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Handiham World for 15 May 2013

15 May 2013 | by Patrick WA0TDA | Leave a Comment (0)

Pat Tice, WA0TDA, is the manager of HANDI-HAM and a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com. Contact him at [email protected].

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A man walks into a bar…

15 May 2013 | by Scott NØZB | Leave a Comment (0)

A ham with a parrot on his shoulder walk into a bar.

Barkeeper asks “where did you get that?”

“Dayton” says the parrot.

Scott Hedberg, NØZB, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Kansas, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

14 May 2013 | by Larry W2LJ | Leave a Comment (1)

Do you want a treat? Some “eye candy”? Some really beautiful workmanship and craftsmanship? Do you want to see what really excellent home brewing looks like?

http://aa7ee.wordpress.com/2013/05/11/the-na5n-desert-ratt-2-regen/

All I can say is “Wow, I wish I could build stuff that looks this good!”

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

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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As seen on TV

14 May 2013 | by Larry W2LJ | Leave a Comment (2)

Well, actually, as seen on eBay. These are a few things I’ve seen on eBay that made me look twice (OK, maybe more than twice) :

This looks familiar, no? Upon first glance I though someone was auctioning off a Kent Twin paddle. Nope, it’s the latest and greatest from China. Price is about the same as a Kent – have no idea about the quality.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ham-short-wave-radio-automatic-paddle-key-paddle-high-quality-Copper-/310660359604?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Transceivers&hash=item4854cce5b4#ht_1438wt_1054

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-ELECRAFT-KX3-HF-Xcvr-Brochure-and-BUTTON-/221055759317?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3377f333d5

This one had me scratching my head. No it’s not an auction for a KX3 – it’s a “Buy It Now” for a KX3 brochure and button. Yep – a brochure and button for $9.95. Go figure.

Now this one REALLY had me shaking my head!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ham-Radio-Control-Software-PLUS-Utilities-MUST-HAVE-/250347935425?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Transceivers&hash=item3a49e656c1#ht_12075wt_1172

Ham Radio Deluxe software on a CD for the “Buy It Now” price of $12.95. Supposedly the disc comes with a lot of Ham Radio software besides HRD. It had better, because you can still download the versions of HRD that are on this disc for free by going to the HRD Website. Really.

The next thing I noticed was there are two outfits on eBay that are selling weighted spinner knob sets for the K3. Two weighted, spinny knobs for VFO A and VFO B. Supposedly makes QSYing a breeze. I have the normal, factory knobs and I’m quite content, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

The American company out of Ohio is selling these weighted knob sets for $180.00. Yes, you read that right, $180.00. His look pretty nice:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECRAFT-K3-DELUXE-VFO-A-B-WEIGHTED-SPINNER-TUNING-KNOBS-/181125948557?pt=US_Ham_Radio_Transceivers&hash=item2a2bf2a48d#ht_787wt_1172

But there’s also a guy in Bulgaria selling weighted K3 knobs and his look fantastic!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ELECRAFT-K3-WEIGHTED-KNOBS-A-B-PAIR-BLACK-EARTH-/370791980702?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5654ec9e9e#ht_500wt_1172

This guy only charges $87.00 and if you don’t like these with the globe on them, you can get a set with your call sign engraved on it. Personally, I ain’t spending a plugged nickel for different knobs for my K3 ……. but if I were? I think I’d go with the guy from Bulgaria.

There’s a lot more crazy stuff that you can get on eBay – this stuff caught my eye today.

72 de Larry W2LJ

QRP – When you care to send the very least!

Larry Makoski, W2LJ, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Jersey, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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The Electric Bill

14 May 2013 | by Mike AD5A | Leave a Comment (0)

Some of you 'not so old timers" may have never heard of Hugh Cassidy, WA6AUD. Cass, as he was referred to, wrote humorous stories about DXing for the West Coast DX Bulletin that featured the QRP'er who went "up the hill" to discuss and get counsel on the Mysteries of the Ages and the Eternal Enigmas of DXing. If you haven't read any of Cass's work, you really should read a couple before you read my story below. His stories can be found on the this website, www.oocities.org/k2cddx/dxstories.html
So in the vein of Cass, I submit another story of the DXer and the QRP'er

The Electric Bill

The DX’er came up the hill the other day with a stern look on his face. “What’s wrong with you” we said, just trying to start a conversation. “I just received my electric bill and I’m going to have to tell my XYL that we just can’t keep the house as warm as she wants it”. We were very careful not to get too involved in a domestic squabble, but we thought we should explore the situation a little further. “How warm does she want it?” we asked. He ranted, “Not only does it cost a lot of money to keep the house warm, but I break into a sweat when I’m in the shack trying to work a little DX, I don’t know why the thermostat has to be so high” The situation was starting to become clear to us now because we knew that the DX’er had a least one Alpha in his shack plus a mysterious black switch on the wall that he clicked “on” when he didn’t work the DX on the first call.

