Solid State Arrives and here is a One Transistor Powerhouse Transmitter that shows us the Solid Gold Years of QRP from the 1960's through 1980. This is Retro QRP.
years ago I made a 6V6 oscillator maybe 3 watts with home brew RF choke and tickler output coil wound around old HV insulator cap from old TV. it worked fine bit chirp but i made it to Ohio KA8CQF i was in in Winnipeg. I was 13 years old at the time. long way Winnipeg to Ohio , I was amazed I had old reciever DX 200 rad shack. i think , i mad it to Florida and British columbia and Georigia too many places , piece of wire out side and home brew oscillator , yep was good to know the code at 13 years old. Video wants bring spark back to those days fo rme.
i still have few Crystals too guess they can bury me with them and my vibroplex too. till the end always CW man I love those days of ham radio old days
Please keep videos like this one coming. I really enjoy the retro focus, and the detail you provide as background reference is excellent. Thank you!! EJ
Many years ago I used to work with Bob Shriner WA0UZO SK who ran Circuit Board Specialists, which was the original PCB and kit supplier for most all of W1CER/W1FB SK (aka Doug DeMaw) designs as well as a few from Wes Hayward W7ZOI during this time period. "Solid State Design for the Radio Amatuer" had come out, and the hobby was electric with design and innovation, with an intense interest from the ham community. As a result, many old-timers were really wanting to get ahold on this solid-state stuff so a lot of them would buy the little QRP kits we sold. One of my primary jobs was PCB layouts and repair of returned kits from unsuccessful builds (usually improperly wound/installed toroids, transistors, diodes and the ubiquitous reversed electrolytic capacitors) that got returned--Oh, and did I mention soldering nightmares including acid-core flux!. I also helped in the design of the DVM that was in the "Learning to Work With Integrated Circuits" QST series. It was a magical time when you had to really understand RF electronics to bo fix and align these circuits, and this job was my trial-by-fire to come to curve. One of the things that really fascinated me was how you could use a single active component, and with artful-design of the surrounding circuitry, could make it do multiple functions or have certain operational characteristics that would normally take multiple stages. This was sometimes tricky because of component variability, you would often-need to cherry-pick values to make the thing really perk. Also, many of Doug's prototypes had to be modified to electrically work properly on a PCB and re-select components for mass-production. I really think that these guys coming from a hardcore tube background had the philosophy that you really had to have a darn-good reason to actually punch another hole and involve yet-another tube in the design. This economy of design and function was to me unique and seemingly at times is a lost art. I was in my teens at the time so hit it at just the right time. Great Video Mike 73... BTW: DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON RADIO SHACK BULK TRANSISTORS---Arg!
That was an effort and era that brought many young folks into the building game, and saved ham radio during a very disturbing time of less interest in the hobby.
Used to plunder. Old am pocket radios got us on 160 meter. Almost no power. And usually dropped below the noise level. Power? The 6 D cells lasted a bout a year. Floor sweepings . Ps uncle max was a ham, and we were allowed to build/run our stuff.with max looking on
I like your clips, most people have no workshop to do metal work or signal generators, oscilloscopes or tube testers. Many of your projects can be build on the kitchen table using hand tools a multimeter and a soldering iron. For me this is ham radio, I like CW and you need very little to get on the air and it is not too difficult to build a 5w CW station. I like homebrew equipment.
I found this both fascinating and understandable, perhaps it's because this was the technology with which I grew up. I am learning the current stuff but it doesn't "feel" as right or comfortable as technology from this era. Am I the only one that has these feelings?
Do they still manufacture discrete transistors (leaded) or is there just new old stock left?🙂 Providing we can still get wire ended stuff this is the ultimate cool renaissance hobby.
