Transcript Kitchen Sink Radio

“Kitchen Sink”
Radio
Ham radio fun without
complexity
Roger G3XBM
www.g3xbm.co.uk
Tonight
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My approach
Homebrew techniques
Ideas for homebrew fun
Useful links
Good kits
Good value commercial rigs
My Ethos
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Modest power
Simple equipment
Simple antennas
Small is beautiful
Simplicity is elegance
Don’t waste money
Homebrew Approach
Bursts of energy – long gaps without building much
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Go for projects that will get finished
PCBs not required for “one offs”
Projects that don’t need lots of test gear.
Go for good kits
Hasn’t got to be amateur radio related.
Use the gear you make/own.
Components Choice
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Ugly construction
Discrete parts
VXO/crystal controlled
Standardise on parts: 2N3904/6, MPF102,
T50-2, T50-6, 0.1u, 10u, 1k, 10k etc
• Re-use parts
• Recycle boxes
The Humble Crystal Set
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Simplest radios to get going
Possible to hear real BC DX on HF
More to them than you might think
Amateur band DX reception possible
-55dBm
40m Regen Receiver
9 parts, works well
CW/SSB, -100dBm
Single FET transceiver
• Sensitive,
stable, non-fiddly, regen RX
• 1 active device
• Stable, crystal controlled, TX
• 14 parts !
VLF/LF Converter
Micro 80
4 transistor HF
transceiver
PA is the mixer
Pixie
250mW HF
transceiver
PA is the mixer
Breakthrough
problems
OXO HF QRP Transmitter
Any HF band, 1W, VXO controlled
Pipit 15m CW transceiver
Kitten 10m CW transceiver
Pipit derived cct.
0.5W RF out
0.5uV sens.
Full break-in
25kHz VXO
5 transistors
Fredbox 2m
Transceiver
Homebase 10 Antenna
• Simple horizontal halo for 28MHz
• Low cost, easy to build and tune up
• Works well
70cms Moxon Antenna
• Made in 30 mins from a metal coat hanger !
• 3-4dB forward gain
• 100 degree -3dB points
• Best DX 327kms with 5W
Earth Mode
Communications
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Communicating at <10kHz through the ground
Use audio power amps and ground rods
Ranges 0-10kms (typically <1km)
PC based RX/filters & QRSS for greater range
Useful “Simple” Links
HOMEBREW
– GQRP club
– Rick Anderson
– JF1OZL
– Harry Lythall
– Gollum’s Xtal RX
– Hans Summers
– N4DKD
– G3XBM
www.gqrp.com/
www.tricountyi.net/~randerse/radios.htm
www.intio.or.jp/jf10zl/
web.telia.com/~u85920178/
www.oldradioworld.de/gollum/index.html
www.100megsfree2.com/hans/
www.n4dkd.com/
www.g3xbm.co.uk
KITS
– Elecraft
www.elecraft.com
– Small Wonder
www.smallwonderlabs.com/
– Hendricks QRP www.qrpkits.com/
Some Good Kits
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MFJ Cub
Elecraft T1 ATU
Elecraft K1, K2 and K3
Hendricks kits
SoftRock RX
MFJ Cub
• 15m 1W QRP CW
• 8000kms DX with a
dipole
• Easy 3-4 hour build
• Decent superhet RX
Elecraft T1 Auto-ATU
• Matches 160-6m
• Instant retune when
band changing
FT817
• No-hands retune
from 80-10m
• 6hrs build
Elecraft K1 4 band
CW Transceiver
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Excellent kit in the Heathkit style
5W on 40, 30, 20,15m
Narrow CW filters
Keyer + memory modes
Auto-ATU
Works well
Elecraft
K2
“The best kit in the world producing a first
class HF transceiver”
K3 now available
Future projects
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500kHz QRP TX
10m QRP DSB transceiver
Improved single FET transceiver
A DSB Fredbox
Earthmode comms tests with QRSS
The G3XBM Shack
• Fits in corner of spare bedroom
• Homebrew rigs plus FT817 and IC703
• “Lab” in back of the garage
FT817
• Simply the best HF/VHF rig for the price
• Worked 4 continents on SSB handheld!
Miracle Whip
• Auto-transformer matched 1.5m whip
• With counterpoise is just 2 S-points
(12dB) down on a decent vertical
• DX 11000kms from the bedroom table
with 5W SSB!
IC703
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First class QRP radio
0.5 - 10W 160-6m
Speech processor
Auto ATU
DSP filters
Summary
Build something simple this weekend!
• Nice to own a few commercial rigs
• DXCC with QRP SSB and CW possible with
simple antennas (even handheld)
• Operate – use the bands
• Call CQ
• Diversify
• Have fun!