:34 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re:  winding coils (again)
Cc: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Jeff, NH6IL, asks about the counting of turns for toroids.  Yes, the
first insertion of the wire into the toroid counts as one.  I usually
count the wire loops on the inside when I get through.  Has worked
for me on several hundred toroids that I have wound.  :-)

The counting of loops on a cardboard form is counted upon the completion
of each 'loop' as you describe.  Haven't wound one of those since 1955
when I did my first crystal receiver.  That was an unusual experience
for me.  My dad, W5NNB, and I built it together, as it was my first
ever project.  We used a 'real' galena crystal with 'cat whisker'.
To this day I remember having the headphones on as my dad moved the
whisker around.  I swear to this day that he touched a spot where
the volume was "extremely" loud.  We never could find it again.
A modern day miracle in physics.  Sadly, my dad never again shared
a project with me.  He put me out on my own when several Christmas's
later he bought me a Viking Challenger kit.  It worked the first time
and after that I was a 'Heathkit freak'.  Guess that's why I still
love to build a "few" kits a year.

I finished a second 40-40 kit, but haven't put it in a box.  Think
I'll bring it to CA next week and show the guys how to solder and
let them witness first hand that a PhD in Physics can solder.  :-)
May have one of them post that fact to the net.

There is still joy in this world today taking pride in building
something, whether it be something old or something new, something
analog or something digital.  It matters not that it was a kit or
you scrounged the parts, designed it or used someone else's.  YOU
did the hard part.  Putting it together and you got it to work.

I grew up poor.  My three brothers, myself, and the rest of the
neighborhood kids had to save things that would have gone to the
landfill (dumps back then) and make toys out of them.  Remember
the wooden clothes pins?  How many can make a 'pea shooter'?
I still can.  Neat device, but in this day and age some lawyer
would be after your butt in 10 seconds.  Not politically correct.

Now I spend $50 dollars on parts and spend $500 of my valuable time
putting it together.  Go figure.  :-)

From the soap box of K5FO.  dit dit

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 11:32:18 1994
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    id AA06355; Fri, 3 Jun 94 08:22:19 PDT
    id AA770657011 Fri, 03 Jun 94 08:23:31 PST
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 94 08:23:31 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 1337 Text
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Subject: Re: Re: K5FO/6
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Directions to the K5FO/6 soiree...

        Place:  "Two Guys from Italy" restaurant
                Southwest Corner of El Camino & Grant Road
                (shopping center w/Walgreens & Burger King)
                Mountain View

        Time:   Tuesday, 7:00 PM +/-

        Directions:

                o  If heading SOUTH on 101, take the Highway 85 exit.
                   Then take the Grant Road/ El Camino North exit.
                   Turn LEFT at the first light (El Camino & Grant).
                   "Two Guys.." will be in the shopping complex on
                   your RIGHT.

                o  If heading NORTH on 101, take the 237/Mountain View.
                   exit.  237 becomes Grant Rd.  The third light should
                   be El Camino.  Turn LEFT - and "Two Guys..." will be
                   in the shopping complex on your RIGHT.

                o  If heading WEST on 237:  Stay on it (it becomes Grant).
                   At El Camino, turn LEFT.  (see directions above).

                o  If heading North on 280:  Take 85 North.  Take the
                   El Camino North Exit.  Make a U-turn at the first
                   light (Grant Road).  "Two Guys..." will be in the
                   shopping complex on your RIGHT.








From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 12:21:43 1994
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    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA09276; Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:20:46 -0500
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:20:46 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
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To: [e-mail]
Subject: NN1G 40-40
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Gang,

Some minor things on the NN1G 40-40 NE QRP Kit.

1.  I put a small ferrite bead in the base leg of all
    final PA transistors.  This is to keep the parasitics
    down.  It may be that this is an unnecessary procedure,
    but I just do it that way.  Doesn't seem to effect the
    performance in any other way and it may just help on
    the higher harmonics too.

2.  Put a 33V Zener from Collector to Ground (Emitter).
    This protects the PA transistor if you forget the
    antenna (we've all been there and done that) and
    the output sees a serious mismatch.  The voltage
    peaks across the transistor in such cases will
    far exceed the allowed limits and cause instantaneous
    filure and death to the little critter.

I have just got to say that I throughly enjoyed putting
this kit together.  At 2.8" x 4.0" in size, this puppy
is a neat size.  Good quality components too.  No missing
parts.  Dave does good work.  See other postings or archives
for all ordering information.  Joe Bob says check it out.
(That's a movie critic in this part of Texas for B movies.)

dit dit

another satisfied customer.

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 12:24:14 1994
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    for [e-mail] id AA22514; Fri, 3 Jun 94 09:23:59 -0700
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    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA09328; Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:23:27 -0500
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:23:27 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: K5FO/6 Soiree
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Wow, such a big word.  To all attendees.  I'll bring
free copies of the K5FO newsletter.  How is that for
an awards program?  dit dit
Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 14:30:17 1994
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    id AA14145; Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:29:35 PDT
    id AA03008; Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:29:20 PDT
    id AA16117; Fri, 3 Jun 94 11:31:15 PDT
Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 11:22:54 -0700 (PDT)
From: stark <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: winding coils (again)
To: Chuck Adams <[e-mail]>
Cc: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
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Wow, if you can get someone to say that a PhD in Physics
can really solder, I'll post it here to help all the PhDs
that are trying to learn.....:-)

We used to make match shooters out of the wooden clothes
pins. Get the grass burnning and then stomp it out. Gad,
why I ever thought all thoes spankings were really that
much fun I'll never know.

If you want to run over the hill to Reno you can put the
heads back on my P/U. Blew a gasket the other day. If you
can solder and have a background in wooden clothes pin
shooters, I think I could teach you the finer points of
diesel head installation!

Have fun in CA Chuck, hope to cu on 40.

73, Ron


........................KU7Y........................
.................Monte "Ron" Stark..................
.................Sun Valley, Nevada.................



From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 17:23:03 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Fri, 3 Jun 1994 16:22:57 CDT
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 1994 16:22:57 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: bye bye
To: [e-mail]
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Well all,

about to shut off the computer and prepare for Cancun.. hope they
don't hastle me about the radio(s).. going to bring my 2
meter..not sure there is a repeater.

catch you in a week and maybe on 20 meter ssb/xe3/qrp

72

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 22:54:51 1994
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Date: Fri, 3 Jun 1994 22:00:06 -0500 (CDT)
From: Adrian Weiss W0RSP English Department <[e-mail]>
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Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: DECEPTIVE SWR READINGS
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Jim wrote:
< I measure an output power of 1.75 watts into a dummy load.  However,
<when I feed the signal into a dipole and match the SWR to 1:1, the measured
<output drops to 1.25 watts.  If I mismatch the antenna to a 3:1 SWR, I get
<a measured output of 2 watts.  Questions:
<1)  Why the differences?  Why does the power output go up with a mismatch?
<    I would expect the opposite.  I've checked the output filter of the
<    transmitter and the # of windings on the torroids and the capacitor values
<    are correct for 20 meters.
<2)  Am I getting correct power readings?
<
<3)  Should I run the transmitter at 2 watts out into 3:1 SWR or 1.25 watts
    out into 1:1 SWR.  The output transistor doesn't seem to overheat either
    way.

Jim/KB5CTQ

Jim: A few details aren't clear, i.e., the kind of circuit used in
the  "Diamond" wattmeter, whether it is an in-line circuit bridge
circuit or just what. Nonetheless, the phenomenon you describe
suggests that it is not a "directional coupler" bridge type of circuit
commonly refered to as the "Breune" SWR\wattmeter. The kind of
results you mention usually can be traced to the use of a slot-line
voltage-sampling type of simple circuit. Functionally, it simply
measures the voltage at a point along the feedline. The problem
arises because it cannot distinguish between the components of the
incident (forward) and reflected waves. A little theory:

1) All power fed into a transmission line is eventually absorbed
either in line-loss or in the antenna and radiated.

2) On a perfectly matched antenna-transmission line, all incident
power is absorbed in the antenna and radiated.

3) When a mismatch is present, a portion of the incident wave is
reflected back toward the transmitter (input) end of the line. Upon
arriving, it is re-reflected toward the antenna. Hence, waves are
traveling in both directions on a mismatched line. Upon each
reflection, the voltage and current components of the reflected wave
sum vectorally with the new wave traveling in the same direction.

4) The vectoral summing of incident and reflected voltage and
current components produces a higher voltage or current at a given
point along the line than is present in a perfectly matched line.
The end result of the reflection/summation process is the standing
wave. A simple measurement of either current or voltage will always
produce a higher reading in the mismatched line than in the matched
1:1 SWR line.

5) The problem with slot-line voltage-sampling SWR meters should be
apparent. Such a meter will always give a higher reading on a
mismatched line than on a matched line. Now, the scale of the meter
will read "watts," but this is simply a calibration "trick" which
has converted "volts" to "watts" based upon whatever assumptions the
meter-designer uses, e.g., that the voltage will be measured on a
line with a nominal impedance of 50-oHms or whatever. The point is:
the needle is swinging with the change in voltage, not power!

6) If the insertion point of a voltage-sampling circuit is moved,
say, 10-ft farther down the line, it will appear that you're getting
even more power, or less, than at the original insertion point. That
difference simply follows the changing magnitude of the summed wave
energy along the line, that is, the standing wave.

7) A simple test to check your SWR meter is implicit: insert an extra
10-ft of feedline and see if the reading changes.

8) Another simple way of correcting for the summation value. You can
get an idea of something that approximates the actual forward power
in this manner. Go ahead and do a quick 1:1, 2:1, 3:1 set of
readings. Subtract the "reflected" watts from "forward" watts for
each reading. If the output matching network connected to the final
transistor is not being totally whacked by the induced mismatch, the
"forward power" reading should remain fairly stable. However,
deliberately mismatching the final output network invites real
problems that can be misinterpreted, as you have done above, as a
real increase in power. Not so!

    Remember that most simple solid-state rigs use a fixed-tuned
output matching network which is designed to match a given
transmission line "load" impedance (typically 50-oHms) to the
collector impedance of the final transistor (usually <<<50-Ohms), at
a given output power and collector voltage, at a given frequency.
The dynamics of the network changes when these design conditions
are not met. In a sense, when an output network "sees" a load that
departs from its design parameters, it usually passes word back to
the final that conditions are right for generating a whole bunch of
harmonic energy that will make it through the network.

    So, in simple solid-state rigs, it is frequently possible to
get a really amazing increase in output power by deliberating
mismatching the feedline. It looks like a free-ride -- until you
check it out on a spectrum analyzer and see that all that extra
power is spraying across the entire VHF/UHF range! Most of the time
a TV set will take the place of the spec-analyzer. This is why a
transmatch is always a good idea with a simple solid-state rig
unless you can guarantee! a very well-matched antenna with
something under a 2:1 SWR at the transmitter end of the feedline. A
transmatch provides a necessary flexibility to assist the
fixed-frequency/impedances output network do its job. Furthermore,
the transmatch puts a an adjustable, tunable circuit between the
final and the antenna. Two birds with one stone: the ability to
perfectly match final to the input of the transmission line, and an
extra stage of filtering!

9) Now, what kind of SWR/wattmeter should you use? The "directional
coupler bridge" type circuit designed by a guy named Breune and
popularized by Doug DeMaw and a host of other QRP writers is what
every QRP'r needs. Its key feature is the ability to separately
measure the voltage and current components of each traveling wave,
e.g., distinguish the incident wave from the reflected wave.

    Because of the phase-differences between incident and reflected
waves that occur at every point along the feedline, it is always
able to separate the two. It basically reverses the vectoral
summation process: the bridge is designed so that the voltage
developed by the reflected wave is simply subtracted (cancelled)
from the total forward wave voltage. Or vice-verse.

    Now remember, it is possible to get different voltage
readings with a slot-type voltage-sampling meter by changing the
point of the measurement because of the stationary "standing wave"
that is developed along a mismatched line. Once you eliminate the
reflected wave components from the measurement, we're no longer
dealing with a stationary standing wave, but the incident energy
slidding down the line at 186K-mi/sec, in other words, an
apparently stable magnitude of voltage or current that is the same
at every point along the line. Hence, the insertion point of a
directional-coupler Breune bridge circuit is irrelevant: it will
measure the same forward power no matter where you insert it, and
so long as the final is actually feeding a stable level of power
into the line, no change in power reading will occur. That assumes,
of course, that the bridge has been correctly nulled for the actual
surge impedance of the feedline. Furthermore, the Breune bridge is
not frequency sensitive, but exhibits an essentially flat response
across a wide band as defined by the lower and upper limits which
are established by the components of the sampling circuit. Finally,
the bridge can be calibrated directly in watts (honest watts).

   So, in the final analysis, your reading of 2-w at a 3:1 mismatch
is attributable to a variety of factors -- quite possibly you are
getting 0.75w more than at the 1:1 SWR, but I can guarantee that
most of the 2-w "gist ain't on 40 meters" like you thought!
   Good luck. The antenna is the key to successful QRP operation.
But you have to get the power to it, and that means knowing if you
are or not!        73  Ade W0RSP

***P.S. If this posting actually makes it through and someone reads it, please
QSL to let me know that my email postings are posting!


**

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun  3 23:18:01 1994
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    id XAA05128; Fri, 3 Jun 1994 23:17:40 -0400 (from [e-mail] for <[e-mail]>)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 4 Jun 1994   03:17:35 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Subject: More VFO troubles (W1FB NB p. 111 again)
Sender: [e-mail]
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I'm still working on the rig, and I've made progress.  Many thanks for the
help!

I'm still having troubles with the VFO.  For some reason, the output link
and capacitor are behaving as the frequency-determining components.  If I
detach the link from the output capacitor, the VFO works exactly as one
would hope, on frequency and everything.  If I leave the link connected by
play with the proper frequency-determining components, the frequency changes
little if at all.  The dead giveaway was when I replaced one of the tank
capacitors with a trimmer and changes of 10x in the tank capacitance produced
no change in the VFO output frequency!

I have managed to convince myself that the link and capacitor forms a tank
that has a higher Q than the intended oscillator tank circuit.  I noticed
that other Hartley VFOs use a capacitor from the JFET source to get the
signal, not a link, so I tried that.  That works OK, but now I can't get
the designed 2V pk-pk signal into the mixer.

<sigh>  Next time I build a kit.  :-)

Any suggestions?  Are there any likely faults that would cause the link do
the frequency determination?  Have you any ideas on how to keep the 2V pk-pk
output while putting the frequency determination back where it belongs, in
the oscillator tank?

          Stephen



From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 03:47:31 1994
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  (5.65/1.35 for <[e-mail]>); Sat, 4 Jun 94 03:46:13 -0400
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Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 1994 23:03:21
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB NB p. 111 again)
From: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
Sender: [e-mail]
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>
>I'm still working on the rig, and I've made progress.  Many thanks for the
>help!
>
>I'm still having troubles with the VFO.  For some reason, the output link
>and capacitor are behaving as the frequency-determining components.  If I
>detach the link from the output capacitor, the VFO works exactly as one
>would hope, on frequency and everything.  If I leave the link connected by
>play with the proper frequency-determining components, the frequency changes
>little if at all.  The dead giveaway was when I replaced one of the tank
>capacitors with a trimmer and changes of 10x in the tank capacitance produced
>no change in the VFO output frequency!

I don't remember if it was in a private or group e-mail that you
mentioned putting a 0.01 in place of the 0.001 as the link output
cap.  That translates to about 2 ohms instead of 23 ohms, in series with
the 0.01 / diode combination. which is one heck of a heavy load on a VFO.
Ignoring the diodes, the difference is a load of 4.5 ohms vs. 25 ohms,
which reflects back to the tank as 120 ohms vs. 720 ohms.  The tank
impedances are about 200 ohms, so you get a tank Q of either 0.6 or 3.5
(disregarding other loading by VFO circuit and diodes).  No wonder your
VFO is gasping!  I would first try putting the 0.001 back in the
circuit (and maybe take out that other bothersome 0.01 in the LP
filter), and if that doesn't work, try a simple class-A buffer to give
your poor VFO tank a break.

><sigh> Next time I build a kit. :-)

Don't you dare!  We're having too much fun "helping" (?!).  Now I'll
post this and let everyone check my math....

Mike, KK6GM


From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 11:55:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id IAA20027; Sat, 4 Jun 1994 08:55:35 -0700
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 08:55:35 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Bruce Toback)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB NB p. 111 again)
Sender: [e-mail]
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Mike, KK6GM, quotes:
>
> >
> >I'm still working on the rig, and I've made progress.  Many thanks for the
> >help!
> >
> >I'm still having troubles with the VFO.  For some reason, the output link
> >and capacitor are behaving as the frequency-determining components.  If I
> >detach the link from the output capacitor, the VFO works exactly as one
> >would hope, on frequency and everything...

then writes:

> I don't remember if it was in a private or group e-mail that you
> mentioned putting a 0.01 in place of the 0.001 as the link output
> cap.  That translates to about 2 ohms instead of 23 ohms, in series with
> the 0.01 / diode combination. which is one heck of a heavy load on a VFO.
> Ignoring the diodes, the difference is a load of 4.5 ohms vs. 25 ohms,
> which reflects back to the tank as 120 ohms vs. 720 ohms...

> ><sigh> Next time I build a kit. :-)

> Don't you dare!  We're having too much fun "helping" (?!).

Right... don't you dare! The rest of us are learning too much from your
efforts!

I haven't been collecting all the email from this thread, but if someone
else has, it would be nice to have it all put together and left on an
FTP server somewhere (once it's concluded, of course). It makes an
_excellent_ tutorial. Thanks to builder and helpers!

-- Bruce
KN6MN



From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 11:59:50 1994
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    id LAA01439; Sat, 4 Jun 1994 11:59:36 -0400 (from [e-mail])
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 4 Jun 1994   15:59:31 GMT
To: [e-mail], [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
In-Reply-To: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
     Fri, 03 Jun 1994 23:03:21
Sender: [e-mail]
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I put the 0.001uF back as the link output cap and removed the 0.01 LPfilter
cap, and it didn't help much.  It gave me nice, big 2+ V waveforms, all on
the wrong frequency.  :-)

I'll think about adding a buffer.  I'm trying to figure out where to fit
it.  I didn't leave much room around the VFO -- it was the first part I
built and I wasn't sure how much space the mixer and filter was going to
take.  I'm about ready to put this thing aside and try a design that is
more polished.

          Stephen






From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 12:32:23 1994
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 <[e-mail]>; Sat, 4 Jun 1994 11:33:07 CDT
Date: Sat, 04 Jun 1994 11:33:07 -0500 (CDT)
From: "JEFF M. GOLD" <[e-mail]>
Subject: CW in Mexico
To: [e-mail]
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Howdi,

well got to feeling bad about not bringing a CW rig to Cancun.
Thought about the article in QST..

Went to the outside junk room.. cut a piece of 5"X5"
plexiglass..drilled some holes for the wires and ropes.. sent into
the junk closet and found some real tiny coax the size of 174..but
with different numbers on it.. it was about 30 feet so. .figured
it must be the right stuff (HI HI).. didn't want to use magnetic
wire.. tangles too easy.. got some not too heavy stranded and
insulated wire out of the junk closet.  Had fun putting a 259
connector onto the tiny coax.. finally got it right...

strung the thing up in the back yard..had made the wire a lot
longer than I thought it should be .. because I had no idea about
how this thing would feel...found it to be 1:1 at 7.690.. so cut
off a couple of hunks on each side and got it under 1.4:1 on 30
meters.. may be a little better now..it wasn't too hight off the
ground.. took my MFJ 30 meter, a battery and a tiny key outside
and could hear signals..checked the swr with my OH QRP wattmeter..

Heard someone calling CQ.. made a contact.. so guessing it works
ok.. seemed to hear what my vertical was hearing.. so think it
will work fine..the coax and all the wires wrap neatly around the
5x5 plexiglass. the thing is incredibly small and light.. cut tiny
pieces of PVC for end connectors.. epoxied and tied off all the
wires on the plexiglass..so should make it through the trip.

while doing my morning jog.. got to thinking..I liked the thought
of a really small multiband.. no tuner antenna.. and knew I had
the first part done.. think all I would need to do is to cut some
small pieces of plexiglass or pvc.. and find the 20 meter length
and cut the wired at this point and put a small end insulator..
then hook on sections for 20/30/40.. leave a small piece of wire
from the 30 with a alligator clip on the end of it.. same for the
40 to 30 part and just connect which section(s) you want to work.
Advantage of this of the one in the article is that you only have
one dipole to hang up.. and would only take a minute to let each
end down and clip the section together.. didn't like the thought
of having two seperate wire sets.  Going to redo the antenna when
I get back... let you know how it works..

PS.. long time ago sent my mastercard # to Russia? for a new
surplus mini key that comes in its own case.. got it yesterday..
cost $28 with shipping (it says something about R100.67.. hope
this means the rubbles equivelent.. key is worthe the $28..not
$100).

72

Hope to work some of you /XE3... hope there s reciprocal
licensing. think there is

Jeff, AC4HF

From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 14:52:49 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 02:52:16 +0800
    id aa06639; Sat, 4 Jun 94 18:19:58 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0q9ziS-000QHjC; Sun, 5 Jun 94 01:41 SST
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           Sat, 04 Jun 1994 13:51:57 SST
Date:      Sat, 04 Jun 1994 13:51:56 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   OHR Classic problems
Sender: [e-mail]
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Hi Gang,

        BTW, in addition to the previous post, I checked the Q302 in-site
and it was not very helpful because of the low impedances around it. I will
probably take it out soon but right now I am putting everything on hold
until I get some advise from the list. Tks. I'll be waiting.

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 14:52:52 1994
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  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 02:52:13 +0800
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           Sat, 04 Jun 1994 13:44:24 SST
Date:      Sat, 04 Jun 1994 13:44:24 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   OHR Classic Dual
Sender: [e-mail]
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Hi Gang,

        I need help!

        I am building my OHR Classic Dual Bander and have run into some
snags. The receive side seems to be working but the transmit side is dead as
far as I can tell. Could anyone else who have built the same please advise:-

0.      Input voltage at U100 is 13.11 V and output is 8.91 V. This is
        provided for comparison. Scope has input capacitance of about 20pF
        and probe has input capacitance and resistance of about 72.5 pF and
        237 ohms at the x1 probe setting and 17.5 pF and 9 Mohm at the x10
        probe setting. The bandwidth is 15 MHz and 60 MHz respectively for
        the probe. Scope has 50 MHz bandwidth.

1.      The signal at the "Test Loop" on the Oscillator board for 20M is
        substantially smaller than that for 40M, under the scope. This
        situation can be rectified by playing with the L101 and L100 but the
        setting is quite critical. When it is set properly, I am getting
        about 0.54 V p-p at the test loop for 20M and about 5.6 for 40M.
        Could anyone verify this? Measurements was made with the probe on
        the x1 (no attenuation) setting in RX mode.

2.      The alignment instructions said to measure frequency at C141 but I
        was unable to do this for the 20M band selection because the
        oscillator would stop, perhaps due to excessive loading. However I
        did check that the oscillation for 20M was substantially lower than
        for the 40M band here. The signal here was about 110 mV (0.11 V) p-p
        for 20M and about 1.32 V p-p for 40M! This is almost 10 times
        bigger! Measurements were made using the x10 probe setting, ie. the
        above values I was the result of 10 times what I measured off the
        scope. Using the x1 setting, the 40M signal measure at C141 was only
        0.38 V p-p. The 20M readings using x1 probe setting is not available
        because the oscillator would stop if I stuck the probe at C141.

*       Note that the x1 and x10 setting is not in scale of 10 because of
        the different probe capacitance of the two settings thus providing a
        slightly different loading to the circuit under test.

3.      T/R Mix oscillator signal measured off pin 6 of U203 (NE602AN) on
        the receive board was about 1.8 V p-p. This is same for any setting.
        Measurements made using the x1 setting on the probe.

4.      On Tune mode (TX mode) the signal measured at the junction of D309
        and D310 on the T/R board was a real mix of signals and the p-p
        voltage (x1 probe setting) was about 0.65 V for 20M and 40M.

5.      On Tune Mode (TX mode) the signal measured at the junction of D301
        and D302 on the T/R board was a clean sine wave and the p-p voltage
        (measured using the x1 probe setting) for 20M was about 95 mV
        (0.095 V) and for 40M was about 140 mV (0.14 V).

6.      On Tune Mode (TX mode), p-p signal on the collector of Q300 on the
        T/R board (measured off the casing of Q300) (x1 probe setting) was
        about 50 mV for 20M and 40M.

7.      On Tune Mode (TX mode), p-p signal on the collector of Q301 on the
        T/R board (measure off the casing of Q301, 2N3866) (x1 probe
        setting) with power setting set at maximum, was 0.18 V for 20M and
        0.44 V for 40M.

8.      There was no signal on the collector of Q302 on any mode. This was
        measured off the heatsink tab of the 2SC2075.

