Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Maybe I've missed something, but it seems to have been a while since I
last read anything on Pete G.'s MW receiver. The website for Silicon
Engines says nothing about it and I am wondering if the project ended
up going to another company along with him.

BTW, if Pete's reading this, have you done anything with your design
for a frequency synthesizer for the Drake R4 line?

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Funny you should ask............................I am working on a new
iteration for the MW receiver. The 2nd I.F. subsystem will be using an
NJM2552 AM/FM chip. Using this device, I will be able to take the limited
I.F. signal out of the FM section and send it straight to the Sync detector.
I am waiting for samples on this device.
SI has put the project on the back burner for the time being...........they
still have to get the control code together for the display.
The Drake '4-line synthesizer has a bug in the control
code........incrementing up in frequency is fine, but when you tune down the
rules sometimes go out the window. I have tested the prototype on my SPR-4,
and it does work very well.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
Maybe I've missed something, but it seems to have been a while since I
last read anything on Pete G.'s MW receiver. The website for Silicon
Engines says nothing about it and I am wondering if the project ended
up going to another company along with him.

BTW, if Pete's reading this, have you done anything with your design
for a frequency synthesizer for the Drake R4 line?

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Pete KE9OA wrote:
Funny you should ask............................I am working on a new
iteration for the MW receiver. The 2nd I.F. subsystem will be using an
NJM2552 AM/FM chip. Using this device, I will be able to take the limited
I.F. signal out of the FM section and send it straight to the Sync detector.
I am waiting for samples on this device.
SI has put the project on the back burner for the time being...........they
still have to get the control code together for the display.
The Drake '4-line synthesizer has a bug in the control
code........incrementing up in frequency is fine, but when you tune down the
rules sometimes go out the window. I have tested the prototype on my SPR-4,
and it does work very well.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
Maybe I've missed something, but it seems to have been a while since I
last read anything on Pete G.'s MW receiver. The website for Silicon
Engines says nothing about it and I am wondering if the project ended
up going to another company along with him.

BTW, if Pete's reading this, have you done anything with your design
for a frequency synthesizer for the Drake R4 line?


Thanks for responding, Pete! I am glad to hear that your receiver
project is still going ahead, and I'm looking forward to it coming on
the market.
I'm also glad that I learned of your interest in the Drake frequency
synthesizer, as I've just aquired an R4B and don't know how difficult
it is yet to find SWL band crystals.

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Pete KE9OA wrote:
Funny you should ask............................I am working on a new
iteration for the MW receiver. The 2nd I.F. subsystem will be using an
NJM2552 AM/FM chip. Using this device, I will be able to take the limited
I.F. signal out of the FM section and send it straight to the Sync detector.
I am waiting for samples on this device.
SI has put the project on the back burner for the time being...........they
still have to get the control code together for the display.
The Drake '4-line synthesizer has a bug in the control
code........incrementing up in frequency is fine, but when you tune down the
rules sometimes go out the window. I have tested the prototype on my SPR-4,
and it does work very well.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
Maybe I've missed something, but it seems to have been a while since I
last read anything on Pete G.'s MW receiver. The website for Silicon
Engines says nothing about it and I am wondering if the project ended
up going to another company along with him.

BTW, if Pete's reading this, have you done anything with your design
for a frequency synthesizer for the Drake R4 line?


Thanks for responding, Pete! I am glad to hear that your receiver
project is still going ahead, and I'm looking forward to it coming on
the market.
I'm also glad that I learned of your interest in the Drake frequency
synthesizer, as I've just aquired an R4B and don't know how difficult
it is yet to find SWL band crystals.

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

I think that you can order the crystals from such companies as International
Crystal, but the synthesizer will provide a good solution. I am thinking of
using the DDS as the reference portion of a hybrid design, using a PLL to
clean up the artifacts from the DDS output.
Essentially, the DDS will tune in 500kHz steps, with an I.F. offset that can
be user programmed for the R4 and the SPR-4.
I am tossing back and forth between using an LCD or a 3 digit LED readout.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...

Pete KE9OA wrote:
Funny you should ask............................I am working on a new
iteration for the MW receiver. The 2nd I.F. subsystem will be using an
NJM2552 AM/FM chip. Using this device, I will be able to take the limited
I.F. signal out of the FM section and send it straight to the Sync
detector.
I am waiting for samples on this device.
SI has put the project on the back burner for the time
being...........they
still have to get the control code together for the display.
The Drake '4-line synthesizer has a bug in the control
code........incrementing up in frequency is fine, but when you tune down
the
rules sometimes go out the window. I have tested the prototype on my
SPR-4,
and it does work very well.

Pete

wrote in message
ups.com...
Maybe I've missed something, but it seems to have been a while since I
last read anything on Pete G.'s MW receiver. The website for Silicon
Engines says nothing about it and I am wondering if the project ended
up going to another company along with him.

BTW, if Pete's reading this, have you done anything with your design
for a frequency synthesizer for the Drake R4 line?


Thanks for responding, Pete! I am glad to hear that your receiver
project is still going ahead, and I'm looking forward to it coming on
the market.
I'm also glad that I learned of your interest in the Drake frequency
synthesizer, as I've just aquired an R4B and don't know how difficult
it is yet to find SWL band crystals.

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Pete KE9OA wrote:
I think that you can order the crystals from such companies as International
Crystal, but the synthesizer will provide a good solution. I am thinking of
using the DDS as the reference portion of a hybrid design, using a PLL to
clean up the artifacts from the DDS output.
Essentially, the DDS will tune in 500kHz steps, with an I.F. offset that can
be user programmed for the R4 and the SPR-4.
I am tossing back and forth between using an LCD or a 3 digit LED readout.

