Quickie video

 

Bas PE4BAS ignited an idea in my brain about getting the audio that Bob sent me of his Progressive Receiver incorporated into the blog. I decided to let my video maker software generate a quick, down and dirty video. I apologize for the roughness of this effort, as the images are appearing multiple times in order to fit in most of the sound file that Bob sent me. This video is definitely not one of my better efforts, but it does serve as a vehicle to allow me to include the sound his new build produces. Sorry, Bob - you deserve better than this, but I wanted everyone to hear how good your receiver sounds!

And for those of you who have trouble with the Morse Code, here's a few world famous fellows doing some translating:

Those "eh eh ehhhh eh eh" sounds were PBX YSM TDM NVE ZYL. Gibberish, but at least it was actual letters and not just random dits and dahs!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

I wish I could build stuff like this

My friend Bob, W3BBO has been working on a Progressive Receiver for the past months and finally got it to the point of his satisfaction. There are two parts to it - the receiver itself and them the Converter Box which contains the outboard speaker and the modules which let him choose between 80, 40 and 30 Meters.

He sent me some audio last night of some CW he was copying on 80 and 40 Meters. I wish I could post it here. It appears that Blogger only supports picture files and video files - or I'm just too stupid to figure out how to attach an audio file- which is a real possibility.

In any case, Bob is way too modest, but his craftmanship is light years beyond anything I could produce. I've homebrewed some pretty basic things like UNUNs and even a memory keyer that was just parts and a schematic which I had to figure out how to put it altogether.

If I were to tackle a project like this my receiver would end up looking like one of those limp clocks from a Salvador Dali painting.  Bob's receiver is sweet to listen to and it's definitely not bad on the eyes, either!

I worked a few POTA stations Sunday morning and the bands seemed to be in good shape, then a geomagnetic storm came out of left field, causing the K index to go above 5 and unsettling conditions. Checking into the St. Max Net last night, signals were way down. The past couple weeks have been beautiful as I was hearing just about all the check ins. Last night I was having trouble hearing Lloyd K3QNT at times, the NCS for the net. He's always the loudest signal I hear and when his signal goes down, that generally means I'm not going to hear everyone and that proved to be the case.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Decisions, decisions

My Weller WTCPT soldering station is going nigh on about 35 years old or so. I got it as a Christmas present from my parents back in the days when I was Service Manager at Sinar Bron. Each of us in the department had one and we used them every day, of course. They are like Timex watches in that "They take a licking and keep on ticking!"

My tips are getting old and worn and it's getting a bit more difficult to find new ones. And when you find them, "They ain't cheap". So I had to do some soul searching. Do I buy new tips, or is it time, perhaps, for a new soldering station?

I was looking at the 75 Watt station available form Circuit Specialists. 

It's only $33 plus shipping.  It also comes with a hearty recommendation from Bob W3BBO, who has one. As tempting as it was to order one, I decided to go on eBay where I found some WTCPT tips. With shipping, three brand new tips came close in price to  (but still below)  the new soldering station. I may regret my decision, but the Weller has served me for so long and for so well that I'm going to take the gamble and bet that the handle will continue to work for the foreseeable future. A replacement handle is about $99, give or take a few $$$. If it ever kicks the bucket on me, then I'll look for something new.

I was looking at reviews of newer Weller soldering equipment on eHam and was concerned with the comments. It seems that they're not being made like they used to, so I am going to hold on to my relic from the past - for the time being, anyway.

A relic holding on to a relic - works for me!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

W3BBO to the rescue! Once again.

 I mentioned in the previous post how it's QCX toroid time. I had mentioned to Bob W3BBO that as excellent as Hans Summer's assembly manuals are - they differ from Elecraft in one important way.

When you're ready to wind a toroid in an Elecraft kit, they generally start off the step with something like this "Cut off a 12 inch piece of the supplied magnet wire". In the QCX manual, Hans just gives you the toroid nomenclature and the number of turns. I'm not a rocket scientist - how much wire do I need without cutting too much and wasting some - or cutting it too short and REALLY wasting some?

Bob W3BBO had the answer, as always.  Go to W8DIZ, Diz Gentrow's Website at kitsandparts,com. He has a toroid page complete with winding info.

