MKARS 80m progress

Finished of the case and the CW adpater over w/e.

I bought an extra a case from Steve for the CW adapter and an other that holds a 12V SLA battery pack and a long wire ATU

M1KTA ATS-3B Build

Opened the kit and printed off the assembly/operation manual.

And I finally started my ATS-3B build.

Resistors and inductors first...



As there will be plenty of reversing of the board during the construction stages I used a long 3mm bolt and nuts to support the board off the surface during construction. Rather than use a rotating vice.





This is almost straight down and it is almost impossible to see but the resistors and inductors have been soldered in place! 0805 and the tiny 0603 components. Started without aid of magnification. Hot iron and steady hand needed. If you click on the image and get the full size one you can see not the absolute neatest ever and I will clean off some of the excess solder!

I did not use the solder KD1JV (Steve) included as I already use 30swg solder and a temp controlled iron wih a 0.5mm tip (was 0.7mm but filed down a bit!).

Capacitor and surface mount IC's (you may notice I re arranged R5 too!)
(Note need to clean up the pads, you can clearly see too much solder on some and a little peak/point as the soldering iron was withdrawn)

Slanted view:


Reverse side



So far only taken a couple of hours soldering time. The 0603 resistors were not that bad, the difficult chip IS the DDS AD9834 as there is very little room. I used solder wick to separate three of the pins. The digital images on macro were excellent for seeing dry joints.

I think the difficult bit is now done :-)

The finished main board
Top

Bottom (L3 to fit after alignment)

The capacitors fitted to LPF (The green caps to be fitted after adjustment.)

The populated PCB

QSBA

QSBA


Another kit from the shelf.

This one from KD1JV and it is the base station accessory for the ATS-3 series of rigs.

I have both an ATS-3 and ATS-3B kit and I am about to start of the ATS-3B version.

FCC-1 & FCC-2

FCC-1


FCC-2 (I have used a temporary knob just to confirm functionality)


Just finished the two NorCal kits FCC-1 and FCC-2 that I have had on the shelf for a while.

Exactly what I will do with them remains to be seen.

The FCC-1 as a standalone frequency counter is very useful.
The FCC-2 has the HF bands already coded into it with a selectable IF offset.

SDR RXTX

After BERU operating with a 80m/40m Softrock RXTX on cw I will build up the SDR kits for the others bands that I have had for a while. The 40m/80m setup is one of the projects I took to HOGCON (http://www.hogcon.com/) show and tell. I have started the next which is a 20m/30m rig. These are discontinued now but I have several of the kits. I will step through them until I have all the HF bands covered.


I have an internal PCI Creative SBLive! 24bit sound card and another external USB card so I intend to make the SDR setup CW/PSK and SSB.


At the same time I will complete the builds of the two kits Jan G0BBL sent me a while back http://m1kta-qrp.blogspot.com/2009/01/usb-controlled-synthesizer-si570.html


As it might be interesting to see a multiband RX setup.




I might also take a stab at adding 5W pa to each. Like here:

http://valdez.bz/wordpress/?p=167








SM0VPO says:






This is a rather unusual QRP Power Amplifier design, with a wide frequency response; within three dB's from 300KHz to 30MHz. Overall gain is in the region of 16dB and the final output power may be well over four watts.
The wide bandwidth is a result of the construction of the RF transformers, T1 and T2. These are wound on 2-hole ferrite balun cores as commonly found in the old fashioned valve TV sets (e.g. Phillips 4322-020-31520). Twist 2 lengths of 22 SWG enamelled wire together and wind as shown. Connect the end of the "A" winding to the start of the "B" winding. Use this junction as the centre-tap of the transformer.
This PA will deliver 4 watts continuously (with a suitable heatsink), and may be loaded into a short-circuit or open circuit without causing damage. This makes it almost the ideal PA for outdoor/field use. Above is the full circuit diagram of the RFPA and the coil winding pattern. This PA may be used for for SSB, as well as CW (and AM?).
Set RV1 to MINIMUM resistance and apply 12volt power with NO DRIVE. Adjust RV1 for about 250mA DC total supply current. This may be be reduced to a much smaller current if lower output powers (reduced drive) is used.



I might just build a single PA and switch it in to line for each.









Funny how the current situation is encouraging me to finish projects off!





I just finshed the daughter card and here I am testing it, two small videos :

First crystal

2nd Crystal

The rest of the build images:

All the caps and resistors installed.

