i

s
12 oo

QRRm CLASSICS
The Best QRP Projects from QST
and the ARRL Handbook

QUO
QRP CLASSICS
The Best QRP Projects from QST
and the ARRL Handbook

Published by the
American Radio Relay League
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111

Edited by Bob Schetgen, KU7G

Copyright © 1990 by

The American Radio Rela/ League Inc

Copyright secured under the Pan-American

Convention

International Copyright secured

This work Is publication No. 123 of the Radio

Amateur's Library, published by Ihe

League. All rights reservel No part ol
this work may bo reproduced in any form
except Dy written permisson ol ihe
publshor All rights o* translation are
reseved.

Printed in USA

Ouedan reservados todos tos derechos

First Edition

$12.30 in USA and Possessions

ISBN: 0-87259-316-9
 Foreword
Welcome to the realm of QRP, a place where less RF power is more tun for the
operator! In general, ORP operators use equipment that weighs Isss. takes up less
space, costs less and is less dependent on ac power than the typical ham station of
50 Wor more. In return, QRP enthusiasts get freedom—freedom to carry a
complete station with accessories and antenna, in a briefcase. A typical QRP
station is small enough to take along on vacatior in a car full of 'amily, by air or
backpacking. Your QRP station can operate from batteries for long periods when
the power fails, or indefinitely from unusual power sources such as private
hydroelectric, wind or solar power systems.
Freedom is gratifying, but better still is the sense of accomplishment that comes
from operating equipment you built yourself. You may best love the feeling when
lhat first CQ from your home-built transmitter is answered— or the way a smile
steals unlu yuur face when that 1-kW station gives your i-W transmitter a 599
report.
These qualities place QRP operation near the heart of Amateur Radio, and as a
result QRP operation has always been a popular topic in League publications. In
ihis book, we have assembled a balanced collection of QRP articles from 15 years
of League publications for easy reference. While there are a few very simple
prnjents suilahlp fnr hpginners, yiu will also find challenging projects and pertinent
articles about circuit design, component selection and adaptation A QRP buffet is
before you—enjcy!

David Sumner, K1ZZ

Executive Vice President

Newington. Connecticut
May 1990
CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: Introduction
1 Why QRP?
4 QRP: More Than a State of Mind

Chapter 2: Construction Practices

7 Experimenting for the Beginner
12 Quick and Easy Circuit Boards for tie Beginner
15 Stalking Those Fugitive Components
19 Blending Circuit-Board Fabrication Techniques for Success
19 EtcvResist Pens for Homemade Circuit Boards

Chapter 3: Receivers
20 The Neophyte Receiver
25 A Eand-lmaging CW Receiver for 10 and 18 MHz
32 His Eminance—The Receiver
40 ChH-Verters
45 Buid Your Own MCM ICs
50 A Converter for the 24-MHz WARC Band
53 Another One-MOSFET Converter
55 A Four-Stage 75-Meter SSB Superhet

Chapter 4: Transmitters
59 A VXO-Controlled CW Transmitter for 3.5 to 21 MHz
63 18-MHz Component Values for the Handbook VXO CW Transmitter
64 Sirrple ORP Gear Versus Good Performance
69 Thrse Fine Mice— MOuSeFET CW
Transmitters
75 Transmitter Design —
Emphasis on Anatomy
89 Fotr Watts, QSK, for 24.9 MHz
93 Some QRP-Transmitter Design Tips
96 A ORP Transmitter for 30m
97 A Two-Transistor Transmitter for 30 Meters
98 A VMOS FET Transmitter for 10-Meter CW
102 A Beginner's Look at Basic Oscillators
108 The Fine Art of Improvisation
111 Turing-Diode Applications and a VVC-Tuned 40-m VFO
116 A VFO with Bandspread and Bandset
119 Meet the Remarkable but Little Known Vackar VFO!
122 Adjusting the Power Output of J FET VFOs

Chapter 5: Transceivers
123 PuLing the Boots to Your HW-8 QR? Transceiver
128 30-Meter Conversion for the HW-8
129 Improving the HW-9 Transceiver
133 HW-9 Tips
134 The MAVTI-40
140 Bet:er Ears for the MAVTI-40 Transceiver
148 A ORP SSB/CW Transceiver for 14 MHz
1 56 The ORP Three-Bander
1 62 QRP Transceiver fo* 50 MHz
170 Aucio-Filter Connec.ions for the Ten-Tec Argonaut Transceiver
170 Curing Mechanically Induced Frequency Jumps in the Ten-Tec Argosy 525
171 AGC and RF Gain Controls for the Ten-Tec Argosy
Chapter 6: Antennas
172 Somo Antenna Considerations
Practical
177 Anteinas Those Who Can'l Have Antennas
(or

180 Lightweight Trap Antennas - Some Thoughts

184 A Portable Vertical-Antenna Mount
186 An Extended Double Zepp Antenna for 12 Meters
188 Scaling the Extended Double Zepp
189 An Indoor Dipole Antenna
f90 A Short 7-MHz Dipole

Chapter 7: Accessories
1 91 Active Filters
1 96 A Simple, High-Perfo-mance CW Filter
198 A Passive Audio Filter for SSB
199 Designing and Building Simple Crystal Filters
205 Super SCAF and Son— A Pair of Switched Capacitor Audio Filters
212 The 3WR Twins-ORP and QRO
216 A New Face for a Recalibrated Meter
217 A Simple and Accurate QRP Directional Wattmeter
223 Build This QRP Omn Box
228 A Simple Resonant ATU
231 A Balanced ORP Traismatch
233 Variable-Notch Filter (or Receivers
234 Simplified Output Me.ering Protects ORP Transmitters
235 An Accurate, Inexpensive Frequency Marker

Chapter 8: Power Supplies

236 Some Power-Supply Design Basics
240 A 1.25- to 25-V, 2.5 A Regulated Power Supply
244 Energy— An Overview of Options and Requirements
Alternative
254 Operate Your Station With Power from the Sunl
258 Free NiCd Cells
258 A Deep-Cycle Rattnry as an Fmargpncy Power Source
258 A One-Shot Timer for Battery Chargirg

Chapter 9: Design Hints

259 Power Amplifier Development with Your Transistors
262 On Solid-State PA Matching Networks
263 More on Solid-State PA Matching Networks
264 Broadband and Narrcw-Band Amplifiers
269 Elect-onic Switching and How Works It

274 Reducing AM Detection in Direct-Conversion Receivers

274 Common-Mode Hum in Direct-Conversion Receivers
274 Series-Resonant Circuit Enhances Desired Signal in ORP Rig
 Preface
The ORP area of Amateur Radio is rich in experimentation, and the projects in ihis
book cover 15 years of Amateur Radio technology. Feedback and pertinent work from
the "Hints and Kinks" or "Technical Correspondence" columns of GST are included
in this book. Parts availability changes every few months, however, and some parts
mentioned may be difficult to acquire. In addition many circuits use active devices well
.

beyond their design range, and even the simplest circuits may not work with all samples
of the listed components. So a circuit doesn't work on the first try, con't let discourage
if it

you. One joy of QRP is the relatively small investment of funds and time in most projects.
You can try many circuit configurations and parts substitutions without breaking your
budget.
Don't be frightened at the thought of experimenting with circuits; there are many
resources to help. Some of the articles in this collection contain ideas that can be applied
to other projects.Doug DeMaw, WlFB's ORP Notebook provides a basic foundation
in QrtP techniquea with lists of standard component values and QRP organizations.
Look in the ARRL Handbook for information about basic radio theory and circuit
operation. Ask around, and you may find local hams with QRP construction experience.
Your ARRL Section Manager (listed on page 8 cf QST) can put you in touch with an
Assistant Technical Coordinator near you who can help with technical questions and
activities.

you have trouble locating parts for projects. "Stalking Those Fugitive Components."
If

inChapter 2, should be of some help. Look for local parts suppliers in the yellow pages
under "Electronic Equipment & Supplies - Deale-s." Start building a library of manu-
facturers' data books to help you determine equvalent parts.
Finally, the QRP purist knows that the mode is officially limited to operation with less
than 5 W (10 W PEP for SSB) of output power. ARRL extends the definition to include
transmitters with up to 10 W
of dc input power, regardless of transmiiter efficiency. Some
of the articles in this book significantly exceed either of these limits. Those construction
projects that are not strictly QRF are included for educational purposes and for those
cases where the operator decides to exceed the strict QRP limitations.

CALL FOR PAPERS

If there is among QRP enthusiasts, we at ARRL Headquarters would
sufficient support
a QRP Cuinpeiidijiii. Fur such a UuuK we will need a steady supply uf
like lu publish
previously unpublished articles. If you wish to contribute or want more information,
contact the ARRL Technical Department for an author's guide. Artie es should be clearly
addressed to the Technical Department for the QRP Compendium.
 From February 1990 QST, p 43;

Why QRP?
Low-power operation is more popular than ever before. Why not
join in the fun?
transistors, and for HF work, the layout is the resonant frequency slightly to the lower
By Kenny A. Ciaffin, WBDE not particularly critical. Probably the toughest side >f the crystal frequen:y (This is, in effect,
2942 South Wabash Circle part is finding or building the coils and a simple VXO
circuit.) The crystal can be
Denvor, CO 80231 chokes. Even the coils are not a big deal once pulled from about 3 kHz on 80 meters to
you've wound a few. Schematic; and kits arc 1 kHz on 15 meters, depending on the crystal

Why than
would

5 W output?
anyone excepi
masochist warn lo operate with less
What possible
a readily available.

two,
They make n easy
started. After you've put together a kit or
it'll be a piece of cake to move on
to gel

to
type and other factors.

Antennas
attraction could there be? Perhaps it's for the "bigger and belter" projects. Once you have a working transmitter,
same reason anyone would operate an If you do start with a QRP transmitter, you you'll need a suitable ant?nna. Which brings
amateur station in this ase of global telephone can simplify the circuit even further by opting us tc the question: What rind of antennas do
systems and satellite TV. for crystal control. It may not be as restric- QRP stations use? You nay think that fol-
Maybe it's for tic challenge of doing some- tive as you
think. A
fair amount of QRP lowing the lead of low-power, simple trans-
thing a little different. Maybe it's for the operation takes place on dedicated QRP mitter and receivers, QRP antennas should
But I can tel you, there's nothing quite
thrill. frequencies— making it easy to pi;k the crystal be small and simple. This is definitely not the
likehaving a QSO with a Japanese, Russian, you need (sie Table 2). By adding a trimmer case A QRP antenna system should be as
or rate DX statioi while running less power capacitor a:ross the crystal you can "pull" efficient as possible. Many transmission lines
than a kid's nightlight!
Th-e QRP Q signal was created to mean
"Shall reduce power?" but has since been
I

adopted by (he enthusiasts of low-power

operation as their banner. QRP has come to
mean 5 W
or less output for CW, or 10 W
PEP output or less for SSB. Most amateur
organizations anc contests embrace these as
the official QRP limits.
Many of the same amateur activities that
THE AMERICAN
take place in the rest of Amateur Radio's RADIO RELAY LEAGUE
domain ore alive and well within the QRP
community. These activities include con-
structing home-brew equipment, operating
QRP stations, experimenting, DX chasing,
and contesting.

You Can Build It

The QRP arena is one of the few places

where the average homc-brcwer still can make pis
a decern showing. In (his age of multistage,
integrated eireuii, super-sophisticated all-
mode transceivers, QRP operation stands out
as a homc-brcwcr's dream. How many hams
can hope to duplicate the operation of che
latest HF transceiver on their workbench?
Probably none. If, however, wc change che
HANDY RAKO, ft*?U
rules by restricting the power output, it is cer-
tainly possible for nearly anyone with che -a* MMN [«— el M*-.i>j croioM «>-•, mmr^wur-
i

ability to obtain a ham license to builda 5-W

transmitter.
QRP transmitting equipment is simple and
physically small.
said for
The same
the receiver,
can't always be
however. A QRP
DP —
100,000 October lb.

receiver must do the same iob as any other

receiver, while usially in a smaller box. It is

certainly possible to build an adequate QRP

receiver by using minimal circuitry and
integrated circuit—but it's not easy to
duplicate a top-of-the-line commercial
receiver in a mat:hbox.
you are interested in home-brewing, but
If
ARRL's popular Worked AH States award has a QRP endorsement. It you're looking for
haven't actually Hnnp much. I would gigg«t an interesting statesido choltongo, why not break ott a flea-powered tianamillei una yiv»
, the QRP transmitters as a good first pioject. it a try? To make things easier, we no longer require "QRP" to bo indicated on the cards

QRP transmitter! usually consist of a few submitted for the award.

QRP Classics 1
 Books and Clubs
A couple of reference books you may vant
lo pickup are. The Joy of QRP by Adrian
W0RSP, and QRP Notebook by Doug
Weiss,
DcMaw, W1FB. The former is more opera-
tions oriented and almost cnLrcly
the latter is

construction projects. There also a morthly

is

column on QRP written by Michael Rryce,

WB8VGE, thai runs in 73. Another monthly
QRP column appears in World Radio.
Occasional QRP articles, such as this Dnc,
appear in various Anateur Radio magazines.
Several QRP clubs are available for those

The "Modified Cubic Incher" a typical, Is

interested (sec Table QRP Amateur Radio
I).

easy-to-builc 2-W CW
rig. It can easily be Club International one of the biggest, and
s
S9n$lrgcted in an afternoon, and will pro- publishes QRP Quarterly. For informotion
vide plenty of QHP contacts on
80 or 40 about QRP ARC1 aid a sample copy of QRP
meters. Construction details can be found Quarterly, write to loe Sullivan. WAIWLU,
in The 1990 ARRL Handbook, p 30-41. MA
267 Sutton Street. North Andover,
01845. The Michigan QRP Club encourages
attentuate the signal consideraby before it The antenna itself is also important. For low-power operation with its newsletter, The
reaches the antenna. If you have 5 W of RF best results you need the best antenna you can Five Waiter. And if you're interested in

output and i poor feed line, you could end —

put up it's as simple as (hat a high-gain — Brilisb-siyle QRPing, you can join the
up with only a couple of watts at the antenna! Yagi it possible, up high and clear. It's just G-QRP club [G-land QRPing is strongly as-

You should approach your QRP feed line as as thcugh you were chasing the farthest DX. sociated with homt-brewing QKP gear |

if were being used for UHF or satellite

it My antenna is a vertical, which is probably
Operating Skills Required
work. You want to get as much power to the one of the worst choices. Bui it's the best I

antenna as possible. Using a lossy feed line can do considering aesthetics, ordinances, and If you want to hone your operating skills,
al kW powei levels is tolerable; atQRP levels, neighborly relations. Even with my vertical QRP is for you. With only a Few watts of sig-
however, the loss of every milliwatt becomes I 've worked Japan and niany Soviet stations nal to work with, becomes mandator)* to
it

more critical. usine only 5 W output. perfect your operating technique if yot are

Confessions of an Inveterate Milliwatter

People overcome challenges: it's part ot our
like to
nature. I be a mountain climber,
lack the physical skills to
so I have instead chosen to challenge the fickle layers ot
the ionosphere with a transmitter that runs milliwatts. It's
my way of riding the knife-edge of what can be done.
Like many hams. started chasing DX with 100 warts.
I I

was content with this until a friend loaned me an HW-7.

Tho meager 5 W
didn't work very well with ar indoor apart-
ment antenna, but it gave me quite a thrill to work a few
common European countries.
finely managed to move to
I the country, wiere had I

enough acreage to grow a

better antenna crop. also built I

a ctystel-cunUulltttJ transmitlm that used a 743O0 logic chip

as the oscillator and final amplifier, producing 250 milli-
watts. A tew local states ware quickly pul in the tog. I

smiled every time I told the station I was working that my

final was a NIAND gatel
A few hundred miles seemed to
be the limil until the
1984 CW Sweepstakes
weekend. had never paid much
I

attention to contests, so was not prepared fcr the bedlam

I

Ifound when tiirntiri nn ray radios that Saturday after-

I

noon, A loud W4 was calling CQ on 40 meters, and with no

expectation of actually being heard, sent my call sign- I

once. What's this? He's working mel Uh, let's see, first I

got my ticket in, uh, '64—net will do. By the time the
contest was over, I had worked 24 states with 250 milli-
watts. Those big-gun contesters sure have goDd earsl
Three years later, had them all. My hand was literally
I ARRL Ub Engineer Ed Hare, KA1CV, shows off his modified
shaking as waiting for the band to Improve enough to
I Heath HW-8 QRP transceiver. Ed's micro-power rig puts out
work a KL7 In the CO contest. WW slightly loss than 10 milliwatts on 00 thrcugh 1G motors.

Last vear, my milliwatt qjest continuing, modified an I

HW-8 to run 10 milliwatts output. had quite an adventure

I

during Ihe '88 CW

Sweepstakes, netting 56 CSOs with 31
ARRL sections. The 18-hour operation boiled down to It's a high-tech effort. use a computer to predict expect-
I

347,200 points per watt! ed signal levels to those elusive western states. By all Indi-
The 1989 CW
SS gave me state number twenty-nine. A cations, WAS with 10 milliwatts can be done! If any
couple 3f OX contests later, eight DXCC countries were in operators west o1 iha Mississippi wani fo test their station's
rhn inn All rnnlacis were made via an 80-meter dipole ted weak-sional capabilities. would appreciate a skedl—Ed
I

with open-wire ladder line. Hare, KA1CV, ARRL Lab Engineer.

QRP Classics 2
 —

515, It's worth its wcighl in gold. The previ-

Table 1 ously released 509 is almosi as good and the
QRP Cfuba 509's predecessor, the 505, is still hanging in
QRP Amaieur Radio Club International Membership—S 10 there. These rigs operate both CW and SSB
do Bill Harding, IWAHK NeWsietIer-OftP Cuanerly and are usually availabe at swap fests,
10923 Carters Oak Way through warn ads. and from individuals. A
Burke. VA 22015 505 goes 509 for S125-S200
for SIOO-Sl 75. a

Michigan QRP Club Membership —$7 and a 515 for $200-S-300or more, depending
do Membership Chairperson Newsletter The Fire Waiter on the market. Most of these rigs are gener-
5346 W Frances Rd ally available, it's just a matter of whether
Clio. Ml 48420 you can afford, and find, 1 515 or an HW-8.
G-QRP Membership—$12 US
do George Dobbs, G3RJV Newsletter—Sprat A Few More Advantages
499 Mancheeter Read Thtrc arc a couple of olher advaniagcs of
Roachdale Lance, England OL11 3HE QRP operations that aren't so obvious. Be-
cause you arc operating with a minimal power
oulput, your iransrnilter will probably last
"forever." Your electric be less— bill will
especially if you stop usingyour 2-kW space
reducing the RF output control ot as compli- heater. The other nonobvious advantage is
Table 2 that you won'i overload the from end of your
cated as rcluning the transmitter for reduced
Internationally Recognized QRP output. neighbor's television. li*s a pretty rare occa-
Frequencies (kHz) Here's a neat experiment that wil introduce sion when operating with 5 W causes inter-
CW SS8 Novice you to the 'ealm of QRP operation in a ference.

1810 gradual fashion: cut your maximum output

3710 Contests and Awards
39E5 in half and operate al that power level for a
(7030) 72£5 7110 week or so, then cut it in half agais, Continue The bonus multipliers and points for QRP
10106 cutting power until you're down to 5 W. I'm conlcu operation have gotten many hams
14060 14285 hooked on QRP. Operalin? "QRP battery
surf* you'll bp.Mirprivrl, as I was. i( hnw well
21060 power" for Field Day gives a multiplier of
24900 you can communicate with reduced power.
24S50
In many casts , the operator on he oilier end five. You only have to make one contact for
28060 28685 28110 t

50060 can't tell the difference. My Heath HW-5400 every five QRO QSOs.
puts out aboul 100 W
maximum, and now QRP operation is becoming quite popular
that I work QRP almost exclusively, I really for many major contcsls. The following con-
have to have a special reason to crank it up tests have QRP categories: November Sweep-

to full power. stake!, June and September VHF QSO

P»rli(s. Innimry VHF Suvepsrake*. and ihe
going lo work through thai DX pileup. QRP Commercial QRP Equipment ARRL International DX Contest, among
is (he radio equivalentof brain over brawn. If for som: reason you can'l operate your others.
But isn't a l-W signal lost in the shuffle o f rig at reduced output, there is commercial As far as awards. QRP ARCI offers a
more powerful stations? It's not as lost as you QRP equipment available. Heathkit has thousind-miles-per-watt award, available to
may think. A I-W;ignal is only a little norc offered Ihree different QRP transceivers. All anyore presenting evidence of a qualifying
than three S-units weaker than a 100- \V sig- operate CWexclusively and cover only that QSO. QRP ARCI also o'fers special QRP
nal. So, if your 100-W signal is S-9, your l-W portion of (be HF bands. The first was the awards for WAS, WAC and DXCC. The
signal will be obout £ 6. And Ihot's plcnly of MW-7. It put out a few watts and had a rela- other QRP clubs also offct versions of these,
signal! tively unstable receiver. The redesigned and and other, QRP operating achievement
For QRP operation, you musi be able to improved version turned into the HW-8; ihere awarts.
find DX stations, be aware of when and fox are plcnly o:" these slill in use.
how long bands will be open and have a crisp
The QRP community really loot the HW-8 What's Left
and clear setup on both CW
and SSB. You to heart and there are modifications galore What do you do once you've completed
must be able to quickly assimilate a DX oper- available to spruce it up. Most of these have QRP DXCC? How about nilliwatting? Milli-
ator's technique. been collected in the Hotwater Handbook, watting is operating al less than l-W output.
One of the primary skills QRP operation available from Michael Brycc (he writes the Once you've perfected your QRP skills and
strengthens is patirncc. With QRP power QRP column for 73). This handbook has been equipment, this is the next challenge. Admit-
levels you have to wait for the right moneni tedly, there are few who strive for these ranks,
recently revised and reprinted, and includes
and make your mo/c. This means you must mods for both the HW-8 and the latest- but when it all works-WOW! I've recently
be alert and listening rather than trans- generation HW-9. seen s circuit for a half-watt crystal-controlled
mitting. You have to be familiar with the The culmination of Heath's QRP line is the transmitter using a single 2N2222 transistor.
bands, operating procedures of DX stations HW-9. It features a vastly improved receiver I hawn't tried it yet, but when I do, I can't
and other QRP operators All this takes a bit
,
and a bit healthier power output— slightly wail to hear what ilie operaior on ihe other
ot patience, practice and listening. more than 5 W
on some bands. The HW-9 end says when him. Of course, at milli-
1 tell

also covers the newer WARC HF bands and watt levels your antenna ard feed line become
How Do I Do It?
is the only QRP rig currently on ihe market. doubly critical. It seems strange lo see a
Okay, say you just want to operate
let's You'll have to find the others ac iwap meets I -inch-square, singl e-trarsistor transmitter
QRP without building any special equipment. or through tie classifieds. Expect to pay up connected to W-incb hardline! But it's great
Thai's easy, just turn the power down on your to S70 for an HW-7, $60-5100 fo- an HW-8, fun.
100-W transceiver. This requires a power and$100-$2X> for a used HW-S. So why not give QRP or milliwatt opera-
merer or mmc nthfr mrthnrl nf determining The rrrarr of the crop among QRP rigs is tion £ iry? You just might get hooked. Sec
,
your output power. This adjustment is depen- Ten-Tec's Argonaut series. The latest version you on 7040 kHz— a popular QRP hangout.
dent on your rig, and may be as simpe as (still long put of production) is the Argonaut
'

QRP Classics 3
 from April 1984 GST, p 52:

QRP: More Than a State of

Mind
Looking for a new challenge? Try reducing power and
adopting a few new operating habits.
By Bradley Wells." KR7L

L ow-power operation, or QRP. has en-

joyed a surge in popularity in recent years.
dipole cxlubits directivity, sj place it broad-
side to the desired direction of radiation.
your wrist. Send your call at a slightly
slower speed than the DX station is
Why? Mostly it's ihe challenge of working Related to the dipole. and almost as easy transmitting.
stations ihe "hard way." be it during con- to construct, is the single-quad loop. This Third, on phone, use standard phoneiizs.
tests or everyday operation, and the great antenna is more directive, has wide band- The ham on the other end doesn't have
satisfaction that comes from making con- width and can exhibit up to 2-dB gain over time to figure out cute call signs, and will
tacts that the "big guns" make. Mom Iow- a dipole. ignore you. In addition, use come form of
power ops will agree that the motivation The poorest choice for ie QRPcr is the
t speech processing to boost your average
for QRP is the same as for chasing DX — verticalantenna. The vertical suffers two power, but don't overdo it. Too much is
but the rewards arc inversely proportional defects when compared to a dipole. It is far worse than loo little.
to the amount of power used. highly susceptible to rrKn-made QRN, Fourth, time your calls. This is most im-
In this article, we'll take a look at the ex- notably power-line noise. For a vertical to portant for QRP operators. Don't try to
citing world of QRP, discuss sorie equip- have the same radiation efficiency of a be first to hit the keyer or PTT switch. Nor-
ment that's available and talk about ways dipole, a good radial system is required. mally, everyone will send their calls all at
o f improving your chances of success with Amateurs lacking space for beams or once, pause, then try again. When you hear
low-power operation. One word of caution dipolcs might consider the Cushcraft R-3 that pause, slip your call in just once.
to the reader though: QRP can be habit- tuned vertical, which requires no radials Thai's allyou have time for. Do this cor-
forming. and approaches the efficiency of a half- rectly, and you may get through on the
The definition of QRP, recognized by wave dipole. third or fourth call.

most amateur organizations, is IQAV input, Do skimp on the coax. Use the best
not Finally, know when to quit. Everyone
or 5-W measjred output. Five watts may grade cf RG-8 you can afford. We arc not has days when ihe piopagation is wrong or
no' «nnnd libi* mnrh tn ihosp whr consider iniMiKteH in power capability, but in lady I iirk ic again" yon IWieve it or not.
200 Wlow power, but the difference is not achieving the lowest attenuation possible. the world will not end if you fail to work
as great as yau may think. Under actual The ham with an amplifier will not miss a the DX in thai pileup.
conditions, 5 Wwill have little effect on couple of watts heating his coax as much R, for Success
your ability to work DX. The difference as (he QRPcr running 5 W
will. For por-
With only 5 W, there is no way you re
between QRP and. say, 200 or 2000 is W table operation, RG-8X may be used where
£0ing to blast an opening into a crowded
only 3 or 5 S units. Also, QRP exemplifies weight and ease of handling offset
its light
band. You don't ha\ean "afterburner" to
the spirit of the Rules — specifically the increase in attenuation. Make all con-
kick in under heavy QRM
conriilinns. or
97.67(b), which states that amateur nections clean and weatherproof. Strive for
ihe power to make your own propagation.
stations shall use the minimum anount of the highest possible efficiency in both feed
So, you need a change in operating style.
transmitter power necessary to carry om line and the antenna.
The first habit you will break, and soon
the desired communications." Operating Tips forget, is calling "CQ." In fact, "CQ"and
Choosing an Antenna One may wonder how a DX station can "CQ DX" about disappear from
will just
A major failing of both experienced and hear a 5-W signal when megawatts are com- sour vocabulary' and keyer. With full legal
novice QRPers the antenna system. Un-
is ing at him. But hear it he does, and more power, a "CQ" in any direction will get
foi luu.ilcly, mum ham* think lu» puwo often c3ian nut the cxpci ienccd QRP >uu cou tacts. QRP will ucvci uiing die
equates with poor antennas. Many QRP operator will get through hose pileups to same results. For these unwilling to change
operators seen to delight in using th-eir rig snag tie rare DX station. To do this, this operating habit, the kiss of death is on
with a 50-foo: piece of wire thrown out the however, the operator requires some their QRP career.
nearest window. knowledge of tactics used by successful There are several ways to increase your
The basic rule of QRP antennas is that stations. chances of success. First, have a good beam
nothing beats a beam; and nothing beats First, and most important, listen before antenna. Second, sign your call with /qrp.
a beam on a tall tower. Put up the best using vaur key or mic. Is he working sta- This may cause staiions to call you out of
beam/tower combination you can afford. tions by call area or at random? Is he pick- curiosity. The idea isio let everyone know,
A good 3-eIcmcnt beam and 40-foot lower ing up tailendcrs? Is he listening high or ip front, why you're not 40 dB over S 9.
will put you on a more-than -equal footing low. ard how wide is the split? All of these However, most hams will not answer a
with those running 200 W
to a vertical. things can only be learned by listening. weak "CQ" unless your call begins with
A good full-size dipole is the next best Spend five, even 10 minutes on your something like S79. VK0 or T32.
choice. On 20, 15 and 10 meters, a high receiver before you begin to transmit. The single-m ost-eff'ective QRP operating
Second, invest in a memory keyer. technique search-and-pounce. Search-
is
Ynn're going ro wnri you- call a number nnd-ponnrp k (imply tuning rarefuly
of times, and it's much easier to do so by through each band until you find a station
•
1290 Pugst Dr E, Port Orchard, WA 98366 pushing a button instead of wearing out to work. Most of the stations you work will

QRP Classics 4
 be calling "CQ,"or you will nail them as
they finish a QSO.
Work the statbn with a moderate-to-
loud signal. Since the sensitivity of most
QRP receivers outstrips the effective range
of their transmitter, a signal (hat is very
weak may be impossible to work. Propaga-
a reciprocal thing, and if [he station
tion is
on the other end is S I running a kilowatt,

imagine what 5 W
will sound like. Actually,
there will be no sound
at all you simply—
willnot be heard. This condition is more
prevalent on 80 and 40 meters, where
antennas and propagation lend to work
against the QRPer.
if you become involvedin a marginal
contact, prolong it. The other
don'i
operator did you a favor by coming back
and will not get much enjoyment out of the
QSO if you're only 3 J 9 at his end. The
place eo tell him
about your rig, anten-
all
na and ihe weather is on your Q&L card.
Jim Foftt, N6JF, of Cosla Mesa, California, wenl the low-power route, and he's glad he did,
A fact of QRP ife. and one of its more
Using the BP6 "Hamcatlon Rig" (April 1983 QST) as a gu de. Jim built his own QRP rig. which he
frustrating aspects, is that you are going to operates will- $roat success on 10 MHz.
get stomped on occasionally —
whether it's
deliberate bad manners, carelessness or Forty and 80 meters are less consistent progressively weaker stations. In addition,
simply that the station firing up on frequen- producers because of their mote-seasonal don't waste too much tiire calling any one
cy can't hear you. Sometimes, you can nature and higher levels of QRN
and QRM. station. If he hasn't come back to you by
operate through the QRM. hut generally Rnth lend io be winter bands, l>ji can pro- ihe fourth call, move or.. You can work
it's the end of the QSO. duce results any lime of year. The best DX when
hint later the pileup is reduced. An
For those of you who chase DX (and time is 30 minutes before and after local exccp:ion to this would be near the end of
who doesn't?), listening on the local DX sunrise or sunset. Also, the 30-meter band the contest when that DX station represents
repealer a good way to expand your
is is QRPers. Its propagation lies
excellent for a new multiplier.
scarch-and -pounce technique. If you do midway between 20 and 40 meters, and Instead of tuning up an i down the band,
spot a bit of DX, work him first, then an- only limited- power (250 W) operation is start at the high end and work stations as
nounce his frequency over the repeater. Do permitted. you go to the low end. When you hit the
ii the other way aiound and yuu may fitiU Most QRP CW operation
around is bottom edge, quickly tune up to the top
yourself hip-deep in "big gun" stations. 40-60 kHz ud from the bottom edge of any and start down again. This will maximize
Another prime requirement for being band. Most phone operation terds to be in your time on all portions of the band.
able to work DX (or anyone else) on a con- the Advanced and Extra Class subbands. Those proficient with a scarch-and-pounce
a working knowledge
sistent basis is at least Stay out of the Novice segments; beginners technique will have a QSO rate almost
of propagation. All of t he major amateur have enough problems without the added equal to most stations calling "CQ." Also,
publications have monthly propagation difficulty of having to copy less than S 9 new stations will appear and disappear with
charts. They use different formats, so dif- signals. Ereat rapidity, so don't wflrry a hour work-
ferent interpretive techniques arc applicable ing the band dry.
to each. All of these charts arc prepared The QRP Contester
Another rule for the QRPer is to work
several months in advance of publication; For many, contesting is jtiit one in- the MUF (maximum usable frequency).
you should be able to update their infor- teresting fa:et of Amateur Radio. For Work the highest frequency that is open in
mation to make albwance forcutrem con- others, contests are Amateur Radio. Non- the ar?a you want to cover, based on WWV
ditions. There arc two ways to do this. One contestcrs and contesters alike may view or other propagation information.
is to monitor the WWV
propagation operating a contest with a QRP rig as the Operating at or close to Ihe MUF
reduces
forecast at 18 minutes after each hour. ultimate insanity. Actually, llic ievw.se is pa [Ii kiss and niiiAhiiiies your 5-W signal.
These recordings provide real-time infor- true. Mosi of us don't have die mCgabucks In a DX contest, know the areas that are
mation to update your monthly charts. A required to put together a top-drawer, big- easiest to work, and concentrate on those
second method is to subscribe to one of the gun, killer-type contest station However,
. at the start of the contest. Work the more
DX bulletins. Printed on a weekly or most hams on afford a first-class QRP sta- difficult areas during the last 24 hours. For
biweekly basis, all are excellent indica:ors tion. Since QRP rigs are relatively inexpen- example: Generally, Japan, Oceania and
of relatively current propagation sive, you can afford to tnves: more in Europe can be worked from the West Coast
conditions. antennas — a deciding factor in contesting. on 20 meters in tite morning. For the
The three bands providing the bulk or* Many cortests have a separate single- QRPcr, however, it is more productive to
activity for QRP
ate 20, 5 and 10 meters.
1 operator, all- band QRP
category. Thus, work Japan and Oceania Saturday morn-
When ihe 10-metcr band is open, theie is you need only compete against other QRP ing and Europe Sunday morning. By the
little difference between 5 and 500 W. Ii operators. However, winning still requires last day, will iave worked out
Europeans
can exhibit rapid shifts in propagation, maximum doses of perseverance and a much of the Eastern seaboard and will re-
however, which can be disconcerting to large amount of skill. spond more quickly to a call from the West
even experienced hams. Twenty meters is Contesting effectively with QRP
requires Coast.
the molt consistent hanrl. providing nppn- the application of several important tech In sny contest, but mo-e particularly in
ings to some part of the world day and niques. At the beginning of the contest, aDX contest, establish some type of game
night. work the strongest stations. Then, work the plan. Spend some time consulting propaga-

QRP Classics 5
 ,

lion charts,and write up a timc-vcrsus- Nest to your log. the most important many different dupe sheets as there are con
frequency plan for your own use. Decide record to keep is the dupe sheet. tests, so use one that fits your needs.
which areas you will cover at what times Duplicating contacts means wasted effort Finally, keep the proper perspective and
and the best band for each combination. lost points and less-productive operating attitude before, during and after the con-
This plan shauld be used as a guide for each time. Since, as a QRP station, you will be test. Above all, don't worry about the big-
hour of operation. The most productive operating 99°?o of the time in a scarch-and- gun station down the block. You're not
directions will be based on your experience poun:e mode, your dupe sheet must be as competing against him, only against other
and an examination of previous contest current as your contest Log. There are as QRPers.
scores.

QRP Classics 6
From September 1981 QST, p 11:

Experimenting for the Beginner

Experimenting is

half the fun of

Amateur Radio!
QRP (low power)
gear is great for
the newcomer to
this fine art. Here's
how to get started.

By Doug DeUaw, W1FB

ARRL Contributing Editor
PO Box 2SO
Luther, Ml 49656

\/\/hal's this? You've never built a exciting hours of operation, and it's easy experimenting is to adopt the breadboard-
piece of amateur equipment? You don'i and inexpensive to build. Therefore, QRP ing technique.' Thi> allows us to iacY a
know anything about circuits, sc you just is the theme of our article this month on test circuit together quickly and easily. In
operate? Well, if this description fits you. basic radio learning. the process we cut down on expense and
ai least half the thrill of being a ham has eliminate the chore of laying out and etch-
eluded you! For many of us the greatest
How lo Experiment ing a circuit board. The final product may
excitement in amateur work came from We need not have college degrees in not look like a wort of art, but it can be
building and using that first transmitter. engineering to conduct experiments in used on the air ju;t as effectively as a
There's a special feeling connected with nonprofessional electronics work. We can commercial-looking version of the same
telling the otber guy or gal. "Th; rig here assemble suggested circuits, test them, circuit,

is homemade." If you haven't been able learn their characteristics, and then make Bargain-bag assortments of 1/4- and
to make th;s statement over the air. changes and observe Ihc results. Familiari- 1/2-watt resistors ar: a vital part of the ex-
perhaps it's time you did! ty with fundamental circuits can lead to perimenter's Workshop. Likewise with
Most experimenters start out with circuit improvement* and innovations. assortments of disc ceramic capacitors,
relatively sirrple projects, and rightfully and perhaps later to .some original design trimmer capacitors, volume controls and
so. In the old days some of us tinkcrcrs work. Many of the early-day inventors of small electrolytic capacitors. Of coune.
enjoyed building one-tube transmitters. electrical and electronic devices and we need a small pencil type of soldering
Often, the name of the game wa» "power systems followed thisapproach, which iron (40 watts}, some solder and a few fect
output." ThEt is, we tried to cxtiact more supports the validity of the precept, of light-gauge, insulated hookup wire.
output power from a single oscillator than "Learn by doing." Bargain assortments arc often available
the tube was designed to deliver. A We Ematcurs have the advantage of try- from Radio Shack. Poly Paks and other
number of popular transmitters of this ing our Ideas at home rather than at work. prominent vendors. The best deals arc
type were described in QST by F. Sutter.' So. if the circuit is a flop, no need to con- Often available at Amateur Radio fca
But today it's prudent to use transistors tcmplaie the unemployment line! Further- markets, so we mus: be on the alert when
and to operate them within their safe more, if the equipment is t transmitter for browsing at hamfests and conventions.
maximum ratings. QRP
equipment one of the amateur bands, we arc licensed An important item in our workshop is a
(generally 5 watts or less of if output to put il on the air and to give it a true VOM (volt/ohm/milliampcre meter).
power) can provide many interesting and "environmental test," an advantage not Even a low-cost imported instrument will
enjoyed by many cngin:crs and tech- is an important considera-
suffice if cost
nicians. tion. For rf measurements it is wise to

'Footnotes appear ai end ot article. The simplest approach we can take to have a VOM that can be used with a

QRP Classics 7
 ;

defective ones; Mcsi "baigaius" of ilm

:ypc contain manufacturer's rejects, and
50^o or more of the semiconductors in a
sag are often open, shorted or leaky.
Therefore, we 'resetter off to buy parts of
known quality for each of our ex-
periments. This practice will help us to
avoid confusion and despair,

rhe Simplest Tnm:mit(cr

How uncomplicated can a iransmi'.ter
be for experimental work? Factually, a
one-transistor oscillator qualifies a* a
transmitter. Many beginners have had ex-
citing results with such a circuit w'nile
operating with on.y 50 milliwatts (C.05
watt!) of power ou:put. For example, the
circuit in Fig.l was tacked together «)ne
lunch hour in the ARRL lab and was con-
nected to a 28-foct (8.5-rn) base-loaded
vertical antenna wth buried radials. On

Fig. 1 — Circuii ol a one-iransisior ORP transmitter. Flxed-watue capacitors are disc ceiamic. 50 the third cy an answer came from a W3 in
volts or greater Resistors are or 1/2-watt composition. 10% tolerance. Cl described in text.
t/4- Ohio. A signal report of RST
569 was
GZ is a 100-pF mica inmmer. LI Is aG-pl I winding ol 34 luins of no. 26 ensm. wtfa on an AmiODn received tor our X!-mW signal on 7360
or Palomar T60-2 toroid core. L2 is 6 turns of no. 26 enam. wire, wound over Ll winding (see text)
J1 is a phono jack, and J2 is a 2-circuit phone jack. Yi is a lundamontal surplus or new crystal (or
kHz. A second QSO with a W2 station in
ihe standard 40-meier QRP frequency (7060 kH:). New Jersey netted an RST 589 report!
YI of Fig. determines the operating
I

frequency. C2 tun;s LI to the approxi-

homemade rf probe* This will permit us mate frequency of YI. If it is sei for
to measure rf voltages in oscillators and resonance at exactly 7060 kHz in this ex-
transmiilprs wh**n performing initial ample, the cw signal may become chirpy.
checkout or debugging. A frequency With this type of oscillator it is best to
counkT is very useful lo the experimenter, tune the C2/L2 circuit for the best sound-
and should be acquired if the expense can ing note consistent with reasonable power
be jus:ificd. output. Maximum power will not coincide
Wc will need a dc power supply for our with the cleanest cw note when connecting
workbench, and for most of our ex- an antenna to this type of oscillator unless
periments we can manage nicely with a very light coupling is used )L2) between
12-vuli, -ampere tegulaicd supply.' If the
1 the luncd circuii and ihc antenna. The
output voltage can be made variable, so lighter coupling will, in itself, reduce the
much the better. available power to the antenna.
Bargain assortments ol transistors, lCs The circuii of Fis. can be used on 16(1.
I

Fig. 2 — Details lor measuring transmitter out-

put power with a dummy load (Rl). an rt probe and diodes aren't likely to be of much use 80. 40 or 20 meters by using a
and a VOM (stc loxl). to us jnlcss wc have a way to locate the fundamental-cut crystal for the desired
frequency. Cl is part of the feedback net-
work and will have to be chosen foi the
crystal we use. This is because some
crystals are more active than others. The
(»«!"• At ^^JlC*-C;.aCC.^*i. Vi'JiES OF
->'~"\- n..'. ..-I IN
more sluggish a crystal is, the greater the
I ft (
01" CHS it !.
i ar
. w
»>i I, feedback voltage required to make the cir-
«j
* r sis ia ices *n atwi;
cuit oscillate reliably. Values between 15
and 100 pF are typical for use at Cl in this

particular circuit. We can experiment with

(he number ol' turn; in L2 to extract nuxi
mum rf power output from ihc circuii.
Fig. 2 shows ho* we can use a 47-ehm
resistor as a dumny load to measure the
output power. An rf probe (mentioned
earlier) and VOM are connected across Rl
with the key closed. Output power can be
calculated from:

P = EVR
where P is in watts. E is in rms volts and R
is in ohms. Therefore, if we measured 1.53

volts across Rl, we would have an output

power of 50 milliwatts (0.05 W). The ac-
curacy of our measurement depends on
the purity of the sine wave from the
Fig. 3 - Same circuit as Fig. 1 except that an FET is usefi at Ql. transmitter. A di;tortcd waveform will

QRP Classics 8
 .

yield only approxirnaic power-output ut amplifier pcifuimaiice is. .u use a tran- few pans in the circuit; that wc van assem-
readings on the VOM. A 5 -ohm resistor 1 sistor tha has an fT at least five times bleit in short order.

could be used al Rl. but thai is a 5To higher than the chosen operating frequen- Ql is a tuned-collector crystal

tolerance (gold-band) value, and would cy. Thus, for 7-MHz operation the (j oscillator. Its output energy is fed to ihe
cost more than a silver-band (10% should be 35 MHz or higher. Most FETs base of Q2, which operates as a Class C
tolerance) resistor. So, wc can use a 47- or are rated for a maximum upper frequency amplifier. A
network (C3, L3 and C4)
pi

56-ohm resistor. Either value is close in terms of gain. Generally, ihcy are good serves as a harmonic filter (tow pass!
enough to 50 ohms for our purposes. Here from auciio frequencies up to that limit rather than as an impedance-trans-
again is an example of the joy of ex- for amateur experiments. formation network, a; is more often the
perimenting versus designing! The maximum safe current of a tran- cas? with tube and transistor output
We can also use field-effect irarsisEors sistor is important to us also. This is amplifiers.
as oscillators of the kind illustrated in Fig. specified as l c (collector current) for Q3 functions as an electronic switch.
I. The version seen in Fig. 3 con:ains a bipolar transistors, and as l,
t
(drain cur- When its base resistor is grounded by ihe
dual-gale MOS.-ET. Output power from rent) for FETs. At no time should we cw key it conducts and allows ihe dc io
this circuit will be somewhat lower than allow the transistor to draw more current reach the amplifier stage, Q2. This
lhai from iho bipolar transistor oscillator than the specified safe value. In fact, it's method helps to reduce the possibility of
of Fig. I, but plenty of QSOs can be had wise to operate the device somewhat shorting out the 12-vo't supply accidental-
with this simple transmitter. Oihe- dual- below (25 °io or more) that maximum ly, as could happen with the circuits of

gate MOSFETs could be used in place of value. This will help to prevent failures Fig.I and 3 where J is in the 12-volt line
1

the 3N2II, such as a 40673. from excessive heating of ihe transistor Fundamental crystals are used on 160
If we decided to use a VFO to control junction. 80,40 and 20 meters. For operation on 1*
(he operating frequency of the transmitter A good safety rule is io do alt initial cir- and 10 meters we wil need to use third-
in Fig. wc could make the modifica-
I. cuit testing at reduced operating voltage. overione crystals at VI. The oscillator ii
tions shown ir Tig. 4. vi and CI arc l-or a 12-voli circuit we nught want to permitted to run contiiuously, and keying
removed to prevail oscillation at ihe start our testing at 6 or 8 volts until wc is applied only to the amplifier, Q2. This

crystal frequency. A dc-biocking were certain that there were no wiring er- prevents chirp on 15 and 10 meters, which
capacitor (C3) s added as shown. The rf rors. If things seem to be working normal- would occur if the oscillator siage were
voltage (rms) developed from the base of ly, we can increase the supply voltage to keyed.
Ql ground (with the vfq connected
to 12. Feedback capacitor C5 is used only or
and operating) should be between and } I 160 and 80 meters. All of the componem
volts for hest results. This shows just An "Experimenter's Special" values are ihe same
and 15 meters fcr 10
another way we can experiment with sim- Thus far we've discussed two rather un- Oscillator trimmer CI has ample range to
ple circuits. profound transmitter circuits. Once we've provide resonance on both bands.
Additional experiments can be con- finished tinkering with them wc may want
ducted with the onc-iransistor transmit- to move ahead to something more spec- Construction Thoughts

ters by trying various types of transistors tacular in simple circuitry. Fig. 5 shows Experimentation cai continue after the
inthe basic circuits of Figs. I and 3, One the circuit of a two-stage, so.id-state QRP transmitter is built and tested we may —
important traniistor characteristic is the transmitter that was designed by W« want to try our skills a: cabinet making, or
maximum upcidliiig voltage (Vfc ), which HaywaiU, W7JJOI.' Seine modifications die unit can be enclosed in a small com-
should never be rated less than two times have beed made for this article, but Ihe mercial case, such as one finds at Radio
the supply voltage for cw work. Tiis will circuit is essentially as he designed it. This Shack stores. But we can use pieces of
allow for the voltage swing (peak to peak) experiment should give us hours, weeks or doable- or single-sided circuit board lo
during the rf sioc-wavc cycle at the collec- even months of fun in the workshop and fashion a homemade cabinet. can Wc
tor or drain. It the voltage is allowed to on the ait. It delivers slightly more than 1 flow a continuous bead of solder (darncC
rise beyond the specified safe valje, ihe watt of output to a 50-ohm antenna, and expensive stuff these days!) along (he in-

transistor can 'go away" instantly! Wc can be made to operate on any band from side seams (corners) of the box to join the
must be concerned also with the upper fre- IfiO io 10 meters by using ih: parts values side and bottom walh. The lid can be a
quency rating cf the semiconductor. This specified in Table I. Actually, this is a U-shaped piece of metal (furnace ducting
is usually specified as f?. A good rule of ihree-transisior circuit if we count the or aluminum). Spray paint or contac:
thumb for obtaining maximum oscillator keying transistor, Q3. But, there are so paper may he applied io the outer surface!

Table 1

Fig. 5 Circuit Component Velues (or Various Sends

cr C2 C3 C4 C5 Lf L2 L3 AT RFC1
IpF) <pf) (pf< ipF)
73 t No. 2S Bt 30 No. 261 18 11 30 No. 28
1

160 m 4CO 1B0O 1S0O isrx 360 T502 T50-2 FT 37-61 (50 MH.
43 No 2C
t $t 21 No. 22
1 3911 21 No. 28
1

Bum 4W 100 750 750 200 T50-2 T50-2 FT-37-61 (25 HH

33 I No. 2« 4 t 14 No. 22
1 39 a 30 Nu. 26
1

40 m ISO ICO 470 470 T50-2 T5D-2 FT-37-63 (15 mH*

27 I No 24 31 1? No. 22t 4*11 30 1 No. 28
20 m 60 33 210 210 TSO-6 T50-6 FT-37-63 (ISmH
171 No 24 3! 9 No. 22
I 4*0 30 No. 28
1

15/10 m 60 33 105 130 T50-6 T50-6 FT-37-63 (15 pH

Toroid coies are used in L1, L2 and L3. These are oowdered iron cores Mailable horn Amidon
Associates and Palomar Engineers (T50-2, etc.). RFCi is wound on a small ferlte coro (FT-37-67).
Fig. 4 — Mathou (or attaching a Vfo to Urn so on), available from same sup pliers. The letter 1" signifies the number of W1 re turns in r
circuits ol Fig. 1 and Fig. 3. 01 IS thus
changed Horn an oscillator to an amplllicr.

QRP Classics 9
 1

CSC. AMP
. ua

Fig. 5 — Circiil of the W7Z0I "Universal ORP Transmlller." It can ptovide up 10 15 walls ol rf output when using a 12* to 14-volt dc supply. Fi*et-
value capacitcrs are disc ceramic unless otherwise indicated. Hcsilors are 1/4- or 1'2-watl composilian, 10*/* tolerance. Vakes not given are listed in
rattle 1, fJ6 is electrolytic or tantalum, ci is a m»ca trimmsr. 02 is a Motorola transistor, bul other brands and numbers with eauivaieni
characteristics can be used

misfortune of becoming a member of

"Junction Busters, Amalgamated/*
you'll never repeat your mistake!

A Word About QRP Operation

to ANT The 1-watt transmitter of Fig. 5 will be
20 dB weaker in signal strength than your
transceiver that delivers 100 watts of out-
TO Yl put. So if you would he heard at 30 dB
over S9 with your .00 watts, you will be
only 10 dH over with the ORP
rig. Or
assume your bigger rig was being heard S9
by the other operator. When you switched
to the QRP transmitter
your signal would
drop to roughly 55 or S3- 1/2, depending
+ i2»
on the accuracy of the S meter (assuming
6 dB per S unit). 5o you could still be
heard well enough under quit*) hand con-
NOTE; JOIN PADS X *ND> V US60 ON SOME ditions to be copied "Q5."
FOH tOM. JOIN PASS X AND Z BANDS SEE TABLE
Patience and tenacity are the better vir-
FOR 180M-I5M USE
tues we can adop. when running low
power. Find clear fnquencies on which to
F'Q. 6 —Parts-placement guide lor the circuit ol Fig. 5. The shaded areas repressnl an X-ray view call cq. Don't expect answers from sta-
of Ihe etched side ol the board.
tions with weak or marginal signals,
inless they are also using QRP. Unless
yyu'ic a supei opcmlui, it'* unlikely that
of the box o imparl that professional pui components of amplifier Q2 (Fig. 5) you'll fare very well in DX pilcups.
look some of us prefer. Press-on dceals separated from one another. Straight-line Good antennas are important in suc-
arc excellent for labeling the controls, bul wiring Jnot bunched up) is preferable to cessful QRP work. Many first-time
Dymo tape labels arc suitable also, achieve this; Too-close spacing can cause QRPcrs capitulate after a Few days of
especially if ney are the same color as the unwanted feedback and amplifier in- poor results when using mediocre anten-
panel. stability. All of the rf leads in the circuit nas. Erect the antenna high and in the
The of Fig. 5 can be assembled
circuit need 10 be kept as short and direct as dear, and use a directional, gain type of
on a sheet ot pc hoard using the type ot possible. This is especially important antenna (beam) on 20, 15 and 10 metes,
point-to-point wiring described hi an when installing the bypass and coupling if you have one available. A good antenna
earlier QST tnicle' if a "masterpiece" is capacitors. will help to make up for the deficiency in
not essential to our purpose. But. if pc- Caution: When applying operating power when using QRP equipment.
board construction of the classic style is voltage to the circuits in th.s article, check The ARRL would welcome clear photo-
preferred we can duplicate the pattern the pohrity! There is no more effective graphs and reports of the best DX
worked
shown in Fig. 6 and in the Hints & Kinks way to send our and elec-
transistors with the circuits of Fig. and Fig. 3.
I

section of this issue.' If point-to-point trolytic capacitors on a permanent leave Perhaps if we ran f>e- enough input on this
breadboard assembly is our choice we of absence than cross-po arizing the dc subject we can run a page of photos, calls
must be careful to Keep the input and out- voltage connections! Once you have the and DX records in an issue of QST. We

QRP Classics 10
 hope you will soon be able to say, "I've
buik my first piece of amateur gear, and i:

works greait"

Nov*
'F. Sutler. " 'The Runt Sixty" and ehe 'QSl
S xty,' " QST, Sept. 1910, p. 50.
Th; expression "breadboard" lia\ confuted K>n:f
rtfwconwr* to Amateur Radio. It originated it) 1 lie
Mily ol tha amaiirur
il,iy. mkl
whim haim hull:
iheir transmitters an wooden foundations, such a*
i he ends from orange cruet. The Kitchen bread-
board became popular tor that purpose, and
thereafter any wooden ciassii base was called i
breadboard.
'Deaih for building a sinple diode rf probe can
h; luund in the incaturcncnu chapter of the pas:
several editions of The Radio Amateur's Hand-
book.
*D. DeMaw and R. Shriicr. "A Simple Uti
Ito-er Supply." QST, Nov. 1970. Pa.u kill <
ailc from supplier in note 7,
<W. Ilaywcrd and D. DcMaw. Solid Siaie Desig*
for the Radio Amateur. -Ncwingion, CT: Amcri-
cm Radio Relay League. Inc.. 1977), ch. 2. p
26. Thi* piibticalion is rtenrnmended (or eiperi-
nentert because it contains a wealth of batit
theory and many practtral example* of vimpli
transmitter!, rccciv-ert anc tcsl equipment.
'>. DcMaw, "Quick and Easy Circuit Boards for tht
Beginner," QST. Sept. ISW. p. JO.
Fig. 7— Photograph ol the assembled hit version (note 7l ol the W7Z0I ORP Iranemlttor, ae laid 'Etched and drilled cinui buaid> for the itaiu-
out and Dull! by WAflUZO. The panels are made Itom pieces ol double-sided pc board. The dimen- raiitcr arc available from Citcuil Boatd Special-
sions (HWDJ are */8 x 2-V4 x 3 Inches {22 x 57 x 76 mm),

Foi updated supplier acdrossos, soo ARAL Pans

Suppliers List in Chapter 2.

Etching pattern tor the Universal QRP Transmitter Black reptesenls copper. The pattern is shown
actual size from ihe foil side ol the oof c

QRP Classics 11
From September 1970 QST, p 30:

Quick-and-Easy Circuit Boards

for the Beginner
Why endure layout agony and the mess of chemicals?
Make your own breadboard-style modules quickly. Here's how!
By Doug DeMaw, WlFB
ARRL Cortribuling Editor
PO Box 260
Luther, Ml 49656

I you dreac those brown ferric-chloride

f
stains on your rlorhp.s, ihe ttrlinm nf^rrh-
ing a circuit board and die puzzlement of
laying out a pc-board pattern, this article
is for you! There's no rule that suggests a
firm need for commercial -quality circuit
boards. Sure, the professional stiff looks
great with these lines and circles of copper
so neatly etched on epoxy or phenolic
board material. Bui, consider the person
hours involved in planning a layout, ap-
plying the etch-resist tape or lacquer, then
etching away the unwanted copper. All of
this can become rather futile if the
amateur is interested only in testing a cir-
cuit on a one-shot basis. A simple bread-
board tvpe o( assembly will often suffice;
time and money will be saved in the pro-
cess.
But what of the finished product? Sure,
nobody really wants an "ugly duckling"
to show off it the next club meeting or
when hams drop in to visit (he shack.
However, good looking circuit-board
assemblies can be had even when uiinj: llic
F1Q, 1 - Photograph of the Simple OreadLwl depi:led in Fig. 2A. Hi ah<hmage resistors seive
non-etch techniques outlined her*. An ex-
as standoff terminals.
perimental circuit board which has the
components neatly in place, "dress-right-
dress" fashion, can be a thing uf beauty board," as the near misnomer indicates, is on the board
type of situation the copper
to the beholder's eyes, provided he or she suitabl: also.Our objective in making any becomes the circuit ground, just as a
is not an inspector for a govern men t- circuit board ready for us* is to provide a chassis docs when circuit boards aren't

COniract job! Let's examine some ways to suitabl: number of elccrically isolated employed. The copper plane enables us to
make our own non-etched boards. conduct ivc island* upon which ihe various make direct ground connections, thereby
components can be connected by means minimising the pigtail lengths of :hc
The Slandorf Technique of solder. At least lhat is the fundamental various resistors, capacitors and tran-
The basic foundation for any of the principle of etched boards. But. alter- Short lead lengths and a quality
sistors.

"quickie" boards wc shall discusi here is a native methods exist Tor developing ground conductor help prevent circuit in-
sheet of copper-clad circuit-board isolated pads or tie points. Regardless of stability (self-oscillations ot parasitics) It

material —
the kind wc find in prolifera- the approach taken io achieve this effect, is for this reason lhat many amateur proj-

tion at hamfest flea markets. Racio Shack the name of ilie game remains the same: ects call for doublc-sidcd pc board: One
stores and similar outlets. It need not be Assemble the component close to and side is etched and the opposite side is solid

clad on both sides, but "double-sided above a copper "ground plane." In this copper, except where the various

QRP Classics 12
 resistance used at thai circuit point. For
example, a resistor is used as a tie point
if

at the 50-fi output of acircuit, the resistor

should be a 500-O type, or greater. In the
circuit at Fig. 2C we find that R2 is 5.6 kli
anc R3 is 27 kfl. We will make the stand-
off resistor, E4, JO times greater than the
smallest resistor, R2, cr 56 kfl. Any value
higoei than 56 kft will work nicely, too.
Oir only concern for the value of E3, the
standoff resistor, is that it is high
-t-9-volt

encugh in value to m nimirc the current

drain from our power supply. A value of
220 kO would draw only 0.04 at 9mA
volts. This is an insignificant amount,
even if a transistor radio battery served as
the power source.
Tig. 2A illustrates pictorial!}' how one
might apply the stardoff technique to
wirs the circuit shown at C of Fig. 2. Il-
lustration B dcmonstrHcs how the resistor
pig:ails arc bent before the component is

soldered to the pc-board material. The

base circuitry at <JI ol Kg: 2A Is strung
out excessively. This was done to reduce
clutter in the drawing In a practical cir-
cuit all of the signal kads should be kept
Fig. 2 — Pictorial view at a circuit board that uses the standoff technique as showr at A. as short as possible. E4 would, therefore,
a ctoseup viewof one of the stantlof resistors is shown at B. Note how the
l pigtail: aie bent. The be placed much closer to Ql than the
schematic diagran at C shows the assembled circuit displayed at A drawing indicates.
R] and R2 of Fig- ? actually serve two
puiposes: They are not only the normal
circuit resistances, but function as stand-
Fig.3 —
Illustration A shows now isolated parts can be glued to a piece ot copper -clad pc ooaid
off posts as well. This practice should be
toform a simple treadboard. The equivalent circuit is shown it B. A short wire jumper can be
used to |oin individual pads, as shown just fcelow C3 at A. followed wherever a capacitor or resistor
can be employed in the dual role.

Gluc-and-Pad Method
A simple but mtre time-consuming
technique for making circuit boards is il-

lustrated in Fig. 3A. Once again we have

chosen a piece orcoprer-clad pc board as
out foundation. The isolated pads consist
of small squares of pc-board material,
single or double sided. The size of the
pads is arbitrary, but the author prefers
them to be 1/4 inch (6 3 mm) square. The
smaller the pads the more of them can be
placed in a given area of the main board.
There is no reason the pads can't be rec-
tangular or round. The format will de-
perd on personal choice and the cutting
technique available to the amateur.
A power or "ormstrong" type of hack
saw is perhaps the best lool for cutting the
board material into squares. If you have a
IB]
friend who has acccs* to a model-shop
shear, perhaps he will he willing to cut a
supply of squares for you during his lunch
components are installed. A small amount resistors ore abundant. Don't worry if the hour. Phenolic-based pc board will sliat-
of copper is removed around each pc- pigtails arc shorti litis type will be just ICT in a shear, hut ylass-epoxy board with
board hole to prevent short-circuiting the fine, provided the wire leads are each 1/4 a cloth base will cut evenly when sheared.
component leats to lite ground pUne. inch (6 nun) long or greater. Once the squares arc prepared t hey can
Tlie "standoff technique" ca.ls for The pi r pose of utilizing high-ohmage be affixed to the main board by means ol
some more haggling at Ilea markets. resistors s to ensure that they act more epcxy cement. It can take as long as 24
Along with the pc-board material we tike than as true resistors.
insulators hours for the glue to stt firmly, depending
garner in the swap-and-shop area, we Hence, the higher the resistance the better on the brand and grate of cemcill used.
must look for high-ohmage 1/4- or for our application. As a rule of thumb, Noted QST author W7ZOI once sug-
1/2-watt eom posit ion res&6n Values rhf rrsistnr hffrig 0*W as a standoff in- gested an alternative method for gluing
from 220 kSl lo several megohms arc sulator should have a value that is at least pads to a pc board. He mentioned hol-
suitable. Generally, bags of bargain 10 times the circuit impedance or value of me t glue as a faster affent for attaching

QRP Classics 13
llicpads to the main board. This lypc of We can use ordinary masking tape as
adhesive is available from hardware stores the etch-resist material. Cover all of the
in small packets. Ii comes in tubular stick copper surface wilh a layer of tape. Press
form. A thin slice of the hard glue is the tape firmly against the copper by run-
shaved from (he stick by means of a knife. ning a smooth object, such as the side of a
The glue slice is placed between the bot- lead pencil, back and forth across the
tom of the pad and the top surface of the raoa tape. Next, draw :hc pattern on the tape.
main board. A
soldering-iron tip is An X-acto knife can be utilized to renove
pressed agcinst the pad, held there until tape sections where the copper mutt be
[he glue mdis and spreads, thei removed. Fig. A —
Saw-blade seeing o' copper-ctad pc etched away. All that remains for hoard
board material proviocs isolated pads In this
The shortcoming of this approach is preparation is 15 to 30 minutes of etching
drawing.
that the glue softens each time a compo- in ferric-chloride solution. Do not cllow

nent is soldered to a pad. It requires more the etching solution to contact your eyes
than casual care when assembling the cir- Fig 5 — Suggested pattern for a universal or skin. If it does, wash it off immediately
oroadward can be elchad as shown, not
that with clear, cool water.
cuit components. Epoxy glue not melt will
Io scile. A *V
and a grour! bus are provided
To ensure reasonahle longevity of this
during the soldering process. Also, the ror easy access along itte icnyil* u< l'w owb'M.
completed module will retrain intact See Iho "Hints and Kinks'" section ol this type of breadboard, material with heavy-
much longer if epoxy cement is used. issue for a full-size oailern lemplale. gauge copper laminate should be used.
A
comparison between the practical Glass-epoxy insulation recom-
is also
and schematic circuits for a simple half- mended. If the copper
too ihin. is

wave hamonic filter is provided in Fig. 3. repeated soldering will loosen the copper,
The piclori.il version shows ho.v we might and stress on the pads will separate ihem
mount the parts when using the glue-and- from Ihe main board.
pad technique. I here are some unused
pads in the foreground.
Some Closing Comments
Needless to say, earlier comments about
Saw-Slol Boards brown stains, on our clothing were offered

For those who subscribe to the arm- in a purely jocular vein. Avoid allowing
l_ -J
sirong method discussed earlier, a hack the etching chemicals to splash on your
saw can be used to cut through the copper clothing: The stain will be permanent!
on a section of pi* board tn form fcnlatrif There arc probably a number of addi-
pads. This concept was popularized by the tional methods for fabricating circuit

author and WIICP in a QST beginner's boards quickly and simply. No credit is
scries which from April through
ran claimed for originality concerning the pro-
September 1974. An
example of this contemporary world of fashion, so maybe cedures described in this article. The pur-
technique is given in Fig. 4. The copper the etching technique isn't all that bad! pose of this presentation is to illustrate
must he cut completely away where each The pattern shown in rig. 5 is arbitrary. some of the more common approaches to
dark line is shown. This will prevent short It suit* the author's needs handily for cir- breadboard fabrication without chemi-
circuits between adjacent padi. A hobby cuit expti iiiicjiiiitiun. Ik Mn.tlk'i pads aic
1
cals. Dut ol" greater importance, ve've

Moto Tool can be employed io cut the suitable for mounting transistors, diodes tried to stimulate confidence among those
grid seen n Fig. 4. If this is done, a and richer discrete components. The long who were heretofore unwilling to ergage
straighi-edgc guide will be necessary if a condjciors along the edges and one side in home-projcci work through fear of
neat job is desired. of Lhs breadboard are laid out to function circuit-board layout and etching. Let's
as plus-voltage and ground buses. The compare brown stains later tf we should
If Etching Is Your "Thing" +V foil has branches thai extend through use ferric chloride. If not. perhaps wo can
A universal pc breadboard can be four croups of pads. The ground conduc- swap high-value resistors or sharpen saw
etched and used many times :f one does tor his similar branches that pass through blades together!
not mind dabbling with etchant chemi- alternate groups of pads. This helps to
cals. A few brown stains here and there on keep lead lengths on the various parts to a
one's garments could fit nicely into our minimum.'

Black represents copper; the paliern is shown

at actual size. The board is single sided
(copper on ono oidoonly), ohown from Iho (oil
side, and is a universal breadboard pattern
suggested by DeMaw (see Fig 5)-

'Negatives and circuit boards lor (he breadboard are

available Iiuiii Circuit Board Specialists.
For updated supplier addresses, see ARRL Pads
Suppliers Lis1 in Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 14
From October 1907 QST, p 24:

Those
Stalking Fugitive
Components
Specialty components appear
hard to find for those who
aren't experienced gleaners.
Let's learn where and how
to obtain some of these
bread-and-butter items.
By Doug DeMaw. W1FB
ARRL Contributing Edilor
PO Box 250
Luther, Ml 19656

you're saying? You

What's this
would build more ham gear if
offs from
neither lie
any of the dealers
ARRL nor
endorse them. As
I
listed, but example, of fashioning a small project case
from galvanized furnace-ducting materia..
only you could obtain the neces- the saying goes, "let the buyer beware." Most plumbing and heating shops will give
sary component? 1 receive dozens of letters ycu scraps or pieces from stock, or they
Most of them seem Locating Component Sources
to this effect each year. may charge you a few cents per pound for
to be from the newer hams who have yet I watch for some of the smaller display the material. A large pair of tin shears cai
to learn the fire art of foraging for those ads in QS^and other amateur publications, be used to cut the sections of metal to
seemingly elusive parts. Some correspon- and keep tabs on the classified ads in the shape, and bending can be done by hand
dents are critical because my QST articles various nagazines. That is where you'll over any right-angle form. The cabinet
are not based on using parts that can be often see information that cai lead to a free walls and top can be soldered together, or
purchased at Radio Shack stores. Sure. catalog of bargain pans. I respond to every fastened with no. 6 sheet-metal screws. The
Radio Shack stocks a lot of things that art- ad of that type. Consequently, I have stacks completed cabinet an be spray painted
useful for building projects, but many of of catalogs. It is a practice I recommend with sandable gray primer, sanded and thci
the circuits we amateurs want to build 10 all of you who enjoy building amateur coated with your favorite color of paint for
rectuire compoicnts that Radio Shack will equipment. There is scarcel> a component the finishing touch.
never carry. A designer is severely restricted 1 can't find for my projects, if I scan the Large cabinets, such as those used for
if he has to rclyon any single supplysource. pages of these mail-order catalogs. antenna-matching networks, can b:
Al best, his output will soon be recuced to Writers (myself included) often recom- 31
faihioned from tempered Masonite This .

rinky-dink projects. mend ham-radio flea markets as a source material can be painted any color you
What, then, might you do to solve the of parts for home use. Flea markets arc. prefer. The front panel can be made from
annoying parts- procurement problem? This indeed, wonderful places to look for cer- an aluminum cookie sheet, available at
subject has been addressed frequently in tain items. But, owing ro the infrequeney most variety stores. There is no need to
QST, buiunly in gcuCiaJ ttiius. That i*. the of flca-iuaikel t veins in any given region, amain a Trammatch in a shielded cabinet,
authors did not focus On Specialty items procuring parts by that means is a long- sir.ee it docs not generate TVL The signal
that many of us need from day to day. This range situation at best. 1 depend on flea going into (he Transmatch should already
article is aimed at those unique pErts that markets mainly to stock up on items for be clean!
we do not find at the corner parts store. future, unplanned projects. For example, I have mentioned many times the ease

All you need is some ambition and a few if I see asuper bargain on 2S2222s, poly- and low cost of making small boxes front
postage stampi to equip yourself with the styrene capacitors or 2200-M F filter sections of single- cr double-sided PC
means to gel the parts highlighted here. capacitors, buy them for later use. This
I board. The cost of any of these homemade
Some of the suppl iers I list in this article practice also enables me to help other hams enclosures is substantially less than that of
have many pans to- offer in addition to in the area should they have a sudden need
, a commercially made box, and the
those discussed here, and numerous other for something I have in my goodie cache. materials are available locally. These
suppliers exist. I concentrate in this article Parts and materials never appear methods permit almost instant construction
on those dealers from whom I purchase magically! We may daydream until dooms- of an equipment case.
most of my parts and materials. I consider day, but that won't yield results. We must
their prices fa r and generally below the also innovate as the demand dictates. Magnet Wire
figures set by new pans distributors that Many hams ask me where they can find
aren't in the surplus business. I have
Equipment Cases magnet wire. 1 must say that the market
experienced neither poor service nor rip- for has, for the most part, dried up with respect

ORP Classics 15
lo magnet wire; Radio Shack sells small quency. Check the tuned tiicuh with a dip variable capacitors. When the Card well
spools of enameled wire, bul oi ly in a few meter. If a good dip can be had with the Corp bought and stocs of
ihe tooling

popular gauges. Jug Wire Co in New York dipper coil a fair distance from the test co il E. F. Johnson and Hammarlund several
was my primary source for rragncl and (say, one inch), the Q is reasonably high. years ago, il seemed thai a variable capa-
bare bus wire, but a recem notice from Jug If, however, the dipper must be coupled citor monopoly was taking shape. The
indicated thai they were going out of lightly to the lest coil to obtain a dip James Millen Co was the only other rr.ajor
business. (usually shallow at best), the is probably manufacturer of these parts and, lo com-
Whai can you do lo solve tlm problem? too bw to consider fot your circuit. In plicate matters more, Millen wenl out of
First, check with your local electric-motor other words, ihe farther the dipper coil is business, too . It was a sad day for Amateur
repair shops. The operators are often from the tesi coil, consistent with a deep Radio! You may siill be able to obtain
willing to reel off a reasonable number of dip reading, ihe higher the Q of the coiJ. Millen capacitors "rom Radiokit. Our best
feet »f llie wire you need, and at a nominal Ilrmcmade fixed -inductance coils can be hope is to remove large variable capacitors
cost. Here, again, use your initiative. wourd on plastic tubing and rods at a low- from surplus radio gear, such as II WW
When I first became a ham, it was cost. Included are power-line RF chokes, command transmitters and BC-191/
common practice for my colleagues and me antenna traps and antenna-loading coils. BC-375E transmit ler limine units. Fair
10 acquire old power transformers jusl for First, cheek the scrap department of your Radio Sales in Lima. Ohio is worth
the purpose of removing the rragnet wire local plastics outlet for odd-lot bargains. cheeking for these units and other arge
from the windings. The same was true Tor Such materials as Teflon*, Delrin, poly- WW II electronic* equipment. Their cata-

old dynamic speakers from jun.<cd radios. styrene. Plexiglas", PVC. Tentte 5 and log will fill many of you older hams with
The speaker field coils contain hundreds of Lexan* are often available in small pieces nostalgia!

feet of small enameled copper wire! Still ai attractive prices. Yoi may also obtain
The Joys of Stripping
another sotrcc of magnet wire is ihe field a catalog from United S:atcs Plastic Corp
coils of large, low-resistance dc relays— 12- in Lima. Ohio, a mail-order house thai has Lest someone misunderstand, 1 refer to

and 23-V units in particular. Generally, the tubing, rod and sheeting of all types (sec radio parts! When Lew McCoy, WUCP,
larger the relay and the lower the field-coil listing at the end of thi; article). was the Beginner and Novice editor for

resistance, the larger the wire gauge. Look Feed-line spreaders cat be made inexpen- QST, years ago. Ik constantly strcssci the
for these relays ai flea markets. They can sively from such materials as hair curlers, value of stripping parts from old TV and
be available for 25 cents or less. of plastic coat
plastic clothespins, sect ions radio sets for use in ham projects. I'm sure

Another excellent source of magnet wire hangers and even ballpoint pen bodies. lhai many of you recall his "transm.tters
is picture-tube yokes from dis:arded TV Again, I stress the value of being from old TV sets." We at ARRL HQ often
receivers. The vertical- and horizontal innovative! wondered why he never made a TV set
deflection oils contain many test of usable from an old transmitter, but he refused the
sizes of wire.
Special Capacitors challenge when it was offered to him!
I've read many laments about how Nonetheless, his advice in those day: was
Litz Wire "impossible" it is for some QST readers sage. Even today we can glean countless

Lit?, (sho-t for litzemlraht, which means to lo:atc high-voltage dt;c-ccramic capaci- excellent small parts from old TV and

"stranded wire") wire is desirable for tors, polystyrene capacitors, NPO capaci- transislor-radio sets. 1 saw six table-model
winding small LF, MFand HFslug-tuned tors and even silver-mica capacitors. These TV sets for sale last the Hudsonville.
fall ai

coils. It provides a higher Q than plain items are widely available from the surplus- Michigan, ham flea maiket. Thcumio was
enameled wire. This is because many- parts vendors. must admil however, that
I . asking 25 cents apiece for the sets! Many
strands of enameled wire are uied to form large transmitting variable capacitors are PC-mount fixed and slug-tuned coils are
a cotton- or silk -covered conduct or. The scarce (and extremely expensive). Radiokii found in TV receivers, in addition to a host
additional surface area afforded by seems lo be the main outlet for large of resistors and capacitors. Also, you can
multiple conductors offsets skin effect—
the tendency for ac to flow at or near the
surface of a conductor, ri"s>iltinp. in orrnter
ac resistance with rising frequency. I have
never seen Liu wire offered in surplus
equipment catalogs. obtain my Litz wire
I

by purchasing old RF chokes and slug-

tuned coils that arc wound with h. Many
WW II power RF chokes contain Litz wire,

and you may want to consider this method

ot garnering some.

Coif Forms and Insulating Material

Blank slug-tuned coil forms arc currently

loo expensive to eonsider for most amateur
projects. There are some surplus bargains,
however, and you should watch for them.
Slock up on these forms should you see
them ai flea markets, bin be aware of the
effects of improper core irate-rial on
operating frequency. Low-frequency cores
will spoil Ihe Q of an HF or VHF slug-
tuned coil. The same is true of improper
toroid-core material. A relative tesi of coil
Q may be made by winding a coil on an
unknown form, then placing a silver-mica
or variable capacitor in parallel with ihe
coil to obtain resonance ai a desired fre-

QRP Classics 16
 1

salvage many poicnciomcters and switches, evenings in winter. Solder wick or solder Some Final Comments
as well as a variety of hardware to add to suckers are invaluable foT this job.
your slock of nuts and bolls. Although this month we haven't covered
pocket-size transistor radios an loaded theory, applications or a practical project,
with small resistors and capacitors. How Source Listing I feel that parts procurement is an
many of these little radios have you th rown important pari of :onstruction. 1 have
away when they became defective? Con- Table 1 lists a number of hard-to-find addressed those parts that readers seem to
sider the parts youcould have salvaged for components keyed to the suppliers that have the greatest difficulty locating.
lacer use. Discarded and FM -rrrivrr«; AM stock tieni The dealer identification is Perhaps this article will reduce the number
also contain small variable capacitors lhal given at the bottom of the table. have 1 of inquiries i receive!
can be used for homemade receivers and identified specific components that are Unfortunately Torus amateurs, some af
QRP transmitters. The IF transformers can offered by these suppliers, but they carry the suppliers Listed specify a minimum
be used as is, or can be rewound for other many additional items. Their catalogs arc order. In such instances, it is sometimes
frequencies. Not only can you increase the worth adding to your reference library. convenient to pool >our order with those
bulk of your parts larder by stripping TV Remember that quantitie; and specific of other hams in >our area. This may
sets and transistor radios, you will have a values may be limited, depending on the require some salesmanship on your pan,
nice pastime for those rainy or snowy supplier. but it can be done. Good Hick in stalking
those fugitive components!

ARRL Parts Suppliers List

5.E.J.L.M.W.Y A.D.H
ASA Engineering Barker & Williamson A.E.I.J.K.L.X.Y A.B.I.K.M.N.T
2521 W
LaPalma Ave Unit K 10 Canal St.
Digi-Key Corporation H & R Corporalion
Anaheim, CA 9280 701 Brooks Ave. So. A. Harbicd & Rademan Co.
Bristol, PA 19007
14-33^114 215-788-5581
r-00o* 077 401 C
Erin Ave.
THel River Falls, MN 567)1 Philadephia. PA 19134
80)-344-1539 215-426-1708
4..B. E .G.H.I. J.K.L.M.N.U, X.Y •Iree
A.B.C.E.G.H.I.J.K.L.MXSXY BCD Eloctro •free "-$15
All Electronics Corp. PO Bo« 450207
15004 Ox nard Slreel Garland. TX 75045-0207 I.K
Van Nuys, CA 91411 E-2 CIRCUIT by
Bshcp GraplW. inc Hammoid Mlg. Co.. Inc.
2 1 4-343- 1 770 fax 2 1 4-343-1 654
-nu =26-5432 20936 Roscoo Blvd. 1690 WiidenAve,
*$1/year
"tree "SIO Oaioga Park. CA 91304 Buffalo, NY 1.1225
818-773-9061
A.B.C.D.E.G.H.I.W.
A.C.CI.K.L.S.X -|r;c ' "S25 I.K
Circuil hoards f« ARRL projecls. Itits
Allied Electron cs Cticuii Board Spocaiisls Hammoid Mfg.. Ltd.
401 E Bth St A,C.E.F,I.K,L.N.S,X 3B4 Ediiburg Rd. M.
PO Box 951
Fed Worth. TX 76102 Pueblo, CO81002O9SI Ed to Electronics. Inc Guelph.Ontario C3nadaN1H 1E5
800-433-5700 7 1 9-542-4525 2700 Hempstead Tpke
"525 -free
Le-illown. NY 1 1756-1 143
Ht-Mamals
A B.C.D.E.G.H,IJ,K.L,M,U,X.Y A.B.C.E.I.K
PO Box 802
Alpha Electronic Laboratories Circuil Specialists, Inc.
A.C.D.E.F.G.H.LK.L.S.X.Y Council Blults, IA 51502
705 Vandrvor, Suite A PO Box 3047
Electm Sonic. Inc. 'SI Catalog req'd
CoUmbta^MO C5202-B099 IIOO Gordon Bakar Rtf.
Scoitsoaie. AZ H5271-3047
WiibwMle. Omni* Canada HJH A.B.E.H.I.K.L
602-966-0764
•free Hosiolt =lecironics
'Si "15 (mailorders! A.L 2700 Siiset Blvd
S A.B.O.E.H.l.T.W
Electronic Distributors, Inc SloubCFvillv, OH 43952
Amidon Associates, Inc. 4900 N. Elston Ave
Communicalions Concepts. Inc.
12033 Otsego Chcago. IL 60630
St. 508 Millstone Orive
N. Hollywood. CA 91607 312-283-4800 B,J.L.O.W(8 polO crysial IIIWiS)
OH 45385
Xe-nia,
513-426.8600 Int'l Radio and Computers. Inc
lax 513-429-3611
n compone *(re© 751 S Macodo Blvd
Anronnos E to. /Jn no o til
Flna Forriln Laboratories, Inc Port S!. Lucio. FL 3-1093
PO Box 4215 I. S.tools
PO Box 395 407-879-6666
Andover. MA 01810-4215 Contact East. Woodstock. NY 12498
Inc.
508475-7831 9i<t.679-2497
335 Willow Street
"sase N Andover. MA 0164=
D.G.H.I.M.N.Q Internaldnal Crystal Mlg Co,
SOB-682-2«)0
A.E.F.G.I.K.I.S.X "free
Fait Radio Sales Co.. Inc. PO Box 26330
Arrow Electron cs POBox 1105 Oklahoma City. OK 73126
25 Hub Df 1016 E. Euioka St. 405-2363741
Sowers
Melville. NY
11747-9328 Cooltronic
Lima, OH
45802
a00-O3S-776B la. S1&S95 097B 1700 Muiae Ave 419-?S7.fiS7a (a« A1MPT-l3iS A.O.F.G.H,
"$25 Ventura. CA 93003
Irco ""SIO Mil ten Equipinenl

605-6424J521 James MMIon Electronics

fJ.O, facsimile equipment "550 W PO Box 4215BV
Atlantic Surplus Sales FAR Circuits Andover. MA 01610
3730 Nautilus Avo. 18 K640 Field Ct 508-975-271 1 lax 50B-474-89',9
CE.I.M.H.X
Brooklyn. NY 11224 Poiei W. Dahl Co. Inc
716-3720349 SB69 Waycioss
st El Paso. TX 79924 JAN Crystals
915-715-2300 J (8-p)le crystal filters) 2341 Cr,-slal Dr.
IX.M.T.U Fox-Tango Corn. PO BOX 06017
ATV Research, Inc. 74 7 S Mocedo Blvd Fl. Myers. FL 33906-6O17
1 3th & Broadway Davis RF
POrl St Lucie. FL 349B3 800-5269625
Dakota City. NE 60731 407-879-68511 •tree
PO Box 230
402-987-3771 Carlisle, MA 01741
50S-369-I73fl
Avatar Magnetics •S1
K2AW's S'licon Alley
see Ronald C. Williams Gregory Eleclronics 175 Friends Lane
249 Route 46 Westbury. NY 11590
AD,E,F H I ( I,K,L( N,S.W.X
Dick Smith Electronics Saddle Brook. NJ 07662 516-334-7024
201 489-9000 •troo "SIO
PO Box 4RB
Greenwood. IN 46142 -tr-es "S20
317-888-7265

QRP Classics 17
 A.D.E. Electron lubes ind RF power
Kepro Circuit Systems. Inc. Motorola Semiconductor Products, transistors TtfOid Corporation 01 Ma-yana
630 Axministor Of. Inc R.F. Gain. Ltd. 6CQ0 Laurel-Bowle Rd.
Fenton. MO
63026-2992 PO Box 2091! 116 Souih Long Beach Rd. Bowie. MD 2071 5-4037

BOQ-325-3878 (oul ol Stale) Phoen«, AZ 85036 NY 11570

RochvillB Centre, 3C1 -464-2100
3 14-343-' 630 (MO) 800-348-5580 •tee
•tree "S15 A.B,C.E.F.G,H,I,J.K.LS.U.X.Y
Mouser Electronics A.B.C,D,E.F,G.H,I.J.K,LS.U.W.X,Y.Z A.G.O.1UB0S
C.E.F.G.I.K.L.X 2401 Hwy 287 N Rad-okit Imall) Typotfonics
Lashen Electronics. Inc. Manstield, TX T6063 PO Box 973 PO Box 8873
21 Broad«av 800-346^873 Polham. NH 03076 Fl Lauderdale. FL 3331C
Denvitle. NJ 07834 •lieo "$20 telex: aa/ua/
201-627-3783 "S15 •$i

A.L,EXAfl XR-2208 IC National Sembonductor Corp Radiokit (store) U3 Plastic Corp

Marshall Electronics Tiiconductor Dr 15 Londonderry Hd. Unil 1390 Neubtecht Rd
20 Sterling Or ma. CA 95052-8090 Londonderry. NH 03053 Lma. OH 45801
Walllngtcrd. CT 06492 603-437-2722 800-537-9724
203 265-3822 A.D.E
"S25 A.B.D.E.F.H 1.2
RF Paris Co. Ranald C. Williams W9JVF
1320-IOOtaity Av? tfivawr Mny»?ii<*|
and pipei San Marcos, CA 9.069 1008 W Edgewood Ave
Meial and Cable Corp. inc 619-744-0720 IrdianapoliS. IN 46217
PO Box
17 1 A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.t.K.L.M.N.S.T.UW.X.Y tree • -S20

Twinoburg. OH 44087 Ocean Stale Electronics A.E.F.T.W

2t6-42S-a455 PO Box 1458 D.Y Wyman Research. Inc.
•-S50 Westerly. RLC2891 Sentry Mfg., Co. Box 95. R R. i
800-8666626 tax. Crystal Park Valdron. IN 46182
-free "55 Chickasha. OK 73018 317-525-6452
MFJ Enturprlses 405-224-6760
PO Box 494 A.t.l-.L -Iroo

Mississippi Stale, MS 39762 ORA Electron cs

601-323-5669 9410 Owonsrrouth Ave
Chalswonh. CA 9i3n Silicon General. Inc.

A.B.E.H.M 11861 Western Ave

Microwave Components ol B Garden Grove. CA 92641
Michigan Pa to mar Engineers
PO Box 1697 PO Box 455 (Mechanical components and metal
Chart Coding
Taylor. Ul 481B0 Escondldo. CA 92025 Stock)
313-753-4561 (evenings) 619-747-3343 Small Paris. Inc. A— New Components
PO Dox 301 9CC To'oidc and For rites
*sase 'tree
Miami. FL 33238 C—Elched Circuit Board MaMriats
305-751-0856 D-Traismilting and Receiving Miieials
A.B,C.D,E.=.G.H.I.J,K.L.S.U A.OX
Paste mack Em tree "$12 E-Sdid-State Devices
Milo Associates. Inc.
4169 Milersville Rd. PO Box 16759 F—Anlenna Hardware
A.D.F.J.Y G-Oills and Knobs
lrv«no. CA 92;t3
Speclrum international. Inc. H-Variablg Capacitois
31 7-546^3456 tax 3 1 7-547-1 729 71W61-1920
•free PO Box 1084 t—Transformers
Concord. MA 0-1742 j— IF Filters
508-263-2145 K— Cabinets and Boxes
mixers, signal processing
Mini Circuits LaDs PC Elecu unto
I
—(innoral Supplier
A.M.N M—Surplus Pans
PO Box 350165 2522 S. Paxson Lano
N—Sirptus Assemblies
Arcadia. CA £1007 Star-Tronics
918-447-4565 (ax 818-447-0489 PO Box 683 O— R~TY Equipmenl and Pais
•tree
McMinnville. OR 9'12B P— Scrplus FM Gear and Parts

A,E.F.G.H,I.L.M.X.Y
503-472-9716 Q—Equipmoni Manuals
Modern =ladio Laboratories
•$4 R—Sfrvice 01 Collins Equipmenl
Components (Ferroxcube) S-Test Equipment
PO Box 14902-O Philips
M.N T—Amaleur TV Cameras and Components
Minneapolis. MN 55414 Mi Marion Rd
U-MWocomputer Peripheral Equipment
•S2 Saugerties. NY 12477 Surplus Traders
PO Bo* 3'6 V_T>*fws
A.L Alburg, VT 05440 W— Riadymade Printed Circuit Boards
X-Wre
Moeller hslrumenl Co. R&D Electronics •$1
Y— Crystals
Ivon/ton Industrial Part t224 Prospect Ave
Main Street H 44116 K.H Z—Clmbing and Safety Equpmenl
05442
Ivoryton, CT °64J2Mu52 Ten-Tec. Inc.
Highway 4ii. E. •Catalog Price
203-767^104 800-243-9310
••sio Sevierville. TN 37863 - Minimum Order

To the best ol oui knowledge the suppliers shown are willing to sell components to amateurs in small qualities oy mail. THIS iisung does noi necessarily muicalo
that theso firms have the approval of ARRL.

QRP Classics 18
 —

From September 1988 QST. p 44:

BLENDING CIRCUIT-BOARD FABRI- resistapplied by hand with a brush or Two lypcs of merf/ujff-poim Sharpie pens
CATION TECHNIQUES FOR SUCCESS marking pen) for quite some time. 1 Most are available. That labeled permanent
In his August 1987 article on homemade problem, with hoards made by the marker is definitely betier for circuit-
circuit boards.* Doug DcMaw mentioned longhand method are caused by uneven board work than the no. 3000 "highly
the unsuitabiliiyof mechanically etched ink flow from the pen. Marcus referred water-resistant" model; the permanent
hoards for use with ICs or oihcr compo- lo this problem in a CQ article.* Tins marker has the further advantage of easy
nents with close pin spacings. (Generally, uneven-flow problem can be corrected by "openability." (The tip end of the perma*
mechanical etching isn't precise enough to opening ihe pen and adding a solvent that nem pen is pressed inlo the barrel assem-
make traces witable for the 0.1-inch is compatible with the ink. (Usually, the ink bly portion and held snug with several small
pin spacing standard with ICs.) I've been vehicle i* au alcohol-based solvent.) rings. If ihe two parti arc simultaneously
gen ing around :his limitation by making a The ink in most felt- or fiber-tip pens is bent slightly and pulled, the two pieces
gridded sub-board for the 1C and mounting stored in a fiber cylinder enclosed in a thin separate, allowing easy removal of the fiber
to the main (mechanically etched) circuit plastic sheath. Add 10 lo 15 drops of ink cylinder. Once you've disassembled one
board with ihe piggyback method described alcohol or a similar solvent (rubbing of these pens, shave the rings with a file or
inDoug's article (sec Fig 4). Jumper wires alcohol [7©°/o isopropylj, la:quer solvent kn.fe to make subsequent assembly/dis-
connect the IC 5ub-board pads to ire main [denatured ethyl alcohol) anc butyl acetate assembly cycles easier.) The second-choice
circuitboard; glue holds the IC sub- [thinner for model paints] are satisfactory) (no. 3000) pen is cemented shut; if you
assembly in place.—John Evans, K3SQO, to the cylinderend that contacts the pen lip. iiilsi use one of these, suggest sawing off
I

RRJ. Box 131. Kingsley, PA 18826 (Stop adding alcohol if it appears that the the top end of ihe pen :o add solvent to the
next drop will cause leakage from ihe ink cylinder. Reassemble the pen with lap*
bottom of the cylinder.) Replace the ink if you do this.
cylinder n the pen and allow a few minutes My ham radio Idler suggests use of a
SODDED
. j" - OOAHQ 'C for the rejuvenated ink to migraie into the commercial metal-marking lacquer
r^UE TO SOCKET pen lip. Now, the pen should produce (DVKEM®) as etch resist for the portion
opaque back wirhoui smearing. If the
lines of the circuit-board :opper intended to
lines appear to be almost too fluid, that's renain as a ground plane. If you have
ideal. (By the way, overapplication of trouble locating this product, I recommenc
alcohol to the ink cylinder cm
cause leak- thin lacquer, model
paint or fingemai.
age through the pen's lip veni hole. Watch polish as a substitute. Be sure ihe resist yoi
out for this so you don't generate profanity use flows easily so that it can be workee
when a vent drop hits ihe board and spoils quickly. Also, the resist should be easily
your work!) Using this method. I've suc- removable after eiching. (1 suggest usinj
cessfully rejuvenated W-yeor-ofd pens! acetone as resist -removal solvent.)
.UVPEH ivi>--;s B0AR) The best resist pens I've found for Be sure to lake proper safety precaution}
circuil-board work are produced in when working with any of the chemical;
Germany and sold in art «;tnr<*s unrlpr the I've discussed here: Don't breathe thoii
Fig 4— John Evans gets around ihe
name Staedtler Lumocolor. Medium (no. funes and keep ihem out of contact with
incompatibility ol mechanically etched
boards and ICs 317) and fine (no. 318) pointsare available. your skin. Further on the subject of
fay mounting his ICs on
gridded, single-sded sub-boards. (Here, (I recommend the no. 318 pen for most chemicals, I add this: As a retired chemisi,
the main board is also gridded lor clarity.) circuit-beard work.) These pens contain a 1 cheerfully object to the characterization
The sub-boards are mounted lo Ihe main high-quaBry waterproof ink and can be of home ctched-PC-board fabrication as
Doard using the piggyback technique opened by removing the top cap (pliers may
described by Doug
requiring "messy chemicals." Chemicals
DeMaw. See text.
be necessary in some cases). Most of these aren't messy, but the people who use them
pens can be used for circuit-board fabri- may be! Kooert J, Orabowski. WSTKP,
cation wi'hout ihe solvent-addition treat- Rtt 1. Box 388. OzarK, AH 72949
ETCH-RESIST PENS FOR HOME-
ment just described.
MADE CIRCUIT BOARDS For builders who do not have easy access
3 Because I've been fabricating :ircuit to an art supply store, I recommend ihe
boards at horn? for some time, Doug 0.4-mm, eMra-finc-point version of
DeMaw's circu.t-board article* was of Sanford's1 Sharpie* marker. This model
'
1

•Dojg DoMaw, "Homemade Circuit Boards—

more-than-usual interest to me. In has a removable top that allows easy access Don't Fear Them!* QST,
-

Aug 1987. up 14-16.

particular, I've been involved sHoxrrt J. Grabowski, "loighand printed-circuil
in to the ink cylinder, Many lupcrmarkets
layout," commonts, ham radio. Jun 1979. p 6.
"longhand" PC-board production (a stock this pen with stationery supplies or *Alan Maicus. "A Printed Circuit Board Primer."
general term for boards producec with laundry products. CO, Oct 1982. pa 44 and 47.

QRP Classics 19
From February 1988 QST, p 14:

The Neophyte Receiver

Looking for a simple receiver
to tune the 80- or
40-meter ham bands?
Build the Neophyte!

By John Dillon, WA3RNC

Ppnnlek Electronics
14 Peace Or
Lewisto*n, PA 17044

docsn'i lake long for prospective nected in scries to form a 6-V battery-
Ithams discover thai there's much
to power the Neophyte. Current drain is about
more excitement in hearing ical signals 10 mA at low audio-output levels.
than listening to "canned" code from a Fig shows the schematic diagram of the
I

tape or computer program. After all, 600 Hz below3737.0 kHz, to receive ihe Neophyte. If you'd like to learn the func-
getting on the air and working with real same signal at a 600-Hz pitch.) and AM tion of each component in the schematic,
radio is the object of getting an Amateur SSB signals are received by tuning Ihe see the sidebar, "Signal Flow in ihe
Radio license! Here is a simple 80- or Neophyte's LO to zero beat zero fre- — Neophyte." You needn't wade through
40-meter receiver thai can bridge the gap quency difference— with the incoming signal flow, however, if you jusl want to
between a code-practice machine and your carrier (or suppressed carrier, in the case do what we're going to do next: build the
first by giving you on-thc-air
transceiver of SSB signals). The Neophyie converts the Neophyte.
Ustemrig experience. Dubbed the Neophyte, modulation on these signals to audio.
The Neophyte does its D-C job With just Ituilding The Neophyle
it'sbeen designed with the needs of the
neophyte (beginner) in mind, but will find two a:livc devices, both of which are ICs. Fig 2 shows a rear view of ihe Neophyte.
favor with long-lime hams as wll —
Thr rrrrivrr'i front end the RF-handling Most of the receiver's components are con-
The Neophvte uses two ICs to receive circuitry from the antenna to the mixer, tained on the circuit board. Fig 3 shows the
CW, SSB ard AM signals in (he 3.5-4.0 or —
inclusive consists of a Signetics NE602N etching pattern for the board; parts place-
7,0-7.3 MHz ham bands. It's battery- mixer/ oscillator 1C. Ths NE602's 8-pin ment is shown in Fig 4A. The Neophyte's
powered, and most of its circuitry fits on miniOIP ( win/at u re tfual rnhne package) "cabinet" consist; of a 4W- x S'^-inch
a circuit board just 1-7/8 x 2-5/8 inches contains bipolar-tranststrr LO and doubly piece of '4 -inch-thick pine (base) ard a
The Neophyte's frequency stability
in size. balanced mixer stages, and a voltage- 4- x 8 '/i -inch piece of '/a -inch-thick
allows copy of SSB and signals for CW regulator circuit. The miser circuitry' pro- particle board, plywood or similar material
Hours without rcLuning, and it's sensitive vides 20 dB at conversion gain. This means (from panel). Tlic Ud>c ca.il be Maiitcd Ol
enough to detect signals of less than 0.5 that the power of an incoming signal is painted as desired; alternatively, a metal or
microvolt a its antenna terminals. amplified 100 times as the signal is con- plastic cabinet can be used to house the
vened lo audio by the NE602's mixer Neophyte, if desired.
How ihe Receiver Hears and LO.
The other active device in the Neophyte Components
The Neophyte is a direct-eon version
<D-C) receiver. A D-C receiver converts is a National Semiconductor LM3S6N-i Ahhough no exotic electronic parlsare
jadio signals directly to audio by mixing the audio amplifier IC. also contained in an many of ihe Neophyte's pam are
required,
incoming signal with a local oscillator (LO) 8-pin rnini-DIP. This IC provides 46 dB not available at the corner Ralio
operating vary close frcqucicy to the
in {power gain, 40,000) of audio amplification Shack" store. Tl and T2 are 10.7-MHz IF
incoming signal. The mixing process has to drive headphones or dn a quiet room) transformers with a 7:1 turns ratio; hey
*his effect: Whenever the LO is tuned so W
a 2 -Inch speaker. Four "C" cells, con- have green-colored cores. Other trans-
1 hat the frequency difference between it formers (with different turns ratios) were
and an incoming radio signal is in the audio tried, bui receiver performance suffered.
—
range a fe* hundred to a few thousand Capacitors C7-CII should be NP0. poly-
hertz for asoblc CW, SSB nnd AM Table 1 siyreiif or silver rr.iea units for good fre-

reception— the frequency difference Neophyte Capacitor Values for quency stability. At this point, you should
appears at ihe mixer output as an audio 80 and 40 Meiers decide what band you'd tike your Neophyte
signal. Example: For an inconvng Novice to cover. The values of C7-CI 1 depend on
Band CI C7.C8 C9 C10 C11
CW signal operating at 3737.0 kHz. setting
BO m 330 1000 -470 270 120
the band you choose (see Table 1). For
the Ncophyic's LO to 3737.6 kHz. (a dif-
40 m not used 330 120 68 150
details on the differences between the 80-

ference of 0.6 kHz, or 600 Hz) will allow and 40-meter versions, study the sidebar,
All capacitances arein pF (1000 pF
you to hear that CW dots and
signal as 0.001 P F). Cl is disc ceiairric; C7-C11 ate
"Building the Neophyle for 40 Meters." In
dashes at a nOO-Hz pitch. (You could also NP0. polystyrene or silver mica uniis. the rest of his discussion. I'll concentrate
i

set the Neophyte's LO to 3736.4 kHz, on ihe construction, testing and adjusineni

QRP Classics 20
 itlT
>

3ti&>

item *s t'.DiciTf ^.ccct"*i

VAU.ES W C*PftCIT4HC: AflF
in M>:nc e*Fucs i »f :. C'mehs
j, PICOFARADS I p*>
= £SISTA(.C(5 ABE iN CMS.

^^
35 on Tbil*
L -1- -

Fig l —SchemaJc of ihe Neophyle re c capacitors shown below, but not listed in Table 1 may be monolithic or disc units:
.

fixed resistors ere V»-W

/, carbon fitm. Component designators shown in the schematic, but not listed below, identify parts lor placement

on the PC boarJ (see Fig 4). For 40-meler operation, Ihe oscillator circuit is modified slightly, as shown at 8. See te>t and the sidebar.
Building the Neophyle lor 40 Male s. Pans kits are available irom Pennies Electronics; see Note 2.
BT1-6 V battey (four "G" cells coinected C12—365-pF. air-dielectric variable (Mouser —
JE Closed-circuit phcne jack, 1/8-inch.
in series).
Ci— Ceramic. This capacitor is
524-AL227, Circuil Spocialioto A1-227 or —
LSI 3-D speaker, Qiam 2Vs inches
not used, equiv). See text. (Mouser 25SP024 or equiv).
or changed in value, for 40-meler
is CI4. C16, C17— 0.1-^F polyester film or Ri— 1-kfl audio-taper potentiometer with
operation-see "Building the NeoDhyte ceramic. SPST switch (Mouser 31VM301 or
far 40 Meters." C18— IOC-/iF aluminum electolyiic. equiv).
C2, C5, C13, C15-0.047-/.F polyester film 10-25 V. Si— SPST switch mounted on R1.
or ceramic. (C.01 pF also suitable for C2 Cl9 — <17C-«F aluminum electrslytic. T1. T2— 10.7-MHz IF transformer. 7:1 turns
and C5>. 10-25 v. ratio, green core (Mouser 42IF123 or
C3, C6. C20— ID-^F aluminum elecfolytic, D1—1-A. 50-PIV silicon diode (1N4001 equiv). See test.
10 in PR V
C4— Two-section
suitable). U* —Gignelics NEG02N mixer/oscillalur tC
polyelhy le ne-die lectrlc
, J1— Two-position terminal strip (Mouser I
Arrow Electronics 9778CA2).
variable: sections 59.2 and 141.6 dF 534-41E3, Radio Shack 274-663 or U2-National Semiconductor LM386N-1
(Mouser 24TR222 or equiv). See text. equiv). audio-amplifier IC.
C7-I1-See Table 1.

Signal Flow in the Neophyte

RF energy from the antenna Is fed through gain control Within the mixer section of U1, the LO and preselected RF
R1 to the un:uned, low-impedance primary winding of T1. signals are mixed to provde balanced audio output. The
This control actually is an RF attenuator. It can be adjust- audio appears at pins 4 and 6 Of Ul. This signal is fed
ed to proven' very strong signals from overloading U1 through a simple low-pass filter (Ci3. C15 and R3} to the in-
when band conditions are especially good, or when strong puts (pins 2 and U2, Ihe audio power amplifier. The low-
3) of
local signals are present. TVs primary couples incoming
pass filter tends to pass lower audio frequencies while
signals to the tuned circuit conssting of the T1
rejecting higher ones, hence its name. C14 and C16 are
secondary, padding capacitor CI. and hfpeak capEcitor blocking capacitors: They block the flow nf dc whilo aiinwinn
C4. This tuneo circuit provides preselection It — ac— in this case, audio—to pass.
emphasizes signals at its resonant frequency and lands to R4 end R6 set the bias on the input transistors of U2. C20
reject others. The preselected RF is injected into pin 1 of sets U2's gain to 46 dB. C17 and R5 suppress unwanted HF
the mixer/oscitlator IC. U1. oscillalion in U2. C18 is the output blocking :apacitor: Like
The oscillator section of U1 serves as the receiver LO. C14 and C16. it blocks dc while allowing audio signals to
Capacitors C7-C12 and Ihe tuned winding of T2 make up
pass—in this case, to headphones or speaker. C19 bypasses
the LO tuned circuit. (T2 is used as a tuned circuit in this U2's dCrsUpply pin for audio. (Because C5. C6. C19 and R2
application and not as a transformer; its untuned winding also work to reduce unwanted audio coupling between U1
K nnt USedJ Because the frequency stability of the and U2 along the dc Supply firm, Uiey serve as decoupling
oscillator determines the stability of the receiver,
components in the dc line. Decoupling aids stabilily in high-
temperature-stable capacitors (NPO, polystyrene or silver gain circuits.)
mica types) are used to minimize drift. Energy is applied Energy for the Neophyte is provided by four "C" celts
to U1 at pin 8. Capacitors C5 and C6 bypass UTs supply
connected in series (6 V). S1 is the receiver power switch-
pin for ac: Their purpose is to bring the supply pin to
Diode D1 allows current to pass in only one direction between
ground potenlial for RF and AF signals while blocking dc. the battery holder and the receiver circuitry, areventing
R.2 helps these capacifors do their bypassing job by damage to the receiver ccmponents should tie batteries be
resisting the tlow of RF and AF signals on the power- placed in the holder backwards.
supply line. Cu and C3 are bypass capacitors, also.

QRP Classics 21
 About the NE602 Mlxer/Osclllator IC
The Signetics NE602 (SA602 for
operaticn over a wider temperature
range) is an IC ot interest to builders
and designers of low-power communi-
cations gear, particularly where low
power consumption (as during battery
operation) is important. Fig A shows
its equivalent circuit. The '302

contains doubly balanced mixer,

oscillator and voltage regulator
elements, Its oscillator circuitry can
operate up to 200 MHz in LC and
crystal-controlled (fundamental and
overtone) configurations. The '602's
mixer typically can handle signals up
to 500 MHz. Typical dc cu'renl drain
is 2.4 mA; minimum supply voltage is
4.5. maximum 8.0.
The NE602's mixer known as a
is
Gilbert cell multiplier. you've ever
(If

built a circuit using a Motorola

MC1496 or one of its equivalents,
you've used a mixer based on the
Gilbert coll.) The Gilbert cell consists
of balanced switching circuitry driven
by a dilterentiat amplifier; in the
NE602. the amplifier inputs serve as
the mixer RF inputs.
The NE602's mixer inputs (RF) and
outputs (IF) can be single- or double-
ended ibalanced) according to design Rg A— The equivalent crcuil ol the NE602 coubly balanced mixer/oscillator IC.
requirements. The resistarce of these
ports Is 1.5 kli; the mixer input The Neopnyte uses me NE&02's tor proper operation of the
capacilance approximately 3 pF up
is on-board oscillator circjitry to achieve mixer.— Ed.
to 50 MHz. The mixer noise tigure is good frequency stabilit, at 3.5 and This material is based on information in
typically 5.0 dB at 45 MHz; typical 7 MHz. If the '602's oscillator is Signetics Corporation's SA/NE602
conversion gain is 18 dB at this unsjilable for a particilar application, Product Specifica:ion, and in Robert ...
frequency. The typical two-tone, third- however, an external LO can be Zavrel, "Tomorrow's Receivers: What
order inlercept point of the '602 applied to pin 6 of the chip via a dc Will the Next Twenty Years Bring?."
(measured at 45 MHz with 60-kHz blocking capacitor. At least 200 mV Ham Radio. Nov '987. pp 8-9. 11-13
spacing), is -15 dBm. (P P) of extornal-LO dfvo Is required and 15

of the 80-mctcr Neophyle.

The tuning capacitor. C12, is a 365-pF.
air-dielectric unit. One section of z two-

section capacitor can be used ai CM, but

you may have same difficulty mounting
such a capacitor ro the front panel with the
technique we'll cover shortly in "Corstruc-
lion." Local hamfests offer an excellent
opportunity to find a tuning capacitor, as
well as a reduction drive to lurn it. These
reduction drives are generally found n two
diameters. '/: and 2 inches. You can use
I

1
eilher size.
RF PEAK capacitor C4 is a two-section,
plastic-dielectric variable. Similar capacitors
arc commonly used in small, portable
radios. The unit specified for G4 in th? parts

list (see the Fig I caption) provides a

maximum capaci:ance of about 200 pF with
both wrirtm connected in parallel. Off the
shelf, its shaft is only about inch tang-W
too short to be useful for our purposes. The
shaft can be extended by bolcing a '/.-inch-
diameter round standoff. Vi inch leng, to
Fig 2—The Neophyte's cabinei, battery and (ront-panel controls dwad its circuit board the existing C4 shaft. Use a metric (2.5-mm-
(right foreground). From left to right, the front-panel compononls are Si, LS1, R1. Cl2 and diameter) screw to match the threads in C4's
C4. The tuning capacitor mounts to the Irani panel by means of flat-he3d. 1-inch. no. 5-32 shaft; the force necessary to turn a non-
screws, and no. 6-32 nuts. The screws serve both as fasteners and mounting standoffs lor
the tuning capacitor (see Fig 5). The anlenna termnals have been colored with felt-tip
'Footnotes appear ai end of article.
markers to Indicate their functian: black for the ground connection, groBn for the antenna.

QRP Classics 22
 I*- 1 INCH -*|

Rg 4— Paris-placemen! guide for the Neophyte (A) and detail ol

connections to C4 (B). Parts are placed on the nonfoil side of Ihe
board; the shaded area represents an X-ray viaw of the copper
rig 3— Circult-board
etching pallern lor the Neophyle. The patiern pattern. The placemenl of C11 depends on whether BO- or
is shown from the foil side of the board. Black areas
full-size 40-mcicr coverage Is desired; see text and "Building Ihe
represent unetched copper foil. Neophyte for 40 Meters."

metric screw into C4 can destroy the capa- firms may have minimum nider require- a template by pushing a piece of
drilling
citor. (By the way, don't be tempted to use ments or small-order service charges. paper down
over the capacitor shaft. The
one of these inexpensive plastic capacitors shaft punches through (he paper, marking
for C12, the tuning capacitor. You would Conslruc/hn the position of ihe hole for the reduction-
be disappointed with ihe tuning drift (hat Building the cabinet and mounting drive bushing. Next, held the paper against
occurs as the capacitor's dielectric sheets controls and mechanical components is the the capacitor frame and use a pencil point
settle each time you tune the receiver.) greater pan of contructing the Neophyte, so to punch holes in the paper corresponding
In general, it's best not lo attempt parts do this jd> first! Mounting the tuning to the mouming-scicv. Iiulcs in die capaci-
substitutions. By using the specified parts, capacitor End reduction drive to the panel tor frame. Instant drilling template! The
you stand (he bes: chance of being rewarded is the most ti mc-consuming pan of construc- bushing hole shown in Fig 5, 7/8 inch in
with a receiver that works correctly tj-e first tion. The panel hole for the tecuci ion-drive -diameter! leaves just cnaugh panel material
time it's turned on. Etched and drilled PC bushing must be large enough o allow rota- to hold the countersunk holes for the three
boards, and complete parts kits, are tion of the bushing and its set screw, but no. 6-32 capacitor mounting screws. The
available from Penniek Electronics.2 The small enough to leave enough material to bes' technique is to enlarge the bushing hole
Appendix shows the addresses of parts dis- pass and hold the flat head screws used to last, widening it only enough to pass the
tributorsIf you'd rather order direct Trom mount the tuning capacitor (see i-ig >).
:hem. Note, however, that some of these The best way to mark these holes is to make

The Neophyle in ARRL Lab

Tests
Building the Neophyte for 40 Meters APRL Lab testing of one sample of
the 80-meter Neophyte netted these
The Neophyta receiver can be billt for 7.0-7.3 MHz coverage as follows: Omit CI. results: minimum discernible signal
C7 through en take the flu-meier values shown in able 1, Cli is mounted in
I
(MDS). -118 dBm
(decibels relative
parallel with C12 instead Of across T2 (see Pig 1B); Ihis is easily done by irountlng
to a milliwatt) al3520 kHz and
C1 1 across the PC-board connections to C12. Before mounting T2 to ihe crcuit board, -113 dBm at 3747 kHz; two-tone,
remove the small, tubular capacitor in ihe base of the transformer. Do this carefully third-order dynamic range with
with a small razor knife.
100-kHz tone spacing, 73.5 dB; selec-
Forty-meter alignment is similar to that for the 80-meter Neophyte. Adjust T2 for an
kHz at -3 dB and 7.5 kHz
tivity, 1 at
oscillator tuning range of 7.0-7.3 MHz. with some overtravel at both ends of the range.
-20 dB. Blocking dynamic range
With the tuning, control set to the center of the band, set the rf peak knob to one
was not measured. No microphonics
o'clock. Adjust T1 for maximum sgnsl strength. This completes alignmant of the were noted.
40-meter Neophyte. "he frequency coverage of the
Because of decreased LO-mixer isolation in the NE602 at 7 MHz, adjustment sample receiver was 3473-4027 kHz.
of Ihe rf peak control "pulls" the LO slightly In the 40-meter Neophyte. (Pulling is Tha poorer ol the two MDS figures
perceptible as a shift of received-signal pitch as rf peak Is varied.) This isn't
above (-113 dBm) confirms that the
much of a problem, because the if peak control needs little adjustment from one Neophyte is capable of detecting
end of the 40-meter band to the other. In fact, you can eliminate the rfpeak signals down to 0,5 rricrovolts across
control in Ihe 40*meier Neophyte if you do most of your listening in one part of
50 ohms, as specified by WA3RMC.
the band. To co this, omit C4, install a 150-pF capacitor at C1 and adjust T1 for At 3520 kHz, sensitivity improved to
maximum signal strength at your favorite spot in the dand. just under 0.3 microvolt.— Ed.

GRP Classics 23
 —

W-inch jack here. tion.) Set the gain control no higher than
"Ihe antenna connectors (J I A and JIB In necessary fur suliil icccption; this reduces
Fig are part of a two-position terminal
I) the likelihood of detector overload. This
mounted tc the receiver base
strip; this is practice also lengthens battery life because

by rreans of standoffs and screws. Radio U2 draws more energy from the battery as

Shac< push-button speaker terminals would the receiver outpu increases. Battery life,
be a good substitute here. The battery holder longest when hcacphones are used in place
isa 4-*'C"-cell holder from Mouser or of the speaker, can exceed 300 hours when
Radio Shack. fresh alkaline Cells are used!
Solder the components to the circuit
Summary
boari, being careful to observe capacitor
polarity and 1C orientation. (1 recommend 1 welcome your comments and questions
that iou use IC sockets insiead of soldering on the Neophyie— please include an SASB
the ICs directly to the board.) After you've if you expect a reply. Several Neophytes
soldered the component* to the board, cut have been built us.ng different construction

off excess wire. Check carefully for solder techniques. All perform flawlessly. The
Fig 5— Detail ol Ihe mounting holes lor the
tumiwo caparitor, C12. The holes am bridges hpmwn rirrnii-biard traces, proper Neophvtc usually can hear any signal audi-
countersunk to keep the screw heads (lush electrolytic capacitor polarity, and correct ble on a typical ham transceiver, lis »e!ee-
with the panel surface, allowing the orientation of Dl. Ul and U2. If all looks tivity is adequate for band scans and casual
reduction drive to be mounted flat to the well, wire the board into the rest of the listening, and it's an excellent project for
panel. See 'ext.
schools, harn-rad.o classes, beginners and
receiver.As shown in Fig 2, use twisted-pair
wirirg for connections toC4, J], J2 and R I. old-timers. In short, the Neophyte is fun!

rcduclion-crive bushing and its set screw— The capacitor specified for C4 has three APPENDIX
after the capacitor mounting screw holes terminals. Fig 4B shows how to wire these
Paris for the Neophyte arc available from i com-
have lieen drilled. for connection to the circuit board.
bination of Ihcsc lources, and from Penntek
Mounting the Neophyte's tuning When you've completed all connections,
Electronics (sec Note 2):
capacitor to the front panel as just mount the board to the cabinet base by
Arrow Electronics Mousct Electronics
described provides good mechanical means of screws and spacers. Next, we'll
25HubDr 2401 HwyZSTN
stability. If you use a capacitor other than align and test the Neophyte.
Melville, NY 1 174? Mansfield. TX76063
the one shown in the pans list for C12, tel 800-932-7769 K 817-t83-4422
|

Checkout and Alignment

carefully study your mounting options. Circuit Specialists Radiokit
Make sure that the mounting screws don't Before applying power to the receiver, PO Box 3047 PO Box 973
penetrate too far into the capacitor and rechick your wiring once again. Install foui Scottsdale, AZ 85257 Pclham. NH 03048
damage th; plates. Whatever you use for "C cells in the Neophyte's battery holder. tel 602-966-0764 tel 603 -635-2235

CI2, moun it to the panel rather than the (Note: You can use a regulated dc supply Mouser Electronic;
base, if possible. in place of the batteries if you wish, but do 1433 Woodside Ave
1

Tlte specified speaker requires a 2-inch not apply more than SYtO the receiver, Samcc, CA 92071
or you'll damage the ICs.) Install a milliam- tel 619-449-2222
hole (or a field of W-incJi holes 2 inches in
diameter). A small piece of wire screen or meter or digital multimeter (DMM) in Notes
grille cloth between panel and speaker can series with tlte batterici. and turn on the 'Mnnsnr Ftpetrnnidfi carries 1 W»- and 2-inch
be used to protect the speaker cone. {This receiver. If the meter indicates less than reduction drives as part nos. 45KN10O and
is especially important if you mount the 15 nA, all's well so far. 556-S50. respectively. Radiokit carries a
Adjust the tuning capacitor almost to 2-inch drive as pan no. S-50. See the
speaker behind a single large hole.) The
Appendix for ire addresses ol these firms.
speaker is attached to the pan;I with clips min.mum capacitance (plates just short of
'Circuit boards and parts kits lor the
designed for this purpose (Mouser Elec- fully unmeshed). Connect a signal
Neophyte receiver are available from
tronics 48SC004-); hot-melt glue or epoxy generator to the antenna terminals and Penntek Electronics, 14 Peace Dr,
cement can be used insiead. A 3.5-mm or inject a 500-pV, 4-MHz signal into the Lewistown, PA 17044, tel 717-24E-2507.
/8-inch headphone jack is u«*d to allow
I Neophyte.' Turn the Neophyte's gain Prices are as follows: (1| An etched and
drilled PC boatd. S4.50; (2) all PC-board-
connection of inexpensive transisior radio control to maximum fully clockwise if i.

you've wired and adjust oscil-

correctly)
mounted components, and an otched and
earphones; if you prefer, you can use a it
drilled PC boa-d, $17.50; (3) a conpleie
lator coil T2 you hear the lest signal.
until
Neophyte kit. including drilled wooden panel,
Position the rf peak knob on C4's shaft wooden base, all hardware and parts, $45;
so that maximum capa;itance (knob fully (4) builders who wish to supply their own

Microphonics, Hum, LO counlerclockwise) is at nine o'clock and pans lor the Neophyte, but who have Iroubte
finding a small-quantily source iof the
Radiation: Low to Absent min mumcapacitance is at three o'clock. Set
Signetics NE602N IC, can purchase the
the US PEAK capacitor nearly to minimum
in the Neophyte Nts- rrom Henntek Electronics tor $3.25
capacitance (almost fttlly clockwise; near postpaid. Add S3. SO for shipping and
Although the Neophyte is simple, two o'clock) and adjust Tl for maximum handling loall orders lor options l. 2 and 3.
itdoes not exhibit the drawbacks signal strength. Verify that the receiver tunes Pennsylvania residents, add sales tax to all
sometimes associated with D-C 3.54.0 MHz with a slight overt ravel at both orders. When ordering options 2 and 3. bo
receivers. Microphonics— unwanted sure to specify 80- or 40-meter operation.
end* of the range. Also check that the rf
noises that occur with vibration The ARRL and GSfin no way warrant this
PEAK control tunes through resonance at oiler.
when electronic parts unexpectedly
both ends of ihe band. 3 lf you don'i have access lo a signal cenera-
act like microphones— simply do not
exist wilh this receiver, and have I
Disconnect the signal generator from the tor, you maybe able to gone rate a test
Neophyie and connect a good antenna, signal by feeding a 4-MHz transmitter signal
not heard any hum. even when
into a dummy toad. Connect a short length ol
using an external power stpply. LO such as a dipole, to the receiver. As you
wire to ihe Neophyte's antenna terminal (J1 A)
radiation— sometimes a problem in tune the Neophyte acrcss the band, adjust
and bring the wire near the dumm/ load.
simple receivers using LOs at any the RF PEAK contro! for best signal Vary the spacirg between the wire end the
frequency— isn't a problem wilh the strength. (Don't expect ouistanding per- —
load or reduce the transmitter output
Neophyie: The measured LO level at formance with a clip-lead antenna!) If you until the transmitter signal is just strong

the receiver antenna terminals is don'i have a dipole. use a long random- enough to use. Ed. —
only 80 microvolts. wilc amentia. (Use of a random-wire Pot upUulcO supplier aOO'esoes. see Afin_ Porta
antenna also requires a ground connec- Supplier List in Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 24
 —

From 1990 ARRL Handbook Ch 30, p f:

A Band-Imaging CW Receiver
for 10 and 18 MHz

Band imaging has long been used in

Amateur Radio as a means of making a
(LO) do double duty.
stable local oscillator
Insiead of building equipment using only
one LO-to-RF relationship for frequency
conversion— w:ih, for instance, only the
difference between the LO and higher-
frequency incoming signals giving output
ai he IF two of several LO-to-RF rcla-
i

nonships can be exploited for two-band

coverage. A tand-imagtng receiver ap-
peared in every edition of this Handbook
from 1953 through 1966, from "a Two-
Band Four-Tub; Superheterodyne" in 1953 Fig. 1 — The band-imaging recoivor covers the CW
segments of the 10- aid 18-MHz amateur
bands with good stability, sensi'iviiy and single-signa selectivity. Larger controls are (l-r) tuning,
to "The HB-65 Five-Band Receiver" in if gain anc a? gaiw. The iwo smaller controls, separated
by the phones jack, are baud and
1966. Each of these receivers converted. the s-detomt vc.'Ei. The tuning scale is drawn on contact aaper applied 1o an aluminum disc.
50- and 40-meter amateur bands to a
l 7-MH> IF h\ means nfa 5.2-5 7-YIHi
LO. On 80 meters, the conversion rclai ion-
•hip in such a receiver is LO - RF = IF;
on 40. the relat onship is RF - LC = IF.
Both bands "tune in the same direction"
'Aith this system: The received frequencies With this overview of band-imaging cryjial-conlrollcd marker generator capable
of 3.5 and 6.9 MHz correspond to the techniques in place, we present a band- of providing 10-kHz markers. The perfor-
lower limit of the LO tuning range. imaging CW receiver for 10 and 18 MHz mance measurements given later in this
Band Imaging can also be used to cover (see Fig. i>. 14-MHz LO, it
Using a article were obtained from a receiver
he 80- and 20-meter amaiem baids: A converts the entire 10-MHz amateur band, aligned by ear with such test equipment.
5.0-5.5-MHz LO is used to convert each and the CW portion of the 18-MHz Yon need not have access to a radio lab lo
band to a 9-MHz IF. In such a system, the amateur band, to a 4-MHz F, Both bands
I
enjoy similar results. David Newkirk,
LO-to-RF relationship on 30 meters is RF tune in Ihc same direction. At 4 MHz. a AK7M. designed and built this project in
- LO = IF; on 20, RF - LO = IF. The four-crysial ladder filler provides single- i he ARRL lab.
drawback to this band-imaging system is signal selectivity. The design emphasizes
that the lower band "tunes backwards"; good basic receiver performance with an Circuit Description: RF Amplifiers
The lower limi of the LO tuning range eye toward compactness; hence, features A separate 40673 RF amplifier is used for
corresponds to 4.0 M
Hz on 80 meters and such as a digital frequency display, ACC each band. (See Fig. 2). The circuit is
14.0 MHz on 20. Nonetheless, the 80/20 and audio filtering have been omit-
active electrically identical to ihai used for the RF
band-imaging system has also been popular ted.Alignment and checkout of the band- amplifiers in "A High-performance Com-
with radio amateurs because of the inherent imaging receiver requires only(l) a 51-ohm munications Receiver," presented later in
sideband inversion between the image resistor; (2) a receiver capable ;>f CW recep- this chapter. Several other circuits in the
bands: The BFO-to-IF relationship that tion at 14.0-14.2MHz and 4 MHz ± 1 kHz band-imaging receiver arc based on the
;iffordv LSB reception on 80 meters with S-mctcr and frequency display
.in K5IRKAV7ZOI liigli-jAri ruiniaiice design.
demodulates USB on 20. resolution of 1 kHz oi greater; and (3) a To Simplify alignment of the band-imaging

QRP Classics 25
 .

15 MHI

f»c€pt as indicated ueciwai

values 0" capaiitance me
in m1crc»a-mds i. others

are in picofarads i ['

resistances are in omws.
KbIDDQ

10 OR IB MHI
10 18 *
M Hi e&wn-PRss filter
II MHI RF AMP

J T
° tO OR 18-MHr
rri LOW-PASS FiL"ER
LI L2

Flo 2 - Schematic ot iho RF smptitiers lor the band-imaging receiver. separate amplifier is used (or each band. The low- and band
A (Hers

aligned wilh Ihe aid ol a crystal-corn rolled marker generator; see text. Capacitors
are dec coramic unless uiier W .« nuimi. « doac hoi a
may be
marked wilh polarity ate electrolytic. All resistors are V*-W. 10^fc units unless otherwise noted.
Cl. C2. C4. C7 —
Silver mica, polystyrene or L1-L4 — Wound on Amidon T-S0-6 powdered- Ti — Transformer wound with no. 28
ceramic capacitor; see Table 1 (or values. iron toroid core or eqjiv All Inductors use onameled wire on Amidon FT -37-43 (ernte

C3. C5. C6 —
Ceiamic or mica compression 22 enameled mrc with one exception:
rvo. core or equiv. Primary (168 yH). 20
toroid
turns; secondary (6.7 ?H), 4 turns.
trimmer. Mouset Electronics ceramic For L2 at 10 MHz, use no. 24 enameled
trimmer 24AA067 (12-100 pFJ used 'or wire. Sew Table i lor number o1 turns. Zi —
Ferriie bead on Gate 2 lead of Ol.

100 pF; Mouser 24AA064 (5-45 pF) used lor 01 - 40673 dual-gate* WOSFET. Amidon FB-43-IOi or equiv.

45 pF. S- — 3PDT toggle (Radio Shacx 275-661 or

J1 — Coaxial PF connector. equlvf.

The crystal niter was designed using

Table 1 Hayward's technique (sec "Simple Cohn
Component Values for the Band-Imaging Receiver RF Amplifiers Crystal Filters," QST, July
1987, pp

MHz CI U C2 L2 C3 C4, C7 L3, L4 C5. Cfi 24-29). Measured selectivity of the proto-
680 29 100 17 100 type filter was 405 Hz at - 6 dB and 850 1

10 300 13
180 990 22 45 22 10 Hz - 60 dB, resulting in a -60dB/-6
at

Values lisled for capaolors are capacitance in pF. Values llsied lor Inductors a*e numbei ol turns of dB shape factor of 4.57. Insertion loss was
wiro required 2 dB, and pasiband ripple was less than
0.4 dB. As is characteristic of simpl: ladder
upper passband slope is
crystal fillers, the

receiver, the variable coupling capaciior RFC! The supply enj of the -kil Q2 ba<e
.
1 steeper. Because of this, the BFO nust be

between the two bias resistor is now connected directly to set on the upper side of the filter for best
(CI5 in Ch. 30. Fig. 12)
sections of the output filter is replaced by the 12-V dc line at the cold end of RFC single-signal reception. With the BFO set

three 12-pt* capacitors In series. Gain of mis Tnis removes [lie RF feedback present m to provide a 550 He beai nolo for signals
tie original circuit. Sjrprisingly, this feed- at IF center, rejection of the audio image
circuit i> 12 to 15 dB. depending on align-
ment and the characteristics of QL Band backless configuration results in better lit the proioiype receiver was 73 dB.
accomplished by switching RF and two -tone 3rd-order
sensitivity IMp Ultimate attenuation was 90 dB.
changing is

input, RF output and dc connections dynamic range than the unmodified circuit No filter adjustment is necessary, but it
4-MHz The original circuit, is important lhai you use ihe specified
between the 10- and 18-MHz amplifier affords at a IF.
intended for use at an IF of 9 MHz, did crystals if you intend to duplicate the posl-
boards via SI. a 3PDT toggle. Input and
mixcr-amplifier/pad/filter arrangement
output (I/O) impedances of each RF ampli- nat provide a comparable performance
even when the inductance of its 4:1 col- shown in Fig. 3. Substitutions at Yl-Yd will
fier bOi.rd arc 50 ohms.
lector transformer was scaled for 4 MHi. require filter capacitors of other than
Mixer, IF Filler and IF Amplifiers The post-mixer anplificr feeds a four- 300 pF, resulting in I/O impedftices of
See The band-imaging receiver
Fig. 3. a 6-dB pad. The I/O
crystal ladder filler via other than 200 ohms. Hayward states that
Mini-Circuits SBL-1 doubly impedances of the crystal filler are 200 the series-resonant frequencies of ihe four
uses a
ohms. Because this is a good match for the filter crystals must fall within a spread of
balanced diode-ring mixer (1) 1 ) followed by
a strong bipolar-transistor IF amplifier collector impedance of Q2. the step-down no more than lOTo of the desired 3-dB filter

(Q2),' This is the circuit used in the transformer in the original po<t-TTliv"r banrtwirffh. We chose to evaltate Ihe
with several amplifier circuit is not required. The performance of the filler in the more
K5IRK/W7ZOI receiver,
modifications. In the band-imaging 50-ohm 6-dB attenuator of ihe original popular terms of -60 and band- -6 dB
circuit has been scal:d to 200 ohms. This widths; ii follows that lO^o spread is too
rcccivct, the bifilar 4:1 collector trans-
former in the original design has been pad should not be -eplaced with one of generous wher; a given -6dB filler band-
replaced with a toroidal monofilar choke. lower attenuation: It assures a nonreactive width is the target. Experiments with
videbanU termination for Q2 and the various new and surplus 4-MH; micro-
crystal filter. Less attenuation here results processor-clod; crystals in the ARRL lab
NY in reduced IMD dynamic range, as con- showed llial ti c new International Crysial
'Mini-Circuits. PO Boy 166. Brcoklyn. 1 1235.
provided :he best
tel. 2l?-934-S500. firmed by lab tests. Mfg. (ICM) crystals

QRP Classics 26
 performance overall. Shape factors ( 60 and ir GAIN control Rl. Receive!
resiitor
dB/-6 dB) for [he clock-crystal fillers muting is accomplishec by means of 03:
were rarel> less than 5. and soraeiimes more Grounding the ml Te terminal (center con-
than 6. I/O impedances were between 300 ductor at J2) applies maximum gain-
and 400 ohms. Several times, four crystals redtction voltage to U2. The supply vol-
within a suitably narrow frequency spread tage (nominally 2) appears across J2 with
1

could be found only by grading 10 or more the receiver unmuied; carrent through the
clock cryitals. Custom-ground crystals groinded MUTE line is 5 mA. IF output
- c awe offer the added advantage of resonating (7. * 50 ohms) is available at the secondary
te MHi
—within lolcrance, of course—rOH the QfTZ
frequency you specify. Their unit price is
higher, bui ihey come closest la guarantee- Local Oscillator
ing that your filter will perform as The schematic of ihe band- imaging
predicted. receiver LO is shown An M PF102
in Fig. 4.
Post-filter IF amplification is provided J FET, Q4, operates as a Colpitis oscillator.
by U2. an MCI3S0P video amplifier iC The oscillator signal k amplified by Q5, a
The 200-ohm between pins 4 and
resistor 40673 dual-gate MOSFET. Bandsprcad is
6 of U2. in. conjunction witr the 0.1 achieved by tapping the liming capacitor.
bypass capacitor at pin 6, terminates the C9. down on LO tank inductor L5. Tuning
Manual ^ain control
crystal filter output. rang; of the circuit is approximately 14.060
isachieved by applying a variable positive to 14.153 MHz. Air-dielectric trimmer C10
voltage to pin 5 of U2 through a 27-kfi shifts this range for diel calibration.

Fig.3 —
Schematic of the mixer, crystal 'Iter and IF amplifier stages of Ihe band-imaging receiver. Capacitors are disc ceramic unless
otherwise
noted. Capacitors rrarked with polarity are electrolytic. All resistors are tt-W, 10% units unless olherwiso noted
CB — 350-pF compassion trimmer (Arco 428 wire on Anidon FT-37-43 lerrlie toroid core Ul — Mini-Circuits SBL-t doubly balanced
or equiv). T2 — Transformer wound on Amidon T-68-1 dioce-ring mixer.
J2 — Phono jack. powered-ion toroid core, or equiv. Primary U3 — MC1350P video amplider IC.
02 - 2N3866 or 2N5109. Use a small heat (12.9 (iH): 36 lurns no. 26 enamaled wire. Yl -Y4 — 4.000000-MHz custom-etched
sink on (his transistor. center-lapped; secondary (0.9 P H): 3 lurns crystal. 2G e C calibration temperature, grade
03 — 2N3906. no. 26 enameled wire over center of CS-l (O.OOlHh rnlAranra). F-700 holder,
H1 — I0-M1 iinoar potentiometer. primary. series resonant. Iniemaiionai Crystal Mfa
RFC1 — 95 ^H; 15 lurns no. 24 enameled Co type 433340. See text.

QRP Classics 27
 1 —

OSClLLflTO" US
LM3I7L
o-i Mprio:
0*-'2 V

TUNING Baf(DEPC£ T ?5 tiBro

fi'U I
(1 I OUTPUT TO MIXEP
-•r-riOt MQUttV&O
Or* ClfCUiT B0A10 z- so n
U3

c»c:« a& 7ti[iic*ifo. iitciw.!