Mike, Thanks for this excellent and informative series on a not heavily covered topic. I have the same '68 ARRL Handbook. I'll have to try to make that 5W 2 transistor transmitter! Also nice that you showed the Radio & Television cover with Gus Fallgren (now SK) who made the first transatlantic transistor contact (at QRP power!). 73 de K1TB in Chelmsford, MA
Late to the dance here, Mike, but loved this video as I do all your efforts. Just a word on checking the power of a QRP radio. Of course, it was a wonderful excursion to preview how simple a QRP wattmeter would be to build from scrounged parts. But if the new ham manages to score a decent 50-100 MHz analog scope -- they are available for a song today -- and it has a builtin calibrator, then it is probably the most accurate instrument to gauge power output. Similarly, the scope could be used to calibrate the wattmeter as well. Sometimes big Tek 7000 series units are somewhat a pain in the ass to drag out to Field Day! The calculation of same on a 50 ohm system is extremely simple: Power in Watts = Vpp^2 / 400. The derivation is fairly straightforward and based on Ohm's and Watt's laws -- but left as an exercise to the student. Vy 72 de William, k6whp dit dit
This is a good way to get young people in the hobby. When I was a boy I spend all my pocket money for electronic parts. My first project was a crystal radio for the AM band and later transistor cw transmitter with one or two transistors similar to the circuits shown in the clip. It is within the skills of everybody with say school physik level knowledge to build this transmitters. Please have a look (google) at a project called easy 10 transmitter (80m) with a very low power output (5-20 mW). We built circuits similar to this design and transmitted morse code to a friend nearby. Simple equipment, wire antennas. You can get it working with screw connectors or nails after you glue the circuit diagram on a piece of wood. Some designs don't use a coil. I remember how much fun we had as young swl to have our first two way contacts.
Great video - well done Mike!! It was a great era of QRP experimentation, and I remember it well! I still have my original Tuna Tin Two from 1976 which I built in high school as a Novice. I'm looking forward to your next video. 73, Jack
DC rigs are broad as a barn on the front end. However setting a schedule and getting used to your buddy's fist you can pick him/her out of the eather. Just as you could find a friend in a gym channeling out other voices to find your target de kv4li good hunting. good dx
This is the DEFINITIVE guide to amateur radio QRP for the baby boomer generation! I'm going on 60... and this video took me screeching back to '90! That 'Solid State Design for the Amateur Radio Operator' was not an often read book... it was our BIBLE. Thanks to Wes Hayward (RIP), Roy Lewallen, etc. Thank you for the most excellent, perfectly thought out and presented video on a ham radio topic I've ever seen. Wonder if this is a 'midwest thing'... but I wonder how many viewers know what a 'loopstick' coil is. 73
Great, Mike! I have most of the parts to build Chuck Kitchin's solid state regen rcvr from Feb. 2010, CQ Magazine. Wonder if u r considering that as a compliment to this transmitter?
Mark - not likely. their cutoff freq is only 2.5Mhz. they're great for power supplies though or other high current low freq switching. I've seen them used for audio but have also seen negative comments about that application....
years ago I made a 6V6 oscillator maybe 3 watts with home brew RF choke and tickler output coil wound around old HV insulator cap from old TV. it worked fine bit chirp but i made it to Ohio KA8CQF i was in in Winnipeg. I was 13 years old at the time. long way Winnipeg to Ohio , I was amazed I had old reciever DX 200 rad shack. i think , i mad it to Florida and British columbia and Georigia too many places , piece of wire out side and home brew oscillator , yep was good to know the code at 13 years old. Video wants bring spark back to those days fo rme.
I'm always enjoying watching your video and I have learned a lot of things from you.
Thank you!
i still have few Crystals too guess they can bury me with them and my vibroplex too. till the end always CW man I love those days of ham radio old days
Loved it! For me, this is the essence of ham radio.
Love low power CW. The roots of ham radio in it's pure essence.
