Ham Radio - Build your own QRPp CW transmitter

Ғылым және технология

I build up a very low power crystal controlled CW transmitter and make a contact with it.
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W9TE (Node: 519521)

Пікірлер: 278

  • @Tocsin-Bang
    @Tocsin-Bang6 жыл бұрын

    One of the ideas that went well at a local club that I suggested was called Desert Island Radio. Small groups were given a small pile of components and a few hand tools and the challenge was to build an 80metre transmitter. Some suggestions were put on a chalkboard, and the idea was the first team that could be heard on a receiver at the front of the hall. Included was a common QRP crystal. I think the record was somewhere between 10&15 minutes. A couple of times we ran this competition some even managed a transceiver.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hey, that's a great activity! Brought up a memory of high school electronics class and a monthly similar competition the teacher gave us. Here's a pile of components, make a thing that does this.

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    Cool! Must have been fun

  • @user-dl6pn9kp8m

    @user-dl6pn9kp8m

    8 ай бұрын

    Blackboard, not chalkboard, we don't say penboard,we say whiteboard

  • @arshaqhabib1932
    @arshaqhabib19325 жыл бұрын

    Linus:" I can build PC's" This dude:" hold my altoids tin"

  • @kc1kug82

    @kc1kug82

    4 жыл бұрын

    I love linus

  • @DoctorThe113

    @DoctorThe113

    3 жыл бұрын

    What the :::::? So?

  • @MrDavidmercier
    @MrDavidmercier3 жыл бұрын

    Great video! I would like to suggest that mounting a plug for the crystal instead of the crystal itself to the board will allow you to change crystals and work different frequencies. That's how we did it back in the day. ;)

  • @ComputerAnarchy

    @ComputerAnarchy

    Жыл бұрын

    Would it be possible to install a tap and multiple crystals?

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    Another way is to use a trimmer in series with crystal to vary the frequency, say, up to 0.5 kHz the actual base value.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    Жыл бұрын

    5 MHz????? You're suggesting a trimmer could push a 3.5MHz crystal up to and beyond the 40 meter band? Uh, nope. A trimmer can bend the crystal frequency maybe a few hundred Hz.

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    @@loughkb O o! My apologies! I mis-typed it. You are correct! If it is 5 MHz, it can take it close to 5.0002 MHz which I believe is a fair range of variation, don't you think?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    Жыл бұрын

    @@awaismushtaq5719 Yes, with a large enough trimmer you could push it that far. You start to lose stability the further you push it though. Caps vary with temperature and other factors.

  • @OldF1000
    @OldF10007 жыл бұрын

    Yep back in the day we would saddle are dinosaurs and go foraging for vacuum tubes to build transmitters ; )

  • @RobMacKendrick

    @RobMacKendrick

    5 жыл бұрын

    And when we said rockbound, we meant ROCK bound. (My elmers were Fred and Barney.)

  • @gangleweed

    @gangleweed

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yeah....back in my day we would scratch the crystal with the cat's whisker and listen for the station signal.....the tuning coil was wound on a toilet roll tube.....too high tech to get a variable capacitor.

  • @RogueT-Rex8468

    @RogueT-Rex8468

    4 жыл бұрын

    CD S omg I miss those days....

  • @deaustin4018
    @deaustin40186 жыл бұрын

    Just a tech, but I understand 80 percent of this, have a great time studying and learning the rest. My wife watched a bit, thinks you're a NASA tech building something for a moon rocket. She still doesn't believe that some of us actually do work on and work satellites.

  • @utubejeffo
    @utubejeffo Жыл бұрын

    Heh! Good job, Kevin. Surprised to see a wooden key. I'm doing one of those myself for laughs. I'm in the middle of a 807 tube tx for 40 with a 6AG7 oscillator. No smoke yet, so wish me luck. Thanks for the vid. We need more stuff like this for kids and frustrated new hams....

  • @user-tm4sk9vm7c
    @user-tm4sk9vm7c6 жыл бұрын

    From Detroit, I made a 600+ mile QSO on 40m, with 200mw output. I got a RST 339, but it was quite cool making a contact with two 2N3904s and about ten other components, including the filter. Anyone trying QRPp or QRPe should know that SWR and coax loss are major factors. I used good quality RG6 and a dipole tuned for the CW end of 40m. I made contacts to Connecticut and Wisconsin, too. The Kansas QSO was about 2 hrs after sunset and the other two were midday.