        Due to the measurements at item 8, I am suspecting that Q302, the PA
final is either bad or being under driven as the 2N3866 driver is putting at
best 0.44 V at into Q302's base which is not biased (Class C).

        I would really, really, really, appreciate it if someone could take
the trouble to verify the above for me. Any advise also welcomed. I am
getting desperate. For the past 3 days I have not slept!!! Thanks.

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 16:24:49 1994
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    id AA04567; Sat, 4 Jun 94 10:19:35 HST
    id AA16319; Sat, 4 Jun 94 10:24:34 HST
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 94 10:24:34 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
In-Reply-To: Your message of 4 Jun 1994 15:59:31 GMT
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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Stephen says: ``I'm about ready to put this thing aside and try a design
that is more polished.''

I hope not, for we are all vicariously building this VFO with you; the
frustration you feel we are all feeling. If you quit none of us will
get a good night's sleep. A tremendous responsibility is upon you to
finish this project!

Go have a beer and relax. Then spend the rest of the weekend on the
buffer stage.

Jeff NH6IL

From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 17:01:56 1994
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    id RAA12001; Sat, 4 Jun 1994 17:01:26 -0400 (from [e-mail])
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 4 Jun 1994   21:01:19 GMT
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
In-Reply-To: [e-mail]
     Sat, 4 Jun 94 10:24:34 HST
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> Go have a beer and relax. Then spend the rest of the weekend on the
> buffer stage.

I can't spend all of the rest of the weekend on it.  My girlfriend thinks
we're going hiking tomorrow.  :-)

Thanks for the encouraging words.  There is some more checkout of the VFO
I want to try, then I'll try building a buffer for it.  Any opinions on
whether JFET or bipolar is the way to go for the buffer?

         Stephen



From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 19:36:00 1994
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Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 17:35:12 -0600 (MDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: T-Kit All-Band RX
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Hi Gang.  Anybody built their T-Kit "All-Band" Receiver yet???  What do yo
(darn) you think of it???  I just ordered one, but they couldn't really tell
me when it would ship.  I plan to build it for 160 to use with my HB transmitter.  Also ordered the keyer board to use for a portable/QRP keyer.  Anybody got
any insight into how long it is taking TT to ship the kits???

73, Bill, KR8L/7 (DN43), M-98, NWQ-127, NorCal-454, AMSAT-8735

From [e-mail]  Sat Jun  4 22:25:17 1994
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    id AA08415; Sat, 4 Jun 94 19:23:16 PDT
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 94 19:23:16 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Sierra Brochure
Sender: [e-mail]
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Gang, I have been inundated with requests for the Sierra
Brochures.  We are looking at a time problem, as the orders must
be postmarked by the 15th of June, so I am going to reproduce the
brochure here as best that I can.  This is being posted for
information of the members of this forum, and is done so after
numerous requests.

The original brochure was written by Wayne Burdick, N6KR.

-------------------------------------------------------------

               Announcing The NorCal Sierra QRP Transceiver
                                May 1, 1994

Ever since we began our first club project, the NorCal 40, some
NorCal members have been visualing a multiband backpacking rig.
Now, after the completion of three working prototypes, NorCal is
ready to begin a limited field-test run of the Sierra.  We think
this is the most efficient multiband CW rig available, and we
know that NorCal members will really put it to the test!

The Sierra is a bit larger than the NorCal 40 and has the same
one board construction, but adds band modules that plug into the
main board (see illustration).  So far, we've built band modules
for 160-15 meters, and maximum output power ranges from 2 to 4
watts.  Band change is a snap thanks to quick release latches on
either side of the box, and you can (with some ingenuity) store
up to four extra band modules inside the top cover.

The Sierra was designed by Wayne Burdick, N6KR, with input from
many NorCal members, especially Doug Hendricks and Bob Warmke.
It is a step up from the NorCal 40 in many ways.  The VFO covers
about 150 kHz on each band, using a stable air variable capacitor
with built in 8:1 reduction drive and calibrated dial.  Transmit
keying is shaped for reduced clicks.  The receiver includes an IF
amp, providing greater sensitivity and a much wider AGC range.
Current drain on receive is still low at 30 mA (no signal).  And
there's plenty of audio, now, to drive a speaker directly.  The
Sierra also has lots of interior and front and back panel space
available for additions of your own.

We'll have complete kits for the 80, 40, 30, 20, and 15 meter
modules, as well as bare boards so you can build modules for the
other bands.  The manual will have parts lists and instructions
for all bands.

At present there are no other accessories available
(suggestions?) but we're thinking about a keyer/metering board,
and a custom canvas bag with pockets for the Sierra, battery,
keyer paddle, etc.

Disclaimer:  The Sierra is a more complex design than the NorCal
40.  As an example, note that there are eight (8!) u-wind-'em
toroids per band module.  First time builders and those without
good test equipment may have difficulty getting the rig running
correctly.  However, if you do have trouble, we'll try to find a
club member in your area to help you; after all, this is a club
project!

Delivery:  Due to difficulties in getting parts and finding
unpaid laborers to put kits together - not to mention the fact
that most of us have day jobs - NorCal can't guarantee a shipping
date.  But we're shooting for August.

If you'd like to tacke the Sierra, fill out and mail the order
form below.

The order form also includes a short member survey; please fill
out this part of the form whether or not you're ordering the
Sierra.  This is a good chance for us to take the pulse of
NorCal, which has grown much faster than anyone expected.  We'll
publish the survey results in a future issue of QRPp.

[End of first page of original brochure.]

Sierra Order Form:  This offer is for NorCal QRP Club members
only; limit one (1) Sierra kit per member.  All prices include
shipping in the U.S.  Some of you may want to enhance your Sierra
at a later date, so we will probably offer band module kits and
other accessories on a continuing basis.  To place these
subsequent orders, call Jim Cates at 1-916-487-3580.  All initial
orderes must use this form and must be postmarked by June 15,
1994.

Sierra Transceiver Kit only (no band modules), $160    _________

                    80 Meter band module kit, $25      _________

                    40 Meter band module kit, $25      _________

                    30 Meter band module kit, $25      _________

                    20 Meter band module kit, $25      _________

                    15 Meter band module kit, $25      _________

Band module PCB only, $7 ea. x ________           =    _________

                                        Subtotal:      _________

               Calif. Residents add 7.75% sales tax    _________

                    Foreign Orders add $10 postage     _________

          Total (enclose check payable to Jim Cates)   _________

Mail Check and Order form to:

     Jim Cates,
     3241 Eastwood Road
     Sacramento, CA 95821


Name:_____________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________

City:____________________ State:______ Zip: ______

Phone:____________________________________________

Note: If you are not a current member of NorCal QRP Club, you can
become one by applying for membership.  Send your name, call and
address to Jim Cates at the address above.  If you would like a
subscription to the journal of the club, QRPp, send an additional
$5.  QRPp is published quarterly in March, June, September and
December and has 72 pages of pure QRP info in it with NO paid
advertising.

-------------------------------------------------------

Ok guys, that is it for the brochure.  Note that NorCal refers to
the NorCal QRP Club, which is an association of QRP enthusiasts
and is NOT a COMMERCIAL VENTURE.  This kit is being offered as a
club project to club members only to enhance the enjoyment of the
hobby, QRP operating, and to encourage experimentation and
homebrewing among our members.  This posting on the internet is
done in response to many requests for it.  72, Doug, KI6DS


From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 01:06:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA17099; Sat, 4 Jun 94 19:01:11 HST
    id AA04996; Sat, 4 Jun 94 19:06:17 HST
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 94 19:06:17 HST
From: Jeffrey Herman <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: That's a lot of inductors!
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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Doug, KI6DS, in talking about the Sierra said there are:

> (8!) u-wind-'em toroids per band module.

Holy cow, Doug! My gosh, 8! = 8*7*6*5*4*3*2*1 = 40,320 toroids per band.
It would take me a lifetime to gather up that many cardboard coil forms
(even with all the restrooms on campus...)

Oh, for those of you who've forgotten, N! (read N factorial) is the product
of all natural numbers less than and including N.

Jeff NH6IL


From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 01:20:41 1994
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    id AA20552; Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:20:28 PDT
    id AA22224; Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:20:27 PDT
    id AA23801; Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:22:24 PDT
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 1994 22:17:21 -0700 (PDT)
From: stark <[e-mail]>
Subject: Where oh where....
To: QRP Net <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <Pine.3.05.9406042221.A23781-a100000@nimbus>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Hi all,

Can any one give me the lat & long for:

     Monroe, OR  (N7CZF)
        and
     Meridian, ID  (KU7Y)

I would like it in hrs, min & tenths.

Need to see if this will quilify for the 1000 mile/watt
award. I was using a tuna tin sender running 250 mw into
a pair of phased verticals on 40 m.

Thanks for any help.

73's,  Ron

........................KU7Y........................
.................Monte "Ron" Stark..................
.................Sun Valley, Nevada.................



From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 01:42:59 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA08559; Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:40:54 PDT
Date: Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:40:54 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: RE That's a lot of inductors!
Sender: [e-mail]
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Jeff, the term (8!) also is used to mean an exclamation point in expressing
the fact that 8 is a lot of inductors.  Good joke, also, the brochure was
a copy of the one written by Wayne Burdick, N6KR, and I did credit him with
writing the brochure!!!
72!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Doug, KI6DS

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 03:24:40 1994
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  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <think![e-mail]>); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 00:23:40 -0700
    id AA02878; Sun, 5 Jun 94 02:24:12 -0500
    id AA03490; Sun, 5 Jun 94 03:24:04 EDT
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for think![e-mail]); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 03:25:32 -0400
  (5.65c/Gatech-10.0-IDA for <rutgers!think!qrp>); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 03:24:34 -0400
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for gatech!rutgers!think!qrp); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 00:09:10 -0700
    by mimsy.cs.UMD.EDU (8.6.9/UMIACS-0.9/04-05-88)
    id CAA01555; Sun, 5 Jun 1994 02:14:26 -0400
    (5.61/UUNET-internet-primary) id AAwsxl00314; Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:28:39 -0400
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    id m0qA7lH-0008WbC; Sat, 4 Jun 94 22:16 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Czuhajewski)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: My political statement
Date: Sat, 04 Jun 94 22:16:31 EST5EDT
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X-Mailer: UniBoard 1.21f S/N 329931
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What the heck, if K5FO can make one, I'll make my own and see how much
trouble I can get in.  My political statement:  I'm a novice on
Internet and the Internet QRP mailing list (having been going for about
2 weeks now).  The QRP list and the rec.radio.amateur.whatever areas
are what the ham packet radio BBS system SHOULD be!  [End of political
statement; "flame receptor" turned on and awaiting inputs.]
--
Mike Czuhajewski, user of the UniBoard System @ wb3ffv.ampr.org
E-Mail: [e-mail]
The WB3FFV Amateur Radio BBS - Located in Baltimore, Maryland USA
Supporting the Amateur Radio Hobby, and TCP/IP InterNetworking

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 08:43:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 7:43:00 -0500 (CDT)
From: James Speer <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: That's a lot of inductors
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>72!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Doug, KI6DS

let's see: (72*71*70....)*[(72*71*70....)-1]*...

hmmm

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 10:34:03 1994
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    for [e-mail] id AA21580; Sun, 5 Jun 94 07:33:54 -0700
    for @sgi.sgi.com,@FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA16517; Sun, 5 Jun 94 09:33:23 -0500
    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA12518; Sun, 5 Jun 94 09:33:22 -0500
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 94 09:33:22 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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Subject: KU7Y @ 250mW
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Ron and the group,

Monroe, OR  44.314 N  123.296 W
Meridan,ID  43.612 N  116.391 W

total distance of 557 KM or 346 Miles

thus Miles/Watt = 4 * 346 = 1,384

Send me $2 and photo copy of QSL card.

dit dit
Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 12:21:58 1994
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    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0qAK8t-000QIBC; Sun, 5 Jun 94 23:29 SST
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           Sun, 05 Jun 1994 11:40:06 SST
Date:      Sun, 05 Jun 1994 11:40:05 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   Transistor substitution
Sender: [e-mail]
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Hi Gang,

        Can anyone give me a quick analysis of substituting a 2SC2075 with
an MRF476 or 2SC1678? Here are the specs I know of. I would like to know
what to expect in the long run.

                2SC2075         MRF476          2SC1678

Uceo            80V             36V             65V
Current         4A              1A              3A
PEP             >3.5W           3W              >3W
Typical f       27MHz           27MHz           27MHz

        I am afraid I do not have the gain figures but lets just assume that
the gain is close enough for us to ignore. The application runs off a 13.8
volt supply rail and should deliver up to 9 or 10 watts off the power meter.
My reasoning is that since the output of final PAs can rise to twice the
supply rail, ie. 27.6V, all three transistors are safe to operate as far as
that is concerned, except for really bad SWR conditions, perhaps the MRF476
is a poorer choice. As far as current handling goes, assuming an output
power of 10 watts and efficiency of about 60 percent plus some margin, I'd
say about 20 watts on the transistor during operation, giving a operating
current of less than 1A, in which case the 2SC2075 and the 2SC1678 should be
a reasonable choice.

        Here's why I am wondering, I want to replace a 2SC2075 and have a
bunch of 2SC1678 and was wondering if under the given conditions, the
2SC1678 will do? The MRF476 is provided as a point for comparison as the
2SC1678 actually works well as a MRF476 substitute. BTW the 2SC1678 already
works when plugged into the 2SC2075 slot but don't tell me to leave it there
and see what happens as I am quite paranoid. Besides I think, as the MRF476
is such a popular device, people should be familiar with it and would like
to know about possible substitutes too, not me though. What I'd like to know
is what would happen as the limits of the circuit is approached? Would the
margins of the transistors be sufficient? If operational differences could
be analyzed I'd be even more glad.

        Can some one reply? The final PA operates in Class C unbiased
operation.

                                    +13.8V decoupled
                                     o
                                     |
                                     |  1:4 transformer (bifilar)
                                     --uuuuuu-|
                                  o--o--------o     0.1 uF
                                  |  |-uuuuuu--------||----o filter
                                  |
                 0.1 uF        b /c
   driver  o------||-----o------|
                         |       \e
                         /        |
                  47 ohm \        |
                         /        |
                         |        |
      gnd  o-------------o--------o------------------------o


        A fairly standard circuit as you can see, please advise. Tks.

73,
Daniel

p.s.    My transistor specs are sparse at best so if you have a better
        source saying something different please feel free to use that. I
        have some specs for the MRF476 but did not use it because I did not
        have a similar spec for the other 2 transistors, so in order to
        preserve consistency (comparing apples with apples), I provided only
        these data from the same source.
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 14:54:18 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Mon, 6 Jun 1994 02:53:55 +0800
    id aa13066; Sun, 5 Jun 94 18:14:33 GMT
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           Sun, 05 Jun 1994 12:43:15 SST
Date:      Sun, 05 Jun 1994 12:43:15 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   My NN1G RIT circuit?
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi Gang,

        Err... has anyone seen my NN1G RIT circuit which I thought I posted
on the list? If anyone received it, could he (or she) please forward back a
copy to me. Tks.

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 17:25:21 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id RAA11941; Sun, 5 Jun 1994 17:25:06 -0400
Date: 05 Jun 94 17:23:08 EDT
From: Bob Gobrick WA6ERB <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: Deceptive SWR Readings
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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TO:  >INTERNET:[e-mail]

          Open letter to Adrian Weiss W0RSP

Ade,

I just wanted to say Thanks for joining us here on the INET QRP
list and giving us some of your comments like your message to Jim
on SWR readings - just great.

We've never met, even though I know you were active for many
years in QRP with CQ magazine and at Dayton with the ARCI.  I'm a
born-again QRPer and I've been spending the last few years just
trying to catch up on all the things that have taken place in
QRP.  I have to admit I've even gone back to all my old CQ's and
I clipped out all your QRP articles before I donated my mags to a
worthy cause.

I have a question (and I know you've been asked this before)  - I
was able to get a copy of your History of QRP (and I believe they
are still available) but I have been searching for years for a
copy of your The Joy of QRP.  I guess this is an open request,
but I'd be interested in buying a used copy, borrowing a used
copy (and pay any delinquent library overdue fees) or doing just
about anything to get my hands on a copy to read.  Do you have
any leads on this... or if anyone knows of a copy floating around
for sale or lease - I'd be appreciative.

Again thanks for your input and with your permission maybe some
of the QRP club newsletters will pick up some of your tutorials
for print.

73, 72 Bob VO1DRB/WA6ERB


From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 17:27:21 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id RAA14931; Sun, 5 Jun 1994 17:27:11 -0400
Date: 05 Jun 94 17:23:48 EDT
From: Bob Gobrick WA6ERB <[e-mail]>
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: NorCal Sierra Semi-Kits
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

TO:  >INTERNET:[e-mail]

          Open Letter to Wayne Burdick N6KR

Wayne - I wanted to thank you publicly for your efforts on the
NorCal 40 and the latest NorCal offering - the Sierra (I also
enjoyed your QEX article on the Safari).  I have to admit the
NorCal 40 was just a great rig to build and the board mounted
connectors and controls along with the simple cabinet really made
it super enjoyable to build (I had Stan silkscreen my cabinet for
the "professional look" - hi).

Wayne let me query you on an item, and first let me say that I
hesitated asking this in an open forum since the NorCal gang
might take it wrong (well, yes, I am a member - hi).  I encourage
the gang of volunteers to offer the Sierra as a bare-bones
offering - say PC board, hard to buy parts, like the edge
connector and the cabinet.  This would be in addition to the full
kit offering.  I believe you have copyrighted your design so I
suspect you'll want to keep this as a member offering.

The reason why I ask is that (and here is where I hope you don't
take this wrong) I feel the Sierra is a little bit overpriced
when compared to the NorCal 40.  The basic Sierra (no band
modules) at $160 seems a little high when you compare it to the
NorCal 40.  The NorCal 40 has the 40 m band xtals and torroids
while the Sierra has a more expensive variable cap and IF amp
stage.  That's $80 vs $160.  I suspect that either the NorCal 40
was underpriced or the Sierra is overpriced (or the reverse -
hi).  Since my junque box is getting pretty well stocked (too
many unbuilt projects) I'd like to take a crack at stuffing my
own parts to save a few pennies.  I guess I'm just getting a
little more selective in the number of kits I build (I only have
four 40 meters rigs right now ;-) and I'm looking at the value of
another NE-602 rig.

Anyway Wayne I'd appreciate you and the NorCal gang considering
an initial semi-kit offering along with the full kit offering.
I've chatted a little about this to Doug so maybe he can give you
his thoughts.  Again thanks for all the excitement that you've
given the West Coast with your move out there and the formation
of the NorCal club - wish I was back there to partake in all the
fun at the Livermore get-togethers (I moved from Tracy California
east to Montreal and Newfoundland while you moved from New
England back West).

73, 72  Bob VO1DRB/WA6ERB

PS:  I can't believe the rumours of some other NorCal projects
like a QRP automatic antenna tuner and QRP SSB rig.... WOW.


From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 18:34:31 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67b/IDA-1.5 for [e-mail]); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 18:35:31 -0400
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 18:35:31 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (Jerry Sy)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: need MFJ-941D tuner manual
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
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I got a used MFJ-941D versa tuner II and do not have the manual for
it.  I'd appreciate it if someone who has it can send me a copy of it
(is it a one page instruction sheet ?). or maybe just explain to me
via email how to use the tuner.

thanks in advance.

73s de jerry N3RKD
almost ready for QRP, if I can figure out how to use the tuner.


--


From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 21:35:49 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 20:35:01 -0500 (CDT)
From: James Speer <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: ARK40
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

This may be old news to all you designers and compulsive kit builders, but I just got some gear up on 40 and have worked more qrp stations in the last week
or so that I had previously in several months on 30. Yesterday worked
W8MVH in Ohio (I'm in Texas). He was running an ARK40 with full-wave loop.
What I thought was remarkable was the rig's keying characteristics --
sounded exactly like the old Collins transmitters -- you know, that distinct
leading "thump," a leading edge so near square that if it were any squarer
at all there's be noticeable key clicks, but in fact there are none. I've
always thought that particular shape produced the most reeadable code
possible, especially under degraded conditions, and I was very surprised
to hear it in a QRP rig -- certainly don't hear it in mine. It inspired
me to start thinking about keying mods for my MFJ gear.

72!  Jim  K5YUT

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 22:16:06 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 21:21:41 -0500 (CDT)
From: Adrian Weiss W0RSP English Department <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: Deceptive SWR Readings
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Dear Bob:
   Thank you very much for the nice welcome. I certainly am excited about INET
QRP and enjoy reading the daily postings very much. I also am flattered that
you clipped all my CQ articles! That's a pile, isn't it!
   Unfortunately, THE JOY OF QRP has been out of print for many years -- in
fact, all 2200 copies went in under two years. As I understand the situation,
it is next to impossible to find anyone willing to part with their copy.
   I might as well add a general announcement that might help. As copyright
owner of JOY, I have absolutely no objections to anyone making xerox copies for
a friend or other contacts.vmye3wqbG

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 22:25:15 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id TAA29120; Sun, 5 Jun 1994 19:13:53 -0700
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 19:13:53 -0700
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Subject: First QRP DX!
Sender: [e-mail]
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What a privilege to hit my first 5 watt DX with such s***** band conditions.

On 5/14 at 0222Z, on 14026 kHz, I answered UA9FAR in Perm and got a 559. A few
other Russians were audible, but he was a good 569.

Not only that, he asked for my county!  When I told him Hennepin (MN), in which
Minneapolis is located, he asked if I knew somebody in our neighboring Twin
City, St. Paul -- if I heard him on 2 meters, would I tell him Vlad's looking
for him?... Small world...

72.927633

* John Seboldt...Mpls, MN...As a ham, K0JD...as a human...well,... *
|                     [e-mail]                         |
*      J.S. Bach of Borg:  "Your style will be assimilated."       *

 -> Alice4Mac 2.3 E QWK Eval:05Mar94

From [e-mail]  Sun Jun  5 23:43:25 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.5 for <[e-mail]>); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 20:41:19 -0700
  (5.65c/IDA-1.5); Sun, 5 Jun 1994 20:41:17 -0700
From: Jeff Jones <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: NorCal 40 partial kit?
To: [e-mail] (Adrian Weiss W0RSP English Department)
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 20:41:17 -0700 (PDT)
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]> from "Adrian Weiss W0RSP English Department" at Jun 5, 94 09:21:41 pm
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Could someone please post where to send $25 for the NorCal
partial kit?

Jeff
[e-mail]


From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 01:49:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA09357; Sun, 5 Jun 94 22:47:36 PDT
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 94 22:47:36 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NorCal June Meeting Rpt
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

The June meeting of the NorCal QRP Club was a special one, as it marks the
1 year anniversary of the club.  What a difference a year has made.  Today,
there were 50 members present at the California Burger Restaurant in
Pleasanton.

Jim Cates, WA6GER, a cofounder of the club, came in his famous "Dayton NorCal
T-Shirt", which is a gold t-shirt with the cover of the March issue of QRPp
on it, (the one with the club logo).  Jim and I wore those to the first night
at the hospitality room in Dayton.  Jim had his "Fireball 15 meter
Transmitter" with him.  Nice job, and he says it is a lot of fun to build.
That is the rig that was featured in 73 a couple of years ago, and uses a
crystal oscillator from a computer.  Nifty rig and tiny.

We had two special guests, J.B. Thompson, AA6IH, and Forest Miller, N6ZBZ, at
the meeting.  The reason they are so special is that they drove up from Los
Angeles just for the meeting.  Now that is dedication and a real QRP fan.
Both were amazed at the turnout and all of the rigs on display.  We really
enjoyed meeting our friends from the south.  I asked them why they would
drive so far, and they said that they had heard so much about the meetings
that they wanted to see for themselves it we were really having so much fun.
They said they are convinced now and will be back for more.

Wayne Burdick, N6KR, brought some Italian ham magazines for the members to
look at, and he and Bob Warmke, W6CYX, set up and demonstrated the Sierra at
the Livermore Swap earlier in the day.  Naturally it drew a huge crowd, and
then when Wayne fired up the Sierra and answered a CQ from Wyoming, he got
him on the first call.  He was using a hamstick mounted on his car for an
antenna....  Wayne and Bob will be at Foothill, and if you want to see the
Sierra in operation, look for the NorCal guys there.  I will also be there
on Saturday as will several other NorCal members.  If you can't find us,
stop by the hotdog booth at 10:00.

Bob Dyer, KD6VIO, brought a whole box of QRP homebrew goodies.  Bob and I met
about a year ago at HSC in Santa Clara, and I advised him to buy the QRP
Classics book from the ARRL.  Bob proudly showed me the fruits of his labors
of the past year.  He had the Mighty Mite, a 1 transistor 40 meter crystal
controlled transmitter, a Bruene QRP watt meter, the 1 watt universal 40
meter transmitter with full qsk, a 15 meter transmitter, (it works but never
made a contact) and a 30 meter MOuSeFET transmitter that is vfo controlled
and covers the entire 30 meter band.  Bob built all of the rigs ugly style,
and he does nice work.  When I first met Bob, he had no idea of what QRP was,
or how to build a rig.  He has been building for a year, and now has a NorCal
40, plus all of the other gear I just described, and Bob understands a lot
about radio.  He is a great example of how much a ham can learn if he does
some building.  Thank you Bob, you are the type of ham we want in our hobby.