Please keep videos like this one coming. I really enjoy the retro focus, and the detail you provide as background reference is excellent. Thank you!! EJ
Many years ago I used to work with Bob Shriner WA0UZO SK who ran Circuit Board Specialists, which was the original PCB and kit supplier for most all of W1CER/W1FB SK (aka Doug DeMaw) designs as well as a few from Wes Hayward W7ZOI during this time period. "Solid State Design for the Radio Amatuer" had come out, and the hobby was electric with design and innovation, with an intense interest from the ham community. As a result, many old-timers were really wanting to get ahold on this solid-state stuff so a lot of them would buy the little QRP kits we sold. One of my primary jobs was PCB layouts and repair of returned kits from unsuccessful builds (usually improperly wound/installed toroids, transistors, diodes and the ubiquitous reversed electrolytic capacitors) that got returned--Oh, and did I mention soldering nightmares including acid-core flux!. I also helped in the design of the DVM that was in the "Learning to Work With Integrated Circuits" QST series. It was a magical time when you had to really understand RF electronics to bo fix and align these circuits, and this job was my trial-by-fire to come to curve. One of the things that really fascinated me was how you could use a single active component, and with artful-design of the surrounding circuitry, could make it do multiple functions or have certain operational characteristics that would normally take multiple stages. This was sometimes tricky because of component variability, you would often-need to cherry-pick values to make the thing really perk. Also, many of Doug's prototypes had to be modified to electrically work properly on a PCB and re-select components for mass-production. I really think that these guys coming from a hardcore tube background had the philosophy that you really had to have a darn-good reason to actually punch another hole and involve yet-another tube in the design. This economy of design and function was to me unique and seemingly at times is a lost art. I was in my teens at the time so hit it at just the right time. Great Video Mike 73... BTW: DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON RADIO SHACK BULK TRANSISTORS---Arg!
That was an effort and era that brought many young folks into the building game, and saved ham radio during a very disturbing time of less interest in the hobby.
Radio shack bulk stuff manny did not work low gain kg6mn
Great video Mike...glad Bill N2CQR at SolderSmoke pointed me to your channel. 73 - Dino KL0S
Ha ha used to pick on ©bomar xtals for the rocks I needed.didnt have a lience. The rigs had local osc's to mix. I'd wonder AROUND. With a fist full of rocks to listen with.. Tks good show.
Used to plunder. Old am pocket radios got us on 160 meter. Almost no power. And usually dropped below the noise level. Power? The 6 D cells lasted a bout a year. Floor sweepings . Ps uncle max was a ham, and we were allowed to build/run our stuff.with max looking on
I like your clips, most people have no workshop to do metal work or signal generators, oscilloscopes or tube testers. Many of your projects can be build on the kitchen table using hand tools a multimeter and a soldering iron. For me this is ham radio, I like CW and you need very little to get on the air and it is not too difficult to build a 5w CW station. I like homebrew equipment.
I found this both fascinating and understandable, perhaps it's because this was the technology with which I grew up. I am learning the current stuff but it doesn't "feel" as right or comfortable as technology from this era. Am I the only one that has these feelings?
Do they still manufacture discrete transistors (leaded) or is there just new old stock left?🙂
Providing we can still get wire ended stuff this is the ultimate cool renaissance hobby.
All the old CB Transceivers i.e the 23ch and 40ch sets use a vacuum tube as the power tube.
Mike,
Thanks for this excellent and informative series on a not heavily covered topic.
I have the same '68 ARRL Handbook. I'll have to try to make that 5W 2 transistor transmitter!
Also nice that you showed the Radio & Television cover with Gus Fallgren (now SK) who made the first transatlantic transistor contact (at QRP power!).
73 de K1TB in Chelmsford, MA
I have to build a W1FB Memorial Station from The W1FB QRP Notebook now, thanks for incredible inspiration. Keep the Retro QRP videos coming!!
Late to the dance here, Mike, but loved this video as I do all your efforts. Just a word on checking the power of a QRP radio. Of course, it was a wonderful excursion to preview how simple a QRP wattmeter would be to build from scrounged parts. But if the new ham manages to score a decent 50-100 MHz analog scope -- they are available for a song today -- and it has a builtin calibrator, then it is probably the most accurate instrument to gauge power output. Similarly, the scope could be used to calibrate the wattmeter as well. Sometimes big Tek 7000 series units are somewhat a pain in the ass to drag out to Field Day!
The calculation of same on a 50 ohm system is extremely simple:
Power in Watts = Vpp^2 / 400.
The derivation is fairly straightforward and based on Ohm's and Watt's laws -- but left as an exercise to the student.
Vy 72 de William, k6whp
dit dit
I am doing this to measure my LF transmitter on 630M. Actually RMS^2 / 50 because I am using my RMS Voltmeter!
BC107, usable even on vhf, 500 mw! lol
Very cool, interesting. I guess parts are still available.
Excelente, thanks
¡Gracias por ver mis videos!
Brought back a bunch of memories. I used a ton of the 2n2222's in many projects during my early teens. Looking forward to the rest of this series.