Pete,

Do you know about this (below) homebrew FS4 design?

http://www.geocities.com/hagtronics/r4.html

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Isn't that the one that uses the Mini-Circuits VCO? I believe that there was
an article about that unit a couple of years ago. Nice unit.

Pete

"HFguy" wrote in message
news:LTY2g.2501$Qe.606@trndny09...
Pete KE9OA wrote:
I think that you can order the crystals from such companies as
International Crystal, but the synthesizer will provide a good solution.
I am thinking of using the DDS as the reference portion of a hybrid
design, using a PLL to clean up the artifacts from the DDS output.
Essentially, the DDS will tune in 500kHz steps, with an I.F. offset that
can be user programmed for the R4 and the SPR-4.
I am tossing back and forth between using an LCD or a 3 digit LED
readout.

Pete,

Do you know about this (below) homebrew FS4 design?

http://www.geocities.com/hagtronics/r4.html

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

Yes it uses the Mini-Circuits VCO. The plans are available from the ARRL
download site. Here's the schematic.

http://www.geocities.com/hagtronics/r4_schematic.pdf


Pete KE9OA wrote:

Isn't that the one that uses the Mini-Circuits VCO? I believe that there was
an article about that unit a couple of years ago. Nice unit.

Pete

"HFguy" wrote in message

Pete,

Do you know about this (below) homebrew FS4 design?

http://www.geocities.com/hagtronics/r4.html

Where's Pete KE90A been?
 

"Pete KE9OA" wrote:

Isn't that the one that uses the Mini-Circuits VCO? I believe that there was
an article about that unit a couple of years ago. Nice unit.

Pete


Pete! Man, are your technically oriented writings a sight for sore
eyes! :-)

I'd like to ask a question, and though it's a bit of a threadjack...

Are you familiar with the OptoElectronics Scout series of frequency
counters? They are notorious for blowing their first amplifier. The
RF circuitry is all SMD, so I don't have any way of identifying the
part to replace it (hopefully with a more durable replacement).

Ever dealt with them? They aren't exactly lab grade... ;-)


ObOnTopic: Git that radio on the market, sir! I wanna buy one o'
them!

--
Eric F. Richards

"Nature abhors a vacuum tube." -- Myron Glass,
often attributed to J. R. Pierce, Bell Labs, c. 1940

Drake R-4B
 

wrote in message
ps.com...

Thanks for responding, Pete! I am glad to hear that your receiver
project is still going ahead, and I'm looking forward to it coming on
the market.
I'm also glad that I learned of your interest in the Drake frequency
synthesizer, as I've just aquired an R4B and don't know how difficult
it is yet to find SWL band crystals.

I'm trying to get an R-4B xtaled up for SW also. Jan is quite a bit cheaper
than International but still $17.95 ea. but said they could cut any that I
wanted. I've picked up a few used ones but they are far and few between. I
also found a fellow who had reproduced the R-4 dials and the last I knew he
had two left after I purchased mine ($20). I haven't installed it yet but it
looks great and is like the original R-4, it has markers every 5Khz instead
of the 25Khz markings on the B. If you are interested in the dial I'll see
if I can still come up with his telephone number. RM~

PS, If you come up with any duplicate xtals, I'm interested.

Drake R-4B
 

Rob Mills wrote:

wrote in message
ps.com...

Thanks for responding, Pete! I am glad to hear that your receiver
project is still going ahead, and I'm looking forward to it coming on
the market.
I'm also glad that I learned of your interest in the Drake frequency
synthesizer, as I've just aquired an R4B and don't know how difficult
it is yet to find SWL band crystals.

I'm trying to get an R-4B xtaled up for SW also. Jan is quite a bit cheaper
than International but still $17.95 ea. but said they could cut any that I
wanted. I've picked up a few used ones but they are far and few between. I
also found a fellow who had reproduced the R-4 dials and the last I knew he
had two left after I purchased mine ($20). I haven't installed it yet but it
looks great and is like the original R-4, it has markers every 5Khz instead
of the 25Khz markings on the B. If you are interested in the dial I'll see
if I can still come up with his telephone number. RM~

The R4B of course has 1 kc markers on the skirt of the tuning knob.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

Drake R-4B
 

"dxAce" wrote in message
...

The R4B of course has 1 kc markers on the skirt of the tuning knob.

Right and I luv it when someone uses "kc", thought I was the only one still
stuck on kc and mc! The new dial is a copy (think they made 25) of the old
R-4 dial and will work on the R-4, 4a and 4b. It will sure look nice to get
the old yellowed one off. It was kind of weird, the dial on the xmiter
looked like new but the receiver dial had slightly yellowed. The only thing
I can figure is that when they both went to drake in late 89/early 90 for an
overhaul/tune up it's possible that drake replaced the dial on the xmiter
and not the receiver. RM~

Drake R-4B/synthesizer
 

"HFguy" wrote in message
news:Qhm4g.5118$7c.3921@trndny01...


You could build the frequency synthezier for the price of a few
crystals and have full HF coverage.


That has crossed my mind. There was an article in the June 04 issue of QST
for just such a critter complete with digital read out. Far circuits sells a
mini kit ($79) with the boards for that project which is a plus for me
because my boards look like crap. If I can get a handful of other
un-finished projects behind me I may give it a try. RM~

Drake R-4B/synthesizer
 

Rob Mills wrote:
"HFguy" wrote in message
news:Qhm4g.5118$7c.3921@trndny01...



You could build the frequency synthezier for the price of a few

crystals and have full HF coverage.


That has crossed my mind. There was an article in the June 04 issue of QST
for just such a critter complete with digital read out. Far circuits sells a
mini kit ($79) with the boards for that project which is a plus for me
because my boards look like crap. If I can get a handful of other
un-finished projects behind me I may give it a try. RM~

Looks like a fun project. Go for it.