VAincr. or capac trance *rtr
n virnnr*nin'. t .r nuirn-,
i

ARE ill SICOFini05ii.Fl IB1

KE'STAfiCCS *"t I'l OHMS.
k*nm
U » /.MO 2*>0-A
BISI5H-.B5 usee
T . TANTALUM

Fig a —
Schematic ol Hie banJ-imaglng receiver LO and buffer circuil. Capacitors arc disc ceramic unless otherwise noted. Capacitors marked
with polarity ate eleclrolytic All resistors are jfcWi Wto units unless olhG-wise noted. Al A. an LM317L atljuslable regulator is user! at U3. The
insol at E showc connections (or a« 78L07 regulator al U3. For best stability, use only NP0 (C03) capacitors in the crcuitry associated witn the
gate and source leads ol 04 Space L5 by al least its diameter Irom other components and the LO shield box. See lext and Fig. 9
C9 —
50-pF air variable (Jackson Dros Qi - MPF102 JFET. Primary (50 nHf, 1 1 turns no . 26 enameled
4667-50 or equiv). 05 — 40673 dual-gale MOSFET. wire. Secondar/ (3.8 (.HJ: 3 lums no. 26
C10 — 7 -pF air trimmer (Johnson 189-506-5
> HFC2 - 39 ,.H: Milter 70FM5AI. or 24 turns enameled wire.
or equiv) no. 26 enameled wire on Amidon FT-50-61 U3 - Voltage regulator, LM317LH, LM317LZ
L5 — 1.4 ^H: 1 1 turns no. 22 Mined wire. 24 ferrito torold core. or (with circuit changes shown at inset B)
lurns per >nch (Barker a Wlllainsori 3038 TS _
Transformer wound on Amidon 78L07.
Miniducto:) Tap al 2 or 3 turns liom F7-37-13 ferrite lorosd core or equiv. 22 —
Ferntc oeao on Gate 2 it-ad or C2.
ground end See text and Fins B and SB. Amirtnn FR-43-int nr nqiiiv

Despite The relatively high LO operating parts list for Fig. 6 specifies a 'Vind-it- and a rear-panel phono connector. J5. J4
frequency, stability is good. Measured drift yourself" toroidal choke for RFC3; pi- is wired to accept stereo headphones;
of the pcini-io-rwint-wircd prototype oscil- WoUnd Chokes tried here were prone to monaural phones may be used if inserted
lator was - 530 Hz in thc45-minuic period pickup of 60-Hz harnonicS. no farther than the first detent. The l-kft
after lum-on, -161) Hz of whi.li occurred in U6. an LM380N-*. serves as the AF resistor from the output lead to ground
the first ten minute*. Over :hc nevi three pewer amplifier. Its yjlpiit in connected to carves to charge Ufi's 470-/.F output
hours, this oscillator drifted approximately a front-panel stereo headphone jack, J4, coupling capacitor at powcr-up if j hcad-
-20 Hz. Stability was even better with the
circuit rebuilt on an etched circuit board:
Drift for the ten minutes after turn-on was BFO
only - 256 Hz. The key 10 litis stability is
the use of S'PO (COG) ceramic units fur all
fixed capacitors associated with the eate
and source of Q4. Although silver-mica or
polystyrene capacitors mny be hiind-pickcd
lor low only NI'O capacitors offer
drift,
BFO
minimum drift "off the shelf." Oscillator O TO PPODUCT
DCTECTOft
stability is further improved by the use of * lOdBm
a three-terminal regulator In slahili/e Q4*s -950(1
drain supply, and by enclosing LO and (TO FIDe,U4,FmBl
buffer in a shield box. to slow the effect of
changes In ambient air temperature.
0*)2 V
BH>, Detector and Audio Stages
The K5IRK/W7ZOI ayital-eonirolled
BFO is used in this receiver with one
modification: The secondary of T4 in HCLPI AU NnOAIID. MDMM
VAL'JES or Ca«*CII*IICC *H£
Fig. 5 carries only RF and 110 tic, Y5 is an it. vi-jnor miaul * ,r j ot mC'<<9
Allt ir. I'iCO*A(IA|)$ii>F}
iniwpen'ivc 4-MH*: microprocessor clock rirr-ir.tiH^RiftRr in ohms.
Crystal. Every .such crystal we tried worked
I - ItKO

well in (his circuit; a custom-ground crystal

isunnecessary* here.
The deteCtOr and AF stages of the band- FIc. 5 —
Schematic ol the band-imaging receiver BFO Capacitors *re disc ceramic unless
imaging receiver are shown in Fig. 6. The ott-erwise noted. Capaciors marked with pola'ity are electrolytic. All resistors are 'A-W. 10%
units unless otherwise noted
product detecror (U4 f is a Mini-Circuits
SBL-1 doubly* balanced diode-ring mixer. C11 C1? - 100 pF ceramic or mica
. powdered -Iron tnrotd core or equiv. Primary
compression trimmer. Mouser Electronics (19.6 /iH): 59 lurns no. 28 enameled -vice,
RFC3 and the 0.00 -kF capacitor provide E4AA0S7 |12-100 P r> suilnble. tapped at '2 tu na. Secondary (0.98 .1 1| 9
RF of the AF preamp. LIS.
filtering altead OG — 2N3904. turns no. 28 enameled wire over lap end at
an NE5534 low-noisc audio op amp. The T .i — Transformer wound on Amidon T-68-2 primary.

QRP Classics 28
 iF OWPllFFfl

O- '2 V

B*0 INPUT
I FH3M HOS, Ml
L>CLPi t;ivinc6f to. nti:iv*i
vaiuCS OFCAPAfPAfjCF .
l^vCHOf.ftAMI.F t OTt-
-HI trj "icoranao? i p« I.
SiDETONE IfjPuT PESVTMUBG "< awns.
X O.t V P-P >. ICOO

T : TAHTALUM

Fig. — Schematic ot the product detector and audio ampli'iers lor the band-imaging receiver. Capacitors are disc ceramic unless otherwise
6
marked wilh polarity are electrolytic. All resistors are 'A-W, tO^e units unless otherwise noted.
noted. Capacitors
J5 — Phono jack.
.'3. RFC3 — l-mH RF choke turns no. 30
-
3>i dode-nng mixer.
j4 — Stereo headphone jack. enameled) wire on Amidon FT-37-72 U5 — NE5534 low-noiso audio op amp.
torrite
R2, R3 — 10 kn audio-taper potentiometer IQroid care or equiv. U6 - LM380N-S audio pawer amp.
UA — Mim-Ctrcuit5 5BI.-I doubly balanced

phone or speaker load lias not already been

Without this resistor,
installed at J4 or J5.
[he -capacitor would charge on connection
of the audio transducer, resulting in a loud
thutnp,
to meniioneJ earlier, no active audio
filtering is included in the band-imaging
receiver. Tne higher audio components in
detected IF amplifier hiss are reduced by
the 0.05-/iF capacitor connected between
the hot end of the af caw control, R3,
and ground.
Sidctone can be injected into (he audio
."hatn at J3 . Sidctone level is adjusted from
the fronl panel by R2. Setting R2 to
minimum shunts the AFCAlNcontr.il with
litis reduce; overall audio
3 33 ktl resistor:
gain by lew than dB. A 400-mV signal
I

J3 provides more ihan enough sideione

sudio at normal At- GAIN settings.
This receiver requires, but does not
Fig. 7 —Irte band-imaging receiver prototype. The LO is in the left foreground; |ust behind R,
the 10- and 18 MHz RF amplifiers. At center. Ihe mtxer/tiltor/IF amplifier module, with the
include, a regulated dc power supply capa- deloctor/AF amplifier module at lar right. The smalies: module, upper right, is the 8FO.
ble of providing a maximum of 220 in A at Performance was good oven ihxugh etched circuit boards were not used.
12 V. Sec Chapter 27. Power Supply
Pn>jcci>, fur siiiahle circuits.
a number of sources. Virtually everything Teflon's high melting point (sec Fig. 9A1.
Construction can be obtained from RadioKit, Mouser, RG-174 is also used to connect J3, sidc-
The receiver vas prototyped using point- Radio DigiKey and Circuit
Shack. TONF INPUT, tn the detector/audio board.
;o-point and "dead hug" modular con- Sec the parts suppliers list at the
Specialists. Connections from this board to the AK
struction (see Fig. 7). Later, circuit boards end of Chapter 35 for addresses and uain and SIDCTONE LBVEl controls are
were designed and debugged.' You may use telephone numbers of these suppliers. made with stranded hookup wire in three
cither method for building your receiver, See Fie. 8, The receiver i; housed in a colors. This makes tor more compact
with good results. I following cpisiruc-
lie Hammond 159(11* dlecast aluminum box wiring than miniature coax allows and
:ion hints arc based on the circuit-board (approximately IV* x IV* x 2'/i inches). causes no problems with hum or crosstalk.
L'crsion of the receiver, but much of the in- Threaded standoffs are used to mount all The th OA in control and audio output
lorntation here will be of use to builders circuit boards except the detector/audio connections are also made in this way. De
using either sty c of construction. board; spade lugs are used to mount this wirng is stranded hookup wire; tunding
Pans for this receiver are available from module vertically. Miniature 50-ohm coax- posts are used lo bring dc into the receiver.
ial cable (RG-174) used for all RF
is We recommend thai you build, lest and
'Circuitboard lemplatec are available **om Ihe connections between modules except the install the hand-imaging receiver modules
ARRL Technical Dopanment secretary for S3 00 LO-rrtixef line. Here, miniature in this order: <I( LO; (2) detector/audio
and a no. 10 sa.se. Teflon* -dielectric cable is us;d because of and BFO; (3) mix-er/filier/lF amplifier: (4)

QRP Classics 29
 VrO ClPGUIt

77ZZZZZZ

RADiALLT AW iOlDEf
£2
T7
i.o sweio
HO*

BETMCi ip
M miE*

10 CIO

- 1 'UH'I
HP
(S« Tf«TI

BAHSO or « SHOWNI

Fiy. 9 — The dotoil drawing at A shows in-

stallation ol the -O output lead. Miniature

Teflon coax is recommended hero because its

dielectric will no: molt during soldering.

The
shield must bo flared and soldered
to the
details
Inner wall of the LO shield box. At B,
ol the LO inductor. L5. are shown. Tips
are
made by pushing in adjacent turns ol the coil
stock. The) untnmmed plasiic bars
preserve
the Q
ol L5 by holding the Miniductot
away
irom the shield aox bottom. Beiore couniing
coil, unwind
ihe 11 turns necessary tor th-e
enough turns from the uncut Mimducior slock
shield-box
,n |g allow L5 to s'and above the
- The band-paging receiver just fits into a Hammond 1S90F
Fig. B bottom by its diameter. The plastic bars are
U% top view, ihe LO shield box. shown
(in its
^^^!SgSSmS^tSt3%
Tho RF .imotifier boa'ds aie at tap. one above the oiher. The BFO
ww
is to me ion oi ine
fragile; they ma/ bo impregnated with
similar cemeni or greater strength.
Duco
The
or

l£53S3m£X boa1dt.d9e.onj .o the rifflt At tar right tho

mixer/AP board have since boon
P•MW-f completed L5 is cemented tu the shield-box
board The two capacrtors and resistor beneath ihe full color, boitom alter the LO tuning range has been
ufc r^'al cd.m<> th« board ign n similar v,J« ot Ihe band-imaging receive. In
dM F« set.
see the cover of July 1987 OST.

on the bottom. The capacitor about 1/16-inch short of full

is
The LO comes first because tear pieces into place
RF amplifiers. insertion into the coupler sleeve. This
installation entails the majority of the front and rear piece: of the shield box nust
iis allows leeway for later adjustment. Mark
mctalwork necessary to build the receiver. butt the shield box sides as shown in Fig.
the diecast box to pass the LO mounting
The sequence allows you to u se completed Tape the from svee inio place. Drill four
screws through the holes in the shield-box
modules a? pan of your ten equipment Tor mourning holes in he shield box bottom
pttte.
bottom plaic Drill ihesc holes now
sequence.
ihe modules later in the 6a) the tapccl-on from of the
Remove
3) Chisel the inokcd-in printing from the
The LO shield box is made ot double- smooth shield box. Buildand install the LO/buffer
.-enter of the diccast-box bottom to
sided copper-clad circuit board. The
10:1
circuit board, including the LO
output
reduction drive a Jackson Bros the box floor. Sanding may also be neces-
epicyclie cable and 12-V dc line, in the partially
is

5857. Because the sides of the

Hammond sary to achieve In is.
capacitor) completed shield box. The output cable
aluminum box arcnot perpendicu- 4) Locate ihe C9 (tuning
dieeasi consists of a 6-inch piece of niniature
bottom, special construction tech- mounting hole in the LO shield box front
lar to he Teflon coaxial cable (see Fig- 9A) Fig. 9B
nique* arc needed to Mttlife thai the bv pushing Ihe box up against the
Shows how (upicparc LO inductor IS from
reduction -drive coupler. Size this hole
tuning capacitor shaft perpendicular to
is
The following slightly largerthan the capacitor mounting a length of U & W Miniductor.
panel of the bo*. and
the frjnt 6b) Temporarily install C9. CIO, L5
construction sequence resulted in a smooth- hushing. This allows later adjustmeni of
the 27-pF NPO LO-tuncd-circuii capacitor
tuning, no- backlash LO installation in
the C9's position. Temporarily mount the
to the LO/buffer board by short leads-
capacitor in the front side of the shield dox
ARRL lab version of the band-imaging Terminate the LO output cable with a
and keep this assembly taped to the rest of
receiver:
SLohtn [editor- Verify operation of the
Mount the 10:1 redu:iion drive on the the box.
1)
5) Place the box in the diecast box
LO LO/buffer board by appl ying dc power and
front panel. tuning in theLO signal on the H-Mllzioi
box so that C9 inserted into the reducton-
is
2) Build the LO shield (four sides
receiver. Adjust C9 and CIO as necessary
side and drive coupler. By feel, be sure that the
and bottom), soldering only the

QRP Classics 30
 )

your receiver's tun- providing .0-kHz markers. Eqjip 1 lie coax- the shield-box bottom with Duco* (or
1

to brine the signal into

ing range. You may need to add or remove ial inpul of ihe lest receiver ;viili a short similar) cement.

fixed capacitors in the LO tuned crcuit. test cable terminated with alligator clips. RF amplifiers. Install the 10-MHz RF
Don't spend time now on setting the 1 .0 Detector/audio amplifier ord BFO. The amplifier in the receiver, and solder a

tuning range; tliat comes later. audio amplifiers require no adjustment. 5 1-ohm resistor from th: center conductor

6c) Once LO performance has been Align the BFO as follows: Without con- of Jl to ground. Connect the crystal
verified, disconnect C9, CIO. 1.5 and the necting the BFO to the detec:or, connect calibrator, set for 10-kHz markers, to .11.

fixed] tuned -cirtu it capacitor from the a 51 -ohm resistor across the secondary of Set the band switch to io MHz. Tune in a
LO/buffer board. Install the board ir.io the T4. Set CM
(FREQ ADJ) and C12 (OUTPUT marker near the center of the tuning; range

LO shield box. TUNE) to nidrangc. Apply 1 2 V dc to the and adjust C3 for maximum signal. Tune
7) Install ClO Hat to the shield ho>: floor BFO. Set tie test receiver for CW reception in the lowest marker in the range; adjust
by soldering dovn its xotor tab. Be sure to at 4000 kHz and attach the shield clip of C5 for maximum signal. Tune in Uic highest

allow clearance for C9. Bend the ClOstator [ts testcab e to the BFO groun.l Toil. Leave marker in the range; adjust C6
for maxi-

tab tip to clear ihe box bottom. Connect the center- conductor clip unconnected. mum signal. Because the C5 and C6 adjust-
l III io the LO/buffer circuit board with rSe.M, tune in the BFO on tlicicst receiver. ments interlock somevhot, repeat them
tinned no. 18 solid wire. Solder L5 into the Adjust CI2 for maximum received signal several times for good measure. Now, install

circuit; it will be cemented to the bot floor as indicated by the test receiver S-mctcr. the 18-MHz RF amplifier board and repeat
:

»rer, but do not do this yet. Adjust CH

to put the BFO at approxi- this procedure at 8 MHz with C3 (at band
1

8) Bolt the LO into the diecasi box. mately 4000.5 kHz. This completes align- center), C5 (at the lowest marker) and 66
Loosely mount C9 in the from side of the meni of the BFO for now. Remove the (at ihe highest marker). This completes

LO box. Slide the from LO box sice into 5 1 -ohm reiistor from the T4 secondary and alignment of the RF amplifier boards.
slace. and time, slide the C9
at ths same connect the BFO to the detector with Anti-backlash adjustment. Willi luck,
shaft into the reduction-drive coupler to RG-174 cable. the tuning control will turn freely and
about l/l6inchshort of full insertion. Do Mixer, filter and IF amplifier. The IF require the same input torque across the

not tape the LO box from into place as amplifier requires only one adjustment: tuning range. Backlash should be imper-
before. With 12 V applied to the mixer/filter/ IF ceptible throughout the range. If backlash
amplifier board and later stages, adjust C8, is present, try loosening the reduction -drive
9) Adjust the tcduccion drive to bring its
coupler worm screws to approxima ely 10 IF TUNE, for maximum noise in the speaker coupler screws and tightening them again.
and 2 o'clock. Set C9 to maximum or headphones. Backlash in the ARRL lab version of this

rapacimnce without disturbing the reduc- Local oscillator ratline range. Connect receiver was done away with by loosening
tion drive. Now, with C9 loose in its ihe LO output cable to the mixer, and and retightcning the hiring capacitor in its
mounting hole, lighten the worm screws in apply 12 V to the LO. Tune C9 to the low mounting hole, and by slipping the
the reduction-drive coupler. end of its range, and set the test receiver tuning capacitor several degrees to one
10) Tighten C9 to the front of the LO to 14.060 MHz. Connect tie test cable side in the drive coupling sleeve before
shield box. shield clip to the LO box, but leave the retightcning the coupler worm screws.
center-conductor clip unconnected. Adjust Dial calibration. Calibrate the tuning dial
L) Using the reduction drive, turn C9
I

back and forth through its range several CIO until you hear the in the test LO after ihe tuning range his been set and any
times to settle the LO box front into receiver, he aire that the unconnected i<"»t- baft lash has hncn ironed out. In the model
position. Depending on how tiglv.ly the cable lead is far enough from ihe LO tuned shown in Fig. 1, calibration of the 10- and
front is held in place by the LO bo> sides. circuit to rave no effect on the LO frequen- 18-MHz TUNING scales differs by the width
YOU may need to push be sides apart slight-
t
cy. Set the test receiver to 14.155 MHz. of £ dial marking. The left edge of each
ly to free the frcni piece. By eye, th; front
Tune the LO upward in frequ ency until you mark is used during 18-MHz tuning
of the LO box should appear parallel to the hear it in the test receiver. With luck, the (IS MHz L); the right edge is used during
front of the diecast box. If all looks well, TUNING capacitor will be nearly at mini- 10-MHz reception (10 MHz R>. Calibration
12) Solder ihe front side of the LO box mum capscitance. Depending on the exact of the full TUNING capacitor rotation
value;. Of the capacitors in the Q4 gate 180* for each band) would mufce this
£3<KJ*i
into position.
circuitry, "towever, your LO may not have unnecessary, but one band would tunc
Final luning-nnge and ami-backlash enough lining range, requiring thai you "backward" relative lo the other.
adjustments will be m ade during alignment search downward for it with the lest

receiver even with the tuninc capacitor at

Performance
and testing of the receiver.
The circuit board placement shown in minimum capacitance. If this is so, move Measured performance of the band-
Fig. 8 works well. Although the pDsition the tap on L5 from 2 to 3 turns above imaging receiver at 10 MHz: Minimum
of the LO shield box left little choice as to ground and readjust the 14,060-MHz band (MDS), - 140.5 dBm;
discernible signal
the placement of the rest of the circuit edge with did. I his will increase the tuning two-tone Jrd-order 1MD dynamic range
boards, maximum spacing between the range. (You may need to adic capacitance <20-kHz spacing), 89.5 dB; blocking
BFO and mixcr/filter/IF amplifier boards in parallelwith the 27-pF LO tuned-circuit dynamic range, 134 dB; image rejection,
was decided on beforehand to keep ihe capacitor :o allow C9 10 hit th; band edge. 74 dB. At 18 MHz: MDS, - 140.0 dBm;
BFO signal ou of the IF amplifer cir- ClO's tuning range is much larger than that two-tone 3rd-order WD dynamic range.
I

cuit ry. of the tuning capacitor, so adjust it care- (20 kHz spacing), 90.0 dB; blocking
fully.With experimentation, you should be dynamic range, 131 dB; image rejection,
Alignment able to achieve a tuning range of between 82 dB. With a signal lulled in on the
Test equipment necessary for aligning the 90 and 150 kHz. Remember thai you'll 10-MHz band, droppirg the receiver three

band-imaging receiver is a 51 -ohm resistor, need to make your final band-edge adjust- inches to the operating table produced no
a receiver capable of CW
reception at ment after installation of the LO box cover; discernible shift in the pitch of the received
14.0-14.2 MHz and 4 MHz ± kHz with 1 be sure tc provide a hole in :hc cover for signal. Maximum audio output was 0.66 w
an S-meter and frequency display resolu- this purpose, but leave the cover off for into an 8.2-0. test load. Current drain at 12
tion of I kHz or greater, and a crysral- now. After you have set trie LO tuning V cc was 95.1 mA with no inpul signal,

cont rolled marker generator capable of range, cement the base of each L5 pillar lo 220 mA at maximum audio output.

3RP Classics 31
From June 1976 QST, p 27:

His Eminence—the Receiver

Parti: No piece of amateur equipment holds grea:er sway
over our communications pastime than the station receiver.
Herefrom, let there be dynamic range!
By Doug OeMaw, W1 FB
ARRL Contributing Editor
PO Box 250
I iither. Ml 49656

A.
unleashes
„ you
its
slave
fury like
to a receiver which
a many-headed
live QST
three-pole
article,

3
Cohn
where he employed a
filter with a *t-dB inser-
tion loss. In 'his example the high-Q
monster in the presence of strong sig-

which slug-tuned indurtors are isolated :n alu-

nals? If your receiver shows a will
Is most incurred fui an expensive com- minum shields, anil the three-section
(tapping, then you variable capacitor which tunes them is
mercial ham-shack
enclosed in a slueld made from pe board
and I are kindred souls! Eteing a long-
sections. Bottcm coupling is accom-
term urbin dweller amid z barrage of
plished with small toroidal -coils.
strong local signals, I have had a long-
Rf amplifier Ql was added to com-
existing need for a receiver with an
pensate lor the filter loss. It ii mis-
"uncrun enable"' front end. Numerous
receive! is nuili in a homemade alumi-
matched intentionally by means of L10
commercial receivers have been tested at The
nuir cabinet. A iwo-ione gray and flat- and LI to restrict the gain io 6 dB
my staticn, and most provided appall- I

ingly disnal performances when W1AW

black paint job has been applied. Black maximum. Some additional mis-
Dymo lane labels are used toi identifying matchiitg is seen at LI 2, and the mixer
was operating - just two blocks away - the ;omro!s in the black irea, and gray labels
is overcoupled to the FET tuned output
and during contests when seldom-heard, are it fixed to the gray pinion of the fiont
panel. A cut-down Jackson Brothers vernier tank to broaden the response (L8 lo 2
nearby stations seemed to pop uul of used 'or
mechanism tiwo-speedl
dial is Ire-
MHz). The design tradeoffs do not
the void to inundate reception. This case queicy readout. impair performance. The common-gate
for nail biting led to a special-
rf stage has good dynamic ranee and
application design which cured my re-
ceiver cress modulation, de;ensitization,
IMD characteristics.
1MD
maladies. Sonic cf the design
The doubly balanced diudc-ring
and cable to any amateur band in the hi
mixer (Ul) was chosen fot its excellent
notes offered here should be of interest spectrum. In my case, 1 employ "down
reputation in handling high signal levels,
to amateurs who build station receivers converters" to cover 80 through 1C
having superb port-to-port signal isola-
for use in areas of high signal density. meters. They are founded on the same
tion, and because of its good IMD
Most of the principles described are concepts to be discusied heie.
well-known ones, but they have been performance. The module: used in this
Fj£. I shows the rf amplifier, mixer,
design is a commercial one which con-
ignored by some designers of imported and post-mixer amplifier. What may
tains two broadband transformers and
and U.S.-made receivers. Emphasis seem like excessive elaboration in design
four hot-carrier diodes with matched
seems to be on impressive appearance, is 3 matter of personal whim, hut the
characteristics, The amateur can build
high receiver "sensitivity" (whatever is features are useful, nevertheless. For
his own mixer assembly in the interest
meant by that term), and myriad other example, the two front-end attenuators
way somebody for- of reduced expense. At the frequencies
features. Along the aren't essential to good performance,
involved in his example it should not he
the real name of the game
1

got . . .
bu: are useful in making accurate mea-
dynamic range. At least jne amateur surement* (ft, I?. rai 18 dB) of signal difficult to obtain performance equal to
that ol a commercial mixer.
(W7ZOI) has emphasized the need for levsls during on-the-a.r experiments wjt|i
In discussing this circuit with Hay-
careful attention to these matters. Rea- other stations (antennas, amplifiers and
ward (W7Z01), he suggested that I
sonable immunity to front-end collapse such). Also, FL2, a fixed-tuned 1.8- to
include a diplexer at the mixer output
is not expensive or difficult to achieve. 2-MHz band pass filter, need not be
(LI 3 and the related .002-^F capaci-
The" results are measured easily in terms included ifthe operator is willing to
tors). The addition was worthwhile, as it
of operating convenience and clean re- re-peak the three-pjlc tracking Bjtei
provided an improvement in the noise
ception. (FLl) when tuning about in the band
floor and IMD characteristics of the
The fixed-tuned filter is my preference
Front-Er.d Features receiver. The d:plexer works in ccmbina-
when the down converters are in use.
The benefits obtained from a highly tion with matching network L14, a
Although the circuit trsated here is
selective tunable filter like FLl arc seen low-pass L-iype circuit. The diplexer is a
for a one-band receiver (1.8 to 2.0
when strong signals Ere elsewhere in (or high-pass network which permits the
MHz), the design procedures are appli-
near) the 160-meter band. The rejection 56-ohm tcrmir.ating resistor to be seen
characteristics can be seen in Fig- 2. by the mixer without degrading the
Insertion loss was set at 5 dB in order to 455-kHz i-f. The low-pass portion of the
diplcMJi helps reject ail Frequencies
narrow the (liter response. Part of the
circuit was inspired by Sabin's informa- above 455 kHz so that the post -mixer
'Footnoies appear at end o( article.

QRP Classics 32
 1

18-2.0 MM FL' -5dB

C1A
ATTENUATORS
-6<tB -I2d8

HF

( j^n 18-2.0 MHz FL? -5d

f

SM.-SILVER MICA
. 18 y 1"

o
TO 100 -»hr
CALIBRATOR
E»CCPT AS INDICATED. OEtlMAL (MT —
WUJES OF CAPACITANCE *BE 1 -A LT L9
IN MICROFARADS l„FI 0TH£R5
\

AJIE IN PICOFARAOS pi OR JlpF^

t

B!5I5TANCE5 ARE IN OHMS".

1.I0OO.U-I00O0O0

= ig. 1 - Schematic diagram ot the receiver Iron tend. Fixed -value are 1/2-W composition . All slug-tuned inductors are contained
i3Dacitor5 are diik ceramic unless otherwise not ed- Resistors in individual shield cans wiich are grounded.

CI — Trwee-section variable,
100 pF pe- L7. L9 - 13-pH slug-tuned Inductor IJ. w. U. W. Miller 90561.
secuon. MoGet used here obtained as Miller 90521. L15 - 1.3- to 3.0-mH, slug-tuned inductor
surplus. L8 - 38C-aiH slug-tuned inductor iJ. W (J. W. Miller 90591-
J1 — SO-239. Miller 90571. QI, Q2. Q3 -
Motorola JFET.
2 — Phono jack. L10 - 16 turns No. 30 enam. wire over L1 HFC1 -
2.7-mH miniature choke (J. W.
LI. L4-38 to S8*iH, Q„ of 175 ai 1.8 winding. Miller 70F273AI).
slug-tuned (J. W. Milter 43A685CBI
MHz, L11 -45 lurns No. 30 enam. wire on (1FC2 - 10-mH miniature choke (J. IfV.
in Miller S-74 shield canl. Amidon T-50-2 toroid, 8.5 |iH. Miller 70F102AI).

L2. L3 -95
to 187 jiH, Q„ ol 175 el 1-8 L12 - 43-*iH slug-iuned inductor. Q„ ot 50 SI —
Three-pole, two-position phenolic
W. 43A154CBI at 1 .8 MHi. IJ. W. Miller £054)- wafer switch.
MHz. slug tuned |J. Miller
m S-74 shiek canl. L13 - 8-7-tiH toroidal inductor. 12 turns S2, S3 - Two-pole, double-throw miniature
No. 2S enam. wire on Amidon FT-37-61
L.5. L6 - 1.45-yH toroid inductor, Ou of toggle.
d$0 ai 1.8 MH/. Inrnia core. U1 - Mini-CircuiM Lobs. CnA-l-1 doubly
IB lurns No. 26 enam. wire on Atnidon LI 4 - i;p- to 280-/JH, slug-iuned inductor Qucn,,n Rd"
T-50-2 toroic. For updated supplier address, sea ARHL Paris vaszaHssp*
Supplier List in Chapier 2.

amplifier receives only the desired infur- tcristic mpedance of 2000 ohms. The of the local oscillator
arc essential traits

maJion. The high-pass section of the terminations are built into the filters. in a The requirements
quality receiver.
diplexer starts rolling off ai 1 .2 A Gain distribution to the mixer is held are met by the circiit of Fig. 3. Within

reactance of 66 ohms was chosen to to near unity in the interest of good th* capabilities of the ARRL lab mea-
permit use of standard-value capacitors IMD peiformance. The preamplifier gain suring procedures, it was determined
in ihe \ow-Q network. is approximately 25 dli. The choice was tint VFO noise was it least 90 dB below
A pair of source -coupled JFKTs is made to compensate for the relatively fundamental output. Furthermore, sta-
used in the post-mixer i-f preamplifier. high insertion loss of the mechanical bility at 25 C ambient temperature was

The 10,000-ol.m gate resistor of Q2 sets filters - 10 dli. Without the high gain of su:h that no drift could be measured
the transfornntion ratio of the L net- Q2 and Q3 there would te a deteriora- from a cold stait to i period three hnurs
work 200:1 (50H to 10 ktt). An I later. Mechanical stability is excellent:
at tion in noise figure.
network is used to couple the preamp- Several sharp blows to die VFO sliield
Local Oscillator box caused no discernable shift in a cw
lifier to a dioce-switched pair of Collins
mechanical filters which have a charac- A low noise floor and good stability beat note while the 400-Hz i-f filter was

QRP Classics 33
 .

to that obtained in the ssb mode.

Voltage for Ihe biasing is obtained from
the diode switching line during cw re-
ception.
Although a 2N2222A is not a low-
noise device, the performance characier-
istics are suitable for this circuit. A
slight improvement in noise figure
would probably result from the use of
an MPR02, 40673, or low-noise bipolar
transistor in that part of the circuit.

Performance Notes
The remainder of the receiver circuit
wil. be discussed in Part 2 of this article.
know Considerable joocc 'cmoins boiOolh the chas-
However, the reader ;nay want to
sis (or ihe addition ol accessory circuit: Of a
just how Eminence performs,
well His
set ol down converters. At the upper left are
and how compare ic
the characteristics the adjustment screws lor the tunable filter,
Fig. 2 — Response curve ol the tunable
these of some modern commercial re- plus the bottom-oiupling toroids. At HW toft
front-end filter, centered on i$ MHz.
fit:ing that the high center is the fixed-tuned (rom-ond fitter. To
ceivers. It seems
(he right is Ihe rf-jmpliiier module. A 100-
points be covered in Part 1 kHz MFJ Enterprises calibrator is seen at the
The tuning range of the receiver ii far lower loft. Inrnediateiy to its right is the

actuated. VFO amplifier Q14 is designed 200 kHz. This means that for use with mixer/amplifier assembly. The large beard at
converters the builder will have to satis- the lower cenier contains the i-f fitters ino"
10 provide the recommended f-7-dBm post-filter amplifier. Most ol the amplifier
fy himself with either the cw or the ssl:
mixer injection. Furthermore, the out- componems have been tacked beneath the pc
band segment. The alternatives are Ic
board because of design changes which oc-
put pi lank of QI4 is of 50 ohms
increase the local oscillator tuning range curred during development.
characteristic impedance. Though not of
to 500 kHz, or use a multiplicity of
special significance in this application,
converters to cover the cw and ssb
the measured harmonic output across 50
portions of each hand. Because 160
ohms is -36 dB at the secor.d order, and DXin£ nVf away from ihe
meters is my primaiy band for was situated.>

-47dBal the third order.

W1A\V end-fed Zepp antenna. A pk-pk
and casual QSOs during the winter
Filter Module season, the bandsprcad feature of 200 voltage of 15 was measured across the
kHz was adopted. 50-ohm receiver input jack by means of
of mhtinizing leakage
In the interest
Some severe lab tests were under- a Tektronix model 453 scope while
between the input and output
filler
ports. I :Iected to use diode switching. taken with the completed receiver, WIAW was operating. Now, that's a lot

aimed at learning how "crunchproof of rf energy! With that high level of rf

The advantage of this method is that
the front end really was. A quarter- voltage present, a 10-jjV signal was fed
only dc switching is rcqu.red. thereby
wavelength end-fed wire (inverted L) Into the receiver and spotted 2 kHz.
avoiding the occasion for unwanted rf
wa> matched to the receiver 50-ohnt away from the WIAW operating fre-
coupling across the contacts and wafers
input port. The far end Of the antenna quency. No evidence of tross modula-
of a mechanical switch. Type 1N914
diodes are used to select FL3 (400-H/.
bandwidth) or FL4 (2.5-kHz band- ceramic unless specified
Fig. 3 - Circuit diagram of the local oscillator; Capacitors are disk
width). Reverse bias is applied to the shield box
differently. Resistors aie 1/2-W composition. Entire assembly is enclosed in a
nonconducting diodes. Tlis lessens the made from pc-board sections.
possibility oT leakage :hrough the 12 — Uoubie -bearing vafiame capacitor, so MHlei 3-74 shield can).
switching diodes. Because the Collins PF. L19 - 10- to 18 7-jiH slug-tuned pc-toard
C3 — Miniature 30-pF air variable. inductor IJ. W. Miller 23A155RPCI.
have a characteristic impedance of
filters
CRT — High-speed Switching diode, silicon RFC13, RFC14 - Miniature 1-mH rf choke
2000 ohms, the output coupling capaci- tvoe 1N914A. (J.W. Miller 70F103AII.
tors from each are 120 pF rather than LI 8 - 17- to 41-mH slug-tuned inductor. VR2 - 8.6 V. l-N Zeny diode.
low-reactance .OI-pF uniti, as used at Qu of 175 iJ.W. Mille. 43A335CBI in
the filler inputs. Without the smaller
value of capacitance the filters would
sec the ow
base impedance of Q4, the
post-filter i-f amplifier. The result would
be one of double termination in this

case, leading to a loss in signal level.

Additionally, the 1 20-pF capacitors help
to divorce the input capacitance of the
amplifier stage. The added capacitance
would have to hp suhirarteri from the
350- and 510-pF resonating capacitors
at the output ends of the filters.
The apparent overall receiver gain is
greatest during cw reception, owing to
the selectivity of cw filter, FL3. To keep
the S-meter readings constant for a given
signal leccl in the ssb and cw modes, R7
has been included in the filter/amplifier
module. In the cw mode, R7 is adjusted
to bias Q4 for an S-meter reading equal

ORP Classics 34
 : i - Scnemancdiagram oMne filter and posi-tiiter amplifier. Gapaciiors are disk ceramic, aeslsiofs are I /2-W composition.

"-CR5, -High-speed
«ncl. silicon switch- RFC3-RFC'0, ind. - 10-rnH mniaiure rl S4 - Doublc-polc. double-throw toggle or
-g diode, 1N914A. Choke 0, W. Miller 70F102.01). wafer.
.3 - Collins mechanical filler F455FD-04 ft7 - Pc-bcard control, lO.OOO ohms, linear T1 - Miniature 455-kHz i-f Transformer
: _- - Co«tins mechanical filler F455FD-25. 0. W. Miller 2067, 3C.000 to 500 ohms*.

-10 dB
455 kHi
8W=40OH: EXCEPT AS INDICATED, GECIM1L VALUES OF
CAPlCITAMCC ARE IN MICP0F1BA05 I >F > ;
OTMtRS ARE IN PICOFARADS I pF M*i\ W
RESISTANCES APE IM OHMS,
lil'SQO. M-lOCO 000,

O '0 AMP
02
l-F

-H!V

the worst performers are no: necessarily Footnotes

don could be observed, and deseniitiza-
lion could not be dis-
of the receiver the least expensive receivers available. 'Hayward, "A Competition-Grade CW
You fiyiiic it mil, eh? I'm 2 uf Uib Prrpivi-r." QST for Marth mid April.
;erned by ear. The spread from 1.8 to 2 . 1974.
MHz was tuned, ami no IM products article will appear in a subsequent issue 'Satin, "Solid-State Receiver*" QST for
July, 1970.
were heard. of QST.
Dynamic range tests wore peiformed
in accordance with the Hayward paper
m QST for July, 1975. Noise flocr was
-135 dBiu, IMG was 95 dB, and dB of I

Mocking occurred at some undel-ei- Table 1

mine-d point greater lhan 123 dB above RECEIVEP IMD BLOCKING NOISE
the noise floor. The latler measurement TWO-TONE ABOVE NOISE FLOOR
is inconclusive because blocking did not
DYNAMIC FLOOn (dB) (-dBrn)
become manifest within the output
RANGE (dB/
W7ZOI Rev. from
capability of the model-SO generators OST March 1 974 955 123 141
used in the ARRL lab. The resultant W1CER Rc/r. from
receiver noise figure al 1.8 MHz is 13 QST June 1976 95.0 123* 135
Import 1 (modi ted
dll, which 13 more than adequate for ihc
1

by ARRL) WA1LNO 92.5 136 145

high atmospheric noise level or 160 Same Rcvr. before
meters. modificatio*) 79.0 110 136
Table 1 shows measured character- USA Box 1 88.0 116.5 146
USA Box 2 86.0 116 143
istics numerous current-model com-
for USA Sox 3 86.0 112 135
mercial amateui receivers. Brand names USA Box 4 84.0 112 135
can aiol be lisied, but the same test USA Box 5 76-0 114 137
equipment and procedures were used for USA Box 5
fm odilicd) 03 G 120 141.5
all checks. It mould be kept in mind Import 2 79-5 112 139
thaithe higher the noise-floor figure in USA Box 6 79.5 92 123
-dBrn, the bitter the performance. Import 3 79.0 110 135
Similarly, the ligher readings for IMD USA Box 7 100 139
USA Box 8 Vol 97 139
and blocking indicate best performance. Import 4 59.0 102 141
Mute testimony is seen in Table I . It
were equipped with 400-. 500-.
All receiver! tested or 600-Hz i-f fillers. Tens were
seems incredible that the three best made on 2C meters. Sig. spacing = 20 kHz.
receivers for IMD and blocking are W1CCR iCw . with W7ZOI 20nm«i ifuinrei lei middled
homemade or modified comrrercial 88 123* 133
stock models! It is worth adding that

QRP Classics 35
Pmm July ^976 QST, p 14:

His Eminence—the Receiver

Part 2: Front end — stay worthy of your vocation with
"uncrunchable" distinction! And now the final circuit details.

i
A \ receiver system should be capa-
i-f serious shortcomings in sonic designs are ble with MCI5O0G ICs: They are the

ble of providing a specific gain, have an poor age (dicky, pumping, or inade- choice of many builders. However, the

acceptable noise figure, and respond quate range) and insufficient i-f gain. CA302SAS. eunt'.gured as differential

satisfactorilyto the applied age. This Because of my fringe lassitude an J amplifiers, will provide approximately
almost bionidic judgment is nut as trite an unwillingness to question past suc- 70 dB of gain per pair when operated at
as it may seem, for some designers use a cesses, elected to use a pair of RCA
I
455 kHz. This givis an age characieristie
haphazard ipproach to this part of a CA302SA ICs iii the i-f strip. Somewhat from maximum gain to full cutoff
receiving system. Two of the more greater t-f gain and age range are possi- which is eulliely acceptable for nosl
amateur work.
Fig. 5 shows the i-f amplifiers, prod-
uct detector, anc Varicap-tuncd BFO.
Transformer coupling is used between
Top-chassis vcw of the receiver. The R-C active filter and audio preamplifier are built on ihe U2 and U3. and also between U3 and
pc board at itie left. To the light is the BFO moduli; in a shield bo*. Tie age circuit is
upper the product detector. The 6800-ohm
seen at the lower left, 3nd to its right is the i-f strip in a shield enclosure. The large shield box used across ihe primaries o"T2
resistors
at me upper center contains the Vf O. To Us right is the tunoDk* ironi-end Tilitfr. Tim Hiiec-
and T3 were chosen to force an Imped-
section variable cflp-acilor Is inside ihe rectangular shield box. The audio amplifier module is
seen at the lower right. The small board (mounted vertically} at the loft center contains the ance transformation which the tians-
product deietior. Homemade end brackets odd mechanical stability between the panel and formers can't by themselves provide
chassis and serve as- a support for the receiver lop cOver. Available Miller transformers with a
30 ,000 -ohm primary to 500-ohm
secondary characteristic are used. V2
and U3 have 10- and 22-ohm series
resistors in die signal lines. Those wer*
added to discourage vhf parasitic oscilla-
tions.
Age applicc to pin 7 of each IC.
is

Maximum gain occurs at +9 V, and

minimum gain results when the age
voltage drops toils low value, +2 V.Thc
age is rf-derived, with i-f sampling for
the age amplifier being done at pin 6 of
U3 through a 100-pF blocking capaci-
tor.
"Hie 1000-ohja decoupling resistors
in the 12-V feed :o U2 and U3 drop Ihe
operating voltage lo +9. This, aidssubil-
ity and reduces i-f system noise. The
amplifier strip operates With uncondi-
tional stability.

Product Detector
A quad of IN914A diodes is used in
the product detector. Hot-carrier diodes
may be preferred by some, and :hey
may lead to slightly butler performance
than the silicon units 1 chose. A trifnar
broadband toroidal transformer, T4,
couples the i-f amplifier lo the detector

QRP Classics 36
 K

t-F AMP

I
~ PROD DET
TO JSC AMP
-0(0-0. FIG «)

-55 KM.

POLY-POLfSTrBCt

OCEPT *S :
DCCIUIL
VJLLUCS D* CAPACITANCE B"C
in ui:"0'flBfl3*'i*t);crnEns

*pe i« •icorwADils' oi ,*r);

ncsstuiee* Mi< onus;
• HLVU.Vil'.'MW.V

Fitj. 5 — Circuit ot the i-f amplifier. 8F0. and product detector. Capacitors are disk ceramic unless noted differently. Fixed-value resistors are
1/2'W composition. Oflstied lines show ihield enclosures. The BFO
and i-f circuits 3ro msiallod in separate shield boxes. The R-C active filter
and af prgamplifie' are tin o common circui t bOO'd. which is not shielded.

CH6-CR9, inci. - High-speed silicon, HI - 100,000-ohm linear-taper T2. T3 — 455-kH? i-( transformer. See
1M914A or Bqiilv. composiion control (panel mount!. text. (J. W.
Miller 2067
CR10 - Motorola MV-1 04 Varicap RFC11 - 2.5-mH miniature choice U. W. T4 - Trifilar broadband transformer. 15
tuning diode. Miller 70F253A1). trifitat turns of No. 26 enam. wire on

L16 — Nominal 640-«H slua-tuned RFC 12 - 0-mH miniature choke U. W. Amidon T-50-61 tornid core.
inductor (J. W Miller 90*571 Milter 70F1O2A1I. U2. U3 - RCA IC-
LIT — Nuniiiiul 00\uM iluijlgi'CiJ VR1 0.1 V. 1 W
Zcoef diode.
inductor (J. W Miller 90541. AHRL
For updaled supplier addr»ss. soo Paris
Supplier List in Chapter 2.

at a 50-ohm impedance level. BFO time three hours later. A Motorola difference amplifier. An FliT is used at
iiijCC liun is supplied at 0.7 V rms. MV-104 tuning diode paod at CRIO.
ir. QIO becauw it exhibits a high inpul
To vary the BFO frequency from impedance and will nol, therefore, load
BFO Circuit 453 to 457 kHz, the diode is subjected down the primary of T3 in Fir. 5. Ql is
In lowering the cost
llie inter.-st oi' to variou* amounts of hack. aias. applied direct coupled to R pnp transistor. Oil.
of Varicap (CR10 of Fig.
this project, a by means of Rl. Regulated voltage Assiming that Rs and R2 are treated as
5, is used to control ihe BFO fre- l.VRI) is applied tu the oscillator and u single resistance. Rs. the QIO/QII
quency. Had a conventional system tuning diude. gain determined as: Cain tdli) = 20
is

been utilized, lluee expensive crystals Q6 functions as a CUss A BFO log Rc * Rs. Control R2 has been
would have been needed to liandle arnplifler/buffcr. It contains a pl- included as part of Rs to permit adjust-
upper sideband, lower sideband and cw. neiwork output circuit and has a 50- ment of the age loop gain. Each oper-
The voltage -variable capacitoi inning ohm output characteristics The main ator may have a preference in this
method shown In Fig. 5 is satisfactory if purpose lit the amplifier stage is to regard. I have the age set so it is fully
the operator u willing to change the increase dve BFO injection power with- actuated at a signal-input level of 10 *iV.
operating frequency of the BFO wlien out loading down the oscillator. Age action commences at 0.2 uV (I dU
changing receive modes. Adjustment is otgain compression).
done by means of froni-panel control AGC Circuit Arc disabling is effected hy re-
Rl Maximum drift with this circuit was
. Fig. 6 Shows the age amplifier, recti- moving the operating voltage from QIO
measured as 5 Hz from a cnld start to a fier, dc iuurce follower, and op-amp and QI1 by means if S5. Manual i-f

ORP Classics 37
gain conltol is made possible by adjust- tanl feature ot a quality communica- in a similar manner, but performs the
ing R3 of Fig. 6. Age delay is approxi- tions receiver, I used a circuit containing signal "laundering" it audio rather than
mately 1 second. Longer or shorter discrete devices. The complimentary- at rf. The techniuue has one limitation
delay periods can be established by symmetry uutput transis.ors and the — monotony in listening to a fixed-
altering of the QI4 gate
the •'allies op-amp driver are configured in a man- frequency beat note, which is dictated
resistor and capacitor. Age amplifier ner similar to that used by Jung in his by the center frequency' uf the filter.
gain is variable from 6 to 40 dB by Op Amp Cookbook published by The R-C filter should be designed to
adjusting R2. The arrangement at 014 Howard Sams. Maximum output capa- have a peak frequen.-y which matches
and V4 was adapted from a design by bility is 3.5 W into an 8-ohm load. An the cw beat-note frequency preferred by
W7ZOI. Age action is smooth, and there 1..M-30IA driver was chosen because of the operator. That is. if the BFO is

is no evidence of clicks on the attack its low-noise protile. There has been no adjusted to provide an S00-Hz cw note,
during strong-signal periods. At no lime aural evidence of distortion at any signal llie center frequency of FL5 should also
has age "pumping" been observed. level while using the circuit of Fig. 7. be 800 Hz.
The game played in this si'ualion is one lixperience with FL5 in this receiver
Audio System of having considerably more audio has proved in many instances that weak
A uiujui failing uf muiiy icuivci,. b pvwci available lluin h e«l needed - a DX fciguub on. loo meters tuuid be
poor-quality £udio. For the most part rationale used in hi-fi work. elevated above the noise to a Q5 copy
litis malady s manifest as cross-over level, while without the filter solid cop/
distortion in the af-output amplifier.
R-C Active CW Filter was impossible. It should be stressed
Moreover, some receivers have marginal A worthwhile improvement in that high-£7 capacitors be used from C4
audio-power capability for normal room signal-to-noise ratio can be realized to C7, inclusive, to assure a sharp peak
volume when a loudspeaker is used. during weak-signal reception by employ- reiponse. Polystyrene capacitors satisfy
Some transformerless single-chip audio ing an R-C active bandpass filter. A the requirement. To ensure a well-
ICs (0.25- to 2-W class) exhibit a pro- two-pole version (FL5) is ihuwn in Fig. defined (minimum ripple) center frc-
hibitive distortion characteristic,
and 7. A peak frequency of 830 Hz results qtency, the capacitors should be match-
this is especially low signal
prominent at from the ft and C values given. ed closely in value (5 percent or less!.
levels. The unpleasant effect is one uf benefits of FL5 are similar to
The Resistors of 5-percent tolerance should
"fuzzincss" when listening tu low-level thosedsscribed by Hayward in his be employed in the circuit, where in-
signals. Unfortunately, external access "Compe tilion-Grade CW
Receiver" dicated in Fig. 7.
to the biasing circuit of such IC; is nut which was referenced earlier. He
article,
typical, owing to the unitized construc- used a second i-f filter (at the i-f strip Summary Comment.'
tion of the chips. output! to reduce wide-baud noise in A suitable frequency scheme fcr
Since "sanitary" audio is an impnr- the system. The R-C active filter serves some hf-band down converters, plus a
circuit fur digital frequency display, are
given in the receiving chapter ol the
1976 Handbook. In that example the
tunable i-f receiver covers 500 kHz, 1,3
to 2. 3 MHz.
ng, b - SCriemaTIC diagram ot tne age system, capacitors a*e Disk ceramic exceot when The photograph in this article illus-
polarity is indicated, which signifies electrolytic. Fixed-value resistors are 1 /2-W composition.
trates a modular cunstruction technique.
This modulo is not enclosed in a ihiefc cotipanmem.
All rf-circuit assemblies are isolatel
CR12.CR13- High-speed i'ticon, tN9ldA mourned.
from one another, and from outside
Of Cquiv. RFC15 - 2.5-mH miniature cioke U W. energy influences, by means of shieli
QIO, Ql 014 - Motorola transistor
1 , Miller 70F253A1).
R2. R4. R5 - Linear-taper composition pc- S5 - Sinole-nole. single-throw toggle. compartments. Signal points are joined
board mount control. U4 — Dual -in-line B pin 741 r>E amp. (module to module) with RG-174/U
R3 - 10.000-ohnl.near-iaper control, panel Ml - 0- to 1mA meter. sunminiature cuaxial cable, the shield
bnids being grounded to the chassis at
each end. Fecdth rough-type .00 1 -f*F
capacitors are used at the 12-V entry
points uf the modules. The foregoing
measures help to prevent birdies and
unwanted stray rf pickup.
The intent of thi; paper has been to
illustrate some ordinary design princ;*
pies which can be adopted by those
wishing to construct a receiver with
wide dynamic range Some of the ideas
offered may inspire modifications to
commercial receivers. Because this pre-
sentation was not meant as a construc-
tion exercise, circuit-board templates
are not offered. Most of the pc boards
in this prototype have been altered
severely during the development pro-

QRP Classics 38
 3.5-W
DKIVER 470 AF OUTPLT
-M2V

AF
PREAMP

TO "Su
OBOO ?,+
dei o-t—}r
(FIG 5)

EKE" AS IflQICA'EDi BECIMPL VAWCS Or

rauaciiavrr mr MlCRrsrssfiM
in I jiF 1
OTHE'S ARE I* PtCOF**UDS (pF M J.J.FI'
:

RESISTANCES ARC It* OHMS;

l > ICOO, M-iOOO ooc,

POLf • POL-tSTYfiENF.

FL5

FILTER

Fiq. 7 - Diagran of the audio amptilier and R-C active filrer. Capacitors ace disk
ceramic unless otherwise noted. Polarized capacitors are
is not contained m a shield box. Heat sinks are used with
electrolytic or t.ntalum. Fixed-value resistors are W2-W composition. This circu.t
08 and Q9.
Cflll - High-speed silicon. 1N914A 0' J3- Phone jack. UA - National Semicorductor LM-301A IC
equiv. R6 - 10.DaO-ohm audio-taper composition U5 - Signetics N5558 dual op-amp IC-

C4-C7. incl. - See text. control, panel mounted.

SG - Double-throw, double-pole toggle.

and numerous cumponenis have During several months of daily use, ness to WI AW and neighboring contest-
cess,
been lacked on here and there. For this there has never been a case of desensiti- en and DXcrs. His Eminence is, indeed,
reason, artwork has not been developed. zation cr IMD noted, despite my near- urcrunchablc!

QRP Classics 39
From June 1976 GST, p 31:

CER-verters
A family of high-oerformarce hf-band converters for the W1FB
(ex-W1CER) 160-meter "His Eminence" receiver.

By Wes Hayward.* W720I

If big signals are taking "pot shots" A final equaiion of significance is

at your collapsing receiver front end, that which relates the noise factor >f
some design changes arc probably two cascaded stage;. Tliis relationship,
needed. Here are some guidelines for which would apply to a cryslal-con-
amateur and professional designers who trolled converter ahead of a receiver, as
are interested in improving receiver w-H as a preamplifier preceding a re-
dynamic range - a sore point wi'.h ceiver, is given in Eq. 3:
respect to the performance of many
modern-day commercial receivers. <Eq.3)

7
In this equation, I }
and are noise
Thii
ilus issue of QST
contains an article factors which are algebraic ratios. Noise
describing some recent receiver efforts figure is just the decibel equivalent af
at WICER. That receiver was huilt to this factor- (7, is the gain of the fiist

serve two purposes. First, it provided stage, again as an algebraic ratio. Fncl is
high quality performance on 160 the noise factor of the combination bfa

meters. Secor.dly, and of more signifi- called the equivalent noise floor of the given receiver will, a preamplifier or

cance, it was part of a continuing receiver, was -135 dBm -vith a 400-Hz converter with noise factor /",. and
campaign by WICER and this writer to bandwidth. Further, the two-tone dy- gtin.O'i- -

develop receivers which meet th; classic namic range of the receiver was 95 dB. From Eqs. I anc 2, it may be shown
performance joals of sensitivity, selec- Information of this type can be that the WICER had a noise
receiver
tivity and stability, while still naintain- related to other more fundamental figure of 13 dB and an input intercftpt
ing a suitable dynamic range
7 '3
As specifications with a fairly simple set of of +7.5 dBm. Eq. 3 nay be used to infer
DeMaw poured out in his two-part equations. The noisu figure of a receiver the overall noise figure when various
article, the zmateur can do a much is related to the MDS by Eq. 1: converter noise figures and gains are
better job than the manufacturer in this considered. The inpul intercept of a
MDS(dBrn) = -174 dBm * NF(in dB) +
regard. combinalion will merely be the inpul
10 log, iJ„ (E q i)
As exciting as the lfiO-meter hand .
intercept of the basic receiver less the
can be, predominant interest is in the hf where B„ is the noise bandwidth of the gain of the converter. This assumes tint
spectrum. A: a result, a grsup of receiver.The noise bandwidth is well- the converter is strong enough that
crvstal-controJed converters was needed approximated by llie 3-dB bandwidth minimal IMD occurs whhin the eon-
for the WICER receiver with an i-f when scccp-skirled filters arc used, verier when compared with the follow-

output in tlis 1,8- to 2-MHz region. which .vas the case for the WICER ing receiver. This implies explicitly tint
receiver the output intercept of the converter
Such a family is described here. The
prhmary criterion for their design was to Similarly, the two-tsnc dynamic should be much larger than the input
maintain a large dynamic range in a range of the receiver is related lo the intercept of the following receiver.
dtidl-coitvershn system, while sliJ reali*. inpui intercept, P; and the MDS by Eq.
Converter Designs
ing a noise figure that was low enough
to be acceptable on the var.ous hf DR(indB) - (2/3Xft - MPS) After a bit of number "crunching"
(Eq. 2)
bands. w.lh the foregoing equations, it was
The information provided to the where both and MDS are given in concluded that the converters shou.d
writer by WICER was that the mini- dBm. This equation is easily derived h£ve a net gain of about 10 dB and En
mum discernible signal (MDS), also from the definition of the intercept output intercepl of approximately +17
concept and the observation that third- dBm or higher. For work on the bands
'Footnotes appear at and of article.
order IML1 products are pioportional to up through 14 MHz. a noise figure of 13
•7T00 S.W. Dinielle Ave.. Beavcrlon. OR the cub: of the strength of the input to 16 dB was deemed acceptable. On the
97005 higher bands some compromise n

QRP Classics
 tf inputs. The difference frequency is
used to drive Ihe W1CER receiver. How-
ever, a termination must also be pro-
vided for the sum frequency.
In order to simplify the band switch-
ing, +12 vol Is dc is supplied through the
local oscillator purt of the mLxer. This is
realized with an rf choke and suitable
capacitors.
The output of the ampimer was
designed for broadband performance. In
order lo obiain laree bandwidth, the
= 5 ' - Block dlagiam o* ihe CER-werters. output transformer (Tl ) was wound on
a high-permeability fertile torpid. A
powdered-iron core should not be used
for this transformer. Indeed, K was
found that a ferrite core with a perme-
dynamic range would be tolerable in oscillator and the preselector network ability of 125 was not suitable in this
order to achieve lower noise figures. In for Ihe band of interest. position. Much better bandwidth and
studying the available circuit combina- impedance matching was obtained with
Mixer and Post-Amplifier Board
flons it was derided lo base Ihc front the core specified wliich has a perme-
end of Ihc converters on a diod;-riug The circuit for the mixer and the ability of 2000. The 2200-ohm resistor
mixer. The mixer would be preceded by dual-gate MOSFLTamplifier is shown in in the drain circuit ensures thai the
3 band-pass preselector tiller and fol- Fig. 2. There are a few depiriures from output impedance presented by the
lowed with a diplexer and a dual-gale the standard in this design. First, a amplifier close to 50 ohms. This is
is

MOSFET amplifier at .9 MHz. A block

1
diplexer ji used between the mixer and important in order to keep the input
diaeram of the system is shown in Fig. the "post-amp." This network serves a fillers of the WICER receiver termi-
1. number of purposes. First, the ipductor nated properly.
The original intention was to con- (LI) and capacitor (CI) driving the FET A ferrite bead is used on gate 2 of
strue! separate converters for each band. form an I. network which provides an the amplifier. This may not be necessary
sO through IG meters. However, after impedance transformation tn the gate of in some cases. However, it was included
reviewing the design requirements, this the amplifier. A 2200-ohm resistor at to lessen the possibility of uhf oscilla-
was found lo b: redundant. Diode-ring ihe gate assures a termination, causing tions occurring within the amplifier." A
1

mixers arc inherently broadband and do the mixer to see SO ohms in ihe FT-0601 ot RCA 40673 dual-
Fairchild
not requite luned circuits. Further, the 1.9-MHz frequency range. The other gate MOSFET can be used at Ql
cost-mixer amplifier would be identical part of the diplexer (C2.C3 and L2) is a
for all of the bands. Only the frurt-end high-pass filter designed cutoff
for a Front- End Sections
preselector networks and local oscilla- frequency uf 5 MHz. This filter provides Shown in Fig. 3 is ihe circuit used as
tors need be cianged between tancls. a constant i-f tci initiation foi the diode the front end for each of the lower-
The final configuration chosen was lo ring at virtually all frequencies. This input bands (3.5-3.7, 7.0-7.2 and
use a master board which contained the is importai if Ihe Ml) properties of the
1 I 14.0-14.2 MHz). Component values are
diode-ring mixer and a post -mixer ;mpli- diode-ring mixer are to be preserved. given in Tables 1 and 2.
fier. A family cf boards was thet: con- Such a mixer will create sum-and- The local oscillator for each of the
structed, each containing a suitable local diffetence frequencies from Ihe LO and converters uses a bipolar transistor and
is designed lo provide an output from
HO to +13 dRm. This level uf LO
injection was found lobe near optimum
for ihe diode-ring mixer that was used.
Fig. 2 — Schematic diagram of
tliC rnoiier mixer and amplifier circuit. Fixed-valu« capacitors The preselector filters are fairly
ji« diskceramic urless noted otherwise Resistors ate 1/2-W icmposilion. See Tables and 2 1
However,
elaborate. the results are well
for componenj values not marked. U1 is a Mini-Circuits Lab ML- 1 doubiv balanced diode
worth the extra expense and effort.
mixer.
Pretistortcd filter-synthesis methods
were used to write a computer program
for design of the band-pass filters. The
coils were wound prior to filler design.
Their unloaded Q
values wcje measured
with a laboratory Q meter, and the
results were then inserted into the pro-
gram in order to arriv; at the capacitor
values. All band-pass filters were de-
signed for a three-pole Buiterwoith re-
sponse.
One problem with multisection fil-

ters using capacitors as coupling ele-

ments between the resonators is lhat the
stopband attenuation may degrade in
the vhf spectrum. This is due to slight
amounts of lead inductance in the
tuning capacitors, and the fact thai the
capECitive-intersectiun coupling method
degenerates toward a high-pass filter

QRP Classics 41
 3 I

response away from the passband. In

Table 1
order to suppress these responses,
should they occur, a 5-pole low-pass BAND LB
L3, L4, L5, L6. L? 7Z T3
(MHz/ (TURNS-CQREt '(TURNS-CORE/ L tO, L 1 1, L 12 (TURNS-CORE)
filter is included at the antenna termi- (TURNS-CORE!
nal.
3.5 10 3.7 19, No. 22 none 35. No. 21 25. No. 24
Two methods were used for evalua- T50-2 T68-2 T50-2, 2-t. link
tion of the filter designs. Firs*, aftei 7.0 to 7.2 15. No. 22 none 20. No. 22 25. No, 24
initial of the component
calcula'ion T50-2 TG8-6 T50-2. 2-1. link
14 .o 142 12. Nu. 22 nunc 12. No- 27
values, a computer program was jsed to
T50-6 T68-6 ^O-eT'a-t. lints
determine the frequency response of the 21 lo21.2 10. No. 22 22 10. No. 22 19. No. 24
fillersover a wide range. In rhis analysis, T50-G T50-6. 2-t. link
resistors were placed in the circuit to Coil and transformer data. Toioid cotes are Amidon Assoe. powdered-iron type. Yl. Y2. Y3
and Y4 lor 3.5 through 21 MH>, respectively, are 5.5. 5.2. 12 2 and 19.2 MHz. (International
simulate the distortion effects caused by
5 Crystal Co. type GP. 30-pF load capacitance.
the losses in the cores.
After the fillers were buill and
aligned in lltf home shop, they were
checked with laboratory instrt:menta-
lion. In this case a Tektrnnix 7 LI
casually. However, the capacitors may of the induclors. Prjper results shoul-i
spectrum analyzer and TR-502 tracking be repkeed by a more complicated be obtained by reducing the coils frori
generator weie used. The measured equivalent network. The basis of this 35 lo 32 turns, keeping all capacitor
results around the passband corre- equivalent circuit is to replace a desired values the same, a 5.8-MHz crysUl
sponded very well with the computer capacitor with a series combination of would be required for tuning the ranse
simulation (which is always encouraging two capacitors with a vtlue which is from 4.0 to 3.8 MHz
to see). The s.op-band attenuation was moie than twice the original value. A
third capacitor is then placed from the Additional Design Notes
measured, with one exception, to be
over 100 dB for all three filters eval- junction of the scries capacitors lo The reader should nole thai ths
uated. The exception was for the 80- ground. This configuration is shown in tuning be "backwards" for th*
will

meter filter. Al about 70 MHz the Fig. 5 along with the equations for SO-mcter band. This was done for two
attenuation degraded to roughly 95 dB, picking ihe proper values. As an retsons. First, difficulty was encoun-
but returned to the better va.ues at example, consider the 14-MH/. filter, tered in making thi oscillator shown
frequencies up through 200 MHz. where 3.3-pF coupling capacitors are operate properly with Ihe 1. 7-MHz
One of th? reasons a Butterworth used. This single capacitor could he crystal lhat was tried. Of greater signif-
response was chosen was that th.s filter replaced with three 10-pF capacitors. icance was ihe fact that the mixer
shape is aligned easily with simple lest Those building the converter for 80 balance was not especially good at this
equipment. Alignment is pcrforned hy meters nay wish to coiex also the frequency. As a result a strong 3 .7-MI h
.

driving the filler with a 50-ohrr signal 75-meter phone band. While the filter signal would have appeared at the input
generator and terminating the output in shown could probably be realigned for a to ihe post-mixer amplifier. This could
a sensitive 50-ohni detector. The genera- range about 100 kHz higher, the shape have resulted in IMD products. Further-
tor is set at ih; center frequency of the of die filter would no doubt deteriorate more, for the 75 meler band the crystal
filter and the variable capacitors are if il were moved further. A better wculd have been at 2.0 MHz if low-sid:
adjusted for a maximum response. approach would be to change the value injiction were used This would hav;

Experimentally, was not found neces-

it

sary to readjust fillers when the

the
swept instrumentation was available. Fig. 3 -
Diagram Of lite filter and crystal oscillator uicd on 20. 40 and 80 meters. Numbered
fixed-value capacitors are silver micas. Resistors an I 1/2-W composition. See Tables 1 and 2 fo-
The convener for ihe 15-meter b-and
parts values.
was built using the circuit in Fig 4. On
this band it was felt that a better noise
figure might be useful. This was pro- TO
L3 L4 FILTER aivPt-Hl'iS
vided by inserting an rf amplifier be- H-4HM PF POUT
ANT CIS.
tween the low-pass filter and the band-
pass circuit. The low-pass circi.it was
modified. The input section is a sym-
metrical pi network with a Q of I. This
is followed by a pi network with a Q of

10 and an impedance transformation

from 50 to 2000 ohms. A 33CO-nhm
resistor is used in the drain circuit to
ensure proper termination of Ihe band-
pass filler. In Ihe unit built, the drain
was attached directly to the hot end of E»C£Pt M IKDICATI0. DECIMAL
the resonator (LI0). However, it would VALUES O* CA»AClTANCE ARF.
ih Ufi»r*BAoe<,»i ;orcinc
be liesiiablc tu icducc die gain some-
ABE II PICOFARADS t »r OB ,iiF|; TO OiCGf-OiNG
what. This woild be realized easily by BESISTA1IC11 ASE IN OMMS~, O LO PORT
lapping the drain down on the tuned t-K-OO.M.ICCQOOO
circuit. The terminating resistor should
remain across L10.
One problem lhat the builder may
encounter is in obtaining capaeUoiS for
the coupling elements between resona-
tor sections of the filler. These values
arc critical ami should not be changed

QRP Classics 42
TBble2
BAND at
fMHzt
C4. C6 C5,
C13(pFt (P F1
C20 C7
(pF>
C8
tpF>
C9, C12
CISipFI
C10
<pFI IpFJ
C13
<P FI
era
(pFI
CJ6
(pF)
C17,
(pF)
C31 C1B, C32
fpF) m
C21

3.5 to 37 790 1580 130 90 io ^00 12 10 91 100 400

7.0 10 7.2 450 890 43 90 to *00 4.7 4.7 62 100 400
14 lo 14.2 220 450 33 90 20 to 90 3.3 90 3.3 90 22 47 20 to 90
21 to 21.2 150 300. 51 20 lo90 1.2 51 1.2 51 12 47 20 to 90 20 io 90
345
Fixed-value and irimmer capacitors. Fixed-value cepaciiorsare silver-mica or siirilar high-Q, stable types. Trimmers are mi;a comoresiion
type. Sec text fcr obtaining precise nonstandard fixed -capacitance values.

placed a strong signal within the tuning to cover (he lolal band. This was done Great care should be taken when the
range of the main receiver. If it is in order to keep the insertion losses at a front-end sections arc band switched.
desirable thai all hf bands tune in the reasonable level. A slightly wider filter Shielding heiwncn switch wafers slioulrl
same direction, the builder should pick would be required for Ihe total 40-meter have over 100 dB jf isolation. Diode
high-side crystals foi all of the bands. band. switching is nut recommended unlets
The approach used for the 15-meter The converters are built on rather die builder has equipment to cvaluat:
converter in order to obtain low-noise large circuit boards. This was done in the effects on IMD.
performance could also be applied lo order to ensure a reasonable level of
Evaluation and Performance
the 10- and 6-meter bands. The image stopband rejection in the filters, and to
rejection inigi.t be a liule poor with ease corstruction. Those interested in a This project was in some ways quite
such a low i-f in the 6-niciei case., snore curnpaut fuiuuil should tonsidei frustrating, for the WiCER receiver was
Another revision that many builders the inclusion of shields between the 3000 miles away. This is the first piece
may consider would be the construction sections af the input band-pass filter and of receiving gear that the writer lias built
of a high-performance SO-meler receiver between the filter circuitry and the which could not initially be evaluated
with converters for the higher bands. corresponding oscillators. It is fun to "by ear." However, a suitable substitute
The converters described would be build miniature equipment when there is was available for laboratory evaluation.
suitable for this situation. The crystal a good need for small size. lowever, for
I
This was a Tektronix 7L5 Spectrum
frequencies wjuld change accordingly. hum-performance homc-s;ation equip- Analyzer. This instrument was extreme-
The diplexer set ween the diodt mixer ment, where considerable experimenta- ly convenient to use for litis purpose,
and the "post amp" should be redesign- tion may be required, a larger format is sirce it is synthesiied with a 250-Hi
ed. This could be done easily by halving often desirable. accuracy, and has resolution down to ID
the inductanc; and capacitance values Because ihe pc boards shown in Ihe Hz. The dynamic range is excellent.
used in the diplexer circuit. The broad- photograph are quite large, the builder The only converter evaluated fcr
band output circuit in the drair of 01 will probably elect lo lay the circuits IMD was ihe 14-MHz unit. Two-tone
should work equally well at 3.5 MHz, out for a more compact format. For this liMD measurements were performed and
The 15- and 20-meter band-pas? fillers reason there arc no pc-bnard templates it was found that the output intercept
were designed with enough bandwidth and layouts available. of the convener wa> +22 dBm. This ;s

Fifl. 4 - Diagrnrr r>fihe 15-meter from end circuit. Numbtr-sd tixed-value capacitors arc silver micas, fiosistors are 1 /2-W composition. See
Tables 1 and 2 lor other parti values.

RF AMP

QRP Classics 43
 fccdthrougli for the lour converters.
Cj* It is interesting to note thai the
dynamic range of Ihc svstcm has de-
creased from 9$ dB oil 160 meters to 87
dP on the hf bands. This decrease is ta
be expected in any mulliconversion
system. Note also thai the dynamic
range is constant on the three lower
bands. I his results because the only
Choose C >2 C,,. men C variation between bands is in the inser-
ticn loss of the preselector filters. This
difference is the same as would be
obtained by adding attenuation to the
Fig. 5 - Meihod for obi3ining filler coupl ing capaciior<> of computed values. front end of the receiver. An attenuates
will change both the MDS and the input
intercept by the same amount, leaving
the two-tone dynamic tange as a con-
more than sufficient for the application, However, the low-pass part of the di- stant of the systeri. While front-end
since it greatlv exceeds the input inter- plexer became much simper in fre- attenuators are useful accessories for the
cept of the W';CER receiver, +7.5 dBrn. quency response. This would make a receiver, they will not improve the

The gain and MDS were measured front panel trimmer control necessary. dynamic range as is sometimes implied.
for all four converters. To remove (he The 5-nieler converter performed
1
A more careful application of atten-
effect of the high noise figure of the The net gain of this unit was
differently. uation can. hr>wever, result in an im-
7L5 (19 dB;, a low-noise MDSFET 32.5 dB and the noise ligtre was about proved dynamic range. Consider the
preamp was built at 1 .9 MHz. This unit 3 dB. This is actually too much sensitiv- effect of switching in the 6-dB input

had a noise figure under 2 dB, allowing ity to be usable at tin's frequency. It is attenuator of the W1CE.R receiver, after
meaningful measurement of converter highly recommended that the builder the converters. The input intercept of

MDS. The signal generator used was an move the drain tap on the band-pass the 160-meter tunable i-f will now ir-
HP-8640B. On the three lower bands, as outlined.
filter crcase to +13.5 dBni and the noise

the resultant noise figure of the con- On the basis of the measured results figure will become 19 dB. If the net
verters was 12 dB, plus the loss of the and the published data fo- the WlfFR result is evaluated us.ng the earlier equa-
input fillers. Similarly, the gain of the receiver, the system rcsrlts may be tions, the 20-meter MDS will degrade by
converter was 12.5 dB. minus the loss of calculated. Shown in Table 3 are the only 0,7dB, but the system input
the inputfilters. It was found that the predicted system noise figure. MDS for a intercept will move up to +5 dliir,
gain and noise figures could both be 400-Hz bandwidth, input intercept and leaving a net dynamic range of 90.6 dfi.
improved by removing the 2200-ohm two-tone dynamic range for the convert- This is a dramatic demonstration of th;
resistor at the gate of Ql There was
. a ers operating into the DeMaw receiver. eftect of gain distribution upon dynami;
slight reduction in the output intercept, Also shewn are the measurements that range, especially in multieon version re-
but not enough to cause problems. were obtained Tot linage i ejection and I-f cclveis,

References
'
DcMaw, "His Eminem.- lh«? Receiver." QST,
Table 3 June anil luly. 1916
'Hay ward, "A Cumpeliiifin-Ciadc CW Hx-
BAND NFIG. MDS OR IMA7E REJ. i-F FEEDTHROUGH • ceiver," QST, March and April. 1074.

(METERS! IdE) IdBml IdBml IdB) IdB/ idBf * Hay ward, "Denning and Measuring Recchcr
Dynamic Ranee. QST, July |97S.
80 14.3 -133.2 -2.5 87.1 -90 -110 'Roberta "Low-Noise 29 MH/ Preamplifier
40 16.3 -131.7 -1.0 S7.1 -110 -94 f\H Satellite Reception." Hi'i lladio, Oet-i
20 16.3 -131 .7 -1.0 87.1 -95 -112
15 3.1 -145 -250 80.0 -100 not measured 'Hayward, "Randpass Fillers Tor Receiver
heselectofs." Ham Radio. Feb.. 1975

QRP Classics 44
From June J987 QST, p 30:

Build Your
Own MCM ICs
MCMs (mini circuit modules)
are fun to lay out and build.
With a few IC headers and
some patience, you can
develop miniature
subassemblies that may be :

used many times.

By Doug DeMaw, W1FB
ARRL Contributing Editor
PO Box 250
Luther. Ml 49656

Have
own
you considered building your
The idea is not as
ICs?
16-pin
ability
DIP
header.' This amplifier has the
providing 40 cB of gain,
of
from a given brand ard type number are
liihly wellmatched.
ridiculous as it may seem! We depending on the electrical characteristics Z2 of Fig 2A may be used as a mixer,
must accept the lad that none of us are of the transistors used. Such an amplifier balanced modulator o: product detector.
equipped io construe! classic monolithic is suitable for driving a pair of headphones, No internal changes are needed, but the
ICs. wherein ihe circuit elements are serving as a mic amplifier or for use ahead exterior circuitry will differ somewhat,
developed on a common piece of silicon of an audio power IC, such as an LM386, depending upon the application. TI and T2
(substrate). Bui, ii is noi mandatory ihnt Fig IB shows how ihc pans arc assembled •ne iiiiniuiuic broadband transformers. I
circuits to be integrated arc formed in that on the header. The heavy outline around used iwo small fcrritc balun cores for Tl
manner. With a reasonable amount of the circuit of Fig 1A indicates which and T2, bui tiny S50 }l| toroid cores allow
imagination and lime, it is possible to place components are on the hcaJcr. CJ, for construction of .1 more compact MCM.
your favorite small circuit on a liny blank example, is external to the MCM. !i is essential 10 connect the Tl and T2
DIP header. For lack of a better acronym, windings as shown. The black dots indicate
let's call these assemblies MCMs (for "mini
Doubly Balanced Mixer MCM Ihe polarity of the windings. Local-
circuit modules"). Diode-iing DBMs are available as oscillator injection for this type of miser
You may wonder whai the purpose of commercial units tn DIP IC packages. is approximately f 7 tIBm for best IMD
such an exercise might be. First, we are Mini-Circuits has some nice urits that come performance. Conversion gain (actually a
forced lo develop a compact circuit layout, in sealedmetal packages for direct insertion loss) is on the order of - 8 dB for a DBM.
owing to the restricted number of into IC sockets. These modules are expen- At frequencies greater than 40 meters, if
IC-header pins available, plus the small sive when Durchased in single-lot quantities. the DBM used as a receiver mixer or
is
rectangular area of the header. I find that If one buys 10 or more units, the price direct-conversion (D-C) receiver product
the circuits I have placed on IC hsaders becomes more equitable, bet few of us dettctor, ii is wise to u>e an RF amplifier
would typically occupy three linws the want a drawer filled with DBMs that mav between ihe antenna and the DBM. If not.
space on an ordinary PC board. In other never be used! So, the MCM
approach the receiver noise figure will be too high for
words, when there is room to spare. I seem becomes worth considering for most of our weak-signal reception. In fact, an RF
to use it! Miniaturization is beneficial when amateur reeds. amplifier would be an asset even at 7 MHz,
we wish to build compact gear for portable Fig 2A Shows the circuit ofa DBM. The An ideal DBM
would be enclosed in a
use. especially for QRP applications. diodes should be matched rs closely as rttelal case to minimize stray signal pickup.
Another advantage realized from MCMs possible to ensure proper circuit balance. However, ihcre should be no problems with
is that they car be used many times in Diode matching may be done by means of unnamed pickup of RF energy when using
numerous projects. The same circuits, if a VOM. Sort ihroueh your IN914 nr the MCM of Fig 2. provided ordinary PC-
built on PC boards, would require similar small-signal silicon switching diodes boa-d layout is employed. In other words,
complete stripping of the components in and select "our that have the same forward- don't place the DBM
Clcse to an unshielded
order to transplant them on a new PC resistance -eading (typically between 7 and oscillator or amentia lead.
board. The MCMs can simply be removed 12 ohms). Hot-carrier diod:s are even
from IC sockets and plugged into a socket better for use in a DBM, and nost of them Crystal-Oscillator MCM
on some other PC board. This technique 'IC hsaders (sometimes called DIP adaptor plugs) A simple crystal oscillator is presented
should appeal especially to the are available from many surplus electronics in Fig 3A. You may prefer to exclude the
rx peri men or nr rhr Frugal amateUl.
I
pans dealers, including Mouser Electronics, crystal, Yl, from the MCM. This will moke
11433 Wcodside Ave, Santee, CA 92071, and
ALL Etec:rontcs Corp, 905 S /ermonl Ave. the module more universal in applieaiion.
Some Common Circuits as MCMs Box 20405. Los Angeles. CA 93006. 1 included the crystal lor ihe purpose of
Fig I shows a compound, direct -coupled For updatec Supplier addresses, see demonstrating the practicality of having Yl
ARRL Pans
audio amplifier that iias been built on a Suppliers List in Chapter ?. mounted on the IC header. An HC-18/U

QRP Classics 45
Fig 1— Schematic diagram ol a 'wo-slage audio amplilier lhat can provide up lo 40 dB of gain. The drawing al B shows the component
layout (or ihe audio MCM.

Fig 2— Circuit for a doubly balanced mixer, balancefl modulator or prodict detector. Matched diodes are necessary for best DBM
balance. Hct-carrier diodes are recommended (or this circuit, but matched 1N914& are suitable. T1 and T2 in my MCM consist of four
trifilar turns ot no. 30 enameled wire through an Amclon balun core no. BN-43-2402. An FT-23-43 territe loroid core may be substituted
(smaller) by winding 7 trifilar tuns ot no. 30 enameled wire on each coro.

crystal holder is necessary (SfflEll) in Order inductance (25 pU for 8 MHz) in series with
-
oscillator pulling. VXOs, on the other
to find room for ii on the hecder. If ihc a 75- or 100-pF variable capacitor from pin hand, may be prone lo pulling effects from
crystal will be used outboarc from the 1 to ground. Connect the capacitor rotor load changes, and a buffer is useful in that
MCM, you may connect it to pins 1 and to gtewnd. This arrangement will provide case. VFOs are affected significantly by
16 (Fig 3B). approximately 6-10 kHz of frequency load changes. Therefore, it is wise to
The oscillator of Fig 3A is easy to work change. include a buffer cr buffer /amplifier after
with. External capacitor C2 is used to C3 and LI arc outboard from the MCM. a VFO.
control the feedback. It functions in con- I his tuned circuit is resonant at the crystal Output coupling from the oscillator
nection with the transistor internal frequency. L2 is a small link for coupling should he as light as possible to minimize
capacitance (CO to form a feedback the circuit to low-impedance loads. For pulling. Light coupling (C-* of Fig 5A)
network. C2 snould have a capacitive most applications, C3 may be a small causes reduced power output front the
reactance cf roughly 200 ohms for most trimmer. VFO. As a result of this condition, it is

small-signal transistors. This equates to advisable to amplify the VFO output

100 pF for operat ion at S MHz. If you wish
Oscillator frrfferMmpHfler MCM energy to compensate for the power loss.
to convert this circuit to a VXO, you need It seldom necessary to use buffering
is Fig 4A shows a suitable buffer/amplifier
only to separate pins and 2 (remove
I after a crystal oscillator, since changes in circuit that will IV. on a 16-pin 1C header.
juniper) of the header and place a small load (reactance changes) seldom cause Ql is purely a buffer, and has a gain cf 0.9

QRP Classics 46
 Z'.

6 HE IN OHMS. BOIIOt
» 3 1000. Ms 1003 030 V(EW

Fig 3 — Example (A) or a crystal oscillalor thai can be bull on an IC header. The heavy black line indicates ihe MCM boundary. All olher
pans are externil to (He MCM. Li is a 5.5-mH inductor (33 turns of no. 28 enameled wire on an Amidon T50-2 core). L2 consists ol 6
turns ol no. 28 wire. The MCM
layoil is given at B.

typically. This is par for a source follower. bandwidn of Ihe pi network. This mav be RFC1. Ihe addition of R5 will also aid
It helps to isolate the VFO from Q2 and helpful wiien the VFO coversa fairly wide stability in stubborn cases.
[he circuits that follow Q2. Amplifier Q2 frequcne) range.
builds up the VFO energy to a level that RFC2 of Fig 4A is ehostn to yield a ColpitisVFO MCM
is suitable for nost circuits with which a broad frequency-response peak at the VFO The VFO of Fig SA uses electronic
VFO used.
is operating frequency. You may assume luning. VVC (voltage variable capacitor)
External to Z4 of Fig 4A is a pi network approximately 10 pF of stray parallel circuit diodes arc specified for Dl and D2. This
thai serves as a matc hing circuit between capacitance for RFC2. Thus, for 40-meter eliminates the need to locate expensive and
of Q2 and a 50-ohm loaJ. Tim
ihe collector operation we will requirr a inductor scaic* miniature variable capacitors for
network also serves as a harmonic filler. for RFC2. Should Q2 become unstable, liming VFOs. It is proper to state that long-
R5 may be added to increase the loaded place a 1-kilohm resistor in parallel with lern VFO drift may be increased through

ORP Classics 47
ike use of tuning diodes, as opposed 10 air
variable capacitors. This is because two
addiiional semiconductor junctions have A*7.0-7!MHi
been introduced to the oscillator circuit:
Junction capacisancc changes with KCG
temperature. Normally, the small degrada-
tion in frequency stability is acceptable for
amateur work. Tuning is. done ty means
of a panel-mounted poiefltiome'.cr (R3).
Smooth tuning wilt result if a Id-turn
0 bp our to
9 VFO BUFFfH
Hclipot'" and dial are used, or if a standard IT MHcl
potentiometer is used with a vcrncr drive.
The values for R2 and R4 are chosen for
the frequency coverage desired, and this
will depend upon the type of VVC diodes
used rur Dl and D2; VVC diodes come In
many capacitance ranges. I have suggested
for this circu:t a pair of diodes that will
provide a fairly linear capacitance swing of
10 to 30 pF.
Outboard components C5, Cf and 1.1
are chosen for the VFO opera:ing fre-
quency. NPO capacitors are recommended
for best overal frequency stability CI, C2
and C3, internal to the MCM, are also NPO E.CffI AS iiOICAt ED. DECIMAL A=IO-30pF
ceramic capacitors: the smaller 50-V types VALUES OF CAP*CITANCF APC
in r/icroFAfttDS < „F |; OTHERS
arc preferred in the interest of fitting them ACE 'II FirOFAnADS I |)F I.
RESIST.UCF.S ARE itJ GHMS;
on the IC header. ' - l»J M-IOWC0O.
Ql of Fig ?A may be any high-trans-
comduclance JFET. such as a 2M4U6. A
dual-gate MOSFET may be substituted by
tying gates I and 2 together and treating Fig 5 — Schematic diagram o! a Colpitis
the device like a JFET. VFO lor MCM. Di and D2 ate
use as an
Place a shield compartment around the tuning (Motorola MVJ09 or
dodos
VFO MCM site on the main PC board of equivalent). Li has 26 turns ol no. 24

a receiver or transmitter. This will help enam wfe on an Amidon TSM5 (yellow)

prevent stray *Fenergy from entering ihe

lorold core. No. 6 core mate'ial offers the
best stability. R2 and R4 are chosen tor
VFO circuit and causing frequmcy in- the tuning range desired. R2 is a linear*
stability. The small shield compartment lopcr ccrbon composition control (Allen-
may be fashioned from PC-board sect ions Bradley high-reliability type recommended).
or from flashing copper. C6. (or best stability, should be an NPO TOP VIEW
ceramic trimmer.
MCM Practical Considerations

Miniature equipment is not easy to huild,

and MCMs certainly fit this description.
You need patience during the assembly
will
procedure, but vow skill and speed" orcou-
slruction will increase with practice. all of the jumper wires on the header (as sulating the components and header top
Plug ihe IC header into an IC socket indicated by ihe pictorial drawings). Try to side in casting resin. This will eliminate the
be/ore commencing the MCM
aisembly. use light-j;augc wire, preferably with insu- possibility of replacing defective com-
This will prevent the pins of the header lation. The small wire from tnulticonductor ponents later on, bui it will keep dirt ar.d

from becoming bent or broken. I use an IC telephone cable is exceDent for this from entering the circuits. use
rroisture I

socket that hai its pins mashed flat against purpose. Bare wire may be ised, provided epoxy cement for this purpo>e
qiick-setting
the bottom of the socket. This allows the there arc no crossover jumpers on the when want to seal and anchor the
I

socket to lie tlat on the bench during header. components on some of my IC headers.
assembly. A "third hand" typeof soldering The general assembly procedure calls for It is to your advantage to look for
fixture is useful for keeping the header and installing the components of the MCM in immature component in the surplus cata-
IC socket in a fixed position while you layers. Some stacking will be necessary, logs and at flea markets. Large, old-style
work on it. A small bench or drill-press vise depending upon the complexity of the parts do not lend themselves well to MCV1
may be used as a holding fixtur: if you circuit. After the jumper Wiles are in place, construction. Fortunately, the present elec-
don't have a third-hand device. mount the resistors. If you can find some tronics technology provides a substantial
A maptfying glass almost mandatory
is 1/8-W resistors, use them. This will fallout of surplus mini components, ard
when building MCMs. It will allow you to minimize crowding on the header. used I these are ideal for building MCMs.
check frequently for unwanted solder W-W resistors for the examples shown
bridges, poor joints and shorting leads on photographically in this article, as I have A Marriage of MCMs
the header. Tc this end. a pencil soldering no 1/8-W units in slock. Four of the MCMs in this article may be
iron with a Fin: tip and low wattage rating Next in the assembly comes the used in concert to provide a simple D-C
(25-30 W) will help to minimize mdting the capacitors, followed by the transistors and, receiver. Fig 6 contains a block diagram of
IC-header plastic and the formation of finally, the largest components. add the I such an arrangement. The example suggests
unwanted solder bridges between the RF chokes, toroidal coils ard crystals last. a circuit for 40-metet use. In this; case. 22
header terminals. You may protect the tested, completed serves as a doubly balanced produ:t
The first stcn in construction is to place MCMs by developing a muld and encap- detector. The output is at audio frequency

QRP Classics 48
 AUDIO AMP NSERT AUC10
FILTER HERE
Zl
'
(IF USED)

ANTQ
l&OJl)

tx.CEPf«5 INDICATED. DECIMAL

*AU»eS OF CAPACITANCE ABE
U MICROFARADS I «F );CTH£flS
»t1E111 PiflOfAflAOS ( dF
E
HE5IS;ANC*E aie i'i OHVS.
i - 1LWJ. M: Wl MH)

VFO BUFFER /AH F

VBFO

<1 +WV

MAIN
runne

Fig 6—Suggesisd hookup for using tour of ihe MCMs in this anicle In a 40-meter 0-C receiver. See text for detailed Informalion.

ratBier than an IF, as would be ihe

at and the input of 22. This would greatly design, it would be a simple matter to
filiation if Z2 were used
as a mixer. Zl improve Che receiver noise figure, and it develop a small supcrhet receiver. You will
operates as an audio preamplifier 10 drive should enhance weak-signal reception. A nesd to build an IF-ampIifier and MCM
an LM386 audio chip (or equivalent IC). preamp may be built on an 1C header to another one for the BFO.
Headphones may be connected to the conform to the general formal of the
output of Zl. but only strong signals will receiver. Summary Comments
produce ample volume without Ul being CW reception will be greatly improved The intent of t his anicle is to inspire you
added. D-C receivers require 80-100 dB of (better selectivityand reduced wide-band to try this method of ininiamrizaiion. I ant
audio gain to permit weak-signal copy. noise) by the addition ol an LC passive or told frequently that hem radio is supposed
Z5 of Fig 6 is the VFO MCM, but when RC active audio filler at he point marked
I to be fun. Designing and building MCM;
used in a D-C receiver it opcracs as a with an X at pin 9 of Zl. Suitable circuits has been fun for me, and they offer some
VBFO (variable beat frequency oscllacor). may be found in the ARRL Handbook for practical advantages over conventional
C5 and C6 arc used to set the operating the Radio Amateur'and Sofid Slate Design PC-board construction. You should be able
range of the oscillator. R3 is the main by the ARRL. Reception cf SSB signal-, to develop a bank of MCMs for various
tuning control for the receiver. will be satisfactory without filter, bin ihe applications. This can lasted assembly time
34 of Fig 6 amplifies the VBFO energy addition o-f a low-pass audio filter at X will foi many experimental circuits. MCMs are.
to an acceptable level for injection at pin improve the receiver selectivity for SSB of course, excellent units for use in a
9 of 21. Fill provides an impedance match reception. permanent circuil as wdL Who knows, you
and offers some filtering of the Z4outpilt An extremely compact receiver can be may be the first ham in your area to create
energy. A10-2('dB RF preamplifier would built by using the arrangement shown in thai elusive wrist radio of comic-book
be a welcome addition between the antenna Fig 6. With a Tew more MCMs of your fame!

QRP Classics 49
From Apri\ 1985 QST, p 42:

A Converter for
the 24-MHz
WARC Band
Here's your chance to listen to
a new band and enjoy an
interesting construction project.

By Doug DeMaw." VM1FB

you've wondered what is inherent noise of the receiver with which it frequency limit versus gain) of a transistor
Perhaps mean that the con- must be correct, also. If not, the stage will
happening on the 24-MHz band is uied. This docs not
vener must have an RF amplifier for all the not provide ample gain. like to use a
but you can't listen to the frequency
I

because ycur rig doesn't include WARC- amateur bands, but for 20 meters and higher device that has an fr of at least 10 limes

band coverage. This convener is easy to it is wise to include one.

Many converters the operating frequency. For example, if

assemble and get operating, and it's for 40, 80 and 160 meters need only a mixer 1 wanted to build a convener for 14 MHz,
inexpensiv?. at the input stage, sine: atmospheric and the RF amplifier transistor ft would be
Few RF circuits are laid out casually. man-made noise on those bands is usually 140 MHz or greater. Also, the noise figure
Knowing row to approach the general de- greater than is the rcce.ver noise. isdetermined by tne input -matching circuit
signand assembly will be helpful in the years Selectivity means thai a tuned circuit or and the specific biasing of the amplifier.
ahead when you build other RF projects. circuits with good Q (quality factor) should So. you must tale many things into ac-
be used between the antenna and ihe first count when designing an RF amplifier.
General Design Objectives converter stage. This helps io discriminate The dynamic range figure indicates the
"What do 1 want this convener against strong out-of-band signals. Some ability of the RF amplifier and mixer to
First, ask
todo?" Obviously, it needs io cover the poo: designs contain no timed rirmit ahead handle large signals without nenerating
band of interest —
a foregone conclusion. of the mixer, and that's an invitation to IMD (inlcrrnodulation distortion), or zoing
But what of the other, sometimes subtle, trouble! into gain compression (lowered gain). The
To minimize spurious responses, you system immunity to [his is determined by
considerations? Let's draft thecriteria. The
converter should: should ensure that no siage in a converter, the type of device used in the "RF amplifier
1) exhibit an overall gain of unity, or other Ihan the local oscillator (LO), is and mixer stages. Operating conditions
slightly belter. It should not create signal oscillating. The culprit in some home- based on dc voltages also play an inpor-
loss. constructed converters and receivers is the lant role in dynamic range. The approach

2) provide sufficient front-end selectivity

RF amplifier. Somctirrca there is no out- you must lake is anything but casual in this
to reject unwanted out-of-band signals. ward indication of self oscillation, and yet general area. There is a wealth of in-
ihe unstable stage is generating a signal of fontiaiion on ail five items on the list in the
3) be f'ee of spurious responses and
parasitic oscillations. its cwn. These random oscillations appear League's book, Solid Slate Design for the
4) have a low noise figure (NF), permit- in the receiver output as unsteady or rough- Radio Amateur,
ting weak-signal reception. sounding Under cer-
carriers, or "birdies."
tain conditions, we may even find a mixer
What about Mixers?
have a dynamic range (ability to cope
5)
with strong in-band and out-of-band thai is self-oscillating. Similarly, an There are so many pros and cons about
reasonable io ideal. oscillator may generate output on more tnixei choice and operation that you could
signals) that is

At this point, you may be asking, "What than the desired frequency — especially if soon be wading in a sea of confusion if we
does all of this really mean?" Well, let's loomuch feedback uied. Other spurious
is discussed this subject in depth. The bottom
responses can result from excessive har- line is to use a strong mixer; one that won't
examine the list, item by item.
possible to design a converter that ex- monic output from the convener LO. collapse when strong signals enter it. Diode-
It is
can degrade the
signal toss. This The transistor selected must be capable ring mixers {four diodes in a quad anange-
hibits a
(S/N) of the overall of providing an acceptable noise figure for mcnt) are among ihe better choices, but they
signal -to-roise ratio
receiving jystem. A poor S/N ratio places our chosen operating frequency. This can require more LO output power than is
the weak signals in the internal noise of the be determined by looking at the manufac- needed for a transistor or an IC mixer. Abu,
receiving system. This is similar, in effect, turer's data sheets for small-signal tran- diodes operate as passive devicci (no
to having a normal signal beccme buried in sistors that are earmarked for RF amplifier operating voltage is required), which results
atmospheric or man-made noise (QRN). service. Let's be thankful that ihe NF re- in a signal loss in the mixer. This is known

Therefore, the convener musi have ample quirements for 160 thraugh 10 meters are as conversion /ois. With a diode-ring mixer,

gain and a low-enough NF to override the not as stringent as they are at VHF and the loss can be as great as 8 dB. The RF
UHF! You can manage quite nicely wilh amplifier ahead cf this mixer needs to have
a maximum NF of, say, 5 dB in the HF a gain of at least 10 dB to ensure a lo» noise
spectrum. There arc many transistors that figure. ICs such as the MC1596G and
•ARAL Corlrlbuting Editor, P.O. Box 250.
Luther. W meet ihis criterion. The fT (upper- CA3028A offer good performan.-e as

QRP Classics 50
 In an performance for
effort to trade Itljh
simplicity, have choser a design that uses
I

only three transistors. Ql is a grounded-gate

(common gate) JFET RF amplifier. If the
gate lead iskept very shen when grounding
it, the stage should he unconditionally
stable. A
good RF amplifier should not
osciLaie when the load is disconnected from
Jl. The stage gain is on the order of 10-12
dB. The same transistor, if used in a
grounded -source hookup (input signal to the
gate), can yield up to 20 dB of gain, but will
be more difficult to tame.
A
-JO-meter trap (LI and CI) help pre-
ARC-CONVEKTER vent JO-meter signals from riding through
the converter: The 40-incter band is usee*
as unable IF for this converter. Tl of-
tlie I

fers reasonable front-end selectivity. The

Fig.1 —
The assenbled converter. Shielded Amidon Associates L43 and L57 trans-former source of Ql is tapped near the ground end
assemblies are used (or the tuned cfrcuils.
of the main transformer winding to pro-
vide an approximate 1:1 match between the
50-o.im antenna and 200-Q source im-
mixers. They do not require high LO power. 1 suggest further study in the various ARRI,
textbooks.
pedance of Ql. The source impedance of
Another mixer requirement is lhat ample
L(J injection pover or voltage be applied.
Ql ii determined bv
Too little LO power 10 a mixer results in
reduced gain and degraded dynamic range.
A Practical Converter

Fig. I
You Can Build
shows an assembled version of the z = m
AIL of you won't grasp these fundamen- circuit in Fig. 2. As shown, ie is set up for
tals instantly. But you should have operation in the 24-MHz band. PC boards
knowledge of the pertinent terms and a and complete parts kits lor this converter
rough notion of what the terms relate to. arc available.' •Notes appear at end ot article.

I4.V40 *"i

-ig. 2 — Schematic diagram ot the 24-MHz re* ing converter Fixed-value capacitors are disc- nic. unless olhorwiso noted. Resistors arc
--or Vi-W carbon-compositlon.
G1G7. Incl. — Silver-mica, polystyrene or NPO Ql - Motorola MPF102 JFET or equiv. VHF no. 26 snam. wire on an Amidon Assoc,
ceramic capacitois. lype. LS7-6 transformer bobbin Secondary Has
CB — Optional 60-pF trimmer (see text). Q2 — RCA «673 dual-gale mosfet or n three turns of no. 26 enam. wlro. Sea inset
Jl. J2 — Phono iac«. single-hole mount. 3N211. drawing lor pin locations lor Li, L2, 13, Tl
LI — 5-*iH mom.) COH. Uso 26 turns ot no. 30 Q3 —
2N2222 or 2N2222A NPN transistor or and T2.
enam. wire on an Amidon Assoc. L43-6 equiv. Yi —
Fundamental crystal m
HC-6/U holder.
transformer bobbn. T1 —
0.75-nH (nom.| secondary winding. Use 20-pF load capacitance, hternatlonal Crystal
L2 — 0.75 pM (nom.l coil. Use 10 turns of nine turns of no. 26 enarri. wire an an MIc. Co. type GP or oqui/.
no. 26 enam. wire on an L43-6 translorner Amidon Assoc. L57-6 transformer bobbin. AmitJon Associates, 12033 Otsego St., North
bobbin. Tap
at two turns above the ground end. Hollywood. CA 91607. lei 213-760-4423.
L3 — 11 pH (nnmjroil Use 1? turns ot Primary Ix n onr.-r.im winding o«er the International Crystal Wtn Co Inn in Nnrth . .

no. 26 enam. wire on an L43>6 translorner secondary. Lea Oklahoma City. OK T3102. tel.
bobbin. T2 —
5-H H (nom.) primary. Use 22 urns Ot 405-236-3741.

ORP Classics 51
where g m & the liauscuiiduciaiivC hi
Siemens (formerly called mhcs) of the
transistor u;ed.
Our mixer is a dual-gale MOSFET. This
transistor simple to use ;iiid offers
is

average performance as a mixer in terms

of dynamic range. A mned transformer.
T2, is used n the mixer output 10 provide
an impedance match between the drain 01
Q2 and the 50-ohm receiver input. The
5.6-kfl load resistor across T2 sets the im-
pedance value of the drain circuit, and pro-
vides a relatively broad response across
100 kHz of the 40-meier IF. The resistor
lowers the uned- circuit Q.
03. a bipolar transistor, is the oscillator.
Yl is a fundamental crystal. The load
capacitance (or the crystal is approximately
20 pF. C8 is an optional trimmer capacitor Fig. 3 — Parts-placement guide lor the converter, as seen from the component side d the
rhatyou may add to shift the crystal fre- sward. The shaded urea represents an X-ray view ot the copper pattern.
quency in order to make the re:civer dial
match the re:eived frequency. If the crystal
IS slightly off frequency, CS may be needed.
If the parallel arrangement for CS is not hoard, iry to follow closely the partem pro- 24.890 to 24.990 MHz. Therefore, /ou
satisfactory, move C8 so it is between the vided in this article. Double-sided board will be listening to 24.890 VI Hz when
lower end of Yl and ground, in ;eries with material is rccommcndec for the circuit, your receiver is tuned to 7,0 MHz, ind
Yl The parallel arrangement will lower the
.
hut yau may use single-sided material. 24.990 MHz
will be at 7.1 on your MHz
Y'l frequency, while the series hookup will Makccertain that all solder joints are good receiver dial.

raise the Yl frequency. ones. Component leads should be kept as a good idea to enclose any converter
It is

The RF injection voltage on the mixer short as possible. in a shielded box. This prevents stray
(gate 2) should not exceed 6-V P-P (2. 12-V pickup of unwanted signals by the circuit
RMS). A SCupC or an RT probe and Tune-up and Operation board and various components, This is
voltmeter an be used to check the Q2 in- The convener is capable of approximate- especially important in order to keep

jection voltage. If it is too low, increase the ly20 ill of gain when each tuned circuit 40-meter signals oil of the main station
value of C7 Similarly, decrease the value is pezked for a single frequency on 40 receiver during 24-MHz reception. Also,
metcn. However, it is better to stagger-time try to find a 40-meter signal that is leaking
of C7 if the injection voltage it too high.
A value of 4- to 6-V P-P is best for a dual- Tl, 12 and T2 for 7.010. 7.050 and through the converter somewhere r.ear
gate MOSFET
mixer. Injection voltages 7.075 MHz, respectively.Peak each circuii 7050 kHz. Then adjust the trap, LI /CI, for
greater than 6 can destroy the mixer at thes-pecified frequency. This will lower minimum strength of the unwanted
iransistor. the effective converter gain somewhat while •40-mctcr signal.
providing a more level gain response across Good luck, and iec you sometime soon
Construction Notes the ICO-kHz tuning ranged L3 is tuned for on 24.890 MHz!
A pam-p acorn em' layoui, seen from the maximum output at 17.890 MHz. To en-
component side of the board, is given in sure rapid starting of Q3, it may be Notes

Fig. 3. A scale etching tempiai; is shown ncccs.-ary to tune L3 slightly off resonance Circuit Board Speclalim. P.O. Hox 969, Pueblo, CO
R1002. id. 30J.542-j0.33.
in Fig. 4. to the high side of 17.&S0 MHz. 'Excessive convener s&n can degrade ihc dynamic
If you decide to make your cwn circuit The 24-MHz amateur band extends from tjticc of ihe receiver i
as (he liable IP.
.'.
m
Fcr updated supplier addresses, soo AflRL Parts
Supplier List in Chap er 2.

( 25.4 mm )

Rg, 4 — Circuit-board
etching pattern tor the
2*MHz convener. Tho
pattern is shown lull-size
from the toll side of tho
beard- Slack areas repre-
sent unetched copper
lo I. Double-sided PC
beard Is recommended
(see text*.

QRP Classics 52
 1

From February 7989 QST, p 43:

CONVERTER
ANOTHER ONE-MOSFET l> S OR 24 5
CONVERTER
Almost fifteen years ago. QST published
a 10- and 15-meter converter that used a
40673 dual-gate MOSFET as miier and
crystal oscillator—a convener stage (see Fig
6)." Despite tlx article's rcpon mat the RF »<»UT ) U
circuit oscillated reliably with ten different
131 » ZS MHll
J
IF
OUTPUT
ICO I
crystals, 1 recall having heard that some US MHf I

builders had trouble getting the circuit to

work.
mrti'i *n ir.in. Aim tKznui
A variation the singlc-MOSFET
on VM.UGS Of CAP*CHW(;i Ml',
! Mtcmr*n*i)'; ,.r l oinrnn
converter appears in the December 1987 i

in riroFan*rr. ( i-r
i

issue of the Japanese magazine CQ Ham i irsisuuices flne in oMvn.

Radio. The Japanese confieuratior differs

from McCoy's QST circuit in that a parallel
+ 12 V
mned circuit (resonant at the crystal
rrequency) between the MOSFET drain
and the output tuned circuit (resonant at Fig —
6 This one-iransistor converter slage (RF arnplitier not shown) appeared in March
:hc IF) is used to keep the drain impedance 1974 OSr. 01 acts as a Pierce oscillator and mixer. The 10-11 drain resistor may have
high at the crystal frequency. With
been included to suppress VHF parasitic oscillations in 01.
sufficient separation, between the crystal
and intermediEte frequencies, thii drain
trap should not
unduly attenuate the
converter's IF output. Fig 7 shows the
circuit, along with component values for
:he working model I built in the ARRL
Lab.
The values shown n Fig 7 have n:>t been
i

optimized; the tuned-circuit reactance

values, in particilar, were pulled out of linn
air with the intent of constructing a
working model quickly. The first crystal I
found in my "junk box" was a 4-MHz
microprocessor-clock unit; chose Ihe I

converter input and output frequences (14

and 10 MHz. respectively) becamn they
"work" with a 4-MHz LO.
[
E'CEPI
;
or
i
I'lLICUfU UECttH)
c^n/.ciii'.NCC
.
| ,S |.
aks
OIMtiE

Ves, it works. Dynamic range? 1 have no

idea. Sensitivity? You've got me, although
disconnecting my indoor antenna from the
converter made most of the received Fig 7—
A one-MOSFET converter based on a Ham Radio design. The principal CO
background (not line) noise disappear (the din"erenc2 between this clrcut and that shown in Fig 6 is the drain trap (L1 and the B2-pF
"low tech" sensitivity test!). Image capacitor). Solenoidal slug-tined inductors and transformers were used only because they
rejection? Not so hot; but ihis simple were hardy; tneir toroidal equivalents snouta worn as well or belter. See text.
prototype has only one tuned circuit J1, —coaxial FlF connectors.
J2 Reactance of sacondary: approximately
between Ihe antenna and gate 1 of the Lt — 14.8- (o 31-fiH slug-tuned coil (Milter 314 a1 14 MHz.
MOSFET, after all. 4407) set to approximately 19.3 f.H. T2-4.7- to 6.8-,.H sluc-tuned coil {Miller
How does the CQ
Ham Radio circuit Reactarce: approximately 435 n at 4407) set to approximately 5.9 fiH;
4 MHz. secondary: tour turns of enameled wire
compare with McCoy's? Well, my Fig 7
T 1—2.7- to 4.2-;iH slug-tuned coil (Miller over cold end of primary. Reactance of
prototype doesn't oscillate if the 4-MHz
4307) set lo approximately c.9 pH; secondary: approximately 370 fl at
drain trap (LI and the 82-dF capacitor) is primary: Ihrco tutno of no. 26 onamclcd 13 MHz.
shorted; shorting the drain trap of :hc CQ wire over cold end of secondary.
Ham Radio circuit approximates McCoy's
hookup. (I suspect (hat the impedance of MOSFET, however, my prototype does not oscillated cleanly. In my opinion, this
T2'5 resonant secondary is too low at oscillate with its drain trap shorted. merely means more fun for the
4 MHz to allow Q to "takeoff" without
I Message: The drain trap is important (CQ ! experimenter! (I also point out that we're
the drain trap. At some combinations of Ham Ra'Iio carried one version of this perhaps being a bit unkind to the MOSFET
intermediate and LO frequencies, this may convertei in which the gate-2-to-ground in this circuit: Amplitude
limiting-
not be a problem. Crystal characteristics resistor was 10 kfl instead of 100 kO; in thai essential in any uscitator that doca QOl
undoubtedly pay a part.) The McCoy circuit, VI was a 41-MHz crystal, and a destroy its active device's]—obviously
circuit uses positive bias on gate 2 of the 5-pF feedback capacitor was connected occurs somewhere in the circuit, but not by
MOSFET, and <eeps gate and the source I from gate 2 of Ql to ground.) dciign! [Unlike the cathode-grid diode ir
at the same dc potential. The Japanese It pay.' to make LI, or its resonating a vacuum-tube oscillator, a MOSFET'.1
circuit returns both gates to ground; in capacitor, variable. In my prototype, the gate-source insulator can't conduct without
conjunction wftta the voliage drop across crystal oscillatedon several frequencies ai instantly destroying the device. Perhaps
the 270-Q source resistor, this biases both once and generated broadband hash unless drsin saturation is the amplitude limiter in
gates negatively relative to the source. Even the drain trap was tuned just so. But it was McCoy reponed that (he highest
Cbil case.]
with positive bus applied to gate 2 of the possible to find an L setting at which Q I RF voltage measured on gate in his circuit
1

QRP Classics 53
was -I — wall within the ratings of the 40673.
I did not measure the gale voltage in the
1

CQ Ham Radio circuit.)

Might this singlc-MOSFET converter
work with overtone crystals? I dunno; you
experiment, and tellit! How about
us about
configuring Ql an LC, instead of a
as
crystal, oscillator? Great id:a! Let me
know your results.
The circuit does what I wanted; It
works— it "makes noise"— and it's
interesting to fiddle wilh. Maybe you can
a good use for it. You might even have
find
some fun along the way!
—David Newkirk, AK7M, ARRL Staff

*L. McCoy. "Irru,._

Performance on 15 and :

1974, pp 26-27.

QRP Classics
From May 1989 GST. p 25:

A Four-Stage 75-Meter
SSB Superhet
Getting "the most for the least*'
is a typical ham radio objective

for those who build circuits. This

simple SSB superhet receiver is
the product of such an effort.

By Doug DeMaw, W1FB

ARRL Coniribuing Editor
PO Box 250
Lulher. Ml 49655

M ust
be for
everything
CW
operation?"
have been asked this question
many times. Perhaps my preference for
CW work influenced my thinking when
you design
I

I
L5 in order to cover 3.5 to 3.7 MHz.
Although Ql could be made to work as
changing the BFO frequency (Y2>. This
two-band scheme with a 5-MHz VhO is an
•at down to design a new piece of gear. The both a mixer and oscillator, 1 chose to old one!
circuit in this article is my "apology" for isolate the oscillator from (he mixer. In effect, the circuit in Fig 1 is a fixed-
overlooking the vcice operators who like Harmonic currents also inject the mixer tuned direct-conversion receiver (02 and
10 build homemade warn lo
receivers. I when both circuits share a common U I ) with a tunable converter (Q and Q3 ) I

stress that this four-stage receiver

does not transistor substrate. This causes all manner ahead Df it. There are no IF amplifiers, and
belong in the high-performance class. of spurious responses, and oscillator hence no AGC. Gain from an IF amplifier
However, it is sensitive and stable, and h pulling may also be a problem. The injec- is not needed lo ensure good performance.
provides good audio quality. tion waveform from the gate of Q3 is very The overall receiver gain is approximately
clean. 75 dB. This is more than adequate for
Design Rationale FLI is a band-pass filter w:th circuit headphone reception.
One objective when starting this project values taken from the W7ZOI tables in the Q2 serves as a crystal-controlled bFO
was to learn how few components could be Daw Rook. Although the values specified and product detector. CI 4 is chosen to pro-
ised to develop a receiver with acceptable in Fig are Tor 3.8 to 4.0 MHz. the
I vide a BFO frequency th£t is roughly 1.3
performance. A great deal of cutting and attenuation at 3.7 MHz
is minor with flic kHz higher than the IF-filter crystal, Yl.
pruning look place uvei u une-iiiomli filtci peaked al 3.83 MHc. Tlioc is wiue (CI2aiidC13 lower ihe uiiiked frequency
period of breadboard -circuit testing. I insertion losithrough FLI (about 2 dB). of Y2.) A 50-pF trimmer can be used at
wanted to have some rejection of the An earlier vsrsioa of this receiver had a Wl /CM. You may want lo eliminate C14
unwanted sideband, but I also wanted to single. high-Q tuned circuit at the mixer and order Y2 for a frequency that is 1.5
minimize the cost cf a crystal filter. A low input. Receiver sensitivity was better with kHz higher than that of Yl. I found that
overall noise figure was also a criterion. that arrangement, but it was a luisauce to I could shift a surplus 9.500-MHz HC-6/U
Another goal was to have a surplus of retime the input circuit when changing fre- crystal to 9.50013 MHz with Ct4 in place
audio gain for even the weakest of SSB quency. With the single tuned circuit a of Wl as shown. Changing C12 and C13
Canals. Finally, the power consumption for 0.35-pV signal was 3 dB above the noise to 47 pF may help raise the Y2 frequency.
the receiver shoulc be modest enough to floor of the receiver. A 3-dB rise occurs at 1 find that plated crystals in HC-6/U
permit battery operation during emergency 0.55 with FLI in place. should men-
I holders shift upward better than the small
Bt field use. All o" these objectives have tion also that the single tuned circuit units in HC-18 holders. Crystals in FT-243
been met. allowed signals from the image side of the holders arc not recommended for this
mixer (20 meters) to pass thtough the application.
Circuit Highlights receiver. The band-pass filter corrected the R3 i<. chosen lo provide a relatively broad
The tuning range of the circuit in Fig I fault. band-pass response for Yl- You may want
:> from 3.7 to 4.0 MHz. The FLI and Should you want to cover both the 75- to experiment with this value if you use
oscillator constants can be changed to pro- and 20-meicr bands you can build a crystals other than those listed in Fig I.
vide coverage of the 80-meter CW band, 20-meter version of FLI and band switch Filter ringing Was a problen with a 100-kil
should you prefer that to the SSB segment the two filters. As with the "5-rnclcr-only value H R3. It appeared as a howl in the
of the band. Filter information is presented version,an IF of 9.0 MHz (Yl) is required. receiver output. CIS and CI7 arc used to

:n The ARRL Electronics Oaia Rook,

1
A With arrangement the 20-meter band
this prevent BFO energy from reaching Ul-
flight increase in inductance is needed for will tune backwards from the 75-meter These capacitors also roll off the high-
band, but upper- and lower-sideband recep- frequency audio response to minimize the
Moles appear at end of article. tion will occur, as required, without effects of high-pitched audio energy.

ORP Classics 55
 Prod Dcl/BFO

Mixer Q2

3N211
FL1
1.7 '0 4.3 MHZ

MAW r as -i. decimal

ftJMNS -cues o) ;cpoc<lonce are
in microra'crts fu"). oHmim
<w» in (pF);
res stance? are in ours.
l.sl-000. V-1UO0 000.
5.0 U"; cs: '>«: = *0 WHi RX N
fr

5.3 U»; DM 'rec ^ J..' MHi PX freq

Poly = Kdyai>rerc
NC = N- Cop.necnon

—
Fig 1 Schematic diaoram ol Hip simple RSfl roreivir Fixfid-vnliifi cap s are disc ceramic unless otherwise roted. Polarized caoaci*
lors are lanialum or electrolyllc. Fixed-value resisiorsare va -W carbon corr
C1, C4. C9— Small plaslic or ceramic U— Four lurns 0* no. 25 cnam wire over 01 02-Any dual-gate VHF MOSFET.
,

trimmer, 50 or 60 pF. Small mica L2 winding. RCA 40673 or 3N2H suitable.

trimmers can bo used also. L2. L3—8.7-«H toroidal incuctor: 44 lurns R1— Audio-lapor caraon-com position
C2. C3, C10— Silver mica, polystyrene or nx 28 enam wire on in Amidon Assoc
ol control.
NPO disc. T-5C-6 toroid. Qu = 170 RFCi, RFC2— Miniature lerrite-core RF
C22— Miniatjre 30-pF air variable with La— 2.6-jiH toroidal inductor; 25 turns ol choke (Mouser; see note 4).
Double-bearing type preierred.
shaft. no. 36 enam wir© on an Amidon Assoc VI. Y2-9.0-MHZ (Y1) and HC-6/U
Should rotate smoothly T-50-6 toroid. 9.0015-MHz (Y2J crystals (30 pF load
C25— Cerarric trimmer capacitor NPO type L5-50-,*H loroidal inductor; 33 turns ol capacitance). Available Irom JAN
preierred. no. 22 enam wife on an Amidon Assoc Crysials,234I Costal Dr. PO Box 06CI7,
D1-9.1-V. JOO-mW or 1-W Zener. T-66-6 toroid. Add two coalings of poly- Fort Myers. FL 33306. tel 800-237-3063.
—
02 Silicon high- speed switchinc diode, styrene O
Dope" to wincing lor rigidity. Catalog available.
type 1N914. Polvurelhane varnish can be substituted.

The measured rejection of the unwanted capadtors are quite temperature stable- 50 (iH of inductance at RFC2.

(upper) sideband at 700 Hz (single tone* Do nol install Ql and Q2 on the PC

Preventing Problems board all of the other pans have been
was 16 dB with a high-Q HC-6/U crystal until

at Yl. The closer the BFO frequency is lo Owing of Ul. it is

to the high giin soldered in place. Dual-gate MOSFETs
the IF, the worse the rejection. A two- necessary 10 keep the leads going to the IC have fragile gale insulation, and static
crystal lattice filter can be substituted for as short as practicable. CIS should be charges ean pcrforaic the insulation,
Yl if better rejection is desired. You may located as close to pin 6 as possible. R8 and thereby shorting the gates to he drain- I

also want to consider a four -crystal ladder C2I need to be close to pin 5 and C17 source junction. Ground the tip of your
fiiter.
:
should be near pin 3. The gain of Ul can solder pencil before soldering the FETs io
Q3 operates as a Colpitis oscillator. C22 be increased by decreasing the value of R7. the circuit board, and use minimum sus-
permits coverage from appro*;. mately 3.7 hut instability lurks nearby When the chip tained heat.
to 4.0 MHz. NPO capacitors help to ensure gain boosted!
is
CurislruClton Comments
acceptable long-term stability. NPO units The value for RFC2 is critical. Too large
con be used at C26 and C27 to further an inductance value Causes unwanted sell - A PC-buard etching pattern i« provided
improve ilu stability, although polystyrene oscillation below 4 MH/. Use no more than in Fig 2. Boards for this project arc avail-

ORP Classics 56
 ARRL Lab Test Results
Tests of Ihe model bjilt by Ihe
aulhor showed these results:
Minimum discernible signal (MDS):
-99.0 dBm (decibsls relative to a
milliwatt) at 3800 kHz
Blocking dynamic range at 3600/
3850 kHz: 76.0 dB
Two-tone, third-order dynamic range
at 3600/3850 kHz: 59.0 dB

able from FAR Circuits.' A pans-

placemem guide is given In rig 3. Single-
sided PC board is used for [his project.
N'ain-iuning capacitor C22 should be
driven with a vernier mechanism to make
luning easy. An imported dial drive is
suitable. The number scale can be used
for frequency logging- Vernier drives
1
are available by mail.' Surplus scar drives
are available from dealers that sell
WW II surplus.'
If C22 is not mounted securely to the
receiver chassis or mainframe, cabinet
flexing will cause mechanical frequency in-
stability. Locate C22 as close to the Q3 cir-

Too Vie* cuit as possible.

PiUs ue available ot the PC board foi
1 ( HC-6/U and HC- 18/U crystals. The crys-
S a talscan be soldered directly to the board,
Oi. 02 03 or you may install crystal sockets for Yl
>5
9ollom Vie- and Y2, PC-board crystal sockets are avail-
able from International Crystal Manufac-
turing Co. 6
Mount the receiver PC board by means
of four metal spacers. This ensures that the
ground foil of the board is well grounded
to the mainframe- Proper grounding aids
circuit stability.

Receiver Alignment

Use a frequency counter (or general-

coverage receiver) coupled 10 RFCt via a
50-pF capacitor to set 23 for the desired
VFO The frequency range of ihe
range.
VFO dependent on the crystal you select
is

Tor Yl. In any event, it should have a

300-kHz range for coverage from 3.7 to 4.0
MHz. Adjust C22 for maximum
capacitance and tweak C23 to obtain a
S.O-viHz reading on the counter.
Attach an antenna or signal generator to
the input of FL1. Fine a weak signal at
approximately 3.S5 MHz. Adjust CI and
C4 for maximum signal response. Repeat
this step three or four limes to overcome
interaction between the resonators in FLI.
Nov, peak C9 for maximum signal level.
There are no further adjustments, assum-
ing that Y2 is on the proper frequency. You
can check the Y2 frequency by sampling RF
energy at the top end of RFC2 with a small-
value capacitor.

Concluding Remarks
This receiver can sor*c as a foundation
for further experimenting. For example,

QRP Classics 57
 .

Ilshould be a simple mailer 10 modify

on olhcr amateur
this receiver for operating
bands. Only ihe VFO and FL 1 need 10 be
changed.

Notes
"Deleted.
*W, Hayward, "Desgmng and Building Smple
Cryslal Fillets," OST, July 1987. p 24.
?S6 (Including shipping lo US addresses) horn
FAB Circuits. 1SN64D Field Ct, Dundee. IL
60118. tel 312-425-2431. ovonings.
'Mouser Electronics, 2401 Hwy 287 N, Mansfield.
TX 76083, tel 817-483-4422. Catalog avaiablc.
''Fair Radio Sales Co, 101 6 E Eureka St, PO Bo*
1105, Lima, OH 45802. tel 419-223-2196.
Catalog available
•^International Crystal Manufacturing Co. Inc, PO
Box 26330, 701 V/ Sheridan. Oklahoma City,
OK 73I26-O330. tel 405-236-3741.

INCH

Fig Circuit-board etching pattern tor the receiver, shown full-size from the etched side
2—
of the board Black areas represent unetched copp?r foil.

Pig 3 - ParU-placomont guldo lor eh? rproiver Paris at* piHCftd nn Ihe nonloil Side of Ihe
board; Ihe shaded area represents an X-ray vjew of the copper pattern. Component out-
lines are rot necessarily representative of the shapes of the actual pads used-

the IF filter can be improved, as discussed feeds Q2. This will decouple the audio cir-
earlier. An RC active audio filter can also cuiis and prevent motorboating.
be added lo improve the overall receiver An S meter can be added by sampling ihe
selectivity. audio signal at th* rirrin nf Q2. Amplify
Although this receiver will drive an ihe sampled audio witha 741 op amp. then
8-ohm speaker rather well for loud signals, rectify it wilh a IN914 diode and filter it.
it falls short of ihe mark on w:aktr signals. A microanuneter can be driven with the
This can be corrected by inserting a one- rectified audio lo prodjee meter readings.

stage audio am plifier between Q 2 and U 1 A class-A broadband RF amplifier can

A 2N3904 or 2N2222 can provide ihe «lra be added between FL 1 and Ql to enhance
%a\t\ weeded to* s^cake* operation. If this the receiver sensitivity Circuits for these
is done, add a 100-n rcsisior and uplwiuA cVvungca aic gWcn in Solid Stale
7
bypass capacitor to the supply lead that Design for Ihe Radio Amateur (ARRL).

QRP Classics 58
Prom 199f) ARRL Handbook Ch 30, p 43:

A VXO-Controlled CW Transmitter for 3.5 to 21 MHz

The 6-w CW transmitter shown in Figs. componenis form a Colpitis variable-fre- The driver stage uses a broadband
47 io 50 can be built in a few evenings and quency crystal oscillator. CI is used to amplifier that operates class A. This stage
provide houri of on-thc-air enjoyment. adjust the frequency of the oscillator, and is keyed by grounding Ik base and emitter
I

Ii features a variable-crystal oscillator C2 is used to the span of the oscillator.

limit resistors. CIO used to shape the keying
is

(VXO) 'o genirnlp a highly stable, If no limit is provided, the oscillator can wavrform Although the keying ii rather
idjustable-frequmcy signal. With I he operate "on its own" and no longer be hard, there is no evidence of clicks.
circuit shown here, frequency spans of under the control of the crystal. This is Two MRF476 transi.tors are used in
5 kHz or more can be realized. See Table undesirable. On
the 30-, 40- and 80-meter para lei for the power amplifier. These
! .
Only a few crystals are necessary for bands, C2 not necessary and is omitted
is transistors were designed for the Citizens
coverage of the popular CW
frequencies. from the circuit. Supply voltage is fed to Band service and work nicely at HF
This single-band transmitter may be built the oscillator only during transmit and spot frequencies. Each transistor is rated for
for any one hand from 80 through 15 periods. This prevents the oscilalor from 3 W output. The original transmitter design
meters. Since most crystals for frequencies interfering with received stations operating used MRF472 output transistors, but
above 25 MHz arc overtone types, and this on the sarrc frequency. Motorola no longer manufactures these
transmitter requires fundamenial-type Output energy from the oscillator is devices. They are still available from many
crystals, there is no provision for lO-ncter routed to Q2, a grounded-bas; amplifier. surplus outlets, however. L2 is used as a
.-peraiion. This stage provides some gain, but more dc ground for the bsses, making the
important, it offers a high deg-ee of isola- transistors operate class C.
Circuit Description tion between the oscillator and the driver The low output impedance at the col-
The schematic diagram of the transmit- stage. Oscillator pulling and chirp are lectors of the output transistors is stepped
:er is shown in F:g. 48. Ql and associated virtually nonexistent. up to 50 ohms by broadband transformer
T3. A five-clement Chcbyshev low-pass
filter is used to assure a c can output signal.

This transmitter exceeds current FCC

spectral purity specifications (see Fig. 49).
-able 1 02 used lo clamp the collector voltage
i;

Component Values tor the VXO-Controlled, 6-Watt Transmitter waveform to protect the output transistors
if the transmitter is operated into an open
C3. C17 L3. VXO
CI (pF) C2 (pF) C4 (pF) C6 (pF C1B (pF) LI circuit or high-SWR antenna system. The
LS L4 Range
transmitter is designed to operate into a
:0 M 365 220 100 620 47 Turns 25 Turns 32 Turns 3- 5 kHz
T50-2 T50-2 T50-2 load ihm is close to 50 ohms resistive. SI
365 100 100 470 36 Turns 1 7 Turns 21 Turns 5- 8 kHz is us<d as the transmit /receive switch. One
T50-2 T50-2 T50-2 section transfers the antenna to an ac-
30 M 150 68 50 330 27 Turns 1 4 Turns 16 Tutns 8-10 kHz
companying receiver or to the output of the
T50-2 T50-2 T50-2
23M 50 10 50 50 240 30 Turns i 4 Turns 17 Turns 10-12 kHz transmitter. Another section is used to
T50-6 T50-6 T50-G activate the VXO during transmit and the
*=M 50 10 33 33 150 23 Turns 1 1 Turns 14 Turns 12-14 kHz third section is provided for receiver muting
T50-6 T50-6 T50-6
purposes.
'.:t used D3 and the associated componenis form
an RK output driver for Ml. This circuitry
 Fig 48 -
Schematic diagram o( the VXO-
controlled transmitter. All resistors are '/4-waii
carbon types unless noted olharwise. All
capacitors are mylar or disc ceramic unless
otherwise noted. Polarized capacitors are
electrolyte or tantalum
CI. C2. C3, Ce. C6. CI7 and = 18 - See
Table I.
Di —
Zener diode. 9 V, i t W
D2 —
Zcner diooe. 36 v, i w
Jl. J2 —
Binding post
J3 — Key |ack.
L1, L3. L4. L5 — See Table I Wind with no.
2d or 26 enamel wire.
L2 —
8 turns no 26 enamelec wire on
FB73-60I ferine UudU,
M1 —
0-1 rtiA motor. Caleclro DI-91Z or
equhr.
01. 02 — NPN transistor. 2N2222A or OQuiv.
03 — NPN transistor, 2N386G or equiv
Q4. Q5 — Transistor, MRF476 or equiv. (see
text).
P.14-R17. tncl — Fixed resistor. 1.8 ohms.
Vi W.
Hlfl —
Meter shunt. 13'.i inches no. 26
enamel wire wound on a high-value t-watt
resislcr.
51 — Tcgglo switcft. 3PDT.
52 — Push-bu1lon switch. SPST normally
open.
53 — DPDT.
Tcggle switcfl,
Tl. T2 — Broadband iranslotner. tt> lutns
no 2-1 enameled wire, bihiai wound on an
FT37-43 core. 7TV 7X
1 3 — Broadband transformer, 10 Dlfiiar turns
no. 24 enameled wire on an FT 50-43 core. CONTROL
Y1 —
Fundamental crystal tor frequency
EXCEPT AS INC. CATEO, DECiMiL VALUES OF
range desired.
tUJtlST CAPWITANCE Ate IK UlCHO'tOOOS jtF < I
;
0THDI5 ARE IN BICOFARH.0S (DF 0" j>llFt\
RESISTANCES ARE IN OHMS
k- COO, M.iOOO 000.
I *HE~rSlNK

is optional as there arc no power-output the antenna and mure jacks, key jack and adjust mem can be done with the aid of a
liming adjustments Ml is alio used to binding pusis, iCCCivct Willi d fundamental utyaial in the
.

monitor iransmitlcr current lonsumplion. A homemade cabinet measuring 3 x £ circuit, adjust C2 for a maximuTi fre-
x 8 '/j inches was used in the eonsirucEion quency spread lhai approximates the value
Construction of this transmitter. The builder may elect shown in Table L If too much frequency
The majority of the circui: components to Duild a cabinet from sheet aluminum 01 spread is available, increase the amount of
are mounted on a double-sided PC board. circuit-board material. The layout is not capacitance. Make a final check with the
One side of the board is etched with the except ihat ihe lead from ihe circuit
critical receiverby listening to the keyed signal
circuit pattern, and the oih:r side is left board to CI should he kept as sliori a.' from the transmitter. It should be steady
uneiched as a ground plane. A small possible —
an inch or two is line. and chirp free.
amount of copper is removed from around A bent aluminum heat sink was attached To provide wider frequency coverage,
each hole on the ground-plane side of ihe to the output transistors. Commercial several crystals may be used. A crystal
board to pre veni leads from shorting 10 it. TO- 220 heal sinks could also be used. If socket may be mounted on ihe from panel,
A test transmitter was built in the ARRL MRF472 transistors are available, they can or several sockets can be mourned on a
lab using single-sided board and the trans- be mounted flat on the circuit board and separate circuit aoard and a simple rotary
mitter seemed ro function normally with no screws passed througi the center of ihe switch used to connect the desired crystal
instability.Mo long term testing was transistors to hold then down. The ground into the circuit. This option is shown in
performed, however. A pam-layoni guide plane will act as a heat sink sufficient foi Fig. 48. Any number of crystals may be
and phuio of the finished boaid appear in short key-down periods. used, depending on the number of pcsilions
Fig. SO. The only adjustment needed is thai ol on the rotary switch. With crystals spaced
Affixed to the front panel are the trans- sct;ing the VXO timil capacitor (C2), and 10-kHz apart, the circuit can provide
mit/receive switch, spot switch and the even adjustment is not needed for the
this continuous coverage of 50-60 kHz of the
luning capacitor. The rear apron supports SO-, 40- and 30-mcict ttansraiMcrc. Thb 20-meter band.

QRP Classics 60
 Fig. 49 — Spectral display ol the VXO-
conifOliod transmitter. Here Ihe irarismillot is
operated In the 20-meter band. The second
Harmonic is down 56 dB relative to the
fundamental oulpui. Similar assentations
were ostained on each ot Ih; other bands.
This transmitter complies wiih ihe current
FCC sped lie at ions regarding spectral purity.

TO CRYSTAL PA05
ON PC aoalx
OPTIONAL CRYSTAL SWrtCH

Fig. 50 — Tne
component-placement diagram tor me 6-w iransmitter PC Mara is snown at a.
The componcm side ol the board is shown, with an x-ray view of the circuii foil. A lull-size
etching pattern appears at the baci of this booh At Q is a photo of the transmitter circuit board
built using MRF476 transistors. The devices are mounted upright on the board with a heat sink
attached to the metal tabs on the transistors

QRP Classics 61
QRP Classics 62
From November 1389 OST, p 37:
pu'vdcicd-iiuii cuic (incdauicd inductance.
18-MHz COMPONENT VALUES FOR 2.5 uH). Space the turns on this coil, and
THE HANDBOOK VXO CW those on L3-L5, to allow a 30° gap between
TRANSMITTER the beginning and end of the each winding.
3 Yes, the 1989 ARRL Handbook's L3, L5— Output filter inductor. 16 turns
6-watt, VXO -controlled CW transmitter of no. 24 enaneled wire on a T-37-6 core
works well at 18 MHc. Here arc component (measured incuctance, 0.85 /iH).
values necessary' for using ihe rig on this —
L4 Outpu: filter inductor; 20 turns of
rand; the componeni designators listed arc no. 24 enameled wire on a T-37-6 core
ihose shown in Fig 48 of the Handbook (measured incuctance. 1,28 jiH),
write-up: Yl— Parallel-resonant fundamental crys-
CI—VXO tuning capacitor; 50 pF. tal, 20- or 32-pF load capacitance. An

C2— Limits ihe VXO tuning range to en- 18.07-MHz crystal borrowed from Zack
sure that the crystal, and not LI and CI, tau*S QRP Three-Bander (sec pp 25-30 of Fig 4— Spectral display ol We ARRL Hand-
:ontrols the oscillator frequency. I omitied October 1989 QS7) provided a VXO swing book 6-W VXO transmitter operating al
this capaxitor in the version 1 tested; if you of 10.8 kHz uiih 39 pF at C3 and C4. 18.09 MHz, Each Horizontal division
try this and vour crystal loses control, use Powered with a 12.0- V dc supply, my ver- represents 10 MHz; each vertical division
represents 10 dB. The spike at far left (the
id p f. sion of the VX3 transmitter draws 1 .26 A dc
spectrum analyzer's (i/st-tocal-osctllator
C3. C4— VXO fe.-dback capacitors; 39 while producing 6.2 \V output at IS 09 MHz.
signal) serves as a convenient "0 MHz"
?F. silver mica or NPO
ceramic. Fig 4 shows the t ransmitter's output spectrum reference. This specirograrr was taken with
C6— Interstage coipling capacitor; 39 pF, under these conditions.— David Newkirtt, the VXO transmitter producing 6.2 W of RF
Slrer- mica or NPO ceramic. AK7M, ARRL Staff energy. All harmonics and spurious emis-
CP, Cl8-Outpul niter capacitors; 1» sions aie al least 57 dB below peak funda-
rF. silver m'tcti (1(1 pFin parallel with HO mental output. Modified lor 18 MHz as
described in Ihe lexl. ihe 6-W VXO trans-
;F>.
mitter complies with current FCC specifica-
Ll— VXO inductor; 28 turns of no. 26
tions for spectral purity.
snamclcd wire on a T-37-6 toroidal,

QRP Classics 63
From January 1 985 QST. p 22:

Simple QRP Gear

Versus Good
Performance
Low-power,
minimum-component
gear s easy to build, but
performance is often below that which can be obtained with
careful design. Let's consider some design pitfalls and the
practical project offered here.

