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SMD Project

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

I finally took the plunge. I am just getting back into building my own radio gear after a few years off the wagon operating primarily QRO commercial gear. As I have built gear in the past, I found it very satisfying to put something together that works and then use it to make QSO's. However, while I was away from the kit building scene there was a step change in the technology of radio components and the methodology to build them, that is SMD, (surface mount devices). These are very small capacitors, resistors, diodes, etc... that greatly reduce the size of whatever you are building. Let me repeat, very small. They are tweezers and magnifying glass kind of small. I would say simply, that I was very intimidated by this change. However I wanted to learn.

When Steve, KD1JV, kitted another run of his MTR (Mountain Top Rig), I wanted one. It is however an SMD kit, but I thought why not take the plunge. However when the kit arrived with its cool looking case and I looked at the components I thought maybe I should have someone else build this kit. I didn't want to ruin such a cool radio with my learning mistakes. So I outsourced that one. However, I still wanted to learn SMD construction. Somehow I felt like a QRP wimp because I couldn't build SMD projects. So, what to do?

As I searched the QRP kit world, I found the perfect project. The SMK-2, a kit from Doug Hendricks, www.qrpkits.com, is a 300mw, 40m crystal controlled transceiver. It is specifically designed for SMD training. So I ordered the kit.

SMK-2 SMD Kit

There are a couple of methods to build SMD projects that I wanted to try. The first is the solder paste, hot plate method. To be brief, you put small amounts of solder paste on the component solder pads and then place the components on the pads. You should use a syringe to apply the paste. You can do this with as many components as you feel you can keep in place. It is a delicate operation but when done properly can save a lot of time. You should only have one "cooking' if you will, so put as many components on the board this way, if not all, as you can. I chose to do a few of the capacitors. After applying the paste and placing the components you put the board on a cooking griddle set at 200 degrees F. When the solder paste starts to smoke you use a hot air gun, (available at hobby stores or with commercial SMD soldering stations), and direct the hot air at the components. Before your very eyes the solder adheres and makes a very nice looking solder joint. When completed, let the plate cool before removing the board.

After I let the board cool, I wished I had set more components in this manner as the joints looking almost professionally done. However, I wanted to learn to hand solder these small SMD as well, so I would have plenty of small parts to practice on.

Hand soldering requires some magnification device. I use a relatively cheap, lighted magnifying lamp like the one below. It is a 2X glass with a small 5X circle that you will need to identify parts.

You will also need some tweezers to hold the components during the soldering operations. The hand soldering process is as you would suspect, tin one pad, set the component and then tin the second pad. So far, with the right tools, the hand soldering has been much easier than I suspected.

I haven't finished the project yet, but have put down the capacitors, resistors and diodes, so the bulk of the work is done. One thing to be aware of, try to do the work where you can find dropped parts. I dropped a resistor onto the carpet in my shack and had to use a nylon trap on a vacuum cleaner to find it.

I will let you know when I pass the smoke test.

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

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Alexloop on the deck calling CQ

5 May 2013 | by Mike VE9KK | Leave a Comment (0)


RBN spots (click to enlarge)

The weather once again was great and I wanted to take the Alexloop out onto my back deck to see how it would do once again. The other day I had no spots at all but this day was a complete different story. I was operating my KX3 at 3 watts. The antenna as was already mention is the Alexloop mounted on a tripod. I called CQ on 20m,30m and 40m it was the late afternoon and nothing could be heard at my end at all. I was spotted only in the States but conditions have not been all that great. I did hear some American stations on 30m but they were just at the noise level. By the spots on the Reverse Beacon Network my signal is getting out! I am excited to see how this antenna does once the condition improve.

Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

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ICQ Podcast S06 E09 – International Amateur / Ham Radio Beacon Project (5 May 2013)

5 May 2013 | by Colin M6BOY | Leave a Comment (0)

Series Six Episode Nine of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

The P5 Project
RILGES East Sussex Repeater Group
New Amateur Radio Club for Bath
New QRSS/WSPR ham radio kit
Free WARD certificate
South African Hams to get 472 kHz license
ZB2TEN beacon is now fully operational
Ham Radio 50 MHz operation in New Zealand
MB7IDA - Danbury Echolink frequency change
Taxi drivers fined for using GPS Jammers
Norfolk Island
Isle of Skye activation
Queen's Award for Wood & Douglas

Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) joins us to discuss International Amateur / Ham Radio Beacon Project plus Austalian report from Ed Durrant (VK2JI) and our new north American correspondent Frank Howell (K4FMH)

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

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ICQ Podcast S06 E09 – International Amateur / Ham Radio Beacon Project (5 May 2013)

5 May 2013 | by Colin M6BOY | Leave a Comment (0)

Series Six Episode Nine of the ICQ Podcast has been released. News Stories include :-

The P5 Project
RILGES East Sussex Repeater Group
New Amateur Radio Club for Bath
New QRSS/WSPR ham radio kit
Free WARD certificate
South African Hams to get 472 kHz license
ZB2TEN beacon is now fully operational
Ham Radio 50 MHz operation in New Zealand
MB7IDA - Danbury Echolink frequency change
Taxi drivers fined for using GPS Jammers
Norfolk Island
Isle of Skye activation
Queen's Award for Wood & Douglas

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

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Series Six Episode Nine – International Amateur / Ham Radio Beacon Project

5 May 2013 | by Colin M6BOY | Leave a Comment (0)

Series Six Episode Nine of the ICQ Amateur / Ham Radio Podcast has been released. The latest news, Leslie Butterfields (G0CIB) joins us to discuss International Amateur / Ham Radio Beacon Project plus Austalian report from Ed Durrant (VK2JI) and our new north American correspondent Frank Howell (K4FMH)

Colin Butler, M6BOY, is the host of the ICQ Podcast, a weekly radio show about Amateur Radio. Contact him at [email protected].

