"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...

Don't the Japanese farm it out to China these days like everyone else
anyway?

Or Taiwan or Korea, who knows? Although all my Icom stuff seems to say
Osaka.

That's good to know. Essentially, my situation is that I can afford a
very basic HT; 2M is not so much a big deal as 6M, which would seem to
be somewhat easier. Basically I can't afford a triband radio, so I want
to build one for 6M. 2M would be gravy, but apparently it's not worth
the trouble to try to build. I won't worry about it -- I'll just go
shopping.

Depending on where you are, a 2M HT can be pretty handy. Actually, single
band mobiles are probably cheaper than HT's. If you have a number of
repeaters nearby, then the HT may be more flexible. If you need a little
power to reach out then the mobile might be a better choice. (Although if
you're not going to mount the mobile in a car then the power supply does
almost double the cost).

Very good to know. In that case, I won't bother until I know what I'm
doing. At least not on 2M.

Actually, you can get on 6 meter CW pretty simply with homebrew stuff, but
recognize that QSOs are going to be few and far between. 6 meters is only
open occasionally, and even less frequently to low power. In most parts of
the country there is relatively little local 6 meter operation, so your QSOs
are going to be largely limited to band openings, unless you are in a major
metro area.

Well, I got my ticket for the tech. I didn't know going in just how
complex it would be, expecially given how simple something like a Pixie
is.

Yeah, well, as I said. You can build a Pixie-like thing for 6 meters, in
fact, I did such a thing relatively recently to try to get a friend upgraded
(no such luck, he seems to have a block for the code). But the problem is
that 6 is open so rarely, and 6 meter CW operation is pretty scarce. SSB or
FM add a whole pile of complexity, although SSB receive on 6 meters could
be pretty simple since the band is rarely crowded.

*BUT*, to get the frequency stability you either need to go with crystal
control or a DDS. Now crystal control may not be as much of a disadvantage
on 6 as it is on most other bands, since probably 90% of the operation is on
50.125. But it will be frustrating to be unable to move away from the QRM
on that one day a year that the band is open and you happen to be there!
DDS can quickly put the cost up there.

Now, if you have a buddy nearby and you want to get your code speed up for
the general, I have a circuit you can build for around $25 that will get you
on the air. But it's CW, fixed frequency, and low power. Given the
infrequency of 6 meter openings that are friendly to low power, that means
the QSOs are going to be limited to a nearby station.

I should add, I don't mean to imply that 6 meters is a big power band.
Indeed, the noise and absorption are both low o 6, which makes power less of
an issue for "traditional" openings. But on 6, traditional openings are
rare, so you look for other modes more frequently. There are basically 4
kinds of openings on 6 that are fairly common.
- F - very rare, friendly to low power
- Es - somewhat less rare, very unpredictable, friendly to low power,
although you will often be competing with high power stations
- Aroura - getting unusual with the sunspots going down, high power
- HSMS - common, predictable, high power

If you want a QSO on 6 almost every day, HSMS is a good bet. *BUT*, you
need a good antenna, preferably with an az-el mount, lots of power (a few
hundred watts, anyway), and a computer.

Hunting QSOs on 6 is a lot of fun, but if it's your only outlet, it could
get pretty frustrating because they are pretty rare, and getting tougher as
the sunspots decline. With low power and fixed frequency it will be even
tougher.

...

On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 00:30:33 GMT, "G.Beat"
wrote:

...
Pixie -- schematic for a 2m or 6m FM transmitter or transceiver. Anyone
know where I can find one that's low-cost and suitable for a beginner to
build, if such a thing exists?

Brian Connors
KB1KKC

IF you have a good HF transceiver or an inexpensive 28 - 30 MHz
10 meter transceiver, why not build an Elecraft transverter??
Models XV-50 or XV-144
http://www.elecraft.com

w9gb

you don't need a good HF transceiver to operate with a transverter on
2m FM

-jm
--
remove ,xnd to reply (Spam precaution!)

On Fri, 24 Oct 2003 00:30:33 GMT, "G.Beat"
wrote:

...
Pixie -- schematic for a 2m or 6m FM transmitter or transceiver. Anyone
know where I can find one that's low-cost and suitable for a beginner to
build, if such a thing exists?

Brian Connors
KB1KKC

IF you have a good HF transceiver or an inexpensive 28 - 30 MHz
10 meter transceiver, why not build an Elecraft transverter??
Models XV-50 or XV-144
http://www.elecraft.com

w9gb

you don't need a good HF transceiver to operate with a transverter on
2m FM

-jm
--
remove ,xnd to reply (Spam precaution!)

In article ,
"xpyttl" wrote:

"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...

Now, if you have a buddy nearby and you want to get your code speed up for
the general, I have a circuit you can build for around $25 that will get you
on the air. But it's CW, fixed frequency, and low power. Given the
infrequency of 6 meter openings that are friendly to low power, that means
the QSOs are going to be limited to a nearby station.

I'd be interested, along with any notes on how I could mod it for AM or
NBFM operation (assuming such a thing could be done by someone with
little electronics experience, that is).

In article ,
"xpyttl" wrote:

"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...

Now, if you have a buddy nearby and you want to get your code speed up for
the general, I have a circuit you can build for around $25 that will get you
on the air. But it's CW, fixed frequency, and low power. Given the
infrequency of 6 meter openings that are friendly to low power, that means
the QSOs are going to be limited to a nearby station.

I'd be interested, along with any notes on how I could mod it for AM or
NBFM operation (assuming such a thing could be done by someone with
little electronics experience, that is).

if you have any late seventies ARRL handbook. You will find a pair of
FM receiver and transmitter that are as simple as it gets.
The transmitter uses just three transistors in the line-up. A
transistor array was used instead of discrete transistors for the
modulator.
The receiver is quite sparse too, it uses an LM3089. A few sources
still stock them. Although you might have a problem getting the audio
amp chip, but an LM386 should do the job just as well.

What I would personally suggest is go ahead and start building it from
the scratch. Solid State Design listed a transmitter (probably done by
W7ZOI, going by the looks of the construction in the picture) for 144
MHz CW/DSB. You can easily add NBFM with just a varactor and using the
same modulator circuit (with limiter added).

Once you do have a transmitter going, make a simple VHF
down-converter. that works in conjunction with an HF rig. Almost any
HF rig can be pressed into 'emergency' NBFM mode by slope detection
(tune slightly off the received NBFM carrier). I would recommend the
'rochester' convertors from the 70s handbooks. Later, you can
substitute the HF rig with an NBFM IF strip using any of the several
NBFM ICs. Check Harry Lythall's home page for the NBFM receiver
circuit.

The great principle of homebrewing was laid down by Julius Caeser:
divide and conquer. Split it up into smaller, easily managed projects
and achieve each on its own.

Build, Test and Measure, Integrate, Repeat.

- farhan

if you have any late seventies ARRL handbook. You will find a pair of
FM receiver and transmitter that are as simple as it gets.
The transmitter uses just three transistors in the line-up. A
transistor array was used instead of discrete transistors for the
modulator.
The receiver is quite sparse too, it uses an LM3089. A few sources
still stock them. Although you might have a problem getting the audio
amp chip, but an LM386 should do the job just as well.

What I would personally suggest is go ahead and start building it from
the scratch. Solid State Design listed a transmitter (probably done by
W7ZOI, going by the looks of the construction in the picture) for 144
MHz CW/DSB. You can easily add NBFM with just a varactor and using the
same modulator circuit (with limiter added).

Once you do have a transmitter going, make a simple VHF
down-converter. that works in conjunction with an HF rig. Almost any
HF rig can be pressed into 'emergency' NBFM mode by slope detection
(tune slightly off the received NBFM carrier). I would recommend the
'rochester' convertors from the 70s handbooks. Later, you can
substitute the HF rig with an NBFM IF strip using any of the several
NBFM ICs. Check Harry Lythall's home page for the NBFM receiver
circuit.

The great principle of homebrewing was laid down by Julius Caeser:
divide and conquer. Split it up into smaller, easily managed projects
and achieve each on its own.

Build, Test and Measure, Integrate, Repeat.

- farhan

I tried to email you a fair bit of data but yahoo bounced the connection.

...

"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"xpyttl" wrote:

"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...

Now, if you have a buddy nearby and you want to get your code speed up
for
the general, I have a circuit you can build for around $25 that will get
you
on the air. But it's CW, fixed frequency, and low power. Given the
infrequency of 6 meter openings that are friendly to low power, that
means
the QSOs are going to be limited to a nearby station.

I'd be interested, along with any notes on how I could mod it for AM or
NBFM operation (assuming such a thing could be done by someone with
little electronics experience, that is).

I tried to email you a fair bit of data but yahoo bounced the connection.

...

"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"xpyttl" wrote:

"Brian Connors" wrote in message
...

Now, if you have a buddy nearby and you want to get your code speed up
for
the general, I have a circuit you can build for around $25 that will get
you
on the air. But it's CW, fixed frequency, and low power. Given the
infrequency of 6 meter openings that are friendly to low power, that
means
the QSOs are going to be limited to a nearby station.

I'd be interested, along with any notes on how I could mod it for AM or
NBFM operation (assuming such a thing could be done by someone with
little electronics experience, that is).

Check out this guys site. He builds everything from scratch and
shows schematics for exaclty what you asked about, including 3 transistor
SSB transceivers!!!

http://www.intio.or.jp/jf10zl/index.html

He has FM, SSB and AM transceivers for various bands and
must be the King of homebrew.

phil - N4GWV


I am looking for a simple -- as in not too much more complex than a
Pixie -- schematic for a 2m or 6m FM transmitter or transceiver. Anyone
know where I can find one that's low-cost and suitable for a beginner to
build, if such a thing exists?