Chitika: SolderSmoke Podcast

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SolderSmoke Podcast #174 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke174.mp3

March 28, 2015

Happy Arduino Day!
Pete's Belthorn III Transceiver (with cool color display)
Bill's BITX 20 (that used to be a BITX20/40)
AD9850 DDS added to Barebones Superhet
Jean Shepherd on Parasitic Oscillations, Obsession, and Madness
Simple Test Gear for the Homebrewer
Digital Oscilloscopes and their amazing capabilities
Dongles and other great stuff in SPRAT 162
The BIG St. Patrick's Day Solar Flare
VK6MV's Amazing Rhombic (+)
VK7XX (Dos Equis!)
A Bit of BITX History
Pete going KX3 QRO

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #173 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke173.mp3

7 March 2015

Bench Report:   Pete's Progress on the Let's Build Something Rig:
http://www.jessystems.com/LBS_Detail.html
Ben's cool case for his LBS rig
Bill's Tale of Woe: QRO troubles with the BITX 40
    -- QRO amplifier taking off on 40 (but not 17)
    -- Criticism and public humiliation on 40
    -- Troubleshooting
    -- Suggestions from Allison
    -- A sad realization about my VFO frequency selection
    -- Exorcism needed
    -- Pete suggests a digital solution
    -- Wow, my 'scope has an FFT! Almost a spectrum analyzer!
    -- Some thoughts on trouble shooting
    -- On the meaning of "BASTA!"
The Spring 2015 Issue of Hot Iron http://www.walfords.net
More on Pete's KX3
Encouraging other hams to build

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Pete and Ben's LBS Receiver

SolderSmoke Podcast #172 is available

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke172.mp3

16 February 2015

Bench Reports:
Pete under the gun to finish SSB transceiver project. NEW VIDEO:
http://youtu.be/hbLXW0sHTFo
Bill fixes his BITX 2040 Oscillator (Bandsweep!)
Next: LP filter for 120 watt amp.
Bill's 13 dollar Chinese freq counter (Blue! With anti-wobble tape!)
Bill's next rig: Chipped to the Max, DDS, SBL-1s, plug in filters!
Radio Shack going under and JAN no longer making crystals.
Mighty Mite Project: Let's get them DONE!
An easy way to get Q or ESR measurements on crystals?
SI5351 as a crystal substitute.
DuWayne's Scalar Network Analyzer lights up the internet!
The Portable SDR rig -- Pete almost goes to the dumpster!
Report from the cutting edge: Pete's new Elecraft KX3.
MAILBAG: Meeting W7ZOI and WA7MLH at a hamfest.
Instant Messaging with Farhan

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #171 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke171.mp3

Bench Report:
Pete's Small Screens (in Color!)
Si5351s
Bill's Graph Paper Frequency Readout
Bill's Broadened Barebones Barbados RX. DIGITIZED!
Another AD9850 DDS using M0XPD Kanga UK Shield
New 13 dollar Color Display (Prettier than Graph paper!)

Pete and Ben's Article in QRP Quarterly Available free here:
http://www.qrparci.org/qqsample/qqsample.pdf

The DEEP SPIRITUAL REWARDS of DC Receivers
The Importance of Good Power Supplies
SPRAT Article on HW8 Design Error
Latest Edition of Hot Iron
Elecraft KX3 -- Has one of the best receivers in the world

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #170 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke170.mp3

Bill's Double A, DSB, Dipole, Dominican DX-pedition.
Living the "How's DX?" Dream
Seeing the Southern Cross with Soviet Binoculars
Pete goes remote
SI5351 a chip with a lot of potential
Pete's experiments with Nokia LCD displays
Michigan Mighty Mites around the world
The Postal Stream Roller
Steve Silverman's very kind variable cap offer
MOXON modeling with EZNEC
Aspirations for 2015

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #169 is now available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke169.mp3

-- 25 crystals "deployed" to new Colorburst Liberation Army recruits
-- OBJECTIVE: For now, just oscillation
-- Using the Reverse Beacon Network (when time comes to transmit)
-- W2DAB's Mighty Mite: trials, tribulations, triumphs (and karma)
-- Explaining the Mighty Mite (all 7 parts)
-- Minima IF evolution -- up to 25 Mhz?
-- Chuck Adams and "Experimental METH"!!!!!!!!!!
-- Different kinds of Arduinos
-- Si5350s and amateur experimentation
-- First menus, now KEYPADS!
-- The launch of Orion
-- N2CQR/HI Beach Portable DSB on 20
-- Video review: "The Wanderers"

EL CLA UNIDO JAMAS SERA VENCIDO!

