Custom front panels for kits

I always look forward to my monthly issue of the K9YA Telepgraph e-zine. There are always interesting articles about ham radio, from radio kits and adventure stories to fascinating stories about amateur radio's storied past. I don't know how they always put out such a fine publication, but I'm sure a lot of hard work goes into it. Thanks guys!

The lead story of the February 2013 issue is about an audio filter kit called the Hi-Per-Mite, designed by David Cripe - NM0S - and the 4SQRP Club. While the project was pretty cool itself, what caught my attention was the way the designers created the kit's front panel. They used a slick piece of freeware called Front Design provided by an online service called Front Panel Express.

What I've learned about kit building, especially when the kit provides no enclosure, is that creating the enclosure is no mean feat, especially without proper machine shop tools, like drill presses, brakes, etc. What to do? Front Panel Express offers an excellent option. Simply download their free, and quite sophisticated yet easy to use, software which enables you to design a front panel for your kit (they offer enclosures too).

But, wait, there's more. Once you're done designing the panel (actually at any point along the way) you can check pricing, which makes it a cinch to keep costs in line. Once you're set, you can place your order from right within the application. Very nice!

The front panel I designed for my kit will be made of aluminum. You specify all dimensions (metric or English) and color. You can also specify engraved labels, in choice of fonts and colors! My total cost with shipping: $38.

I placed the order this evening (January 29) and can't wait to see the finished product.

Back in December, I actually obtained enclosures in an attempt to machine my own front panel. But my results were, let's just say, disappointing.

Once I receive the custom-designed panel, I'll post photos so you can see my original work vs. the Front Panel Express product.

In the meantime, check out the K9YA Telegraph and Front Panel Express. I'm glad I did on both counts!

CabConverter 2.02

I recently purchased MacLoggerDX as my regular and contest logging application. It is a truly impressive product with myriad add-ins that make it a real Swiss Army Knife application for hams, whether you are a contester or not.

Along with your purchase of MacLoggerDX comes a working copy of CabConverter, a handy utility needed to convert MacLoggerDX ADIF exports to Cabrillo format for log submission. I failed to check whether the version of CabConverter supplied with MacLoggerDX was the most recent. It was 1.36 (2010), several versions behind. The current version is 2.02, released in January 2013.

The latest version of CabConverter is available at NE1RD's web site. Once at the site, click the Zip download button near the top of the page. Once the TAR (Tape ARchive) file downloads to your Mac, double-click it to open the set of file folders.

The program has been completely rewritten in Java, so you need to ensure you've got a current version of Java on your Mac.

The best part about Scott Andersen's new version of CabConverter, at least for me, is that hams can now create log files for contests not included in the default set of contests provided with the app. Creating a new log file for your contest is as simple as repurposing the code from an existing contest XML file. Since the files are simple XML files, all you need to edit them is a text editor program, such as TextEdit on the Mac.

Scott has provided instructions in the documentation included in the file download.

New Year, New Gear

I've been behind in in my posts since October 2012. Since then I've added some new gear to the shack. Most importantly, the KX3. What a machine! Really enjoying the features packed into this small SDR rig, especially the fact that I'm now able to do digital modes like PSK and RTTY. The KX3's ability to reliably read RTTY and PSK through its 10 character display is very impressive. Have done two RTTY contests since October.

I often run the KX3 off 8 AA rechargeable cells. They run for hours, even under pretty heavy use at 3W. The rig can put out 5W or more, but I typically run lower.

Looking forward to doing some field operating once the weather permits in spring.

I also now have a Bencher BY-1 paddle, an excellent key.

The KX3 is a powerful contesting rig and its SDR architecture does a fine job of digging weak signals out of a crowd or QRM. I worked the CQ WW CW contest in November from K7SEL and did quite well running 5W to a roof-mounted vertical up about 40 feet. Worked into Europe, S. America, Canada, Mexico and Asia.

I also now have Bose Quiet Comfort noise canceling headphones which work great to shield my ears from ambient noise near the shack. They work so well, my XYL can stand within several feet of my while I'm on the air and be speaking to me, but I can't hear a thing.

Also got my straight key back on their air again and have made a few QSOs with that as well. Really brings back memories of my novice days with a crystal controlled rig and longwire antenna. Still wish I had not gotten rid of my old Heathkit transmitter.

2011 CQ WW CW Results

I participated in the 2011 CQ WW CW contest in 2011 as single op running QRP on 20m. I really enjoyed the contest and submitted my hand-tallied scores, not really thinking much about where I might place in the final results.

I was astounded to receive in the mail last week a beautiful color certificate from CQ Magazine naming me with the the highest point total for Area 7 in the single op QRP category on 20m.

