Skip to main content

Posts

My Other Homebrew SDR.

The issue of the extraneous signal coming from the MHST has reached the point where it is time for a break from this project. NOODLING will afford me the time to think more about the causal factors. It just does not make sense and obviously I must be missing something. I broke out another HB SDR which has an almost identical main board but does not have the extraneous signal issues. But this board uses the Softrock package in QUISK and not the VWS. I also hooked it up to a 0.11KW amp, the AN 762 from CCI. In the afternoon it was like shooting fish in the barrel and great signal reports. 5W HB 20M SDR Transceiver HB 20M SDR with an external AN762 Amp I might even resort to cutting a new mainboard on the CNC and using all new parts -- it is a drastic move, but nothing so far has fixed the issue. RIP Pope Francis and we are saddened at your passing. The current Washington crowd must be sad too --- out of the news cycle for at least a week. But then again, a simple solution:  Manufactu...
Read more
Recent posts

Happy Easter!

Religious beliefs aside it is a great day for Chocolate lovers and a great time for being with family. I have many fond memories of my four kids especially ones associated with holidays.  My eldest son now 56 when at about age 7 one Easter Sunday came screaming into the house and I was trying hard to decipher the problem. It seems like he ate too many jellybeans at one time and his teeth were stuck together. My mind quickly turned to the soldering iron or a very large screwdriver. But then reason took over and the most important thing was to have him calm down. In time the salvia melted the jellybeans, and he was good to go. The things as parents we see, makes you go bald. I was sent the above video by my #3 son, and it is worth watching at least two times. As I watched the video, my thoughts turned to 50% of our population who are cheering the actions of those in control. All that whacking is hiding the actual processes of cleanup. With certainty they have no clue of those process...
Read more

An Exciting New Toy to be released from https://www.mostlydiyrf.com... The Mouse Knob!

But 1st, the MHST had its first 40M QSO yesterday with a check in to the Jefferson Noontime Net. The temptation was too great and that weird in band signal is not totally gone -- but the MHST does work and now a real incentive to get it working 100%. But the real news of the day which I proudly present forthwith is the "Mouse Tuning Knob". I have wanted this capability for a long time on my SDR Rigs and arising from the depths of the Silicon Forest is the Mouse Tuning Knob. This is a real boon for those of us with Fat Fingers and whose eye hand coordination may be on a downhill slide. Some detractors of SDR complain about the lack of knobs, especially a Tuning Knob. Complain no more!  This is so cool and a real aid to those of us with FFS. The Mouse Tuning Knob is revealed. I am just an Alpha Tester and had no involvement in its development, but this is one sweet tool. Sign up for Todd's newsletter at his website. https://www.mostlydiyrf.com as the product release will b...
Read more

Troubleshooting the MHST

If one constantly repeats the same test repeatedly without changing a thing, then why would you expect a different result each time you run the test? I have another homebrew SDR transceiver that closely resembles the MSHT. It too uses QUISK and an identical mainboard. The same Driver, and Final and a steerable single BJT amp. The single difference is this one uses the SDR LLC interface while the MHST uses the Pi Pico. The actual QUISK rig selection for the Pi Pico is the VWS Package and for this one it uses the Soft Rock USB.  The Pi Pico uses the Si5351 and the SDR LLC the Si570. The Pi Pico turns out a quadrature LO at frequency directly and the SDR LLC is at 4X and run through a 74C74 D Flip Flop which results in a 1X Quadrature signal stream. SDR Using the SDR LLC Controller and Soft Rock Package   Yesterday was spent comparing the two rigs, The SDR LLC does not have that nasty signal that exits with the Pi Pico. The SDR LLC produces a single transmitted output at the corr...
Read more

MHST an update.

I wish I could report I made two hundred 40M contacts on the MHST including DX to Western Samoa, but alas that is not the case. The issue is the transmitted signal and not receive.  While I can abate the spurs and image signals using the QUISK tool, one additional frequency is getting transmitted. It is stronger than the operating frequency, of the opposite sideband and is not touched by the QUISK controls. I can even see it on the Half Moon Bay SDR site which is 300 miles from here.  Thus, the transmitter remains a problem for me.  I need to do a bit of research and see if any other homebrewers have seen this effect.  Them that know can make it go. 73's Pete N6QW
Read more

April 15, 2025 -- Tax Day.

If you are just now wading through the shoe box of receipts to prepare your 2024 Income tax, this might be a tough day. Elon has you in his sights for waste fraud and abuse. Certainly, no pressure on you. I once was audited in the 1970's and spent a whole day with an IRS agent who you could tell had one goal -- find a problem and make her day. That year I must have fit the profile of those they wanted to investigate. At the end of the day, she said I didn't like the way you handled some expenses associated with a piece of rental property I owned.  After pounding away on her calculator, she said you owe $100 in back taxes. I sat there astonished! I had to take a day off of work and certainly the 8 hours she spent trying to nail me was more costly than $100 she was about to recover. Then in a piece of coordination I have never seen before, 3 days later I got a Bill from the State of California for $21 in back taxes. Here is an example of what she went after. I claimed $56 in tele...
Read more

April 14, 2025. The Tax Man Cometh Tomorrow.

A bit of progress yesterday as we found a wrong connection on the Receiver path which was a result of when I added the IRF510, the right wire was in the wrong pace. With that fixed we will look to see if we can make some on the air contacts. The Pout as I predicted is 4 watts.  IRF510 Final Amp/LPF IRF510 & 2N2219A Driver Steered Amp, 2N2219A & IRF510/LPF We are getting closer to our goal of a minimalist SDR transceiver run off of a Raspberry Pi5 SBC. As can be seen in the photo above -- not a lot of components. If this could be done all in SMD then a very small footprint. But even with Manhattan style not that big. Them that know can make it go.  If you have a tax refund coming, it will probably have to be reviewed by Teflon Elon before they cut you a check.  More on proving who you are. The Voter ID project will most likely require a separate Voter ID Card if you don't have a Passport or Real ID. So, you best get some certified copies of your birth certificate a...
Read more