“Did you ever think that it’s all the tubes in your shack that keep you warm and that maybe it’s cooler in other parts of the house, perhaps where your XYL sits in the living room”, we suggested. He stopped to think for a minute, we knew that the situation was getting clearer for him. He then got an indignant look on his face, “You QRP’ers are always picking on me because I run a little power, I think that you are just jealous”. “Run a little power”, we said, “Last week the power company had 5 complaints in your neighborhood of dimming lights and a loud hum. Wasn’t Bouvet on last week?” “I don’t know what you are talking about” he said, looking away, “but yes Bouvet was on and I bet none of you QRP’ers worked him” he said with an arrogant grin. “On the contrary” we replied, “we all worked them”. “That’s impossible, none of you run more than 5 watts and the pile-ups were huge, I had to fire up both….I mean I had to use my amp or I would have never gotten through on the first day”. We let him have his fun as he bragged of nabbing Bouvet on 6 bands and then we reminded him that it was a three week expedition and that the pileups on the last days were much more manageable and that each of the QRP’ers had contacts on multiple bands with just 5 watts. He was speechless, as he confronted one of the eternal enigmas of ham radio. He was a little deflated and it seemed to us that in his own eyes his accomplishments had been diminished. “You mean each of you guys worked Bouvet?” he said quietly. “Yes” we said in unison “and our electric bills are much less than yours because we don’t need to run two, I mean we don’t need to run an amplifier”. The DX’er was humbled as he headed back down the hill, electric bill in hand, much slower than he came up. He was heard to say, “They worked Bouvet and have a lower electric bill”. Working rare DX with QRP; truly one of the Mysteries of the Ages.

Mike Crownover, AD5A, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Texas, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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David Cripe’s NM0S Cyclone 40 Meter Transceiver kit

14 May 2013 | by Tom K4SWL | Leave a Comment (1)

Readers, check out the Cyclone 40 in this release:

A new kit from the Four State QRP Group and David Cripe (NM0S)

NM0S’s Cylcone 40M QRP transceiver. Look for it at Four Days in May!

Arising from Dave’s entry in QRP ARCI’s 72 Part Challenge Design Contest in 2010, the Cyclone 40 is an enhanced version of the original design. The transceiver designed for the design contest had 72 total parts, performed well, and won honorable mention. This improved version has less than 100 components and even better performance! The kit features all through hole parts and easy assembly. The receiver is a superhet design with very good sensitivity and selectivity, and tunes the entire 125 kHZ CW segment of the 40M Band – and does so at a comfortable tuning rate. A frequency readout is included so you know where you are at all times.

This is a complete kit, including the enclosure. A high quality board package includes the pc board, front and back panels, the sides, and top and bottom all of which make up the enclosure. The control and jack labels are silk screened in white letters and vividly contrast with the black solder mask, and the holes for the connectors and controls are pre-drilled. The ends are “dovetailed” together making a very rugged, easy to build, and attractive enclosure.

Features and Specifications

General

Enclosure: A very nice predrilled and silkscreened enclosure is included. It’s easy to assemble and looks great.
Ergonomics: Smooth solid tuning, a quiet receiver with QSK and well behaved AGC. Nicely laid out front and rear panels.
VFO: The VFO is a simple PTO design, is very stable, and also quite easy to build
Sidetone: Included!
AGC: Audio derived, fast and smooth.
Frequency Range: 7.000 – 7.125 typical.
Tuning Speed: 10kHz/knob turn typical.
Stability: 300 HZ the first 5 min after power up, less than 10 HZ/hour after that.
QSK: Fantastic QSK! Full Break in, excellent muting, really fast!
All Through Hole Parts There are NO SMT parts in this kit, and only three easy to wind toroids.
Dimensions: 4.4 x 3.6 x 1.9″
Power Connector: 2.5×5.5mm coaxial, center positive. Should be fused at 1A, fast blow at PS
Antenna connector: BNC

Receiver

Configuration: Superheterodyne, 11 MHZ IF, 4 Crystal IF Filter.
Sensitivity: MDS (Minimum Discernable Signal) -125, Typical, below the normal 40M band noise level.
Selectivity: Four crystal, 500 HZ IF filter
IMD3: 90 dB typical, better than most commercial gear!
IP3: +10 dBm typical – another very good number
Frequency Readout: 3 or 4 digit CW, 1 kHz or 100 Hz resolution (user selectable), developed by Adrian Hill, KCØYOI.
Band Edge Marker: A band edge marker is heard at 7.001 MHZ
Headphone Jack: 1/8″ stereo, standard earbud/Walkman® headphone compatible
DC Current consumption: 30 ma typical at 13.6 VDC.

Transmitter

Configuration: Stable, Wide Range VFO (PTO design), Efficient Class E Final.
Spectral Purity: All harmonics and spurs less than 50dB below the carrier.
Output Power: approximately 4W into 50 ohms
DC Current consumption: 500ma typical at 13.6 VDC Will operate down to 9v DC.
Key Jack: 1/8″ stereo, grounded shell, switching the tip keys TX. Contacts accessible for an internal add-on keyer

Kits should be available at QRP ARCI’s Four Days in May conference at Dayton, and will be for sale on the Four State QRP Group’s web site approximately May 20th. The final price hasn’t been determined yet but should be less than $100 plus shipping.

Tom Witherspoon, K4SWL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from North Carolina, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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60 years of age!

14 May 2013 | by Juilian G4ILO | Leave a Comment (16)

Today is a day I thought I’d never see – my 60th birthday.

Even on such a special occasion you can’t keep me away from the radio and computer!

Julian Moss, G4ILO, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Cumbria, England. Contact him at [email protected].

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