That has really motivated me to improve my effort for this year's CQ WW CW contest.

The CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest (CQMM DX Contest)

Got on 20m last evening to see what kind of activity there was and discovered the 2012 CQ Manchester Mineira DX Contest (CQMM DX Contest) was going strong. This was my first experience with this contest and it was great to hear strong north-south propagation for the first time. I heard contesters from Colombia, Brasil, Cuba, Alaska, and the Dominican Republic all night.

Although I was on 0300Z - 0600Z operating QRP I only managed to work XE2S (Sonora, Mexico) and AL9A (Anchorage, Alaska). My tuner is out of action so I was running my OHR-100A 20 QRP rig straight off my 40 meter dipole up about 20 feet. I suspect I was putting out about 1 watt. So, considering the very low power out and marginal operating conditions of my equipment, I was happy with the result. I hope to work the contest some more this afternoon and evening.

Plan to participate in 2013 CQMM DX contest now that I know about it.

2012 World Jet Boat Races in Idaho

Volunteered for 3 days on the Communications Team in support of the 2012 World Jet Boat Races that took place across multiple venues in April. Communication conditions were very challenging as the races were run on rivers in steep canyons. Many times, at my station aboard a small river craft with a boat captain, EMT, and crew member, my 2-meter mono-bander could only receive. We used J-pole antennas for the most part. Even with extra repeaters installed around the river, communications were marginal at best. That said, no other form of communication was very effective. There was zero cell phone coverage. CB and 6 meters signals would have also been similarly ineffective in this geography. It was great seeing these speedy boats zooming around. Their top speed can be around 150 MPH. Despite the challenges all went well. The safety boat I was on was actually called into action when one of the jet boat drivers was injured and had to be taken off the course. I heard the call for assistance, informed the safety boat captain and away we went. Ham radio: when all else fails.

The NS-40 kit and custom enclosure

This was my first experience building a kit that came with a circuit board but no enclosure. I learned first-hand how challenging and time-consuming it can be to precisely machine an aluminum enclosure for a kit. In this case the kit provider only suggested a possible enclosure for use with the kit. Fine, except that the builder is left to his own devices when it comes to placement and drilling of holes to accommodate an antenna port as well as connections for power and a key.

I was stumped for a while on how best to implement antenna, power and code key connections until I remembered a Ten-Tec 1340 QRP CW kit I had built in 2010 that resulted in failure (I mistakenly applied power with the polarity reversed and fried unspecified components). Now that failure was about to help solve my challenge of how to set up connections to the circuit board.

From the Ten-Tec kit I removed the strip used to connect power and a key. I also removed the SO-238 antenna connection and at the same time realized the mini RG-174 coax was just what I needed for my antenna hook-up. However, that still left me with the challenge of how to mark the holes I needed to drill in order to mount the power and key connection strip. I decided to simply lay the Ten-Tec enclosure with its pre-drilled holes against my case, then use a marker to indicate where my holes needed to be drilled. Simple!

Once I had the markings in place for the holes I needed to drill I realized I did not have a 5/8 bit to make the hole for the chassis-mounted SO-238 connector. I decided to simply use the largest bit I had (a 1/2" bit) then use a half-round file to enlarge the hole to the dimension I needed. Buying the 5/8 bit would have cost $15-$20 bucks anyway.)

It worked pretty well. Drilling the holes accurately for the multi-port strip proved more challenging, not because my marking were imprecise but because I did not have a good jig to hold the case steady on the drill press pedestal. For a first effort it came out pretty well, although it won't win any beauty contest. One other very important thing I learned in machining this case is that this kind of work cannot be done without a good drill press. Using a simple hand drill is simply too hard because it is very difficult to hold the drill bit steady on the marking for each hold. (Hat tip to my brother-in-law, Tom, for the use of his drill press!) That said, I later learned that I should probably have been using a step drill bit.

Now for the acid test. Would the NS-40 work? To this point I had not even fired it up as I had no connections in place for power, antenna or key. So I really had no idea whether it was even going to work or whether the xtals I purchased would work based on the modification I implemented which allows me to switch xtals as needed vs. having a single xtal soldered to the board.

I hooked my 8 AA power supply up to the NS-40, connect my straight key to the rig, fired up my trusty Hallicrafters SX-130 receiver and voila! The NS-40 came through loud and clear.

Completing this project gave me a new appreciation for the skills needed to machine an enclosure for a kit. This may give me the courage to try future projects where part of the challenge is preparing an enclosure for the kit.

Exterior view of the NS-40.

Interior view of NS-40 as seen from the front of the unit.

Side interior view of NS-40.

4-State QRP Group "MagicBox" solid state Transmit/Receive System

This turned out to be a very satisfying weekend project. Although I must admit I put in several hours inventorying and organizing all components which made for a very smooth process of "stuffing" the circuit board.

There are images of the finished board
below.

Probably the more challenging part of this kit will be machining the housing for it. The template provided with the kit is not drawn to scale. So I'll need to make some careful measurements before going to the drill press.

I'm really excited about this unit because it will give me the chance to explore running a separate transmitter and receiver for the first time since my novice days back in the 1960s. Only now, instead of a manual ceramic and copper knife switch to switch between receive and transmit modes, I've got this slick solid state device that will make it appear almost as if I am running a transceiver.

Beginning work on digital T/R switch

Today I've started work on the Four State QRP "Magic Box" digital transmit/receive switch.

First photo below shows bagged components and construction manual.

Second photo shows component tracking sheet used to ensure correct picking & placing of each component.

NS-40 is completed

This was a very simple build, having just a handful of components. This is a Four State QRP transmitter designed by N0SM.

The view below shows the completed board mounted in an aluminum case which still needs some customization to give access for power and antenna connections.

NS-40 QRP transmitter status

Worked this weekend to complete the NS-40. I decided to do a modification that allows me to swap crystals instead of being limited to the one provided in the kit. The idea came from Jay - W5JAY. Now all I need to do is find a supplier with a reasonable cost.

NS-40 QRP transmitter status

Worked this weekend to complete the NS-40. I decided to do a modification that allows me to swap crystals instead of being limited to the one provided in the kit. The idea came from Jay - W5JAY. Now all I need to do is find a supplier with a reasonable cost.

Next kit project: Four State QRP Group Station

For my next QRP kit project I chose the recently introduced Four State QRP Group Station which consists of a separate superhet receiver & transmitter for 40m along with a microprocessor-based T/R switch, which has been dubbed the "Magig Box.".

I'm looking forward to building this kit and getting on the air because it will be the first time I've run a separate rcvr / xmtr since my Novice days back in the 1960's. Back then I was running a Hallicrafters SX-130 receiver and a Heathkit DX-40 transmitter. A 60w incandescent lightbulb was my dummy load and a simple copper knife switch was a T/R switch. Simple and effective. I worked a lot of stations (and even some DX) with that setup. My antenna was a longwire.

If the "Magic Box" works as well I expect I hope to build additional transmitters, especially one for 10m now that the sunspot cycle has become more active. The Magic Box effectively makes running a separate rcvr and xmtr almost like running a xcvr according to the guys at Four State QRP.

This new station ensemble first appeared at the 2010 OzarkCon held in Branson, MO.

I'm also considering running separate xmit/rcv antennas to see whether that is a more effective approach than my current dipole cut for 40m.

John Kraus - W8JK

One of the things I enjoy most about my work as a Research Librarian at an engineering company is my exposure to all kinds of technology and related books and online resources. I recently skimmed through John Kraus' classic, Antennas and, although I am not an engineer, found several sections of the book very valuable to my understanding of simple wire antennas. John himself was a ham, W8JK, who is well know for his innovative antenna designs.

While reading through the chapter on dipole antennas, I came across a Beetle Bailey cartoon which, for me, captured part of the essence and mystery of antennas. Beetle is up on the roof holding an antenna while his buddy inside is telling him when it is positioned just right for a good signal. In the next frame, Beetle slips and begins falling off the roof. In the final frame Beetle is shown hanging upside down off the roof still clutching the antenna, as his buddy shouts out, That's perfect right there!

So often, that's what happens in antenna work. You read about all the theory behind an antenna, but when it comes down to making it work, reality sets in and the concept of "free space" goes out the window. Thanks John!

Final thoughts on the 2011 CQ WW DX contest

This was my personal best result yet for a contest. Band conditions on 20m, at least here in northern Idaho, were excellent. The last hour was a mad rush to the finish.

I logged almost as many contacts in the last hour of the contest than I did all the other hours. I finished with 38 contacts. All were made on 20m.

I was impressed that the QRP signal from my OHR-100A was able to punch through several times under messy pile-up conditions. I was amazed at how many times I simply dove in amongst a crowd of signals and still managed to be heard.

Can't wait for next year's contest...and perhaps I'll be active on 15m by then!

2011 CQ WW DX contest

Really enjoying the 2011 CQ WW DX contest. Last year I was only active on 40m since I only had my NorCal 40A. This year, so glad for my Oak Hills Research 100A for 20m. Still, the NorCal 40A is a superior contesting rig as its keyer speed and auto send controls are all on the front panel. The same controls on the OHR 100A are located on the rear of the XCVR making quick use of them awkward. I do like the bandwidth tuning on the OHR 100A, it came in handy on several pileups during the contest.

