Left Coast Political Scene

Make your Bitx40 Work FT-8 & WSPR! Happy New Year ~ 2020! [ The following describes two methods for adding USB capabilities to your Bitx40 and further adds an alternative to the Raduino controller.] So OK I built my first Bitx20 shortly after VU2ESE announced to the world his exciting project -- that was over 10 years ago. Even then W6JFR (now N6QW) hacked that project by converting the inductors to ferrite core, shifting the IF to 9 MHz and adding an LCD Display complete with a EI9GQ VFO stabilizer. So it goes to reason that I would still be hacking this amazing design --today! Bill N2CQR provided two "seed" Bitx40 boards and I am happy to report that both boards have now been "hacked" so that they are USB capable and working the 40 Meter Digital Modes such as WSPR and FT-8.  But here is the icing on the cake the hacks involve two completely different approaches and this experimentation has provided some new ideas for me for use on ...

What is a Paraset? 12-12-2019 40 Meters is wide open! This is just the transmit part of my Bitx40 using my N6QW Controller. First time to be heard in the Philippines and Singapore from this QTH. Maybe this could be done with a Paraset? 20 minutes later --really open. (Transmit only) Yes haywire and chewing gum; but can also do FT-8.  ***************************************************** No I didn't say parasite but Paraset!  Bottom Line the Paraset was a clandestine radio set built in England and supplied to agents operating behind enemy lines in the European theater during WWII. Most went to the French Resistance; but some found their way into the Scandinavian countries.  It is believed that  Torstein Raaby, the radio operator on the Kon Tiki voyage used the Paraset while a Resistance Fighter in Norway during WWII. The whole radio was stuffed inside an innocuous looking scruffy suitcase. The standard issued radio even included so...

Say What: Replacing the Bitx40 Raduino? 12-07-2019 ~ Pearl Harbor Day Let us not forget what happened 78 years ago today. On a sad note there are but three remaining survivors of the original USS Arizona crew and only one will be attending the commemoration ceremony. Many have sacrificed to make this the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave!  ***** I have now added switching of an linear amplifier to the PTT circuit so I can run 600 Watts with my "reworked" Bitx40.  Two 1N4148 diodes and a 12 VDC SPST relay make it all happen. Running a bit more power does help. My latest project now on my website... http://www.n6qw.com/The_Paesano.html 12-04-2019: I call my Bitx40 "Maggie May" since she has been passed around a bit and before transmitting I specifically looked at the Bitx40 documentation. Shazam -- The bias was at Zero and not set to 100 Ma, and there was no drive as such. Fixing those two provided 10 Watts of solid...