  • @ronaldflatt4983

    @ronaldflatt4983

    3 жыл бұрын

    I enjoy your Videos how do I make this operate on 20 meters. I have many 20 meter xtals ... what would you change about the Torids?

  • @k8bz983
    @k8bz9836 жыл бұрын

    Nice job. Thanks for making the video and I especially like that you actually made a contact with it. Keep up the good work, and CU ON CW!

  • @MoTown44240
    @MoTown442407 жыл бұрын

    Nice build video Kevin. I picked up more information about circuitry during explanation of the schematic. Certain people in a persons make an impression on one''s learning process. That circuit has been explained to me many times before and it didn't click in my brain why. Your explanation helped. Still learning at 70.

  • @KG5IF
    @KG5IF Жыл бұрын

    Kevin, really nice and educational video. It revisits the idea of how we used to make xmtrs and rcvrs many years ago. Thanks for reminding us it still possible to do cheaply and effectively even in days of smd electronics.

  • @hudsonriverlee
    @hudsonriverlee6 жыл бұрын

    Ahhhhh, Hello Kevin, today I sit once again rewatching this awesome video. However, I must add,,,, I popped into the Living room and switched on the wide screen Tv and sent this video to our Apple TV box. Coffee stationed to my right and toast stationed to my left. This is my preferred method now to enjoy watching your videos. I really like the schematic here. Very clear, certainly large enough to see the components and well lit. Way to go on the teaching as well. 73's Kf2ms

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    You may have seen my video on the small HP computer I found in the trash up the street. A small device, intended to be used as a terminal 'client' computer for kiosks and such. I loaded linux on it and connected it to my TV with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Since it's a full desktop OS, I can watch all the videos, even those slated as not viewable on tv set top boxes. I don't know if you've run into that on youtube or not. So, I guess you enjoy "armchair copy" then. :-)

  • @caulktel
    @caulktel7 жыл бұрын

    Great video Kevin, it makes me want to brush up on my CW and give it a try, (again!).

  • @gortnewton4765
    @gortnewton47657 жыл бұрын

    Very nice. Loved watching this. Thanks for the detailed explanation too.

  • @drennen135
    @drennen1355 жыл бұрын

    What an outstanding video! Very nicely done, I really enjoyed this. I'm a noob to circuitry so it was still a little quick for me at my level, but still very very good. Thank you.

  • @DXCommanderHQ
    @DXCommanderHQ Жыл бұрын

    Hey Kevin.. This was just recommended for me to watch on YT home page! They've not forgotten you!

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    Жыл бұрын

    And that's an old video too. I hope to be better and back to doing videos in a month or two, we'll see. Long covid sucks

  • @marcstecker746
    @marcstecker7464 жыл бұрын

    Wow! Great video, lots of dedicated work, very interesting and informative. You da Ham man!!

  • @JosephBCotton
    @JosephBCotton3 жыл бұрын

    at one minute you said plethora the same way I do. ple Thor ah. also the transmitter looks amazingly like a pixie two. great job in making the enclosure and all that other stuff. it's the last steps that make it into a complete project. great job!

  • @2pi628

    @2pi628

    2 жыл бұрын

    Pinatas???

  • @tonywright8294
    @tonywright8294 Жыл бұрын

    Re drilling thin metal, use a step drill .Works a treat. Excellent video.

  • @gsansoucie
    @gsansoucie6 жыл бұрын

    I have an original Rockmite to finish, just need to install the “upgraded final” and mount it in a pin Altoids tin that has been earmarked for this since 2003 (or maybe 2005). Great project, great video, thanks for posting. 73s N1XF

  • @russoft
    @russoft6 жыл бұрын

    perfect starter project. Thanks! Earned another sub :)

  • @SkyWire88
    @SkyWire884 жыл бұрын

    Nice job on the mini 2 stage transmitter. Nice timely QSO. Can't beat that. And, apparently only one Altoids tin to complete the job !! Now you just need a crystal socket on the board and you are set. You could even use it, if you had a frequency counter, to check crystals for operation and frequency (at least crystals in the 40 meter band). lol 5 *

  • @aaronspencer1880
    @aaronspencer18805 жыл бұрын

    Did anyone else have a little nerdgasm when the contact was made? This vid was so much fun - tnx :)

  • @asyncawaited
    @asyncawaited6 жыл бұрын

    Very clean CW, sir.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    Thanks. When learning, I spent a lot of time working on the spacing. I want to speak clearly ;-)

  • @asyncawaited

    @asyncawaited

    6 жыл бұрын

    And speak clearly you do. Did you use the Farnsworth Method while learning?