Not sure why, but even though there was activity on 40m, I have had no luck making any contacts there, yet. Lots of QRN.

20m has been hot and cold, but when it's been hot, activity has been phenomenal! Signals so loud they practically blew the headphones off my head. ...and that was with the AF turned down quite a bit. Stations such as KH7X, N6WM and WX0B were blasting through like gangbusters. I could consistently hear them with the AF almost off.

I've worked about 25 stations so far, not bad for my 1-2 watts out to my wrap-around 40m dipole. Made contact with stations in Russia, Japan, the Bahamas, Alaska and most parts of the US, including, Texas, Georgia, and Pennsylvania to name a few.

Still plan to get on for a few more hours if propagation continues to be favorable. Would have liked to get on 15m, as that band has seen some strong activity at times this weekend. But, not 15m gear this year. Maybe next year.

Gearing up for the 2011 CQ WW DX contest

I'll be running single operator low power

Last year I only had my NorCal 40 rig which pretty much limited me to night time operating. Really looking to operating on 40m and 20m now that I've added my OHR 100A. Hope propagation cooperates but it will be fun no matter what happens.

The Novice Historical Society

If you have not seen it yet, be sure to visit the Novice Historical Society web site created by Cliff Cheng, PhD, AC6C and former WN6JPA (1975). The site is dedicated to preserving unique history of the Novice era in Amateur Radio (1951-2000). And what a wonderful time it was for us all back then!

If you were a novice during that time period please visit the site and add your story to the many that have already been published. I contributed my story, which began in 1969 when I was a young teenager.

The site has a full timeline of events from that period.

Cliff is still looking for Novice stories from the 1970s - 2001. He and many others have dedicated significant time to making this a very well-done site. If you can help, please contact Cliff.

Antennas: Theory vs. Practice

One of the things I enjoy most about amateur radio is the fun of experimenting. I've always enjoyed trying new things with antennas to see whether I can improve signal reception and transmission. Recently I purchased an Icom 2m monobander and, along with it, an Arrow yagi antenna. I really like the antenna as it is very light, easily to assemble and disassemble and comes pre-tuned.

My QTH presents several challenges as it is located in a fairly deep "bowl" out of eyesight of local repeaters. On top of that there are significant restrictions on putting antennas up so I need to bear that in mind when considering installation. For my new 2m antenna I decided to try it inside the house initially to see what reception would be like. I was able to just barely get a signal from the repeater with the antenna mounted on a 5 foot pole and then lashed to a five foot ladder.

Last evening I decided to put the antenna up in the attic to see whether the additional height might improve reception. I crawled up into the attic amongst the beams and suspended the yagi, orienting it about the same as it had been downstairs - making it about 30 feet in the air. To my dismay, reception was worse regardless of the antennas' orientation! The most challenging part of this work was not having the radio up with me in the attic to be able to observe the S-meter as I changed orientation.

After my XYL returned home I asked her to watch the S-meter on the Icom as I rotated the antenna up in the attic. Same result. no matter how I changed orientation, there was no signal. I should note that the antenna was oriented horizontally, I was only rotating it in a horizontal plane.

So, back to the drawing board.

Next, I decided to try holding the antenna out on the small porch to see if having it outside might improve reception. Again, no signal as I held it away from the porch but in the same horizontal orientation that would be optimum for a yago antenna. As I brought the antenna in to the porch my XYL yelled out, "Good signal now!" Strange, considering the antenna was practically in a vertical orientation.

So, back inside, I decided to throw antenna theory out the window and go with what was actually working. I stood near the radio with the antenna positioned vertically. The S-meter moved to nearly S5! As soon as I oriented it horizontally the signal dropped to S0. Although I do not understand how this is possible, it does remind me of old days when my Dad would climb into the attic with a new TV antenna in an effort to help us get the ABC channel back in Binghamton, NY. He would tell us to yell out to him after he was up in the attic if the signal improved. Invariably, we would start to call out, even before he got all the way into the attic, that the picture looked great. He would always get so exasperated.

Here I was, 50 years later, in the same situation. Which just goes to show that theory only goes so far. At some point you need to trust what experience tells you.

Christmas Island DXpedition!

Patience and persistence paid off! After nearly an hour of calling the T32C DXpedition on CW on 20m I finally made contact. What a thrill to have done it with my OHR-100A QRP XCVR and my simple dipole wrapped around the house. The Great Circle distance is 3929.2 miles. I doubt my signal was more than 1 or 2 watts. Very exciting!