Take for instance - L4 on the QCX 40. It's a T37-2 toroid and you need to wrap 16 turns on it. Simply go to https://www.kitsandparts.com/xtoroids.html and you will see that you need a 10 inch length of magnet wire. Easy peasey, lemon squeezy! 

This is the stuff you automatically know when you are a home brewer par excellance, which Bob W3BBO is and I am obviously not. Thanks again, Bob - for pulling my fat out of the fire. In thanks, I will pay it forward and pass your tip to others out there who may need it. (I'm probably alone in that regard).

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Quiet weekend

Although it was a busy weekend "civilian world-wise". it was quiet Ham Radio world-wise with two exceptions.

Saturday, the New Providence Amateur Radio Club held it's annual auction. This was the first time I ever attended. I went with the prospect of just hanging out with friends, and ended up coming home with an unexpected purchase.

John N2DV, Tim AB2ZK, Dave KD2FSI, Chris N0CC and Marty WB2BEW were all there and it was nice to see them. The unexpected purchase was a Hallicrafters Sky Buddy receiver which I picked up for $40. It had the original instruction sheet with it as well as an extra tube.

Back in the day, when I was studying for my Novice exam, the Sky Buddy was always spoken of fondly as a Novice's "dream receiver" during the Golden Days of Amateur Radio. I'm also a sucker for Hallicrafters, for some reason. The price was decent, the rig appears to be in decent shape, so it got added to my collection. I'll take a photo of it and will post.

I was contented with the purchase; but what I really should have bidded on was an MFJ QRP rig that was there. I'm not sure of the model, but it was the one with interchangeable band modules. It looked brand new and obviously hadn't seen much use.  It ended up not selling, as there was no interest in it. I didn't bring a lot of cash (not expecting to bid on anything) and the Sky Buddy had tapped me out. Wasn't meant to be, I guess. I really don't need another small QRP radio anyway - but that begs the question. Can you have "too many"?

On Sunday, I got on the radio, in an attempt to work W3BBO when I was alerted to him being spotted on RBN on 40 Meters. Propagation was such that 40 Meters was not a viable path between Erie, PA and South Plainfield, NJ. I ended up going up to 17 Meters, out of curiosity, just to see if the band was open. It was there that I heard ZW86LABRE in Brazil. They weren't very strong, but the band was dead otherwise. I sent out my call and worked them on the first try.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Impressive!

My good friend, Bob W3BBO picked up one of these this past week - the Xiegu G90.

Bob is the guy who really got me into QRP as a full time Amateur Radio pursuit - not sure whether he knows that, or not. I've said before that I was always a QRP dabbler since my Novice days, but then one day, back in the annals of history, he brought his brandie-new Elecraft K2 to one of our Piscataway Amateur Radio Club Field Day efforts. A few minutes behind the dial and buttons and I was a hooked QRP'er for life.

Bob still has that K2. Mine was sold off a long time ago in order to afford my KX3. I love my KX3; but I still have a tiny bit of remorse about having to lose the K2. The sacrifices we make ...............

Anyway, Bob bought this little rig this past week and he's been having a ball. And I must say, I've been quite impressed.  It's really gotten him back on the air in a big way.  I have W3BBO set up in HamAlert so that I know when Bob has been spotted on RBN or on the DX Cluster. If I'm home, I go out of my way to get into the shack to try and work him. While I'm at work, there's not much I can do - it just chirps at me. And it's been chirping a lot this week - which has been a good thing! And the results he's been getting are not shabby. Look at this RBN report from a couple days ago:

There's only one report that's not in double digit dB's. That's pretty darn good! Of course, no rig is going to get out without good antennas and Bob is fine in that regard. It's still a good thing to know that a purchase that you've made is a good one. And anything that gets a friend back on the air, big time, is also a good thing.

Wishing you much success and fun with your new radio, Bob - can't wait to hear it on the air!

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP - When you care to send the very least!

Fishing at the Lake

When we come up to Lake George for our annual Summer respite, we notice that a lot of folks come up here for the fishing.  Throughout the day, you see people going to their boats; or coming back from their boats, with rods, reels, tackle boxes and other sundry items in hand.