  • @garyjohnson4608
    @garyjohnson46085 жыл бұрын

    Wow ! Very interesting project. I would love to know more about it !!!!!

  • @acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE
    @acestudioscouk-Ace-G0ACE3 жыл бұрын

    Good to watch this, I learned a lot.

  • @brucebain6538
    @brucebain65385 жыл бұрын

    To: KB9RLW / Kevin Loughin, You can know that one of the rarest bits of information about Ham Radio that I One of the things I struggled to find, is just something simple and basic for a beginner and Technician. That is for someone to tell me a good band and frequency to use for transmitting and receiving with slow CW. Well, you just gave it to me. Although people working to teach others are helpful in their own way, sometimes they offer more than a few general suggestions all at once, rather than just TELLING the new ham something specific. Usually, when beginners ask, they get all kinds of evasive answers or odd answers, or just too many answers all at once, as a kind of rhetorical response. As a beginner, all I really wanted was for someone to suggest to me, a project, or a frequency / band to operate on as a primary focus to initiate my learning. Here is what I just got from you. CRYSTALS for the CW bands on 40 meters... good for SLOW CW are crystals in the 7.05 to 7.055 range or 7.1 to 7.122 Mhz...etc. You one smart fella. Whether intentional or not, you seem to adopt the KISS PRINCIPLE into your messages. (You know....Keep It Simple Stupid....) Bless your little pea-pickin' heart. I really like what you do! KNFNNT

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    5 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Bruce, I'm glad you found it helpful. That's my goal, just get the needed info out there in a clear way. I spent years working help-desk in I.T. So I learned how to break things down to make them understandable.

  • @dogfishheadcase3954

    @dogfishheadcase3954

    5 жыл бұрын

    Try SKCC (Straight Key Century Club) and/or FISTS. Great places for beginners in CW. An Elmer pointed me that way and, so far, so good. He also mentioned that the "50s" of bands are usually typically you can find beginners. .050 of a band.

  • @Moronvideos-dk2ib
    @Moronvideos-dk2ib2 жыл бұрын

    Nice job ........... great explanations ....... love those radio hams ............

  • @the1spyderryder
    @the1spyderryder Жыл бұрын

    Hi it is great to see hams doing design & construction projects. It seems like there only cb rs are the only ones joining the ranks any more, those that have no electronics knowledge nor do they want any. Again, great video!

  • @joshua-the-seer8494
    @joshua-the-seer84943 жыл бұрын

    Awesome!!! Definitely inspiring me to build one.

  • @glenmartin2437
    @glenmartin24374 жыл бұрын

    Thank you. Very good presentation.

  • @jamespowers9827
    @jamespowers98273 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating and informative. Thank you.

  • @josephhager1933
    @josephhager19336 жыл бұрын

    Love this video thank you for sharing the knowledge

  • @WFSteury
    @WFSteury2 жыл бұрын

    Thanks very much for showing how you use the breadboard to put together this circuit. I have numerous altoid projects and enjoy my pixie. N9egt

  • @TheArtofEngineering
    @TheArtofEngineering2 жыл бұрын

    Yes Colpitts oscillator....I always remember because it starts with a C! For tapped capacitor.

  • @AxelWerner
    @AxelWerner2 жыл бұрын

    to me THIS is ham radio. diy minimalistic rig , then see how far it goes and how to optimize or add to it. thanks for the demo! 73!

  • @RosssRoyce
    @RosssRoyce5 жыл бұрын

    “T-hotally spaced out Doode!” 👍👍

  • @wntu4
    @wntu47 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video. Subbed.

  • @prestonshute7243
    @prestonshute72436 жыл бұрын

    Kevin I find that hot gluing an old gift card fits just right in the bottom of the tin. For the holes I use a 1/8th drill bit then a reamer. Great channel, I always watch your videos. 73 wd4dda

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    Good ideas.

  • @williammorse8330
    @williammorse83303 жыл бұрын

    very impressive, OM.... tnx for the demo.... ur gud fist...... 73s..... from Bill, KE1LC

  • @javajoe668
    @javajoe6684 жыл бұрын

    That was cool! Thank You 😊

  • @AntonioBarba_TheKaneB
    @AntonioBarba_TheKaneB6 жыл бұрын

    that's wonderful! :D well done!

  • @loueckert4970
    @loueckert49707 жыл бұрын

    Nice rig, gud DX OM 73 de KT1R (still loads of snow up here in Maine, ugh!) (as of March 27)

  • @jeroeneijer
    @jeroeneijer5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for this video. I think its a very worthty explanation video. I examples how in history radio's were build. For my lectures as a teacher in physiisI do have a few questions: 1) does the frequenty of the crystal set the transmissionfrequenty? 2) if I would replace the amplifing transistor with a transistor with a highr power, would the power of this transmitter be bigger? 3) In the stores I can bey electral components like resistors, condensators and Inductors; are those premade Inductors also usable, or do I have to make the inductors myself? Again, thank you for making this video.

  • @Dazzwidd
    @Dazzwidd4 жыл бұрын

    There is a few things I noted. The output amplifier is very heavily coupled to the oscillator. I would reduce its value to 220pf and see if the output changes much. If it doesn't, then its better as you have reduced loading on the oscillator. Also the output PA circuit would be better matched to the output LPF by using a coupling transformer. A small 4:1 transformer wound on your toroid would improve things. The collector of that PA would have a very high impedance compared to the 50 ohm load. In fact if your PA was only producing 500mW (and it's not) you'd be looking at a collector impedance of around 140 ohms impedance if your power supply is 12V. At 200mW it would be 360 ohms. If you were getting 350mW, it would be 200 ohms and a 4:1 balun would give you the best power transfer.

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    The input impedance for first transistor is too low and crystal is definitely being loaded to cause probable frequency shift. He ought to have used voltage divider bias. That way he could increase the input impedance to at least 500 k-ohm. Besides base bias isn't a very stable and promising biasing method. He could have used 1 k-ohm in collector of first transistor and could have connected 100 k-ohm in parallel to collector resistor for improved performance and reduced crystal loading. Another way might have been to put crystal in parallel to at least 100 k-ohm resistor and throw oscillation at the base for due gain. Anyway, his transmitter, his design!

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    He could have added a variable capacitor of 100 to 120 pF in series with crystal for better feedback control. Mr. Dazzwidd is right in his analysis. Also, adjusting Colpitts tank capacitors to 220 pF could have been much better. It's true that design needs improvement. Moreover, 2N2222 is a bad choice for oscillator and for overall RF design. The 2N4265 would have worked loads better as its transition frequency is 300 MHz which is way higher than 7.023 MHz used here.

  • @tonywright8294

    @tonywright8294

    Жыл бұрын

    If you know better why are they watching this video ? Experts.!

  • @dolan885
    @dolan8855 жыл бұрын

    Great video Kevin! For those unable to send in morse code, wondering what would be needed to connect this up to a Raspberry Pi and run morse code software

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    You don't need Pi, you can do it with Arduino as well!

  • @dylanlockler1039
    @dylanlockler10394 жыл бұрын

    i am new to electronics and ham radio but which component would you use to change the bandwidth of a receiver? i thought i would ask you because you seem to know what you are doing

  • @marklowe7431
    @marklowe74315 жыл бұрын

    Great video.

  • @ronaldflatt4983
    @ronaldflatt49833 жыл бұрын

    I enjoyed this video. I would like to build this for 20 meters cw. What would your recommendations be concerning the torid band pass filters? What other recomendations would you have ? Ron K5QJP

  • @JDK45ACP
    @JDK45ACP3 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Sorry it too me so long to find it. Blessings.

  • @awaismushtaq5719
    @awaismushtaq571911 ай бұрын

    Mr Kevin sir, it's a good practice to use two reverse and forward connected diode pair to avoid transistor saturation and over voltage burning in case extra voltage dropped in.

  • @yurigagarin4974
    @yurigagarin49746 жыл бұрын

    cool getting contacts with it👍😎🇬🇧

  • @maxxron
    @maxxron3 жыл бұрын

    Any chance this design can be upgraded to include a VXO? Can you swap in a VXO for the xtal without having to swap out any other parts?

  • @WFSteury
    @WFSteury2 жыл бұрын

    I built this. It does well for one watt from 2 transistors. N9egt

  • @bityard
    @bityard7 жыл бұрын

    Hi Kevin, new subscriber here. I binged-watched all of your videos this weekend, thanks for making them! Your discussion on toroids reminded me of a question I have. I'm assembling a BITX40 transceiver and while overall build quality of the board is great, most of the toroids are wibbly-wobbly and I'm afraid the leads will break eventually. Since you've worked on lots of old radios and probably have a good idea of what works and what doesn't, what do you recommend to immobilize the toroids for the long term? Hot glue? Silicone? Something else? Thanks!