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #168 is available.
22 November 2014

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke168.mp3
The benefits of software inefficiency.
Don't throw a wet blanket on computer baby steps.
DDS-ing Pete's old boatanchors and Bill's BITX.
Bill's DSB amplifier woes: a JBOT unfairly scorned.
Getting ready for solar-powered beach DSB.
Michigan Mighty Mite Crystal Offer -- FREE ROCKS!
Tribal knowledge: Beware of mistakes in published schematics!
QRO update: Working Japan on 17 meters.
Happy Thanksgiving!

SolderSmoke Podcast #167 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke167.mp3

3 November 2014
Who the heck is Giovanni Manzoni?
Pete's Bench Report:
"Let's Build Something" Project
Arduinos and Si5351s
Bill's Bench Report: 140 watt Amplifier Completed!
Low Pass Filter Design with the ELSIE Program
Samlex Power Supply
How I almost blew it up!
The new amp and the lids in the FT4TA pileup
Tribal Knowledge!
"Nature abhors a vacuum (tube)!" "The Innovators" by Walter Isaacson.
Carter, WA9DNF, REALLY knows which end of the soldering iron to grab!
Meeting with Thomas, KK6AHT. The two electronic cultures.
Interviews by Chris, KD4PBJ, at Two Days in Huntsville:
Glen Popiel, KW5GP, Author of "Arduino for Ham Radio"
John Henry of TenTec
Steve, WG0AT

Giovanni Manzoni
Giovanni Manzoni b. circa 1950 Civatavecchia, Lazio, Italy is a noted videographer specializing in the avante garde use of YouTube in ham radio homebrew settings. Long noted for his insistence on the use of completely home-made video equipment, Manzoni went so far as to demand that his cameras and recorders only use discrete components -- he claimed that integrated circuits "freaked him out." Manzoni's collaborators have long been puzzled by his claim that all his videos are filmed "on location." What he means by this remains unclear, however, in a 1997 interview in QST-Italia, he was quoted as saying "No matter where you go, there you are!"

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast 166 is available for download:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke166.mp3

Bench Report: Pete working on Direct Conversion Receivers.
Bill on his 2B and on 20DSB rig, and an M0XPD/Kanga DDS kit, and a 140 watt amp.

GETTING STARTED IN HOMEBREW:
Start simple: Build an oscillator. Make it oscillate!
Gather tools, simple test gear, and books.
Try to understand what you build.
Build a direct conversion receiver.
Don't fear the toroids!
Be patient. This is not Plug and Play.
Build a DSB transceiver.
Little tips:
Protect variable caps.
Use heat sinks.
Use reverse polarity protection.
Don't breathe the solder smoke! Ventilate your bench.

China Radio International Mystery Solved.
Book Recommendation: "International QRP Collection" by Dobbs and Telenius-Lowe
MAILBAG

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #165 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke165.mp3

September 13, 2014

Workbench Update: Bill's "Off the Shelf" Regen, Pete's Boatanchors
Mysterious Echos on Shortwave Signals. Solve the Mystery. Please.
Microcontrollers -- What they can do for you.
Small world: As a kid, Pete was neighbor of "Digital Dial" N3ZI
NEWS FLASH: Arduino creator Massimo Banzi was a ham!
Born in a bar, cheaper than pizza: The Italian origins of Arduino
Arduino CW generators
No coding skills needed
Arduino + AD9850 = Signal Generator or VFO
Arduinos in the Minma
What the heck is a Shield?
SolderSmoke Mailbag

Colin and Martin of the ICQ Podcast were kind enough to invite me in for an interview. I really enjoyed our talk. We covered a lot of ground, everything from podcast history, to regens and BITXs and Arduinos. I think SolderSmoke podcast listeners will enjoy this. Thanks Martin! Thanks Colin! Here it is:

http://icqpodcast.com/download-the-show/2014/9/7/series-seven-episode-eighteen-bill-meara-n2cqr-07-september-2014

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #164 is available:

August 16, 2014

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke164.mp3

ANCIENT TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE -- TUBE AND TUBE-LIKE RADIOS

