Another new toy

M0RVB

Not the most startling of new toys but I've never had a PCB holder. All my construction until recently has been on Veroboard or just lash-ups of wires, until the QRP Labs board. That made me realise there was a gap on the bench.

So, this has joined my armoury. The board is a random "let's fiddle with SMD" kit that comes with numerous bits and bobs. I've never had a go at SMD and yet I have two projects waiting to be built which are just that, so this board will hopefully get me up to speed. I figured it best to practice on something that doesn't matter first. I have a headband magnifier, various fine tweezers and tiny soldering iron bits, so should be good to go. Let's see how much of a mess I can make.

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M0RVB

Yet another project...

Note to self... stop collecting bits for projects and start building instead! Just in, this PCB and chip for the TARPN NinoTNC. Described as a multi-speed, multi-protocol USB-KISS packet radio interface this comes as a very nicely made PCB and PIC plus a bill of parts complete with Mouser part numbers and a spreadsheet that loads into Mouser to make a complete order. This will be a fun build. The TARPN website also has full ordering and step by step construction details. Neat!

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M0RVB

Yet another new toy

I acquired a DTX1 DATV transmitter. Although this is rather dated now it is still a useful tx capable of transmitting between 350 and 1350MHz. As a test setup over my usual 6" or so transmission path here it is on 437MHz transmitting a test card (yes the test card is all wrong but at least has the callsign and it is unlikely to propagate beyond the garden). The test card is coming from a little device that reads an SD card (and other formats) and sends a selected image. I did try an old digital camera I have which has video output but which refused to do anything, not even when plugged into a TV. Anyway it proves the DTX1 works.

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M0RVB

Another band bites the dust

Well, sort of. On FT8 I mean. I just received a couple of transverters from the transverters store in the Ukraine. These are not the newer model with the TCXO but are cheap and cheerful. Yes, they do drift a little but it's a toe in the water for me pending something else later on. I already have the Spectrum Communications 70MHz transverter and that works nicely but these are small units when compared, so I got a 70MHz and a 144MHz one. I connected the 144MHz one up today and set the FT450D to 28.174 and immediately heard FT8 tones. I'd not even fired up WSJT-X but sorted that quickly and made my first 144MHz FT8 contact within 2 minutes of turning the transverter on - followed by one further QSO and an indication via pskreporter that I had been heard all the way in NI. Yes, I know this is a minor achievement compared to those of other radio amateurs but it's still a new one to me... I now plan to sell off some kit including the Trio TR-9130 which has worked well. The one thing I don't like about that set is the notchy and fairly…

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