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    Yeah, I think either hot glue or silicon would work. I'd lean towards hot glue, and just a dab where the torroid meets the PCB. Thanks for watching!

  • @bhk7az641
    @bhk7az6412 жыл бұрын

    Very nice! I just cloned your circuit and it is very slick... tks! 73 de K7ZB K Those are T50-2 toroid cores...

  • @bill-2018
    @bill-20183 жыл бұрын

    A QRP tx is so easy to make and they work. And with a simple rx, wire aerial and tuner you have a complete portable QRP station and the battery will last a long time. G4GHB

  • @rafkend1422
    @rafkend14223 жыл бұрын

    This is very informative thanks a bunch. If I wanted to make one for 10 meter band, apart from the crystal, do the values of capacitors in the first stage oscillator change and if so would it be to resonate at around 28MHZ?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    3 жыл бұрын

    Everything changes, including the low pass filter. There's several web sites for calculating those.

  • @ematelda
    @ematelda4 жыл бұрын

    excelent job ..!

  • @DJTrainR3k
    @DJTrainR3k6 жыл бұрын

    Hi Kevin, I understand how the circuit functions as a transmitter, but the one thing i dont get is how you hooked it up for recieving. From what i can tell, the switch just swaps the antenna between the transmitter being on it and the reciever hooked to the rca jack?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    Yes, and it also grounds the receiver jack when you switch to transmit to protect your receiver from excessive RF.

  • @raisagorbachov
    @raisagorbachov2 жыл бұрын

    I just built a QRP Pixie. Wondering how much wire to coil around a broomstick for a decent antenna.

  • @eduardmichalek5445
    @eduardmichalek5445 Жыл бұрын

    Hi Kevin! I Have one problem. What is Your power? On Your scope is sinus 4volts p-p. By standard formula 4V p-p on 50 ohm load is 80 mW PEP, or 40 mW effective power. Where I make mistake. 73! Ed

  • @1883GotDown
    @1883GotDown4 жыл бұрын

    Hello Kevin, What is actually generating the TONE? Is the tone being generated from the circuit? Is that what the first 2n2222a doing then generating it to RF on FEQuency via the second 2n2222a and crystal? Thanks a bunch in advance. I know Kevin has a lot of videos so if anyone else can answer this for me that would be GREAT!

  • @animehair05silently88

    @animehair05silently88

    Жыл бұрын

    I believe carrier wave transmission is just an on/off modulation, and the tone is generated by the receiver just as an indicator?

  • @janetwinslow2039
    @janetwinslow20396 жыл бұрын

    Nice scope/analyser. Which one is it - I'm in the market for one...!

  • @26CW128Jake
    @26CW128Jake7 жыл бұрын

    Can you build a tiny receiver to go with it? I know small ham receivers are a little bit fiddley but could you do it?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    Sure. RX is a bit more complex though.

  • @tonywright8294
    @tonywright8294 Жыл бұрын

    Nice to see you don’t have to send Morse at a million letters a second.i could actually work out the words !

  • @willpease5604
    @willpease56044 жыл бұрын

    This was great! Have you ever built or have a video about a transmitter that utilized tubes? In very interested in building my own classic transmitter.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    3 жыл бұрын

    There's lots of tube based designs out there. A quick google search for simple tube transmitter ham radio should turn up several. I won't be doing any though. Big transformers and such take up space and I'm living in an RV that's already full of stuff. :-) Oh, and rarely plugged in to AC power. ha.

  • @f5rlwfab607
    @f5rlwfab6073 жыл бұрын

    Good vidéo Tx QRP 72's Fab F5RLW

  • @mark2727
    @mark27277 жыл бұрын

    I have watched this one video several times, and this afternoon I came home from the Electronics store with a bag full of goodies to make the transmitter. Total cost $40. Basically I am breadboarding and using my audio generator & O-scope to check out circuits that I make. Simpler the better and you can't get any more basic than what you have shown here. I did buy some extra parts and some 10 Mhz crystals for the 30 meter band. As i bread board the circuit I will change the crystal to see if it will work on 30 meters as well as 40. I may add a band switch into the circuit... 73's de kd5smf

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    The oscillator may run at 10Mhz, but you'll probably have to play around with the filter circuit to raise it's threshold up to frequency.