By Doug DeMaw,* W1FB

'm sure you've heard a number of chirpy This positive feedback is provided by CI
I or buzzy signals from homemade QRP and C2. The capacitance ratio is adjistcd
» uie«oruwasi» '(.erHl«i
1

I transmitters. In fact, you may have un- to ensure fast starting of the oscillator when
willingly timed loose a "super blooper" nc*si«C!S writ. c—sn-se it is turned on or kryed. Remember that an
on the airways yourself! I'd be shading the oscillator is actually an amplifier. Part of
irulh if 1 did not confess lo being guilty of the power output :s routed back lo the in-
a .similar misdemeanor once or twice in my put circuit lo cause oscillation. hcrclorc, I

amateur career. It seems that -he simpler CI and C2 are chosen to ensure just enough
the transmitter ihe more prone it is to chirp feedback energy tc provide reliable oscilla-
and related ills. Once we understand the tion. Typically, a ratio of 4:1 in the feed-
causes of inferior performance, preventive back capacitors h a good starling value
steps can be taken in the design period to during initial design. In other words, we
avoid generating "lid" style signals.' should attempt to use one fourth the out-
Although we are addrcss.ne simple put power as feedback energy.
transmitters in this discussion, the general We need to remember, also, that this
approach design can be applied to most
to feedback power is taken from the output
oscillators and VFOs that are part of a ICOCC 01CU L«OK power available for delivery to the load. It
(A)
larger circuit, such as a multistage high- is for this reason :hat an oscillator is not
power transmitter. Since the oscllator is the as efficient (dc input power versus RFout-
heart of z transmitter or receiver, il put power) as a straight RF amplifier. In
deserves special care in the design and con- the interest of best efficiency', we should use
struction stages. no more feedback power than is required
for reliable circui: oscillation. There are
Profile of an Oscillator
other reasons why too much feedback is

There have been many discussions of undesirable. can cause a chirpy output
It

what oscillators are and how they function. signal and oscillation at frequencies ether
Certainly, QSTand the ARRL Handbook than the desired one, and may harm the
have carried a wealth of data cn
this sub- crystal from the effects of excessive curent.
jectover past decades. But for ihe purpose The high current can cause the crystal 10
of quick review, let's look ai Hg. I. he I heat up or even fracture. This dang:r is
circuit example at A
shows a Pierce more pronounced as the operating fre-
oscillator that has an untuned output cir- quency is increased (raised) because the
cuit. Feedback to make the circuit oscillate
HtWTS oscniaien
higher the crystal frequency ihe ihinne- ihe
IB1
is between the base and collector of 01. quartz element in a crystal. An overheated
crystal will drift in r'requency, just as a VFO
Fig. 1 —
Example of a Pierce solid-state
will with changes In component tempera-
'Noles appcer at end ol article. oscillator |A) C1 and C2 conrol Ihe feedback
•AORL Contributing Editor. P.O. Dox 250. in me circuits 01 A end D. A Col pi Ma oscillator ture. Some amateurs attempt to generate
Luther, Ml is fomd al B ot Ihls drawing. substantial power by using a power

QRP Classics 64
 »

oscillator in a cnc-siagc transmitter. OilClllilOU/ comix

The results are often dismal, owing to : 11590"
6U1 l-MI
01
excessive crystal current and drift.
Further examination of fig. 1A shows
•hat the emitter of Ql is at RF ground by
virtue of the 0.1-pF emitter bypass
;apacitor. Fundamental-frequency •
AH( W MKhOIJLHCbJ JlF
.
i
r I | ;
oscillators (output frequency the same as -!>! --
*«e r, ? ;:r*e.si bf ob mFJ.
<

-i>i,uv.:. it '.'v a.iihiu

:he crystal frequency) have only two ter-
minals thai are "hot" at RF. Attempts to
have all three terminals "alive" with RF
energy will result in unstable performaiee.
or no oscillation al all. The exception is
when the oscillator icrvcs also as a frequen-
cy multiplier, as in Fig. 2.
W O •«v

RFC! of Fig. 1A is selected 10 be s:lf- Fig. 2 A cry3lat oeclllator may be ucod as a IroquOficy multiplier, as shown horn Tho
resonant well bclov the desired oscillator collector citcuil Is tuned to the deal'ed harmonic of the crystal.

•requency. In our circuit, we find a value

of I mH. We can assume approximately
!0 pF of stray circui: capacitance at ihe out- A typical value for C3 at
oscillation at all. desirec output frequency.
put of Ql. Therefore, the self-resonant re-
?
80 meters 50-100 pF. Smaller /alues are
is An example of an oscillator/multiplier
juency of RFC1 is on the order of 1 .6 MHz recommended for 7 MHz and higher. The is shown in Fig. 2. The basic circuit is a
— well below 3.5 MHz,
the oscillator fre- larger Ihe value of CI in Fig. IB, ihe greater Colpitis oscillator of the kind we saw in
quency. Owing to the nature of this circjit, the leedback amount. In some circuits, we Fig. IB. The difference Is found in the col-
;he output circuit ol our oscillator is broad- may climinac Cl completely. This is lector circuit. Cl and LI comprise a tuned
band. It would be suitable also for use because there may be sufficient capacitance collector tank that is adjusted for resonance
above SO meters if the values of the feed- within the transistor to serve as Cl. This at twice (2f) the crystal frequency. The col-

back capacitors were changed. will depend cn the transistor type wc select lector of Ql is RF, but
no longer cold at

The amount of feedback energy needed for Ql, has 14 2-MHz RF current present. Output
is dependent mainly upon how active the We can conclude from the previous from be lower than that
this circuit will

particular crystal i«. plus th*» hem nf the discussion thai there are many variables from of Fin. IB. This is
.he oscillator
:ransistor we happen to connect to our :ir- that dictate how we select component because the efficiency of any multiplier is
;uit. The beta (gair.) of a transistor varies values for a riven crystal oscillator circuit. lower than that for a straight-through
considerably between one transistor and Experimentation has long been the motto amplifier. Most oscillator/ do ublers exhibit
another from the sane manufacturer's pro- of amateurs, so this requirement should be an efficiency of app-roxinately 33% after
duction run. This is why the data sheets list a matter of course for most cf us who being optimized. Were A'c lo triple or
;hc beta with a "typical" value. In reality, manipulate a soldering iron in the small quadruple in the collector circuit (which is
i: can be above or below that value by a hours of the morning! The variables that entirely acceptable), the efficiency would
"oil margin. Because of unknown crystal apply to crystal oscillators do, of course, be correspondingly lower. The technique is
characteristics and the so-called "beta relate to VFO (variable- f-equency useful when we are willing to amplify the
spread," we need io adjust the feedback oscillator) circuits as well. Became of these oscillator/multiplier output by means of
:or each circuit wc tuild —
if optimum per- variations in transistors and crystals, it is straight-through amplifiers. Generally, the
•ormancc is desired. not unusual to find that a circuit we CW note will be less prone to chirp if wc
duplicate from an amateur journal does not multiply in the oscillator or in the stage im-
perform as specified —
or perhaps not at mediaiely after the oscillator. For the most
Thus far we have considered only the all! The author may have chosen the proper pan, cur cost will be minimal when we add
pierce oscillator. There are countless other component values for hts or her crystal and an amplifier after a frequency-multiplier
ypes of crystal-oscillator circuits, and each transistor, but they may be incorrect for stage: Transistors and resistors are quite in-

your compoients. expensive these days!

is named after the person who
developed
it. The Pierce and Colpitis circuits seem to
Oscillators That Change (he Frequency Aids t3 Frequency Stability
be the most common amateur circuits,
in
dnd thai is why I have selected them for :his Earlier, we touched upon an oscillator Voltage regulation is important in an
discussion. The basic form of Colpitts thai serves also asa frequency multiplier. main power supply is not
oscillator if the
oscillator it shown in Fig. IB. In <his W> would not want in use such a circuit regula-.ed. How can we achieve oscillator
example, we find that the collector is in a one-uaniistorQRP iransmiwr, but we regulation simply and at lew cost? A Zcner
'

"cold" in terms of RF energy by means of could use it to drive a straigtit-through diode regulator is Ihe answer. The circuit
•.he 0.1 -fiF bypass capacitor. The base and amplifier in a low-power transmitter. The of Fig. 3 illustrates the simplicity of Zcner
emitter terminals ol Ql arc hot with regard reason we should avoid oscillator/ diode deregulation. Dl isa 9.1-V, 400-mW
:o RF energy. Cl and C2 comprise the feed- multipliers directly into an antenna is regulator. It will hold the oscillator base
oack divider. They can be adjusted in value because they are quite inefficient, and they and collector voltage constant during key-
:o provide Ihe rcquied amount of feedback would cause subharmonic energy to he down conditions. Rl is (he dropping
power. radiated. The exception in the case of resistor for the diode. Without this resistor,

RF output is taken from the oscillaor subharmonic radiation would b; when we the diede would draw excessive current and
emitter circuit. The output voltage is quite use well-designed filters in the transmitter bum jp. If the resistor has too much
iow compared to that of the Pierce circuit output. The Filters would have to reject the resistance, the diode will not rcgulaie at
1 V. Information on selecting the correct
of Fig. A because of the low impedance
I
oscillator frequency as well as larmonics 9.

of the Colpitts osci lator output tap point. of the desired output frequency. This value of resistance is presented in the
Both oscillators require the smallest piac- would call lor a quality band-pass filter ARRL Handbook. Wc
nsed to recognize
iicalvalue of output coupling capacitor rather than the customary low-pass filter. that the Zcner diode must draw a certain
|C3) to minimize leading of the oscilla:or, In other words, we would need to reject amount ol current if it is to provide regula-
which can cause chirp (when keyed) oi no frequencies above and below the tion. This current can range from 10 to

QRP Classics 65
 IS mA in this type of circuit, depending on
the value of Rl. Fcr portable operation
from a battery power supply, therefore,
this added current must be taken into ac-
count when considering the discharge rate
of the battery.
You will notice alio thai we have add:d
R2 in the circuit of Fie. 3. This 22-ohm
resistor is located close to the collector of
Ql to prevent unwanted parasitic oscilla-
tions that may occur al VHF. It is not
unusual for a high-frequency transistor to
Klf-oscillate in ihe VHF range when the cir-
cuit board is laid out with long copper
dements. R2 serves as an inexpensive
|iicvcilti v c device. Parasitic oscillation can
impair the efficiency of the oscillator, «i-
courage spurious radiation, and cause the
Fig. 3 — An example of how a Zener diode (D1) can bo used to ensure stable oceraltno. voltage
CW note to be unclean. R2 may not be
(see text).
necessary in circuits thai are laid cut
carefully.
Our circuit in Fig. 3 is a Pierce oscillator.

Table 1 CI a feedback capacitor, and C2-C3in

is

Values of L and C lor the One-Slage QRP Transmitter (Fig. 4) series provide the remaining pan of the

Band CJ(pF, C, (pF) C2 (oF> C3 IpF, C4 (pF, u t*m feedback divider. The effective value of C2
IS MHz 1000 330 100 1200 100 4.2, 29 turns no. 26 wire and C3 in scries ii 107 pF. These two
on T50-2 toioldcore capacitors function as an impedance-
7.0 MHZ 5W 180 100 600 47 2.12. 20 lurns nc. 26 wire
transformation circuit as well. The im-
on T50-2 totold core
4T pedance al the top :nd of RFCl is quite
10.1 MHz 100 100 430 33 1.48, 19 turns nc. 26 wire
on T50-6 toroid core high compared to that of the base of Q2.
14.0 Ml IE 4*0 68 .00 300 jn 1.0. 13 lurne no. 36 <""'« The Ql collector impedance is stepped
on T50-6 toroid core
down by virtue of the ratio of C2 and C3.
C' The ARRL Electronics Data Book coma ns
Note: C2 Is a
^^ £ 4
Mo*«' n 2
m£ a
a9
a "too teJSnlc"^'
'
"' ^"no', 15" ,W> pF 03 Bnd
*
810,1,0 De
the equations and examples for using
capacilive dividers 10 transform one in-
pedance to another.

Simple Transmitter Performance

IXCCr! 6S IHCC1TED, DECWiL
VALUES o» cwicir«ce *"t Some builders of homemade QR.P
transmitters are unmindful of the impor-
tance of proper impedance matching And
cutput network design. It is not unusual to
find some hams using one- or iwo-stage
QRP rigs with output tank circuits that
follow vacuum-tube concepts. That is, a
single tuned output circuit is used, withcut
regard for the collector and load im-
pedance. Maximum power transfer can't be
had without suitable matching of the im-
pedances. Under »omc conditions of
mismatch, the PA (power amplifier) stage
may break into self-oscillation. This can
cause spurious radiation, and it may even
destroy the PA transmitter.
Take, for example, a tube QRP rig tlai
has 150 plate volts and draws 10 When mA
operating at I.5-W dc input power. The
plate impedance is I5.000ohms. Converse-
ly, a 1.5-W solid-state final amplifier that

uses a 2-V collector supply will have a col-

1

lector impedance on the order of 96 ohms.

Attempts to use a lute type uf uuipui iuikO
drcuit will be met with dismal results when
dealing with a 96-ohn collector impedance!
Furthermore, the transistor collector will
load the high-impedance tank circuit aid
destroy the Q. This will permit harmonxs
Fig. 4 — Schematic diagram of a pra;tlCAl QRP transmitter. Resistors are >/>*W carbon to be radiated from the antenna, thereby
composition. Fked-value capacitors are disc ceramic. Capacitors with polarity rrarked are eloc- TVl and interference to other ser-
causing
tiotytlc or tamalum, C2 Is a ceramic trimmer capacitor. Gee Table 1 for coll and capacitor date
lor the bands from 80 throuon 20 meters. Y1 is an International Crystal Mto. Co. type GP, 20-pF
The transmi:ting chapter of the
vices.

load capacitance. Other fundamental crystals will be suitable (see text!. ARRL Handbook contains detailed d&ta
QRP Classics 66
 —

on impedance-matching networks for solid-

Table 2
state transmitters.
Low-Pass Filter Components
A Praclical One-Slat>e QRP Transmilier Band C10.C11 Filter Cutoff
(Meters) &F) L2foH) fWHzJ
An uncomplicated circuit for QRP
20 220 0.5 15
transmitting from 80 through 20 meters (see
13 turns no. 24 enam.
Table 1) is shown in schematic form in on Amldon T37-6 torold
Fg. 4. Dc power input is 250 (M W), mW 30 270 072 11
which is ample for worldwide communica- 16 turns no. 24 enam.

tions under good band conditions if an ef-

on T37-6 torold
fective antenna is used (beam antenna, ver- 40 390 1.0 8
15 turns no. 24 enam.
tical radiator or dipoh high, above ground).
on Amldon T37-2 toroid
This transmitter permits full break-in 4
60 830 2.0
(QSK> without the use of antenna relay.. 22 turns no. 26 enam.
The receiver antenna-input line is simply on T37-2 lorold -o n o——f T r1— —Q bo jv
f

connected to point R of Fig. d. When (he

Value! lol uM in building a filngttt section. Harmonic Hilar thai
key is up, (he receiver is effectively attached can Do added at tha output ol Ihn QRP IrwnrMnw CIO and
to the station antenna. Upon closure of the Cn can bo dlsc-es'amlc. sltver-mlcaor palrslyrene capscirors

key, the antenna line to the receiver is

shorted to ground by means ofDl and D2.
This transmit -receive (TR) circuit permi:s shiftson the order of those listed. tcr shows the three added components for
irstant changeover from transmit to The recomnended crystals for VXO and the filter, i made six holes with a no. 60
receive. standard use in this transmitter aie plated drill and soldered the filter in place. If you
is a dc switch that serves as a keying AT-cut fundamental crystals in HC-6/U choose to follow this approach It win be
transistor. When the terminals at K of Fig. holders. A load capacitance of 20 pF is necessary to sever the circuit-board foil be-
4 arc shorted key or keyer, Q2
by the suitable for the crystals. Surplus crystals in tween CS and the antenna output terminal.
saturates and supplies +12 V to Ql, FT-243 holders may not offer good A Moto Tool® or knife blade will be
thereby turning on the oscillator. C2 is activity, and they probably won't do too suitable for cutting the copper. Alternative-
adjusted for maximum power output well for VXO operation. ly, you may mount the parti on a piece of
i 100 mW), consistent with a chirp-free CW perforated board and glue the subassembly
Construction Motes to the miin circuit board near the antenna
nfrte. (The hest note siould occur at the dip
:.- Ql collector current — approximately Keep the of all component: as short
leads output terminal. Spectral photos of the
30 mA of total transmitter current.) as possible when soldering them to the PC transmitter output before and after the
R5, CT and C8
form a shaping network board. Also, when winding LI Ik sure to ,

to soften the trailing edge of the CW spread the coil turns around 2/3 of the
*avcform. The purpose of R7 is to provide toroid core. Bunching them Coo close
2 light load at the output of C5 under all together will increase the inductance, and
conditions, observed that the transmitter
I spreading them over all of the core will
:cndcd to be unstable beforeR7 was added, decrease (he inductance.
^lrticularly when SWR
was higher than
the You may wish to add a single pi-section
2:1. The instability was observed while I harmonic to the transmitter output in
filter

vdS adjusting the Transmatch for an all- the interest of spectral purity, I have used
?md antenna. Stability was fine when a this circuit witi and without the filter, and
lew SWR was present while using a dipo:e have found the output (without the filler)
:cd with 52-ohm cotxial cable. to be clean enough to prevent TVl or har-
monic radiation that could be detected on
VXO Operation the air. Table 2 contains a circuit that can
The pair of terminals marked with an X be added. The photograph of the transmit-
Fig. 4 identify the location of a jumper
..-

Aire that can be removed to permit variable

rrystal oscillator (VXO) operation through
rscrtion of a
and variable capacito*.
coil
This modification h shown in Fig. 5.
Cvxo can be a broadcast -band variable
•iith half of the rotor plates removed; a

;0O- or 140-pF miniature variable capacitor

-ay be used.
Ly\o is a small inductor wound on a
: :roid core. The greater the inductance, the
more you will be able to shift the crystal
;
:equency. Too inductance,
large an
However, cause Ql to function as a
will
VFO rather than as a crystal oscillator. This
cause instability and chirp- Typical fre-
raency swings are 2 kHz at 80 meters, —
Spectral display ol the QRP transmit'
Fig,6
5 kHz at 40 meters, 9 kHz at 30 meters and ter,without the filter (A) and wlih the filter (B).
12 kHz at 20 meters. Experimental values Horizontal divisions are each 10 MHz; vertical
(20 meters), 15 pH (30
are 12 uH Flg. 5 — The lumper across terminals X of divisions aro each 10 dB. Power output is
for Lvxo Flo. 4 may be removed lo add these com- approximately 0.25 W
on 20 motors. AI A, all
meters), (40 meters) and 30 pH
20 ^H ponents. A coll t-uxo) and a tunlna caoacltor sourious cuiout is at least 34 d3 down from
I50 meters), txpenment with the number (Cv.o) are used ta shift the crystal operating peak fundamental output; at 8. at least 52 dB
flf coil turns until you obtain frequency frequency (see text). down.

QRP Classics 67
 STATIC* BiCEIVE you don't receive an answer on the first few
AKT Af.T
That can happen even when runring
calls.
12 V
NO!£; MOUM T>7

mmss ant jack n - «*? QRO (high power}] Eventually you will
receive a response to your CQ, and the fun
will commence. When answering someone
on or near your cr>stal frequencies, try to
respond to loud signals. This will mean that
your signal will probably be fairly loud in
the other station's receiver, assuming the
operator is 001 running high power.

In Summary
[f you haven't had the courage to work
with transistors, this article may be the
stimulant you've needed. On the other
Fl fl . 7 Componcnl side view ol ih; PC boo'd ohowing rloc-oment ol ihe component. hand, ifyuu've beta building limplfl QKP
rigs and have had poor results, the dcrign
lips we've discussed may get you heaJed
down the right path.
There are many QRP operators in ihe
world, so why not join them and face the
addition of ihe simple filter are shown in is given in (he Hints and Kinks column. exciting challenge of low-power operation.
Fig. 6. If you want to use ihis linle transmitter in
The completed assembly can be mounted Adjustment and Use ihe field, lake along a 12-V motorcycle bat-
in a cabinet or box of your choice. A Attach a 56-ohm resistor at the transmit- tery, a lanlerri battery or 10 size-D cells
nice homemade box can be fashioned from teroutput to serve as a dummy load. Apply connected in series. Of course, you will
pieces of double-sided PC board that operating voltage and plug in your key. need a battery-operated receiver to use with
are soldered together where the sections Hold the key down and tunc your receiver your transmitter for field work. Numerous
join. The need not be completely
circuit to the transmitter frequency. Send some circuits for QRP receivers are described in
enclosed. Rather, you may prefer to CW and monitor the note. If it is chirpy, the ARRL book. Solid Stale Design for the
mount the board on short standoff posts adjust C2 until the CW note sounds proper. Radio Amateur.
on an L-shaped piece of aluminum stock. You can observe the S meter on your
The vertical part of the L can then serve receiver while tuning C2 for maximum
as a panel for the jacks and VXO tuning power output, consistent with a good-
capacitor. Adhesive-backed plastic feet can sounding CWnote. Notes

he affixed to the bottom of the L chassis. With an antenna connected (it should A b i ptior opcraloi, or one with a taid-
<oundinp lignal The icrm come* from ihe early tays
Your 12-V power supply can be packaged have an impedance of 50 ohms), look for
of Amateur Radio aid is rumored co have teen
in the same box that contains the a clear frequency and call CQ. It is wise to implied by a tud CW
-i,.. ihftl Mi undid hie (lu-
transmitter.
1
A parts placemen: guide is have two or three crystals available it you ll d on a keille ot boiliie water.
provided in Fig. 7. A scale etching template do not use VXO control. Don't despair if Deleted.

Circuit-board etching pattern lor the QR P transmitter. The patlern is shown full size Irom the toil side ol Ihe board. Black areas represent unelched
copper (oil.

QRP Classics 68
From December 1086 QST, p 10;

Three Fine Mice— MOuSeFET

CW Transmitters

Got a a simple CW transmitter that's a real

hanker-in' to build
performer? Take your pick— one or all—for 83, 40 and 30
meters. They're VFO controlled, too!

By Michael J. Masterson. WN2A

7 Hudson Rd
Bucd Lake, NJ 07828

of low-cosi power 10 W output rrom a switching MOSFET with capacitive drain loading. Apart from
TheMOSFETS availability
(they're noi real y operating from a 12-V supply. the final amplifier, the remainder of (he
MOuScFETs!) creates new possibiii- transmitter uses a proven transistor lineup
:a for "homebrew'' transmitter design. from a previous design.
:r several years, I have used various RF
;

Different circuits Circuit Description

polar transistors, all priced in the SI 2 10
range, in homebrewed CW transmil- employing heavy gate Fig i is the schematic diagram of the
They performed well, bul when I transmitter. Frequency dependent parts
:jnd inexpensive switching MOSFETS swamping, RF feedback, information is given in Tables 1 and 2. The
:ed al SI td S2. 1 thought: "Why not transmitter power chain is straightforward
r-

: -c theni a try?" The low-cost devices

drain loading and even and is divided between two boards. (All

-s£TTi«i lofwi' pninlp« (In rhi* pnr'rpthnnt) the common-drain transmitters use the same PC boards.) The
!
.
!0 determine Ihe MOSFET's potential VFO board contains 01, an FET VFO.
_- dhow to tame it for use at RF. Since I d configuration were tried. buffer Q2 and the balanced doubler
a few RF bipclar transistors while composed of Q3 and Q4. D4 provides
i^ming how to use them, I knew certainly power-supply regulation for Ql. The
-2t a few MOSFETS would be "cooked" 80-meter transmitter uses a Hartley VFO;
store I found the right circuit. 1 selected So, I did a lot of computer rrodeling, it's a simple circuit and keeps the
:
meters as the test band and eventually
: , experimentation and article revt:w. Dif- inductance of LI at a reasonable value. A
ferent circuits employing heavy gale scrics-tuncd Clapp oscillator with the
.
aill transmitters for 30 and 40 meter*.
swamping, RF feedback, drain loading and inductor wound on an air-core ceramic
Technical Approach even the common-drain configuration were form (for stability) is- used in the 30- and
From articles 1 reviewed, it was apparent tried. Some of these circuitslooked 40-meter transmitters. Balanced doubler
of MOSFET transmitter
the majority promising— for a while. But, jjst as a Q3-Q4 gets its drive from the bifilar
-;uits a 24-V, or greater, drain
use circuit seemed to provide sufficient gain, winding on Tl. The transistor collectors arc
:, :ential and mosi use RF-characterized the device would be destroyed by gate lapped down on T2 for optimal output. T2
:r.icc types. Because RF power MOSFETs breakdown, rot excessive dissipation or is tunec to the operating frequency, twice

_-; priced too high for this learning thermal runaway. I discovered that some the VFO frequency.
"fort, my objective was to obtain at least form of gate protection is required, along The VFO runs continuously. When

QRP Classics 69
 Wv

A,

C5

Fig 1— Schsmatic diagram of Urn MOiiSbFFT Inw.pnwor transmiHer TIn» RD-mote* VFO Is Rofor to the paie
list and Tables 1 and 2 lor pans values nol shown on iho diagram. All 0.1-pF capacitors a typos. All resistors
are '/*- or '6-w. 10%
tolerance
C11—*7-„F, 16-V electrolytic or I FB-21 no. 28 enameled wire on FB-43-101 Q5— 2N3053 (see text).
C 12- Delete! fe rite bead. O6-80M. IRF 523: 40 m and 30 m.
D1-D3. incl-lNdl-18. J1—Amphenol 126-01 jack (or equlv).
1 IRF510.
D4—8.2-V, 400-mW Zensr diode (1N959 or j 2— pliono jack. Q7— 2N3906 or 2N2907A.
equiv). P1—Amphenol 125-010 plug (or equiv) (or R1— 500-f). 1-turn trimmer potontiomotar.
D5— 13-V. 40O-mW Zonor diode (1N964 or pcwer cable. RFCi— 100-fiH RF choke on phenolic torm
equlv).
Q1. Q2-MPF103 (see text). (Millor 46*2 or equiv).
03. Q4-2N3904 (see text).

spotting, the buffer and doubkr stages are the power-amplifier ciain. Q5 delivers the power dissipated in D5.
keyed. Thcdriver and final amplifier stages about I W
through an L network to Q6's L4, C8, L5 and C9 form an L-pi output
are on only during transmit when + 12 V gate circuit. network (a pi-L in reverse). The L section
is applied at JI-E through an external TR A power MOSFET's fate circuit is quite matches the 5-ohm drain impedance of Q6
switch. CI2 provides some keyed wave- different from a bipolarpower amplifier's to a 100-ohm image impedance with a Q
t
shaping, and Rl is an adjmtment for base circuit. D5 provides two functions: of 4.35. A pi ret work with a QL of
doublcr ba.ance. CIO ensures stability at It protects Q6 from excessive gale approximately 2 hen takes the 100-ohm
this stage, but it may not always be voltages and acts with C15 to provide a image impedance down to 50 ohms. This
necessary. Measured VFO-board output is "grid-leak" action. During the negative type of network is less critical to tune than
in the orde- of 60 mW. Improved keyed- half-cycle, D5 conducts and charges C!5; a T network for a given amount of
wave shaping using a time-delay circuit wan during: the positive half-cycle. CIS'.* charz? harmonic suppression. At a nominal power
devised by Zachary Lau, KH6CP, of the is added to the RF drive to supply a output of 16 W, the second harmonic is
ARRL Lab. That circuit employs a general- maximum of 15 V gate potential. Power 45 dB down; other harmonics are at least
purpose PNP transistor, Q7, to moderate MOSFETS have a higli input resistance, 60 dB down. (This performance was
the otherwise fast rise time of the keyed but do require drive during switching. verified in the ARRL Lab.) The power level
wave. This addition also allows one side of This is because of gate-source and gate- you obtain may be somewhat greater on
the key to grounded. drain (Miller) capacitances. Gate-loading 80 meters and les* on 30 meters.
Q5. a 2N3053 operating classC, and Q6, resistor R3, and drain-loading capacitor
an International Rectifier IRF type C7, augment stability as vciifitd on u Component Notet
MOSFET also operating class C, comprise computer-aided design program. R4 limits Most components used in this project arc

QRP Classics 70
 PA BOARD
< JI-D.12V

< Jl -A K EY

.NOTES Jl-A -l." Jl-B TO KET

EXCE"f ASIMO'CtTtD DfOUAL
J1-0 TO+l?V I ALWAYS)
VALUES OF CAPACIIANCfc ABE
Jl-E TO tl2V (TBAWSWIT ONVTl n; MicnoFAiAOB * OTHERS
i i.

# H6AT-S1N* Qt (SEE TEXT I

"MOT USED IN W-M VERSION

* ddy available froii radio componen stability. C4 through CIO,

inclusive, can be or NPO ceramic types. Use caution when
stores, hamfesis or mail-order distributors. polystyrene, vcr-mica or NPO ceramics.
si soldering polystyrene capacitors because
K& A Engineering is a one-stop source fcr Do not use X7R or Z5U ceramic capacitors excessive heat will melt the plastic.
boards and pans for this project. 1
The here— degraded performance car result.
Construction
rcvices recommended for use at Ql and Q2 Polystyrene capacitors work well in this
are not difficult to fhd, and a 2N4416 cr circuit, and are compact compared to mica The transmitter may be loused in any
IN3823 may also be used. Q3 and Q4
^rould be matched for current gain, or ;.t

:ast originate from he same production

o(. A match of 50% or better (at I e =

!0 mA) will suffice. A 2N2222A can be

_icd ar Q3 and Q4, and candidates for Q5 Table 1

delude the 2N2102 or D42C4; good results Frequency Dependent Capacitor and Resistor Values
-ere obtained with the D42C4 80 meien.
at Capacitor BO M 40 M 30 M
purchased the MOSFET (Q6) from Number
"rank, K2AW. at a hamfest table.- C1 25 pF air var 35-pF air var 35-pF air var
Motorola, RCA, CE. G1 and other C2 450 pF (9 x 50 pF N) 1000 pF P 940 pF (2 x 470 pF P>
Tjnufacturers make IR equivalents. C3 50 pF N 470 pF P 60D pF (6 x 100 pF N/P)
200 pF 100 pF 100 pF NP
The toroidal inductors arc available from
\midon or Radiokit. J J All coils are
-
C4
C5 200 pF
pF P
(2
(2
x 100 pF N/P)
x 100 pF N/P) 100 pF
470 pF
N/P
N/P 50 pH
330 pF P
W
•ound with no. 28 enameled wire. Afttr C6 1000 P
C7 3300 pF P 1000 pF P 400 pF (4 x 100 pF N/P)
the VFO is built and tested (sec tunc-up ani
C8 2700 pF P 1410 pF 1000 pF
operation), hold the LI windings in place
(3 x 470 pF P) {10 x 100 dF N/P)
mlh a thin layer of elue. L4 and L5 arc 1100 pFP 700 pF 400 pF
C9
ADund with two paralleled wires to (7 x 100 pF N/P) {4 x 100 pF N/P)
iffectively increase the wire size and reduce
C10 50pFN/P 50 pF N/P
v.pper losses. (These arc not bi filar C13 Not uaod 250 pF (S » Rtt pF N) PSD pF (5 x 50 pF N)
w ndings! You may optionally use a larger CM Not used 60-pF trimmer 60-pF trimmer
-vre size instead.* Except where notec.
:3pacilors are X7R o: 25U ceramic types. N = NPO coraTiIc; P *> polystyrens; N/P = NPO ceramic or polystyrene. Silver-mica
used bypassing and capacitors can be substituted tor the polystyrene types.
Ticse are for
decoupling functions, but not in tuned
Resistor 80 M 40 M 30 M
-i-cuits. C2 and C3 are specified as NPO
Number
reramic units for excellent temperature R2 47 68 68
R3 22 33 33
R4 10 10 10
Notes appear at end o( article.

QRP Classics 71
sturdy, shfctdcd cnclosuie. Ail S x 5 x
5-inch (LWD) cabinet provide* more than Table 2
enough room; even a 7 x 5 x 3-inch box, Frequency Dependent Inductance Values
such as the LMB 7fi2,
is of ample size. The

two boards measure about

circuit 2x3 Inductor BO M 40 A> 30 M
Number
inches each, the VFO board being slightly
larger than the PA board. A single-sided PC L1 14.5 jiH 14.1 jtH 401 no. 36 7
board (or perfboard and flea clips, if
601 on T5C-6. enameled wire on 3/8- 35t on 3/8-in-dia
lap at 14t in-dia coromic form ceramic form
desired) is VPO. This board can
used tor the
be installed in a box to shield L2 131 on FT-37-61 91 or FT-37-61 9t on FT-37-61
from the ii

PA board, bui no ill effects were found L3 191 on T50-2 12t cn T50-G 9t on T50-6
without the shield. If you elect lo s hield (1.8 „H) (0.5 .H) (0.33 ,.H|
the
VFO, CI should be installed in the VFO L4' 151 on T50-6 101 cn T50-6 61 on T50-6
box. and the larger transmitter cabinet used. (0.9 P HJ (0.43 ^H) (0.3 „H)
Short, stiff leads from CI lo the VFO board L5" 221 on T50-2 151 cn T50-2 13t on T50-6
arc important for mechanical stability. Fias (2.8 ,.H) (1.2 ,H) (0.9 ,.H)
2 through 5, inclusive, show the exterior and LB 111 on FT-37-61 101 cn FT-97-G1 9t on FT-37-61
interior viewsof two of the three prototype L7 111 on FT-37-61 91 cn FT-37-61 61 on FT-37-61
transmitters. The 80-m transmitter (Figs 2
and 4) was the first unit built. Fi.gs 3 and T1 pri: 181 on FT-50-61 pri: 16t on FT-50-61 pri: 121 on FT-50-61
5 are views of the 40-m unit. sec: 9 bililar turns sec: 8 biti!ar turns sec: 10 bililar turns
The power amplifier PC boatd
is double-
sided, with one side
uncichcd. Copper
left
T2 pri: 401. tap at 20t* pJi: £61.lap at 111' pri: 221. tap at 10t=
11

foil nr hrairl is used lo provide low. sec: 7t on T50-2 sec: 5t on T50-2 sec: 4t on T50-2
inductance wraparounds to ground. Solder
All inductors wound with no. 28 enameled wire unless otherwise notes.
the foil t3 both sides of the board. '14 and L5 are wound with two parallel lengths ol no. 28 enameled wire this is done to mcreaie the
Alternately, placed-ihrough holes can be effective wire size. Theso are oof bifilar windings.
used in place of wraparounds. Solder all 'Tap measured from 07 side of primary.
other components to this board prior to Powcered iron toroids (T5C-6 and T50-2) and ferite toroids (FT-37-61 and FT-50-61) are available
installing 06. Cut the leads sf Q6 to a
Iron ASA Engineering, Amidon Associates cr fladiokil (see notes 1, 3, 4) Ferroxcubfl 3/fi-in
4C4 and 1/2-in 4C4 feme toroids may be substituted.
length of 0.3 inch, and mount ihe transistor
at the board edge. Insulating hardware for
Q6 consist* of a kapton or mica insulator,
nylon washer and spaghetti sleeving for the
metal bolt. Heat-sink grease is thinly
applied to both sides of the insulator. (Too
much grease impairs heat transfer.)- The PA no other variable capacitors
used!, there are L4 and L5, and remove turns as required
board and Q6 arc bolted to the front panel, in the transmitters. Al tune-up is done during tune-up.
which acts as a heat sink. The leads of Q6 by adding or removing terns on the toroidal First, adjust the VFO tuning range by
must nut be sucked, so blitni die PA board inductors, and by compressing or ex- listening to its output with a calibrated
wilh metal washers if necessary. small, A pancing the windings. This may take some receiver or coupling a frequency coun:er to
clip-on heat sink will help Q5 dissipate heat. time and patience, but compact
it results in the VFO output. (!f your frequency counter
con si ruction without the need for large is not sensitive enough, you'l] have to use
Tune-Up and Check-Out trimmer capacitors. Start with one or two a receiver initially.) Scl Rl at midrange and
With (he exceptions of Cl and C14 (if extra turns on LI, the primary of T2, L3, apply + 12 V lo Jl-D, with a key across

Flo3—This 40-m unit is constructed in a readily available

Fig 2— An
80-m transmitter was Ihe first unit built. Tie enclosure aluminum box. The Spin connector serves as a key and
was salvaged from a piece of defunct test equipment. power-input jack.

QRP Classics 72
 setting ofRl where the fundamental nulls
out.Then, disconnect the power meter and
connect the VFO output to Ihe PA input
using a short length of coaxial cable.
Next, connect an RF power meter to J2
andapp.y H 12 V to J -D and Jl-E. Keying
I

the transmitter briefly, adjust L3, L4 and

L5 for maximum output. Go back and

. you should have 12

. .

to 20 W
of RF output

adjust ihe primary of T2 (8C m) or C14 (30

and 40 meters) to peak the cutput reading.
Again, adjust L3, L4 and L5 if necessary
to maximize output power. At this point,
you should have 2 to 20
1 W
of RF output.
(With or without parts substitutions, your
results may vary from mine because of
construction or other differences. Prior RF-
circu it building experience should help you
correct any problems.) Finally, adjust Rl
ng4—A close look at ihis inside view of :he ,80-m transmitter reveals the VFO Is Duilt on
mH board* Note the shielded VFO enclosure (cover removed) To ihe left Is the driver/out- for minimum fundamental feedthrough as
duI board. Q6 may be seen in the foreground attached to Ihe heavy front panel. heard on a receiver. Again, a null should
be found. Set the receiver lo ihe trans-
mitter's output frequency and reduce the
receiverRF gain. Key the transmitter. The
transmitted note should soind clean, with
no chirp or clicks. Check the heat
dissipation of Q6; if it is too hot to touch,
it may not be hcat-sinked properly. No
were noted in my units;
stability problems
however, a check-up or a spectrum
analyzei would help determine if any
excessive spurious signals exist. I performed
the tune-up as described here without the
use of a spectrum analyzer, but if you have
access to one, use it!

On Ihe Air
Operation is simple. Use a Transmatch
and a resonant antenna. recommend that
1

you use a 12-V regulated power supply

capable of delivering 2.5 A. in my re-

ceiver, provision is made

for off-ihe-air
monitoring. During receive, key the VFO
to spot your operating frequency. External
TR switching should remove the voltage
from JS-E during receive. While trans-

No hint of thermal run-

away has been noted, and
=ig 5—An inside view ol Ihe 40-m unit. PC boards Irom A & A Engineering were used In the transmitter sustained
;his model.
no damage with high
SWR loads.

Jl-A and Jl-B. Adjjst L] for the desirid through a maximum output point within
band coverage, as you vary Cl. Next, «ct itsrange, adjust the primary of T2 until it
Cl to mid-band and adjust the primary of docs. Using a wave or dip meter, sense mitting, monitor your off-thc-air signal
12 (80 meters) or CI4 (30 and 40 meters) around T2, and set Rl for minimum instead of using a siderotic. No hint of
for maximum output as indicated on a fundamental feedthrough (lliat is, .8 MHz
1 thermal runaway has; been noted, and the
sensitive power meter connected to VFO on 80 meters, 3.5 MHz on 40 meters and transmitter sustained no damage with high
output. I f C 14 does not allow you to tunc 5 MHz at 30 meters). You should notice a SWR loads. With the valtes of Cl given,

QRP Classics 73
frequency coverage Is aboui 100 kHz on Englcmann, W2VIB, and Mike Kucks.
80 m, 60 <Hz on 40 m, and all of 30 m. KA2ZAM, of KDI Electronics for use of
lab facilities; the use of he KDI Electronics
facilities was invaluable to the design
The on-ihe-air performance of these little effcrt. My thanks also to my wife, Dawn,
rigs is quite satisfactory. Using a folded for ncr encouragement during this project.
dipolcon30 meters, TK5, 1V3. G, F. FG
Notes
and North America have been worked.
Results on 80 m
(using a random-length
'AAA engineering, 252n W LaPalma Ave. Unit
K Anaheim. CA 92801, tel 714-952-2114.
wire antenna) arc good from Southeast to ;K2AWs Silicon Alley" 175 Friends La,
Midwest states and Canada. have been too
I Westoury, NY 11590.
3Amidon Associates. 12033 Otsego St, North
busy (and having fun) building these rigs to
geton 40 n. so it is up to you to find out
Hollywood. CA 91607, el 213-780-4429.
-Rajiokit, PO Box 411. Greenville. NH 030d8.
how one of these MOuScFET transmitters tel 603-878-1033.
will perform on that band! Though they're
small, they pack quite a bite!

Acknowledgments
my thanks
Ffl( uptjalQdfii
_ r addre!SBS< SBB
Supplier List in Chapter 2.
ARRL Pahs
I offer sincere to Herb

QRP Classics 74
from May 1975 QGT, p 16:

Transmitter Design —
Emphasis on Anatomy
Part 1: Which is oest duplication of a published circuit or —
an understanding of how the circuit works? ihis builders
course provides some "hows" and "whys''' for a 10- io
15-watt, 40- and 20-meter cw transmitter.

By Doug DeMaw. W1FB

AflRL Contributing Editor
PO Dox 250
Lulher. Ml 49556

f \ heap of burned-out transistors, designer, and how

it is supposed to func- driving an amplifier later on should the
some unsavory language and a hastily tion in the composite assembly, should builder be motivated toward QRO.
scrawled sign which read, "Help Stamp help you avoid the "Freddie syndrome." Fig. shows the block diagram of the
1

Out Transistors," greeted me as I walked transmitter. Let's run through it and see
into a friend's workshop recently Fred
Understanding Our Circuit what each section docs. Starling at the left
stood there with a deeply furrowed brow The circuit for our workshop project we :1nd a 7-MHz VFO. It operates straight
and pointed to a wi ctthcd-looking, pc- was based on numerous requests for a through on 40 meters. The arrows show
board assembly which had been worked transmitter that would serve as a mate for that SI A/SIB routes the rf energy directly
and reworked until it looked like no hope "The Mini-Miser's Drean, Receiver" to tie broadband amplifier module during
remained for It. Fred one of those
is which appeared in QST fot September, 7-MHz operation, For use on 20 meters,
fellows who loves to build amateur gear, 1976. A power output in the 10- to 1 5-watt the VFO output is switched to a push-
but never took the time to change his bracket seemed suitable for most of the push doubler by means of SI. Output at
thinking from vacuum tubes to semicon- QRP applications one might encounter, 14 MHz is applied :o the broadband
ductors. He could duplicate the circuits in and ampl; power would be available for amplifier when the switch is set for
amateur magazines, but couldn't make
them "play" when something went amiss.
After some casual conversation and a hot
cup of coffee. Fred calmed down and we
began troubleshooting his problem child.
The major faults were instability in the
PA stage and low output from ihe driver.
An hour later we had his rransmitifr per-
colating nicely, and Fred poked his
thumbs proudl> into his chesl and pro-
claimed. "Ain't it a beaut?"
It occurred lo me as I sensed my
friend's anguish that a better understand-
ing of how a sclid-state circuit furctions
would have saved him countless hours and
a cut liidci able amount of giacc in the eyes
of The Almighty The foul language and
extra money spent for transistor replace-
ments could have been avoided. My
easily
adventures with Fred helped to inspire i his
course in transnitter anatomy. Knowing
why a particular circuit was chosen by the

Two versiois ol the 7- ami u-MHz cw iransmltier are shown here. Ai ihe led is ihe WlFB coto-
lype. On the n'ghl is a model bui by WACUZO. Bolh units ate small and lightweight
I

QRP Classics 75
 5

?fl-meri*r npcr-irion Yon will notice that output and requires only 10 mW
of rf At (he far upper right of the block
an offset line vro. When S2A
goes to the energy from the VFO or doubler lo diagram are two filters —
one for each
is the OPERATE position and the key
in develop its rated output power. Actually, band. They are selected by means of
(Jl) is opei. relay contacts ai KID place the broadband amplifier is useful from 1 .8 S1D/SIE. Since :he PA is also a broad-
+ 12 V
on the VFO-offset line. This to 30 MHz, even ihough this transmitter band amplifier there will be a substantial
voltage turns on a switching ciodc in the covers only two bauds. The amplifier is amount of harmonic current in the out-
VFO. The diode switches some additional biased for Class A
(linear) operation so put. To keep the unwanted energy sup-
capacitance into the VFO tuned circuit that can be driven easily by the VFO.
it pressed by 40 dB or greater it is necessary
and moves tile updating frequency uui- The linearity is not a necessary feature for lo use FLI and FL2. The niters are low-
side (he amateur band. This prevents an cw uie, however, but would be ideal if this pass types (T networks). They are pre-
unwanted beat note in the receiver tuning were an 5sb exciter. tuncd, so no- external peaking controls are
range during the receive priod. When
the Tc the right of the broadband amplifier needed.
transmitter is keyed the offsc: voltage is is a PA stage. It is driven to a power out- Output from the filters is routed
disconnected by means of K1B, and the put of 10 to 15 watts b>> the I -watt signal through an SWR-scnsor circuit (lower
VFO provides output on the desired from the previous module. A Motorola right of drawingi. A panel meter. Ml.
operating "requency. It is necessary 10 MRF449A transistor is used in the PA. It serves as a visual indicator for trimning
disable the offset circuit for spotting (zero iscapable of 30 watts of output, and has a an antenna or adjusting a Transmatcli for
beating), so S2A is placed in the SPOT rated gain (typical) of 13 dB at 30 MHz. a lowSWR. The latter is essential if prop-
position for that function. Operating Our purpose in restricting (he output to 1 er operation of the PA stage is to be real-
voltage must be applied to the push-push watts is to minimize tre overall current ized. Relay contacts atK1C transfe- the
doubler duiing 20-mctcr spoting, and S2B drain of the transmitter to 3 amperes or antenna from transmitter to the
the
is used for lhai purpose. Activating the less. This will assure longer battery life receiver during standby periods.
doubter assures a loud beat note when during portableoperation, and will At the lower left of Fig. I we have a
MM healing another 20-nvti*r sietinl Simplify requirements of an ac-
the break-in delay module It has a varablc
As the signal moves to the right in Fig.
1 operated dc supply (regulated). The actual lime constant which controls the drop-out
it reaches the broadband amplifier. This amount of rf output power will depend time of the changeover relay, KlA. The
wa$ chosen because it requires no
circuit upon t he characteristics of the last stage n i amount of delay time can be determined
tuned circuits; Elimination of tuned, [he broadband amplifier and the PA tran- by adjustment of a potentiometer on the
narrow-band circuits ai the output of each sistor. This results from the slight nonuni- circuit board. Closure of the key charges
of the thr;e amplifiers in he module form^ in transistor manufacture: Some Ihe timing capacitor, which in turn ac-
makes possible to avoid complicated
it have more gain than others. It is for this tuates a bipolar-transistor dc switch. The
band-switclling uirvujte, The biuaduund reason that an output figure of 10 lo 15 swhch closes KlA and applies operating
amplifier delivers approximately I watt of watts is given. voltage to the broadband amplifier. S3

QRP Classics 76
 .

BUFFER AMPLIFIER

OOOI
TMH: 4-I2V

EKCF.PT A3 IhDICATCO. DECIMAL

VALUES OF CAPACITANCE ARC
IH MICROFAtAOS >F); OTHERSI

BESI5TANCES ARE IN OHMS;

> •lOOO.U'lOOOOOO
* MOUNT FROM LI TO
CHASSIS GHOUND
K* MOUNT ON INSIOEOF
CHASSIS OH FEft THROU 5M
CAPACITOR
•** MOUNT FROM CIRCUIT
BOARO TO FSfOTKHOJGM
CAfACiTOP

2
=ig. —
Schematic diagram ol the VFO. Fiied-value capacitors ae disk or chip cerami: unless otherwise incicaied Rosistors can De 1M- or 1f2-vV
"mpoSHion. (Sco Juno. 1976, ham radio (orthe author's detailed j«plana|ion of Ihls VFO circuit.}
31 — 100 pF, miniature, air variable IN5293 or equlv. Miller 27A014-6 form).
12 — 50 pF. polystyrene. L1 — Stug'tuiwd inductor with e-^H nominal 01. 02 - Vhf JFET, MPF102. 2N54B6. 2N4416
23 — 10 pF, silver mica. inductance (Miller 42A6B6CBI in VMFB unit, 01 HEP602.
Zi — 27 pF, polystyrene. Miller 23A473FPC in WAOUZO model) 03 —
2N2222A or HEP-S3001.
31, D2 — High speed silicon diode. 1N9Uot L2 — Slug-tuned, pc-boardmount inductor. 3.2* RFC1-4 —
Miniaturo rf choke iMillen J301 or
:q_..\ hH nominal Inductance (Miller 23A4T0RPC or equiv,).
~
3 _ 9.1 -V. 400-mW or greater Zener diode; 25 turns no- 32 enam. wire close *ound on

locks the break-in delay circuit into the C5 and CG arc feedback capacitors ihat ing standby. R< is used to prevent damage
key-down mode tune-up purposes. An
for take part of the oscillator output (source to che diode; it limits the current through
LED indicator illuminates during transmit terminal) and route it back to the input the dicde junction when the offset voltage
periods, and a second LED indicates when (gate). This feedback is what causes the is applied through ir and RFC1
:he circuit the standby (receive)
is in FET to oscillate. RFC2 used lo keep the
is The O.OI-jiF capacitor and 100-ohm
-node. At that time the transfer relay feedback energy at the source of Ql while resistor at the drain of Ql are used to
-outes 12 volts lo the receiver via J3. This providing a d« return to ground for the place the drain at ac ground (bypass) and
:ontrol voltage can be used for muting FET. Statec simply, it's an isolating to isolate Ql from the other transistors in
and unmuiing the receiver. choke for the rf. the VFO module. This is called a decou-
Another purpose is served by C5 and pling network, and it helps prevent un-
Understanding the VFO C6: They add a considerable amount of wanted self-osctllation ir the remaining
The VFO
of Fig. 2 has a familiar face, shunt capttcLauee fium lire FET base to VFO-diaiu sLagcS. Q2 has a slmilai
as it has been used in a number of my cir- ground. This helps to disguise the small decoupling network in the drain circuit.
cuits.' It has beer such a faithful &nd changes in F5T junction capacitance dur- A buffer stage (Q2) is shown in Fig. 2.
predictable performer that it was chosen ing operatic! —
a significant contribution It functions as an isolation circuit between
again. The circuit at Ql is a Colpitis to oscillator *i ability. D2 gets into this act. the oscillator and Q3. It is used as a source
oscillator, but some of you may prefer to also. It conducts on the positive swing of Follower —
the output being taken from
.-all it a scrics-iun:d Clapp if you date the oscillator rf voltage, and that limits the sojree element of the FET. Because
back to the lube era when that type of cir- the change h FET junction capacitance. the gate of an FET has a very high im-
cuit emerged as one of the more stable (Maximum capacitance change occurs pedance (megohms), the transistor does
varieties of VFO. near the peak of the positive half of the not lead the output of Ql. The gate
Three capacitors (C2, C3 and C4) art- sine wave.) In addition to helping stabilize coupling capacitor is small in value (39
used in series with LI to ground. This the oscillaio-, D2 reduces the harmonic pF). and that also reduces the loading ef-
method permits a larger amount of induc- output of Ql This is because nonlinear
. fects cn Ql. The lighter the loading, the
tance to be used ai LI than would be changes in junction capacitance en- less chance there will be for oscillator
possible in a more commmon, parallel- courage the generation of harmonic cur- "pulling" (chirps) when the transmitter is
tuned. VFO
tank. The higher inductance rents. It is riKf«?aiy to 05* n high.spcftd. keyed Rwflnw Q7 is n sniirre follower it
is subject to changes in value frjm
less rf type of dicde for this purpose, such as a will not provide a voltage gain. Actually, a
heating than would be the case if high C IN9M switching kind. slight loss will occur at Q2. Typically, a
and low L were used. Three capacitors are C7, Dl aid RFC1 are used in the VFO- voltage gain of 0.9 -will be realized when
used below the coil rather than one so nat offset circuit. When the +12 volts arc ap- using this type of buffer stage. This means
:he circulating rf current will be divided plied to 01. as discussed earlier, C7 is that we lose 10 percent cf the rf voltage
among them, This lowers live heating in placed in parallel with the main tuning that is applied to the gate of Q2.
my one capacitor and improves stability. capacitor, CI. This moves the VFO RFC3 is used as a broadly resonant
operating frequency lower mj thai tliv (low-Q) uncd circuit dial peaks
i 7 MHz m
Notes appear al end ot article. signal won't be heard in the receiver dur- with the approximate 5 pF of stray circuit

QRP Classics 77
capacitance. Zener diode D3 is ob
use-d 10 energy. A 3300 ohm resistor is used in
tain a 9. l-voli regulaied supply for Ql and parallel with L2 to broaden the response.
Q2. This prevents changes ir. oscillator This will assure relatively constant VFO
frequency when ihe 12-volt power supply output to provide an even drive across all
output changes. Regulated voltage is sup- of the 40- and 20-mctcr cw bands.
plied to Q2 so that it maintains relatively The output capacitan:e for the pi net-
constant operating characteristics: Volt- work is obtained by utilizing the
age shifts at Q2 could cause slight changes capacitance of the feedthrough terminal
in internal capacitance and resistance, and (C3) and the 470-pF shunt capacitor. The
[hose variations could cause seme pulling collector tank designed to transform the
is

of the oscil ator. 500-chm output impedance at Q3 to 50

ohms at the pi-network output. Even
VFO Output Stage [hough the input impecance of the First
It will be necessary to have ample drive stage of the broadband amplifier is on the
to the broadband amplifier stria of Fig. I. order of 500 ohms, this mismatch is
VFO hiiffe- Q? could not provide suffi- desirable The lower the VFO output im-
cient excitation to operate theremainder pedance, the less chanct there will be for Pig. 3 — Scale layoir. of the VFO circuit board
of the transmitter. Therefore, wc have pulling effects caused by the later stages in Showing parts placement from the component
added Q3 to build up the VFO output a transmitter. The base-bias voltage for side of the board.
power. This amplifier stage operates in Q3 is taken from the 9.1 -volt regulated
Class A and uses a high-frequency, line to further reduce th: chance for pull- on the etched circuit board before thesidc
bipolar transistor —
a 2N2222A. A ing at Ql. walls arc soldered together around the
10-ohm res:stor is placed near the collec- VFO board. A
pencil type of soldering
tor terminal to discourage vfcf parasitic
Assembling the VFO Iron with a fine tip Is recommended for
oscillations At 7 MHz the rcsstor offers Dcublc-sidcd pc board material is used this and all other modules of the transmit-
minor resistance to the signal, but at vhf it box for the VFO. Fig. 3 shows
as a ihicld ter. Excessive heat will damage sorre of
looks like a high impedance; this prevents the p>board pattern and includes a parts- the components, and can cause the pc-
parasitics. placement guide. Ready-made pc boards board pads to come loose from the base
A pi network used as the cutput tank
is or parts kits for the entire transmitter are material. Therefore, a 25- or 30-watt iron
for Q3. It is a low-pass type of network, available from a supplier.' is the largest size that should be emplcyed.
which means it will attenuate harmonic The components should be assembled
Alignment
VFO testing an be accomplished by
shunting the output to ground wiih a
560-ohm, l/2-wati resistor and applying
+ 12 volts where indicated on Fig. 2. At-
tach a two-foot piece of hookup wire to
the output and pace the loose end near
the antenna terminal of a receiver. Next,
setCl so that the plates arc fully meshed.
With the receiver adjusted to receive 7.0
MHz, move the slug in LI until the VFO
signal is heard. A: this point you can ad-
justL2 for maximum output at 7.1 MHz.
The S meter on the receiver will be he pful
when tweaking L2.
Ihe oltset circuit can be tested by con-
necting + 12 volts to the offset line. The
VFO signal can be expected to shift lower
in frequency, as stated earlier. There
should be no evidence of chirp when key-
ing the 12-volt supply to the VFO.

Footaeta
'DeMaw, "QRP Shakedown, Caymanian Si»le!"
QST, March. 1975.
'Negatives, pc board* <x complete pam kits fo- ihis

A look into tho VFO compartment ot the WAfluZO model. Coil Li is mounted on a side wall ol the
VFO box. Feedthrough capacitors are used as terminalsSor leads entering and leaving trie VFO For updated supplier addresses
compartment Suppliais List in Chapter 2.

QRP C\ass\cs 7fc

From June I97B QST, p 25:

Transmitter Design-
Emphasis on Anatomy
Part 2: A VFO by
doesn't offer much wien it comes to
itself
transmitting, so let's proceed with the physical structure of
our two-band transmitter. Here is some useful information on
the frequency doubler and cw break-in delay circuits.

P
I ccchance you're wondering wh> our by means of broadband transformer Tl, doubler with a ball-park efficiency of 70
VFO described earlier couldn't be made to the collectors arc tied in parallel. In this percent. There is no reason why a pair of
operate on 14 MHz as well as on 7 MHz. manner the stage differs from a push-pull JFETs couldn't be used at Q4 and Q5 of
Well, (here's no reason why the L and C amplifier, es the latter would have the col- Fig. 4. If they were, however, the doubler
components couldn't be modified to pro- lectors as well as the bases in push-pull. A output for this transmitter would be
vide two-band coverage. In such an exam- push-push amplifier favors even har- somewhat lower (inadequate) than with
ple a band switch would be included in the monics, whereas a push-pull amplifier die 2N2222AS we have employed.
VFO module for the purpose of sclenting does its best job with odd harmonics. Fur-
Circuit Description
;he 7- or 14-MHz coils and capacitors. thermore, a push-push doubler is prac-
The disadvantages of that scheme arc at rirally as efficient as a straight-through The VFO In Fig 7 (Part I, May QSTt
least twofold. Mechanical instability is amplifier. A single-ended doubler would has £ single-ended output terminal, so if
likely to result from the switch contacts exhibit a typical maximum efficiency of we are to supply drive to the doubler of
and related lead;. Also, the effects of only 50 percent as opposed to a push-push Fig. 4 it will be necessary to use a balun-
oscillator pulling are more pronounced as
the operating frequency is increased. Con-
Wierlor views or the W1FB (left) a nd WA0UZO (rightl versions of tic transmitter. The push-push
cerning the latter, it would be a difficult doubierJbreaHn delay module is a' Wo far right in this oriotog'aon The VFO and SWR-sensor
•ask to prevent chirp during 20-meter cw modules are at the center of iho V.ACUZO unit, and trio broadband amplifier may bo seen at the
work ir (he VFO weic operated a 14 loft of nis VFO. me PA stage is mounted on ine rear wall (lower right) oi eacn rig. Tne nomumade

MHz. heat sinks are visible on the back aprons of the enclosures.

A more suitable technique at the higher

operating frequencies is to employ the

oscillator at one or more octaves below

the desired excitation frequency, and
utilize multiplication to obtain the re-
quired frequency of the VFO
output
chain. Through this process the meciani-
cal instability is diminished greatly, and
the frequency-multiplier stage or stages
icnd to isolate the oscillator from the load
more effectively than would be the case
with a straight-through buffer or
amplifier.
Fig. 4 contains !h* cifttlfl w* will ligfl fnr
multiplication. Rather than follow the
VFO chain with a singlc-cndcd frequency
doubler {one transistor), we have elected
to use what has long been known as a
push-push doubler. Although the bases of
the transistors arc connected in pusr-pull

QF?P Classics 79
type transformer no. nw energy multiplier tl isnecessary lo establish Class tFaits ot the two devices, A 47-ohm
teaching Uie bases of Q4 and Q5 must be C operating conditions. The forward bias resistor used on each side of the control
is

of opposite phase lo assure pusl-pull on and Q5 implies Class AB opera-

Q-l lo preveni the emitters from going directly
drive lo the doublcr. To
accomplish this lion, bnl the output from the main VFO to ground if the conirolarm is sei ai either
we have included I I, a ui filar-wound chain overrides the forwarc bias and end of its range. R is adjusted so that the
I

broadband irarsformcr (three wires drives the doubler into (he Cl£ss C mode. ouipul waveform (14 MHz) is as pure as
wound on the cote ai the same time) The Bias is applied only to make :hc doublcr possible. If Rl is set incorrectly there will
black dots on ih* schematic diagram, at easier to drive. he* a suhsfanlinl nmminl of thr 7-MH/
the cop of Tl, identify the phase relation- In the interest of optimum coubler per- driving energy present si the collectors of
ship of the windings.
It can be seen that formance il is necessary lo establish Q4 and Q5. The worse ihe imbalance, the
one transistor ba-e
fed 180 degrees out
is dynamic balance. Most discrete tran- greaier the level or ihe 7-MH/ energy.
of phase with the other, thereby satisfying sistors of a given type numbercxhibit dif- Atuned circuit (C8 and L3) is used at
our need for push-pull drive. Forward ferent electrical characteristics. In our ap- the doubler output to increase the
bias is supplied to the doubler stage plication we are concerned nainly with available rf ouipul .'oltage. A pure
through the junction (C and F) of lb: two any difference in transistor gain which waveform would be attainable if only the
right-hand windings. A 0,01-uT bypay> might ctfsl, ideally, Q4 anil Q? should 1000-ohm shunting resistor was used, bui
capacitor brines that point in the circuit to perform in an A balanc-
identical manner. Ihe doubler output wculd be quite low
rf ground. ing control, Rl in
has been in-
Fig. 4, because of the dc voltage drop across the
For proper operation of a frequency cluded lo enable us to match the operating resis:or. 1.3 permits (he full supply voltage
(less the drop across ihe 3 3 -ohm de-
coupling resistor) to reach ihe collectors
of Q4 and Q5. Also. Ihe lOOO-ohm
resis:or broadens tic tuned-circuit
Fig. A —
Schematic diagram o( the push push doubler. Fixed-va ue capacitors ate disk ceramic response to provide a nearly constant oui-
Resistors ate 1/2-W romposition, except tor Rl (see below).
CB — HO-pF mica compression trimmer (El- —
17 Iriliat turns Ol no. 26 en am. wire pul level across the VFO tuning range.
Tl
menco 406 suilabe). on an F7-S0-61 'cttllc toroirt nora. Twist Fig. 5 provides the pc-board pallcrn and
L3 —Toroidal inductor; 17 turns no. 26 enam wires approximately eignl twists per inch parts placemeni guide for the doublcr and
wire on a T50-2 ncwdered-iron toroid coie. belore winding on core. brea<-in delay circuits.
Rl — Pc-board-momi carbon control.

The Final Touches

Checkout for he doublcr is an easy
l

assignment. The VFO module is con-

nected to points A and B of Tl. A 56-ohm
rcsisior is attached temporarily between
the doubler output (to the right of (he
27-p? output couplini capacitor) and
ground. The 56-ohm resistor simulates Ihe
load presented by Ihe broadband
amplifier (lo be described later).
A short length of hookup wire is at-
tached to the junction of the 56-ohm
and the 2T-pF capacitor. The op-
resisior
posite endof the wire :s placed near the
antenna terminal of a receiver which is
luned to 7 MHz. Next, operating voltage
is applied to the VFO ciain and doublcr.
Rl aid C8 can now be adjusted by selling
them for minimum sigial response at 7
MH>, as noted on Ihe receiver S meter. If
an oscilloscope is available, connect the
scope probe to the lop of ihe 56-ohm load
resistor and adjust Rl and C8 for the
pureii waveform obtainable at MHz. U
Fig. 5 Scale layoul and pans placemen: 'or the dc-uc-lor/breoli-in delay booed. V<«w is Irom Inc Then- may be sonic interaction between
component side ot ne hoard; l.'rj indicates a l/fl-inch hole. the adjustments of Rl and C8, so the
foregoing steps should te repealed two or
three times lo ensure premium doubler
operation.
A low value of couping capacitor (27
pF> s used to prevent Ihe approximate
50-ohm input hnpedan.-e of the broad-
hand amplifier strip from loading i-H and
L3 excessively. During 43-meter operation
the push-push doubler is bypassed so that
the VFO output goes directly to the
broadband-amplifier module.

Break-In Delay Circuit

A cw is not an
break-in delay circuit
of a transnittei, but it does
essential part
provide an operating convenience which

QRP Classics 80
 vide the forward bins necessary to turn on
Q7. current flows through ihe field wind-
ing of KI. causing the relay contacts lo
close. As the voltage across C9 decays
(key open), a point will be reached at
which Q7 has insuTieent forward bias lo
provide Ihe collector current needed lo
keep KI energized. At (hat lime the relay
will open. D7 is placed across ihfl r«Iay
field coil to clip vcltage spikes caused by

the inductive"kick" when the relay field

collapses. The
spike, if great enougl in
amplitude, can travel along the 12-volt
bus and damage ttansisiors elsewhere in
the transmiticr. Damage could occui to
Q7 as well.

^ig. 6-- Schematic diagram of the break-in delay circuit. Disk ceramic capacitors a»o usod ok I he diodes in ih; emllicr return ol 1

:ept for C9; it s electrolytic Fixed-value? resistors are I/2-IV composition 04*07 inclusive, .3re are used to establish approximately 1 .4
;N9U silicon dicdes. Ki is a dpdf 12-volt dc relay. A Potter & Qrumfield 24-Vdcreley (surplus) Volts of fixed-value, bias for Q7, Depend-
.-.as used in the WlFBversion al ihe transmitter The spring was stretched lr> lessen the tension, ing on the transistor used as the relay
enabling ine rflay to close saiislactoriiy at voltages as low as n
The relay number isKHP17D12
i. 12-voll vt'Sron is available. 06 Is a 2N 3906 or HEP715. 07 is a 2N1711 or HEPr36. B2 is a pc-
driver, the resting current of Q7 may be
loartl-mounl carbon control high enough lo keep KI closed even
though C9 has beer nearly discharged. D5
and Dfi prevent such an cvem from hap-
makes ii worth including. Manual switch- biased into conduction. At that time 12 pening. The LED indicator used in
ing could boused in place oT the delay cir- volts appear at the 06 collector lo place a parallel with the key was added hy
cuit to control the changeover relay. KI. charge in C9. R2 is Set for ihe desired WAOUZO in liis model of the transmitter,
Similarly, keying could tic doochy break- discharge time of C9. The greater ihe but it is not essental to the operation of
ing the 12-volt supply to the keyed stages resisianee. ihe longer the period before C> the circuit. It illuminates when the key is
af the transmitter. The main advantage in bleeds ro ground. 04 is UKd in the collec- closed, ihus functioning as a transmit in-
utilizing a break-in delay system is thai the tor leatlof Qfi to serve as a one-way path dicator (a frill).

operator has one less switch tci manipulate Tur ihe dc voltage —
a gate of sorts. This The bicdk-iii delay module can be
between the transmit and receive modes. component was added afler two tran- tested by merely applying
operating
In some Instances this permits raster mode sistors were destroyed at Q6 by a voltage voltage and shorting from the key ter-
changing iran would he possible if peak which oiiginated laftcr Q6I as Ihe minal to ground. If all is as it should be,
mechanical switching was used. key was closed. D4 permits the +12 volts KI will close. R2 can be Net for the delay
Fig. 6 shows the break-in delay circuit. to flow into the charging network, but time desired. If wiring errors have been
A straight key. bug or electronic kcycr is preverts positive-voltage transients from avoided, and no defective components
if

connected tcihe inpui of Qf>. When the flowing back toward Qft. were used, "Freddie syndrome"
(he
circuit is completed, Q6 is effectively When C9 is charged sufficiently to pro- should have remained dormant so far

QRP Classics 81
From July 1973 QST. p 23:

Transmitter Design —
Emphasis on Anatomy
Part 3: Broadband power amplifiers eliminate the need for
complicated band-switching circuits. Some amateurs believe
that they are mysterious and hard to build. Tain't so!

It's unlikely that Freddie would have lower end of the amplifier operating lower will be the siage gain. This kind of
been able to design the broadband range. The inclusion o; feedback net- frequency-responsi shaping can be fur-
amplifier we arc describing heic, but he works is the most comir.on approach to ther enhanced by selecting specific vaucs
certainly should have enjoyed success in (his tlr«ign rrilerinn Thp mathpmatiral of coupling capacitance between amplifier
duplicating and making ii perform cor-
it solutions to feedback design problems are stages. That is, a low value of capacitance
rectly.However, liad something malfunc- beyond the scope of this article, but in- will be less effective as a coupling device at
tioned in his assembled module tiis depth data on the subject are given in the the low-frequency end of the range than it
chances of ocating the anomaly would ARRL book. Solid Sia/e Design for the will at the high-frequency end of the
have been enhanced greatly by an under- Radio Amateur. range.
standing of how a broadband amplifier The required feedback for a broadband The feedback nsislors and capacitors
functions. Let's consider the tubjeel of amplifier is usually introduced by means used between the collector and base of a
liOW one of these crillcrs docs its par- of R. and C components between the col- broadband a<ji|ilifi.i die chosen with the
ticular "thing." lector and base of the transistor (negative same design philosophy in mind. In this
A broadband amplifier is intended to feedback), and through the inclusion of case the lower the operating fre-quencythc
do job il.s name implies
precisely ilic — degenerative feedback in the emitter cir- greater the feedback voltage througi a
amplify signal energy over a broid slice of cuit. Concerning the latter, the emitter given value of bajc-io-collector resis.or:
the frequency spectrum. In rmcting this bias resistor is bypassed for rf at the The greater the feedback, the lower the
requirement (he amplifier should provide higher end of the amplifier frequency stage gain. In cases where the feedback
reasonably mifor ni output powet across range (low-value capaciior). but is by- resistor is so low in value that excessive
the band of frequencies it is designed to passed less effectively as the operating fre- foward bias would reach the transistor
accommodate. Thus, if the circuit was quency is lowered. At ire lowest end of base, a blocking capacitor is added in
designed to cover from, say. 3.5 to M the amplifier range the emitter may func- series with the resisior and forward bias is
MHz. and deliver 5 wans of output, there tion as if no bypass capacitor was there at obtained by means of a separate rcsis:ive
should be 5 .vans of output available (no all. In ordinary languag.' we are saying divider.
more and no less) at any discrete frequen- that the less effective the bypassing the Broadband transformers are also used
cy within that range. In praciic; it is dif-
ficult to obtan that kind of precision, but
a variation in power no greater than ± 10
percent can be realized in a carefully
Closeup view ol the broadbard linear amplifier
designed amateur circuit.
Solid-state amplifiers tend to supply in-
creasing amounts of output power as the
operating frequency is decreased. Thai is,
a given transistor will exhibit more gain at
1.8 MHz than it will oi 7 or 14 MHz.
Therefore, in order to obtain a relatively
flat frequency response from a solid-state,
broadband amplifier it is necessary to use
certain compensating elements to "taper"
the overall gain downward toward the
 AMPLIFIER DRIVER
2700

[539
\ oot

(lOmW) I

MOUNT Of ETCHED
FOIL 51 DE
HM HEAT SIN<
**# SELECT FOR
DC SIRED GAIN
•RMS
O' 0C r
EXCEPT AS INOICAI ED, DEC! UAL VALUCS Or
CAPACITANCE ARE IX MICROFARADS I pt 1 ;
OTHERS ARE 111 PICOFARADS I cF OR »pfY, _~~ .

•ESlSTANCES ARE IN OHIS ;

t-IOOO, UMODO 000.

TO KEY
AHD i3

rig. 7— Schematic diafjram of the aroodband linear ampllior. Capacitors aro dak ceramic «»cept thsae wllh polarity merl-ed, which ara eleettotyllc
or lamaium Resistors aro 1/2-w conposihon unless othoiwiso noted.
CIO — SCO 10<t. RFC5-RFC7, Incl. — 18 turns ot no. 2B enam. wire looped through a BLN-43-302 ferrite
D8, 09 - 1-A. 50-PRV silicon (1N4003 suit- wire on FT -37-13 lerrlte toraid core. core. Secondary ha* lour (utns ol no. 28
able). T2 —
Pr imary has 30 turns of no. 28 enam. enam. wite looped through the same core
OS— 2N2222A or equivalent. wire on a FT-50-43 fertile Oroid core. Primary leads come out of end ol coro
Q9— 2N3866or HEPS3008. Secondary has 4 turns of no. 28 enam. wtte opposite the secondary leads.
OlO-2N2270orHEPS300l. wound ovet cold ond of primary winding.
Q11 - 2N403' Of HEP S3012. T3 —
Primary has 16 turns of no. 28 enamel

in [he type of amplifier under discussion.

They are designed to operate as untuned
rf transformers with a turns ra:io chosen
io match ihe output of the amplifier stage
to its load (collector of one stage to the
base of a succeeding stage, for example).
A nVlihpratf mismatch is snm. rimf, s in- |,

troduced by the designer to achieve

amplifier stability. Another approach is to
shunt one or both of the transformer
windings with a resistor. This rends to
lower the transformer Q, which in turn
discourages self-oscillation. The trade-off
is in reduces stage gain.

Examination of Our Circuit

The broadband amplifier used in our Fig. 6 - Parts placemen! glide tar the ampllliei pc board. The shaded a-ea represents an X-ray
view ol the etched foil patten; this view is Irom the component side ol the board,
transmitter is shown in Fig. 7. Ii was in-
board is used lot this modulo. The foil on tho component side is used a: a solid gtoundplano,
spired by a similar circuit in the Atlas having only clearance holes lor the mounting ol the components. The commercially made board
210X With approximately 10
transceiver. shown in the photo also has component identifica'ion inlormotion etched on this side) of the
mW of driving power at the input to Q8, board. All mounting holes onpc board marked with a "1/8" should be drilled through with a 1.8
-inch drill bit. Tho Doatd can Ihen be mounted to the chassis with 6-32 machine screws, spacers
the amplifier output at QIO will be
and nu-.t.
roughly 1.4 watts at 7 and 14 MHz. The
input impedance of the composite ampli-
fier is close *.o 50 ohms. T2 is a broadband toroidal-wound mance it was necessary to bridge the
Feedback is provided at Q8 and Q9 by transformer. It is loaded on the primary primary of T3 with a 150-ohm resistor.
means of the 2700-ohm resistors con- by a 220-ohm resistor. A 10-ohm resistor This ensured stability.
nected between the collector and base of with the secondary winding.
is in parallel All three amplifiers arc biased for linear
each stage. Degenerative feedback for Q8 These resistors were add:d to reduce the operation (Class AB>. This has no special
is obtained by leavinn part of the c miller, drive to QIO. and to cure a low-level value in a cw or I'm transmitter, as Clats C
bias unbypassed (47-ohm
resistance oscillation which occurred during the amplifiers arc adequate for those modes.
resistor). Nc bypassing is used across the checkout period. T3 is also a broadband The primary advantage in using a linear
10-ohm emitter resistor of Q9. The coupling transformer. It is wound on a amplifier in our transmitter is to lower the
parallel 1.8-ohm resistors in the emitter ferrite core of the balun type. In the driving-power requirements (the tran-
return of QIO serve two purposes: They breadboard model of this amplifier an sistors require less excitation voltage) and
are unbypassed to provide degenerative RCA 40082 transistor was used at QIO. to lessen the occasion for harmonic
feedback, aid they help to protect the Owing to its gain and fT characteristics, ii generation in the stages (Class Am- C
drawing excessive current
transistor from was somewhat more "lively" than the plifiers are richer n harmonic currents).
(thermal runaway). 2N2273 of Fig. 7. To obtain equal perfor- The forward bias applied io QIC is

QRP Classics 83
 .

developed across D8. which regulates the was tripRered by a self-oscillation at Ql 1

J Of) (4 «-J
bias by virtu* of its barrier voliage (0.7 The decoupling capacitors at Q9 and QIO L. L-
vo-Ii for a silicon diode). A 470-ol.m drop- acted as a tuned-collector/tuned-emitter 50 SO
Ql OHMS
ping resistor is used between D8 and the circuit for l. The oscillation caused the
12 -volt supply line to prevent the diode break-in-delay circuit to cycle at a one-
from consuming excessive current.

1
Decoupling networks are used in the
2 -volt line b-'tween stages. This aids in
preventing feedback (positive) From one
second rate. This resulted in a repetitive
cyclingofthc relay, Kl. Insertion of D9 at
Qll cured the problem by providing a
onc-wo; gate in the feedback path. A
t r x
harmonic filter

stage to another. An excessive amount of crown type of heat sink is needed at QIO
Fin, 9 — Diagram ot tne halt-wave harmonic
feedback will cause self-oscillation of one to prevent damage to the transistor. inter discussed In the texi. For 7-MHz use, L a
or more of the stages. At Q8 a 47 -ohm is 1.1 *iH (15 turns no. 25 cnam. wire on a T502
Amplifier Testing loioid coia). C is 470 pF and C is 910 pF. For
resistor and O.OI-jF capacitor comprise a &
20-meter operallon L, is 0:55 wH (10 turns no.
the decoupling circuit. RFC5, RFC6 and Following completion of the assembly
26 enam wire on a T50-2 loroid core). C a is 2*0
the two 0.1-fiF bypass capacitors are used procedtres given in Fig 8. amplifier OF and Cpis 470 pF.
for this purpose at Q9. RFC7 and the testing can be done. Tests can be per-
related bypass capacitors are employed at formed first by connecting the VFO
QIOlo decouple the stage from the 12-volt directly to the input of Q3 of Fig. 7 (40
line. High, medium and low values of meters). A 5-ohm, 2-wat: load resistor
capacitance a*c used at Q9 and Q10 to should be attached across the secondary
assure adequate decoupling at If, hf and of T3. Apply operating voltage and short
vh f. (The stages could self-oseilla:e at any the keying line to ground. A VTVM and tween the VFO and broadband amplifier.
of those frequencies.) Who needs or wants an rf p-obc can be used (o compare the This much of the transmitter can be put
to Hp haiinirri by thr "Freddie syn- circuit votian.es with these of Fig. 7. on the air if the builder likes true QPP
drome?" Approximately 2.6 volts ruts will appear work, but it should nor be connected to an
A pnp bipolar switch (QI I ( is shown in across tie S-ohm load resistor if the circuit antenna unless a hamionic filter is placed
Fig. 7. It opeiates in the same manner as is work ng correctly. If the overall ampli- ir the output line from T3. Furthermore,
Q6 of Fig. 6. When the key is closed, QI I
fier gain is too low, increase the value of the turns ratio for T3 will need to be
conducts and permits +12 volts to reach CIO experimentally. Although 100 pF was changed to provide a match to a 50-ohm
Q9 and the hiss network for QIO. A one- right for the circuits built by W1FB and filter and antenna. The secondary winding
second oscillation occurred in the bread- WAOUZO, variations in transistor gain of T3 will require 15 turns rather than
board version of trie transmitter, caused may require thai less feedback be used at four turns if this is done. I'ig. y gives the
by the decoupling capacitors at Q9 and Q8. These tests can now bt repeated ai 20 details for half-wave filters which can be
QIO. This fomied a liming circuit which meters, using the push-push doubler be- used at 7 and 14 MH:. respectively.

QRP Classics 84
 1

From August 1978 QST, p 16:

Transmitter Design —
Emphasis on Anatomy
Part 4: The final touches are applied to our transmitter by
adding a 15-watt amplifier and an SWR indicator. If all goes
well, we will become immune to the "Freddie syndrome"!

1 is unlikely that ihc 1.5 wait; of outpul otuah a colleelor load of 4.8 ohms. T4 is purpose. Eachis a T type of low-pass net-
from our broadband amplifier (Fig. 7) a broadband iransformer which is made work. Energy above the operating fre-
ivould lead lo the acquisition of five-band from six toroid cores (sec inscl drawing of quency is attenuated by the filters, but
DXCC. Bui a few more decibels might Fig. .0). must transform the collector
It energy below the filter cutoff frequency
make such an endeavor a reasonable, impedance to 50 ohms :o that a suitable passes without impairment. A spe:iral
assignment: The amplifier described in match and power transfer lo the analysis of this transmitter indicated thai
(his section will help, as the cw signal T-netwbrJc filters can be obtained. A 3: all spurious output energy was at lean 40
should be increased some IU dli m turns ratio will suffice despite the slight dB below peak power at the fundamental
strength! mismatch (9:1 impedan*:; ratio). frequency. Additional attenuation could
The fina -amplifier stage is shown in In Order lo prevent excessive harmonic be realized by cascading two such filters ai
Fig. 10. A 220-ohm feedback resistor is energy from reaching the antenna it is the pa output. The characteristic im-
used bciwcrn ihe bait and collector of necessary to include a filer ai the ouipui pedance of the lilters in Fig. 10 ii 50
QI2. An ISOO-pF blocking capacitor has of QI2. FLI and FL2 are used for this ohms.
been included to prevent the collector dc
voltage from being shorted to zround via
T3 of Fig. *
This amplifier has an input impedance Fig 10 — Circuit tor the 10- to 15-watl Class C
power amplifier. Capacitors are disk or Chip
coramc unless otherwise noted. Capacitors with polarity marked are ekclroiylic or tantalum.
of approximately 5 ohms at 7 and 14
LA — 9 turns no. ifl enam. v>ire on a ree-fl RFC8. RFC9 —
8 turns no. 18 enam wire cn
MHz, The iO-ohm base resistor is used as toroid core. an FT-50-43 ferrite toroid core.
a preventive measure against instability, L5 — 10 turns no. IB enam . wire on a T68-6 T4 —
Two rows ol Ihiee each FT-50-43 torod
but only needed. To remove some vhf
if lor Did core. cores. Join with ocoxy cement as shown in
harmonics which appeared at ti e collector L6 — 12 turns no. 1B enam. wire on a T6S-2 Iho Insot drawing. Primary has one turn
toroid core. ol no. IB wire (U shaped). Secondary uses
of QI-. ii "*as necessary lo include ihc
u— l J turns no. 1H enam . wire on a 166 2 3 turns ol no. IB enam. or insulated hoolup
.l.'O-pF bypass capacitor. At 7 and 14 toroid core wire. Primary leads exit from coro at one
MHz Ihc capacitor has negligible effect nn G12 - Motorola MRF449A stud-mount transis- opposite to seconoaiy leads.
tor.
circuit performance.
As was (he case with ihc sieges in our
broadband amplifier, decouplug of the
12-voli bus is necessary at Q12. This is ac-
complished by means of RFC9 and the AMPLIFIER
related bypass capacitors. Once again, QOOIB
bypassing is done for If, hf and vhf. 220
Since the amplifier is to operate in the
Class C mode, no forward bias is used at
the base ol Q12. For all practical pur- INPUT

poses, Q12 draws no current during key-

up conditions. When drive is applied (key
closed) the transistor is driven into ihc
cutoff region to establish Class C opera-
lion.
The collector load impedance of Q12 is
determined n the usual manner, where Zo t«CEPT A3 INDICATES, a£C:U*L
= Vcc-/2Pi>. Thus, for a 12-volt collector VALUES Of CA»fl;iT4NCE ABE

supply and a power output of 15 watts, we M MCSQFARAOS • >r i; OTHERS

ȣ in ficorimosisF on *>Fi;
ffsisiweea *« lii ohms;
t ••nnn. Mil ivimnA

QRP Classics 85
 PROM SID {20 Ni]
FROM 5:D(40 M) »iput

TO S1F

TO SID

SM.StLVEB wica

Fig. 12 —
Circuit lor the SWR
sensor (See
Fixed-value capacitors are dish ceramic.
text).
Fixed-value resistors are 1/2-vV composition.
Clt. C12 - 5-pF air variible. pc-ooaid mount.
Old. Cm - 1N270 or 1«HA riiode.
Ml — Small microampere meter. A 50-. 100.
or 200-uA type will be satisfactory.
R3 — 10-kl), linear-taper, carbon control, panel
mount.
RFCiO — Miniature 1-mH rt choke.
Fig. 1 1 — Pans placement guido lot the PA pc board. Paris are mounted on the pattern side ol Ihe T5 — 50 turns no. 26 enam. wire on T50-2
boafd; the shadei area in this view represents Ihe copper pattern on the component side, and Ihe loroid coio. Primary has 2 turns of no. 26
other side of the board is unetched copper groundplane. Decimal-value numbers alone represent enam. wire over center ol secondary
Raparftanr.rt in rrflfimlaradfi Whnlo-nunhor value* with nn units represent resistance in ohms. wincing

There arc no special precautions ic follow eluded Ihe SWR bridge shQWrl in Fig.. 12.
when assembling the amplifier, other than It not orly enables the operator to adjust I UT |*
keeping the component leads as short as the antennas for a low SWR when using a
Transmatch, but serves as a relative-
S>
possible. Double-sided pc board should be
used to minimize the chance for ground powcr-oulpui indicator when switched to AIT
the forward mode. A blow-by-blow cir-
loops (feedback): They could cause
amplifier instability.
The strip leads of QI2 should not be
cuit description will not be given here, as
this design was treated earlier in QSTC'A
® PIT
stressed when (hey are soldered in place. QRP Man's RF Power Meter." June.
• IIT
Allow a slight amount of slack for expan- I973i.
sion when the transistor is hculed during
— P ilMTTT
'

Assembly Notes
operation. Also, use care when tightening
Compusite Transmitter Rear view ot the WIFB vsrslon ol the Iransmtt
the transistor mounting nut. It should be
ter The heat sink is at the tar right. The phanc
drawn up just a "smidge" beyond the Doubb-sidcd pc-board material is used
lacks anfl key jacx are rjiouped at the left.
finger-tight point. A coating of iilicone for the cabinet of the WA0UZO version
grease (heat-siik compound) should be of the transmitter. Aluminum sheeting
placed on the transistor stud and metal was bent into a U shape to form the
fact near the base of the stud. This will WIFB prototype. The latter (HWD) is

improve the transfer of heat between, the 3-1/4 x

5-3/4 x 6 inches (83 x 146 x
hem sink and Q12. The heat sink is a 152 mm). The cover is a U-shapcd piece of
homemade unit which has been beni into perforated aluminum. T*o metal L
a U shape, ll is made from a ficcc of brackets are affixed on ihx- lower surface
1/1 6-inch (1.6- Tim) thick aluminum pJate, of the main chassis to ptrmit the box
2-1/2 X 3 inches (64 X 76mm) in size. cover to be secured by means of no. 6
Each lip is 1/2 inch (12.7 mm) high. The sheet-metal screws. The WAOUZO model
heal sink is affixed to the rear wall of the of ihe transmitter is slightly larger than
transmitter cahinet. and silicone grease is the WIFB version. He allowed room for
applied lo ihe joining surfaces. The stud mounting the modules horizontally. The
of QI2 and two no. 4-40 screws hold ihe vertical-mounting Tuniiai makes ii possi-
heat sink firmly in place. This mounting ble to realize greater miniaturization.
melhod also Ileitis the PA module in place Our VFO is contained in a separate
on the inner surface of ihe rear wa of theI compartment. The enclosure is made
cabinet. The pc-boaid layout is shown in from pc -board stock with the walls joined
Fig. II. by meens of solder. A U-shaped Fig. 13 —
Parts placeman! guide tor the

aluminum; top cover is placed on the VFO SWR sensor, K = Ihe cathode una ol a
SWR Indicator diode. Fractional markings such as "1/8"
assembly to prevent unwanted rf energy, signify mourning holes lo be drilled tuith
As a convenience gadget We have in- moisture and dirt from entering. The that size bit.

QRP Classics 86
cover is press-fUted over the* box walls. In The fronl and rear panels of the WIFB should deliver 2 tc 13 volts dc (regulated)
1

the author's unit the SWR-acnsor module unit were sprayed d ditik gieeu color. at 3 amperes. Needless to say, a 12-volt
is bolted to ;hc VFO top cover. Green Dymo tape labels were used to car battery is suitable. A dry-baitery pack
By ibis time you should have a pretty identify the controls: A
reasonably pro- is not recommended: The life span would
pood "handle" on how the collection of fessional appearance results front using be extremely short.
subassemblies are connected together. labels which arc the same color as the Motorola has included internal pro:ec-
The block diagram of Fig. prDvidcs the1 panel. Finally, four adhesive- backed tton for their MRF449A transistor (QI2>,
essential information. Alt of she signal plastic feet were affixed to the bottom of so damage should lot occur during short
leads should be made of shielded cable if the cabinet. periods of operation when a mismatch
they are more than two inches (51 mm) in greater than, say. 2:1 exists. This circuit
length. RG-I74/U sub miniature Closing Remarks
coaxial has been tested inlo a dead short and a
cable is excellent for the purpose. Thetoroid cores used in this project are full-open load condition (key down) for
The maio-tuning dial is 3 vernier available from Amidon Associates, G. R. periods of 30 secords, and no damage to
mechanism (Calcclro or Philnorc). A Whitcnousc and Palomar Engineers the PA stage resulted.
large knob can be used as a substitute for (check QSTads). it is suggested that the This two-band transmitter should pro-
the one which comes with the dial, as the builder ask these suppliers for their vide many years of reliable operation. It is
original k a bit who have
small for those catalogs, as some of the ci her components hoped Ilia some useful information •vas
I

large lingcn. A
Kurz-Kasch aluminum for the transmitter may be found in their passed along to those who aren't heavily
knob was used on Ihe prototype model product lines. It would also be prudent to immersed in solid-naic design theory If
after its depth was reduced on a lathe scan the flea markets for parts. nothing more, let's hope we have negated
(courtesy ofWlSL). The power supply for this transmitter :hc "Freddie syndrome" effectively.

Ofcull-board etching patterns tor iho 7- and ew ttanfimilief (OeMaw, "Transmitter Deeign- -Emphaeie on Anatomy," in tour parte). B)ac<
-epresents copper. AH patterns are rhown at actual size liom the foil side ol Ihi circuit board. Sae trie drawings referenced below (or parts-laycul
^formation. At A, the VFO circuit beard (Fig 3, Part 1). Ai B. ihe doubier/break-in delay board (Fig 5. Part 2). At C. the broadband amptilier board
Pig a. Part 3). Ai D. the SWH sensor (Fig 13. Part 4),

QRP Classics 87
Circuit-board etching patterns for tie 7- and 14-MHz cv* transmitter (continues). Shown here is
the power-amplifier circuit board, which appoats in Fig 11. Part 4 ol the series. This citcuii
board is double sided, the component-side (oil being used only as a groundpane. Thai pattern
is not shown as it contains only claarance holes (or ihc component leads.

10 WAIT
POWE

Pi

QRP Classics 88
From February 1986 QST, p 23:

Four Watts, QSK,

for 24.9 MHz
Here's your chance to try the 24.9-MHz band at minimum WARC
cost. This transmitter is a fine mate for the 24.9-MHz converter
described in April 1 985 QST.
3y Doug DeMaw. W1FB
ARRL Contrituting Editor
"O Box 250, Luther, Ml H96SB

What wc
24.9-MHz band?
might expect from the
Well, it
new
has
operated as a third-overt one oscillator. Tl
and T2 arc shielded transformers with
;W7Z01) to provide QSK operation: He
jsed two rcvcrsc-ccnnected 1N914 diodes
similar propagation characteristics tuned primary windings. They are arranged as the shorting element during transmit.
lo the 10-metcr band. It also exhibits some to provide an impedance transformation The measured RMS RF voltage on the
of the cf ihc 15-mctcr band. Unfor-
traits between the collectors ard bases of the rcccive-antenna line (key down) is approxi-
tunately, it is affected by sun-spot activity related iransisiors. This helps to ensure mately 0.4 with a Mi-ohm termination. II
:n a like mai.ncr to the other two bands maximum RF-power tramfer. The tuned diodes are used instead of Q6, the RMS
above and below 24 MHz. Therefore, we transformers reject most of the unwanted voltage will be on the order of 0.7, key
are in a period of propagation ebb, owing harmonic energy before it reaches the down.
:o diminishec sunspots. driver and PA You may substitute
stages. Cl4and L4 havea reactance of roughly
Low power and reasonable antennas will toroidal transformers and trimmer 400 ohms. They scn'e as a series-tuned cir-
do the job on 24.9 MHz as effectively as capacitors at Tl and T2 r you so desire. cuit to minimize loss of signal to the
:n 2$ MHz. That is, it is not difficult to Q3 serves as a broadband, class- A linear receiver during the receive period. FL1
;njoy worldwide communications with less amplifier. It is the driver for the MRF475 \erves as a filler ahead of the receiver, shce
than 10 watts. With this thought in mind, power amplifier, Q4, which operates class ihe station antenna is attached to the
plus an affinity toward being miserly when C for maximum efficiency. A 7-section nutput of FL1. Some insertion loss is
-jilding a new rig, I designed the transmit- low-pass filter (FLl)is used as the output present, but attenuation of the received
ter described here. You may build a network to attenuate harmonic energy. The signals is not significant.

duplicate model from scratch, or you have constants for FL1 were taken from The 51 can be added to allow zero beathg.
-he option of purchasing a complete kit ARRL Handbook (sec filter tables in the it removes operating voltage from Q3.
from 3 vendor.' transmitting chapter). The power output which helps lessen receiver overloading
from this transmiiier is 4 walls into a when you want lo spot your iransmiitcr
Circuit Details
5U-ohni load wilh an operating voltage of signal. D2 is used as a dc gate to prevent
The transmitter of Fig features full-
1 12, and key-down current of 800 mA. the * 12 V from reaching Q5, Q6 and the
reak-in operation (QSK). Operation re- accessory terminal (I). The diode allcws
quires only a key or keyer, antenna, a 12- TR Switching
current to flow from Q5 to Ql ard Q2 (key
:o 14-V, 800-mA (or greater) regulated Q5 and Q6 of Fig I provide dc switching down), but blocks the flow of current when
rower supply (or car battery") and you, the that enables the circuit to be classified as SI is set for the spot function.
uucrator. There h a tci initial to which the QSK. Q5 i* a PNP keying switch thai 52 can be added for tune-up or Trans-
receiver antenna line connects (tcrmi nal C operates Ql and Q2 for CW use. When the match adjustments. If your key or keyer
;ȣ Fig 1). key is closed, Q5 triggers NPN transistor has a hold function, you may eliminate
Although crystal control is specified, a Q6 intc the ON state, thereby shorting the S2.
VFO can be substituted for YI. Ql is receiver- antenna line (C) to ground during Key-down dc voltages have been noted
(he transmit period. This prevents damage at various points
in the circuit of Fig I.
to the f-ont end of the receiver or converter These havebeen added to aid in
used with the transmioer. A similar troubleshooting. The measurements were
sotes appear at end ot article. technique was used by Wes Hayward made with a Simpson 260 VOM. A 1-raH

QRP Classics 89
Fig l—Schomali; diagram ol the 24.9UH3 transmitter. Capacitors are disc ceramic unless otherwise noiad. Polarized eapacLors arc tantalum or
electrolytic type-'. Resistors are V*- or Vi-W carbon composition units. Numbers inside circles indicate <ey-down dc voltages. Numbered
components not appearing below are den titled numerically for PC-board layout purposes only.
D1-S V, aOO-mV. Zener diode. = 900). ;two) FT-50-43 fetrite loroid cores. Use
D2— 50 PRV. A 1 T1, T2— Frimary inductance is 0.3B fiH. Use 10 turns of same wire forsecondary.
LI. L3—0.265-pH inductor. Use B lurnsol 6 turns of no 26 enam wire en bobbin ol Y1— Overtone crystal, 30-pF load capacltanco
no 24 enam wire Dn an Amidon Assoc T50-6 Amldor Assoc L57-6 shielded transformer HC-6/U holder. International Crystal Mfg Co
loroid core. unit. Secondary has 4 turns of same wire. lype GP. and plastic PC-board mount holder.
L2 — 05-i'H inductor. Use 13 turns of T3— BroaJband transformer. Primary contains Cnoose frequency for favored portion ol
no 24 enam wire on a T50-6 toroid core. 10 turn3 ot no 24 enam wire on an FT-50-43 Ihe band. Do not attempt 12-m operation
L4— Ld and C14 lava reactances of 403 ohms. ferrite loroid. Use 2 turns ol same wire tor with a 12.450-MHz furdamental crystal.
L4 Is a 2.27.„H Inductor. Use 24 turns secondary. Spread secondary over all of Substantial tundamental energy will appear
o f 26 etiaii xiie un T50-G lurukJ cure.
i
primary in the ironamlHer output it Q1 la used
HFCl— Use 6 turns ol no 22 enam wire on an T4— Broa3band transformer. Primary has as an oscillator/doubter.
Amidon Assoc FT-37-43 ferrite toroio 7 turns of no 24 enam wire cn stacked

RF choke was used between the positive causing false readings. These voltages may ground across 50 ohms was 14. This in-
lead of the VQM
and the leE point vary slightly in accordance with the beta of dicates aboui 4 W
of output power:
measured. This prevents unwan;cd RF the tranustors used in your circuit. The Operating voltage was 12. My RMS
energy from reaching the instrument and RMS output voltage measursd from (A) to measurements were made with a Hewletl-

QRP Classics 90
 Packard VTVM and RF probe (hat is rated ter and listen to the note in your receiver:
DRIVER to 900 MHz. However, an ordinary VTVM The keying should be chirpless. If chirp is
and homemade RF probe (sec TheARRL heard, adjusi Tl for minimum chirp.
Handbook) will work equally well. Should this not resolve the problem, experi-
Regulated voltage is ensured for Ql by ment with the value of feedback, capacitor
the addition of Zcncr diocte Dl; it sets the CI until a clean CW note is heard. I tried
voltage level at +8. The lower oscillator- three available crystals at Yl, and in all in-
operating voltage helps to cisurc frequency stances a good CW
note resulted,
stability of Yl by limiling the crystal I purposely made the CW shaping a t>ii

current. "hard." I have found this useful when

Paraiitic suppression is aided by using operating at QRP levels. The shaping may
R4, R9. CIO and CI 3. These components be "softened" by changing the value of
act as lew reactances at VHF, but have little C23 (Fig 1). Start with a value of P F. Tiis 1

effect en circuit operation at 24.9 MHz. Will round off the trailing edge o f the wave
form. Increasing the capacitance of C24
Chcckuul uud Opcruliun will also affect the ;haping.
Our first assignment after completing the
assembly is to give the PC board (non- Summary Remarks
component side) a thorough visual inspec- The Motorola MRF475 may be difficult
tion to make certain we have no unsoldered t3 locate. Other transistors of the same
joints or unwanted circuit bridges between general specifications may be used at Q4.
unrelated PC-board foils, A magnifying A 2SC2092 works well as a direct subsiiiuic
glass is ideal for this step in the checkout. and is available by mail.'
Make certain (hat all transistors are A scale template for the doublc-sidcd PC
mounted correctly on the circuit board. board is provided in Fig 3; parts placement
Fig 2 indicates the placement of the tran- is indicated in Fig 2.
sistor case tabs when the transistors are There is no reason why this general cir-
Fit tr
M =26MHll viewed from their tops.
LI L2 L3 cuit can't be modified for other amateur
Connect your power supply to the rig. bands in the HF spectrum. All that needs
i~rrr\rrrr\_-rrrr^_ Attach a 50-ohm load to <A). Place SI in to be changed are CI, the collector tun:d
Am the spot position and switch S2 to off. circuits ot'QI and Q2, the constants of FLI
CIS 180 15° son
CI6.
5M Tune your receiver to the transmitter fre- dee The ARRL Handbook), C14 and L4.
quency. If a signal is heard, adjust Tl and Of course. Yl must be chosen for tie
f, 7 T2 for maximum S-meter deflection. The desired operating frequency.
transformer tuning will be broad, so don't VFO design data are contained in The
be alamed if the change ir meter reading ARRL Handbook and the ARRL book.
is small Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur
Place SI in the opr position and close (out of print). I suggest that the VFO ie
S2 (TUNE). Measure the power output by operated at half freqiency (12.45 MHz) to

^™ cir

IMS?
01 ICJ
means of an RF power meter, VTVM and
RF probe, or oscilloscope wilh a 30-MHz
or greater bandwidth.
reduce the potential of chirp
transmitter is keyed.
(preferably a push-pish doubler) should be
A
when
doublcr stage
the

If all systems are "go," key the transmit- used to raise the VFO output frequency io

-IS2— Pans-piaoemen i guide ror me 24-Mm transmitter ku Doard. as viawed iron ihe component side ol the Ooard. R23 Is mounted Delow tne
:-ard on the appropriate solder pads.

QRP Classics 91
ihc 24-MHz band. VFO output should be while using an experimental license on the new band.
approximately 2- to 3-V RMS across a (KM2XQV) granted bv the FCC. Manv
Nates
500-ohm load. more QSOs were made under my amateur
Even during mediocre propagat.on con- call after the 12-m band became available
•Chuck Hood. Circuit Board Specialists. PO Box
969. Pueblo. CO 81002. tel 303-542-5083. PC
ditions I have found 24 MHz to fcc an in- to us on June 21, 1985. Certainly, under boards or complete hits available.
teresting band. During 1984, I made skip conditions you should have a lot of fun ^Deleted.

numerous tests on (he band with oihers with tfaii Httle^watterllhcpetoraettyciu For updated supplier addresses, see ARRL Parts
Supplier List in Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 92
 .

From February 1988 QST, p 30:

Some QRP-Transmitter Design

Tips
Full QSK is beneficial
during QRP CW work. It is

easy achieve without

to
relays at low power levels.

By Doug DeUaw, W1FB

ARRL Contributing Edilot
X
Lumet MU9656

You {QSK:
rruy discover that full break-in
is an advantage for your
QRP operating. It provides an
opportunity to listen to your operating fre-
quency during key-up periods. This lets you frequency of 705O kHz. The load
know if QRM is present, or if :he other capacitance of Yl is 30 pF. C2 of Fig I

station is transmitting because the opera- permits the crystal frequency to be moved
tor thought you stood by. (Thcr: may be from 7C45 to 7052 kHz. Greater inductance
times when yaur signals fade to such low ai RFCI will allow a wider frequency shift, eIIows plenty of leeway for the collector
levels that the person with whom you are but at the cost of frequency stability. The voltage lo swing beyond 12 volts in RF or
.-omm unseating thinks you're standing by.) 7-kHz swing yields crystal controlled audio service. Typically, the RF collector
QSK can save wasied words in litis silua- liability,even during wide excursions of voltage (sine wave) will rise io twice the
tion. Full break-in is also beneficial during ambicn: temperature, this is important power supply value,' or 24 volts for a 12-V
Q RP Field Day operation. It saves time and when operating QRP during Field Day or cc supply during CW operation.
;an lead to a higher score. on camping trips; vasr remjrrnNin'rhangr.* The cost for MPS-UOls is quite low—
This article is directed at those of you may occur from day to night. The negative another advantage. I bought lOof them as
who like to build simple rigs. There is no feature of the Fig VXO is that C2 must
I surplus for 39 cents each. They arc listed
practical project included, but the circuit be insulated from ground. !n other words, as new devices <88 ceils each) in the Circiit
In Fig! is a practical one. I built and tented both the rotor and stator must be above Specialists catalog.' Numerous other high
the iransmi:ter for the purpose of ground The tuning capacitor can be fj audio/switching transistors are suitable
optimizing the performance, and to ensure mounted on a plastic bracket to achieve for RF power amplifier use as well. Pick
thai each stage operates as stated in this isolation. a device that has an fj of five or mere
presentation R5 and R13 of Fig 1 art used io lower limes the operating frequency. This will

C ircuit Features
theQ of RFCI and RFC2. Too great a Q ensure ample gain at the desired frequency.
causes crud to appear at the leading edge 1 used simple eapaeiiivc coupling
I will discuis the highlights of the Fig I of the keyed waveform (spurs). The resis- tetween Ql and Q2. C4 is selected to pro-
jiicuil so you can understand how they tors cure this problem. CI is a feedback vide 1.5 watts of output from Q2. In my
-ork. This should help you des gn QRP capacitor. The value is chosen to provide circuit I needed 33 pF of capacitance.
.ransmitters en your own. Understanding chirpless keying and high oitput from Q I Larger values will increase the transmitter
functions is also use'ul
:h.e circuit when You mty need to experiment with the Cl power, but at the rist of exceeding the ssfe
:roubleshooihg is necessary. value. The crystal nciiviiy and the gain of rulings of Q2. The Hjht coupling provided
Refer to Fig 1 . A VXO (variable crystal your particular Ql transistor will dictate ihe ty C4 minimizes oscillator loading. Too
oscillator) is used at Ql to generate the optimum value for CI. great a value atC4 can kill the oscillation
iignal. Unlike most VXOs, this one takes cf Ql. Ichose the 1.5-W output power to
:he form of the familiar Pierce oscillator. KF Power Amplifier cause the Q2 collector impedance to be 48 0.
I find this circuit more suitable for my I like to experiment with transistors that This is determined from Z = V„2/2P ,
-ccds than is the more common Colpitis arc not intended to be used for RF appli- where V cc the collector io emitter a*c
is

VXO. The advantages are that no tuned cations. The Motorola fv'PS-U02 is an voltage, and P c ,
is the power output. This
?utpul circuit is required to develop example, a device that was designed foi enabled me to use a 50-11 filter (FL1)
adequate exci:atton for the subsequent RF audio and switching use. It is frequently without a broadband matching transformer
<:agc. Also, C2 (frequency control) will used as one half of a complementary between Q2 and FL1. A heal sink is re-
r*ing the crystal frequency above and symmetry audio amplifier (paired with an quired on the tab of Q2 io minimize the
T'Clow the marked value. Most Colpitis MPS-U52). The fj (upper frequency limit) transistor junction t-mperaiure. A l-in:h
VXOs do allow the crystal to be
not is ISO MHz, and it can handle up to 'Circuit Specialists, PO Box 3047, Scottsdaie,
AZ 85257. Phone 1-800-528-1417 when
"rubbered" above the marked frequency. 800 mA of continuous collector current. ordering. Catalog available.
My tests were made with an AT-cji plated The specifications strongly suggest RF
rrysial in an HC-6 holder (International power isc! The maximum V CP0 (collector F3t updated supplier addresses, see APtRL Pais
Crystal Mfg Co no. 433U3) with a marked to emitt;r voltage, base open) is +40. This Suppliers List rn Chapter 2.

ORP Classics 93
 VXD
t mh:
fCW AS INKATED, MCt«**i
VALUES OF CAPACITAVCE APE
IN MICTOMHA05 1 .F |; OTHERS
AOE ifl P MFARMJS ( pF li

-O TO RX
ANT JACK

! 200 mfi)

Pig 1 —Schematic diagram ol the lest Iranemitler. Fixed-^alue capacitors are disc ceramic unloes otherwise- noiod. Polarized capacitors
are tantalum or eleclrolytic. Resistors are '^-W carbon composition.
C2— 100-pF miniature- air variable oi 10- LI, L2— 1.3-fiH inductor. Usa 18 turns ot RFCl. RFC2, RFC3— Miniature ferrito core
lOO pF compression irimmer with shall. no. 26 enam wire on an Arridon Assoc RF choke.
C10, C11, CI 2— Polyslyrene or silver mica. T-37-2 toroid. —
RFC4 12 turns of no. 26 onam wire on ar
Dl— Rectifier dixie, 50 PRV. 1 A. L3— 10-uH induclor. Use 45 lurns of no. 28 Amidon Assoc FT-37-43 ferrite toroid
—
D2, D3 Small-signal switching dioda, enam wire on an Amidon Assoc T-50-2 {850 ft
1N914 or equiv. lo raid. S1— DPDT toggle or slide switch.
Y1 Fundamental crys:al (see text).—
square piece of no. 6 gauge aluminum or
1 capacitances is 80 pF. This value must be technique was popularized by Wes
copper was suitable for my test circuit. A deducted from 300 pF (no-mal CIO and Hayward, W7Z01. in some of his QRP
iO-minute key-down period at 1.5 out- W CI2 value) if the filter is to perform transmitters that featured lull QSK. I us;
put caused the transistor and heat sink to properly. A 220-pF capacitor is, therefore, the diodes as backup protection, should Q*
be moderately warm to the touch. appropriate for CIO. Additional harmonic fa.l to operate for some reason.
reduction results from operating Q2 in the TRcircuit sampling capacitor C7 should
Harmonic Fitter dais- A linp.ir modp T)\ provides approxi- have a reactance no less than 400 t.V Smaller
The FCC of emissions require-
purity mately 0.7 V of forward bias for Q2. The reactance values will rob transmitter out-
ment is more power output under
liberal at ciass-A mode reduces the excitation re- put power when the key is closed. Some
5 W. A five-section low-pass filter (FL I of quirement for Q2, which is also a benefit. pewer is sacrificed with the value shown for
Fig 1) is ample to comply with regulations. A similar RF amplifier. Operated in class C7 , but it is minimal. The trade-off
A sevcn-clcmcDt filter would offer greater C, would require significantly more RF associated with this type of TR circuit is a
attenuation of :he 2nd and 3rd harmonics, and
drive, the harmonic output would be slight signal loss during receive, owing to
should that be your desire. My fil.er con- somewhat higher in amplitude. ih: small value for C7. Both Hayward and
stants were obtained from the normalized Lcwallen (W7EL) redjeed this problem by
filter tables in :he transmitting chapter of
TR Circuit adding L3 in the receive antenna line. L3
The ARRL Handbook. chose an fM I You will note in Fig I that a TR has the same reactanc; as C7. This permits
(cutoff frequency) of 8 MHz. The ripple (transmtt-receive) circuit is included. Q3 is C7 and L3 to form a series-resonant circuit
Taclor is 0.01 for FL 1 The ripple
. indicates a PNP ic switch that applies operating at the operating frequency, which in (urn
the relative flan , (lack of amplitude dips voltage to Ql when the key is closed. Key reduces the loss in the receive signal that
and peaks) of tie peak portion of trie filter closure shorts the base of Q3 to ground, is fed to the receiver. A slug-tuned col

response curve, and this causes it to conduct. During con- (variable inductor) at L3 would help D
I f FL 1 were icrminated at each end :»ith duction, 4 12 Vis connected ioQI through make the series circuit exactly resonant.
a 50-ft nonreactive (purely resistive) load. the junction of Q3. The keyed + 12 V is I measured the RF voltage from the

ClO and C12 would have the same value. routed also to NPN switch Q4. This re:eive antenna line to ground with a
However, we must recognize (he transistor transistor also conducts when the key is Tektronix 453A scope during key down. It

output capacitance (20 pF for an MPS- closed. Al full saturation the Q4 collector- is 200 mV P-P
(70.7 mV
RMS) across
U02), stray circuit capacitance (roughly emitter junction closes and this shorts the 50 li. This potential will not harm any
10 pF) and the value of the TR sampling d receiver, solid state or tube type.
receive line to ground through
antenna Q .

capacitor, C7. During kev-down periods. D2 and 03 also accomplish this function, Additional TR control is possible if voj
C7 Is switched in parallel with ClOvia D2, but leuvj a icmJuuI RF vu.tuge uf 0.7 V connect an outboard NPN switch lo ihc
D3 and Q4. The approximate total of these RMS on the receive line. The shunt-diode keyed + 12 V (between 03 and Q4>. The

QRP Classics 94
 .

latter regard myself. One tends io justify The shaping-net work values in Fig I ensure
CLICKS on CLICKSON hard keying as being somewhat more a keyed waveform that is clicklcss, but hard
HAKE BREAK effective at the QRP level, and in a sense enough to give "presence" to the CW nole.
this is true. However, under no circum- The frequency-control values for the VXO
stances should the keyed wave cause clicks. in Fig 1 prevent the signal from sounding

The dividing line between acceptable hard chirpy when the VXO is keyed by Q3.
LlOOING
EOfiE
(A)
\ »TFAILING
EDGE
keying and dicky keying ii rather thin! It
Final Comments
is better io stay on the safe .'ide and attempt

HUUHUtU RO'mOEti to obtan a keyed wave thai has a 5 ms rise I addedSI to facilitate frequency
CORNER
'

CCHNER and fali time, which is considered entirely spotting without placing the transmitter on
acceptable. This represents a clickless wave tie air. S1A closes the key line to turn on
that has a fast enough recovery time to Q3. SIB removes operating voltage frcm
fllSE TIME DECAV TIME permit very high speed keying. Too long Q2 at the same *ime. This reduces ihe signal

( KEV DOWN ) IKE* UP I a decay lime (key up) will limit the useful sirength of the beat note heard in ray
keying speed we can apply. Fig 2 shows a receiver. In other words, it is not so strong
hard, clicky wave at A. The drawing at B lhat it overwhelms my receiver. SIB also
illustrates a wave with rounded corners that prevents the transmitter signal from
docs not cause clicks. Fig 2C shows a soft reaching the antenna during zero beating
IC)
EXCESSIVE wave with a long tail. This waveform is or spotting.
OEC*T TIME unsuitable for fast keying. You may feel that a VXO is not nearly
The waveform from your transmitter can as desirable as a VFO. I confess that 7 kHz
Fig 2— Exampes ot keyed HF wavslorms. be examined by sampling the transmitter of frequency swing :s a small amount, but
The illuslralior at A
shows hard keying RF output energy across a 50-Q load. Rapid the VXO is stable under most conditions,
wiih square waveform corners. This keying o f ihe transmitter will cause the RF and this appeals to me during operation
waveform causes clicks on Iho mako and envelope io he displayed on the scope tuhe. afield. It is noi a severe handicap to carry
break ot the key. An acceptable waveform Waveform shaping is accomplished in two or three crystal; when camping. This
is shown at 8. The corners are taindod to
Fig I by means of C 16, CI?, Rll andR12. provides sufficient frequency coverage of
remove clicks and the decay time s
lengthened sonewhal over that shown at Bypass capacitors in the keyed circuit (such the 40-meter band. In fact, you may wish

A. Soft keying is shown at C. The decay as C5 End C15) also affect the shaping. to include a low-capacitance crystal selector
time has been increased over that at A and The decay lime (trailing edge of the switch if you build a VXO rig of this type.
3. This waveform is not suitable (or high waveform) is affected by C16, CI7. Rll But remember the more stray
thai
speed keying. See the text for addlional and the bypass capacitors mentioned capacitance you introduce in the crystal cir-
ata. above. R 2 affects the attack time (leading
1 cuit, the smaller will be
edge of ihe waveform). In fact, you may of a given crystal.
add additional resistance between R 12 and My purpose in wiring this article is to
outboard transistor switch can then be used the key jack io shape the leading edge of pass along some design hints that you may
for receiver muting, or for actuating a small the waveform, Values up to 10 kfi are not have considered. The points I luve
I2-V relay, which may, in turn, serve as a suitable. The larger the resistance of R 1 1 covered are among the most frequently
receiver muting control. the slower the waveform decay time. The asked questions I receive concerning QRP
Rl value shown allows the base of Q3 to
I transmitters. The main point I want to
The Keyed Waveform return quickly to + 12 V, (hereby cutting make is thai you car build your own gear,
Many homemade QRP transmitters arc off ihe Q3 conduction (key up) quickly. and it takes lit! le additional time or mor.ey
deficient in harmonic suppression and This face was brought to my attention b* to develop a circuit that operates cleanly
.eyed wave shaping. I have been lax in the Ed Hare, KAICV. of the ARRL lab staff End reliably.

QRP Classics 95
From November 1986 QST, p 43:

A QRP Transmitter for 30 Meters

t«w°i *3 "PWic. zw:muss c e

C*P»OTANCI tag itl urCaOrtfli&S ,f i i

pnm *«i w ncoAMMtB*

FESISTiNCSl HBE C— VS. ».
il.

* Heat sink

KEY

Fig 1— Aschomailc diagram ol lh& QRP transmitter lor 30-meter operation Fixed-value capacitors are disc ceramic. Inductor cores are available
Vnidon Associates or Patomar Engineers. 2 The enclosure is from Radio ShacK* (RS-270-251). and the circuit board is from Circuit Board
1-

ing paltern for this circuit appears on p 11.

Y1— Fundamental-mode crysial tor the L —30 turns, AWG no. 24 enameled wire J2— Phone jack or phono
30-me'er band. on a T-50-2 core. jack.
01— 2N2222A or oquiv. L2 3 turns, AWG no. 34 cnnmclcd wtrc
02— 2N3553 or equiv. over L1.
03— 2N*036 or equiv. L3— 13 turns, AWG no. 22 enameled wire Amidon Associates. 12033 Otsego St. North
Cl— 150-pF mica trimmer. ARCO no. 424. on a T-50-2 core. Hollywood. CA 31607. let 213-760-1429.
C2— 470- H F. 25-V electrolytic or tantalum RFC1-30 turns, AWG no. 28 enameled •Patomar Engineers. PO Boa 455. Escondido. CA
capacitor. wire on an FT-37-S2 core 92025. tel 619-747-3343.
C3. C4— 330-pF silver-mica or polystyrene J1-SO-239. 'Circuil Board Specialists. PO Bo* 969. Pueblo. CO
capacitor. 81002. tel 303-642-5083.
For updated supplier addresses, see AFHL Parts
Suppliers List n Chapter 2.

_ Fig 1 ihows an inexpensive transmitter for nent values shown in the schematic, h
the 30-raeter band. The combination of addition, the antenna output jack was
excellent propagation characteristics and a changed to an SO-239 (to suit my personal
relativelylow QRM
level on this band make preference), and a ground stud was added i?
solid communication routine at QRP levels. the enclosure (see Fig I). My circuit is built
The circuit shown was adapted from a on a printed circuit board as in the original
W7Z01 design shown in "Experimenting for article. The transistors ihown differ from th:
the Beginner" by Doug DeMaw, W1FB. in orginal design only because they wer*
the September 1981 issue of QST. The available in my junk box.
transmitter can be pui on 30 meters with The transmitter performance is excellent,
relative case. and the keying is clean. Output power is
The only major changes required were to exactly wan when using a 12.8-v dc supply
|
Fig 2—
An intenbr view of the QRP :rans-
resonaie ihc oscillator output circuit, and (rrcaMired with a v t vm and a Mi-U resistor.'. mitter as conve-led (or 30 meters. The heat
sink is on 02.
filter the amplifier output on the new Excellent signal repors have been received
frequency. This was done by changing the from stations in New Brunswick, Florida anJ
number of turns in LI and selecting an from as far wcsl as Kansas-— Frank Piirnar.
appropriitc range for Cl A new output filter
. WD4DDS, 12 E Lakeshare Dr. Rome, GA
<C3, C4, L3> was designed using the compo- 301 61

QRP Classics 96
 .

From February I9e4 OST, p 16:

A Two-Transistor Transmitter for 30 Meters

came up with the one shown at Fig. 1. The cir-

0*«e v cuit is simple and inexpensive. It uses
fundamental -type crystal* in PT-243 holder*,
which arc easy to obtain from a variety of sources.
»1 AM The .rartsmitter output is almost 1 .5 W, and the
harmonics are 34 dB down from the fundamen-
16 «.

- 10-80
O.BpH
^ tal. With a reasonably stoctcd junk box the total

cost for this transmitter siould be under $10.

My antenna system is a 150-ft random wire
"IE0.
ADJ and i Transmatch. A two-position coax switch
1

is used to change between .ransmit and receive.

. ISO I Ica.'c my receiver active during transmit, and

r s.*». ii provides a nice sidetone. Keying either the

?20 positive or negative power-supply leads seemed

like the easiest method to me. The keying
waveform is a bit soft, bvi don't believe the
l

slight chirp isobjectionable. Others may wish

M. • 5<LVE« MICA to experiment with allernilc keying methods.
C1C(0I AS 'MJtCATEO, CECIU1L VALUES 3'
UfMJUM a*i :s wic«ou«An t »f i I built my rig on a piece of perf board, and
Di *n: on
: -t : , i. i i rr mouited the circuit Inside of an aluminum box,
=ESiST*» :!. ape « omts;
• icoo.wioso o;o. as shown in Fig. 2. An etch ng pattern and parts-
placement diagram are shown in Fig. 3. Many
of the parts arc available fram RADIOK3T. Cir-
=,g. 1 —
Schemati: diagram ol a simple 30-m iransmltier bull) by KB4PY. Resistors are Y*-W.
cuit Board Specialists also has a PC board and
^fbon-composilior lypes. Capacitors are d'sc ceramic, except CI.
a complete kit of parts available for this project.
CI — 10- ID 80-pF mica Irimmer. RFC1 — 103-f.H RF choke, such as Miller
ised an oscilloscope and frequency counter
=31 — FB43-101 lerrite bead. pad no. 4632.
I

LI — 13 turns no. 22 enameled wire on a Y1 — Fundamental-type crystal in FT-243

to align the circuit. Alternatively, use a calibrated
rwnnvpr, nnrl nine f~l for maximum output.
" -35 -j loroid core (yellow), 0.8 uH. llOlUet [01 any flBlJUefH.7 III tl«! 10-MMi
I

.2 — 30 (urns no. 28 enameled wire on an amateur band. h opc others have as much un with this little rig
FT37-63 loroid core, 15 >iH. as have.—Paul Hoffman, KB4PY. 4502 Indian
I

Hi!h Rd. Decatur. 39601. AL

•m = M x 0.3048, mm = In x 25.4

2 When I decided !o become active on the 30-m

aaad, warned io juild a simple transmitter. 1
I

iive a Yaesu FT-10IE that receive?; WWV on

10 MHz. Others may have gcncral-co/cragc
stivers, and need only a transmitter. April 1983
OST described an daborale 30-m rig. Bti even 1

a : transmitter seel on in more than just a "junk

box" project.
Alwr lesiing a variety of other circuits, 1 finally

* Da-Maw. "Pulling the '8P6 Special Hamca-

'ton Rln' on 10 MH7." OST. April 1983. pp IMl.

-^2 — Pholo showing the construction (8)

echnique used by KEWPY on his 30*m ORP
:~f mitiBr. Notp if-? heal sink used on 02, If
,ou use point-tc-pont wiring, as shown, I may Fig. 3 —
A 3C-board etching paltsrn Is given at A. Black represents urtetched copper, viewed
;.a noTAesAry tn rorturo rha valup nf lha from the toll eido ot tha board. Tho pattern Is ehown actual elio. 9 chows a porta placement
•30-pF silver-mica capacitor. The author used diagram. Components are placed on the non-foil side o' the board; the shaded area represents
i value of 82 pF in his original design. an X-ray vie* ol Iho copper pattern.

QRP Classics 97
From May, ',079 QST, p 27:

A VMOS FET Transmitter for

10-Meter CW
Vertical metal-oxidesemiconductor FETs are new on the
amateur scene. Here is a practical construction project that
makes use of the Siliconix VN88AF.
By Wes Hayward,- W7ZOI

/
A Vllhough QRP cw operation has been dicatians ate that the system should be kHz. With the components shown',
(lie major passion at W7Z01 for many eminently reproducible. i 25-kll/ range obtained
is at 14 MHz.
years. 10 Riders is a band thai has been ;Somc experimentation may l>e required
Circuii Details with (he number ot turns on L to obtain
bypassed. The reason is not clear, for it's I

hard to find a better frequency during The hean of the transmitter, the rf the desired range.! As shown, the circuit
periods of high sunspot activity. The rig chain, is shown in lig. I. Ql serves as a tunes (rum 14,025 down id about 1 4.001
described here is a long-overdue remedy crystal Colpitis oscillator with ihe crystal kH-. If theinductor LI is shorted, ihecir-
ftjl this ncgkct. operating on the inductive side or ntil will tunc from lite marked crystal fre-
1 1 was decided to try one of the new ver- resonance. The crystal normally used in aueney upward about 1(1 kll/.
tical semiconductor ficld-
mcial-oxide this circuii has a marked frequency of Not all crystals will function well in his
effect transistors' power amplifier,
as a
rniher than lo use a conventional ap-
proach lo transmitter design. Experiments
with earlier VMOS 1-liTs were encourag-
Side view o) VUOS
trie IO meter FET Iransmiltor. No atlempl was made to miniaturize the unit
Tne linal amplifier. 05. is visible ai the lower leli Tne cryslal is immediately lo ihe left ol the
ing. However, the devices were cither ex- variable capar.llcr. Tne connector at Ihe upper right is lor ihe receiver
pensive or completely unavailable. Today,
plastic medium power devieva Ore readily
available for less than S2.
Thi* iratisfsiOf chosen ivas the Siliconix
VN88AF. With SO-voll drain-io-gatc and
diain-to-snuice breakdown voltages anil a
peak current capability id* } ainvrc-.. the

device appeared ideal. The major Ihmia-

[Lons are ihe powei dissipation of 5 waits 1

and Hie presence ol a protection gcnCT

diode ai the gale. The taller turned out to
be majoi constrain for cw operation.
a i

(We'll have more comments aboiil thai

later.!
Modern operating practices dicmic ihe
need For some degree of frequency agility.
A I4-.MII/ VXO was.cllOW-'l) for rroQucii-
ey control. A clean balanced doublet pro-
v ides the required 28-MH/. signal. Low-
Icvel stages with an abundance of stabi-
lizing negative feedback Increase the
power to drive the VMOS final. All in-

'TYehiiteal AaV&ui, /VKRL. "00 S. W. Diiwdfc

A\*~4 Ucivtilon, (IK
•
" >

'Notes appear at end ot article.

QRP Classics 98
: igI. —
Rl chain lor ihe VMOS FET transmitter. All resistors aro Vs-wail composition and capacitors are disk ceramic unless otherwise specilieG.
Tolerances are t '0 percent. The + 12 T indicates 12 V during transmit periods only (see Fig 2). The Superlex VN5-A is an equivalonl part for
•ne VN88AF (Siliconix) VMOS transistor. Siliconlx parts ara almost impossible to purchase In small quantities, but HarnittornAvnel outlets seem tc
-ave a limited number ol the Ifansisltts for single-lot purchases.

;i — aco-pF air variable, Anted 695-4200 or LI —7.2 jiH, 40 turns no. 24 wire on L8 - 0.3 U H. 10 tu rns no 24 wire on Amidon
"•37-6 Core.
cQui». AmiflonT-80-6 core.
II C3 - 65-cF trimmer. Allied 7B204W or L2 — 067 t<K 17 turns no 26 w re on LG — Rl chohe, appro*. 1.3 M H. 17 turns no.
eguiv. Amiflon T 37-6 core. Z& wire on Amidon t-44* core.

C5 - 400oP trimmer, two Allied 762-3765S L3A, L4 - 0.43 jiH. 1 2 turns no. 24 wire on Tl — 7 turns no. 26 wire on FT-37-43
t'l'ilar

n parallel or ofluiv. Amidan T-37-6 care. terrlM core.

D1 — 6.2-V, dKkiW Zoner diode. 1N753A or L3B. L3C — 2-turn links over L3ft. T2. T3 — 7 uililar turns ro. 28 wire on
eQu'V. L5, 17 - U 24 pH. 9 turns no 24 wire on FT-37-43 larrite core.

31 D3 — 'N9Uor Bqmiv Amldon T-37-6 core Y1 — See lext.

:.rcuit. They should be fundamental- around one milliwatt (0 dBm). several projects in that book.'
node units, the usual case at M MHi. The Q2
functions as a buffer amplifier to in- The doubler is followed by a single
rest results are obtained with HC-6/U crease tlx 14-MHz power to about + 10 tuned circuit at 28 MHz. A pair of two-
-ctal-can units, such as those manufae- dBm, a near-optimum drive level for the turn links on the toroidal inductor couple
jred by JAN Crystals and by interna- diode doubter. The output uf this stage energy into and out of this resonator. The
.onal Crystal (type 031300k The most has a low-pass filter to ensure a waveform power available from the doubler. after
'citable operation occurs when the metal relatively of harmonics that would
free filtering is* about O dEtm.
'he resona:or.
.
-\sial case is grounded; if it is alb wed to degrade the balance or die Multiplier and The 28-MHz energy applied to a two-
is

•float," the frequency will change when a hence reduce the suppression of 14-MHa stEgc. keyed amplifier. Negative feedback
-3ml m«ve< near the melt, making a energy in the nuipui. h u<ed in hnrlt stfigofi m ensure broadband
front-panel mounted crystal socket im- Frequency multiplication is obtained stability and to establish the gain levels
-raciical. Tuning is very nonlinear, but with a pair of silicon diodes, D2 and D3. desired. The
resistor values used were
-15 presents no problem in this applica- One miglu question the use of a passive chosen from a progtam written for the
n. The 50-kH/ tuning range (after frequency doublet, but careful ex- writer's programmable calculator. Addi-
doubling) has been more than sufficient. periments using laboratory instrumenta- tional information on feedback amplifiers
A hile a 400-pF variable capacitor is used, tion have confirmed the wisdom of this is presented in chapter R of So/id Slate

3 smaller unit will suffice with only a choice. Details of this work arc presented Design. The saiuraicd output of QJ is
--iii reduction in mning ran^e* The in cliapici 3 of So/id Stuic Design for i/ie uvjily /— vvjil, iiicic (lian enough to
1

rower available from the useilatcir is Radio Amateur.' The method is used in drive the VMOS final amplifier. Both

QRP Classics 99
Fig. 2 — Control circuil Inr the VMOS FET Iransmillei
Kl - 24 V dc spdt relay. Magnecran Di -9 V. iOO mW Zener dio3e, 1N757A or
W65HPCX3orequiv. equiv

driver stage- were keyed, a requirement sistors arc enhancemenl-mode devices. about 1.2 volts.
resulting Went sienal fccdlhrough in I'cd- That with no positive voltage on the
s. With no drive applied, 0? sits on the
baek amplifiers when they a*c "off." gate with respect to the source, there is no verge of conduction. When drive is ap-
leading to an objectionable back wave. drain zurrcnl. Only when a threshold gale plied, the series 280.pl- capaeiuu will
A uned circuit was placed be-
.smelt voltage reached doc. drain current
is charge, establishing a small positive de
tween f.H nml Q4 This improved ho sup- l begin to flow. This ic typically + .2 volts 1 voliauv on thejj;iK\ As such, the amplifier
pression of U-MH/ energy which was for the VN8SAF. Current flow increase* operates Clasb A. The key-down drain ef-
delected in [||C OUlpUl Of Q4 WlKn using a dramatically as (he gal*: potential is in- ficient)'h poor, only ahoul 30 percent.
50-ohm teimiuaiion and a 15-MH?- creased further. For ihis reason, a husky heal sink is man-
band width iiscHtoseope. (Addition of the Many VMOS FETs have an
available datory for 05. (During testing, we
timed cireul removed all traces of internal Zenei diode connected between VN88AF was destroyed from excessive
20- meter energy from the oscilloscope ihe gate and the source. This diode pro- dissipation because of an inadequate I eat
presentation.) II the resonator is tects [Ik FET from damage by static elec- sink.) Overall efficiency is reasonable
eliminated, die jmpliliet eliair (Q3 and tricity Only one Zener diode Is used, in during typical ew operation, since forward
0-1) has a '.'crV wide bandwidth and is contrast to dual-gate MOSFETs. which bias disappears once drive is removed.
suitable Tor general-purpose application employ back-io-back Zcners. The Measurements have not been pcrforned
throughout ihe hf spectrum. small heal A VN88A F includes a protection diode. If on this circuit when operated in a linear
sink is recommended for Q4. there were no internal protection diode, ir mode. However, the method might bold
The final amplifier is generally straight- would be possible to atiaeh the gate promise for ssb applications.
forward, with only a few subtleties. A directly to the 47-ohm resistor with no ad- The output of th; amplifier uses a dou-
low-pass filter is contained at the input, li ditional circuitry, liut as it is.the negailve- ble pi network. Following ihe work or
serves the role of absorbing the input coing portion of the rf voltage would Roy Lewallen.* such a network was used
capacitance of ih-e transistor, in this case quickly destroy the piotection diode, in anticipation of obtaining Zcner-less
about 50 pF, and hence aids broadband taking ihe transistor with it! Hence, exter- dev ices that can be operated Class C" oi D.
performance. The input of the amplifier s j nal protection circuitry is required to save For the Class A Operation employed in
terminated in a 47-olim resistor. While the amplifier from the ill effects of the in- ihis design, a series-tuned output network
this decreases power gain, it dues provide terna) protection diode. The resistor net- would probably present no problems.
a low imped;ince at the gate, a definite aid work and IN9I4 diode shown with QS The output power is +36 dBm, or
to stability. •tftvc thisru nction, clomping ihu gate about 4 watt*. Slightly- over « watts of out-
All presently available VMOS tran- voltage and never allowing it to go below* put was obtained when a second VN8SAF

QRP Classics 100

 V

was paralleled tvith Q5. No circuit changes votingc tor Q3 and Q4. A 1-fiF non polar lessexotie home station tOitt equipment)
were required oihci than rciuuin? of ihe capacitor from base to collector forces Q7 was encouraging. The 14-MHz compo-
ouipul network. Operation was attempted to act as an integrator duriig transitions. nent is 57 dB below the 28-MHz eatrici.
ai a drain supply potential of 1 2 volts, but This shapes the keying nicely. Tilesecond harmonic is 64 dB down whit
powci ouipul Did gain suffered severely; transistors Q8, Q9 and QIO form a th; fourth and sixth harmonics arc just
Sonic experiments that might be of in- scmibreak-in circuit. When the key is barely delectable. The hack wave is over
terest were done on 80 meters. An pressed, the antenna relay s activated, h 75 dB down. The ouipul amplifier has
amplifier much like thai used ai Q5 was will remain on for a fraction of a second performed flawlessly wiili no sig.ii of the
built with a similar bias scheme. This after th. key is released. The tiansmit
-
usual instabilities liwnd with bipolar
amplifier used four paralleled VN88AF5 switch, S2. overrides the semi break -tit cir- power amplifiers, The VMOS FET power
bolted to a large heal sink. Power outputs cuit formore casual contacts. If desired. transistor certainly here to stay!
is

up to 25 waits were easily Obtained but the Q8, (39 and QIO may be omitted. They On-thc-air reports are equally en-
efficiency was st r II poor. A similar were installed in this transmittci a few couraging. Keying aid general "cleanli-
3.5-MHz amplifier was then built using a days before the annual November ness" arc comparable to any of t he better
Siliconix VN84GA. This transistor is a Sweepstakes contest, The antenna relay signals around. While using an in verted-
roal hrmo with no internal protection used was a surplus itOltl Iroin tin junk -
rtipfitt' only I'ight meters hiph, ihe writer
Zcner diode. It had an output of over 25 box. Th. rc
-
is nothing critical here. worked 41 slates and a considerable
watts with an efficiency of73 percent. The The simplicity Of the eontiol circuitry anount of f)X in Ihe fiisi two months of
amplifier was (hen moved to 14 MHz hy presents one potential problem: The Operation. The DX
(in all continents) in-

resonating the 1000-pF gate capacitance. transmitter is on (and generating rf) al the cludes many slightly tare prefixes, ranging
Similar results were obtained there. Un- insiani the antenna relay changes to the from LU and CX to IKO and EA8. Let sI

fortunately, iNs transistor is both expen- transmit position. However, the low just hope that the sunspots hold for
sive ami diffietlll I0> obtain. Perhaps thai power and the inherent siability of the several more years!
situation will improve with lime.' Class A final amplifier allow "hot
The control circuitry for the transmitter Switching" with no probems. Control
ii shown in Fig. 2. A 7812 ihrec-icrminal systems for correcting this situation are
Nut*
voltage regulator powers the bw-tevel described in chapter 7 of Solid Slate
stages as well as a crystal-controlled Design for ihe Radio A mmeur. Rjjh. "MOSHET PiWVI Auiplifier." tfam Kadiv.
Nowinhei IM7H. Also swi rtfletenee* illed in ihil
receiving converter included within the paivi, trivially Ovivi.
same box. Transiscoi Q6 operates as a
Results
.Ww AuHOrur.
ilti^tf

Haywald mnJ Dvhltfv, Solid Stale

I';

XHRI.. 1977. p. 41,

lit-stt<" M 'V
$witHi in apply voltage to the oscillator The performance of this transmitter has '/Ud„ rr>. I"7, 33.'.
and buffer when cither the spoi or the been as good as expected. Investigation •t fWaik-n. '"'in Solid -Siatd'A Matehins MttwoiW
Q$r. tkmtvi I9?K. p. M.
trainsmit switch is activated. Q7 s a pop with a Tektronix 7LI3 spectrum analyzer
switch controlled by the key lo provide the after construction and alignment (using

QRP Classics 101

 .

