The MKARS 80M QRP Transceiver
My long awaited MKARS 80M QRP Transceiver kit arrived first post on Saturday morning I was keen to open the parcel and see what was inside I had wondered what I had let myself in for. I was pleased to see that the kit arrived complete with printed circuit board all components, knobs and a metal box to put the completed transceiver in. All the bits and bobs were packed inside the metal box for safe keeping.
Day 1
MKARS 80M QRP Tranceiver features:
Full 80m LSB coverage.
5 Watts output power.
Frequncey display with "huff and Pauff" circuit.
Modulation monitor to help stop over modulation.
Volt meter - useful for battery operation.
Reverse polarity protection.
Typicial specifications 13.8 Volt supply
Operating frequency 3.5 -3.8 MHZ.
RF output 5 watts
sensitivity MDS better than 1uV.
IF frequency 9.998MHZ.
Audio output + or - 0.5w.
Current consumption receive 120mA no signal Transmit 1.2 amps.
Supply voltage 10 -16 volts.
Microphone low cost electret type.
Loudspeaker 8 Ohms.
I download a copy of construction manual from http://www.radio-kits.co.uk/mkars80page.html I was careful to keep a copy of the pdf file on the desk top of my laptop as well as printing of a paper copy some 25 pages long and in full colour. following the construction manual I set to work I opened the components bag number one and started soldering the components in order onto the printed circuit panel. The printed circuit board looked like this
Day 2 On Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours between afternoon tea and dinner I thought that I would like to spend a couple of hours working on the MKARS 80m Kit adding the components from bag 2. Some 42 components added and this is how the printed circuit board looked
The printed circut board at the end of Day 2
Next I opened bag number 3 I soldered onto the printed circuit board the two 33v 400mw Zener diodes and then started soldering onto the board the 100nf ceramic capacitors I had time to solder 40 of them onto the board before it was time to stop for dinner. I have 11 more to solder onto the printed circuit board and one 10uh Axial inductor before I have to start winding inductors and transformers.
Day three and I had reached the stage when it was time to start winding the transformers and soldering them onto the printed circuit board the first one I had to wind was the BN43–2402 5T Trifilar wound 38 SWG ECW this did not look easy but by taking my time I was soon getting into the hang of it I used my test meter to help identify the pairs of wires that I was going to soldier onto the printed circuit board. Before the evening was out I has also wound one of the toroids and added to the printed circut board. Having already wound and solider onto the print circit board T1 this left me to wind L2 and L4
The printed circut board at the end of Day 3
Day 4 I continued winding the last three toroid's L4 was the same as L1 – Cut off approximately 40cm of 27
SWG wire and pass half of it through the center of a T37-6 core, this counts as the first turn. Now wind a further 14 turns through the core using one end of the wire, turn the core over and wind the other end through the core 15 times
making a total of 30 turns. Whilst winding pull the wire tight so the turns lay touching each other. Crop the wires to 10 – 20mm in length and tin the ends with solder. next I wound L2 is wound in a similar way with the same 27 SWG wire but has a total of 32 turns. Keep the turns tight but it doesn’t matter if several turns overlap. and last I wound L5 – using approximately 50cm of 33 SWG wire and wind using the same procedure as the other toroid cores with a total of 40 turns, space the wires evenly around the core.
This took me about 45 minutes to wind and then soldier onto the printed circuit board I was surprised that this operation took me so long I was not rushing but then I was not hanging about. The next job on the list was to solider onto the printed circuit board the Electrolytic capacitors which are polarised so may only be fitted one way round. By convention the PCB is marked with a + symbol, the + lead of a capacitor is longest, the capacitor sleeve is also normally marked -. Fit the capacitors against the PCB with zero lead length but it is very important not to put excessive force on the leads as this can make the electrolyte leak out.
