Articles
Projects by or of interest to users of entry level radio equipment
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Fusing the DX-40
Upon examining a DX-40 given to me by a good friend, I was surprised not to find the usual fused plug on the AC line cord. I thought maybe Heathkit realized the error of their ways and had put one inside - but no. A check of the schematic confirmed that fuses were never a part of the DX-40 design. This needed to be corrected but after first considering hogging... READ MORE |
 W9RAN 11/320/2023 |
On the workbench |
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A 3D Printed Socket for FT-243 Crystals
Lots of us have crysals in the FT-243 type holder from our Novice days and since, but the sockets needed for them are becoming hard to find. To address this I designed a socket that can be 3D printed in about 15 minutes that will substitue for the old style panel-mounted socket used on many transmitters and in homebrew projects. You'll need to scavenge two con... READ MORE |
W9RAN 03/85/2023 |
On the workbench |
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Improve the efficiency of your vertical antenna
Rob Sherwood NCØB is best known for his receiver tests but as a DXer and contester, Rob has paid a lot of attention to antennas over the years. Since the '70s he's been using and working to improve the effectiveness of vertical antennas and recently shared some of his findings at a presentation at the W9DYV Technical Symposium at the St. Louis Suburban Radio Club's Winterfest ... READ MORE |
W9RAN 03/67/2023 |
On the workbench |
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Must-have accessory for your NanoVNA
The NanoVNA is an amazingly useful piece of inexpensive test equipment for the ham and experimenter. Anyone working with RF needs one! Perhaps the most useful application for homebrewing or repairng radio equipment is the ability to make S21 measurements, that is to view the transmission characteristics of any RF device, such as a crystal, an amplifier, or a tuned circuit. ... READ MORE |
W9RAN 03/64/2023 |
On the workbench |
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Signal need a boost? Build a 6DQ5 amp!
That's what vintage SSB enthusiast K5LYN did when he wanted more power from his Central Electronics station. Since he has it set up for transceiving using the output of the SX-115 receiver to control the frequency of the 20A, the station is dedicated to 75 meter operation anyhow, so a full bandswitched amplifier wasn't needed, and because the 20A can't provide the drive needed for a ... READ MORE |
W9RAN 12/352/2022 |
On the workbench |
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The "Art" of Homebrewing
Homebrewing has always been a big part of ham radio, but it clearly peaked during the period following WWII when surplus components became availalbe in quantity and at low prices. Most large cities had at least one surplus store and the supply was so great that authors wrote magazine articles based around surplus components because they knew readers would have no problem in finding them.Bu... READ MORE |
W9RAN 07/203/2022 |
On the workbench |
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Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Many radio collectors have become "picky", or to put it a more politically correct way, we have "narrowed the focus of our interests to only the finest specimens". ..But we are fortunate to have the luxury of a wide range of specimens to choose from, with hamfests within driving distance many weekends, eBay and other online markets, a wide range of email reflectors and the popul... READ MORE |
W9RAN 04/99/2022 |
On the workbench |
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"A lifetime of enjoyment and mental stimulation"
The term "Elmer" came into use after I was licensed but most of us had one or more mentors. ..in my case it was Pete and Johnny, but "Elmer" is a good generic reference that we all understand. In Brad NB9M's case, his friend and mentor Roger W9BZ certainly fills the "Elmer" role well:"I was born a Buckeye and first licensed as W8QEG from Columbus, Ohio in 1953. ... READ MORE |
W9RAN 03/88/2022 |
On the workbench |
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K5LYN's Collins-Heathkit-Drake Station
Above is a picture of my latest project. After doing the transceiver thing, with a CE20A, mated to a SX-115, then the next transceiver project, a 10A mated to any Drake R4 series receiver, I had an idea. Those transceiver projects have a lot of oscillators, and even the crystal oscillators can drift as they warm up, which requires re-zeroing the transmitter to the receiver from time ... READ MORE |
W9RAN 03/64/2022 |
On the workbench |
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AB9MQ's Eico 720 Project
I came across my Eico 720 last year at the hamfest in Mendota IL. After I acquired it, I recapped it and worked well on CW. But after while it ended up on the shelf for a while. As I happened to have Heathkit W4-AM audio amplifier and small modulator transformer (LUX 7AM42 audio 40W modulation transformer), I have been thinking about using the Heathkit audio amp as a modulator.&... READ MORE |
W9RAN 03/64/2022 |
On the workbench |
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