Nothing lika an open band

Have you ever watched static on the analog television after the broadcaster off the air? How about listening to 10 meters on the down side of teh sunspot cycle . . .you know just listening to white nose. I can recall doing that a while back (way back!) when I decided to check my SWR. Instead of going into tune mode, i simply did "aaahhhhhhh" sort of thing. Out the dead band, comes back " You can at least identify your self!"
  Turned out to be a station in Colorado.  I wonder how often a band is "dead" just because no one is trying. Sort of profound?

My HW-8 and other delights

I moved my beloved SB-104 (Heathkit) into the closet and have placed my HW-8 into the main position. Darn thing works. As so many others have commented, a DC receiver really does sound like you are closer to the RF itself. No mushiness, just "crisp" signals. I suppose it is the group delay in the if filter and the myriad of other devices the signal must get through in the Yeasu,  the HW-8 is more  pleasant to listen to. . . until the QRM picks up, then I miss the 400 hz filter on the SB104.
My bitx also has a crisp and clear quality to the sound, maybe it is not group delay in the filter, but AGC that gives the mushiness? Perhaps it goes back to the fewer the stages, the less distortion that gets added.

Still trying to figure out how to multi-band the palm-tree so I can get on 40 and 10. . . I am still pondering putting a 40 loop on the roof and if it is too noisy (QRN) use the vertical for receive and the loop to txmit on. Got the PA and filter board laid out for the Bitx, when I etch and stuff it, I should be close to actually using the darn thing.


Still trying to work a QSO a night, haven't gotten far with that, although I have been getting some practice in on the keyer, I may be ready next time I get into a QSO.

Oh, here's a story: When I was building my power meter, I used a LM324 (quad op amp) for only one amplifier (what I knew I had on hand.) Brilliant self, I used a TSSOP instead of the SOIC package I had on had. No problem, I only need the first four pins and ground.  . . only my LM324s had 16 pins instead of 14! After I looked at the data sheet, I looked at the part numbers on the chips and figured out that Digi-key sent me the wrong parts 18 months ago! So I designed my board for a chip I never had! I will just use some TL084 (still SOIC.)
That's all for now.

Chugging along -- or is it QRMing?

Boy am I rusty on the keyer. I am using the Norcal keyer chip as my keyer now and it is much better than what I was using. However, I still seem to struggle. I can remember a few (many few!) when my Bencher paddles seemed to do all the work for me. Now I stumble over my own QTH! I need to consider this the next time I move. Perhaps a city with a five letter name would be nice.

I did work a station in Columbia (the country, not the SC capital!) and a few more local ones. I am quite impressed with the palm-tree vertical.  I still would like to add 40 and 10 meters.

Finally got the rest of the parts for my Bitx-20 (my own SMD design.) so I can resume work on that. I also am about to get my Rock-mite  finished, although I still need a portable antenna to use it (or my HW-8 for that matter.)

All seems in slow motion, I know, but progress is progress. As my kids get older, I should have more time. I still am looking at how I can operate during my compute, but the drive may be a bit too intense to focus on ham radio.

Well, 73' s for now. Hope to see you on 20 meters.

Back on the air!

If I had known how much better the "Palm Vertical" would work, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble. I worked Texas Sat. night and received a 599 with 10 watts. I know that Texas is not far, but I also heard a station on the Galapagos (and a massive pileup) on 20M. The key is that the antenna is far from all the crap on the house wiring. I am wondering about the quality of the service ground. Still thinking about a roof mounted loop for 10M and 15M. With the sunspots on the rise, I certainly want to have some capability on those bands.

I finally broke down and bought the replacement Norcal keyer chip to replace the one I lost (along with the board!) So I laid out a new board and built the thing. Now all I need is a case. I hope it will improve my CW.

I am down to the power meter and the DDS signal generator and I will be caught up and ready to get back to my SMD bitx. . . I ordered some Toko IF transformers for the band-pass filters today. Hopefully I can move that project along and start talking on it. I have an exciter and VFO and can produce a few mw of RF, but still need the filters and PA to make a completed unit.

A simple wire over the palm

The crappie pole was interesting. Still, there may be an easier way. This past Saturday I improved my radial system around the palm tree. I buried 6 14 foot radials just under the sod. I then took an eighteen foot long piece of wire with a fishing weight on the end and threw it over the palm tree.

Ok, not the fanciest. But, by gosh, I was 59 in to Michigan. Completed my first CW QSO in a long, long time. Boy was I rusty on the 'ole Benchers. My Keyer is a design from "Fundamentals of Amateur Radio, circa 1970s. It is made up of two 741 op-amps. It is far from perfect and has a few quirks which can make it tricky to use. I think I sent di-di-di-di-di-di-di-dit (error) more times than I would like to count! Still I survived.

With the antenna 40 feet from the house I can hear! The thing does tune up on 30, 15 and 10. But I doubt the efficiency is high. Still need a good way to get on 40. I am thinking of a loading coil and another wire tossed over the palm. It's a shame the palm is only about 18 feet high (to the top of the leaves, the trunk is a bit lower still.)

Someday I still wnat to try a lop lying on the roof. . . we shall see. For now I am QRV!

A Crappie pole may be the answer after all

I actually had some time Saturday to play with the antennas. Moving my random wire to the chimney did not help the noise problem enough to make it worth while. So I took the 100 feet of Beldon 9918 I have had laying around for . . . many years, I think about 17!, ran it along one of the fence stringers to the farthest corner of the Baby/Dog enclosure (about 50 feet form the house.) I used a 12' crappie pole with 24' of wire and a 12' radial, I tossed the "extra" wire over a nearby palm tree. AMAZING! I can actually hear stations on 40M (S5-S6 noise levels.) I can also hear on 20, 15 and 10! I think I am on to something. Another beautiful thing is that it is invisible from the street. In addition, during long terms of not using it, I can lay it on the top fence stringer so it is really invisible. This may be better than a flagpole.

I am ordering a 20' rod from amazon and the new plan is to use 3 parallel wires for a 40,20,15 and 10 meter vertical, sort of leaning up against the palm tree (which also places it outside the baby enclosure.) I may be on the air yet! (almost 2 years from the start!) Maybe play with 30M too.

I'll post some pictures when I get it set up for real.

Boy has it been a while!

You ever see and interesting blog, that never comes to fruition? That would be this one. I have been soooo busy, this is the last thing I have had time for. Plus, I have had no time for Ham radio since last July! I am still working on the antenna problem. My mag loop (my daughter calls it: my contraption) needs a better mounting and a little more capacitor for 40M. The adapted electric screwdriver works well. I will have to confirm that it is difficult to get more than an octave (2:1 freq. ratio) because of the Min/Max Cap ratio. So, I will probably build two loops. Another possibility is build a small receive only loop and put it outside, well away from the EMI of my home and use it so I can hear stations (my main problem right now with the Attic/Siding random wire.) Even before all that, when I get an hour or two, I am going to move my wire to up along the chimney and out to a vent pipe and see how that works.
My Bitx is still in the container I use for projects under construction, as are all my other projects.