The printed circut board at the end of Day 4
Day 5
And its time to open bag 4 and fit the following IC3 is a 78L05 and IC4 is a 78L08 IC1 is a LM386N-1 next the 1N4148 Diodes a total of 15. Diodes are polarised devices so can only be fitted one way round, match the band on one end of the encapsulation with the bar printed on the PCB. followed by adding the 1N5401 Diode.
The printed circuit board after bag three componets have been added to the board.and the completed board.
72nd RSGB Commonwealth contest 13th-14th march 2010
This year is the 72nd RSGB commonwealth contest it took place over the weekend of 13th-14th of March one of the selling points of this contest is the statement “The commonwealth contest promotes amateur radio contacts between stations in the Commonwealth and Mandated Territories A more relaxed contest environment gives the opportunity to work some choice DX”
Well I am hooked it’s not often that I get the chance to work long distance amateur radio stations and maybe I am swayed a little by the idea of working stations in exotic locations around the globe and of course I am in with a chance because I live in a commonwealth country a couple of things have to be settled from the start this is not going to be easy the pile ups will be large the big guns will work the DX first and the small pistols will just have to wait their turn. On the plus side in this contest there is no European Zoo. If the station you are calling can hear you they will work you. Even if you do get the odd person as I did this year up in Scotland Who said that he is only working only Beru (commonwealth) perhaps he miss read my call sign as N3JFM and not M3JFM. I worked nearly everyone I could hear some times the pile up’s were large and I just had to wait a little longer but in the end I made the QSO my station was made up of the Yaseu FT-950 and Windom antenna.
One hour before the contest started I made a fresh pot of filter coffee this would stay warm on its own hot plate for up two hours without cooking the cooking. I checked my amateur radio station over first checking that the antenna was still up and in good working order and the coax feeder was in good order next was to switch the rig on and shack pc and check to make sure they working The day before I had printed off a copy of the contest rules and list of the countries and call areas that qualified for this contest and I kept the list close to hand after a while I would tick off the countries I had worked. With the start of the contest fast approaching I was sat in the shack ready for the 10:00 UTC start.
To Enlarge the map click on the image
The Red Pins are 2010 contacts blue pins 2009 contacts
In Log :
40M
GB5CC United kingdom, ZC4LI. Cyprus UK Bases
20M.
GM3POI United Kingdom, P3J Cyprus , ZM4G New Zealand, VE6JY Alberta Canada, VE6EJ Alberta Canada, VE3KI Victoria Canada, ZL6HQ New Zealand , 5B4AGN Cyprus, VX3AT Victoria Canada, VK2BJ New South Wales , 9M6XRO East Malaysia, VU2PTT India, VK2IM New South Wales, VX7CC British Columbia, VK4EMM Queensland, H2E Cyprus , ZC4VJ Cyprus UK Bases, C4Z Cyprus, VA3DX St Catharine’s Ontario, VO1TA Newfoundland, VE3UTT Ontario, VE2XXA Quebec , VE3TDI Ontario, VE3OI Ontario, ZC4LI Cyprus UK Bases, ZB2FX Gibraltar .
15M.
P3J Cyprus, ZC4LI Gibraltar, VY2SS Prince Edward island , VE3OI Ontario, VE3EJ Ontario, VE2AEJ Quebec, J88DR St Vincent, VX3AT Ontario, 5H3EE Tanzania, VA3PL Ontario, VA3RAC Ontario, VE3FU Ontario,
FOCUS ON IMAGING NEC Birmingham 2010
FOCUS ON IMAGING is Europe's biggest annual imaging show, covering all your needs from image capture through to output and beyond. Whether you are a professional image maker or processor, a buyer of image making equipment or materials, a manufacturer or distributor of products or a keen hobbyist, a visit to FOCUS ON IMAGING is a must. Over 200 exhibitors and product launches galore - including all the very latest digital cameras and processing equipment - will feature at FOCUS 2010.
With an advert like that what photographer could afford not to go along Peter and I took advantage of online registration taking time to book online paid off on the day when we arrived we were fast tracked we were looking around the show within minutes of our arrival and what a show.
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