I decided to make my initial Project X prototype PCBs at home using the old tried-and-true method of toner transfer (via Pulsar Professional paper and foil). Since I’m a novice at PCB layout, I didn’t feel comfortable paying the money for a few proto PCBs from a board house, then finding out that I did… Read More Creating PCBs with “PCB Fab-in-a-Box”
Here’s a video that I made this afternoon of the Project X receiver listening to 40 CW during Sweepstakes. Once I’ve got the microcontroller code up and running, hopefully I can get you a video of a complete QSO. Enjoy!
Here is the “Project X” proto: It’s kinda big with thru-hole components, but the current plan is to use SMT in production. Does that sound like a good idea, or does the mere mention of surface mount turn you off? Update Due to “popular demand”, I’ve decided to release a bit of information on this… Read More In Case Anyone Cares
Since FDIM 2010 is in the history books, it is my pleasure to finally publicly release my entry into the FDIM 2010 QRP Challenge: The Clackamas 40 Meter Transceiver. The rig is a VXO-tuned superhet that operates around 7.030 MHz. The heart of the design is the BF998 dual-gate MOSFET (which was popularized by W7ZOI… Read More The Clackamas QRP Transceiver
I recently received a couple of excellent photos of completed Willamette transceivers, and I just can’t help but brag on these wonderful creations. W8BH completed his rig quite a while ago but recently upgraded it by adding a KD1JV digital dial. Looks very sharp, Bruce! I’m really getting a kick out of this one. K3PG,… Read More More Willamette Pix
Yesterday I got the Clackamas all dressed up nicely in its new Ten-Tec TPC-41 enclosure. I have such a stack of bare, half-finished circuit boards laying in the shack that it’s always a real pleasure to get a project to the point where it’s well enough developed to put it in a case. It’s also… Read More All Buttoned Up
Over the last week or so, I’ve been coming home from work nearly every morning thinking about ways to tweak the Clackamas (FDIM 2010 QRP Challenge) rig. I’m sure that Jennifer is wondering if I have OCD at this point. This morning I was able to stamp out the last few bugs in project and… Read More Sweet Success!
I’m up to my elbows in the design work for the 2010 FDIM QRP Challenge, and I think I’ve come far enough along to give the rig a name. I’m happy to announce that I’ve dubbed this project Clackamas, in keeping with my tradition of naming my creations after Oregon rivers. The receiver is pretty… Read More A Sneak Peek at Project Clackamas
Our favorite fashion hacker/ham, Diana Eng, KC2UHB, has posted a new article on the Make Magazine blog with instructions on how to build an End-Fed Half Wave antenna tuner and deploy it with an antenna. (BTW, did you see that she was recently named to the ARRL Public Relations Committee? An excellent choice the League.)… Read More EFHWA Revisited
I’ve noted with quite a bit of interest the recent surge of comments on QRP-L favoring a QRP exodus up from 7030/7040 kHz to [part of] the old Novice watering hole of 7100 to 7125 kHz. The esteemed Arnie Coro, CO2KK seems to have ignited the fire with this post to the reflector: Dear amigos… Read More QSY