Greg Garcia, WB6DAI, was at the meeting for the first time.  He brought the
Neophyte receiver, an audio filter, and the Little Joe Transmitter all built
on boards that he made himself.  Nice rigs, and Greg makes excellent quality
boards.

Stan Cooper, K4DRD, brought a miniature key from South Africa.  Stan had
ordered it and brought the key to show.  Naturally we all want one, and I
would like to see the look on the guy's face in South Africa when all of the
orders start to show up from California.  The key cost $25 and here is the
information for those of you who missed the meeting.

        Miniature Morse Keys:  Ideal collector's item.  Individually boxed.
Ex-South African Military.  Limited stock available.  $25.00 plus $3.00
shipping.  Payment by Visa, MasterCard or bank draft.  Contact Marc, ZS6HZ,
Lima Electronics, P.O. Box 707, Bergvlei, 2012, Republic of South Africa;
or 27-11-444-0444 (phone), 27-11-444-0459 (Fax).
        [The above is for information only, KI6DS and NorCal are not
        connected in any way with this offer.]

I brought several of my rigs to the meeting.  The purpose was to show the
front panels that I made using my computer, laser printer and clear laminate
material.  The rigs were the New England 40-40, New England 30-40, NorCal 40
with digital display, PW ThumbTack 40 Receiver, and a prototype of something
really exciting, a 75 Meter SSB Transceiver, the Epiphyte, which was designed
by Derry Spittle, VE7QK.  The first contact with the SSB rig was with two
hams, one in Northern Washington on Whitby Island, and the other 3 blocks
north of the Mexican border.  They were having a QSO, and I broke into it.
I had to say "Break KI6DS/QRP" three times, but then we had a 30 minute QSO.
Both stations heard every word, I got a 57 and 59 report, and I was running
1 watt.  What was really fun was that I identified the first time as
KI6DS/Homebrew QRP.  We had talked for about 10 minutes when one of the guys
asked me if I had said "Homebrew".  He was really thrilled to find that
someone was building a SSB rig that sounded so clean.  This rig is coming
out in September QRPp and more details will be available then.  The board
is really small, about 3" x 4.5", and the parts should only cost about $40
to $50 to build it.  I will have the rig with me Saturday at Foothill.  If
you would like to see it, stop me and I will take it out of my pocket to
show you!!

Since this was the First Anniversary of NorCal, I wanted to give something
to all of the members who have given me so much enjoyment the past year.  I
was puttering around my garage, and found a whole sack of apc variable
capacitors.  Hmmn, I saw a neat article in Popular Wireless about a 40
meter receiver that used 2 transistors, 3 diodes, several resistors and
a couple of toroids.  The receiver was built on a board with a front and
back panel made from cookie sheet aluminum.  I decided to put the kit
together and give them away.  When I checked my junk box, I found that I
had most of the parts, (James, KI6JD, gave me a reel of assorted parts a
couple of meetings ago, and I got several of the resistors, a couple of the
capacitors and the diodes from that source).  I made a quick call to Dan's
Small Parts, and the rest of the parts were on the way.  The rig is also
featured in Doug DeMaw's Design Notebook.  The article in PW shows how to
build the rig using the piece of wood as a base, brass thumbtacks as tie
points, and cookie sheet aluminum as front and back panels.  I put together
40 of the kits and gave them away as a thank you to the members for coming
to the meeting.  The kits had the transistors, resistors, caps, variable
cap, toroids, front and back panels and wooden base.  All that is left to
supply is the 100 pF trimcap and some #26 magnet wire.  I am looking forward
to the next meeting to see how they turn out.

If you are in the Livermore area on the first Sunday of the month, be sure
to attend a NorCal QRP Club meeting.  We get together at the California
Burger Restaurant at the Santa Rita Exit on I-580 West of Livermore.  The
meeting starts at 11:00 and ends about 1 or 2 PM.  No business meeting, very
casual, show and tell style.  Hope to see you there.
72, Doug

Note: Can someone post this to the Packet System?  My packet rig is in the
shop, and I have no way to get this to QRP @ ALLUS.  Appreciate the help.

72, Doug


From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 02:40:18 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id m0qAYLd-000Q2UC; Sun, 5 Jun 94 23:39 PDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (Mont H. Pierce)
Subject: NE 30-40 kit deliver time
To: [e-mail]
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 23:39:49 -0700 (PDT)
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I ordered a NE 30-40 kit at the end of April, right after reading Doug's
review, and I haven't received it yet.  Since several of you have posted
here about getting/building/using your kits already, I've been growing
concerned that maybe my order has been misplaced.

How long did it take for you to receiver your orders?

Am I just being a little anxious or do you think I've waited way to
long and all the kits have been sold out? (hope not>.

Thanks in advance for your input.

73,
km6wt,  Mont Pierce

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 08:32:13 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <think![e-mail]>); Tue, 31 May 1994 09:55:44 -0700
    id AA27058; Mon, 6 Jun 94 07:31:01 -0500
    id AA02972; Mon, 6 Jun 94 08:30:05 EDT
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for think![e-mail]); Mon, 6 Jun 1994 08:31:34 -0400
  (5.65c/Gatech-10.0-IDA for <rutgers!think!qrp>); Mon, 6 Jun 1994 08:30:37 -0400
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for gatech!rutgers!think!qrp); Tue, 31 May 1994 09:29:09 -0700
    by mimsy.cs.UMD.EDU (8.6.9/UMIACS-0.9/04-05-88)
    id HAA23264; Mon, 6 Jun 1994 07:14:34 -0400
    (5.61/UUNET-internet-primary) id AAwtba02560; Sun, 5 Jun 94 21:38:42 -0400
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #5) id m0qATey-0001c5C; Sun, 5 Jun 94 21:39 EDT
    id m0qATPh-0008WuC; Sun, 5 Jun 94 21:23 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Czuhajewski)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Toroid colors
Date: Sun, 05 Jun 94 21:23:41 EST5EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Mailer: UniBoard 1.21f S/N 329931
Sender: [e-mail]
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Just a note to add to the recent dialog on the Internet QRP forum
about winding cores.  Someone mentioned difficulty in finding cores
in Hawaii, and I believe he said a dealer there had a box full of
mixed cores of all sorts (mongrels, apparently) with it being up to
the purchaser to figure out what's what.

Just a reminder to never trust the color code on a core unless you
positively KNOW who made it or know where it came from.  I went into
this in some detail in the Idea Exchange in the QRP Quarterly a while
back, and QST had my letter on the subject in Technical
Correspondence in the March 94 issue.  The short answer is that there
is NO standard color code among makers of ferromagnetic cores, either
powdered iron or ferrite.  I know this from detailed study of a
number of manufacturers brochures.

A good example would be a red core.  We "know" that's a type 2
powdered iron, with permeability of 10, and good for HF tuned
circuits.  Unfortunately, we don't know who put that red color on
there.  Depending on who made it, that red core could be what we
think or it could be a ferrite core, and might have permeability of
850,  1800 or 10,000!  Yellow is "supposed" to be the nice, friendly
type 6 material, permeability of 8, but it could also be ferrite,
with permeability of 10,000.  White "is" type 7, with permeability of
9, I believe, and the lowest temperature coefficient of the powdered
irons and best for stable VFOs.  But if someone other than
Micrometals made it, a white core could be a ferrite with
permeability of 750 or 5000.

Some folks make all their cores the same color--"natural ferrite",
which is no coating at all.  Some make their entire line of cores
available in any color the customer wants, while another uses a total
of 3 colors for the entire line.  The powdered iron color code that
we know and love is actually the code of Micrometals; Arnold
Engineering uses the same code, to some extent, although some of
their products depart from it.  The most common source of toroids for
ham use seems to be Amidon Associates, and they get their powdered
irons from Micrometals.  Palomar is another source.  Since most of us
get cores from a very few sources, all of which appear to get their
cores from the same manufacturer, we all "know" a color code which we
assume is universal.  It is not!

Imagine picking up a resistor and seeing color bands of brown, black,
red and silver.  We'd like to think it's 1000 ohms, 10% tolerance,
but it could be 100K, 27K, 47, or 5.6 megohm, with a tolerance of
anywhere from 1% to 20%.  That's essentially the situation with
ferromagnetic core colors.  The bottom line is to be very, very
careful of cores you may see at a hamfest or surplus store, even when
they have signs on them purporting to be the true identity.  Does the
dealer really know where they came from, or is he making the same
assumptions about colors that you are?   (By the way, aside from the
uncertainty of the colors, the cores I usually see at hamfests are
rarely a bargain anyhow, even if they really are what the sign says!)


Your best bet is to stick with known, trusted sources such as Amidon,
Palomar, Danny Stevig (KA7QJY, Dans Small Parts and Kits), Oak Hills
Research and the other well known QRP parts sources.    (I have no
connection with any of these, aside from being an occasional customer
of some; this is not intended as an indorsement of any of them.)

                 DE [e-mail] packet
                    [e-mail] Internet
                     5 June 1994
--
Mike Czuhajewski, user of the UniBoard System @ wb3ffv.ampr.org
E-Mail: [e-mail]
The WB3FFV Amateur Radio BBS - Located in Baltimore, Maryland USA
Supporting the Amateur Radio Hobby, and TCP/IP InterNetworking

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 08:32:13 1994
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    id AA27057; Mon, 6 Jun 94 07:31:01 -0500
    id AA02910; Mon, 6 Jun 94 08:28:59 EDT
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for think![e-mail]); Mon, 6 Jun 1994 08:30:14 -0400
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  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for gatech!rutgers!think!qrp); Tue, 31 May 1994 09:29:06 -0700
    by mimsy.cs.UMD.EDU (8.6.9/UMIACS-0.9/04-05-88)
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    id m0qATOH-0008WuC; Sun, 5 Jun 94 21:22 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Czuhajewski)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: QRP Show in MD in Aug
Date: Sun, 05 Jun 94 21:22:13 EST5EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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QRP Show and Tell In Laurel, MD, first Saturday of August 1994:

It's been several years since we had one of these, and it's time to
start up again.  We don't have any organized QRP groups in this area
(despite what you may have heard about the Maryland Milliwatts, which
was more of a joke than an actual organization), but there is a lot
of interest.  This is, after all, a major metropolitan area (between
Washington, DC, Baltimore and Annapolis) and lots of QRPers.

Here's the deal, as usual:  When Maryland Radio Center opens up at 10
AM, several QRPers will set up their goodies on the tables in the MRC
ham radio library room.  We'll be there until they close at 3 PM
(formerly 4 PM), and anyone who walks thru the doors and wants to
show off QRP goodies or just look at some and talk QRP is welcome to
do so.  There are no formal presentations or anything, pure anarchy
but lots of QRP!  I'll be there, along with K3TKS and KD3S, and
perhaps some other QRP notables (we have a few in this area).

By the way, thanks to KI6DS (of NorCal fame) the MRC library has a
set of photocopies of the QRP Quarterly from 1985 to 1992, and thanks
to WA8MCQ (me) it also has photocopies of the ENTIRE run of The
Milliwatt.  Truly knowledgeable QRPers genuflect and drool at the
mere mention of the Milliwatt, which has almost mystical status in
the history of QRP.  (Thanks to Rich Arland, K7YHA, for giving me the
entire press run, which I still have and keep under constant alarmed
surveillance.)

(True Historical Fact--I am one of the two co-founders of the
Milliwatt, although by far the lesser; I was already publishing its
predecessor, QRP/8, which contained a true QRP section.  Ade Weiss,
W0RSP, K8EEG/0 in those days, found out about it, came on board,
easily convinced me to go over to 100% QRP, which is why virtually
everyone was getting it anyhow, changed the method of printing, took
over the printing and most of the editing, etc, and the rest is
history.  Of course it was due to his vision and drive and incredible
amount of hard work that it succeeded (and existed in the first
place), and he gets 99.95% of the credit for it all.  In fact, I
wimped out after 4 issues and joined USAF, which was an attractive
alternative to being drafted during the height of the Viet Nam war!
And even for those 4 issues he gets 99% of the credit.  For his work
with the Milliwatt, as well as his long-running QRP column in CQ
magazine and several technical articles in the main stream ham press,
Ade Weiss is richly deserving of induction into the QRP Hall of
Fame...whoops--this is supposed to be an event announcement, not
another Political Statement....)


MRC is located in Laurel, halfway between Washington and Baltimore.
'Most everyone in the area who might be interested in the QRP Show
and Tell probably knows where it is already, but if anyone needs
directions I can provide them.  If you live in the area or will be
around here at the time, come on over and join us for a good, long
QRP gathering.  We don't do it anywhere near as often as the NorCal
or Michigan folks (it's been, what, 3 or 4 years now?), but we have
just as much fun!

    [e-mail] Internet, [e-mail]
--
Mike Czuhajewski, user of the UniBoard System @ wb3ffv.ampr.org
E-Mail: [e-mail]
The WB3FFV Amateur Radio BBS - Located in Baltimore, Maryland USA
Supporting the Amateur Radio Hobby, and TCP/IP InterNetworking

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 08:54:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Mon, 6 Jun 1994 20:54:09 +0800
    id aa18663; Mon, 6 Jun 94 12:11:12 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0qAbl0-000QIIC; Mon, 6 Jun 94 18:18 SST
    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qAbio-000GuwC; Mon, 6 Jun 94 18:15 SST
           Mon, 06 Jun 1994 06:13:17 SST
Date:      Mon, 06 Jun 1994 06:13:16 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   NN1G RIT Circuit found
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi Gang,

        This is to pre-empt a flood of my returning NN1G RIT circuits in my
mail, HI HI! Someone on the net has kindly sent me back a copy. I thought it
didn't get out on the list, looks like it did. Well have fun. I still
welcome any advice on stabilizing the finals .... still looks bad in spite
of everything.

        Well, I managed to het my OHR Classic Dual Bander under way and it
seems to be putting out a lot of power. My trouble came from one of the
toroids where the insulation had not been sufficiently removed. Tricky one
that. And also a defective final transistor. Got it all replaced and this
rig can put out 11.2 watts on 20M and close to 20 watts on 40M. Is something
wrong with me of just the rig??? It is supposed to put out 4-5 watts! Anyway
it sounds very clean. Only problem is that the power setting needs to be
readjusted everytime I change bands as the setting is different and so is
the power output and I sure don't want to fry that transistor, cheap though
it is ... some 90 cents each.

        Great kit on the whole but here are some comments:-

1.      I like the way the sidetone volume is independent of the audio
        volume control. Sure doesn't blast my ears into the next universe on
        weak signals.

2.      Very high parts count but every little piece was there :) I hate
        looking for missing parts.

3.      No problem with the excessive power output, it can be controlled
        though it would be nice if it was kept more or less the same for
        either bands for the same drive setting, using some feedback network
        I should think.

4.      The case could have been much more compact but I could use the extra
        space for an additional amplifier. The on-board amp doesn't drive a
        speaker too well.

5.      They should have provided a way to switch out the audio filter. I
        will be adding one myself but it should have been thought of.

6.      The tuning is not very linear making the dial quite useless. I am
        going to try to put in one of those A & A Engineering frequency
        counters and rework the case.

7.      Its nice to have a separate socket for manual and automatic keys.

8.      Instructions could have included a little more trouble-shooting info
        such as expected signal levels at various test points etc. etc.

        On the whole a great kit but a few marks short of an A+. The S & S
Engineering ARK20 fares a teeny weeny bit better than this except for their
pricing and single band limitation. I guess I am spoilt for the synthesized
tuning on the ARK :)

73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 10:12:21 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA29189; Mon, 6 Jun 1994 09:57:47 -0400
    id AA05859; Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:58:18 EDT
    id AA29545; Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:58:14 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB NB p. 111 again)
In-Reply-To: Your message of "04 Jun 94 03:17:35 GMT."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 09:58:14 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

> Any suggestions?  Are there any likely faults that would cause the link do
> the frequency determination?  Have you any ideas on how to keep the 2V pk-pk
> output while putting the frequency determination back where it belongs, in
> the oscillator tank?

I think the best solution is to use capacitive coupling and a buffer amplifier.
It's more components, but it has the benefit of isolating the VFO from the
mixer, always a worthwhile thing.  If you have a PC board without space for an
amplifier, you can add a simple JFET buffer on a daughterboard that's about
half an inch square and just let it fly above the circuitboard (this was used
in an old version of the Radiokit 20M QRP transceiver (and may still be used,
for all I know)).



From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 10:19:08 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA29306; Mon, 6 Jun 1994 10:11:18 -0400
    id AA05942; Mon, 6 Jun 94 10:11:44 EDT
    id AA00522; Mon, 6 Jun 94 10:11:42 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sat, 04 Jun 94 10:24:34 -1000."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 10:11:41 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Quoth Jeff:
> Stephen says: ``I'm about ready to put this thing aside and try a design
> that is more polished.''
> I hope not, for we are all vicariously building this VFO with you; the
> frustration you feel we are all feeling. If you quit none of us will
> get a good night's sleep. A tremendous responsibility is upon you to
> finish this project!

While I think there's still more mileage to be wrung from this circuit, it's
not necessarily a bad idea to get halfway through an exploratory project like
this and decide it's time for the next one.  I managed to learn a good deal
about VFO stability by building a succession of 30-meter VFOs, each more stable
than the last, for a 30m transmitter that I never did get around to finishing.
I might have been able to get a good VFO in two steps, if I'd kept fiddling
around with the original boards (well, the second one; the first try was pretty
much irremediable), but I think I got more out of it by being willing to step
back and start over once I'd milked a particular topology for all it seemed
to be worth.

As I said, a buffer amplifier will probably help this VFO a lot; another
advantage of a buffer amplifier is that it makes getting the VFO on frequency
(because it gives you an isolated point to probe with the frequency counter).

73, John, WB7EEL

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 10:26:44 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA29350; Mon, 6 Jun 1994 10:13:05 -0400
    id AA05956; Mon, 6 Jun 94 10:13:35 EDT
    id AA00643; Mon, 6 Jun 94 10:13:31 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
In-Reply-To: Your message of "04 Jun 94 21:01:19 GMT."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 10:13:30 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

> > Go have a beer and relax. Then spend the rest of the weekend on the
> > buffer stage.
> I can't spend all of the rest of the weekend on it.  My girlfriend thinks
> we're going hiking tomorrow.  :-)

So bring a butane-fired soldering iron!  :-)

> Thanks for the encouraging words.  There is some more checkout of the VFO
> I want to try, then I'll try building a buffer for it.  Any opinions on
> whether JFET or bipolar is the way to go for the buffer?

JFET.  They're easy, they're cheap, they have high impedance inputs.  What more
could one want in a buffer amplifier?  :-)


73, John, WB7EEL

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 10:27:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 1994 14:23:56 GMT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Norcal 40 Partial
X-Vms-To: SMTP%"[e-mail]"
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Fellow QRP nuts:

Anyone have the address for the person at NorCal handling the partial NorCal 40
kit orders, and whether they are still available?

Sorry for the bandwidth, I lost the printout of the mail message regarding
this and would like to get one. BTW I am a NorCal member (Who isn't with
the great things they are doing for the hobby!).

Thanks, and I apologize for the BW.


Richard Penc
Research Meteorologist
Department of Meteorology
Penn State University
[e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 11:13:17 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA07434; Mon, 6 Jun 94 08:03:10 PDT
    id AA770915071 Mon, 06 Jun 94 08:04:31 PST
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 08:04:31 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 1796 Text
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

          Stephen:

          Your comment about the wrong frequency for the W1FB VFO rang a
          bell.  Sometime ago I was looking into VFO designs, and in one
          of DeMaw's Notebooks I came across a VFO design with handy design
          guidelines, such as the typical reactance each cap should have at
          the vfo's operating frequency.

          I thought this was great, until I compared it to a similar design
          in "Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur".  In this book
          the recommended reactances were quite different than those that
          DeMaw recommended.  I went back and checked DeMaw's guidelines
          and found that there was a problem - at resonance, the inductive
          reactance of the VFO's tuned circuit was nowhere near equal to its
          capacitive reactance!  If someone tried to design a VFO with these
          guidelines, it would not resonate at the frequency for which it
          was designed.

          I'm not sure in which of the Notebook's I saw this design, but it
          might pay to go back and check the parts' values of the design
          that you're using - at resonance the inductive reactance should
          equal the capacitive reactance.  Also look into the VFO designs
          in "Solid State Design for..." - their numbers work out.

          By the way, an EXCELLENT book is Chis Bowick's "RF Design",
          published by SAMS.  Although it doesn't deal with more esoteric
          topics such as VFO or mixer design, this book is heads and
          shoulders above any other that I've read - check it out.

          Have fun!

          Jeff, WA6AHL



From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 11:22:36 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA08076; Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:22:11 MDT
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:22:11 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Steve Kubisch)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Norcal address
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Hi Richard,

Tried e-mail direct but it bounced.

Here's the address and phone # for the NorCal 40:

Jim Cates
3241 Eastwood Rd.
Sacramento, CA. 95821
[phone]

Call him if you can, Jim's a great guy and will be happy to help you.

You'll love the NC40, It's a great little rig.

I just ordered my Sierra yesterday, can't wait.

73,
Steve - WW7Y  NorCal #258

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 12:14:18 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA07471; Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:04:30 PDT
    id AA770918751 Mon, 06 Jun 94 09:05:51 PST
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 09:05:51 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 591 Text
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: help! (with another list...)
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

          Sorry to bother the QRP list, but does anyone know what's
          happening with the BOATANCHORS list?  I just tried to post a
          message and had it bounced back with the following response:

          ----- Transcript of session follows -----
          Connected to geech.gnu.ai.mit.edu:
          >>> RCPT To:<[e-mail]>
          <<< 550 <[e-mail]>... User unknown 550
          <[e-mail]>... User unknown


          What's going on?

          Jeff, WA6AHL

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 12:50:19 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.5 for [e-mail]); Mon, 6 Jun 1994 09:36:26 -0700
    id AA19155; Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:35:33 MDT
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 94 09:35:33 MDT
From: [e-mail] (Dana Lemoine)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Great group
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

I recently subscribed to this list.  After reading the rec.radio.amateur.*
groups for a couple of years, it is *really* nice to have found a forum
where all the postings are worth reading and kill files don't seem to be
necessary.

As Chuck would say, dit dit

Dana LeMoine  KB7WSW/AE
[e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 13:09:34 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA01206; Mon, 6 Jun 94 12:07:21 CDT
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 94 12:07:21 CDT
From: [e-mail] (Michael S. Dooley)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: more VFO troubles
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

> Go have a beer and relax. Then spend the rest of the weekend on the
> buffer stage.

I can't spend all of the rest of the weekend on it.  My girlfriend thinks
we're going hiking tomorrow.  :-)

-------------
merciful heavans!!!  a GIRLfriend!!!  (was that in the kit?)  ;-)  ;-)

mike dooley KE4PC

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 13:31:09 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA13395; Mon, 6 Jun 94 10:24:34 -0700
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: ARK40 vs. ARK4?
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 10:24:33 -0700
From: [e-mail]
X-Mts: smtp
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Can someone comment on the differences between
the S & S Engineering ARK 40 vs. the ARK 4?

(When I refer to ARK 4, I'm referring to the full $199.95 kit).

What I can see so far:

1.    Ark4 is smaller (and lighter ?)
2.    Ark4 has crystal controlled detent fine tune for 100 Hz steps
    Ark40 uses thumbwheel (actually pushbutton) digit
      switches for the 100 Hz steps.

Both seem like good reasons to spend less money and go with the ARK4.
Are there any major differences in receiver design?  (That is what
most impressed me about the ARK40.)

comments?

/eric rehm
Seattle, WA

From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 15:20:03 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA10148; Mon, 6 Jun 94 12:17:58 PDT
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 94 12:17:58 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More VFO troubles (W1FB Design NB p. 111 again)
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk



From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 19:10:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65/1.35 for <[e-mail]>); Mon, 6 Jun 94 19:09:10 -0400
X-Mailer: WinNET Mail, v2.11
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 1994 12:21:23
Subject: Re: Toroid colors
From: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


>Just a note to add to the recent dialog on the Internet QRP forum
>about winding cores.  Someone mentioned difficulty in finding cores
>in Hawaii, and I believe he said a dealer there had a box full of
>mixed cores of all sorts (mongrels, apparently) with it being up to
>the purchaser to figure out what's what.
>
>Just a reminder to never trust the color code on a core unless you
>positively KNOW who made it or know where it came from.