  • @mark2727

    @mark2727

    7 жыл бұрын

    I bought a couple of varible inductors that I can tune the circuit with at L1 & L2 (a t-8324 & d29002202) where one is wound at 10 turns and the other at 14 turns. Not sure how those will work but thats why we breadboard circuits...

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    +Mark let me know how it goes. Send me a pic or two of the final build, I like to post those on the Facebook page for others to enjoy.

  • @johnkemas7344
    @johnkemas73443 жыл бұрын

    What is the core types and the actual uH value of the toroids please? Nice build!

  • @hectorpascal
    @hectorpascal5 жыл бұрын

    When Kevin showed the harmonic reduction due to the LPF, did I miss the value of the load resistor terminating the filter output? This value can make a BIG difference to filter performance, and therefore the harmonic level too! Also, if it's R ohm it's easy use a scope to calculate the RF power out from (Vrms^2)/R.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    5 жыл бұрын

    I would have been using my MFJ dry dummy load. It's 52.9 ohms through most of the HF spectrum.

  • @DeeegerD
    @DeeegerD7 жыл бұрын

    Nice, when I get around to putting my Pixie together It might just work ;)

  • @tonywright8294

    @tonywright8294

    3 жыл бұрын

    Mine works no problem

  • @AndysRamblings
    @AndysRamblings4 жыл бұрын

    Dug through your channel but couldn't find any videos on building a similar QRP CW receiver. Any tips or resources you can direct me to for that? What kind of antenna are you using. New to this but very interested in low power CW communication on simple homebrew equipment. This is a great transmitter though; exactly what I'm looking for!

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    4 жыл бұрын

    There are a lot of simple receiver designs out there. They tend to be more complex than a transmitter, and a little bit more involved to build. Direct conversion and regen receivers perform fairly well but tend to be quite wide and harder to use for CW, but doable. Superheterodyne receivers will have much better selectivity but are far more complex to build. Do a search on simple receiver and you should find plenty of projects to look at.

  • @JSambrook
    @JSambrook3 жыл бұрын

    Hi Kevin - Great video. I'm ordering parts to build the QRP TX. I enjoy your loop antenna videos too. In my HOA situation, I may need to build some. Are both toroids 17mm? I found some on Amazon that are that size. Does the mix matter or at these frequencies, is virtually any common mix likely to be OK? Looking forward to building this rig. 73, John, KJ7RDV

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    17 mm he said for both with AWG 18 wire. Usually 17 mm is thickness of the toroid. I wonder which dimension did he mean by it

  • @hobbyrob313
    @hobbyrob3135 жыл бұрын

    you must know / tell which toroid you used! otherwise it is no use, we can't do anything with it. Was it not a T50-2? friendly greetings from The Netherlands! Rob.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    5 жыл бұрын

    Sorry, yes, it is a T50-2.

  • @RosssRoyce
    @RosssRoyce5 жыл бұрын

    I wonder if this wouldn’t work with the inductor coils just wound around a stamp of McDonald’s plastic straw and paraffined, no ferrite? Thanks for nice vid!

  • @LRafdan
    @LRafdan2 жыл бұрын

    Excellent!

  • @Dennis-xg1lc
    @Dennis-xg1lc7 жыл бұрын

    Nice video. Nice transmitter, and of course, it works. Trying to figure some stuff out to operate where my employer is housing me. Something like that might just do the job. Tnx for posting. 73, KK7XE

  • @technicmasters7936
    @technicmasters79363 жыл бұрын

    Would it work for CB if i changed the crystal and the low pass filter? (ofcourse with modulation)

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    2 жыл бұрын

    That would be a different transmitter all together.

  • @josephhager1933
    @josephhager19336 жыл бұрын

    Could you explain how you hooked up your receiver to the transmitter? Very interested in that

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    I have a double pole double throw switch in it. One side switches the antenna between the RX out connector and the transmitter. The other side of it switches power to the transmitter. When in RX mode, bumping the key won't transmit and hurt the receiver.

  • @leos9865
    @leos98656 жыл бұрын

    Very cool.

  • @sethproaps8899
    @sethproaps88993 жыл бұрын

    Does this circuit work with most COs (in the amateur spectrum), or do other parameters need to change?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    3 жыл бұрын

    The filter and coupling would need to change for different frequency bands.

  • @christianfiore5952
    @christianfiore5952 Жыл бұрын

    I have a question: If AM frequencies are lower (lower hertz) than shortwave frequencies, then why don't AM transmissions travel farther?