From February 1984 QST. p 35."

A Beginner's
Look at Basic
Oscillators
A frequency generator
the is

heart of any signal source.

Simple crystal or LC oscillators
have many uses in amateur
circuits. Let's learn how they work and where some common
problem areas exist.

By Doug DeMaw,' W1FB

U-/on l iry lo dazzle mc with exotic high-power transmitter. But, oscillators arc radio-frequency range (as high as 300 GHz,
circuits! I warn to learn the theory of sim- used also in receivers, frequency standards, or 300 billion cycles per second).
ple circuits first." Those statement* are signal generators (r«i equipment) and To make an oscillator, we must havetwn
voiced frequently by radio amateurs. Are many other pieces of apparatus for amateur things.One is a frequency-determining ele-
you one of those frustrated persons? use. ment. This element is an energy-storage
Perhaps the blind spot that exists with Perhaps you're saying to yourself, "Why device with a special ability to build up
some writers (and I'm one myself) results hasn't he mentioned frequency syn- energy in one direction, discharge it, build
from the belief that in order for a ham to thesizers?" Well, that's not a topic that can it up in the opposite direction, and
nave passec the license exam, he or she be handled properly in a beginner's discus- discharge thai. A pendulum is an example
fullyunderstood the answers to the theory sion. The synthesizer is a very exotic item of amechanical oscillator that does just
is not a fact, because (un-
•questions. This that involves a host of lubjccls that <ue that. Another example of a mechanical
fortunately) many amateurs memorize the beyond the intent of this scries. There's no oscillator is the tuning fork used as a s:an-
suggested answers to the FCC examina- doubt ihat synthesizers Ere becoming the dard by musicians. Both of irese
tions. This makes it difficult to com- way of life with most manufacturers of mechanical devices store energy and
prehend even the most basic of discussions commercial amateur equipment. But, foe oscillate at a certain frequency. In an elec-
about elcctionics. the sa<e of experimenting with useful, sim- trical oscillator we generally use a quartz
Something else is awry for those who ple circuits, we will focus on crystal and LC crystal or a tuned circuit consisting of a coil
don't understand the fundamentals of our and capacitor) oscillators. They are by
(coil and a capacitor as the energy-storage and
radio pastime: They can't experience the no means obsolete! frequency-determining device.
joys of builung and using homemade gear! What an oscillator? In electronics, an
is The second ingredient of an oscillator is

The purpose of this Beginner's Bench scries oscillator is a device that generates an alter- the ability to suppl/ carefully timed pulses
is to encourage those of you who -arc less nating current (ac). Oscillation is a varia- to keep it oscillating. Recall that a tuning
technically inclined to climb the ladder to tion in the magnitude of electrical current fork oscillates for only a short while after
a level that will enable you to enjoy the with time. Typically, the output of an it is banged agains: something. Similarly,

technical section of QST more fully, and oscillator alternates between positive and a pendulum eventually winds down as the
to do some dabbling in your home negative current values centered on zero effects of gravity and friction win out.
workshops. current Neither the mechanical nor electrical
Perhaps the most common circuit in RF Everyone has alternating current oscillators are perpetual-motion machines.
{radio frequency) projects is the oscillator. available from an electrical wall outlet. The mechanical devices can be kept going
A single osrillator can serve by itself as a Why i» an oscillator needed to produce ac? by giving them a kick every now and then
transmitter :'or CW. It may also be used as The ae from the wall outlet is alternating in exact timing neeced to replace the power
a frequency generator to be followed by at 60 Hz (cycles per second). In radio we lost to gravity and friction. The same idea
one or more amplifier stages tc provide a need oscillators that will produce a wide applies to electrical oscillators —
there must
•ARRL Contribution Editor, P.O. Box 250, variety of other frequencies from the audio be a pulse of electrical powci supplied lu
Lulner.
range (20 to 20.000 Hz) throughout the the frequency -determining element exact-

QRP Classics 102

 ly synchronized 10 the frequency of oscilla- FIERCE CSC. COL PITS DSC.
tion. The amouoi of power supplied must Ml
replace power lost to circuit resistance. This
replacement power is called feedback. To
obtain the extra power needed for feed-
back, it is necessary to sample some of ihe
oscillating energy from the frequency-
determining element, amplify it, and feed
it back to the frequency-determining ele-

ment so that it aids the power build-up. So

an electrical oscillator needs an active
device (such as a transistor or a vacuum
tube) to serve a: an amplifier to produce
the correct feedback to keep the circuit
oscillating. tXCCPT ii INOISAIfC, OICIMfl
KLUTS CIUCIT&NCE WE
u :.„<. :-.-! = '.

Crystal Oscillators **E ih Hicwcsirr en

ESS'AtCII »«[ II OHMS', 1*1000
A
crystal oscillator circuit can be built Fig. 2 — A basic Colpitis oscillator using a
crystal.
with a quartz crystal and an amplifier to 9ftWE LFflEf.0 ftPPL'tS TO
provide the needed feedback. When the no u res 8-fl
amount of feedback is sufficient, the quanz
- found for our crystal, by virtue of Cl we ,

element in our crystal holder will vibrate Fig. l Simplo example of a Piute crysial
oocillatof. may install a fixed-v^lue capacitor. A
at a specified rate (depending on its
1 00-pF capacitor is suitable for C2 for ham-
thickness and the stray capacitances present
band use from 1.8 to 21 MHz. CI can be
in our circuit). The crystal is ground to the an oscillator must also be supplied feed-
in a 60-pF trimmer. An MPFI02 or
proper thickness at the time of manufac- back energy to cause oscillation. The coil 2N4416-family FET will be suitable at Ql.
ture, and the resultant frequency is rrarked and capac.tor do not vibrate is is the case RFC1 is an RFchoke that is resonant with
on ihe crystal case. Therefore, if our crystal with a crystal element. Instead, Ihe com- Ihe stray circuit capacitance (roughly 10 pF
was marked "3.700 MHz," it would bination siorcs and discharges energy at a in nosi cases) well below the crystal
vibrate 3.7 million times a second 10 pro- specific roe tu establish the frequency of frequency.
vide the desired oscillator frequency. The
oscillation. The LCoscillatOTis seldom as For example, using He ARRL Type A
thinner the quartz crystal, the higher the frequency-stable as a crystal oscillator. L/C/F slide-rule calculator, we would find
operating frequency. This limits the prac- Changes in temperature and mechanical thata I50-/iH RFchoke with lOpFof stray
tical upper frequency of a fundamental vibrations (unwanted) tend to change the capacitance would be resonant at the high
crystal, for if it were too thin the element
inductance and capacitance elements of the end of the 75-meter band (4 MHz). If our
would become impossible to fabricate or LC oscillator ina more dramatic manner oscillator were for use in that part of the
would shatter easily during oscillation. than when a crystal is used. This causes an specirum we would wan; to avoid this con-
Gcncially, 20 MH/. i* the upper lin.it for instant (mechanical) or gradual {electrical) dition. It would be belter to use a 5O0-/<H
quartz crystals nat operate on their fun- change in the operating frequency. The choke, which would provide resonance at
damental modes. gradual change is referred to as "drift." approximately 2.2 MHz. We could remove
Although a crysial may be marked for all doubt by using a 1-mH (millihenry) RF
a specific opcratiog frequency, this does not The Pierce Oscillator
choke, which is 1000 pH.
mean it will produce that exact frequency One of ihe simplest types we hams can Output from the oscillator of Fig. 1 is
when we plug into an oscillator. The
ii
use the Pierce oscillator {named after a
is taken from the drain of Ql. In order to
crystal must be ground or etched in accor- person, as are most oscillator circuits), Vpry help prwont the circuit that follows our
dance with the circuit capacitances that ex- few pans are required, as shown in Fig. I. oscillator from impairing oscillations
ist in our oscillator. This is specified by the
It makes ro difference whether we use a floating ihe oscillator too heavily), a small
manufacturer as the "load capacitance," vacuum une (triode), bipolar jansistor or value of capacitance is used at C3. It should
die existing circui-. capacitance that "loads" an FET (field-effect transistor) in the cir- be the smallest value that is practical for
:hc crysial. Normally, the load capac.tance cuit. The Operating conditions remain the delivering the required power to the next
of a standard oscillator circuit is somewhere same except dc voltages applied to
for the stage of the overall circui:. Usually, this will
between 10 and 40 pF, with 20 or 30 pF be-
the circuit: The tube would require filament be between 10 and 100 pF in the 1.8 to 30
ing the most typical vnhip Some circuits voltage and a higher dc voltage. \1H* range. Too much uscillator loading
arc very difficult to analyze with regard to Yl, the quartz crystal, Is located in ihe can prevenl oscillation.
:hc effective load capacitance. Fo* this feedback path (between the drain and gate
reason amateurs who need to have the of Ql) to ensure oscillation. We must be Colpitts Oscillator
crystal work at a precise frequency mui tell careful to make cenain we have neither too A popular oscillator i> shown in Fig. 2.
*.hc crystal suppler the model number of little nor too much feedback. Insufficient This is the Colpitis circuit. Although a
the equipment in which the crystal will be feedback will prevent oscillation, or slug- bipolar transistor is shown at Ql, a tube
homemade,
used. If the circuit is or if the gish starting of the oscillator when or FET could he used with equal success.
model number is not known, the supplier operating power is applied. Too much feed- In F;g. I we found the source of Ql at
should be provided with a copy of the back can cause unwanted "frigglies" ground potential, respective to dcand RF.
oscillator circuit, with all pans values (oscillations at oiher than the crystal fre- In Fig. 2, ihe collector of Ql is at RF
marked plainly on the diagram. W; can quency) ot, as some call the condition, ground by virtue of the collector bypass
:ake advantage of the effects of load "squegging." capacitor, C4. Hence, the feedback, path
capacitance by introducing changes in To have control over Ihe amount of feed- for the Colpitts circuit we have illustrated
capacitance intentionally. This cnabxs us back in Fig. 1 we have added CI and C2. between the emitlcr and base. Other
is
:o shift the operating frequency of a crystal. Cl is variable (a trimmer capacitor) to per- fnrm<; nf the CnlpirK oicillaior are com-
More on this subject Later. mit adjustment of the feedback energy. mon; this is but one variation.
LC (coil/capadior) frequency elements Once the correct value of capacitance is Orce again we have used two capacitors

GRP Classics 103

 1

(CI and C2) for controlling the feedback. PARALLEL- TUNED

Cl and C2 arc for that purpose. I find thai COLPITIS VFO
ina practical circuit that uses a good, ac- '*t our
tive crystal, the rati o
of capacitance For Cl
BF
and C2 is on the order of 4:1. The larger C'JT

value is used at Cl. By placing a trimmer

at Cl we can adjust the feedback for best
performance of ihe crystal wo use at VI.
A value of 103 pF seems to be fine for C2.
with Cl being a 60-pF trimmer. The RF-
choke rule for Fig. I does not apply here,
entirely. The self-resonant frequency
should be well below the crystal frequen-
cy. But, with a 100-pF capacitor in shunt
with the choke (RFCl and C2), the reso-
nant frequency will be rather low compared
to what it would be if only 10 pF of stray
capacitance were present.
Output is taken via C3, which should
O «• our
again be a small value of capacitance to
prevent the succeeding circuitry from
loading the oscillator excessively. The 10-
lm 100-pF ranjp is applicable to this circuit semes- Tnurn
also. Ql can be any COLPlTTS VFO
small-signal bipolar
0' —* '03 *» *
transistor tha: has a fairly high cutoff fre- 0-0
"(01
quency (fT). 1 like to use a transistor that I

has an fT of i 10 times, or greater, the

to
crystal frequency. Such devices as the F* NT
IB)
2N3904 arid 2M2222A are fine for frequen-
cies up to 20 MHz —
the approximate limit
Flo. 3 — Two common typns of rryotal ov*'-
for fundamcr.tal-cut crystals.
lone oscillator.
There are, indeed , many kinds of crystal
oscillator circuits, but would take many
it
The circuit at A of Fig.
J is rather sim-
articles of this length to show them and
ple. Sufficient coupling exists
internal
describe their basic performance charac-
within Q I to provide the feedback we need
teristics. The Pierce and Colpitis ;'orm the
for oscillation. This would not necessarily Fig. i - Examples ot coll-capacilor oscillators
basts for most amateur oscillator circuits. (sse text).
be true of oscillators opera.ing at the fun-
damental mode of ilie crystal. Cl and LI
Overtone Oscillators
arc tuned to the desired overtone frequen- how frequency-stable we can make it,
How might we obtain crystal-cscillator cy, thereby providing feedback at the re- Although crystal oscillators are more ex-
performance above the frequencies for quired frequency. If all is as h should be, pensive, hey do offer the best stability of
i

which fundamental crystals are limited? Yl will oscillate and provide RF output the two types.
Well, we adopt what is called the "over- from Ql at only the overtone frequency. Acceptable frequency stability is ob-
lone oscillator." As is true of funcamental Too much feedback will permit the crystal tained through careful selection of the cir-
types of oscillators, there arc countless over- to oscillate at iis fundamental frequency. cuitcomponents, the amount of feedback
lutie-uscillaior jriiiiu. Wc will deal with but This will cause the oscillator output to con- u.ed, regulation of tic operating voltages
two of them, mainly to illustrate the prin- tain two frequencies —tte fundamental aid providing as nearly a constant
ciple of operation. A
simple mode svenone plus the overtone. Output can be taken at temperature environment as possible.
oscillator is shown in Fig. 3A. Yl :s manu- high impedance by means of C2, or a link Special lernpcraturc-compensatir.g
factured as a crystal that operates at an odd can be wound on LI to provide low- capacitors are often jsed lo minimize fre-
multiple of its fundamental frequency. This impedance output via L2. The choice will quency changes. The coil and capacitor
means that we may use a third- ar ilfth- depend on what we couple our oscillator to. must be mechanically and electrically well
ovcrtone crystal in our circuit to obtain out- Another kind of overtone oscillator is il- b Jilt to enhance stahility. Similarly,
put at some frequency above, say, 20 MHz. lustrated at Fig. 3B. At first glance we nothing in the immediate vicinity of Ihe LC
Let's imagine that we wanted z crystal might conclude that it is a Pierce oscillator. oscillator must be allowed to move po;i-
oscillator for use at 28 MHz. We should But, it is an overtone type of oscillator, tisn, for this can change the operating fre-
order a third-cvcrtone crystal for the exact with the crystal inserted between the drain quency. Changes in oscillator loading,
10-meter frequency of interest. The and gate of the FET. Cl, ised to control caused by operating-condition variations in
manufacturer would again need to know the the feedback, will have a slight effect on succeeding circuit stages, will also shift the
load capacitance presented by our circuit in the operating frequency as it is adjusted. frequency. LC types of oscillators arc more
order In grind nr pwh the quartz cwre-clly. C2 and LI again form a resonant circuit prone to ihi3 malady lhan are crystal
The ground for roughly cne third
crystal is at the overtone frequency. oscillators.
the operating frequency. That is, a 28-MHz Three types of LC oscillators a re shown
crystal would be ground for approximately LC Oscillators
in Fig. 4. The first example (A)
probably is
9.333 MHz. An overtone crystal does not Most LC oscillators are used as VFOs the most common of the three in ham
oscillate at exactly three times the frequen- (variable-frequency oscillators). But, we equipment. Since C2 and Ll arc in parallel,
cy of the quanz element, however, so the may elect to use them on occasion as single- this is called a parallel-tuned oscillator. C3
manufacturer must know the exact overtone frequency devices, just as we would with and C4
provide the path for our feedback
frequency wc desire. Likewise with fifth- a crystal oscillator. How useful an LC energy. In LC oscillators the value of C3
overtone crystals, and so on. oscillator may be will depend entirely on aod C4 are approximately ihe same. A

QRP Classics 104

 . —
:illator to an LC type of circuit, VfOOR [i. rr;~
and the benefits of crystal control will be VTAL OSC. i sourer »aii.o»en i
'£
lost. I prefer to use an inductive reactance -
-w*
of approximately 850, maximum. Hence,
for a 7.0-MHz crystal the maximum induc-
tance at Ll would be 19.3 jiH, derived from

850
LG.H) - -2^- = 19.3
2tt f 6.28 x 7 (Eq. 1)

where XL is in ohms and f is in MHz.

The greatest amount of frequency pull-
ing or swing will be obtained if we employ
Fg. 6 — Illustration othow a butter atage can
the me'hod at C of Fig. 5. Here wc have
bo used atlcr an oscillator to minimize fre-
a coil and capacitor in a scries arrangement
quency changes caused by load variations.
at the bottom end of Y I . A UXl-pF variable
capacitor can be used along with a coil
whose value is derived from Eq. 1. Fre- ter thai is chirpy (frequency shifting wh:n
quency shifts as great as 10kHz can be had t ie key is closed), chances are that you did
at 10.1 MHz, with 5 kHz being typical at not include sufficient buffering to isolate
7 MHz, and 3 kHz being about the limit lie VFO.
Fig, 5- Details oi now C, L
ran So arirtod In an nW.lllalrw at 3.5 MHz. Anything greater than that
the crystal frequency.
fttrfttilt i

suggests that Ll has too rruch inductance A Practical Universal VXO

for fill; crystal control. circuit like the A I lean rather stronglv toward the use of
one in Fig. 5C is usually referred to as a YXOs (Fig. 5C) above 7 MHz, especially
3. 5-MHz VFO, for example, might use VXO (variable crystal oscillator). In some for portable transmitters and receivers that
1000 pF fcr each of the feedback circuits we will find that Cl has been are apt to be used in an environment of fic-
capachors. C3 once more a small-value
is
replaced by a varicap diode, or voiiage- qucni temperature changes. They are stable
coupling capacitor io minimiz? output variable capacitance diode. The frequency and reliable. The VXO is nice for use as
loading. change will not be as great as with an air a VFO when operating VHF equipment.
The or Fig. 4B relies upon a tap
circuit variabl: capacitor, since the minimum Wc will not obtain as great a potential ftc-
near the grounded end of LI to provide capacitance of a varactor diode will be quency swing with our VXOs as can be had
feedback for oscillation. The tap is usual- much higher than thai of a mechanical vith an LC type of VFO, but more than
ly located approximately V* of the way up capacitor. one crystal can be switched into the VXO
the coil from ground. OulpUl can be taken far wide frequency coverage in sonc
via C3 or by means of a link winding (L2) Buffering and Isolation amateur band.
a: the ground end of LI. Throughout our discussion we have men- The circuit in Fig. 7 shows the diagram
A series luned Colpitis VFO is fllustrated tioned .oading at the output of oscillators, of a VXO I developed for my use at a
ii Fig. 4C. The name applies because Cl plus the frequency shifting caused by load number of frequencies. Cl. C2, C3, FLI
ssa} L 1 are in series for this circuit. The ad- variations. We considered also the effects and Yl can be chsnged to appropriate
vantage of this configuration over that of on oscillation that too much loading might values for the irequency of interest. This
Fig. 4A is of particular interest ai we raise cause. These problems cao be reduced or circuit is set up for use as a 2-mctcr VFO,
.he operating frequency. Sometimes we end eliminated by adding buffer stages after the and when its outpu is multiplied eight
up with impractical (small) values of induc- oscillator, as shown in Fig. 6. In effect, times to 144 MHz, can obtain coverage
I

:ance for LI in a parallel- tuned circuit, these additional stages help to isolate the from 144 to approximately 144.250 MHz
especially at high operating frequencies: oscillator from the circuits that succeed the — about right for the and SSB pen CW
The series-tuned arrangement requires a frequency-generating chain* Some buffer of the band.
much amount of inductance and a
larger stages ran also provide signal amplifica- Those of you who like to experiment
entailer value of capacitance at CI for a tion, whereas others might reduce the ef- nay want to build this circuit. Ic can have
ziven tuning range. The series-tuned for- fective output level of our oscillator. FETs many uses, depending on the frequency to
mat can often lead to improved frequency work well as buffer stages, owing to their which it is tailored. For example, we might
-Lability for reasons that wc cannot address very high input impedance (usually a cse a VXO for the local oscillator in a
here. megohm or greater). The te resistor in homemade receiver It could be the hem
Fig. determines ihe input impedance of
fi cf a little signal generator for workshop
Shifting (he Crystal Frequency We might multiply the output mere
Q2, since it is lower in ohmic value than use.
Wc discussed earlier the possibility of the natural gate impedance of Q2. Since wc nan eight times for the purpose of using
making small changes in the operating fre- show Q2 as a source- follower stage, the tie VXO as a frequ:ncy source at 220 or
quency of crystal oscillators. This can be output of the FET will be slightly less than 432 MHz, or as a signal generator for VHF
J one by adopting the methods depicted in the output of Ql —
approximately lOTo and UHF testing. By lowering the VXO fre-
Fig- 5. The smallest frequency change will lower. quency to 20, 30 or 40 meters, it can serve
b* cApeiieticcd when using only a variable Most VrO circuits have at least two buf- nicely as the frcqucn:y-comrolling element
.-apacitor as shown at A in Fig. 5. The fer stages, and sometimes three. One or for a homc-built CW transmitter.
nigher the cr>stal frequency the greater the more of the buffers can be designed as Best operation (maximum frequency
frequency shift as Cl is adjusted. The trim- amplifiers if we wish. This enables us to ex- swing) will be had if wc use AT-cul crystals.
mer can also :>e placed in parallel with C 1 tract greater output power than would be Preferably, they will be the type that are
One method raises the frequency while the possible if wc took the output directly from suspended by tiny wires inside the crystal
other lowers i:. An inductance can be added ihc oscfllaior. Cl and C2 of Fig. 6 arc small holder <H06/U). and they will be cut for
En series with a crystal, as shown in Fig. 5B, in capacitance value. This helps limit fundamental-mode use. I use International
-.a shift the f*equency of oscillation. Too loading effects after the oscillator. If you Crystal Mfg. Co. general-purpose types of
much inductance at Ll will convert the have built a VFO-controlled CW transmit- crystals with a 30-pF load capacitance.

QRP Classics 105

 ;

EICEfiT *S INIICAIED.OEOUtLVAulCS C
CiSlCi-iHCE ME II WIC flCFAISCS I jiF 1 ;
(T-ebs *=e n seorawos i »f ce »f >;

"ESST»1C£3 *FE IN OHMS

LICOO. y.ioao 0C0.

OUTKOT
>ISO/lJ *

* . OOHUT S540..W ( •leilli)

E . RMS VOLTAGE
• DO VOLTAOC
• > PHfiitNG

S.M. 9I1MR WICS

01, 01
BOfTOM

Fig. 7 —
Schematic diagram of a universal VXO. Fixed-value capacitors except those in Table 1 are disc ceramic. The- polar zed capacitor Is tan-
talum or eleelnlytie. Resistors other than R3 are it- or carbon composition. R3 WW Is a tt-W unit.
C1 — Panel mounted miniature air variable, 50 1N91* <3iodes in series. Table 1).
or 100 pF (not critical). D2 6 V, 400 mW
Zcncr diode. V1 — AT-cul fundamental crystal In HC-O/U
C2C6. incl. - See Teblo V R2 -Value may bo adjusted lor purest output holder, 20- or 30-pF oad capacitance
LI, L2 and L3 - See Table 1. waveform from Ql. Suitable (International Crystal Mf(j. Co.
D1 - 1.5 V roqulator. Use an LED or two T1 -
Broadband toroidal 4:1 ranaformer isee type GP).

Table 1

Typical L and C Values for Various Operating Frequencies

C2 C3 C4. C6 C5
Crystal (Y1)
flange IMHzf fpF) (pF> L1 12, L3 T1

6.000 to 9.000 68 100 390 820 17 ,>H max. 55 IS. t *H. 18 is. no. 15 blllfar ts.
<fo- 40 meter use) ot no. 26 wire on 28 wire on a of no. 26 on
aT6&-2 toroio cor-o T37-6 torold core. an FT-37-43
(40- meter use) torold co re.
9.000 to 15.000 39 68 2S7 560 12pH max. 49 ts. of 0.72 P K 15 ts. no. 15 blllfar ts-.
(to- 30-mete' use) no. 38 wire on a 26 wire on a of no. 26 on
T50-2 lotoid core T37-6 torold core. an FT-37-61
(30-meter use) toroid core.

9.000 to 15.000 39 68 212 424 12 H max. Same aa 0.53 ,.h. 13 is. no. Same as above
(fo- 20-meler use) above. 2i wire on a T37-6 on FT-37-61
toroi3 core. toroid core.
(20-meler use)

15.000 to 20.00) 27 56 168 330 7 »H max. 42 ts. ot 0.42 ph. 12 ts. no. Same as above
no. 26 wiro on a TJQ-G 26 wlio un n T37-0 on rr-37-61
torold core. lorob core, loroid core.
(for ; 8-MHz use)
The capacitors a>« slive'-mica or roiyatyiene types. Ail :c*ca colls should Be doped with iwccoata ol I cement or General Cement O-Dope' titer they are wound.
Toroio cores are evatlabie 0y mail from Aml3on Associates, 12033 Otseso St. N. Hollywood. CA 91607 SO Check OSI ads tor Pn'omat gname*(8 and RadloKfl. Value* t-
C5 6' L2 ar") U
whe."
^L?
1 Flfl
? " 10 *
usaa ,0f ''Woncioo other man those lisiel, can be obtained from tie niter laOles In 7ne Ratio Amaievr's Hanaoook
. '
imp ch- 8D-er. iNonstandard
'..S ,
capacitc. val 00B can be closely aso.oimated by uain E or parallel combination o! atfl(,da,d value. Th. nearest standard Wa
They are the least expensive and seem to necessary to swamp ihe coil with a resistor regulator on the feed for the base bias. Dl,
be very -rubbery" in VXO circuits. Ir- (R 1
lower the Q. Values from 10 kfi to
) to a standard LED (light-emitting diode),
respective of -he brand of crystal used, no 27 kfl seem to do the job. . he need for Rl makes a fine 1.5-V regulator when used a*
two identical crystals will yield ihc same will be evident if while we are tuning CI shown. Alternaiive.y, we can use twe
amount of frequency swing in a VXO. 1 through its range the VXO will break into IN914 diodes in series at Dl.
have never understood exactly why this oscillation at some other frequency (mode Q2 functions as a buffer/amplifier. It is
happens, but 1 hare observed countless jr.
changing) and be erratic in operation. abroadband, linear Class A stage. Outf-j:
limes. As an aid to the overall frequency stabili- from Q2 is filtered by means of FL1 a half- .

If u tuil wiili very high Q (quality fac- ty of Ql, I decided to regulate not only the wave harmonic filter. It is designed foi t
tor) is used at Ll of Fig. 7. it may be collector voltage, but put a separate fO-ohm input/ou:put characteristic.

CjRP Classics 106

Typical output power is 40 raW, which
equates to +16 dBm. This is ample to
excite most low-level amplifiers or DBM
(doubly balanced mixers) of the diudc-
quad type. If ihe DBM calls for -7 dBm
of injection, a resistive 50-ohm attenuator
can be inserted in the line between and
the mixer. The ARM. Electronics Data
Hook (out of print) contains tables of
values for resistive attenuator pads. Circuit
boards and complete parts kits for this
workshop project arc available.'
I have included key dc and RMS (root-

mean-square) voltages on the schematic

diagram. Thefe can be used for trouble-
shooting the circuit if problems arise. An
RF probe and VTVM can be used ;o check Fig. 8 — Parts-place ment rjulde lor ino universal VXO. shewn from tho component side ol Ihe
the RMS voltage values, or you can use a PC board.
scope if it has ample bandwidth to provide
accurate P-P (pcak-to-peak) voltage read-
ings. Multiply your I»-P voltages by 0. 3535
to obtain the equivalent RMS voltage. All
dc readings ire referenced to circuit
ground.
Although 2N5 179 CATVtransistors are
specified in Fig. 7, other NPN devices of
similar characteristics will work satisfac-
have used 2N357Zs with good re-
torily. I
sults.The common 2N2222A should offer
acceptable performance as well. The out-
put power of this circuit can be lowered by
increasing the resistance of R3. This can
eliminate the need to add outboard at-
tenuator pads for power reduction.
If possible, uic a double-bearing variable CIRCUIT BOARD SPECIALISTS- POBOX H9 • PUEBLO, CO BIM3
capacitor ai CI (a bearing at each end of
the rotor). Addition of a panel-mounted
vernier drive will facilitate dial calibration
and provide a better (slower) tuning rate. Flfl q - fiirni.Ll.hnarrf «lchtnrj paliern lor tho Unlvorial VXO. Tho pattern || shown lull -atzo from
the (oil si3e of the board. Blacl- areas represent unet:r,ed copper toil.
fit frequency counter can be used to develop

a dial-calibration chart.

Frequency drift from a cold start to an cuit boi'd. A scale pattern for the PC that arc presented in this article. Experi-
hour later (at 7C° F) was 30 Hz. At 2 meters board can be found in the Hints and Kinks ment with them to study the cause and ef-
this would multiply to 240 Hz —
an accept- section of this issue of QST. fect of value changes, and so on. There is
able value. The VXO or any IX VFO no substitute for "learning by doing."
>hmrlrl he huilt in a sppnrat^ shielced box Closing Thoughts
There is no rcaaon you can't tackle the
for best results.This will help to maintain We have barely scratched the veneer in VXO project of Fig. 7. It can be useful in
a more constant temperature and Wll pre- this discussionof oscillators But, I hope many applications ir your ham shack.
vent unwanted RF energy from entering the you have acquired a better understanding Good luck!
rircuit and causing frequency changes that of how they work and whal can be done •Circuit Board Specialists, P.O. Box 969. Pueolc,
aren't wanted. Tabic I lists some typical to improve their performance. I suggest CO 81002 Cat3log of kits available on request.
values for other operating frequencies. you take soldering iron in hand and tack For updated supplier addresses, seo ARRL Parts
Fig. 8 shows the parts placement for the cir- together some of the one-stage oscillators Supplier List in Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 107

From July 1965 QST. p 22:

The Fine Art of

Improvisation

Improvising in the ham workshop

may lead to new ways for solving
electrical and mecnanical problems. The net result is often a savings
in time and money!
By Doug DeMaw," W1FB

ga yc up on building ham gear Each of us has (he potential to build radio value capacitor and a variable inductor, or
C i I
I because pans are hard to f.nd and equipment, to find shortcuts to design by employing a VVC (volt age- variable-
I they coy mo
milch ." F.vpr hear that objectives and to enjoy using something we capacitor) diode. A quality double bcarinf
comment? Perhaps you've saic it to built ourselves. Let's consicer
some prac- tuning capacitor that rotates smoothly U
yourself in silent despair. Actually, parts ways to use parts in applications for
tical net only hard to find these days, it can be
are not hard lofind, and most of them need which they were not designed. Perhaps bulky and very expensive. Much of our
not be purchased at top price. But. there some of these concepts will solve a design miniature homcrnadecquipment would be
aresome items ihat are very expensive and problem for you. more practical if a tuning capacitor could
hard to locate when we attempt 10 buy be avoided for changing the oscillator
them new. It is conceivable (hat \ve naight Experimental Tuning Methods
frequency.
have 10 spend S15 for a tuning cepacitoi Tiaiibiniiiers and receiver! require some How might we contrive a simpler, lesi
and a vernier crive, when the circuit with type of signal source, and generally this expensive method for tuning a VFO? I
which ii will be used contains only S3 worth local oscillator (LO> is tumble. The con- developed an interesting circuit for use in
of small pans. Prices of items such as vemional techniques lor changing a VFO a very compact receiver (Fig. I) tha
tun ing capacitors, drive mechanisms, cabi- frequency are by means of a fixed-value in- qualifies as a simple, inexpensive tuning
nets, slug-tuned coils and meters (pur- ductor and variable capacitor or a fixed- technique. 1 had some reservations about
chased new al nonsurplus prices) can
discourage even rhose builders who have a
large Amaieur Radio budget. The cost, plus
the present-day agonies of being socked VFO
with back orders and "out of stock"
01
notifications from mail-order dealers, does
airli
lend to make as think pans arc hard to
obtain.
What alternatives do we have? The in-
genuity of a true experimenter must he
summoned from within if speedy solutions
100/rt P o
to these common problems are to be found.
In decades past, it was a regularly practiced It oZ
art among harr.s to solve design and pro-
curement problems by using materials on E«t£l" Ai IhBtCMtO, DtCIUBL

hand. Most hams were inveterate ex- VBUt) C ca»teiia«e ami

n uicforcft-iss t *>n .oi-tas
perimenters when I became involved in
isisiiNCES ioc in onus;
Amateur Radic. It was considered a chal-
lenge to come up with new electrical and
mechanical ideas, then share them with
other amateurs. In those days, it was often fpea
a stimulating learning experience to get on
the air and talk about circuits and projects. Fio. t— Tyjlcal
circuit (or a VFO lhal usos a ZN4416 oi MPF102 FET. Tuning Is by means ol R1
In series with C2. C2 Sels Iha frequency Spread provided by R1. This arrangemeni Is uselul wher
an air-variable capacitor and vernier drive are not dosi'Od. It can lead to a very compact VFO
abrl ConuiDuimg tailor, K.o. box 2MJ. assembly. Tne tap position on tne coil (Ll) ana me maximum capacitance provided by C2
Lulhcf. Ml 496£G determine the maximum tuning range available.

ORP Classics 108

 control. 1 was able t;> snap this element
VFO loose by prying it up near the tabs of ths
control. The ihin phenolic base maicrisl
>H * 4 broke easily. 1 used this element as a
70-71
pattern and cut out a new clement from
flashing copper. Brass would work, also.
Silver platingwould help to ensure mini-
mum corrosion, but it is not necessary to
add silver plating if the control will be
used regularly.
The new element is glued in place, and
the ends of the insert piece are soidered to
the two outer lugs of the old control. Be
careful to avoid getting epoxy glue on the
upper surface of the metal element, or
erratic operation will result.
Refer again EO Fij. 2. L2 is a small
variable inductor we made from the potcr-
fig 2— A variation ol the circuit o( Fi£. I, in this example, tie tuning mechanism is a liomeier. It comprise! a part of the overall
aoicntiometer thit has heen modified to become a small variable inductor (see text) citcuit inductance by virtue of its being in
scries with LI. As L2 is adjusted, the VFO
frequency will change. The higher the
how H might work, but after bread bunr-ding quency excursions greater than, say. operating frequency of the VFO. the
3 tesi circuit, was pleasantly surprised
I 50 kHz are desired. greater the frequency change caused by L2.
with the results. For lack of a bctlc: name. I did not observe any degradation in Also, the higher the C-to-L ratio of the
! call il "reactance tuning." Fig. shows ! VFO frequency stability wr.cn comparing VFO, the more effect you will observe
tuning method with that of variable- when L2 is adjusted. The frequency shift
the details of ilie test circuit in whic!t I tried this

:hc idea. Rl. Which is a high-quality Allen capaeito* tuning while using the same oscil- obtained with ihis method is substantially
Bradley (A/B) potentiometer, is located lator module. There is, however, a point less than with the circuit of Fig. 1 , at least

dose to C2 and LI in order to keep the in the tuning range of R I where the loaded with the circuit values given. A 10-kHzshi'i
leads from Rl as short and direct as Qof the VFO tuned circuit will take a dip. was observed.
?o«iblc. When this happens, the VFO output will Incremental band-segment selection can
Why docs system work? Well, as Rl
this drop slightly and the output waveform be had with cither circuit (Figs. 1 and 2)
s adjusted, the presence of the capacitance linearity will change. In most practical b> adopting the method shown in Fig. 3.
oi"C2 (a trimmer) is more prominent in the applications, you will not be able lo detect SI used to add capacitors to the VFO
is

runed circuit. The series combinalicn oT C2 (his effect. tuned circuit,and Rl or L2 can be used in
and Rl form a capacitivc reactance and As an alternative to the use of a vernier the manner described previously. Perhaps
Tcsismnrc th.it ran^i* n frequency shift as drive attached lo Rl. we ninhl consider a miniature DIP switch can be added to
Rl is adjusted. The smaller the \alue of using a bargain-priced 10-lurn. carbon- operate as SI when compact equipment .s
resistance at Rl, the lower the operating composition control with a suitable 10-iurn bane, built. The values of capacitors C3,
'retjuency, because the capaciiance of C2 counter dial. Wire-wound controls must be C4 and C5 will determine the coarse tuning
«ill be more effective. avoided because they are inductive. range. Trimmers may be substituted for
What are the bad features? No innova- these fixed-value capacitors, which wfll
tor is necessarily perfect, and thisapplies Another Tuning Trick enable you to have the tuning ranges
•o (he technique illustrated in Fig. I. The I tried another idea thai I had in mind overlap.
.uniiig h That is, the frequency
iionlincai , for a number of years. The circuit for this
one is given in Fig. 2. L2, a modified Simple, Homemade Tuning Capacitor
is spread out at the maximum-resistance

:ad of the Rl range, and il is somewhat carbon control, is fashioned by removing Large frequency changes arc possible if
compressed at the minimum-resistance end. the metal cover from a standard-size poten- we use a low-capacitance variable capacitor
Also, if a poo>quality control is used at tiometer, then removing icarefully) the that is connected to the high end of a VFO
Rl , you may h:ar a slight scratching noise semicircular carbon element from inside the tuned circuit (junction of CI and LI of
y the control is adjusted, while listening
•

o the output of a receiver in which this

VFO is used. It should not cause a problem
we use the VFO in a transmitter. VFO
The amount of frequency shift available
Spends on two things: the position of coil
rap X on LI of Fie. 1, and the setting of
iha trimmer capacitor, C2. The farther the
LI tap is above ground, the greater the fig. 3-S1. C3. C4
fwiiu-ney change as\ Rl is adjusted. and C5 have been
added to the circuit ot
Similarly, the greater the capacitance of C2,
Flrj, 1 to provide
:he? larger the frequency change. 1 had no coarse frequency in-
-rouble covering all of the 40-metcr band crements. R1 tunes
*hen the coil up was close to the high end the VFO through each
of the three ranges.
LI. In a practical application, it is best
:o limit the frequency change to 25 or

50 kHz. This provides better bandspread

lieu Rl is adjusted. A vcrnkr-drivc
mechanism can be coupled to Rl if fre-

QRP Classics 109

 adjacent (o the metal half-round outer con-
ductor of the stator lube, maximum
capacitance will exist. The rotor shaft is
rotated by means of a knob or vernier drive
c="eh
to operate this capacitor. I he larger the two
half-round conductors {circumference and
length), the greater the maximum capaci-
tance of the unit. The mechanical aspects
of this device can be improved markedly
"Li ..'
by those of you who arc adept at building
/ STJ'ja
mechanical gadgets. Certainly, a fine
BOMWOTMM >l*ie C assembly could bt turned out by a crafts-
man. The point being made here is that this
is just another mtihod for constructing a

(SClSEOI
|6| 3
homemade variable capacitor. There are
many other unique ways to eons:ruct
home-built tuning capacitors, but we shall
Fig. a— Mechanical details for a homemade disc tuning capacilor. A lonsion jpring ensutos
not go inlo a lengthy discussion about
mechanical stability of the rotor portion of (he variable capacitor. Side brackets also help to
keep the uni; mechanically rigid. The oelail at B shows ho* the stator disc i: etched on PC them.
board material
Generating Innovative Ideas

I h?ve been asked, "How do you come

up with so many unusual gadgets?" I think

EOPPfR the best replyI can offer is to say that ex-

0= 9BAS5 IGLUEI amination of a conventional compenent

0ME-M4LF 0* SCUD BHfiSS BOD should suggest numerous ways to simplify
GRCJNQ TO ACCE" "00
it at a savings in cost. Some inventors do
not generate new deas. Rather, iheypick
SLUE TUBIHG up some ordinary object, such as a paper
IO PLATE
clip, then ask themselves. "What can 1 do
lo improve this thing?" Wc msght also ask
ourselves. "What don't I like about this
paper clip?" The next step is to devise a
OfCUNOED VIA "OL" STYRENE new paper clip that no longer has the design
OR
POMIL BUSHING fault, Bingo! A ne.v pateni can result! This
TO IHASSiS AC»»L-C VMM
general philosophy can be applied to
making our own radio components from
Fly. 5—A cylindrical formal uiiuvidao allll aiiulhm lUiiInu Ocvke thai ttui be mailt) at home. The readilv available materials. You can try
rotor unit is semicircular brass or ;opper lo which a Vt -Inch-diameter tuning rod has been your ideas,and you need not be ashamed
soldered. The stator section is a piece of plastic tubing to which thin copper brass sheeting c if they don't work the first time or even at
has been glued {see te*t|. all.

In Ctmclusiun
When you are working with the circuits
Fig. 1). A simple mechanism is illustrated commended in the interest of high dielec- of Figs. I and 2, it is important lha: the
in Fig. 4. It is developed during
one that I tric quality and physical strength. A piece Q of LI be as high us you can moke t. If
my search for simple VFO luning methods. of thin Teflon'1 sheet is glued to the surface the Q is quite low, ihe addition of Rl or
The drawing at A of Fig, 4 shows a side of thf stator disc to prevent short circuiting L2 could cause [he VFO to cease oscillating
view of the assembly I constructed. A piece of the stator and rotor discs. Polyethylene at some point in tie tuning range. There-
of '/*-in x 20 iron bolt is used as the tuning sheeting is suitable if you have no Teflon fore, suggest tha: you use a T68-6 tcroid
I

shaft. The from plate of the tunsr is a piece on lurid. The capacitance range I obtained core for frequendes above 4 MHz. The
of copper-clad PC board. The hex nut is with this unit was to 18pF with the 1-inch wire size should be as large as can be wound
soldered to the inner surface of this end diameter disc plates. The closer the plates easily on the toroid core. This will reduce
plate, as shown. A disc of copper or brass are to one another, the greater the capaci- ihe coil resistance and enhance the tj. I he
serves as the capacitor rotor. It is soldered tance and the faster the luning rate. The same rule applies if you use a slug-tuned
to the end of the boll that is opposite the rotor disc grounded by means of the boh-
is inductor: The core should be
for use in the
knob. I used a I-inch-diameler disc, and to-nul connection and by iirtue of the front- upper part of HF
spectrum. High-
ihe
made certain ii was at an exact riglii angle end elate being grounded. Those skilled in quality capacitors mould be u«d also. The
to the bolt when I soldered the two pieces machine work should be able to improve o n NPO units specified are entirely suitable,
together. A spring is used between the disc this design. The disc-tuning method is by no and will ensure mirimum VFO drift. Silver-
plate and ihc fronl-platc bearing nul (o means a new concept. VHF cavities and mica capacitors can be used, bin will cause
prevent wobbling and undue backlash. PC- amplifiers were tuned by this technique for considerably more drift than will the NPO
board braces are soldered (four each) to the man> years. But. I don't recall seeing it ap- ceramic units.
front bracket and stator-plaic bracket to plied to HF circuits in tiiis manner. Should you develop some noteworthy
ensure physical stability. circuit innovations, please consider sharing
Drawing B of Fig. 4 shows how 1 made Another Capacitor Idea them with others through the pages of
the stator plate. It is a piece ol PC board A cylindrical tuning capacitor can be QST. Detailed descriptions can be sub-
with an outer border and disc thai were pro- fashioned as shown in Fig. 5. The rotor is mitted as articles. Short explanatory nar-
vided by etching with ferric-chloride solu- slipped inr.ide the stator tubing. When the ratives may be junl right for ihe Hinlsond
tion. Glass-epoxy circuit board is re- metal half-rod of the rotor is immediately Kinks column.

QRP Classics 110

From September 1987 QST, p 25:

Tuning-Diode Applications and a

WC-Tuned 40-m VFO
Inexpersive voltage-variable capacitance diodes are compact and
easy to use in your Amateur Radio circuits. They can replace
expensive, hard-to-get air-variable tuning capacitors.
By Doug DeMaw, W1FB
ARRL Conlribulmg Edilor
PO Box 250, Lulher, Ml 49656

Have you looked lately for snail air-

Does ihe high
variablc capacitors?
IN914. The base -col lector junctions of
many transistors may also be used as tuning
(abu v ullage vai iablc. but negligible above
100 kHz). Finally, R, is the series
cost and scarcity of tuning diodes or varaciors. resistance of the dioce and its leads- Our
capacitors bother you? If you answer In simple terms, the junction capacitance practical concern is mainly for the Cj com-
"yes" lo these questions, I can sympathize of a VVC diode changes when a reverse penent, at least with regard to HF opera-
with you! voltage s applied to the d:vicc (positive tion. At VHF, and higher, we must be
Gone are the days when smill air- voltage applied to the diodecathode), and concerned about parasitic capacitance Ct ,

variables lined (lie shelves of electronics the capacitance varies with the voltage. The and R„ both of which affect the and ilie Q
surplus stores. Gone, too, arc the attrac- diode is placed in parallel with the com- upper- frequency limit or cutoff frequency
tive price tags of SI or less. New capaci- ponents of a tuned circuit, and tuning is ac- of the diode, F co Tic diode cutoff fre-
.

tors are presently in the SI0-S15 class, if complished by varying the voltage, and quency is also affected by
you can them. The once-popular
find thus the capacitance, by means of a
Hammarlund and E. F. Johnson capacitor potentiometer,
Tjpcs of VVC EHadts
lines are produced by another firm, and Fig 1 shows the equivalent electrical There are three styles of tuning diodci.
single-lot purchases arc a thing of tie past. a VVC diode. Note that there are
circuit of See Fig 2. The diode a: A is the basic single-
Tlw? surplus mnrtrt has literally rtrirrl up components of capacitance, resistance and junction type, with a cathode and an
for small air-variable capacitors with tuning inductance present. Cc is die stray case anode. Fig 2Q shows a unit that is designed
shafts. however, a bright spot in
There is, capacitance. C. is the juncl ion capacitance to tune three circuits in an broadcast AM
this seemingly grim situation, (voltage variable). L s is the diode series in- receiver. Three separate VVC diodes ate
We can look toward voltage-variable ductance, and R, is Ihe junction resistance contained in a single case. The liming diode
capacitance (VVC) diodes as a solution lo of Fig 2C features a hack-to-back pair of
the mechanical -capacitor shortages, at least junctions. SingleVVC diodes can be con-
for use with lov-power oscillators and low- nected together as in Fig 2C, if desired
level mitd RFeiteuita. Tuning diodes arc
i

not only inexpensive, they are small. There Diode Q Factor

is a greater opportunity for circuit An important consideration for any
miniaturization using VVC diodes. The resonant circuit is the Q (quality factor).
major performance trade-off relates to use The higher the Q| (loaded Q), ihe better
of diodes in VFO circuits: The frequency the circuit selectivity (sharpness cf
stability maybe worse than with air vari- response). High Q is important to an
ables, and minimum capacitance of
the oscillator because if the Q is too low, the
VVC diodes is substantially greater than is Fig i— Electrical equivalent cf a VVC oscillator may not work or it may generate
diode, showing components ol C. L and R
typicalof an air-variable capacitsr. For
(see text).
wideband noise. Q is dependen: upon,
most amateur applications, however, hese t

shortcomings are not serious.

VVC Diode Characterization

BO-lBOsF 6O-400 pF 20-S0pF
You have probably heard people refer to
inning diodes as Epieap® or Vtricap' 1

diodes. These are trade names that the

manufacturers have given to these diodes.
A varactor (variable reactor) diode is
similar in effect to a tuning diode, but it
is earmarked for use as a frequency
multiplier (harmonic generator). Ordinary
tuning diodes vork quite well as varaciors, Fig 2— Tiree typos of VVC dodes. A single diode is shown at A. The iriple-diode version
do many .small-signal, htgn-spced at B is for tuning tnreo circuits at me same time, such as an RF amplifier, mixer and
switching diodes, such as the popular oscillator. Back-to-back diodes in ono package arc shown at C.

QRP Classics 111

 I °

among oiher ihiigs, the ac resistance of the

100
circuit: the higher the resistance, the lower 75
theQ.
50
Tuning diodes are rated for Q. This 4-0
factor varies wili the operating voluge and 30
the operating frequency. The Q for a given 2-0
VVC diode changes considerably as the
a
reverse voltage is varied. The manufac- 10
turers' specification sheets include curves
showing Q compared with operating —
voltage and frequency. Check them before
selecting a diode for your application.

Performance Trade-offs
Tuning diode; are not perfect! They have 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.5 I a 3
some shortcomings that we must take into
KtVtKSt TULIAttt l+VI
account as we design circuits using them.
They can worsen the frequency drift of a Fig 3— Abbreviated capacitance/reverse voltage cirve (or an MV2109 luning diode. Note
VFO when they are used in place of an air- Ihe flat potion of the curve to the left (see text for precautions about reverse voltages
variable capacitor. This is because all semi- from 0.1 10 15).
conductor junctions change capacitance
with changes in junction temperature.
Transistor junctions undergo the same accommodate the high minimum to I V. If we use of the curve,
this partion
change:) with icipcti lu ictiipctainte. The uapaciiiurce 'he diode. In some cases, we will find (IlAt
uui tuning luiiUuI Ufa
addition of a VVC diode adds to ihtshort- this calls for a high C. low L tuned circuit. minor effect until w; reach the I.5-V
and long-term drift problems. The change in diode capacitance is quite region. The range from 2 to 8 V provides
Another annoyance with VVC diodes is nonlinear as the reverse voltag; is decreased a more linear capacitance change, and this
the fairly high minimum capacitance value. below approximately 2 V. This means thai is the desired part of the curve. f we allow I

An air-variable capacitor with a range of we should design for operation in a the voltage to drop below 1 .5, a large part
50 pF might have a minimum capacitance reasonably linear portion of the curve. of the tuning dial ranee will be wasted on
whereas a VVC with a 50-pF
of. say. 8 pF. Fir 3 shows a typical VVC diode voltage/ a I- or 2-kHz frequeicv change at. for
range can have a minimum capacitance of capacitance curve. You can see that there example, 7 MHz, while the overall fre-
25 pF. We must design the tuned circuit to is very little capacitance change from 0.1 quency change may be 100 kHz in the 2-

VFO VFO
IOC MFHOZ

CI C2 ^ C3 (I Cl C2 £ C3 100
100 k
I DO 7 so
30 ? 25
CAL

MECHANICAL TUNING 100 li ELECTRONIC TUNING

IAI
R1
r-v
50 K REG
HftIN TUNING

VFO
ICO -—«. MPF102

—
I
j
1 f— I r i
/
Q^) —
Two
Cl C2

Ho T
C3 103
,OQ
*f
<
^
100*

Ct-PcTBONtf TUN1HC
ELECTRONIC TUNING

SXCST AS INDICATED. RFCIMAl

O+V VALU-G OF CAPACITANCE '.IE
50 h REG IN MtCnOFAflACS (
AHElV PICOFARADS |pf-
^
); OTMEPS

MAIN TUNING RtSISlANCeSAHE IN OHMS.

|:

J = i&KI. M = tOM COD.

Fig 4— Simplified examples of elect rcnicnlly tuned oscillators. The circuit at A is tuned by a
circuit at B uses a VVC
diode, ino example at
single snows how to c use a Dipolar transislor tags**
is preferred, with respect to obtaining a linear oscillator waveform.

QRP Classics 112

 VFO
nr AMP

Qi
bG'UJU V'L*
llCCPr as INCHOATED. DffpJAl
VALUrS DF CAPACITANCE ARE
VlCRDFARAOS ,F OTnm3
I ;,

A'f HI PieGtAHSOK pF I I,
p;3i3T*r.*C£;> a«S l'i DHUS.
it- woo
Irt - HO COSIECTOII
(BECEiVEl P -POIY5TYHEHE
K'O- TCao temp COWP

-ig 5— Schematic diagram ol a practical VVC-luned VFO tor 40 meters. Unless noted otherwise, fixed-value capacitors are disc ceramic
or mylar. Fixed-value resistors aro '/* or V2-W carbon composition. 10W lolerince. Numbered conpononls not listed below are identified
•or PC-board layout purposes.

C2—30-pF trimmar or ceramic NPO trimmer Li— Slug-tuned inductor, 2.6 ^H. Use 16 o- no. 2B enam wire on an Amidon
(preferred). turns of no. 26 enam wire an the bobbin T-50-2 core.
31— Motorola MV2109 WC diode (see oi an Amiaon Assoc L-57-6 ransrormer R6-Linear laper 1 0-turn carbon composition
notes i and 3}. assembly. potentiometer (see ted).
32— 9.1 V. 400 mW Zener diode. L2—Toroidal inductor, 7.3 ,,H. Use 38 turns RFCl-Miniature 500-,,H RF choke.
J1, J2-Single hole mount phono jack.

to 8-V reverse-voltage range as wc adjust prevent the diode voltage from dropping Change For the circuit ;>f Fig 5, because I

the tuning potentiometer. below or 2 V. We can thereby avoid the

I am in covering only 7.0 to
interested
Most Motorola tuning diodes are rated flat part of the curve of Fig 3. 7.1 MHz. A tuning vcliage of 1.6 to 7.5
for -t-30 V,max:mum. I did not extend lie i A transistor junction can he used as a provides the desired tuning range.
curve Fig 3 beyond 8 volts because the
in VVC diode as shown in Fig 4C The Q2 of Fig 5 is a temperature-compensating
example is used mainly Tor illustrative pur- capacitance change will differ with the device that connected as a diode. As the
is

poses. The higher the reverse voltage, the particular transistor used. Some experimen- ambient temperature cianges. so docs the
lower the capacitance; but most amateur tation may be useful. resistance of ihe Q2 diode junction. The
equipment is designed for 12-V operation. Fig 4D shows a circuit usinj a Motorola small resultanl resistance change causes the
Therefore, wc aw interested primarily with MVlOl VVC diode. Notice thai the MVI04 reverse voltage ut Dl to change slightly,
ihe portion of the diode curve from 1.0 to features \wo back-to-back diodes in one thin compensating for changes in the diode
10 V. Rcgulaiec reverse voltage is neces- case. This arraogcmcnl is preferred for junction capacitance that are caused by
sary when VVC devices arc used for the fre- belter oscillator-waveform Linearity. Two lica:.
quency control of oscillators; this aids separate VVCs may be connected together, R5 and R7 arc included to provide the
frequency stability. baek-to-bick. when we desire to use ihe required 1.6 to 7.5 V
reverse potential for
method s;en Fig 4D. Similarly, two
at Dl across R6. You msy require different
Some Cireuil Examples bipolar transistors {Fig 4C) may be con- values if the regulated voltage for your
Fig 4 ShOWS four VFO tuning nected back-io-back to permit the arrange- oscillator ts greater or less than the 9.1 V
approaches. Fig 4A Illustrates, in ment of Fjg 4D. indicated in Fig 5.
abbreviated font, a tuned circuit for a LI is an adjustable inductor that is
VFO. C3 is an air-variable capacitor used A Practical VVC-Timed VFO wovnd on the bobbin oi an Amidon L-57-6
for frequency adjustment. C2isa trmmer I chose the circuit of Fig * as the local shielded transformer assembly.2 The no. (>
capacitor used for oscillator calibration. oscillator for a direct -conversion (D-C) (yellow! iron-core material offers good
The same circuit is seen at Fig 4B. but Dl receiver I am want the unit
developing. I stability in the presence of changing
and its related circuitry replaces C3 of Fig to be small, so I opied for a VVC tuninc tcmpcralurcs. No. 2 material ued) lm
4A. The values of CI and LI ma? need scheme instead of using a large, expensive greater permeability (fewer lurns ncedcdl,
Might alteration to provide the same fre- air-variable capacitor. I had on hand some but it is less stable than is (he no. 6 material.
quency coverage that is obtained from ihe surplus Motorola MV2I09 Epicap diodes The coil turns are ginsd in place on the
oscillator of Fip 4A. This is because ihe that 1 purchased from BCD Electro. A 1
bobbin with a high-quality coil cement,
minimum capacitance of DI is greattr than capacitance swing of approx imately 20 pF such as General Center t Q-Dopc." After
that of C3 of Fig4A. Rl is a panel-mounted is possible in the linear portion of the diode LI is tested and adjusted for the desired fre-
coniiol used to vary the reverse voltage curve. This provides sufficicn: capacitance quency range, the coil slug should be locked
applied to Dl. \ resistor may be added in ploee by mcliinp a small piece of beeswax
between the low end of Rl and ground to 'Notes appear at end ot article. or canning wax onto the end of the coil

QRP Classics 113

 *

rhh. the VFO should remain operating a'

all times when it 5s used with a transmitter.

R15 of Fig 5 is shown as part of a

frequency-offset circuit. During the receive

period you may shift the VFO frequency
away from the frequency you are listening
to by grounding RI5. A mechanical or
solid-state switch in your TR circuit ma?
be used for this purpose. The amount o*
frequency offset determined by the value
is
of R15. If the VFO is jscd in a D-C trans-
ceiver, you may ignore the offsc:
provision— the VFO will be operating at all
times.

Dri(t ami Output Waveform

measured the VFO drift at room
I

B
temperature (72 F) with the cover in place
on the VFO cabinet. The initial drift tool;

place in a 30-sccond spurt. Thereafter, the

drift was gradual, and stabilization
(±2 Hz) w-as noied alter 10 minutes. The
lore-term drift was measured as 80 Hz. Do
no: measure your VFO drift for at least an
hour after all soldering on the PC board
iscompleted. The VFO module should bt
Fig 6— Phoiogisphtc viow ol tho 40-m VFO in its cabinel with cover removed.
mounted in place and enclosed in a cabi-
net before measurements commence. Even
slifhl stresson the VFO board will cause
frequency changes. Solder a 470- or
slug - This prevents vibraiion from moving bias were allowed to vary.
Q3 is lightly coupled to the emitter ot 560-ohm resistor across J2 before doinp
[he slug and cranging the oscillator fre-
Q I. This also reduces the loading effect of your drift checks. Set R6 at midrange
quency.
the ampl Tier. K9 is includc-d as a parasitic before starting the tests.
C2 is used 10 set ihc tuning range of DI.
suppressor for Q3. If unwanted VHF examined the output waveform of QJ
The capacitance of C2 is in scries with the
I

with a 50-MHz Tektronix 453A scope. A

capacitance of D Therefore, the lower the
I . oscillations arc allowed to develop, they
will appear at the output of Q3. VHF
clean sinewave was observed and the out-
capacitance of CI, the smaller the fre-
put amplitude rcmain:d constant over the
quency spread provided by Dl a* R<j is parasitic oscillations can cause spurious
nHjmtpri ihrongi its range. In other words, responses in a receiver or transmitter, or lOQ-kHz tuning rang; of the VFO. The
cause TVI.
of the 03 pi network aids
filtering action
the lower the capacitance ai C2. the smaller
in laundering the output waveform.
the effective capacitance change tor Dl. A broadband pi network is used at the
NPO Izero temperature coefficient) output or 03. It is designed for a Ol °f -
Pmclical Ouisideniliins
ceramic capacitors arc used ai CI C3 and . to ensurca constant output -across ihc VFO
CI? Polysiyrere capacitors arc indicated tuning range. The network U designed for Some type of reduciion-gcar mechanism
at C4 and C5, but NPO units can be used a transformation ratio. RI3 sels the
1:1 is desirable for the VFO of Figs 5 and 6.
instead. used polystyrene capaciiors
I collector impedance of Q3. The VFO out- I tsed a 10-iurn potcn.iometer and counter
because they arc quite stable with put impedance (appro* 500 ohms) is suita dial that 1 bought at a flea market for S3.

temperature changes. Also, 1 did not have ble for interfacing with a class-A bipolar Various 10-turn controls and dials arc cur-

a pairof 680-pF NPO unit*; on ham! when RF amplifier or the 500-ohin input terminal rently manufactured, but the cos! may b;
I VFO. Silver-mica capacitors can
built this of amixer 1C, such as a CA302SA. prohibitive. Check the surplus electronics

be used at CI, C3, C4, C5 and C7 if neces- Peak-to-peak output from the circuit of dealers' catalogs for these mechanism*.
sary. You may find I hat silver-mica units Fig 5 is 3 V across a 470-ohrr resistor. This You may also use au imported reduction
exhibit positive or negative drift charac- equates lo 1.06 V RMS aid an output gear drive to control the VVC diode tuning
teristics, however. Best VFO stability will power ol 2.4 m\V. Greater output power control (R6(. If you arc adept at making
may be obtained by changing Kl I to KH) plastic or metal pulley wheels, try coupling
result if you experiment with these capaci-
tors, by trying various units of the same ohms. This provides 5 V F-P or 1.76 V the R6 tuning shaft to the dial-drive shaft
value at each critical circuit point. Thai is. RMS foi an output power of 6.6 rnW, If with a rubber O
ring and two pulleys. A

like-value capacitors of the same brand will greater output power is needed, you may small wheel driving a large pulley wheel wi I

often exhibit different drift characteristics add an RF power amplifier after Q3. A provide a slow tuning rate for the VFO.
with respect to internal healing. For this 2N2222A is a good transistor for this pur- Same of the small gear drives with readout
reason, most homemade highly stable pose. Suitable RF amplifier circuits arc dials from WW II surplus transmitters,
VFOs are practically tailor-made with presented in Solid Sialc Lesisn for (he receivers or tuning unitscan he adaptei
respect to the final choice of fixed-value Radio Amateur. easily for useas reduction drives, for R6.
capacitors in the oscillator circuit A good-quality potentiometer is recom-
VFO Offset Circuit mended for use at R5. Select a unit thai
D2of Fig 5 regulates the oscillator
operating voltage, and ensures a regulated Because or the heating o( Ihc Dl junc- tu-ns smoothly. Industrial-grade controls
voltage for the D\ tuning circuit. The regu- tion when operating voltage is first applied, of the Allen hradlej type (linear tapet)
lated voltage also stabilizes the forward bias you will notice a shon-term frequency operate smoothly, and they will last a long
for amplifier Q3, and helps prevent load change of approximately 50C Hz. The VFO tine.
changes ai ihc oscillator out pui thai would settles down and communed itr. long lerm Fig 6 shows ihe assembled VFO with it*
otherwise be reflected by Q3 if the forward drift after about 30 seconds. Because of cover removed. The unused space in ihe

QRP Classics 114

 mm Rg 7— Circuit-board
shown
etching pallorn lor the
VVC-turod 40-m VFO. The pattern
from th>e (oil side ol the
lull-size
board. Black areas ropresert unslched
copper 'oil.
is

Fig 8— Parts-
placement guide
for theVVC-iuned
CD- 40-m VFO. Parts
are placed on the
1-57-6 nonfail side of the
ASSY
T "1 board; the shaded
area represents an
X-ray view ol the
copper pattern.

oa V

cabinei will contain the product detector, Fig 7 shows a full-size etching template your equipment will be much smaller than
active filter and audio amplifier for my for the VFO. Fig 8 is a parts-placement when using mechanical tuning capacitors.
40-mctcr D-C receiver project. I used a guide.
Ten-Tec TP-I9 cabinet. It treasures Notes
<HWD)2 x 4W x 4 inches. As supplied, In Sum nary 'Date ted.
?Amidon Assoc, Inc. 12033 Otsego St. N
It is a plain-finish aluminum box. I painted have addressed the subject of VVC
I
Hollywood. CA 91607 Catalog available.
:he front and rear panels with gray tuning diodes in simple terms. The nature s NPO capacitors, silvor-mica capacitors and
automotive primer. The cover was also ol thesedlodes is considerably more com- viviiius vvc modes (also other WC diodes)
painted with p-imcr, followed by z coat of ire available Irom Circuit Specialists, PO Bex
plex than this article indicates. However,
3047. ScottsdalB, PZ 85257. lei 602-966*076*.
marine blue gloss enamel. Adhesive -backed you should now have sufficient knowledge Catalog available.
plastic feel arc affixed to the bottom. to permit plenty oT experimentation and *W. Hayward and D. DeMaw, Solid State Design
Motorola, Ire. manufactures a variety of practical satisfaction. Application notes tor the Radio Amateur, 2nd printing (Newington:

VVC tuning diodes. 5 Check with them from the companies that manufacture VVC AHRL, 1986).
sMrtorola Semiconductor Products. Inc. Technical
regarding ihe availability of data sheets for tuning diodes will give you greater insight formation Cenler. PO Box 20924. Phoanii,
these diodes. My information cane from into the performance characteristics of
;he Motorola Semiconductor Library. Vol these devices. If nothing nore, you can
Fo- updated supplier addresses, see ARRL Parte
3, scries A, 1974 edition. save mency by using tunicg diodes, and Suppliers List in Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 115

From January 1989 OST, p 31:

A VFO with B aindspread and

Bandset
Eliminate expensive
vernier drivesand dials
with an old technique—
bandspread and
bandset tuning!
By Doug DeMaw, W1FB
ARRL Contributing Editor
PO Box 250
Luther, Ml 49656

Are you old enough io recall those

days when we amateurs had re-
ceivers that had two readout dials?
One was a handsel dial (coarse tuning) and
the other was for bandypread (fine tuning).
When I compare that method io modern note thai 1 use electronic tuning. D2 and junctions must come up to operating tem-
digital-readout techniques, 1 wonder how D3 are WC (voltage variable capacitance) perature as currert flows through them.
we managed to get on frequency; the reso- diodes, They arc also culled varactors o-r This involves both RF and direct currents.
lution of the dials was primitive by today's tuning diodes. As the reverse bias (positive The stability of the VFO in Fig I is ade-
standards! The bandset dial was calibrat- voltage) is varied at the diode cathode, quate for many amateur needs, such as
ed in megahertz and the bandspread dial there is a significant change in the junction simple receivers and signal generators.
indicated kilohcrtz. The tuning increments capacitance of the diode. This enables us Short-term drift is on the order of 1.5 <Hz
for the bandspread dial were in 5- or io change the VFO frequency, as would be from a cold start to the period when long-
IO-kHz steps, depending on the model of the situation if we replaced D2 and D3 with term drift commences. Long-term drift
the receiver mechanical tuning capatilors. The advan- occurs for 15 or 20 minutes, and it amounts
Wc may apply that old technique to tage of using the diodes s that wc can use to a range of 200-JOO Hz. Thereafter, the
modern circuits. Reasonable readout ac- standard carbon-composition controls (R2 frequency creeps up and down over a range
curacy is possible with the method dis- and R7 of Fig I) for tuning the VFO. This of 5-10 Hz at room temperature. In other
cussed in this article. The trick is to make provides a compact VFO module, should words, the circuit in Fig I represents a good
both dials read kilohcrtz, rather than mega- that be our objective. VFO, but not a spectacular one. It U Oil
lienz and kiloheriz. The circuit described D2 functions as the bandset tuning par with whal I expected when using two
here is meant to be an inspiration toward diode, while D3
used for the bandspread
is VVC diodes.
a design of your own. It serves as a model function. Each diode hai a trimmer capa-
for a start irg point, with a circuit -board citor (C3 and C4) between it and L2. The Remainder of the VFO Circuit
pattern offered tf you wish to experiment. trimmers are set to control the tuning range Ql Of Fig 1 is a 2N4416 JFET. This
My circuit values arc for use in a 6. 572- to of ea:li VVC diode. device surpasses tile performance of the
6.872-MHz VFO. This VFO sums as the and honey" when wc use
All is ricH "milk generic MPFI02 family of transistors, li
local oscillator for a homemade 80-mctcr tuning diodes in VFO;. Although the has a better pinchoff characteristic than
CW receiver that uses a 3072-kHz IP and diodes offer some advantages over air- does the MPF102 and similar devices. This
a crystal filter made from low-cost com- variable capacitors, they ere not as frequen- means that greater output is possible at a
puter crystals.I plan to describe the entire cy stable as mechanical lining devices. The given operating voltage, compared to an
receiver in e subsequent article. more semiconductor junctions we add to MPF102. Oscillatcr feedback is by way of

an os:illator circuit, the creater the oppor- theQl source and LI. This link has V» the
Circuit Features
tunity for frequency drift — particularly number of turns used on L2, which is pretty
Please refer to Fig I, which shows the short -term drift (first five minutes of warm- standard for .1 feccbatk winding. Tliclwu
circuit for my experimental VFO. You will lip). This is because the transistor and diode coils are wound on an Amidon L-57-6

ORP Classics 116

 ,

COARH
IM JOO PftNGE
NI'O t*?0 ADJ
*OJ CI!
, O.OOI

m
ooi-L

R2
10.
110 ml.}

15. baud
SET

I'. M-.B3**l"*llS i,» lOIMIRS

o o
RMSTXhCia »=t HI DHltt o o
o
BOTTOM
0CTT6M Vlt*

Fig 1— SrhRfTwtic diagram nl Iho WO-liinod VFO Fixed-value capacitors aro dice ceramic, 50- or 100-V rating. Fixod vatuo rcci0tor3 oro
"*-W carbon composition. NPO notations are lor temper alu re-stable disc capacitors (zero temperalure coefficient).
C3. C5— 25-pF NPO miniature ceramic D4— 9.1-v. 400-mWZcnor diode. 13 — 24 turns of no. 30 enam or Litz wire
trimmer or E. F. Johnson I-9-5 mirialuro L1 — 4 turns of no. 30 enarr or Litz wire on the form of an Amidon Assoc L-43-2
air-variable trimmers. over grounded end of L2 Use Amidon shielded assembly Turns must be
15— See texi. A5So;. Inc L-57-6 shielded assembly. scramble-wound fc fil on form.
D1 —Silicon switching diode, type IN914 or —
L2 1 6 1 urns of no. 30 enam or LHz wire R2. R7— 10-Kfl linear-taper carbon-
equiv. on L-5-7-6 bobbin. Use QDope to secure composition conlrcl (see text).
D2, D3— Motorola MV2109 tuning diode windings (see text). R15— See fext.
oi cquiv. 3O70 pF typical range
Available from All-Electronics Ccrp,
Van Nuys, CA 91408.

transformer assembly. The no. £ (yellow) from Q2. The smaller ths C9 value, the range of the handset control. Experiment
powdered-iron core material is best, for greater the overall VFO stability. In a like with the CIS value id obtain the range you
VFO service. It is more temperature stable manner, the lower ihcC5 value, the better need.
than the other core materials. the stability. C5 needs to be of a large
NPO temperature-stable capacitors (CI enough value to allow Ql to oscillate. The Construction in General
C2. C5 and C9) are used to aid testability. Q of tic oscillator tank and the specific Use a singlc-sidcd PC
board for this
Dl, from theQI gale to ground, stabilizes transconductance of Ql are determining project. Double-sided board material in-
the bias on Ql and limits the device trans- factors when selecting the C5 value in a creases the VFO drift, owing to the forma-
vonducianee on sine wave peaks. Thia helps VFO of this general type. C5 values as low tion of unwanted low-stability capacitance
to keep the junction capacitance fairly as 5 pF arc usable, especially when L2 has between Ihe PC foil and the ground-ptene
constant— an aid io> stability. A furth er en- a high value of Q (100 oi greater). iideof the board. Try to use high quality
hancement to stability is provided by Zener glass-epoxy board material. Phenolic PC
diode D4. It regulates the operating voltage Circuit Variations
boards are not suitable for VFOs.
for D2, D3, QI and the base of Q2. If you desire greater frequency stability I enclosed my VFO in a homemade box,
Buffer-amplifier Q2 is used to boost the than I mentioned earlier, replace D2 and as shown in the title photo. The box is
RF output of ihc oscillator chain to 5 V D3 wifh small air-variable rapacttors. You made from pieces of PC board ihat hfive
P-P. The output is designed to look into may us; a 100-pF unit in place of D2. The been soldered together. The cover, removed
a 100-kH load, which may be gate no. 2 of bandspread tuning can then be done with for the photograph, is a U-shaped pieceof
a dual-gate N'OSFET mixer. RI5 mav be a 15- o: 20-pF variable. Tiis calls for the Eluminum. The cover is affixed to the box
added (3.3 kfi to 10 kO) across L3 (dashed deletion of the WC
diode components, Rl by means of two no. 4-40 screws. 1 soldered
lines in Fig 1) to broaden the response of through R8. plus C6 and C'T, and of course, two 4-40 x W -inch nuts on the inside of
L2. This will reduce (he RF output D2 and D3. the box to accommodate the two screws,
somewhat. C15 sf Fig is shown in dashed lines.
1 I used two surplus Teflon push-in feed-
You may use a lower value of cupnei- Vou may add a capacitor at this circuit through terminals to route the -r 12 V iu
tancc at C9 if you require lower output point if you wish to increase the tuning the circuit, and to bring the RF output from

ORP Classics 117

 TOR<
MHEfl

Fig 3— Parts-place menl

guide for the VFO. not to
4 13V
scale. Paris are placed on
the nonfoil side of the
board; the shaded area
represents an X-ray view of
the coppei partem. In the
interest of stability, do not
use double-sided board
malarial and a ground
plane. Component outlines
are noi necessarily
representative of the
shapes of the actual parts

VFO-flO M RECEIVER

Fig 2— Circuit-board etching pattern for the

WC VFO. Tha pattern is shown full-size
from the foil ado of the board. Black areas for R2 and R7 of Fig 1 , such as Allen- drift is only 1 or 2 Hz per count. Observe
represent unetchod copper foil Bradley units. They will last longer than Ihe frequency change until it stabilizes. This
imported controls, and be less prone
will willbe noted when the frequency shifts up
to resistive instability from shock and and down by a tew hertz in a random
the box. Two no. 6 spade bolts secure the vibratbn. Check the surplus catalogs for manner. Dial calibration (discussed earlier)
VFO box to the mainframe assembly that these controls. should be done aftsr the short-term drift
will later contain the remainder of my has occurred. This should take place within
80*mctcT receiver. The hookup-wire cables
Checkout and Operation five minutes after lurn-on.
for tuning controls R2 and R7 ar? brought You will need to adjust the slug in L2,
from the VFO box through '/i-inch holes along with the sellings for C3 and C4. First,
Closing Comments
in rhr- hox wall Thr VFO module mr-i sun* r1pt*»rmin<* how much frequency range yon I wanl In stress thai this is an "idea"
(HWD) 2 x 2 X 2>/i inches. want to cover with the bandsct control. Ad- than a project for duplicatian.
article rather

A scale etching pattern for the VFO PC just C3 and L2 so R2 provides the desired The main thought here is that you can
board is provided in Fig 2. A parls- range. Next, adjust C4 to yield 10 kHz of capitalize on the old technique of using a
placcmcni guide is shown in Fig 3- 1
tuning range for R7. This will cause some handset and bandspread setup in order to
The dial-calibration plate for my VFO interaction with the settings of C3 and L2. avoid the high cost of vernier mechanisms.
is homemade, visible on edge in [he title- Repeal those adjustments to obtain the Tuning diodes are discussed in the interest
page photograph. I drew the circles with desired tuning range for R2. Df equipment miniaturization and reduced
a ballpoint p:n and compass. I ose knobs Next, terminate CO With a lUU-kU resis- cost.
with large skirts (2 inches OD), bought at tor.Connect a scope or RF probe from the This VFO is not recommended for use
a ilea market. If you can't locate a pair of output side of C12 to ground. Adjust the with transmitters unless one or more ac'di-
large knobs with skirts, you may use slug in L3 for maximum RF output voltage. :ional stages of buffering are used. A fin-
standard-size knobs and metal sr plastic LI and L2 should be :oated with GC ale buffer-amplifier does not provide the
dial skirts with them. The skins nay be at- polystyrene Q-Dope aflcr they arc wound load isolation that is necessary between the
tached [o the knobs by means of epoxy ce- on L-57-6 bobbin. Allow ai least 48
the VFO and a transmitter. It is adequate,
ment or small screws hours for the coil to dry before you check however, for connection to a mixer that
After made the dial plate photocopied
I I the stability of your VFO Q-Dopc is avail-
. presents a relatively constant load
it. The copy was used for dial calibration able by mail from Small Parts Center. 2 Do mpedance.
with a pencil. I measured the VIO output not attempt drift lests if you have recently You should have no difficulty in tailor-
with a frequency counter. My VFO is set soldered connections or the VFO PC ing this circuit to other frequencies. All that
for SO kHz or tuning range with the band- board. Allow an hour after all soldering is s necessary is to change the inductance of
set control. The bandsprcad covers only completed before you commence your drift L2 and L3, along with appropriate modifi-
10 kHz. Midrange on the bandspread con- run. Keep Ihe module away from desk or calions for the values of CI, C2, C5, C9
trol is marked zero. To the left of zero I bench lamps and enclose the VFO PC andCll. I'm sure you will have fun experi-
calibrated this dial with minus kHz marks. board in its box to prevent air currents menting with Ihis ciicuit, and you can learn
Plus-kHz merks are to the righi of zero. from reaching the critical components. ny doing!
After plotting the calibration scales I made Terminate the VFO output with a 100-klJ
marks between the two rings of each dial resistor and attach a frequency counter to For updated supplier addosses. see ARRL Paris
face, then typed the frequencies alongside the VFO output through a 27- or 33-pF Suppliers List in Chapter 2.
Far Circuits (N9ATW). 18N640 Field Court.
the marks. Rubber cement is used to affix capacitor. Apply the VFO operating
Dundee, IL 601 18; let 312-426-2431 evenirgs.
the dial plate in the front panH voltag? and log the initial frequency. 'Smotl Porto Center, fifl 8 Mrjooo Drive, Lnno ng,
1

Try to obtain commercial-grad? controls Monitor the frequency change until the Ml 4891 1; tel S17-882-6447. Catalog availaale.

QRP Classics 118

From September 197B QST, p 15:

Meet the Remarkable but

Little-Known Vackar VFO!
Searching for a VFO with Rock of Gibraltar stability? End your
band-edge worries with this self-contained unit. For the serious-
minded cw operator, the chirp-free operation and undetectable
frequency drift make this VFO a natural!

By Floyd E.Carter," K6BSU

T. he dedicated cw operator must make

severe demands of his station equipment.
He knows that an elusive DX station
amateur cannot be asked to tolerate a
signal which drifts- through the passband
of his receiver or one which has keying
:hirp. For the cw man, his fist and the
note of his transmitter form his "voice"
to distant stations. Modern electronic
have made machine-like keying an
•.--vers

inexpensive reality. Couple a kcycr -with a

fine-quality VFO. and the DX station
Operator just cannot refuse to QSO.
In designirg this heterodyne VFO. the
coal was to produce a keyed oscillator
I'ith undetectable chirp or frequency Tim Vnvhsi uauiiiotv VFO unclosed in an attractive. coniemporary-&iyieacaDinei. Below is an in-
Jrift. Keying of a conventional VFO in- sine vie* showing 'athet high component densHy. The U3 output amplifier is on a separate board
next to :io transformer.
variably produces some instability because
:hc starling and slopping of an oscillator
jjisets the fine balance of dc and ac condi-
tions within tic circuit, and with?aeh key*
down transition oscillation equilibrium
must be reached. During this transient
period, the oscillation frequency generally
changes, resulting in chirp. Keying of a
subsequent buffer stage following a free-
-unning VFO generally allows a small por-
tion of the VFO output to reach the
receiver during key-up conditions if the
taiion is set op for full-break-in cw. VFO
shielding only reduces the feedthrough,
?ut this may not be adequate for very sen-
sitive station receivers.

Heterodyne-frequency generation elim-

inates all theseproblems because the VFO
operates continuously on a non-har-
-lonically related frequency which is con- Fig. 1 — Simplified block Diagram oi ttiu heteiotlyns vfo.
certed to the operating frequency in a
mixer or balanced modulator. Rorh rhi?
*cyed crystal oscillator and the VFO
T000-
operate far from the receiver frequency. noo
Therefore, even though the VFO 35 not BALANCED
IiHi

BAM)-PASS
keyed, no harmonic of the oscillator will FILTER
-each the receiver. Fig. I shows the block
diagram of the heterodyne process, with
frequency values applicable to this VFO-
2029 Crist Dr. Los Altos, CA 94022

ORP Classics 119

 .

I ov
EXCCPr «S INDICATED. OfCIM*.
VALUE! Of CAPACITANCE ARE
IK UIC?OFARAOStjiFI ; OTHERS
APE PICOFARADS <pF OR j^jTj;
lh
RESISTANCES ARE IN O'tUS*.
* -1000.11.1000 000

rrf 3ooo«hi

Jl
KEY V"
OPCR |_l Q SP
X

:ka* vfo
A000-*IOO kHt

5 M • SILVER MICA

Fig. 2 —Schematic diagram of the heiarodyne-osciliaior VFO using tho Vackat circuit. All resistors afe Wwalt, live-percsnt tolorance. Ul Is a
proprietary product manufactured by Silicon General. Inc. , 73B2 Bolsa Ave.. Westmlnsloi. CA 92663. The toroid core lor L2. Ferroxcube no.
1041T060/4C4. is produced by the Ferroxcube Corp., Ml. Marlon Hd.. Saugarles. NY t2477 (For tie convenience of builders who are unable to
locate small toroids the author has available a limited supply.) For updated supplier addresses, sec ARRL Parts Suppliers List in ChaptBr 2.

A normal mixer or unbalanced mndil- 1040. This circuit formed thr basis for fur- perimentation, the prototype w» built in
laioi ouipui contains lour prominent fre- ther research by Clapp, resulting in his separate modular form equipped with
quency component** —
the two input fre- classic article published in 1954. ;
The connectors. Only a few precautions must
quencies, their sum. and (heir difference. Vackar circuit closely resembles the Clapp he kept in mind when designing a layout.
Either the sum or the difference may be circuit except for the method of feedback First, as with any VFO. mechanical
used as an output by selecting ihe desired The Vackar is series tuned like the Clapp. stability is essentia!. An aluminum extru-
frequency n a band-pass filter. The bm the tank circuit as well as the tran- sion was used as a base for the oscillator.
balanced mixer is a more sophisticated sistorarc shunted by unusually low reac- The tank components were bolted to this
refinement of the basic mixer circuit, tance- which reduce lb; effects of the extrusion and the remainder of the circuit
because the two input frequencies are transittor reactances. Further refinements is contained on a glass-e poxy-board
eliminated in the mixing process so thai of the Vackar circuit were described in bolted to one hp of the extrusion. Heavy
die output contains only the sun and dif- 1968 by Jordan. who provides design
' solid wire is used to interconnect ihe :ank
ference frequencies. Consequently, subse- criteria for use at any frequency. circuitcomponents to prevent changes in
quent filtering is made easier. stray circuit capa:itance from shock or
The VFO circuit used in the heterodyne Construction vibration. The integrated circuits have
VFO was first described by Vackar in 1
The photographs suggest one possible much higher bandwidths than required,
'Notes appear at end ol article. layou:. For case of modification and ex- and are capable of oscillations at vhf.

QRP Classics 120

Cl — Variable capacitor, approximately 2 pF ji _ 1M-In;h phone lack. Switchcralt no. 11. Q3 - Pnp silicon low-power transistor, type
(I roior and 1 stalorj. J2 — Chassis jack, Switchcraf: no. 3505F.
rl 2N3640or equiY.
C3. C 14— 4.5-25 pr variable capacitor, CRL no. L1 — 19 ell, 0! turns No. 22, ena-nelcd copper —
Q4 Pup silicon hi-yli-buiieiit awilUliiiy turn-
825AZ. wire. 7/8 nch long, 1 inch diarreter. Ceramic sistor, lype 2N3638 or equlv.
C7, C39 — Fixed capacitor. 0.001 pF. CR_ no. 'orm, Naiional no. XR-50. 05, Q6 —
Npn silicon low powor transislor.
CE102 L2 —Toroid core, Ferroxcube no 104IT060' National Semiconductor typo 2N3646 or
Cfl — Fixed capacitor. 0.1 CRL no. DDA104.
jiF. •>C4, approximately 50 turns nc. 28 enameled OQUiV.
C9. C10, CI2. CI7. C18. 020*24. incl.. C30. copper vWre 08 - Npn Silicon annular transistor, type
C3I. C33, C35. C36, C37 - Fixed capacitor. L3 —Miltei no. 42A0OOCB1-2. 26 turns no. 24 2t>697. (Fig. 3)
0.01 jjF, CRL no.CK103. enameled copper wire. 51 -Spdt toggle switch. Mco no. MST-105D.
C16 —Mylar ttxed capacitor. 0.022 pF. CDE L4 -Millet no. 4OA0O0CB1-2. prlnary 26 turns 52 -Dpdt toggle switch. Alco MST-205N.
no. 1S22. no. 28 enameled copper wire, 38 Inch long; Ui —Variable gam, wldetand amplifier/
CJ0 — Fixed capacitor. 1000 mF 25 V <Jc. CDE socondary 12 turns no. 28 enaneled copper multiplier, Silicon General no. SG3402.
no. HWM 1000-25. (Flo. 3) wire. U2. U3— Linear IC. monolithic rl i-f amplifier.
CUl — Fixed capacitor. 500 ^F, 15 V dc, -DE 01 — Npn silicon annular transistor, type Fairchild no. 703E.
no- HWM 500-15. (Fig. 3| 2N9>8 orsquiv. U4 — Silicon miniature diode assembly,
Ot —Silicon voltajo regulator diode, B.2 V. 02. Q7 — Npn silicon annular transistor, type Motorola MDA 950-2 or equiv. (Fig. 3)
-1O0mW, Texas hstrumonl no. 1N756A or 2N3014 or cquiv. Y1 - Oscillator crystal. 3000 kHz. Sources
equiv. (Fig. 3) listed m QS7 advertisements.

Therefore the bypass capacitors should be turns one at a time until the circuit just C14 for the best starting charac-
mounted close to the IC with short leads. resonates. This circuit removes harmonics teristics. Finally, Cl is adjusted to cover
Ths planetary ball reduction gear couples from the crystal oscillator and help"; to the spread of 4.0 to 4.1 MHz. Adjustment
ihe inning capacitor to ihc tuning knob. reduce spurious inputs to ihc balanced is made with C3 and b> bending ihe plates

This is not an ideal setup Tor it s not modulator. of Cl for the desired delta C for full rota-
possible to calibrate ihe dial because ihe With the VFO operating and keyed, the tion.

ball drive slips ai the end of travel. output of Ul should be monitored while If a spectrum analyzer is available, the
However, accurate calibration of a VFO is adjusting R2l, the carrier-balance poten- optimum tuning may be quickly reached

not a grcflt advantage, inasmuch as crystal tiometer, for a null at both 3 Mil/ and 4 for maximum rejection of unwanted fre-
band -edge mark:rs are required if ;me is MHz. The null should occur simul- quency components. The prototype cir-
String Lu upeidtv witllMl striking distance taneously. Nest, monitor th* output of J2 cuit had all unwanted components down

of a pink slip. through a length of coaxial cable ter- by ^t least 40 dB. With key up. the VFO
minated in the transmitter. The cable is feedthrough at 4 MHz was down 30 dB.
Test and Adjustment necessary becat'se the cable capacitance is This level is not detectable with the station
The only tuned which is not ad-
circuit reflectedback into the circuit for L4 and receiver and tuned circuits in the driven

justable is the 3-MHz band-pass filter C38 and forms part of iltc iota) tuning transmitter will reject these components.
consisting of L2and CI9. This should be capaciiancc. Adjust L3 and !_4 for maxi- With S2 in Ihc SI'O'I position, power is
resonated with a grid-dip meter after first mum drive to the transmitter. While remaved from the output buffer amplifier
overwinding the toroid core and removing rapidly keying the crystal oicillator, ad- and the crystal oscillator is keyed. This

QRP Classics 121

 + I4V
SUPPLY oa
O ?N697

Tie- Vackar oscillator circuit is constructed on

a heavy extrusion. Large bus wire intercon-
nect;", tunco circuit components. L1 is wound

oi a ceramic form and coaled with epoxy

Fig. 3 —
Power supply lot the helerocynoi VFO. Miniature dodo assembly U4 is Motorola part no resin. C1 is a heavy-duty two-bearing) capacitor
MOA.650-2 or ecuiv. reduced to one rotor ard one stator plate.

straightthrough on 40 meters for outputs

cf MHz. Using the driven
7.0-7.1
ransniiilcr as a multiplier, 20-meiCF out-
put from 14.0-14,2 or 10-mctcr output
from 28.0-28.4 MHz is available. The
criven transmitter must also be provided
with fixed bias to prevent excessive
dissipation in amplifier under
the final
fecy-up conditions. For transmitters with
cathode or emitter keying, fixed bias
should be added to cut off the final
amplifier during key-up conditions.
The heterodyne VFO has been in use
with a Viking-ll transmitter with the sta-
tion set up for full break-in cw operation.
Crystal oscillator and Balanced mixer board. The oscillator is a highly modified international A01
assambty. The small toroid coil on the oscillator board is L2. The balanced mi.Or {10-IOail IC) iS 0(1 It isthe only VFO
have ever used where
I

Iho mam board. U2 and 06 are at far left- As is typical with developmental ciicuiis. the board operation very close to the band edges in
sh-ows evidence of modifications. the Extra Class portion is possible without
constant nervous strain from wnndpring
generates a weak signal which can he diagram of
ticular keyer, the schematic just where the tramnritted frequency vill
monitored in the station receive! for fre- the keyer should be examined, or the end up after a long QSO.
quency spotting. In [he OPERATE posi- manufacturer should be consulted. Of Reference*

tion, control is transferred to the kcycr. course, a relay output will also work with 'Viiclar. "LC Chcillaion and Their Frequency Sia-
biliiy." Ttsla Technical Reports (Oi-cho'lovoLii)
Any commercial kcycr with an open- the VFO Dec.. 194V.
collector, curent-sinking output will The normal output of the heterodyne Clapp, "Frcqueacy Stable LC Oscillators," P-oc.
work with [his VFO. If there is doubl in VFO is about 20 mW into a load of 75 IRE.. Au?.. I95-*. pp. 1295-1300.
'Jordan. "The Vackar VFO: A
DeViun To Try." Elec-
one's mind about this feature of a par- ohms. The driven transmiuei operate* tronic Engineer, Feb.. 1968.

From April 1989 QST, p 38:

Adjusting the Power Output of JFET VFOs

D The output of a JFET VFO output than claimed the channel
is deliver less that for Is a good relative Indicator of
determined largely by the device standing circuit involved.The "premium" 2N4416 device DSS With this in mind, you can
l .

current—the JFET's drain curreri with dc has an 1 DSS range of 5 to 15 mA, making frade your JFETs for VFO power output
bias applied end ac feedback removed. In the '44:6 generally better chart the MPF102 merely by measuring their channel
many VFO designs, this is equivalent to if you want more power output. The best resistance (source tc drain) with a DMM.
Ipjg—the zen-gaic-voltagc drain current. commonly available JFET for lots of VFO (Caution: The measuring instrument you
Generally, the relationship betv>een lp$s output is the 2N5486, wh.ch has an 1 DSS use must not apply a destructively large
and oscillator output is simple; Tie higher range of 8 to 20 mA. current to the device under test.) Generally,
the device l DSS the greater the VFO
, It's important to keep another rule of the lower the channel resistance of a given
output. thumb in mind: Oscillator frequency device, the more power output it will
According :o the Motorola Small-Signal stability generally decreases as power out- furnish as a VFO.—lack lau, KH6CP.
Transistor Data book, I cc for the
D put increases. If you're willing to sacrifice ARRL Laboratory Engineer
popular MPFI02 can fall anywhere within VFO oucput for greater frequency stability,
the wide range of 2 to 20 mA. This wide
DSS of 1 o 5 mA) and
the 2N5484 (I
I
D„ specification explains why some VFO 2N5485 (Ijjss of '4 to 10 mA) are good
bunders have good luck with theMPF102 choices.
and others build MPFI02 VFOs that By the way, the resistance of the JFET

ORP Classics 122

From April 1979 GST, p 18:

Putting the Boots to Your

HW-8 QRP Transceiver
Basic Amateur Radio: A signal increase of 9 dB for your
QRP rig can turn marginal QSOs into solid ones! This
amplifier provides 80- through 15-meter signal increases with
only 1 watt of drive. Add these "boots" to your HW-8 and
improve your QRP DX score.
By Doug DeMaw. W1FB
ARRL Conlribuling Editor
PO Box 250
lulher, Ml 49656

A
I \n article describing
amplifier for the HW-7 series
a sinslc-cndcd levels well below —40 dD. They
HW-8
ire prod- gicai as 15 watts, safely, ecu ihough the
-!ug-in ucts generated within the and do 40977s arc rated at a nomioal output of 6
QRP transceiver lef: much to be desired not originate in the amplifier ccscribcd watts each at 18 MHz. With the feedback
1

far some QST readers. ARRL hq. was hit

1

here. networks shown, the output is approxi-

::h a rash of letters requesting a banj- mately '.2 watts on 80. 40 and 20 meters.
iwitching style of amplifier which includ- Circuit Description
Somewhat less output is available on 15
;J the 80-meter band along with the 40-. A pair of RCA 40977 stud-mount meters, owing to the Iowa output from
20- and 15-meter bands. Coverage on !0 power transistors are shown in ire circuit the HW-8 on that band.
meters was inspired by the appearance ot ol Fig. I.These are actually Vhf devices A pair of 10-ohm resistors and two
Heath's newer QRP
box. the HW-8. The and are used primarily because hey were i miniature ferrite beads are connecied
additional cost of single-band amplifiers on hand at the time this circuit was from the transistor bases toground. These
jver a band-switching unit was objec- developed. Later, RCA dropped this pan components are used 10 discourage low-
tionable to some, and rightly so: from its line. Transistors with similar frequency oscillations. The 4-dB at-
Moreover, some builders reported pro> characteristics for hf-band operation may tenuator at the amplifier input reduces the
?ms with amplifier instability when they be used in place of the 40977, noiably the HW-8 drive to a safe level. It is suggested
assembled the "Slippers" unit. The Motorola 2N5642 which is an exact re- thai a witch he added to remove the pad
.amplifier deseribed fere is aimed at HW-8 placement. The specifications for the during operation on 21 MHz. This will
owners in particular. However, it can be 40977 are 1 1 dB gain
(approximate) at 18 1 provide an amplifier outpu of roughly 8
used with any QRP transmitter if the lat- MHz: Look for a substitute which has watts od that band. The pjwer output is
ter has the ouipui attenuated so that a similar gain at 21 or 30 MHz. Maximum on the order of 4 watts with the pad in the
maximum of wan reaches the power
I power dissipation is 25 watts. Power input line.
implificr input It is a simple matter to h-
. is 0.5 watt (approximate* for 6 watts Two 220-pF silver-mica capacitors are
-Tall an appropriate T or pi type of minimum output. Collector supply used in :hc collector circuit to prevent vhf
resistive attenuator at ihc amplifier input voltage is 12.$ nominal. Continuous col- sclf-oscBlatioiK and tu Iowa the liajltiujik
.iheii more driving power than is lector current rating (maximum) is 5 A. energy in Ihc vhf range. The reactance of
necessary appears at the output of ihc Collector efficiency is 55 percent. The the capacitors is high enough hfin the
jRP transmitter. builder should not be afraid to experiment bands to have minor effect on the
This amplifier operates from a 12- to with other types of power transistors, amplifier power.
.
4-votl dc supply. Maximum current drain especially if they can be obtained inexpen- TI of Fig. 1 is a broadband transformer
• less than 2 amperes. A spectral analysis sively as surpiJSfrom a reliable dealer. with a i:l turns ratio. The transformer
ifthe amplifier output indicated that it This circuit operates broadband in the used in ;his design is homemade and is of
:omphes wttli the KV
requirement that Class C mode. This technique s ntplifies the conventional variety (not a trans-
il spurious energy be 40 dB or greater band switching and lowers the cost. To mission-line transformer). Detailed infor-
-clow peak carm'r value. The spurious ensure unconcitional amplifier stability it mation Df the construction of this trans-
jjmponents are —4* dB or better on each is necessary to use shunt feedback from former is presented in the ARRL Elec-
:f the bands covered by this circuit. A collector to base (Rl, R2, Cl, C2. LI and tronics Data Book and in Solid State
nasi of in-band spirs were observed at L2). Broadbanding and of
stabilization Design for the Radio Amateur. TI con-
this type always results in a power trade- sists of two rows of four Amid on
off. In a similar circuit which used nn FT-IO-41 ferrite rnroirl co-es <fi = 950)
Votes appear at end cl article. feedback, the amplifier output could be as through which thin-wall trass tubing is

QRP Classics 123

 ;

I 1 ,
?5W

01

r
H3V
1.7*

f/U

FL J

EWlir *S IWC<CfiTE0,0Ce>U«'. VALUES 0«

CAPACITANCE APE II MICMFMHS I *>F > ;

oihiis Aftt n ncaranits i s p m »r j;

B£JiSr»MCES ARE H OHWS Inside the amplilier, with the 'ill er board at
• IMO.M-1000 000. fifjhl. amnllfier hoard ai lali Tno two nn«/<»
FL4
transistors aie mojnted against the rear pans
which serves as a heat sink.

Fig. I —
Schematic diagram of me solid-stale lout-band amplifier Resistors are l.'2-walt composi-
tion lyoos Capacitors are disk 01 chip ceramic exceul Uie one with po'aniy narKed, which is
electrolytic ot Untalum. S.M. is silver mica. Component wilh numbers which Co not appear in
the parts are so iflemilied lor text discussion only.
list
reduce stray capacitance. The later could
J1. J2 — Panel-mount coaxial conn&cior or T2 — Bililai-wound broadband phase-reversing degrade the filters by virtue of de;unimr.
phono |ac'«. tra nstormer with 8 bin lar turns ol no. 22 effects.
Ll| L2 Mimalurc fori to boaa (050 mu| ouo> eiam. wire on Iwo 31od>CiI FT-SO-O cores Double-sided !)oard material is u«cd for
lead ot Q0l-|iF capacitor. Same type ol (550 mui Wires have 8 Mrf&ls oer inch.
beads ured on pigtails ol 10-ohm base re- — the amplifier circuit
to help eliminate
T3 Broadband combiner iransloimer wiirs 3
SIS tors n l liar turns ot no 22 enan wire. 3 IwiSlS ground loops and subsequently improve
Qt. Q2 —
RCA transistor (see te:t|. p»r inch, on slacked FT-50-S3 toroid cores Stability, The ground returns for Ihe inpui
St —TwO'pole, lour-positton ceramic or RFCl — Toroidal rt choke, 7 turns no. 22
components which relate to the transistor
pnenoiic water switch (see lex:). ei am. wire on FT-50 A3 loioiil core-
Tl —Broajband 3:1 transformer isee texlj. bases are connected to floating peds on
the etched side of the board Small pieces
.

of wire connect :hose pads to the siound-

plane surface on the opposite side of the
board. Conversely, the collector com-
passed and made common at one end symmetrically and have equal lengths. ponents have their ground connections on
(U-shaped single (urn, in effect). Then, T2 is a phase- reversal transformer that the etched side of the boaxd. This pro-
ihree lurns of insulated wire are passed places the collectors of Ql and Q2 in push cedure helps to insure stability hy Dreak-
through the tubing to form the pull. The collector voltage
supplied is ing up rf current loops on the ground
transformer primary. Po beard headers ihrough T2. A combiner transformer. T3, elements of the pc board. Fig. 2 shows the
arc used ai each end of ihe assembly to provides a 28-ohm output impedance pc board pattern for the amplifier. Fig. 3
secure the tubing and provide copper tabs from Ihe iwo 14'Ohrn collectors. Half- contains the layout for the filler beard.
for connection to the main
board. circuit wave harmonic filters (FLI-FL4, in- The photograph shows ihe collector-
The advantage in using this type of clusive) are band switched at the amplifier base feedback networks being bridged in
transformer is that a more precise secon- output by means of SI. They are designed mid-air over the tops of 0' and Q2. The
dary center tap can be established than is for a loaded Q of 1. The input impedance board pattern provides copper pads for
possible with a simple toroidal broadband is 23 ohms and the ouiput impedance is- 50 ihese components. Also, the pro:oiype
transformer. Symmetry of the secondary ohns. Since these are low-pass filters, the version shown photographically has the
helps to assure equal driving power to cutoff frequency Is set slightly above each transistor sirfp leads bent down slightly to
each transistor. Those wishing lo experi- amateur band to minimize insertion loss. mate with the related pc pads. This
ment with a toroidal type of transformer Amidon powdcred-iron toroid cores are mourning technique is not recommended.
a\ T\ taxv%\v.d 9 uutv* of v.o.2& ctv&meAwi T*o MTvv&Notabk cowVy\vmv» tan t«vJi
wire on an FT-50-43 core. A ihree-turn from this method; Excessive emitter-lea:
Construction Notes
center-tapped secondary winding can be length introduc;s unwanted inductance,
wound over the nine-turn primary. The Double-sided pc board is used for the which in lum causes degenerative feed-
tap must be in the exact center. The leads amplifier module, but siiijde-sidcd board back. DcEcncralion lowers the amplifier
to the transistor bases should be laid out is specified for the filter assembly to gain and may encourage instability. Fur-

QRP C.ass'tcs "\24

 01 both sides of the board. Each througn-
wire is soldered to the pc board at both .

ends.

The Kilter Module

Table contains L, C and frequency
I

data for the four filters. For the most

part, standard-value silver-mica capaci-
tors arc not specified. This requires con-
b nfilg standaid values in order to arrive at

values which are close 10 ihose specified.

Mica compression trimmers can he used it
the center of each filter (sec photograph)
ifdesired. The author's model has the
trimmers for final tweaking to obian
maximum output power and waveform
purity.
RG-174/U miniature coaxial cable is

U»d for the rl" leads. Il is important lo

gtound the shield braids at both ends of
the cables which connect to the amplifier
1HRU-WIRE GROUNDS
ouipul, antenna jack < J 2> and ihe two
poles of SI The remainder of the coaxial
.

Fig. 2 — Pans placement guide for (he nmp'ilier board.

Paris arc mounted on It-o etched aide cables need to nave the shields grounded
o< the double-sided pc board; the shaded area In Ihis view represents the copper pattern. The oily at the filter-board end. In the model
other side of the board is unetched. Decimal-value numbers alone represont cacacttanco in shown, heat-shrink lubing is used at the
microfarads. Whole-number values wilhout units represent resistance in ohms. Note lhat ferule
ungrounded ends of the connecting
neads are slipped ovar one end of each cl Ihe two 10-ohm resislors.
cables. SI should be a two-wafer type with
at least one ineh (25.4 mm) of distance

between the wafers. This will ensure prop-

ct isolationbetween the filter inputs ard
thcrmorc. when the leads arc bc.it up or the rear wall 01 the U-shaped homemade outputs, hor ideal conditions, a metal
down to mate with the pc board it is possi- chassis. The case serves as a heat sink. shield could even be installed between the
ble for undue stress to be exerted on the Heat transfer is enhanced by the addition wafer sections and bolted to chassis
transistor body during heat cycling. This of transistor silicone grcas:. It is applied gtound.
car cause physical damage to ihe tran- (o the mating surfaces of ihe iransisiors
and cabinet. The stud nuts should he Operation
sistors. The correct mounting procedure
calls for lite sirip leads to come out from tightened only slightly beyond a finger- The power .supply which Heath pro-
the iransislor Soo> ai 90 degrees. They lie lieht tension level. This will prevent vides for the HW-8 will not be suitable for
flat on the pc board pads to which they damage to the transistors. Through-wires this amplifier. A regulated power supply
arc soldered. 1
are added at points on
several the o ; 2 amperes or greater is required.

The amplifier board is mounted against amplifier board to join the ground foils The 40977 transistors are "SWR

QRP Classics 125

 26
OH MS
I INPUT)

;cz C3* C4

* SEE CAPTION

TablO 1

'co U a CT C2 C3.C4 rowwd Wife

Baid fMH?> i-hi ipfl IPFI frF) Core Tuffs
15 23 0.26 035 230 210 138 T68-6 LI-7TS no. 22
L2-10 TS
20 16 0.38 05 330 300 ;C0 T68-6 10 TS no. 22

40 a 0.76 10 663 600 400 T682 LM1 TS no. 22

UZ-* TO
ao 5 1.2 16 IO0O 965 E36 T68-2 U-M TS no. 22
12-17 TS

Coil and capacitor information lor the hall-wave harmonic filters shown in Fig 1, Ail capacitors are silver-mica unils. Parallel or series combination!
can oe used a> neecrod lo provide the approximate values listed above. An accuracy ol =10 percent n recommended. "A mca compression trimmer
can be used a C3 to provide final adjustment ol the tillers

protected," 10 us* (he RCA vernacular. put power when the SWR high. A
is output from the amplifier levels off.
This means lhai anything from a dead Transmatch and SWR indicator are Now that you've "put the boots lo your
shon to a full open circuit can be tolerated recommended for use win any solid-stale HW-8." have fun and go after that DX
at the amplifier output for short periods amplifier, including this one, particularly you were reluctan 10 call with only 1
of lime without causing device damage. A when l he antenna docs not present a watts!
maximum mismatch period of 20 seconds 50-ohn load.
is recommended. This amplifier wit! reach its saturated
The harmonic fillers arc designed for a output-power level at slightly under watt 1 Foolnotw
50-ohm termination. Therefore the anten- of drive at the bases of Ql and Q2. DcMaw, " Slippers for the HW-7," QST. Dec.
na should not present an SWR of greater Observe the increase in forward power to P. 45.
Artigo and Johnson, "-undantcnial* ol Solid.Sian
lhan 1.5:1, or filler performance -will be the antenna, then add ro further drive Power-Amplifier Dciisn," Q$T, Sept. and Nm.
impaired. Also, there will be a loss in out- once (he point is reachtd where power I97J, and QST. April 1973 lin three parts).

QRP Classics 126

our
DX
y -

PS,

Clfcuil-boerd etching patterns. The front sides of the boards ate shown hem at actual size, with
black representing unetchad copper Tho nppm pall am Ia for ihft amplifier section (Fig 21: it Is
copper clad on both sides, with uneiched copper on he "back" side lhal torms a ground plane.
The lower pattern is for the filte- board (see Fig 3).

ORP Classics 127

From May 1984 QST, p 44:

30-Meter Conversion For The HW-8

G The Heath HW-8 QRP iranscaver can be

Tshl*
modified easily 10 operate on 30 meters if you 1

are willing io sacrifice one of the existing hand?;. HW£ 30- Motor Modifications'
I chose to give up have
ihe 80-meter band, since 1 Part tlo. New Value Description
found ii lo bf ihc most demanding one. in terms Yl 18.895 MHz Fundamental type,
of antenna size, for QKP npcraiioti. Thirty 15-pF load. HC-6fU
meters seems tt> be an excellent band for QRP holder, international
operation, ard it orfers the side benefit of WWV Crystal M(g. Co., P.O.
reception, which use to calibrate my VFO dial.
I Bo> 26330. Oklahoma
Comolcte details of the modification arc sum- CUT. OK 73126.
far; no. floinz.
marized in Table I. The only expensive com-
L1 I B jiH Seccndary —
25 turns
ponent is the crystal, which costs around S10.
no. 24 enameled wire
The other components can be found in your junk on T37-6 core (Amidon
box or purchased from a variety ot QSradver- Associates. 12033
liscrs. Five of the original capacitors arc reused Otsego St., N. Holly-
in other locations. wood. CA 91607).
Remove tlie control knobs and front panel; Prinary — 2 turns no.
then, disconscet the loading capadlof from the
24 wire over C2 enrj ol
front of the chassis. This will make It easier to
Bocandary (uso original
cell lorm,.
gel at ihc components to be changed in the
crowded area around SWl (the 80-mctcr hand 15 1.8>H 25 U rns no. 24 wire on
a T37-6 core.
switch). Rcmavc the indicated components using
L13 4.0 jiH Rcrnave 16 turns Irom
a vacuum desoldering tool, solder wck or a piece orlelnal L13.
of flattened braid from coaxial cable. L22 2.7 pH 23 Inns no. 22 wire on
After ihc new components have bxn installed, a T50-2 core.
the rig can b: aligned according io the instruc- L26. 127 3.2 pH 25 lirns no. 22 wire on

tions in the HW-8 assembly manual. The only a T50-2 core.

problem 1 crconntcrcd was thai had) lost the I
CI 100 pF Silver mica, 5%
tolerance (use original
small tuning toot used t« adjust LI 7 in ihc
C1 161.
heterodyne oicillator. found hat ihe larger tool
I I
C15, C96 100 pF Silver mica. 5%
or even an Allen wrench can be used. Carefully tolerance.
insert the tool through the top slug and tunc Ihc G64 68 OF Silver mica. 5%
bottom slug for maximum output cn 30 meters. tolerance (use original
Then, back the tool out and read jus; the top slug C1J
(LIS) for maximum output on 40 meters. C77 230 pF Silver mica. 5%
tolerance luse original
Tltc iimiMiiiitci dv puwei input should be
about 3 W. Tlie WO
will cover 111.1) io 10.25
C7B 150 pF
C6t).
Silver mica. 5%
MHz. Dial accuracy seems to be a problem with tolerance {use original
the HW-8. so it may be difficult to determine
CM).
the band edges without a frequency counter. This C94 47 pF Silver mica. 5%
is where WWV can assist you. Just be sure to loKranco (use original
stay within the legal segments! 10.101-10.109 and CI J).
10.1 15-10.150 MHz). If in doubt, dcnl transmit. C97 300 pF Silver mica. 5%
— Wayne Burrfick. N6KR. 7904 Caminitn Dia
CMC 30 pF
tolerance.
Sliver mica. 3%
H2. San Dieto. CA 92122 tol trance.
C301A — Olscsnnect from Ll.
R50 — Remove.
R56 1 ko >/i w. 10% loleiance.

'Rule- » MVV-B scMmalic diagram lor oan localions

QRP Classics 128

 .

Fiotn April 1986 QST, p 26:

Improving the
HW-9 Transceiver
If you own an HW-9 or other
ORP transceiver, you'll find
:hese ideas will add to your
operating enjoyment. So, heat
up that soldering iron!

5y Chuck Hulchinson, K8CH and Zack Lau. KH6CP

ARRL Technical Department

Tnis ankle is divided into two pans. In the first

pah Chuck, K8CH, describes the portible QRP
station that he uses for Field Day ard vacation
operating. The second part describes circu it modifi-
cations by Zack, KN6CP. Although the ideas presented
:<*incentrate on using and improving tie Heath HW-9,
:hey can be adapted to many QRP rigs.

Chuck's QRP Package

I enjoy chasing DXwith QRP—
most of the acid banerie; as a portable power supply. 1 Field Day! An ac-operaled charger was
;ime. Bui Field Day and vacation are two These are not lightweights, but they're described in June I9S7 QST. S That
times when QRP operation is particularly good for many hours of operation. Exact charger ensures optimum charging of
appropriate and rewarding. I'm not averse time before recharging is required depends batteries. For best batter/ life, don't run
:o running 100 walls (or even the legal Lmit on duty cycle. In OLhci woids. iiaiiMiiiiiing the batteries flat before recharging. The
when conditions warrant), but my entire "eats" the batteries more rapidly than ARRL Handbook explains proper care of
QRP station with transceiver, power receiving. lead-acid batteries (Chapter 6 in recent
supply, antenna, teyer and other acces- While on: battery powering ihc
is editions)
sories is about the lame size and weight as transceiver, ;hc other can be recharging.
my I00-W. full-feature transceiver. Thar, My favorite method of recharging the Portable Antennas
means it's a for mc to take the
lot easier batteries is to use a solar panel— mine is For portable operation, I like to use a
QRP station to the Field Day site. As for rated at 18 V and 500 mA.* It reels good dipole suspended by tough, lightweight
vacation, only the yKP rig will lit into the to put ihose free photons to work— and nylon cord. The dipole in my portable
car along with the rest of the family solar energy is good for bonus points on station uses plastic insulators {sec Fig I).
luggage. The center insulator has an extra hole so
I use two 9-Ah gelled -electrolyte, lead- 'Notes appear ax end of article. thai a nylon line can be used to suppori the

antennas described in the text.

QRP Classics 129

 center.The end Insulators arc made so thai
EXCEBI AS INDICATED, DECIMAL
VALUES OF CAPACITANCE AK£ element lengths can be adjusted easily for
IN MtCnCf Afl*DS *r OIhEIO| )

ACE INPCOFAflAOSfpF ||
changing bands.
REaiSTAftCCS ARE IM OHU$. Ul
1044 For 80-mctcr operation, use an end-fed
I
* - IMG. I* - 1«0 MO 1

quarter waveleng:h ol" wire terminated with

TIL03 a banana plug."Tic plug fits neatly into the
+ 7-15V AEG RF connector or. the HW-9's rear panel.
IN O— "1 ^00
WT The far end of the wire is supported by a
plastic insulator like those used in the
C4 CI C5
031 C i
dipolc. Because this amentia operates
ONOO- I "7 against ground, I carry a couple of clip
KE«E» leads to make a connection to the best
DOTO- ground I can locale. (For instance, I've had
good luck grounding to the heating pipe*
in a motel. The secret is to use what you
1M ,
uttto have available.)
OUTPUT
CS01
SHOO- Accessories
CB'tt- csKid
C^r- At first, used my son Scott's (NlDSFi
I

P0A94 Heath aMatic Memory keyer with the

HW-9. (1 mounted a phono connector to
DASH O-
CASH
nsetec
the HW-9's rear panel to provide switched
KEI
470 12 V dc power for the keyer.) La:cr, 1

decided to build into the transceiver a keyer

111 based on the Curtis 8044 CMOS
IC. The
based or the 8044 spec sheet, and
circuit is
the schematic is shown in Fig 2. Tom
Miller, NK1P, prepared the schematic and
Fig 2— Schematic diagram ol a keyer based on the Curtis 8a<i4 IC. Capacilors are disc
Ceramic, except for C4. which is electrolytic. C6 anc C7 are NP0 types, although any
(lie PC board shown in Fig 3. 1 mounted
temperaturo-stablo capacitor of Ihe proper value should work line. the completed board upside down using s
bolt and nui thai holds the HW-ft's BFO
shield in place. moved the wire from the
I

key jack to board, and ran a new

tJie circuit

wire from the circuit board to the key jack. The SPEED control,
R8, is added to the front panel, and a jack for the paddle is added
:o the rear panel.
For portable operation, wanted
to package the station for
1

easy transport. An aluminum

briefcase proved to be just whai
(A) I was looking for. Packing foam, cui with a hacksaw blade,

cushions the HW-9. The rest of the station, except the solar panel.
>oes into the case with the HW-9: the two gel batteries, cipole
with feedline, 80-in end-fed antenna, nylon cord, clip leads, keyer
paddle, lightweight headphones and an ARRL
Minilog.

Conclusion
My portable QRP station is not made for backpacking. It docs,
however, fill my need for something that goes easily to Field Day
or on vacation. The entire station, except for the solar panel, fits
:nto a briefcase. What could be more convenient?— Chuck, K8CH

Zack's Circuit Improvements

Although this portion of the article concentrates on improving
he Heathkit HW-9 QRP transceiver, :hcsc modifications may
>e of general interest to home-brewers, as they can be adapted
to many QRP rips. These modifications include adding an SWR

(8) meter that requires no balancing adjustments, removing audio

ihumps and clicks, and improving the signal-io-noise ratio of the
HW-9's narrow audio filter.
The new HW-9 SWR meter is a version of the directional
DASH touplec used in lie Tandem match.' The main advantage to the
I

coupler shown in Fig 4 is that no adjustments are required.

Anyone who has fiddled with trimmer capacitors trying to get
a good null will appreciate this feature. Faraday shielding is not

used in this application, as coupler directivity is adequate for the

uncompensated diode detectors.
Fig 3— Circuit-boardetching pattern (A) and parts-placement
guide (8) the keyer. The pattern is shown lull-size trom the
to- foil
The switching circuit, shown in Fig 5. allows the existing HW-9
side of trie board. Black areas represent unetchod copper foil. meter to be used as an SWR
meter on transmit and as an S-mcter
Pans are placed on the nontoil side of the board: the shaded h't's normal funeiioi) on receive. When the voltage at the input
area represents an X-ray view ol the copper pattern. of this circuit (Q4('3 collector) is zero, Ql turns on and Q2

QRP Classics 130

 O

Tx O
TO RED
METER WIRE

Ql
METER
00! Wi *F
—

SWR OUTPUT 02
FROM FIG A 9S1T0

S*B OUTPUT
TO R6,nc»
CS
.0 005
Pig 4 — Schematic diagram of ihe SWR meter.
01. 02— ShotUy diode HP 2800-2635 (1N34A can be
substituted).
Tl . T2 —
Broadband transformer. Primary has 14 turns of
no.26 enatr wire on an Amidon FT-23-43 loroid core. Fig 5—
Schernalic diagram of the meter switch circuit. Q-403 Is
Secondary is i turn of no. 22 hookup wire. HealhKlt pan designator.

turns off. This allows the meter to func-

C^S. C347 MUST BE REPl*CFD WiTh JUMPERS
tion normally. When the input voltage is
raised to 12 volts, as is the case during
01
transmit, Ql is turned off and Q2is turned ?l.'44fl6
TO .

on. Ql now prevents current frcm the S- SI O— 1

1
|
|f OT »3
metcr circuit from affecting the SWR WIPER

measuring circuit. When Q2 is timed on,

iteffectively shorts out the S-meter calibra-
tion voltage, as it is not wanted while using OS01
the meter to measure SWR.
The audio thump suppressor is used to
O.OOt
reduce the audio thumps that result when
the HW-9 switches from transmit to
receive. The audio line in the original HW-9
T7 r-> I X t0»

sounds like it's being shorted out when the

rig switches between transmit and receive
because a transistor, Q303, is used to do Fig 6—Schematic diagram ot the audio

exactly that! A 12-dB reduction in audio thump suppressor. Q303 is part ol the
transceiver— sec text.
thump can be obtained by usinp a JFET
switch to break the audio line while trans-
mitting. See the schematic in Fig 6. When
the gate of the JFET Q3 follows tie source,
Fig 7—Circuit-board etching pattern (A) and
parts-placemenl guide <B) (or the SWR
the JFET act; as a resistor with a value of stantial increase in noise results. The new meter. pattern is shown lutl-size Iron*
The
roughly 100 to 300 ohms. When the gate values shown in Table I arc chosen for a the side ol the beard. Black areas
foil

is grounded, the JFET effectively breaks 250-Hz Bessel response centered at 700 Hz. raprosonl unetched copper toil. Paris are
the audio line. A dc bias of roughly V^f/i A Bess?I response is chosen to eliminate placed on the nonfoil side ot the board: the
JFET shaded area represents an X-ray view of
is needed at the source of the for the ringing. Measurement.) in the AltRL lab
the copper pattern.
circuit towork. This is supplied by the out- indicate that the filter shape lends to
put of U304. C2 is used to reduce the high- change at very low signal levels if the
frequency response of the switch to help capacitor values are too small. In some
remove the high-frequency audio clicks. R2 cases, the band-pass response actually
is optional. A properly selected value for becomes a notch response, although the r:g next to the antenna jack, while keeping
R2 will provide a degree of audio limiting notch is usually above th; desired pass- the thump removal circuitry next to the
and further tnump reduction beyond the band. audio section.
measured 12 dB. It is possible to eliminate It is essential the: C346" and C34/ be
Construction
the thump entirely by adding additional replaced with wire jimpcrs for the thurnp
low-pass or band-pass filtering after the The modifications to the HW-9 involve removal circuit to work, as they would
JFET switch. The remaining thump exists stuffingiwo PC boards and changing parts block the needed debias voltage. One of
only in the wide filter position, as the on the TR circuit board. The board shown these capacitors can be used as CI on the
narrow filter removes it. in Fig ' contains the directional coupler, modification board, but take care to get the
The final modification increases the and the board shown in Fig 8 contains the polarity right.
dynamic range of Ihe HW-9 by a few audto-thump suppressing circuit and the Thanks to Heath's excellent design, it is
decibels. If ihe capacitor values in an meter-switching circuit. This allows the not necessary to unsolder all the wires to
active filter circuit arc too small, a SUb- coupler to be mounted in :he back of the get to the solder side cf theTR board. First,

QRP Classics 131

 reflected power when using a dummy losd.
is no SWR specification
Since there for Ihe
MRF-237s you should be careful
t not to
transmit into a load with an SWR greater
uan 2.
When all is working well, reassemble
your HW-9 an J enjoy. I"m sure you'll find
your transceiver more plco.sant to
operate.— Zack, KH6CP

Notes
'Golled-el eclrol yte 9-Ah batteries are available
from American Dectionics, 173 E Broadway,
Greenwood, IN 46142. tel 317-868-7265.
Fig 8— Circuit-boardetching paiterr. Reforonce Dick Smith pari no. S-3321;
(A r and parts-placemen! guide (B) for price, S34.95. American Electronics afeo
thu audio mump suppressor and selts a charger Ihat operates from 120 V ac.
meter switch circuit. The pattorn is Reference Dick Smith part no. M-9523;
shown full-size from the foil side of price, $9.95. For shipping and liandlhg
the board. Black areas represent add SI. 50 plus S°b ot order. Amoncin
unetched copp3r foil. Pans are Electronics has a S20 minimum order.
placed on the nonfoil side of the *A solar panel rated for 1 A at 9 V or 500 mA
at 18 V is also available from American
board; Ihe shaded area represents
Electronics. Reference Dick Smith pan ro.
an X-ray view of the copper pattern.
Z-4845; price, S149. See note I.
aWairen Dion. N1BBH. "A New Chip Fnr
Charging Gelled-Eieclrolyte Batteries."
OST, Jun 1987, pp 26-29.
set the band switch to 20 meters and *John Grobonkernper, <A3BLO, "The Tandtm
Table Match—An Accuralo Olroctional Wattmeter,"
remove the BAND-switch shaft. Then, 1
QST. Jan 1987. pp 13-26.
unsolder the blue keying wire and remove Component Changes
ihe six screws holding the back panel to the Parr No. o/d Nev
chassis. After removing the five nuts Vatue Value
securing the TR board, the circut hoard R352 680 it •e k
can be flipped up, exposing the foil side. R353 33 k .6 k
While you have the foil side of the TR cir- R354 t.5 M 39 k
cuit board exposed, install the marrow R357 680 k 6.8 k
audio filter components listed in Table I. R358 33 k 680
I used metal Him capacitors, but polyester
R359 1.5 M 16k
C339. C341 1000 pF 0.027 ,,F
or polystyrene capacitors can also be used,
C344. C345 1000 pF 0.082 „F
although the latter may be physically a little

large. 1 recommend using 5°/o-tolcrancc

resistors lo prevent the center frequency of
the fillers from being too far off.
The collector lead of Q303 hts to be Once you're sure everything is installed
unsoldered and attached to a hookup wire correctly, turn on the rig. Hopefully, the
that goes to tie thump suppressor. This audio h:ss in the WIDE position will be as
"flying mod" is unsightly, but I jee little loud as before. If not. Q3 may have been
alternative. A 10-kIJ resistor must be installed backwards, or you may have for-
soldered between the base ot y303 and gotten to replace C347 with a jumper. The
ground, or the thump suppressor may not hiss should be less in the narrow posi-
allow any audio through! The resistor pre- tion, because the modification is supposed
vents quiescen: currents from keeping the to reduce noise. With the rig hooked up to
transistor on when it isn't supposed to be. a dummy load, you should be able lo notice
I made the switch for choosing "orward much le>s of an audio thunp when using
or reverse power readings by combining it wide audio selectivity, and no thump
wilh the cxiitine audio SELECTIVITY when usine narrow. If a nasty thump k
switch. First, I bought a standard Switch- heard, Q303 is not hooked up properly, If
craft DPDT slide switch. The plastic slider you hear just a little bit of thump, you may
handle is too short, so then bent the metal
1 consider adding R2 to rcduc: the thump by
tabs holding the (new and old) switches a few more decibels. Basically, you want
together to take them apart. 1 then swapped as low £ value of R2 as p-cssible without
the plastic slider handles, taking care not turning :he audio off all the time. Typical
to lose the metal slide contacts. This gave R2 values range from 1.5 lo 2.2 M,
ma u DPDT switch with a Ion? ellder depending heavily on ihe FET used.
handle. You could mount a separate switch While transmitting into a dummy load,
if you like, but I prefer modifications that adjust R6 for the desired meter deflection
don't require making holes in the front in ihe forward position- If the meter
panel. wrong way, a dode is hooked
deflects the
E used RG-174 cable on the audio and up backwards. A bad Q2 (power
SWR meter connections lo prevent MOSFBT) will either affect the S-meter
unwanted signal pickup. The rest of the calibration or make
the bridge read back-
connections are made with siandard ward with no power output. properlyA
hookup wire. operating bridge will measure little, if any,

QRP Classics 132

 !

'rom October 1038 QST, p 43:

HW-9 Tips

_ I read ihe article. "Improving ihe HW-9 phone connector in its place (see Fig 2(. This modification to anyone using an external
Transceiver, "* with great interest. I built provides connections for both a paddle and keyer as well.
an HW-9 about two years ago. and the first straight key without adding another jack. I'm already planning my next project:
:nir.g l addedwas a Curtis kcycr chip;
to it I also added a small push-bution switch to Add theSWR meter, thump suppressor and
the second thing was a 100-kHz crystal the rear panel aril connected it to ire key- filter modifications described in the April
.-alteration oscillator. The keyer and calibra- ing line for use as a tune switch. With these additions, I lis great little
article.

tor oscillator circuits are contained on a I found the HW-9's keying 10 be a bit on even more of a joy to operate
rig will be
im-ill pcrf board that's secured to lite left the heavy side. Although the weighting —
Now if I could just find a way to reduce
rear corner of the rig by means of small could have been altered by using a weighting the warm-up drift of the VFO. ..—Larry
m^tal nnglp brackets Thp calihrniftr has conlrol connected 10 the funic rhip. I V. Fast. W1HUE/7. FOB 11445. Idaho
rroved extremely usclul in light of the decided it was better to correct the problem Falls, ID 83405-1445
HW-9 reduction drive's tendency to slip. at its source: This is the HW-9's keying line,

to add a co.iple of suggestions

I'd like which has a slow return to + 12V. I solved
:on:erning the addition of the keyer circuit. this by adding a 1-kil resistor from the trans-
! like to use a straight key from time to lime, mitter keying line to +12 V. Observation 'Deleted
K> I removed the origind key jack, enlarged of the rig's output on a scope shows almost 4C. Hutchinson and 2. Lau, "Improving the HW-9

he hole and mourned a four-pin micro- perfect weighting. I recommend this simple Transceiver." QST. Apr 1988. Dp 26>29.

, MARKED •*
16V
-j- —
O-t-sv

JTTLTL
100 »H(

U1

22
TO PIN 1 C=
SECOND MIXER
(11*011

ua

REG
+ I2VO
J_

5PEE0* J, 16 V
.500* HOC TAPLH>

4-PIN MIC CONNECTOR *

(HE PLACES HE' JACK)

PADDL E

KEY
COMMON

-Er Ltr.e

EXCEPT AS ft 00160 DECIMAL

VALUES OF ;ap*CITANCE ARE
IN MICH OF AH ADS -F I OTHERS
(

AHE iU PiCCFARADSice J.
RCStSTANCi; AfE IN OHVS;
Fig 2— Larry East (Wi HUE) added a crystal I - !IXK> M-iOOOOOO

calibrator. Curtis keyer. tune and marker T'TAitTAUM

switches and keying circuit modifications lo U MilAR
his HW9. A four ptn microphone jock
provides lor stmlgnt-key and paddle -MOUNtEI ON Hf AS
connections. PANE L 0" MW-9

QRP Classics 133

 W

From June 1975 QST, p 35:

The Mauti *I0

Pari I

BY D. K. SIEHER* KOJYD

I
We bate hod many requests for a simple innsceivcr thai is *~<iibh> the building \

j
capabilities of most beginners. The MA VTI-4V described bete is the ideal answer to I

I these requests. As the author points out. this it not a one of a kind ui.it. as several have
j

[ been bnili by Im undents, aid tbey alt work.

rpHf- 7*MH* transceiver described in this The luned-eiitult eompincnt values were MOSFET, 03. In a Mraiglitforwatd dircct-
J- article 1* lh« result of a desire (o have a small, chosen so that Ihe tuning capacitor, C4, will just •jonvcrsion seheme 3' described in numcroui
portable stalior fui pcisunal use. Also, since many cover the 150-kltzcw poitim of the 40-ftlf.tGr technical articles as well as the ARRl Handbook.
oi ihc undent* ncrc ai the ManK.ito Area hand wlrh 3 few KHz to spuic. is j trimmer O The unusual conipuneiil h the lemnanl af Uan»-
Vk a I ional-Tc clinical Itiuilutc ate irtcrcrstcd in capacitcr to adjust the oscillator frequency lo ."ormer consisting of L5. U6. L7, and CI6.
hum ratlin and are usually shotl of c.lra cash, il 7000 kHz with C4 fully meshed. The 5 to 25-pl* Windings L5 and 16 make up a 125:1 step-
seemed like a good idea lo make an inexpensive value oven in Ihe parts tiit would be mote 3own impedance match:d transformer between the
station jvjibltlr to Diet" on ait "installment" basis. salisfaciory than the 3 to 12-pF value shown in ham of 03 and ihc base circuit of af amplifier.
They can build ihr receiver section fuM for code Fift. S. C3 is mounted directly on the solder lugs of 04. L' and nisuctaifd cnpacliot CI6, 3 2.2 uF.
il*.
practice; then •hey cm hiild ihc fran'miricr later C4. J-volt disk cetamii' in Ihis case, provide* a tranv
when thcvgel their tickets. The MFC4060A volt age- regulator chip offer* r'oimcr tesonancc to a c:nter frequency of approxi-
The pmjeci make* t»e of new componcnl* superior performance when compared to a Zcner lutely 800 Hz with bandwidth of 200 Hz. This
a
tu titer than :jiplu'. nnf- lo make parlr. procure itinttr. l ine Trgiifrifion is lypkally (IV.v pel volL irantfonnur if wound on a eup-cara a*ianb!y
men easier and to avoid the pilfals and dis-
l
(iood oscillator supply voltage regulation was an consisting of two cup-shaped piece* of fenite
appointment Often associated wilh thf latter. The importanl consideration when designing Ihe unit. iiatcrial that surround : nylon bobbin.
components ttnugh new, arc not expensive, and The VFO circuit board wai laid ou| so that a While the cup-cot* transfonnei is not very
Ihc whole unit tun he hulll for $40 a >ii - key, Miuoau 2-inch vernier dial could be bolted rommnn amalenr w^rk. It U n-idely applied m
in
cabinet, and earphone* included. Several of these direcily to it. The two hex nil s ate on So. 4-10 x ndusiry where high Q, compact, sclf-shielJinf
station* are new in operation and ha*c pioduced I -i neti ii-ounting screws that liuld ihe dial lo the- ii due ion ate icquircd. The parts needed for this

nuny satisfied-operator reports. from panel. Two S/ft-ineh Ion* Standoffs hold the assembly may he obtained from Elnn Fctitc
Because ecmnmy aoii hywoid, tl» tiansccivei hoard ivray from the front panel the proper Laboratories, whose is given in this ar ictc
adilress
was liuill with i inliitmimi numbei ul .omponcnti distance for connecting the capacitor shaft lo thf see Fig, I ). Be s-utc lo order two of 1he cup cores
e-on*i*tcnl with pood <Ie«gn and *atisfa:tory opera- vernier dtai. A small "l/4-mcn long busnmg, l,'4- ind one hohhin as :hey arc not sold as an
tion. None of the units built hav: exhibited Inch OR and 3/16-inch II) I* used between the lssembly.
unusual ninbUnu in cunsuuciton g; operajjon capacilgi iHafl and Ihc vcmi:t drive shift. The
The haiidwidi h ul ire irantfoimer can be varied
making ihc slalion a Rood candidate for a first bushing was made hy diillin; a 3/ 1 3-inch hole
by changing the reactance uf L? and selectmg
homemade prowl. through a 1,'4-inch tiraw shall and cut it tip it la
length. It was then viol ted along one side lo allow
mother value of C16. 1i the lint unit built. was U
The VFO 70 turn* of No. 30 AWfj and Clo was ".68 uF.
ihc burning lo comprcf* agahM the shaft of C*
ITies' values provided a bandwidth til about 400
The V|'0 iia variation or one used in a nwnlier when lop dial drive seiscrcw •w-i» tightened against
Hi centered on »00 II:. Clo should be a low-loss
of projects her*. 01, Fie- I. perform* a Colpitis « it. To insure mechanical liability, LI was glued la
type wilh ceramic, myhr, or polystyrene dieleelric
rifa-illnor inil *J> »s » snutce-fnllnwi- buffer. To Ihe pc Soard hy mean, of *ili«.ne nihbet adhesive.
keep parts lo a minliiium and still have good For individuals Interested in experimenting
with the cup-core transformer, the 3B ''LOO-JO
mechanical stability wilh high output voltage, a The Receiver material used hete ha* an incicmcnlal Induetince
toroid core was used with LI instead of the usual
slug-luned cennric one. CS I* a cimpenming The lecch-ci section (Fig. H maXcs U5e of a value of -l
L of ?580 mll.'lUOO turns. Difftrcnt
capacitor to rciuec oscillator drift.
When checked in an environmental chamber,
the output frequency shifted less than 2 kHz with
ii temperature •anatjon between $(f'F and IO0*F. This shows the intide of the transceiver S'il^t!:d .

Hclfiw 50°F IlK frcnucney shifted cjuiic rnnidly leads am uied (or all interconnection! and tc ihe
however, typically 100 HtTf which would be of arious wmtnals on ihe tear ol the en.dosute.
concern if lo* tempera lure operation t* antici-
1
-

pated. Frequency shaft between tranimil and re-

ceive t* less (hip 200 Hz and warm-up drift is less
than 15U 11/ In ihc iwo-minitle period Immediately
after turn-on. After ihc two-minute period the
oscillator drift is so slight as to be unnoticeablc.

•c/o V-Teh Inc., PO Box 3104, Maneato.

MN S6002

QRP Classics 134

 .
.