BERU 2009

Last year in 3B8 (Mauritius) I entered the BERU contest, not really understanding the rules, and being scared out of my skin when I was was the bottom of a CW pileup for the first time ever, apart from not being capable to operate cw I came last. This year the 71st RSGB commonwealth contest took place over the weekend of 15th-16th of March and I operated from home (UK). The guys behind it state that “The commonwealth contest promotes amateur radio contacts between stations in the Commonwealth and Mandated Territories A more relaxed contest environment gives the opportunity to work some choice DX”

http://www.beru.org.uk/

Although not being an avid cw contester or operator I am a fan. It is not often that I get the change to work DX stations on cw. The pile ups will always tend to be rather large when DX is heard and especially in contest the big guns will always tend to work the DX first and the qrp stations will just have to wait there turn. BERU is great in one way as there is less of a EU Zoo to contend with, some obviously don't understand the DX stations saying BERU only... ho hum...

Even with a simple antenna if the station you are calling can hear you they will work you. Amazingly I worked nearly every one I could hear some times the pile up’s meant a 45 minute wait and I just had to wait a little longer but in the end I made the QSO my station was qrp or very close to it and made up of a Norcal-20 on 20m, a Softrock RXTX on 40m and 80m, I also had a little c10W PA, built at the builathon FDIM 2008. The antennas were a Hustler 6BTV vertical used on RX. A Dipole on 20m, a 1/4 wave vertical with 3 radials on 40m and a W3EDP on 80m. The last antenna was not connected properly so I used the Hustler on 80m.

Win-Test was used to send cw using a simple PTT interface. Sometimes sending way above the speed I could read, I used a sound card to capture cw and replay it much slower to establish the callsign, so managing contacts as at 10-12 wpm noone responded.

Hoping to reach 100 qso’s but this was not to be. Not all QSO counted for BERU. I never made any contest contacts on 15m or 10m but I have been told I was heard so the bands are not all dead! I had fun in the BERU, from UK this time and I am looking forward to next time perhaps from a rare country as far as BERU is concerned. With some practice I may even be able to increase my qso rate and work some new countries.

Just a little under 12 hours operating in the 24 hour contest.

Didn't run contest with a power meter in line as separate antenna feeds to the rigs but I am 100% sure everything was at or beow 10W as the shack rig usb mouse freezes above that power level, I have got to deal with that problem! All the 20m contacts were qrp with Norcal-20. Last time I checked it's output is just below 5W.
A QSO with 6Y8XF on 40m was definitely achieved qrp as I made a second attempt at contacts Sunday am after contest. Contest contacts already on 80m and 40m.
9H3JT on 40m and 80m were qrp too likewise 5X1NH and P3J on 40m.

Not a terribly impressive tally but then I know I am a poor cw op. If it had been SSB that lot might have been inside an hour hihi...

I think c15 or so DXCC commonwealth although I doubt all the stations were qrp and think most had very good ears. Sunday am most seemed desperate for the contacts, so that is hint if 2 day contest and want to work dx qrp, wait until second day! To be honest especially for VK/ZL I was above qrp level somewhere around c10W (homebrew pa from buildathon FDIM 2008) as they couldn't hear me well enough at 5W. I could hear every station callsign clearly and most managed to respond to my call without too many repeats.

Commonwealth stations worked:

20m
9H3JT, J88DR, VE3ZI, VY2SS, VE3UTT, P3J, VE3OI, K1WT, VE3FU, VC3A, VE3TA, 5B4AGN, VA3RAC/HQ, VO1HP, 6Y8XF, VO1MP, ZC4LI, VU2PAI, VE3QAA, VE3DZ, VE3KI, VU2PTT, VE3EJ, VQ9JC, VE3RZ, VE1RGB, VE3OBU

40m
ZC4VJ, 9H3JT, VK6LW, P3J, ZL4CT, VK2KM, VU2PTT, VK2AWA, ZC4LI, 5B4AGN, VE3OI, VY2SS, 5X1NH, VE3UTT, 6Y8XF, J38CW, VE3EJ, VE3QAA, VK7GK

80m
6Y8XF, J88DR

6Y8XF was Nigel G3TXF
Some might know some of the stations well.

Another CAT operator

This one is at G6ALU shack. Sophisticated cat, I think ours has a lot to learn befor it progresses beyond sitting on the keyboard. Seems to be operating an PIC-A-STAR tcvr in 80m contest, probably running search and pounce :-)