This is a good way to get young people in the hobby. When I was a boy I spend all my pocket money for electronic parts. My first project was a crystal radio for the AM band and later transistor cw transmitter with one or two transistors similar to the circuits shown in the clip.
It is within the skills of everybody with say school physik level knowledge to build this transmitters. Please have a look (google) at a project called easy 10 transmitter (80m) with a very low power output (5-20 mW).
We built circuits similar to this design and transmitted morse code to a friend nearby.
Simple equipment, wire antennas. You can get it working with screw connectors or nails after you glue the circuit diagram on a piece of wood. Some designs don't use a coil.
I remember how much fun we had as young swl to have our first two way contacts.
witam i pozdrawiam/poprosze o wiencej takich tego typu filmy jak ten,krzysztof z warszawy...
krzysztof bardzo dziękuje za oglądanie i byłem w warszawie i miałem karpia i wódkę.
Wonderful, detailed presentation. Thanks.
Great video - well done Mike!! It was a great era of QRP experimentation, and I remember it well! I still have my original Tuna Tin Two from 1976 which I built in high school as a Novice. I'm looking forward to your next video. 73, Jack
awesome ! i love odl radios and QRP
My old Michigan Mighty Might still does well on 40. I am just glad the Russian Woodpecker is a distant memory now ;-)
Many thanks for this great video, Mike, I really enjoyed it! 73 Graham de G4VUX
Excellent video and very informative. I love these videos Mike. Keep them coming. 73 from M0DAD David from north east UK
That nice high-end receiver is a WJ-8711A by Watkins-Johnson, badge-engineered from when BAE Systems owned the company.
Great to see another super video from you Mike. I love 'em. 73 John KU4JZ
20:21 - LOL!
DC rigs are broad as a barn on the front end. However setting a schedule and getting used to your buddy's fist you can pick him/her out of the eather. Just as you could find a friend in a gym channeling out other voices to find your target de kv4li good hunting. good dx
excellent video - really enjoyed this - many thanks...Dave G0KPZ
Love the videos, You seem to be a very smart guy. I enjoy your teachings ... it sounds like you came from New England
Very nice video Mike, thanks :) 73 de Alan G0NFY
Love the videos, Mike! I got my novice in 1970 - so I hammed all through this era :)
Very nice video Mike .73and dx de ex CX5CB forever Cw QRP.
An entertaining video and well produced. - de G4WIF
Enjoy all you videos, Mike NQ1F
Just use a huge induction coil simplest way to the red tower Malta
What a great video. It's not just a how to as much as it is a whole story.
This is the DEFINITIVE guide to amateur radio QRP for the baby boomer generation! I'm going on 60... and this video took me screeching back to '90! That 'Solid State Design for the Amateur Radio Operator' was not an often read book... it was our BIBLE. Thanks to Wes Hayward (RIP), Roy Lewallen, etc. Thank you for the most excellent, perfectly thought out and presented video on a ham radio topic I've ever seen. Wonder if this is a 'midwest thing'... but I wonder how many viewers know what a 'loopstick' coil is. 73
Um, Wes is still with us. His latest posting was Feb 25, 2019.
It was Wes’s brother that passed, not Wes.
Wonderful, Mike. Love your videos.
Stone Age communications!
Fantastic....!!!!
In the 80s I built a 10 watt amp using 10 2n2222 from Radio Shack lol fun days
Was that 10 Watts Instantaneous Peak to Peak Combined Channel Power??? Hee. I remember when Lafayette used to play with the ratings on the amplifiers!
Great, Mike! I have most of the parts to build Chuck Kitchin's solid state regen rcvr from Feb. 2010, CQ Magazine. Wonder if u r considering that as a compliment to this transmitter?
I used to have lunch with Chuck. Napkins were violated.
Prudent of you
Great Sir. Is that coil wound on ferrite Or air core.can I use a torrid core instead.
Sure and it will likely work better! But only if the toroid material is specifically capable of high Q mode in the frequency range.
Nice!!! ;)
What about 2N3055
Mark - not likely. their cutoff freq is only 2.5Mhz. they're great for power supplies though or other high current low freq switching. I've seen them used for audio but have also seen negative comments about that application....