Workbench Updates:
-- Pete's Arduino Keyer Project
-- Bill Builds (and LIKES!) a REGENERATIVE RECEIVER
-- The Joys of Regen Shortwave Listening
-- Grayson Evan's Tube (Thermatron) Book
-- Book review: "The Joy of X" (It's about math).
-- Shameless Commerce: A Plug for Bill's Book
-- Pete discusses tube projects
-- Making your own enclosures from Home Depot flashing
-- Amplitude Modulation
-- Compactrons, Nuvistors and other unusual tubes
-- BANDSWEEP: Radio Havana on Bill's new regen

Bill's Mate for the Mighty Midget Receiver
3 6U8 Tubes on a Benton Harbor Lunch Box Chassis

Nuvistor 2 meter down converter

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Crystal Filters built by WA7MLH

SolderSmoke Podcast #163 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke163.mp3

Saturday July 26, 2014

Part III with Pete Juliano: Tribal Knowledge -- Sideband Sidecars

-- Moxon Update "A Thing of Beauty"
-- Pete is Building Peter Parker's Knobless Wonder
-- Ladder Filters
--Construction Practices for SSB rigs
-- Essential Test Gear
-- Junk Box development and parts storage

Next time: Tubes, Valves, Termatrons, Firebottles.

Thanks to Bob Crane and the FDIM musicians for this episode's musical opening.

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

It looks like Pete Juliano, N6QW, and I will be able to do Part III of our discussion of homebrew SSB gear this Saturday. We might start out with ladder filters. Other possible topics include construction practices (shielding, decoupling, the handling of heat, etc), junk-box practices, essential test gear and, time permitting, tube (or, as Grayson would say, "thermatron") gear. Speaking of which, here are some pictures that Pete sent me of a 20 meter CW rig he is working on.

"Here is a 20 Meter station that I recently got working and hope to have it on the air soon. The Rx is something I cobbled together and it does have a Crystal filter. The Tx is an amalgamation of several Handbook radios – one feature it uses a bandpass tuning network from the oscillator to the final. The screen voltage has a separate regulator. Each unit size is 4 inches high, 4 inches wide and 8 inches long. There is still some work needed for the control and TR."

I got a nice message yesterday from Brad Smith, WA5PSA. Brad told me that he had listened to both of the Pete Juliano podcasts...TWICE. As a result, he is planning to build a phone rig.

In the message Brad reminded me that he was the source of the very first feedback that Mike, KL7R, and I received about the SolderSmoke podcast. I remember it very well. We had uploaded SolderSmoke#1, and were wondering if ANYONE had listened. Then came this message from Brad (was it an e-mail?) saying that he'd listened to the show AS HE JOGGED THROUGH TULSA, OKLAHOMA. Wow! Tulsa! Our voices from London and Juneau had been heard in ear-buds by a jogger in Tulsa, OK. It was a bit like when you were a kid and you ran into the kitchen to tell your mom that you had just talked to a guy in TULSA. Somehow, that day, Tulsa seemed as exotic as Tokyo.

Thanks Brad! Good luck with the phone rig. Hope to work you on 17.

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke 162 is now available at http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke162.mp3

June 21, 2014
Part II of our interview with Pete Juliano, N6QW

-- Bill's Moxon Monstrosity
-- Amplifiers and Exorcisms (See slideshow link below)
-- Varactor tuning
-- Polivaricon capacitors
-- The challenge of building small rigs
-- Heat, layout, components and VFO stability
-- "No frills" as a building philosophy
-- The future of Bill's Heathkit HW-101

We still have a lot more to talk about. Stay tuned for Part III!

Slideshow of Pete's RF Amplifiers:
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=4f1e8c71e0d4f1dc&id=4F1E8C71E0D4F1DC%212640&Bsrc=Photomail&Bpub=SDX.Photos&sff=1&authkey=!AGq3hc4UajARH1s

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #161 is available:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke161.mp3

26 May 2013

Homebrew Single Sideband -- An Interview with Pete Juliano, N6QW

-- Pete's background: 55 years in radio. Boatanchors AND Arduinos. 40673 Mosfets. Guitar!
-- A personal transition from CW to phone.
-- The importance of passing on "tribal knowledge."
-- What you need: A library, tools, test gear and a junque box.
-- A new word in the homebrew lexicon: Pete explains "noodling."
-- One stage at a time!
-- The attractiveness of standard circuit blocks (that work!)
-- The importance of IF selection.
-- Building your own crystal filters is easier than ever.
-- Thinking (early) about the enclosure.
--VFOs, VXOs, and (gasp) Direct Digital Synthesis

Thanks Pete!

