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May 17, 2013 - Home after back surgery but not back to normal activities yet.
May 11, 2013 - In hospital recovering from major back surgery. Hope to get to go home next week. Have laptop here and will be able to communicate but can't guarentee content while on drugs. ;-)
April 26, 2013 - Today I am adding "day 2" to the Project-000
April 24, 2013 - I decided to build the little EMRFD DC receiver as a project in concert with the QRP-Tech group Project-000.
April 16, 2013 - Learning to use my new Tektronix scope. Wow! what a difference from old 465B.
Mar 30, 2013 - Snowed under here with work and play. My work takes precedence over play so not much is happening with my ham radio stuff.I did get a couple of amps on eBay but havent had time to try them out. I won a little AL-84 that can boost my FT-450D output to 600watts and a little solid state amp to boost my Flex1500 up to 100watts. My multi-band vertical is only rated for 600watts. I've too many projects started. I have parts for adding several enhancements to my 75A-4 including DSP DNR and a 200Hz CW filter. The 4:1 tuning knob kit I thought I had won on eBay turns out I didn't win it. They're going for very high prices now. I am putting together my own antenna switch. Those I've purchased don't seem to work that well. Either they change the Z too much or they arc because they were not designed for high power RF. One I purchased said it would handle 1000watts but when I used it with my FT-450D it arc'd even when the SWR was very good, about 1.2:1. Still spend a few min each day on-the-air. Was able to work the Clipperton Island DXpedition on 2 bands.
Mar 21, 2013 - Not much to report. been ill, out-of-town and trying to catch up on my work. I think my next project will be to re-cap and re-tube and re-align the 75A-4. I also have a 4:1 tuning knob kit and a new dial-drum to replace the yellowed one. I've been trying to catch a matching speaker on ebay but they're going for way too much. Saw on the other day for $215.The 75A-4 works great just as it is but I want it at peak performance.
Mar 5, 2013 - Check out my DDS page for schematic of new LT1253 dual-op amp buffer amplifier to be used as an output buffer for my N3ZI DDS.
Mar 4, 2013 - I do spend a small amount of time on the air. Worked Clipperton Island today on 12m CW.
Mar 2, 2013 - Spent most of the last week sending out DDS BUFFER PC BOARDS. So many of you wanted them that I had a 2nd batch made. I think today I have 3 left. See PROJECTS page for updates on my homebrew efforts.
Feb 9, 2013 - Condx on 10m still not up for the Spring. I monitor it every day. Transequatorial path to S America usually open in afternoon. Just worked LU1FAM. He was banging in here like he was next door.
Went through my LINKS page and updated and deleted dead links yesterday.
Feb 5, 2013 - Go to the PROJECTS page for updates on homebrew activities.
Jan 25, 2013 - Finished assembling the SS-40 receiver and it works. See PROJECTS page.
Jan 16, 2013 - Well it's been a while since I updated this web site. Several health issues have slowed me down.
I will, in the next day or so, update my progess on homebrew projects, my station status, new ventures and health progress. Go to Projects for update on homebrew stuff.
Nov 10, 2012 - While recovering from major surgery I have been thinking about my homebrew projects. I am slightly modifying my receiver/tranceiverto be "Another Progressive Receiver" project; that is, we'll start with a simple receiver, add modules to it to make it better and then a high-performance receiver. When that's done we'll add a transmitter to make a "Progressive Transceiver" .
Oct 2, 2012 - Been through more health issues and haven't done much lately. 10m is really open some days. Last weekend I got about 10 new countries on 10m CW. Just heard ZB2FK Gibralter on 28020 599 a min ago. Have changed some plans about which QRP rig to build. I'll finish my 1watt smtr but for a QRP transceiver I'm thinking about a modified SS-40 receiver and NS-40 transmitter, both connected to my DDS. by using control pins on the DDS I can switch freq as required to chg from xmt to rcv. The NS-40 will put out 5+watts. The SS-40 specs are fantastic for such a small receiver. See my Projects section for future homebrew.
September 7, 2012 - Got sidetracked from QRP homebrew projects because of health issues in the family. Well, get started again soon.
August 18, 2012 - DDS2 from N3ZI is working but need an output buffer. layed out pcb with Expresspcb. See my DDS project page.
Auguest 14, 2012 - Got distracted by my DDS project. I now have a DDS running to 34 MHz to be used as a lob generator. Will add an output buffer/amp next to drive 50 Ohms.
August 6, 2012 -
Made progress on "Oner" QRP 1W xmtr. See the "Oner" page.
July 29, 2012 -
Have my wife home from hospital now and she's progressing well. . .so, I'll get started on some of my projects again.