Fio. 1 - Ciicuit diagram ol me MAVTI 40mctcr L3 - 4 turn* tin. 74 enam. wound ovnr L4. L14. Ll7 - 20 iums No. 74 eium. wound on
Dort.ihle. RtaimnoH are ir» ohms, all rrrsittein BH L4 - 34 lutes No. 26 onam. wouid on T50-2 T37-2 toroid com.
ruioid cox. L1S.L16 - 65 turns No. 32 en3m. wound on
1/2 wall.
- 5- 10 75pF
ceramic. LS — 300 32 enaiM. viound on cud cnru.
lui"» tin, TC7-2 toroid co.e.
C3 Ul -MFC406DA.
see note b'lciw.
C4 - 2.7- to 19.6-pF variable IE.F. Johnson
L6 - 162 turrs No. 32 enam. wound ovur L5.
160-llOSl oi equv.l. (Note L5 is wound on n Feiroicube 3019P3B.
L7 — BO turn; No. 3? enam. wound over L5 and
C5 - 47 pF, N?50ceamic. unmapped cup core, S*!a texl lot minding details.
L6.
C13. C27 — 10-10 130-pF mica compression type This device is available Irom Elna Ferrile Labora-
LB — 34 turns No. 26 enam. would on T507
IARC04&3). tories Inc.. P.O. Box 395. V/oodilock. NY 17498.
toroid core.
C74, C29. C30. C32 C33 - 75- to 480pF mica The "50-2 and T37-2 toroid caret are available
compression type (ARCO 4661 L9 - 3 turns flo. 24 roam, wound ovrr L8.
from Amidon tone.. 17033 Otsego St.. North
L.10 - 7 lurns No. 24 enom. wound over Ll 1
Jl,J2 — Opwitlrcutl jack. Hollywood. CA 91607.1
Lll — 22 turn* No. 22 enam. wound on T50 7
J3 — Phonoiack.
Ll — IB iu'"( N". '4 h»m
wniirtil <ii Amirfrwt oroid core.
"17 ? loiold core. L12 - 4 turns No. 26 enam. wound oner Ll 1
- For updated supplier addresses, see ARRL Parts
L13 14 turns No. 20 cnoni. woind on T50-2
L? - 56-«H molded rf choko. Suppliers List in Chapter 2.
loro.d cori.

QRP Classics 135

laliwi of bid uOtine* may b» aalc»l»t*i1 utinp ilia

following equation/
Cl 7

Li = Rta*raAx -

A"l = 1000 rut m.

1-2 - Inductance known ot unknown).
i

- NtiiiU-i wf mint (Known M unknown).

Where /., = 75SO mil ami iVj «

IfidO turns. The
equation ii Ilic Mine at lhat used wiih the Ainidnn
cote? used h if circuitry.
Althcugi it does, not have :hc Steep ik'al
selectivity thai a mote elaborate passive or active
filtermay have, the tuned transformer approach
vicMi excellent leiulfi for a mininum number of
component- and cadi outlay,
The transformer assembly is held down on the
pe buanl With a No. 4-40 x 1-neh screw and
washer ihnuigh lis center moulting hole. He
catrlul not to apply excessive torqjc to the serew
when assembling the unit because the fertile
material i> extremely hririle and may Crack.
The detected audio is amplified by Q4 and then
applied 10 2000«hm headphone! vij Jl When
•onjituilinj the unit, don't foipci C-0 on IJ. it
prevents tf from twine. transfenci lu Ihe head-
phone cord and being reradlated in'o the from end
of ihe reci I vet. This was a source of spurious
oscillations which caused considcriblc pief when
Fig. 2 - Parts placement foi tnu receiver board
the circuit vas being developed. The pioNern alio
showed up un a completed unit f-om which C20
was untitled.
Ihe Ncehtf has a cninforlahlf listening level
with three ir four microvolts input. Af output is
"conttolled" by positioning the headset lor a
WmfbrUMc audio" level Per stroig signals they
may bo laid on (he table and used a> a luudspcakct.
The receiver board is quite vcrylilc ana can be
used as j piodui'i'sJctcctor/al'-prcanplificr stage in
a superheterodyne circuit by changing L3, L4, and
G3 to rcsoratc at the intermediate frequency and
replacing ite VFQ input with a UFO Of the proper
frequency :o produce a heal nclc. Ihe board
requires a Vcc jumper to operate, inc jumper
location on Ihe board may be observed in h'ig. 3.
In Part
II ol this article, well describe the
driver and amplifier stupes, pin (itnc-up pro-
ceduies. Meanwhile, readers interested in con-
ducting (ho station can begin aojiimiilaling the
parts shown hi Fig. 1 anil in the pat s list.

Fig. 3 — Full-size tempi on; for the receiver boore).

QRP Classics 136

From July 1975 OST, p 40:

Marl II

/ be Dnrrr Stage
IS PAHT I nl (he irtlcle. Wfi deiiribcd ihe
I- teeciver
and VhO section* of the -O-nietcr
BatlKcH'W. With i'ic information provide*! In tlm
Wflfohi ihc Imildei can CQflipttK ihc MJiirai.
Tilt dei*cr hmirJ it a siujII irjn<nihicr llut i* m 1

.Jjpuiion of the Milliyallun by \\ 7/1)1. as. dc-

-•lihvil tin pape JJ6 of Ihc Kiirfc 1/twlrnn
f/trtdbaok, I9J3 eJiiion.
1 1« minimize VFO |aadja£ US. a JIHT w«
ti'ed J' Ihc driver nnstslur. tJ5 drives Ihr fcaM* nf
On. jii amplifier, vb L'i which Is j 3-utn link
•sound over l.K ijb ha* a typical output of 7U0
m\V 'Vlicii ViC i( ".'i villi". TIk" unlpii d'ops tun
I I

htik' Wet fl)(tiiiVVi.hcn Vco U ndvcvd io13 vuI.ll

ruktnc il j usable transmitter vvhen lljiMiplil 01
mirm bailcries are the only :;vjilahtc mulct ot
powtfr. Ob ftahoul 693 cllicicnl in this circuit.

The low-paw filict corssiiiine of C"25. C26. and

L 13 MltWwij most of Ihc harmonic cneicy piiMeut

in ..utpul fruin Qfi. It is iviicd htlvveen (In-

aaWttttd tefmlrul Ail the r*« nf ihc cm-miry, and

.- eFfrclrvo on hflh hiph- .ind Inw-powrt trait*-
limine well as tie rcoriM) inmle.
07 is j I "IT tli.ii Is ikiI AS J sidflime n»eilkihn
Whenever Hie driver is kyyeJ. U-? runi* ui and lis Fin 4. Full si/fl irmplotr for (hi- VFO board.
output it coupled o Ihc neadphnrve jatk via CZ7,
Hie olue given far C27 provide* a comfortable
Lvel of > id clone, hut it may be changed t« Mill iJS it the unly tiunsislio 11 the unit that BXijtalfcHi to ihe input latlici U1.111 hv k-.-j in;r itftf,

individual prel'crcn<s'. CM and K17 dcicuimc (he requires a heat (Utile. 1 1 is diimi Willi Ihe 'ink Wtvn the pininiviie W3% beloe buili. it ua»
I11-1
ndeiotk frequency which 1* typically 1 kll/- With removed m S ig f tuf '.hrily. Ihelieat -ink in Ihc lnu:;d U11I tjvin(! to kci urtetJ <lapes cuu^Kl
C32 and CM
pelted ji iradlund. 7075 IH/. the HUduiA unilsiv 1 1 hernial 1 1 1> lip.- I HI 1 A nilli Ivvn (.hipinp. particular!) vvhrn Ihe citneni thri<ui:i
output amplitude li *on-iani tton "1* "1 of die I-IhcIi«r)iHN piece* of alnminun' bulled to ii II lhe.11 evieeded 2011 111A Cnly by keyinj: the driver
.

bit luud Isi lilt: ul!m. can he Observed in pnniopraphx. Ihe sink o was problem etimtffiiled'.
Mil;

Ilie number of Hints foi the inductor on the einivjivaiiv^y ured and ihe key irutt be depte'ved there is no danger c-l llivrmsl runaway with
JCPvT IttUi] h iWWWta' crlliul and dimld be foi J prOdWlth) vA*m Ihe JV-unl'v lv. i»p)e% veiy lltli aiiJiicetiieni IWUUK bzx
of <,>ii is ncd !>
!>
counted cutfully. To make cnunlm? and hookup warm Almovi ntv of the linmil iliprofl vJnk* ihecrniller Ibrobgh L15. Msn. the leakage current
.u>ict, different vfej *iic v\as used lor I'jiii nf the ate teadll' ivallable should worh well. consumed by <>K wl icn il is not in use is utelieibk.
Jir: :'- Ihe *ire itte i* noi critical. HnwWi, n
1
he pfrVCl .iinpllfier 1* leyi-d by ipplv int tl It i' in the order nl .1 lew micrujmpcres
I
u hct If the turns are *oa«Hl equjlly ahrng ihc
^ir::umlVrenee ol Ihe corn-. Be Hire Hut 19 is
KuuWl over ihe middle of I H anil not in Hie pap
i.^n»v.'n It* .•mli TH< ••an he i r IntfV r<~

,.11 1 put.
l>cpendi7i|T <.>ri 1 ie pimilon of S3, the
1' on Ipul

ftora ihe driver burd coupled tu Ihe»> either

jih.'iiii;< vb ihe T-R switch, S'. and the IpW^KUl
I'lllet. or 10 the input nctuoik oppu>itc the
powjC MtMptitVl boird.
fpt Paver Amplifier
I he pu»tr .iniflll it 1'iiBid wu> df i(Ji-:d ti-.inp

the ptoccdwe piv;n by W7Z0I in the May. 1"72.

italic of (_'57"- Fv illation from ihe driver bojrd \\
.nupkd lw the b.i-e ol *.*>1 via ih" inpul / rWrVntJt
.>n<ii<linf <4* t'J9,i"3(). -uid I TtieKi-; imp U
lis ri"lNlnr. H u l . vi> M)|>| ttd m pir>iidc idequatc
drive and iej-i>nal»e effi. Ien.y in Ihc BWp ilici.

If iltt'l 1 1"- diimld be (flWd H) ItM

rtf •'htiVf-' I

pc lnviid !•> mean- ol silivone rnWuT jdtie'ive The

Other Inilii- lim »W uitiinil ivitli li.-ivim <\u.< .mil
ire supported nil "|ualrlv by iheii lead-.
(

QRP Classics 137

 i T

A* a nailer of Interest. Ihe iransniiiter was

a
operational y chocked al lO Finc«cments between
-40' F and + MOT
The ouipui v.m siahlc ana no
amplitude change could be observed. K( powci
output is typically S walls for 8 watts input.

CpMs'/rwcrion
The en it er,
i driver, and power imp-lifter huarUs
all measure 3-1/2 X and Ihe VFO
2-1/8 inches
board b IhctW* suaie. Layoat of the boards
!> not critical and most any convenient packaging

arrangement may be used. All rf wiling is done

with RG-tM/ll. Vwia 'older Itnd* tor Inter-
connection between the VI-'O. driier. and receiver
boards arc provided on the receiver hoatd.
The unil is housed in a homemade aluminum
bOX MlcJMiiihft 2-3/1 inehci high -l intlic* »uk.

and it-?, inches deep including the 5/K-inch iron

ostium; ol the(up cover. The is (mulled in
Gulden Harvest Shadow cpo\y appliance enamel
and the toa COMn i* painted witfc a daik blown
wrmkle fini'h. Ainidor. lettering is protected with a
coat of clear acrylic spray. Slick-on rubber fur-
niture hnmpeis aie used as feci to complete the
cabinet
The VFO output was biouehl sut to a jack on
the back pane! so that a frequency counter could
be used lor a digital-frequency wsdotil when
opeiarini1 .1 luuiic. The whole sianon, including
the key, earphone >, NiCad battery pack, and a
4Ii-mcrcr dipolc enn be carried in an ordinary lunch
bucket

Alignment
ol Ihe VKO ls_a:coniplishcd by
AliBniinnl
monilorine its output frequency with a frequency
counter or t'ahhruted receiver. Tuning Ihe output
frequency to 7.0 MHz by adjusting t'J with C4
while they are fully meshed Is alsn dune. The
Fig. 5 - Parrs placement Icr ihe VFO hoard.
receiver is iligned by tuning in a Mition near 7.075
Mil? and ndiiitiirig ('13 for maximum headphone
volume. Fa ttanuniUing BHpimen, a .lummy load
with an rf icloetor a* shown In Fg. S ihould be
used.

•
T
:ale DRIVER HOARD
IILfsiDE COMPONENT LATOU

Fig. 6 - Full-sue template and pan. placeman) tor the drhftr hoard.

QRP Classbs 138

 A

FULL SCAl.E FOIL SIDE

C20
C30
C30

L14

^
LI J.
C31
C34.
I °
I C3I1

C 32 IC33

POWER. AMPLIFIER
COMPONENT LAVOUT

Fig. 7 - Full-size template and parts placement lor Ihc powcr-amplilier board.

Turn the adjusting kmws of C?2. CM, C29, Alter lineup, a bftjtc-iy curitnt-dtjiii check
Cifc C32, and C3: 10 maximum clock wi<« p"*i- iboald vtcid ihc following miurt *tfth Vce at 13.6
tionv With Ihc loid connected In Ihc inirnna Vdc:
irnniriiik S3 ki to ow power; and Vcc wi m 1) V 1

Rtrcclv.- mode 20 111

uV, ilvprc^ lliv ke> und jdju.i C22 and C2J for
maximum output I hen nicieaic Vie lu 12 V dc Tnn'nil miidcdowl 10U niA
Tramraii nuidelhighl 750 in A
ind ihi- adjistnicni. The luning tlunM lie

'.moolh and (vpilai. NuM ««i V« buck lo 10 V* dc, Tin- jutliui adthcl io trunk ih: >UlT, foculty,
S3 (o high power, and adliiM C4». CM), C32 arid .mJ Mudcniv ai ihe Mania 10 Area Vocational-
> for maximum output They interact mj yuu Tcrhnual h^iuiutc who provided uslstanec on
hiII find it lifCHtUji In .-ii back uvei then .1 few
llm project,
lime* unlil no IiiiiIici incicjvc in output can. be
obiained. n- i
1 Vkc (<i 12 V Jt and repeal Hie
1
r Firj. 8 - Dummy load and rl detector.
procedure: the capacitors should rctpiici- very little
re tuning "id ihuuld eauw Ihc output vary
imooihly with no bidden variation*

QRP Classics 139

 Frnm October 1985 QST. p IS:

Better Ears for

the MAVTI-40
Transceiver
A transceiver need not be a
complicated building project. Try
QRP— and instead of tackling a
superhet receiver, take the direct
approach!
By Paul Kranz, W1CFI
26 Mettacomelt Path
Harvard, MA 01451

Although t,lis article concentrctes primarily on the redesign of the MAITI 40 receiver ssctinn. (here's enough information hereto
permit you io build u compfetn 40-meter QRP (low-power) transceiver. PC boards and parts kits are available to make your job
even easier.

Direction version (D-C) receivers arc for improving the stability and wave perience working with hardware. search A
easier and cosily to build
less shaping of the original MAVTI-40 of back issues of Amateur Radio magazines
than :heir superheterodyne cousins, transmitter arc provided, as is a TR switch. turned up one transceiver design that
and assembling a D-C receiver i; an educa- seemed to offer many advantages over
tional and rewarding project. Although A Club Transceiver Project
other designs. This transceiver, the
D-C receivers have some performance In my, the Hewlett-Packard Amateur MAVTI-40. had originally been designed
shortcomings, the receiver described here Radio Club in Andovet, Massachusetts, and constructed as a radio club project, and
eliminates some of them. This receiver will began a Novice class with five prospective several had been built.' This suggested that
reject AM 'sroadcasl interference to the radio amateurs. Since nsne of them had the 5-W-output. 40-meter transceiver
levelof inaudibility. It also provides a any equipment, we decided that a simple
narrow-bandwidth filler for CW reception transceiver construction project might solve
and a tunable notch filter. Modifications this problem as well a; offer some ex- 'Notes appear at end ol article.

INPUT R1 OUTPUT
O- vw- O
1.38 M
0.002^0
0.OO2
-ir-
es
R2 R3 20 k R4 Fig.1—Schematic
diagram ot the
2k bridged differen-
tiator notch filler

FHEO AOJ (see No'o 5).

-50
*7C

-GO
205S

Fig. 2— Frequsncy resoon3e of me notch filter of Fig. i with the raeouChCi h :

poteniiomeict set ateach end.

QRP Classics 140

should be capable of being duplicated easily has provided many enjoyable ccniacls. P-P on a 50-ohm load connected 10 the
without the problems associated with many antenna, while the strongest signals CW
Receiver Improvements
one-of-a-kind designs. Further, a PC-botrd measured 50-pV p.p. AM-deieciion com-
negativewas available from the author, The original receiver was difficjlt to use parisons were made using an HP-3585A
making the construction repeatable and at night because ii AM
broadcast
detected spectrum analyzer coupled to the
reliable. stations that resided more than 100 kHz MAVTI-40 MOSFET mixer, a harmonic
Forty meters is a good band for beg fi- above the usual 7040-kHz QRP operating detecto- (sec Note 2) and doubly balanced
llers because ii ha& an active Nov.ce frequency. This problem became in- mixers. These measurements were marie! re-
-egmeni during daylight and evening hours. creasingly worse as the sunspoi activity injecting a 50% amplitude-modulated
Also, the band offers good DX and QRP declined. Several initial modi ileal ions, in- signal into the mixer RF input while
activity in the General- and higher-class cluding the use of different mixers and ad- measurng the detected AM signal with the
portions of the band, and that encourages ditional input filtering, were tried without analyzer. The frequency of the AM input
license upgrading. One disadvantage of An examination of Amateur Radio
success. signal was chosen to be IOC kHz above the
10-meter operation is the evening-hour magazine articles turned up some40-meter mixer local (LO) to simulate
oscillator

AM -broadcast interference. transceiver designs that addressed the actual 40-mcter operating conditions.
Five MAVTI-40 transceivers were built A.M-deiectior problem." 1'hese articles The detected AM
signal Is the actual audio
using a variety of construction techniques. offered the inspiration needed to attempt modulation (baseband). The result is ex-
Although the transceivers performed a redesign of the original receiver, pressed as a decibel ratio between this audio
reasonably well, they all exhibited occa- signal end the mixer output when the LO
is tuned to receive chc AM signal. The
sional instability in the transmitter and
Mixing Schemes
receiver sections. One of t he units has been Measurements made at my location MAVTI-40 mixer was able to reject this
in use ai my station for five years, and lias revealed broadband signals of IO0-mV AM signal by only 35 dU. The harmonic
•erved as a tost bed for many experiments P-P at the fivHpninr of a rlipnlr antenna. detector (with the LO operating at half the
and subsequent improvements to ihe These signals would need to be removed RF input frequency) rejected the unwanted
original design. Eventually, the instability before they reached the mixer. AM broad- AM signal by 60 dB. A doubly balanced
problems were solv:d and the transceiver cast stations ai 7.2 MHz produced 8-mV diode mixer was Ihe best performer,

fOTCH WICTri

*4PU" m
wo « m
00038 0068

rr.ro £0.

-40
c Z 03 04 Qj 06 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 2.0

FREQ (kHl)

: ig. 3-Senemaiic diagram ot ihe active notch filter; R3 controls Iho

•oich frequency. This lillcr h33 a gain of dB. Fig. a — Frequency response of the tunable active notch tiller of Fig. 3.

QRP Classics 141

 AUDIO AMPLIFIER {40 dB)
_
-M2 v
LOW- PASS FILTER NOTCH
BALANCED MIXER Li 'seo note

yV
0.)

Rl J
S3 •T4 J

OUT

2N4392 7BMI2CG
2N3906
BASE DIAGRAMS BOTTOM VIEW

+ 12 V

TB 5.8 MH*-7.5MH:
TR/iIsMfrTe* FILTER
MPS65I!
OUTPUT 2N339A NOTE CONNECTION
-

POINTS WiTri T NUMBERS

IDENTIFY PC-OOARD
TERMINALS

onivEn , cv
rze PIG 9

E'CEPT 4S INDICATED, DECIMAL

VALVES Of CA^'.llflHLt AKL IN TR SWITCH
MICROFARADS \„F.\ OTHERS APE
in ncorARADw ohhifi:
RESISTANCES ARC IN OHMS;
H 1000, M> 1 000000
"Nola: Insulate pot cotes (torn
circuit board with nylon washers.

VFO BUFFER

Fig.6— Schematic diagram ol ths D-C receiver including the TR switch Note: Equivalent parts may be substituted. Unless oiherwtsa specified,
enameled wire is used for winding Inductors.
D1-D4, lncl-HP28O0 hot carrier diode or pan L1— 113 turns no. 26 on Amidon pot core Q2, Q3, Q7-Q9, Incl.— 2N3904.
ol U3 (see text). PC 2213-77. Ofl, 06, Q10— 2N3906.
D5-DI0, incl.— 1N9M or 1N4148. L2— 237 turns no. 30 on Amidon poi core Q5— 2NS485 FET.
Oil —
1N753, 6-V, 0.4-W Zener dioce. PC 2213-77. 011-2N4392.
K1-12-V, OPDT {Radio Shach 275-2V3,. Q1-2N3391A, MPS8515. T1, T2— Primary. 4 tuma no. 30 on Amtdon

boasling * 73-dB rcjcclion ratio. their nonlinear transfer curves as they do in noise-figure receiver is required, an attempt
Compared to the harmonic detector, the the h armonic mixer. Adisadvantage of ihe was made to keep the receiver noise to a
doubly balanced mixer has the additional doubly balanced diode mixer is the amount reasonable level. Since the noise figure will
advantage of being insensitive to the LO of LO power required, typically 7 dBm. never be lower than the mixer conversion
waveshape. In faci, this muter is most loss (6 to 8 dB), the remaining amplifiers
efficient when driven by a square wave. The
Noise Figure
serve only to mate the noise figure worse.
mixer diodes arc used as switches and, as Although the atmospheric noise in the Atmospheric noise in a quiet location con-
such, do .lot provide mixing by virtue of 40-meter band is not so low that a low- tained in a 200-Hz bandwidth on 40 meters

QRP Classics 142

 —

BAND-PASS FILTER (30dB)

FILTER (20 dB)

Fig.7— Input
response.

/4 —
. -

>9 IE « Ol ™ M
rut
«!1 HKI. »»•>
itii

Fig. 8 Sand pace chatMtorieiice Of ino DC

irjcolver (see text).

produce. Some solutions to this problem

add complexity to tlie D-C receiver and
re>uli in a component count thai differs
little from that or a superheterodyne
receiver. A tunable notch filler can be used
to null out an offend ng signal and goes a
long way toward solving ilie single-signal
reception problem.
There arc many notch-filter designs
described in the literature; however, ore
design offers notch-frequency adjustment
with only one potentiometer. 3 This bridged-
O-12 v differentiator circuitis shown in Fig. 1 and .

a plot of its response is given in Fig. 2. The

main problem with this design is the width
of the notch at frequencies above and
below the notch frequency. The addition
Ti of feedback from ar op amp solves this
pioblem and provides a notch -depth of
40 dB. The resulting circuit is shown in
O -6 V Fig. 3. and a plot of its response is in
Fig. 4. In Fig. 3. R3 adjusts the notch fre-
T25-2 cote; secondary 28 turns no. SO. U2— 7HM12CG. 12-V. 500-mA. 3-lerminal quency, while R5 is used to adjust the nojch
T3.T4— 15 turns no. 30 Ifilllor wound on reouloio r. w.dth, or Q. R2 maximizes the notch depth
Amidon FT-50-43 core or part of U3 U3-MlnlCncuHs SBL-1 doubly balanced
at a given frequency. Test results of the
(see lexti. diode mixer (sea ie*i).
circuit show a tunable range of 400 Hz to
U1— IF353N dual FET op amp,
2 kHz, and a notch depih of 30 to 40 UB
fcr the component values shown. This
has been shown lo be-approximately 0.4-^V receiver? is their lack of single-signal recep- notch depth is adequate since deeper,
RMS.* This amount of noise would require tion. When a CW station is :uned in. ii can higher-Q notches do not take into account
a receiver noise figure of 20 dB (10 dB he heard equally well when the VFO is the finite bandwidth cf CW
so the operator
S + N/N) where the receiver noise would be tuned aaove or below the zero-beat fre- will still be able tc hear kcy-elick-like

just equal to the at mo spheric noise. quency. This characteristic has the effcel sounds from the offending siaiion.
of doublinn the number of stations falling The best solution to the problems ex-
Single-Signal Kecepiion in the receiver audio passband, compared perienced the VIAVTI-dO receiver
by
One of the major shortcomings of D-C to what a superheterodyne receiver would seemed to be to design a completely new

QRP Classics 143

 I

T22 TO tI2 v
_ lour T17DM TR
SWITCH
* C2

IOV
at
UCflO? IWHUOR T?6
ft* >22» Oirpui o-
TO Tie.
CIO 02 fij 6
22
— I(

15
>
.21.3304

CG 270 -J RD >27 •

i %
47 ISO
C9
170 356jlt R6 <
S n-3Di 3-20 H750 J RFC

T3! VFO

NOTE; CONNECTION PO'MS WITH

1 NUMSFRS iDFNTiFr
PC-HOftSO TERMINALS

iic
li
:
vs
190
RI9-? 6S

'43
«ooei

LW'10tl2

DRIVER CM
2N3904 WFI02 2M4871 7SLCSCP
t I O OO |C OUT^OOy IN

BASE DIAGRAM 5. BOTTOM VIEWS

Fig. Echomullc diagram ©I iho \TO and modified MAVTI-40 traiiamtUei Cuii ipuMtfiila «ie Humoured lo agree WIW those 01 ine Original
.

MAVTI-40 VFO and transmitter. Therefore, designators 03 and Q4 are missing. Nolo: Equivalent parts may be substituted. Unless otherwise
sp-ociliod. enameled wire is used lor Inductor windings.

C3-— 5-25 pF trimmer. L2-56 molded RF choko. L'6— 65 turns no- 32 or, Amidon T37-2 core.
C4—3-20 pF air variable (Johnson 16CH0 51J. L8— 34 Ijrns no. 26 on Amidoi T60-2 core. Ql. Q5— MPF102, 2N441G or 2N54S6 FET.
C5— 47 pF N750 temp, compensating L9— 3 turns no. 24 on LB. Q2-2N3904.
capacitor. L10—7 tjrns no. 24 on L11. Q6— 40061 MRF H003 RF* power Iransislor.
or
C22— 10-100 pF compression trimmer L1 1—22 turns no. 22 on Amidon T50-2 core. O 1 —2N4871
unijunction transistor.
(ARCO 4631. L12— 4 ljrns no. 26 on LI I. 08-40082 or MRF
800^ RF power transistor.
C24. C29. C30. C32. C33— 75480 dF I 13—14 lurnn nn ?n nn Amidon T60.2 CO-o. U1-79L09CP. a-V. 100-mA. 3t«rmlnal
compression trimmer |ARCO 466>. L14. L17-20 turns no. 24 on Amidon regulator.
LI— 1.4 ,iH; 1B turns no. 24 enam. win; on T37-2 core. U2-LM340T12. 12-V. 1-A regulator.
Amidon T37-2core.

receiver incorporating ihese improvements. performance figures are given in Tabic 1. A Mini-Circuits Labs SBL-] doubly
A doubly balanced diode mixer solves the balanced diode mixer is used in ray
AM-detectioti problem and provides good Receiver Circuit Description
receiver.' Any doubly balanced diode miwr
immunily to 'bird-order intc (modulation The receiver schematic diagram is shown may be used including a "homebrewed"
distortion. Th; active audio fillerhg offers in Fig, 6. Signals arriving from the amen- version/ The LO drive is supplied by a
a 200-Mz bandwidth for CW
reception. A tia entct the receiver through the TR relay buffer amplifier consisting of Q2-Q5. The
tunable notch filler helps reduce in- contacts K C and the
1 inpuc band-pass filter mixer output term nated for RF signals
is
terference from adjacent signals and the (Tl, T2, CI, C2, C24). Ihe filter has a by C3 and Rl_ Audio output from the
nndesired audio image frequency common passband ripple of about 3 dB from 6.8 lo mixer is filtered and i; impedance matched
to D-C receivers. A
block diagram of the 7.5 MHz; its frequency response curve is tc the input of Ql by the low-pass filter
new receiver is shown in Fig. 5, and its presented in Fig. 7. consisting of L I and C4. Because of its ira-

QRP Classics 144

 L' I A .lets as a 20-dB-gaix tunable notch section, the RF output across a 50-olmi
T27 The notch frequency
filter. adjusted from
is djinmy load jumped suddenly 10 maxi-
TO FIG IQ to TJS 400 Hz lo 2 kHz by R6. Notch-filter is Q mum output. This behavior suggested that
fits controlled by R9 and RIO, aid seems to be was oscillating at or
the transmitter section
U2 C J T
adequate for CW. Since the notch depth near ihe VFO
frequency. The transmitter
LW3-40TIJ >+ 12 V
-M5 V changes from 30 to 40 dB as the notch fre- irstability was solved by making thr:c
U'IREG >-
C40 . C* quency is varied. R5 can be 'elected for best rrinor changes to th: original circuit.
notch depth at your preferred frequency. Fig. 9 shows the thematic diagram of
The value of R5 will vary wl.h the tolerance the VFO and modifKd MAVTI-40 trans-
and matching of C8-C10. mitter, including the corrections lo ilic
T25
The band-pass filler. U.B. provides a original article. R 6 i> lowered to 47 ohms.
1

gain of JO dB ai 750 Hz with a bandwidth Next, a 270-ohm resistor is added in

of 200 Hz. This brings the total receiver parallel withL16. Finally, LI5 is removed
gain to 90 dB. Fig. 8 shows the band-pass from the base of Q8 since ihe base resistor.
characteristic of the complete receiver front RI9 (6.8 ohms), provides adequate stability
LI6
the mix:r output through the band-pass for this power amplifier. The transmitter
filter. The notch filter has been set to a high section now
tunes up smoothly lo a 4-'V*
1 1
' frequency in order lo remove the notch 0-iipui level, and m
instability has been

_ C34 _[+ CM from the plot. observed. Note that this solution :o
270
The output of the band-pass filter is transmitter instability worked well on ray
"1?GV - -jT
1

buffered by Q9 and QIO, which provide transmitter, and son;e variation from one
sufficicrl power gain to drive a pair of low- transmitter to another may require minor
impedar.ee headphones, such as those used changes
Wi(h a personal stereo iddio, Bcvatisc of the The keyed iiiuisiiiittei output uf the
large amount of gain (90 tB) at 750 Hz. original MAVTI-40has a square-wave
it is not possible to use this amplifier to envelope since no allempl was made to
drive a speaker and still maintain stable shape this waveform. I've added a 10-^F
operaticn ai full gain, capacitor in parallel with C21 and a 22-j.F
Fig. 6 also shows a TR switch, Q6-Q8. capacitor in parallel with C23 to provide
Keyed power for the original MAV'TI-40 output waveform rise and fall times of ap-
•T7
driver PC board is derived from the proximately 5 ms. have received many
I

collector of 06. A turn-of" delay for the compliments concerning the clean sounding
AMPLIFIER TR relay. Kl, is produced by C15 and R23. QRP signal from this transceiver.
The delay is adjustable from 0.5 to
5 seconds by adjustment ofR2.J. One pair Construction

EXCEPT 55 INDICATED. DEC IM&l of Kl ecntacts(KlC) switches the anienna The receiver, VFO and transmitter sec-
VAluE 5 OF CftPiCITil.CE ARE W between ihe receiver and transmitter. tions of the transceiver are constructed on
MiCROFftMOSljiFI; OTHERS ARE Another contact set (KIB) turns off the three PC boards, which are mounted inside
IN PICOraRftDS<oF OR« H Fi: receiver mute switch (Ql 1. R29) during an LMB CO-3 cabintt. The PC boards a-e
RESISTANCES ABE IN OHMS; receive periods. These contacts also provide double sided with the top side of each
1 = 1000. M' CDC COC
I

a convenient way to shifi the VFO fre- board serving as a ground plane; lite hoards
quency down by 750 Hz diring transmis- have plated-through holes.'
sion. This is accomplished by grounding a I use an external, unregulated supply

gtmmic'< capacitor (Cln) connected (Fig. 10) to power ihe transceiver. It's

between normally open relay contact (K B) 1 probably best not to include the power
and ihe VFO luning capacitor. (The supply inside the transceiver cabinet since
gimmick capacitor is a small-value hum pick up could become a problem.'
capacitor made by twisting together two Voltage regulation is provided for on the
Table 1
pieces o: insulated wire. J The capacitor is receiver board hy a three-terminal
Receiver Performance Specifications trimmed to the correct value
by cutting regulator. The 6-V supply is derived fron
Sensitivity {10 d3 S + N/N| C.J bV
away small portions of Lie wire while the regulated 1 2- V line by using a 470-ohii

{-IIS rJBml measuring the frequency shift with a fre- resistor in series with a 6.2-V Zener diode
Bandwidth laudb IF ol 750 Hz) 20C Hz quency counter or another receiver. (DID.
Gain 9C dB I fashioned a tuning dial by attaching a
Noise figure 2C dB Transntltier Improvements clear plastic disc lo tie mounting plale of
Third-order Intercept 4 i5dBm
Dynamic range 8€ dB While I was adjusting ihe mica compres- a Jackson Brothers 30:1 reduction drive.
am dolection -7CdB sion irinmers in the original transmitter Calibration marks a-e made by applying
Notch depth 4CdB
Nolch (requencj aOC Hz lo
2 kHz

pedance transformation, this filter has a

voltage gain of6dB, which helps lo make
up for the mixer conversion loss.
The first receiver amplifier stagt, I , is Q
designed for low noise while providing a
gain of 40dfl in a 20O-Hz bandwidth. This
hflndwirirh f$ rrnrrnllcri hy ihc Q ot I ? and
ihe resistance of R4. Fig. 10— Sehcmalic diagram ol the unregulated power supply.

ORP Classics 145

 La and L2 ore mourned to the PC board tions, interconnecting wires
should rot run
using the plastic mourning screws supplied beneath the receiver board. PC-board
with the pot cores. The gimmick capacitor, terminals are used on my transceiver
C16, is made from two pieces of no. 22 in- boards, but the wires can be soldered
sulated, solid-copper wire twisted together directly to the PC board. Notes concerning
ovtr a length of I inch. C16 is connected interconnection of the boards appear
between the VFO tuning capacitor and adjacent to each terminal in the transmitter
terminal T10. schematic diagram, Fig, 9.
The iransmitlcr-board inductors arc
wired to the board in ;wa diffcrcnl ways. Initial Tests and Calibration

L8 L9, L10 and LI2 have each winding

t Because the VFO is needed to drive the
connected to the board at opposite sides of receiver and transmitter hoards, check it

thetoroid. All other hductors have their first. You may operate the VFO directly
windings connected 1o the board on the from the unregulated 15-V supply during
Fig. 11— Spectraldisplay of the 'tansmitlof same side of the inductor. The mica com- these tests. See that U is supplying 3-V dc
1

output. Vertical divisions afo each 10 dB: mounted RF signal output of ap

pression trimmer capacitors are output, and that an
horizontal divisions are each 5 MHz. Output
power Is 4 W a) 7 MHz. All spur! jus emissions
by soldering a U-shaped piece of no. 22 proximately 4-V P-P is present at T30. For
are at teas) 32 dB below peak fundamental bare wire to each solder lab on the the moment, that's all for the VFO; its
output pOAer. capacitor. The bus wire is then inserted into calibration will oedone later.
the two holes in the PC
board. The 12-V With 15-V dc applied to the receiver
regjlator uses the PC board mounting stud board, check that U2 provides l!-V-dc
dry tramfers to a translucsnt piece of as its heat sink. A heat sink must be used output, and approximately 6-V dc is
plastic film cemented to the plastic dial with QR. present at T15. Pins 1 and 7 of Ul ihould
plate with rubber cement. Another piece of All boards should be tested (rctcr to the be at the same potential as T15. Connect
clear plas:ic is used for a dial window, and next section) before they arc mounted in a pair of headphones between TI4 and
a hair-line indicator was produced by the transceiver. The PC boards arc inter- ground. Shon T!3 and T16 together; white
scratching the plastic with l scribe. The connected with unshielded wire in all cases noise should be heard in the phones.
window cemented to the inside of the
is except for the amenna-to-TR-switch and Shorting TI8 to ground should close El,
front panel behind the dial cut-out and in TR-swirch-iQ-iransrrmier connections. and adjusting R23 should vary the release
front of the dial plate. Back lighting for the RG- 174 miniature coa>.ial cable is used for delay from apprcximately 0.5 to 5 seconds.
dial is p-ovided by two small, colored the latter mnnertiniK To avoid the Tune up the transmitter as follows Con-
lamps. possibility of creating unwanted osci na- nect a 5-W dummy load between Til and

A top, inside view ol the author's transceiver. The VFC PC board is at

the front le't, fjehind the GAIN and NULL potentiometers. The receiver
board Is at the rest ol the unit. At the Irani right-hand side of the
board is me doubly balanced mixer module. Almost directly behind it, The transceiver viewec trom the Bottom. In this prototype, the RF
nvai Iho urn panel, la itie TH ruljy. The two cylindrical oojecis at ine ouipui transistor nas an eiongaieo neat sinl. mat runs parallel to the
Iront centei of the board are L1 £nd L2. right side ot the board

QRP Classics 146

T25. Set all mica compression trimmer Operation and Comments Acknowledgment
capacitors for maximum capacitance (fully Since the transmit frequency is shifted I'd like to thank Jim Conrad, NIGW,
closed). Key the transceiver and see thai below the receive frequency, i: is necessary of Hewlett Packard, for his suggestions
I2-V dc is present atT22. Adjust C22 for to lunc the receiver so the VFO frequency concerning the design of the receiver RF
maximum RF output across R16. Then is above that of the received station. When section and for his help with AM-detection
adjust C24 for maximum RF voltage across the transmitter is keyed, the VFO frequency measurements.
LI Set C29 and C30 for maximum RF
I. shifts dowi by 750 Hz and on the zero-
falli nous
voltage across RI9. Last, adjust C32 and beat frequency. '0. K. Selmer, 'The MAVTMO." OST, June and
C33 maximum
output acro.11 the July 1975 Alan Footfhaek, OST, Oct. 1975,
for The transceiver haa bvcii in use fui
0. 71.
dummy load. Since C29, C30. C32 and C33 several months, and the improved receiver 'J. L Keith, "40-Meter Transceiver tot Low-Power
adjustments interact, the process wili have performance makes the redesign effort Operation." Ham fiadio, April 1980.
>R, W. Lewallen, "An Oetimized QRP Trans-
:o be repeated several times. During the worthwhile There is absolutely no audible QST, Aug. 1980.
ceiver."
J
final stages of Cunc-up, the trimmer- amplitude modulation from the high-power J. A. Dyer. "HighFrequency Receiver Perfor-
adjustments should provide mance," Ham Radio. Pott 1984.
capacitor 40-meter broadcast stations. The band- 'C. Hall. "Tunablo RC Notch." Ham Radio,
smooth amplitude variations with no width of the receiver is adequate for CW Sept. 1975.
sadden jumps apparent. Monitor the reception, and no audio distortion or 'Min -Circuits Labs, P.O. Box 166, Brooklyn,
NV 11335, tol. 718 03« 4600.
:empcralure of 08 closely during ram- ringing is evident. In fact, (he audio signal 'C. Hutchinson. ed„ The 1985 ARRL Handbook
mitter tune-up. has good tane quality when personal stereo toi the Radio Amaieut (Newingion: ARRL,
1934). p. 12-19.
Adjust C3 to have the VFO
cover the headphones are used with the receiver. The 'Circuit boards and parts kits are available from
desired frequency range, and set thr dial notch filter has proved useful; however, it Radiokit, P.O. Box 411, Greenville, NH
03018,
1el 603-878-1033. PC-board templat-es and
calibration. C5 provides temperature is not a complete substitute for single-signal
parts overlays are availablo (note: Ihlsa is
compensation. No not iceable siould
drift reception. When the transcci\cr is used to double-sided board) tro-n ARRL Hq. (or $2
and a business-sized sa.3.o. Address your
occur after an initial warm-up periad of work other QRP stations, it is helpful to
correspondence to Ihe Technical Department
about 10 minutes. have u low-noise receiver since the received 3«.ieidif and U wittily your request as
I

The VFO offset during transmit is set by signals can be just above the 40-metcr-band MAVT1 Updates.
'[Edl or's Note: See D. DeMaw, "Plug-In Wall
:nmming (he length of the gimmick noise during the daylight hours. Get out Transformers— A Super Bargain," OST, June
capacitor. C16. Trim C16 to provide a your soldering iron and try your hand at 1935. On page 37. Doug relates one ol his

downward VFO frequency shift of about

exieriences with D-C receivers and hum
building the receiver or the entire plckup.|
SO Hz when the transmitter is keyed. transceiver. I'm sure you'll be glad you did! For ipdated supplier addresses, see ARRL Pans
Supplier List In Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 147

From December 1989 QST, p 18:

A QRP SSB/CW Transceiver

for 14 MHz
Part 1: Exotic circuitry and hard-to-find components aren't
necessary if you want to build excellent performance into a
home-brew SSB/CW transceiver: Careful design is the key.
By Wes Hayward, W7Z0I
7700 SW Danielle Ave
Beavenon, OR 97005

hard to justify the construction of

It's
a complete SSB/CW transceiver in
this "modern" era of readily avail-
able commercial equipment. The popu-
lar, multtband MF/HF transceivers offer

excellent performance, often at a

reasonable cost. Still, twinge of
I feel i
guilt when I use them. They offer noth-
ing ofihc feeling of exploration that I've
grown to expect from Amateur Radio.
The rig described here is not a copy of
the usual "appliance." I've used the
project as a vehicle to investigate alter-
native circiits and a block diagram that
departs from the traditional. The circuit
is simple end modular, with flexibility used for completely independent opera- NPOWSl?.) IF
in a np£aiivp.fpwibarl
that allows for later change*. tion. This might be especially interesting amplifier. A transformer |T4)
ferrite
I present this rig in order to encourage for use with, for example, a VHF/UHF matches the IF amplifier to the receiver
other home-brew enthusiasm to give station forOSCAR communications. crystal filter (FL1) as shown in Fig 3. The
QRP SSB a try. not dwell on the stan-
I'll Commercial crystal filters from my filter I used is similar to the KVG XF-9B.
dard circuits that are already covered in junk box were used in this project. They The less-expensive KVG XF-9A was tried
Solid-Slate Design or in The ARRL arc all 9-MHz circuits that are, for- in this application and was found want-
Handbook. - Rather, I'll emphasize
1
tuna:ely, well matched to each other. A ing for stop-band attenuation.
only those circuits that depart from the >-MHz local oscillator drives both the I he crystal filter drives an MC13S0P

traditional. This is intended to be an idea and transmitter mixers. Budget-

receiver IF amplifier (U2) and a diodc-'ing
than a construction piece.
article rather minced builders may e'eet lo built their product detector (U3, an SBL-1 1. I
There are no circuit boards or patterns own filters.*'* would discourage a builder from depart-
available for this rig. All construction ing from a diode-ring detector. An
was done using "ugly" methods. 1 The Receiver NE602 detector was tried, but suffered
The receiver is very much like the from severe in-band intermodular on dis-
System Architecture Procr<essiv<- Receiver that's been in The tortion.
The filter method was chosen for this ARRL Handbook foi several years.
7
The BFO signal is low-pass filtered
transceiver.While that is gcn:rally con- The front end and VFO are presented in before driving the detector. reduced- A
sidered to be "che only choice," phas- Fig 2. I initially used a VFO variable voltage sample cf the BFO energy is
ing methods should not be overlooked capacitor with a vernier drive mechanism. routed to the transmit balanced mcdu-
4
for an experimental transceiver. The Problems occurred with the mounting, lator (to be described in Part 2 of this
block diagram is shown in Fig I. however. The VFO was rebuilt without article). Car* wai taken to extract the
The traditional filter transceiver shares a vernier. Instead, two capacitors were sample from a point away from the
one or more crystal fillers between the used One (Cl, BANDSET) tunes the detector. ( he diodc-nng detector clips
I

receive and transmit modes. 1 wanted to entire band, while the other (C2) is a the BFO waveform; clipped carrier-
avoid the cDmpromises and complexities bandspread control with a total range of oscillator drive fcr the balanced mcdu-
of filter switching, so I decided to use only 25 kHz. This scheme seems to be lator is undesirable.)
separate for each function. The
filters practical for a simple transceiver. The audio amplifier (Q6-Q8 and U4)
transmit and receive modules can then be The receiver begins with a doubly is standard. However, the audio-derived
tuned preselector and a diode-ring mixer AGC system departs from the usual.
(Ul a Mini-Circuits SBL-1). This is fol-
. U5A (one section of an LM324) ampli-
'Notes appea at ond ol article. lowed by a bipolar transistor (Q3, an fies the audio ic a level suitable for

QRP Classics 148

 rx M™.r.
F'° 4
aJ Q=
-i Pinuii.
Banc* V..
Vi(t«
lli-.rt.
fff
Prt 1 = Blue +—rrm rrm_,
Eiceot 09 (Wieolec. de;tn
values of ecpacitance or*
in roicofcfOflB (j(F): olflers
A aeo i coot 4= seo ^
ate in piwlorodi (pF).
i»iSlilfl<4lM <i ohms;
h-I.QOO. Mai. 000.000. 100
? »I2 V

Pec Elver npul

Ffom IR Snitch

Fig 2—
Schematic of the transceiver front end and VFO. Resistors are V* W. carbon film; unless otherwise indicated, capacilors are
monolithic or disc ceramic. The VFO
circuitry is built into a die-cast aluminum box.

CI. C2— Panel-mountable, air-dielectric a feedback lap 5 turns from the grounded T2— Narrow- band transformer: Tuned wind-
variable with Va-inch-diam shaft. end of the winding. ing, 11 turns of ro. 24 onam wiro on a
—
C3, C4 100-pF ceramic- or mica-dielectric L2—1 1 turns of no. 24 enam wire on a T-44-6 toroidal, powdered-iron core; hpul
trimmer. T-14-6 toroidal, powdered-iron core. 2 lurns of no. 24 enam wire ove' the
link,
Jl— Coaxiol jnck. (The prototype trans- L3, L4 25 turns of no. 24 onam wlro on a tunod winding's grounded ond.
ceiver uses a panel-mount SMB jack T-37-6 toroidal, powdered-iron core. T3— Broadband transformer; 10 bililar :urns
here, but a BNC or phono jack is Tl— Broadband transformer: Primary, 16 of no. 28 enam wire on an FT-37-43
suitable.) tutns of no. 26 enam wire on an FT-37-43 toroidal, territe core. Observe phasing.
L1— 23 tuns of no. 22 enam wire on a toroidal, ferrite core; secondary, 4 turns
T-68-6 to-oidal. powdered-iror core, with of io. 26 enam wire wound over the
priTsary.

"W. Hayward, "Designing and Building Smple

detection by D5. USD functions as a belter dynamic pcrfornancc than other
Crystal Filters." OST. Jul 1987. pd 24-29.
unity gain inverter to drive a second audio-derived ones I've tried. «W. Hayward, "A Unilied Approach to the Dasign
diode (D6), providing full-wave detec- ol Crystal Ladder Filters." OST. May 1982.
Notes pp 21-27; also seo Feedback. OST. Jul I987.
tion. Eaci diode operates as a peak
'W. Hayward and D. DeMaw. Sottd-Siate Design P 41.
detector, providing one sample of the lor ne Radio Amateur (tiownqlon: ARRL. 1986). Hayward and J. Lawson. "A Progressive
audio per cycle. Full-wave opera-
level »K. Klsinschmidi, ed, The 1990 ARRL Handbook. Communications Receiver." OST, Nov 1981.
(Nevington; ARRL, 1989). Also see FeodOacl. OST, Jan 1982, p 47; Apr
tion doubles the sampling rate to better
'R, and W. Hayward, "The Ugly Weekender." 1962, p 54; and Oct 198?, p 41, This reaver
approach the Nyquist criterion. The OS7. Aug 1981, pp 18-21. also appears- in the 1 982 through 1 990 editions
practical result is a simple circuit with *G Bi9*d. "A NewRr^rt nrfRor-oiver." OST.Aan ol Thn ARFtl H»ni<t*V,k
19W. pp 18-23.

QRP Classics 150

QRP Classics 15T
From January 7990 QST. p 28:

A QRP SSB/CW Transceiver for

14 MHz
Part 2; This month, W7ZOI
rounds out his description
of a 1- or 10-W SSB/CW ig
with details on its trans-
mitter, TR
switching and
optional speech processor.

By Wes Hayward. W7ZOI

7700 SW Danielle Ave
Beaverlon, 97005 OR

Most ot the transceiver's components are

generation occurs in the circuit diiven with a - lOdBm signal. contained in ugly-constructed modules,
SSB
shown in Fie 4. A microphone ampli-
is

is clipped with parallel, reverse-connected,

This signal
wilh Ihe exception ol ihe VFO (lower left)
and panel-mounle-1 controls and jacks
1QI6-U6) supplies audio to an
fier hot-carrier diodes (Ol <nd DI2). The inter-
I

MCI496 balanced modulator (U7). One- moculation products geicrated by the clip-
microfarad capacitors (C6-C8) ate used at the ping are rejected by an additional crysial filter Acknowledgments
output of lie audio amplifier and at several (FL3). The signal is then amplified back to The author gratefully acknowledges the
positions in the balanced modulator. (Origi- the original - 10 dBm by Q27 and Q28.
level photographic assistance of Dec L.nch.
nally, 10- or 22-uF units were used, but these This circuit generates abcut 10 dB of clipping. KA7NPN, and technical discussions with Jeff
caused the system to respond slowly during Reports and measurements made on the Damm. WA7MLH.
TR transitions.) clipped signal indicate gcod quality, a poten-
The modulator output is applied; to Oil. tial problem area with many speech process- Fig 4—
The transceiver SSB generator
a 2N3904 IF amplifier. This stage terminates ing systems. Resistors are V4 V/. carbon film: unless
otherwise Indicated, capacitors are
the transmitter crystal filter and provides a 6B shows a I0-wat:-oulput FET power
Fig
monolithic or disc ceramic.
convenient place for CW carrier injection. The FET that I used (an MM-
amplifier.
Another IF amplifier (QI2-QLTi follows the
C9— 60-pF. ceramic-dielectric trimmer
CO\i DV2880T) is no longer available, but C10. Cti— 35-pF. ceramic-dielectric
crystal filter. The txgain control, R5. is set is similar to the Motorola MRFI 38. Alterna- trimmer.
for an output of - 10 dBm from QI3. This one could obtain several watts of out-
tively , FL2— 9-MHz transmit tiller. 2.5 kH2 wife at
level is applied to the transmit miser, or to put from another IftFSU,8 The TR - 6 dB (KVG XF9A).
ihp spprrb prorp^nr dr«rrihtvl latpr. swishing in the transceiver is set up for an T7— Broadband transformer: Primary. 10
shews more of the tranimilter. SSB bifilar turns ot no. 28 enam wire on
Fig 5 outboard PA.
FT-37-43 toroida. ferrite core; secondary.
energy at - 10 dBm drives the transmit mixer,
Surrmary 3 turns ol no. 2H enam wire over ihe
US, another diode ring mixer. The 5-MHz primary. Observe phasing.
VFO signal is amplified to + lOdBm for the Tiis was a very enjoyable project, and one Y2-8998.SkHz cvstal (KVG XF-901
mixer by Q17 and Ql8. A 3-dB pad termi- that I would recommend for other experimen- suitable*.
nates the mixer, with (he signal continuing to ters. The 20-rnclcr phone band, however, can
a three-polf, LC. band-pass filter. The first be QRPenthusiast.
alittlc intimidating for the
Fig 5—The transmit mtxer. driver, final
amplifier and associated circuits. Unless
stage in the output-amplifier chain is Q2I. a A can probably be built and
rig like this
otnorwiso indicates, resistors are y* VY, -

2N5179 feedback amplifier with an oulptii of adjusted by those with only modest test equ ip- carbon film, and capacitors are monolithic
+ 2 dBm. This signal is looped through a ment. A 15-MHz oscilloscope served as my or disc ceramic.
jumper on the transceiver rear
coaxial-cable test-equipment workhone during construc- Cl2-CI4-60-pF mica- or ceramic-dielectric
panel for use with VHF transverters. tion of this project. A home-brew spectrum trimmer.
The drivtr. Q22, a 2N5859. is capable of analyzer also served as a .'cry useful tool, but D13— l-A. 6O0-PIV diode.
about +20dBm output. Transceiver output is shows the transceiver's
not required. Fig 7 K1— 12-V dc relay.
obtained from Q23. an IRF51 HEXFET*
is 1 CW output spectrum. The 270-O resistor a ltd —
L7-L9 20 turns o no. 24 enam wire en a
T-44-6 toroidal, powdered-iron core.
PA operating at the watt output level. This
I O.S6jjF capacitor associated with ihc base of
Lio— 15-j.H choke.
power level is a little low for use on the air Q20, Fig 6, provide CU rise and fall times L1I-L13— 14 turns of no. 24 enam wire on
with dipolei, but is too high for many trans- of and 1.5 ms, respectively. Careful meas-
I
a T-50-6 toroidal powdered-Iron core.
verter applications. urement of signal levels iuring construction T8— Broadband transformer: Primary, 15
helps to keep the system spectrally clean. turns ot no. 28 enam wire on an FT-37-43
I .ou tier-Signal Options ferrite. toroidal core; secondary, 4 lu-ns
of no. 28 enam wire over Ihe primary.
Two additional circuits, shown in Fig 6,
T9. Tl0-Broadband transformer: 10 bifilar
round out Ihe SSB system. The first, at Fig
«W. H ayward and J. Dam n. -Stable HEX FET'
6A, Is an If speech processor. The processor ferrile. toroidal care. Observe phasing

QRP Classics 152

QRP Classics 153
QRP Classics 154
Fig 6— The optional speech processor (A)
and outboard power amplifier (B) circuits. -20
Unless otherwise indicated, resistors are
v* W, carbon litm. and capacitors are
Tionolrthic or disc ceram ic. -30
C1S. C16—35-pF. ceramic-dielectric Response
trimmer. (dB) -40
C17-90- to 480-pF. mica-dielectric
trimmer.
011. D12-HoI-carier diode. HP-5082-2672 50
suitable.
FL3—9-MHz transmit filter. 2.5 kHz wide at
-GO H-tt- -H-H- H-HI Mil" r ++++-
-6dB (KVG XF-9A}.
If 1
1 iii -H-H- Mil'
,14— 50 turns of no. 26 ©nam wire on a
T-68-2 toroidal, powdered-iron core.

tii
—
Li5. L16 19 turns of no. 20 enam wire on
a T-50-6 toroidal, powdered-iron core.
—
Broadband transformer: Primary. J
-70

-80
aL |

10 15 20
4
25 30 35 4C « 50
turns of no. 28 enam wire over secondary;
secondary. 16 turrs of no. 28 enam wire Frequency (MHi)
on an FT-37-43 tcroidal, ferrite core.
TI2—Broadband transformer: 7 bifilar turns Fig 7— The transceiver's output spectrum contains a second-harmonic conponent
of no. 22 enam wire on an FT-50-43 63 dB below ts 1-W Cwoutput, "he major nonharmonic spurious response is a 2:1 spur
toroidal, ferrrte core. Observe phasing. near 1.5 MHz ((2 x VFO] -
IF); this component is -70 dBc. The spike at far left is the
713— Broadband transformer: 11 bifilar spectrum analyzer's •zero-spur." An external 20-dB pad in the coaxial line provided extra
turns of no. 18 eram wire on an protection forthe analyzer, a Tektronix 2756P. The spect rum-analyzer measurements
FT-02-oi. ioroidai, rerriie core. Ooserve were uiuvldBd oy Stan Grirmns, vr/Ni. Tne transceiver complies with current FCC specifi-
phasing. cations for spectral purity.

ORP Classics 155

 —

The QRP
From October f 989 QST. p 25:

Three-Bander
This low-power, direct-
conversion transceiver CW
covers 18, 21 and 24 MHz,
and includes sidetone, spotting
and relay-less full break-in
all on one circuit boa'd!

By Zack Lau. KH6CP

ARRL Laboratory Engneer

as a switch, breaks the connection between propriate biasing could handle more pewcr.
U2B and U3A keep keying
in transmit 10 but PIN diodes arc more difficult to find
clicks and thumps out of the headphones. than ordinary switching diodes.)
Wi'h rearing
(his
its
solar cycle's
peak, the time for
activity
The QRP Three-Bander uses audio The Three-Bander's transmitter section
high-band QRP operation is now. amplitude limiting instead of automatic gain uses differential keying— a method of lime-
This low-power CW
transceiver is capable control (AGO: Diodes in the filter and sequencing the keying of multiple trans-
of exploitiog these conditions. It's easy to tin al-audlo-am puller stages (DI-D2, and uiittci stages to achieve a dcsiicd effec. A»

use, sensitive enough ro receive weak QRP D3-D4. respectively), and R1S (between (he implemented in this circuit, differential

stations, axel includes audio limiting to pro- final audio amplifier and J2), provide ear keying helps elimhatc chirp by turning on
tectyour ;ars from loud local stations. and headphone protection by clipping the the transmit oscillator (Q3) before the
Moving from band to band With this rig is transceiver's audio output on strong signals. buffer amplifier (Q5-Q6) comes on. This
easy: Just change crystals and rc-pcak its Transmitter RF is generated by Q3. an sequence is reversed at key up: The buffer
receiver input. Key down, the QRP Three- MPS9IB (or 2N5179) BIT operating as a amplifier turns off before the oscilator
Bander produces its own sidctor.c and RF, — VXO. Q3's output signal drives a buffer stops. Turning the oscillator on befor; the
buffer gives the o;clllator time to stabilize
too: 1 .25 if 4 waits, depending on ihe band, of two BJTs: Q5, a
amplifier consisiing
the dc supply voltage and th* particular 2N2222, and Q6. a 21^5109 (or selected before the transmitter puts out RF; keeping
transistors used in the transmit (:r. And you 2N2222A). The buffer circuit is based on a the oscillator on after Ihe buffer turn, off

can build the QRP Three-Bander your way: design by I.ewnllon: 1 this version is re- assures that frequency changes by the
A complete kit o f parts is available, or you biased for higher power output to make it turning-off oscilletor won't be present in
can assemble your version using ground- more suitable for transmitters. The trans- the transmitted signal.
plane construction. mitter power amplifier. Q8. is an MRF257 To avoid key clicks — which would make
BJT Tinning class C. A seven-element low- the Three- Bander's signal wider than
Circuit Description pass :1 Iter (L I through L3, and C37 through necessary lor effective CW
communication
Fig shows the transceiver circuit. Ul,
1 C40) reduces the harmo:iic content of llie — Ihe waveform cf the transmitted signal

an NE602N doubly balanced mixer IC, transmitted signal. Because this filter's is shaped in the buffer amplifier. Even
operates as a direct-conversion (D-C) cutoff frequency is high enough lo pass the though the transmitter power amplifier is
product detector, convening the incoming transreiver's 24-MHz output with little loss nonlinear and tends lo shorien ihe rise and
signal directly to audio by mixing it with and ye l low enough to reduce harmonies
is fall times of its driving signal, the Three-

energy from Q2, a bipolar-junction- of th: rig's18-MHz signal to a legal level, Bander's transceiver's RF-output wave-
transistor BUT) variable crystal oscillator it requires no adjustment for band changes. form is well-shaped, as shown in Fig 3. The
(VXO). Although ihe NE602 achieves its Fig I shows the output spectrum of the open-circuit voltigc at the KEY jack is

conversion gain and low noise figure at the Three-Bander's transmit:er. positive, and abcut 0.5 V less than the
expense of dynamic range, it 'ejects AM- Full -break-in, relay-leis TR switching is transceiver's dc supply voltage; 1.3 mA
broadcast-bandi signals well when a one of the QRP
Three-Bander's finer flows in the keying circuit line wher. the
capacitor is present across its differential points. The TR switch is a wide-bandwidth key jack is shorted.
output (pios 4 and 5). version of the switch used by Lewallen in
4 Getting the Parts
To help prevent hum pickup, the NC602's his Optimized QRP Transceiver. IT you
audio cittrnit i< amplified hy a differential mnrlel thi* "jwifrh nr measure ill charac- The lough part of building has nothing
amplifier (U2A. half of an NE5532 low- teristics, you'll notice ots of passband to do with soldering or making holes in
noise, audio-op-amp IC). which feeds a ripple: The filter (C36, C41, C42, L4. L5 metal: It's finding the parts! Fortunately,
moderate-gain filter stage (U2H). The final and L<) has sleep skim and three peaks all the parts used in this project arc sold
audio-amplifier stage |U3A, half of another corresponding to the hards covered by the by a number of suppliers— or you can buy
NE5532) drives low-impcdancc stereo head- transceiver. Although the calculated a complete kit of parts from KADIOKIT.
phones at acomfortable level. Ql, a 2N5486 safe maximum-power-handling capability as detailed at Note 1.
j unci ion-field -effect-transistor iJFET) used of this switch is just I A W at 24.9 MHz, Parts availability is one thing; pans cost
it seems to handle the transceiver output Aside from the crystals, varablc
is mioiliLT.

'Notes appear at and of article. just fine. (A PIN-diodte switch wilh ap- capacitors CI (rx peak). C22 (hx FftEQ)

QRP Classics 156

 Fig 1 —{Appears on /o'tow/np two pitQAn )
The QRP Three-Bander: Vital Statistics Schematic ot the QRP Three-Bander. All resis-
QRP Three-Bander tors are \'a W, carbon film. The inset, B, shows
The performance of the varies wilfi band, dc supply voltage
particular active devices used. Two
versions o( the Three-Bander exhibit
how to replace Ct with a swit:h (S2) and three
and the
trimmer capacitors (C44-C46); if you use this
a receive sensitivity (minimum discenible signal, or MD3) between - 124 and
variation, peak C44 al 24 MHz before adj list-
- 128 dBm, and 3rd-order-IMD dynamic ranges between 71 and 74 dB. A Ihird
ing C45and C46 (or maximum received-signal
Three-Bander exhibits an MDS between - 1 12 and - 120 dBm, and a 3rd-order- strenglh at 21 and 18 MHz.
IMD dynamic range between 67 and 69 dB. Operated a' 13.8 V and using an
MPS918 at 03, Wo QRP Three-Bancers produce 2.6 ard 4.0 W
at 18 MH;, 2.6 C1—50 pF. air dielectric, variable (Millan
and 3.4 W
at 21 MHz, and 1.7 and 25 W
al 24 MHz. A third Three-Bandei (with 21050 7- Io 45-pF cerami: trimmers, used
a hand-picKed 2N3904 at 03) produces 3.8 W at 18 MHz, 3.1 W at 21 MH: and in ground-plane version, and switch and
2.4 Wat 24 MHz when operating at I3.B V. Operating tie Three-Bander al trimrrers (S2 and C44-C46, Fig 1B| have
13.8 V provides 31o 70% more transmitter output powe than
r
that available with been used successfully). See text.
a 13.0-V supply. C2, C24—0.0056 ^F, ceramic.
Although the Trree-Bander's receiver isn't unduly sensitive or crunch-proot. it's C3. C8, C10. C19-C21, C23, C27. C29,
adequate for routine amateur communication. had no difficulty in making 3rd- I
C32-C35. C43-0.022 «F. ceramic.
C4. C11, C18— 1-jiF, 1 6-V lontalum elec-
order-IMD dynamic-range measurements on the Three- Eander's receiver at Ihe
trolyte.
ARRL lab's standard 20-hHi spacing,
C5. C6 ClS-0.22,iF. molai film.
The frequency swing afforded by the Three-Bander's VXOs varies with the C7. C9-0.0022 nF, metal liln (Bessol AF
band, stray capadlances and the particular crystals and VXO tuning capadtors filterhg). Use 0.0027 for tighter.
used. The crystals used allowed swings of 8.9 to 16.2 kHz at 18 MHz, 8.4 to
t Chetyshev filtering.
17.6 kHz at 21 MHz. and 14.1 to 23.4 C12. Ct 3—0.010 ^F. melal Mm (Besset AF
fillerhg). Use 0.012 fi F (or tighter,
Chetysnev filtering.
C14—C.056 pF, melal -film.
and C28 (TX FREQ) are probably the most workine on all three of its bands with C16—C.0015 ,»F, polypropylene.
CIT, C3t— 4.7-jiF. 16-V. tantalum atet-
expensive components in this project. V'3u minimal experimentation, use a 2N5109a! trotytic.
can save money by purchasing these Q6 to ensure adequate drive to the final C22, C28— 14 pF, air dielectric, variable.
capacitors from a surplus outlet or flea amplifier at 24 MHz, A imtat-cased (Millen 21015 capacitors and Johnson
market, although tney are still available (TO-IB) 2N2222A may work if you're 189-series trimmers have been used suc-
new. In this application, the voltage rating willing to try several transistors it Q6 be- cessfully. Several months of on-air-uso
caused severe wear in ths rx freo John-
and physical size of CI, C22 and C28 are fore settling on one. was able to use
son 189-series capacitor, however; use a
relatively unimportant; these capacitors metal-cased 2N2222As in two ojt of the
tuning, not trimmer, capacitor at rk freo
need on!y cover the necessary capaciiarce three QRP Three- Banders I've built.) If for longest capactto/ tire.) see text.
range. CI must covtr the range from 15 to you're interested in using vow Three- C25—0.015 P F, metal film.
15 pF. VXO capacitors C22 and C28 Dander only at IS and 21 MHz, TO- 18 ay C26, C30—0.082 ^F. metal film.
should have a maxinum capacitance of 10 2N2222A will probably work at Q6. C36.
C37
—C42— 15 pF. silver mca.
'00 pF. silver mica.
io 50 pF(10 to 15 pF is optimum) and neve One of home-brewing's benefits is that
C39—240 pF. silver mica.
C38.
a minimum capacitance of just a few you can use connectors of your choice. I
C40— "20 pF. silver mica.
picofarads — the lower the minimum like to use ENC connectors as antenna C41— 220 pF. silver mica.
capacitance, the belter.* If you can't find jacks on HFgear. Although don't neces-
1 C44-C46— 30-pF plaslic trimmer (optional),
iir-diclcctric variables at an affordable sarily agree with others' choices, I've seen useo in conjunction with S2. tnese capa-
citors replace Gt. See text.
price, you can replace a given variable UHF, N, and even phono connectors used
D1-D9-1N914 or 1N4148 silicon switching
capacitor with a switch and several trimmer for antenna connections at MF and HF. diode.
capacitors, as shown in Fig B for CI RJC I , This transceiver uses phono jacks for power J1— Phono Jack.
peak; the iransccivcr shown in (he tide and keying connections. (Beware of using J2— 1/B-inch stereo phone ack.
photo uses this arrangement. You may J3— BNC jack. See taxi.
prefer (lie Fig IB solution to CI because L1. L3— Toroidal induclor.12 turns ot no. 26
easier than peaking a
enam wire on a T-25-6 powered-iton core
Hipping a switch is
(0.46 jiH).
tuning control; on (he other hand, a front-
|_2— Toroidal inductor. 13 turns of no. 26
panel peaking contiol can help you mini- enam wire on a T-25-6 pewdered-iron
mize interference from strong shortwave core (0.52 (iH).
broadcasters, as discussed later in "Using L4, L6—Toroidal inductor. 26 turns of no.
2-a eram wire on a T-44-2 powdered-iron
iheRadio on ihe Air." This switch-ar.d-
core i3.8 «H).
irimmcrs idea can also be applied (o (he
L5— Toroidal induclor, 9 tutns of no. 24
transceiver vxOs; you can readjust the enam wire on a T-25-6 pewdered-iron
Dimmers if your preset frequencies arc cote 10.20 pH).
occupied. 01— 2N5486 JFET. A 2N4/16. 2N5485,
The crystal frequencies you choose 2N5434 or MPF102 should also work.
depend somewhat cn ihe particular VXO
Q2— 2N3904 BJT.
Q3— BJT, MPS918 or 2N5179 recom-
inning capacitors you use. A VXO with a mended. A 2N3904 work, but may
will
maximum tuning capacitance of many tens Fig2— Worst-case spectral display of the exfiibil lasier keying rise and fall times at
or even hundreds of picofarads (so much QRP Three-Bander. Each horizontal divi- 24 MHz than those shown in Fig 3, and
sion represents 10 MHz; each verical divi- RF power
capacitance that th: crystal is essentially the transceiver's output may be
sion represents 10 dB. The spike at far left suboptimo).
shorted to ground with the tuning
(the spectrum analyzer's tlrsl-locaMjscillator Q4. 07— 2N3906 BJT.
capacitance at maximum) may oscillate as as a convenient "0 MHz"
signal) serves Q5— 2N2222 BJT. A 2N39C4 will also work.
much as 10 kHz below the frequency relerence. When ihis spectrogram was 06— 2M5109 RF-power BJT. A selected
marked on the crystal. If, however, you use taken, (he QRP Three-Bander was produc- metal-eased (TO-18) 2N2222A will work;
capacitors with ma>imum capacitances in ing 4 W
(14.08-V dc supply) at 1B.07 MHz. some 2N2222As may not lave enough
Allharmonics and spurious emissions are gain optimum power output al 24 MHz.
Ihe range I've specified, your VXOs should lor
al least36 dB below peak tundarrental See text.
oscillate within a few fcilohcrtz of the
output. The OBP Three-Bander ccmpties 08— Matorola MRF237 RF-aower BJT.
crystal frequency. with cur/ont FCC specifications fo- speclral Ri, RG, R17, R18. R21, R27, R-11 10O li. —
If you want to get your transceiver purity.
R2. R3. R12— 2.2-ktI (Bessal AF filtering).

QRP Classics 157

 DtffirCiiHd Amp 1
^ INi

EMMCIV

Cxccpt as hcicoted. decimal

.s'j-s di capacitance e*e
In microfarads (jiF)- otners
ore in picoti'aas (pF);
resistances ore in onms;
ksi.aoo. mb'i.ooo.ooo

• Heat sink required, see le«l

= phasin;
5W - stiver mieo
Fin

QRP Classics 158

J
 Use 3.3-kQ (ui lifjlttui. ChcLiyslicv
Rearing.
GAIN R4, R5— 75 kQ.
mi I R7, R22. R29. R3B-4.7 klJ.
R8-75 kit (Bcsscl AF fltering). Use 56-kfl
Au die Am p lor lighler, Chebyshev tillering.

R9. R20, R23. R30. R32— 1 kfl.

0.0015 RIO. R14, R31-10 kD.

R1I-1 Mfl.
RI3 — 100-kn, audio-taper polenliuintjlwi.
R15. R16, R35. R36—47 Ml.
Audio S-Itch R19— iO-k(i. audio-taper potentiometer.
R2a. R37. R42—47 0.
R25. R33. R34-100 kit
R26-22 Ml
R28-270 li.

R39—470 fl.
R40— 15 Ml
hTGi— toroidal RF chose, use o lurns ot
ne. 26 enam wire on an FT-37-43 lorrile
laoid (10 ,iH).
51— Normally open, momentary push-
button.
52- SPDT. center-oft tcggle (optional). Use
only if CI is replaced with C44, C45 and

+ 13.B V C46. See text.

T1—Narrow-band transformer, 10.5:1 lurns
ratio;21 turns of no. 26 enam wire on a
T-30-6 powdered-iron 'oroid (primary. 1.75
jiH). Secondary has 2 turns of no. 24 or

26 enam wire over prmary winding.

L- L2 L3 T2— Broadband transfoimer, 10:1 turns
ratio: 20 turns of no. 26 enam wire on an

FT'37-43 lerriie loroid (primary). Tap is 13

turns from the collector. Secondary has 2
turns of no. 24 or 26 enam wire over
piimary winding.
T3— Broadband transformer, 5:1 lurns ratio;
20 turns of no. 26 enam wire on an
FT-37-43 ferrite loroid (primary); tap at 13
B B
turns from the collector end. Secondary
has 4 lurns of no. 24 sr 26 enam wire
over primary winding.
T4— Broadband transformer, 3:1 turns ratio;
9 lurns of no. 26 enan wire on an
MftF237 bo'lom, FT-37-43 ferrite loroid (primary). Secon-
mntat 2H2222 dary has 4 turns ot nc 24 or 26 enam
wre over primary winding.

8 7 6 5 U1-NE602 mixer IC,

U2, U3— NE5532 dual low-noise op-amp
lop VltW,
IC.
NE602 end
NE55J' U4-78L05 5-V re-gulatcr IC.
leod i Yl. Y2— Fundamental crystal, HC-25/U
12 3 + holder, parallel resonance, 20- or 32-pF
load capacilance. See text for discussion
ol frequency choice. Available from Inter-
national Crystal Mfg Co. 701 Sheridan, W
PO Box 26330. Oklahoma City. OK
73126-0330. lei 405-236-3741 JAN Crys- ;

tals. 2341 Crystal Dr. Ft Myers. FL

33906-6017, lei 800-237-3063; and other
sources.
2N3904. 2N3906. MPS9W For updated supplier addresses, see AR RL Pans
ana plastic ZNzyiZ Supplier List in Chapter 2.
The lille photo version Of Ihe ORP Three-
2S54B6 Bander uses the switch-and-capacitors
scheme shown at Rg 1B instead of Ct,
<c Ul. and Johnson air-dielectric trimmers for rx
~~1 ;

pin 1
freq (C22) and tx freo 'C28). Acrylic
C44
24-HHi blocks machined to take set screws and
RX f€AK Ihe trimmers' 3/16-inch-diameter shafts
/TSv serve as tuning Knobs. The board is 4 x
eerier oft = 24 MHz 5-3J8 inches in si2-e.
76L05
CASE ?l MM: IS MHz
2NS'79 C45
C46 K
21-MHi ' ? lfi-MMr
RX PEAK RX PEAK
rt-r

ORP Classics 159

 —

ing of the transceiver circuitry also helps tion.)That's what did in my Three-
I

minimize hum and microphonics in the Bander. One small solder joint dots the
NEe"02 detector, especially when the trans- job; you needn': solder the entire case
eWe' is used with a poor RF ground. perimeter.
Wind your inductors and transformers I used thrcc-hole-mount phono jacks
before you start wiring t!ic circuit. Amateur (two holes for mounting screws and one for
radio-equipment builders commonly count the jack barrel) because they don't loosen
coil turns wrong; this usually results in coils with use as easily as single-hole mount types
wound with one turn too many. (Hini: do. Pot ihe same reason, 1 took the lime
With toroids, just passing the wire through to drill the extra roles necessary to seat the
turn.)6
7
the :ore counts as one '
anti-rotation tab; on the gain and side-
Because this is an RF project, keep com- tone level controls because seating Ihe
ponent leads short, as shown in the photo- —
tabs instead ol breaking them off
Fig 3— Ths QRP Three-Bandei's CW- graphs. Long leads can induce excessive results in controls that almost never work
keying wn-'nlorm nt 1B.07 MHr. The upper noise and hum imo the- circuit* (If you're loose from the panel *
trace Is tho HF envelope; Ihe bwer irace really unlucky, over long leads may cause
depicts ths actual key closure. Each Testing
the circuit to oscillate when it should be
horizontal division represents 5 ms.
amplifying.) Transformers Tl through 73 None of the Three -Bander's circuit! need
aren't critical with regard to mounting— be trimmed or altgned beyond the adjust-
they can either lie flat or stand upright. ments possible with its panel controls, so
(Some builders like to glue toroids down; you need only verify that it works. sug- I

I skip Ihe glue so Ihe coils can be removed gest powering ihe transceiver with a small
phono jacks with batteries—phono plugs easily it necessary.) used screws, lock
I —
supply during tesiing a 1 2- 10 S-V regu- I

can shor.-circuit all too easily. I use washers and W-inch-long metal spacers to lated power supply capable of producing

Molex* connectors and fuses with my mount my transceiver boards in their no more than 0.5 to I A is fine. (A sipply
The presence of
battery packs for safety.) boxes. capable of sourcng 7 or 10 A
invites the

identical keying and power-supply 08, the transmitter power amplifier, possibility of scricus smoke and component
connectors isn't a problem with this rig: must be heal-sinkcd. Because the destruction if you make a wiring mistake.
Nothing blows up if the key and power- MRF237's case is connected to the Don't use batteries, cither: Shorl-cirCiited,
supply cables are interchanged. irnnsistnr emitter (insipid of the collect nr. they can source enoufih current to melt
as is usually the case with metal-cased wires!)
Construction Details BJTs), you can heat-sink Q8 merely by The first lest is to determine whether or
Decide early on whether you'll build the soldering its case to the circuit-board not the Three-Bander can hear its own
transceiver over a ground plare or on a PC ground foil (or to the ground plane, if transmit oscillator. Set the CAIN control to
board. If you decide to build a PC-board you rc undertaking grnind-plane construc- the middle of its rotation. Plug in crystals

version, I highly recommend glass-epoxy

(G-IO or FR-4), coppcr-clad circuit board
over cheap phenolic board because of glass-
epoxy's generally higher quality and be- —
cause gla<s-epoxy's greater h:al tolerance On the Air with Ihe QRP Three-Bander
allows the desoldcring and replacement of What can you expect of ths QRP Three-Bander? In ihrea briel operating
components with minimal damage to (he periods, snagged OK3CQR, EA8AB. OK2KFM, KK6H, W36YBT. AF4S and
I

board. (This Is especially important if W9MNU at 18 MHz, and KF50L and G3FGT at 21 MHz—Dine contacts, four
you're new to building; you may need to countries, four states and three continents. The antenna? Fifty or so feet of wire
fix wiring goofs. 1 I've made the copper
tossed in a tree and worked against a baseboard-heater "ground."
pads for the wires between the board and
The QRP Three- Bander's receiver ts more than satisfactory, Considering i(s
simplicity. There's audio to spare; I didn't have to run the gain control wide
off-board components extra large, just in
open all the lime. receiver is a bil microphonic, taut not annoyingly so.
The I

case you nave to do a lot of resoldering. heard a bit of hum at some settings of the rx peak control— probably becausa I

(Small pads tend to lift off the board if sub- used an ac-operated power supply in conjunction with my crummy RF ground.
jected to too much soldering heal.) This is Sometimes, had to use hx peak to minimize
I AM
"breakthrough" from strong
a trade-eff in Ihe case of the VXO- 17- and 21 -MHz broadcasters. All this means is that I'll build my version of ire
capacitorwires^ though: The narrower the QRP Three-Bander with a front-panel-peakable front end. il didn't hear one iota
rtf hroakthrnngh fron lor.nl medium-wave broadcasters, by the way.)
pads for C22 und C28 wires, the wider the
Full break-in Is fun with the QRP Three-Bander. Zack Lau has solved several
VXO tuning range per crystal.
Whether you build your transceiver on problems at once by incorporating audio limiting into this transceiver: "De-
thumping" Ihe rig's TR switching, protecting Ihe operator's ears and head-
a PC board or with ground-plane construc-
phones from overdrwe, and ridding the rig's sidetone of monotony. (In transmit,
tion, I recommend that the transceiver cir- you hear the sidetone [assuming that you've set its sidetone level control to al-
cuitry be completely shielded when in use. low this, of course], a tone corresponding to the frequency difference between
It's important that there be grounded me- the receive and transmit VXOs, and the products of Intermodulatlon between
tal between the VXO capacitors and your these signals as they mix In the Three Bander's audio-limiting circuitry. Result:
fingers. Otherwise, you may experience the The ity's "sidwiuiin" raioly sounds Ihe same two QSOs in a row!)
magic-wand effect thai long-time hams call The ORP Three-Bander's differential keying is a class act. Listened lo with my
hand capacitance. {The VXO-capacitor sta- NRD-525 receiver, the Three-Bander's CW sounds absoluiely A1 (pun intended)
at 18. 21 and 24 MHz. (No "Sure the keying's too hard-but heck, it's ORP"
iors (immovable plates] arc at a high im-
excuses are necessary for this low-power rig.) If you must key an oscillator icr
pedance above ground, and nearby CW, this is how to do il.
objects— including you—can be "seen" by Working all continents will be easy with this rig. Who'll be first to work all
those points unless a grounded shield
circuit srares with a Three-3ander? It probably won't be me— at laast. not unless build I

is interposed. You shouldn't be able to tunc mine soon: Other HQ staffers are llninc up lor their stints with KHSCP's ORP
your receiver just by bringing your hand Three-Bander!— David Newkirk, AK7M
close to the tuning knob!) Complete shield-

QRP Classics 160

 , a . .

Without actually iiaiibiiiilliiig a signal on

How About Modifying the QRP Three-Bander? the air. (Sweeping a sigral across a band

I'm sure that many of you would cover different

like this transceiver to
is considered poor amateur practice even —
bands— 14 or 23 MHz. for instance. The problem isI'd taken the time to
that if for antenna testing.)
work out the details of all such permutations before publishing this article, you'd
never have seen this article! The first step in getting a successful equipment
Summary
design off the drawing board and into reality is defining the limits of whal you The QRP Three-Bander gets you going
want to accomplish—so 1 decided (o design the QRP Three-Bander to ccvsr on three of our hot high fcands in style,and
only the IB. <;i and 24-MHz amateur Dands. Thai said, though, do have sum« I
with enough power to work the world.
untested Three-Band«r-modification hints for the adventurous.
Build it, use it—and have fun!
First of all. most of the QRP Thrso-Bander's RF circuits are broadbarided
enough to cover the HF spectrum without modification. The exceptions are the
NE502's tuned input circuit (C1-T1I, the transmitter-output low-pass filter
(C37-C40, L1-L3J. and the TR switch filter (C36, C41. C42, and L4-L6). The Notes
variable crystal oscillators should work fine from 3.5 to 28 MHz with QHP Three-Bandar arc avail-
'Kits cf parts tor the
fundamental-mode crystals; keep in mind, however. tJ-.at a VXO's tuning range able from RADIOKIT. PO Box 973. Pelham. NH
generally decreases as tho crystal frequency is lowered. 03076. tel 603-437-2722. (or S99 each, plus $4
each tor shipping via llio United Parcel Service
You may need to add a few more turns lo T4's primary winding on the low In tho US. (Canadian and overseas orders are
bands, but T4 Is pretty broadband, too. welcome: contact RADIOKR lor details.) The kit
The TR switch is a bit tricky lo design— you can't get the peaks in a Ngh- price includes a PC board, an unpainted Ten-
ripple band-pass fitter to fall exactly where you want them merely by poking at a Tec enclosure and all QRP Three-Bander com-
calculator —but you can always use Lawallen's single-band version (see Note 4 ponents except crystals. The ARAL and OST in
'

ofthe main text). If you use a rota7 switch for the TR circuit, receiver front end no way warrant this otter.

and transmitter output filter, getting the QRP Three-Bander lo cover five or six A PD-board template and saris overlay lor the
ORP Twee-Bander are available lor a business-
bands shouldn'l be too difficult. .—KH6CP .
ciio SASE I'om tho Technical Depnrtmoni
Secielaiy. ARRL. 225 Main Si. Newington, CT
061 1 1
-This technique, also known by the unfortunate
pejorative lerm ugly construction, emails
1 supf>arting clrcuii components—connected
21 Yl and Y2. both on the same frequency, your signal in the other station's receiver.'
directly to each other by shon leads—above a
ind sci ihe rx peak, rx freq and tx =req Another approach is to adjust RX freo for ihincopper sheel (ground jlane (. Despite their
;apacitors so thai (heir plaies are half zero beat with the incoming signal, press appearance, circuits built h Ihis way generally
spot, and adjust txfheq io /em heat your wort belter lhan their PC-board-built counter-
meshed. Press Ihe SPOT button and adjust vails because air is a betto' dielectric Ihon fiber-
ax freq to find the transmitter signal. If transmitter to your receiver ana the incom- glass or phenolic. Builcers well-versed in
you're lucky, yot now have an expensive ing signal. Once you've done his, adjust groind-plane construction can generally build
code -practice ose llator! If yon can't hear RX FREO to receive the incoming signal at he ground-plane version of a givon circuit 'aster
thar iis circuit-board equivalent
anything at all. e\en after trying the entire the pitch you want. This latter approach JP1. Lewallen, •'An Optimizec QRP Transceiver,"
range Of the GAIN control, there's a fault works well on a busy band: After you've Feedback. OST, Nov 1980. p 53.
in the receiver aidio chain. spotted your transmitter, readjust rxfreq
4R. Lewallen, "An Optimizec ORP Transceiver,"
OST. Aug 1980, pp 14-19.1 highly recommend
If you can mcer your power supply's lo receive tr.e less-interfered -with "side" of
Ihis article to anyone who wants to build a
output current, you can confirm that the iho received signal. {Incidentally, you can *>o*iiioioi Ohp iianscelvei.
transmitter works by attaching a 50-1? zero-beat your transmitter lo flirty strong 4 Moslof the frequency variation provided by C22
dummy load to (a 2-W carbon or mclal- incoming stations by pulling ou: the receive and C28 occurs ai ihe low-capacitance end ot
iheir capacitance spans. Thus, achieving (he
oxide resistor) and briefly shorting the key crystal [Yl] and adjusting the spotting sig-
smtflesi possible mi nimum capacitance at C22
jack. If Ihc transmitter is working, the trans- nal to zero beat. In this case, the spotting and C28 is especially important to buifde rs who
ceiver current drain should increase \o 200
"s signal acts as the receiver local oscillator. dupicate this project witr ground-plan* con-
struction because o1 ihe generally lower stray
or 300 mA
with (eying. You can also use The spoiling and incoming signals will have capacitances Ihis consiruclion method atlords.
an oscilloscope, RF wattmeter or RF volt- exactly the same pitch when you plug the Loss siray capaciiance in the VXO circuit max-
meter to measure the iransmiuer output. receive crystal back In.) imizes tne VXO tuning capacitor's cuntrl bullun
Adjust RX peak for maximun received- 10 capacitance change in Ihe circuit.
•Fig 7J on page 2-37 of the 19B9 AfVtL Hanaoook
Using the Radio on the Air signal strength. Ifno man-made signals are shews several aspects of lotoid construction,
The ultimate test of a home-brew rig is audible, adjust RX PEAK for maximum including how to count loioid turns accurately,
making contacts. Although D-C receivers background noise. You can also use this and how to wind a toroidal translormor (like T1
T2 and T3 m Ihis p<o|eci).-c"tf
arc notorious fot fooling their operalors control as an attenuator by mistiming it— The Inductances listed lor Li through L6 are
inio transmittingon the wrong frequency, useful feature when strong signals overload measured values. II you atiempt to verity these
the QRP Three-Bander's independent the rig's mixer. Usually, dctun ng RX PEAK Inductances by using well-known loroid-
indictance tormuias to work backward trom me
transmitter and receiver oscillators can help just enougi to reduce the culprit signal
core and turns values giver, you'll come up with
you avoid this problem. Perhaps the easiest below the overload point preserves suffi- different induciance values. This is so because
way is lo lei other stations tune you in cient desired-signal sensitivity for you lo simple tormuias lor calculating the inductance
properly by calling CQ on a clear keep operating. of tcroids tend to over oslinato the inductance.
(Such formulas are easy to spot*. They fail to take
frequency! The second way to be sure Adjust the gain control for a comfort- wire thickness into accoun:. returning the same
you've spotted your iransmitter on the able listening level; this conml does not inductance whether you use wire so thick you
olher station's frequency is to adjust TX affeel the sidetone level. For finding can barely wind II. or halrlhe wire that's nearly
FREQ so iliat your spoiling signal (1) has adjust GAIN so con jusl hear Invftiblai)
stations, 1 I
°These are important considerations in portable
the same pitch as the incoming signal and thebackground noise. ORP operation because you've usually led ihe
(2) "tunes the same way" as the incoming The sidetone level control adjusts nocossary reiighteniing toils at home!
signal. In olher words, if, once you've what iis name implies. Although a sidetone "Because the days when rado amateurs routinely
luned for replies over a significant portion of a
spotted your transmitter, adjusting rx is unnecessary with a straight key, it's quite band are long gone, accurately spoiling your
freq causes your spotting signal to rise in handy— if not essential— with electronic transmitter is important. Spotted on "the wrong
pitch as the incoming station fails in pitcli keycrs. side o< zero beat." Qui at the same pilch as the
inctming signal, your trarsmilter is twice lhai
or vice versa, you've set your transmitter The SPCT button turns an the QRP Ditch away Irom Ihe incoming signal—for exam-
to the wrong frequency and must readjust Three -Bander's transmit oscillator, allow- ple, lAkHi away born an iivcoming signal luned
il to "the other side of zero beat" to put ing you to adjust your transmit frequency lo produce a 700-Hz pitch — Ed.

QRP Classics 161

 1

Freim Ftthruary 9975 OST, p ffi.*

QRPTR/iriSCeil'GR FOR 50 MHZ

Three mils PEP will do it on 6f

Part 1 BY I'fcTER J. HKfil INI,* K 7JH

1

The "World A hove 50 Me" hat lured an increasing number of .imateitrs, over more
| than four decades. One of its major attraction! has been ibe effectiveness of loVfpower
•
|
gear, especially the portahle variet y. Bui U'iiir the advent of single- sideband, some of
| |
. the fascination with vbf tpcrating has tended to fade, esfiecialfy oa the 50-MHz scene, ,

I where 200-watt transceivers and the inevitable 2-kW linears tend to make this band I

| seem Utele different fron. tower amateur frequencies. After all, bov many stations can
|
. operate on 50. 1 10, all at mice, and not have a rat-race reminiscent of l)\ pilcitps on

I 20? Fottttttately there is ii difference - there is plenty of room for everyone in the •

|
5thMUz hand, and if we fait move up a little ii frequency, low potter works extremely
{
m
well Here 's an attracthe my to get into the QRP game on 6.
1 1 1 I a* a ii if it il -tit It

AFTER GOING the high- power route fur icveial f]i*ven separate prinlcd-ciicuit subassemblies trouble working frnni Ihc individual schcmaiir
yew*, tiil author decided Dial QRO was not aic used, each a basic component of the transceiver diagrams anil test.
his cup of liu, .mil b-mclcr aeiiviiy fell into a stale eircuilry. This allowed individual experimentation As will be seen ftom the block diagram. Hg, I,

of dcsuciud: until fairly recently. AKcr reading and trouble-shooting, and leaves the way open
il the principles iiivol'ed are not unlike those of
numerous WilTH and ulhcrcsponenls crystal-filler ssh trmJttfattf) fur lower frequencies,
wby
articles lor changes or additions without complete rc-
of the OKI 1
could sec no i'a«>n why litis
cult, builifcng. Hoard template* and layouts are not but applying these principles is simplified in a
philosophy mould be applied to the hf bands only, jvaiLble. Construction of sych a rig is beyond ihc ooe-baud design. Tint "pood things CORK is small
especially when the wide-open spices in Ihc vnf capabilities of the novice builder. \perionced 1 packages" is amply proven by ihc simphf cation
malm are ton a J? red. I he 50 Mil; band should be 'ooilruclori inle rested in duplication, in uit of rc.uliinc from im of integrated circuit package*
ideal for OF.P work, on ew ui ssb. Ii uffcis more some of Hie iicms ck-sedk-d. should have hi He wherever possible. I hey make a marked reduction
opportunities for f)X, and a pe.ivi variety of
propaitalhin media ttun higher lunik and lln-te is
more general ul ssh. a mode s-clbadapled 1o
QRP techniques, now thai solid-slile gear is "Ihc
way to go."
Ill 141
We set o woik. .in- Ihc lesih is a small
:

r-p i l J frJ
package ideally suited lo Field-Day type c\cunions IILL AY «CB. BET.
and tneal iiohilinjv H is also a veiy practical
primary or back-up rip fur the 50-MHr. home
Ul
|~"
1
P
station. Its robust J-wult P£P signal ii hardly
f" (II If* -

*3C 4SD
distinguishable from Ihat or stations lunninp 11)0 uena aw.
walls or mor:, when a good antenna system a used
- jnd "neighbor trouble," ihc hare of so many
urban o-meti'r operators, i* virtually nonexistent.
CJl. 09C vro 1.09 j-jr*ir
As can Ik seen from the first phoiugraph. the
transceiver is self-contained except Cor the power
supply. Thh could have been hilIMn, but a
sepauic i'm'li «nrU i* advantageous. Ii allows
use of an ac -upply at home, direct connection of a * **0
sin st*.
ear battery for mobile work, or operation from any 9 *KI

of several types of portable baUcifcs, including Ihc

15-voii reihugablc units often us;d wiih solid-
stale TV sett

Fig. |
—
Slock diagram ol rde K1ZJH DO-MHz WfKlit/. Each •lem ihosvn n a seoarale
boaid assembly. Nurnbnr^ in pa'nnihesi>s ji> ih» miim nl iIibii ilMrtifiunn in iKn
ci.'Coil'
(ext. Trontmiriina and receiving (unctions arc giveo ndjacgnr to >he signal-parh lioes. hems
XII Pau.il Koari, Somen, CT I)ti07 l through 6 are Described in P«i I.

QRP Classics 162

 1 «

ui iiuiiilti 1
1 "i icquiic*!. In - key HUfc A
csjII crystal filler U Ihc> hearl nf the .yMem.
mjinly responsible "or the excellent performance.

>-jth lr3rl$fDi! lir)£ and rcceivine. The dull con-

;r<ion lineup will be dbcuwd in slep-by-stcp
.'ider. lo avnid condition, fnllosvinp the numerical
ider indicated in l-'jg. I.

lircfh'i-y Front F.ml

Fliminaling the rf amplifier slagc in a "cood"
*hf rcccK'er if usually considered 3 bit unorthotloA.
idd is frequently 'tcicutypcd svilh poor pcr-
.'omtanve and cost cutting, This holdover from
vscuum-Uibe limiluiom I* no*' somcthinjt of 'M
'itld wive* talc," js the noiie figure of i uvll-
JeMpifd transistor mivci Tor 50 MHz can be tower
than the external noise encountered in moil
ifnaleur opcralion. ksrtcrlaHy svhcfe simpluily is a
tor. eliminating the? rf amplifier ofien a dc-
jjblc trade-off between sensitivity and pood
i 'J n . ! I overload capability. It it inicicUing to
note that some of the finest commercial mobile
receiver* fni vhf service do not use if ampliication
ihead of the mt\cr Mage. Especially for use with a
MWy Low-puwcied transmitter, the idtimale in low
: line figure is certainly

reennfit.
not important in a JQ-Mllt
\\r H i
s.i lypesof rf
'!.- ri-.' in systems inroducc
i .
:
non linearities In the receiver front end. increasing
•uuep libit it y to overloading and cross-tats. This
proMcm is avoided with the use of a miniature
SOO-ohni control. R|, the receiver input, noH
which serve* as a simple yet elfeclivc rf gain
control. Though the mixer transistors. <J1 :nd(J2.
arc dual-gate MOSFETj vvllh buill-in trinrfent-
oppression diodes, additional protection is pro-

Mod Willi IN9I4 divJo, tumialeJ in synnslie

[>nlariiy across the ireciver input.
The incoming ,'OMHdC signal passes Uirougb
three coupled loroidat I.C circuit* in a
lightly
•imple hand-pass nc.uork. fui reasonable rejection
af out-ol-band slpnals. Tlic first of two mixers
cbnWItS the SO-Mlti signal to U MH& Injection at
Jr. MHz is (vncuied by an overtone crystal
oscittnlor, also used m I he transmit line, section for
up-tonvctston. 14 10 511 MHz. The 14-MH/ i-f
passes througli a simple f.C network to preserve
bandwidth. T?ie signal is then miicd wih Ihc
5-MHe VPO outptt in j second 40673 Mace,
producing the second i-f, •> MHz. The irsectton
level at gale 2 of both miseis is 1.5 V pk-pk.

Too view o' the 50 At Hi transceiver. Circuit-board

3ssemlilin idontltiablo in this picture are listed by
number* given in Flj. 1. II I Receiver mixcrt. upper
left corner. (41 Audio amplifier, square assembly/,
upper iK}hi. (6) CeDbrailon oscillator, le't center.
18) 36-MHi osciliai3r, snull board, lower cnnici. iittrr « iHDiciitd. oitwLviutCS tf*
(lOiTraromiiiirvj mixers, long narrow nuembty,
right center. < 1 1 > Tiansmicter amplifier!, far right. n"»r»1 i»[ iii P:cor***ot i ir o*
The age and metf amplifier a&sembty IS) is »UHtiK(S »"( ><• OHhii.
I 1900. W'tOOC OCO.
vertically mourned on the back ul ihe paoe . lower
•

cati vnoiccrtc
lelt corner, so it is not clearly* distinnuishablit at
«ueh. The VFO (7! is in .in aluminum enclosure NOTE: Eranelefl wire may be used wherever
dkectly under the calibration oscillator, except for No. 26 Toflon wire is specified ir this projecl. so
Ms tuning and Kind -lent rig tapaciiuo. wliivb •>'» long as the builder is careful 10 avoid abrasion
visible ot ihe tower lift.
damage during construction.

Fig. 2 — Schemallc diagram anc parts infor- LI - 1 turn No. 26 anamelsd wire on 37-inch
mation for ttie 50-MHz transceiver front end toioidcore (Amidon T-37. yellow,.
and 9-MHz ("Iter. Parts not doscrbed below L2 — 13 turns tike LI, on sirne core. Sea text (or
are numbered for text reference. 25-kHz coupling method.
CI, C3, C5 — Subminiature air trimmer 1-14 pF. L3, U- 12 turns or» core like LI, L2.
C2. C4 — Gimmick capacitor, 2 twbts No. 26 L5 - 36 lums No. 32 Tefloi on 0.5-tnch toroid
enameled wire, l/2-inch long; aparox. 0.5 pF. cere (Amidon T-50. red).
C6. C7 —Ceramic trimmer, 5-25 p= .
L6 - 55 lums like LS.
Cfl. C9 -Ceramic trimmer, 7JS p= L7 « 1 1 turns at low-Z end of L6.
FLl - 9-MHz crystal filler (Spectrum Inler- Ql, 02- Gale prolocted HOSFET (RCA 40673)
nailonai, Box 67. Topsneid. MA 0I9Q3, Type
XF9B). For updated supplier addresses, see ARRL Pans
Stppliers List In Chapter 2.

QHP Classics 163

Fig. 3 - Schemaic diagram of Ihe 9-MH: H ampliiisr and prodict detector, and aud.o-amnliliermodule$. Paris not describe are numbered lor text reference

CIO. CtO — Cero-nic Irimmer, 9-50 pr. LlO— 24 turns, like LI. U2 — Product Detectoi IC (Motorola MO14880 o-
L8. L9 —
17 and 24 turns, resp.. No. 26 R2 — 10,000-ohm mlntaiuto control. 1596G).
enameled wire on 0.5-Inch loroid core lAmidon U1 — II anpiHIer IC (RCA CA30i8A). U3 - Audio amplifier IC (Motorola MFC6010 or
T-50-2). HEPC6004,.

considered lo be optimum for convi'Hon i-fft- Reuhcr I-l- and Product Detector iBjwtionat 9\\\\? k gcncracd by n 2N30M crystal
efcmey and mixer Uneviiy. Output trom the oscllator, 09 in Pail 11. in the ssb gcnciatot
MCt>nd miver is linV-emiplcd. through Lfi-L7, ro deceive mode ihc nutput of ihe KVG
In thi! aatmbty. An bjectkm level of 3fKi mV
pfc-pk it

match i\w impedance ui the aysial liitcr. filler

I 8-1
diodc-uvitched to (lie input transformer.
11
is

in Vtf. 3. this ha* - opacitivc vultaec

needed. Cxiictno care ttmt used in Liyinp
Ix.- M
divider. C I-TI2. across its secondary, for opti-
Bolltyn vic>V 0' ihe ;r:ii--?ivr'. stmvuii-i the *(
The KVG Model XT-SB (Sec Pan* li«, l-ig. 21 mum impedjiiLv match bclwccn Ihc filler and the
liinDlili^rand nrnrluci dmr^lur (31 taft side: lh;
fillet fnr a variety of re It i-f aniiiliriir, j CAJ02RA oli'fcrcrtiial-arnplifler IC.
sidebanrt oencraior 191 assrmbly at the ocntw: and
directly coainb 4m reielvei wUctMly, and boo Ul. As uilti other tuned ilngoi, Ihe 9»MHa i-l
rheQ-MHHllic. |?l a ihc
, -lgh».
rinp nonlinear i tic* in the transmitter pOWJr StflgCS; circuits an- toroidal, to lessen undesired interstate
the ultimate bandividth and carriei suppression of coupling and attendani Instability. The i-f pain is

the emitted sdfiniil. Ohvioudy this is nol ;n area in appii>\inulely U

lo 30 dll. Tlic i f output is
which to cut corned wiih a second-rate filler. sampled through .in H*pl ; capes! i tor, In provide
Salient features of flu H-r-ote lattice filter include a cnerf.y lor lite age amplUler. fig. 4. The control
kind width of 2.4 til/ jl dll down, a '.hapc factor v ullage is fed back to pin 7 of th: i-f amplifier IC.
ot I .x at the fiO-dli point , and I IMj dll nl stop- band lu produce alKiui 25 dll id ace dyiainit range. I he
jHciuuiinn. with Ira than 2 dll nl ripple when age volttsi varies Truin less Ihart 2, al minimum
properly terminated. gain, to 12, duiinc periods ot no dgC aelutn and
The Hltcr doc- double duly in the lunsiuiliei maximum gain. Another lapaeltive voltage'
|-f
and receiver, mi diode \witthinp WM
uved to dJwder, C4
and C15, provides impedance trans*
simplify the circuity*. Care must be exercised to furmiilion between the i-f output and the product-
avoid unwanted coupling between the two
stray detector input.
filler could deride fit lei Lhaiaclei-
porls, as it Of all ciri'iiits considered far Ihc product
islicx The two 45-pF trimmers, C& and f 9 in Tip. drtector. the MCI496G IC, U2, r"«ved to Iv Ihe
2, were intended tu provide tipple batul-pasti best candidate With 12 dB offionvenion piin. the
tuning, for ptcci<€ adjustment or the filter re- l496coni|Mnsatet for Ihe n btn.-l- |nw pun nl Ihe
pOMM. In pimotict ihoy may In.- cmmici, u. tt > MeCtax frviil end. It hac an aiTotiivo Jynniiic
ikmhlful that any noticeable improvement is made lange of W «JH, arid CM handle j %vlc varialinn of
by ilieii use. signal fcves. despite limited w0 aclion. HI O

QRP Classics 164

:md wirine ihe UaiMvivci. lo he sure Ihjl stray
RI Oenergy "lues no' i««-"h llic tf nf i-f sue^
Lc4kSgC ,11 9 MH£ CHI kill lIlC pun llirllt ihe W DC ttUF
3g.', and if Ihc BTO ciierey reaehes, llic rtlNerf il is

possible for tin- fourth luimonic lo beat with Ihc

'<;-mh, wdibtar.
AvitiB Amplifier

A single MFCKOIO Iui HKI' ( 6(HM| k |he entire

icreivei iiiitltii *y>lcri (lower ponton of Fig. 3|. It
U 3JI ii- rr
f\
i- : .i . , 1 , . .
.
.. .
, ,., .1 . I.- k .J |nr
comumei electronics use. i-jpjblc ot -011; wail
roolnuHKU raw OUI|Wl lu a 16-uhm load, villi js
lillte as HI mV input. Tim much sensiiiviu i> mil
needed, bcuusc of Ihc high out|)Ul hi'! n| ihc
product dcicclw. and il fittm'il mmr instaVihlv* •
j 11 .uli nf stray n upling on our audio boaid. The
Ttn.il >:irniil details >hossn jic lot an inpu' $cn*i-

[ivily of 400 111V. The ;iinpliliiT it cap: hie uf

driving loads uf less than l'i ohm', hut with a
uppl\- voltjjjc of 15 llic dewtee wimps muy be 51 e

-.Acceded, and opeiation at high audiu levels U bcul

5? o
-voided. The stabilisation network rccomiiemk-d
0"
in Ihc ma mi fad liter's application liotti svas In-
clfcctivc in curhine. instability occurring With
certain loads. Inslc.d, it Wil found lh.il 1 I-jjI :
capacitor from pin 8 to ground would eliminate
jvgcnctalivc (cndcnt'cv in llic amplifier
A feedback
palh between ihc product dtlct tor
a.nd Ihc audiu stages, tlirnuph Hie supply wiring,
was found when i«)ain liigli-impcdancc voltage Fig. 4 - Sci.*maiic diagram ol IhaafiC ^od S-metet ..mpttticr. P.tu not dctoibodare numbered foi
soursci 1 such as earbon-zinc haiteiiesl wen uwd. :o*l ifi'ccnc*.
wn
cured with a 2oflOul clccnols li>' apau- SI - 2 polt 3-posiHon toggle switch, cente' oil. - I-f amolifier IC IBCA CA302SAI
U4
Of frnm the supply line In ground. Ihc earacilor.
<linsvn in llic conlrot-cbxiiil diagram, I ig. 10, Part
II, alsu lielpv in rcdu.'c ripple front an ac supply, ui

iVnm a eai altern-iior

„ S 6 v IC>
AliC V"*t-. 10

The ape system (m variation ol unc designed hv

Wiri H, lor DM uilh ihu CA302S.' Oircinal plant
were for an aec system using the MFtV6O40
cleetronic attcnuato'- This scheme did mil work as
>\tll .1. deafec*, so the H ip; Jiwnfcincnl ml
presNvil inio tenter Ihc CA302SA i-f arrplifiei,
kiheiinly *l.ice Controlled, so Ihc age range is
t'l,
•omesvhal limited. Itrformatice is nut spectacular,
iap>hic nf hinritin£ iht* %imrj[ 1<>i.-a1
Sill ih>" njjc is

cncounli'icd in SIFMHZ npcraliun. I*;irl of

signals-
the 9-MHr i-f output i< led lo a C A302SA tascode
jg>* amplilicr, U4 in l-ig. A. producing aboul40 dll
of gain. Output of ihii amplifiti dclctlrd in 1 is
iimplf voltage doubter, svilh lime CDHllMAII RC
^electable at this point for fjsi 01 slosv ageaelion, Fig 5 - Schematic diagram o< ihe 2S-kHi ciyiial calibrator.
via SI. The de level frum the solute doiblcc is
stepped up in a hso-m-hk .leamplil'ier, Q3 and IJJ.
Cl6 - Ceramic trimmer, 1- inruugh U5. UG — J-K llio-"op (Faxchild
svtiich supplies bo'.h S-melcr lurrcnl Jnd age
''S-dF. 1»7 it
11
votiagc 10 Ihc l-l stape. S? - Spsi momon -ary-nn. Yl - 100-kHr Erytlsl, 1rv 32-pF
push-
2$-kHt Calibrator uuiion. |09d {lnlrrnafion.il C-v^ll Mfg.
Col.
The calihration oscilblor asiembly iiidicalcJ in
ihc bloel: diagram is a rceommciidcd bmli-in
accessory fui the innSBOiwer. A IOOMU ir>sial.
VI in Fig. S, K used in » oseillatoi. IFM
( ahlinition iniervah ol 100 arc of little use in
Ihe small tuning range of this transceiver, issu
J K llip-llnps, I S .mil U6, «erc added, to divide
ihc IfUVklU rcleren-*e riovs-n to 25 klftt, The rich
hjimomc content if the l1ip-l1iip< s'vtenis well
intn Ihc SO-MIl? range. 1 he ialibralor ourput is
hiuu^lii inns the ie-civer through miniature 50-
uhrn auk lRO-174/Uj. Stray coupling bclsveen an
exposed scelion of Ihc inner conductor, one imh
long, und Ihe input transformer of the receiver,
glvct ndequate ealitratoi signiJ in the receiver.
( oupllng is not critial, and the expuiid Icid call
rneiel}- 1-.- ; Ji . m 10 the input clleuft

Milt," Chapters.

QRP Classics 165

 9

INSOFAR as pnctical, description of lire K' IZJH use ol bolh modes is in this range. More coverage lightlycoupled tuned ciituits ate used to reduce
-i- 50-MHz transceiver vv-as divided to put receiving can bo had by using a larger capacitor Imorc plates) harmonic content in thi output. The gimmick
assemblies in Pari I .ind transmitting units in Pjtl for CIS. Note that Ihc ceramic piddcr. CI I, has a capcitot C23 is adjusted to provide Ihe minimum
II, Several board assemblies serve both fund ions, negative temperature coefficient. Its "N" value can coupling needed to develop 1.5 volts pk-pk for tie
including Ihe 9-MHz filler in Pari L "his con- bo selected experimentally, if Iht N315 specified mixers. The second lunci circuit, 1.1 3--C24. wis
cluding portion covers oiher dual-purpose units of docs not correct oscillator drift .dcquately. Or. a added after the 36-MHz o'cllUlor board was rnadi.
(He transceiver, as well as those used (or trans- smaller cajucjt^r of (lie more coirmon N750 type, It is seen in die upper-central pottion of ihr
mitting only. As n Part I. order of appearance is used in pirallel with an NPO, can be tried, lo top-view photograph, abeve Ihc oscillaiot assen*
indicated by unit oumbc.s in the bluvk diagram, correct Urn In environments different from that In bly.
Fig. I. which the ju that's rig operates.
Sideband Generation
The s-MHz VFO The VIO dial is an old National Type MCN,
The VrU and the 36-MHl crystal oscillator. with a Jackson Hrothers ball-bearing vernier drive The sideband generate?, Fig. 7, Is the Urges!
Fig. 6, determine killi the transmittinf and re- in place of Ihc original planetary- mechanUm. This and most complex subassembly in the Iransccivci.
ceiving frequencies. The VFO design wa* adapted gave the snooth free feel (hat is to important in a It i; seen in (he middle pottion of Ihc bulluni-vicv

from one used iy Wl KLK in a 20-rie(ei ssb dial that i* to be used for receiver tuning, as well u photograph. Included arc a crystal oscillator. 0\
Iran emitter.* Tlie Colpit it. oscillator uses an RCA for VFO control, No
peaking or tacking controls I we speech stages, 010 aid Oil, and a balance!
40841 MOSFET, Q5, with gates tied toectlKrr. A are nccdctl, as the limited tuning range of the modulator, U7. The ihre: cryslals. V3, Y4. anl
IK9-H stabilize* ihc flale voltage, leilu.iiig Iioj- ;i|uipnicn< eliminate* tracking problem*. VS. are avtiil^iblv tor i»M viih ih>> KVC tiller, ani
monk generation by limiting device uans- Except for the main tuning capacitor. C 8, and 1
Iheir frequencies arc sclcc ed to provide upper anJ

conducLince on positive voltage peats. Two lower sidebands and cw, while maintaining the di;l
it* paddci, C17, both of which arc visible in the
medium-gain 3N2J22A transistors, Qti ard Q7. in lop view, lower left corner, the VIO assembly
calibration for all modes.
an emitter-follower circuit match the VFO oulput cannol be seen in Ihc photographs. The circuit balanced
The modi la tor is n Motuioli
to SO ohinv The 5-.MII& energy passes through a board and VFO components are in a Minihox-lypc MC1596C IC. using information supplied b,-

low-pasv filter, to eliminate harmonic output Iruin r

enclosure, or thermal and electriial isolation. The K7QWR,* BFO injection is critical Tor maximun
the buffers. It (tun goc* to the Uansmiltinf; and box is under the 25-kHl OfCUDtOl board, left carier suppression. There should be 150 aiv
receiving mixer* llnougli RG-174/Ucoax. center of the top view. It is important that the developed Bl Fin 3 *>f U 7. This can be adjusted by
O <i i
i
nidation u-ai not found
.
. r

necessary, but cat be dune with a 9. -volt Zencr 1

mounting if all VFO
parts be ripid. and special
care should be given to the dial drive and variable
vurnlitulint* other values for Ihc 82-pF couplin;
capacitor, C29, A itiultilum Trirnpot was used for

diode from the r«c[UatOf drain to pound. This capacitor ;s*embly. IT necessary, the ftont panel (he carrier balance contrcl, R3. for accurate and
diodle and the 220ohm resistor already in (he *lraiu and chassh can be reinforced with additional Since there is no rf energy at
stable currier nulling.

lead should not Iw in physical provmily to thickness of aluminum, in these arras. thi' only a dc level, the conttnl can b:
point,
frequency -de termi ling ciicuils of the VFO. as heat loci ted away from (he Mia need-modulator cu-
36-MHz Heterodyne Oscillator
dissipation bv the resistor and diode niijht cause cui ry at any convenient paint, with no deleterious
This oicillalor. shown schematically in (he
oscillator drill. A
diode-switched capacitance {CI effects.
and C20 in series) off- sets (he VFO during Isb lower portion of Fig. 6, also serves bolh Irans-
In the cw mode the carrier suppression b
operation, (o preserve dial calibration. milting anil receiving functions. A 2N3904 transis-
purposely unbalanced, lo generate H Canter ai th*
The VFO is set to cover 5.08 to 5.19 MHz.
tor, QS, isused with u 36 MHx crvilnl, V2, in o MU496CJ outpul, and alto a crystal within Ihe
reliable overtone oscillaiot circuit, (o furnish in-
givinghind coverage of 50.08 to 50.19 Wlz. This fillet passhand used. Operation with a-m is
is

allows operation in Ihc upper portion of Ihc

jection for l>odi transmitting and receiving mixers.
noi showi here, by increasing the
possible, lhour.li
cw-only band at 50,0 lo 50.1, and also cw or ssb in In (he rec.Hver it heterodynes tie signal lo ihc value of the lOOO-ohm resistor, K5. used fot carriei
14-MHz range in the first mixer Qi, Fig. 2. In
Insertion. A point will be found where satisfactory
the lust 90 kHz of Ihc voice band. Most current
transmitting Jl beats with the 14-MHz output of a-m is generated, minus one sideband, of course.
(he second Iransmitting mixer, 313, Fig. 8. to
The two ficquenCy-seltirg capacitors. C25 and
produce the 50-MH/. signal thai is fed to the
1
Civ, sssocHicd wilit ihc .wo sideband BFO cry?
The Radio Amateur's Handbook "A 20~hjtt*f amplifier stages of Pig, 9.
tals. arc used in conjunction with R3 in nulling tht
Sideband Transmitter," 1973 Edition, p. 414,
The oscillator collector vol rag* is 7iwr-<lifwi> carrier. All lolling* intorasl, md il bo necei
will
* H'Jltall. "Inuerated Circuit Balanced Modu- regulated, to maintain frequency stability and rf sar> to repeat adjustments several times, fo:
lator." Ham Hadlo September, IH7l>, output level with varying supply voltage. Two nrnimum carrier rejection on bolh upper and

QRP Classics 166

 —
1»

tt.M-r B»OT€C-EB

-f>MG.6

. : . l C1 :".:*(:[ in-
IS -K-CMMJC! 1 .<>, ;i-tm
1*1 <! •nC'lt'OJI-' O* .,'1
"!W"«t» »»( IS D""S*.
• >ICa3. If I 3E3CQO

NOTE: Enaneied wire may be used wherever No. 26 Teflon wire is spec iliac in this
project, so long as Ihe builder is caretul lo avoid abrason damage during construction.
Fig. 6 - Schemaiic J m -
ol ihe VFO ind C?0 - 1-pF Wltfcr-mica. Lll - 26 lurm No. 2fi Tellort wire on 1.'2- inch
36-MHz oscitlBioi used in the K12JH SO-MHz C71 - 100 pF duk ceramic, nen. temp. coel. Seleci roroideore Amnion T-50-2.red>
I

iranicBiver. Pans nor. dewiWd we numbeied foi *N value im minimum oicillator drill. N330 LI2. LM
- 12 lums like Lll. except Amidon
kki reference. uicd. T-50-6, yellow.
C 7. C24 - Ceramic trimmer, 7 lo 40 pF.
1 C22 - Ceramic Rimmer, 5-25 pF. LM. LIS - 1 turn each, bililn-wound ui low-Z
CI B — ShafMvoe miniature variable. 35 pF. C23 - Gimmick capacitoi; Iwo 1-inch engtht No end ol LI 3.
CI 9 — Ceimtiit. lljiiHiiei 1.5—7 yF. 24 Teflon mo, iwiiied in uivvdtmud iiiixei- VRI - 91-vuli l-wuli Zenei UiuUe.
injociion Ipvol. 1.5 Vpk-pk.

OSC.

,
—

Fig. 7 - Schom.itc diagram lor ihe sideband L17. LIB - ? tu-ns each, bililar-wjund at U7 - BjUnced modulator IC (Motorola
genet*! ur in the 53-MH/ transceiver. Pan; no' low-Zend o' LIC MC149GG).
descrbedate numbered Icr ie"i reference. Ll9 - 70 turnsl.he L1G. VB2 - 0.1 /Oil 1 -wait Zenpr diode
C25-C28. incl. - Ceramic trimmer. 5 - 75 pF L20 - 9 turn? Ho. 73, on coie ol L19. Y3, Y4I, YS - . i .i i Irciiucnciei as indi-
C29 — Ceramic ninme'. 7 - 45 pF fl3 — 50.000 ohm control. cated, ordered with FLl (Spectrum Inier-
LI 6 - 32 turns Ho. 26 Teflon w«e on >'7ineh I (14 - 1 -Megohm audio control. nailon.it XFH02. XF90I. and XF903. re-
toro.ifeoro lArridon r» 2. red*. 53 — Single-pot; 3-posinon water iwiici, tpec lively).

For upcaied supplier addresses, see ARRL

Paris Suppliers List in Chapter 2.

ORP Classics 167

 .

ViHEB MIXES

'3 rata

Fig. 8 Schematic diagram ol ihn innuniUcr ji — Otoiod'^liMiii j<n>. I.2S LZD - 30 tumS. IlKC Wl.
m'nef assembly fo< ihe 50-MH2 transceiver. L2l - 10 turns No. 26 Teflon, o\ 1/2-inch toroirj L26, L27 - 8 funis, like LZ1.
C30. C3I. C33, C35. C36. C38 - Ceramk ulmmer, core lAmidon T-50-2, red). L2S — 2 turns on urne core as L?7.
5-25 pF. L?2 - 30 turns like L21 on same corn,
, 012, Q13 - G.iic-prnt acted MOSFET (RCI
C32, C34, C37 - Gimmick capacitor; ivso 1-Inch L23-27 turns like L21. 40841 1.

lengths No. 24 follon wirs. twisted thr» times; RFC1 -4 fertile bend* lAmidon 43-101 1.
appro 1 pF.

Fip. 9 - Schem.n»; rjiaoram of tho Iran* L31 - 6 turns, like L29.

miner H ampiiiier stage*. L32 - 9 turns, like L29.
Q14. Q15 - 7N4427 (RCA). 2r\£B66 also
C39. Ceramic trimmer, 7 — 45 pF usable kr Q>5
R9. RIO - App(o*imaie valuei; cdiusi lor
C40C45. incl. - rV<ca trimmer. 9 - 1fiu p-
t Arco*Elmencc 463).
016 - 2N 36 3 2 (surplus!. 2N3375also may collector currents of 80 and 100 1 or mA
be usable 014 iind Ql 5, respectively,
C4fi. C47 - Small tantalum electrolytic, 13
uF. 10 volts !M;illorv MTP I06M01)
R5. H6. R7 — 1-ohm l/?wdtl composition nil - Approximate value: adjust for idling
PIDI.
resistors in parallel. current 30 mA
fcr Q16. or bsst
I neaniy in Uvnlcsno "(tit.
L29 - 10 turns No. 26 Tellon on 1/7-inen
loroirj co-e (ArrMJon T-50-2, .eu).
RFC2, RFC3 - 4 lerritc bciidi (Amioon
O-10D.
L30 - 5 turns. nk D L29. WR3 - 10-volt t-WOM 2ene d-ode.
,

lower sideband. Th-r irimmct C"27. foi chcew UpQ conversion to lhai of the receivln-r. section. Botli J4-MH2 i-f with energy from the 36-MHf hetcro-
ctyskil, h limply wrt ul ihc point islierc no further mixers. QIS and U1J. arc 40841 MOb'l-'ETs. The dynt oscillator, to produce the debited SO-MHz
increase jn carrjci oiipul Is obtained. up-cowem Ihe 9-MHz filler output t« a
first *i|tn:l Twn lightly ritnpl-il ^HAIMi I I.' tlauvt
The uulput of Die balanced mndublor |!ues to 14-MH/. lurdpass i-f. by heterodyning il with lh« fullow Ihc second mixer. These reduce ?G-MHz and
ihe KVG whtre the unwanted sidebind and
filler, 5-MHz VFC oulput. Three hfchiry coupled tuned rimrronir fccd-ttuuuidi, m well a* any iindctircd
any irate of carrier aic removed. Kcsislivc loading stages follow this mixer, forming ; 14-MHz band- mixer products present. A* with Ihe 40n73
ol the KVG ports n the transmit mode desisior* pass fillet. This is very inipoilant. reducing MOSFETs, 1.5 voliv pk-pl is Ihe recommended
across L20 and L!ll was done for impedance spurious riming products thai would otherwise he dale
injection level ai 2 ol be 4084 1

matching. compounded in the nv.M mixer, and also elimi-

nating harmonic multiples of the VFQ frequency. Amplifier Chain
(The tenth laimonic could be Kpeeiully (rouble-
Transmitter Mixers three stages ate needef 1o biinp Ihc 50-MHz
some.) The loilrCc ground icturn ol Ihe firsl mixci
outpjt up io Hie 3-ft-all kvd. Tlic first twn sr.-
The transmitting C0n*citcji biiiig lite 9-MHf. is keyed foi tV, uyviaiiou, via J1 In Pig. A.
2N4427S, biased forOass-A opeialion. Hi-at sinks
signal up to 50 KHi in Ihc opposite otdct of ITtc second transmitter mixer combine* Ihc are iceded to dissipale tlic heat gcnwalcd in

QRP Classics 168

CbK»A service. The 2N4427 is dcsiKned fm uhf
service, and it h fairly "hoi" al SO MHfc Much
empirical de-Jpn *W Into 'he development of a
>t.i|ile circuit, tcsidltne in quite a few eayliaiis I'm
Hie author. Collcc'.or-to-basc degenerative feedback
isused 10 reduce die pain of the 2N4427J, and this
Improved Ihe stahiliiy and lineaiity of both stages.
A 2N3fi32 ovcrliy transistor loafs alorj in the
oulpul amplifier fAAffi, This lajgcr-lhan-acccssajy
type was used miinly because it is plentiful and
luW'J'lked on Ihi aurplsis iriaikfct, and it work"
4

wcU at 50 MHz. The final flap tuns Claw 13.

proJurinr. alniul 1.5 «'3CH! averj(W Mil AulpUL

Ihc base- bu utrg resistors of the 2N44J7 daces.

R9 and K 10, may have In he allied slightly to
obtain Ihc dcsiieil collector currents indicated in
the pails Bit The idling current for Ihc 2NJ6.U ii
30 mA. All base-bias levels aic developed from a
I0-v*olt line, Zcrer-diodc rcgulalcd to Insinc a
litiVJi ti|-r<aliiip (ClhMl f«i llir device*. Willi varying
<upply voltages. A lwo»iune lesl' will indicate
proper biasing of (he 2N3632 amplifier, and alio
Ihc maximum .wrap; luHecior miren for The
Stale, bcloie tlal-Mpping occurs. This was ISO mA.
nn voiir peakv in the author's transceiver. The
2N3o.i2 draws ,1511 mA
in ew operation. Ihc
two-tone lest will also provide a pood indication of
•pinion* OKjllatteMi WhVh sometimes occur only
al ccrlain power Uvels. or wilh mkmaichcd loads.
Collector curnnl in the IN.lh32 is monitored
leross I'- the vatic of which is adjusted to pise
full-scale dencctirm with 500 inA, wilh ihc 5-mA
meifr used by the author A suitable shunt can be
made hy winding fine w iie on a low-valu,- rcMstot
erpcrlmeniallv, The meter circuits shuwn alvo
jlluw monitoring of Ihc supply volype and
relative-signal Mrenfifh.
Fig. 10 - Scnematic ui.iui o' he oo.vei supolv relay. 120-ohm con. Vary «aluc ot. or ehm-
A tncctral anilysis made at the AKR1. Lab and .
tar iiic
.. 1
3OMH1 iicnsccivci. nute, H12 lar ot hoi cod 'ct>;iancei.
showed a very clean oulpul from the irantuiitici. Capacitors art eleci«olvt"C. values in «F, S4.S5 - Spst torjrjlrr.
Only Ihc second and third bar monies of Ihc oulpul S6 - PTT Srtiich on m. crop bo oe.
frequency, and a S)0-MHc spurious signal, were CRl-CB4..ncl -100PRV. 1 A. 5/ - Uu'joie.pole. 3-DOsition v-viier ivsiich.
evident, and in all case* Ihcsc were belter ibfin 50 PI, Fa* l-A Iuib. ni3 8700 ohnm. or value to olue 50vd:
dll down, referenced to the carrier. F? - 2>A 'wsb. sIow-IiIoim. (un seals dclleciion win nsr>ier used.

Results
JZ - Cnoxinl jock. 50 739. VFM - 15-voll l-rtall Ztm
diode.
K1A. K1B. K1C HMiiWII :-pale. 2-pusilion VR5. VR6 - 18-voli l-wan Zeoer diode.
A brief iurnmiry of on-ilic-air experience villi
the iransceivci may he of interest. During a wcenl
VIII- i'..:". II AkltL Stielioot were u'trieil frum in me mh'i'so iliinn|> auroras,wliuh should help lo As isbkely to be ihe case wilh enn struct inn
ihe author's home in N'orlh-Ocntia] Corncclicut. dispel concern ahoul power :md aurnial
low projccis. ihis one has p:nrraicd ,ic3i tot improve-
These included all New toeland excerpt Rhode cominunicaiinii. When the bund opens for ments and accessories. '\ rccenl addition is a
Island, and Eailern Pennsylvania. Northern New spoiadie-T ir. it is only a matter of findinrj a 1 1 volt solid-stale amplifier, capable of dcHvXfrg

IcTOcy. Eastern N:w Yoik. NYOLong Imnd, Jnd vI-.ji >pact lo |ump Into ani Ihete's usually up (o 30 w;i(|s \ maidiine high-currcnl puwrr
Delaware. Not bad for three v.atls! t'ndir normal plcn(>' of ii iom alvovc about 50-125 ui so. Almi^l supply has also been addid, A 2-meler uansverlit
t-ondilions ssb nntaCli are made tcguiuly with anyone heard well can be storked, wilh a liltlc has Iven cumplcied. and is now In use al KIZJH.
New Yurk. New laropshirc, and the Bo-Ion area, pcrscverarve. skill, and old-fashioned luck. Locals *D5l0Wd
at diilanecs out to LOO miles or more, with Utile arc often ikcplkal of the clalmeu lu*-power level, i T>ieRadio Amateur's Handbook, Two-Tono Tosi
difficulty or fanfare, anil oul to 200 mlcs or so but nimiiiy ihis way has been a peat boon to scope patterns and -generator, pages 401 ard
when the conditions .ire gooiL We ve even nail neistihfithonil 1 v reception. W, 19/3 ana 1974

QRP Classics 169

 —

From November 1986 QST, p 43:

Audio-Filter Connections For The Ten-Tec Argonaut

Transceiver

l have a Ten-Tec Argo.iaui 509 between* (he IF-board schematic ami the block iswithin the Argonaut ACC loop. I have had
transceiver. After I purchased ar outboard diagran in my instruction manual: Pin 4 no problems with this arrangement. Michael
audio filter, there were some unexpected in- should he connected to the filter output, with Marriii, KD4ZF, 227 Neville Cir NE. Palm
terface problems. When a sharply luncd filter pin 5 connected 10 the fili;r input, Bay, FL 32907
is placed in tie audio sideline can
line, the My outboard filter has a fixed gain of
be filtered out.' Also, my filter supplies only about , which is ideal for uic in the Argonaut •(The sideione frequency of the Argonaut 509
about I W
ofaudio. which is plenty for head-
:

IF stagr. If your filter has seme gain, the filter is adjustable, and therefore does tot
phones, but not lor a noisy room. amplifier (usually an LM38D) can be thought necessarily correspond to the recave
Some investigation reveals thai the 509 offset— Ea.J
of as ai output amplifier thai also capable
is
audio is generated and prcamplificd on the of higher output power. probably work
will
If you* filter has a gam contiof,
It 5(Editor's Note:
I_F board. As a matter of fact, the optional just as well with lower drive levels. Therefore, sot it unity gain. The chiol hazard here
tor
Ten-Tec filler is connected within thai stage when placed between pins - and 5, most any is that the filter wil overdrive the 509 audio
via pins 4 ami 5 (FILI Er our and fii tt.r in, audio filter should work.' stages. II there is such a problem, simsly
respectively) cf the rear-apron accessory jack. build an attenuator to follow the filter. Part
This set up leaves the iidctone and the
values for both T- and pi-network attenuators
(These pins ar: shoried when no filter is used.) audio output power much the same as before are given in Chapter 25 of Ihe 1985 and 1SB6
There k a mis up in the nomenclature ilic filter wiu connected. In dddiliuu, Ihe Illiei abri Handbooks.]

From October 1988 QST, p AO:

Curing Mechanically Induced Frequency Jumps In The Ten-Tec

Argosy 525

you push with a finger on the (op of

If covered that touching the PTO cover or to the hole in the fiber board (o permit
the panel or caseof an Argosy 525, tlic fre- bringing pan uf ihe '525's bottom cover access to the PTO alignment coil slug.
quency of tne rig's permeabifity-tuncd near the PTO cover can cause wide fre- 5) Slip the foil-wrapped fiber board
oscillator (PTO) may change by 200 Hz or quency changes. This suggests that the PTO back into its origin*! position and tighten
more, seldom returning to the original fre- shieldiif is inadequate. To correct this the PTO-cover retaining screw to clamp the
quency. Here's how 1 eliminated this condition: foil to the PTO housing.
problem in my '525. 1) Remove the small bracket on the side 6) Reinstall ihe bottom cover of the
Remove the rig's bottom cover. Careful! of the PTO housing that normally receives '525, omitting the screw that formerly
The speaker leads are not verv long and one of the mounting screws fnr fhp trans- tngngpri ihe PTO bracket.
have no strain relief, so take care not to pull ceiver bottom cover. This completes the modification. Note:
the leads out of the speaker. Check the left 2)Loosen the PTO cover by backing the This procedure shifts the Argosy 525's
front foot screw for excessive length; mine PTO-covcr retaining screw out a few turns. tuning calibration somewhat, so you may
was digging into the plastic portion of the 3) Remove the piece of fiber board that reed to reset the tuning dial to restore
'5 25's phone tack Pressure on the ends of
. insulates the PTO cover from the PTO proper calibration. If you find thai the
the front panel results in pressure on this aluminum housing. toning shift is excessive or the dial track-
screw; the resultant panel twist i; coupled 4) Cut a piece of household aluminum ing is off, consider realigning the PTO as
iu the PTO, If this condition is present in foila Utile wider than the length ot the tiber described in the '525's manual.— Char'.es
your rig, snipof'f the end of the screw with board and about 10 inches long. Wrap the J.Michaels. W7XC, 13431 N 24th Are.
cutters. fiber board with about three thicknesses of Phoenix, 85029 AZ
With the '525's cover removed, I dis- foil. Cut a hole in the foil corresponding

QRP Classics 170

 ,

From February 198G QST, p 51:

AGC and RF-Gain Controls for the Ten-Tec Argosy

I have met many users of the Ten-Tec

potentiometer to a four-wire connector thai
Argosy transceiver on the air and. while all will plug into (ei initial 43. Adjust the poten-

agree the rig is a fine performer, most wish tiometer for an optimum audio level.
it had an RF-gain control. Since the Argosy Noel, turn your attention to the two con-
operates QSK and uses only AGC to set the nectors that are wired to the original audio-
RF gain, the noise between dots and dashes gain potentiometer and huok them up as
s
can be quite raucous, as Ihc receiver gan is • \
follow.: The adjustable arm of the poten-
W

wide open until the AGC takes control. My tiometer goes through a 1N4148 diode to the
outboard RF-gain control requires absolute- X common junction of D9 and D10. Connect
ly no surgery to the rig and is within the ability X IN AMA one era terminal of the potentiometer to
of nearly anyone; (he only disassembly ground and the other to + 12-V dc.
required is removal of the top cover. Set die RF-gain potentiometer to imdscale
The circuit in Fig applies an adjustable
1
and pracccd with the "smoke test." I found
voltage to pin 5 of Ul (MCI350). which is the the adjustment critical because the full range
AGC input. It conuols RF gain in the sane 2.2 » i is only a couple of dial markings. (If the RF-

fashion as the AGC and has no effect on gain ccntrol works backwards, reverse its bat-
'1Z-V0C Ik
tery and ground conncctiors.) In spite of the
normal AGC operation. S-metcr reading!
RF GAIN
decrease along with the RF gain. Place the RF-gain conlrol, a Strong signal still generates
outboard control on any breadboard, box or unwelcome audio pops, so I added an aw
what have you. Connect the control to the
Fig 1— Schematic diagram of NOCWW's on/off switch. [An AGC-timing modifica-
RF-gain control citcuil tor ihe Ton-Tec tion for the Argosy scrici appears in the
transceiver by passing wires through the
Argosy 525. November 1983 Hints and Kinks column.
centers of the rivets that secure the phono-
jack panel to the transceiver rear panel. The -Ed.]
ground wire of the new control is connected The agc on/off switch was created by
to the ground wire of the jacks, just iniide breaking the connection beiwceo D9 and Q5
the '525 rear panel. Obtain + 12-V dc in the and wiring in a switch. Disconnect the ac leads
Mine manner from the il-v aux jack iniide from itie switch associated with Ihc new RF-
concenlric, dual-IO-kfl polcnliorrclcr be in- gain control and use lhat switch as the acc
the rear panel.
stalled in the AF-gain position. Su:h a "pot"
m
To akc the control lead, slip a fertile bead on/OF= conlrol. [This leaves the radio
I have not, so 1 added an outboard RF-gain withoLt a power switch. When used with a
over ihc diode lead (cathode), and form the
control and found it to be a big help. switched supply, such as the Ten-Tec 225, the
shortest hook with which you can work.
Then, insp.ratjoii struck; Why not reverse aC'iwiich leads may be connected, in which
Solder Ihe hook to he lead of R29 (10 l:fi).
the Ten-Tec design and have a fixed audio case pawer to the '525 is controlled by (he
which is centered on the end of Ul.
gain with variable RF gain? My scheme switch in the power supply. When a battery
My control work; nearly as well whlout worked well, and you can have th; final ver-
the diode and ferritc bead, but seemed to
1
or uns*itchcd supply is used, place a power
sion without drilling any holes. Furthermore, switch (15 v. y A) in the dc line to the radio,
get a bil of filler blcwby without them. This
you can return to the original layou very' easi-
RF-gain control definitely improves CW oper- or add a new switch to the '525 in a location
ating convenience, especially on a naisy
ly by pluggng the connectors from the
of your own choosing. Ed.)—
band.—Ned ft Smith, N0CWW, RR 1, Box
original aucio potentiometer back into
Full QSK CW opcr alien is a most satisfac-
terminal 43. tory experience using a manual RF-gain
163, Ryan, IA 52310
To perfom the modification, proceed as control and no AGC. SSB works well with
Ten-Tec issued a TN2-525,
bulletin. follows:Remove the two connectors from ter- the AGC on.— Jack L. West, W6VD,
describing how to install an RF-gain cortrol minal 43 of the IF/AF board and nove them Sacramento, CA 95821
3670 Montclairc Si,
in the Argosv 525. It requires that a small. aside for future use. Wire a miniature 10-kfl

QRP Classics 171

From January 1984 OST. p 30;

Some
Practical
Antenna
Considerations
City lot or "rancho grande," DX or stateside communication, we
need certain types of antennas to match available space and
operating preferences.

