Kits and Homebrewbuilding your own amateur radio equipment

Alan , VA3STL

Outline

● Why build?● Tools● Kits

● Transceivers● Receivers● Accessories● Building● Suppliers

● Homebrew● Simple starting points

● Design case study● System case study● SMT & Microcontrollers● Resources

● Books● Internet based material

Why build your own equipment?

● Can be cheaper● Can build what you

need● Develop electronics

skills● If it breaks, very likely

you can fix it● Satisfaction of

building

Tools

Why Kits?

● Design done● Parts usually provided● Circuit board● Enclosure● Instructions● Easier to find support● Quicker to a finished

project

High performance transcievers

● Elecraft ● K3● K2● K1● KX1

● Dzkit Sienna● Norcal Sierra● PFR 3 ● ATS-3B (KD1JV)

Monoband Transceivers

● Ten Tec T kits● Small Wonder Labs

● Rockmites● PSK series & warbler● SW+ series

● BitX 20 & 17● DC series

Receivers

● TenTec● 4 band SWL regen● Direct conversion● 9 band regen● Digital display

superhet

● Dzkit Sienna● Scout Regen

Accessories

● TNC-X

● Tinytrak

● Elecraft● Transverters ● 6m Low noise preamp● Mini-kits (balun, wattmeter,

attenuator, test oscillator, noise generator, dummy load)

● Dzkit SWR/power meter

● Emtech ZM-2 tuner

● ESS Freakin' Beacon

General points for kit building

● Choose the right kit for you● Search out the online 'user group'● Do an inventory and take your time● Toroids should not be hated!● Align carefully (WWV, CHU, noise can be helpful)● Use it!● For advanced work look at

● See Rftoolkits at www.kitsandparts.com● Down East Microwave www.downeastmicrowave.com

Parts control

Kit suppliers

● Elecraft www.elecraft.com● TenTec www.tentec.com● Hendricks QRP kits www.qrpkits.com● Small Wonder Labs www.smallwonderlabs.com● QRPme www.qrpme.com● Coastal Chipworks www.tnc-x.com● Wilderness Radio http://www.fix.net/~jparker/wild.html● Emtech http://emtech.steadynet.com/index.shtml● Byonics http://www.byonics.com/

Homebrew

● Use a proven circuit● Start with a circuit

diagram● Build what you will use● Collect parts● Start simple● Read and ask● Fault finding is part of

the course

Microphone switch

● For use with music/PA microphone with 1/4” jack

● Need robust switch● Use a computer

mouse● Can reuse the cable

too.● The Source #3303018

Inside mic switch

Simple receiver

● Two transistors ● One toroid (T50-2 2:28 turns)● Three capacitors (one variable) ● One resistor

Antenna Tuner Unit

● Z-match design● Dual coil● Fwd. and rev. power

measurement● Tunes 88ft doublet

– 80m to 12m

Design Case study: Simple Direct Conversion Receiver● Consider 80m around 3.580MHz

● PAL colour burst crystal 3.582MHz● DC receiver ± 3kHz (no tuning!)

PSK31

MFSKOliviaRTTYOther

W1AW

3.5815

CW

3.5833.580 Frequency/MHz

Receiver Design

✔ Fixed frequency (3.582 MHz PAL colour burst crystal) ✔ Simple✔ Local oscillator isolation✔ Reasonable sensitivity✔ Signal range?✔ Small✔ Useable with a computer➢ SA612 (NE612) (Mixer & oscillator) + LM386➢ 'Neophyte', 'Sudden', 'MRX-80', 'Warbler'

Rough-out the circuit

Circuit

Construction

Performance

Kit & Homebrew System

Freakin' Beacon

Z-matchATU

with powermeter

QRSS Tx.160mWFSCW

Elecraft Balun

90' doublet

Beacon controller

Beacon (early version)

Reception of 160mW signal

KK7CC,Nevada

ON5SLBelgium

VE1VDMNova Scotia

Surface Mount Technology

● Parts extremely small● Can use a soldering

iron● Plan out the design

carefully● Wide range of ICs● The future

Arduino Boards

● Open source microcontroller board

● Tiny computer – Atmel processor

● Analogue & digital i/o ● Designed for artists,

experimenters and students

● Free software for development environment

Hints and tips

● Have safe workshop practice

● Know how to solder

● Salvage parts

● Careful with static

● Start with a simple proven circuit

● Build what you will use

● Learn a little electronics

● A part can spark an idea

● Identify and study 'blocks' of a circuits

● Check out datasheets of parts

● Keep a notebook

Parts Suppliers

● Kits and Parts dot com (aka 'Toroid king') http://www.kitsandparts.com/

● Digikey www.digikey.com ● Nightfire electronics kits http://vakits.com/ ● Hamfests● Modern Device ('bare bones' Arduino)

http://moderndevice.com ● ebay● Active Electronics (Merivale Rd)● The Source

Resources: Books

Books to startBooks to start● ARRL Handbook● More QRP Power, ARRL● QRP Basics, G. Dobbs,

RSGB● Hints & Kinks for the radio

amateur, ARRL● W1FB's QRP Notebook,

D. DeMaw, ARRL

More AdvancedMore Advanced● Experimental Methods in

RF Design, Hayward, Campbell & Larkin, ARRL

● Low Power Scrapbook, G-QRP Club, RSGB

● The Electronics of Radio, D. Rutledge, CUP

FUNFUN● iWoz, Steve Wozniak,

Norton, (2006)

Other Resources● QRP Quarterly: Journal of QRP ARCI● VE7BPO www.qrp.pops.net● G3XBM ham radio blog

http://g3xbm-qrp.blogspot.com/ ● AA1TJ's web pages

http://mjrainey.googlepages.com/radio ● Make magazine www.makezine.com● N2CQR

● soldersmoke.com soldersmoke podcasts ● soldersmoke.blogspot.com● Soldersmoke: a global adventure in radio electronics

Conclusions

● Building your own equiment is rewarding

● Kits are a great starting point

● Go slowly

● Pick up parts for the 'junk box'

● Keep a notebook

● Read and study

● Sometimes things don't work

● Consider using SMT and microcontrollers

● Enjoy the build and the use (two lots of fun)

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