  • @JM-rh2gr
    @JM-rh2gr5 жыл бұрын

    You can use a 555 timer IC with different capacitor ranges instead of a crystal as well but great job!

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    5 жыл бұрын

    Yes, and gain a pseudo VFO. But you would also have to add additional filtering to smooth the 555's square wave into a sine and eliminate all the harmonics. Plus there may be a stability issue or even chirp if the 555 doesn't start right on frequency. I suspect it would take a few ms to stabilize.

  • @JM-rh2gr

    @JM-rh2gr

    5 жыл бұрын

    @@loughkb yes very true BTW love your contact with ke0og subbed to u buddy and 73! Also enjoy your videos!!!!

  • @khawk7365
    @khawk73654 жыл бұрын

    Do you have a video where you show how to make the frequency adjustable?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    4 жыл бұрын

    You can put a small trimmer cap in line with the crystal. It should give you a little adjustment.

  • @mauricecraft890
    @mauricecraft8906 жыл бұрын

    L1, is it 6,7, or 10 turns? You said 6 or 7. Your schematic shows 10 turns. I'm gathering my parts to make a go at it. Thanks. de ke4rk

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    6 жыл бұрын

    Hi, Sorry about the delay in responding, I missed this comment initially. That inductor is a choke to cut down on RF going back out the power rail. Anywhere from 7 to 12 turns will do the job, so 10 is a good number. I think I used 10 on mine, but sometimes my mouth doesn't get the message from my brain when I'm filming! Thanks for watching.

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    With T50-2 core, 7 turns give 24 uH inductance and 10 T will give close to 34 uH.

  • @barrymc9650
    @barrymc9650 Жыл бұрын

    My local bargain shop sells biscuits in nice tins for $5. Biscuits a bonus, tins great for these projects Thanks for presenting, 73's, Barry, VK2FP/AG7VC🙂

  • @stephenwilliams5201
    @stephenwilliams52015 жыл бұрын

    Altoids tin for a pixie tranciver, Altoids tin for Antenna. Altoids tin for fire starter, Altoids for beef jerky/peppermint. one more for instant tea/ coffee, and log book. It makes for a swell week end. tks for show and tell 73 de kv4li

  • @cuban9splat
    @cuban9splat7 жыл бұрын

    Excellent job Kevin. I have a question or two. How did you insulate the underside of the circuit board from the Altoids tin? Also, it looks like the filter inductor was a T-50-3 type of toroid. What type of toroid was used for the RF choke L-1?I love making small circuits and stuffing them in Altoid tins. Thank you for making this very interesting video.73 de K7RMJ Frank

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    I used the same cores for both the choke and the bandpass. Under the PCB is some velcro tape which is both insulating from the bottom of the tin and keeping it from moving around. I borrowed the low pass filter from this project. www.delboyonline.co.uk/m0dad/construcion/tobacco_tin_transmitter.htm

  • @lennyh500

    @lennyh500

    7 жыл бұрын

    L2 looks red to me, making it T 50 2. 14 turns will give 1uH, about right for 7MHz. Try stretching or compressing the turns, it may make for a better match into 50 Ohms. L1 is not critical being a choke, but should be well above a resonant value. >22uH will do, so ideally on an FT50 or similar core. For these sort of power values, a cheap axial choke is perfect. : ) 10 turns on a T 50 2 would only give 0.5uH, virtually a short circuit at HF : (

  • @pufango4059

    @pufango4059

    2 жыл бұрын

    If you need to ask such a stupid question don’t think you will be able to make a transmitter ! Stick to watching football etc

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    @@loughkb the URL is broken sir!

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    @@lennyh500 I agree with you sir using a pre-built inductor is far better than winding a toroid or linear coil.

  • @pufango4059
    @pufango40592 жыл бұрын

    Excellent

  • @tekeeladude
    @tekeeladude7 жыл бұрын

    Great video. I need to find a kit or parts and built my first tranceiver. What model scope are you using in the video? Russ - AD0QH.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    It's just a cheap Hantek 5072p.

  • @MoTown44240

    @MoTown44240

    7 жыл бұрын

    Russ, a good starter would be qrp-arci dot org/links stroke qrp dash kits dash bits dash and dash supplies. Many links for kits and parts. Terry - KB8AMZ

  • @SkyWire88

    @SkyWire88

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@MoTown44240 //// qrp-arci dot org/links stroke qrp dash kits dash bits dash and dash supplies. //// Huh ???

