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Meet Herman, my newly AI generated helper for the N6QW, Newbury Park Laboratories

Meet Totally AI Generated, Helpful Herman! The use of AI is like the 13-year-old boy who suddenly discovers 16-year-old girls. The kid in a candy shop schtick.  It is addictive as you keep wanting to know more about various subjects. But you also have to know stuff as some of the AI spew is simply not true. I know you will like Herman! You have got to admit Herman has the stereotypical Hammie, Nerdy look complete with Hawaiian shirt. As you would suspect, Herman single handedly is fully capable of designing a DDC SDR Transceiver over a long weekend. Here is Herman's SDR front panel design whipped up over this weekend. He is still in the learning phase as no matter what I inputted about the Analog dial face being semi-circular with the end points 7.0 and 7.3 and having the pointer at 7.1... we never got there! The SDR waterfall part was understood! AI Designed Front Panel using Copilot Too bad we can't simply turn the current political polarization problem over to copilot for a ...
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Tidbits from Saturday and a visit to a ham event.

For the 1st time in 15 years, I attended a ham event at the campus of the California State University Channel Islands, a mere 3 miles from my QTH. A blog reader who lives in nearby Oxnard emailed me about the event and thus I went. I actually had an eyeball QSO with that ham and this was extra special since he follows this blog.  On a visit to another booth, I spotted a booth person with an unusual "6" call sign badge as it was one of the 1st issued with the "N" prefix. I was then asked my call sign wherein a second person in the booth said I know who you are. Startling news to hear! Then this person went on to say he initially recognized my voice and then the call sign sealed the deal. This ham was a long-time listener to the SolderSmoke podcast and thus the connection. Small world and you never know. I didn't stay too long as it was getting hot and no need to roast. Worked a bit more with the AI program and with some trial and error, was able to determine the ...
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Using AI as a design Tool. Caveat Emptor

The one "large" open item on the Hybrid Wireless is the final design for the 12GE5 Final RF Amp stage. It is also the only module not already fully built and tested. The urge to use copilot AI loomed large and so there I went. Perhaps (and most likely) the results would be different using ChatGPT, or Gemini or the ham's best buddy, Claude. Parts, but not built! Whether AI or not, the best answer to a question always starts with the premise of the input. So, I asked about a design given the plate voltage (500VDC), the screen voltage (280VDC), the bias point (-30VDC), the operating frequency (7 MHz), the class of operation (AB) and that the output stage was a Pi Network.    From Copilot Provide a design of a linear RF amplifier stage using a 12GE5 with a plate voltage of 500VDC, a screen voltage of 280VDC and a bias of -30VDC operating at 7 MHz using a Pi-Network output circuit. Also provide an expected output power assuming class AB operation. Absolutely! Let’s walk throu...
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So be over with the old radios... A comment to me

Apologies for dwelling on the radios that never were. This is 2025 and many hams only want to see the New Stuff. So, I stop here.  Yesterday was a balance between the main Hybrid Wireless chassis and the Power Supply build. When I managed very large construction projects at a time that I worked for a living, it always amazed me that the most time on a project was spent on the last 5% of the work scope. It is no different with the Hybrid Wireless. The Four Power Supplies! What has evolved as the "power supply" for the Hybrid Wireless is really four separate supplies on one chunk of wood. 1. The HV supply @ 500VDC (Black Xmfr.) 2. The LV supply @ 280VDC (Blue Module) 3. The 12 VDC @ 5.6 Amps (Lower RH) 4. The -60 VDC Bias (Small Transformer) I have purposefully interlocked the power supply switch on the wooden board with the ON/OFF on the Hybrid Wireless. The next round of work will involve inspection of all built modules to assure I haven't damaged anything during the many...
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Cosmophone 35. Commencing the Final Assembly Stage of the Hybrid Wireless.

For the unknowing there were Bi-Lateral SSB Transceivers predating the Bitx20 by some 50 years. Meet the Cosmophone 35.  It was expensive and only produced 35 watts PEP. It did not live long partly because of the low power. The timing of the pilot run of the Cosmophone slightly edged out the KWM-1. The Cosmophone grew from a homebrew rig designed by Butch Mason, a former Navy guy and California ham, known as the Portsider. Cosmophone 35 Moving back to the N6QW Newbury Park Lab, now the Big Task... wiring all the stages together and building the 12GE5 RF Amp stage. I am delighted how the front panel turned out. Lots of work yesterday with a good deal of time taken to locate and mill out space for the "Rocker Style" power switch. I have the program in the computer so I can do future switch installs pretty easy. How cool is that? Job creation numbers were amended and what looked bad is now significantly worse. Tariffs sure work swell! Semper Fi, I see where former Marine Colonel...
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The Great Great Grandfather of the ICOM IC-7300

A Quinquagenarian, this ICOM Radio started the revolution of products under the ICOM Banner leading today to the IC-7300 Mark II. While you might be tempted to "buy it now" on eBay, look before you leap. The rig was a marvel for its time but today could be a nightmare of the 10th degree.  I COM used a whole series of relays to band change, and it may be impossible to find replacements. A replacement Encoder is another unobtanium item.  In 1975 I actually twiddled an IC-701 knob but having a family, a mortgage and an XYL (God Rest her Soul) who hated ham radio... it never happened. But I was indeed awestruck! Some items arrived yesterday, but of course not all the ones I needed. My #3 son, several years ago purchased and gave me a ton of Metric nuts, bolts and washers in various sizes.  I have previously not used the goodies because the bolts heads need a hex Allen wrench for installation. I have an array of Allen and Bristol wrenches, but they are all small in size (FFS i...
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Adding Cinnamon to the Spice! The Sideband Engineers SBE-35 and SBE-36.

Through my hands have passed many Sideband Engineers SBE-33 and SBE-34 Transceivers. Later on, the SBE-35 and SBE-36 appeared on the scene and those I believe were totally manufactured in Japan.   I believe this restoration was done by W4OP, Dale. I haven't personally seen an SBE-35 or the SBE-36 which had a Nixie tube display. It seems like the rigs didn't make much of a splash with the ham community at large. One issue of ergonomics, for me, is the Microphone  Jack on the SBE-35 is very close to the tiny main tuning knob. With my FFS, I would be complaining a lot. More time in the shop yesterday as I worked down my list and finished installing hardware on the back panel.  Final Back Panel Installations Starting on the left side we have the Antenna Jack; the Knob is on the pot that controls the Bias setting and to the right of that is the 8-pin Power Connector. The three RCA jacks from left to right, are the Fan Power, External Speaker and External Linear Amp control. R...
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