So true!  There are LOTS of switching-supply ferrite toroids out there
marked with "wrong" colors (I know, I own some!).  Nowadays when I am
toroid-hunting I take along a length of wire and my inductance meter.
I'll wind 5 or 10 turns on a core and compare the inductance with a
little card I made up for the standard types I'm interested in.  It's
not terribly accurate, but it doesn't have to be to differentiate
between e.g. a permeability of 10 and one of 1000.  If you have a
portable freq. counter you could wire up an oscillator run off a 9v
battery and check cores that way.  Just put some values on a piece of
paper so you're not trying to do inductance and turns calculations
while the seller watches intently.  Truth to tell, I use a
spreadsheet.  And, no, I havent' saved enough money to make it
financially worth while, but that's not the real point, is it?

Mike, KK6GM



From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 21:14:30 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA16914; Mon, 6 Jun 1994 21:14:22 -0400
From: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 94 21:14:22 EDT
Subject: 30-40 kits
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Re: delay on shipping kits-

I just talked to Jack Frake- he's getting the kitting group together  on Wed.
to assemble the second lot of 50 kits.  He's short only the crystals as of
now, should hopefully arrive by Wed. PM.  If xtals arrive, Jack will ship
Thursday.  Thanks for your patience, gang.       72 - Dave  NN1G


From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 21:54:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id VAA09106; Mon, 6 Jun 1994 21:54:07 -0400 (from [e-mail])
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 7 Jun 1994   01:54:00 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
Subject: Re: NorCal June Meeting Rpt
In-Reply-To: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
     Sun, 5 Jun 94 22:47:36 PDT
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


> The rig is also featured in Doug DeMaw's Design Notebook.

Aaaaargh!  I think I know exactly which rig that is...  :-)

Did you build one?

          Stephen



From [e-mail]  Mon Jun  6 22:02:54 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    for [e-mail] id AA18122; Mon, 6 Jun 94 19:02:31 -0700
    for @sgi.sgi.com,@FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA26471; Mon, 6 Jun 94 21:02:00 -0500
    for @FORWARDHOST.BAR.FOO.COM:[e-mail] id AA14745; Mon, 6 Jun 94 21:01:59 -0500
Date: Mon, 6 Jun 94 21:01:59 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Chuck Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NN1G
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Gang,

got email today from NN1G!!  wow!  the internet
is going crazy with all these famous people.

looks like Wayne Burdick and Doug Hendricks both
will be at the meeting at Two Guys from Italy
in Mt. View.  this could be a good gathering of
many friends and lots of stories to tell after
this one.

i won't be on the air this week.  in a different
hotel and no windows to open.  also, the world
soccer thing is closed down both SF and Boston
it looks like on hotel space.

dit dit de k5fo/6

Chuck Adams  K5FO  CP-60
[e-mail]




From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 07:52:44 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.4.4 for <[e-mail]>); Tue, 7 Jun 1994 04:48:54 -0700
    id AA26176; Tue, 7 Jun 94 04:48:51 PDT
    id AA09260; Tue, 7 Jun 94 07:48:47 EDT
    id AA08249; Tue, 7 Jun 94 07:48:46 EDT
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 94 07:48:46 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Jean H. Theoret)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Super Keyer
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi there!

'just figured I would get a more accurate response from this list
rather than posting to rec.radio.amateur.misc and waiting eons
for someone to lay eyes on my questions...

This being said, would anybody know if the Super Keyer kit is
still available from Idiom Press. I sent them a written inquiry
some time ago and did not receive any answer.

All further critic and comments regarding that keyer are also
welcome! Thanks!

---                               _____
Jean H. Theoret, B.Eng        LSI|LOGIC|   LSI Logic Corporation of Canada, Inc.
ASIC Design Engineer             |     |   A job to 'die' for!
E-Mail: [e-mail]     |_____|   "Carpe Diem", Horacio (Odes, I, 11:8)


From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 08:52:27 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Tue, 7 Jun 1994 20:52:00 +0800
    id aa26967; Tue, 7 Jun 94 12:14:36 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0qAzbh-000QIlC; Tue, 7 Jun 94 19:46 SST
    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qAzpf-000GuwC; Tue, 7 Jun 94 20:00 SST
           Tue, 07 Jun 1994 01:01:22 SST
Date:      Tue, 07 Jun 1994 01:01:21 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   ATU?
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi Gang,

        I just finished modifying my ARK 20 so that the sidetone is
independent of the audio volume control. Also added an additional muting
circuit as some of the RX output seems to be breaking through during TX. Now
the thing sounds clean as a whistle and does not blow my ears to the next
universe when trying to work very weak signals with the volume all the way
up. HI HI :)

        My questions:-

1.      Is a transmatch worth it or should I save money and simply set up
        another antenna for 40M and tune it right? What is a good
        transmatch? MFJ? Kenwood? Should I homebrew one?

2.      Or should I try a trapped dipole? Mine is currently 1:1 on 20M so I
        could add traps at the ends and go from there?

3.      Does anyone here have a circuit for a sweep oscillator? I would like
        to use one for checking out filter behaviour.

4.      Could someone teach me how to measure output power using a scope. I
        guess I could work out the maths but am feeling kinda lazy now. I
        want to recalibrate my wattmeter.

5.      Baluns. Other than giving a more symmetrical radiation pattern, does
        it do anything useful for QRP? (on bad for QRP like losses?)

6.      How do I measure ERP?

        Heh, lotsa questions here but I thought I might as well ask them
while I'm on the list :)

72,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 09:13:24 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c+/IDA-1.4.4); Tue, 7 Jun 1994 09:13:01 -0400
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 09:13:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: prvalko <[e-mail]>
Subject: Hello!
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk


Hi everyone!  This is the first (and last) time I'll do this, I am new to
the mailing list and wanted to introduce myself and say hello.

I'm Paul, WB8ZJL and have been having fun with QRP for many years.  I
belong to the Michigan QRP club (#899) and wish I had joined back when
Hank (K8DD) and some of those other guys were forming the club, I'd have
a membership number lower than room temperature!

I am a BIG Ten*Tec fan, having used or owned virtually everything
they've ever made.  I currently have a Corsair 1 (prettiest Ham radio
ever built IMHO), a pair of Power Mites (PM-1 and PM-3A), and an Argonaut
505 (with matching 50W amp {for display only}).  I also have an MFJ 9040
and a "Dan's Kits and Small Parts--20M QRP tranceiver kit"  The last item
in my shack is my original, hand-built novice rig, a trusty HW-16.

We all know that QRO and VHF/UHF isn't "real" ham radio so I won't
mention all the other VHF/UHF multi-mode satelite stuff cluttering up the
shack :-)

I am interested in BUYING POWER MITES in any condition!  No profit motive
here... I just love the little rascals to pieces even if they are the
most god-awful radios.  If you would like a loving home for an old Power
Mite, I would be honored to provide it.  If you even OWN a Power Mite,
I'd like to talk to you about it!

Thanks for reading this and I apologize for the bandwidth.

73!  (or 72 if you're so inclined)

paul - wb8zjl   [e-mail]



From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 09:13:24 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
   Tue, 07 Jun 94 09:13:02 EDT
          id 0297; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 09:13:01 EDT
   with TCP; Tue, 07 Jun 94 09:13:00 EDT
          id AA26052; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 09:12:58 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Ten-Tec direct conversion kit -- getting on frequency
Reply-To: "Vinod Narayanan" <[e-mail]>
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 94 09:12:58 -0500
From: "Vinod Narayanan" <[e-mail]>
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I recently got the Ten-Tec direct conversion receiver (kit
#1056), and put it together for 80m. (The kit comes with
parts for all the different bands). My intention was to use
it for receiving W1AW code practice. After I put the kit
together, I was able to receive various signals, but mostly
seemed to be digital modes, and perhaps couple of beacons,
but no W1WA.

After checking that I had used all the component values
they specified for the frequency determining circuits,
yesterday I went over to a friends house, to check it out
with an oscilloscope. After playing around with all the
adjustments they specified, we found that the lowest we
could go was about 3.8MHz, and the highest was about 4.3MHz.
No wonder I could not get W1AW, which is at 3.5815 or
so..[The specs say that the 80m module should get me between
3.5 and 4.0MHz].

Now, I am new to this stuff..so, if you can tell me what I
should try to get this fixed, I would appreciate it very
much. Please let me know what other information I can give,
in order for you to be able to help. The receiver uses an
NEC612AN mixer-oscillator (similar to NE602 according to the
documentation).

Here is what I plan to try:
1. Resolder all the frequency determining components.

2. Try changing (ie increasing the capacitance) of the
circuit which determines the local osciallator frequency.
(Currently C3=150p, C4=150pf, L2=8.0uH, L3=8.2uH, C3
connected between pins 6 and 7, C4 connected from pin 7 to
gnd, and L2 and L3 connected in series from pin 6 to Gnd
through a 0.1pf capacitaor, and a varactor tuning circuit
connected to the top of L2 ie aafter the 0.1pf cap).

3. Any other suggestions?

Many thanks in advance for any help, advice you can offer.

--vinod
email: [e-mail]


From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 10:47:26 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA10710; Tue, 7 Jun 94 07:37:09 PDT
    id AA770999911 Tue, 07 Jun 94 07:38:31 PST
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 94 07:38:31 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 1050 Text
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To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
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4.      Could someone teach me how to measure output power using a scope. I
        guess I could work out the maths but am feeling kinda lazy now. I
        want to recalibrate my wattmeter.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Daniel:

        The simplest way is to put the scope across the load and measure
        the voltage.  This measurement is typically peak-to-peak, so we'll
        need to change it to RMS for the power calculation:

                P = Vrms*Vrms/Rload

        and since Vrms = Vpeak-to-peak * (0.707/2), we get, by substitution:

                P = (Vpeak-to-peak ** 2) / (2 * R).

        Note:  It is VERY IMPORTANT that the load be a resistive load.
        Reactances (caused by wire-wound power resistors, for instance) can
        change the results dramatically!


        Let me know what other replies you receive - I've had some of the
        same questions myself!

        Cheers & 73,

        Jeff, WA6AHL

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 10:47:47 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id HAA29172; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 07:47:52 -0700
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 07:47:52 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Bruce Toback)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Renewal batteries
Sender: [e-mail]
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Just a note for anyone thinking of using Renewal batteries for Field Day
(or for a field day): Buy the charger first. The charger includes coupons
worth $1.50 off the price of the batteries. The manufacturer was doing this
when the product was first announced, but I bought a charger yesterday and
they're still including the coupons. The coupons have no expiration date,
and one coupon is for $3 off the price of another charger.

-- Bruce Toback
KN6MN

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 10:50:07 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
          Tue, 07 Jun 1994 08:49:28 CDT
          9:49:38 CDT
From: "Kevin Anderson" <[e-mail]>
Organization:  Augustana College - Rock Island IL
To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 09:49:35 CST
Subject: 40/15m rigs?
Priority: normal
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My interest is in 40 and 15m CW.  For several reasons:
novice subbands, propogation, and dual use of antennas.
The number of nice weekends we've had weather-wise in my
part of the country (Illinois/Iowa border) has got me
wanting to sit in the park (currently I don't have the
setup to do so).

Dual band kit rigs seem to be coming back, but in 40/20 and
40/30 combinations.  Why not 40/15?  I understand that DC
rigs have trouble at the shorter wavelengths, and it's
harder to build a stable VFO, but what else is stopping this
combination?

Interested, but not necessarily with money...:-(.

72 de Kevin, kb9iua
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kevin L. Anderson,     Geography Dept.,     Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois   61201   USA     phone: [phone]
e-mail: [e-mail]  or [e-mail]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 11:00:54 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA25345; Tue, 7 Jun 94 07:56:56 -0700
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Toroid colors
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 94 07:56:56 -0700
From: [e-mail]
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Mike,

> Just put some values on a piece of
> paper so you're not trying to do inductance and turns calculations
> while the seller watches intently.  Truth to tell, I use a spreadsheet.

Can you post your spreadsheet in .XLS, SYLK (.SLK), or even ASCII format?
Besides being useful for other geeks who would be brave enough to
wander laptop in hand as we "mine" various torid collections,
it would be educational!

What a great use of the qrp list that would be..

/eric


From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 11:11:24 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA04040; Tue, 7 Jun 94 10:11:08 CDT
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Brian Cieslak )
Subject: NORCAL40
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 10:14:11
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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Hey gang,
Schools over and I finally found the time to build up that old NORCAL 40 kit I
had laying around....but I got problems...Here the scenario.

The rcvr works great.....but no rf out or tx monitor.....

I used a scope and found lots of rf on the VFO side of C31(10 pf) but
none on the U4 side of C31...unless I lift w3 then theres a little...

All the KEYline voltages go to the right places....When I key the rig, the
output of u4 goes high to around 7 volts DC, no ac detected. Also I see  the
same effect occur on pin 6  and 7 where the xtal is connected.

I am ready to replace u4 , ne602, with a spare ne612 I have..But was also
wondering if the asscoiated xtal may be bad instead (cuz of the scope results).

Any tips would help if I find that u4 wasn't the culprit..

73, Brian, AE9K

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 12:08:26 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (James M Fitton [phone])
Date: 7 Jun 94 16:06:00 GMT
Original-From: mvubr!mvjf (James M Fitton [phone])
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NEW FD BATTERY
Sender: [e-mail]
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Exciting new products:
----------------------

Last night at Radio Shack I found a miniature 12 Volt battery and
a battery holder to mount inside my miniature, portable, HB,  keyer.

The battery is about 1 inch long and is called a Lighter Enercell
Cat. # 23-144,    $1.99

The battery holder is perfect for holding the battery:
Cat. # 270-405,    $0.79

These are perfect for the job !!!  And cheap too !!!

72   W1FMR
.~c j.fitton

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 12:28:24 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id MAA29827; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 12:27:34 -0400
    id AA23486; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 12:27:31 -0400
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 12:27:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: howie cahn <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: ATU?
To: [e-mail]
Cc: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
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On Tue, 7 Jun 1994 [e-mail] wrote:

>         The simplest way is to put the scope across the load and measure
>         the voltage.  This measurement is typically peak-to-peak, so we'll
>         need to change it to RMS for the power calculation:
>
>                 P = Vrms*Vrms/Rload
>
>         and since Vrms = Vpeak-to-peak * (0.707/2), we get, by substitution:
>
>                 P = (Vpeak-to-peak ** 2) / (2 * R).
>

This is correct except I think you did the substitution wrong (or maybe
I'm doing it wrong). As you say:

Vrms = .707 * Vpp / 2

Squaring both sides =>
Vrms ** 2 = ((.707) ** 2) * (Vpp ** 2) / 4  =>
         .5 * (Vpp ** 2) / 4 =>
        Vpp / 8
so
P = (Vpp ** 2) / (8 * R).

As a sanity check, if you see 25 Vpp on a scope into 50 ohms the output
power is:

    (25 ** 2) / 400 = 625/400 = 1.56 watts, which I think is about right.

72/73... howie
[e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 12:43:17 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA10889; Tue, 7 Jun 94 09:32:40 PDT
    id AA771006842 Tue, 07 Jun 94 09:34:02 PST
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 94 09:34:02 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 227 Text
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], howie cahn <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Re: ATU?
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          Howie:

          Thanks for the correction - you're correct (just goes to show
          that I shouldn't square things in my head!)!

          Cheers,

          Jeff, WA6AHL

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 12:57:17 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id JAA03464; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 09:56:58 -0700
Subject: What are RLS135 diodes?
To: [e-mail]
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 94 9:56:55 PDT
From: Eric Swartz WA6HHQ <[e-mail]>
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To the QRP bunch:

I'm interested in improving the front end intermod response in my
kenwood HF rig. Communications Quarterly had an excellent
article by WB3JZO describing the use of PIN diodes instead of regular
PN junction diodes for switching front end receiver filters. He claimed
a 6-8 db improvement in spurious free dynamic range and an improvement
in received signal 'quality' when he replaced the PN type diodes in several
commercial ham rigs with HP PIN diodes.

My question is: What type of diodes are the RLS-135 diodes found in Kenwood
HF rigs? Are they simple PN types, or are they already PIN diodes? Also, who
makes the RLS-135's? (most likely a Japanese Co.)

Has anyone alse tried this mod? If so, what were your results?

Thanks in advance!    Eric,  WA6HHQ




--

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 13:21:16 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id KAA17725; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 10:20:21 -0700
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 10:20:21 -0700
From: [e-mail] (David Feldman)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Index Labs QRP PLUS - received brochure
Sender: [e-mail]
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Just received QRP PLUS product brochure from INDEX LABS (in Wash. state).

Front:

picture of unit - dimensions 5-1/2"W 4"H 6"D.
Controls:    Switches - 20 dB atten/normal, Xcv/split/RIT mode select
             Adjustments - Frequency knob, volume
             Buttons - Fast (rate), Memory, (both = memory store)
             More buttons - Reverse, bandwidth
             (some buttons work in conjunction with tune control)
             S-meter (edge) and phones jack.
             Display is LCD with 100 Hz resolution.

Key bullets: 5W CW/SSB 160M-10M Switched Cap Audio Filter 100-2400 Hz
             12V 140mA RX current, 20 memories, full break-in.

Reverse:

Description of the front-panel controls (buttons, switches & adjustments)
and sample operating scenarios for frequency control.

Other -

Power required 12V at 1.5A TX, 140 mA RX

"A unique single conversion up-converting design provides exceptional
receiver performance with a significant reduction in size, cost and power
consumption"

"Separate connectors and an internal jumper allow the QRP PLUS to be
conveniently interfaced with VHF/UHF transverters and external linear
amplifiers."

Other:

I called them and discovered it has no noise blanker (=no sale for me)
I did not ask about computer remote control (i.e., RS-232 port).
I did not ask about shipping schedule. (lack of NB killed it immediately for me)

Info:

Index Laboratories  [phone]  9318 Randall Dr. NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98332

-----

Hope this is useful.

73 Dave WB0GAZ [e-mail] (Denver DM79)

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 13:30:50 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA04035; Tue, 7 Jun 94 10:18:25 PDT
    id AA771009730 Tue, 07 Jun 94 10:22:10 PST
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 94 10:22:10 PST
From: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Measuring power output with a scope
Sender: [e-mail]
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Funny that Daniel should ask this - I did it last night.

The general idea is that you are using your scope as an RF
voltmeter, and then deriving power from Ohm's Law. The maths
first:

   power = voltage * current        (1)

by Ohm's Law,

   current = voltage / resistance   (2)

Substituting equation (2) into equation (1) gives:

   power = voltage^2 / resistance

The resistance is the resistance of whatever you use to terminate
the output and soak up the power. This may, for example, be the
50 ohm impedance of your dummy load. Use the scope to measure the
voltage developed across the dummy load, and you're all set. Make
sure the scope probe impedance is high enough not to load the
circuit too much.

For low power levels a 51 ohm resistor may suffice; it's hard to
find anything other than carbon film resistors these days, which
have a spiral of carbon material inside them, and thus some
inductance. It's negligible at HF if the resistors are any good.
Carbon film resistors are the ones with the bulges at the ends,
by the way.

Example: I measure 1 volt peak-to-peak across a 50 ohm resistor.
This corresponds to .707 volts RMS. Power output is then:

   .707 * .707 / 50 = .01 Watts = 10 mW, or 10 dBm

Oh, by the way: my ugly R1 passed its initial smoke tests last
night, and even though hooked up to a dead 9 volt battery
(sagging to about 7 volts under load) picked up some RTTY below
80m. I'll hook it up to some real power tonight - being *very*
careful about arranging the leads to avoid BBBRRRAAAPPPPP
feedback - and see what happens. My Heath HG-10 VFO produces
about 7 dBm (hence the scope...), which is exactly what I need...

73 from Burnaby,
laura VE7LDH/XL7LDH/CI7LDH

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 14:05:01 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Date:     Tue, 7 Jun 94 13:56:08 EDT
From: Clark Fishman (FSAC-FCD) <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject:  RLS135 diode
Message-Id:  <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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The RLS135 is a band switching diode made by Rolm.

It is about the same as a 1N914...cheap and works..it
is not a PIN.......I ordered 50 HP PINs from Penstock.

My two Icom 730's are going to be pinned


Clark Fishman   WA2UNN  [e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 14:57:23 1994
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  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <[e-mail]>); Tue, 7 Jun 1994 11:56:56 -0700
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Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 11:58:15 -0800
To: "Kevin Anderson" <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Purcell)
Subject: Re: 40/15m rigs?
Cc: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
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"Kevin Anderson" <[e-mail]> said:

>Dual band kit rigs seem to be coming back, but in 40/20 and
>40/30 combinations.  Why not 40/15?  I understand that DC
>rigs have trouble at the shorter wavelengths, and it's
>harder to build a stable VFO, but what else is stopping this
>combination?

One way of building a RX (and TX) to cover two bands is to band image (make
an RX that receives image frequencies in two amateur bands and then rely on
the preselector to attenuate one or other of the bands).

This became popular when people started to get into SSB. Getting the most
bang per buck from your crystal filter was a priority. Using a 9Mhz IF and
a 5Mhz VFO you could tune both 80m and 20m (and incidentaly get LSB on 80m
and USB on 20m -- is this why we have the LSB for frequencies below
10Mhz?).

If you tried this for 40/15 you run into some awkward problems. The IF
would be at 14Mhz (so there is a possibility of break through from 20m
transmissions) but worse is the VFO tunes from 7Mhz up, which is in band.
Meanwhileits  2nd harmonic scans through the IF. All in all an awkward
design.

There have been a few other band imaging designs published. I like the idea
of a WARC band imager for 30m and 17m with a 14Mhz VFO (or a VXO) and a
4Mhz IF using computer clock crystals (see recent ARRL handbooks). Notice
that this is a different type of band imager setup with the IF below the
two bands (the 80/20 design has the IF between the bands.

80/20 scheme -- the tuning is in the opposite direction in each band
                sidebands are inverted in each band

          |<-- 5 -->|<-- 5 -->|         <--- VFO
|---------|---------|---------|---------
0         4         9         14
          LSB       IF        USB

30/17 scheme -- the tuning is in the same direction in each band
                sidebands are not inverted in each band

                    |<-------------- 14 -------------->|   <--- VFO
|<-------------- 14 -------------->|                       <--- VFO
|---------|---------|---------|----+----|---------|----+----|
-4        0         4         8    10   12        16   18   20
-IF                 IF             USB                 USB

Note the clever use of aliasing in this scheme (a negative frequency is
just an wave traveling in the opposite direction).

Imaging rigs are cool! The trick is finding which bands they will work on
with availible components! Anyone else got any favorite combinations?


Kevin Purcell, N7WIM / G8UDP
[e-mail]           "Organising programmers is like herding cats"
[phone]



From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 15:21:53 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Wed, 8 Jun 1994 03:21:25 +0800
    id aa29597; Tue, 7 Jun 94 18:47:19 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0qB4Yk-000QIrC; Wed, 8 Jun 94 01:03 SST
    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qB4cO-000GuwC; Wed, 8 Jun 94 01:07 SST
           Tue, 07 Jun 1994 11:22:01 SST
Date:      Tue, 07 Jun 1994 11:22:00 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   The Right Sideband
Sender: [e-mail]
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Hi Gang,

        Not to raise an old ghost but I came across some rather interesting
information which may mean that for most of us homebrewers, LSB is the right
side-band. The reason is due to the fact that most of our receivers employ
half-lattice crystal ladder filters which are predisposed towards the LSB.

        I hear a KF... on 20M... more later.

72,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 16:12:30 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id QAA07397; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 16:11:50 -0400
    id AA04995; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 16:11:47 -0400
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 16:11:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: howie cahn <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: 40/15m rigs?
To: Kevin Purcell <[e-mail]>
Cc: Kevin Anderson <[e-mail]>, [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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On Thu, 28 Jul 1994, Kevin Purcell wrote:

> One way of building a RX (and TX) to cover two bands is to band image (make
> an RX that receives image frequencies in two amateur bands and then rely on
> the preselector to attenuate one or other of the bands).
>

Of course, another alternative to using imaging is just to use a local
oscillator at the right frequency for the desired input/output frequency
and the given IF. These days, it isn't that hard using PLL or DDS
synthesis. For most of the homebrew rigs, the performance of John Welch's
TechnoWhizzy DDS should be adequate.

howie
[e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 16:45:28 1994
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  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <[e-mail]>); Tue, 7 Jun 1994 13:44:53 -0700
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Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 13:46:11 -0800
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Purcell)
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Was it Doug Hendricks of Norcal who said:

[deleted]
... and a prototype of something
really exciting, a 75 Meter SSB Transceiver, the Epiphyte, which was designed
by Derry Spittle, VE7QK.  The first contact with the SSB rig was with two
hams, one in Northern Washington on Whitby Island, and the other 3 blocks
north of the Mexican border.
[deleted]

I noticed in the April 1994 QQ (on page 28) in the Winter Fireside SSB
sprint results the 80m section has 12 entries, 11 of which are VE7's in BC
all using a HB 80m SSB TCVR. I though this was a bit suspicious :-) I very
nearly sent a couple of them letter to ask about the design. Now we know.