By Doug DeMaw," W1FB

remember ihe mess 1 made of things things back lo their original slate, and sure can round up quickly and inexpensively."
back when 1 erected my first ham antenna. enough — the transmitter wouldn't load Of course, the strength of the wire should
Nobody told me it wasn't just a matter of up! be sufficient to provide longevity and
erecting a wire of a specific length (130 feet I learned later on that the extra feet of safety.
was the magic number I'd picked up for SO wire (plus the switch) 1 placed in (he
through 10 meters back then). Somehow, antenna line had changed ihe feed-point Tlu Mallirr of IhnuIuihjii
I had failed to learn that the end-fed wire impedance of the wire, making it just right I'll always remember the amateurs who

had be matched to the transmitter, and

to for a suitable match between the antenna asked me if they could use antenna wire
thai Ihe height above ground had a 10! to and the transmitter output amplifier. Had covered with plastic insulation. Perhaps it
do with how fat away my signal could be i known about antenna tuners then, the is wonder about; after
a reasonable thing to
heard. Perhaps some fundamental problem would never have existed: I could nil, insulation an electrical barrier at dc
is
knowledge can save you the agonies that have mat:hcd the wire to the transmitter (direct current) and can be a barrier in some
many nf ns had lo endure at the sari of and reroiv^r for use in any of the high* ac 'alternating current) circuits. Despite
our ham radio careers. frequency bands. The purpose of this his, have used all manner of insulated
1

As look back on that

I first installation article is to round off some of the sharp wire in my amentia systems, and most of
at WN8HHS (Novice). I recollect the nail edges on antenna problems that could con- lhem have worked quite well. Among the
biting, finger drumming and the staring found the beginner. The topics are based wire types employed were no*. 12 and 14
into space (hat came as a result ol being on oft-repeated questions we've answered solid and stranded housS wiring with plastic
unable to make my homemade trans- CW at ARRL Hq. over the years.
1
jacketing, ordinary electrical hookup wire,
mitter develop output power with that end- cot ton -covered bell wire, pieces of ac line
fed wire attached u» jr.. My fiust rtccK on What Kind of Wire U Best? uorJ and. of course, enameled or
the air netted a handful of contacts on 80 You'd be surprised to kntiw that a great Formvar' -insulated copper wire.
meters —
none of which were ovci paths number cf hams —
new auc experienced The insulation does not impair the radia-
greater than a lew city blocks! — are uncertain about which type of wire tior properties of the antenna. In fact, I
Then, quite by accident, the transmitter is best lot antenna work. "Will insulated prefer insulated wire, because it Virtually
showed high PA (power amplifier) ptatc wire be okay?" Another query has been. prevents unwanted oxidation of the copper
current at the dip (resonance), and I began "Will aluninum or steel wire radiate satis- or aluminum conductor, In some cases it
to work aU over the USA. What
stations factorily?" as well as. "What
wire diameter adds strength to the wire another —
had changed? Earlier thai day, I had added (gauge) must I use?" Well, the straight benefit.
an improved manual J'R (transmit -receive) dope is that none of these ire especially The classic antenna wire among begin-
switching arrangement to go from transmit critical when you are dealing with wire ners seems to be he stranded bare copper
t

back to receive (actually, it was a knife types of an tennas below VH F, 1 f I were to chat can be obtained at many parts stores.
switch and some added wire in the shack). offer a rule of thumb for these questions, This is acceptable wire, but it will turn
Could this have helped me? I changed I'd say something like, "Use whatever you black or green rather quickly in polluted
air, such as we find in industrial areas. It

•ARHL ConlflbUtliia Edl.tvi, P.O. Bu« 250,

can become brittle and break in only two
Luther, Ml -19655 'Notes appear at end of article. or :hrec years if the air contains con-

QRP Classics 172

 WON END
BiPOLE CfcuTER
END INSULATOR
INSULATOR

% —
HUH
«l«
rBEQ
-UIMllH-ICtli
*.'pr;unr
[Bl
-

sneer "LasTic
<Sfj

10" SUPPORT
SHEET PLASTIC
Fig. t 1he skin otfect of a
lllustrallon ot
conductor lor various Irequcncy ranges. The (CJ
election Horn is rrore eHoctiva (greaior
penetration) as the frequency becomes lower.

Frequent invEHTEJ- V
"tilcrablc sail and/ or acids.
JfNTPfl IN5UUTCO
replacement can be cosily!
If insulated wire other than the enameled
type is used to prevent corrosion, sc sure
to seal the open ends with cpoxy cement to -
Fig. 2 Various end Insulators and center Blocks msde from plastic material. Fabricato your
prevent migration of pollutants and own antenna hardware to save money.
moisture into the space between the wire
and the jacketing material. A marvelous
new antenna wire with plastic insulation be as cooperative as a sna.te waiting to burning up the conductor. Small-diameter
and rugged conductors was recently made strike!) wire also works nicely in radial systems
If you are
1
available to amateurs. thinking
All hoi gh iron and steel ars not as effec- (buried or above-ground systems of wires
of a new antenna for many years uf use,
tivea cor duct or at radio frequencies as are that serve as a ground screen for antennas).
this product m.iy be of interest to you.
aluminum or copper, it isn't so poor that Aluminum wire, su:h as clothesline or
There may be an exception to the state- we should ignore it. have erected a
1 electric fencing, is afeo satisfactory foi
merit that insulation does not affect
number of fine antennas with steel guy wire antennas. The two problems we may en-
antenna performance. was told by two ex
I
as the radiator elements. have also used
1 counter arc (1) difficulty making a good
perienced amateurs that they had difficulty of the
the inexpensive electric-fence wire that can electrical joint and (2) crystaltzatton
when fashioning cubical-quad elements
be purchased from Sears. A quarter-mile wite with stress and time, which cause;
from vinyl-insulated house wire. The length
roll costs less iltan S15! Similar wire, at breakage. The use of aluminum wire
formulas for the loop elements were of no
slightly higher cost, is available in generally requires the .nating of copper tc
use when using that style of wire. 1 haven't
aluminum. aluminum somewhere along the way, and
investigated the phenomenon yet, but the
The reason wc may prefer good conduc- thi; invites the rapid oxidation that is sc
cause of the difficulty may be related to a tors to less effective ones is to reduce losses common when dissimilar metals arc joined
change in the propagation factor of the in the system. The greater ihS resistivity of Some hams have been fooled by fate
wire, caused by the insulation, with the
the conductor, the greater ttie power loss when they erected artennas made from
oue-wavelengtl* dimensions. At VHF and
in heating (PR losses). Conductivity is also soft-drawn copper. Magnet wire, such a*
higher, there is a definite difference
based in part on the operating frequency. wc wind coils front, is a form of soft-drawn
between the propagation factor (wave We have a condition thai is known as "skin copper. Although it is easy to work with
velocity) of bare wire and a conductor with
effect" —
the ability of the RF current to since il is not prone lo kinking easily, ii
thick insulation when dealing wiih con-
penetrate the conductor. The effective con- does stretch under stress.
ductors thai are long in terms of ducting area of a solid conductor is gov- The longer the antenna, the more pro-
wavelength.' have never observed velocity
nojnccd the effect. If the low SWR point
I
erned by frequency and skin effect (see Fig.
problems when using insulated wire in or-
I). Therefore, the larger ilie conductor, in your system has changed mysteriously,
dinary antennas for frequencies lower than
generally speaking, the better the conduc- chances are your dipole or other wire anten-
30 MHz. tivity as ihe operating frequency is raised. na has become longer as a result of wire
Also, the smaller the wire diameter for a str:tch. If this happens, you will have to
Conductor Material given frequency, the more restricted the readjust the system by trimming off the ex-
Can we use neel wire in our antennas? antenna aandwidth, owing to increased Q cess wire. Soft-drawn copper wire with
What about aluminum? Isn't copper best? (quality factor) of the system. In other viryl jacketing is le.«s likely to change
Here we have to ask ourselves Whal is Q of any resonant cir-
words, tie higher the dimension from weight, wind and icing
meant by the word best? That word can cuit, thenarrower its bandwidth will be. stress.
apply to such natters as strength, weight, This applies to tuned circuits, filters and
Insulators
conductivity and cost. If 1 were tc ignore the like.
cost and handling convenience, and had to 1 have been asked such questions as, If you've priced commercial antenna in-
give but one answer, would specify I "Whal is the smallest wire diameter can I sulators recently, you may have concluded
Copperweld^ wire. This is a steel-center use wiih my kilowatt rig?" If we don't con- (as I have) that (he dies from which ihcr
wire with an cuter layer of copper. The sider the fragility of very small wire, wc are cast must be made of gold or platinum!
combination provides good conductivity might say (hat even no. 28 wire can be used. I object to paying S2 or S3 for an item tha:
and strength. Most amateurs choose no. 16 I've used no. 24 and no. 26 enameled wire is mass- produced from 25 cents worth o:*

gauge as a suitable "happy medium" size. a number of times in so-called "invisible material. So, 1 make my own insulators
But, no. 18 wire is also quite strong, and antennas" that were configured as end-fed wren possible. Generally, we should strive
it is a [rifle easier to work with. (Anyone random -length wires. 1 have yet to burn up to use insulators that arc of high dielectric
who has struggled with a coil of spring-like a small-diameter wire used in that manner. quality, such as ceramic, steatite, Teflon,
Coppenvcld will understand what I mean The CW
or SSB duty cycle, plus the air polyethylene and Plcxiglas. Other good
by "easier to work with"! A loose coil can cooling of the wire, prevent} current from materials are fiberglass, glass-epoxy circuit-

QRP Classics 173

i
 board material (copper removed), phenolic
miBANDER
and other low-loss modern plastics. Many
of these materials can be purchased as scrap RC8QHAT0H *ipe
al induslrial-plastic outlets, op at a flea
market. Fig. 2 shows some of the insulators
we can fashion from insulating stock. so'

In the early days of Amateur Radio, it ADJUST LMQTH

FOR TO*E» RESONANCE
was not uncommon to find operators who
were using antenna insulators made from
is'
pieces of hardwood or dowel rod. The
wooden sections were cut to size, drilled, WIHE
_f*0 10
then boiled canning wax or beeswax until
in CSMUWT FCCOI
they were ihoroughly treated against
moisture. Spreaders for open-wire feed line to so-n.
WATCHIftOt NE - W0«K
were also made from impregnated wood.
Nylon cord is suitable for use as end in-
sulators for wire antennas. Two i>r more BURIED OAOUND
of line should be used to ensure that
feet MDIAIS
losses are rrinimized when the line is wet
from rain or dew. At this time, I am using
a trap-style inverted- V that has 10 feet of
strong nylon cord at each end.
1
The cord VODCErt MAS!
serves as a support and insulates lite ends OB TREE
uf the wiic from ihe ground slakes.
TO AHCrtOfl
Other itens that enterprising hams have
-AL-'l^D
used as insulators are plastic clothespins, 1/4 A
the bodies of plastic pens, plastic pill
bottles, nylon center hubs from phoiocopy-
machinc paper rolls, plastic heir curlers,
as high
nylon six-pack headers and the solid AS POSSIBLE lnvEdTEO-L
polystyrene center insulation from RG-8/U
coaxial cable. 1 once saw an antenna that
had 8-inch 'trips of inner tube (discarded
after a tire blowout) as end insulators! 3 N-TWORK
Since most rubber today contains a lot of
impurities (such as lamp-black soot), 1

doubt thai I'd use (he material in my rr 77

BURIED GROUND
antenna sys.em. But, this does point oul RA DIALS (B)
lh3t a liltlc ingenuity can save us time and
money.
Fig. 3 — An example ol hov. a tower and lriba-nd vagi mlghl be used as a top-loaded vertical.
The beam antenna piovidoa some ol the top loading, and Ihe extender wire completes Ihe job.
DX or Local QSOs — Which Anlcnna? The shu nt arm can be spaced 2 lo 3 leet Irom the tower, An L notworh or other matching
sysiorr can be housed in a box and located at tne toed point. This method is applicable to ary
The first section of this artirle can be unguyed lower under 120 leet In height. The shorter the lower, the longer the extender who. If
considered a lengthy Hint and Kink. I hope the tower Is guyed, Insulatois should bo installed at the tower connection points, rig. 3D shows
the column editor, Larry, WAJV1L, will the dotails of a similar anlerna — ihe Inverted L
forgive mc fir my iran^grfSMont' Rut now
that we have talked about some hardware
fundamentals, what about the antenna as
a whole? erect z lower,and conclude, therefore, thai tal end-fed half-wa*e wires, but they fa.led
All amateurs are interested inanlcnnas, DX isout of reach. In this discussion, our miserably in DX
work. They were super,
even though ihey may never build a piece principal concern is for h:gh- or low-angle however, for contacts out to a few hundred
of ham gear. There is a mystique about radiation from the antenna. miles. The same vertical antenna was used
antennas that lures all of us. Fcriunaiely, on 80 meters with outstanding results. 1 had
tli.ii is uuc uf iddio tlidt must aiikilcuii Some LCafiy Anlonmis only 16 buried radials in the city-lot Uwn,
will try their hands at, and the experiments There is a saving among DX chasers who the longest of which was only 100 fee: in
can usually be carried out in a short period haunt ihe 160- and HO-meter bands: "A length. Some were only 40 feel long. Fig. 3
at a minimum outlay of cash. short vertical antenna and ground system shows the details of the antenna For those
.

But. what do we desire in terms of signal is much better than a full-size horizontal who don't have a lower, a metal mast can
coverage? A good antenna must be antenna that is less than a half wavelength be used in place of the tower. If only a tree
designed for Ihe d istancc we want to cover above ground." I tend to agree with that is available for a support, you might try the
reliably from day lo day. Some DX anten- philosophy, having had the good fortune invertedL antenna of Fig. 3B. It should
nas arc of Utile value for close-in work, and of confirming 72 countries over a three- provide similar results to those of the
many antennas for local work arc poor DX year span on 160-meter CW. The antenna antenna at Fig. 3A.
performers. Increased antenna height will was a 50-foot, shunt-fed tower with a A ground -mounted 40-meter vertical is
enhance out DX capability, whereas the mediocre ground-radial system. A triband ;asy to erect and is fairly "low key" with
lower antennas are much belter for working Yagi sat atop the tower. With the same regard to being seen by neighbors. n*d We
out to a few hundred miles in the lower por- setup land 100 W of dc input power to the not use tubing if a tree support is available.
tion of Ihe fcf (high frequency) speclrum. last stEgc of my transmitter), I obtained my \ vertical wire can serve as the driven ele-
Then there's the matter of limited space for Worker! All States Award on 160 meters. nent of ihe antenna. Even a wire thai is
the city dweller. Many urban hams can't Earliei, 1 tried inverted Vs md low horizon- sloped less than 45 degrees will have

QRP Classics 174

 .

4 — Example of a around-plane vertical.

Flpj.
The radial wires are connected to ihe melal
base plate and drooped al a45-degree an-gle
io provide an impedance match to 50-ohm
'(to
MFI-OB line. The element Can be ntado Of
vertical
lublng, or a wooden support can be added
above ihe base plate to accommodate a wire
element in place of the tubing. If this Is done,
so-n the wife must be insulated Irom the wooden
mast by means o' standolf posts. The radial
OHIvf./ MMPJT v«li« aeive as yuyo fi*( Hie OyuiuII system.
Each wire ts 5 percent longer than the dilven
elemenl. This is a good DX antenna for 20. 15
or 10 neters. owing to its low radiation angle.

predominantly vertical, low-angle

.NO W «IH
radiation.
'5' For operation at 20, 15 or 10 meters, it
PITCH /
is more practical to erect a ground-plane
vertical on a pipe mast or chimney mount
Four above-ground radials are sufficient
for gcod operation. They can be made of
wire znd used as guy wires (see Fig. 4).
The practical limitation of low-angle ver-
tical antennas is the inherent "dead zone"
in signal coverage. Signal levels will be high
within the ground-wave contour (usually
under 100 miles), then there will be a skip
zone where the signal is very weak (a cou-
ple of hundred miles or rcore) until refrac-
tion bends it down to earth beyond (he
duad tone. That is why many haim with
vertical antennas have communications dif-
ficulties on 160, 80 and 40 meters when
trying to work someone relatively close to
them. A simple horizontal antenna, close
to the ground, is frequently used for close-
in QSOs.
A very' good high-angle antenna for use
on 75 or 40 meters is shown in Fig. 5. I
dubbed this antenna th: "Lazy Quad"
when wrote it up for CQ Magazine in the
1

early 1950s. It is excellent oul to, say, 500

miles — especially at thos: times of the day
when the band is changing (near sunset and
CQLl
OR just after daylight). The ground below the
tfws'0»we<) TREE
antenna aois as a rcfWrnr, and fhr nignal
t7S-A
LINE)
'to' is directed skyward. Generally speaking, a
dtpole that is low lo the ground has the

same characteristics, anc that is why it is

FEE) so effective for short-haul contacts. A
? 4fi
dipolc antenna has little or no directivity
rU, FT XQ6S

HIFECTI OlSA
S
(A)
LINE T(/sTailOri Fig. 5 — The antenna at A Is designed tor
high-aigle (short-range) corrmunications on

'
— U TItHl
g
75, 60 or 40 meters. The ground below it acts
as a reflector; the better the ground conduc-
tivity, !he belter the perforrrance. A coaxial
transformer matches Che 50-ohm feed (Ine lo
WIRE the antenna. The tree-space feed impedance is
on the order of 115 onms. it will bo somewhat
lowot Ahon so close to ground. The actual Inv
TO STATION potianoo will depend on the quality ol Ihu
grouno below and near the loop. A counter-
poise oop made 5 percent longer than the
WOUND nifiE driven element can be placed 0.15 wavelength
below the quad loop if there is doubt about
GUY the ground conductivity in tne area. A similar
LZ -

system is shown at B. it uses a simple fliooie

H'Otli above 3 counterpoise grounl or reflector. M
can be used without the counterpoise ground
LJ..O.L. (Hf if the earth conduotivity ic uaecplabtu for
skyward directivity.
unless ita half wavelength or greater
is perfect ground system is far hetier than your lawn by putting radial
riistlouring
above ground. Now, thai is pretty high at none at all! It is surprising to observe the Wires in take hear:. A lawn-edging tool
it,

160 meters (259 feel) or 80 mcters(l 33 feet loud signals that some stations propagate makes a narrow slit, and the wires need be
at 3.7 MHz). Wc hams tend to think of with inferior ground screws. 1 remember only a couple of inches below the surface
antenna heigh terms of physical dimen-
in vividly the whopping signal from Id be out of the way. The slits can be closed
sions rather ttian electrical ones. That's a W7DOL/6 when I worked 160 meters from by stepping on them. The grass will soon
mistake, for even though 70 or 80 feet Connecticut. He was usually the loudest e*ow over the incisions and no one will ever
seems high, it's very low in terms of station the West Coast, and he told me
on know that an "operation" took place.
wavelength at the lower frequencies. To he ubiug an 80-fuut vertical willi no
«,i>
have an 80*mcter dipole 50 feet above ground radials! I dread to :hink about he i
What Have We Learned?
ground about as poor as mount [ng a
is kind of signal he would have sent my way In essence, the intent of this article was
10-mcter beam i feet above ground. None if he had had 120 quarter- wavelength to kindle your courage toward building and
of us would want to do thatf It i; for this radials deployed! experimenting with antennas. Numerous
reason that a ihort vertical antenna usually Those fatalists who won't even experi- cost-saving shortcuts have been presented
outperforms a low horizontal antenna for ment may be affected by a lase of lethargy. with the hope that you will have some new
DXiiig. I think experimenting is the better part of tricks in your bag when you tackle that next
Wo must rc:ognizc in this discussion that Amateur Radio. Try a vertical antenna, antenna job. If you're wealthy and wait
an clcctrtcall* short antenna, vertical or even if you can lay down only one or two to be top dog in the DX pileups, buy your
horizontal, is not as efficient as a full-size radials. You could be rewaidcd with better antenna system. The antennas described
antenna. There is always a trade-off to results ihan theory dictates. I have always here will make no one a "big frog in a little
accept. Also, vertically polarized antennas made an effort to tie as many ground wires pjnd," but they'll :nablc you to enjoy
are noisier during receive than arc horizon- as possible to my antenna systems. If there good communications most of the lime.
tal antennas. This is because most man- isa chain-link Fence on your property, lie
made noise is vertically polarized. itinto i!ie ground system. Do likewise with
Il would be impractical to atiempi to the cold-water lines in your home, rods
describe the many wire antennas suitable driven into the soil near li e base of your
forDX and local operation from a city lot. vertical and utility-eompaiy grounds on
The ARRL Antenna Book, recently revised your property.
considerably, ;oniains a wealth of practical Radiat wires need not b? buried in the
information lor those who want to build ground They can be laid on the lawn and Nates
antennas. If you don't have a copy, you staked down with homemade large staples VtRHL members may take advantage ol the tree
should invest in one. TIG (Technico! Informntion Gervico) al llq. ay
to permit mowing the grass without hard-
writing to tie Technical Department. Limit the
ship. If they can't be laid out linearly from number of questions villi each request, and be
Ground Systems in Brief
the base of the antenna, wrap them around sure to include a bushess-size s.a.s.e. tor Iho
Countless amateurs have said, "I can't the home, garage and trees The main idea reply to your inquiry.
*Deloted.
pin tip a ground-mounted vertical because is io get them in or on the ground -
'J. Hall. ed.. The ARRL Antenna Book (Newing-
1 don't have room for buried radials." place. ton: ARRL 1982).
"Balderdash," 1 am prone to reply. An im- For ihose of you who arc afraid of J n = ft x 0.304B: mm = in x 25.4.

ORP Classics 176

From February 1983 QST. p 75:

Antennas for Those Who Can'i

Have Antennas!
Radio amateurs don't engage in covert activities, but there are
times in all of our lives wher hidden or "invisible" antennas are
necessary if we are to get on the air.
By Doug DeMaw, W1FB
ARHL Contributing Editor
PO Box 250
Luther, MI 49656

| he unfortunate fact of the matter is least a moderately effective sigxal. In this the fine and retrieve the laundry from a
mat some radio amateurs dwell where context, a poor antenna is certainly better back porch. Laundry lints of this variety
antenna', arc prohibited. In other silua- than no antenna at all! A number of arc accepted parts or the neighborhood
tions the operator may not want to erect techniques enable us to use indoor anten- "scenery," and can be used handiEy as
outdoor antenras for fear of nas or "invisible" antennas out of doors. amateur antennas by simply insulating the
neighborhood opinions that he or she is Many of these systems will yield good io pulley; from their support points. This
destroying the beauty of the residential excellent results for local and DX con- calls Tor the use of a conducting type of
area. We amateurs don't regard our tacts, depending on band conditions at clothesline, such as heavy.gauge stranded
aniennas as cyewtcs; in fact, we almost any given tine. Don't erect any antenna clectriral wire wiih Teflon or vinyl insula-
always regard them as works of art! Dui thai can prewni a hazard (physical or elec- tion. A high-quality, flexible steel cable
there arc occasions when having an out- trical) to humans, animals or buildings. (stranded) is suitable as a substitute if one
door or visible antenna can present Safety first! docsn t mind cleaning it each time
problems, especially for those who live in clothing is hung on it.

apartments. A jumper wire can be brought from one

When we are confronted with restric- Invisible Antennas end of the line to the ham shack when the
tions, self-imposed or otherwise, we can In someareas, clotheslines are attached station being operated. If a good elec-
is

take advantage ot a number of options to pulleys (K0, ti.su that the user can load trical connection euitts -'^--n the wire
toward getting on the air and radiating at clothesline and the pulley, a permanent

QRP Classics 177

connection can be made by connecting the jam M.L our Tin
lead-in wire between the pulley anc its in-
sulator. A Transmatch can be used io
match the "invfejble" random-length wire
to t!ie transmitter and receiver.
W .-figjgjar- AX.
Invisible "Lonn Wire"
In reality, an antenna is not a classic
"long wire" u.iless it is one wavelength Fig. l — One loim of hidden antenna is shown
(or greater) long. Vet, many amateurs In thisdrawing: The antenna por'orms double
refer to all relatively long spans of con- duty as a radiator and a wash lire. Laige-
ductor as "lonj wires." For the purpose diamaler insulated wire lllexlblel can be used
as the line, or a clothesline with a wire center
of this article we will assume we have a may be errptoyed. The pulleys ae Insulated
fairly long spar of wire, and refer to it as Fig. 3 — Some amateurs haw had success
from the house and the pole.
when using the rain gutte' as a random-length,
an "end-fed wire."
end ted radiator. The lower portion should bo
If we use smill-diameter enatneted wire Insitoted fiom the remainder o' the gutter and
for our end-fed antenna, chances i.re thai downspout to prevent t* hazards to animals
it will be very difficult to see against (he
and people. The TV or fm antenna-lead wire
slsc can be used as a random-length antenna,
sky and neighborhood seenery. The
as shown here.
higher the wire gauge, the more "invisi-
ble" ihe antenna will he. The limiting fac-
tor with very fine wire is fragility. A good
compromise can be realised by us ng no.
24 or no. 26 magnet wire for spans up iu
130 feet (m = ft x 0.3043). Lighter-
FiafOSLSSS
gauge wire can be us;ed for shorter spans, "OLE t>« OVC
TURING
such as 30 or 60 feel. The major threat to CPAiNT »Htre)
the longevity cf fine wire is icing; also,
birds may fly into the wire and b-cak it. Fig. 2 — Ught-gauge enamel-co'ered wire
works nicely as a hard-to-see an:enna.
Therefore, this style of antenna nay re-
Although i bird may knock 11 down Irom lime
quire frequent service or replacement. to time, fee reeling It beam hairing no antenna
Fig. 2 illustrates how we might install an at all!
invisible end-fed wire. It is important that SEAL W"IH
the insulator; also be lacking in
prominence. Tiny Plexiglas blocks work . CABLE ' ">">
py»it5
ra TOANiuiiTtP
well, as do
small-diameter, clear plastic rain-gutter antenna may perform quite IBUfllED) WiflES
medical vials. Some amateurs simply use poorly during wet weather or when there
rubber bands forend insulators, but they is ice and snow on it and th; house roof.
will deteriorate rapidly from sun and air Wc need to ensure thai all joints be- Fig. 4 —Onu viin Uv pair oliu whllu usiiiy a
pollutants. They arc entirely adequate for tween gutter and downspout sections are disguised antenna. The flagpole also serves as
short-term operation with an invisible a vertical antenna in this illustration. Insula-
bonded with straps of hraiJ or flashing
tion should be used over :he lower part ol the
aptenna, however. copper to provide good continuity in Ihe antenna to prevent shock hazard io people and
The invisibility of the antenna can be system. Poor joints can cause rectification animals.
carried even further if one is willing to- use and subsequent TV| and ether harmonic
camouflaging techniques. This can be interference. Also, it is prudmt to insert a
achieved by spraying the antenra wire section cf plastic downspout about 8 ft
with green, tan, brown, black aid light above ground. This will prevent humans
blue paint at -foot intervals. In some in- have to be on TV standoff insulators and
I
from receiving rf shocks or burns while
stances, a singb layer of gray or medium- spaced well away from phone and powet
the antcrna is being used. IrnprOVCQ per-
blue paint will help to disguise the anten- formance may result if the front and back company service-entrance lines. The TV
na. The wire must be free of grease and or fm radio must of course be discon-
gutters of the house are joined by a
dirt if paint is applied, and the paint nected from the system when it is used fot
jumper wire to increase the area of the
should be of "exterior" grade. This antenna. amateur work! Similarly, masthead
camouflaging effect can also be realized Fig shnwg a TV or fm antenna
1 nUr> amplifiers and splitters must be removed
by dipping sections of the wire into cans from the line if the system is to be used fot
lhai he employed as an invisible
can
of paint of the appropriate colors, as- amateur antenna. Many of these antennas amateur
suming that spray paint is not avai.able or can be modified easily (o accommodate
desired. Flagpole Antenna
the 144- or 220-MHZ bands, thereby per-
mitting the use of the 3O0-fl line as a We can exhibit our patriotism and have
Ratn-Cutier or TV Antennas feeder system. Some fm aniennas can be an amateur antenna at the same
invisible

A great nurmer of amateurs have taken used on 6 meters by adding no. 10 bus- time by disguising our radiator as shown
advantage of standard hou»c fixtures win; cxicisions io the ends of the elements In Pig. 4. The vertical antenna !r. a wire
when contriving inconspicuous antennas. and adjusting them for a YSWR of 1:1. If that has been placed inside a plastic ot
A very old technique is the use of ihe gut- 300-0 lin; is used it will require a balun or fiberglass pole.
ter and downspout system on the Transmatch to interface the line with the As shown, the flagpole antenna is struc-
building. This can be seen in Fig. 3 A lead station equipment. tured for a single amateur band, and it i!

wire is routed o the shack from one end For operation in the hf bands wc can lie assumed that the height of the pole cor-
of the gutter trough. We must assume that the TV- or fm-amenna feeders together ai respond. to a quarter wavelength for the
1
;

the wood on which the gutter is affixed is the transmitter end of the span and neat chosen band. The radiils and feed line car
dry and of good quality tn order to pro- the overall system as a nndom-length be buried in the ground as shown. In a
vide a reasonable insulation factor. The wire. If this is done, the 330-fJ line will prectical installation, the sealed end of the

QRP Classics 178

coax cable would protrude slightly into of antenna, and they are limited only by There have been tiany jokes told over
the lower end of the plastic pole. the imagination of the amateur. the past decades about "bed-spring anten-
If a large-diameter, fiberglass pole were nas." The idea is by no means absurd.
Other Invisible Antennas
available, we might be able to conceal a Bed springs and mclal end boards have
four-band trap vertical inside it. Alter- Some amateurs have used the metal been used to advantage by many apart-
natively, we might use a metal pole and fence on apartment vcrancas as antennas, ment dwellers as 20-, 15- and 10-meler
bury at its bate a water-tight boxihat con- and Iia^e had good results on ihe higher hf radiators. A counterpoise ground can be
tained fixed-tuned matching networks for bands ;20, 15 and 10 meters). We must routed along the baseboard of the
the bands of interest. The networks could presume that the fences were not con- tedroom and used iit cuiiibiiitiiiun with
be selected remotely by means of a step- nected 10 the steel framework of the lie bed spring. It is important to
ping relay inside the box. A 30-fi flagpole building, bui rather were insulated by the remember that anyindependent (in-
would provide good results in this kind of concrete floor to which they were affixed. sulated) metal objc:t of reasonable size
system, provided it was used with a buried These veranda fences have also been used can serve as an antenna if the iransmiuer
radial system. At least one commercial effectively as ground systems (counter- can be matched to it. An amateur in
antenna (from Delia Corp.) is used in this poises) for hf-band verticd antennas that Detroit, Michigan, once used his
manner, but with an elaborate, con- were put in place temporarily after Shopsmith craft machine (about 5 feet
tinuously adjustable matching network darkne.is fell, till) as a 10-mctcr antenna. He workec a

(and VSWR indicator) that is operated One New York City amateur used the number of DX stations with it when baid
remotely. fire escape on his apartment building as a conditions were good.
Still anoth:r technique uses a wooden 40-mctcr antenna, and reported high suc- A number of operators have used me:al
flagpole. A small-diameter wire can be cess in working DX stations with it. and window screens for vhf
curtain rods
stapled to the pole and routed Anothir apartment dweller made use of work, and found them to be quite ac-
underground to the coax feeder or the I he aluminum frame on lis living-room ceptable for local communications. Yot'll
matching bo>. The halyard could by itself picture window as an antenna for 10 and have best results with any of these
constitute the antenna wire if it were made 15 meters. He worked it against the metal makeshift antennas when the "antennas"
from heavy-duty insulated hookup wire. conductors of the baseboard heater in ihe are kept well away from house wiring and
There arc countless variations fot this type same room. other conductive objects.

QRP Classics 179

 —
From June 1983 OST, p 15:

Lightweight Trap Antennas

— Some Thoughts
Portable multiband antennas need not be heavy and bulky.
Small traps and light-gauge wire can provide a trap dipole
that fits in a lunch bag. Try these practical gudelines for
your next small antenna.
By Doug DeMaw. W1FB
ARRL Contributing Editor
PO Box 25C
Luther, Ml 49656

\/acationers. campers, sates people and

QRPers lake noie! You need not carry a m «d»- »
large multiband trap dipole afield if your
1QM - -
transmitter is in the 150-W-oulpu class,
or lower. You can construct yojr own
traps inexpensively with ordinary
1 t5* —— •-

materials, and [hey can he made quite

small without becoming poor performers.
a a T
—— • a
This article describes some eas? tech-
niques for fabricating homemade antenna K X. riu»

traps. Additional hints arc offered for

Flfl. 1 - fiapresenlation of a Ihieeband trap dipole arlenns.
keeping the bilk and weight of portable
antennas withh reason.
losses represent a small tradeoff for the a stable capacitor, a rigid coil and some
A Review of (he Trap Concept convenience of being able to accom- type of sealant.
A "Irap" is exactly what the term im- modate many ham bands with one
Mini Trap Using a Tnrold Core
plies. It traps an rf signal to prevent it radiator end a single feed line. Yagi anten-
from passing beyond a specific point nas contain traps in the parasitic elements In an effort to scale down the size of my
along an electrical conductor. At some (directors and reflectors) as well as in the an:enna traps during a design exercise fo~
nlher frequency, however, it nn longer driven elrmenr Therefore, a multielement a poriahlr anlenna. decided in in-
1

acts as a trap, and permits the passage of antenna of that type may have as many as worth of small toroid core;
vestigate the
rf energy. 12 traps. upon which to wind the coils. Ferrite core;
An antenna trap designed fo: a par-
is were ruled out because they aren't as
Electrical Characteristics stable as powdered-iron ones. Further-
ticular operating frequency, and there
may be several traps in the overall system An antenna trap is a panllcl-resonanl more, the powdered-iron material has a
— each designed for a specific frequency. L-C circuit. Therefore, it is iimilar to the much greater flux density than an
Therefore, a 40- through 10-mctcr trap runed cir:uit in a transmitter or receiver. eqtlivalent-size ferrite core, which mean;
dipole might contain traps toi 10 15, 20 A itsundiui uf this Kind, if designed vui- that (he core will not saturate a* easily at
and 30 meters. On 40 meters, all of the redly, has a moderateQ and a fairly nar- moderate rf power levels.
traps are "absorbed" into the system to row bancwidth. This means that the trap Development work started with
become part of the overall 40-mcter capacitor should have a high Q and the Micrometals Corporation T50-6 toroids,
dipole. Owing to the loading effect of the trap coil should contain wire that is which are sold by Amidon Associates,
traps, the 40-meter portion of the antenna reasonably large in cross section. These Palomar Engineers and RadioKit (sec
will be somewhat shorter ihan a full-size traits will help to reduce losses. QST advertisements). My first effori
40-mcter dipole with no [raps. The anten- Fig. 2 shows the equivalent circuit for resulted in a pair of very small 20-meter
na bandwidth will be narrower when iraps an antenna irap. Once this network is ad- traps. A silver-rruea capacitor was chosen
are used. Fig. illustrates the general for- justed to resonance in the desired part of foi the parallel-tuned circuit. Ceramic
mat multiband dipole.
for a an amateur band, it will net be affected capacitors were not used because of
Atrap style of antenna is not as effi- significartly by the attachment of the previous experiences had with changes in
1

cient as a full-size dipole. This is necause wires that comprise the antenna. A well- value under temperature extremes; 1 had
there will always be some losses in the designed and -constructed t rap should not better results with dipped silver-mica
traps. But the tosses in a well-designed change frequency by any great amount units.
system are usually so low that tiey arc when the temperature or huriidity around My rule of thumb lor choosing the cofl
hard to measure by simple mean?. The it varies. Therefore, it is important to use and capaciior values for traps is based on

QRP Classics 180

a reactance of approximately 200 ohms, rrrrv trap being tested isconnected to terminals
although np to 300 have also
values x and y. The coupling is very light in order
yielded good rcsul.s. Using 200 oh ill! as to prevent the test-circuit capacitance
the basis for the design, I calculated the from appearing in parallel with the trap.
capacitor to be a value that was very close For this reason the coupling capactors arc
to a standard on: — 56 pF for trap only 2 pF. The station transmitter is ad-
resonance at 14.100 MHz. This was ob-
— justed for the lowest power output that
Fig. 2 Electrical equivalent ot an fnlenna
tained from wilt provide a reading on Ml, The VFO h
trap. Trie ac resistance is not snown. A
suitable reactaice value lor the coll and then swept manually across the band.
C0*F) = (Eq. I) capacitor Is ?r» ohms. When the resonant frequency of the trap
2rr «MHz> Xe is local cd, the meter (MI) will deflect up-
Hence SttBC* ward sharply, indicating resonance. Ad-
C= I
just the trap for a frequency that is ap-
6.28 X 14.1 X 200 proxinately 5^o lower than the desired
0.0000564 ^F(MpF) one. This will compensate for the shunt
capacitance presented by the 2-pF cou-
Since X c and X[_ are equal at resonarce, lllVlB-WICA 01MCITOR pling capacitors.
the coil was calculated by means of Eq. 2: When the coil turns arc set in the cor-
Fig. 3 — Physical arrangement for ore ol the rectmanner, spread a bead of fast-drying
(Eq. 2) toroidal L-C trais. Put spaghetti tubing over cpoxy cement across the urns on the two
the capacitor leads to prevent them tf om flat sides of the toroid. This will prevent
shonlng to tnc turns on the toroid.
unwanted position changes that could
Hence cause a shift in resonance later on from
handling.

(approximate) lIZj Housing the Mini Trap

TRftP

The value of the coil willhave to be ad- 7

DIP UETE«
CAP UWt* TEST I learned that a
plumbing coupling,
7/8-inch-OD
1-1/4 inches
PVC
long,
justed slightly after the trap is assembled would serve nicely as a housing for the
lo allow for capacitor tolerance and stray Fig 4 — Tost nethod for finding the resonant toroidal traps.' A ridge inside the cou-
capacitance, which accounts for the term "CQuoncy or a trap, unierent points wound ihe
plings st the center can be filed ou[ easily
"approximate" in Eq. 2. toro'd will yielc betler dip Indications. Experi-
ment with Ihe position ol the dipper coil. to provide clearance for the trap. A rat-
The Amidon toroid tables were con- docs the job quickly- Fig. 6 shows
tail file
sulted to learn the Aj_ factor of fl T50-6 a breakaway view of how the trap is
core ( l/2-inch-diameter toroid). The which makes il
shielding characteristic, assembed. Slices of dowel rod are used
value is 40. From this I calculated the difficult for us to get ample coupling with for end plugs. A knol is tied in the anten-
number of turns from a dip meter, it is possible lo read a dip. 1 na wire that enters the trap housing; this
have found lhar by insert ine the dip-meter prevents strain on the trap coil.
Turns = 100^/L uF /A L (Eq. 3) coil into the area of the winding gap on After the antenna wire has b^en
the tuned circuit (Fig. 4) a dip cm be ob- soldered lo the trap at each end, a add
Hence tained. By approaching the trap from dif- layer of epoxy glue to the outer perimeter
Turns = 100V 2. 25/40 = 23.7 ferent angles, it should be easy to find a of one of the dowel plugs. Ihen insert it in-
spot where a dip can be read on the meter. to the PVC
coupling until it is flush. Fill
For practical reasons a 24-turn winding Once the dip is found, back off the instru- the coupling with noncorrostve sealant; 1

was used: A partial turn is not convenient ment until the dip is barely discernible (the used aquarium cement. Finally, place
on a toroid form. minimum coupling point). Monitor ine epoxy glue on the remaining end plug and
The same procedure was used for the dip-meter signal on a calibrated receiver to insert il in the PVC coupling. Allow the
remaining naps iu my antenna. This arti- learn the resonant frequency of the trap. trap to set for 48 hours, until the sealant
cle is not a course in basic math, but the Select a part of the related amateur has hardened. Fig. 7 is a photograph of a
equations can be Ufeful to those who hive band for trap resonance. I adjust my traps mini trap, along with a dipole center in-
not previously designed resonant circuits for the center of the frequency spread 1 sulator made from a PVC T-coupling.
or used toroidal cores. am most For exarrple, set
interested in. 1 The cot-pling is filled with sealant after the
my 20-meter iraps for resonance at 14.025 wires aie soldered to the ccaxial feed line.
Toroidal-Trap Adjustment
MHz because 1 work only cw from 14.000 Long plugs arc used to close the three
best to use the largest size wire that
It's to 14.050 MHz. For phone-band open ends of the T connector. A closed
will easily on the toroid core. The stiff-
fit coverage, I'd pick 14.275 MHz a; the trap nylon loop, made from sirong spaghetti
ness of ihc heavier magnet wire will help frequency. A
compromise frequency for tubing, was fed through two small holes
to keep) the coil mrns in place, thereby phone and cw operation would be 14.100 at the lop of the T-coupling to permit
minimizing detuning. used no. 24 I
MHz. Owing to the trap Q. coverage ol'an erecting the dipole as an inverted V. A
enameled wire. entire band is not possible without having small eye bolt and nut ceuld have been
Thr mparitflr l«d< Aiid ooil "pigtails" an SWR of 2:1 nrgnwiPrat the band-edge used instead.
should be kept as siort as possible. Fig. 3 extremes. The absolute bandwidth will de- There was a minor downward shift in
illustrates the layout I used. The leads at pend on the trap Q and the Q of the trap resonance after the sealant hardened.
each end of the mica capacitor are antenna itself. Both 20-meter traps shifted roughly 30
soldered to the related coil leads before If the trap not on the desired frequen-
is kHz lower. No doubt this was caused by
final adjustment is made. cy, move the turns of the toroid coil far- increased distributed capacitance across
A dip meter can be used to determine ther apart to raise the frequency. Push Ihe coil turns with the sealant in place.
Ihe resonant frcqicncy of the trap, as them closer together to lower the frequen-
shown in Pig. 4. Although d pruiniiuni cy. An alternative inctliud foi finding the
feature of a toroidal coil is the sclf- trap resonance is shown in Fig. 5. The 'Notes Eppear at end ol article.

QRP Classics 181

 ro"»ui iifit
Tune-up is carried aut in the same manner
- J"i
as prescribed for the toroidal traps, Uiing
a dip meter or the :csl fixture described in
Fig. 5.
The length of the coaxial cable used will
have to be determined experim entally. My
20-meter coaxial trap contains 15 cbse-
wound turns of RG-174 cable (36 inches.
89 pF| to provide resonance at 100 M
MHz. Final adjustment was done by
moving the three Duter turns at one end
frequency was noted. The
until the desired
Fig. 5 —
Tost lixlure suitable tor chocking trap resonance with the station transmitter. Use the coil form for the 20-mcter trap is 2-1/2
least amount o' power necessary fa meter deflection.
inches long. The wooden end plugs are
3/8 inch thick. The inside or this trap is
not filled with sealant, but it could be if
desired. Avoiding the use ol tiller will
/ make the traps lighter in weight, thereby
permitting the use of lighter-gauge Wirt:
for the antenna se:tions.

Trap Performance
Both slylcs of trap were subjected to rf
power tcsis tu duct mine whether :hcy
could handle the output of a typical
• INCHESf'l.25.0
150-W class transceiver. A Bird wattmeter
was connected between the trap and the
Fig. 6 — Breakaway view of a toroidal mini trap. The knots in the wire prevent stress on the tuned
transmitter. A 50-ohtn dummy load was
circuit.
attached to the opposite end of the trap.
Next, 40- and 80-meicr rf energy was ap-
plied (in separate tests) gradually while
observing the reflected power, which of
This seemed to have no effect on the trap form, and the inner conductor at one end
is attached to the outer conductor at the
course was not conducive to providing an
quality; it had a measured parallel
resistance of 25 kfl before and after en- opposite end. The distributed capacitance
SWR of 1:1 Witt the trap in the ine.
Neither trap showed signs of heatini or
capsulation (using the laboiatory RX of the two conductors a id the inductance
Generally, anything of the coil combine to provide a resonant breakdown at power levels up lo 150 W. A
meter for tests).
greater than 10 kfi is suitable for an circuit.An acceptable Q results, and the key-down period cf five minutes was iricd
trap can accommodate considerable rf during the tests, using a linear amplifier
antenna trap.
voltage and current without being dam- adjusted for 150-W output. Still no sign
Mini Coaxial-Cable Traps aged A parallel resistance of 50 kfl was of power limitation. The SWR did not
change under these conditions. did not
Two very interesting articles concerning measured for the 20-me:cr trap of Fig. 8. I

amentia traps appeared in the amateur The bandwidth at the 10 kfl points was advance Ihe power beyond 150 W, bu: it's
somewhat greater than with the toroidal safe to conclude that the coaxial-cable
literature during 1981." After reading
them a second time. I decided to attempt trap. trap could sustain substantially norc
building some traps along the lines
power without damage. This may net be
Coaxial-Trap Assembly true of the toroidal trap. 1 lacked the
discussed h those articles. Seme advan-
found 5/8-inch-OD PVC plumbing courage to hnd out!
tages over the usual coil/eapac tor style of I

trap were described by the authors: (1) pipe to be an acceptable and low-cost
Toward a Lightweight Dipole
The traps were not especially frequency- material for the coaxial traps. End plugs
sensitive tc changes in temperature and made from 1/2-inch wooden dowel fit Having solved the problem
of
climate; (2) the coaxial trap offers greater snugly inside the PVC pipe. The com- lightweight, small traps about the
I set
effective bandwidth; and (3) parallel pleted trap contains a l:ngth of bus wire task of reducing the bulk of the remainder
resistance i; quite high — on the order of inside it for connecting the braid and of my multiband dipole. I am a dedicated
50 kO. center conductor of the cable loe^'her, as mieer, so the cost of materials was ar im-
The article!; under discussion contained discLS-sed earlier. The ends of the bus wire porianl factor in the selection of wire and
practical information about the use of and *.he related cable ends arc routed out- end insulators. recalled a type of wire I
1

RG-58/U end RG-8/U cable for the trap side the PVC tubing through small holes, had used on a number of DXpeditior.s: It
coils. 1 wanted a small, lightweight trap, then soldered. Aquarium cement was was strong and light in weight, and the
so elected to sec what could be done with again used, this time to seal the six small price was right! This wire is available from
miniature cable —
RG-174/U. A com- holei drilled in the tubiig. Epoxy cement Radio Shack and limilar outlets for u>e as
pleted mini coaxial trap for 20 meters is was applied to the sides of the wooden speaker cable. It has a clear plastic outer
shown in l*ig. 8. plug; before inserting Into the
them covering, cimiaima uo. 22 tuuduitui
The principle of operation is covered tubing. A
layer of vinyl electrical tape can (two each) and ccsts less than 55 pel 100
well by O'Scil (note 2). Since this article be Wound over the coauial coil if desired, feet. Hence, for this price we end up with

deals with the practical aspects of traps, although this should not be necessary. If 200 feel of -wire (less than 2.5 cent? per
we won't delve into the electrical weather protection is desired, a coating of foot); the parallel conductors can be
characterises of the coaxial trap loo e.xtetior polyurethane varnish can be ap- pulled apart easily without harming the

deeply. However, a diagram showing how plied to the completed close-wound coil. outer insulation. In addition to the insula-
it is hooked up is offered in Fin. 9B. A This will keep the turns affixed in the tion aiding the strength of the wire por-
length of coaxial line is wound on a coil desited position after final adjustment. tions of the antenna, it protect s the copper

QRP Classics 182

 CENTf* CCO-K'DB

ANT. WIRE

if - wesecn
mWTEIIMm.}
2C u ««•
a *
ro
Pica CENTER

-f i ttlCMES!") . 2J.4

Ftp,,7 —
View o* a loroidal mini irap. an en-
capsulated toroid and i PVC T-coupling lot ise
TO *%T WIFE
ja a center insulator. RG-SoiU caoie is shown
h this example (see text).

TO a»IT *»»L
tni

Fig.9 —At A is a breakaway view o1 a coaxial trap. The llhslrallon at B shows 1h© olec-ldcal con-
nections for a coaxial nap.

Fig. 8 — A completed SO-meter coaxiat trap

vilh mlnialuie RG-174/J coaxial cable. 50-150 W can be important
rar.ge. but it pronounced as the frequency is lowered,
when using l QRP
with only a few
rig owing to the cumulative loading effects of
watts or miliwaits of output power. I the traps.
must say in defense of RG-174'U cable These percentages can be applied
wlrC from corrosion. This can be especial- that 1 operated 20-mctcr cw with 2 of W during initial structuring of ihe antenna.
ly beneficial in arcai where salt water and output power from 8P6EU while using a Starling with the highesi band, the dipole
industrial pollutaots affect (he at- Uipolc with 5U icct of RG-174/U feed line, sections for each frcqucnc' of interest are
mosphere. The Radio Shack number for and I worked the world without difficulty. trimmed or lengthened fot the lowest at-
this wire is 278-1385. 1 have observed no I received many RST 599 signal reports. tainable SWR. After 1 he exact dimensions
apparent deterioration of this type of con- The tiny feeder cable and the hookup-wire are known, continuous lengths of wire can
ducior, even [hough some of my anlcnnas dipolc could be rolled up and s. tiffed in be used between the traps. This will add
liave been aloft for three years. my hip pocket! The end and center in- strength to the antenna by avoiding
Although RG-58/U coaxial cable is less sulators for that antenna w;rc also breaks in the speaker-wire insulation, if
offensive in terms o:' loss per 100 feei titan liehtweieht. made them from scraps of
I thai lype nf conductor ii ii<;pH Thr
is true of RG-I74/LI, we may want to pc board from which the copper lad been percentage reductions listed above are not
trade losses for portability by using T4. removed. Tht end insulators for the trap neccssanly applicable to antennas that use
Normally, a 50-foot length of feeder cable dipole discuss-cd in this article were toroida! or other coil/capacitor traps. The
is adequate for portable work. In an :f- fashioned from inch-long of
pieces wire diameter and insulation also af- may
fort to determine exactly what the hf-band 5/8-inch-diarrctcr PVC tubing through fect the final dimensions of the dipolc.
losses per 50 feet might be. tested thisI which holes were drilled to accommodate For long-term installations, 1 would
cable from 3.5 through 29 MHz. A Bird the dipole wires and nylon guy lines. suggest the use of sometype of sealer
wattmeter was connected to each end of (.<i|>dj van mh ut pul>uit'tliaiic) ovti (he
the 50-foot test cable. One wattmeter was
Summary Comments wooden end plugs of the traps. All trap
terminated with a jO-ohm dummy loid, The any dipole section
overall length of holes need to be sealed securely to prevent
and the other wattmeter was connected to in a trap type of antenna will be less than moisture from building up inside them.
a transmitter. The bss in decibels was as if the dipole were cut for a single band Miniature antenna traps and
follows: 3.5 MHz - MHz —
1.19; 7.0 without traps. The exception is the first lightweight trap dipole anlcnnas are prac-
..42; 14.0 MHz— 1.67; 21 MHz — 1.93; dipole section after the feed poir.t (out to lieal and inexpensive to build. Try one
29 MHz —
2.0. Therefore, in a worst-case the first set of traps). The following during your next vacaticn or business
situation (10 meters), a 100-W power n- percentages (approximate) were typical in trip.

put to trie cable would result in an antenna a coaxial-irap dipole I built for JSC from
feed-point power of 63 W. RG-58/U. on 40 through ID meters, compared to the
Note*
the other hand, would have a 1-dB loss at length of a full dipole (I00°/o) for each mm = X 25.4; m = ft X 03048.
29 MHz, which would mean an antenna band: 10 meters —
100 /o; 15 meters — 'G.
in.
O'Nril. "TrappinR ibe Myitcrics of Trapped
feed-point power of 79.4 W. This is rot 92.4%; 20 meters —
88.8%; 40 meters — Amentias." Horn Radio, Oct.
•R. Johiu, "Coaxbl Catite
1981. p. 10.
Amcina Imps," QST.
too significant when operating in the 83.6%. The shortening becomes more May IUI. p. 15.

QRP Classics 183

From December 1988 OST, p 31:

A Portable Vertical-Antenna
ount
Need a temporary, good-performing antenna? The mounting
technique described here makes for quick installation of a
multiband vertical with a minimum of fuss!
By Guy Black. W4PSJ
1201 Woodside Dr
Winchester, VA 22601

Day contes- washers, and 500 feet of

Field no. 14 stranded copper
tant, vacationers
and lenanis some-
wire round out the
times need temporary materials list.

antennas. On Ihe high-

Construe ion I

frequency bands, a hunk

Bolt four of the hard-
of wire hung from one or
more treei often seems to wood stakes to the steel
plate in a pinwheel con-
be the best that can be
done. To get such an figuration, as shown in
Fig 1. Drill 10 equally
antenna put up, a weight
with a rope tied to il is spaced holes (large

usually thrown into a tree, enough to pass no. 6-32

screws) around th: out-
and the antenna is then
pulled up with rhf rnp** 1 side edge of the PC-board
disc. Then, center the
don't hav; very good aim
mast support on tie PC
and my throwing skills are
underwhelming, so the board, and mark and drill

dipoles and end-fed the four mounting holes

lengths of random wire on the PC board. Mark

I'vemanaged to put up as and drill Ihe four mount-
temporary antennas have ing holes on the metal
plate.
usually been disappoint-
Thread 10 binding-head
ing performers.
For the last several Fig 1-Pholograph of the portable vertical-antenna mount. The lower
machine screws into the
years, 1 have used a multi- rotator-mast-mount casting is bolted to a steel plate, with a copper PC-board disc frcm the
disc in between lor attachment ol raciats. One ol the bags ol garden bottom, and connect the
band vertical (a Butternut
stone used to hold down the wooden stakes is visible in lie upper mast support, PC-board
HF2V) at home with great
right corner of ire photo. disc and metal plate using
success, particularly for
DXing on the 80, 75 and the mast -support casting
40-mctcr Druids. Why nul hardware. The heads of
turn such a vertical into a portable base with the vertical. This takes up a bit the machine screws should be between the
antenna? It's essentially pre-tuned, and mere space in the car than just a ground metal plate and the PC-boaid disc. There
[here's no strain on the throwing arm! stake, but at least you don't need to carry is enough lies tr. the PC board so that the

Light, uncomplicated and easily trans- along a sledgehammer! board won't break when the mast-support
ported nultiband verticals have many hardware tightened. Slip the scciion of
is
Materials plastic pipeover the vertical-antenna mount,
possibilities.
My antenna came with a 22-inch Theparts for my portable base are a insert the pipe and antenna mount in the

aluminum ground stake. With care, ii is 1 x 1-fuul metal plate (an old rack panel rotator ma.ii support, and lighten ihe
possible to drive this stake into the ground works fine), the lower mast-support casting mounting clamps.
repeatedly and without damage by using a frcm a rotator (with its hardware), a The section of plastic water pipe is neces-
short (one foot or more) section of TV 7-hch-diametcr disc of copper-clad PC sary'when using this mounting arrangement
board, five 6-foot-long 1 x I -inch hard- with a Butterr.ut vertical, because the
masting, which fits nicely over the base
insulator, as a driver. Unfortunately, doing wood stakes from a garden supply store, minimum diameter the clamps wil, grasp

this requiresihe availability of a small a 1 x 12-inch strip of thin hobby brass, exceeds the one-inch OD
of Buttenur.'s base

sledgehammer (or a large one, depending a chassis-mount SO- 239 connector and z insulator. Other antennas may not require
on the ground!). 6-inch length or 1-Inch ID plastic waiei the plastic pipe accuuu.
Another approach is to use a portable pipe. A few nuts, bolts, spade lugs. Part of the one-inch- wide brass ilrap is

QRP Classics 184

used ground $idc of the
to connect the lightweight nylon rope. Dricks (for hold- lug is on the o>utsidc of the coiled iddtal).
copper disc. The remaining
vertical to the ing the ends of the radials) and bags of Tape or wire ties can be used to keep :he
piece of brass is used for mounting the garden stone or sand are widely available, coiled radials from getting tangled.
SO-239 connector. {If your vertical already and cheap enough to discard when you're
has a coaxial feed-point connector, skip this through with them. Results

paragraph.) This brass piece should be With the Butternut HF2V erected on :he
about I x inches, with a 5/8-inch hole The Radials portable mount in my back
yard, tune-up
near one end. and fpui no. 32 holes for use the portable vertical -antenna mount
1 went smoothly. Tht antenna has an S WR
no. 4-411 mounting hardware around the with ten 50-foot radials, each spaced 36° of less than 2: across the 40-meter band,
1

5/S-inch hole. This hole is for mounting the apart cn the ground. By unrig flanged, sol- and over the selected 30 kHz of 75 meters.
SO-239 feed-point connector. Put a 90° dcrlcssspade lugs (Waldon DS-1083) it is Switching back and forth between the port-
bend in the brass piece about V* nch from not necessary to remove the nuts on the able vertical and my permanently installed
the end opposite the SO-239 mounting machine screws to connect the radials. The vertical (also an HF2V, but with a larger
hole. Mount the connector using no. 4-40 outer ends of the radials are held down by radial field) I found little difference in
hardware, and solder the Vt -inch section of bricks. (Bricks aren't needed to hold down received signal strength. had the same
I

ihfi hrass strip ro the disc of ?C-board the radial wires if rocks or tome other suita- good results working DX on both anten-
material so lhat rhe SO-239 faces away ble weights are available.) nas. A 100-foot-sqt.are area is needed for
from the antenna and clears .he hard- The fifth hardwood .stake is used in lin- the ground radials If the antenna is put up
wood stake (see Fig Connect the shortest
1 ). ing up the radials (it also serves as a spare be bent or
as described, but the radials can
practical len»th of no. 14 wire from the mounting-plate stabilizer). Paint a mark on shortened if necessary-
SO-239 to the feed-point connection of the each radial wire, 9 feet 5 inches from the This antenna is so easy to put up and
vertical. machine-screw connection point (nail pol- lake down that it can be erected for just
Assemble the vertical according to ihe ish works fine for this). At that distance a few days' use. For easy transportation.
manufacturer's instructions, and install it from t ie casting, uniformly space the radi- I use the antenna's original bn-inch-lcng
on the mount. I'm not sure how much wind als 36° apart by laying the spare six-foot shipping carton to carry' 'he antenna and
force the portable vertical antenia system stake between the painted marks on adja- Ihe stakes, and a two-gallon milk crate for
can handle, so when I use it 1 weight down cent radial wires. This makes for a neat lay- base plate and hardware. All
Ihe radials,
the stabilizer stakes with bags of garden out with a mimimum of fuss. Installation Ihecomponents of a handy and effective
stone, one of which can be seen in the up- is easier if the radial wires are coiled up portable antenna system are in iwq
per right comer of Fig 1. An easier (and from the brick end (so thai the connection packages, ready to go. and my throwing
lighter) solution is to guy the antenna with arm doesn't even get a workout!

QRP Classics 185

From December 1987 QST. p 25:

An Extended Double Zepp

Antenna for 12 Meters
Got a over 50 feet cf horizontal space to spare for a
little

24-MHz skywire? This simple antenna will beat your half-wave

dipole by about 3 dB— and you can phase two of them for even
more gain and directivity.

By John J Reh, K7KGP

510 Mt Detiance Or SW
issaquah, WA 9902?

According to The ARRL Antenna extended double Zepp iEDZ) antenna.- 12-meter band. Fig 3 shows its eonfigjra-
Bock, Zepp—shorr for Zeppelin— This interested me because I have always lion.I decided to cut mine for 24.950 MHz.

is a term long applied 10 just about been intrigued by "old-fashioned" wire Each EDZ clement is 25 feel, 3 inches long,
any resonan: antenna end-fed by a two-wire antennas— and because the old-fashioned and consists of nx 14 stranded copper
transmission line.' A bit further on in the extended double Zcpp's 3-dB gain over a wire. The antenna elements arc center-fed
Antenna Bcok. there's a discussion of the half-wave dipole would provide per- by a short matching section made of a
formance quite suitable fjr modern times! 5-fool, 5-incii length of 450-Q open-wire
The EDZ antenna consists of two collinea.r line. Connection to 52-fl coaxial feed line
'Notes appear at end of article.
0.64-X elements fed in phase. Fig shows
1 is made by mean< of a 1:1 balun trans-

current distribmion in an EDZ. and Fig 2 former. My EDZ strung between two
is

shown the EDZ's horizontal directivity trees. 35 fect above ground.

pattern in free space.
The extended double Zepp'f. theoretical Matching Section
performance looked good to me, so I Perhaps am "reinventing the wheel,"
I

designed and built an EDZ antenna for the but have not seen this matching method
I

25' » J"
Fig 1— The extended double Zepp antenna
consisis ot two 0.O4-A olumunts tad in
phase-
7
NO 14 STRANDED
COPPER WIRE

5Z-fl COOX, AWT LENGTH

ro r<

Fig 2-Horizontal directivity pattern for an

extended dojble Zepp antenna in free Fig 3— The extended double Zepp at K7KGP. :ut lor 24.950 MHz. The 450-fl matching
space. Relative to a half-wave dijole, it section hanslorrfls the EDZ's calculated input impedance (142-/555 111 to 55 !! {measured)
lor coinection to 52-tt coaxial cable by means ot a 1:1 balun. The electrical length ot the
matching section is 52 the linear dimension snown in tne a rawing assumes 45U-U una
c
;

line. with a velocity factor of 0.95.

QRP Classics 186

 Fig 4— Comparison ol calcular ed horizontal directi/ily patterns of
one extended double Zepp (doited line), and two EDZs spaced at
1/8 and led 180 s out of phase (solid line). The antenna axes lie
.-.

along the 0M80 B line, and the antennas ate mounted 35 (eel
above average earth. The phased EDZs exhibit nearly 5 d8 gain
over a sirgle EOZ. This is 7 to 8 dB gain over a half-wave dipole.
Beamwidth of ihe two-EDZ array is 30A The antenna axis is the
same for Ihe singlo EDZ and oolh EDZs in the phased array. The
two-EDZ configuration characterized here is an end-fire array
because maximum radiation occurs along its axis.

90

Fig 5—Comparison of the calculated vertical directivity patterns of

one EDZ (dotted lino), and two EDZs spaced at 1/8 X and ted
180" out of phase (solid line). The antenna axis lies along
the 0' ine.

elsewhere. 1 The open- wire-line matching nylon rope to haul the array up between somewhat clumsy because the combined
section is 52 electrical degrees long (0.145 X). two trees. This antenna system works well, length of the phasing lines is greater lhan
The matching section transforms the EDZ's but poor propagation has precluded a the spacing between the EDZs. The feed
input impedance to about 55 ohim, as thorough try-out so far. The contacts I have method shown in Fig 7 should be easier to
measured wiih a noise bridge. The had with it nave been entirely satisfactory. buile because the combined length of the
matching section dimension given in Fig 3 The matching method shown in Tig 6 is phasing lines equals ihe spacing between
assumes a velocity factor of 0.95 foi the
450-n line.

Trimming (he matching section to size is

the only adjustment necessary with the
EDZ. Make the transformer a little long to
begin with, and shorten it an inch or two
at a time to bring the system into ARRfiY
AXIS
resonance. (You can check resonance with
a noise bridge or by monitoring the SWR.)
Do not change the length of the
25' r
elements— the EDZ's gain and directivity
depend on its elements being 0.64 X long.
fHASlMG LINE
Phasing Two EDZs for More Gain and EACH 4' 9-1/2" lONO
Illrtciiv
vftj CLOSED STUB
" 2"LONG
Properly phased, two extended double
Zepp antennas can give improved gain and
directivity over a ;ingle EDZ. Fig 4 com-
pares the calculated horizontal directivity
patterns of a single EDZ and an array
consisiing of two EDZs spaced at '8
I. X ANTENNA ELEMENTS ARE NO 14 STRANDED COPPER WIRE
and fed I80°outcf phase. FigScompares PHASING LINES AND STUB ARC 4f0-.fl 00EN-W1HE LINE
the vertical radiation patterns of the single FEED AT XY 15EE CAPTlONI
and phased EDZs.
Fig 6 shows the dimensions of a practical
two-EDZ configuration. With proper ad- 6—One method of phasing two EDZs lor greater gain and directivity. The array is
justment, it exhibits an SWR of 1.3:1 irectional, withmaximum radiation occurring along the array axis. The impedance
across the 24-MHz band. In the array I across points X and Y is 50G, balanced; with a 1 :1 balun at XY, the array can be led by
means of 52-D coaxial cable. The slub, 1.5° long, cancels a capacitive reactance ol
built, lightweight broom handles serve as approximately 13.5 Q at the feed point. This array wcrks well, but its matchino system is
.spreaders betweer the clement ends, the clumsy because the combined length of the phasing lines is greater than the spacing of
center spreader is a wooden slat. I used the iwo EDZs. Fig 7 shows a prcposed feed method that taKes up less space.

QRP Classics 187

 i«Rav the EDZs. I have not tried this matching
axis method, but I'm confident that my calcu-
lated dimensions arc close to what will
4
aelually he encountered.

Conclusion
PHASING LINES, If the extended double Zepp has caught
EACH 2' 5-1/2" LONG
«'l/
your attention, but 12 meters hasn't, you
;an scale the linear dimensions given here
for other bands of interest Once your EDZ
.

isup and working, I think you'll agree that

ihe performance o:' the "old-fashioned"
extended double Zepp isn't old-fashioned
at all!

CI.OSFO s*ua
s" lONQ
Notes
1.1 BALUN
'TheARRL Antenna Bcok, J. Hall, ed. (Newington:
ARHL, 19S4). p 5-4.
52 -A CC6X . ANY LENGTH iJhe AftRL Antenna Book, p 6-8.
aK7KGP's matching technique is a "roinventicn of

the wheel" ol which he can be proud. Termed

TO TX tha series section trenslO'mer. In The
it appears
ABRL Antenns Booh and Th» AF)RI Hnnrtfrx*
AUTENNO ELEMENTS ARC NO I* STRANDED CO'PEB WIRE The series-section material in these boota is
PHASING LINE, HATCHIM SECTION AND STUB ARC 450-A. DPtN-WlRE LINE based on Frank A Regier, "Series-Section
Transmission- Line Inpedance Matching," OST.
Jul 1978, pp 14-16— Ed.
*K7KGP's calculations were confirmed by Rus
Rg 7— Proposed alternative method of phasing two EDZs. In this arrangement, ihe length
Healy. NJ2L. ot thaARRL HO Technical staff,
ol each phasing line is hall Ihe EDZ spacing. Calculated impedance across points a and b using the Smith'Chsrt and Ihe Mini-Numeical
Is 15-)112 II. The matching section— 11° in length— transforms this to a calculated Electronics Code (MININEC) on an
impedance of approximately 55-/3> II (balanced) across points x and y. The stub. 4" long, IBM* personal computer. Data lor the plos in
cancels the capacitivo reactance (32 0). A 1:1 balun transformer allows tha array to he led Fig* d and 5 warn aso generated by means ot
by means of 52-11 coaxial cable. See text. MININEC. —Ed.

From December 1988 QST, p 47:

Scaling the Extended Double Zepp

D You can easily scale the design of an to scafc the antenna dimensions to the measurement used for fl and f2 (kilohcitz,
extended double Zepp (EDZ)-' to work on desired band: megahertz, etc).
another banc, tor example, assume you Substituting the vtlues rut element length
wanted an EDZ for 7.2 MHz, (fl x LI)
to build L2 (Eq I)

basing the design on the 24.95-MIfe antenna f2 U- MTfr (Eq2)

presented in my December article. The where
24.95-MHz antenna has element lengths of L2 = length at the desired frequency and mat citing- trans former length
25 3" and the mat chins-transformer line
' f1 = resonant frequency of the original
24.95 x 5.417
length is 5' 5*. Use the following formula antenna L2 = = 18 '9" (Eq3)
7.2
LI length ol* interest at the resonant
frequency or the original antenna I his scaling technique also works for cle-
fl = resonant frequency of the new- ment spacings. Velocity-factor considera-
antenna tions can be ignored because they were
Lengths for Li and L2 must be expressed included in the initial design.— John
in similar units of measurement {feet, Reh, K7KGP, 510 Mt Defiance Or SW,
sj. Reh. "An E<tendad Double Zepp Antonna tor
12 Meters." OST, Dec 1987. pp 25-27. meters, etc); this also applies to the units of Tssaquah, WA 98027

QRP Classics 188

From October Iflflfl ORT, p dP:

An Indoor Dipole Antenna

I live in an apartment. Because of this, length anc attached them to the feed line, 14% shorter than the calculated length.
I'm limited in th: size and type of antenna one to Ihcshicld braid and the other to the Thi< probably due to the proximity of the
is

I can install for use on HF. After trying center conductor. Using my transmitter
and antenna lo the apartment ceiling and the —
end-fed random wires, loops, mobile SWR meter, I pruned the dipole ends fact that I had to install the antenna around

verticals, rain gutters and so on, I designed equally until I obtained the lowest possible the perimeierof a square room, almost like
a multiband dipole antenna that requires SWR at 21 MHz. (Caution: Trim the a loop!
no tuning after installation. It's incon- antenna wires only when the transmitter Careful pruning of the antenna for my
spicuous, non-hazardous and efficient. I is off.) favorite band segments paid off: An
used the following materials to construct At this point, the clip leacs come into antenna tuner is unnecessary on all of the
it: one PL-259 connector; 12 feet of 'Mini play. To
get the antenna ip and run- antenna's four bands. With the addition of
8" coaxial cablc-i two uylon vault tics, ning on 14 MHz, follow ihij procedure; Dqvs DeMaw's "AC Outlet Strip with
approximately 45 of no. 22 insulated,
feet (1) Attach a clip lead to the end of the Filtering" (December 1986 QST, pages
solid copper wire; six test leads with 15-meter c'ipole; (2) calculate :he length of 25-27), I eliminated TVI and RF1 from my
alligator clips; 26 thumbtacks; and an SWR (he legs of a 14-MHz dipole; (3) add station.
bridge.The antenna was installed in less enough wire to each clip lead /dipole leg to —Larry A. Barry, NV5I, 5903 Danny
than two hours. bring the total length of the each 14-MHz Kaye MI30H, San Antonio, TX 78240
After attaching the PL-259 lo the coaxial dipole leg to the length calculated in

cable. I wound 6 fect of the coax into a step 2; and (4) prune the added wire for
tight coil and held this winding together minimum SWR at the 14-MHz design fre-
with two nylon cable ties. The result is a quency wiih the aid of the traismitter and
shield-choke balun at the point where the SWR bridge. Continue this procedure to
antenna elements attach to the cable. 1 add additional clip leads and wire segments An antenna similar to Larry's has boon in use at
Using the formula f (feet) = 234 for 10 and 7 MHz. 1 used the thumbtacks AK7M tor several years. I use alligator clips
f(MHz). I calculated the length of wire to secure the wire pieces and test leads to instead of lest leads, an-1 my antenna's wire
sactons are held away iron the plasterboard by
necessary for each leg of a half-wave dipole the plasterboard ceiling of my apartment. nvioi cable ties and thumbacks. 1 can't complain
at 21 .1 MHz. Next. cut two wires to this
1 Fig6shows theconfigurationof the entire bout its performance: I've worked plenty ot DX
antenna in linear form. on 30, 20 and 15 meters running just 20 out- W
put. Moral: All's not lost rl you live in an apart-
'Sea BobSchelgen. "Shield Chokas tof Coaxial In my iastallation, the actual length of ment: Just keep plugging away with Thai HamOW
Cable," OSr. Mar 1988. p 41. the dipole legs for a given band is about Spirtl-AK7M

f
— *o « i

- 30 V —

-, . 20 U p.

13 u

TO T<

Fig 6— Larry Barry's multiband dipole mates crafty use ol clip leads and thumbtacks to sluff hall-wave dipoles lor 15, 20, 30 and
40 motors Into cramped apartment space. Changing bancs entails only the connection or disconnection ol clip leads. This drawing shows
a straight dipolo: Larry's anlonna 1c Bom into a cquaro but worko jus! lino. Sod toxt.

OBP C)ass)cs m
Fmm April 1989 OST. p 38:

A Short 7-MHz Dipole

D Here are dimensions and construction

Information for a short, inductively load-
ed dipole for 40 meters. If installed over
rrrcx -o o- rrm
10'
50 ft above ground — outdoors or even in
an apartment— it can provide plenty of 38
DX.
Sec Fig 2. The antenna and loading coils 11. 1.2 -SEE TEXT
consist of a total of 60 ft of no. 14 plastic-
covered wire. Wind the loading coils first:
Fig 2-5ian Grimes suggests using this snort, loaded 7-MHz hntHny dlpate whuro apage
Each consist:of 30 close-wound turns on
a 1 W-inch-diam plastic form [pill bottles
is limited.The antenna and loading coils consist ot no. 14 insulated wire; see lext.

are suitable—AK7M]. Use the rest of the

wire as shown in Fig 2. (If space prohibits
an overall antenna length of 32Vz ft, you
can let the fiW-ft end sections dangle for the feed line should leave :he antenna at a exhibit better than a 2:1 SWR from 7050
a total length of just over 20 ft. Feed the right angle. to 7160 kHz.— Stan Grimes, W7CQB,
antenna as close to its center as you can: This system can handle up to 120 W. 13300 NW 14th Avs ttA, Vancouver, WA
50- or 72-ohra coax is suitable. Preferably, Installed as shown in Fig 2, it should 98685-1652

QRP Classics 190

 .

from July 1980 UST, p 17:

Active Filters
Why not build one of these nifty filters or use the design
information to customize your own!
By Alan Bloom,' N1AL

o,nc of the triumphs of modern a couple of others later.

arid we'll look at
technology tha you can build "tuned
is But today, most people try to design in-
circuits" and all kinds of other fillers cn- ductors out of their circuits, at leasi at
ihely without coils. Those generations of audic frequencies. As previously men-
RTTY enthusiasts who grew up depending tioned, coils for audio frequencies are
on the ubiquitous 88-mH fomidal induc- often large and frequently expensive.
tors might he shocked lo discover thai you '<t(eur.«e>- Although passive LC (inductance*
can replace up to (our of these bulky items IA1 capacitance) filters require no power sup-
with a single IC. Besides their size an J ex- ply, you have to dcsiu.ii ;hcm carefully to
pense, coil-tapaoior filters ai audio fre- nisniniA' loss, paying careful aitcnil-on io
quencies are notoriously hard lo tunc — Fig. 1 —
At A, plots o* relative oulpul versus
input and output impedance matching.
Irequency for hirjli*pa5& ano low-pass litters: tc
it's ju:-t haul lo find variable coils or is me CulOti ncquCncy. AI B. pioisoi relative Active filter*, on ihe other hand, can easi-
capacitors big enough to do the job. Many output versus frequency to' oand-psss and ly be designed for almost any desired in-
active filters eau be tuned with an Inex- Oand-slop ''lte«s; t is the cenle' Irsquency. put a:id output impedances, and can give
The aioa between t and '2 15 'ne passband ol
pe n s i ve pot c n t i on et e i
(
considerable gain to boo RC (resist ance-
Ihe DanrJ-pass filter and the stonoand ol me !

What is an active Filler? Well, wha' is a Hand-slop filler. capacitance) active filters are especially
filler". We generally consider a filler in be useful at low audio frequencies where the
any circuit desigiud to attenuate sonic fre- large inductances needed for LC filters
quencies more than others. A high-pass beconc impractical.
filler passes high frequencies with little at- Rl
tenuation while providing grcaier artcnua- INPUT O -AAAh Band-Pass RC Active Filters

lion to the lower frequencies. See Fig. IA. Yoj ran make an RC titter without any
The cutofffrequency aTi hiEh^pass filter active devices. Look at Fig. 2. Ai high fre-
is the lowest frequency that passes with "l quencies, most of the sigial is .shorted out
relatively little attenuation. The region by CI. At low frequencies, most of the
above the cutoff frequency is the pass- signalis blocked by C2. Thus the circuit

tnmd. and the region of high attenuation of Kin ? i? n hnnH-pnss filter The limita-
is the siopbaml. A low-pass filler his its Fig. 2 — A passive RC band-pass I Iter Maxi- tion i> that the maximum Q possible with
passband below the cutoff frequency and mum Q obtainable is only U2 this ivpe of
only 1/2.
filter is
ii> stopband above. A hand-pass filler has Those familiar with Q-muhipliers or
two StOpbandS —
one above and one regenerative detectors may recall that one
below the passband, and a hand-stop way io increase the Q
of a tuned circuit is
fillet has a stophand between a pair of to introduce a little positive feedback
passbands. See Kit:. IB. around it. (If you apply too much feed-
An vtiivtr filler is simply a filler thai back, Ihv circuit will usiillan.-.) The .same
uses an active device to improve the luck Hoiks foi an RC bandpass filler. Sec-
attenuation characteristics. Thai Fig. 3. Here R3 has. been added to couple
Q- multiplier in your old receiver i* an in he signal. You can use a number of dif-
I

early type of active filter. While most ac- ferent resistor and capacitor values to
tive fillers these days use operational achieve ihe desired filter characteristics,
amplifiers (op amps),' you can make some but for simplicity w« usually make the two
type of active filter with almost any device capacitor values ihc same and also let KI
that has power gam. = R2 = R3.
Let's say wc want a -kHz band-pass
RC Active Filters Fig. 3 —
An active RC band-pass lilter. To fiber with a 3-dB bandwidth of 600 Hz,
quite possible io design active filters design a lille' using this Circuit, make all ihe
It's
nequency-iieiCf mining resistors and
The bandwidth is just ihc center frequen-
using coils. We've already mentioned the capacitors equal: R1 = R2 = R3andCt = cy divided by the Q so wc have B = r„/Q
antediluvian Q
-multiplier as one example. C2. Choose a convenienl value tor C and then or a r,/B = IOO0/603 = 1.67. So tis-
R = /2J)2 n CfJ. where R -s in kSl, C <s In ,,F.
ing in.* equations from Fig. 3, R5/R4 = 3
and -s in MU. Q = t„IQ, wnare Bis Ihe 3-dB
•1578 Los Alamos
i

Banc w (din in k H? H4 and R5 UCIC-'mine the O: - ( vT/1.6?) = 2.15. The actual value?,
Santa Rosa. CA 95401
fld,
R5/R4 = 3 -(v/2X)| The voltage gam is of these resistors arc nol oo important —
'Notes appear at erd ol article. 2<V2 -1. it's the ratio of the two that determines

QRP Classics 191

 ,

*V AA/ ,

t9V

(A) F«j 6 — A lunanie band-pass Hilar After

choosmo a value lor C Ci = C2I. tien R2 =
1/bBCJ. Where R2 is if! Hi. C II m UF. anil B IB
the bandwidth m hHj. Rl (kfl} = R2'2G. wneiC
OUTPUT G is the desired numerical voltage gam al
resonance
O
1
R3 (kii, =
15 V

in kHz. Inseil Ihe minimum and

maximum values ol i„ mio the above equation
loget tne maximum and minimum values tor

/V\A
3.3 k

iHP'jr
Fig 4 — A practical audio ii»f>r is snown at A. nasftd nn in? cles>Q'' m
Fig. 3. Tic Q can be varied
.

Uy dUjuMmi] Uiv lO'Kii puivnllumutai. a Uiind'piibs inivr usny discrete irans »

-i
- shown ai B.
R2 m Fig. 3 is trc parallel coinbindhbii of Ihe 4JT>M1 and iO-tl! resistors in Firj 4B lanoul 3 km

FBEQUfNC * ( hH(l

1 j 7

Fg. 7 —
A practical tara-oass MUM lhat tunes

-10
4 from 350 lo 2000 Hz.

I he
That R5
Quid gain. Lci'Sch«oscR4 = 15 k0.
= 2.15 x 15 kll = U kii. (if
m
U
U
B
3
i-
3
t K5-
cuii
rcsisior

c\act
K I

htcumwi an
= 3.

tolerances you usually uw a

ihv

potentiometer to adjust the cam io get Mi.

Q
potentiometer sol In
you wain. Sec
4A. Willi the
middle of its
Q i' inliniic
oMjiikiinr.j

Fig,
[lie
Tn
and the cii

allow for

s
-20 range, the effective values of K4 anil R5
u arc 15 kii ami }1 kii respectively, es
>
disiivd. Ncai. choose a value lor K or C.
_j
tu
Let's lei C = 0.01 uF. (All of llie fur-
K nailas in this article cspress capacitance in
microfarad?., resistance in kilohms, and
frequency in kifohert/-) Then *
- SZCnCfJ - or about 22 kP.
22,5 kfl
-30
5 shows the measured frequency
Jose iif (he eireuii in Tig. 4A. You can
Fig 5 — Mcnsu ed frequency response ol the llllM o' Fiy. 4A The center tioquen;y and band- oi lower ilie Q hy adjusting the
width art not exactly as orediclcd because of componeni tuiurances. potentiometer. If you want to rune tlis

QRP Classics 192

 FKEQlSNCt f>K II
1
o

A
/\

- -io
a
lu
a
V J—
J
Bp \
<
|u
F.g 13 A bOUHz band-pate hilar Calculalad
|-M • gam
is 2C0 and Ino Q <S 10. giving a
-1
LU
bandwidth of 5 kHz Si nee a standard 74t op
a amp docs not work wen above 10 kHz, a Ingh-
1 slew-rale version 15 used Todesign lor olhor
Ifequeicies. '"'ji c^owf a value for CI. then
R2 = 3B/|2nCHc2), where G3 is the gain-
bandwidth product ol ",no opamo (1000 kHz lor
a 74 1 or 7d 1S|. Choose us ng = or U8
= G'n'GB. Then
-JO
B2(a
"
1 > i '5

Fip 8 — Measureo lequency response ol ihe circuit ol Fiq. 7 to* three setlmgs of tne poten-
Tfifl highest possiDIo Q is GB'I
QGBH
and the
tiometer mgnest passible gam is

P2

SOII'UT

sout y 05
O L^V"
CIS
r-
ur

r~i ^ *-

Fiq. 9 —
A low-pass active ItllSt Fc* yxMl .** 1 Fig 11 — A lighpasstiller For fa«ly narrow Fig. la —
A bamj pasi LC active hilar. = O
Iban Q " ' pass lillcr hut. a m'Jli <0 the
1 1 tomJ wdth h 0|. the
(hiq Q
o' a *»i<jr» past liltoi l 'Q. Choose a convontenl vjluo Id Lt. Ihi>«
u
frequency response similar lo thai o' a band- is uuO'G'imaiuly l„'B. R2'R1 = 2 - WO). For ; I
i

pass III lor For relatively narrow bandwidth. O given value o C

)CI = C2|. R3 = H4 i CI =
is approximately Lift. RJjRll = 2 - (1/0). For a 1/|2nl-,C), where all quantities are etpressed m l2tl„)2Lt

given value of C (CI = C2l. R3 = W = the same units used in the previous examples.
where LI <s m heniys and Cl is tn u? R3 =
1J|2nl Cl. where R is in kfi. C >$ m if and
, l is The gam at f, is 30 - 1
in kHz. The gam at f„ is 30 - I. OX, where X is the inductive or capacitive re-
actance m Ml |X m 2if L). The gain is 1 +
R?/Rl R2/R1 = R&RA Rd includes the losses
in LI.

C!
liliL't Q. you would
"iihtiui changiiiB ihc
II
PS need gauged pw'tfiiiionicters tu
rhrtL'
|
AA> i

replace Rl, RZ and R3.

WUT fl
o Don't act llw idea tltai all RC active
i(- OUTPUT
filtu-i-must be made whli op am|». Thv'
< o
1
design Of rie. 3 wutks fine using a pah of
tiaiisKtot*. 4B is a practical example-
The e.-nter IrequeiKy is oixHIl 700 H/., and
11 itiv bandwidih isdeicnniicd l«y Ihcsctiing

of he i 10-fcfl potent ionic. cr,

The filter Of Fig. n hits (he initfrvsiirts
Fig tO —
Another lew-pass (.tier Choose C2.
<h»n r.i = r,7( TO
; Rt = n? = R-i = Fiq 12 — Anjltici NQh<MM WW Choose Rl. properly that you can tunc ihe center fre-
quenrv wflhO'ul changing ihe gam by \ai y-
1fl2-:l -/C1C?>. whom R U Ml. C <s in ^F.m then R2 = R'I 30)S .C1 = CZ = C3 =
and l„ •$ in kHr The gam li equal ro Q W(2rri n ,/RiR?) Th.; gain is equal io Q ing asingle icsiMoi R.V In additmii. the
,

QRP Classics 193

Q mcr eases wi h fivrjurrH'y in siiei n way minimum and maximum va ties of R.I Hun ill.' hill. Representative designs are given
thai lie bandwidth Mays const aw for all
i our io he 300 Q and 10.7 kfl. Using (he in Figs. 9 and 10.
tuning settings —
a sorl of "poor man's nearest standard resistor values, we get ihc The circuitFig. 9 can he
of uncd by i

paMband liming!" eirvuii of Rg, 7. Fig, 8 indicates Hie ganged poteiiliamcias ai R3 and R4. The
To design one ul' ihcso fillers. >ou first measured ficquency respu-rse lor ihe cir- Q can be adjusted by inserting a poten-
choose the bandwidth (B), gain |G) ami euii. If your calculation* give you a tiometer between R and R2 as in Fig. 4A.
I

the lowest aiK highest frequencies lo he negative * aluc for R3, hen your lower fre-
i While it's not as easy to tune, ihe circuit
tuned (finj„, flluv ). Lei's bay you wain in quency ti nil is ino low or y.iui gain is too
i of Fig. 10 has bfiltfl stability than that nf
tunc 350 iv 2090 H-- (0.35 kHz 2 kHz) m high. Chno.se new values and recalculate. t'ii. 9. h\» high \ahKs of Q. Ihe gain an.l
wtili a bandwidth oX 150 H/. (0.15 kHz) Qui* iliy lattei Changy markedly
filler will
an J a gain of one. Again we'll choose 0.01 Low -Pass RC Active Fillers
for small changes
eny of (lie resistor or
in
jiF for i he capacitor value. From ihe for- If you need attenuation of higher fre- capacitor values. If you need only a fixed-
mulas in Tig. ft. R2 = 1/ (n x 0.13 X quencies only (such as adjacent-channel luqueney filter, the one in Fig. 10 is a bcl-
0.01) = 212 Rl = 106 kfl and ihe v.li Interference), a low-pass filler will fill tet choice.

High-Pass RC Active Killers

In principle, you can convert any RC
Io*v-pasi filiei inio a high-pass filter bv
substituting resistors lor
all he capacitors I

ami capacitors for al the resistors, Tlu*

circuits nf Figs. || ami 12 correspond in
Ihc low-pass filters in Figs. 9 and 10,
respectively. Their characteristics ar:
O OUT PUT liriilar except iliiii ihey are Itigli-jxco in
nature. Aciually, for high values of Q. lh:
frequency responses of band-pass, low-
pass and high-paw fiLers arc pretty much
the same close io the peak frequency. Ii's
only when you gei well away from the
passband that you start io notice dif-
fciences in atienuaiin i.
Fig. 13 is a band-pass filter that uses the
internalfrequency compensation of tin:
op amp to replace one of ihe capacitors ii
ihe feedback network. This circuit has
very high gain ailow frequencies. Even at
50 kHz, ihe tuned i-f amplifier shown has
a gain of abnut 210, which rcquius
Fig. 15 — A tunable 50-kHz amplilier Bilterned alter tnc CifCUil ol Fig. 14.
careful allcnriitn io eireml Inyuui in
ensure siablltcy.
FREQUEhCt UHi)
LC Aclive Fitters 1 3 4 9

One of the big advantages of active

fillers is

without
like eoils.
that
coils.
you can build high-CP

you can
On ilie

still
other hand,
use (hem
fillers

if you
in active
/ N V
filler

Fig.
designs, In fact, this will Sometimes
result in a mote stable and reliable eirvuil.
14
filler circuit
is an example. This band-pass
increases the effective
the coil by mean*- of positive feedback
of
—
n
-10
/
I

1
\
W I
through R5. You can set the Q by ad- a
3 I
juslint: R3. In (his circuit, changing the i- I
_j
bandwidth docs not alter the gain. When a.
X
properly adjusted, this more stable

\
Filter is

and easier to use than some

especially at high frequencies.
For example, you can build a practical
RC circuits, >
T
X
50-kH/ tuned amplifier (Fig. I5> that is
less critical to construct than one based on
an RC design. My 10-mH coil had a /
measured of only 3" at 50 kHz. but i(
was easy to obtain bandwidth* less .han
37(1 II/. indicating an effective Q of over -30
130. To alien this filter, disconnect the in-
put and adjust ihcS-kl) polcnliomclet un-
til the circuit is on the v tirge of oscillation
with the variable capacitor adjusted for Fig, t7 —
Frequency response of tie phone/cw audit; filter. In the phone mode, tne frequency
response is I&O to 3100 H; with a nieasuied gam of 085. On cw. the gain is about eight, with a
the desired center frequency. With |hj ii»-
6 <1B oanOwiOtft ol 300 Hz centered at 920 Hz.
pul reconnected, ihe filter should be un-
condit ionally stable.

Cascading Aclive Filters shows a useful circuit consisting of a pair way.

By :hc ii 's not necessary io use two
Cascading passive niters can create pro- of cascaded filters of the type described in separate integrated circuits to build this
blems, connecting the output ol
in that Fig. 10. Wi.h the switch in the "phone" filler.You can buy ICs with two or even
one the input of another causes
filler to position, each section is a 23CO-H/ low- four op amps to the package. For exam-
the impedances lu interact, affecting the pass filter wiih a Q
of about one. Rl and ple, lie Motorola MCI747 and MC474I
frequency responv in ways you might not Cl were adced to further reduce the high- arc the dual and quad versions of their
expect. Cascading active fitters, however, frequency response. Switching io cw adds MCI 7-4 1 operational amplifier.
is easy because th.' high-impedance input extra capacitance, which not only lowers I hope this article has given you some
uf each op amp docsti'l affcel the low- ihe K-sonan: frequency io about 800 H/. idea of what can he thine with active
impedance output of the preceding stage. but also raises the Q to ahoui 3.5. The two filters. much gear in the
In fact, there isn't
The total frequency response the pro- is 0.02-uF coupling capacitors roll off the av cragc ham shack where one of these lit-
duct of the responses of the individual frequency response below 300 H/. which tle gvmos wouldn 'r come in handy. Drop
filters — that is.the total attenuation (in helps to hln.'k any hum present on (he in- one i«y vour itcxl construction project
dB) at any frequency is the sum of the at- put. The frequency responses for both and sue!
tenuations of the individual stages. modes arc plot led in Fig. 17. Notts
Cascading filters greatly improves the The may
be driven by any audio
filter
'WiHnhtard. "A Bcgiiincr'ti Lnuk ai Op-Amp*,'*
stop-band attenuation. For example, if source having less than about 2-kII output QST April NtiD, |«" 15 and Julie 1980. p. 25.
"Nmi>u. "Ad)u»iahli' -Villi" I'lK'i I'm Cw." Ham
one fitter has 20-dB attenuation at same impedance ami a voltage swing less than Rutin. AupuM 1971).
frequency, two such filters in cascade will about 8 vol s pk-pk on phone and volt I 'Sliiiiiii. "A Audio Amplifier." Him* ami
lljiult
have 40 dli, three filter* will have 60 dB, pk-pk pit cw. (The gain is about one on Kir**. QST. D.\vi«K l«*7«*. p. 56,i

and so on. phone ami about eight on cw.) The output

is sufficient to drive headphones of any 'HinlaL Asfri* ami Aniw W'tbv/k Amilrw, ami
Let's Build One impedance, but you should add an Sytukato. Houghton Mifflin. 1974.
Lam. Altaian P'K'ial Filter*, I'fcuiEcc-HaH,
Enough theory; let's build one! Fie. 16 amplifier to drive a speaker.' 1979.

QRP Classics 195

 From 1990 ARRL Handbook Ch 28, p 1:

A Simple, High-Performance
CW Filter

By Ed Wetherhold, W3NON
1426 Cattyn PI
Annapolis. MD 21407

This inductor-capacitor CW filler uses narrow enough to give good selectivity, and way the filter sees a load impedance of 230
one s.iack of ihe rami liar 88-mH inductors yet broad enough for easy tuning with no ohms. This design was selected so that only
and two 44-mH inductors in a five- ringing. Five high-Q resonator circuits oneiurn needs to be removed from both
resonator circuit that gives high p;rfor- provide gcod skirt selectivity that is equal windings of a standard 44-mH inductor to
mance at low cost. The center frequency to or better lhan most commercial active give the required L2 ard L4 values.
isfixed at 750 Hz because most transceivers filters costing more lhan SfO. In com-
use this sidetone frequency, but sidetoncs parison, iris CW niter can be built for less Const ruction
between 700 anc 800 Hz can be received lhan $15. Simple construction, low cost and Fig 2 is diagram showing the
a pictorial
with less than dB attenuation relative to
I
good performance make this filter an ideal filter wiring. Note the 44-mH lead connec-
the center frequency. Ed Wetheihold, first project for anyone interested in putting tion, as well as the connections between the
W3NQN.I designed and built the filler together a useful station accessory. capacitor leads, the 88-rnH stack terminals
presented here. The author can provide and ;hc 44-mH inductor leads. Fig 3 shows
parts for this procct at nominal cost. Write Design
r lie finished filter installed in an aluminum
E. E. Wetherhold. W3NQN. 1426 Catlyn Fig 1 shows the filler schematic diagram box. Before heginn ing crtmirurrion obtain ,

Place. Annapolis, MD
21401 for more and component values. These values were one 88-mH five-inducior slack with a
information. If you need a design for a selected for a center frequency or 750 Hz mounting clip and two 44-mH inductors,
different center frequency, the author can and for a filter impedance level of 230 and then follow sieps to 5. I

provide that as well. Be sure to include a ohms. The filter sees a 230-ohm source 1) Remove one turn from each of the two
self-addressed, stamped 9'/:- x 4-inch impedance consisting of the 200-ohm wincings of one 44-mH inductor to get
envelope with your request. source (transformed from K ohms), a 43.5 mH (total turns removed is two).
One feature rjf this niter is a 3-dB 22-ohm transformer winding resistance and Carefully scrape off the film insulation and
bandwidth of 236 Hz. This bandxvidih is on 8-ohm indueior resistance. In a similar coilLCCt ihe siau lead (yilh sleeve) wf one

J»

V
:

Fig 1—Schemalic diagram ot 750-Hz CW filter. Use 1% tolerance capacitors for best results.
Cl.C5— 0.512 «F capacitor. L2. L4—435 mH loroid (modifiac 44-mH Ri-Zero to 220-ohm, frW, 10% resistor
C2.C4— 1.036 uF capacitor. toroid. ses loxi). (see text).
C3— 170.7 nF capacitor. L3-264-mH loroid (pari of loroid stack, see S1— DPOT switch.
Ji— Phone Jack. 0' |ack lo maich your read- 10X1). Tl, T2—8-ohm lo 200-ohm impedance-
phones. Pl_Phnna plug, or plug lo match youf malrhinfj nanclnrmot.
Ll. L5—88-mH loioid (pari of foroid Stack, see receiver.
10X1).

QRP Classics 196

 .

Fig2— Piclonal diagram showing L2 and L4 lead connection and

w/inng ol inductor stack (L t L3, L5). .

winding to the finish lead (no sleeve) of die

adjacent winding to make the center tap as Table 1

shown in Fig 2. Do ihc same for Ihe second Node-to-Node Resistances for the CW Audio Filter
14-mH inductor. Nodes Components Resistance
2) Fatten both of tlw43.5-mH inductor* Prom To {ohms)
to opposite ends of the 88-mH slack us ng 1 GNO Tl hi-Z winding 12
:lcarsiliconc-rubber sealant, available from 2 GNO L1 and Vi L2 10
most hardware stores. 3 GNO L2 A
4 GNO V: L2 2
3) Position the 43.5-mH inductors so
& GND L3 and Vi LA 26
their leads can be easily connected to he 6 GNO Vt LA 2
rest of Ihe circuit. Solder tlte capacitor leads 7 GNO L4
to the stack terminals as shown in Fig 2.
8 GNO L5 and Vi L4 $
A) Obtain a suitable box and make hclcs
9 GND T2 hi-Z windtno )2
2 4 L1 6
lor the inductor mounting clip, the DPDT 5 6 13 24
switch, and the phone jack and phone cord. 6 8 LS 8
2 3 LI and V> L2 10
First, install matching transformers Tl and
8 7 LS and V> 14 10
T2 and the inductoi stack with capacitors.
Fasten Che transformers (with leads point- Notes
ing up) to the bottom of the box with See Fiqs and 2 lor the liller node locations.
1) 1

Check yojr wiring using Ihe resistance values in TatlO I. II

21 there is a slgrificant ditterence
silicone rubber sealant Secure the stack to
.
bciwtcn yum Hicdauied value* dud itn- lable values, you Have a nliing error tnst must be
ihe hotioni of the box with a 1-3/8-inch corrected.
component mounting clip and two no. 6-32 3) For accurals measurement, use a digital VOM or an analog VOM (such a; a Triplet!

X 5/16-inch screw;. Instead of the 8x3 Model 630) that has a scale center of about 5 ohms on ihs x 1 obmmeter range.
x 2 J,4-tnch aluminum box shown in Fie 3
(Mouscr Slock No. 537-CR-8O0), a snail
cardboard box may be used io minimize
tost. pedance (within 10 percent of 2X1 ohms). appear- io be the same with the filter in or
5) Complete che wiring of the trans- out of the circuit.
Performance
formers, the DPDT switch with resistor Rl, More than 700 hams have constructed
and the phone jack and phone plug. Then The measured 30-dB and 3-dB band- this fiv :*rcsonator filler (using either the
check he correctness of your wiring by
i
widths are atom 51 1 and 235 Hi, respec- 2-stackor the newer I-siac< arrangement)
measuring and comparing the filter noic- tively, and the 30-dB/3-dB shape factor is and many have commented on its excellent
to-node resistances win the values listed in 2.17. This factor can be used to compare performance and lack of h ss and ringing.
Fable 1 the performance of this wiih others.
filter
The measured 7 50 Hz is
insertion loss at
Installation References
lcv» Hum 3 iB and is typical uf passive

Tl and T2 match ihe liller to the receiver filters of this type. This smal loss is
Wetlieraold, "Modern Design of a CW
Filter using and 44-mH Surplus
88-
low-impcdancc audio output and to an compensated by slightly increasing the
receiver audio gain. Kl helps to maintain Inductors," QST, Dee. 980 and Feed-
5-ohm headset or speaker. If your headset
back. QST, Jan. 1981, p. 43.
is high mpedance. T2 may he omitted. In
i
a constant audio level when ihe filter is
ihis case, connect .» I0°o, V\ W resis:or switched out of ihc circuit. The correct Wetlienolcl. "High Performance CW
from node 9 (C5 output lead) to ground. value of R for your audio system should
I
Filler," rYflfri Radio, Apr 1981.
Choose the resistoi value so the parallel be determined by experiment. Start with a Radio Handbook, 23rd ediiion, W. Orr,
combination of ihc headset and resistor short circuit for Rl and (hen gradually cdU. Howard W. Sams & Co. 1987
gives the correct liter termination im- increase the resistance until the audio level (1-Stack CW Filter), p. 13-4.

QRP Classics 197

From 1990 ARRL Handbook cn 28, p 3:

A Passive Audio Filter

for SSB
By Ed Wetherhold. W3NQN
1426 CallynPI
Annapolis, UD 21407

While audio fillers arc mosi often used

during CW reception, the SSB operator can CAr&OTAMCF IN «F. iHDUCTiNCE IN mM
also benefit from their use. Shown in Tigs 4
and 5 is a passive baud-pass filter designed IA1

by Fd Wetherliold. W3NQN. Tor phone

Operation. This filter was described in

Dec. 1979 QST.

shim itioucrcR
All of the inductors arc the surplus MOUNTED On end
or ino'XTOH stock
88-trtH toroidal type with their windings
wired cither in series or parallel to get the
required 88 or 22 mH
of inductance. The
series connection is shown in Fig 2. The
0.319-jiF capacitors were selected from
several 0.33-pF capacitors that were about
3 pcrceni on the low side. The 0.638-pF
value was obtained with a single 0,68-^F
capacitor that was about 6 percent on the
low side. The 1.276-pF values were
obtained by paralleling selected 1-uF and Fig4— Schematic diagram of the SSB band-pass 'liter (A). Shown in B is a pictorial wiring
0.33-nF capacitors. diagram cl the terminal board on the inductor stack.
Fig 5 shows the measured and cafculated
attenuation responses of the filter. The
difference between the measured and calcu-
lated responses at the low frequency side
of the passband is probably causec by the
much lower Q of the inductors £t these
frequencies.
The necessary termination resistance of
this filler is 206 ohms. While this .5nol a
standard value, it should not be too
difficult for nost amateurs to accom-
modate. 1 f low-impedance headphones are
used, a matching transformer can be used
to provide th: correct termination. A
suitable transformer is available from
Mouser Electronics (sec Chapter 35 parts
suppliers list). The part number is
42TU200, and it is a 200-ohm CT to 8 -ohm
CT unit.

100 2C0 3C3 300 U ?• 3. 5i 10 k

'ncouEKcviuii

Fig 5-R3Spon 5 B curves ot the SSB band-pass filler

QRP Classics 198

From July 1flft7 OST, p 24:

Designing and Building Simple

Crystal Filters
A simple and inexpensive crystal filter that performs well makes
receiver and transmitter projects much more fun. Build one
yourself at a fraction of the cost of a commercial unit.

By Wes Hayward, W7ZOI

7700 SW Danlell© Ave
Beaverton. OR 97005

The Cohn may use for Crystal filler design is described

I am encouraged by the large number
of radio amateurs who want io build
their own rigs. The ready availability
filter, crystal or otherwise, is
a rather simple circuit. This becomes
more apparent when we view the filter
essiiy in
1)
a siep-by-st:p procedure.
Obtain a collection of substantially
of good-quality semiconductors helps in using coupled-resonator methods. 5 AH identical crystals. The crystals are firit
this pursuit. Other components are some- normalised coupling coefficients are equal. matched in frequency. The same oscillator
times harder to find, at least at an Moreover, ihe normalized end-section sl'ould be used to measure all crystal fre-

affordable price. One example b the crystal loaded-Q factor is the reciprocal of die quencies. The error ( frequency di fference)
filter— the heart of any superheterodyne coupling coefficient. The practical simplifi- slould be less than of the desind Wo
receiver or transmitter. cation becomes apparent if we examine the hanHwirilh of the fi ler. For example. a
Inexpensive crystals arc readily available. generalised crystal filter circuit shown in liter with a I -kHz bandwidth should use

They should be characterized and matched Fig 1. All capacitors in the circuit are of crystals matched to within 100 Hz or better.
for frequency prior to use in a typical equal value! The shunt capacitors are 2) Pick a capacitance value to be used in
crystal filter. Methods for building the coupling elements while the scries capaci- the filler. The capacilance IC) value deter-

needed test equpmeni and performing the tors in tie filter end sections arc included mines the filler bandwidth. Larger C values

measurements have been presented be- to properly tune the circuit. yield narrower bandwidth and higher
fore.' These methods arc, unfortunately, insertion loss.
somewhat complicated for the cmual Practical Cohn Crystal Filters 3) Vary the end icrminaiions 10 obtain
experimenter who may hesitate to construct An empirical method tlisi the amateur a shape that is free of passband ripple while

special test equipment when just one filter

is to be built. Whai experimenieis really

need is an empirical filter design method,

one that lends tself lo casual "tweaking." 12 r3 Yn
Such a mcthoc is de-scribed in this arlicle. TERM C

Ihe Cohn Utter

MMnhHnHr--rini— fi

In the course of computer studies of both <TCRW

crystal and LC filters, I've noted that a
circuit called the "Cohn," or "Min-loss" r,~i n~> ~~7 r~,~7
filter, lends itself to particularly simple
designs. 2 This filter configuration derives HOTE AiL CAPACITORS ARE OF EQUAL VALUE,

its name from its originator, and differs AVL CRYSTALS -(AVE THS SAME
RESONANT raEQ.jENC.
tram (lie more familiar Buttorwcrth and
Cltebyshev circuits. The Btittcrworth band-
Fig 1-Gfrneralized crystal tiller suitable for ernptiical construction
pass filter is built for optimum fatness at
ihe filter center. The Chebyshcv design
allows equal passband ripples, and is
designed for the best stopband attenuation
(steepest skirt response). The Cohn filter r ye *3
c c '
is a compromise: It is optimized to exhibit
minimum Insertion loss when bult with Di- i<

practical resonators, while preserving a

f-ood shape factor. The Cohn filter, in LC iso n. i id r.

form, is not n:w to ihe radio amateur. '-J

It is not limited to LC resonators, however,

[t works great with crystals!

t1.t2.YS i3S79 fJUl

Notes appear a: end of article. Fig 2—A simple CW filler using three crystals.

QRP Classics 199

 "

providing sufficient stopband aiitmiation.

This empiric procedure is illustrated in
the following examples. I've cheaied a % — / x RETUfiM
bii — I used a personal computer 10 simulate
/-^
LOSS

the filter, and generate the data presented, -10 /y.> s

but I've obtained similar results with fillers / x /
have built. The experimental results agree
1

well with the computer models. All — eo -J—

examples shown are based on a collection
of crystals from my junk box. They are
inexpensive 3.579-MHz TV coor-bursi
crystals. The average motional inductance
—JO —
for these crystals is 1 17 mH, with a (rather
poort typical Q of 50,000. The parallel -40
capacitance is about 4 pF. 1
A Three-Crystal Co fin Filler
-50
A
simple md practical a filter for -500 -fSOO +IO00
beginner's first CW
superheterodyne RELATIVE rHEOUEHCV (HI)
receiver is shewn in Fig 2. Three crystals
are used. The capacitors are 200-pF units, 3— Frequency
Fig response ol the filter ol Fig 2. The dots show the npul return loss,
a standard value. Experimentation (done indicatirg the quality ol lhe mpedance match.
her* with the computer) shows that a good
filler shape is obtained with an end termi-
nation of 150 ohms. Fig 3 shows the fre-
quency respopseof this filter. The - 3 dli
bandwidth is 403 Hz. and the insertion loss
is 3.8 dB. The loss will be lower with better

(higher Q) crystals. The impedance match

is shown in the figure as a series of dots.
This is the return loss normalized to the
source impedance —
50 ohms for he filter
1

shown,
If different crystals are used, the same
bandwidth can be obtained, within
si ill

limits. The coupling capacitors and end

terminations will then be different,
however. Insertion loss will also differ.
Decreasing the value of the capacitors
increases the bandwidth. Some practical
values are shown in Table 1, again the
result of tweaking with the computer. This
will provide some guidance in experimen-
tal ion.
Fig 4 illustrates the effect of alurin g the
terminating resistance. Fig 4A showj the
result of 75-ohm terminations, lower than
ihc desired 150-ohm value. The filter shows
some passband ripple and a higher insertion
loss. The effect of a 300-ohm termination
is shown in Fig 4B, where the peak shape

becomes more rounded, with degradation

of skirt rcspoise. While the pocrcr fre-
quency doma n shape is generally less
desirable, the with (he higher termi-
r'ilter

nation has a significantly improved group

delay; this filter would be preferred for
high-speed data applications.

A Six-Crystal Cohn Filter

Theihrce-polc filter mentioned above is

practical, h does not , however, offer skirts
that arc as steep as we would like for many
demanding applications, improved skirt -500 +500 -HO00
selectivity in a filler is obtained ty using RELATIVE FREQUENCY (H2|
more crystals. The computer can be used IB)
to generate another table like thai shown
for the three-crystaS Alternatively,
filter.
Fig4— F-equency response of the tiller ol Fig 2 with changes in the end terminations.
the results of Tabic 1 con be us:d as a Curve A snows response witn i50-otim terminations; curve b snows tne response usina
starting point for experimentation. The 300-ohm resistors. See the text (or considerations of which is '"better

ORP Classics 200

ARRL Lab Experiments with the Cohn Filter

ARRL Lab staff members were

intrigued by the malerial on Cohn
filters presented by Wes Hayward,
W7ZOI. We built tour CW filters and
one SSB filter, following Wes's
instructions. Tests confirmed the
computer models, developed by Wes.
This was no surprise!

CW Filters
Four different batches of crystals
were used for the CW filters. The
crystal sources were identifiable, and
the relative quality of each batch was
determined. Four filters were
constructed (Fig A). With the
exception of the crystals used in each

filter, the were identical. The

filters
filter schematic is shown in Fig B. The
capacitors are 300-pF. 5%- tolerance
silver-mica types. The 5O0-ohm
terminations (variable resistors) a: the
ends of the filler were used to "tiim"
the filter for the besi shape and
response characteristics during
testing. An HP-8540 spectrum
analyzer was used to generate the
filter response curves shown in photos
C through G.
The units used in niter no. l are TV Fig A—
Four CW
crystal fillers were built in this configuration. The PC-board mounting
cofor-burs! crystals (3.579545 Ml-z). surfaces provide a ground plane. Capacitors are soldered directly to Ihe ground plane,
They were pu-chased originally fiom and the crystals are connected using the capacitors as standoffs. Phono jacks are used
Radio Shack (about St .60 each) tor for input and oulput connectors. The only variables in the construction of the filters are
another project. There were only five the crystal characteristics and the length of the crystal leads. The SSB filter is not shown.
of these crystals in the batch, so
frequency ma'ching (within 50 Hz)
was not as close as with some o' the tolerance silver-mica capacitors. An CW no. 4 because series
filter

other crystal batches. 8:5 transformer is used for impedance resistors were used to adjust the
The crystals used in filter no. 2 matching. The crystals are terminating impedance of filter nos. 1
were selected from an assortment of microprocessor types purchased from through 3. These resistors introduce
Ion 4.000-MH; microprocessor units Jameco fcieciromcs J at a cost ot louden. In piauilce, each filter would
purchased from JAN Crystals.' These approximately St each. Of 12 crystals be coupled to its associated circuitry
crystals were frequency matched purchased, only 10 were suitable for through matching transformers, not
within 40 Hz. The crystals cost filler US3, The filter response is shown resistors.
approximately S3 each. in photo G. Filter no. 1 exhibits an extremely
Filter no. 3 uses crystals selected sharp response, with a bandwidth of
on the basis of frequency matching Test Results approximately 240 Hz at the -3 dB
from a large batch (over 30) of Photos C through F show the points; it may be too sharp for good
4.000-MHz microprocessor crystals on response curves of the four CW CW copy. Changing the 300-pF
hand in the ARRL Lab (matched filters. Pholo G shows lhe response capacitors in this filter to a lower
within 30 Hz). These crystals can be curve fcr the 12-MHz SSB filter. value will broaden (he response.
characterized as "grab bag" qualily, Insertion loss is quantified only for Filter no. 2 is not quite as sharp as
and similar units are available from filter no. i, and exhibits a peak ripple

various dealers at a cost of less than effect. The response asymmetry can
3Jameco Electronics, 1355 Shoreway Rd.
$1 each. Belmoil. CA 94002, tel 415-592-8097. be corrected by trimming the filter
We bought the crystals used in filter
no. 4 from International Crystal Co. 7
They can ba chara-cteiizmJ aa high-
quality, moderate-cost units. Their
guaranteed frequency tolerance s
0.001% ol 4.000000 MHz, matching
was within 6 Hz, and cost is
approximately S10 each

SSB Filter
A lour-crysial. 12-MHz SSB filter

was built using 160-pF. 10<*- NOTE «-"W SAME FREQUENCY

>

Pi 500 /L
TERMINATION RESISTANCE I A) =" + SO
C= 300-pF SILVER MIC», 5%
'JAN Crystals, 2400 Crystal Dr. PD Box
06017. Fort Myers. FL 33906-6017.
101 813-936-2397
Fig B— Schematic diagram of the crystal filters. Capacitors are all of equal value.
^International Crystal Manufacturing Co. Inc.
PO Box 26330. 701 WSheriOan. Cwatoma Terminating resistors are variable 500-ohm units. Crystals are all of ecual nominal
frequency with minor (up "> HT-H?) variation

For updated supplier aOdnssses, see APS L Fans

Suppliers List In Chapter 2
QRP Classics 201
 Table 1

Cohn Three-Crystal Filter

Bandwidth C fl
cntf
(Hi® 3dB) <pF) (Ohms)
(k = 1000)

380 200 150

600 130 238
i.ok /U 431
i.£k 30 1.5k
2.5k

computer was used in the "construction"

Fig C — Speclral photo showing the Fig O—
Spectral photo showing) :he of a filter with six crystals. The circuit,
lospuiiBC ul filloi iij, 1. ligtiiutnal divisions fBSfjunae ul filter no. 2. Horizontal divisions again a narrow CW filter, is shown ii
are each 200 Hz; vertical divisions are each are each 20O Hz: vertical divisions are each
Fis 5. The 200-pF capacitors used in the
10 dB. Sampling bandwidlh is 100 Hz. Th& 10 dB. Sampling bandwidlh is 100 Hz. The
center frequency is 3.579 MH2. center irequency is 4.000 MHz. earlier filler are retained. The frequency
response of this six-crystal filler is shows
in Fig 6. where the " reference sweep'* is
th* response of the pr:vious three -clement
filler. The new filler has a -3 dB band-

widlh of "4 Hs>, but much steeper skim

thin the thrcc-clcmeni filter.

o^Br 'sflfe' I'll I V

4 Simple SSB Filter
Table 1 shows a number of simple three-
pcle filter con figura .ions. Bandwidth is
increased for a given set of Crystals merely
by decreasing the capacitance value. Tlic
frequency domain response for a itiree-pofc
SSB with 30-pFcapaciiors is shown
filter

in Fig 7. The "reference sweep" is the

reiponse of the earlier three-pole filler CW
Fig E—Spectral proto showing iho response Fig F— Spectral photo showing !he response
with 200-pF capacitors. The skin response
ol Utter no. 3. Homontal divisions are each offilter no. 4. Horizontal divisions are each

20O H2; vertical divisions are each 10 cB. 200 Hz; vertical divisions aro aach 10 dB. of the SSB three-crystal filter is certainly
SampHng bandwidth is 100 Hz. The center Sampling bandwidth is 100 Hz. The center less than spectacular. More crystals wiil
Irequency is 4.000 MHz. frequency in 4.000 MHz. improve this response significantly. This
simple ihree-pole filter is still practical for
some applications, however, such as a
with the termination resistors, but pcrtablc VHF SSB ttansceiver.
insertion loss Increases significantly.
For CW use. however, this filler is Experimental Methods
probably more than adequate.
Filter no. 3 shews a bandwidth of
The computer-based "experiments"
approximately 353 Hz at the -3 dB have proved to be useful. There are
points. It is symmetric and shows low generally no surprises. I've "built" filters
ripple. This is a very good filter. CW on the computer using more than a dozen
Filter no. 4 is £ good example ol crjstab. Some of the more practical designs
what can be accomplished with high- have been transferred lo hardware for
quality crystals and proper termina- receiver applications. Many of these designs
tions. This filter is used in a CW operate at different frequencies, some using
receiver designed by Dave Newkirk.
4.433-MHz Europetn TV color-burst
AK7M (see cover of this issue). The
input and output impedances of this crystals. These crystals arc harder io
filter are 200 ohms. To match the
Fig G-Spcctral photo showing the
obtain, but their Irequency is more com-
50-ohm impedance the test setup
of response ol Ihe SSB inter. Horizontal patible with the exist ng
bands, HF ham
4:1 transformers .vere used. Filter divisions are each 1 kHz; vertical divi- avoiding the spuriom responses that can
insertion loss is 2 dB, with an ultimate sions are each 10 dB. Sampling bandwidth someiimes occur witfc a 3.579-MHz IF.
rejection of over 90 dB. is 100 Hz. The center Irequenc/ is Almost all of my te;t equipmen t is built
The SSB filter shows a -3 dB 12.000 MHz. fo" an input and/or cuipui impedance of
bandwidth of approximately 2.1 kHz.
50 ohms. The test equpment is still easily
There is no discernible ripple, and the
used for filler experiments. Extra resistance
insertion loss is 4.4 dD.
results in an advantage of over 50% is merely added at the filler input anil
Conclusions when compared io the price of output to bring (he level up to that desired.
The empiric approach to designing commercial equivalents. All of the This is illustrated in Fig 8. Fcrrilc trans-
Cohn filters for CW or SSB use is a filters tested are adequate for most formers may also be built to transform
viable alternative to purchasingcom- home-brew projects. They are (un lo impedance levels, bit they cannot b:
mercial The relatively high
filters. build, and result in appreciable changed as quickly as resistors.
component cost br the best filter savings.-Sruct? 0. Williams. WAGIVC,
It is often convenient to experiment with
desiqn tested (CW filter no. 4) still ARRL Stall
a filter that is contained within n receiver
ortransmiiter. An example is shown in ill*

QRP Classics 202

 partial is a dual-
schematic of Fig 9A. Ql
?0OpF *' ?OC;F ga:e MOSFET mixer The drain resistor
determines the input loading impedance for
iHD ID c the filter. An identical resistor terminate;
the filler output. An NPN amplifier. Q2,
200 !00 SCO
150 n buffers the output— insurance chat the
dF pF
following stages will not alter the crystal
/-; i r, 7 filler termination. Rb 911 is a modified
form of the same filter. Tuned circuits have
note: all c«»stals ABE^r the
bc.;n inserted to preseni higher impedance;
SAME FREQUENCY
to the transistors, affording more gain. The
output amplifier is changed to a JFET. Thw
Fig 5— Circuit ol a Cohn filler using six crystals.
modified circuit is be. tor suited to higher
impedance filters, as might be encountered
wilh anSSB transmitter or receiver. Once
the circuit containing l ic filter is built, filter

re-ponse may be measured by tuning th:

receiver through a steady carrier white
observing the output of a later stage wilh
an oscilloscope or RF voltmeter.
It's often difficult to build a filter whilt
also building a receive-. If problems occur,
it s hard to tell if they are related to th:
titer or to the rest of Ihe circuitry. Uncer-
tainty is removed if receiver construction
begins with a simpler, single-crystal filter.
This allows you to get the receiver working
before pursuing the better filter. I don't
entourage you to retain the single-crystal
Hirer as a final option. The enhanced
performance afforded by additional crys-
tals is more than ampl: justification for th?

minimal added effort and expense.

Other Crystals
The examples presented have used
There
readily available color-burst crystals.
is nothing special about them. Indeed,
they often represent Ihe poorest possible
quality for a crystal, and their frequency
(3 579 MHz) can cause compatibility
-10
problem. in many of Ihe ham bands. They
1
;

! ar;, however, both available and) cheap

LU
tn

3 -20
<L
|
1
I

A
« :fehe ICE
\ Many parts distributors
microprocessor applications in their
list crystals Tor

1
catalogs. The only operience I have had
1/1 li

S
e -30
u
I r with these crystals was with two 4-MHz
crystals." The average Q was 150,000,
•J
/ motional inductance was 148 rtiH and
E
-10
/
— \
th? two crystals differed in frequency by
105 Hi. Further data on other crystal types
/ would be of great use to the amateur corr-
/ \ nunity. Anyone out there with data to
-•>» _\
-1000 +t0Q0 +2000 * 3000 *flOOO +5000 share? [Sec the sidcbai to this article. Ed ]
003
Traditional tntuilicn might suggest thct
RELATIVE FREOUSNCI (MB)
narrow-bandwidth filters are more difficult

to design and build than those with wider

Fig 7— Frequency response ol a simple Ihree-pole SSB liller. The circuil Is ttial ol Rg 2 bsndwidth. Just the opposite is true;
capacilcrs changed 30 pF and terminations of 1500 ohms.
wilh all to
CW arc easier :o build than SSB cr
filters
AV] fillers. This is fortunate, for it seeirs
that much ofthe present home-brew
activity is aimed at CW rigs.
Narrow-bandwidth CW filters are easily
built with the lower frequency crystals, such

— —
Fig 8 External resistors may be added
toan ««rporlmonml filter tn allow u«w nt
50-ohm insirurnentatioi for circuil
evaluation.

QRP Classics 203

 piece of equipment. Unfortunately, this
may not be practical—the cost for a set of
crystals can be high when the crystal
characteristics must fee well specified and
closely matched.
Before you aiiemr;i any custom filter
design and construction, spend some tim;
experimenting with the more readily
available, and certainly less expensive
crystals I have u&cd, I'm sure you'll enjoy
IB IN the experience.

Noes
'W Hayward, "A United Approach to the
as (hose at 3.579 MHz. While an SSB filler Typical parameters for these crystals arc: Design ot Crystal Ladder QST, May
Filters."
1982, pp 21-27.
can be buili ai 3.579 MHz, probably higher motional inductance - 20 ntH, parallel C 1
S Conn. "Dissipation Loss in Multiple Coupled
terminating impedances will be required. = 3 pF and = 200,000. These charac- Resonators," Proceedings IRE, Aug 1959.
The termination value drops with in- teristics tcsult in practical CW filters with 'W Sabin.
Jul 1970.
"The
p 35.
Solid-State Receiver," OST
creasing frequtney. making wider band- terminating impedances as low as 50 ohms, *D. DeMaw, "His Eminence— The Receiver,'
width fillers more easily realized at higher and SSB filters with 200- to SDO-ohm loads. OST, Jun and Jul 1976.
frequencies. I cficn build equipment with You can. of course, order high-quality 'A. I. Zverev, Handbook cl niter Gynlhaais (Nen
York: John Wiley and Sons. 1967).
a 10-MHz IK because crystals with excellent crystals for any desired frequency. It is then "Mousor Electronics. 1 1511 Woodside Ave. Lake-
Q are readily available for this frequency. possible io fit a new filter into an existing Side. CA 92040. part ». ME332-1M0.

QRP Classics 204

From April /986 QST, p 13:

SuperSCAF
and Son—
A Pair of
Switched-
Capacitor
Audio Filters
Been looking for an audio
filter that's a great
performer and easy to is

build? Here are two that

fill the bill nicely!
iPftotogiapf} courtesy Sould AW Semjconductors, copyright 1985'

By Rich Amdt, WB4TIM and Joe Fikes. KB^KVE

179 Wildwood Dr 6817 Crinor Rd
Sanford. FL 32771 Hu msviUe. AL 35802

I otliing it more frustrating than professional electronic journals. HWe will cessingis used in computerized speech, TV

\ I living w copy a weak signal in discuss SCF theory only briefly here. image enhancement and radar. An impor-
I N heavy QRM except, perhaps, losing Primarily, wc examine the significant
will tant part of digital signal processing is digital
ii altogether. A good) audio can be
filter features of the S3528 and S:529 and will filtering, which is functionally equivalent to
tremendously helpful in separating the discuss the construction and use of an ansJog One of several practical
filtering.
weak sinnals from the strong ones. Hie two audio filter incorporating th?se devices. digital-filterimplementations is the SCF.
switched -capacitor filters (SCFs> presented The SCF works by storing discrete
here reflect the needs of different users.
Switehed-Capadlor Fillers
samples of an analog signal as a charge on
SuperSCAF is a self-contained audio filter Whenever an electrical signal is modified a capacitor. This charge is transferred from
with thumbwheel frequency selection ai in some way (except for pure implification one capacitor to another down a chain of
100-Hz iniervals. a built-in audio power or attenuation), wc say that wc have capacitors forming the filter. The sampling
amplifier and an ac-operated power supply. "processed" the signal. Signal processing and transfer operations take place at
JuniorSCAF is much smaller and simpler. may be accomplished by continuous or regular iniervals under control of aprecise
Junior is designed lo be added internally discrete processes. We refer to the con- frequency source or clock. Filtering is
to a receiver and use the receiver's audio tinuous process as "analog signal process- acHeved by combining the charges on the
amplifier and power supply. Both filters ing" and :o the discrete process as "digital different capacitors in specific ratios and
feature high performance and simple con- signal processing." Examples of analog by feeding charges back to the prior stages
struction. Experienced builders can assem- signal-processing circuits are mixers, detec- of the capacitor chain. In this way, filters
ble either one in a weekend. tors,and frequency-selective circuits made of much higher perfcrmance (and com-
The heart of ihesc audio filters is a pair from inductors and capacitors. Active filters plexity) may be synthesized than is prac-
of ICs recently introduced by AMI, the using op amps, resistors and capacitors also tical with analog filters.
S352S and These two ICs can be fall into ihe analog category.
used together to form an SCF band-pass an the other
Digital signal processing, The AMI S3528 and S3529
filterwith excellent characteristics. The hand, relics on a scries of "snapshots" or AMI
has produced i. number of ICs for
low-pass and high-pass cutoff frequencies, samples of the signal in order to perform the telecommunications industry that con-
fC and fej, , are selected by digital inputs to a given function. These individual samples tain complete SCl-'s. Two of these circuits,
l

the ICs at increments of approximately are combined and manipulated in a way that the S3528 and S3529. are of particular in-
100 Hz throughout the audio band. lpro- terest to the amateur community because of
The theory cf operation of switched- iher flexibility and perfarmance. Within the
capacitor filters has been well presented in S3f28, we find a seventh-order elliptical low-
past issues of QSTand other amateur and 'Notes aiiraar at end ot article. pass filter, a clock generator, a program-

ORP Classics 205

mable-clock frequency divider and a pair of
buffer amplifiers thai are helpful in gelling
the signal into ant out of the IC. The S3529
is similar to the S3528 except thai it contains
a high-pass filter instead of a low-pass filter.
Attenuation is designed lo be greater than
51 dB at frequencies above 1.3 ft | for the
low-pass filter or below fch/ 1 .3 for the
high-pass filter, where fcl and fch are the
low- and high-pass filler cutoff frequencies,
respectively. (In a band-pass configuration,
fch is less than or equal to fd .( This frequen-
cy response characteristic may be seen ;n the
title photo.

A key feature of the S3528 and S3529

pair is the ability to digitally select fC |and

fch- Anv of 64 different cutoff frequencies

be selected by setting a 6-bit control
SuperSCAF s a atanfl-alone unll lhal contains a swllcnea-caoacito' (liter, an audio oowflf
This code addresses an on-chip
. ROM amplifier and an ac-opetated power supply.
whose output controls the frequency
divider. In the S3528, the sampling fre-
quency is obtained by dividing the
3.58-MHz clock to equal 40 fd . h the
S3529, the sampling frequency is 4* fch .

An especially rice set of cutoff frequen- Table 1

cies is available n the voice range below S3S28 and S3529 Culoll Frequencies
3900 Hz. With a common 3.58-MHz TV BCD Code •itgh-Pass Cutoff low-Pass Cuto/f BCD Code High-Pass Cutoff tow-Pass Cuiotf
etequency Frequency frequency ifa I Frequency (lt J
color-burst crystal and binary-coded
decimal (BCD) inputs, f(1 is abou: 100 m (t
cn /

m tfc, I

m m ,

limes the BCD code on the S3528, and fctl

is about 91 times the BCD code on the
02
ft
182
44 34
35 m
3254
3442

S3529. Setting the code of both filters lo S3 273 300 37 3389

the same value gives a filter whose upper- 04 363 399 38 5811
05 455 50Q 3537
frequency cutoff is 1O0 limes the switch
05 546 601
setting and whose width is 10% of the pass- 07 635 699 Additional Hex CoOtfS
band center frequency. 726 799 0A 433 476
This selection scheme works for all BCD 822 90i 0B 227 250
codes between 01 and 39. As you ma> have
10 B!4 10OS OC 004 00.1
11 1005 1105 00 935 1026
observed, Ihere arc other digital codes, such 1099
12 1209 0E 957 1053
as 0B and 2E hexadecimal, which lie out- 13 1179 129' 0F 1043 1147
side the BCD
code set. What happens if 1* 1271 1398 1A 1334 1467
15 1355 1491 IB 1402 1542
you specify one of these codes? You get
16 1453 1598 IC 1565 1721
more frequencies! Some lie between the 17 1535 ID 1768 1945
100-Hz intervals; others lie outside the 100- IB 1627 1790 IE 1649 2034
to 3900-Hz range, up to 22 kHz. A com- 19 1901 1F 2034 2237
plete list of code* and frequencies is given
20 !SS 2A 2136 2350
21 1692 2081 2B 2325 2557
in Tabic I. Note lhal codes 35 and 38 22 1985 21SJ 4067
2C 3697
deviate from the 100-Hz pattern. 23 2086 2295 20 4067 4474
An interesting bit of insight may be 24 2198 2418 2E 4519 4971
25 2260 24S6 2 F 5085 5593
gained into the workings of SCFs by ex-
26 2392 2632 3A 6779 7457
amining ihe poss bilily of spurious signals 27 2465 2711 3B 8135 8949
in the filler's output. As it happens, there 28 2543 279: 3C 9039 9943
are a few BCD switch combination: thai 50 ?fi« 3D 13550 14916
30 2712 2983 3£ 16270 17897
produce very low-level spurious output
31 2805 3086 3F 2033B 22372
signals, or "birdies." A few of these ar- 32 2905 3196
(coun-sy Goulfl AMI Seiricondjclofs, coBVrlQhl IMS!
tifacts of the digital-filtering process can be 33 3013 3314
heard, although they are much too weak
to interfere with communication.
One birdie can be heard when the high-
pass switch is 00 From Table 1 wc
set to . ,

sec ih,ai f(h is 40 Hz. In this case, the S3329

sampling frequency is 1760 Hz. At low-pass
switch settings above 16, the tone can be birdies through the aliasing and quantizing facility; it proved to be "clean as a
heard. Another can be heard whci the process. An explanation of these signals is whisllc." 1
high-pass switch is set to 01 and the low- beyond the scope of this article.
pass switch is set lo 39. Here, the sampling We werecurious about the possibility of Circuit Description

frequency of the high-pass filter is 4004 Hz. the clocks and switched signals causing in- Tlie block diagrams Tor ihe two fillers arc
This is close enough to the low-pass cutoff terference to the station receiver, TVs and shown in Fig Both Super and Junior use
1 .

lo get through. Other combinations such so on. Fortunately, we were able to have an identical band-pass filler circuit. Junior's
as 09/10, 10/11 and 11/12 give rise to weak SuperSCAF tested for emissions at a local passband is set by binary DIP switches on

QRP Classics 206

 *uc*o input
FROM BFfFWen AUDO CUT PUT FflOM FECEIVE* TO HIGH IMPEO'NCE 12 > 11 CHMSi
SPEAKER OR JUL L
power fc TO- OBSOHM AUDIO' PRE "MP » »- HEAGPMDNE OS RECEIVER
«£*DP'tO«E JACK
IMPURE* SPOHEH Of
HESCPHD'JE
COIPUI ruTEP wen *wn input

117 V AC - -C TO DC SUPERSCAF CC-lOX JUNIOFSCAF

mour OO.VC"
-L-

Fig 1-BlocK diagrams of SuporSCAF (A) and JunlotSCAF (B).

< »9
359 vm. > IOM
<*l 0*7
CIO I IB

12
111
AUDIO IN '
i SI*!?
FROM *
R6 »47 h
RECEIVEP TCT U2
S152B
620
^ .0
<

7 J
R2j : .
*

9
ten li
10 H7
9
' »

+0 v<

-5VO-

EXCEPT AS INDICATED. OECIVAl ^-ANAlOS GROUNO

VALUES Of CAPACU'ICE ARE
1.1 M:C>OF*flADt. .f |
Oir-CHS
AREI1P(C0FAn»DSlpF GROUND
RESISTANCES ARE I'l OHMS.
I.
^7 ,DIGITflL
+5VO

Flo 2— Schematic diagram of the filler actions 'or SuperSCAF and JunlorSCAF. Trtij circuit, offering simplicity and ease ol construction. 19 used
for Qoth filter units.
J1— Phono lacks. 51— SPOT toggle. U1— AMI S3529 programmable high-pass
J3— Vi-inch phone lack. 52 — BCD tTKntibwheol switch (SuperSCAF); filter.

R10-HI5, R16 B21— t7-k0 x 7 resistor packs C&K 342710640-01904 or equiv. U2— AMI S352S programmable low-pass
used (one resislo* in each pack not For JuniorSCAF. two 6-posltlon DIP lllter.

connected). PC-mount switches are used. Y1— 358-MHz TV colOf-bur;t crystal.

ihe PC board. SuptfrSCAPs passband is impedanee output circuit. It car drive rufih- are followed by an audio pOwer amplifier
controlled by ihumbwhecl switches on the impedance phones directly, but doesn't have Switching is provided tc bypass the filter
unit's front panel. Super also has its own the"oompn" lo drive a speaker. if desired.

audio power amplifier and ac-operated Refer to Figs 2-4. The input signal to As with any digital filler, it is necessary
power supply. In reading the following cir- SuperSCAF is obtained direct y from the to band limit the input signal to prevent
cuit descriptions, keep in mind that speaker ou'.put or the headphone jack of aliasing. The combination of receiver IF-
SuperSCAF is a sclf-conuined unit iha ac- your receiver. The signal is passed first into stage filters and a bit of high-frequency
cepts low- or high -impedance inputs and the S3529 high-pass filter and then into the rollo'f in the audio sections of most
delivers 1.5 W
of audio output si S o3na. S352S low-pass filter. A pair of switches receivers is sufficient to prevent problems.
Junior, on the other hand, has a fagh- sets the frequency of each filter. The filters CM and R2 are used in conjunction with

QRP Classics 207

 VALUES OF ah;
IN M'CHO FARADS »F . Q7HERS
Alt in PICOFARADS < tiF ).

" - SIS i -'i -i

:.
- in OHMS:
tQOO. UBfOCOOOO

Wv • ANALOG
nfaUNO
= DGITAL
OROUKO

FROM
FILTER
IN /OUT
HE AC PHONE
SWITCH J*CK
Tin ?

AUCKJ OUT
^ TO SPEAKER

Fig 3— The SupCfSCAF audio-amplllier scriematlc diagram.

