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Messages - caulktel

#31
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
April 02, 2018, 10:47:05 AM
Gil,

Just a heads up, on the kd1jvdesigns@groups.io, Steve added C13 to the list of caps that are not used. I think he meant to say C14, because if you leave C13 out you will have only 3 watts output. After installing C13 I now have 7 watts output. FYI.

Joel
N6ALT
#32
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 31, 2018, 11:35:01 AM
Gil,

Sorry to hear about your SB problems. I guess you already did the Mods to the board. Everybody really stressed making them right or there would be problems. I'm not particularly happy about having to Hack my shiny new board up but we have to do what we have to do. I tried to make them as neatly as I could. I seem to have a little lower power output than I would like to see, perhaps I haven't biased the final enough or using too low power supply voltage. Hope you get yours working.

Joel
N6ALT
#33
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 30, 2018, 05:11:15 PM
Okay problem solved, found one of the crystal leads in the filter shorted to the PCB under the XTAL, so just heated the joint and moved the XTAL slightly and Bob's your uncle! Receiver working great and Transmitter putting out about 3.5 watts for now. Got the calibration all set up so receiver right on frequency and BFO set. Next to start on the case.

Gil, how is yours coming?

Joel
N6ALT
#34
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 29, 2018, 05:31:53 PM
Closing in the problem. The receiver is working just numb. I'm getting there. The case came in today also, it's going to look soo cool.

Joel
N6ALT
#35
Using a tuner with any antenna introduces losses, however a EFHW is cut to resonance so no tuner needed unless you are going to use it on other bands. The EFHW's I use have 1:60 auto transformer to match the wire to the coax. I guess technically the transformer is a tuner of sorts, but fairly efficient. The best antenna would be a plain old dipole cut to resonance, but you have to have lots of feed line, (at least 20ft on 20 meters) to reach the apex and that introduces a loss in itself. So you will fine out what the rest of us have found out, there is no perfect antenna, so use what works for you, for me that's a EFHW.

That Xiegu 5105 is a nice looking radio but a little pricey for me, I think I'll stick with my FT-817ND.

Joel
N6ALT
#36
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 28, 2018, 06:33:46 PM
Got my Slop Bucket all done but am having a problem with receive. I believe the problem is in the first mixer, I'm closing in on it .

Joel
N6ALT
#37
Net Activity / Re: Radio Vacation, March 2018.
March 22, 2018, 04:14:44 PM
Sounds fun Gil, have a good time.
#38
I use all different kinds of antennas depending on the situation but my all time favorite is the End Fed Half wave or the EFHW. You just can't beat them for simplicity, performance, and ease of use. Throw a wire up in a tree or use a fishing pole and operate. No need to buy them either as they are super simple to build.

Joel
N6ALT
#39
The box was the hardest part of my uBitx build, I just couldn't seem to find the right size box but finally settled on this one in my post.

http://radiopreppers.com/index.php?topic=1384.0

I also am running Ian's 1.04 firmware and I really like it. With mine I had a lot of RFI from my cell phone until I installed it into a metal box, now nothing bothers it.

Joel
N6ALT
#40
CrpPrepper, you will love the FT-817ND after you get familiar withe the features. I bought mine about 6 months ago and love using it everywhere, in the shack, out in the field, even in the car driving down the road, it's a great radio.

Joel
N6ALT
#41
Hi Gil, Great video. Where I live there is a lot of livestock and farms everywhere with barbed wire fences. I've always wondered how they would load up with my T1 tuner but haven't tried yet. How did you actually interface to the tuner. I saw the clip at the fence end but how are you getting that to the tuner, UNUN, BALUN, straight connection. Where are you terminating the ground to the tuner.

Joel
N6ALT
#42
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 17, 2018, 06:43:24 PM
Not sure what case I will use but, it's here.

Joel
N6ALT
#43
Technical Corner / Re: New Steve Weber Project.
March 16, 2018, 10:26:22 AM
I have a hot air soldering station that I never use and some solder paste but am afraid to 'practice' on my slop bucket kit. I feel quite confident using a soldering iron, so will probably just do it that way. No kit yet.

Joel
N6ALT
#44
I just realized I misspelled Transceiver on my label. They really should put spell checkers on label makers. :D

Joel
N6ALT
#45
Finally done with my uBITX. Total cost, $145.00. Works great and will live on my night stand next to my bed and maybe go traveling with me this summer. Fun project but glad it's over.

Joel
N6ALT