  • @MoTown44240

    @MoTown44240

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@SkyWire88 The URL has changed 2 years ago, just after posting. You could have Googled "qrp arci links" and found this. Easier to question though I guess. Try this new URL, "www.qrparci.org/links/qrp-kits-bits-and-supplies" without the quotes..

  • @inscruitablefilletknifesha2681
    @inscruitablefilletknifesha26814 жыл бұрын

    Would it be possible to use multiple crystals attached to a multi position switch to achieve multiple channels.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yes. You could also put a small variable cap in series with the crystal to get a very small tuning range.

  • @breadfan3415
    @breadfan34154 жыл бұрын

    Hi Kevin. What voltage should be on both transistors? With power supply of 12V at + PIN I have less than 2V!! It should be there 12! RF choke with 12 turns of fi0.45mm would cause that? I would appreciate any hints. T2 becomes very hot after 5seconds.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    4 жыл бұрын

    Double check the bias on the transistor base. It sounds like it's high, clamping the transistor on.

  • @awaismushtaq5719

    @awaismushtaq5719

    Жыл бұрын

    Try using voltage divider bias and 2N4265

  • @barrykelly2722
    @barrykelly2722 Жыл бұрын

    You lost me at 0:00 :01. I was lured by the Altoids Tin. Now my brain hurts lol

  • @zazugee
    @zazugee Жыл бұрын

    it's a class A amp, so efficiency will be less than 30 percent, but bc it's two stages, it will be even less like or less 0.01, so 10mW at max

  • @tarapos
    @tarapos4 жыл бұрын

    You sell these?

  • @WHNorthcote
    @WHNorthcote7 жыл бұрын

    I wonder if this could be used for QRPp in the phone section of the bands. Making a low power TX radio for next to nothing on one part of the band with a variable VFO over a few Khz. With something that size it would be good for backpackers and SOTA.

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    7 жыл бұрын

    I think I've seen a few ssb projects out there. It's a bit more complicated, you'll need a balanced modulator, mic amp, audio section..

  • @WHNorthcote

    @WHNorthcote

    7 жыл бұрын

    It might be a good idea to do something like this. A how to build a SSB transceiver. Even if it is QRP/p at 1W or less it could be something to give new radio users a look into theory and construction. But leave out technical so they have to go and ask other Elders where they are going with it so they can learn not only from you but also their club collective mind. Instead of cheap radios for VHF they learn how to build, solder and ask for advice. Different modules on different parts, connect together and see if it all works. SOTA people would like to say on HF activation that they are running QRP/p and see how far they go. Could be something in the modular way to set up, TX and take down. Maybe a bare bones Yaesu 817. 1 band TX things like that. Kanga products were thinking of it some years ago but never got round to self build SSB phone QRP/p radios. So it is a niche build for phone especially one to make it work and use without it being a receiver.

  • @caulktel

    @caulktel

    7 жыл бұрын

    William, you might consider a DSB transceiver like this one for your first try. home.alphalink.com.au/~parkerp/projects/projmicro40.htm The first one of these I built, I made contact with the Qween Mary in LA harbor from S. Oregon with only 300mw. Since then I have built many variations with great results. Joel N6ALT

  • @seanchallenge
    @seanchallenge Жыл бұрын

    Awesome

  • @thenakedtruth0205
    @thenakedtruth0205 Жыл бұрын

    I would love for the FCC to bring back CW novice without voice with 3 to 4 license tiers. Yes, a kind of key club for keyers. Today's hams are only 11 meter refuges.

  • @The411
    @The411 Жыл бұрын

    Does the toroid material matter? Or just any recovered ferrite is good?

  • @loughkb

    @loughkb

    Жыл бұрын

    I used type 2 material since I had it on hand. Type 43 would probably be better at lower hf frequencies.

  • @The411

    @The411

    Жыл бұрын

    @@loughkb Thanks!

  • @joemancino9049
    @joemancino90495 жыл бұрын

    Could you use a VFO instead of a crystal to make the frequency variable?

  • @johnshellythomas7695

    @johnshellythomas7695

    5 жыл бұрын

    you could ... but a VFO is much more complicated to build and finicky to keep stable.

  • @Dazzwidd

    @Dazzwidd

    4 жыл бұрын

    You can use ceramic resonators instead of crystal oscillators which can be pulled over a greater range than crystals

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