I think I'll start again by building a super simple little transmitter called "The Oner". QST, Oct., 1994. Not that I need a little transmitter like the "Oner" but I wanted a simiple project to try out my new Manhattan style pads from QRPme.com. See my "Projects" section.
July 25, 2012
With wife in hospital. Added a few "links" to this web.
July 11, 2012
From now on just check the blog on the "Projects" page.
29 June 2012
Getting started again. See the "Projects" page.
28 June 2012
Well with Father's Dau and my birthday activities I got out ot the routine of entering info into this blog. Also I got distracted and was off chasing rabbits. See my blog on my "Projects" page.
13 June 2012
Power out most of 2 days. Comcast still doesn't have my internet fixed. Connected through my neighbor's DSL and wireless router.
9 June 2012
Received 4 very old Heathkit transceivers today; Heathkit HW-12, 22 and 32. These are old tube-type units and probably aren't worth restoring. I'll try to restore one of them and use the other 3 for new projects. One will be a complete high-performance transceiver. Another will be a single band QRP rig. and the last will probably end up as my DDS lab signal generator. Go to my "Projects" page for more information
5 June 2012
Get cast off right wrist tomorrow and will finally be a whole peron again. Hi HI
2 June 2012
Since I can't do any work I'm learning how to design crystal ladder filters. Might be able to start work again on my Homebrew projects after June 6.
31 May 2012
HAND surgery today.
16 May 2012
Rats!!! The hospital called and my hand surgeon had some personal business to attend to out-of-town so my hand surgery has been put off until the 31st.
8 May 2012
Still sort-of out-of-commision with my carpal tunnel. Try to get on air but can't send long because of this problem. Will have my wrist fixed May 17th.
23 April 2012
I don't like the format this web is evolving into. I'm gonna change some things today. Come back in the next few days. A good web site should be designed and not left up to some kind of unplanned evolution.
15 April 2012
I'm blogging mostly on my "PROJECTS" page. Please click on "PROJECTS" button at the top of this page.
6 April 2012
Got side-tracked from main project when I received the N3ZI DDS2 kit. I'll get back on track now building my 1st receiver. See "PROJECTS"
2 April 2012
Proceeding to assemble DDS. Will use it for a signal generator early in my projects and then later include it in my project as a the local osc. 10m quiet this morning. Might open up this afternoon like it did yesterday. QSO again with Steve, VE7SL on 10m with his 6L6 QRP rig. Check out his web members.shaw.ca/ve7sl/
1 April 2012
Received my DDS kit from N3ZI. installed the voltage regulator, 7805, and tested for the proper voltages. The voltages were all over the place. Between two DVMs and a scope none of the 3 read the same thing. WOW! what did I do wrong? Turns out the ground lead was open. Simple. Voltage meters and scopes will read all over the place when there's no ground reference. Hi Hi (and this is not an April Fool's joke)
31 March 2012
Received my DDS kit from N3ZI. It will be used later on in my receiver project. (see "PROJECTS" page)
Mike, K5TRI, came over. He needed some p
24 March 2012
Starting homebrew project. Go to "PROJECTS" link to see preliminary plans. Would be cool if someone else was working on same or similar project and could colaborate.
10 March 2012
Raining for next 2 days. Can't hear much on bands. No electrical storm. BERU contest. Looking at N3ZI DDS2 for next project.
18 February 2012
WOW! ARRL DX CW Contest!
Can't find a clear spot to tune up. Hi Working many new countries in spite of the static crashes from nearby storm.
6 February 2012
Installed and am pleased with N3FJP's logging software. . . . .It is simple and straight forward and includes rig control and CW from the PC.
13 January 2011
High winds knocked down my Diamond CP5H vertical antenna. The counterpoise elements and capacitive hat elements are bent. The ant in now stuck on top of a photographer's light pole about 8' off the ground . . .but, still managing to work 10m, 15m & 20m DX. Wow! This little FT-450D/MFJ-949E rig is still performing. Wonder how much better it will perform on top of the mast? Then the top of the ant will be up about 50'.
27 December 2011 . . . .
Added Solar Data/Band Conditions to this web site.
18 December 2011 . . . .
Away from home for Christmas. Missing being on-the-air. Will have to design a small traveling rig that will fit into the suitcase. A small QRP rig that I am designing will probably fit the requirements. For an antenna I'll take a long wire that I can hang from a tree. Well, I guess I needed a break from being on the air. I built this web site cuz I didn't have a rig here where I'm visiting for Christmas.
7 December 2011 . . . .
Today is Pearl Harbor Day. I was 6mos old when that happened. Didn't know what fun ham radio was at that time. I was 14 yrs old when I first became a ham.
6 December 2011 . . . .
Was designing a 100w amp for my QRP transmitter then came to the realzation that it wouldn't be QRP rig anymore. If I don't stop designing and start building I'll never get it finished. Hi Hi
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