I like to fish while I'm up here, too. My kind of fishing is different however. Instead of plying the waters of the lake, I ply the layers of the ionosphere. Instead of looking for blue gills, bass, carp and sunfish, I look for call signs. In a way, the two activities are a lot alike.

Instead of rod and reel, my equipment is my KX3 and my home brewed magloop.  I could set up an EFHW or perhaps the Buddistick, but the magloop offers rapid set up and take down while maintaining relative stealth. I try to stay in the good graces of our host here, and don't wish to do anything that he might deem as "not permissible".  Throwing a wire into a tree would definitely be pushing the envelope, all though I have done that in the past. The owner has never complained, but some of our fellow cabin dwellers can be a bit "catty" if you will, at times. Why press your luck if you don't have to?

I got on both 20 and 40 Meters yesterday. Activity wasn't the greatest; but I did make some contacts. I worked a W8/G station that I thought might be visiting the States on holiday. He was calling CQ with no takers and I just wanted to assure him that his signal was loud, and was getting out. Turns out he was in fact, in England, in Newcastle. But he was remoting through a station in Michigan via the internet. Sigh - DX that doesn't count.

I switched to 40 Meters and worked several CW Ops that were participating in the 1900 hour CWT, one of their weekly CW Sprints. I worked four stations, all in Virginia. For whatever reason, I seemed to have a pipeline to VA. I worked all on the first try - a testament to their antennas and ears - but also a testament to the magloop. It works, and pretty well at that.

Then I heard my buddy W3BBO working K3TF.  Bob was a solid 559/569 with some QSB. I waited for their QSO to end. Bob said he had to run at the end of his conversation with K3TF. He really did have to QRT! I called him a couple of times with no joy. A subsequent e-mail revealed that Bob had been told that dinner was ready, so that was that. Maybe another day.

Getting back to the analogy of fishing and Ham Radio. I have often commented on how the two are so similar. They both involve skill, smarts, knowing your equipment, but most of all, perseverance, especially for QRPers. If all you know is QRO, and then switch to QRP, you have to switch your mindset as well as your power setting.

Patience is not only a virtue, it is a necessity if you decide to become a dedicated QRPer. The contacts will come, but it will definitely be different than making them with brute force. You'll need to intimately understand propagation, timing, your equipment and yourself. And most of all, you'll need to understand the importance of listening and how that plays into the scheme of things.

Yeah, it's way easier to make those contacts with 100, 500 or 1,500 Watts. But IMHO, at least, it's nowhere near as satisfying.  When you get to the point where you can bust a pileup or make that contact with Japan or Australia the first time you try with 5 Watts, that's Ham Radio heaven.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

My buddy, W3BBO has been busy again.

This time building a crystal radio and an antenna to use with it:

Admittedly, we are both fascinated by the ability of a diode, capacitor and a coil to detect radio waves and convert them to audible signals that you can actually listen to. "The Magic of Radio" as we both refer to it. It never gets old, and it seems that as technology gets ever more sophisticated and complicated and involved, we are both still fascinated by and drawn to the simpler aspects of radio. That may mean crystal sets or just "doing HF" like we used to - twiddling the dial, making QSOs without the aid of Clusters, Panadapters, and other gadgets and hoo-haws, and just enjoying being on the radio.

Isn't his handiwork the coolest?

You might think a crystal radio wouldn't be worth much; but this is how Bob described it to me in an e-mail:

"I removed the headphones and attached my old Radio Shack amplified speaker.  Basement filling sound, just like having a “real” radio on.  I find it’s performance amazing!  The only power source is the 9-volt battery in the amplified speaker!"

That's the wonder of it all - radio from a receiver that's not powered by anything, really.

When I was a young one, I had one of these:

I used to sit in our kitchen with the alligator clip attached to the metal finger stop on our rotary wall phone. I was able to pick up WWOR and WABC and a few other NYC stations, as well as WCTC our local AM station in New Brunswick, NJ.

Looking back at it, I think that like Bob, it was crystal radio that planted the seed about RF that eventually bloomed into the Amateur Radio flower.

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!