John AE5X
A few folks have asked about what I'm using on the road, particularly in regard to the antenna and how it is mounted.I'm currently taking a day off the ride to wait out the heavy rains due here in central Arkansas which gave me time to put a short video together. Back on the sure-to-be-muddy Trail...
AA7EE
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...
AA7EE
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 40M QRP CW monobander, didn’t...
John AE5X
The little QMX has come a long way since it was first released as a CW/digital transceiver, and I don't just mean the addition of SSB.Far more significant to me are the very recent firmware updates that corrected two major shortcomings with the radio:Strict DC input voltage limitations andCommon...
John AE5X
The manual for the KX2's internal battery charger (KXIBC2) allows for a variety of input voltages, up to a maximum of 15V, to be used to charge the radio's 2.6AH lithium battery. The manual also mentions that lower voltages (down to 11V) can also be used although the battery will not be fully...
John AE5X
I've had a hankering to build something lately and happened across a relatively new offering from the 4 States QRP Group: the Hilltopper Tallboy, a monoband QRP CW transceiver kit.Available for 15 to 40 meters (and maybe 60m soon), I ordered a 20m version. It arrived 5 or 6 days later and I...
AA7EE
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...
AA7EE
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...
AA7EE
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...
John AE5X
An interesting concept from WD4ELG: a very brief summary of various QRP rigs. The Good and the Bad of each, distilled down to the minimum, by various QRPers: FT-817ND biggest positive: shack in a box. I did Satellites, SSB, CW, digital (with Signalink), FM. Listened to air band and police band....
John AE5X
Receiver sensitivity of the QRP Labs QMX+ is currently being discussed on the QRP Labs forum with at least one member of the group is disappointed that the MDS value of the QMX+ isn't published.With the QMX+ being a kit, any published value of MDS would have to be a range of fluid values since...
John AE5X
The Crystal River area of west-central Florida contains several POTA sites within a small area. Crystal River Preserve State Park is my favorite for activations due to the covered picnic table and proximity to manatee-rich waterways.Kayaks can be rented at the park but my purpose today was to...
John AE5X
Tom M7MCQ recently posted some interesting info on an aftermarket mic for Elecraft KX-series radios.The mic was initially offered by Dave M0JKS as a kit but they now are sold completely built.I ordered one the next day.Dave's mic is about 1/3rd the price of the Elecraft MH3 and is much smaller....
John AE5X
A search of the mythical Ideal QRP Travel Rig For Vibration-Rich Environments has me, once again, pondering what's out there and coming to the same old conclusion:That the Elecraft KX2 - manyyears (yes, one word) after its introduction - still has no peer. Eight years old now - a virtual...
Fred C (W6BSD)
A couple of months ago I designed a convenient Battery Monitor board with a voltmeter, one Andeson PowerPole connector as well as a USB power connector. This board is suitable to turn any 7Ah, 9Ah SLA or Lithium battery into a convenient power source for indoor or portable operation. For example,...
Fred C (W6BSD)
I often use small 7 or 9 Ah lead acid batteries because they are convenient and inexpensive. For example, my AllStar node at home is plugged to a battery like the one on the following picture With this battery I can continue to transmit for a few hours even when there is a power outage. The...