D1-D6. incl-iN4U8 silicon diode. 03. Q4-JN3904. Q6-TIP30A.
J2— Pnunu |acK. Q3-TIP29A. UJ-MCi-oe uual vii wv-
01. Q2-2N3906.

The low-pass filter functions similarly.

E'Cto: AS IHOi:*TE0. O-C/UAi B32 Output from the Low-pass filter is smoothed
VAlliES OF CAPfiCITAfX: Ado by the S3528 output op amp. R8 and C14.
It.MICflGtAHACS I if t OTHEtS
ARE IN PlCOFAFAOS I
pF The filtered signal is then passed to the
OFEIEIA'ICSS A^S II OHMS
power amplifier
Although monolithic audio amplifier ICt
are readily availa ble, adiscrete-componeni
power amplifier (Fig i) was designed for
SuperSCAF. (This choice was dictated b>
the split power supply discussed later. )Tht
power amplifier is basically a voltage
amplifier composed of U3 followed by a
current amplifier. Q2 and Q3 act as driver;
for the output transistors, Q5 and Q6. Ql
and Q4act as constant-current sources for
the driver collector ard output transistot
base nodes. Short-circuit protection (IAJ
is provided by thie current-limiting action
ANALOG 010UNO of D5 and D6. The power amplifier will
deliver a maximum of 1.5 to a 4- oi W
8-chm load, more than enough for a com-
fortable listening level Trying to drive the
Fig 4— Schematic diagram ol iho power supply designed (or use with the SuperSCAF.
amplifier beyond 1.5 w
output will result
D7 D10. iBCl—1NW01 T1-117-V prl; 12.5-V sec, 1A (R5 273-1505 or
DSI — LED. equlv).
in distortion.
S3—SPST toggle U4— 78L05 5-V positive regulator. A split power supply (Fig 4) is used tc
U5— 79L05 5-V negative regulator. and output signal-return
simplify the input
path and to accommodate the ± 5-V suppl>
r«|iiir#m*nt$ of the and S3S2P.
the input op anp of the S3529 to form a crystal and IO-MQ resistor, in addition to Supply voltages for the S3528 and S352S
simple analog low-pass filler, just in case. economy, this scheme ensures thai both are obtained from a pair of low-current
The six frequency-select lines to each IC are filter ICs operate synchronously from the complementary regulators. Separate analog
pulled lo digital ground by 47-kft resistors, same clock. The output signri of the S3529 and digital grounds are used to prevent
representing a logic low. The BCD switches is smoothed by the analog low-pass filter digital noise from appearing on the analog
then selectively apply + 5 V to the lines, made up of R4, CI2 and the output buf- The two ground systems are
ground return.
depending on the code, to indicate a logic fer. An additional stage of analog filtering power supply.
joined at the
high. is piuvidcd by R6, C13 and Lit input buffer JuuiorSCAF (see Figs 2 and 5) in ideal
Both ICs shire a common 3.53-MHz of the S3528. for QRP work. Since *.he power amplifier

ORP Classics 208

 -0*5V
R35

+o-
C2i
'2-VDC * 99 75V
C?0~ l0»F
Z
INPUT V

-c-
R5a 'fi

UCC -
ionics*-
U" I -o-sv
B37
10
CU'T'fa B C23 =p 20 »r
Fig 5— A dc-to-dc converter NCC .' .
- :

50 V
(or use witti JuniorSCAF. 'NY l»»»JI -I 1
It hit
01?
011-D13, Inc— 1NA148 ^
silicon diode.
«r -CI MOM
U6 •i.
puls
a 93, T
&33 C'l — 01 oci-r
C22
Ct3 tl-'.ifiO

EXCIM ' - IMOCATED, ULCMA-.

l

vaLUCS of c*rACiT*Nr.f ant

in wicrtOFaBM'5 I .= I. OTHfS tN&LOG GROUND
*HE IH PiCOFiMOS I DF I;
HSSiSlAflCES *H£ InOmMS,
..-OW. M-VM>00e DIGITAL GROUND

be required to work in in area of high RF-

signal strength.
The reciangular hole for the BCD
swixhes is cut with a nibbling lool. Drill
•a pilot hole Urge enough to accommodate

the nibbler in the ccniet of the BCD switch

mounting location. Next, the sides of the
swi:ch hole are cut by the nibbler. Finally,
the edges of the hole are filed until smooth-
Although we used several types of BCD
swixhes during the course of the project,
the one we like best is made by C & K com-
porents (see parts list). This switch is small,
but has a smooth feel and clearly legible
digit markings. The high- and low-pass
swi ch positions have ;tops installed that
linvt the range to between 00 and 39,
matching the filter's operating range.
After holes for the other switches, jacks,
power cord and l_ED aw drilled, these
JuniorSCAF
components are mounted and connected to
is deagned lo use a hosl receiver's I2-V dc supply and audio power amplifier.
the circuit board. We like the looks of a
smsll (1/8-inch diam) LED ac-power in-
dicator. A hole for the LED must be drilled
fora snug fit. The LED is then held firmly
in place by a drop of glue on the back.
accounts for moil of the operating current, fortable cutting leads and traces inside your Color-coded ribbon cable works nicely for
ciiiiiiitiiiioit •'. \- >w - ihc iwu cui ii i>lct Mili- equipment (or can find a friend to do It for unveiling die switches and LED lu ihe cir-
tary 5-V dc power supplies to be derived you), we suggest you build SupcrSCAF cuit board.
from a simple dc-lo-dc converter operating instead. The board is mounted to Ihe
circuit
from a 12-V dc lourcc within the receiver. botom of the case ay stand-offs. To
Although JuniorSCAF is the simpler of Con si rue on
t:
dissipate the heat and prevent thermal
the two filters, (a install it in a receiver it Assembling these filters is straight- runaway, the output transistors musi be
is necessary to break (he signal path forward. Although the layotil is not criti- mounted to heat sinks. We used the rear
between the receiver's, audio preamplifier cal, it's always best to keep leads as short of the case as a heat sink (see Fig 6). The
and power amplifier. The ouipui from the as possible, if you decide io use perl board output transistors mus* be insulated from
preanip if. coupled lo Junior's nput. instead of the PC board, be aware that the the chassis by mica washers and an in-
Junior's ouipu: is connected to the piiiout of the S3528 is slighlly different sulating screw washer to prevent short-
receiver's audio power amplifier nput. from that of the S3529. circuiting the supply voltages. Use
Also, it's necessary to tap into a well- An interior view of the SiperSCAF is thermally conducting silicon grease on both
filtered supply of between 2 to 40-V dc I 1 shown in Fig 6. A meial box :s used as an sides of the mica washers.
to obtain operating power. Because these enclosure for Ihe proiolyp:. Mela! is For safety reasons, a 3-wire power cord
details vary w.dcty from receiv:r to preferred io plastic hecause of it* strength sho-Jld he iivH. Conncvt rhr ground con-
receiver, we can't offer more specific in- and also because it offers a degree of RFI ductor (green) to the chassis and connect
stallation instructions. Unless you arc com- protection. Remember that the filter may the neutral conductor (white) directly to the

QRP Classics 209

 The effect of the filter on SSB signals is
not as dramatic, bit certainly noticeable
and worthwhile. Simply set the switches to
03/27 and eliminate trash outside that fre-
quency range. "Wher conditions get rough,
experiment with a narrower passband.
Setting the low side af the passband below
02 is never needed and is un open invita
tion to aliasing.
The most significant operation difference
between SuperSCAF and Junior is the psss-
band switching. If lunior is mounted in-
side a receiver, it is inconvenient to change
ihe passband during operation. We recom-
mend that Junior be set up for a passband
of about 500 Hz fcr CW and switch !et-
lings of 03/24 (300-2400 Hz) for SSB
An obvious, advantage of the thumb-
wheel switching sch;me is direct passband
Another is Ihe ability to adjust the
readout.
upper and lower cutoff points in small
ilcps, hearing the effect as you go. For
narrow-band interference such as "tnr*r-
ippers," the interference will often disap-
pear at a particular step. At 24, you hear
him, at 23. he's gone. For wideband in-

:crference, the effect is noi as dramatic.

Fig 6—An tme'ior view ol SuperSCAF, Note the mourning of the audio-amptiliof output
tiansistots; the rear panel ol Ihe enclosure Is used as a heat sink. The enclosure used (or On CW, RTTY and other narrow-band
SuperSCAF la a Radko ShacK part (R5 270-272). modes, the filterperformance is spectacular
(see Fig 7). We botl work a lot of CW and
have older rigs with SSB crystal fillers
primary of the power transformer. Solder ducing RFi into the filler. having passbands that are much too wide
ilie hot (black) wire to the spring contact The SuperSCAF and Junior arc a for comfortable code reception. With
at the rear of the fuse body. Connect the pleasure to use. If you mate them with an SuperSCAF, we gel treme.idously
sSeeve terminal of the fuse to the power older rig and operate CW, you'll be sur- improved selectivity.
switch. Be sere thai the power connection prised by the sudden quiet in the shack- Your new-found selectivity requires

is wired in ibis manner. Failure to do so Under many conditions, noise and QRM changes in operating habits. If the filter is
may result io a serious shock ha2ard. simply disappear We hw^mc aware of ac set so that the passband is narrow, say 07/07

hum in one of our receivers only after (about 70 Hz wide), the band may seem
Performance and Operation SuperSCAF made it go away! The filter empty. The problem is that your accus-
Connect the receiver speaker output io even does a respectable job on the tomed tuning rate may be too fast for sjch
the audio t*t jack. Plug the speaker into woodpecker and "sons or the woodpecker." a narrow bandwidth. You may tunc com-
the audio our jack. Use shielded audio There is no artificial ringing, only the pletely across a station during the time
residual noise within the filter passband. between code elements and never hear the
cable to reduce the possibility of intro-

1
-•0 -<i
I
-t>
40

--so
z o
o
& a
£-*0
o o
z
3" M
o a
£

F
-TO
f t t m 1
X,
•0
a 4< i < iO 1 X) lOOO 1 >0 i 10 i
30 I
00 10 a >M iM 60> 8M I0C3 IKO
»*(Cu£HC< (hi)
ntluEMCT DUI
4A) 19)

Flo 7— Spectral olots ol the SuperSCAF response made In the AHHL tab. Note wo steep finer sKlns. For both plots, the utniei frequency
The:
vertical divisions are each 10 dB an3 horizontal divisions are each 200 Hz. At A, the front-panel switches are sot to 0&06: at B, 05*09.
settings equoe io passband widlhs of about 200 and 50C Hz. respectively.

QRP Classics 210

 —

signal. The solution is to search the band Summary 'R fihnn. •ninital Signal accessing lot iho
Expsrl mentor," QST, Nov 19&4.
using a relatively wide passband or with Ehe The possibilities presented by monolithic AMI Telecommunications Design Manual.
filter bypassed. When you a "live one,"
find SCFs are numerous. We have built several Ootid AMI, 1982 380C Homeslead Rd,
5an;a Clara. CA 95051.
close the passbanc around him. We often variationson the theme presented here, and
'J. Connor, "Switched-Cap Filters Mate With
use a setting of 05'09 for search, and then allhave worked well. One unit was powered Microprocessors, '
Electronic Products
'

narrow the passband to 07/07 for the QSO. by a pair of 9-V batteries and ised an 1C Magazine, Sep 3. 19S4.
We wish to thank Don Fshor, W4PLA. and
Be alert to frequency drift, particularly power amplifier instead of the discrete the NCR Corporation Emission Testing
when you turn things over to the othet sta- amplifier of Fig 3. Another unit included a Service, Lake Mary. Fio'lda, lor providing
Ihs FCC Pan iSj Class 8 leel data lor tho
tion. It's very easy for one of you to slip tone decoder to supply a digital signal to a SupsrSCAF audio IHtar.
outside a 70-Hz pcssbaiid. If the oihei sta- computer for receiving Morse code and a
Gou1fl Semiconductors sells the S352B and
tion not where you expect it, widen the
is RTTY. That unit was mounted in the S35?9 ICS through a network of distributors.
Call Gould at 208-233-4690 for the name of their
passband to re-acquire the signal, then
filter transceiver's companion speaker box.
nearest distributor. New horizons Electronics
narrow the passbsnd on the new frequen- At the outset, our goal was to design an Corporation. 6000 New Horizons Blvd.
cy. Also, experiment with disabling the easily const meted audio filter with excellent Amityvilte. NY 1 1 70S 5 6-226-6000. will sell to
, 1

AGC if your _
eceiver allows
thai. performance. We are pleased with the i ndividuals (prepaid) with a$25 minimum order.

way hnpp yon (The chips cesl about S? each at the time of
Sometimes a strong signal within the IF r«lilfx in rvrry we. will hp.
publication,)
passband will grab your AGC and reduce too. Attronics sells kits and completed Super-
the incoming signal levels to practically Notes SCAFs, but nol parts. Check (he QST Index ol
'R. Schellenbach and F. Noble, "Switched- advertisers for (heir listing, which contains cur-
nothing. You might not hear the interfering
station, but you'll know it's there.
rent sales information. Ed. —

QRP Classics 211

From July 1986 QST, p 34:

The SWR Twins—QRP and QRO

Part 9: Portable amateur
operation often calls for
miniature equipment.
Here are two tiny SWR
indicators— one for QRP
and one for high power.
By Doug DeMaw, W1FB
ARRL COnlnbuling Editor
PO Box 250
Luther. Ml 49656

oes the inconvenience of tco-largc when ihe feed line was matched to the R6, R7 and R8. The antenna represents the

—
!
1 SWR-iiidicating gear complicate
* your portable operations? It is not
antenna feed point.
SWR has become a more significant con-
rennininj Ip£ of rhp hrirlgp When it
reflects a 50-ohrn condition, the bridge b
uncommon for us to feel thai some of the cern today because of the many solid-state balanced and the meter reading falls to
commercially made SWR
bridges and RF- transmitters that exist. They must "look" zero. DI rectifies the RF voltage 10 provide
powcr meters are too big and too ccstly for into a lew SWR—
usually ;-| or less—in dc for the metering circuit. Additional
occasional use during field day, camping order to develop the rated output power examples of this general circuit are given
trips, vacations and even DXpediiions, I and to protect the final-amplifier transis- in Solid Store Design for the Radio
have seen SWS meters that were larger tors from damage. The built-in SWR- Amateur (temporarily out of prim).
than an entire QRP <tialion, which presents protcction circuits reduce [lie transmitter R 10 is a panel control that is used to es-
a rather absurd picture! Because of my output power as the SWR increases. There- tablish the "sensitivity" or meter response
need for small accessory equipment, 1 have fore, it i; helpful to have ai SWR indica- versus the power level. Rll is a PC-
built a number of compact Transnai cites tor between the transmitter and the mounlcd potent io meter that we can use to
and SWR meters. The pair we shall con- transmission line. The antenna can then be calibrate the meter fo- a full-scale reading
sider in this art.cle was built to provide an adjusted by means of its length or match- of 10 W. Once set, ii should need no
example of small units that you can build ing circuit to obtain a low SWR reading. further adjustment.
inexpensively for field use. We will also SWR indicators arc useful also as relative Since Rl, R2, RJ and R-l have a
consider some practical ideas lor home con- output-power meters. hey help us to keep
I combined rating of 8 W, we must not
struction thai can be applied to other tabs on the antenna system and ihe irans- permit a sustained RF power amount
projects as well.These SWR indica:ors are mitter performance. Most SWR instru- of more than 4 W to be fed into the instru-
not works of an, at least from an aesthetic ments can be calibrated to rsad RF power ment, the resistors
lest become damaged
point of view, but you can easily impart a as well, md wc will discuss this principle from excessive healing. Momentary tests
professional appearance to them if you arc later in ihe article. with powers up to 10 W will not harm th;
skilled in ihe craft of cabinet and panel ren'stors, provided the key-down period
desien. A QRP SWR/Power Meter dees not exceed 15 seconds. Allow a cool-
Neither of the instruments in this article down period of at leasi 30 seconds between
Do You Seed an SWR Indicator? isnew in concept. The resistive QRP bridge brief tests with more than 4 of RF W
SWR meters and RF-power indicators was developed many years fgo by (he late power. Film resistors arc used in my model,
have become a .vay of life with most of us. George Crammer, W1DF. The QRO but 5^0, 2-W carbon-composition resiston
But, "way back when," we managed quite bridge i; a design product of Warren willwork equally well. If you cannot locate
well without these sophisticated gadgets. IJruenecf Collins Radio. The latter design (Item, you may purchase the film resistor*
An experienced amateur could icll if the has become the standard for most amateur by mail. 1

antenna SWR was low by observing ihe set- SWR ard power meters of commercial The power handling capability of this in-
tings of the tunc and load controls of the origin. A number of variations in the basic strument may be increased by using higher*
iransmiiler. That is, ihe plate tuning and designs have been introduced, along with wattage (noninductivc!) load resistors or by
loading control; were at approximately the some extra convenience features. connecting an external dummy load to
same settings a; when the transmitter was Fig 1 shows the circuit for our low-power replace the built-in ooe. Warning: Ifyos
connected to t dummy load of :hc ap- SWR bridge/RF power meter. Rl, R2, R3 plan to use more than 10 W of RF power,
propriate impedance, thereby indicating a and R4 comprise a 50-olmi dummy load, and a larger dummy load, be sure to in-
low* SWR. Sorrc of us used RF ammeters Some of ihe RF voltage de\eloped across
in the feed line to indicate maximum RF the load is sampled through R5 and sup-
current, a condition that generally occurred plied to the resistive bridge thai consists of 'Notos appear at one) otanlclo.

QRP Classics 212

 property for a 50-ohm condition, the meter
will read zero. If not. the antenna system
i>rT'iinsmatch should be adjusted until the
meter reads zero, Ortcc this is achieved, set
! 50 n >
Si to ihe ORB mode.
RF-power measurements may be made
(fier M
I has been calibrated by means of

K by placing SI in the CAi position and

I II
.'.filing S- lo read I'WK. Tin's removes the

antenna (J2) from ihe circuit and permits

us todevelop RF voltage across RI. R2, R3
R1IIR21H3IHW and R4. You may feed various power levels
= 50J1. Stf
froir to 10 W
into the circuit, ihcn note
I

the meter reading for each power amount.

PWN CAL
A ca ibration scale may then be drafted for
future reference. The 1-10 numerical scales
EftCtPt *3 INDICATED, DtCIVft^
VALLES Of UAPACITAKCE AH; oai the meters ot "these SWR indicators were
m vcko-ahads -r i orHe^s
i drawn by hand a« x4 I used press-on
AHi N aiCO^A4AI)!> pF ). |

RESISTANCES ARC IN OHMS. decals for the numbers. then had the I

• i iroc. u - ico: ixid

meter scale reduced x4 at a "quick-print"
shop, at a cost of 24 cents each. The new
scales were pasted over the original faces
of surplus 200-jiA S meters. You may use 1

Fig 1—
Schematic fliagram of (he ORP SWR bridge. Resistors are carbon-com position
typos. Capacitors are dice ceramic Part numbers listed hetow ore Radio 3hac-h deaiyna- an available meter ih.n Lis n Hr sensitivity
tors, except when otherwise noted. of50or I00 pA. Fig 2 contains a 0-10 meter
CI.C2— Disc ceranic. RS 272-131. Corp, Los Angeles. CA. Radic scale that you may cut oui or photocopy
D1— Small-signal silicon diode, Shack 47-ohm unils (271-009) may Be for LSe on the meters lhat arc available
RS 276-1122. substituted tor suitable performance. from the source listed in note 3. The cases
J1. J2-RCA style smgla-hole-mounl phono R9— 1-kti. '.:-W resistor. RS 271-023.
come off easily, and the meter face can be
jack. RS 274-346. RlO-Paneimount. control. iQ-rttt, linear
Ml— Miniature micoam meler, 0-50. 0-100
popped out for modification.
taper carbon-com position. RS
271-1721
The interior of the QRP bridge is shown
or 0-200 ,<A. See note 2. Knob (0.5-inch ODJ is RS 274-403.
R1-R4. iiiel—200-cnrn, 2-W nonlnouciivc Ri I—Trimmer control, kc mount, 10-ktl in Fig 3. A scale parts-placement guide for
resislor. See note 1. RS 271-335. the FC board is provided in Fig 4A.
R5— 680-ohm. V:-W resistor. RS 271-021. St—Two-pole. Ihree-position rotary wafer,
R6. R7.R8— 51 -ohm, vj-W noninductivs RS 275-1306 (three positions not used). ORG SWR Indicaior
resislor Available tram All-Eleclranics S2-SPDT miniature toggle. RS 275-613.
This fraternal twin to the QRP bridge
will measure SWR and RF power at levels
up to I kW. The major problem is lhat the

ttm 1 1
Oi 2j05o"ra'JiO
m rr
instrument is so tiny and lightweight that
the coaxial attachment cables may become
the "tail that wagged Ihe doe." This is
often a penalty associated with miniature
Fig 2— Meier scale lhat may be pasted gear. I find that RG-SX 50-ohm cable
over the original scale of ihe meter altered
minimizes the problem: I have experienced
in nolo 3. See text (or m-elhod of making
frustration when trying to use the heavier,
your own custom s:ale at x 4.
stiffci RCr-8 cable.
Fig 5 shows the circvit for the QRO
bridge. I used a hybrid diagram in order
to clarify the relationship
of Tl io ihe rest
of Ih: circuit. Tl is a transformer for
crease the value of R5 to prevent excessive
sampling RF current in ie feed line. The t

RF current from f.owing in the bridge cir- cable thai passes through the toroid core
cuit.Sample only enough RF energy to pro- serves as a one-turn primary winding for
vide a full-scale meter indication (RIO sei
Tl QRP versions of this tridge can be built
.

for maximum sensitivity) at about half the

if we use a two-turn link in place of the
power level you anticipate. In other wcrds, Slraigil conductor that passes through the
if you expect to use 50 W of RF power, loroic. This will increase the sensitivity,
select an R5
value hat will give a full-scale
This bridge (minus the cabinet) is sui table
meter reading ai 25 W. Fig 3— An inerior view ot IheOF.P SWR for irclusion in Transmatchcs. The PC
meler. The FC board is mounted vertically
How lo Use (he l)KV Meter board (Fig 4B) can be installed near the RF-
by means of Iwo no. 6 spade bolls. A
'/4-inch hole s drilled in the rear panel of input jack of the Transmatch. The leads
Calibration of this instrument was
Ihe box lo provide access lo the RF-power lhat go io -SI are not critical as to length,
covcrvd in Aug 1983 Q&T, ai which lime 1 calibration control, R11. so SI, R and Ml may be panel-mounted
I

described a similar instrument.' will review I

in your Transmatch, if cesircd.
the Operating procedure here, since some of For updated supplier addresses, see ARRL Pans Tht shieldbraid of the pass-through co-
you may not have used this type of br dge Suppliers List in Chapter 2.
axial line (Tl) is grounded only at one end.
for SWR and power measurements. This provides a Faraday shield to dis-
SI allows us to bypass ihe bridge afier This enables us to adjust RIO (RF power courage the flow of harmonic currents inio
making SWR or power measurements. The applied) for a full-scale readirg ai Ml. Ihe bridge. CI C2 and C5 form a capad-.

bridge is out of the circuit when Si is in Nexi. wcmo.'cSl to the SWR position. The tiv-edivider for balancirg ihe hririgr in
the oi'R position. When we switch to the meler then indicates the relative reflected a 50-ohm circuit. Dl and D2 provide dc for
CAL mode, the bridge has no lermination. power. If the antenna is matched and tuned the metering circuit. -Germanium diodes are

QRP Classics 213

 .

T1

EXCEPT AS INDICATED. DECIUfiL

VALUES OP CiPACITANCE APE
IH MICROFAn.DS iiF ); OTHERS
I

ANE IN PICOFARADS eF); |

RESISTANCES ARE IN OHMS:

k-iora

Fig 5— Hybrid diagram of the QRO SWR

b"dgc. A short length of 60 ohm coaxial
cable ispassed through the center of
Oroid Tl, as indicated. Fixed-value resis-
tors are Vft-W carboncomposiiion types.
Other components are described below.
Radio Shack numbers included.
—
C1. C2 Miniature t-5 or 1-8 pF air or
piston trimmer. See note 4.
C3.C4— Disc ceramic. RS 272-131.
C5— Silvet mica 330 pF.
oi polystyrene,
NPO ceramic also suitable. Silver-mica
capacitor avail front All-Electronics,
no. DMCP-330.
C6—Tantalum or electrolytic, RS 272-1436.
01. D2— Small-signal germanium diode,
RS 276-1123. 1N34A.
.11,J2— Single- hole mount BNC or
connector ol your choice, RS 278-105.
Ml— Miniature microammctcr, 0-GO, 0-100
or 0-200 *iA. See note 2.
R1— Lineat-iaper, catbon-com position,
panel-mount contro. 10 kO. RS 271-1721.
R2, R3—22-ohm. V?-W carbon composition,
RS 271-005.
RFC1— Miniature RF choke. 1 mH. Avail
(rom All-Electronics Corp. no. CC-1000
or from BCD Electro.
01— Miniature GrDT toggle, I1G £75-010.
recommendec 10 ensure sufficient dc C6 h included with S2 to provide a S2-Miniaturo SPSTlogglc. RS 275-612.
voltage when small amounts of reflected of the meter reading during
leveling effect 71—60 turns of no. SO enam wire on an
power arc present. Silicon diodes, such as SSB operation. It will enable you to get an Amidon Assoc T50-2 powdered-iron
IN9l4s, ma> cease 10 conduct (0.7 V approx male peak-power reading if you toroid core. Mount in slot on PC board
approx) before SWR adjusted for a (oread RF waus. {see text).
ilie is calibrate this instrument
1: 1 state, thereby causing us to think we Meter calibration (watts) can be accom-
have a match vhen, in fact, we do not Ger- . plished if we feed a known amount of
manium diod?s have a lower barrier volt- power ihrougl) the bridge (into a 50-ohm
age (approx 4). This isn't a problem with noninductivc load) and adjust R for a full-
I may be used for calculating the transmit-
the circuit of Fig 1. scale reading at Ml. A pare! mark is then ter output power by measuring the RF
I used RG-8X for the line ihat passes made for this setting of R: It will enable
. voltage across the fO-ohm load |P( waits)
through Tl. mainly because provides a
it us to readjust Rl later on for reading RF equals V(RMS)VRlohms)].
close fit to the center hole of the toroid power. Once wc identify this setting of R I Adjustment of the QRO bridge is done
core. Or, you may use the smaller RG-58, the meter scale can be platted at different with a 50-ohm dummy load connected to
then affix it in the toroid with silicone power levels, as I suggestec for calibrating J2 of Fig 5. Apply RF power with SI in .he
L-eiuBul. Tli* RO-3X liU a uigliCi po™ci ihc QRP bridge of Fig I. An RF piube, fwu position. AdjuM Rl iu provide a fall-
rating, however. VTVM or FETVOM and a 50-ohm load scale reading at MI. Switch SI to the pef

QRP Classics 214

 interior view of this bridge is provided in may spray ihe grey panels with poly
Fig 6. Urethane varnish (also available in spray

Construction Notes The front panels of my units look a bit

crude because of the black Dymo " tape
1
The cabinets f°» i-ftes* units are made
from PC-board pieces. The hox cimensions labels. Grey Dymo tape *ould provide a

(hwd) are 2-1/2 x 2-5/8 x 3 inches. 1 much nicer appearance. While press-on
chose cane-metal aluminum steeling for dccals mighi he an even better choice for
the box covers since il was available at Ihe the control lanels.
hardware store. This is an advantage for AuTesive- backed plastic feel arc affiised
the QRP bricge, since the holes in the cover ro ihe bottom of the boxes to prevent ex-
permit air flnw around the load resistors. cessive movement of the bridges and lo
My cabinets were formed by soldering avoid scratching the surfaces of desks or
together sect inns of double-sidedPC board i ables on which they rest. Screw-on feet

(front,back and bottom plates.). Strips of may be substituted,

PC board ai? used as stahili?ing memhers Either of the bridees can be made
between ihe front and rear panel', adjacent smaller, should thai be your pleasure. I

to the hoi loin plaie. These strips provide allowed substantial wasted space in order
anchor points for ihe top cover, which is to keep the units in a sizcclasv that would
affixed by means of no. 6 sheet-metal not be awkward to work wiih (the "lail that
screws. cut the meter holes with a hand-
I
wagged the dog" problem).
operated nibbling lool. I hope you have ftm with one or both of

I discovered by chance thai Krylon" grey these weekend projects. You should enjoy
Fig 6— Interior view o( the ORO SWR uiidcieuui S|>my puinl is excellent tin building these bridges, aid they will not
bridge. The PC boerd is altached lo the
panels: It wis the only can of paint had endanger your project fund significantly!
solder -terminals of the BNC
jacks. The
I

bollom edge of ihe PC board is soldered id on hand when. I buili these units, so used I

the chassis at ihe center. Short wires it. Not only does it dry quickly CS minutes);

(upper right and let! of PC board) grourd it provides a tough matte finish iliat is quite
the board to the rear panel of the box. C1 immune smudging from our fingers. It
to Notes
and C2 are on Ihe stched-loil side of the
appears to bean excellent paint for amateur 'Deleted.
board lo permit easy access during bricge
adjuslmeni (nulling;. projects. If you prefer a gloss finish, you e D. DeVfaw. "A Bcylii'tBi'a LuuK ;st flF Puwei
apply RF power. Set CI for an MI read- Measurement." OSr. Aug it<S3. p 35
ing of zero with SI set in the fw:> position. ;
Uosl edgewise Imported audio or S meters have
microampere movements. Meters used in trie
Repeat this procedure one more time. CI instruments described here are available from
and C2 may be any small trimmer of Ihe supplier m note t.
'Piston trimmers suilabie lor lbs project are listed
quality, such as miniature air \ariable or
in me BCD Electro catalog, PO Bo* 830119.
mode and observe the meter reading, .f il glass pistor trimmers.' The minimum Richardson, TX 75083-0119.
is not zero, adjust C2 for a zero reading. capacitance of the trimmer mu>t he I pF For updated supplier addresses, see ARAL Pans
Next, reverse the cablet at Ji and S2 m\A or less in order to null Ihe bridge. An Suppliers List in Chapter 2.

Fig7— Circuit-board etching patterns for the OOP

(A) and O^O (B) SWR/power neters. The patterns are shown full-size from the foil

side of the board. Black areas represent un etched copper fell.

ORP Classics 215

From February 1000 QST, p 35:

A NEW FACE FOR A RECALIBRATED Find the meter pivot point by extending the Table 1
METER tick narks at the scale'! ends, and verify
Meter-Recalibration Data for the
In "A Simple and Accurate QRP Direc- this point by extending a couple of other
QRP Wattmeter
tional Waiimeter," (pp 19-23 and 36. ihis points on the scale. Then draw lines from CL"D Jt'i eu til
Issue). I described a QRP waumcicf ihai the j'ivui point ihiuugli the meici fate co
uses a standard 0-1 milliammctrr modified an area beyond the face, labeling them ap- 0.0 0.0 1 OX
0.05 0.224 1.5 o.soo
with a custom, nonlinear scale calibrated propriately, as shown in Fig 1 Then you
.

0.1 0.316 2 0.233

directly in power and SWR according to the can remove, repaint and replace the meter
0.2 3 0.500
values shown in Table Making new scales
1 .

for a slock meter is one solution; adding

face. The new scale and narks can be hand-
drawn; press-on letters and numbers can be
0.3
0.4
S3
0.633
4
5
o.eoo
0.667
markings to (he existing meier scale is used; or the face may be made with a photo- 0.5 0.707 7 0.750
another. It's make the new
fahrlv casv lo grapnic process. 0.6 0.775 to 0€18
scales readable, and somewhat harder to A caution: Anyone who sees my hOrtle- 0.7 0.B37 At 1.0

make ihemlook nice. If you decide to make built equipment immediately realizes thai, 0.8 0.894
although I'm willing to ^pcnd a lot of time 0.9 0.949
new scales rather than add marks to the
1.0 1.0
existing scale, you'll want to record the on functionality and performance, 1 don't
correct places to make new marks
the devote much time to beauty! So you'll have The Meier column expresses fractions of
full-scalereadings on the original meter
before you Dbliteiate the old scale. One way to icok elsewhere for advice on how to
scale. For example, the now SWR » 3
io do this is as follows. make a meter face gocd-looking. When
mark should be placed at Ihe samo place
Refer to fig 1. Attach ihc meter face lo finished, the meter fact should resemble
as the half-scale (0.5) mark on me oncinai
a large pie:e of paper. Trace around (he fig I.—Roy I.ewaUen, W7EL, 5470 $W meter face.
face so yot can exactly reposition it later. 152 A ve, Beavenon, OR 97007.

POWER

Fig 2— Example oi a finished meter face.

This scale is that of tho meler used in "A
Simple and Accurate ORP Directional Watt-
meter".

ORP Classics 216

From February 1390 QST, p 79;

A Simple and
Accurate QRP
Directional
Wattmeter
Make a few enhancements to the small
Bruene wattmeter and diode detector,
and you have a directional wattmeter
that's simple, portable, and accurate
from 10 watts down to 5 milliv/atts!

By Roy Lewallen. W7EL

5470 SW 152 Ave Directional Coupler using a diode detector? If you don't want to
Bgaverton. OR 97007
know, skip ahead to the Corstruction section.
Two
types of directional couplers arc
commonly used by amateurs. The vener- For the truly adventurous (mathematically,

A directional vattmetcr is

pensable tool. Besides using such a

meter 10 measure SWR you can use*
a really indis-

,
able MonimHch circuit is simple and use-
ful for SWR measurement, but not readily
adaptable as a wattmeter except ever a nar-
row frequency range, because its sensitivity
that
Why the

in Fig
is),

I,
I've included the sidebar,

Difference?"
one shown
Plain diode detectors, like the
and easy to use—provided
are simple
"Ac v Dc:

one lo l unc a homcouilt rig, adjust a Trans-

changes With"frequency. 7 The Bruene cir- you don require accurate results at low sig-
't

match, measure cable loss, and a host or other have this limitation, to is more nal levels. That's unfortunate, because good
cuit doesn't
things. Because ii's portable, a wattmeter is low-power accuracy is exactly what this watt-
suitable for our use. It's generally imple-
an important tool in the field: With it, con mented with oapacitive dividers far sensing meter is intended to provide. Five milliwatts
can make sure the rig still works, and spot voltage, but 1 chose to use transformers for provides only I45 mV (peak) at the detector,
any problems with the antenna system. If so detector accuracy mus: be maintained
this function.* This results in a simpler
you're operating QRP in Field Day or some down to this level. Some diodes, such as back
circuit that's Ldjustmeni-free. Sensitivity can
other event, a good wattmeter can help you diodes and zero-bias Schotky types, are spe-
be traded for insertion loss; the values chosen
keep your output at five watts as the battery for this meter result in insignificant insertion cially designed for detecting very small sig-
voltage drops. nals. These, however, aren't as readily
loss.
This wattmeter, designed primarily for available as common silicon, germanium, and
Maiutainins a near-50-fl impedance on the
portable use. gives accurate readings at power line through tic wattmeter eliminates several mpriiim-harripr silirnn Sohotrky diodes. 50 T
levels from 5 mW
to 10 W. Achieving good
frequency-dependent effects. A
microstriplinc
investigated only the latter three types. Natur-
low-power accuracy is a bit tricky; I developed ally, each has its deficiencies.
structure is effective for ihis application, and
a simple correction circuit to handle the job. isextremely simple to build, so 1 used thai Common small-signal silicon diodes (eg.
During the editing of this article, learned I
technique in this wattmeter. lN9l4)drop too much forward voltage to be
that the- technique 1 developed for compen- accurate at small signal levels when used with
sating the diodes in this wattmeter's detector Detector reasonable load-resistance values (up to
circuit was
discussed by John Grctcn-
first
Seemingly, the detector shou d be the 100 N'fl or sot. Ordinary small-signal
komper, KI6WX. ir his January 19«7 QST easiest pan ol the wattmeter to design. Well, Schottky diodes arc belter, but still have an
1
ariicle. I encourage reading (or rereading) objectionable drop for use at low signal lev-
il happened again: The simplest pari turned
litis excellent article.
out to be the nardest. What's so Itard about els.Th? good old point-contact germanium
If carefully constructed, this wattmeter diode (IN34 type) is the clear winner in this
should function well from below I MHz at category. Applying 50 (dc) to a germa- mV
least into the mid-VHF range. One prototype nium diode detector produces about 45 mV
tested in the ARRL Lab maintains better nan ai its output with a l-Mft load resistance.
± 7% of full-scale iccuracy. on all ranges, Increasing the load resistance to 10 MO brings
up to -132 MHz. ihc output to within I mV of the applied
voltage.
Circuit Description
So wiat's the problem? The problem is that
A basic directional wattmeter has trree
Out
the results are different wlien you apply an
major parts: directional coupler, detector, ac sigml to the detector! This difference is
and meter circuits. Each block can be clearly shown in Fig 2, Ahich gives the
optimized for" a particular application. measured output of a germanium-diode de-
Here's a description of each block. tector (ike the one shown in Fig 1) with three
diffcret.t input signals of the same peak value.
Notes appear at end ol article. Fig 1— Simple diode detector. On the log-log scales, the vertical spacing be-

QRP Classics 217

Ac v Dc: Why the Difference? Isabout 125 ktl in this range (an ideal silicon diode is
about 2.5 TO (2.5 x 10'* U!). At higher forward voltages,
Why does a diode detector produce less output when
the current rapidly rises; at greater reverse voltages, the
detecting an ac signal thai a dc signal It both signals have
current increases, then levels oul at a value of -t 9 .

the same peak value? Why does a pulsed-dc signal

If we apply dc to the circuit of Fig 1 current will How
produce a lower output than a steady one? Fortunately, we
don't have to look any further than the ideal-dtode equation
heavily at first, then taper off as C
L charges. Eventually,
to get the answers 10 these questions. This equation
the current will Simply be V -r L Substituting (V,R - V
. !

for V in Cq 1 and rearranging produc33 on equation rol3t

describes the characteristics ot an ideal diode a diode— ing
d
V and VV
that is ideal in the sense that it can be descrbed by some
fundamental principles, net in that its conduction is pertect kT
V. - +1 (Eq 2)
in one direction and zero in the other.
The deal-diode equation is:
T
or Va and V :

kT V
V„ = ,

-fori (Eq 3)
where To get a feel for the voltage drop to expect, look at Eq 3
l
d = Diode forward current with = 100 mV, R L = 1 Mli. and ls = 2 x 10 ~ 7 A.
V
f
s
- Saturation current, about 10- U A forsilicon, 2 x This results in a dicde drop (VJ of 10.1 mV. In contrast, a
10~ 7 A for germanium al room temperature
silicon diode (l 8 = 10- 1J A) would droa 403 mV {503 mV
V * Diode forward vol age
fl in for 100 mV out) under the same corditions, but it would
q - Electron charge, 1.60 x 10- « coulonb have 10.1-mV drop R L was made 20 million limes larger.
if

k = Boltzmann's constant., 1,36 x 10- 23 J/K As the signal level increases, (he drop Increases— but not
T - Temperature, K In proportion, so detector accuracy improves. Iitiiieasiny
At roon temperature, kT ~ q is about 25 mV. Note that l
8
ihe load resistance helps also; at 100 mV out and F\
is strongly related to temperature, doubling with approxi- 10 MR, Vq - 1.2 mV.
mately every 10-°C rise in temperature. Now let's see what happens with an ac or pulsed-dc
Boccuse our discussion primarily concerns small signals, signal. Looking at Figs 2 and B. we can see that when V t

let's see how the ideal dicde behaves with small voltages is greater than V the drop is the same as If the input sig-
,

or currants applied.The snail-signal l/V characteristics of nal were dc. However, tor part of the cycle, V, is less than
an germanium diode are shown in Fig A. This Is
ideal '/„. During this time the diode is reverse biased and sub-
simply a graphical representation of Eq 1 over a limited stantial current flows to ihe left in Fig Generally, C L is t

range. (The graph also valid for silicon diodes if the cur-
is made large enough to make the ripple on V very small.
rent scale is reduced by a factor of about 20 million.) Note We can then consider V to be a cons:ant value after an
that the l/V curve doesn't bend at the origin; it's a straight initial charge period of many cycles of the input signal. For
line. This gives us our first clue about small-signal diode any signal,
operation: a straight line cn an l/V graph represents a
constant resistance, so at very small signal levels the Vri - ld(avg ,R L 4)

diode laoks like a resistor, and hardly rectifies at all. (By where l^a^ is the average current flowing through tho
very snail signal levels mean somewhat less than
I diode over a cycle of the input signal.
kT * q [lib mV|.) Tne resistance of tne germanium dioae ne wattmeter's detector signal is a bipolar sine wave.
I

250
—

300 -
Input "ypes
Oc
UNI = 1-kHz unipolar square wove
SiN = 50--HI sine wave
!50 Load R

100

50

750

Fig A— Surrenl-voltage characl

of an ideal qermanium diode. Fig B—The same da'a as that of Fig 2. plotted on linear axes.

QRP Classics 218

 but analysis of a unipolar square wave illustrates ihe prin- Combining Eqs 5, 6, and 7 and solving for Vd((l) ;

ciple and is much easier to attack mathematically (I'll dis-

cuss the sine-wave case shortly).
Consider a unipolar square wave with a positive val-ie Vp
(or 50% of the cycle and
input signal is positive,
V for the other 50%. When the
^- J L,n
q [
2(
W + 1, -8- V
^] (Eq 8)

Vd n) rep-esents
, the different between the peak value (V
p)
of the input signal, and Ihe output voltage (Vol. An analysis
'd(h) - U f> (Eq 5> of the argument of Ihe logarithm shows that it's always
greater than the dc case. In fact, when V gels much
where greater ttian kT ± q. Va(n, = Vd(dc( + (kT 4- q) In (2), or
= diode current when the input signal is high. about 18 mV
at room temperature. This result is indepen-
V D - V = forward voltage (diode drop) when dent of R L so even if R L is large to minimize dc drop, the
,

the Input signal is high. added drop due to applying ac will stay the same (as long
This follows directly from Eq 1. When the input signal is as V >> kT -h q). The added offset is clearly shown in
zero. Ihe diode is reverse biased. Again from Eq 1 Fig B. Values calculated from Eqs 1 and 8 fall almost
exactly en ihe graphs. A similar analysis for a bipolar
KT square wave results in the same limiting value ol 18 mV ot
-1
excess crop.
where Math is fun! But everyone's got a limit, and mine falls
= diode wilhin th3 large gap between analyzing the detector with
l^g current when the input signal is low. I
0(l>
is negative
square-wave and sine-wave inputs. However, some gener-
alizations can be made without having to do a rigorous
Vo(A » -V = diode forward vcltage when the tnpjt
sine-wave analysis. With a sine wave applied, one would
signal is Ion. V-,,, also is negative.
Docauae and each flow during 1/2 of the input expect diode forward current to flow for only a small pari
of the inout cycle, resulting in a greater drop than with a
cycle, average current is found by
square wave applied. The sine-wave case was studied wilh
a mathematical computer model, and the resulls agreed
= 1/2 {l
m+ („„>) (Eq 7) very closely with the measurements presented in Figs 2
and B.-W7EL

tween plots is proportional to the fractional When the forward or reverse voltage across tween the diode resistance and the load
(percentage) difference between the outputs. a diode gets very small (a few millivolts), the resistance. When ac is applied, however, the
As you can see. a fimple germanium detec- reverse and forward currents arc approxi- current flow during (he negative half-cycle
tor accurate for ac signals only when the
is mately equal for a given applied voltage; that removes a substantial part of the charge put
peak input signal level is above about I V. is. ihe diode a<ts like a resistor. (I measured on the load capacitor during the positive half-
A simple correction circuu is ihe secret to this a typical germanium diode's resistance as cycle, resulting in a lower detector-output
wattmeter's accuracy. I'll explain it in a about 1 20 a value very much smaller lhan voltagj. The effect is wavrshapc and duty-
moment, but first I'll briefly explain why the that of silicon diodes.) If dc is applied to the cycle Cependent. but isn't related to the fre-
detector output is less with an ac than with detector, the detector circuit acts lite a voltage quent of the input signal.
a dc input. divider, with the input voltage dividing bc- Silicon diodes exhibit iht same properties,
but at different levels. Silicon-diode resistance

at few-millivolt levels is abcut a million times

100C0 larger than that of germanium diodes, but
cxlicmely large load resistances (I0 12 fl or so)
would have 10 be used to bring the forward
Input Types:
drop the gcrmanium-diotc level. The
to much
UNI — kHz uiipolor square wove
1
«m=illpr currents flowing through 'hp much
SIN = 50 kHz sine wave larger resistance result in the same nci effect.
1000 The observed ac/dc difference is explained by
Load R = 1 MO the ideal-diode equati on (sec the sidebar ). Dc
and unipolar-square-wave nieasuremenis were
compared to results predicted by the ideal-
3 diode equation wilh extremely good
o agreement.
IOO Common IN3-1A germanium diodes pur
chased from Radio Shack^ were found io be
satisfa:iory for this detector.

The Meter Circuit

Dc, See Fig 3. An op amp is a logical choice
to provide a high load impedance for the
/ detector and a low-impcdancc output. Most
UNI? op however, hove enough input-bias
aiup-%,

current to produce a significant voltage across

a high-value detcctor-l oad resistor, mining the
5!N measurement. Fortunately, operational
amplifiers that have input-bias currents of
only a few picoamperes—more than adequate
10 100 1000 00 CO
1

for this application — are readily available.

Peak mV In The CA3 160 (and its externally compensated
cquivalcni, the CA3130) has the desirable
Fig 2— Dc output voltage of tn§ detsetof of Fig 1 with three types of input signals. combination of extremely low input current.

QRP Classics 219

 CAJ160, or any other op amp having the re-

quited characteristics.
The diode-compensation circuit (D3 and R5
J1
an offset that approximately
in Fig 3) creates
compensates for the drop across the detector
diode. If dc was applied lo detector D2/R4/
C2,and compensation resistor R5 and de-
if

lector load resistor R4 were equal, perfect

Predion:
compensation would result (assuming that D2
el
and D3 were identical). However, the circuit
is actually compensating the detector ac drop
with a dc drop, so more current must flow
through compensation diode D3. This is ac-
complished by making R5 smaller than R3
and R4. Although the compensation isn't per-
fect, it's extremely good, and a remarkable
improvement for only two added compo-
nents. Without the compensation circuit, the
wattmeter error was 30-fOTo for small signals
(5-'0 mW); with the compensation circuit,
measured error is less than 7^o over the same
as ited, range. In addition, the compensation circuit
vdtues cl cBpacil'.fze oie
tracks well wiih (cmperauire; an important
in mi=rolcrgda f tff ), qUM»
consideration for portable use.
Meier OreuRa resistances a'e in ohms; h John Grcbcnkempjr's circuit (see Note
-I.OOO, M-1.G0C.CM.
i.
1), an additional resistor and capacitor in the
• = chasing
IC r -- r.ol sr.own ce to feedback network are u.ied to ensure stabili-
ty ii the op amp. I saw no signs of instabili-
ty in my prototype, but if you experience
instability problems, adding these compo-
nents (marked with asterisks in Fig 3) should
help.

Construction
Merer Face
You'll need to make new scales for the
mclcr or, al the very least, add markings to
the existing scale, it's fairly easy to make (he
nev scales readable and somewhat harder to
mace (hem look nice. II you decide to make
ncv scales rather than add marks to the
existing scale, you'll want to record the cor-
rect places 10 make the new marks before you
obi terale the old scale. Sec this month's Hints
anc Kinks column for one method of relabel-

Fig 3— Schematic diagram of ihe ORP directional watlmeier. All fixed reslstois are V*-W. ing a meter face.
5%-tolerance units. D1-D3 are common 1N34 germanium diodes; ihey should be matched
(as discussed in ths relorent of Note 1) Jor best performance. T1-T3 are FT-37-72 ferrlte
Directional Coupter
cores with single-turn primaries (one pass through the cere— see Fig 5). The primaries of This wattmeter works best if there's a cons-
T2 and T3 are comprised of the ungiounded leads ol R1 and R2, respoctivalv. Each trans- tant 50-0 impedance from the input to the
former has a single secondary winding consisting of 10 evenly spaced turns oi no. 28
output, but it's not highly critical. There are
enameled wire. Do not substitute a different core for the FT-37-72. R6 can be any value
between 10 k(l end 100 Ml. The resistor and capacitor (associated with U1> marked with always impedance bumps at the transitions
asterisks may be necessary to eliminate instability in the op amp, although rry prototypes
don't require them. See text.

input-and out put -voltage range down to the

negative supply rail and moderately low cur-
renl consumption. To my knowlecgc, no Fig 4— Completed detector
other readily available op amp shares this set circuit board.
Not drawn to scale.
of features; if you know of one, you nay sub-
stitute il for theCA3160 used at Ul.
The second op-amp input is used by the
diode-compcnsalion circuit, so a second siage
is required to permit variable gain. The only

requirements fcr the second op amp are

moderate current consumption and the ability
to handle input and output signals down to
(he negative supply rail (ground). The LM35?
contains two such op amps; one section (U2B)
1$ unused In ihisapplicatton. You could sub-

stitute one section of an LM324, another

QFtP Classics 220

 pedance of the line. Impedance doesn't
T3
change much as line width changes, and the CeriKCHf
impedance isn't too critical for this applica- tj) Vera sit iphnf
tion. So if you don't have a decimal nilcr, just
make the trace a bit thinner than 1 '8 inch—
it'll be close enough. After making the board,

cut a hole in the center just large enough to

accommodato transformer Tl. The finished
microst ripline should look like that shown in
* G-cw-4 Lug* SoidKsc
10 Sia* CI

Fig 4.
Mount the ccupter components using short
leads. A suggested layout is shown in Fig 5.
Fig 6— Using solder lugs to make a good
Then assemble the rest of the wattmeter and
connection to the ground sids of the
mount the completed coupler between the in- microstrlpline.
put and output connectors. The cornections
from the collection iv ihv uuuvtiiiplim;
Microstrlpline must be very short, particularly the ground To obtain maximum reliabiliiy, measure R7,
connections. If possible, put a sold;r lug or R8, and R9 and replace them with fixed resis-
lugs on the corncetor-mounting screws and tors of the measured values; readjustment
solder the lugs directly to the bottom of the should never be necessary.
line as shown in Fig 6. If you need to measure SWR at levels very
A template package containing a FC-board close to 1:1, you may want to tweak the wau-
pattern integrating the watlmeler circuit and mcter to show a 7ero-rei1ected- power Indica-
directional coupler, pans-placement diagram tion when connected to a reference dummy
Tl and other information is available :'rom the load. The resistors to adjusi ire R and R2. I

ARRL Technical Department Secretary for Theoretically, the correct value for these resis-
a no. I0SAE w;th return postage for 1 ounce. tors is 49.5 fl each. It's not necessary to re-
adjust the wattmeter if you change the values
Tips
Bottom of Board of Rl and R2 slighlly.
A small center -off toggle switch, wired for
REV-OFF-FWD operntion. is a convenient Use
Fig 5 — Close-up views oi ine completed way to combine SI andS2. However, small To measure power, select the appropriate
drectional coupler. TVs primary is a
straight piece of insulated wire spanning
toggle switches are amazing in their ability scale and turn S6 fully clockwise. The power
the cut in (he microstriplina. TVs secon- to turn themselves on at the (lightest flowing in the line the forward reading
is

dary winding is routed through the hole cut provocation— like being bumped around in minus ihi reverse reading. To measure SW R,
[or Tl. The lop view shows the compo- a suitcase or backpack. So if you 're going switch SJ to the next more sensitive setting
nents comprising the directional coupler to use this wattmeter for portable opera- and switch S2 to fwd. Adjust R6 for a full-
and detector. To achieve minimum lead some other kind of switch (a slide
lion, use scale meter reading. Flip S2 t.i REV and read
lengths. R1-R4 are maunted vertically on
switch, for example) for. or in scrip": wilh, rhc SWR si-alc To adjust a Transmatch, put
die ground plane. Capacitors C1 and C2
ate not shown, although ihey should bo si, the wattmeter between the transmitter and
mounted directly across R3 and R4, I've seen quite a few articles implementing Transmatch and adjust the Transmatch for
respectively. the Bruene directional-coupler circuit with zero reflected power.
a powdered-iron core (eg, T-68-2), The low The directional wattmeter can do anything
winding impedance of such a transformer an SWR meter can do, and many Ihings
between ihc coax connectors and the micro- will ruin the cccuracy of this circuit, so besides. Because you can measure power any-
sriplinc. a larger bump at the coupler
and don't use powdcrcd-iron cores for the where in a system, you can use the wattmeter
transformer, but iheto bumps can be made iransforrncrs in thiE wattmeter. to find ccblc and Tranameich losses, measure
[significant at HF with a little effort. Only transmitter power, and lots Of other things.
the microstripline and directional coupler are Adjustments
You'll be surprised how often you reach for
sensitive to layout, arid you have considera- All you'll need for adjustment is a high- it!

ble latitude with thctc components if you impedance dc voltmeter. Connect :he volt-
know the rules. meter between the wiper of the SEnsmvrry Ackn owfedgments
The micros! ripline will be the simplest circuit control (R6) and ground. Conned a tem- Thank* to Dave Dcford, K0ED. for help-
board you've ever made. If you've never porary jumper between pins 7 and 3 of Ut. ing me
rsduce the myslery cf ac versus dc
made a PC board before, don't worry you — Turn R6 fully counterclockwise Set the . ichpuuseof a diode detector o the realm of
can't go wrong with this one. Il consists FULL SCALE SELECT switch S3 to tlfl 10-W physics, where it belongs.
simply of a single trace on one side of the position. Turn on POWER switch SI. Slowly While editing this article. QST Assistant
board and a ground plane on the other. There turn R6 clockw se. As you do, the wattmeter Technical Editor Rus Healy, NJ2L, recog-
are at least three ways to fabricate this board: and voltmeter readings should increase* If nized the detector-diode-compensation
You can stick adhesive
copper tape to the not. turn the wattmeter off and check your method as the one presented by John
non-foil side of a singtc-sided board,
you can wiring. Grebenkemper (sec Nolc I). John Greben-
e:ch a double-sided board, or you can cut Adjust R6 for a voltmeter reading of kemper subsequently reviewed the article and
dlung (lie edge* uf wlUJ a knife <uid
(lie line 6.49 V, Uieii adjust R7 hu die wauitmcr reads made se«cral useful suggestions, many ol
peel away the unwarned copper. full scale. Adjusi R6 for a voltmetct reading which have been incorporated into this ankle.
No matter which method you choose, start of 2.05 V, then switch S3 to the 1AV posi- One important consequence of John's com-
with a piece of l/16-inch-ihick, glass-cpoiy tion. Adjust R8 until the watlmeler indicates ments is that Ihey motivated rne to model t he
PC board. The board's length should equal full scale. Adjusi R6 for a voltmetet reading performance of the detector/compensation
or exceed the distance between wattmeter in- of 0.649 V, then switch S3 to theO. 1-W posi- combination for sine-wave inputs, during
put and output connectors, and the board tion.Adjust R9 for a full scale reading on the which I discovered an undesirably high sensi-
should be at least one inch wide (wider is wattmeter. Turn the wattmeter aff and tivity to diode saturation current, which is
okay). The width of the rnicrostrip, which remove the temporary jumper betwen pins closely related to temperature. This resuhed
should be about 0.1 irch, determines the im- 3 and 7 of Ul. Thus completes the calibration. in lowering the values of R3, R4 and R5 to

QRP Classics 221

those shown in Fig 3 from the original design
values, whici were much higher. John's diode
measurements showed a greater variation in
1,3, than I bad found, indicating the desira-

bility of ma:ching the diodes as described in

his article. John also pointed oli the possi-
bility of op-amp offset causing the meter to

read slightly upscale with no applied signal.

The worst -cisc error is about 2^*0 of full-scale
deflection; less in most cases. If necessary,
you can add an offset null consisting of a
100-kfi. potentiometer between fins I and 5

of Ul, with its wiper grounded

Notes
•J.Grebenkemper. 'The Tandem Match— An Ac-
'

mrato nirodlonfll Wattmeter." QST. Jan 1987,

pp IB-26. Also see "Tandem Match Correc-
tions." Tecinical Correspondency Jan 1988.
P 49.
This circuit was originally discussed in L. McCoy,
"The Moninatch." QST, Oct 1956. and has
been covered In many articles since.
^W. B. Bruens. "An Inside Picture ct Directional
Wattmeters." QST, Apr 1959.

QRP Classics 222

From November 1907 QST, p 10;

Build This QRP

Omni Box
Man does not live by rig alone!
Combine your QRP accessories
into one package for field
or home use.
By Doug DeMaw, W1FB
PO Box 250
Luther. Ml 49656

Do you need to carry a number of

small QRP-supporl gadgets with
you during portable operation? If
provided. When S3 <FREO) is open
tuning range of CI provides coverage of 2.6
to 10.5 MHz, thereby permitting tests on
(LO>. the capacitance value will imit the tuning range
of the field-strength meier, so fixed-valu;
capacitors must be shunted across CI to
so. you may he interested in how I solved 80. 75. 40 and 30 meter*. When LI is placed cover the low end of each range. Also, th?
my "bag-of- accessories" problem by with T3 (HO, the effective circuit
in parallel calibration data in Table 1 will not h;
building the moil needed support urits into inductance is 1.5 *<H. This provides cover- applicable.
one cabinet. A
secondary advantage of age from 6.9 to 25.4 MHz lor use on 40, The secondary winding of T3 provides
unitizing these circuitsis that or.ly one 30, 20, 15 and 12 m. Sec Table I. low-impedance coupling to Dl and D2. The
panel meter and one cabinet are required. link also prevents excessive loading of the
This represent* a saving in dolk.rs an — tuned circuit, and helps ensure a workable
appealing fringe benefit. Q
Q on both ranges (too low a will restrict
Yuu need uoi incur poraie all of ilie cir- Table 1 the sensitivity or ilie instrument).
cuits 1 chose for my Omni Box. On the Dl and D2 function as a voltage doubler.
Approximate tuning Dial Settings
other hand, voj may prefer to add some tor the Field Strength Meter The rectified RF voltage causes current to
accessory circui: that I don't find necessary flow through the incieating meter, Ml.
rnEQ lc Range
for my QRPoperations: The road to Therefore, the greater ihc field strength, the
innovation open to you! Whatever your
is
Band CI Setting
higher the merer reading. CI is adjusted for
pleasure, I'm sure you will be impressed 80 m 12:30 (o'clock) a peak meter reading, and R6 is used as a
40 m 2:30
"
with the convenience: of having all of the control to keep the meter from
sensitivity
ao m 3:00
necessary accessory items gathered together being driven offscalc. A 24-inch whip
in a single housing. This is particularly an enna connected to II should suffice fo-
pnEa mi Range
handy for camping. Field Day. varations " most field-strength tests.
and casual travel. Moreover, the Omni Box
40 m 10:00
"
30 m 12:30
" Dummy-Load .Section
can be a convenient gadget for home- m
20 2:00
" A dummy load is mportant when we
station use as well. 15 m 2:30
Fig 1 shows all of the circuits in my Omni "
12 m 3:00 need to check transmitter performance or
Box- The instrument contains a field- make tuning adjustments. In ihc dummy
Strength meter, dummy load, SWR bridge, lo3d circuit of Fig I, use four 200-ohm.
[

frequency standard and continuity tester. 2-W resistors (R1-R4, incl) in parallel to
provide a 50-ohm load. RF voltage across
Field-Strength Vleler Section CI is a miniature broadcast-band radio the dummy load is rectified by D3 and
An indication of relative field strength variable capacitor.' You may use any filteredby C4. The resulting dc voltage is
is helpful when checking antenna perfor- capacitor that provides 365 to 400 pF of applied to MI through SI. R5 isolates the
mance and patterns. This instrument may maximum capacitance. The minimum dummy load from the metering circuit and
be used as a unc-up indicator, or as a capacitance (plates unmcshed) should be makes the meter response more linear. he I

relative output-power monitor. Slill 20 pF or less. You may also use he varia- I meter provides a visual indication of the
another application is that of a frequency ble capacitor from a transis.or radio AM transmitter output energy.
meter to ensure ihat the transmitter is by placing both sections in parallel; this The meter may be calibrated in watts by
providing output in the correct amaieiir providef approximately 225 pF of applying a known power (say, 5 W) to the
band. The circuit may be used also as a RF maximum capacitance. Using this small a load and adjusting R6 (sens) for a full-
"sniffer" when troubleshooting a trans- scale reading on Ml. The power is ihei.
mitter. reduced in l-W steps, and the meter readinc
Refer to the field-strength meter circuit noied ai each slcp. These readings are
in Fig i. Two operating ranges arc 'Notes appear at end ot article. logged for future use f-ee Table 2). I placed

QRP Classics 223

 ® .

CI?
WHIP i> .n, ioc iHt

|— J
TS METEF

SM SILVER MICA

* - SEE TEXT

6 TO CI.L2.S3

Fig 1— Schematic diagramof Ihe Omni Box circuits. Fixed-value capacitors ate miniaiure chip or disc ceramic types, except tor CIS.
which is electrolytic. Fixed-value resistors are W-W carbon composition e>cept (or R1-R4, incl, which are 2-W units. Numbered pans that
do not appear in the pans list are identified far circuitboard layout convenience.
Cl -Miniature 365-pF variable RG— Mniaiure 10-kfi tinea Maper carbon. T2—500-j.H primary winding. Uso 36 turns
(see Noie 1). RFC1 -Miniature 500-,<H RF choke (1 mH of no.26 enam wre on an Amidon
—
CS, C6 Miniaiure 7-pF pi3lon trimmer or also suitable). FT SO 43 fcrriln loioid (S50 ,<,). Soconaary
equivalent jnit with low minimum capaci- SI —
Shgle-section, three-pDsilion rotary winding has 10 turns of no. 26 enam
tance (see text). switch wire.
CI I— 50-pF trimmer (Radio Shack 272-1340 S2. S3 S4—Miniature SPCT toggle or slide T3— 22 ;iH primary winding. Use 20 turns
or equiv). switch. of no. 26 enam wre on an Amidon
J1-J5, incl—Single-hole- mount phono jack Tl— Broadband transformc. Secondary FT-37-61 (125 ^i) territe toroid. Secon-
J6, J7— Pin jack for test leads. windng is 30 turns ot no 26 enam wire dary winding conssts ot 5 turns of no. 26
LI— I.671H irductor. 18 turns of no. 24 on an Amidon FT-50A-61 fertile toroid enam wire.
enam wire on an Amidon T-50-6 (yellow) (125 Primary is a two-turn winding ol Y1— 100-kHz fundamental crystal. 30-pF
powdorod-i-on loroid. no. £4 enam wire over nucondnry load capacitance. Intcrnalionat Crystal
M1-Miniature 200-jiA dc meter (see text). wind no. Co type GP. See note 3.

marks on die from panel to allow resetting :l is more sensitive .0 make it suitable for
of R6. Table 2 [lower levels from 350 mW to 25 W,
Depending on the type of SWR bridge D4 and D5 rectify the forward or
Calibration for a 200-f.A meter with
you use your Omni Box, the dummy
in reflected voltage (selected by S2) 10 provide
sens at Mid-scale
load may be a pari of ihe bridyc circuit. a dc voltage for ihe meter. Trimmer
This will Amplify the project. RFPowrflV) Meter Scale capacitors C5 and C6 form a voltage
5 10 divider with C9. These trimmers arc uicd
SWR Bridge A 9 10 null the bridge with a 50-ohm load con-
You have some choice in the type of 8 nected to J3 or J4. A coaxial-cable jumper
SWR bridge you use. 2 You may prefer 10 2 7
may be connected between J3 or 24 and J2
1 5
use the resistive- bridge circuit described in (dummy load) when nulling the bridge
O.b 3.5
the referenced article. The circuit shown circuit.
0.25 1.5
here Is similar to the toroid al-transformer 0.- 1 To null the bridge, set S2 to FWD, con-
(QRO> bridge described in thai article, hul nect the 50-ohm load 10 J4 and apply trtm-

QRP Classics 224

 — . —

icauh in gjcuici sensitivity for the Omni loo-kl-l? crystal-controlled oscillator. Cifi
Box functions tlian the specified 200-jiA and C12 are feedback capacitors that
unit. This increased sensitvjty can be ensure circuit oscillation. These capacitors
particularly beneficial when using the field- may need to be changed slightly from the
strength and SWR-bridgc crcuits. Most values shown, depending on the charac-
imported meters with a 5(1- or lOO-^A teristics of the crystal you use.
movement are in a conventional format, Q2 is a broadband amplifier that
and are easier to read than the smaller, inc-eases the 100-kHz cnerev sufficiently to
edge-reading types. pennil D6 and D7 :o generate strong
harmonics of the ery'tai frequency. The
lOO-kHz Krcquoney Standard diodes generate harmonies by distorting
There nay be no more useful accessory (clipping) the signal from Q2. This is
than a secondary frequency standard. particularly important when using the
Many home-brew QRP iiaiisiniiturs JOC-kHz markers above 41) meters; Weak
particularly those with VFOs— arc prone to markers may noi be discernible in QRN
frequency change;. 113 ambient
ihc and QjRM.
temperature varies. The problem is 1101 T2 is tuned broadly to resonance by C16.
limited 10 homemade gear. I have used RI3 provides a dc return for D6 and D" 1

+ 9V
several pieces of commercial QRP gear that and establishes a load for Q2. A 9-V batten-
exhibit frequency-calibiatioi problems. supplies operating voltage for the frequency
t*Ci" AS ihBCATED. DECIMAL Also, shock or vibration can shift a standard. It's easy to forget to turn S4 to
VALUi J OP CAPACItANCC AHE
if.VXIOEAHAJS >F 1; OtHERE
|
trimmer capacitor or a slug-tuncd-core Off when you ar: not using the
AHfclN PlCQFMADSlt*
RtSI^A'ICES *1£
I;

M OHMS. setting.Oat-of-band or out-o f-license-elass- standard— I've done too many times! F
it

- - UXO segment frequency excursions can be the switch is left in the as position for
avoided by making periodic transmitter dial lorg periods. BTI will .ie depleted. It's wise
Fig 2— Suggested circuit lor a 100-kHz LC calibration checks using a properly cali- to carry a spare 9-V battery with you on
oscillator. Cl is a 100-pF ceramic irinmer, brated receiver. I like to know my operating fie:d trips.
L1 consists ol 85 turns ol no. 32 ena-n wire frequency, so 1 always carry a secondary Using a new 100-kHz crystal at Yl may
on an Amidon FT-50-61 fernte toroid core.
frequency siandard with me on QRP he costly! I suggest lhal you scan the stir-
C2 and C3 are 0.01-/.F, high-Q capacitors,
expeditions. pits equipment catalogs for moderately
such as polystyrene or Mylar* units. 31 is
adjusted to zero beat the oscillalor ouipul Thr fmyiK'ncy-siandard circuit in Fig 1 priced 100-kHz crystals.' Alternatively
with WWV. A coating ol coil cement should holds its calibration quite well. Ql is a you may use a 500- or 1000-kHz crysia
be applied to LI.

mittcr power to J3. Adjust R6 (SENS) for

a full-scale reading. Now. set S2 to
Ml
ref and adjust C6 for a zero reading on
Ml. Next, reverse the connections
connect the transmitter to J4 and the
dummy load tc J3, and set S2 to fwd.
While applying transmitter power, adjust
C5 for a zero reading on Ml. Repeal Ihis
process once more to compensate for any
interaction of th; two trimming capsciiors.
Ihc values ol K/ and K8 are different
than those in the QRO bridge in the
referenced artide. In addition, Tl lias a
two-turn link rather than havir.g the
antenna line pass through the toroidal core
(the equivalent of a one-turn winding).
These changes ensure greater SWR meter
sensitivity, necessary for ORP use. The cir-
cuit shown may be used at power levels up
to 25 W without damage 10 the diodes.

The Meter
A 200-jtA instrument is specified for M 1

"I'here are a number of low-cost, edge-

reading meters of this type available in the
surplus marker Most of these are FM
tuning meters, but some arc calibraicd for
use in CB transceivers- These meters are
easy to take apan for substitution of a new
meter scale. A 0-10 scale that will fit most
of these meters was published in the article
referenced in ncte A photocopy af this
Fig 3— Inte ior view ol Ihe assenbled Omni Box. The battery holders are affixed to the rear
meter scale can x
affixed 10 ihe faceplate
wall ot the cabinet. The SWR
hrirlge is si thn tar rirjtil nf thf PC. hoard Tho li aid-strength meter
of your surplus meter wnn rubber cement. and dummy load are near the front panel at the left side of the cabinet. V 1 and the 100-kHz
Using a 50- or I00-aA mete: a; MI will oscillator ate located below tho batteries.

QRP Classics 225

 .

with frequency dividers to obtain markers

at, say. 25, 50 aid 100 kHz. This approach
complicates the circuit, however, and
increases the Currehl drain on BTl. Fig 2
shows an LC
100-kHz oscillator that may
be substituted for Ql of Fig I. It will need
I—r-l
calibration against WWV
more frequently
than is necessary wich a crystal oscitltitoi
It does, however, present a way to save

money.
The frequency standard may be
calibrated by connecting a coaxial cable
between J5 aid a receiver capable of
receiving WWV. Tune in WWV
and adjust
CI I to obtain i zero beat between 'he out-
put frequency of the standard and WWV.
Calibration shculd be checked at least once
a month to ensure that the standard is
accurate.
Calibrate your receiver by connecting a
coaxial-cable jjmpei between J5 and the
antenna jack of your receiver. If the
10O kHz signal is too strong, you can lower
the signal level by substituting a apackor
of lower value for C 16 (5 to 27 pF). Tunc
the receiver to a convenient frequency that
isan exact multiple of 100-kH?.. and adjust
the receiver-tuning trimmer capacitor for
Fig 4— Circuil-Doard elching pattern for the Omni Box. The pattern is shown lull-size from
the Jail side ol ihe board. Bin:k areas represent unetched copper foil.
zero beat with the standard. Once your
receiver is properly calibrated, it may be
used to check the calibration of the trans-
mitter frequency dial. A low-level signal (HWD). The front and rear panels are egg- PC board. coated each of them with a
I

from the transmitter, such as that obtained shell while, and the cover is finished in a homemade dope after they wete
coil
in the SPOT position, is sufficient for brown wood-grain adhesive-backed plastic. installed. I also flowed a large drop of
calibration, ant this signal level can usually The panel labels arc prcss-an dccals that cement under each coil to affix them to the
be heard without an antenna. were applied after the panel holes were PC board.
drilled, and before
the controls were I made my coil dope by dissolving small
Continuity Teeter mounted Following application of the pi*res of polystyrene lubiny in acrylic
Continuity tests are frequently necessary labels. sprayed the front and back panels
1 solvent/cement. This liquid contairs
when we are away from our home stations with Krylon- No. 1303 clearacrylic lacquer methylene chloride. Warning: Do not
with QRP geat. .Situations arise when we to proteci the labels and give them more breathe thefumes from this chemical, and
need to check a coaxial cable or an antenna contrast. This product is available in office- moid getting it on your skin. A good grade
for opens or snorts. A simple continuity supply stores. ol coil dope may also be made by dissolving
tester will suffice, and it eliminates the need An interior view of the Omni Box is chips or acrylic ntbirg or sheeting in th s
to carry a VOM. shown Fig 3. The PC board is double
in solvent.
added RIJ (Fig I) and two phi jacks
I sided, with ihe copper on ihe component A full-scale etching template for the PC
and J7) to the metering circui; of the
(Jfi a ground plane. suspect that
side acting as 1 board is shown in Fig4. A parts-placement
Omni Box. These components, along ivtih single-sided board would work satisfac- glide is shown in Fig 5. 1 used donut pacs
BT2. provide i full-scale reading at Ml torily for these circuits. I us-ed double-sided ar.d PC layout tape to develop the master
when a short is placed across J6 and J7, board because the input/output PC traces artwork for the PC board. I then trani-
Resistances of more than 1 ohm can be for the SWR bridge depend upon the fcrrcd a mirror imag>: of the pattern to a
observed with this tester. No switch is ground-plane surface of the board to form sheet of paper with i. plain-paper copier.
needed for connecting BT2 into the circuit 50-ohm strip lines. Elimination of the This sheet became my master artwork fcr
because the line is open until the tesi probes ground plane may not affect the bridge cir- Tec-200 film, from which the clch-rcsht
arc placed across a conducting pa:h. R14 cuit significantly, because of the short dis- pcttern was ironed onto the blank PC
is chosen for use with a 200-/iA meter. You tance between J3 and J4 of Fig 1 The most . board.
4
After drilling the holes in the
may need to experiment with the value of used cor.trols are on the front panel of the board, I plated it with Kepro tin-plating
R14 if you use a meter with other than a box. S4, the on/off switch for the fre- solution.
20O-^A movement. SI may be in any quency standard, is mounted on the rear
pos.it ion of its tiree positions while making panel. A U-shaped holder is used for the Odds and Ends
continuity tests. The diodes connected to 9-V battery. attached BT? to the inner
1 The glass piston trimmers I used for CS
Si block the flow of dc from BT2 because rear-panel wall with a nylon clamp. A ar.d C6 are set at near maximum
their cathodes are connected toward the single AA-size battery holder for BT2 capacitance for t he desired bridge null. Had
positive vottag: source. would allow more convenient replacement I realized ihis sooner, I would have sub-

of the 1.5-V battery: The circuit wires are stituted 6.8-pF silver-mica capacitors fcr
Construction Noles
soldered io the ends of BT2 in my unit. the trimmers. You rray want to try thii,
Packaging of your Omni Box is a matter R 14 is not mounted on the circuit board. assuming that the value of C9 is close to
of personal choice. [ used a Ten-Tec TO- Rather, it is soldered between J6 and R6, 330 pF.
TW-34 milky cabinet foi ihis project- Its just behind the ft um uaiul. All uf the Fig I B shows a 6.8-pF capacitor In series
dimensions are 3 x 4-1/8 x 4-1/8 inches toroidal coils arc mounted vertically on the with ihe line from Jl This capacitor shoukl
.

QRP Classics 226

 This resulted in approximately a half-scale
(12 o'clock) setting for R6. 1 then incremen-
tally d:crcascd the transmitter power and
noted the readings to provide the data in
Table 2. You may calibrate your meter
scale for forward power by following this
procedure. A scope of adequate bandwidth
may be substituted for the probe and
VTVM, but the resolution will not be as
great as with the VTVM. You will have to
convert the pcak-to-pcak readings of the
scope lo RMS
values. The dummy load in
the Omni Box will safely dissipate 4 W of
continuous RF power.
you exceed this
If
limit (5 to 8 W), restrict your key-down
period; to 30 seconds or l'.*ss. and allow a
short cool-off period between tests.
You can cover the 10-n band with the
field-slrength meter by removing 2 turns
from I did not
LI. include coverage to
30 MHzbecause I don'l jpcrate at QRP
10 melers, likewise Tor 160 meters.
In the interest of miniatLrization, ! chose
small components for mo;t of the circuit.
Surplus ceramic chip capacitors arc used
toward this end. Small switches are used,
except for SI, which is the only suitable one
I had on hand. R6 is a m niaturc compo-

nent a so,
I'm sure you will find this Omni Box as
handy as have. Maybe you'll include a
I

QRP Transmatch in your unit to make it

be added if you intend to use a longer p'tck- than ample for most QRP transmitters. a complete do-evcrything gadget!
up antenna for the field-strength meter or The dummy-load metering sensnvity may
Notes
if you connect an RF-sniffer probe to the be increased by changing R5 to a lower
'Circuil Specialise Co. PO Boi 3047. Scotisdale.
circuil. This low-value capacitor will help value. The meter responds adequately at AZ 85257. Pari No. Al-233.
to isolate the tuned circuit from (he added 100 mW with the value for R5 given in *D. DeMaw, "The SWR Twins-ORP and ORO."
capacitance of the probe or longer antenna. Fig 1. OST. Jul 1986. p 34.
3.JAW C-ystals. 2400 Crystal Dr. PO Rox 0fi017
Without this charge, the field-strength used an RF probe and a VTVM to
1
Fort Myers, FL 33906-6017, Catalog no. 30,
meter's tuned circuit will have a restricted measure tranimitter power across a 50-ohm crystal, 0.01% tolerance. HC-13/U

upper- frequency range and reduced Q. resistive load <P = E^t/R^l I set R6 case, $6.50 ea.
*D. DeMaw, "Homemade Circuit Boards— Don't
Maximum SWR bridge sensitivity (sens (sens) for a rull-scale reading ai Ml with Fear Them." QST. Aug 1987. pp 14-16
scl fully clockwise) is 350 mW. This is more 5 W of RF power into the dummy load. and 22.

For updated supplier addresses, sec ARRL Pans

Suppliers List in Chapter 2

QRP Classics 227

From September 1988 QST, p 56:

A Simple Resonant ATU

Eliminate roller
inductors and tapped
coils with this simple
HF-band Transmatch.
This circuit is suitable
for QRP or QRO.
By Doug DeMsw, W1FB
ARRL Contributing Editor

Are you weary of looking

expensive roller coil;;? Do tapped
for

awn WOEATOR TftAUSMATcH

coils in ATUs
(antenna :uning J?
units) fail to provide the inductance BO V
resolution you need for matching a broad
range of impedances? We arc kindred souls
if your answers to these questions arc
"yes." The roller-coil problem is even more
acute for a QRPer; Tiny roller inductors
that fit the small format of QRP gear arc
not available. Ihe remaining option is a
topped coil and switch.
The circuit I shall discuss in this article
isby no means new or original. The manner
in which I am using it is, however, a bit
uncommon. Fig illustrates the circuit.
I

Unli ke other Tixnsmalch circuits, this one

is resonant at the operating frequency.
Most tuners contain elements of L and C.
which are used to cancel inductive or tOOn *S INUQMcD. DEO"*l
capacitive reactance in an antenna circuit.
vftmesa= C4P*CiT*.r,i-= ate

Circuit resonance is bioi a criterion. The Afl£ IN PlCDFA«*US i r> l.

RtStSTANUfi ih
popular T matel that is used in mos. com- K-IOOC
mercial Transmatches is an example of a SM-SlLVt* MC*
nonresonant ATU. A cesonam Transnaich
offers the advantage of simplicity and
harmonic rednciinn.
Fig l—Schematic diagram of !he SWfi bridge and Transmatch. Fixed-value capacitors are
A Closer Look at Ihe Circuit disc ceramc unless noted otherwise. Fixed-value resistors are carbon composition.

Please refer to Fig 1. The main

of pari
Cl— Mlniatjre 100- Or 140-pF tir variable. L5—0.85-^H inductor. Use 9 turns of
C2— 10-100 pF trimmer with shaft (see no. 20 enam wire on s 5/8 x 1-inch
the circuit is LI and L2, along with Cl. note 1) or 100-pF air variable, piece of PVC pipe. Space lurns to
Here we have a standard tuned circuit or D1—Silicon high-speed switching diode, occupy 5/8 inch.
resonator. LI is the coupling link into the type 1N914 or equiv. M1— Small edgewise tuning meter, 2O0 <iA.
tuned circuit. As shown, Cl and form J1.J2— Sirgle-hole mount phono jack or Sirplus S meter used here with scale
SO-239. frdrn page 35, July 1986 O.QT jjliiftd to
a resonant 80-meicr C2 hai been
circuit.
LI— 6 turns of no. 22 insulated wire over meter face.
added e signal source
to permit thatching 'l>
ground end of 12. R1— Linear-taper. 10-kfl potentiometer,
(transmitter) to ihe load. A matched con- L2— 28-t.H Inductor. Use 70 close-wound carbon composition.
dition will prevail at some setting of C2. turns of no. 22 enamel wire on a 7/8 x BFCl— Miniature 750-^Hor 1-mH
This is a very old trick that has been with 2-inch length piece ol PVC ppe. RF choke.
us for decades. L3— 10-(iH induclor. Use 30 tuns ol no. 26 31, S2. S3— SPST slide switch (sec loxt).
There Is considerable interaction between
©nam wire, closely wound, on a 5/8 * T1— Toroidal transformer. Use 35 turns
i-inch piece of PVC pipe. of no. 26 enam wire on an Amidon
Cl and C2, since
capacitance at C2, the less capaciiance w<
the greater the LA— 2.6-jiH inductor. 16 turns nf no Pfl FT-Sfl.fi 1 forrito lornifl a 195) Primary
enam wire, closely wound, on a 5/8 x 1- has 1 turn of no. 26 enam wire.
need at Cl to maintain tuned-circuit inch piece ol PVC
pipe.

QRP Classics 228

resonance. In othd words, the C2
capacitance add* to tJiat of CI. Fcr this
reason we must adjust Cl and C2 alter-
nately as we tunc for minimum SWR, just
as with conventional ATUs.
How do we solve the problem of multi-
band operation? A simple solution is
provided by add:ng L3, L4 and L5. These
coils are switched in parallel wilh L2 by
means of SI, SI and S3. A single-pole,
three-position wafer switch can be used in
place or the individual switches, although
it would limit the flexibility of (he circuit.
I will discuss thii later. As is the situation
when wc place resistors in parallel coils
thai are placed in parallel have a net value
that is less than that of the smallest coil in
the combination. Therefore, we simply add
L3 to the circuit for 40-meter operation, 1.4
for 20 meters and L5 Tor 10- and 15-meter
operation. The 30-mctcr band can be
covered in the 40-meter range, aid 12
meters falls into the 10-15 meter r&ngc.
The advantage in placing the smaller Rg 2— The ATU subassembly before CI was replaced wilh a small air-variable capacilor
coils in parallel with the large one is that Holes are punched in the base plale (PC board material) lo accommodate the OD ol the
theLI/L2 turns ratio remains the same as coil lorms. The colls are cemenied into the holes wilh epoxy glue. A small shell is
when only the main coil is being used. LI soldered to the base plate to alow mounting Ci and C2. A plastic block insulates C2 Irom
ground. Wooden dowel rod is olued to the capacitor shafts to allow the use of knobs with
can be eliminated by lapping the oil six
'/j-inch hotes. The ends of the dowels are ground cown to a Irue lA-lnch diameter.
turns above the grounded end. I chese Ihc
link method because " 'S «Kn»r tn df»nl with
than a coil tap I wanted to avod the
potential of shorted turns with smal. wi re. was done to eliminate mechanical problems bast plate (at each end of the shelf) 10
The main coil has an inductarcc of that resulted in very "touchy" adjustment strengthen the shelf. Two no. 6 spade bolts
28 The effective circuit inductsnce is
. of Cl. The trimmers are 10-100 pF units are used to affix the subassembly to the
when L! and L3 arc
7.5 jiH in parallel. with 1/8-inch OD shafts. 1
I drilled holes in mail chassis of the ATU. You may use
L2 + L4 = 2.4 ,,H and U * U = the ends of two '/i-inch wooden dowel brass or aluminum
you
for the base plate and
0.82 jiH. If all four coils are placed in rods, then glued the trimmer shafts into the shelf if prefer.
parallel the net induct ante become* 0.6 p.H. Ju»d tods epoxy cement. This
with 1 made my
chassis ond panel from PC-
The singular coil inductances are given in allowed the use of standard knobs with boa'd material. The sections arc soldered
the Fig 1 caption. '/i-inch holes. ai the joints to form the main frame. The
Schcduk-40 PVC tubing used for the
i.s assembled unit is shown in Fig 3. The
SWR Indicator coil forms. PVC is not suitable for high- dimensions are (HWD) VA x SW x i
You may clinvnatc the SWR-sensing cir- power use since it will heat a ltd melt in the inches. A I x 5-3/8 strip of PC-board is
cuit in Fig I if \ou have a separate SWR presence ^f high RF voltage. PVC is soldered across the back of the chassis to
meter to use will this cuncr. I included this entirely acceptable for power levels under contain Jl and J2 of Fig I. Two strip*
circuit for convenience when operating
my 50 watts. L2 is wound on 3/4-inch PVC ('/i x 3 inches) are used at the sides of the

afield with QRP equipment. 1 did not pipe, which has an OD

of 7/8 inch. The mail frame to serve as panel braces. 1

include the circuitry for reading the for- remaining coils are wound on 1/2-inch polUhed the copper ->n the PC-board
ward power. My concern h for obtaining PVC pipe (5/8 inch OD). Al of the coils material, then coated it with clear lacquer
a matched condition between the trans- are mounted on the subassembly base plate to prevent tarnishing. The panel is sprayed
mitter and the ailcnna. Therefore, I need by gluing them into holes (5/8 and 7/8 inch with gray automotive primer paint. I first
only the reflcctcd-power information. Tl diameter) :hat are cut in the PC-board base sanded the panel to provide a rough sur-
SttmpIVS »he RF current (reflected). Dl plate. Epoxy cement is good for this pur- face. This helps the paint to adhere belter
rectifies the current and produces a dc pose. The coils are spaced apart 1 inch, I han it would on ihc smooth .surface. Gray
voltage that is irdicared a: Ml. The ATU center to center. The base plate is made Dymo " f
tape labels identify the conrrol
is adjusted for minimum needle deflection from double-sided PC board {2Vi x VA functions. Four adhesive-backed rubbei
at Ml. Rl is s senuiiviry control that The grounded ends o( the coils are
inches). feet arc affixed to ihe bottom of the
prevents Ihc meter from reading off soldered lo the base plate. chassis.
scale during tuner adjusiraenis. Tbt SWR Fig 2 shows a I '/: x 2-inch shelf upon I used a technique that some call "ugly

bridge is designed for operation, as QRP which ihc trimmer capacitors arc mounted construction" when juilt the 1 cir- SWR
shown. A
iransmfner pemer output or hy means uf metal L bituktta. A plastic cuit A neater job will result if you assemble

1 watt or greater *xB prcvid* fuD-scak insulator is bolted to the shelf to allow C2 the parts on a PC board, although he per- 1

deflection u Ml. of Fig 1 be isolated from ground. The

ti> formance will be the same. I used a
PC-board shelf is soldered to the base most of
rnultilug terminal strip 10 contain
Construction Dili plate, and a small iriangttlar PC-board the 5WR-bridge parts. Other components
Fi£ 2 shows the first -r^z zcssrzzxmai bracket is .oldcrcd between the bracket and have mid-air joints.
deiail of the coil niks&gfgsy. Yea =HI I used inexpensive slide switches for SI.
note the presence of t»o shirr -cmc cckz- S2 and S3 or, Fig 1. Miniature toggle
~

pression trimmers. -mr * =-5*1 I

.
Switches may be substituted, or you may
Fig 1 to a small A PC wvfc *r Tha vmt '--•35 appear at end ot article. prefer to use a single rotary switch, as dis-

QRP Classics 229

 old ideas that may have been forgotten by
some of you. I hope you have found the
circuit and construction hints interesting

ard useful.

Notes
Trimmers with shalls aie available- Irom Hoslelt
Electronics. 27O0 Sunset Blvd. StaubenvillB.
OM 43952. Sal«b Mil* B00 G2-1-C4G4 (catalog
available).
'Plastic rod. tubing and sheeting (many types
of

plastic) are available by UPS

or truck line Iron
U.S. Plastic Corp, 1330 Neubrecht Rd. Lima.
OH d5801. Sales line: B00-S37-9724 (catalog

sFaifRadlo'satss. Inc. Box 1 105. 101 6 E Eureta

St. Lima. OH
45802. let 419-227-6573.

ATU. "Ugly constructor, (see text) e used tor Ihe

Fig 3-lnienor view ol the assembled
SWR-bridgc circuit, lower right. Tti2 subassembly, chassis and panel are J«»fcwft^
are soldered to hold Ihe sechons
pieces of single- and double-sided PC board. The seams
together.

cussed earlier. Trimmer C2 may be replaced circuit Q. Long RF leads, such as those

with 140-pF
a 100- 0" air variable. If litis marked "RG.174" in Fii 1, should be
is done, you will need to isolate the stator made from coaxial cable. RG-174 is
and rotor from ground. The circuit will miniature coaxial line thai is suitable for
function satisfactorily if you use iwn short nits and for power levels up to 40
100-pF capacitors (CI and C2). or 50 watts at the lower amateur fre-
quencies.
Circuit Performance There is no reason why the circuit of

1 tested this ATU atfrompower levels, Fig can't be adapted for high-power use.
1

1 to 15 waits. 1 used from

resistive loads, The coils would need to be made with large-
15 to IO0Q ohms, and obtained an SWR of diameter wire, and the coil forms should
1:1 in all cases. No arcing occurred at have good high-voltage, bw-loss proper-
trimmer C2. 1 later connected ill: ATU to ties-Lexan'" or fiberglass lubing^ is good
my 80-meter dipole and
{coaxial cable feed) material for the coil forms. Surplus ceramic

ran it through its paces from 80 through coilforms are also suitable. CI and C2 of
10 meters. Despite the complex impedance Fig must have wide plaiespacing for high
1

the feed line presented above 3.5 MHz. I power, since substantial RF voltage is
was able to obtain an SWR of 1:1 on all present at the top of L2. S I. S2 and S3 need
bands. to be high-quality RF ceramic switches if
Adjustment is done by setting the coil QRO cse is contemplated. Fair Radio Sales
switches for the proper amateur band. With in Lima. Ohio sells surplus KF power

RE : power applied to the circuit, adjust CI switches. 1

for the lowesi SWR attainable. Next, adjust You may use toroidal coils for your QRP
G2 and readjust CI for minimum
slightly ATU. This ysu to make the
will enable

indicated SWR. Repeal this process until tuner smaller. For example, L2 would have

the SWR is 1:1 Caution: Use the greatest

.
35 turns of no. 24 enamel wire on an
amount of capacitance possible at C2. con- Amidon FT-82-63 core. LI would consist
sistent with a 1:1 SWK
Alihoiifh smaller of 3 urns of no. 24 wire m-er L2. For L3
values of capacitance at C2 will result In use 24 turns of no. 24 wire on an FT-50-63
an SWR of 1:1, the loss through the ATU toroid. L4 would have 23 turns of no. 24

increases at such settings. All Transmatchcs wire on an Amidon T-50-2 toroid, and L5
introduce some loss, but it is insignificant would consist of 1 5 turns of no. 24 wire on
(less than 1 dB normally) for the most pan. a T-50-6 core. There is no reason why you
can't design a PC board that can contain
Some Final Thoughts the Tour toroidal coils, plus the SWR
Keep all RF leads a* short ai you can. bridge. This would result in a low-profile,
This will prevent unwanted stray compact ATU.
can lower ihe tuned- I wrote this article in o rder to share .some

QRP Classics 230

From 1990 ARRL Handbook Ch 34. p 19:

A Balanced QRP Transmatch

The balanced QRP
Tfansmatch shown
in Figs 39 through J yvas designed and
I

buih "by Zachary Lau. KH6CP, in the

ARRL Lab. Il is designed lor use with
balanced feed lines, although random-wire
antennas can be f:d if one of the antenna
lerminals is grounded. Unlike most Tians-
maiches designed for use with balanced
feed lines, this design features a balun ai
the input, rather than at the ouipui. As a
result, the balun <ees impedances close to
the design impedances once he Transrnalcti i

has been properly adjusted. This results in

lower loss and freedom from core satura-
tion at low powet levels.
Since balanced currents thai pnvent
it is

feed-line radiation, this circuit was designed

to balance currents rather than voltages.
Some antenna s>stem5 use circuits thai
provide balanced voltages, making it neces-
sary io make the system syiiiineii foal in an
effort to balance the currents. By going
straight to balanced currents, instead of
balanced voltages, possible to use a
it tS

much simpler matching; network. In addi-

tion, the actual current balance in typical
amateur open-Wire feed lines should he Fig 39 — Ths OHP Transmatch lot balanced teed lines features a balun at Iho input ol the
improved. matching network.

Construction
The inductor LI and the capacitor CI
should be of the highest quality obtainable
for best performance. Low-impedance
loads will requlr: a good inductor for
efficient matching, while high-impedance
load?: will require a good capacitor.

LI was wound with tinned copper wire

to make it easier to adjust taps. It is
necessary to Wind ihe wire with spaces
between turns to prevent shorts which may
make the inductor lossy; no. 16 wire is
heavy enough to stay in position on the
loroirf. The
inductor used had a full-
inductance 420 ai ?.y MHz; the t,' was
(J ot
410 after the taps and switch were added.
The use of clip lead taps is not recom-
mended as they increase losses, although
they may be useful in initially setting up tap
positions.
Capacitor CI should have a value al at
least250 pF. and larcer capacitors will
work even better, increasing the range of
the Transmatch tow frequencies. Suita-
a:

ble capacitors usually available at

are Fig 40 — QRP Balanced Transmatch
Schematic diagram ot the
hamfests. The value of C2 and should O Ci— 330 pF variable capacitor. 5CQ V raiing. Si— Ceramic rotary switch, single wafer. 1
equal Cl, and C4 should be twice the *'aluc C2.C3—330 pF silver-mica capaciior. 500 V pole. 12 position
of CI . If the calculated % alue* of C:, C3 raiing. S3— Ceramic rotary switch, single water, 2
and C4 arc not available, smaller values C4— 600 pFstlvBr-mica capcitor. 500 V rating pole. 6 position.

may be uwd. Jl -.Female chassis-mourn BNC connector. Tl— 12 Irililar turns an an Amidon FT-iu-61
J2— Two ceramic feodthiough insilators. core; primary, no. 1G erum wire: secondary.
Capacitor C msc be msulued from the
I
—
L 1 361 no 1 6 tinned wiie on an Amidon no. 18 enam wire.
chassis, so i: »as aaosaad using 'r-inch T-200-6 cere.
Plexiglas* with appod sere* boles. An
insulated shaft cot^fe tsed to prevent
high voltage free ippesva; on ibe knob and allows tlie controls to be spaced apart Winding details are sho>vn in Fig 40. It is
seiscrew. Tlx cafeact a Tea-Tec NW-S a lor easy me. The lugging s«ilc is type- possible to wind this coil with only two
with a model 91-336 CT^Ttnwg rai-op bail. written paper attached to the cabinet with windings, eliminating th: solder joint. The
Although it is tvge lor a fjmr I raesna-cn. a PIcxiglas sheet. coil should be duplicated exactly with
the cabinet maid** oe akor*i QRP rig Tl is a irifilar-wound lians former. regard to the number of turns and core

QRP Classics 231

material unless the transformer can be
tcsicd at the operating frequency. Testing
can bo done hy hooking up [wo baluns in
serie:. and measuring [tic insertion loss. The

matching network will compensate for a

poor balun, bin efficiency will probably
suffer. A toroidal choke balun would be
recummonded tor a higher power version.
Switches SI and S2 should be ceramic.
Phenolic switcr.es arc not recommended,
although they should work at low power
levels on the order of a few watts. The
switch position* should never be changed
while more than a few watts of RF is
applied.

Adj urtmviil
Adjustment of the Transmalch h much
easier if the approximate impedance of the

load is known, n his article in TlwARRi.

Aniennu Compendium, Volume I. "Mr.
Smith's 'Other' Chart and Broadband
Rigs" Roger Chormley, W0KK, details
I. network* can. be
how- parts values for
calculated. Alternately, received signals can
be peaked up bv first adjusting the induc-
tor and then lie capacitor. As with any
Transmalch. low power should be used in
the initial adjustment. The actual po-wer
handling capability will depend on ilie lowid.
The capacitor ireakdown voltage Is the
limiiing factor rn higli-impedance loads; a Fig. -ii — Interior layout ol me ORP Tiansmaich The variable capacitor 15 mounted on a
20(K)-ohm load will cause he 500 V capa-
I
Plexiglas Clock.
citors (0 reach their maximum ra:ing at
62.5 W, while the maximum ratingwill be a -10-ohni load will cause a OO-W signal to loads; a reactive load would require higher
reached with 625 wans iniu a 2M-o>hm generate 1.5 A through the wire, while curtem and voltage rating-,. Thtrumi -.hmvn
load. The current-handling capability of (he 450 watts will generate 1.5 A
if (be load \b here has worked well in low-power opera-
wire is the lintit on low-impedance lo;id>; 200 ohms. These values arc for resistive iioi. (up to 4.5 watts).

ORP Classics 232

From January 1085 QST, p 39:

Variable-Notch Filter for Receivers

ViUtABll WOtCH FIvTEfl

Flfl. 1
— Schematic diagram of the variabe notch filter lhal K4VIZ installed In his Kenwood TS-530. This s»me circuil should prove useful for other

receivers. Rl is a dual. 250*0, linear-taper potentiometer, such as a Claroslat D53C1-250K-S. U1 Is an RC-4136, ECG-997 or equiv. quad op amp.

One night before CW net time, I was lining

aiOUnd Ihe Spttillfd frequency usine my
Kenwood TS-530. 1 came some lid (iving
across
his finals a "life tea." This prompted ne lo
think about how nice it would be to have a notch
filter in the '530 limOaf to the one in my Ten-
Tec Argosy. A vanaSIc-aoccb Hter can be quite
effective for Usteoirtf :o a nfnai thai a very close
to a strong, interfering sudod.
checked the
I fat my Argosy and
found lhat Ten-Tec aso a i=:pJe circuit that
employs a quad op mp
IC i&3 a few res stors
and capacitors. A chaJ-sec^ce, 250-kQ. linear-
tapcr potentiometer tens as ibe ^^* r f control.
Based on my study of 2se Tea-Tec omit. I
decided to use it as i besa fsr ej ooiSficsuon.
Sec 1. A -boar s -
y p*ncrn is ——
given in Fig. 2, ar»d r~-t = s a rar_«-r j^ancn:
diagram. Notice the a~ tkji it: =^r:rJ
on end to save space ad » dv> fcr t coalier
board layout. =sl1- l~t
cc—l * om a
I

TS-530 and r Fsg.

Since I never aseC lie Er fan jaera cc e=> ( 25.1mm)
rig. I replaced it wri ae I Mi tTfc 'f sco- Fig.3 — A parts-placement diagram, shown
liometer. The Clirc« poten- Fig ? — FhI ..*l»> rl mill t -hoard etchlnp pattern Irom ihe component Bide o! the board. Gray
tiometer 1 used is i ~fw> &stk aaon bote; for the notch filter, shown from t-hsi foil side. areas show an X-ray view o' the copper
I had to enlarge the baie =4-=- _ :i -_• r i Black areas te-present unetched cepper. pattern.

QRP Classics 233

on ihe new comrcl. The RF gain potentiometer
a replaced with a fixed
Is

resistor.
I
lO-lttl

Filed a
unit itiat

on the shaft of the new control

flat
I

ess v T
ft r
so the original Kenwood knob would fit and
1
make the new control look like it bclonjs. 1 did
not try to relabel the front panel to indicate- the
function of the new control. That way, 1 can
return the rig to original form, should I ever wish
10.
To mount the filter board in my- Kenwood
TS-530. 1 replaced a screw found near ihe edge
of the audio board, between plugs 8 and9, with
f>OWl« -SUPPLY
a longer one. A fe* washers help space tie filter
board from the chissis. I obtained powei for the
filter at test point 6 on ihe audio board. There
is a small, red coaxial cable coming from the top

side of the rig and going behind the VFO. This

cable carries the audio from the detector to the
audio amplifier. Cut this cable and connict it to
the input and output pads on the filter board,
as shown in Fig. 4.
Four small wire; connect the filter to the dual
potentiometer on ihe fr^nt panel. You will have
to remove the scr:ws holding the audio board
Flfl. 4 - Inside view ol IhB Kenwood TS-530 snowing <hB notch-llller wlrinaand mounllng.

so you can lift it uul of [he way while replacing

the RF gain control. The from panel will have frequencies art nearly out of the Kenwood audio ihe task sounds worse than ii is! It took more
to be removed to get at the mil that holds this system passband. When you don't need ihe filter, limt to type it up than to perform the operation.
potentiometer in place; that involves removing jusi set it to one end or the other. One word of caution: Wire the new control so
four screws. I have found this to be a worthwhile project that maximum resistance on both poten tiomeicr
With the control turned fully clockwise, the and a nancy addition to my rig. especially for sections occurs when the shaft is rotated
notch frequency is about 2800 Hz; it b about CW operation. You should be able 10 complete counterclockwise. —
Tom Dcsoulniers, K4V1Z,
300 Hz when fully counterclockwise. Both these the modification in an evening or two. Actually, FOB 1026, Leeds, AL 3S094

From April 1977 QST, p 57:

Simplified Output Metering Protects QRP Transmitters

After destroying a few transistors while

tuning QRP transistors into a misrraKhcd
load, decided needed some way to indicate
1 1
TO r< to
TM'iSMiT'Eft TPATtSKWtCH
proper adjustment, anr Dion
iiansiiiitter
protect the rip while the antenna lurer was
adjusted. An adaptation of the simple resistive
SWR bridge described in the Hand' ARRL
book provides nw with) a dummy load, rela-
tive y .-.v. - .Li *,-- iiidiciioi ditd i sift meiii-
od of tuning the transmitter,
As shown in the schematic diacidPii the
inpui dividci (R 1-114) has a total resistance: of
50 olitm. Four /2-wau composition resistors
1

safely dissipate tlic output of my transmitter

when SI is in the TUNL position. Meter Ml
indicates relative power applied to this load.
'Ihe antenna i* connected (through a Trans-
match) and the antenna tuner is adjusted for
minimum deflection on SI, or lowest SWR.
R5 acts as an attenuator and effectively
isolates the transmitter from the antenna,
P'Otectivect'cuit tor QRP transmitters.
preventing possible damage to the outpui
of the tig. When the
transistor SWR has been
reduced to its minimum, SI i.s placed in the
OPERATK posilijn. Ml now indicates rela- ceramic-disc or silver-mica capacitor- SI switch isadequate for use on the 80-mctcr
tive pawn output into xhc nnicnnu- CF.l may Jiould be n ceramic rotary witch (dpdi., band. Albert S. Woodhuu, NlAtV, ex-
be any germanium signal diode; Cl i". cither a although j phenolic rotary switch or a slide tVlGSJ. POB 843. Amhtrsl. MA
01004

QRP Classics 234

from June 1905 OCT, p 39:

An Accurate, Inexpensive Frequency Marker

VID

in-

X"
•00 >Hl

EKt'l *1 MMCflCBi OECIWL VALUES 0*

Ui: CP'P63
BttllTAHCCt fl«f M =-« . • • I OOD

Fig. 3 — A schematic (or Iha frequency marker U1 is a CD4069, or equivalent. CMOS hex
inverting buffer. Y1 13 a 100-kHz CX-1H crystal from Statek.

Fig. 4— Full-size cifcuit-boird etching pattern

for ire frequency marker, shown from the foil
side. Black areas represen- unetched capper.

OUTPUT

« SUPPLY

SUPPLY GND

Fig. 5— A parts-placement diagram, shown trom the component side of the board. Gray areas
show an X-ray view of the copper pattera

G A highly accurate series oscillator cm be <Fig. 5 is a paics-placcmetu diagram foi tlic The oscillator provides an ideal frequency
constructed from snen components for iboui circuit.) I used the components specified by Argonaut and other radios thai
cheer, for the
$10, The marker is based on the node! Siaiek and ;tic marker oscilialct at 100.0015 lack an internal frequency marker. Siatek
CX-IH quartz crystal, which is a luning-fork kHz. [Larry- Wolfgang, WA3V1L, used a manufactures the CX-lH crystals and pro-
resonator manufactured by the Statek "gimmick" capacitor for CI in the frequency vide; circuit component values for frequen-
Corporation.' Staiek produces these crystalr marker he built in the ARR1. lab. The cies from 10 to 600 kHz. Thus, most HF
for use in quaru «a!-hes and they have a fre- gimmick is iwo wires of a no. 24 AWG ribbon receiver calibration can be accomplished with
quency tolerance of =0.<OQ5*i at 25 6 Celsius. cable. Starl with the wire somewhat longer this inexpensive and ca>y-io-build circuit.
The modules com iboui S6 each. than 3 /: inches, connect the output of the fre- —Michael C. Scheti,KF8CZ, 7647 While Oak
Aschematic of the frequency -raarkcr cir- quency marker to a frequency counter, and Dr. Solon, OH 44139
cuit is shown in Fij 3. h coexists of three
. trim the gimmick wires until the marker is on
cascaded insenen tad three panlle! fcuffer —
frequency. Ed. J Since the nominal frequen- 'The CX-1H is available from StatBtt Corp_
inverters. The enire crr=: a; re cicbrd on cy of the crystal is 100.00 kHz, the measured 511 N Main Si., Orange. CA 92668. tel.
a 1.6- x 1.3-inch boari. *s ibcn in Fig. frequency is within the quoted tolerances. 7T-639-7810

Classics 235
 From January 1907 QST, p 27;

Some Power-Supply Design

Basics
Part 15: Know your components and how to apply them
correctly when designing a ham-shack power supply. Fa lures
can be avoided and performance may be improved by
observing some basic rules.
By Doug DeMaw. W1FB t
ARRL Coniribuling Editor / \
PO Box 250 Lulhor. Ml 496E6 . i / \

think about power supples in

Let's
a practical way. leave tbc ex- I'll

acting design information in the

closet for this discussion. Those of you who
want to dig deeper may consult Ihe power-
supply chapter of The ARRL Handbook,
or such references as National Semiconduc-
tor's Voltage Regulator Handbook ( 1982).
The Jatter publication coniains several
power-supply design application notes,
along with counllcss equations Tor ob-
taining precise pcrfnrmanrp results.'

Rectifier Circuits

What are ou- choices for rectifier

circuits, and wha: are the advantages and
limitations of the various con figurations?
Pig I shows some of che possibilities we
might consider. Tic most basic hookup we
may use is sIlOWll (it A
uf Fiy I. HciC wc
have a half-wave rectifier wiih a single
diode (Dl> and filter capacitor (Cl). The
circuil simplicity appealing, but regu-
is

lation is very poor and the output ripple

is high and hard to filter, compared to A better jeheme is shown at
Fig I B. Here Fig IC shows the more common full-
other circuits. Peak dc voltage across the we find the familiar full-wave rectifier. A wave bridge rectifier. The principal ad-
diode may rise to 2.8 times the transformer ccntcr-tapred transformer is rrnnired. and vnnT?e>> here is thai no swomlary center lap
secondary' voltage (RMS) under no-load the total secondary voltage must he twice is required for Tl. Dl end D3, in effect,
conditions with a capacitor filter. Con- that for a full-wave bridge circuil (C) for provide Ihe missing center tap. In this
versely, the averag; output voltage,without a specified ic-output voltage. The average example two rectifiers operate on each half
filtering (under load) will be on the order output voltage from the diodes is 0.9 times of the ac cycle. The average and peak
of 0.45 times the Tl secondary voltage. The half the RMS secondary voltage of Tl The . oulpnt voltages for this crcuit are the same
high no-load peak voltage, when filtered, peak output voltage (when using a as for the full-wave rectifier at B. The
results from CI being charged. This stored capacitor-input CI)
filler. is 1.4 times the di odes should be raied for at least half the
voltage h then aririVri rn rh* peak voltage Tl secondary voltage. Compared to the current taken by the load.
from che Tl secondary. These traits make half-wave rectifier, this circuit requires less There arc times when we need a plus and
the half-wave power supply suitable for because the output-pulse frequency
filtering minus oulpui voltage from a power supply.
low-current needs, such as bias supplies, is twice that of the half-wave rectifier. Also, A simple method for obtaining the two
but not for high-current application*. each diode (Dl and D2) need; to accom- equal voltages of opposite polarity is il-
modate only half the current taken by the lustrated in Fig ID. This dual-comple-
'National Semicondjctor Cofp. 29KJ Semicon- load. This is because ihe diodes operate mentary rectifier requires a center-lapped
ductor Dr. Sania Clara. CA 95051.
alternately at half cycles of the ac. The transformer with twice tre RMS secondary
For updalod supplier addresses, see ARRL Pans diode of circuil A must handle all of the voltage of that for the full-wave circuit at
Suppliers List in ChaptOf 2. load current. C. You may think of this supply as two

QRP Classics 236

sections of llie full-*avc circuit of Fig IB.
FULL WAVE
The notable difference is thai two extra
M/LF wave CENTER TAPPED
ciodes are added (D3 and D4). They are
connected for the pclarity opposite that of
Di and D2. Peak and average dc output
\oltagc is the same as that for circuits B and
Cof Fig 1.

Diode Selection

Earlier we discussed diodes ihat musl

handle one half the power-supply load
current. That is the minimum requirement.
We need to consider peak currents when
choosing our rectifiers. Using diodes that
have marginal ratings for the intended
Cppliciilion ho'j caused many an amateur
to scratch their head in wonderment afier
witnessing the failure of brand new replace-
ment diodes in a repaired power supply! He
sware that the RMS current flowing into
£ capacieor-mput filter is two to three times

the dc output current. This is because the

current is delivered h short pulses. A good Flo.1— Conventional circuits for power-supply rectifiers. A discussion ol these circuits Is
nile of thumb (call it empirical if you wish!) contained in the toxt.
ii no less than twice
to use diodes rated at
the output current taken by the load. This
allows ample leeway for the surge current
of the power supply and has always pro-
normal current load conditions, with a our trensformers, we w3l avoid these
scope. ailment..Make-do measures and junk-box
vided reliability for mc.
Using Eq 1, we determine that a 3000-/iF components are not truly applicable when
Wemust consider also the P1V (peak
filtercapacitor is required for a l-A load building a power supply.
inverse voltage) or PRV
(peak reverse
current (I2-V output), when the desired
voltage) of the diode we select. Earlier we Applylig Regulators
output ripple sunder load) is 2 V P-P. Keep
learned that peak voltage for a
the
in mind that the values obtained from Eq I Modern amateur equipment requires
capacitor-input filter can rise to 2.8 times
are based on the assumption that a The power
regulated dc operating voltage.
the RMS value of the transformer second-
regulator follows the filter capacitor: The supplici we have considered thus far are
ary winding. Therefore, our diodes should
regulator provides additional electronic suitable for operating low-current devices
have a PRV rating of approximately three
filtering. The KXX1-/.F filler capacitor in the or circuits that draw a steady current.
times the peak voltage value. If the
transformer secondly RMS voltage Is 12,
foregoing «t ample should have a minimum When int-re arc change* in load current, it
rating of 36 V, becomes necessary to regulate the output
the rectifier diodes siiould havea ralingof
voltage to ensure that the correct and safe
36 volts or greater. When building high-
operating voltage is present Furthermore,
voltage power supplies, such as 2 kV, How about (he Transformer? the power supply should be relatively
several 1000-PRV diodes must be con-
nected in scries in each leg of the rectifier
A vital consideration when designing a immune to momentary
current overload
power supply is thai of the traosformer and short circuiting. Pretent-day three-
in order to accommodate the high PRV. 1

rating— notabl y the secondary-current termincl regulator ICs offer the foregoing
Equalizing resistors and capacitors are
specification. Industrial design calls for features. Many are capable of shutting
connected in parallel with each diode (as
some rather complex mathemati;al gym- themselves down when excessive current
shown in the The ARRL Handbook) to
nastics, but wo can follow a practical path flows, which in turn protecis the regulator,
equalize the voltage crop across each diocc.
when choosing the transformer we need for the attached equipment and the power-
Choosing a Filler Capacitor the job. Let's assume that we are using only supply components.
the capacitor-input filter scheme, since it Four basic considerations exist for
Amateurs teedregard the filter
:o
is more common and less expensive than selecting a regulator: (I) the maximum
capacitor as a casaai ma::?:. Why not
simply use whai b cr. furv? m the junk box?
ihe choke-input format. Based on this required output current; (2) required output
assumption our transformer secondary- voltage; (3) unregulated input voltage; and
Perhaps a random)} ±xxer. apadtor value
current rating should be approximately (4)ambient temperature. When you know
will provide adeqtuis resales, assuming
1.2 times the full-load dc current of the the answers to items 1 and 2, you may
output ripple is ncc a z^itot consideration,
supply when using a full-wave, center- consult the manufacturer's data sheets and
andifthecap^- ^4* -tz^i happens
.

10 be sufficient. Bm «te of optimum

tapped rectif.er (Fig IB). Thus, for a make a device selection. Always choose a
2-A maximum load current the transformer regulator that has a power dissipation (P D )
performance? W-£. rrcz a a simple
secondary should have a minimum rating greater than the maximum load current
equation we maj apprj fcr o» current
power supplies w&ez *e arr ~ of 2.4" A (1.2 times the load ciirrent) presented by your equipment Fig 1 ihowi
— If we are using full-wave
bridge
a some simple circuits for three-terminal
the best type of ;zr*r :
rectifier, the Tl current
secondary regulators. The example at A represents a

C-F = - 4 * ifr
minimum will be 3.6 A for a 2-A load standard fixed-voltage regulator. ICs are
Ep.p (1 .8 rimes the toad cun-cnt). Some amateurs available for various standard output
have tried to jse a 2-A transformer for a voltages at various maxim urn -current
*herel L istheit;i»; 2-A load, as an example, only to find that ratings, such as 5 V, 8 V, and so on. They
desired P-P oopx "7TT : ~jx transformer operated quite warm (even arc also available for posiiive or negative
.20 Hz. The P-P rc — =--d :hc output had substantial ripple power supplies. Fig 2B atiuwa a tjpicaJ
measured ai the - '
— full load. If we take care in selecting adjustable regulator of the type that might

QRP Classics 237

 (

nxEO-corpur adjustable tureof the regulator IC. This concerns item

REGULATOR tlECULATOn no. 3 and the size o:' the heat sink we
employ. Thermal considerations represent
a rather exact science that includes the
junction temperature of the regulator.
Another complex factor is ihe thermal
resistance of the bond between the device
and the heat sink. In any event, (he
regulator IC and the heat sink should never
be more than comfortably warm to the
touch after a period of full-load current
flow. When in doubt, choose a heat sink
thatis larger than your intuition suggests.

Be sure to use a thin layer of heat-sink

compound (available at Radio Shack)
between ihe regulator ic and the heat sink.
The mounting screws should be snug but
not too light. Excessive torque may distort
theIC and weaken the thermal bond, and
ii might even cause internal damage to the
IC!
Wemust also be concerned about the
operating icmpcraturc of Ihe rectifier
diodes. When large currents pass through
the diodes, it becomes necessary to use heat
sinJcs to keep the diodes cool. Bridge
recifier modules (four diodes encapsulated
in a plastic block) lend themselves nicely
REGULATOR WITH PASS TtAKSiSTOH to heat sinking. This ii not true of plastic
encased single diodes. Stud-mount,
dUuete-diodes are uaoce suitable foi use
with a heat sink. In any event, the rectifier
diodes, under full load, should never be-

V,„
'
RZ
-W»
D^

M • f in
"EG
our(— >——
1 2
cone

A
hoi lo the touch.

Practical Regulated Supply

:o.»
= 01 Let's assemble ihe suggestions in this
article and apply them in a small regulated
ID) d supply thai is aimed especially at the QRP
operator. Fig 3 show* Ihe circuit for a
Fig 2— Circuits (or Ihrse-lerminal regulator ICs. These circuits are explained In the text. 1 -5-A, 12-V regulated dc power supply. The

component ratings are based on the guide-

lines given earlier.
be used for a bench supply. An adjustable found in Ihe 1987 edition of The ARRL Some addilonal parts appear in the
regulator with protective diodes (Dl and Handbook, page 27-23. diagram of Fig 3. They include C1-C4,
D2) is shown at C of Fig 2. The diodes are At the start of this section
v>e considered inclusive, and RFC1 These units have been
.

recommended when the output capacitance four itemi in selecting a regulator. No. 3 added to prevent unwanted common-mode
(CI) is 25 fiF or greater. This may be the deals with the unregulated ir.put voltage. hum in direct-conversion receivers. This
situation when the equipment used with the Most manufacturers rate their regulators malady is caused by RF energy from the
power supply contains a high-value filter for maximum safe input
voltage for fixed- receiver local oscillator (radiated by the
capacitor at the voltage-input terminal. The voltage regulators that use ground as a antenna and power-supply leads) reaching
low internal resistance of the capacitor can reference. The maximum .nput-output the rectifier diodes. The RF energy is then
cause high-amperage spikes when shorted voltage differential is used for adjustable modulated by 120-Hz energy and re-
(in excess of 20 A), and this can destroy the regulators thai do not use ground as a radiated, it [s picked up Dy the antenna and
regulator IC. Dl protects Ul against input reference. This is sometimes specified as heard as a hum in the D-C receiver. CI-C4,
short circuiting ;C1), and D2 protects Ul "input-output voltage differential." For inclusive, bypass the rectifier diodes at RF,
against output ihoning (C2). Under ihe example. Fig 2A has a "differential" of thereby preventing th?m from acting as
respective shorting conditions, CI and C2 7 V between pins 1 and 2 of the regulator, mixers or modulatots. In effect, the
will discharge through the IC and destroy Ul. The greater the input voltage, capacitors provide an RF-current short
it. respective to the regulated output voltage, across each diode.
Wcfrequently need greater output ihe higherlhe power dissipation within the As a further aid in solving the hum
current than a three-terminal regulator can regulator. Unnecessary power dissipation prcblcm, wc have included RFCI. It is a
provide. The solution to our problem is inside the IC requires greater heal sinking toroidal bifilar RF choke that prevents RF
found in the circuit of Fig 2D. Ql is a in order to keep the regu later within safe energy from entering the power supply via
wrap-around pass transistor which handles ratings. An example of wasted power and the power-supply leads. This preventive
the high current that Ul cannot accom- increased heat is seen when an Input voltage measure was first introduced by Wes
modate. Several pass transistors rr.ay be of 25-28 is used for a 12-V regulated Hayward, W7ZOI. I have found it to be
used in parallel to increase the current supply. A better input-voltage value is effective with such transceivers as the
rating of the regulated supply. Design 18-19 V. HW-7 and HW-8. The bypass capacitors
information relating to this subject may be Item 4 relates to the ambbnt tempera- across the transformer primary winding

QRP Classics 238

 <

also aid in keeping RF energy out of the

power supply.
-cr o—
tA w I recommend a modular bridge rectifier

0Q5 - for D1-D4, inclusive. It should be mounted

11V on a heat sink that is approximately 2 to
n_ m
3 inches square. A 3-incl>square finned
P„ 7 ooc; - heal sink should be ample for Ul.
It7 V
AC
Some Final Thoughts
We have merely agitated ihe surface in
L'.CiPI .V, l.'-[ilC.'£Li. . C '•>.
our basic look at power supplies. A lengthy
VALUES CAFADIAttCE AHE
inHKWFAMBSl oinrns > book is needed to cover the subject
ABE IN ftCCAOAJS < OF |.
nesi&iA'Jce-; Aoe m onus property. But, perhaps this article can
> '000 Mr I OOC- 300
provide some of the answers you have
needed to fundamental questions about
Fig 3—Schematic diagram of a practical 12-V, 1.5-A regulated dc power supply. power supplies and the ratings ot their
Components C1-C4, incl, and RFCl may be omitted
not lor use with ail this circuit is component pans.
direct-conversion receiver (see text). Capacitors are disc ceramic except tor the one with A number of regulated power supplies
polarity marked, which is an electrolytic. All diodes are 3 A. SO PRV or greater. PFC1 has
are -described in detail in trie 1987 edition
-.5 bitllar (parallel) turns ot no. 14 enam wire on an Amidon £ssoc FM14-43 toroid core

(1.14-inch-OD core v,ith 850 &

T1 has an 18-V secondary at 3 A or greater. U1 sa of The ARRL Handbook. Additional
National Semiconductor Corp 12-V positive regulator in a TO-3 caso. D1-D4, incl, may be design data may be found ir. the publication
a full-wave rectifier block (use heat sink here and on Ul); see text. referen;ed in note I.

QRP Classics 239

Trom September 1909 QST, p 22:

A 1 .25- to 25-V,
2.5-A Regulated
Power Supply
Let's discuss the practical
aspects of a test-bench power
supply that's easy to build and
get working. Most of the parts
are available as surplus.

By Doug DeMaw. W1FB

ARRL Contributing Editor
PO Box 250
Lulher. Ml 49656
range of 1.25 to 24. Select a transformer pxventivc measure against instability,
that car. deliver 0.5 A or greater current owing to the long leads between Ql and the
than the maximum direct cu'rent you need. PC board. You can parallel two or more
Likewise, use rectifier diodes that are rated pass transistors to increase the output cur-
needed a regulated 24-V power supply for substantially more direct current than rent of the supply. Each pass transistor pro-
I for development work with power the supply will deliver. Tie PIV rating vides an output-current increase of
FETs, but my !ab supply could not should be at least twice the secondary approximately four times that of U2. Tie
deliver ihe current required bc:ause it voltage of Tl. Ul is a rectifier module that single device at Ql in Fig ensures an out-
I

provides a maximum of only 1.5 A. My contains four 6-A. 200-PIV diodes in a full-
work called fcr a current range from 2 to wave bridge hookup. Ul is mounted on a
2.5 A. Although I found a number of sur- small heat sink. 1 used a Thcrmalloy 61 18B
plus fixed -voltage power supplies offered BCD
Electro. 3 The heat
at modest prices, they were not variable-
that is told by
sink helps to keep the diodes from over- MIIMIEh . i

voltage units, and they qualified for the heating when heavy current is flowing.
"boat anchor" weight class! I chose a DSI is a red LED that serves as the
typical amateur solution: build the power power on indicator. You can replace the
supply and make it compact. LED with a 28-V pilot lamp. If so,
This article covers the essentials of a eliminate RIO. By placing the LED or lamp
simple power supply that you can duplicate in this pari of the circuit, you will always

in a few evenings. If can be' expanded easily know if :he fuse, Tl and Ul are functional.
to deliver greater output current. The heart Rl, R2 and R7 can be wound from no.
of this power mpply is contained on a PC 28 enamel wire on insulated forms, such as
board that is available fron FAR the body of a 10-kft, l-W carbon resistor.
Circuits- In fact, most components are
1
You will need an accurate way to measure
available from mail-order houses. the wire resistance if vou do this. These
resistors are available from Mouser
Circuit Details Electronics. 3
Fig I show." the circuit for my supply. U2 is a 1.25 to 30-V, 1.5-A three-
The components marked with a double terminal positive regulator. This device is
asterisk arc cilcrnal to the PC board. 1 also mounted on a small heat sink. used I

recommend that you read the ARRL a Thcrmalloy no. 6098 that obtained from
I

Handbook (1989 or other recent editions) All Electronics Corp. 4 You can build your
for an explanation of how regulated power own heat sinks from 16-gajgc aluminum
supplies operate. See pages 27- 12 aid 27-13 or brass. Form U-shaped channels that arc
for a design description of a similar power- approximately 1-1/2 inchessquare by 5/8
supply circuit. inch high.
Tl is choser for the voltage and current Ql is a PNP (TO-204 case) power tran-
you require. You can use a 24-V trans- sistor. recommend a Radio Shack*
1
Internal view ot iho assembled power
former if you can work with a voltage MJ2955or RCA SK3335 trtnsislor. These
supply. The chassis aid panels are made
have a 50- W rating. The emitter and base
1
from single-sided PC board. The circuit
pins are bypassed to ground at the pins by board is mounted vertically lo conserve
'Notes appear i\ end ot article. means cf C7 and C8 in Fig I. This is a

QRP Classics 240

 120 '.'

25-25 V
(2.5 A)

Sol tew
Vie.

Fig 1— Schematic diagram of the 1.25- to 25-V regulated power supply. Capacitors are disc ceramic except lor those with polarity
marked, which ara electrolytic. See ted tor data concernirg heat sinks for Ol, U2 and U3.
Dl. D2— 1-A, 100-PIV rectifier diode. Rl, R2, R7— 5-W wire-wound r»si$tor. See R8. R9— See text.
DSl— Red LED. Notes 3 and 4 tor source. Or, use 17 51— SPST toggle switch
F1— 1.5- A, SAG fuse in chassis-mount inches ot no. 28 enam wire, single-layer 52— DPDT toggle or rotery wafer switch.
holder. wound, on a 10-kll, 1-W carbon- T1— 25.2-V. 2.75-A power transformer (see
J1. J2— Standard flve-way binding poet. Composition reeietor tor R1 and R7. For text).
one red, one black. R2. use 26 inches of no. 30 enam wire LM-6-A. 200 PIV bridge rectifier with heat
Ml-Milliammete.. O-t mA dc (see Notes 5 on a 10-kll 1-W carbon-corn position
. sink. See text.
and 9). resistor (scramble wound). U2-LM317T .1.25- to 30-V. 1.5-A TO-220
01— PUP power transistor MJ2955 (Radio R4-Pane!-mount. 5-kfl. 2-W or 5-W poten- regulator. Use an LM317HVK (TO-204
Shack) or equiv device with a + 70-V. nometor, :arbon or wire wound (soe case) for dc output voltage greater than
10-A, 150-W rating in a TO-204 case. Note 8). 40 Soe text.

put current of 5 la 6 A if the transistor has you want to extract negative voltages from You can see in the photograph that the
a large enough beat sink to remain at a safe the power supply. A third binding post can PC board is mounted vertically to save
operating temperature, if you use additional be added (common to the chassis) for con- space.It is held in place by an I .-shaped

pass transistors, you will need to replace nection to J or J2, depending on the
I aluminum bracket. Ql £nd its heat sink are
Tl with a heftier transformer. desired pclarity. If this is done it will be attached to the rear out:r wall of the chas-
Output voltage and current monitoring necessary to> bring all of the negative circuit sis assembly. My heat sink is a surplus
is done with a 0-1 dA
meter (Ml), I used leads to a bus that connects to J2, except extruded type, measuring 3'/i x 3Vi x I
a Mii|;lu> mctci I luU a»*il*blc, heme ilic foi CI, C2, C7 and C8. inch. 1 do not recommend a Ql heat sink
additional Kales ea the meter face. A (hat is smaller than 13 square inches by 1
suitable 2W- l-isca meter can be Construction Notes
«
inch thick. Larger heat sinks will provide
purchased from Dick Snob Efcoronics. 5 The photograph shows the interior of my added Ql protection. A hefty heat sink is
The voltage drr; icrr- = " -grates the power supply. I used an old cabinet that available from Dick Smith Electronics (no.
current beinr :sktz r» -x load. R5 allows a welder friend had made forme some 25 DS-H3471). 6 The photograph shows a
Ml to read 0.5 v f^l tcije. *z:;r cor- years ago. The chassis and panels arc made thick heat sink with fingers. It was replaced
responds to 5 A
:: setss sraafh R7. R9 from single-sided PC-board material (metal by a heavier* extruded unit of the type just
permits the =;r z: r-=*c 5*: *• fzZ scale. side in). The mating surfaces are soldered mentioned, owing to :xccssive Ql heat
S
Try to use 1 rssan for S~. ii iz£ R9 together. 1 used gray automotive primer as during high-current periods. John Mcshna
for best meter tcsmtcy. I oed r«c 1-fcfl. the underrating for the cabinet, then Jr, Inc lists a dual TO-3 (TO-204) heat sink
M-W resistors if*! — - t-l-iZ< sprayed it with clear lacquer. The panel has ( no. SP-58A-28) that is suitable for one or

for R8 and two tflua, sssun ia gray primer for the undcrcoating and white two pass transistors.'
paral let at R9. t~ ia|Mi i resss- Spray enamel as the finish coat. Clear You may R4 and R6 are diffi-
find that
tor. The accurao ise ._maaj»
zr. a a~s- lacquer was sprayed over the white pane! Wire-wound or high-wattage
cult to locate.
factory for my »e*%- after the cecals were added. The rahin<*r carbon potentiometers are scarce items on
You can lift 3Z aacw dMpni if dnensiom are (HWD) 6x6x8 inches. the surplus market. I was able to find a 2-W

QRP Classics 241

 ,

—
Fig 2 Circuit-board etching pattern tor the
povror oupply. Tho pattern lo ohown lull
size Irom the (oil side of the board. Black
areas represent unetched copper.

much tension causes stiess that can damage

the semiconductors.
Use 16- or 18-eaug: insulated hookup
wire between the Tl sc;ondary and the PC
board, and likewise between Jl and the PC
board. This will minimize unwanted
voltage drops through these wires. Also,
use insulating hardware to isolate Ql and
U2 from their heat sinks, unless the sinks
are "floated"above chassis ground. Radio
Shack liu uuulaiiug Kits (uu. 276-1371 fwi
Ql and 276-1373 for U2).
A scale PC-board etching pattern is

shown in Fig 2. A parts-placement guide

is provided in Fig 3 (sec Note I).

Summary
Many hams have told me they don't
build equipment because "It's impossible
to find the parts. " Perhaps the references

Fig 3— Paris-placement guide for the circuit

board, not to scale. Parts are placed on the
nortoil side ot the board; the shaded area
rep-esenls an X-ray vie«v of Ihe copper
pattern. Component outlines are not neces-
sarily representative ot :he shapes ot ihe

to OS I cathode

toOSi flrtooo

(5-ktl) control in the Jameco catalog (no.

CMU-5021). 11
It is a chore to locate 2-W
carbon resiston. If you can't find the
proper unit for R6 of Fig 1 , you can parallel
two 2.2-kfi, 1-W resistors.
phi. io Si.P»
As mentioned earlier, most of the parts C3 _j a*a 120 V i

for this project can be purchased b» mail.

The LM317T, "or example, is available
from the suppliers listed in Notes 2, 4 and
s«d i*at Mb
ii s£ c>
5. U 1 can be purchased from BCD Electro
(see Note 2) or from Mouser Electronics
(0 Jl
(no. 33BR062— see Note 3). C3 can also be
obtained from Mouser (no. 20NR905). I
10 JZ
purchased Tl from Electronic Surplus. Inc
J 1

(no. 767BI1). 9 If you desire an output

voltage greater than 25, you can buy a rtz M m
32-V, 3.5-A transformer from Fair Radio NOIff C3 C*C1
Sales (no. X5 1 57308). ,B The increased dc available ta» o»»!

voltage (46 V maximum) will require thai

('
51AGMT I PI I
you replace U2 of Fig
LM3 7HVK which is supplied in a TO-204
1 ,

case. The use of ihis IC requires a modifi-

an 1 wi*h
«A .J p *r as stir,
On
(sco
OI
lo.l)

cation of the PC board in Fig 2.

You can buy a modestly priced 0-1 mA
dc meter from Fair Radio Sales, which
offers a 3'/: -inch round unit that has a 0-50 10 ru
scale (ideal for tiis project). The coil is $5
at this writing.
Be sure to use a thin layer of heat-sink
compound or silicone grease between Ql
U and U2 and their respective heat sin ks.
I

Affix the three devices firmly (but not

10 OI
excessively light) to ihe heat sink;. Too

QRP Classics 242

 —

in this article will make your job easier for uses ether than a tcst-ben:h unit. Ii can *Dfck Smith Etettremka, PO Bo. 463, Qi wsiiww,,
and they should also be usefu when be used to operate a low-power VHF trans- IN 46142. let 317-888-7265 (catalog available;.
»Seo Nole 5.
searching for pans to use in other projects. ceiver or homemade QRP gear, or as a *19AllertonSt. Lynn. MA 91 904, tel 617-595-2275
The maximum recommended load cur- battery charger. Good luck and have fun! (catalog available).
rent versus output voltage for the circuit •Jameco* Electronics, 1355 Shoreway Rd.
in Fig 1 is 500 mA (1.5 V), 750 mA (6 V).
Belmont, CA 94002, teI415-592-8i2l (catalog
available).
A(9 V), \ A Notes
1 1.5 (12 V), 1.75 (18 V), 1 '•EtoctronicSurplus, Inc formerly RSD Electron-
A (20 V) and 2.5 A (25 V). These figures •FAR Circuits, 18N640 Field Ct, Dundee. IL ics), 1224 Prospect Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115,
60110, tel 3I2-42C-2431, overlings. Price: $0.00 tel 216-621-1052.
are lor steady-state load current. For in-
(includes shipping to US addresses). l0Fair Radio Sales
Co. PO Box 1 105, 1016 Eureka
lermittem loads, such a* for CW and 5SB ! P0 Box 8301 1 9. Richardson. T X 7508301 1 9. tel St. Lima. OH 45603, lei 419-227^573 (catalog
transmitters, the current maximum; can be 214-3*3-1770 (catalog available). mailable).
^Mousse Electronics, PO Box 699. Mansfak), TX
increased 25 to 30 percent, assuming a typi-
76063. 191 800-346-6873 (cataog available).
cal duty cycle during transmit. •All Electronics Corp, PO Box 56?. Van Nuys. CA
For updaied supplier addesses, see ARRL Pans
This power supply is certainly iuitablc 91408. tal 800-826-5432 (cataog available). Suppliers List in Chapler 2.

0RP Classics 243

From September 1907 OST, p 17:

Alternative
Energy—An
Overview of
Options and
Requirements
Part 1: Planning on operating far
from the power grid? You can
have the electrical energy you
need when you need but it, it

takes a systems approach. Here's

a look at how to pull energy
from sun, water and wind.
By Michael Miceke, WB6EER
Box 123
San Simeon, CA 93452

Miles Irom commercial electric energy, Mike Mideke's

experimental 1750-neter beacon has chugged along
Radio amateurs have always found
many reasons to operate beyond ihe
on solar power since 1984. Tne anienna Is an 18-foot
vertical, (photos by WB6EER)
power lines. Field Day, DXpcdi
tions. moumaintopping for the sh»er fun
of ii, emergency work from disaster sites (hose thai provide electrical or other energy attached lo a 250-gallo.i propane tank. The
where power is out, and from wildfires in in some
fashion not directly connected io tank is topped off once a year. This
places where power lines have never run commercial generation and distribution generator sees limited duty, operating c
—alt of these situations call for portable networks. If you buy a gasoline -powered washing machine once a week, a I6-mrr
and more or less independent energy generator and fuel to operate a Field Day movie projector on rare occasions, anc
resources. Sonr: amateurs find themselves rig, I think it is stretching tiings a bit to po»vcr tools once in a while, as needed.
spending lung pet rods in locutiuiiK fui ad) llidl jou'ic tisiu£ dlrci native cncigy. IT, The combined, sola and hydroelectric
beyond Ihe reach of commercial energy however, you modify the generator to operations provide power for lights,
distribution. Others need to opeiate re- operate on methane, alcoho or wood and
I , amateur and experimental radio stations,
1

peaters or remote equipment in places then proceed to produce ihe fuel before soldering irons, an elejtric typewriter anc
where commercial energy is either going on ihe air, then you're on alternative other apparatus. The economics of our
unavailable or unreliable. Slill others find power! situation dictate a piecemeal approach,
themselves caught up in the challenge of A
combination of random circumstances with maximum emphasis on scrounging,
developing their own energy resources moved me beyond the reach of power and salvage and modification of available
although ihey have perfectly good ac telephone lines In 1969. Somehow, have l deuces. My family and I know we'll find
available in their wall sockets. never gotten back to "civilization," except plenty of uses for all the energy we can
I suspect that the icrm "alternative as a visitor. An addiction to personal com- afford to produce or store. At the same
energy" evokes quite a variety of responses fort, late nighi reading anc a variety of time, however, we organize our activities
and definitions in the minds of QST technical hobbies all combined to motivate around whatever energy happens to be
readers, so before moving inio the subject my alternative energy efforts, so now find
I available at any given moment. Present
proper, I'D discuss my personal definition myself operating on a mixiure of solar, solar capacity at the ho.nesiic is 90 VV peak.
of the term and where I stand in relation hydroelectric and imcrnal-combustton- Maximum hydroelectric capacity is around
to this exciting field. denved electricity. My commercial energy 3UC w, hull hydroccctric potential is
In my opinion, energy alternatives are source ii a 2.5-kW Onan power planl generally available from December through

QRP Classics 244

 .