Anyone care to talk about the design -- I presume it must be a phasing rig
(probably poly phase, to keep the component costs down) built around
NE602s. Or perhaps a Weaver method rig (that could be even cheaper).

I'm looking forward to hearing more about this!


Kevin Purcell, N7WIM / G8UDP
[e-mail]           "Organising programmers is like herding cats"
[phone]



From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 18:31:59 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <[e-mail]>); Tue, 7 Jun 1994 15:31:37 -0700
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 1994 15:32:58 -0800
To: howie cahn <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail] (Kevin Purcell)
Subject: Re: 40/15m rigs?
Cc: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

>On Thu, 28 Jul 1994, Kevin Purcell wrote:
>
>> One way of building a RX (and TX) to cover two bands is to band image (make
>> an RX that receives image frequencies in two amateur bands and then rely on
>> the preselector to attenuate one or other of the bands).
>>
>
>Of course, another alternative to using imaging is just to use a local
>oscillator at the right frequency for the desired input/output frequency
>and the given IF. These days, it isn't that hard using PLL or DDS
>synthesis. For most of the homebrew rigs, the performance of John Welch's
>TechnoWhizzy DDS should be adequate.
>
>howie
>[e-mail]

I agree, but most QRP HB are not software writers (and the one thing the
technowhizzy lacks is a 6805, 8039, etc).

Actually I'm more an more attracted by the idea of a DDS followed by a PLL
(see Rhode's article in the lastest QST). These are simple, have nice
performance wrt phase noise, and can extend some of those not very wide
range cheaper DDS chips to a reasonable range. The idea I have in mind is a
single conversion to high IF (like the QRP plus) with a 50 to 60 Mhz Cohn
filter. You should be able to build a 1.8 to 30Mhz TxRx like this.


Kevin Purcell, N7WIM / G8UDP
[e-mail]           "Organising programmers is like herding cats"
[phone]



From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 19:15:15 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA23735; Tue, 7 Jun 94 17:14:16 MDT
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 17:08:48 -0600 (MDT)
From: "Michael Bendio (unix dev)" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: 40/15m rigs?
To: [e-mail]
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On Thu, 28 Jul 1994, Kevin Purcell wrote:
...
> Actually I'm more an more attracted by the idea of a DDS followed by a PLL
> (see Rhode's article in the lastest QST). These are simple, have nice
> performance wrt phase noise, and can extend some of those not very wide
> range cheaper DDS chips to a reasonable range. The idea I have in mind is a
> single conversion to high IF (like the QRP plus) with a 50 to 60 Mhz Cohn
> filter. You should be able to build a 1.8 to 30Mhz TxRx like this.
...
I was very interested in Rhode's article, too, and was really disappointed
that he didn't go into a little more detail on his synthesizer.  I'm not
smart enough to build a synthesizer from the block diagram he showed, but
if anyone else pursues this, I'd be *very* interested to hear of your
experiences with it.  Sounds like just the ticket for a VFO for the R2.

Michael Bendio     WT7J       [e-mail]          801 222-5367
Opinions are my own and aren't necessarily shared by Wordperfect Corporation




From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 20:30:51 1994
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From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 8 Jun 1994   00:30:31 GMT
To: [e-mail] (Kevin Purcell)
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: 40/15m rigs?
In-Reply-To: [e-mail] (Kevin Purcell)
     Thu, 28 Jul 1994 15:32:58 -0800
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One way to build a 15m/40m dual-band rig is to take advantage of the
harmonic relationship between the bands.  You could do it with a direct
conversion receiver, a 40m VFO, and a switchable frequency tripler.  It
might make a nice package for an R1 reciever.

            Stephen



From [e-mail]  Tue Jun  7 20:38:49 1994
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 <[e-mail]>; Tue, 7 Jun 1994 20:21:44 EDT
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 1994 20:21:44 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: MFJ-9020 GO PoooF * !
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I wonder if anyone here on the QRP list has any experience with a MFJ -
9020 rig that was hooked to the battery with the poliarty reversed?

I just did this and when I popped the cover I found a trace on the circuit
board (near L9) had been burned in two.

Whadda you guys think - install a big diode in series with the + lead on the
power jack and then bridge around the pcb board trace?  Would like to hear
from anyone else who made this mistake - real names not neccessary - and
found any component damage.

I've got to get this think cookn' - I leave for the wilds of southeastern
Wisconson on a two week camping trip in about a week and a half.

All help and suggestions will be apprecieated.


            TNX,

                Bob - WA4ZID/QRT

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 00:53:35 1994
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    id AAA28030; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 00:53:12 -0400 (from [e-mail] for <[e-mail]>)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 8 Jun 1994   04:52:42 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Subject: VFO troubles solved!  (W1FB Des. NB p111)
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I heard a signal!  I managed to receive a carrier tonight on the "page
111" receiver.  The cure to the VFO frequency blues was a buffer stage.
I now see full drive into the mixer with no VFO pull.

The buffer design is taken from the Ugly Weekender with minor adaptations.
The test signal came from the quick-and-dirty crystal oscillator I have
been using as a frequency reference.

The bad news is two-fold: First, I have to put almost 1V pk-pk into
the receiver in order to hear much of anything, and second, the tuning
capacitor is very sensitive to objects around it.  The easiest way to
tune around is to wave my hand in the air about 6 inches from the rig.

I'm not sure what to do about problem 1, but I think I'll start by
working on the deafening power-supply noise in the audio amp.  Cleaning
that up should go a long way toward improving what I can hear.

Problem 2 is more of a mystery to me.  I suppose this would go away if
the radio were in a box?  Are there any quick ways to reduce the effects
of hand capacitance?

Thank you all for the help!  I never could have gotten this far without
you all.

           Stephen



From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 00:56:56 1994
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    id AA07140; Tue, 7 Jun 94 21:54:51 PDT
    id AA08657; Tue, 7 Jun 94 21:54:50 PDT
    id AA11603; Tue, 7 Jun 94 21:56:48 PDT
Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 21:50:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: stark <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: MFJ-9020 GO PoooF * !
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On Tue, 7 Jun 1994 [e-mail] wrote:

>
> I wonder if anyone here on the QRP list has any experience with a MFJ -
> 9020 rig that was hooked to the battery with the poliarty reversed?
>
> I just did this and when I popped the cover I found a trace on the circuit
> board (near L9) had been burned in two.
>
> Whadda you guys think - install a big diode in series with the + lead on the
> power jack and then bridge around the pcb board trace?  Would like to hear
> from anyone else who made this mistake - real names not neccessary - and
> found any component damage.
>
> I've got to get this think cookn' - I leave for the wilds of southeastern
> Wisconson on a two week camping trip in about a week and a half.
>
> All help and suggestions will be apprecieated.
>
>
>             TNX,
>
>                 Bob - WA4ZID/QRT

Hi Bob,

I would put a fuse (a 1 or 2 amp) in the B+ lead, then
a good diode to ground. That way you will just blow the
fuse and now have a .6v drop in operating voltage.

Haven't burnt up an MFJ but have tried things like that
on lots of other rigs!

Harris mobile radios used to have a very high value resistor
wrapped with fuse wire in the B+ lead. First time I blew one
of those it took over an hour to find the trouble. Sure would
have been nice to have had the book!

Heavy equipment made by Cat use 24vdc for starting and 12vdc
for running. If you'r not real careful you sure can make some
smoke with those. Plus most were also positive ground.

Have fun, Ron


........................KU7Y........................
.................Monte "Ron" Stark..................
.................Sun Valley, Nevada.................



From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 03:56:13 1994
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    id AA01933; Wed, 8 Jun 94 00:54:14 PDT
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 94 00:54:14 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Doug Hendricks)
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The meeting of the Internet QRP forum at Two Guys from Italy was a blast.
We had 8 hams there, Chuck Adams, Jeff Anderson, Eric Swartz, Charles
Furnweger, Wayne Burdick, Bruce Florip, Stan Goldstein and me,
Doug Hendricks.  It was a great time.  We ate some really good Italian food,
and then we talked QRP for 2 and 1/2 hours.  There were several rigs there,
Wayne had the Sierra, Chuck had a 40-40 (and yes I can attest that a PhD can
solder, it was a work of art), Bruce had a NorCal 40 with a super paint job
plus a simple 40 meter crystal controlled transmitter that is a kit, but he
couldn't remember who puts it out, Charles had a RadioKit 30 meter rig that
is about 70% finished, and I had the Epiphyte SSB rig, plus the 30-40 and
the 40-40 New England rigs.
        The conversation was wonderful.  It was neat to just sit there and
listen to all of that brain power being exchanged.  Several times Chuck and
I would listen, and then look at each other and just grin.  It was fantastic.
We heard all kinds of ideas for new projects, the Sierra schematic was gone
over with a fine toothed comb, and we heard from Stan how he has worked
71 yes seventy one countries with his NorCal 40!!
        Wayne talked about how he prototypes a rig and what he goes through
to design a rig.  Some of you may be interested to know that he has spent
about $1000 to prototype the 3 Sierra rigs.  He told us that the parts for
the Sierra will run about $120 to $125, and that is buying in 100 quantities.
If you prorate the expense of the prototype rigs which is a legitimate cost,
then you have to add another $10 to the cost of the rig (assuming a run of
100) so now you are at $135, and you have to mail and package the kits.
That is why the cost of the basic radio is $160 which we think is very
reasonable.
        Will there be a partial kit of the Sierra?  Maybe, but not for
several months, and there is no guarantee that it will happen.
        Chuck handed out copies of the Number 1, Issue 1 of the K5FO
newsletter.  Number 2 is at the printer and Chuck says it will mail next
week.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I would encourage others to plan
similar events in your local area.  Get to know the guys on the net, it is
FUN.  72, Doug
KI6DS

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 04:26:45 1994
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    (1.36.108.7/15.5+IOS 3.13) id AA14055; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 01:26:23 -0700
    (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3) id AA21115; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 10:26:47 +0200
From: Walker Tim <[e-mail]>
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delete [e-mail] qrp


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 08:18:10 1994
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Date:     Wed, 8 Jun 94 8:12:29 EDT
From: Clark Fishman (FSAC-FCD) <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject:  PIN Diode Info
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You can buy Hewlett Packard PIN diodes from
Penstock  Phone: 1 800 PENSTOC.

I bought the 5082-3081    Read Ulrich Rohde's article
in QST this month...he recommend either the 3080 or the 3081

I forgot   which one....These puppies ain't cheap...
over $2.00 each   ..After I install some in one of my
IC730's I will compare it to the unmodfied one

Let me know your experiences

wa2unn


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 08:29:30 1994
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    id AA01530; Wed, 8 Jun 94 07:29:19 CDT
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Brian Cieslak )
Subject: More NORCAL40
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 07:32:11
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Well I just about replaced all the parts in the xmit osc/mixer with no
success...all except the 150 pf caps.... Once again lots of RF going into
the stage none out...output of 602 goes to  8 volts dc when keyed ...no
output... also no detectable ac at xtal of this stage but replaced all
components in this section too.

Help!!!

Brian AE9K

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 09:03:21 1994
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Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 13:00:06 GMT
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Thanks to the several people who answered my request for info on Partial
NorCal 40 kits. Needless to say, the check is in the mail. I appreciate the
info provided by Doug, KI6DS, Tom KV2X, Alan W6RCL and Steve WW7Y. This
group is great when it comes to getting info like this or technical help.
Keep up the good work.


de WK2A
Richard Penc

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 09:23:47 1994
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    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA14617; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:23:21 -0400
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In yesterday's edition, WB0GAZ wrote:



>Other:

>I called them and discovered it has no noise blanker (=no sale for >me)
>I did not ask about computer remote control (i.e., RS-232 port).
>I did not ask about shipping schedule. (lack of NB killed it >immediately
for me)

I response to the above, I have the rig and have been using it for almost two
weeks.  A noise blanker would have been nice, but NOT having one has not been
a problem.  I have yet to have had a occasion to use an NB.

It does not have a remote computer control port, and I am not sure why you
would want to have one in this type of rig.  But to each his/her own.

Time to ship was about nine days, but they may have caught up by now.

This is the best QRP rig I have ever owned or used.

Duffy -- de -- WB8NUT


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 09:35:59 1994
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    id AA21730; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:35:35 -0400
    id AA16307; Wed, 8 Jun 94 09:36:39 EDT
    id AA04616; Wed, 8 Jun 94 09:36:36 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: VFO troubles solved! (W1FB Des. NB p111)
In-Reply-To: Your message of "08 Jun 94 04:52:42 GMT."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 09:36:35 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> I heard a signal!  I managed to receive a carrier tonight on the "page
> 111" receiver.  The cure to the VFO frequency blues was a buffer stage.
> I now see full drive into the mixer with no VFO pull.

I brought in all three W1FB xxx Notebooks, since I couldn't remember which
one you specified, and now I have the circuit in front of me.

> The bad news is two-fold: First, I have to put almost 1V pk-pk into
> the receiver in order to hear much of anything, and second, the tuning
> capacitor is very sensitive to objects around it.  The easiest way to
> tune around is to wave my hand in the air about 6 inches from the rig.
> I'm not sure what to do about problem 1, but I think I'll start by
> working on the deafening power-supply noise in the audio amp.  Cleaning
> that up should go a long way toward improving what I can hear.

Cleaning up the power-supply noise will help a lot, but it still won't be
enough -- note that on page 112 he says that "two or more identical stages
of amplification are necessary in order to ensure adequate weak-signal
reception."  You can take the uA741 IC amplifier from the circuit on page 113;
use high-impedance headphones if you have them.  (Or use the ubiquitous LM386.)

For the capacitor, you want to do two things:  first, make sure that the frame
of the capacitor is at the ground potential of the circuit; second, enclose it
in a box.  You could also operate the rig with your finger on the ground point
(so that you're at the same potential as the capacitor frame), but that's a
bit inconvenient ;-).

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 09:47:37 1994
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    id AA21909; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:47:06 -0400
    id AA16407; Wed, 8 Jun 94 09:48:12 EDT
    id AA05168; Wed, 8 Jun 94 09:48:10 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail] (Brian Cieslak )
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: More NORCAL40
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 08 Jun 94 07:32:11."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 09:48:10 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> Well I just about replaced all the parts in the xmit osc/mixer with no
> success...all except the 150 pf caps.... Once again lots of RF going into
> the stage none out...output of 602 goes to  8 volts dc when keyed ...no
> output... also no detectable ac at xtal of this stage but replaced all
> components in this section too.

Hmm.  Pull out all the components and check for shorts and opens in the circuit
board.  There shouldn't actually *be* "lots" of RF going into the 602, it's
1dB compression point is 67mV (I wonder if it's being fried?); if you really
have several volts of drive, try dropping it to something reasonable with
resistors.  Build a transistor oscillator around the crystal to make sure it's
good.  You might also try to breadboard an oscillator with the 602 you're using
(on another circuit board) just to make sure it's OK.
Also, note that if you've got a scope probe attached to any of the crystal
oscillator tank components, you'll probably stop the oscillator.
Another personal gripe:  the NE602 shouldn't really be operated with 8V (I wish
they still made 78L07 regulators!!!); I think it isn't supposed to go POOF until
you feed it 9V, but apparently they're much less noisy and more reliable below
8V.  If it's easy, try changing the operating voltage to 6V.

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 10:42:51 1994
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Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 8:46:52 -0600 (MDT)
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Observation...
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It would appear that some of you folks spend more time on the internet than
on the air... is this what ham radio is coming to?!?  Too bad this kind of
information exchange no longer takes place on the air; I can actually remember
a time when it did.  Oh well; technology marches on...

73E-2, Larry W1HUE/7

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 11:12:12 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA22685; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 11:11:45 -0400
    id AA16894; Wed, 8 Jun 94 11:12:51 EDT
    id AA08580; Wed, 8 Jun 94 11:12:45 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Observation...
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 08 Jun 94 08:46:52 MDT."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 11:12:44 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> It would appear that some of you folks spend more time on the internet than
> on the air... is this what ham radio is coming to?!?

Well, all the day jobs involving yakking on the radio are taken ;-).

73, John, WB7EEL/1

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 12:26:26 1994
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  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <[e-mail]>); Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:26:14 -0700
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Date: Fri, 29 Jul 1994 09:27:36 -0800
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From: [e-mail] (Kevin Purcell)
Subject: Re: PIN Diode Info
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wa2unn said:

>You can buy Hewlett Packard PIN diodes from
>Penstock  Phone: 1 800 PENSTOC.
>
>I bought the 5082-3081    Read Ulrich Rohde's article
>in QST this month...he recommend either the 3080 or the 3081
>
>I forgot   which one....These puppies ain't cheap...
>over $2.00 each   ..After I install some in one of my
>IC730's I will compare it to the unmodfied one

This reminds me of something that crossed the list last year (from Ed
Pacyna perhaps?) about using the IN4007 rectifier diode as a PIN diode. To
boost its PIV there is an extra insulating layer in the diode. The reports
were that it does work as an RF switch. Has anybody made any real
measurements on these or compared them to real PIN diodes?

QRP on the cheap (as always!)


Kevin Purcell, N7WIM / G8UDP
[e-mail]           "Organising programmers is like herding cats"
[phone]



From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 12:48:21 1994
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    id AA14072; Wed, 8 Jun 94 12:47:57 EDT
    id AA02975; Wed, 8 Jun 94 12:47:56 EDT
Message-Id: <9406081647.AA02975@gvlf9>
    id AA26308; Wed, 8 Jun 94 12:47:54 EDT
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 94 12:47:54 EDT
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Observation...
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>It would appear that some of you folks spend more time on the internet than
>on the air... is this what ham radio is coming to?!?  Too bad this kind of
>information exchange no longer takes place on the air; I can actually remember
>a time when it did.  Oh well; technology marches on...

Yea, Who needs a radio when you have a computer?  :-)

Don't they even have computer programs that simulate operating on the
radio?  Don't even need a license for that.

----

Pete Rossi - WA3NNA
[e-mail]
Unisys Corporation - Government Systems Group
Valley Forge Engineering Center - Paoli, Pennsylvania

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 12:50:47 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id JAA27904; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:50:28 -0700
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 09:50:28 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Bruce Toback)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Observation...
Sender: [e-mail]
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>It would appear that some of you folks spend more time on the internet than
>on the air... is this what ham radio is coming to?!?  Too bad this kind of
>information exchange no longer takes place on the air; I can actually remember
>a time when it did.  Oh well; technology marches on...

That's because you'd be pretty conspicuous sitting at your desk with
a keyer and a wire stretched out across a dozen cubies :-).

-- Bruce
KN6MN

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 13:09:32 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA18726(archimedes.inoc.sj.nec.com ); Wed, 8 Jun 94 10:07:32 -0700
    id AA21272(netkeeper.sj.nec.com ); Wed, 8 Jun 94 10:08:38 PDT
    id AA00671(elmailer.asic.mtv.nec.com); Wed, 8 Jun 94 10:14:24 PDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed,  8 JUN 94 10:08:06
From: Charles Furnweger <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: RE: Super Keyer
Cc: [e-mail]
X-Vms-To: nrc%"[e-mail]"
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     Hi All!

     Regarding whether or not Idiom Press is still around, I think they
     are still in business.  A couple of months ago I sent them a letter.
     Since they are a small company, maybe even a one-man show, I enclosed
     a self-addressed, stamped envelope and received an immediate reply
     from them.  So, I guess they are still around.

     About 9-months ago, I purchased their CMOS Super Keyer kit.  It went
     together very easily even though there are no construction instuctions,
     except for the board layout and schematic.  They do include a very
     extensive (and excellant) reference manual and tutorial on the use
     of keyer.

     I am very impressed with the unit.  I like the idea of being able to
     change the setups for the keyer through the use of commands given
     with the paddle.  I especially like being able to change the
     speed this way.  This eliminates the need for a pot for the speed
     control.  I actually have a pot on my unit, but if I were to
     build it again, I would not install the pot.

     At one point, I wanted to install the keyer into a QRP rig, but I was
     cautioned against this.  The reason is the possibility of the clock
     for the microprocessor causing interference in the rig unless it is
     well shielded.  I haven't tried it so I don't know if the clock is at
     a frequency that would cause a problem or if the radiated level
     coming from the clock oscillator is high enough to cause problems.


     Hope this helps......

     73.....
               Charles
               WB4OWL


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 13:18:20 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA24027; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 13:16:01 -0400
    id AA17531; Wed, 8 Jun 94 13:17:07 EDT
    id AA13186; Wed, 8 Jun 94 13:17:05 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail] (Bruce Toback)
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Observation...
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 08 Jun 94 09:50:28 PDT."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 13:17:05 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> >It would appear that some of you folks spend more time on the internet than
> >on the air... is this what ham radio is coming to?!?  Too bad this kind of
> >information exchange no longer takes place on the air; I can actually remember
> >a time when it did.  Oh well; technology marches on...
>
> That's because you'd be pretty conspicuous sitting at your desk with
> a keyer and a wire stretched out across a dozen cubies :-).

Hmm.  I've already got a mouse rigged up as a paddle switch (no keyer wired
up yet, though :-); there's already a lot of thinnet cable strung all over the
place here; all I have to do is figure out how to get the antenna through the
blasted windows that don't open and build a rig in a dead walkman case and I'd
be all set...   :-)

73, John, WB7EEL/1

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 13:19:17 1994
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Subject: Re: Observation...
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 08 Jun 94 12:47:54 EDT."
             <9406081647.AA02975@gvlf9>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 13:19:31 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> Yea, Who needs a radio when you have a computer?  :-)
> Don't they even have computer programs that simulate operating on the
> radio?  Don't even need a license for that.

In one of the interminable rec.radio.amateur.misc
code/nocode/code/nocode/code/nocode... flamewars, someone mentioned the
possibility of entirely automating the typical DXer's station, to which I
replied something along the lines of "Great, just what I've been looking
for:  a computer that can enjoy my hobby for me, freeing up my valuable
leisure time so I can...uh..."

73, John, WB7EEL/1


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 13:20:28 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 01:22:12 SST
Date: 09 Jun 1994 01:22:11 +0700 (SST)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: 20M Band Opening
To: [e-mail]
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Hi Gang,

    This is just to inform you guys that there seem to be an opening from
the West Coast US to South East Asia (9V,9M etc) at about 1600 UTC and QRP
signals are coming through quite strong. I've heard quite a few of em for the
last few nights consequtively, coming between 549 to 589 with modest power.
So far I've heard KN6WV, AA6SF and KF7UI but no internetters yet, what gives?

72 es GL DX,
Daniel

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 13:52:48 1994
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    id AA15049; Wed, 8 Jun 94 13:53:38 EDT
    id AA21372; Wed, 8 Jun 94 13:55:04 EDT
    id AA10634; Wed, 8 Jun 94 13:55:00 EDT
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 94 13:55:00 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Ted Albert)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Universal QRP transmitter design questions
Cc: [e-mail]
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Since getting pumped-up by George Dobb's presentation at Dayton this year, I
purchased Solid State Design and lots of parts. I have spent the past month
reading Solid State Design and The ARRL Electronic Data Book. I have been
working with the schematic of the universal QRP transmitter on page 26 of
Solid State Design, verifying the math for the part values. I created a
spreadsheet to evaluate the component values listed in Table 1 on the same
page for the pi-network. Now the problem, the spreadsheet and the table don't
agree. I then plugged the formulas into my HP programmable calculator and got
the same answers as the spreadsheet. Now its time to ask for some help.

Possibilities for the discrepancies:

1. The part values where chosen as close in value as possible from available
   suppliers.

2. The constant for Q is not unity. The text states that the
   network presents 50 ohms to the collector of the final and the antenna
   load is 50 ohms. Given Q of 1, the formulas aren't really needed,
   XC3=50 ohms, XC4=50 ohms, and XL3=50 ohms.

3. I'm not using the correct formulas?

4. None of the above?

The formulas for evaluating the pi-network were taken from the example
on page 53 of Solid State Design. I worked the example in figure 1 on page 52
correctly using the formulas and then plugging XC3, XC4 and XL3 into the
formulas for determining the component values in mfd and mh from The Data book.
The example in figure 1 used a frequency of 7 Mhz and a design Q of 3.

I used the inductance of Toroidal Coils on page 250 of Solid State Design to
determine the value of the L3 coil in table 1. I suspect I'm not using this
formula correctly because it doesn't take into account the gauge of the wire
used for the coil, or does it?

Any and all help greatly appreciated.

73 de Ted, KF8EE


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 13:56:16 1994
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  (5.67a/IDA-1.5 for think.com!qrp); Thu, 9 Jun 1994 01:55:43 +0800
    id aa07311; Wed, 8 Jun 94 17:20:57 GMT
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #7) id m0qBQLP-000QJBC; Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:19 SST
    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qBQ3A-000GuwC; Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:00 SST
           Wed, 08 Jun 1994 11:57:12 SST
Date:      Wed, 08 Jun 1994 11:57:12 SST
From: "W. Daniel" <pandora![e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "W. Daniel" <[e-mail]>
To: pandora![e-mail]
Subject:   NN1G TX Stability
Sender: [e-mail]
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Hi Gang,

        Ok, now that I've got the OHR Classic working, I am back to my
previous task of fixing and super-charging the NN1G Mark II. I've just added
a TA7205 audio amplifier to the output with a small internal speaker into my
very compact (HWD is 2"x4"x6") case with RIT working fine. Now I have the
unenviable task of trying to stabilize the TX section. The TA7205 circuit
comes from pg. 4-38 of the 1994 ARRL Handbook and the IC costs about US$1.30
each here, which is quite cheap considering what it does.

        Can anyone help me please. My TX side is really awful and unstable.
Tends to break into oscillation. Also produces a nasty "click" while keying.
I suspect the click is an initial burst or parasitics before the oscillator
settles down.... any ideas welcome. There are so many NN1G kits out there,
someone must know, so help me God!!!

        Other than that this is getting to be a really nifty little rig.
Compact and easily carried around. Now I don't need to bring headphones
along with the ample output from the amplifier built on a 1" x 1.5" board
mounted inside the case.

        The other gripe I have is the poor mechanical stability of the
vernier/air variable combination. The way the shaft is coupled requires a
fairly rigid case but mine isn't quite so. I may change to another type with
internal reduction drive. That should stabilize things some what, and give
me more space inside the case on the side. Oh well.. my desk is clear and
now with the OHR Classic done, I can catch some shut-eye.

        BTW, IMHO, my ARK 20 is a better performer than the Classic, but of
course, it cost me THAT much more!

        Upcoming projects ...

1.      To kit up some NN1G's for our local club, SARTS.
2.      Add the A & A Engineering frequency counter to the Classic.
3.      Recalibrate my watt-meter.
4.      Fix the NN1G TX stability problem.
5.      Put up an inverted-V for 40M or multi-band.
6.      May try out the loop antenna feature in QST.
7.      Get the A & A Eng. spectrum analyzer kit working (for a friend).
8.      Fix the Gary Breed 20M xcvr (for another friend, 9V1ZH).
9.      Rework the case of the Classic.
10.     Think about fixing the TX sequencing on the Radiokit QRP-20.
11.     Bring XYL on a holiday (for putting up with me! HI HI!)
12.     Send Chuck some green paper for the K5FO Newsletter.

        If anyone has any experience with any of the above, I'd appreciate
their advise. Especially concerning the performance of the A & A frequency
counter, the one featured in the 1994 ARRL Handbook.

        Other good news, my XYL is actually trying to learn morse!!! It's a
miracle but if she gets her ticket, she will be the second XYL in the
history of this country to get a ticket. Now, that's history in the making.
:) Now I can give her some kits for X'mas :)

72 es 73,
Daniel
--
+-------------+-------------------------------------+
| Daniel Wee  | [e-mail]             | ** Man needs more
| UUCP1.12b   | [e-mail] |  than a new start, he
| SNEWS 1.91  | csah.com!pandora!daniel             |  needs a new heart! **
+-------------+-------------------------------------+

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 14:10:21 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA06579; Wed, 8 Jun 94 14:07:16 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
    (1.37.109.10G/16.2) id AA164118778; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 14:06:18 -0400
From: [e-mail] (m.e.hartwell)
To: [e-mail]
Date:  8 Jun 1994  14:03 EDT
Subject: HW7 receiver
Sender: [e-mail]
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Hello

    I have a HW7 I would like to start using again. I wonder if anyone
has any information on improving the front end of the receiver. At one time
there were some articles on doing that but I have misplaced them now,
and maybe now there are newer ways to improve the thing.

Marty


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 14:58:03 1994
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    id AA14887; Wed, 8 Jun 94 14:57:43 EDT
    id AA03189; Wed, 8 Jun 94 14:57:42 EDT
Message-Id: <9406081857.AA03189@gvlf9>
    id AA26730; Wed, 8 Jun 94 14:57:40 EDT
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 94 14:57:40 EDT
From: [e-mail]
To: [e-mail]
Subject: power measurement
Sender: [e-mail]
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I was trying to measure the output of my two new QRP rigs and ran into a
slight problem.  I was measuring the output voltage across my dummy load
with my scope and using:

    P  =  E**2 / R

Now, I know that the voltage measured needs to be converted to RMS but,
do I want to use the pk-pk reading?  or  1/2 of the pk-pk reading?

I suspect that 1/2 of the pk-pk reading is correct since this is what I
measured...

I am seeing 55 volts pk-pk across my 50 ohm dummy.  If I use this
value I get:

    (55 * .707) ** 2 / 50   =  30.2 watts   Wow!!  No way!!

But of I use 1/2 of the pk-pk reading or 27.5 then I get:

    (27.5 * .707) ** 2 / 50 =  7.56 watts.  OK.  This is believable....

... but is it right?

-----

Pete Rossi - WA3NNA
[e-mail]
Unisys Corporation - Government Systems Group
Valley Forge Engineering Center - Paoli, Pennsylvania

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 15:28:19 1994
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    id AA25454; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 15:27:51 -0400
    id AA18368; Wed, 8 Jun 94 15:28:55 EDT
    id AA21071; Wed, 8 Jun 94 15:28:54 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: power measurement
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 08 Jun 94 14:57:40 EDT."
             <9406081857.AA03189@gvlf9>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 15:28:54 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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                           _
For a sine wave, Vrms is \/2 Vpk ("peak voltage"), and Vpk is 1/2 Vpk-pk ("peak
to peak" voltage).  Which is what you figured.

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 17:51:36 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA15691; Wed, 8 Jun 94 14:41:37 PDT
    id AA771111807 Wed, 08 Jun 94 14:43:27 PST
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 14:43:27 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 883 Text
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Re: power measurement
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                           _
For a sine wave, Vrms is \/2 Vpk ("peak voltage"), and Vpk is 1/2 Vpk-pk
("peak to peak" voltage).  Which is what you figured....

_______________________________________________________________________

John:

        Careful! - I made the same mistake yesterday on this list...

           Vrms = ((2**(1/2)) / 2) * Vpk, rather than (2**(1/2))*Vpk.
                              ^^^
                      (note the divide by 2)


        Stated another way, Vrms = 0.707 * Vpk, rather than 1.414 * Vpk
(otherwise you'd have Vrms > Vpk !!).

        And from this, Power = (Vp-p **2) / (8 * Rload), which is a useful
calculation if taking measurements with a scope. (Someone else out there might
want to check this to see if I've made a mistake).


Cheers from the bonehead,

- Jeff, WA6AHL

From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 17:55:57 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA26984; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 17:55:36 -0400
    id AA19229; Wed, 8 Jun 94 17:56:41 EDT
    id AA28648; Wed, 8 Jun 94 17:56:38 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: power measurement
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 08 Jun 94 14:43:27 PST."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 17:56:36 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
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> John:
>         Careful! - I made the same mistake yesterday on this list...
>            Vrms = ((2**(1/2)) / 2) * Vpk, rather than (2**(1/2))*Vpk.
>                               ^^^

Yup, Pete already caught that mistake.  That's what I get for paying more
attention to doing silly ascii graphics right than to making sure that what
I'm TYPING is right...


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 19:36:50 1994
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    (1.38.193.5/16.2) id AA06451; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 19:36:30 -0400
From: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: America Online Mailer
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 19:36:29 EDT
Subject: On the Road Again
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Gang-

I'll be in San Jose from Mon 6/13 afternoon through Thurs 6/16 AM.  Let me
know if you'd like to get together and we'll set something up.

72,  Dave - NN1G


From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 20:18:54 1994
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    id UAA23180; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 20:18:39 -0400 (from [e-mail])
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: Stephen Trier <[e-mail]>
Date: 9 Jun 1994   00:18:31 GMT
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: VFO troubles solved! (W1FB Des. NB p111)
In-Reply-To: [e-mail]
     Wed, 08 Jun 94 09:36:35 -0400
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> Cleaning up the power-supply noise will help a lot, but it still won't be
> enough -- note that on page 112 he says that "two or more identical stages
> of amplification are necessary in order to ensure adequate weak-signal
> reception."

I did that already, thanks.  I'm using the transistor amp he describes for
the first stage, a 741 biased for single-supply operation for the second,
and an LM386 for the third.

I need to reverse the capacitor wiring (I had the rotor at RF), clean up
the power supply, and see if I can find a box for the thing.

           Stephen



From [e-mail]  Wed Jun  8 21:12:44 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 id <[e-mail]>; Wed, 8 Jun 1994 21:05:12 EDT
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 1994 21:05:12 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: MFJ - 9020 LIVES !!
To: [e-mail]
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Thanks to all who responded to my plea for help for my dead MFJ-9020 -

Ref:  MFJ-9020 Go Poooof !

After repairing the trace on the circuit board I still had a shortso I replaced the LM-317 voltage requlator and the 1N4001 diode that
was soldered to the bottom of the board.  As long as I had everything
apart I replaced the old RIT pot with one with a center detent - so
now I know where zero is-

Anyway, when I applied power very thing seemed to work fine - receiver just
as good as ever and power output is around three watts.  Ran into a little
problem when I reinstalled the keyer - when I plugged the key in it started
sending dits - I checked my key for a closed contact and found none ( after
hooking the power up wrong you start to look for the little things first!)
and then plugged in a new jack and still got a string of dits.  I'm afraid
maybe I've done some damage to the Curtis chip on the keyer board.  A call
to MFJ's tech support line and I found that they'll sell me a new chip for the
keyer for $ 21.00   - or - I can send them the keyer and they'll fix it
for me for ten (10.00) bucks no matter what the problem is.  Well, for a deal
like that the keyer board will be on the first bus to Starkville in the
morning.

Again TNX to all who responded with suggestions.  Tomorrow I'm going to
Radio Shack and buy a surface mount fuse holder and place a 2 amp fuse
just behind L9 where the recently vaporized PCB trace was.

Hope you all can cpy me on a straight key until the keyer comes back.  BTW,
Ted at MFJ said things there are in a uproar right now as MFJ is moving
across town to a larger facility.

                .0073 - Bob - WA4ZID

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 01:37:40 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <think![e-mail]>); Wed, 8 Jun 1994 22:37:00 -0700
    id AA14603; Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:36:57 -0500
    (rama) id QQwtms04527; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 01:36:53 -0400
        ; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 01:36:53 -0400
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qBcgN-0006J2C; Thu, 9 Jun 94 01:29 EDT
    id m0qBWLi-0008X7C; Wed, 8 Jun 94 18:43 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Czuhajewski)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: MRF237; pi filters
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 94 18:43:54 EST5EDT
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TRIVIA:  MRF-237 PINS; CHANGES IN PI NET FILTER VALUES



MRF-237 PINS

On pages 42 thru 45 of the June 94 issue of QRPp, KN6VO writes about
"Increasing the Output Power of the NorCal 40" and he recommended
using the MRF-237 transistor.  This is a good little transistor for
general QRP work, and the HW-9 uses two of them in the output.
However, it does have one little quirk that wasn't mentioned in the
article--it has a "backward" pin-out.

The vast majority of transistors in that case style (TO-39 and
similar) have the familiar emitter-base-collector lead configuration,
going clockwise around the triangle.  However, the MRF-237 reverses
this--it's collector-base-emitter, going in the same direction.  Note
that the last lead, which is emitter in this case, is connected to
the case; as Ron pointed out in his article, this greatly simplifies
heat sinking when the circuit allows the emitter to be grounded,
since the case is not hot with RF or DC voltage.



            B                B
          E   C            C   E

    Most transistors      MRF-237

If you wish to verify this nonstandard pin-out, you can consult page
2-506, data sheet for the MRF-237, in the Motorola RF Device Data
book volume 1, part DL110, rev. 4, or the illustration manual that
comes with the HW-9 manual; figure 2-4 shows them highlighted (Q405
and Q406); note that the drawing is a top-side view and thus shows
the pins reversed from what you'd see if looking at the transistors
from the bottom.  It shows Q405 and Q406 with an E-B-C pattern viewed
from the top, which is C-B-E from the bottom; compare this with
nearby Q404, also highlighted, which is the familiar 2N3866 with
"normal" pin-out of C-B-E from the top, or E-B-C from the bottom.

By the way, AA4ZS brought an HW-9 to one of our local QRP Show and
Tells at the ham store a few years back, and claimed it put out a
full ten watts on 80 meters and wanted to know if it was real and
clean.  I took it into the service shop and put it on the Bird
wattmeter, 100 MHz scope (Tektronix 465B), dummy load with diode
detector, and $10,000 IFR service monitor, and everything agreed--it
was putting out a full, honest, real, clean 10 watts on 80 meters;
good, pure sine wave on the scope, harmonics on the IFR analyzer all
well over 30 dB down.  (I would not normally believe someone who told
me they were getting that much power out of an HW-9.)

CHANGES IN PI NET FILTER VALUES

In the article Ron also mentioned varying some  of the values in the
NorCal 40 pi net filter to get greater power.  You have to be careful
when doing that--you could be substantially reducing the harmonic
attenuation in the bargain. I've been having a lot of fun with a
computer program at work called Touchstone, which does a lot of neat
simulations of RF networks (at a price similar to some new cars), and
doing some simulations of various networks, changing values to see
the effects on insertion loss (and thus power output) and frequency
response.  The bottom line is that you can almost always redesign or
modify any filter network for greater power output, but that usually
comes at a cost of reduced harmonic attenuation and you have to
carefully balance the two.

The FCC requires at least 30 dB of attenuation of spurious signals,
which includes harmonics, if running 5 watts or less, and 40 dB if
over 5 watts.  It's always safest to use a filter with at least 30 dB
attenuation of harmonics and then you're guaranteed to be safe.  A
power amp running a single transistor in class C operation can put
out some really hefty harmonics (and I'll have the results of some
experiments along those lines in an upcoming issue of the QRP
Quarterly, including spectrum analyzer photos).  If you follow it
with a filter with harmonic attenuation of, say, 20 dB you could be
getting dangerously close to the limits.

Thirty dB down from 5 watts is 5 milliwatts, and when the sunspots
were really hot a few years ago I worked into the West Coast and
Europe quite a few times on various bands with 35 milliwatts and less
(using only a loop antenna).  And for a number of years I've been
checking into the Saturday morning QRP net on 7040 KHz with WA1JXR,
at 350 miles away, running between 1 and 10 milliwatts.  If other
hams can hear really QRP signals, so can the FCC!

I did some Touchstone simulations of some of the Chebyshev filters
from the ARRL handbook, and they give some really good attenuations,
especially the 7 element ones.  Coming close to the required
component values is important, of course, and it helps to have some
sort of LC meter to verify capacitor values and trim up coils to the
required inductance.  (And here's yet another promo for the good old
Boonton 260A Q meter, which is invaluable for that...but don't use
words like "invaluable" when negotiating with the seller!)

        [e-mail] packet
        [e-mail] Internet
        8 June 1994
--
Mike Czuhajewski, user of the UniBoard System @ wb3ffv.ampr.org
E-Mail: [e-mail]
The WB3FFV Amateur Radio BBS - Located in Baltimore, Maryland USA
Supporting the Amateur Radio Hobby, and TCP/IP InterNetworking

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 01:38:35 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <think![e-mail]>); Wed, 8 Jun 1994 22:38:09 -0700
    id AA14703; Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:38:13 -0500
    (rama) id QQwtms04609; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 01:38:09 -0400
        ; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 01:38:10 -0400
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qBcgf-0006J2C; Thu, 9 Jun 94 01:29 EDT
    id m0qBc7y-0008XiC; Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:54 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Czuhajewski)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: More ARK4 comments
Date: Thu, 09 Jun 94 00:54:06 EST5EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
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Some more comments on the new ARK4 from S&S Engineering--

Severn, MD, 8 June 1994--Someone recently asked about performance of
the new ARK4 from S&S Engineering. I sent him some brief comments but
The System didn't like the address I used (even though it was
identical to the one on his message--that happens sometimes) so
instead of remailing it I decided to flesh it out a bit and "go
public."

I got a loaner from Dick, KA3ZOW, a couple weeks ago at a local
hamfest, for review.  I played with it a bit, mostly off the air,
then loaned it to a friend whose antenna is in the air (unlike mine,
which is mostly on the ground at the moment).  I didn't do any
sensitivity or stability tests yet (the latter seems a bit pointless
in a synthesized rig, which is based on the stability of crystal
oscillators).  I did notice some things I didn't like in the RX audio
chain, but this is an early iteration of the design and Dick will, I
hope, fix them when brought to his attention.

First, in all fairness, I should point out that the ARK4 I have now
is a prototype, and the ARK40 last year was either a prototype or
very, very early production model.  (I received both already
assembled.)  In both the loaner ARK40  this ARK4 there is a constant
whine or tone in the audio chain, even with volume control all the
way down.  Dick told me the ARK40 problem was the LM386 oscillating a
bit.  In the ARK4, which will NOT drive a speaker and is not intended
to, there is a much higher tone, about 10Khz (confirmed with an audio
oscillator), with volume at min.  That shows it's in the audio chain,
not the main rig.  The ARK40 tone was about 2K, as I recall.

Both were low level, probably not easily noticed with volume cranked
up to usable levels, but the point is they should NOT be there in the
first place.   Second ARK4 audio bug is the constant low level
sidetone freq heard at all times, even with vol at min.  He runs the
sidetone osc constantly and gates the output on and off. It's
probably not easily noticed with vol at working levels.   It's gated
on and off by shorting the oscillator output to ground with a 47 uF
capacitor and transistor (2N3904?).  At first I thought the
collector/emitter voltage drop of the conducting transistor was
keeping the cap from shorting the signal completely, but later
disproved that.  I also thought that the problems might be caused by
the inches-long PCB trace from the volume control to the audio amp
picking up stray signals along the way; I disproved that one, too.

The audio IS distorted as someone recently said of an ARK4 he saw at
Dayton.  It finally clears up fairly well at about 12 o'clock on the
vol, but at lower levels it is distinctly distorted and harsh and
annoying.  By the way, this one had the optional audio filter.
Here's the audio chain--sidetone and product detector feed a single
op amp section which goes to the phone jack.  If the filter is
installed, that op amp section  instead goes into another op amp,
where it is attenuated, filtered and passed on to the jack.  I
disabled and removed that filter IC, jumped the signal straight over
to the output line, running the audio chain in its "stock",
nonfiltered mode; all problems were still there so can't blame the
filter.  (Part of that IC in the filter is used for the audio whether
the filter is turned on or not; switching the filter in or out is
accomplished with +12V, not by use of a DPDT switch as in some rigs.)


Transmitter output signal on good quality HP spectrum analyzer--all
spurs and harmonics down WELL over the required 30 dB.  Interestingly
it has a spur on the TX signal at the IF freq of 3579, not too
surprising, I suppose, and perhaps to be expected...and it IS about
40 dB down.  There is a second spur just below that, at 34-something,
and that second spur moves when you change freq, moving 100 KHz if
you change the rig by 100 KHz (a one to one change).  That, too, is
waaaaay down.  (I didn't check the ARK40 on the analyzer when I had
it, but would assume harmonics are down similarly.)

One final experiment, which I've always wanted to do on something,
anything, was to look at the output signal on a sweep from 0.1 to 36
MHz, seeing up through the 5th harmonic, both with and without the pi
net filter in place.  I'd always heard that harmonics were pretty
strong in a class C amp, and here was the perfect chance to do it.
"Dramatic" is the best way to compare the two different sweeps.  I
took pictures of both with a scope camera, and will have them in the
Idea Exchange in the QRP Quarterly in the future.  (This is certainly
not an indictment of the ARK4, of course, but a simple fact of
electronics, and will happen with ANY class C amp--and that's why
everything we build has a filter on it!)


73 de [e-mail] packet and [e-mail] (which
works just as well as the longer Internet address with my name in it)
--
Mike Czuhajewski, user of the UniBoard System @ wb3ffv.ampr.org
E-Mail: [e-mail]
The WB3FFV Amateur Radio BBS - Located in Baltimore, Maryland USA
Supporting the Amateur Radio Hobby, and TCP/IP InterNetworking

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 03:12:14 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA27362; Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:11:54 PDT
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 94 00:11:54 PDT
From: Roger Traylor <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: JOY OF QRP...  reprints anybody?
In-Reply-To: Mail from 'Adrian Weiss W0RSP English Department <[e-mail]>'
      dated: Sun, 5 Jun 1994 21:21:41 -0500 (CDT)
Cc: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Gang,
    Adrian Weiss recently wrote......

>    Unfortunately, THE JOY OF QRP has been out of print for many years -- in
> fact, all 2200 copies went in under two years. As I understand the situation,
> it is next to impossible to find anyone willing to part with their copy.
>    I might as well add a general announcement that might help. As copyright
> owner of JOY, I have absolutely no objections to anyone making xerox copies
> for a friend or other contacts.

    Well, how about it?  Will somebody be my friend and make a copy
    for me?  I'll gladly pay copy costs, postage and a little for
    your trouble.  Being an old reader of the original Milliwatt,
    seeing this would sure make me happy and nostalgic.

    Roger Traylor WB4TPW
    [e-mail]


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 04:31:43 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id EAA09524; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 04:31:27 -0400 (from seastar!jjw for [e-mail])
    id m0qBfGs-0002j7C; Thu, 9 Jun 94 04:15 EDT
    id m0qBOEQ-0004pBC; Wed, 8 Jun 94 09:03 CDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 94 09:03 CDT
From: [e-mail] (John Welch)
To: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Newsgroups: qrp
Path: jjw
From: [e-mail] (John Welch)
Subject: Re: 40/15m rigs?
Date: Wed, 8 Jun 1994 14:03:46 GMT
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Distribution: local
References: <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: [e-mail] (John Welch)
Followup-To: qrp
Organization: Welch Research Laboratories.

As quoted from <[e-mail]> by nshore!usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu!halcyon.com!xenolith (Kevin Purcell):

> >On Thu, 28 Jul 1994, Kevin Purcell wrote:
> >
> >> One way of building a RX (and TX) to cover two bands is to band image (make
> >> an RX that receives image frequencies in two amateur bands and then rely on
> >> the preselector to attenuate one or other of the bands).
> >>
> >
> >Of course, another alternative to using imaging is just to use a local
> >oscillator at the right frequency for the desired input/output frequency
> >and the given IF. These days, it isn't that hard using PLL or DDS
> >synthesis. For most of the homebrew rigs, the performance of John Welch's
> >TechnoWhizzy DDS should be adequate.
> >
> >howie
> >[e-mail]
>
> I agree, but most QRP HB are not software writers (and the one thing the
> technowhizzy lacks is a 6805, 8039, etc).

  No need to write software - use the EPROM/thumbwheel controller, or
use a PC with the parallel-port interface & program written by Victor
Morin.  (the PC is more base oriented, the EPROMS were designed for
portable use.)

>
> Actually I'm more an more attracted by the idea of a DDS followed by a PLL
> (see Rhode's article in the lastest QST). These are simple, have nice
> performance wrt phase noise, and can extend some of those not very wide
> range cheaper DDS chips to a reasonable range. The idea I have in mind is a
> single conversion to high IF (like the QRP plus) with a 50 to 60 Mhz Cohn
> filter. You should be able to build a 1.8 to 30Mhz TxRx like this.
>
>
> Kevin Purcell, N7WIM / G8UDP
> [e-mail]           "Organising programmers is like herding cats"
> [phone]
>
   How about using the 45MHz filter from an old TV set as the first
IF, and a PLL that tunes from 45 to 75MHZ?  Slave the PLL to a DDS
(prefer the Analog Devices AD7008 for much finer steps, but you could
use the Q2220 from the TW-1 at 33.554432MHz and you'd get 20Hz tuning
steps from the PLL).  Take it from there to a conventional 9MHz IF and
you'd have a general-coverage rig.
steps from the PLL, and you'd use less power too

--
While (its_not_working())                            John Welch, N9JZW
  mess_with_it();                                    [e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 08:25:45 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA06971; Thu, 9 Jun 94 07:24:51 -0500
          via Charon-4.0A-VROOM with IPX id 100.940609072339.256;
          09 Jun 94 07:23:49 +0500
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: "Evert Halbach" <[e-mail]>
Organization:  Nicholls State University
To: [e-mail]
Date:          Thu, 9 Jun 1994 07:23:34 CST
Subject:       Lat/Lon Bearings
Priority: normal
X-Mailer:     PMail v3.0 (R1a)
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Anyone know of any software that would give you distances between
two points when the Lat and Lon of both locations are plugged in???

        Thanks es 73s de WA5OJI Evert



        Evert R. Halbach   WA5OJI
Internet - [e-mail]
Phone    - [phone]
Snail    - P.O. Box 2168   Thibodaux, La. 70310

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 09:04:27 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA04901; Thu, 9 Jun 94 08:04:23 CDT
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Brian Cieslak )
Subject: NORCAL 40 up and running
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 08:07:00
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

MAny thanks to all who sent email to help out my xmit problem..FInally turned
out to be some really fine copper hairs around the pins of U4 and C31 that I
could only see with a magnifier (and after I cleaned up some of the flux).

I works great now...I got it set up for 1 Watt and worked Vermont last night.

I'm ready for the next project.

73,
Brian - AE9K

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 09:04:52 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    from chowda.com by paperboy.ids.net
         with uucp
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

    (Linux Smail3.1.28.1 #4)
    id m0qBjlu-005NZnC; Thu, 9 Jun 94 09:03 EDT
    id N97800W Thu,  9 Jun 1994 13:01:30 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Bob Berlyn)
Subject: HW-7 MODS
Date: Thu,  9 Jun 1994 12:01:00 GMT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Organization: Chowdanet! - 8gb Ham BBS - Providence, RI - 401-331-2604
To: [e-mail]

 On 01-01-00 [e-mail] wrote...

 Q > From: [e-mail] (m.e.hartwell)
 Q > To: [e-mail]
 Q > Date:  8 Jun 1994  14:03 EDT
 Q > Subject: HW7 receiver
 Q > Sender: [e-mail]
 Q > Precedence: bulk
 Q >
 Q > Hello
 Q >
 Q >     I have a HW7 I would like to start using again. I wonder if anyone
 Q > has any information on improving the front end of the receiver. At one
 Q > time
 Q > there were some articles on doing that but I have misplaced them now,
 Q > and maybe now there are newer ways to improve the thing.
 Q >
 Q > Marty
 Q >

      Marty,

      As it happens I have a Mod for the HW-7 from ARRL. Published in QST
      Jan 1974.

      This artical has several MODs including the receiver front end. If
      you cant find them let me know and I'll send them to you.

      ALSO does any one know why I am getting all this bounced mail ?
      note the header.

      Later


 * OFFLINE 1.54 * Bob Berlyn  N1PWU               [e-mail]
...............................................................................

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 10:25:22 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 <[e-mail]>; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 10:22:22 EST
Date: 09 Jun 1994 10:22:22 -0500 (EST)
From: "DONALD A. COLEMAN (EXT. 2850)" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Observation...
To: [e-mail]
Cc: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Vms-To: IN%"[e-mail]"
X-Vms-Cc: IN%"[e-mail]"
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
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You hit the nail on the head with that "observation," om

73 de W1VOQ

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 10:43:08 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
 id <[e-mail]>; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:29:45 CST
 <[e-mail]>; Thu, 09 Jun 94 09:31:43 PDT
Date: Thu, 09 Jun 1994 09:23:00 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Muenzler, Kevin" <[e-mail]>
Subject: re lat/long Bearings
To: "Everet R. Halbach" <cs-erh!@nich-nsunet.nich.edu>,
        QRP News Group <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Envelope-To: [e-mail]
X-Mailer: Microsoft Mail V3.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Encoding: 34 TEXT
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>Anyone know of any software that would give you distances between
>two points when the Lat and Lon of both locations are plugged in???
>
>        Thanks es 73s de WA5OJI Evert
>
>
>
>        Evert R. Halbach   WA5OJI
>Internet - [e-mail]
>Phone    - [phone]
>Snail    - P.O. Box 2168   Thibodaux, La. 70310

Everet,
     Any good calculus book would have the answer for you.
What you want is the length of the arc between the two polar
coordinates along a sphere.  I don't remember the formula.
I have a routine in C that I can bring tomorrow.  It also
will give you beam headings in degrees.

Kevin

Legal stuff:
The above opinions are my own and not necessarily those of the staff,
faculty, administration, or lab animals (woof!) of The University of
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kevin R. Muenzler, WB5RUE           The University of Texas Health
[e-mail]               Science Center at San Antonio,
                                   Department of Computing Resources
         ** There is no such thing as a Monkey-Proof Program! **
         **                I can prove it!                    **
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 11:54:59 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.5 for [e-mail]); Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:51:33 -0600
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:49:14 -0600 (MDT)
From: Robert Cutter <[e-mail]>
Subject: RE: Super Keyer
To: Charles Furnweger <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: [e-mail]
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On Wed, 8 Jun 1994, Charles Furnweger wrote:

>      Hi All!
>
>      Regarding whether or not Idiom Press is still around, I think they
>      are still in business.  A couple of months ago I sent them a letter.
>      Since they are a small company, maybe even a one-man show, I enclosed
>      a self-addressed, stamped envelope and received an immediate reply
>      from them.  So, I guess they are still around.
>
>      About 9-months ago, I purchased their CMOS Super Keyer kit.  It went
>      together very easily even though there are no construction instuctions,
>      except for the board layout and schematic.  They do include a very
>      extensive (and excellant) reference manual and tutorial on the use
>      of keyer.
>
>      I am very impressed with the unit.  I like the idea of being able to
>      change the setups for the keyer through the use of commands given
>      with the paddle.  I especially like being able to change the
>      speed this way.  This eliminates the need for a pot for the speed
>      control.  I actually have a pot on my unit, but if I were to
>      build it again, I would not install the pot.
>
>      At one point, I wanted to install the keyer into a QRP rig, but I was
>      cautioned against this.  The reason is the possibility of the clock
>      for the microprocessor causing interference in the rig unless it is
>      well shielded.  I haven't tried it so I don't know if the clock is at
>      a frequency that would cause a problem or if the radiated level
>      coming from the clock oscillator is high enough to cause problems.
>
>
>      Hope this helps......
>
>      73.....
>                Charles
>                WB4OWL
>

I installed a Super Keyer in a HW-9 several years ago with no problems.  I
mounted the switches on the top of the cabinet and also AA batteries to
supply it inside.  It has survived several Field Days and the battery life
is forever.  72, Bob KI0G



From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 12:14:16 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA14546; Thu, 9 Jun 94 12:13:49 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
    (1.38.193.4/16.2) id AA11974; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 12:14:53 -0400
From: Tom_Jennings <[e-mail]>
Subject: Saturday Morning QRP Net
To: [e-mail] (qrp mailling list)
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 94 12:14:53 EDT
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Mailer: Elm [revision: 70.85]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Hi,

What time does the Saturday Morning QRP Net meet on 7040 kHz?

Thanks and 73.

TJ, kv2x
--
-------------------------------------------------------------
                               |
Thomas J. Jennings             | Tel: [phone]
Development Engineer           | Fax: [phone]
                               |
ABB Process Automation         |
Post Office Box 22685          |
Rochester, New York 14692-2685 |
                               |
-------------------------------------------------------------
Internet: [e-mail]
-------------------------------------------------------------

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 12:17:27 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
  (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for <think![e-mail]>); Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:16:43 -0700
    id AA15243; Thu, 9 Jun 94 11:16:41 -0500
    (rama) id QQwtoj23874; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 12:16:37 -0400
        ; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 12:16:37 -0400
    (Smail3.1.28.1 #4) id m0qBmoG-0006J3C; Thu, 9 Jun 94 12:18 EDT
    id m0qBhgf-0008X5C; Thu, 9 Jun 94 06:50 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Czuhajewski)
To: [e-mail]
Subject: More ARK4 comments
Date: Thu, 09 Jun 94 06:50:17 EST5EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Mailer: UniBoard 1.21f S/N 329931
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

Some more comments on the new ARK4 from S&S Engineering--

Severn, MD, 8 June 1994--Someone recently asked about performance of
the new ARK4 from S&S Engineering. I sent him some brief comments but
The System didn't like the address I used (even though it was
identical to the one on his message--that happens sometimes) so
instead of remailing it I decided to flesh it out a bit and "go
public."

I got a loaner from Dick, KA3ZOW, a couple weeks ago at a local
hamfest, for review.  I played with it a bit, mostly off the air,
then loaned it to a friend whose antenna is in the air (unlike mine,
which is mostly on the ground at the moment).  I didn't do any
sensitivity or stability tests yet (the latter seems a bit pointless
in a synthesized rig, which is based on the stability of crystal
oscillators).  I did notice some things I didn't like in the RX audio
chain, but this is an early iteration of the design and Dick will, I
hope, fix them when brought to his attention.

First, in all fairness, I should point out that the ARK4 I have now
is a prototype, and the ARK40 last year was either a prototype or
very, very early production model.  (I received both already
assembled.)  In both the loaner ARK40  this ARK4 there is a constant
whine or tone in the audio chain, even with volume control all the
way down.  Dick told me the ARK40 problem was the LM386 oscillating a
bit.  In the ARK4, which will NOT drive a speaker and is not intended
to, there is a much higher tone, about 10Khz (confirmed with an audio
oscillator), with volume at min.  That shows it's in the audio chain,
not the main rig.  The ARK40 tone was about 2K, as I recall.

Both were low level, probably not easily noticed with volume cranked
up to usable levels, but the point is they should NOT be there in the
first place.   Second ARK4 audio bug is the constant low level
sidetone freq heard at all times, even with vol at min.  He runs the
sidetone osc constantly and gates the output on and off. It's
probably not easily noticed with vol at working levels.   It's gated
on and off by shorting the oscillator output to ground with a 47 uF
capacitor and transistor (2N3904?).  At first I thought the
collector/emitter voltage drop of the conducting transistor was
keeping the cap from shorting the signal completely, but later
disproved that.  I also thought that the problems might be caused by
the inches-long PCB trace from the volume control to the audio amp
picking up stray signals along the way; I disproved that one, too.

The audio IS distorted as someone recently said of an ARK4 he saw at
Dayton.  It finally clears up fairly well at about 12 o'clock on the
vol, but at lower levels it is distinctly distorted and harsh and
annoying.  By the way, this one had the optional audio filter.
Here's the audio chain--sidetone and product detector feed a single
op amp section which goes to the phone jack.  If the filter is
installed, that op amp section  instead goes into another op amp,
where it is attenuated, filtered and passed on to the jack.  I
disabled and removed that filter IC, jumped the signal straight over
to the output line, running the audio chain in its "stock",
nonfiltered mode; all problems were still there so can't blame the
filter.  (Part of that IC in the filter is used for the audio whether
the filter is turned on or not; switching the filter in or out is
accomplished with +12V, not by use of a DPDT switch as in some rigs.)


Transmitter output signal on good quality HP spectrum analyzer--all
spurs and harmonics down WELL over the required 30 dB.  Interestingly
it has a spur on the TX signal at the IF freq of 3579, not too
surprising, I suppose, and perhaps to be expected...and it IS about
40 dB down.  There is a second spur just below that, at 34-something,
and that second spur moves when you change freq, moving 100 KHz if
you change the rig by 100 KHz (a one to one change).  That, too, is
waaaaay down.  (I didn't check the ARK40 on the analyzer when I had
it, but would assume harmonics are down similarly.)

One final experiment, which I've always wanted to do on something,
anything, was to look at the output signal on a sweep from 0.1 to 36
MHz, seeing up through the 5th harmonic, both with and without the pi
net filter in place.  I'd always heard that harmonics were pretty
strong in a class C amp, and here was the perfect chance to do it.
"Dramatic" is the best way to compare the two different sweeps.  I
took pictures of both with a scope camera, and will have them in the
Idea Exchange in the QRP Quarterly in the future.  (This is certainly
not an indictment of the ARK4, of course, but a simple fact of
electronics, and will happen with ANY class C amp--and that's why
everything we build has a filter on it!)


73 de [e-mail] packet and [e-mail] (which
works just as well as the longer Internet address with my name in it)
--
Mike Czuhajewski, user of the UniBoard System @ wb3ffv.ampr.org
E-Mail: [e-mail]
The WB3FFV Amateur Radio BBS - Located in Baltimore, Maryland USA
Supporting the Amateur Radio Hobby, and TCP/IP InterNetworking

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 12:17:27 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    (1.36.108.7/15.5+IOS 3.13) id AA20131; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:13:48 -0700
    (1.36.108.7/15.5+ECS 3.3) id AA22449; Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:13:02 -0700
From: Thang Le <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Lat/Lon Bearings
To: [e-mail] (Evert Halbach)
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 94 9:13:01 PDT
Cc: [e-mail]
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>; from "Evert Halbach" at Jun 9, 94 7:23 am
Mailer: Elm [revision: 66.25]
Sender: [e-mail]
Precedence: bulk

>
> Anyone know of any software that would give you distances between
> two points when the Lat and Lon of both locations are plugged in???
>
>         Thanks es 73s de WA5OJI Evert
>
>
>
>         Evert R. Halbach   WA5OJI
> Internet - [e-mail]
> Phone    - [phone]
> Snail    - P.O. Box 2168   Thibodaux, La. 70310
>

Here is a copy I saved from the net a while ago.
--
Best regards,

Thang Le
[e-mail]

/*
 *      gc.c  compile with cc gc.c -lM
 *
 *      Great Circle.  This program is used to determine bearing
 *      and range to a station given latitude and longitude.
 *
 *      Ver 1.03 By S. R. Sampson, N5OWK
 *      Public Domain (p) November 1989
 *
 *      Ref: Air Force Manual 51-40, "Air Navigation", 1 February 1987
 *
 *      Usage examples:
 *
 *      gc 35.19n97.27w 0s0e            (Moore to Prime/Equator)
 *      gc 35.19N97.27W 38.51n77.02W    (Moore to Washington D.C.)
 *      gc 33.56n118.24w 55.45n37.35e   (L.A. to Moscow U.S.S.R.)
 *      gc 35N70W 35N71W                (No decimal points used)
 */

/* Includes */

#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <ctype.h>
#include <math.h>

/* Defines */

#define RADIAN  (180.0 / M_PI)

/* Globals */

double  tmp,
        dist,
        range,
        bearing,
        QTH_Lat,
        QTH_Long,
        DEST_Lat,
        DEST_Long,
        Delta_Long;

/* Simple Declare, No Prototypes */

/*
 *      Error routine
 */

void err(type)
int     type;
{
        switch(type)  {
        case 1:
                printf("\007Latitude Out of Range (90N to 90S)\n");
                break;
        case 2:
                printf("\007Longitude Out of Range (180W to 180E)\n");
                break;
        case 3:
                printf("\007Minutes Out of Range (0 to 59)\n");
        }

        exit(1);
}

/*
 *      Convert Degrees and Minutes to Decimal
 */

double dm2dec(n)
double  n;
{
        double  t;

        t = (int)n;
        n -= t;
        n /= .60;

        if (n >= 1.0)
                err(3);

        return (n + t);
}

/*
 *      Parse the input line
 *
 *      dd(.mm)[NnSs]ddd(.mm)[EeWw]
 */

void parse(s, lat, lon)
char    *s;
double  *lat, *lon;
{
        register char   *i, *t;
        int             l;

        l = strlen(s);
        for (i = s; i < (s + l); ++i)  {
                switch(toupper(*i))  {
                case 'N':
                        *i = '\0';
                        t = i + 1;
                        *lat = atof(s);
                        break;
                case 'S':
                        *i = '\0';
                        t = i + 1;
                        *lat = -atof(s);
                        break;
                case 'E':
                        *i = '\0';
                        *lon = -atof(t);
                        break;
                case 'W':
                        *i = '\0';
                        *lon = atof(t);
                }
        }

        *lat = dm2dec(*lat);
        *lon = dm2dec(*lon);

        if (*lat > 90.0 || *lat < -90.0)
                err(1);

        if (*lon > 180.0 || *lon < -180.0)
                err(2);

        /* Prevent ACOS() Domain Error */

        if (*lat == 90.0)
                *lat = 89.9;

        if (*lat == -90.0)
                *lat = -89.9;
}

main(argc, argv)
register int  argc;
register char **argv;
{
        if (argc != 3)  {
                printf("Usage: gc station1 station2\n\n");
                printf("This program computes Great Circle Bearing and Range\n");
                printf("given the latitude and longitude (degrees and minutes).\n\n");
                printf("You must input the lat/long of the two stations.\n");
                printf("The output will then be relative from station1 to station2.\n\n");
                printf("Input the two station lat/longs using the following format:\n\n");
                printf("\tdd.mmHddd.mmG  lead/lagging zeros can be left out.\n\n");
                printf("d = Degrees, m = Minutes, H = Hemisphere (N or S), G = Greenwich (W or E)\n");

                exit(1);
        }

        /* Process the command line data */

        parse(argv[1], &QTH_Lat, &QTH_Long);
        parse(argv[2], &DEST_Lat, &DEST_Long);

        /* Compute the Bearing and Range, From the Formula in Chapter 23 */

        Delta_Long = DEST_Long - QTH_Long;

        QTH_Lat    /= RADIAN;   /* Convert variables to Radians */
        QTH_Long   /= RADIAN;
        DEST_Lat   /= RADIAN;
        Delta_Long /= RADIAN;

        tmp = (sin(QTH_Lat) * sin(DEST_Lat)) +
                (cos(QTH_Lat) * cos(DEST_Lat) * cos(Delta_Long));

        dist = acos(tmp);
        range = 60.0 * (dist * RADIAN);

        tmp = (sin(DEST_Lat) - (sin(QTH_Lat) * cos(dist))) /
                (sin(dist) * cos(QTH_Lat));

        bearing = acos(tmp) * RADIAN;

        if (Delta_Long > 0.0)
                bearing = 360.0 - bearing;

        /* Computations complete, show answer */

        printf("\nBearing is %.0f Degrees for %.0f Nautical Miles\n",
                bearing, range);

        exit(0);
}

/* EOF */

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 12:21:49 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA16409; Thu, 9 Jun 94 09:11:48 PDT
    id AA771178422 Thu, 09 Jun 94 09:13:42 PST
Date: Thu, 09 Jun 94 09:13:42 PST
From: [e-mail]
Encoding: 457 Text
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Re: On the Road Again
Sender: [e-mail]
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          Dave:

          It would be a pleasure to meet you - I'm just getting into QRP
          and have ordered both the 40-40 & 30-40, but I would very much
          like to get into designing my own rigs.

          Let me know if you have any free time while you're here, and if
          anyone else from the gang is getting together with you.

          Cheers & 73,

          Jeff, WA6AHL

From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 13:07:51 1994
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  (5.65/1.35 for <[e-mail]>); Thu, 9 Jun 94 13:06:41 -0400
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Reply-To: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
To: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Date: Thu, 09 Jun 1994 01:08:18
Subject: Re: Universal QRP transmitter design questions
From: [e-mail] (Michael Silva)
Sender: [e-mail]
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>Since getting pumped-up by George Dobb's presentation at Dayton this year, I
>purchased Solid State Design and lots of parts. I have spent the past month
>reading Solid State Design and The ARRL Electronic Data Book. I have been
>working with the schematic of the universal QRP transmitter on page 26 of
>Solid State Design, verifying the math for the part values. I created a
>spreadsheet to evaluate the component values listed in Table 1 on the same
>page for the pi-network. Now the problem, the spreadsheet and the table don't
>agree. I then plugged the formulas into my HP programmable calculator and got
>the same answers as the spreadsheet. Now its time to ask for some help.

After first plugging in the wrong inductance and getting impossible
results (L1 instead of L3), I got values of around 55 ohms Xc and 45
ohms Xl, depending on the band.  Is this the discrepency that's
bothering you?  If so, maybe I can answer with a bit of handwaving
(this stuff is not my specialty).  Looking at Xc and Xl, the resonant
frequency of the network is a bit higher than the operating frequency
(about 10%, it looks like).  This is where the low-pass "knee" begins
(3db point), and where the network starts attenuating harmonics, which
is just about where we'd want the knee to be, to allow for parts
variations.  I think this is just a bit of a deceptive "special case"
pi-network, since there is no impedance transformation happening, only
LP filtering.
>
>I used the inductance of Toroidal Coils on page 250 of Solid State Design to
>determine the value of the L3 coil in table 1. I suspect I'm not using this
>formula correctly because it doesn't take into account the gauge of the wire
>used for the coil, or does it?

The formula is correct, and it doesn't depend on the wire gauge, at
least not to any precision we care about.

73,
Mike, KK6GM



From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 15:25:19 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 1994 09:47:08 -0800
To: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail] (Wayne Burdick)
Subject: MRF237, etc.
Cc: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
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Mike,

Thanks for posting this info on the MRF237.  Note that the NorCal 40 manual
also covers this in detail, since we recommend the '237 as a substitute for
the 2SC799, which is cheaper but now hard to find.  (By the way, what other
devices besides the 2SC799 and 2N3553 have you used that have the standard
TO39 pinout and have good gain up to 10 meters?  I'm always on the lookout
for sturdy but low-cost devices.)

Thanks also for the PI-NET discussion.  I know that many folks have upped
their NorCal 40 power output by tweaking the filter, but I set it up at 2
watts stock for a couple of reasons:  (1) as you mentioned, harmonic
rejection can suffer; (2) at 2 watts, it's pretty hard to damage any of the
P.A. transistors we typically use in these circuits, especially with the
zener across the collector; (3) at 2 watts, batter drain is much lower than
at 4 or 5 watts, and those extra few dB are less important for the
back-packer than the extra milliwatt-hours saved.  The NorCal 40 was, after
all, intended to be an efficient radio above all.

A better way to up the power is to replace the RF choke with a 2:1 or 4:1
broadband transformer, which KN6VO has done.  This keeps the PI-NET at 50
ohms in and out while supplying the proper load to the collector.  If you
want more drive, you can replace the MPF102 buffer with a 2N4416, or better
yet a U310 or J310.  The '310 has 4 times the transconductance of the
MPF102.

73,
Wayne


From [e-mail]  Thu Jun  9 16:12:29 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA00299; Thu, 9 Jun 94 16:12:36 EDT
Date: Thu, 9 Jun 94 16:12:36 EDT
From: [e-mail] (Scott Sminkey - Sustaining Eng Group)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Loop Antenna review (long)
Reply-To: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail]
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Tom Jennings KV2X asked if anyone had built the compact loop antenna
featured in the May 1994 QST. Art NT1M and I recently finished
building two of them so I thought I'd give it a review on the list...

The executive summary is that the 30-12m compact loop antenna works
well and is a straightforward construction project. The antenna
performs well enough to serve as a primary antenna for where a
"normal" antenna cannot be used, such as an apartment or condo.
An antenna tuner must not be used with the compact loop and if built
properly is not needed anyway. The author of the QST article also
provides dimensions for a 40-20m version, but he apparently did not
build and test one. The one I built tunes and works ok on 40m, but
I'm having problems on 30m and 20m.

The May 1994 QST article is light on the theory or compact loop
antennas, and instead focuses on how to build a compact loop using
readily available materials and components. The Summer and Fall 1993
issues of Communication Quarterly contain a two-part article on the
theory and construction of a compact loop antenna. This article is
very good reading if you really want to know how a compact loop
antenna works.

Construction of the antenna is straightforward and will take a whole
afternoon to complete. PVC (plastic) pipe is used for the stand and
the boom. Copper refrigeration tubing is used for the loop. A small
coupling loop is made from a short length of RG8-sized coax. (I had
RG-213 so I used that.) A 100 pf variable capacitor is used for
resonating the loop. Some copper braid, like the braid left over
from making the coupling loop, a plastic box and some miscellaneous
hardware complete the parts list. Except for the variable capacitor,
you can get all the parts for about $25.

The QST article does not specify the type of PVC tubing to be used.
Three types are commonly available: a grey type specified for use
as electrical conduit, Schedule 40 (white) used for drain pipes, and
CPVC (beige) used for water supply lines. I used one-inch schedule 40
nearly everywhere, i.e., for the stand and boom, because it is the
most rigid of the three types. I had to use a CPVC 1/2 inch coupler
to connect the open ends of the copper loop because a 1/2 inch
schedule 40 coupler was too large.

The copper tubing is of the type used for refrigeration or gas piping.
It comes in coils and is often sold boxed in lengths like 10 or 20
feet. The 10 foot length is good for the smaller loop and 20 feet is
fine for the larger loop. Be sure to inspect the coil you buy for
kinks and dents. I rejected all but one box I checked at two stores
until I found a good one. The QST article specifies 5/8 inch *outside*
diameter tubing. If you have a caliper, bring it with you when you go
for tubing because it appears that tubing is not always labeled
clearly as to inside or outside diameter.

Work carefully when uncoiling the copper and apply any bending force
along a large radius. You could fill the tube with sand before bending
if you're very worried about kinking. It wasn't clear how to connect
the CPVC 1/2 coupler to the copper ends. I used five-minute epoxy
which held fine. Remember to rough up both the copper and the inside
of the CPVC coupler with rough sandpaper before applying epoxy and let
it dry thorougly.

Because the radiation resistance of a compact loop is on the order of
milliohms, the "ohmic losses" in the system are important to consider.
Any connection carrying RF should be big and attached using as low
resistance a method as possible. Welding is best and brazing is next
best, but having no equipment for either, I resorted to soldering with
a torch. Where the braid from the variable capacitor was to connect to
the loop, I soldered on 1/2 inch wide brass strips and did the same
where the coupling loop is attached. The brass braid should be soldered
and not screwed to the variable cap.

