Your 2020 builds!

[yellowbeard]

Sold out eh? You could probably make a few bob with them, they look nice.

[reverend]

Wasn't expecting such demand. I'll put some more kits together this week and let you know when they're online.

Rev

[LeeCavanagh]

Wasn't expecting such demand. I'll put some more kits together this week and let you know when they're online.

Rev

[XXL]

How comes you have used both smd and through hole ? Wouldn’t it be easier to just smd the whole thing ?

[Electronically]

I prefer it all to be smd to behonest

Sent from my AMN-LX9 using Tapatalk

[reverend]

All SMD takes away the fun

Actually, there's an updated version in production which has far more SMD devices on the PCB. The remaining components are generally frequency or power output related (as with a few changes it will work on Band I). I guess I could make a 'Band-II only' version which could be all SMD (other than winding a few coils).

Rev

[Bton-FM]

I prefer it all to be smd to behonest

Sent from my AMN-LX9 using Tapatalk

Yeah same I prefer it because most modern RF components are SMT and it's cheaper to use them than decades old obsolete parts. I think soldering SMT ICs is less time consuming that TH ICs.

Its probably possible to do an all SMT assembled Driver-board from JLCPCB apart from the output transistors and Varicap diodes. They stock the SMT version of the J310 FET and the BFS20.

[reverend]

The difficult with JLCPBC is that if you use any part that isn't in their 'basic' range, you have to pay an additional £2.50 for 'tooling' for each part. If you have 10 parts on a PCB that are not basic, this adds £25 to the total cost of the boards, and in some cases they then also have a minimum purchase number which, if you only want one of those parts per board, can add quite a bit more. If you're making 100 boards then this isn't a big deal, but for runs of 10, it ends up cheaper just fitting the non-SMD parts.

Rev

[Bton-FM]

The difficult with JLCPBC is that if you use any part that isn't in their 'basic' range, you have to pay an additional £2.50 for 'tooling' for each part. If you have 10 parts on a PCB that are not basic, this adds £25 to the total cost of the boards, and in some cases they then also have a minimum purchase number which, if you only want one of those parts per board, can add quite a bit more. If you're making 100 boards then this isn't a big deal, but for runs of 10, it ends up cheaper just fitting the non-SMD parts.

Rev

The extended parts fee is exactly what put me off the SMT assembly service!

The cost of the individual parts from JLCPCB is very cheap though, so it’s all swings and roundabouts. I don’t really think cost is the incentive to chose this service it’s definitely cheaper to build it yourself. Although, It’s probably a big time saver.

I think the best way to do it would be use only one type of transistor across the whole board, that way, minimising extended parts fees.

The SMT parts I find the most annoying to solder are the passives so u think getting them all done would be nice.

[Zozo]

MF & HF Valve AM/CW Transmitter. Built Last year as my lockdown project. Modulation is "Clamp Tube / Controlled Carrier". Can operate from Medium Wave all the way to the top of the HF Band simply by changing the XTAL and the Output Pi Coil.

Front:

20210227_135539.jpg

Back:

20210227_135606.jpg

Top:

20210227_135545.jpg

Home Made Plug-in Pi Coils:

20210227_135623.jpg

[Zozo]

20210227_135606.jpg

[Zozo]

20210227_135623.jpg

[Zozo]

Something a bit more modern, LPAM Medium Wave transmitter. It's about 95% complete, just waiting until I can use the CNC milling machine to cut the window out for the 1602 LCD.

I'm not really a fan of the modern transistorized kit, especially for AM. However this is better than lugging heavy valve equipment along with large capacity battery and inverter up the side of hills.

20210216_115611.jpg

I decided on N Type socket for the RF, 2Pin Aviation plug for the power, and XLR for the audio, as used on professional broadcast equipment.

[Bton-FM]

Something a bit more modern, LPAM Medium Wave transmitter. It's about 95% complete, just waiting until I can use the CNC milling machine to cut the window out for the 1602 LCD.

I'm not really a fan of the modern transistorized kit, especially for AM. However this is better than lugging heavy valve equipment along with large capacity battery and inverter up the side of hills.

20210216_115611.jpg

I decided on N Type socket for the RF, 2Pin Aviation plug for the power, and XLR for the audio, as used on professional broadcast equipment.

Nice and clean mate!
Good to see another anorak joining the forum!

Is that your own design?

[Zozo]

Something a bit more modern, LPAM Medium Wave transmitter. It's about 95% complete, just waiting until I can use the CNC milling machine to cut the window out for the 1602 LCD.

I'm not really a fan of the modern transistorized kit, especially for AM. However this is better than lugging heavy valve equipment along with large capacity battery and inverter up the side of hills.

20210216_115611.jpg

I decided on N Type socket for the RF, 2Pin Aviation plug for the power, and XLR for the audio, as used on professional broadcast equipment.

Nice and clean mate!
Good to see another anorak joining the forum!

Is that your own design?

Thanks for the kind comment and welcoming.

Sadly no I'm not the developer of the PCB. I wanted something for portable operation and this caught my eye. Normal I would have just used one of my of the peg designs, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about with these DDS designs. which in all honesty works beyond my expectations.

This design easily achieves 110% modulation if your not carful, and the output is clean and harmonic free. Well not completely harmonic free but better than -60db. It uses the AD9850 for generating the Sine Wave, and has a miniature TCXO for the reference frequency.

All in all it was good enough for me to give it a nice box and sockets.

[sinus trouble]

Welcome ZoZo!

Nice work, Its not often we get to see modern valve based projects on here!

Its clear that you also have some excellent engineering skills too! Not a wonky socket in sight Haha!

[Zozo]

Welcome ZoZo!

Nice work, Its not often we get to see modern valve based projects on here!

Its clear that you also have some excellent engineering skills too! