On May 25, 2:31 pm, Jack Schmidling wrote:

I thought the "Masonite shielding" would suffice for a smiley.

It did - I just didn't want to spend the next 3 weeks figuring out how
to put one in.....(bloody computers)

And thanks for the explanation - I didn't see the 807 socket, and
didn't know there was a VR150(was it?) in there as well. And the
extraneous tuning stuff to the left, well, now I know its for a VFO.
(Gee, voltage regulation - thats getting fancy - yes, the dropper
resistors do run stinking hot, don't they....)

Strangely enough, theres a fault in human design in that the nerve
endings that detect heat are a lot bloody slower than everything else
- by the time we figure out its too hot, the damage is done....

And must admit to wallowing in nostalgia - mine attempts were
similar, and probably oscillated all over the place as well - BUT
without virtually any test gear, (or knowledge) it didn't seem to
matter - there was no one to complain anyway, the bands were virtually
empty except for other manic experimenters, TV was black and white,
and broadcast was AM. Nothing else to get into - and the bands were
harmonically related so we we're QRM other hams anyway....2m was the
outer frontier anyway, there was NOTHING used above that....

How about a photo of the latest metal attempt? - remember, if it looks
nice and neat, it doesn't really matter if it don't work too good....

I have things here I am not game to connect to the spectrum analyser -
don't want my dreams shattered toooo quickly....
but getting back, more and more, into the older stuff - partly fading
eyesight (I cant see u-mini smd ic's) and besides, theres something
comforting about the warm glow of valves in a dark room, the crash of
static from the other side of the world, the thrill of hearing someone
on air from an exotic National Geographic land...the reasons we got
into amateur radio in the first place..

The bands here at the moment are a total write off everywhere - 80m is
S9 noise, the rest not much better. QRM, QRN wall to wall. So, I sit
here and type on a keyboard, I guess its still "hamming" after a
fashion...



That was my first attempt at a wooden chassis and it became obvious why
metal is better and I abandoned it a few weeks ago.

Yep. Tubes with gain killed wooden chassis.....

It started out xtal controlled but then I got the bug to add a VFO which
is the crap on the left. The 807 turned into an 866 so I substituted
the 6146 till I got another 807. The missing meter was a hamfest
special that bounced so much it was useless and then crapped out completely.

Hah! - silly man - NOW you have to get the VFO stable, as well as all
the other problems. And as for 807's - I think about 90% of the people
reading this will have some sitting around, just waiting for the
"magic moment" of inspiration. Good On Ya Jack - your doing it - good
luck!

And the magics still there, even after 30 plus years of
experimenting........cant be killed by the internet, store bought
gear, mobile phones - all those glittering toys that didn't even
exist exist when we started out.....

And I got boxes of hamfest meters that are probably crappy too -
haven't tried to use them yet, so don't know. Finally built myself a
rough tube tester a few weeks ago (I had to, trying to find working
tubes for a VERY elderly Yaesu FTDX400)


It's been a challenge. I made a simpler version of this as a kid and am
sort of re-living my childhood. It's like a Mr Wizzard Science project
for me.

I am now plagued with real test equipment and can't play "ignorance is
bliss".

Yep. Its a real PITA that - we cant delude ourselves our home brew
QRM generators are not what they are.....still, its an excuse to use
some time creatively.......



73 de VK3BFA Andrew.