QRZ! Ham Radio 9/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 9.iso/pc/files/q_review/nn1g.kit

Internet Message Format | 1996-06-24 | 9.2 KB

Date: Mon, 9 Aug 93 10:35:17 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Charles Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: nn1g review


Gang,

In the Jan '93 issue of The QRP Quarterly, there was an article
by NN1G, Dave Benson, on Rick Littlefield's qrp rig, the same one
used by MFJ in the 9020 rig.  Then someone on the net came up with
Danny Stevig's new address and the fact that he has a kit for $49.95
that has the two boards and all the components on the board and the
air variable cap and the variable pot.  For that kind of money i
had to order one.  ;-)

Got it in short order and had it assembled in about six hours and in
one of my cases.  I wrote up some corrections that i have sent to
FAR Circuits (Fred does the boards), to Dave so that he can send
and pass on suggestions to those who order his plans, and to Danny
so that he could change the kit a little.  Just minor things that
will make sure that first time builders won't have too much difficulty.

I'm even writing a two page assembly manual just for the first time
builder.  I must have the urge to be an author...................

Well, i got the little rig fired up Saturday morning, since i had a
11am lunch meeting with the North Texas QRP Group.

Notes:

o  NN1G 20 meter transceiver kit from Dan's Small Parts & Kits
o  Rick Littlefield rig modified.  Similar to MFJ 9020 qrp xcvr.
o  single conversion superhet receiver
o  single band rig available for 40, 30, and 20.  the 30 meter
   version sometime soon.
o  Dan kits it with separate bags set up for several sections
   of the receiver and the transmitter
o  Cohn crystal filter for 10MHz IF, about 600Hz wide.  I
   listened to pileups on 20 meters today for the NA contest
   no problem
o  two boards, both 1.8x3.8inches, Dave Benson says put 'em back to back.
o  7mm IF cans
o  keep your #11 Exacto knife handy, you will need it to cut the
   internal capacitor out of some of the IF cans
o  you wind 8 toroids, not difficult
o  rig is QSK!!!!  my favorite part
o  vfo controlled, but no RIT
o  has place for agc, but not circuit at this time.  i'm looking at
   the mfj design to see how hard it would be.
o  1.5W out using 2SC799, which i understand is not being made anymore,
   but someone on this group can give us an exact or better replacement.
   Dan has plenty of spare parts.
o  quality of parts in kit is nice and it comes with the 8 pin sockets for
   all the ICs (5 total) 3xNE602s, MC1350 IF amp, LM386 AF amp
o  no assembly instructions except for pictoral of parts layout for
   both boards
o  i've been playing with mine into dummy load the the keying is
   great.  smooth, sharp, crisp, and chirp free.
o  output low pass filter is five element Chebyshev
o  kit has both boards, all parts on the boards, air variable cap,
   volume control with on/off switch.  you'll need box, phone
   jack, power connector, ant connector, knobs, .... most of us
   have this stuff in junk box or we can get it a local Radio Shack.

i think somebody(s) has one on the net besides me.  was that you
Doug (KI6DS)?  how is your's doing?  got it assembled yet?

i haven't transmitted with it yet live on the air.  i've gotten
it aligned and listened to 20 meters for some period of time
checking out the receiver.  used the OHR WM-1 wattmeter to show
that the transmitter is putting out 1.5W into 50ohm dummy load.
using the TenTec Argosy II receiver, the 20 meter kit has a clean
crisp note and NO chirp.  one of the cleanest signals for a kit
except for the OHR rigs and MXM.

i'm in process of checking it out with other rigs, since i only
have two rigs capable of transmitting on 20.  all the other monobanders
are on 40.

Kit $49.95 from Dan's Small Parts and Kits, 1935 S. 3rd W. #1,
Missoula, MT  59801 and $3.75 for shipping.  I don't get a dime
from Dan, just another satisfied customer.


Hope we don't put him in overload.  :-)  I had Oklahoma QRP group
sked on Sunday, 8:30am CDT, and one of group already had one and four
others were ordering.  May take off like a rocket on sales.  :-)

Speaking of, I ordered the CMOS Memory Keyer II.  Got card from R&R,
14 day delay.  Guess Doug's posting created rush of sales.  All this
economic power in one place.