May. while solar input is be«a from May

Milking a Herd of Cars
through August. Some conservaiion
measures arc generally required from Many of us have participated in mobile Amatejr Radio operation, mainly from
September through mid-No vcmbcr. vehicles using 12-V electrical systems. Mos! vehicular electrical systems have
sufficient capacity to operate a wide range ot soid-state equipment with little or
Arc \vc self-sufficient? By no means! FuU
no modification to the power source. Does this mean that the nearest car or truck
energy self-sufficiency is not a realistic con-
is an alternative energy source just waiting to be tapped?
cept as applied to alternative energy users
Whether we consider vehicles to be a valuable source of altematve energy
No matter how «ve generate and store depends somewhat upon how we look at them. Viewed as a resource, motor
electricity, we are ultimately dependent
vehicles are ubiquitous, may have on-hoard energy production, storage and
upon cncrgy-inten;ivc technologies to pro- regulation systems. Viewed purely as an electrical energy source, they are
vide our essentia! hardware. Nor docs dreadfully inefficient Even so, in certain types of emergencies, motor vehicles
alternative energy mean free energy. In may provide the best (or only) short-term source of electricity. Further, the family
most cases, cost pc- watt -hour (Wh) is sub- car can be milked for a fair amount of battery charging, though at some reduction
stantia liy higher than commercial pover. in gas mileage— not a particularly efficient source of energy, but a source

The exceptions arc efficient systems that nonetheless.

can operate for a long time (dccadc>) at Automotive electrical systems are valuable in alternative energy production for
another reason: Their components may bo used in long-torm energy production.
minima] cost Above the initial imiallaiiuu
Automotive storage batteries (and their relatives) may be the first such
expenses.
components that come to mird, but the list doesn't stop there. In try small
The effort necessary to achieve any
hydroelecHc installation, get thousands of hours of service from used alternators
I

degree of energy self-sufficiency almosi

purchased cheaply in scrapyards. They don't last forever, but with a typical life of
inevitably leads to some realization of how three to four years, the annual cost of one alternator is under $5.
much power a person or family really needs
in order 10 live comfortably: generally,
quitea bit less than the average use: of
"cheap" commercial power consumes.
Thus, even in the short term, a small
quantity of expensive power may be juit as
satisfactory as a lot of cheap power: Wise tions, be they repeaters or sivall house- product, the linear movement of water or
use of a scarce resrurce can be as effective holds, must be dependably supplied with wind is transformed into a rotary move-
energy despite the fact that there can be no ment suitable for driving generators. This
as luxurious use of an abundant resource,
Achieving energy self-sufficiency expectation ot' regular reconnection to the transformation of linear to rotary motion
engenders an awareness of the degree to mains. For the remainder of i lis article, is usually accomplished with a fan-like
which the global population is becoming we'll be exploring alternative energy propeller in the case ot wind, and any ot

ever more dependent upon ihe electrical systems that can meet these needs. Energy a variety of turbines and wheels in the case

power network. This potent but fragile net- for the short-term needs of portable, of water.
work is, to a distressing degree, taken for mobile and emergency Amateur Radio Wind and waterpower systems offer an
granted by its users. When we build our
operation has received ongoing coverage in interesting analog to electrical theory. We
own power systems, we come to hitter £>S7"and The ARRL Handbook. Portable may extract equal amounts of energy from
appreciate both our needs for electrical and mobile ham operaiion do have some- large volumes moving a- low velocity or
enrrgy anrl rhr nwwmr
scopr* and rnm- thing in comnon with long-term alternative smaller volumes moving at high velocity
plexityof the commercial systems that are
energy production, however. Sec the side- —very much as I Wcan be developed with
a cornerstone of modern civilization.
bar, "Milking a Herd of Cars." I V at I A or with 1 kV at 1 mA. In
practice, water is more easily manipulated
Short- or Long-Term Energy Needs? Energy P roil uel ion in this way, while wind must be takes as
Most small-scale alternative energy it comes. Still, in areas where winds are
ir alternative energy signifies indepen-
light, larger wind turbines may be used to
dence from the ma ns, how long must ihat
independence be maintained? Will an generate the same output produced by
alternative energy system serve only during smaller generators in windier areas.
emergencies and self-initiated portable/ Wherever there is an energy Waterpower Systems
mobile stints, or will it be part of your way
gradient, be mechanical,
it —
Available water pressure usually the
—
of life perhaps permanently?
With NiCd batier>' packs and chargers chemical or thermal, there result —
of water running downhill is the
available almost everywhere, nucli heart af every hydroelectric energy system.
is the possibility of Pressure increases in direct proportion to
portable Amateur Radio operation can
almost be considered an extension of the producing electricity. ihe height of the water column contained
in ihe supply pipe or penstock. The height
power linn. Poicniialty if not always in
.

fact, portable wort goes well beyond [his

of the walcr column is defined as the head.
Pressure at ihe bottom of Ihe penstock in
simple view. Portable operation, no matter
how casual, requires energy storage ind lb/in 2 will be approximately half the mea-
schemes likely to he undertaken by radio
sure cf the head in feet. Friction must be
management. Such techniques are basic to amateurs involve two distinct processes:
considered as well, because some of the
nearly all ahemanve energy systems. production and storage. It's earicr to talk
about storage if we have something to energy in moving water i; spent in friction
Secondly, there are many alternatives as to
how we charge ihc*e baienes. When there store, so let 's look first at means of between water and piping. This factor
is no electrieir? m
'Jsc power line or when producing c.ectriciiy. depends on pipe length and diamcterr. as
Wherever there is an energy gradient be well ai the pipe material mid its condition.
there is no po*er roe, ho* do you keep ,

Hydroelectric systems an be divided into

thai hand-held :ravceiVes runnhg? it mechanical, chemical or thermal, there
Answer: with fnsrr* free in alternative is the possibility of producing electricity.
high- and low-head categories. In high-
source. Wherever there is motion, kinetic energy head systems, energy is extracted from a
relatively small volume of water moving at
The mos: r:£_rrr_> ^•reasons of alter- may be intercepted and put to work, either
high velocity, while large volumes of 5km-
native cnern recirxses zrcota permanent directly to drive machinery or i ndireclly to
or semipenc£5£z: generate electricity. The classic and most
moving water are employed in low-head
-Jut nusl.
operations. Other approach may be used
for whatever r=xcc_ tx eaergy self- readily exploited energy sources are water
lo produce a few watts or many kikmans
sufficient to KEse Soch installa- and wind. Where electricity is the desired

ORP Classics 245

nf power, and the appropriate choice will
depend largely on the nature or the avai la-
blc water supply.
Low-head systems entail construction
techniques suitable to routing and con-
trolling large vohimcs of water. If a head
of 15 to 20 fee. is available, with flow
enough to fill an 8-inch (or larger) pipe,
turbines and complete generating systems
are available thai will produce ample elec-
tricity to maintain a household, assuming
that energy needs versus wants have been
carefully asscssei. Despite the considera-
ble volume of water they entail, low-head
systems can be relatively compact because
the water source usually need not be far
flUlll lllC generator. Low-head systems
based on wooden waterwheels, such as
those found at water-powered mills, can be
built from basic materials with a minimum
of precision work. Although such wheels
can deliver substantial power, they do not
(urn fast enough to drive generators
directly, so theirspeed musl be stepped tip
mechanically. Because the required step-up
is usually too extreme to be accomplished
efficiently with belt-and-pullcy drives, the
usual solution is gearing. Automotive gear
trains —even whole transmissions are a —
common choice for this gearing.
High-head systems require less water Tor
a given output, io they can be applied in
areas where wale- volume is insufficient for
low-head generation. A
complete high-head
installation may require a lot of territory.
Much pipe may be needed. Safe and reliable
containment of high-pressure watc- may
dictate the use of expensive construction
materials. A variety of small turbines,
mostly of the Pehon type, are available for
high-head systems. Turbine diameter may
be as small as four inches for very small
systems, with diameters of eight to twelve
inches common in 1- to 2-kW applications.
For optimum efficiency, a turbine must
be matched to both the volume and velocity
of available water. Nonetheless, turbines
can deliver useful power over a wide range
of pressure and flow, so if you come into
possession of an old unit that isn't exactly
right for the available situation, it may still Fig 1— Hydroelectric power, anyone? Here, ihe author's 9-inch Pellon turbine (bottom),
be worth using. manufactured circa 1890, drives a modified automotive alternator (upper left) to produce
Hydroelectric systems may be designed 117 V ac. Pressing the button at ihe upper right of the meter panel provides dc field
to deliver cither low-voltage dc or 117 V current for the alternator at system startup.
(and higher) ac, depending upon the power
uvdildblc and your requirements. Even a
tiny hydroelectric potential of 2 or i at A
low voltage can be useful in battery should be considered carefully. A good turbulence at its many joints. Why
the
charging service. Because such a charger hydroelectric installation should deliver its short pipe sections? They were brought to
can work 24 hoLrs a day, its performance design capacity for many decades while re- the generating site in (he 1930s — packed on
can approach that of a photovoltaic ;solar- quiring only a relatively low level of main- mu.es! In the original installation, the nine-
powercd) unit having four times the out- tenance and post-construction expense. Of inch turbine was used to operate circular
put capacity. the available small-scale alternative energy anc crosscut saws for cutting firewood. At
The construction uf any liydioeteeliie technique*, only hydiuirtecliicAyslenisoffci* the same time, a considerably smaller
system represents a long-term investment. a continuous .supply of electricity with no turbitK charged batteries. Somewhere
Careful planning is a must. Attention must battery storage requirement!. along the line, the smaller unit vanished.
be given to the development of an adequate In my own system, I use a nine-inch Sin:e we can now take chain saws to the
water source, disposal of water discharged Pclton waeel (manufactured circa 1890) trees instead of draggirg whole trees to (he
from the system and a multitude of with a 130-foot head delivered via 'A mile saw, the larger lurbbs is free for use in
mechanical and environmental concerns of 2 4-indt pipe. The pipe is
!
installed in six- electricity production. The Pelton wheel

related to the routing of waier. Po;ential foot sections, and I'm sure that friction dri'cs a modified automotive alternator
impact on eroslcn and vegetation patterns losses are high in this piping because of ttirough a belt and pulleys (sec Fig t). In my

QRP Classics 246

 .

case, the alrerna!Or mndificalinn is a iimplr electricity out lead. Voltage

to the generating panels should be kepi reason
mauer of install ng wires to bypass lie con- regulation is wind systems to
essential in ably clean because sunlight must be able to
nection of one of its ihree poles to rectifier prevent overcharging of batteries and reach them, elect rical connections must be
diodes so that low-voltage ac is available. damage to low-voltage apparaius. sound, and batteries must be maintained
This ac is applied to the primary of a The preceding comments aoply mostly to in good condition.
12-to-l 17-V step-up transformer, providing propeller-driven upright -wind turbines Electromechanical systems have definite
up io 300 W
of ac power for lighting, common to most windmills. If a wind ranges of optimum efficiency. A system
soldering and small electronic applications. turbine is built similar to a vertical squirrel- designed to serve a maximum load demand
Operating frequency and output ^oltngc cage fan, only the turbine itself need rotate, may nut l»c "happy" with an average ui
in this system depend somewhat on load- because :uch a turbine responds to winds minimum load. With PV technology, power
ing — the resulting electricity is definitely from any direction. Thus, lite generator is available in direct proportion to collector
not a 60-Hz sine wave! but the energy — may be fixed, and no slip rings are required surface area, so system capacity may be
generated is highly useful nonetheless. to transmit its output to the load. An added easily tailored to specific load requirements
Such a simp.c system is feasible only advantage claimed for some squirrel-cage by adding or subtracting collectors.
because of the limited power availabe from wind turbine designs is that they are self- PV collectors are a long-term energy
the turbine. Higher power would tall for regulating with respect to speed: Increasing source.Most good-quality solar panels arc
wluat-i icgulatiuji ami full utilization uf the wind velocity Increases turbulence around guaranteed lor live to ten years, but the
alternator's thr:e-phase capacity. the rotor effectively limiting its maximum usable lifetime of a panel will ordinarily
Al limes. Iwaterwheel tocharee
use the speed extend for a considerably longer period,
batteries. To do this, it is necessary only In the days before rural electrification, offsetting high initial costs with low main-
to switch the transformer out of ih: alter- many homes on the Great Plans were wind tenance expense and high life expectancy
nator circuit and connect a battery to the powered. A number ol companies produced Ai the moment, PV efficiency per unii
alternator's dc output. In this mode, the wind generators .and complete power area appears to be rising faster than cosi
alternator functions just as u does In a car systems. As power lines sprezd through the per unit area. Various long-awaited break-
except that output is somewhat reduced countryside, wind power installations were throughs in manufacturing processes,
because of the limited driving pow;r. If I shut down and largely left to deteriorate. especially the continuous roll-to-roll
want a trickle charge. just close the
1 During the 1970s, increasing interest in production of amorphous silicon alloys, arc
turbine water supply valve until set the I power sources led to the salvage
alternative on the poini of bringing the PV industry
charging current I want! and reconditioning of many such units. to a new and highly competitive level. QST
Some usable salvage may still be gleaned recently carried a New Product announce-
Wind Power Systems from suci systems, but unless wind equip- ment about amorphous silicon panels.
As with watcpower. the kinetic energy ment hat heon regularly maintained or Although photovoltaic are an expensive
of wind may be tapped by converting its carefully stored, extensive restoration is energy source, they are indispensable anc
action to a rotary motion suitable for required. Any towers and tower-mounted cost-effective tools when it comes to
operating generators. Like water, wind can units thai have been neglected for decades powering permanent and semipermanent,
provide large ot small amounts of oower, arc potmtially dangerous. Undertake remote installations such as repeaters,
depending on need and subject lb pre- salvage efforts only with the help of remote bases, beacons and sensors.
vailing conditions. But unlike water properly equipped people experienced in For powering isolated households. PV
supplies, which can be closely regulated for wind-power machinery. will likely be less cost effective than
continuous opcatton. the wind is always advances
ReCfiiH y, we've seen signifKant hydroelectric or wind systems, assuming
somewhat intermittent and highly variable in wind power design; high-efficiency units tha those resources are readily available
in intensity. with long lifetimes are available at a variety for development- But this is really a com-
Small-scale wind power generators are of power levels. For the dedicated home plex question. Its answer depends* on ho*
generally employed as. battery chargers, the builder, much has been published covering much energy you choose to define ai
stored energy being used directly or after wind power al all levels, fiom the most
conversion to ac for the operation of 1 17-V basic on up. These arc too numerous to list
appliances and lools. I have heard that on here; your library is the best Mace to begin
the coast of Chile. «hcrc evening wind is research. If you possess good woikbhop Modern photovoltaic
common and fairly constant, extensive use skills, study of a cross section of this
devices can convert light
has been made of propeller-driver auto- material should enable you to set about
motive generators connected directly to designing and building your own wind energy to electricity
low-voltage lamps. power system.
efficiently enough to power
The variable nature of wind and the
extremes that *ill occasionally ?c en- Photovoltaic tSolarf Power Systems a wide range of electrical
countered at an; geoeraiion site necessitate Until recently, practical electrical and electronic devices.
mechanical means to prevent self-destruc- generation has been cither electrochemical
tion of generaung apparatus during high (primary cells) or electromechanical
wind conditioru- Saii *docily compensa- (generators). With the development of
tion may be accer-p&sted »ith variable photovoltaic (PV) technology, we are
pitch propellers tha: r-ducs efficiency as presented with a Ihird and highly elegant "enough," how peak requirements relate
speed rises. Ahemurwrrj. oil-vane action option: the direct conversion of light energy to average demand, and so fonh.
may be used to lurz rbe «iDd turbine off- to electricity. Modern PV devices can do Often, no single energy source will
readily satisfy the full range of load de-
axis to high rods. Vincxa ceriirifugaily this efficiently enottiih to power a wide
actuated braking dovss =a? be ised; these range of electrical and electronic devices. maads, so system combinations become
very attractive. For instance, photovoltaic
operate z?rr**\—* —
oc isiecnaiiicaily. The production of PV materials is an
Provision ice: be =*ie Id maintain cnergy-imensive process, but the practical batlcry-charging capaaility can work in
application of PV products is the most conjunction with an intern al-combusu'on-
generation no —jt.st ac "ind direc-
tion . A
tail v23- «-Z ufe are of this. Of straightforward of any alternative energy cnginc -powered generator. During peak-
eerem free 10 route as
course, if the technique. Aside from switches and relays,
thewind rurniae mfB ryjf *t~ ;rar_png PV systems entail no moving parts bigger
'Bruce O. Wlihams. "Sovonics Amorphous
wind directioa. a smp-dnc coapling than electrons and photons. Thus, main- Sslar Eloclrie Panels." Now Products. QST,
arrangemen; tk esgar*=g to get tenance requirements are minimal: PV Way 1987, p 20

GRP Classics 247

Used Solar Cells Deserve a Place in the Sun
Several years ago, constructed a small (12 V al 3C mA)
I

energy panel from small semicircular solar cell scraps The

panel worked bul II was never really wealher tight. Moisture
entered during every rain and heavy fog. This condensed on
the glass surface of the panel, reducing its output untl
evaporation cleared the problem. One day, the panel ook a
tailand its glass cover broke. It lay abandoned and eiposed to
the weather lor about two years until my curlosiiy led me tu
bring it home and check its cells. To my surprise,
mosl ol
them performed quite well. Because a lew cells were broken,
and some soldered joints were in bad shape, dismantled the I

pane), thinking thai might be able to salvage enough cells to

I

charge small 6-V balteries. Before could begin work on this

1

charger, the PV celts, lying in disarray on a table, were

accidentally exposed to the discharge of a Tesla coil. Sparks
jumped freelv between all of them! This looked like the end of
my mini-project—but the cells checked out line under lesi.more
Using them, built the 6-V panel shown in the photo. For
I

it has been delivering 30 mA to my

than a year, 6-V
whenever the sun shines. This 6- x 8-inch solar panel delivers 30 mA to a 6-V battory
I don't recommend trying any d these tortures on your solar under lull sun conditions. The cover is acrylic plastic sheet,
cells, but my experiences do show that unlike many
semi- the back is plywood and the sealanl is silicone rubber. These
"
conductor devices, solar cells can survive abuse. Because of cells iiilt work even afler 3 rather shocking
>ar cells should not be overlooked as a source
of

must also include the cost of suitable be present generation ufsvhu tells (of
sun periods, the PV
system maintains
I

opposed
as lo
housing for the components. This calls for crystalline structure,
battery chargt 10 operate lighiingand low-
careful planning, which should begin with a amorphous cellsi is fragile. The cells arc
voltage dc dsvices. At. such times, the
of system requirements.
realistic assessment subject to outrighi breakage and :o
engine-driven system sees occasional use in
and people look at the high cost of the
Many rricroscopic cracking, which interrupts
running high-powered tools
solar ptncls and decide to build their own, conductive paths, reducing and eventually
appliances. When PV output falli because
either from kits or by using "bargain" cells destroying cell capacity. Even so. solar ceils
of short daylight hours in winter or
extended periods of overcast, tie engine availablefrom many sourrcs. With care, can survive long use and even almsc, io
anyone can solder cells together and house used PV devices may be worth hives; I-
system auiorraiieally tops off the battery
them well enough to pro.-ide protection gjting. (See the sidebar, "Used Solar Cells
charge. If PV capacity is later increased,
extend ing from the immediate effects of the Deserve a Place in the Sun.") As existing
the engine gereratoT runs less, its

life and reducing the fuel hill. weather — butby the time the materials snlar panels age and deteriorate, ihey
PV technology. This
are

have b:en obtained and the hours have replaced by newer

In many respects, photovoltaics arc a
nearly pert'eci power source, but there arc been nvested in construction, the means that more ami more surplus, defec-
"bargain" may not seem like such a live and broken early-generation solar
drawbacks. System cost is extremely high
bargain. The real qwstinn k how lone such panels are sure to become available. These
if any aticmp is made to satisfy lie energy
collectors will continue to deliver their may well provide a useful source of
requirements of a l ypical American house-
output— or work at all, for that materials for persons desiring to build ih:ir
hold with a PV system, individual solar initial
matter. The answer depends to a large cwn panels on a low budget. While ccn-
panels are fight and fragile, although
degree jpon the materials used and the care strucrJon of a large panel means a major
fragility stands to be greatly reduced with
PV They exercised in building the panels. Users construction effort, small uniis are relative-
amorphous silicon collectors.
looking for more than a few watts should ly quick and easy to huild—and if the price
must be exposed in plain sight, creating a
isn't necessary that they last
risk of heft ind vandalism so grcal as to be prepared 10 tackle a large, demanding U righi, i(

forever. Small PV panels may not be as

i

make I*V Installations totally impractical (and expensive) construction job. Other-
wise, purchasing guaranteed, ready-made impressive as a huge solar array on a roof,
in many situations.
uniis is more satisfactory. On the other but their modest milliampen: outputs add
Battery storage is an essential adjunct to
hand, construction of a small PV panel can up to milliampcre-hours. A few days of
PV power systems. Many installations will
good introduction to photo- •unshine on such a panel will recharge a
also require the conversion of stored dc to provide a
voltaic technology while adding a useful battery' pack fur your hand-held transceiver
1 17 V ac, jsualiy by means of high-
energy source to the shack. —allowing you to talk with the energy of
efficiency solid-state inverters. Outlays for
recycled photons!
energy storage and conversion hardware

QRP Classics 248

From October 1987 QST. p 79:

Alternative Energy-An Overview

of Options and Requirements
Part 2: Energy storage necessary to smooth out natural
is

variations in supply. And what about system safety once your

alternative energy plant is up and rurning?

By Michael MidGke. WB6EER

Box 123
San Simeon. CA 93452

Some
as wind
alternative energy sources,
end sunshine, arc
such
inter-
applicarion is
lated discharge.
one of sustained and regu- fron tiny to enormoui. Various battery
chemistries arc used, depending on [lie
mittent and variable in nature. Others intended service. Which battery you use is
may be constant, but of a level too low io Electrochemical Storage
determined by the application you have in
meet intermittent peak demands. In a such I Storage batteries provide a practical mini Size, weight, charge and discharge
cases, energy use is determined by he I means for storing large tmounts of ehaiacieristics. expectedlifetime in Ihc pro-
vagaries of nature unless some form or electrical energy, though it is not really posed service — all of these arc important
energy storage ii employed. One «ay or accurate to say that electricity is stored in considerations in choosing a storage
another, a means of smoothing out the such a battery in a manner akin to capaci- battery. There is some advantage in using
peaks and filling in die val- the largest batteries that
leys of energy production size, weight, cost and ac-
must be provided. ceptable float-charge load
In hydroelectric systems, allow: Large batteries mean
litis storage may amount to a large reserve capacity for
no more than the confine- cmergcrcics or unanticipa-
ment of water in a reservoir ted use. For a given battery
Until its ^nf-rjjy is needed chemistry, life expectancy is
Then, opening a valve or generally greater for large
sluice gate sets the water in baiterie* than for small
motion, and the kinetic ones,
energy in the flow may be
tapped by a turbine. Reser- Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
voirs work well with water, Highly portable low-
bin are Impractical—to say power applications are
the least —when ihc energy commonly powered by
source wind or sunshine,
is nickel-cadmium ( NiCd)
A way must be found to baiicrie;. These batteries
store the energy from these produce a nominal 1.2 V
sources after it has been per cell and should survive
convened to electricity. around 500 charge-
Capacilive Storage Here's solar-powered 2.m«Gr repeater W86RHR/R, Red Hills (near discharge cycles. Some
Shanrfnn). California Although this installation is not connected lo NiCd
can safely sus- cells
Electrical energy can be commercial powei m real ime, <t owes its hartto-are and maintenance to tain r:-.pid recharging,
stored in capacitors. This is energy-mtensivs techniques-as do all alternative-energy systems, iphoios providing an extra mcasura
a useful Bppraadl when the by WBSEER)
of flexibility in portable and
available chargins current is emergency situations. NiCd
small in relation to a momentary high- live, storage. Rather, eleciiochemically cells arc produced in the cell packages com-
current demand, as m phototlash systems, stored energy is invested in a chemical monly associated with primary cells (AA.
or if the po»ered system requires voltage reaction thai is reversed when the battery D, C and so on) and can be used Inter-
at relative!;- Litis rurreni, a> h the ease willi is discharged. The reversibility of this changeably with primary cells to sonic ex-
short-term memory backup in computer storage reaction is what makes the dif- tent. It's important ti> bear in mind,
circuitry. AiSm^s nn capacitor ccsign ference between primary and secondary however, that the difference between zinc-
allow us to cere acre and more energy in cells: The electrochemical reaction in carbon and NiCd cell voltages at full charge
ever smaller p-aci lies . bu! we are still a primary cells is not easily reversible, dis- (0.3 V) makes for significant undcr-voltage
long way free wr-jj capacitors that can allowing recharging; secondary cells may when NiCd cells arc series connected to
compete a -*±t retries when the be discharged and recharged many times. lake lie place of an equal number of zinc-
I

A wide variety of storage batteries has carbon cells. Perhaps one or two more
been developed to meet many storage NiC'u cells can be added to such a battery
needs. Sizes and storage capacities range to make up the difference. But the voltage

QRP Classics 249

match is rarely ?xacl in such cases, and to near capacity most ot the me, its use- 1 with smaller or less critical loads. This Is
addition of more NiCd cells often means ful life may considerably exceed its rating esperially true of older batteries, which can
substituting too iiuch battery voltage for for automotive service. Although the life be used 10 store surplus energy if it is
too Ihile. Since equipment may be damaged of such a battery will be reduced by deep available to trickle charge them.
by excessive supply voltages, substituting discharging, the battery will deliver some-
NiCJ cells for zinc-carbon units is trickier thing close to its rated capacity for the dis-
More Battery Chemistries. Old and New
than it may seem
at first— especially if charge ratein question. Prompt recharging Earlier this century, much use was made
you've addrd additional cell hnlripr; tn a will restore the battery almost to its initial of the nickel-iron chem.strv of the Edison
battery and someone unknowingly installs capacity. The self-discharge rat; for healthy cell, particularly becaase of its lighter

zinc-carbon cells! automotive batteries is lower !han that of Weight and tolerance of abuse as compared
equivalent^* rated deep-cycle batteries, so with the lead-acid batteries of the day. If
Lead-Acid Batteries
the float-charge current required to keep you can find salvageable Edison batteries,
When small battery-powered equipment an idle battery fully charged will be lower it's quite possible that they can be made to
is used such a way thai the battery e sub-
in for the automotive battery. wori for you. See Ihe sidebar, "Edison
ject 10 frequent deep di scharges. NiCd cells Where regular use of higher-power Batteries," for the stoty.
may be the preferred choice. Where deep equipment (pa Imp* 30 W
and up) wi wu- LvohillS t° whW
thc preaeni blends into

discharges are only occasional and float- vcrsion of battery power to 1 1 7 V ac is con- the future, research cortinues in the qucsl
charge current is generally available, a templated, the most practical and for increased battery life and capacity. Re-
gelled electrolyte lead-acid storage battery economics! battery "buildup block" cently, rechargeable lithium cells have made
should prove more economical in the long appears to be the 6-V, 217-Ah units lhe scene.' The dependability of alter-
run. The nominal cell voltage for lead-acid designed for golf carts and similar appli- native energy systems rests heavily on
batteries is 2.0 V. cations. These are deep-cycle batteries with energy storage, so each improvement in
When necessary to power remote
it is a lead-antimony plate cherristry. They battery and energy management technology
sites, especially if they are not vehicle- weigh approximately 70 lbs each and can is good news for alternative energy
accessible, 12-V gel batteries rated ai about be moved around fairly easily. For planners— especially ai Ihe reliability of
30 Ah
are nearly ideal. Weighing 25 to increased s:orage capacity, they can be con- new technology goes up and costs come
30lbs, they can be transported nearly any- nected in series and paralleL. Such deep- down.
where with relative ease. Because these are cycle batteries should have a service life of
Safety in Alternative Energy Systems
sealed batteries with rugged mechanical nearly 10 years if reasonable care is taken
characteristics, ihere is little danger of in their application. As consumers of commercially produced
damage regardless uf i he contortions that power, we arc protected to a considerable
may be necessary to gel them to their degtce from electric shock, explosion,
destination. When higher voltage or greater mutilation, poisoning and a host of other
storage capacity is required, simply use potential consequences of living in close
more batteries in series or parallel and dis-
Large batteries no longer proximity to the systems and energies that
tribute the hauling job among carrizrs or capable or trustworthy in power our civilization. When we take
over time. This is infinitely superior to I hings into our own
hands and build energy
struggling with one giant battery.
their original service systems from ihe ground up, we must con-
sciously build safety in. It is necessary to
Higher powei applications, such as may still do useful work
evaluate hazards and take measures to
operating HF transceivers or household
lighting and appliances, require larger with smaller or less minimize them.
batteries. VVherethe powered site Is acces- critical loads. Next, we'll survey the basic classes of
sible and power requirements are large, t he hazards you may encounter in working
30 Ah gel battery is no longer a cost-, with the sort of alternative energy
effective building block. Then, the best techniques outlined so far. This material
compromise between economy and :.srvice should not be a substitute for all warnings
life is the liquid-electrolyte lead-acid Battery manufacturers consider a and insiructions thai may come with
battery. battery's useful lifebe o*er when its
10 machinery and substances employed in
Automotive batteries arc often pressed storage ability has dropped to SO^a-gOTo of alternative energy work. Nor should it be
into this service, more because of their its capacity when new. This does not really a sabstitutc for doing personal safety
ready availability than suitability for the hold true where the battery has more research, in the library and face-to-facc
job. The automotive battery employs a capacity than necessary for the job. If with experienced peop e.

lead-calcium pla:e chemistry that is satis- normal usage of a battery draws only 10"?o The hazards inlieren: in the production
factory lor brlel periods ol high-current of us ratec capacity, it docsn'i make much and storage of electrical energy may be
discharge followed by immediate and com- difference whether the battery is 90To as divided into three closely relaled categories:
plete recharging Such batteries are not good as new or only 50To. Ai long as the mechanical, chemical and electrical. Some
suited to deep-discharge applications where battery delivers its open circuit
rated of these hazards are no different from those
they will be repeatedly drained to a SOTo voltage (no shorted or dead cells) and main- encountered by any electricity user. Others
discharged state. n fact a I . down or so such tains acceptable voltage under load through arc more characteristic of complete power
cycles will reduce the battery's capacity to the required duty cycle, it is still usefully systems. As different as they may seem
(he point where should probably not be
it "alive" for that application. Of course, as from each other, mechanical, chemical and
counted on to start a car. By contrast, a battery ages, its emergency reserve electrical hazards are closely related: A
batteries designed for deep-cycle service becomes questionable, and overall failure or accident in one category is likely
should be good for a few hundred charge- efficiency is reduced. Evcitually, the 10 bring about failures in one or both of
discharge cycles. battery wHt fail; all batteries have a finite the others. Such multiple failures can be
This does not mean that automotive life span. The point here is not that we nea-ly instantaneous and the consequences
batteries are unsuitable for all alternative should buy batteries thai are much larger can be catastrophic.
energy applications. Where the average than we need, but thai large batteries no
load current is low and some energy is longer capable or trusiwor'.hy in their e Nuutfltt Buwkoi and Chiialuphei Dulldid.
available to keep ihe battery float-charged original service may still do useful work "Tho Magic Ol MOU." Jin 1967 OST, pp 22-25.

QRP Classics 250

 Edison Batteries
First marketed in the early 1900s, the nickel-iron alkaline
Edison cell has accumulated a reputation for capacity and
indestructibility that is only partially justified. It is not ne
perfect storage but it does have some interesting
cell,
qualities. Batteries of Edison cells were designed to
survive rough mechanical abuse in railroad lighting and
vehicle propulsion service. Largely because of the strong,
lightweight construction of its steel case and its rugged
internal structure, the Edison battery achieved this objec-
tive with a bene- power-to-welght ratio than could be
attained readily ay the lead-acid batteries of the time.
The construction and chemistry cl the nickel-iron eel is
such that it can survive abuse that would be fatal to a
lead-acid cell. As long as it is not drastically overheated,
the Edlson cell can be overcharged to the point of vapor
zing all of the electrolyte and no great han
will the cell be harmed by being left in a
condition. know of used Edison cells that recovered a"
I

good percentage of their original capacity upon being filled A battery of six Edison cells as collected on a t
with distilled water and run through a few charge-discharge expedition. Most of the cells are good, but the original wooden
cycles—after having been dry and totally neglected for rack is in bad shape. These are A-8 cells, originally rated at
around 220 Ah each.
over 40 years.
Now tho bad news. As compaed lu lead-acid eels,
for
the Edison cell has a high internal resistance and a high
self-discharge rate. Thus, voltage regulation during load
variation is poor, and the cell shows a continuous loss of many sawservice in domestic wind power installations.
voltage throughout its discharge cycle— from neady 1.4 V Despite their age, howevei, Edison batteries may still be
charge to 1.0 V at the bottorr of the
at full cycle. Hydrogen found. Many of their cells will undoubtedly be in salvage-
and oxygen are vented continually, though to varying able condition (see photo).
degrees. If yoi come across an o3d-looking battery Ike that
Edison cells omploy a potaMium hydroxide electrolyte. shown in the photo, don't assume that il is dtmd and gone.
This is a strong Dase and must be handled with caution. If the steel case of a given cell is intact and the poles are
Acids and acid-contaminated toots should never be used in not internally shorted or shorted to the case, t is quite
or around Edison batteries— something to keep in mind If possible that the cell can be revived. Cases cf adjacent
your battery "stable" is to include toth lead-acid and cells In an Edison battery must be insulated f'om each
Edison cells. other or electrolytic action will eat through them in short
A hydrometer is not of much use in determining the state order. (In an Edison cell, the steel case is isolated from
of an Edison cell because the specific gravity of the electro- both poles but common to the electrolyte.) A socket
lyte changes little between tha charced and discharged wrench and a good goar pjller are essential tor disas-
states. Cell voltage, charging time and charging current are sembly of Edison batteries Details on the care and feeding
the best indicators of charge for Edison batteries. of Edison batteries can be found in older electrical
Terminal voltage in the discharged condition for a single engineering handbooks.'
Edison cell is Considered to be 1 V. New Edison batteries
had an expected lifetime of 2000 charge-discharge cycles.
'Greatly detailed information on Edison and other secondary
Most of these batteries were probably used by railroads for colls nay he lound in Georce Wood Vina), Storage Butteries.
iger car lighting and irackside signaling, althougi I
ec (New York: John Wfev and Sons, 1""

The sidebar, "Harmless," offers an Towers should be designed and sup- nuisances, so they should not be climbable
example of the kind of nasty multiple ported to wilhsland worst-cas? weather by children or passersby.
failure that can happen around an alterna- conditions for the area. Theyshoild receive
tive energy installation. Although the chain Chemical Hazards
of events depicted tlicic timy sixiu All motor fuels and ihelr vapors are
farfetched, it isn't. When you achieve long llamrrable and potentially explosive. They
periods of accident-free alternative energy must be handled in suitable containers,
production, you wort'l have wasted your Persons developing any lines end Most fuel vapors have
fittings.
time anticipating and guarding against the distinctive odors,so use your nose! Don't
worst!
energy resource must take ignore what your sense of smell tells you.
a certain responsibility for Track down and repair leaks. Never store
Mechanical Hoards
fuels near operating engines or sources of
Moving their safety and thai of
parrs, especially gears, vec belts, open flame and sparks.
pulleys, wind turbine propellers and ihe their neighbors. Enternal combustion engines produce
like, should all be made inaccessible to carbon monoxide gas as an exhaust
accidental contact. This is usually produ:t. This is a colorless, odorless and
accomplished *ith coven and enclosures. lethal substance. Do not breathe exhaust
When webnoaagpans must be exposed, fumes; also, do not risk operating engines
they should be taa: out of reach. A wind regular inspections and maintenance as fumes are
in enclosed spaces unless eshaust
turbine *Kn—H HOC he iNe to much any. nrrrird. Wh»*n in doubt, consult a property vented through agas-iight system.
one on the erooi or »crting on its tower. structural engineer. Towers are attractive Even with a good exhaust system, it's good

QRP Classics 251

 Harmless
An industriousmouse enters tha battery compartrrant ol explosive force. The exptosion rips the already damaged
an anergy system. Shuffle, sniff. No loose
alternative batter/ open, spewing sulfuric acid, acid vapors and hot
scraps worth taking—just a foot-long piece of bare no. 10 metal all over the battery compartment.
wire carelessly abandoned in the framing of the With luck, the problem ends here, with no fire climbing
compartment two years ago. Exiting the compartment. Ihe the walls and no injuries-just a terrible mess to clean up.
rodont chouldore the scrap aside, causing It to fall across But don't count on it. A chance encounter with a harmless
the terminals of a 1Z-V storage battery. Tnere is an scrap of wire and a mouse has already blown up your
immediate electrical failure as the wire welds to the battery battery. Why should chance stop there?
terminals, shorting the system. The wire reaches rec heat Such a series of events may seem highly improbable.
in a matter ot seconds. As it glows brighter and begins to But trusting to probability implies taking chences— in other
melt, the wire slumps onto the plastic battery case. The words, playing odds. And that's exactly what nof to do
case melts like butter under a ho: knife. when building safety into an alternative energy system.
At this point, the electrical failure is over The wire melts Dangerous system failures are possible unless care is
thrcugh thn hattnry case with a Szzllng arc that causes the taken to make them impossible. You must build safety in.

hydrogen and oxygen within the battery to unite with

insurance to kecpa carbon monoxide alarm hydrogen can accumulate here. Thus, ductors to red heat, creating poteniial for
in the engine room. checking the clectrolylc level b> match light fireand burns. Larger batteries, such as
Engine exhaust systems can emit burning or "testing" a battery by drcving sparks those found in automobiles and alternative
gases and hot carbon particles, bo:h of across its terminals arc dangerous energy storage systems, can deliver
which can ignite dry materials in the vbinity techniques and should never be used. hundreds of amperes. Such currents can
of the exhaust outlet. When internal- heat and melt large conductors. Rings,
comb usi ion-engine driven generators are to bracelets and wrist watches should never be
be used outdoors under dry conditions, use worn by people working with electrical
spark arresting mufflers or spark arresters systems for this reason. Electrocution may
approved by the US Forest Service. Clear
Dangerous system failures be the danger that comes to mind when
first

a ten-foot radius to bare din around the are possible unless care is considering the wearing of metal jewelry,
generator and keep it clear. Have a shovel and t should never be rt-led out, of course.
and fire extinguiiher nearby and in plain
taken to make them But stories of fingers amputated and
sight. impossible. You must cauterized by a white hoi ring welded across
Whether acidic or alkaline,
they're a high current source are noi fables— il can
build safety in.
happen to you.
battery electrolytes are nasty substsnccs.
They can corrode metal, creating both Protect battery terminals from short-
mechanical and electrical problems. They circuits Fvfrri«fp pviremr million if ynu

can destroy clothing in short order, and mus: work around baiteries with metal
their activity does not stop when they get Storage batteries also tend to vent tools. Always keep one terminal covered to

to lite flesh underneath. Soft tissues, such corrosive vapors that can damage delicate avoid the possibility of a short circuit.
as eyes, are particularly prone 10 rapid electronic equipment. If vented batteries Modern battery case* melt readily even
damage from exposure 10 battery elec- arc used indoors, the venli should be at soldering temperatures (360-460°
trolytes, so wear eye protection when extended lo the outdoors with plastic Fahrenheit for common solders). These
working arounc batteries. Keep some tubing. Tie best practice ts to provide case; also deteriorate rapidly in sunlight,
means ot Hushing away accidental storage b.mcries with tlicii own wtlt-
exposures at hand; a garden hose will do. vcntilated compartment or room.
Don't wear your best clothing when
lazards
—
working with batteries some exposure to
Electrical I

electrolyte is almost inevitable. The Electricshock is to be avoided at all 410

evidence may noi appear until that special costs. Shosk danger from 12-V dc systems 350
—
1
._

shirt comes out of Ihe washer looking like is minimal, but as sysiem voltage
3X>
^^_^-ias v
cheesecloth! approaches 32 V, it's posiible to get
Avoid panic by having emergency pro- "bitten" and even be electrocuted if con-
cedures well in mind. Your flesh won't dis- ditions ar; just right (or wrong!). Both
E
solve right off your bones if you do gel storage ba:teries and solar panels connected 5 .so
electrolyte on it, so don't go into shock. in series can add up to shock potential in o
1M
Just start flushing the affected area short order. Remember thai the output
immediately. If garments are saturated, gel voltage from solar panels is much higher v>

out of them. with no load than it is when s load is con-

nected. Where sinusoidal ftc energy MW- ?5 50 !5 10.0 12S150 175 iO 321 2'j.0
Storage batteries (except for completely vottAie
sealed rccombining types) emit hydrogen cerned, thinking in terms of RMS voltage
and oxygen gases, particularly under heavy can be deceptive, because ac peak voltage
charging and overcharging. This is a highly works to overcome your skin resistance— Fig 2—Voltagoacross the terminals of a
and peak voltage in a sine wave exceeds "12 V" solar panel varies considerably with
flammable, explosive mixture. Although
load, and this must be allowed for in the
hydrogen is much lighter than air anc tends RMS by a factor of 1.414. design ot a solar energy system. (The
to dissipate rap dly, ii cannot do this in graph shows voltage versus current for the
Current Kills—Bui ft Also Burns
confined spaces—such as the space between 5-W Sovonics panel described in the article
the electrolyte strl ace and the filler :ap of Even small storage batteries can deUvei called out at Note i in Hart 1 ot ihis
a battery. Dangerous concentrations of high currents sufficient to bring small con- ankle.)

QRP Classics 252

leading 10 cmbrlttlement and cracking. you'll discover a wealih of literature Kictnrd A. Perez, iht complete Battery ifcok
Keep them out of the sun and hardier them devoted both to specific aaid general topics (Blue Ridge Summit PA: TAB Books, 19SS).
with care. in the field. The few references I've listed M. Wilson, cd.. The 1987 ARRL
Handbcok
(Ncwington: ARRL. 1986). See especidly
in the bibliography wiLI help get you
Fusing and Load Switching "Battery Power," pp 6-25 to 6-28, End
started. It's also quite likely that you'ean
Chapter 27, "Power Supply Project!,"
Fuses are eisemial insurance for electri- share ideas and questions with someone
pp 27-28 to 27-36.
cal safety. Fuses or circuit breakers rated in youi own area who is working com-
to handle full load current should be placed mercially or privately with some aspect of Solar Energy
as closely as possible to the battery. Great alternative energy. Such people may well
C. Philip Chapman, Paul D. Chapman ind
care must be taken with insulation and be the most valuable untapped resource
Alvin H. Lewison, "Amateur Use of Solar
dress of the wiring from battery terminals you'll find as you work to develop an Electric Power," QST. Oct 1982, pp 11-14
to fuses. Since high currents at low voltages operatianal energy system. (Part I) and Nov t)82, pp 30-34 (Pan 2).
arc involved, !ow-reststancc connections to
fuses and breakers must be provided.
Waterpower
Further fusing of subsystems as appro- Bibliography
General Alternative Energy Dermol McGuigan, Harnessing Water Power for
priate lo their individual curreni demands
Home Energy (Charlotte. VT; Garden Way
can be installed at a convenient location Reader's Digest Editors, Back to Basics: How Publishing. 1978). Available from Garden
farther from the battery. to Leirn & Enjoy Tradiiio/ni American Skills
Way Publishing, Sioiey Communications, Inc.
In switching and fusing a photovoltaic (New York: Random Hoasc, 1981). Good
Schooihouse Rd, Pownal. VT 05261.
system, bear in mind that "12-V" solar wind- and waterpower chapters in this general
Kvacrncr Hydro Powtr, Inc, 1978 Commerce
book on the "simple life."
panels may produce more than 20 V across Rd. Springfield, OH 45504. manufactures
an open circuit or high-resistance load (see
Richard Merril and Tom Gage, Energy Primer l.cffel hydroelectric turbines. See especidly
(revissd (Pine B ook, NJ; Delta
edition)
theirPamphlet A, "Hints on the Developmrnt
Fig 2). This could have disastrous con-
Boot;. 1918). Not current:/ titled in Books of Small Water Powers" and Bulletin H-49.
sequences for equipment should the line in Print, but worth a library/used-book store
"Hydro-Electric Power from a Hoppcs
from the PV array to the battery cpen with search.
Hydro-Electric Unit."
equipment still connected to the FV array. Stewart Brand, ed.. The Next Whole Earth
If at all possible, meters should b: used to Catalog (Ellenwood. GA: Alternatives, 1981).
Publiihed by Alternatives. ?0 Box 429. 5263 Wind Power
monitor charging current, load current and
battery voltage in an alternative energy
Boulccrcrcst Rd, Ellenwood, GA 30049. Carl J. Heinen, "Watts from the Wind," QST,
Includes excellent listings o-f alternative energy Jul 1977. pp 15-19.
system. Then, proper operation of the
system can be confirmed al a glanc-e. literature and hardware. Park and Schwind, Wind Power /or Farms,
Homes and Small Industry (Springfield, VA:
Batteries
National Technical Information Service,
Conclusion
Warren Dion. "A New Chip for Charging 1978). Available fron US Dcpt of Commerce.
If you find yourself inspired to become Gelled- Elect rolyte Batteries," QST, Jun 1987. National Technical Information Service. 5285
involved with alternative energy projects, pp 26-29. Port Royal Rd. Springfield. VA 22161.

QRP Classics 253

From July 1983 QST, p 31:

Operate Your Station With

Power from the Sun!
Here's a report on this hot technology, with the information you'll

need to design your own solar-powered station.

By Peler Berg, KG6JA
PO Box 4207
Carlsbad. CA 92008

not a dyed-in-the-wool liarr than in ihc Sunbelt, In fact, these cells even emilter eurtcnl does. An increase in collec-

I'm
operator when ii comes to RF— I'm provide electricity on cloudy days.
1
tor current Is the result. This discovety was
later tn the development
put to good use
more of a tinkerer in electronics.
Capturing Energy from the Sun of of light energy to elec-
ihe translation
Although have held a license since 1954,
I

I have, until recently, derived more satis- The electric effects of light on certain tromoiivc force, photovoltaic conver-
faction from designing sion, often called PV

receivers and trans- called PV

conversion,

mitters— and getting them

A solar cell is a very
lo work than from opera- simple semiconductor.
Solar cells are, in fact,
ting them on the air.
sumpot cycle large-area semiconductor
With the
starling upward again, I
diodes. A cross-section of
finally broke down, put
a solar cell is shown in
savings in pocket, drove Fig I. Simply explained,

to the ham store and pur-

when the photons con-
tained in light rays bom-
chased a new dc-opcraicd
transceiver. Because 1 did bard the barrier of this
semiconductor, hole-
not have a sifficiently
electron pairs inside this
large (20-A) power supply
for this radio, and
P-N junction arc freed,
resulting in a forward
because 1 was ii a hurry
bias of the junction, jusi
to try out the new rig. 1

borrowed the storage bat- as in phototransistors.

tery from my motor home.
This forward-biased
This battery lias a 55 junction can deliver cur-

ampere-hour (Ah) capac- rent into a load. Because

the exposed area of a so-
ity, can be deep dis-
charged, and appeared to cdl can be quite large
lar
ihe forward current pro-
be plenty large for this
application. It has oper- ced can be substantial. It
follows thai the output
ated the rig for over a
year, without trouble. current of a photocell is

directly proportional io
I recently read up on
Solar panels llower right) and a iribandor decorate the rootiops at KG6JA the rate of photon bom
developments h alterna-
bardment, and thus to the
tive energy sources such
as wind, motion (water) and sun thai supply materials have been known sirce long before exposed area of the photocell.
energy to power an entire household. It the invert ion of the transistor. Materials
Types of Solar Cells
occurred to metliat the use of solar energy such as cadmium sulfide 4nd selenium
to charge a bau;ry capable of powering my exhibit altered electrical behavior when Originally, solar cslls were made bj-

ham station would be an interesting and ihey ate exposed lo light- Early in ihc cuiting slices of grown silicon-cryslal rod

affordable experiment. Much to my sur- development of transistors, it was dis- anJ subjecting them to doping and metal-
prise. I founc thai technology in the covered that transistors noi encapsulated lization processes. These solar cells are
manufacture of solar clcciric cells ha; moved in lightproof housings wers sensitive to called monocrystallim cells because each
far enough forward hat you don't have to
i light. The reason for this is that photons unit consists of only one crystal plate. The
live in space, in Florida or in California to striking a base-emitter junction cause the shape of these cells is the same as lhat of
benefit from solar energy! Solar-cell ef- movement of electron-hole pairs in the the silicon rod from which they arc cut;

ficiency is such that solar cells can provide ju net ion—just as injecting a forward base- round. A slice of this material with an area
sufficient energy to be usable in areas of the of 2 inches can be made into one photocell,
country where sunshine is less abundant 'Notes acpear at end ot article. but a slice of this size could also be used to

QRP Classics 254

 by ihe panel voltage.
mJiimuTT. The cost of solar panels has decreased sig-
/ / — pewer -output

/
? 1 ulicsn
I

v he, ccpabinlf
expect to pay
you can
nificantly in recent years. Basically,
anywhere from about $8 to
S15 per watt, depending on quantity, size,
\ construction and efficiency of the panel.

Storing Solar Energy

nenl
\
Because the sun doesn't shine 24 hojrs
Fig 1— Cross section of a PV solar cell. I perday ai any locElion in ihe U5. some
1 means of storing collected energy must be
1
used. Batteries are commonly used for this
1

purpose. Battery rapacity is generally

1

p roduce upwards o f a thousand transistors! 1 expressed in ampere hours (Ah) or milli-

4r- \
The cosi of tiese early solar cells was way ampere hours (mAh). This rating is simply
beyond the mcuni of common folk, and die product of discharge current and din

could only be justified for use in space Output Wloge charge time in hours. For example, a fully

research and other highly critical appli-

•ask" charged 500-mAh NiCd battery of gcod
cations. quality can deliver a discharge current of .00
Techniques for ihe manufacture of two Fig 2— This load curve lor a PV solar cell mA for a period of J hours, or 200 mA for
other types of PV cells have been developed shows thai maximum power delivery
Iram a IVi hours, before recharging is required.'
since monorryslalltne cells were first solar cell occurs at approximately 0.45 V Three types of rechargeable batteries are
outpul. Igf is Ihe Shon-circut current.
produced. The newer cells are pcJycrysial- commonly used:
ifne cells and amorphous celts. Polycrystal- • Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries:
line cells are typically manufanurcd as NiCds are mostly used in relatively low-
rectangular blocks of seemingly -andomly when current is drawn from a solar cell. energy applications such as hand-held trans-
arranged silicon crystals from which the cell Fig 2 shows the typical valtage v current ceivers, scanners,eisi. The development or

plates arc cut These cells can be recognized relationship of a solar cell This . is called the consumer electronic has contributed to 'he
by their shape and their random pattern cell's bad curve. Open-circuil voltage is rapidly increasing availability (and
and colorful surface. Polycrystalline cells approximately 0.7, and oitput voltage at somewhat-less -rapidly decreasing cost) of
are les* expensive to manufacture than optimirsi load is nominally 0.45. Output NiCds. Major advantages of NiCds: They
monocrystalBnc cells. current is maximum with shorted outpul ter- arc hermetically sealed, operate in any
In the mid 1970s, began ro
researchers minals This maximum current is called the position and have a good service life
experiment with the manufacture of PV short -rircuit current, or 1^, and is depen- (several hundred charge/discharge cycles),
cells by depositing a thin film of doped dent 01 the cell type and size. Because a if they arc properly maintained.

silicon on ar economical but stable sub- OJipui current rcmai rs relatively cons-
cell's • Gcllcd-clccirolvte lead-acid batlcrkrs:
si rate, such as glass. In 1175, these efforts tant under varying load conditions, it can These hermetically sealed bacteries arc
paid off, and today the result, amorphous be considered 10 be a constant-current available in capacities from below Ah to 1

production of calcu-
cells, are use.1 In the source. The point on the load curve where more than 50 Ah. They arc ideal for sup-
lators, watches, security systems, automatic maximum power can be drawn from the cell plying energy 10 a ham radio station, but
gate openers, electric fences, wireless free- is indicated in Fig 2. their cost (for capacities above 10 Ah) is
way lelephotes. bauery chargers in auto- Jusi like batteries, solar cells may be oper- rather high. For portable and QRP sta-
mobiles and recreational vehicles, and. of ated ir series to increase output voltage, tions, though, thiv type of battery is

course, in ham radio. At first, anorphous and/or in parallel to increase output-current difficult to beat. The cells can be opcraxd
solar cells were not very efficient and capability. Several manufacturers supply ar- in any position, but should be charged in
exhibited rawd degradation with time. rays or panels with a number of cells in a an upright position. If properly maintained
Most of these problems have since been series-parallel hookup to be used, for exam- (no deep discharges—cell-polarity reversal
solved, and reliable amorphous PV panels ple, for battery charging. is possible under these conditions— and

are available from many manufacturers. Techniques have been developed for the a fully charged state), gel
they are stored in
These pane* cone in several forms: construction of whereby
amorphous cells a long lime (500 or so cycles-. I
cells last
mounted oc Lts pass, framed, and even the cells are manufactured in series by cut- operate a small I0-W portable CW
station
mounted oc ffcofak saturates such as ting metal layers that have been vapor from a 12-V, 6.5-Ah gel battery with good
steel. deposited on the amorphous silicon mass. success.
Amorpbcu jg=Tu err relatively
inexpen- This cutting is done with n laser. Cell width • Other lead-acid batteries: These arc
sive io maaajbaaaa-. Taey do sot. however, in such panels may he up to several feet, and available in standard automotive
the
spell the end a( ^~naSae ceils Crystal- the output-current capability of these rela- version, in the marne/RV deep-discharge
line ceils stS -Om fc r-jaes efficiency. tively economical panels ii excellent. versions and in the gslf-can variety. Differ-
The best sjecpaa; ^^s^arisoc you can PV-cell efficiency varies.: Monocrystalline ences: Automotive batteries usually fail
make «ae= ;m I ewaf. PV «obr panels is cells hive efficiencies up to 15^o; poly- following several deep-discharge cycles
to compare ;c*»= zhizkz rer ;;"'»r. and crystalline cells, 10 to l2To; amorphous (because of the thin plate and insulation
then seiec: a nn-r »-c ;-*?en 2 good 6.5 to over lO^o, depending on the
cells. materials used in their construction), result-
warranty 1 manufacturing process. 1 ing in premature internal short circaa
The output power of solar arrays or (iolf-cart and marine/ RV batteries hav-
Solar-Ce*
panels is specified in watts. Typically, the thickcr plates with more rigid insulation
Deperon* listed wattage is measured at full exposure between them, so these batteries can with*
an oper-cm to sunlight, at a nominal potential of 7 V stand deeper discharges without plate
sun. of 0.5 rU* for a 6-V system, 14 V for a I2-V system, deformation and internal failure. Deep-
cd lbs, %3ss and so on. You can calculate the maximum discharge batteries wide the best value
equrvaknr rf at current thai can be expected from a PV in a ham station. Some of these batteries
diode } Tats panel by dividing the specifed output power require attention (the electrolyte level mas

QRP Classics 255

 charging system musi compensate, as you'll
see.
j to"*.
Next, calculate the minimum battery
Sotierj
capacity required Tor this application. The
system should be designed so ihai sufficient Pcrlli

energy is available to run the equipment for

Fran
two consecu live sunless days (this is rather i-..,:,:m

<tt biliary —
sonic locations arc worse than

Fig 3— Basic solar-paneHo-batlery connec- others in tliis regard). Bccaus; these sun-
tion. The series dixie in the panel's output less days could be days on which you want
line keeps Ihe barery trom discharging into to operate, and because it's not a good idea
the panel. to discharge a battery to less than 50°.'o of
itscapacity ( for maximum battery' life), this Fig Connecting panels in parallel is a
battery mtst have a capacity af at least 2 good way lo Increase output current from a

* solar-panel array. A diode is connected in

(days) x 5 (Ah) 0.5 (for theSOTo charge
series with each panel to protect the ponclo
be maintained), and they last longest when capacity le't after 2 days without sunshine)
Irom tho battery and Irorn Ihe other panels.
kept charged. Because these batteries use = 20 Ah. your location is likely to be
If

a wet electrolyte water), and most of them without sunshine for as much as an entire
are not hermetically scaled, ihev uust be week, the battery requirement is 7 x 5 *
kept upright. 0.5 = 70 Ah. Add about 10% to this
a series diode. The basic hookup is shown
number to compensaic for self discharge
in Fig 3. With a fully leaded panel voltage
A Typical Application and other Bosses. (Typically, litis means
tide's j practical example of how to you'll buy the ne\t larger-size battery than
of a panel rated at 21
14, (14 V x 1.5 A) W
is required innorthern .'limes. In practice,
calculate power requirements for a PV- the initial calculations indica.cd.)
What dnes it take to keep this battery this power can he obtained front good-
powercd ham radio station. The first thing
quaiity solar panels with a surface area as
to do is define the power demand. Assume sufficiently charged? Here again, some
mall as 5 square feet. If you live in lite Sun-
you use a 100-W rig. (We'll also rulesof thumb help in the calculations.
that
assume that 100 W
is lite peak power con- average number of
First, estimate the
belt, you need only I2.f W (14 V x 0.9 A)
of I'V energy.
sumption, and occurs only during CW hours of sunshine per year in your area.
Using this basic method, you can calcu-
operation and SSB voice peaks when a This information can be found in an
and mechaiu'eal dimensions
ntc the electrical
almanac. As a guide, average annual sun
I

13.6-V nominal supply [a fully charged

exposure is approximately 3200 hours per
of almost any solar installation; just substi-
balieryl is provided.)
tute your power needs into ihe equations
The most reliable way to calculate realis- year in the Sunbelt, less elsewhere (down
shown here. The sidebar. "Calculating
ticpower requirements is to determine the to about 1920 hours per year in the far
Soltr-Cell and Storage- Battery Needs," con-
power used overs longer period of time- northern pans of the US).
veniently shows the required calculations in
say, a week or a month. Because most of Your PV be
solar panel will rrost likely
tabular form.
us have more ar less recurring weekly mounted n a fixed position, tut should be
habits, we'll lake one week as ihe base .n an optimum angle with respect to the
f borne Practical Hints
period. (You can substitute your own earth. This varies from about 30 in the '

numbers to adapt these calculations for summer up to about 60 J

in the dead of FV panels can be wired in series to
winter. Fixed-mounted solar panels cannot proride increased oulpu. voltage. If ihe total
your rig, under your operating circum-
pick up maximum energy Iron the sun, for output of the cell arrav exceeds 20 V. wire
stances.) Assume that the rig is turned on
obvious reasons. Of course, you could build shunt diodes across each PV veil. Similarly,
days of the week for two hours on each
five
of these five days. Of each two-hour some kind of solar-tracking mechanism to PV panels can be wired in parallel to yield
circumvent this obstacle, but that's beyond inciea*ed output-current capability. In this
period. I Vt hours is spent listening, and
transmitting takes the remaining half hour. the scope of ihb aitivlc (rtiiC* beyond the case, use a *.eries diode lor often panel, as

Assume that the current consumption of ambition of most people 1 know). If you shown in Fig 4.

the transceiver during receive is 2 A; during need to collect more solar encriy, it is much When hooking up P v panels to a storage

easier to simplyadd another solar panel! In bacery. always use a series diode to prevent
the 100-W peaks on transmit, current
practice, you can only count on panel discharge of the batter/ into the panels. A
drawn is 20 A. The owner's manual for
your rig should give the maximum dc exposure for about 70% of ire total sunlit Schottky diode can be used in applications
time, which is anywhere between 1340 and where it is important to maintain the lowest
current drain. The average current con-
2240 hours per year (between 26 and 43 vol:agc drop (and minimum loss) of charge
sumption during SSB transmitting is only
about » A. Therefore, we need a battery hours per week), depending on where you current.
tf you live in an area where battery over-
that can supply a peak current of at least live.

20 A and an average current of 4 A. Now The remaining syslern plarnine is easy. charging may occur, lake precautions to pre-

Our earlier shoved that the vent battery overcharging and related gas
calculate the total energy consuned in calculations
must replenish 35 Ah per week, discharge inside the battery. Several manu-
ampere hours ever a one-week period: solar cells
plus lOTo -o compensate for losses, or about facturers supply simple charge regulators
Receiving: 2 A x 2Vi hours/day x 38.5 Ah 3f battery capacity. With solar that serve this purpose by disconnecting the
5 25 Ah.
days = energy nVailahle in the Suiibeh for 43 hours V V panel from ill c battery when the hatter)
Transmitting: 4 A x Vi hours/day x per week, the required charge current is is fully charged. Some of ihese charger:
5 days = 10 Ah. 38.5 Ah - 43 hours of sunshine « 0.9 A. allow charging to resume when the battery

used per week 25 10 In the northern part of Ihe US. this is 38.5 has reached a measurable level of discharge
The total energy is -I-

= 35 Ah. or per day (average) is 35 * 7 Ah * 25.S hours 1.5 A. Now. find a PV

- Note: These values are only valid for lead-
= 5 Ah. If we had a perfect system, all we panel thai can deliver this current under add batteries; an entirely different set of
charge criteria exists for NiCds/
would need do is supply 35 Ah p« week
to load.

(5 Ah per day) .o the battery. In piactice. In the 12-V system described here, the PV
Installing Solar Panels
imperfections in battery construction cause punt! upviaicn, with a fully cliirgcd battery,
at about 13.6 V. plus the voltage drop of
If you plan to permanently install PV
some loss (self discharge), for which the

QRP Classics 256

 —

Calculating Solar-Cell and Storage-Battery Needs Use separate wire for :his ground do nor
Calculation of Pv* solar-cell and storage-battery requirements
combine the panel-frame ground with one
is easy using
this form. See the text for additional information.
of the power leads!
After you have determined where the
Solar Cell panels will he positioned, lay them upside

Current drain during recei\e:f

down and squeeze a bead of silicone adhc
1) A
sivc onto the back of each panel frame.
2) Number of hours of receiver operation per week: h
3) Multiply (1) x (2): Ah Turn each panel over, lay on ihc roof, and
ii

4) Measura peak current drain during transmit^ A tape it down until the adhesive
has dried.
5) For SSB, enter 0.2; for CW 0.5; else, 1.0;
f
If you want to go the extra mile, you can
6) Number of hours ol transmitter operation per week; h mount the panels on blocks so that air can
7) Multiply (4) x (5) x (6): Ah circulate under the panel. PV solar panels,
8) Add (3) + (7): Ah when cool, have slightly higher output than
9) Number of hours week (see test):
of sunshine per h ho; panels.
10) Required solar-panel current [(B) * (9)1: A
The solar panel you select shojld havo at least as much currant capability os Methods of securhg solar panels to
shown in line 10. wooden or meial frames vary with frame
designs; panelsmay lay in the frame, or you
Storage Batiery may to use bracktts and/or bolts. The
elect
advantage of a frame mount (as opposed to
11) Maximum number of days of operation without sunlight:
12) Daily pcwer requirement ((8) ~ 7] : Ah a more permanent mojming scheme, sucl
13) Stored-energy requirement [(11) x (12)]: Ah as adhesive), is that yot can adjust the angle
14) Maximum stored-energy requirement |(13) x 2.2]: Ah of :hc panels with respect (o the ground, so
The battery ynu selBrt should hav^ a capacity at loast as large as Ihe total that you can align the panels for maximurr.
storage requirement found in (14), or the numerical current capacity of the efficiency.
battery (in Ah) should be at least twice as large as the numerical value found
in (4), whichever is larger.
Notes

fThese values are usually given In ;he transceiver inairuciion manual.

'1 use prowtfe rather than genoraio to describe the
process by which solar energy is transformed into
unergy. Ol course. Ihg energy is gener-
electrical
aiod by the sun; solar celt; convert photon energy
into electrical energy, and thus provide electricity
JFor reference, maximum theoretical PV-onergy-
panels, consider mounting them at ground panels' negative terminal or wire, and to lite transfer efficiency is In Ihe 22 to 25<W» bracket
level on a simple wooden or metal frame, cathodes of the diodes. If you're using more Tie optimum has not been reached, but it is
pretty well approached (to within an order or
or mounting them on the roof. Roor Mount- than one panel, wire them in parallel so that
rragnitude).
ing is more app-opriatc if you have a roof you only need to run one set of leads front 'Ampere-hour battery ratings are not absolute: Yoi
(hat slopes at the correct angle (30 to the panel* to the battery. Secure the wires generally cannot, for instance, use a battery witr
60° — see the tit.c photo), and in the right and diodes with small strips of tape and a rating of 2 Ah to s-jppty 10 A tor 0.2 h (2 At"
-r 10 A), or even 4 A for V3 h. Materials usee
direction (anywhere between a little east of apply a hlob of silicone adhesive to each
in battery construction are not made to withstanc
suui.Ii and southwest is acceptable). TJie diode anC solder joint. tra heat generated durirg such oxtrerne opera-
way to mount panels permanmtly is
easiest aregoingto be located
If the solar panels tion.— Ed.
*l irtend to describe a simple charge regulator foi
witri a such as RTV. First,
silicone adhesive, in an area where they might be subjected to
lead-acid battories in a 'uturo article. Drop me
mount series dbdes on the back cf each lightning, it is especially important to an SASE tor more information about charge regu-
panel. Attach color-coded wires to the ground the metal frames of the solar panels. lators.

GRP Classics 257

 "

hrom November 1987 QST, p 41:

in rcehargciblc electric razors. He razors I've charged perfectly on the first try! Brief
seen contain two NiCd cells. Ofien, only one application of heavy overcharging current to
Free NiCd Cells of these ceils has failed, but both cells arc the r?si of them dozen usable
net led arother
replaced when repair time comes. 1 talked a cells. Free NiCd Check your friendly
cells?
D Many ciiics ard towns have an electric razor repair person out of a box of such electric razor repair shop.—BobBaird, W7CSD,
razor Tepair shop hat replaces NiCd baitcries rejects and got 40 NiCd cells. Twenty of these 3740 Summers Ln, Klamath Falls. OR 97603

From March 7938 OST, p 41:

A Deep-Cycle Battery as an Emergency Power Source

After I acquired a size 27, deep-cycle
lead-acid battery as an emergency power
source for my hams on
2-rretor transceiver,
ADJUST POWER SUPPLY
the local repeater advised me on hew to
FOR 13.3 V HERE
keep the battery charged. "Connect a
Dt
variable dc supply in parallel with the
battery and set its output voltage to 13.6, POWER
1 XCVR
they said. SUPPLY
The current capability of my power
supply is insufficient for such service The
supply can source the 4.8 a required by the JUMPER
rig during high-power transmit, but is rated
at only 3 A for continuous duty, "on-
nccting the suppl» directly in parallel with
the battery and tie transceiver would, at
times, result in current drain exceeding the
Bri ^ 12 v

supply's continuous-duty rating.

Fig 2 shows mysolutron to this problem.
Charging current with this circuit is I A
or less, and the supply can still power
the transceiver. Installation of a jumper
across points A and B applies (he full
Fig 2— KFGG-L's power supply/charging circuil. In ths application. D1 and 02 are 6-A,
battery voltage tc the transceiver if nis Is
600 PIV dlctfes (Motorola MR756, ECG5815 or equivalent), Rt is a wirewound unit and
needed during an extended power failure. 8T1 is a size 27. deep-cycle, leid-acid storage battery. The jumper is used only during
— George Hopkins, KF6CL. 521 S Casiterock power fallure-s (see text). The power supply is normally turned on only while the station is
Tcr, Sunnyvale. CA 940Q7 oltondod. Ir. tailoring this circuit to your application, use conservatively rated components.

From June 1988 OST, p 47:

A One-Shot Timer for Battery Charging

Oneof the problems associated wiih
rechargeable batteries is that of charging
APPLIANCE POitEH

duration. This is particularly evident when SI

the charging period is longer than the HOT HOT

interval between "home from work" and
"back to work"! In such cases, another TIMER
TIMER APPLIANCE
member of the family must remember lo PLUG OUTLET
unplug [he charger ai ihc appropriate lime.
My solution to this problem is a one-shot
timer. Here's how to build such a timer for N£'. rtUL HI UI RAL
around $10.
Two parts are required: a 120-V neon Fig 1— Dennis Cripp's modified limer turns itself and its associated battery charger off at
lamp assembly and a motor-driven lamp the end of the charging period. Vlodification ot the timer consists of movng the hot motor
timer capable of a timing interval at least lead from point A to point B, and installation of a 12J-V neon lamp. DSl. between hot and
as long as the charging period required by neutral on the timer's appliance outlet.
your battery. (Boih are available in several
form. ; from Radio Shack*.) The motor in
1

such timers usually actuates a switch that mount the neon lamp assembly at any con- required by your batter/. To turn on the
breaks the hot ride of the ac line for venient place on the timer housing, and timer motor and your battery charger,
appliance control. Modify the timer as connect it between the hot and neutral rotate the timer dial until DSl lights. When
shown in Fig I. Cpcn the timer and locate terminals on the timer's appliance outlet. the time has elapsed, your charger and
set

the motor lead connected lo the hoi side Reassemble the timer. the timer motor switch off. Result: a
of the ac line (point A in Fie 1). Move this Connect your battery charger to the charted battery that won't be overcharged
lead to the appliance- socket side of the timer. Set the timer's on and off actuators if foiBoncn.— Dennis Cripps, N3FIW. 218 N
timer switch, SI (point B in Fig 1). Next. to turn on t!K charger for the charging time Dillwyn Rd. Newark. DE 19711

QRP Classics 258

 From May 1976 QST, p 25:

Power Amplifier Development

with Your Transisitors
Simple equipment and methods for making-do with
test
devices on hand, on frequencies you want to use.

By Adrian Weiss, W0RSP

633 Duke Si03
Vermillion. SD 57069

^^)ne of the more exciting phases uf hand or >c able to pick up at moderate exciter such as one described by lh«
ham radio today is the use of rf power prices. Even when good irformaiinn is author an earlier trticle, 3 and shown
in
transistors in transmitter amplifier available, it may be for only die vhf in the photograph, or some higher value
stages. design has ohvious
Solid-state range, or the circuits described
may not if the exciter is to be an integral part of
weight and power-drain advantages, es- necessarily*be the best available for a complete transmitter. A reactive com-
pecially in gear that may be used for amateur-band use. Unlike vacuum tubes, ponent will be presert in the base inpu:
mobile or portable operation. solid-state devices may exhibit wide impedance, so the interstage matching
Development of balanced-emitter rf variations between individual units of network must tunc the base input
power transistors, virtually blownul the same type. This is in part the result circuit lo resonance, as well. The ampli'
proof and superior to curlier ivpes in of applications design for top-quality fier will operate properly only when
regard lo stability, gave great impetus to production runs intended tor military or both conditions me satisfied.
use of all-solid-state equipment in both space use, whereas the amateur may Any balanced-eiritter device will
the hfand vhf ranges. have ic» contend with second- or tliird- liavomi absolute minimum gain of about
Kor the amateur who wants to do level quality. There is also the matter of
6 ilB if operating properly. Efficiency
other than make exact copies if de- the practical unreliability of mathemati- will be 45 lo 65 percent. At least 8-dB
scribed equipment, a problem ha; been cal calculations used in solic-state ampli-
%m is expected normally, On this basis.
lack of understandable information dial fier Johnson and Artigo have
desigri. The drive required for 10-walts output is
will permit liim to work out transmitter noted that competent engineering can 1.25 watts. In practice, the writer has
designs for transistors he may hive on produce "ball-park'" errors ranging from found the 2N5590 can be driven to
-22 to +25 percent between calculated aboul 12.5-watts output with wall oi I

values and Uiuse thai actually work. 1

drive. In another application the

Assumptions 2NS590 delivered 55 watts of clean
output with only 220 u>W of drive —
Solid-siate aO-miaramplifier, built by the The objective here is to allow the about 14-dB gain. A word of caution is
author far uk win hij QRP
rig, was lesied
average amateur to circumvent the
and adjusted inlhj jh= methods he desc/ibei in nrtter here: Maximum efficiency is
above obstacles, by placing emphasis on obtainable only at the collector voltage
the actual device on hand through in- specified by the manufacturer. Don't
circuit isasuremeitts made durinp am- expict hip.lt pftnrirnry if a ?ft-vult device
plifier development. The method is is operated at 12 volts
based on several general assumptions
which hold in most cases. A reader
will Practical Circuit Details
unfamiliar with solid-state amplifier Hayward discussed choosing values
basics is encouraged tn study papers bv for the base swamping resistor, collector
Franson. Wayward, llejhall. ind others.* rf dioke. bypass capicirors. and other
It is assumed that the base input components of the typical Class-C amp-
impedance of die amplifier A-ill be quite lifier. Bearing in mind that these critciia
low, in the range of to 15 ohms. The
I re nol official "dogma." the reader is
input matching network must be able to advised to familiarize himself with them.
transform ihis low impedance tn what- There arc several usable circuits, descrip-
ever is present at the output of the tions of which can be found in the
driver stage. This could be 50 ohms, as references and in the RCA RF /Vmvr
in using an amplifier with a separate Transistor Manual The author prefers
the input network shown in Fig. I,
'This and all subscqucrti reMHOM will because it will yield practical compo-
appear Jl Che end .if fat arli:le. nent values in nearly all cases.

QRP Cla ssics 259

 2

catot. and an impedance bridge. The

wavemeter. Fig. 2A. was calibrated with
ca - t _L C3
2(15590 400 7 - ^•j-jgo die aid of a multiband iransmitter.
The power-output meter. Fig. 2B,
should be isolated from the transmitter
and dummy load by shielding and
RFC2. Actual output is obtained from
die formula:

P°
2Ri

The meter is used to measure power

output from a driver or amplifier stage
Fig. 1 — Schematic diagram and parts information for the K8EEG 40-mer.er ampltfisr. during developmental work. Remember
Capacitor values nor otherwise marten" ate in pF. Some parts ire numbered tor text that ii is not frequency sensitive. It will
reference only All grounds should be made directly to the transistor emitter strip CI . . C2 — read combined fundamental and har-
Final values given; con be made variable es with C3-C4. for experimental purposes.
mon.c power, hence the need for the
C4 - 400'pF minia:urc trimmer. Small L3 - 13 turns, spaced io occupy entire core wavemeter.
broadcast-type capacitors suitable for of L2.
low-power applications. See text. L4 - 4.5 turns, spaced over W3 of core. The variable impedance bridge. Fig.
LI - 9 turns No. 22 enamel, closewound on In using the toroidal circuit for interstage 2C, is similar to one described by
1/4 -inch dia. slug-tuned form. coupling, make LI t to 2 turns for 10- to Hayward (reference 2^ except that the
L2 - 2.5 turns No. 22 enamel, closewound 40-ohm collector load impedance and 4 diode is connected to the arm of a
on Artnaon -b(l-2 toroid core.
I turns for 40 to 80 ohms.
lOOO-ohni variable control, instead) of to
the junction of two 470-ohm resistors.
The control can be calibrated by con-
nect ng fixed resistors of known value
If the amplifier is to be used with a should be made variable in ihis case. A across the output. Adjust the control for
separate exciter, as in this instance, the way would be to mafcc a toroidal
better null, and mark down the resistance Value
input network i: designed and adjusted matching transformer similar to used for that setting. When you want a
to match the law-base input impciiancc L2-L3-L4. using slight ulieidikms fui eireui to look like, sfcy,, 70 ohms, you
to 50 ohms, the usual output impedance this application given under Fig. I. In set :he control to 70 and adjust the
of such an exciter. Where die amplifier die first case there are two unknowns circuit for null. Parts placement is not
is to be pari of a transmitter, the present: The output capacitance of the critical, but it es wise to use short
collector circuit of Ihc driver can be driver and the input impedarce of the lisngihs of coaxial line in connecting the
connected in plaze of J To provide for I . amplifier This makei optimum
base. bridge into the circuit to be tested, and
matching the capacitors CI and C2 adjustment rather complicated, since the to gtound both braids at the same point.
output capacitance of the driver stage
varies with its collector load impedance.
Wjtli the uined circuits in both stages,
the driver can be optimized for 50 ohms
laPC9E ftf 6'
and will work equally well when the
amplifier is installed.
There are additional advantages. The
tuned network will provide at least
twice the harmonic rejection, and there
will be much less loading of tiie previous
stages by he amplifier The lattet
final
is very in simple VFO-
important
controllcd transmitters, where pulling of
the oscillator can result in considerable
difference in frequency between the
SPOT and OPERATE conditions.
I he used lor ihc output
clicuit
network a matter of personal prefer-
is

ence. The double-link tank shown

yielded an efficiency in excess of 50
percent at 7 MHz, so it was left in. In a
20-meler application the efficiency was
about 40 percent. Conversion to the
network described by Mayvard (refer
encc 2) brought the efficiency up to 62
percent.
IC) Xfi = R| v R|
Test Equipment

Fig. 2 - Simple tes: equipment used in Three simple instruments, shown Fig. £ —Basic circuit for use with Tables 1,
optimizing the solid-state amplifier includes schematically in Fig. 2, were used in the and 3. Circuit A, for Tables 1 and 2, shows
a wave meter. A. a power -output indicator. developmen t of the amplifie r: A roughly the nitwork lor input matching. B is
B. and a variable irrped3nce bridge, C. Values used n matching ihe ampl tier to 50-ohm
calibrated wavemeter capable of tuning output. The formulu* urc tut upe'diiiiy
of LI and CI depend on the bann being
checked. Pans designations are for text to the desired frequency and to its conditions other than thoie assumed in the
reference. second harmonic, a power-cutput indi- tablet.

QRP Classics 260

 "

If the bridge is to be used only letween b; used. With other types it is well to
Table 3
50-ohm circuits, coaxial connectors will start about 70 percent of Lie
with
Output network, final collecier impedance
be suitable, as shown. maximum. De-couple the wavemeter, in
81:. (10 <vam output at 13.6 talis dc), 50::
load. (Fom Motorola AN-267,1 anticipation nf the 40-dB increase in
Construction ind Testing 28
3.5 7 14 21 MHz pswer to be expected, and apply drive.
Armed with the above assumptions
40 2.0 0.95 049 0.3 0.23 Readjust both input and oulput net-
and equipment, we can monitor
test 6b 720 350 75 125 30 works for maximum output and mini-
several aspects of the circuit operation 89 530 2GO 140 9D 65 mum harmonic power. The wsvemetcr
in the process nf getting the amplifier to should be coupled to the lead going lo
work properly. Tim is a tough dup- the output meter fcr the latter check, as
lication oi' the procedure followed in the he ormul. s given in Fig. 3 can be hirmonic currents circulate in the out-
manufacturer's laboratory in deter- pit tank, and coupling lo il will give an
mining the p;rIonuancc characteristics should the driver stage operate at a erroneous reading of harmonic level
of y device fcr given sets of corditions. different power level or load impedance. when the amplifier is running nonnally.
These appear later on a data sheet. Our CI. C2 and LI should be variable, to Measure the dc input power and the rf
puipwsc is not quite the same, in thai wc allow for Initial adjustments. Inexpen- output power and compute the effi-
are not lookii g for a set of "numbers." sive broadcast-receiver capacitors, 365 ciency wliichshould be at least 40
Rather, we seek Ui take into account pF. are ideal for tuning. Where higher percent. Substitute the double-tuned
automatically the actual characteristics capacitance is needed, fixed-value micas tank circuit for the simple parallel-luncd
of the device on hand, in achieving can be connected across the variables. A one, if ihe output is low.
optimum ope-ation for our application. 40-meter amplifier is shewn in Fig. I If an external exciter is to drive the
An experimental amplifier can be with component values arrived at by amplifier, no further adjustment is re-
bread-boarded or built on a circuit expedient, as described below. quired, and the amplifier is ready fir
board similar to the one shown. Il is App y 500 miV of drive to
at least service. If yon intend to connect the
recommended that a single parallel- the network through ihe impedance input network directly to the driver
tuned circuit be used for the output side bridge. The network is adjusted fnr collector, theimpedance bridge is set :o
of the amplifier during developmental deepest null, first by CI, where the tie desired collector load impedance
work on the input matching. Il can be indication will be broad, then by C2, Figure (70Q for 1.25 W at 12 V). ard
replaced when Uic work is completed. which gives a deeper null and finally by , adjustment is made for best match. Each
Calculated values for hoih input net- LI. Th:s is done with Lie wavemelcr of these steps monitors some aspect of
works, and the output network. Tig. 3A coupled lo the fiiidl-juiplifiei lank, and circuit operation, using the actual com-
and B, respectively, are given below for the output meter connected lo the tank ponent! available, and gives assurance
the hf bands. as an irtlicaling load. No dc voltage is that optimum result* are being obtained
applied to the amplifier tlius far, as only The amplifier shown in die photo-
the leetl-ihiough energy will be mon- graph was adjusicd by these methods
Tibti 1 itored at this point Will one watt of and was ready for use, in the Inst hours
lop-ut network. 11 = 5017. R2 = 5<:. 0=5. drive there should be : to 15 mW before Field Day, in about a half hour
28 showing on the output meter, when (he after it was assembled. Running at r:-
3.S 7 M 21 Mill
latter is tuned to the drive frequency. duced power, ii gave a good account of
X U i=25Ii 1.25 0.63 0.29 0.2 0.18 Remove the impedance bridge and itself on 40 meters the following day,
JiH
X C i=3m 1400 700 380 260 170
rcpeak slightly for maximum feed- using the exciter previously described by
pF through indication. the writer.
*C2*64:; 750 370 ISO 150 85 Setthe wavemeter to the second Reference*
harmonic frequency. If the drive is clean
'Johnson and Ariij;*.. "rtindamenlals of
and the circuits are propeily tuned, Solid-State Power Amplifier Design," P;ri
there should be little or no output 111. QST, April. lOTJ.
ITanion. "How to Use HP Power Transii-
detectable at the harmonic frequency. (urt," Ham Radio.
Table 2 January, 1970.
Input netwo'k connected to driver stage
Rcchcck tuning foi minimum haminnic Hayward, "IrfcreMed Power for rtie Solid-
level, if any shows. Optmum adjust-
Sole Amplifier," QST, May. 1972. Low*.
collector and lwd impedance of 70 ohms
"IS-Wat! Solid-Stare Linear." Q87.
(1 .25 watts at 1 2 volts de). R1 = Sit. 3=5, ment should give maximum funda- December, 1-971. Hejhall. "broadband
28 Power Amplifiers." QST.
X L1 J
H Z=
7
63
14
0.29
21
0.2
MHz
mental output and rejection of har-
monic output.
Solid-Slate
March. 1972. Scho'iiing. "Transislomcd
Amplifier for 40 Meters," 73. Augusl.
1 0.18
XC2 21 "SO MOO 580 380 260 Apply collector voltage, with no 1904. While. "Thermal l>e*i«n of Trail-
,

o4 HO J70 vfetot Circuits QST, April. 1972..

*C1 180 150 85 drive. It Uic transistor the balanced-
is

emitter lype, full collector voltage may

QRP Classics 261

From October 19/a QST, p 34:

On Solid-State PA Matching
Networks
C I "would like 10 pass along ;ome observa- particular transistor was exceptionally rugged
tions I've made which arc of interest to bjildcrs — several devices were destroyed in the at-
of solid-state Class C lit transmitter*. hate I tempt. Alhough this condithut could be
found thai the use of such matching network) detected with a wavcmcicr coupled loosclj to
to iliv wMiiiHml/ itwviiiiimitlvtl L iiiul T.' n the coflftw circuit, n cart only he oftehed
well as any other letwork with an inductor or with the aiJ of a wide-bandwidth scope. The
serin LC as the input element.' will mciiabK instrument used to obtain these photos has a
result in improper dreuii operation, ThcciKiiil :<M-MH- bandwidth.
will exhibit poor collector efficiency, spurious A photo of the waveform at the load is
ouipui. or a high transistor failure rate, unless shown 2B. Distortion may be reduced
in Fig.
one of these conutions is met: (1} the julput by filtering, but —
assuming the transislor is
uansistot is \ciy nigged (in which case ii won't not dctfiojttcj — collector efficiency
will be Itsi
tail, hm the nihrr ronrlirinns will remain)! than optimum Typiral i-ffn-ii-n.-v will be on the
(2) the transistor cuipui capacitance is 00 pF order of 40 to ftO percent, rather than the "Wio
or higher; (3) a ZWr
diode Is connected acros* SO percent obtained from a well-designed
the transistor |inorc about this later I: or \A\ ihc amplifier stage.
network is mollified in a manner I will An advanced circuit-analysis computer pro-
describe. Starrswas used to investigate the circuit of Fig. Fiq.3 — When the circuit of Fig. 1 was ana-
Let "a ice w hat causes he problem. Although
t I, assuming perfect inducior«, capacitors, lyzer,on a computer, the waveforms shown
there an opt mum remtive impedance source, load and a good model of the 2N3&66 werepredictod. The solid line indicates ho.v
a transistor the computer expected the waveform ai the
Tor to "\scc" {approximately transistor. The graphical results cf this analysis
collector Io look. Expected output waveform is
v ce"V2,,u>«" lhl wasWhW -' does nol present this arc shown in Fig. 3.
Because of the use of Shown by the doited line.
oi any other impeJanee. Rather, it acts much perfect eontponenis. frequency ;nd amplitude
as a simple on-off switch. At the instant ihc of the simulated waveform vary' slightly from
transistor is turned off, current Cowing Ihc real Waveforms shown in lij 2. The strik-
through the rf chojte is dumped into the circuit ing similarity io Fig. 2 and the presence of ring- usual sense, nor is it due ic stray capacitance or
elements. The dominant circuit presented 10 ing in the simulation verify that the inductance or poor circuit layout, // is inherent
this current is parallel resonant, with L being phenomenon is not a spurious oscillation in ilk- in t/i? type oftetwark!
use of this
the network input induct fir and the transistor C A capacitor connected liom the collector to
Output enpaeiiancc. C y v is in paralM wltfl C ground or, preferably, rrcm MllffOlOr to einjf-
strny circuit capacitance. This circuit "rings" ter. •sill solve the problem if it approximately
ai Us resonant frequency, which is not Fig. 2 —
Phctosol the actual wavetorms resonates with the inpw inductor ai the
necessarily telaied to the operating frequency. oDtflmed witn the amplifier. Operation was operating frequency. The capacitor will reduce
o03ervcc wilt a high -speed oscillojcope. Ai A.
Fin. I shows the schematic of a typical collccior-voltagc swing u less than 31) volts
collector wavolorm; at B. wave torn- at the cut-
*A is a
Ju- meter. 2-wait-ojtpul amplifier. Fie. with a 12-voIt supply. Th: effect on the of
out.
photo of the oscilloscope waveform at ilic col- common networks vvill be negligible and only
lector of Oi. The presence of 70-voh, 50-M H/ slight readjustment of the variable capacitOtlSl
ringing at the collector may be readily iccn. I will icstore the correct match,
was able to obtain this picture only because ihc A diode connected across ihe collector
teller
will vometimcs solve ihe problem, out not
because of Zener aclion! A typical 33-voll.
Fig. t — Schumatic diagram ol the 7-MH;
I -wai Zener diode has a capacitance of 200 to
Class C ampHlier u:ed to examine Iheoscflla- JWK) pF, depending on the amount of reverse
lion problem bias. This generally sufficient lo prevent the
is

ring in Ihe place. first

This letter has been ne;es»atily biief but I
bop* <l ""'I «nahl« tliv rMdff to lake udvamagv
7 M";
SETWOBK of iluse matching nctworki wiihoiii wondering
L
OSjH — as did for a long limj
I why sometimes —
they work and somciimes they don't. Hay —
W. Lewollen. W7EL. 5470 S. If*. 152 Ave.,
fteavtrion. OR 97005

Footrnie*

Siricly speaking, ihe Class C aruplliierv used by

ttOMTurs may be belter di^ribcif ai Clasi D.
'co * c m» the .<<: lypicalty drivei m Mannion. In lacl.
I SIC IE»T> this is Ihc rcavon Tor the problem described here.
I . i
. such opciaiion docv alliiu higti collector
UcCfi »a amen to. ofcmat. elTi.iu For a more iictailcd diicussina of ihiv
—
*

vftWtS o> :»»KiiAhicC ant lope, s«r Sokal and Sokal, "Class E A Nc*
Cla«s ol High-fctfieiirncy Tuned Sin(l«-tndcd
Swjehiiie Puwei AnpKfkM." tEEE Journal of
Misisrimeii ini in ohms; Sr.ld-State Circuits, Vol.SC-IU, Nu. 3. June, (07?,
'Ilayu'iird nnd DrMaw, Soto? Siaie Desist for the
Ratio Amawur. ARHL, 19"'. pp. 52-53.
'The Radio Amateur's Hartdtn.<tk, ?Jih lidiiion. 077. 1

ARM., p. 161.
•Hav«Jtd and DlM»W. p. 2i.

QRP Classics 262

 .

Fium Januaty 1980 Q3T. p 55;

More on Solid-State PA
Matching Networks
J Whvn I experimented wlih (*la»> C* luncd
transistor PAs about a decade ago I noticed the
same phenomenon thai W?El reported in
October 1978 QST. I also had the inpicssiun
thai the maidting sections dem:d from
vlif/uhf circuit- pre in*iiffieieni for (if power
amplifier*.
The wiluiion I adopted to eui< this is

somewhat different, however. I also place a

capacitor (Cpt Vom collector lu eround. Kit.
as a siarting value, ihv rivctflnn (X^_,i i»f ihi>
capacitor is abwt the same as the collecior

load resistance (Xq, = Vec- 2P I. giving a

loaded Q of I

In imiliiKnidiiansmliiei>. therefore, lie col- 1

lecior choke remains the same and is cioscn f©t

the rcmilrcmen s of ihe lnwc«t hand in use
(typically 3(1 ylfor an IS-voll. 2-walI output
PA). The capacitor, Cp. is being s« itched from
band to band :oteihei with the oiler tank-
eircuil components.
The loaded = *HI Mop ihc "liiiying"
I

plKnomciton. nil will also ilcercavc ihc elli-

ctency to 5» to W
pcrecm. On ihe other hand,
Fir] 2 — Details of Ihe parallel-resonant cant
the PA becomes scry insensitive to mismatch.
CVCO ai full drive. For better efficiency and pi nttworfci are io he used Tor high haimuiiic
slightly reduced mismatch MfttJ ihe loaded -uppressirtn, or If a lots-pass L section is to he
may be reduced lo about fl*T, In holier power added to antenna tuning.
P,V whee transistors wiih hiph internal Suhha'nionic resonances irm he avoided hv
capacitances ar: useJ. ihe Q may If reduced incorpoitsinp a paiallel-iesonam circuit dig.
even further. cLivnilinE on the efficiency ob- l\m a stir! cs-rcsonant circuit Cfiir. Si. Thecuin-
tainable. porienis narked * are selected by mean' of Ihv
I purposely rtKC rbi« capacitor (Cpl from hand sw'leh. I have been using ihe ciremi ot

collector lo ground, not to ihc emitter. As an Fig. 2 in my portable 5-band ORf transmitter
additional mca«ut; tor mismatch piOlcclioil I (2S3553 PA) since WW. \\ wfH match all

recommend i wall, unhypassed emilier random- c nut h wirej a« Well a* eoax-fed anlen-
resistor. »h;rb cau%r* a dc drop of iboul Q.S nas.
volt »hcn the nv
» lunvJ eorre;ilv. Placing The ciicrun of Tic. 3 will base somewhat bel-

Cp to the cmiticr is this case would foim a ter harmonic »uppre%siun. bill the anlenna
regen frame ciritm. must i*c safely-grounded t»y means of a
When using shf uht trartMstort lot hf P\s I separate choke. ITiereiore, thK scheme will be
lunhcr rKommcnd itdDdnfl Vil lo U.5 goad lot coax-fed anti-nna* and may take a
VceO( im_| or kv. for fail-safe operation, rather hi^li SW'R, up to 3:1. — HottSkfaOChilU
becauve ihc breakdown voltage* are low«f at dc Brand/,OJI/B, Lohtnsicinsirasse 7/b, SOW
and lower fr cqtcrwx.-^ ihan a! vhf uhf. Munich W. Federal Republic of Germany
Another irouM; huh rniy show up in
tuned Class C rrartcwor pAs H jre^uency
ttiwdrttg TKiijitI ^•^tri. ifv— efo". mint hsii-i*

a tun neural i m -titan inv rcWflUW ai oik

half, one third, ol. of tb= operating frequen- Fig. 3 - Circuit lor Ihe serioarcsonant condi-
cy. This is axn»B\ isiccnani if ntuliisc.iion linn

QRP Classics 263

 From May 1984 QST, p 26:

Broadband and
Narrow-Band
Amplifiers
Narrow-band amplifiers have been
around for many years, and most hams
know how to design them. But, the broadband RF amplifier did
not become popular until the semiconductor world bloomed. This
article covers some practical aspects of both types.

By Doug DeMaw." W1FB

avc you wondered what the dif- the amplifier. Many applications require transmitters were very offensive in terms
I— J fcrence niav be between a narrow- high Q and the attendant narrow band- of transmitted wideband noise.
I I hand amplifier and r broadband width Examples are VFOfi. receiver from Fig. 1 shows examples at" narrow band
one? Arc all broadband amplifiers linear? ends, transmiticr tank circuits and filter cir- and broadband amplifiers in some
Musi they be linear? These are natural cuits that contain an amplifier. simplified circuits. Illustration A shows a
questions in the minds of most beginners The narrow bandwidth is needed to re- conventional small-signal FFamplificr'wUh
10 clcelronics, so we will try to provide ject unwanted signals above and below die limed circuits at the input and output. This
simple answers. desired operating frequency, and to prevent is typical of what we may "hid at the input
If you work with transistors and RFcir- spurious energy from leaving the transmit- of a receiver. The high-Q luned circuits or
cuits, ii is likely that you willneed to know ter and readi ng the antenna system. When resonators restrict the frequency response
suiueihiiig about how a broadband, broadband amplifiers arc used h some of tor a given setting ol C'l and C2. hor this
amplifier what to expect from
is designed, these more ciiiieal circuits, a filler of some reason we will call our circuit a narrow-
11and how to build one for the job you kind must b-: used to obtain the desired band amplifier.
have in mind. Fot the most part, these spectral purity. By way of simple explana- Although the circuit at 3 of Fig.
I is an

amplifiers are less prone lo self-oscillatioa lion, a broadband amplifier thai has no oscillator, it is in form of
reality a
than arc tuned, narrow-band styles of filtering elements is merely an untuned amplifier. For an oscillator to work as such
amplifier. The fundamental thought to amplifier. It will respond to a br.»ad range it must be designed as an amplifier. Some

keep in mind however, is that we n'ust of frequeiiciei and. if designed well, should of he output encrey is fed back to the input
i

always trade some overall gain for have relatively constant gain across that fre- terminal lo cause oscillation. Again we
increased bandwidth. If we can accept thai quency range. An audio amplifier is but have a high-Q tuned circuit (C3, C4 and
trade-off, the major barrier will have been one example of a broadband amplifier. LI), which restricts the bandwidth of the
abolished. Another advantage of the narrow-band circuit in accordance with the particular set-
circuit over the broadband type is that some ting of C3. Owing to our use of some of
Narrow-Band versus Broadband — as in the
circuits require minimum noise the output power as feedback, this type of
The narrow-band amplifiers we use from case of a receiver oscillator strip — and the amplifier is not as efficienl as is the circuit
Hay in Aay in our VFQs. receivers, con- hiuli-0 tuned circuits greatly reduce (lie in in Fig. 1A.
verters and transmitters arc limed to some hcrem noise output of the oscillator. High- Fig. 1C contains an example of a broad-
particular operating frequency. The tuned performance receivers require "quiet" band amplifier for RF use. h operates
are usually cesigncd to yield a fairly-
circuits local oscillators in order to minimize linearly because it is biased for class A. Tl
high loaded Q (Q L> The greater the circuit "reciprocal mixing" in the mi.ter stage. is a broadband transformer that can be
3> the narrower the frequency response of Transmitter local oscillators be
siottld used to match the amplifier impedance to
similarly clean if we are to avoid broad- dim Otitic load by virtue of i tie iransformcr
casting prohibitive amounts of broadband turns ritio. Note that Tl is untuned; hence
'Contiibuung Editor, P.O Bo. 250. Lulhor. Ml noise along wlih the desired signal output. ute bat.dwidth.
Some commercial early-day solid-state A class- A linear broadband amplifier

QRP Classics 264

 contained in Solid Slate Design for :he
Radio Amateur, available from ARRL.
Amplifiers with feedback arc used nol
only for low-power circuits, but are prac-
rri or tup
tically the order of the day for high-power
•olid-state RF amplifiers. A circuit for a
broadband, fed-back linear amplifier is
provided in Fig. 2. Since this diagram is
purely for illustrative purposes, no compo-
nent values arc assigned.
Assume that the circuit is capable of
delivering 100 W
of output from 1.8 to 29.9
(8)
MHz. Shunt feedback is made possible by
the networks that contain R R2, R3, R4,
1 ,

CI and C2. Here, we are applying ncgat ve

feedback between ihe collectors and bases.
-V
Were we to use positive feedback, as in the
ir"
IA1 case of oscillators, the amplifier would
"take off" in a spa>m of self-oscillation.
nHCASBAnii Class * Positive feedback is of the same phase as
RF »«*
the input energy, whereas negative feed-
back is approximately 180 degrees out of
OOOT
'

OOul phase wirh the input signal. This relation-

ship is important to remember. An absolute
180-dcgrcc phase shift is difficult (o rcalze
when working with transistors, owing to
some inherent phase shift as the signal car-
rent passes through the semiconductor
'
1
- "

material.
Tl and T2 of Fig. 2 are broadbaid
ransformers whose frequency response, it
iC. ID! ney are designed well, is reasonably fat
across the 1.8-30 MHz range. Generally,

Fig. 1 — The diagrams al A and B narrow band amplifiers. The VFO circuit is still a
illustrate
f:rritc core material jf 800 to 950 effective
(orm oi amplifier, since Its output power (in part) Is led oack to tha input for the purpose ot Fcrmcabilily (/i )
c is used for high-
causing oscillation. A simple Class-A broadband ampliliof without feedback is seen at C. A tod- frequency broadband amplifiers. This is a
back Class-A broadband amplifier is shown at D. It uses a combination ot shunt and no. 43 material when ordering frcm
degenerative feedback (see text).
Amidon Associates or Fair-Rite Corp.'
Falomar Engineers and RadioKit also
supply cores of the no. 43 variety. Core
with feedback is shown at D of Fig. 1. while decreasing the input and output permeabilitiesof 125 and 40 are commorly
Here, we have intentionally introduced resistance of the amplifier. The emitter used for VHF
broadband transformers.
feedback by means of resistive divider degeneration helps stabilize the transistor Broadband transformers work like ih s:
RI/R2 and CI. Degenerative feedback is voltage gain, and it incrcasjs the input im- As the operating frequency is increased, tfte
provided by means of the unbypassed emit- pedance of the transistor. The increase is core material becomes less and less effec-
tcr resistor, R3. This iype of smplifier has approx:rjiatoly proportional to the tran
considerable aandwidth. The shunt feed- sistor beta. A specific treatment of feed-
back stabilizes the current gain of the stage back applied to broadband amplifiers is 'Noios appear al end c( article.

i a - j,o »tHr
•F POMS AMP

50-/1
o—o output

Fig. 2 — A
simple examjte of a push-pull broadband RF power
T1 and T2 serve as broadband irans'ormers. Shunt
arrpllflor.
feedback Is included to help level the amplifier gain over a wide
frequency range. A harmonic filter (FL1| is required at the
amplifier output.

QRP Classics 265

 2 ,

live In the circuit. At the low-ircquency end quadrifilar windings that are placed on the
of our transformer range, the core docs its con wen no* «i core in parallel, or they may be twisted
TftANSfORMEfl
job and increase* the inductance o" the together beforehand. In this case, each
windings (necessary). At the high end of the winding conductor is thesame length. The
transformer performance range, the core windings function as short lengths of
becomes essentially "not there" as far as transmission line, and ihe impedance is

the windings arc :onccrned. This enables gcneially 25 ohms. Either style of
us to obtain a substantial bandwidth that transformer ran he user in a broadband
would be impossible with coreless amplifier, or as a matching transformer in
transformers. A suitable rule of thumfi for other types of circuits, such as antennas.
transformer design is to make the induc- 'RtflSWISSICU-LIHE Th; conventional transformer is con-
tive reactance of the smallest winding ap- insHsroBUE" sidered less efficient than the other type,
proximately four times the load Impedance. but it enables us to obtain nearly any turns
Hence, if the baseof a transistor amplifier ratio we desire. The transmission-line
exhibited a 10-ohm impedance, the transformer (Fig. 3B> yistds only specific
biuadbujid-liuiiarimiiwi winding llial wc integer:* of trans form at iun, such ai> 4; 1 , % I

OUTPUT
connect to the base should have sufficient etc. Furthermore, we can find ourselves
*0UT"
inducEancc to haw a rcaclancc of 40 ohms rather frustrated when trying to hook up
or slightly greater. If not. (he low im- a multiwire transmission-line transformer,
pedance of the winding would shunt part IB! same size and color of wire
especially if the
of the driving power to> ground and couLd isused for the windings Many engineers
cause an SWR condition. Fig. 3 —
Examples ol convention a and use enameled wire of various colors to
Let's assume that our amplifier is transmission line trans formers. See text lor avoid ihis problem. Green, red and brown
aUUWoridi In lor mation.
operating at 7. 1 MHz. The base impedance wire is often used. You can solve the
of the transistor with drive applied s 1 problem by dipping the wires in different
ohms. How much winding inductance colon of paint before using them. I have
would we need for the transformer secon- switch can be inserted at points X and Y had good results by spraying the wires with
dary? The standard equation for induc- to per mi band switching of the low-pass
l fast-crying paint.
tance would be u*ed: This is standard procedure in com-
filters.

mercial equipmeni. For single-band use, a A Hfcndy Broadband Amplifier

x-
(Eq. 1) jumper ean be placed across X and Y. Meny times we find ourselves in need of
ft important in all broadband
is a little extra "push" when working with a
So, with an X L of 4 times 12, we would amplifiers to minimize the stray capacitivc scope or frequency counter. Perhaps the
obtain the following answer: and inductive reactances. These parasitic samping point in the circuit has insufficient
quantities cf L and C have a narked ef- signal voltage to trigger our frequency
48
UnH) = 6.28 x 7.1
= 1.07 (Eq. 2) fect on the amplifier performance as the counter or cause ample deflection on the
operating frequency is increased. In other face of the scope tube. broadband A
The required number of turns can be words, unwanted capacitive and inductive amplifier is useful a* such limes to give that
calculated from reactance will limit the upper Ircquency weak signal the needed boost.
response o: the circuit. An.mproperly Our workshop project this month is

Turns = 100 Vl^HKA, (Eq. 3) designed broadband transformer will shown schematically in Fig. 4. It is

degrade the performance in a !i« manner. patterned along the tines of a broadband
where A L is the number provided for ?ach If wc arc to minimize the presence of amplifier designed by Hayward, W7ZOI.
type at core by the vendor or manufac- stray reactance, wc must use large or very His design did not use transformers and
turer. Each core, relative to its cross- short circuii-board strips. This will reduce there was no high-level stage at the tail end
scctional area and the core material, has a the effective inductance of the PC-board nf ihr amplifier <trip. hut the feedback net-
specific A L factor. The Amidon foils. These copper strips should also be as works arc similar to his. The particulars of
Associates catalog contains such data, as direct as possible. Similarly, theconnecting the general design arc given in the text of
does a book concerning magnetic cores. : leads of resistors and capacitors must be Solid Slate Design for the Radio A mateur,
I don't want to mislead you into think- held to a minimum length. Many amplifiers referenced earlier in this article.
ing that broadband amplifier design is a contain chip resistors and capacitors to CATV transistors are used to ensure
snap. There are many subtleties involved, keep stray inductance and capacitance to good bandwidth (1.2 GHz fj) and
and considerable study of the pertinent a minimum. These components are sup- linearity. Each stage is biased for linear
literature is important before launching plied without leads or "pigtails." Tlicy are Class-A opeiatiun. A tuniUiiitaiun of shunt
one's own project, from scratch. Motorola soldered directly to ihe PC-bsard foils. and degenerative feedback is used
Semiconductor Company has a wealth of They are practically a requisite s\ the upper throughout the circuit. The input of each
useful data in its took on power semicon- end of the HF range and higher, but they amplifier is roughly 50 ohms, and each
ductors, inclusive of application notes on are more costly than are stiver-mica or disc- outpu is approximately 200 ohms with the
transformer and broadband amplifier ceramic capacitors. values given. Amplifier stability is excellent,
design.' even when there is no termination at the
But let 's rei urn to Fig. 2 and learn a bit Conventional or Transmission-Line
,
input and output ports, Circuit boards and
more about what's going on. 12, the out- Transformers'.'
parts kits for this circuit are available.'
put transformer, serves also as an I'm sure jou've heard designers speak of The bandwidih is flat from 400 kHz to
impedance-matching device. The induc- "conventional" and "transnu;sion-line" 34 MHz (within 1 dB). I measured the
tances in the transformer windings arc transformers. The so-called conventional overall gain as 41 dB. The maximum -ac-
based also on a x4 rule, respective tc the transformer is built along the lines of an ceptanle output, in terms of distortion, is
collector impedance- This impedance can audio or power transformer. That is. it has 0.25 W. The draws 90 mA of cur-
circuit
be calculated closely from Z = VKV2 Pc a core and separate windings, as in Fig. 3A, rent with a supply voltage of + 13.
ohms. Eq. is then applied. FLl is a har-
I The transmission-line transformer, on the Owing In ihe linearity and bandwidth nf
monic filler, and is a low-pass type. A oilier hand, has bifilar. trifilar or the circuit in Fig. 4. it is ideal as a drop-in

QR? Classics 266

 I

BROflOBiKD LINEAR AMPLIFIER

Ot. O? BOTTOM VICW

Fig. A — A practical circuit for a broadband linear-ampllllfi' atrip. This can be used as an instrume-nt impHflsr, a low-level RF strip In a transmitter
or as pan ot a recolving-loop preamplifier. Resiators are v*-w carbon-composltlcn unless otherwis-e noted. The polarized caaacilor Is tantalum or
electrolytic. All oilers are chip-style 3 disc-ceramic with short leads. Ti and T2 contain 15 primary
r
turns of no. 28 enameled wire on an Amldon
FT37-43 torold :ore. The secondary windings consist of seven turns ol no. 28 erameled wire. T3 uses an Amldon FT&0-43 torold core with 12
primary turns ol no. 26 enameled wirs. The secondary ol T3 contains si* turns of no. 26 wire.

unit for an HF-band CW

or SSB transmit-
ter, li can be used a; the low-!cvcl scctian
of such a transmitter wish to caution you,
1

however, thai ic should not be used for

QRP operation unlets a suitable harmonic
filter is placed between the amplifier output

and ihe antenna. A half-wave style of filter

should be suitable if you want to try your
hand at low-power operation.
Terminals X and V on the circuit board
are available for use as a standby point, or
far CW keying. If a keying line is attached
at X and Y, be sure a shaping
to include
network SO thai your signal won't sound
dicky.
This amplifier can be used also as a
preamplifier for loop antennas. A
step at-
tenuator can be inserted at the output of
the amplifier to cortrol the gain. If you
FIq. 5 — CJrcmt-Dcara etching pattern lor the broadband amplifier of Fig. 4. The pattern Is choose to use this circuit in such a manner,
shown fun s-=errom the foil side of tie board, fllack areas represent unetched copper foil. a low-noise preamplner should p recede Q
of Fig. 4. I find bat a JFET siage Is
siit able for this purpose. Owing to Lie
small signal that a receiving loop provides,
the preamplifier (even at 1.8 MHz) mist
be a low-noise type. If not, you will enjoy
listening to •'pop-corn" noise along with
the DX signals! Ql does not have a lew
enough noise figure for satisfactory weak-
signal reception.

Construction
If you choose to make your own FC
buard for this project, try to keep all stages
in a straight line. Keep the PC-board fo.ls

short and direct. Minimize the lead length

or each rapHcitor ani resistor. Make sure
the transistors arc seated close to the PC
Rfl.fi- broadPand amplifier ol Fig. 4. toard in order 10 keep their leads as short

QRP Classics 267

 Our purpose this time is to explain he dif-1

ference bciween amplifier types, and to

provide a project ihat would enable you lo
try your hand at broadband amplifier con-
struction and use.
A broadband amplifier can be built for
Class A, B or C service, jusi as narrow-
band amplifiers can. The advantage of
broadband designs is, in rclrospccl. lo ob-
tain a wide frequency response with
relatively flat gain. Tin's helps us to design
circui:s that do not requite band-switching
provisions. In other words, it simplifies the
design of a multiband transmitter. But, as
an instrumentation amplifier, the circuit of
Fig. 4 has a great many advantages around
Fig. 7 — The assembled Droadbanfl amplifier. Note thai in-line layout Is used the workshop. Good luck with your
project.

Noles
Amidcn Associates. 1203 J Otsego Si.. N. Hollywood.
CA $1607 (catalog available;. Fair-Rile Product*
Corp., I Commercial Row. Walfcill. NY 12589.
as possible. A
crown heal sink is needed on Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a photograph of the See QHT ads for Palomor anJ RadioKli.
Delia*, ferromagnetic Core Design & Applica-
Q3, ihe 2N5109, A coaling of silicone assembled amplifier. 'I).
tions Handbook, no. 0- 13-3 MOSS- 1 lEnglcwood
grease should be applied to the iransistor CBlft. NJ: Prcntice-HalJ. Inc.).
cap before installing the heat sink. Double-
Some Final Remarks •Motorola RF Data Manual, Motorola Scmiconducior
Predict*, Inc.. P.O. Box 10912, Phocni*. AZ
sided PC board is recommended in the in- I hope you have learned the basics about
B503*.
terest of stability. Fig. 6 shows the pans narrow-band and broadband amplifiers. •Circiili Hoard Socialists. P.O. Box 969. Pueblo.CO
S I00:. tel. 303-542-5033.
placement for (he circuit board, as ieen Certainly, we've only scratchec the outer
from the component side. A scale template layer of (he subject. A thorough treatment For updated supplier addresses, see AHRL Paris
of the PC board pattern is provided in would require several QST installments. Suppliers List in Chapter 2.

QRP Classics 268

From September 1984 QST, p 19:

Electronic Switching
and How It Works
Replace those old-fashioned toggle
switches with up-to-date diodes
and transistors and you'll have
simpler, less expensive and
less cumbersome circuits.
By Doug DeMaw,* W1FB

Wbai could be more ordinary than

a switch? True. Ihey arc no! very
to realizing the concept of universal
replacement of mechanical switching com-
•-•hen wc wish to use a semiconductor to
switch a signal line; for dc application; it
spectacular devices, but few cir- ponents. What are the Ciade-offs? First, is not a matter of importance. Finally, in
cuits can be made to function without some high-pawcr RF switching is still a tough many circuits that contain electronic
type of switch —
mechanical or electronic. assignment with present-day low-cost tran- switches, we need lo actuate them by means
Electronic switching is nor new, but the sistors or diodes. Second cn the list of not- of a mechanical switch. However, it is of;en
state of the switching an has moved for- so-nea: features is that large solid-state practical to control dozens of electronic
ward in grand style since semiconductors switches need heat sinks ol substantial si/e, "witches simultaneously with a si ngle SPST
became as common as paieni medicines. and they may also call for cooling fans. mechanical switch, and therein lies ihe
Furthermore, the cost of a solid-state This results in mass and expense that is not advantage!
switching de-ice (diode, 1C or transistor) acceptable for amateur projects. High-
is generally less than thai nf a romp-arable power switches can become larger and Some Basics
mechanical unit, such as a toggle switch. more costly when using semiconductors. I illustrates the fundamental prin-
Fig.
Substantial levels of ac and dc power can Number 3 on my list is the inherent inter- ciple of mechanical and solid-state
now be switched by means of large diodes, nal resistanceof most solid-state switches: switching, Assume *e wanted to apply dc
power FETs, Triacs, and the tke. Also, It seldom possible to have a zero
is to a specific module. Example A shows the
relatively high potentials can b: accom- resistance through a semiconductor mechanical means lo do this. Circuit B
modated safely by some rather small switching device. Although the resistance relies on a bipolar transistor lo switch ihe
semiconductor components. At the dawn- of such a semiconductor junction in the dc on and off. The dashed lines show that
ing of mil su.id->iiale eia, we were able to on mode may be only a fraction of an the base oi Ql must be grounded lo actuate
switch low amounts of signal and dc, and ohm, can be enough to cause a problem.
it This can be managed by the ttse
the circuit.
at fairly low voltage levels. It seemed in Some semiconductor switches have inter- of a mechanical swit;h, or by triggering Ql
tliose days that the technology was nol nal resistances greater than an ohm when with another semiconductor switch
going to offer much promise toward re- activated. This becomes a source of dif- elsewhere the system. The use of a PNP
in
placing cumbersome manual switches with ficulty at high power (healing and voltage transistor permits application of the
tiny diodes cr transistors, but ihe trend drop by virtue of the I 2 R rule), and in cer- + 12 V to the emitter, and also enables us
today is clearly loward semiconductor tain types of switching circuits it means that lo turn Ql on by grounding the base
switches. Amateurs can take advantage of complete switching is not possible. For ex- through RI. If we wed an NPN transistor
the many options presented by solid-siale ample, the internal resistance of a power at Ql, we would ne;d to apply + 12 V at
switches, so let's examine a few basic con- FET is specified as RDS (resistance from Rl in order to saturate (switch) the tran-
cepts and see lo» »t can develop practical drain to source) when it is switched to the sistor. Also, the + \7 V of operating poten-
circuits use diode and transistor
thai on state.This will vary vith Ihe device, tial would have to be fed to the collector
switches. Firs:, in the interests of accuracy, and can range from 0.5 ohm to a few ohms, rather than to the emitter, as shown.
lei's look a: tbc shorrcomings of electronic depending on the particular FF.T chosen. By grounding the PNP-transistor base,
wit com Well-designed mechanical switcheR, on (he or through applying 15 V lo RI of an
I

Some Limitation
other hand, will exhibit a nearly zero- NPN device, wc arc providing what is
resistance condition between the contacts. called forward bias. This causes the trai-
There is no nagx in the electronic- How else might we vilify the solid-state sistor to conduct heavily, which makes it
switching an. In other words, we can't switch! Well, wc shoulc mention that perform the switching function. Too much
achieve everything that mechanical input-output isolation is seldom of the current, caused by excessive base-emitter
switching offer*. Bm. »e can come close magnitude that wc can obtain with a vollagc, can destroy ihe transistor.
suitable mechanical switch. This is caused Therefore, a series resistor is used (RI).
•ARHL Convwr* BSiar. P.O. Box 250, by the semiconductor internal resistance loo little torward olas, conversely, will
and capacitance. It is a concern mainly prevent the transistor from saturating com-

QRP Classics 269

 .

osc (CO
•A. O • "*

a J7\ ~Jn
[=1
\i
r©- X o.oi

osia. out

-W» +"»v

i- 1- i-
tzzi

sic. OUT

£X«Pt AS IMB'CAItS. OTCIHlk VfcJII 1'

7i.,;r ipc h nwofimh I J#t!
f£Si5Tiv:t5 l-t IN OKU!
I-ICOO
18i
if agio a iso ft"ics tfl nos. 2-* a«o »-»

O • <2 »

Fig. 1 —Comparison between a simple

mechanical switch and an equivalent s< Fig. 2 - Diodes may be used in place of a mechanical switch to select oscillator crystals, as
state type. shown at B.

plcicly.This will result in partial operating FL< . . is mm

voltage reaching the module of Fig. IB.
A comparison between mechanical and
diode switching is offered for vour sudv
in Fig. 2. Circuit example A illustrates the
Ir,
o
IN
4.1 I
o
old way of selecting crystals in a multi-
frequency oscillator. This method is accept-
able if the switch leads are very short or if

the crystals are mounted directly on the

switch. It is necessary to always keep RF
leads as short as possible to prevent impair-
ment of the performance.
Fig. 2B demonstrates the use of dicdes
in place of SI of Fig. 2A. This enables us
to locate the selector switch a great distance
away from the crystals, and the connecing
leads will carry dc rather than RF. The
diodes offer a practical convenience, and
the same control switch may be used toac-
tuatc many solid-s ate switches elsewliere
in the overall equipment when the crystals
are selected one by one. The 4.7-kfl
resistors near Dl , D2 and D3 limit the cur-
rent that flows throigh the diode junctions.
They also serve as RF chokes in the
switching lines to St. In this low-power cir-
cuit, we can safely use inexpensive 1N914
high-speed switching diodes. They are
m crowave region. When
suitable into the
dc is routed to a diode through SI. ic
becomes forward biased and conducts,
thereby completing the circuit between the
bottom, end of the crystal and ground.
Diodes can be used in a similar manner to —
Fig. 3 Series-diode switching Is illustrated here. Example A shows how a pair of band-pass
ujuiplcic various RF circuit paths. They arc titters could be selected by means of diode switching. A Better tecnnique is snawn at b (see
often used in series with signal lines. text).

QRP Classics 270

 =ig.5 —
Practical circuit tor an electronic
land Key. The e-tchedfoit Qua at Hie lolt is trie
keying contact. Transinitler or code-practica
oscillator keying occurs when the operator
jlaces his or hat linger on tho cooper grid.
The resistor is in orirrs. and the capacitors aia
n microfarads.

Circuit A of Fig. 4 is an NPN transistor

switch. A positive voltage is required at ihc
base of Ql in order to turn it on. The 10-kfJ
resistor from the base to ground is usee to
minimize transistor leakage current when
ihc switch is in the off mode. This circuit
might be used) to key a driver stage in a
jolid-statc CW transmitter. If so, the col-
— Various semiconductor lector of Q
1 would be hooked to the crnit-
Fig. A
of the keyed stage. Si would be the CW
swilches (see lexl).
ler

key. or the keying line from a keyer.

Fig. 41) shows a similar circuit, but with
Examples Df scries diode switching are turned on and the signal path is completed. a power FET switch. Since we have an
given in Fig. 3. The circuit at A shows a When S is changed for use of FL2, DI and
I enhancement-mode FET in our circuit, the
typical arrangement in which we might use D2 are reverse biased to turn them off. Ad- iransistor requires a forward gate bias to
d iodes 10 selcjt band-pass filters. The input ditional ground and + 12-V lines are also lurn the device on and make it switch.
and ouipul cr.ds of each filter are connecied connected to the contacts of FLI to con- A simple diode switch is shown at C of
to switching diodes 10 permit electronic in- trol the remaining six diodes that would be Fig . 4. To the right is a PNP iransistor
sertion or removal of the desired filler. This used for two filters of tri? type indicated .'witch <D). The base must be grounded
circuit will function as shown, but it is a in Fig. 3A. One DPDT switch would be through the 2.2-kO resistor to cause turn-
simplification of diode switching, for the used to control all eight diodes. on. A 10-kfl resistor is connected from base
purpose of making the example less dif- Here wc see the advantage of solid-state to the + 12-V line to help cut off the tran-
ficult (0 understand. Each diode has a switching, for if a mechanical switch were sistor in the off mode. This resistor can be
4.7-kft resistor in series with the related used, it would require Tour poles with two eliminated in the circuits of Fig. 4A, 4D
-M2-V line to limit the junction current positions each. Also, the lead lengths from and 4E if two 3N914 diodes are connecied
and to function as an RF choke. If the the filters to the switch sections could be in series with the emitter leads. The diode
resistorswere not used as chokes, the input prohibitive, and the input/output isolation junctions will reverse bias the transistors by
and output signal to and from Ihe filters of the could be poor because of
filters approximately 1.4 V. The resistor or bias-
would be lost to ground through the + 12-V signal leakage across the switch sections. ing diodes arc especially important in the
line. Each diode obtains its dc ground RF chokes can be used in place of the circuit of Fig. 4E—
i relay driver. Without

return Ihrough ihc tuned circuit windings resistors if desired, but there should stilt be ic verse bias, ihc relay may icnuin
(LI, L2. 1-3 and L4). Small diodes of the a current- limiting resistor in the dc line to is turned off.
energized after the transistor
1N914 work well in this circuit.
variety the diodes. This because a small amount of leakage
is
A belter way to employ diodes for series or idling current wfll remain, and it rray
switching is shown in Fig. 3B. Here wc have Basic Shunl Swilches
two diodes in a back-to-back arrangement. Fig.4 contains a number of examples
Tltis circuit would be used at each end of ihat show how we may use various
FL1 and FL2 of Fig. 3A. The advantage semiconductor devices as shunt switches.
of using two diodes is better isolation o( Si in each case represents a mechanical
the fillers. Forward bias is applied to the switch or CW
key that turns on the elec-
diode anodes via SI when a filter is tronic iwilch. As wc learned earlier, lurn-
selected. The unused filler (noi shown) is on can be by other electronic
effected also
well isolated from the signal line because switches in the overall circuit. For exam-
reverse bias (+12 V applied to the diode ple, AGCvoltage or rectified speech energy
cathodes) is switched to the dormant diodes could be used to actuate ; semiconductor
to prevent any conduction caused bv RF switch, depending on the application for
energy ihat may b* present. When SI of the switch; the possibilities are virtually
Fig. 3B is set for FLI use. DI and D2 are without limit. Rg. 6 — The test-model key shown In Fig £.

QRP Classics 271

 .

be ample to keep :lie relay closed once i[

has been energized. Dl or Fig. 4E is used
io clamp voltage spikes thai occur when the
field coil of Kl collapses at turn-off. Such
spikes, if allowed id exisl, could follow the
+ 12-V line and damage semiconductor
devices elsewhere in the circuit.

An Electronic Straight Key

So that we may understand how two

transistors can be arranged to work in con-
cert as dc switches, let's look at Fig. 5. Ql
ismade to turn on when we place our fiiger
on the circuit-board foil at the left. The
resistance of our skin completes ihe bias
arcutt lor the base 31Ql. 1 his actuates Ql,
which in turn fires Q2, the keying tran-
sistor. When Ql switches on, dc voltage ap-
pears ai the emitter. At this moment, the
positive potential also reaches the base of
Q2. causing it to switch to the On slate.
This closes the keying line to our
trniKmitier.
There is no current-limiting resistor at
the base of Q2 because there will not oe a
prohibitive voltage level coming from Ql
This because the contact resistance of out
is ing at the receiver input circuit This is not
. grounded -gale JFET. such as an MPF102,
lingers is sufficiently high to prevent Q] a great enough voltage to cause harm to the would serve nicely at Q5.
from completely saturating. Hence, the receiver. I have applied that amount many
output voltage from the Ql emitter wiJ be times to the input line of my FT10IE, A More Elaborate Switching Circuit

low enough for stfc operation of Q2. A FT301D and FTI02 transccivc-s, and no An illustrative Liainnrillei hi cull is

huskier transistor can be used at Q2 if the damage resulted. Greater details of this preserted The arrangement for
in Fig. 9.

key-line current warrants a transistor with type of TR drcuit are given in the League's Q4, Q5 and Q6 is one I developed for per-
a dissipation rating greater than that of the book. Solid Stale Design for Ihe Radio sonal use with a few QRP rigs up to 3 W
2N2222. A 2N2102 (or equiv.) would be a Amateur, in RF output. Q4 is a standard PNP key-
good choice. One of the penalties for using the simple ing switch, as discussed earlier. It not only
A photograph of a crude lest model of TR circuit of Fig. 7 is a loss in received actuates oscillator Ql, it also triggers dc
the hand key is presented in Fig. 6. The signal (about 6 dB, from my experience). switch Q5, which in turn activates Q6.
copper grid is etched as shown, and This is because C I must be relatively small When the key is closed, ihe signal energy
isolating pads are used to contain the tran- in value to prevent it from affecting the to the receiver is to ground by Q5.
shorted
sistors and related parts. A three-circuit key design of the output network of Q2. I use At the same moment, the scries diodes, D2
plug is needed to accommodate the + 12-V, a capacitive reactance of 400 fat CI. Thus, and C3, are turned off by virtue of tran-
keying and ground leads. This key will at 7 MHz, we would have a 56-pr capacitor sistor switch Q6 being in the off state.
operate satisfactorily from a 9-V transistor- at CI. The signal loss can be corrected by This prevents signal energy from passing
radio battery as well. Three bypass inserting a low-gain RF amplifier between through the diodes to the receiver. When
capacitors arc vised io help keep unwanted ihe TR twitch and ihe receiver input line. ihe key is up, Q6 conducts and provides a
RF energy frorr, affecting transistor Fig. 8 shows how this might be done. A dc ground return for the diodes, which
performance.
Fig. 7 shows the driver and PA stages of
a simple QRP CW transmitter. The key
from Fig. 5 could be used to operate the
dc switch, Q3, of Fig. 7. When our finger TO FLI
is placed on the copper grid of the key. Q3
will turn on. This action will permit the
flow of dc to driver Ql , thereby keying out
transmitter.
DI and D2 of Fi?. 7, IN914 small-signal
diodes, are used as a TR (transmit-receivc)
switch. This circuit was introduced by Wes
Hayward, W7ZOI, and has been used for
QSfC (full break-in) in many of his QRP
rigs. In this example, the diodes are turned
on by RF energy from the collector of Q2
when Q3 is actuated. Some of the RF
voltage is sampled by C I and is routed to
the diodes. During transmit. Dl and D2 are
shorted to ground, thereby protecting the
receiver input circuit. The diode conduction
Fig.8 — An improved TR system in which 04 shorts the RF energy lo ground when the key is
closed. Oi and D2 are optional. They may be added as safety backup (or 04. Signal loss on
threshold is roughly 0.7 V. As a remit, receive is coirmon wltti mis simple TR circuit (see lexi), io an RF ampllTler cat bu aOUetl at Q3
there will be a 0.7-V RF poiential appear- to compensate lor loss in the TR circuit.

QRP Classics 272

 BOB
O INCJT

-MS V

Fig. 9 - A somewhat elegant TR switching method ihal uses a series diode switch and a alonal shunting transistor (05. D2 and D3), An explana-
tion Is given in the text. This is pirely an illustrative RF circuit irom Ol through 03. Therefore, there Is no pads Hat.

enables thcra to reach the on state. In ef-

by replacing relays with semicondn;ior
of Q5, D2 and D3 offer
fect, the action In Conclusion
switches, we can greatly reduce the current
added attenuation and double protection The intent of this primer on electronic required by the overall circuit in our gear.
for the receiver during transmit periods. switching to stimulate Ihinking on vour
is PIN diodes arc designed especially fnr
1he use ot y5 alone greatly reduces the part, and to encourage you to work with switching in RF voltage lines. An excellent
signal level to the receiver input, as com- semiconductor switching circuits. Since ICs example of PIN diode TR usage is given
pared to ih? circuit of Fig. 7, I have contain diodes and transistors, many of in The Radio Amateur's Handbook. See
measured only a few millivolts peak to peak them are applicable to circuit switching. A the chapteron keying (in recent editions).
from the receive line to ground when using number of logic ICs arc designed expressly You should haw no problems in ob-
a transistor shorting switch in place of TR for switching use and fc gating. taining suitable switching devices these
diodes. There is no pans lis: for the Certainly, solid-state switches lend days. Ham radio markets and surplus
flea
transmitter c f Fig- °, since ir is purely an thcmeolver, well to use in compact circuits. outlets offer a plethora of diodes mid uan-
example of ow the switching techniques
l
The overall cost of a switching circuit may job.and the uni« prices are
sistors for Ihis
might be used. If you like QSK cperatjon,
be somewhat less than th at of a similar cir- often less than 10 cents! Perhaps it's t me
you may went to experiment with this cuit containing mechanical switches. Also. for you to "switch" to solid stale!
circuit.

QRP Classics 273

 .

From October 1087 QST. p 36:

Reducing AM Detection in Direct-Conversion Receivers

Q While building equipment for the 40- and decoupling between the detector ard the audio separation between LO and AM
signal fre-
30-meier bands, I discovered ihai AM detec- amplifier. Neither of these changes made any quences. This strengthened my hunch.
a common problem in D-C receivers.
tion is improvement. I solved the problem by nstalling a passive

I n singly balancer), four-diode detector

iispH Oscilloscope display of the detected AM L-netu'ork filter, wiilio bandwidth of several
followed by 85 dB of audio gain and a con- signal showed an interesting peculiarity: At hundred hertz, between the detector and the
ventional RC active niter with additional the receiver input, most Signals exhibited audio amplifier. I used a design similar to that
gain. When the receivers were completer!, symmetrical noise—but the defected AM shown in Fig 12 on p 77 of Solid Stale Design
both would detect any AM
signals above signals showed only negative-going noise. for the Radio Amateur with good results.
about 200 jiV in level. This is a problem This led me to suspect that the detection was With the Tilter installed, the modulation on
because there arc many such signals to the actually lakhg place in the audio amplifier. AM signals of several thousand uV is
neighborhood of our 30- and 40-meter bands. Further, working with a receiver with no inaudible with a 10-kHz LO/signal spacing.
I went to some lengths to decouple and front-end selectivity, I found tha: sensitivity -Demon Brammll, K70WJ, 3139 Royatton
Shield each receivers lu, and to provide Kt to AM detection decreased with increasing iieigirs Ktt, it Joseph, Ml 4m>

From July 1977 QST. p 51:

Common-Mode Hum in Direct-Conversion Receivers

A rfirtct-cnnvouirM receiver may he virtually WKIc diagnosis of this problem mav be
impossible to use with ac-line operated pnwur subllc. a solution is deceptively simple and is

supplies, owing to excessive hum. Part i>r litis shown in fifr I. A toroid !<
large ferritc
problem is ihat a direci-converMon receiver wound with a bifilar winding of reasonably
obtains must, if net all. of its Bain at ^udin large Wire diameter. Ten rurns of no. 18 are
frequencies. Hence, the high audio gain makes usually suitable. The core is noi critical
the system subject to the smallest jc hum on although it should have a high permeability.
the power supply. Hie cure for this problem An Anidon (-T-82-75 is recommended. The
is just better regulation in the power supply, effect of this balun-likc circuit is to present a
which is mSBy rcn!i/.cil with an integrated- Uslng a taroid with bitilar winding to reduce tiiirhimpedance tor any n paths between the
circuit regulator. hum. receiver and the power supply. Only the dc
A more subtle form of hum is aUo difference voltage from tlic power supply ts
common and docs not depend upon power- applied to the receiver.
supply regulation. This lium ii not pr.'scnt In the writer's station this method was
when no antenna connected to the "dc"
is applied with three different direct -co nvcr*i<m
receiver. However, when an antenna is at- supply lines. Hits energy is transferred hack rcucivtrs. In two of ihi three cases the
tached, a very rough sounding hum-like noise ihrough the power supply where it is ITtodu- receivers were previously useles* except with
is noted- The amplitude of this response peaks hterl by ilw. rcrlifier diode*. Tic resulting haifer? power sources. W.th the loroid. no
as the antenna liiminei is tuned There arc a hum-modulated note is now coupled into the differences could be detected when switching
number e-f possible e\planations. The most ac line. This signal is radiated and picked up from a battery pack to i well-regulated ac
realistic i> that lo.al-oscillator energy from by the nearby station antenna. Only the supply— Wes Harvard, W7ZOU 7700 SW Danielle
the dd receiver is uwplcd Into the power- sidebands are detected. Avi. Bavenon. OR 97O0S

From September 1989 QST, p 38.

Series-Resonant Circuit Enhances Desired Signal

in QRP Rig

During cul-and-lry construction Df a

QRP CW rie thai jses push-push doubling
to produce 14-MHz drive from a 7-MHz
VFO, I discovered that the stages following
the doubler had output everywhere except
14 MHz! 1 solved this problem by installing
a series-resonant tuned circuit between the
doubler and its buffer stage {Fig 3). I have
also successfully used series-resonant
circuits between the antenna and output
stages of monobard rigs to minimize TVI
(By the way, first submitted something
I

for Hints and Kinks In 1932, but QST

didn't publish thai hint. I have since
recovered from my feeling of rejection and
decided to trv again!)— Boh Kuehn,
WBHKF. 1871 Si'ver Bell Rd. Apt 313. —
Fig 3 Bob <uehn added this t'-MHz series-resonant circuit (L1C1) lo clean up the out-
Eaton. MN
55122 put of a push-push doubler in his homemade QRP
transmitter. Li constats ot 44 turns ol
no. 24 enameled wire on a T-68-2 powdered-iron toroidal core. Ci >s a small air-dielectric
capacitor capable of being set to about 11.5 pF.

QRP Classics 274

 When radio amateurs began using tube transmitters, the race to
first

work the most miles per watt was on. In the '50s, transistors added a
new dimension to QRP (low power) operating. And with today's ICs. it's
possible to put together a complete station that fits into the corner of a
knapsack: backpack into the wilderness, and enjoy worldwide
communication!
QRP operating is The equipment is generally simple and easy to
fun.
build, but often performs like more sophisticated commercial equipment.
Imagine the sense of accomplishment you'll get from operating
equipment you built yourself. Some QRP Field Day stations operate a full

27 hours on a car battery— it's the perfect equipment for emergency

communication when the power fails.

This book is a collection of projects published in ARRL publications

over the past 15 years. Find out how to build receivers, transmitters,
transceivers and accessories. There's a chapter on portable antennas.
Power supplies, and a host of accessories are described. The chapter on
design hints covers amplifiers, matching networks, electronic switching
and direct-conversion receivers.
Are you looking to add an exciting aspect to your Amateur Radio
interests? Come join the fun— give QRP a try!

THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE