The Soldersmoke Direct Conversion Receiver was the first time I had ever built anything with a permeability tuned oscillator (PTO for short). I had never previously been that interested in them, due to the extra mechanical complexity over a standard LC circuit with a variable capacitor, or varactor for even greater mechanical simplicity. However, when […]
Note – A number of folk have mentioned experiencing difficulty leaving comments underneath posts on this blog. Unfortunately, I don’t how to remedy that, or even whether I could. It’s a free blog, and I assume that much of the functionality is out of my control. I do enjoy reading the comments and getting feedback […]
With many of the projects described in this blog, the idea to build them had been in my head for a while (often years) before it was finally acted on. This one was a little different. I had been aware of the NorCal 40A for a long time but, other than knowing it was a […]
NOTE: In the following post, I’ll be referencing component designators according to the original schematic, which is in the SST manual, available here, on Ken WA4MNT and Karen KF4EEL’s QRPBuilder website (check out their kits). I will also be making reference to the SST QRP-L archive, which is available here. (All links open in a […]
Well gosh. About a month ago, it was feeling as if every builder in the homebrew community had built the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver, apart from me. That’s a slight exaggeration, but I’d had a nagging feeling in the back of my head for quite a long time that I really ought to build it […]
After finishing the two-transistor “Jingy 40” regen, I was looking for a little transmitter to use with it. I cycled through a few different designs, before deciding to “play it safe” and build another GM3OXX OXO transmitter. Why not just use the one I already had? Well, in the meantime, I had developed a “thing” […]
I’m not a collector of vintage headsets. 2 years ago, I purchased a high impedance Western Electric headset for listening to crystal sets. I also bought a set of “Baldies”. Both of these were in good, though not pristine condition, so I felt OK with using them for everyday listening. Although I used the Western […]
Back in 2010, I became interested in legal micropower broadcasting under the FCC Part 15 regulations, and assembled an SSTRAN AMT3000 kit transmitter for the AM broadcast band. I had limited success with an outdoor installation, but it worked well for “broadcasting” around the house. I later graduated to an outdoor installation with a Hamilton […]
Or “The One-Transistor Regen That Turned Into A Two-Transistor Regen” with thanks to G3XBM and N0WVA. (Note – if reading this post on a computer, you can click on any of the images for a slightly larger version.) About 10 years ago, Doug N0WVA told me about an impressive little regen he had built with […]
No new construction projects here, I’m afraid, and none planned for the foreseeable future, though I have made some exciting and worthy acquisitions. A couple of years ago, I was looking for a vintage high impedance headset to use with crystal sets. For regular use, I found a set of Baldwins (the famed “Baldies”) and […]
Dave Richards AA7EE 