EMRFD Message Archive 127

Message Date From Subject
127 2006-09-08 21:30:42 Steven S. Coles On the Air
All,

Have to confess I've only been using my license for testing homebrewed
antennas and transmitters—no QSOs.

Over the last couple weeks I've received encouraging messages from
WA7TZY, KB7MBI, NB6M, and pQRP members. A couple weeks of evenings
homebrewing resulted in a successful schedule with NB6M This evening.
I'm still shaking. Hi!

WA7TZY and NB6M particularly encourage homebrewing from EMRFD.

Best regards,

Steven, KD7YTE
128 2006-09-08 22:23:56 Bill Meara Re: On the Air
FB Steven. Wow, first QSO is homebrew. Excellent.
Congrats.

Bill in London
N2CQR M0HBR CU2JL
http://www.gadgeteer.us

130 2006-09-09 15:05:45 Steven S. Coles Re: On the Air
Bill,

Thank you.

I should clarify that only the transmitter is homebrew (3686 kHz
CW). As I started it well before obtaining a copy of EMRFD, it's
mostly based on George Grammer's Understanding Amateur Radio and
Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur. The last 2 weeks were
mostly getting everything working together. Things like getting the
antenna relay power supply controlled by the transmitter standby
switch and in turn getting the antenna relay aux contacts to control
switching the receiver to standby mode.

But the motivator was finding encouraging nearby amateur radio
operators well worth talking to. They are teaching me a lot.

Making a contact is a real motivator for building a much cleaner
transmitter. The transmitter on EMRFD pages 1.17 through 1.22 is
much cleaner in terms of supply regulation, keying method, and RF
buffering. I've collected nearly all the components to assemble it.

While I don't know him beyond a couple recent emails, Fred Telewski,
WA7TZY, one of the encouragers here, has a condition I understand to
be something like a pinched nerve, but far more painful. The
amateur radio community here is hoping and praying for the complete
success of the medical procedure he's having. Others have better
informati