This is a blog about my ham radio experiences including vintage homebrew, QRP operating and the National Radio company.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
More 1934 Transmitter
I've gotten the components all mounted and the transmitter is ready for wiring. I learned a few things along the way...
30s vintage Sangamo mica capacitors are large enough that they don't mount well on their own leads. Each one must be mechanically supported, either by a solder strip or by screwing to the wooden sides of the chassis.
The wooden chassis takes 1 1/2 inches of available length and width. This can impact the layout. Using an all metal chassis there is space for a buffer stage between the oscillator and amplifier. With 1 1/2 taken off the length/width plus the added reinforcing across the middle it would be a challenge to fit the buffer stage in there.
Will the lead length be a problem? Certainly I wouldn't trust this spread out layout at 30MHz but it may be OK on 7MHz. Time will tell.
Monday, July 6, 2009
QRP from Frontenac State Park
Sunday afternoon, July 5, I got over to Frontenac State Park for some picnic table QRP. The picnic area there sits at the edge of a 400' bluff over looking the Mississippi River. Below the park is Lake Pepin , a naturally wide part of the upper Mississippi. To the east, across the Mississippi/Lake Pepin, is Wisconsin. The weather Sunday was sunny but not too warm in the shade, perfect for picnic table QRP.
Using my K1 running 4 watts and feeding a 67' end fed wire I worked K4BAI(Columbus, GA), WA3PAK(Marion, OH) and N7JOX(northern CO near Cheyenne, WY). All in all a satisfying and relaxing afternoon....
Using my K1 running 4 watts and feeding a 67' end fed wire I worked K4BAI(Columbus, GA), WA3PAK(Marion, OH) and N7JOX(northern CO near Cheyenne, WY). All in all a satisfying and relaxing afternoon....