The variable cap was mounted in a plastic box. The top and the bottom
of the loop and the plastic box were attached to the PVC boom using a
"non-slip" type of nylon cord using in making fishing nets. The QST
article called for other methods like plastic wire ties and bolted-on
copper strap, but the nylon cord made a strong, no-movement connection
that was more attractive as well.

There is a lot of voltage developed across the variable capacitor --
over 4 kV for 100 watts -- so the capacitor will need good spacing to
run the typical 100 watts. The BASIC program in the Communications
Quarterly article is handy for determining the exact voltage rating
needed for the variable, as well as several other useful parameters
for a loop.

The tuning of the loop is very sharp!  A vernier knob makes tuning
less of a chore. Preliminary tuning can be done by adjusting for a
noise or signal peak in the receiver. Fine tuning requires a watt
meter or SWR bridge. Of course, use low power and be careful when
making adjustments while transmitting so you don't touch the loop
and risk getting an RF burn. Your body and especially the arm you
are tuning with will detune the loop, so you'll have to do a "tune
and step back" dance to get spot on.

As expected, less capacitance is needed on the higher bands. If you
can find a variable cap whose minimum capacitance is zero or close
to it, you might make 10m on the loop. We didn't. Apparently, most
variable capacitors have some residual capacitance even when fully
open and that is more than is needed for 10m. The BASIC program can
show you the theoretical capacitance needed for a given frequency.
We needed less in every case on both the small and large loop.

The small loop for 30-12m loaded up just fine on all bands from 30
to 12 meters with a very low SWR possible. Adjusting the shape of
the coupling loop might be necessary to get the best possible match.
Do not be tempted to use an antenna tuner with the loop! The loop
has a very high Q, i.e., a narrow bandwidth, so even though the tuner
may allow your transmitter to deliver lots of power to the loop,
unless the loop itself is resonant, it will probably be quite deaf on
receive. The variable capacitor on the loop *is* the tuning method.

If you have trouble getting the loop to resonate anywhere, be sure
to check all connections to make sure they are sound. Replace any
and all screwed down connections with solder, brazed, or welded
ones. Try adjusting the shape of the coupling loop (squash it down or
stretch it out). Be sure the loop is away from everything, conducting
or not. Note that vertical orientation is preferred unless the loop
is 1/4 wavelength or more above the ground. As a last resort, the
length of the loop could be shortened, but extending it by sweat
soldering a copper coupler and more tubing is not recommended again
due to ohmic losses.

Art and I finished the small loop on Sunday, May 29, and put it on
the air during the CQ WPX CW contest. Art was working stations on
on 20 and 15 meters from several areas in the USA, Caribbean, and
(I think) Europe with about 25 watts, catching most of them on the
first or second reply. I suppose his call being NT1M helped to get
some attention! The loop is very directional when mounted vertically.
Contrary to our intuition, the main lobes are in the same plane as
the loop and the nulls are perpendicular to that plane!

I made the large loop on Monday. Conditions were pretty bad but I
worked a guy in Michigan on 40m and got a 58 report with 100 watts.
The large loop tuned up perfectly on 40m. On 30m, the best SWR I
could get was about 3:1. It would appear that even the residual
capacitance of the variable cap I used will be too much for 20m,
since the cap was open about 90 percent for 30m. Nevertheless, I
plan to continue debugging the large loop to hopefully get a
better match on 30m using all the hints I mentioned above.

In summary, the 30-12m loop can't compete with a yagi on a tower,
but it's a good performer that can certainly serve as a reasonable
primary antenna. It's ideal for apartment dwellers or covenant-
restricted neighborhoods and can easily be carried in a car for
portable setups. I think I'll build a mobile mount for it next!

   73,
   Scott WO1G
============
Scott Sminkey                email: [e-mail]
Software Sustaining Engineering        voice: 508 952-4792
Xyplex, Inc.                fax: [phone]
295 Foster St.                (Opinions, comments, etc. are mine,
Littleton, MA 01460                    not Xyplex's...)


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 00:03:45 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA12427; Fri, 10 Jun 94 00:03:30 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 00:03:30 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Testing
Sender: [e-mail]
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Sorry to bother y'all, but I'm testing a new version of majordomo on the
list.  Please ignore.  --bruce WT1M

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 00:56:29 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA12691; Fri, 10 Jun 94 00:56:23 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 00:56:23 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: testing
Sender: [e-mail]
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testing again 2.

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 01:14:20 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA12766; Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:14:14 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:14:14 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: test 3
Sender: [e-mail]
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this is test 3.

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 01:26:13 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA12814; Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:26:06 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:26:06 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: test 4
Sender: [e-mail]
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test 4

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 01:36:02 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA12843; Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:35:45 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:35:45 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: test 5
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test 5

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 01:38:55 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA12857; Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:38:49 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 01:38:49 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: test 6
Sender: [e-mail]
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test 6

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 03:09:33 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Bruce Walker <[e-mail]>
    id AA13222; Fri, 10 Jun 94 03:09:14 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 03:09:14 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: new majordomo system
Sender: [e-mail]
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I just upgraded our majordomo mailing list maintenance robot from a very
old version to the latest, greatest.  This is hopefully a final test of its
functionality.  If you have problems with sending mail to the list, please
let me know.  --bruce WT1M

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 08:54:50 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
From: Gary M Diana <[e-mail]>
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
X-Authentication-Warning: usc02.rfc.comm.harris.com: Host localhost didn't use HELO protocol
To: [e-mail]
Subject: PCB layout software for the PC
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 08:54:25 -0400
X-Mts: smtp
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Hello All -

   Anyone out there have any experience with Printed Circuit Board
(PCB) layout software for the PC?  I've been making circuit boards
from magazine articles, now it's time to make boards from schematics
which currently have no artwork available; for example, some of
the projects in "Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur".

Gotta get those ducks in line for the fall/winter building season!

73, gary n2jgu

** listen for wb8ygg/2/qrp on FD weekend **
** [160m, 80m, 40m, 20m CW]              **


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 09:33:37 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
   Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:22:56 EDT
          id 0139; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 09:22:56 EDT
   with TCP; Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:22:56 EDT
      id AA1595; Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:22:32 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
In-Reply-To: <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:09:11 EST
From: "Robert E. Easton"                          <[e-mail]>
Reply-To: "Robert E. Easton"                            <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: Xmtr, Wattmeter, or Dummy Load??
X-External-Networks: yes
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The problem:
SWR into a dummy load is not the 1:1 that I expected.

The setup:
Brand new OHR Spirit feeding a brand new OHR Wattmeter feeding a dummy load.
The Wattmeter is a Breune bridge good for accurate FWD and REV readings.
  (BTW - the wattmeter is accurately calibrated to the figures specified.)
The dummy load is a 50 ohm, 10 watt ceramic resistor, one about 2 in long
with a square cross-section.

FWD power reading is about 4.5 watts, as expected.  REV power reading is
about 1 watt.  I expected near zero into a dummy load.  Is something wrong
here, other than my expectations?    :-)  Maybe that resistor isn't pure
resistance?  Ideas?

Thanks,     Bob - N2IPY


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 10:06:51 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA06178; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 10:06:26 -0400
    id AA28204; Fri, 10 Jun 94 10:07:35 EDT
    id AA12577; Fri, 10 Jun 94 10:07:34 EDT
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: "Robert E. Easton" <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Xmtr, Wattmeter, or Dummy Load??
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:09:11 EST."
             <[e-mail]>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 10:07:33 -0400
From: "John F. Woods" <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail]
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>   (BTW - the wattmeter is accurately calibrated to the figures specified.)
> The dummy load is a 50 ohm, 10 watt ceramic resistor, one about 2 in long
> with a square cross-section.

If that's a "sandbox" resistor, then it's wirewound, with the inevitable
results.


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 10:21:30 1994
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X400-Received: by mta NT.COM in /PRMD=NORTEL/ADMD= /C=US/; Relayed;
               Fri, 10 Jun 1994 09:20:03 -0500
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Content-Identifier: Gell Cell Cha...
From: [e-mail]
Message-Id: <"29156 Fri Jun 10 09:19:47 1994"@nt.com>
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Subject: Gell Cell Charger Review
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The chargers that I ordered from All Electronics have arrived and I have
a chance to use them some. They seem to work OK. There is no technical
documentation included just directions on using the charger.
Catalog Description:
Kintek "Intellicharger". Charges 12 volt gell cell lead-acid batteries of
1.6 amp/hour or greater. Charger circuit regulates current providing
more current to low cells and gradually ramping down current as battery
approaches full capacity. LED glows red for fast charge and green when
battery is ready to use. Batteries can be left on charger indefinitely.
Review:
The charger comes wrapped and boxed and appears to be new. It consists of
a 12 VDC 500ma wall cube with a 48 inch (approx) cable connecting to a
small plastic box (.75"X1"X2" approx), there is a bi-polar LED mounted in
the box and a short cable ending in a 5 pin DIN plug. The box has four
screws in the bottom for disassembly. The box contains a small PC board
with an LM-324, the LED, a power transistor, a variable pot, and several
resistors and capacitors. There is no schematic. I replaced the DIN cable
with a cable ending in alligator clips.
Plugged in, with nothing connected to the charger, the LED is green, the
output voltage is 13.8-14.0 vdc.
Plugged in and attached to a low battery, the LED is red, the output voltage
varies based on the charging current, the maximum charging current is 500 ma.
As the battery charges, the battery terminal voltages rises and the charging
current reduces. When the battery voltage reaches approx. 13.8 VDC, the LED
changes from red to green and the charging current drops to about 90 ma. The
change over point for the LED (and the charging current) can be adjusted by
the variable pot on the PC board.
During the week, I have used the charger on all the gel cells I have
(2, 7.5, and 25 A/H) and it seems to work. I dischargd a 7.5 A/H battery
to 11 Vdc, attached the charger and left it overnight. The next day the
battery terminal voltage with the charger still attached was 13.8 Vdc. After
removing the charger and letting the battery sit a few minutes, the battery
voltage dropped to approx. 12.9 Vdc. I should mention that all my batteries
are used and I normally get approx. 12.5 - 12.7 Vdc when using them and
discharge them to 11 - 11.5 Vdc before re-charging.
So, I'm still playing with the charger, but it seems like its a good deal.

====================================================================
Dave Redfearn, SR PC LAN Analyst   Northern Telecom  RTP, NC.
ph.[phone]  email: [e-mail]    qrl? de N4ELM/qrp

All opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of
my employer, co-workers or any other person, real or imaginary.



From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 10:26:34 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id AA12641; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 10:27:40 -0400
    id AA08604; Fri, 10 Jun 94 10:14:32 -0400
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 10:14:32 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
From: [e-mail]
To: "[e-mail]"[e-mail]
Subject: SWR problems
Sender: [e-mail]
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Bob, N2IPY, writes:

>The problem:
>SWR into a dummy load is not the 1:1 that I expected.

>The dummy load is a 50 ohm, 10 watt ceramic resistor, one about 2 in long
>with a square cross-section.

>FWD power reading is about 4.5 watts, as expected.  REV power reading is
>about 1 watt.  I expected near zero into a dummy load.  Is something wrong
>here, other than my expectations?    :-)  Maybe that resistor isn't pure
>resistance?  Ideas?

Bob, you hit the nail on the head, to use that old, worn out cliche. Unless
you're *positive* that resistor is non-inductively wound, I strongly suspect
your dummy load has a reactive component at the RF frequency you're pumping
into it. The square ceramic power resistor you describe is made of resistance
wire wound around a ceramic core with leads attached at the ends. This whole
affair is then encapsulated in a ceramic case. So in other words, it looks
like an inductor to rf.


The Solution:

Buy some carbon composition resitors (inherently non-inductive) and parallel
a number of them to get to 50 Ohms. Alternatively, check out suppliers like
DigiKey who sell resistors that are specified as being non-inductive.


Bob - N3MBY

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 10:56:43 1994
Return-Path: <[e-mail]>
    id KAA23995; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 10:56:28 -0400
    id AA01243; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 10:56:26 -0400
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: "Robert E. Easton" <[e-mail]>
Cc: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Xmtr, Wattmeter, or Dummy Load??
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 10 Jun 1994 09:09:11 EST."
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Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 10:56:25 -0400
From: Daniel C Halbert <[e-mail]>
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Bob, you didn't say that the resistor was definitely non-inductive, and
given your description, it sounds like a wirewound high-wattage resistor,
which is deifnitely NOT going to give you 50 ohms pure resistive reactance
at RF. Try something advertised as a dummy load. I believe Radio Shack
sells low-power dummy loads.

Dan, KB1RT

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 11:10:35 1994
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   Fri, 10 Jun 94 11:10:14 EDT
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          id AA11736; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 11:10:12 -0400
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Subject: schematic/manual for Farnell power supply
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Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 11:10:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Vinod Narayanan" <[e-mail]>
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I just acquired a FARNELL stabilized power supply,
model G12-20A, from a friend. (He had picked it up from a
"lab-dump" operation a while back, it was just sitting
around gathering dust..)

Just wondering if anyone has any specs/schematics sitting
around for this, so that I can get a copy. I will cover
usual costs, of course.

(If it works when I plug it, I probably won't need anything, but
you never know.)

--vinod
email: [e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 12:08:24 1994
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From: [e-mail] (James M Fitton [phone])
Date: 10 Jun 94 16:06:00 GMT
Cc: [e-mail], [e-mail] (James M Fitton)
Original-From: mvubr!mvjf (James M Fitton [phone])
To: [e-mail]
Original-Cc: [e-mail], mvubr!mvjf (James M Fitton)
Subject: QRP Nets
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Hi Tom and Inet gang:

NEN (Northeast) QRP CW Net meets at 8 am  est, on 7.040 mHz, on Sat.
mornings.  NCS (Net Control Stations) are  K3TKS  &  WA1JXR, and
the main objective is just to get your call acknowleged by the NCS,
not to send any traffic etc....  Sometimes there are over 30
check-ins (QNIs) and it may takes an hour to accomplish this with
help from QSP (relay stations).

Periodically the total number of your QNIs will be published in the
QRP-ARCI Quarterly newsletter (QQ). If you make it at least  25
times, you are eligible for a nice certificate from QRP-ARCI.

72   W1FMR





From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 12:32:45 1994
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From: [e-mail] (James M Fitton [phone])
Date: 10 Jun 94 16:31:00 GMT
Cc: [e-mail] (James M Fitton)
Original-From: mvubr!mvjf (James M Fitton [phone])
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Original-Cc: mvubr!mvjf (James M Fitton)
Subject: 40-40 QRP Kits
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FYI - Kits

Jack, NG1G shipped a dozen 30 meter kits from the 2nd batch of
50 kits ordered.

He is still waiting for the crystals to complete the 40m kits.

Also, he sent out postcards requesting balances.

Additional orders for kits should go to Dave Benson, NN1G.
(Dont get calls mixed up)

Also,  I finished a 40m portable station to be used in the
QRP-AFIELD event this fall (9/17).

It consists of a miniature tuner, tuning bridge, keyer, and
NorCal 40.  The antenna will be an endfed wire with a couple
of 1/4 wave radials.  I cant wait to show it off at QRP-NE
Field Day......

Next, I am working on the 30 meter 40-40 station.

72   W1FMR


From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 12:49:59 1994
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    (Smail3.1.28.1 #2) id m0qC9l9-000wGBC; Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:48 PDT
    id AA00156; Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:50:04 PDT
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Subject: SuperKeyer II RFI
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 09:53:40 -0700
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Per recent comments by WB4OWL and KI0G:

I installed a Super CMOS II in an A&A Engineering K9AY 20m
xcvr and got a pretty bad whistle at about 14.035.  It goes
away when the CPU shuts down, about 2 seconds after I stop
sending.  If anyone has solved this problem, please post
the answer!

73,

/Rick N6XI
[e-mail]

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 15:48:57 1994
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Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 14:48:26 -0500
From: Jack Bryant <[e-mail]>
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Subject: QRP QSK and relay(s)!
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Hi gang,

   I have never posted anything anywhere, but I read, and a while back
there was a thread which was strongly anti-relay.  My main radio is a
Ten-Tec Argosy, which uses PIN diodes and quarter wave pi networks to
perform T/R  switching; however, I often use noisy antennas for Tx and
different antennas for Rx... for example, a vertical array for Tx and a
Beverage for Rx.  I suppose I could get into the Argosy and modify it,
but a noninvasive solution is easy and very inexpensive.  It is all
analogue (ok, a relay is digital, but the timing is analogue), and I
did not invent it: I got the circuit from the 11th edition of Hints &
Kinks (ARRL), page 4-1, the idea from Herbert H. Stevens, W6RSP.
Modern reed relays are many times faster than the relays available back
then, and are entirely suitable for less than 50 watt levels.  The
relays switch at K5FO rates; I only needed up to about 40 wpm.
  The circuit (an ASCII version attempt follows) works because if you
shunt a relay with a reverse biased diode then it holds longer, while if
you shunt a relay with a condenser then it delays the drop in time.  The
relays are 5 volt relays, Radio Shack 275-332, the diodes are 1N4001
(=almost anything), and C can be ~30 mfd @ 10 v.  A reed relay is no
good at switching RF, but in this circuit it doesn't _switch_ anything,
sort of like the railroad switch: the RF switch has no trains running
downline when it changes state.  I am sort of skeptical about the RF
properties inside the relay, so I isolated the DC connection from the
relay with RFCs; this is also handy since the 5 volt relays don't need 6
volts. I have no idea what specs the RFC's were: junk box.  But key
down the relays had about 5 volts across.  None of this stuff is
critical.
   To adapt this circuit to switch Tx/Rx with a common antenna all you
do is put the antenna where XcvrAnt is now, the transmitter output
where the Tx Ant is now, and the receiver input where the Rx Ant is
now.


                                       /o---Rx Ant
                                      /
    Xcvr Ant------------------------o/  o---Tx Ant
                                      _
                            .--------| |
                            |       _| | Ry 1
                            |  D1  |  -
                            |-->|--|
                            )      )
                     RFC1&2 )      )   +12 v nom
                            )      )    ___
    Xcvr Key In________     |      |     |
                       |    |      --|<--'
                       |    |        D2
                 /o nc |    |   C
                /      |    |--|(--.
   Gnd|-------o/  o____|    |      |
                _           |      |
               | |---------'       |
       Ry 2    | |-----------------'----Key---|Gnd
                -

    Parts list:

    C       About 30 mfd, 10 v
    D1, 2   1N4001, not critical
    RFC1, 2 Junk box pi type chokes, select to drop relay voltage
            to 5 volts with 13 volts supplied (about my average in daytime)
    Ry1, 2  5 volt reed relays, spdt, contacts rated 1 A 125 VAC

Timing:

Key (high=down)   __________
        __          ________
                     __________
Ry2 (keys tx)   _____          _____ Note delay owing to C
                   _______________
Ry1 (ant chg)   ___               __ Note stretch owing to D1


    -Jack W5TFB



From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 18:51:27 1994
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    (rama) id QQwttb19621; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 18:51:03 -0400
        ; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 18:51:14 -0400
    id AA13340; Fri, 10 Jun 94 15:54:07 EST
From: [e-mail] ( Jim Osburn          )
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Evansville Hamfest
To: [e-mail] (QRP Mailing List),
        [e-mail] (Jack Derry),
        [e-mail] (Bruce Black),
        [e-mail] (Keith Hoover),
        [e-mail] (George Bowles), [e-mail] (Ben Kulp),
        [e-mail] (Bob Evinger),
        [e-mail] (Charlie Kuhn)
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 94 15:54:06 EST
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Last Sunday I attended the Evansville Hamfest.
It's a small hamfest but there were some bargains there.
The bargain of the day was knobs for $0.10 each.  They look like the
Radio Shack communication knobs.  I bought 10.
I bought a bag of pushbuttons, maybe 30 in the bag, for $3.00.
I need four of the pushbuttons for my next keyer, I have plenty left
for the junk box.
I bought a bag of 10 k pots with 0.25" shafts, maybe 20 in the bag, for $3.00.
I bought some 78L05 regulators for $0.10 each.
I bought some nice looking plastic enclosures for 3 for $10.00.
They'll make great QRP rigs but I think I'll replace the front and
back panels with PCB material and use more PCB material inside to
get some shielding.
I bought some BNC to UHF adapters.
I bought a copy of the book "Keys, Keys, Keys".
I bought some other odds and ends too.

There was one QRP rig for sale there, an A&A Engineering job for $100.00.
That's A&A, not S&S.  I always get those two mixed up.
In other words, it wasn't an ARK.
I couldn't get the attention of the guy selling it, he was too busy yacking,
to ask what band it was on.
I figured $100.00 was probably too much and moved on.

I ran into a lot of ham buddies at the hamfest too.
All in all, I had a good time.

73,

Jim, WD9EYB

From [e-mail]  Fri Jun 10 22:13:10 1994
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 id <[e-mail]>; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 22:09:41 EDT
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 22:09:41 -0400 (EDT)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: T-Kits Arrived !
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The two kits that I ordered form Ten-Tec about six weeks ago arrived this
week.  I ordered the audio amp. (1.5 w.) to give the audio level of ny MFJ-
9020 a boost and also the econo-keyer that I may end up using in a yet to
be built OHR Sprint.

IMHO, PC Boards, components, and silk screen work are good.  Do wish
Ten-Tec could have offered a masked PCB - the last OHR project spoiled me.
Instructions were adequate for first time kit builders, but if this is
indeed a first kit then it might be necessary to get an experienced hand
to do a little instruction in the finer points of soldering.

A new catalog arrived with the two kits - I noticed that several items
that appeared in the first edition of the T-Kit Catalog didn't reappear in
the second edition.

One interesting kit for the QRP crowd is a 20m. to 6m. transverter that
requires 3 - 5 watts of drive sor around 8 watts out on 6 m.









requires 3 - 5 watts of drive for around 8 watts out on 6 m.

            Bob - WA4ZID

From [e-mail]  Sat Jun 11 01:05:42 1994
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    (1.37.109.9/16.2) id AA2026518347; Fri, 10 Jun 1994 22:12:11 -0700
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 1994 22:12:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tom Kerns <[e-mail]>
Subject: Solder-It Butane solderer
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Folx -

    I just purchased a "Solder-It" brand refillable butane soldering
pencil.  I got it from the manufacturer (I think) at the hamfest in
Seaside, OR last weekend.  Now I'm having a hard time making it work, so
I'm wondering if anyone on this list has ever used one.  Here are the
problems that are happening:
1.    I don't think it is filling very fully.  I'm refilling it with
the refined butane can that the fellow sold at the hamfest, so it's gotta
be ok stuff.  It seems to fill awfully fast, and start to overflow, so I
stop filling.  But it doesn't seem to last more than maybe 10 minutes.
2.    Also, it is *very* difficult to light.  I start with a fairly low
flow, just like the directions say, but it often doesn't catch, or it
goes out easily.  This does not seem right.
3.    Is it true with butane solderers that you can't really use them
when there is even a very *mild* breeze outside?  They get blown out very
easily?  This one has two heads: one is a regular point for doing regular
solder.  The other is an open flame, very directed, for working with
their solder paste (which they promise is extremely conductive and
extremely strong).  The open flame head goes out very easily.


    Now this is the first butane soldering unit I've ever used, so I
might just not understand how they work, but I've used plenty of other
gas type devices, so I have a *little* experience.

    Any ideas?  Could it just be a defective unit?

- Tom    AA7ZG



Dr Tom Kerns, Professor of Philosophy
North Seattle Community College
9600 College Way North
Seattle, WA 98103
email: [e-mail]
voice/voicemail: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
Amateur radio callsign: AA7ZG
Packet: AA7ZG @N7DUO.WA.USA.NA

   Fly Fishing is The Answer.


From [e-mail]  Sat Jun 11 01:08:21 1994
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    id m0qCLHS-0000EdC; Sat, 11 Jun 94 00:06 CDT
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From: [e-mail] (Jason Penn)
Subject: NorCal 40 Parts Info
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Date: Sat, 11 Jun 94 0:06:54 CDT
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Greetings to all.

I have (almost) all my parts ready for the arrival of my NorCal
40 Partial Kit. I am posting to point out that Mouser is out of stock
of 2.2 uF 50v non-polar electrolytic caps. They told me maybe sometime
in October. The good news is Radio Shack stocks them. The bad news is
they cost 4 times as much at about $1 each. Oh well, we only need 4 of them.

I also thought I would mention that in the parts list Doug so
conciderately posted, I found what I think is a tiny nit. The rubber
feet are listed as being from Digi-Key. I could only find the matching
part number in the Mouser catalog.

On a related note: What are some ways to "match" the crystals for the
filter? I read the pertinent parts of SS Design and the W1FB Design
Notebook. The crystal characterizer instrument looks neat, but I'm
sure not going to build one in the near future. At minimum I thought
I would throw together a little oscillator and match them for
frequency with my counter. As for the equivalent series resistance and
bandwidth, I don't think I have the appropriate gear here for that.
Suggestions?

Thanks!

--

       Jason F. Penn N9RPT |  Persoft, Inc.  |  [e-mail]
   Whenever I want to find something, it's always in the last place I look.