Wednesday, April 17, 2024

April 17, 2024. Something you can build.

 


Check N2CQR's Solder Smoke Daily News posting yesterday for a really super neat Direct Conversion Receiver project (DCR) from Geoff, N6GWB. One of the circuits he mentions he used with the J310's configured as a Dual Gate MOSFET is based on this design from me. Not a lot of parts but surely a lot of performance.

For the full detail of the J310 DCR check my N6QW website. The direct conversion receiver offers a superb result for not a lot of hardware nor lot of money. Yes, something for those who had to pay Uncle Sam some $$$ a few days ago.

Notably this same circuit topology was used as an IF amp stage by substituting a fixed Bias on Gate #2. I found a module using this approach in the Junk Box and have a "sorta of working" SSB Transceiver using that old module. You will see that shortly. Yes, it has a homebrew 4.9152 MHz four pole filter and for those with a Nano VNA you could actually use that jewel on that board.

I mentioned to Geoff, that a companion project would be a matching transmitter. Yep, I am planting seeds for a PNP transmitter to be built. 

Always slightly ahead of the curve. Noteworthy and sounding like a broken record, LT Spice is used to tweak the circuit before you buy any parts or turn on the Soldering iron. There is a note there about the use of the 2N3819 in place of the J310. Not as good but if you have some in the junk box -- no excuses not to build a DCR.

73's
Pete N6QW

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