72 de k5fo   dit    dit
------cut here----------
Chuck Adams, K5FO - CP60
[e-mail]

======================================================================

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 93 10:52:14 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Charles Adams)
Message-Id: <[e-mail]>
To: [e-mail]
Subject: NN1G #2
Cc: [e-mail]


September 29, 1993


Gang,

Well, I did get NN1G rig #2 done and it's on 40 meters.

First:

I bought two kits from Dan's Small Parts and Kits, 1935 S. 3rd W. #1,
Missoula, MT  59801  phone/fax [phone].  I do not own or am in
any way associated with Danny Stevig's company.  Just another satisfied
customer.  The kit sells for $49.95 and $3.75 for S&H.  It includes all
you need for the two boards and an air variable.  It does not have the
case, connectors, but it does have the variable resistor.  So, you'll
need to find connectors for ant, key, power, and phones.  Also you'll
need some kind of dial indicator.  I want to thank Ed (W1AAZ) for his
very nice idea yesterday using the fender washer, whatever that is.  :-)
I know physically what it is, but i assume from the name that it is used
as a backing support for thin walled metal sheets for holding and supporting
items attached with nut and bolts.

Second:

You have probably seen my earlier postings on the NN1G kit for 20 meters.
It has been working great, i.e. if I can get some more air time when 20
meters is open.  I think that I will have to start bringing it to work
and brown bagging lunch to get some air time.  It will get me away from
my work (and contrary to what you might think, I do work  :-) ) and outta
the office.

The second NN1G kit took me longer, not to build, but a wait for a FT-37-61
toroid that is needed for the 40 meter mod.  I got the toroid yesterday in
the mail (the USPS is really slow sometimes) and installed it last night
after working on another NN1G kit that someone else built.  Got it going
first (sacrifice) then worked on mine.  Installed the toroid after putting
on 13T.  The rig worked the first time.  In fact, I started the IF
transformers at the same places I had the 20 meter version.  The
transmitter was exactly right.  The receiver required only minor tweeking.

It works great!  Was listening to Europe, F5IN was very strong for about
an hour around 0500Z to 0600Z.  I couldn't work him, since I had not aligned
the transmitter offset to the receiver at the time.  Now I have everything
aligned, I will start exercising the rig on the air.  I was checking the
receiver out anyway at the time.


Here is what I did to check out the receiver.  I put a PL-259 "T" on the
back of the Yaesu FT-707 transceiver (do not try this at home boys and
girls unless you are fully awake - as you will have two transmitters
wired to the antenna and to each other!!).  Don't worry, I unplugged the
CK-2 keyer from the rigs just in case.  :-)  I have had the Yaesu 707
for many years.  I consider it to have one of the better receivers around.
The QST review article has a noise floor figure of -126dBm.

So now I have two receivers on the same antenna on the same band at the
same time.  Starting at 7.000MHz and going to 7.075MHz (oh,  forgot -
I replaced the air cap with one I got from OHR, since the one provided
with the NN1G kit only covers 40KHz or so on 40M) I slowly tuned each receiver
to each signal heard.  I could hear the same signals on both receivers and
the NN1G receiver is slightly weaker, but not enough to worry about, since
with only 1W out I doubt that every weak signal could near me anyway.
I'm doing an article on The Principal of Reciprocity and what it means
to hams.

The NN1G receiver is noisier and I think a low pass audio filter would
help a great deal.  I'll try to breadboard one up this weekend and see
if it helps significantly.  It seems to have plenty of power in the
LM386 to drive the earphones (Yaesu FT-77) louder than I want into my
ears.

In summary, for $49.95, a good kit and I think you should have a little
experience before doing this kit.  There are no detailed instructions
and there are some tricks that will help you a lot if you know ahead
of time about construction.  I may buy one more for 30M.  :-)  It's not
that I don't have any rigs, it is my relief from stress.  At least that
is what I tell my wife.  :-)

BTW, the OHR cap is another $9 plus shipping.  But if you don't mind
the narrower band tuning with the original, there is nothing wrong with
it.

Ok, hopefully I am through with major construction projects for a few
months and now plan to exercise 40M like crazy during the winter months.
Starting Oct 1, I will schedule anyone that wants a schedule to try out
40M.  Mondays nites will have to be late (after 10PM Texas time), but
other nights should be OK.  Weekends are dependent upon the scheduling
of my social committee.  :-)

73 es enjoy your rig and hopefully I'll hear you on the air de k5fo/qrp

dit     dit