Skip to main content

Oct 1, 2024. So, what is wrong with this photo?

 



This is the current display on the P3ST QRP SSB Transceiver which shows a lot of info on a 128X160 small sized screen. It is of the ST7735 form of Display.


What is presented are two VFOs (A &B) that have VFO memory, but also a much smaller display of the VFO frequencies with a thought of split operation. The simulated Green LED's signal what is "hot". 

The initial theory was that you could receive on the A VFO but actually transmit on the B VFO. While the logic exists in the sketch, it was never actually implemented. Albeit you can switch the VFOs with a panel switch but not split operation.

We also have the Step Tuning rate and the S Meter which by the way is implemented using an audio sample. I included my call sign just in case I forget and the title under the A VFO directs me to the Arduino sketch in the Arduino directory. Lest I forget we show which sideband is selected with a simulated RED LED.  

Needless to say, it took many hours of programming to get this display to work and it was more than a One and Done! [Referring to G3RJV (SK) who classed his projects as one evening of work on a project and you are finished.]

So, OK, there is nothing wrong with the display other than there is so much going on in a small screen that you either are squinting to see everything or just ignoring most of it.

Thus, the shift to the ILI9341 is to up the size of the information so it is easier to read and streamline the display so you can have the same information with less clutter.

Here is an example since we have VFO memory. Suppose we only show one frequency with an added small piece of information that states VFO A or VFO B using the A or B as we have now. We would also eliminate the smaller print frequencies since we are not including split operation. 

Oh, and double Oh, with the uncluttered space resist -- now what can I add in to the display. There is that Stockton Bridge "thingie" to give you SWR and then there is measuring the battery level since you are doing POTA operation and on and on. That was not the purpose of the change to the ILI9341 -- it was to improve visibility and to do the Marie Kondo thing of uncluttering my life!

TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pet and be sure to vote.

73's
Pete N6QW

Popular posts from this blog

January 26, 2024. A simple CW Transceiver/Transmitter

Cruise through the lower part of the ham bands bands and what do you hear? Well, FT-8 and CW. Often you will not hear any SSB stations yet go to the lower part of the bands, and it is a cacophony (I love that word) of bad sounding signals and some high-speed keying. Fast is not so much of the issue as is bad, run together and jerky keying. But none the less our hobby started there.    So, you could crank down your ICOM 7300 and watch the waterfall on CW or you could homebrew a radio. Actually, to do CW right you need more thought up front than you do with a SSB transceiver. Often, I will state that a CW Transceiver is much more difficult to build than a simple SSB rig. I published two articles in QRP Quarterly on CW transceivers and all I got was a yawn so maybe history will repeat itself.  Yawn!   30M CW Transceiver with RIT!   Of interest is that the LO is a Varactor tuned LC oscillator using a NE602. Look closely at the RIT circuit which is only activated on ...
Read more

March 31, 2024. Happy Easter to those who celebrate this day.

What a great day to Binge on Chocolate and experience the pain of that filling that has been leaking.  I would be in that category with the leaking filling(s) had I not just spent an amount equivalent to one of the fancy new uptown appliance box transceivers on two filling repairs. Well at least I can binge on the Chocolate bunnies without fear of pain. Regrettably everything appears to have jumped in price including the price of parts. Well not so much the parts as the shipping costs.  That notably is seen in the eBay treasures. I spotted a nice heathkit DX-20 for about $50 and the shipping was $65. Likely it is a twofer with part being a way to in effect charge a higher price by inflating the shipping and in part by increased shipping costs. Shipping with insurance across the US was about $150 for this jewel and that was three years ago. 6AM on the Left Coast ~ 20M Easter Sunday! My only hope is the cost of Chocolate Bunnies remains steady although a pound of See's Candies f...
Read more

August 30, 2024. A PNP 20M SSB Transceiver

Shown below is the Block Diagram for the 20M PNP SSB Transceiver steered in the  Transmit Mode . The components shown in the dotted block are relay steered so that the block module is single pass and amplifies in a single direction. The Block diagram show steered in Transmit.  Essentially the steering process works so that the IF Module input follows the Balanced Modulator on Transmit and then the input side follows the Receive Mixer on Receive. All done with some relays and a bit of RG174U coax. For those who count things in detail, this block diagram is not unlike what was used for the PSSST Transceiver which can be found on my website . Yes, a warmed over P3ST only using PNP devices. TYGNYBNT. 73's Pete N6QW
Read more