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Busy Day

4 May 2013 | by Larry W2LJ | Leave a Comment (0)

Beautiful day again here in New Jersey – but extremely busy! Lots of chores, lots of running around and I didn’t get everything accomplished that I wanted to. But even at the end of a busy day, it’s nice to step back, take a breath and spend a few minutes engaged in “The World’s Greatest Hobby”.

This evening, I spent some time twiddling the dial on 20 Meters. At the very low end of the band GN4FOC was calling CQ with not a lot of takers. I am sure that if you are spending any time at all tuning up and down the bands, that you are hearing a bunch of stations with the “FOC” suffix. These are all Special Event Stations celebrating the 75th anniversary of the First Class CW Operator’s Club. I was lucky to work the one tonight that is situated in Northern Ireland. Jeepers, I just thought of something ….. does working an FOC station automatically terminate my membership in the SOC (Second Class CW Operator’s Club)? Somehow, I don’t think so. Anyway, getting back to the topic at hand, I always enjoy working stations from Ireland and Northern Ireland. My dear Mother-In-Law was born and raised in Ireland. She came from Donegal and many was the time she told me how Donegal is only a stone’s throw from Northern Ireland. For this reason, I feel a sort of “in-law” connection to Ireland and Northern Ireland, if you will.

Just a side story. When I first started dating my wife-to-be and met my future in-laws for the first time, I happened to mention in conversation that I was an Amateur Radio operator. I thought my dear future mother-in-law was going to have a heart attack! I found out later that one of her brothers (who never left Ireland) was a Ham and had a huge tower with a yagi mounted on it next to the house. Unfortunately, one summer he suffered a lightning strike and the entire house almost burned down. One of the reasons to this day that when I mention the word “tower” to my wife I get looks that are …….. unpleasant, to say the least.

Then I had a very short QSO with John WB4MED down in Florida. John and I have worked numerous times in various QRP sprints. I was looking forward to a leisurely rag chew with him, but as luck would have it, propagation was not on our side. 589 signals quickly QSB’ed to nothing and what seemed like promising propagation dried up on us faster than spilled water in Death Valley. Such is the life of a QRPer!

A little bit later, I was calling CQ near the QRP watering hole of 14.060 MHz and was answered by Mario IZ6YLT in Pesaro, Italy.

This was nice as it ended up being an actual QSO. As it turns out, it ended up being a K3 to K3 QSO! I was at 5 Watts and Mario was at 100 Watts. We gave each other 579 reports. I was on the Butternut while Mario was on his Hy Gain vertical – so it was a K3/vertical to K3/vertical QSO. We exchanged weather information as a matter of course; and again, I was surprised that New Jersey was just a bit warmer than Pesaro. Of course, I’m the typical American who assumes it’s always warmer on the Mediterranean than it is here!

The last QSO of the night was with Jerry W0PWE who hails from Johnston, IA. I am not sure if this is a picture of the rig he was using ………

But as Jerry described it, his rig was “built from scratch” and was putting out one Watt to a dipole. Jerry was 579, but there was more of the aforementioned deep QSB on both our ends, and I was afraid that the band was going to drop out on us without a proper good-bye, so we kept the QSO on the short-side. Jerry, should you happen to read this, I just want you to know how great your one Watt sounded and during your sign off, you actually peaked at 599! FB job! I wish I had remembered to turn on HRD’s audio recorder, otherwise I would have recorded Jerry’s signal.

First sign of old age, guys, when you start to forget the obvious things!

73 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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QRP TTF 2013 Contest Point Giver Report!

4 May 2013 | by Kelly K4UPG | Leave a Comment (0)

Last weekend was a fun one for me. I had an open day following a morning commitment, and then I was free to operate in the QRP TTF event. I had originally planned to strike out to a nearby trailhead for the extra multiplier but a hastily planned meeting nixed that plan. So I operated from the park area by Lake Fredrica in our housing development. It is my favorite spot due to the nicely spaced tall pines and open area to a sandy beach on the lake. The lake is spring fed and one of the clearest natural lakes in the area despite being surrounded by civilization. It is also a nice quiet RF location free of most appliance generated noise that is so common these days.

Being a dedicated Contest Point Giver, I set out to give some points to the serious ops among us. What a treat to casually listen, and try to improve my cw copying speed by listening to all the exchanges going on during events like this one. I love the fact that the SOTA gang was included and there were a few Florida QSO Party ops on 20m where I spend most of my time. It was also Polar Bear QRP monthly outing time and I got to Grrrrrr to several of my fellow Polar Bear ops. Thanks and an extra long Grrrr to Larry W2LJ, Perry N5PJ, Barry N1EU, and John N0EVH and hope I did not miss any other PB’s.

My view of the lake K4UPG

In the end, I had a fun day. Seems the bands were not solid, but I’ve gotten used to that in this current solar cycle. I kept hearing the same stations over and over. Now and then a new call would appear but most of the time they disappeared before I could work them with my Sierra at 2.4 watts. Even with my jumper dipole up at 45 feet I suspect my signal isn’t always loud enough to attract much attention. So I search and pounce and enjoy reading the mail and waiting to pounce. I did collect 14 different states and give myself a bit of multiplier for that fortunate turn of events.

Nothing like spending time outdoors doing something that I love. I especially appreciate my fellow QRP ops and the fun we have making QSO’s with limited power and gear.

CU on the air!

72,
Kelly K4UPG

Kelly McClelland, K4UPG, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Florida, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

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