Pete's Web Site: http://www.jessystems.com/

Pete's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_ft4-oTdCMlWlL4XXHScg/videos

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

George Dobbs, G3RJV

SolderSmoke Podcast #160:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke160.mp3

Bob Crane, W8SX, was out at the Four Days in May event and did an excellent series of interviews with the guys who made presentations:

Harold Smith, KE6TI
Many Ways To Homebrew

Chris Testa, KD2BMH
Battery Powered Software Radios:
Having your cake and eating it, too

George Dobbs, G3RJV
The Classic World of the Regenerative Receiver

Gary Breed, K9AY
Why Does My Rig Have a Receive Antenna Jack ?

Craig Behrens, NM4T
The Great Arduino, JT65 and Rebels Caper
High adventure with new radio paradigms

Dave Cripe, NM0S
PoW QRP

-------------------------------------

VIDEOS OF THE PRESENTATIONS ARE HERE:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/47599691

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

SolderSmoke Podcast #159 is available.

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmoke159.mp3

April 1, 2014
Vienna Wireless Hamfest
BITX Talk
W1REX speaks
Tuna Tin 2 Mojo Transfer Ceremony
After 38 years -- finishing my Herring Aid 5 receiver
Feedback, Phasing Dots, Rotational Sense, and Oscillation (or not)
Motorboating (when you don't want to)
Building my Tuna Tin 2 with parts from W1REX
On the air with Tuna Tin and Herring Aid
More Minimalist Meanderings:
An (Almost) All Altoid Crystal Radio!
Tek 465 dies (again) :-(
MAILBAG

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Armand, WA1UQO, with BITX 17

Using Dropbox to post the video of my BITX presentation at the hamfest didn't work out too well, so I put it on Vimeo:

https://vimeo.com/87725154

The slideshow is here: http://soldersmoke.com/winterfest.pptx

I stripped out the audio for those who would like to dispense with the video.

Audio only is here:

http://soldersmoke.com/soldersmokewinterfest.mp3

73

Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics" http://soldersmoke.com/book.htmOur coffee mugs, T-Shirts, bumper stickers: http://www.cafepress.com/SolderSmokeOur Book Store: http://astore.amazon.com/contracross-20

Chitika

SolderSmoke Podcast #174:Belthorn III, BITX20(-40), Parasites, Test Gear, Hamfest, SPRAT, Flares, BITX History

SolderSmoke Podcast 173: Pete's LBS Triumph and Bill's Tale of QRO Woe

SolderSmoke Podcast #172: Pete's New Rig, Bill's BITX 2040,Crystals, MMM, SNA jr.,Portable SDR, KX3!, W7ZOI at a 'fest, BANDSWEEP!

SolderSmoke #171 DC RX in QQ, Power Supplies, Small Screens, 12 Buck Counters, HW8 Error?, KX3 RX

SolderSmoke Podcast #170 Double A DX-pedition, SI5351, Mighty Mites, Phasing Dreams

SolderSmoke Podcast 169: The Colorburst Liberation Army, Arduino DDS and the Tradition of Ham Experimentation

SolderSmoke Podcast #168 Software Inefficiencies! DSB Blues! Schematic Errors! QRO Confessions!

SolderSmoke Podcast #167: Arduinos, Amplifiers, Books, and Tribal Knowledge

SolderSmoke Podcast 166: Getting Started in Homebrew Radio

SolderSmoke Podcast #165 Arduinos!

SolderSmoke Interview on ICQ Podcast

SolderSmoke Podcast #164 Ancient Tribal Knowledge: Tube and Tube-like Radios

SolderSmoke Podcast #163 Pete Juliano! Tribal Knowledge Part 3 "Sideband Sidecars"

Part III with Pete Juliano this Saturday

Our First Listener: Brad Smith, WA5PSA

SolderSmoke Podcast #162: Part II with Pete Juliano, N6QW

SolderSmoke Podcast #161: Homebrew SSB: An Interview with Pete Juliano, N6QW

SolderSmoke Podcast 160: Special Four Days in May (FDIM) issue

SolderSmoke Podcast #159: Hamfests, Herring Aids, and Tuna Tins

Links Fixed, Podcast Version of Hamfest Presentation

AHMED HASSAN MOHAMMED

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