Chitika: heathkits

Showing posts with label heathkits. Show all posts

Steve, VK2SJA, is doing to a Realistic DX-100 what I have been thinking about doing to a Heathkit HW-101. With this kind of encouragement, who could blame me for making a Minima-101? I've been planning on keeping the 6146s and all the final (and perhaps driver) circuitry.

Here is Steve's very nice description of his project thus far:

http://www.hfsignals.org/index.php/UnRealistic_Minima

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

Jeff Tranter, VE3ICH, has a new book out -- it is about Heathkit Test Gear. (Hey, I had that VTVM on the cover!) This book looks like it deserves a place under the Christmas trees of SolderSmoke fans. The book is available from Lulu.com, and Santa (or Mrs. Claus) can use the discount coupon below (Coupon code: CORNUCOPIA.)

http://www.lulu.com/shop/jeff-tranter/classic-heathkit-electronic-test-equipment/paperback/product-21272772.html

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

Most of our correspondents did not like the idea of me trying to convert my Heath HW-101 into a BITX-101. But, thinking that I still might to this, I decided to take the old rig off the shelf and see what it looked like. I liked the looks of it -- lots of space, simple circuitry, nice belts and gears for turning the many variable capacitors, no black box ICs. I could see traces of my earlier repair adventures -- electrolytic caps that had been replaced, the plastic dial clutch that I'd "fabricated" myself. Then I decided to try to fire it up. Hey, the receiver sounded very good. Next thing you know, I was getting the transmitter going. Then I was working DX on 20. By the end of the afternoon, I knew there was no way I would be tearing this old rig apart. There is simply too much soul in this old machine.

More on this in SolderSmoke 154....

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

OK, so I've been wanting to build a BITX-20 for a long time. Then Steve "Snort Rosin" Smith sent me a nice 9 MHz filter, and I started to think about using it to build a BITX 75/20. But I don't really like 75 meters too much... And I have this Heathkit HW-101. I like it very much, but these rigs do not age well: Too much heat, too many cheap components, tubes on PC boards... yuck. I got tired of fixing it. I've occasionally fantasized about scrapping most of the HW-101 circuitry and turning this rig into a 100 watt linear amplifier. But I didn't have the heart to do this. Then, on the way to work yesterday it hit me: Why not take the beautiful bi-directional circuitry of Farhan's BITX design and use that to solid state most of the HW-101? Obviously I'd retain the finals and maybe the driver, and the CW and SSB filters. The VFO could be transistorized. Maybe I'd retain the tube AF amp. I'd like to add 17 meter capability. Pete Juliano took an HW-101 and added a digital dial (that's his rig in the picture).

What do you guys think? Am I nuts? Or would this be a worthwhile project?

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

Elisa heroically accompanied me to the Manassas Hamfest on Sunday. We had fun. I thought they had a good turnout of vendors and tailgaters, and it seemed like the sellers of real ham stuff were winning the battle against the encroaching computer people. I saw many interesting old boatanchor radios, including two R-390A receivers, one HT-37, an HW-101 and several other Heathkits.

As for NEW technology, the fellows from the NOVA LABS maker space had a very interesting table, and their web site has a very kind acknowledgement that hams were "the original hackers, who organized build groups and hack labs similar to modern day makerspaces—back before people called themselves “Makers” and long before it was “cool.” They had a 3-D printer that was doing its thing in a very impressive manner. They also had some quadro- and octo-copters built by a group called DC Area Drone User Group. Very cool. Want one.

Inspired by Nick Kennedy, I have included in this post a picture of my purchases from the hamfest. As you can see, I controlled myself. But I couldn't resist the humungous flashlight! I got a bunch of .1 caps (should have bought more!). Got a Bud-box (maybe for an Arduino DDS project?) The little circuit board with the IF cans is interesting. I bought it (1 dollar!) for the 365 pf variable cap, but I later realized that it is probably a complete All-American Five receiver on a single board. I'm not crazy about tubes on PC boards, but this one may have some possibilities. The roll of tape is supposedly coax sealer. I also got a little 35 mm slide viewer, and a 12 volt wall wart.

I wore the "Real Radios Glow in the Dark" T-shirt that Elisa got me (on the recommendation of Rogier). I got more positive comments on that shirt than on any other piece of clothing I've ever owned!

And we saw our first Cicadas of this 17 year cycle.

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

VK2SJA's Minima in a Realistic DX-100 Case

New Book About Heathkit Gear

Soul in the Old Machine: HW-101 Saved From Workshop Cannabilism

HB-101 ? BITX-101?

The Manassas Hamfest

AHMED HASSAN MOHAMMED

Popular Posts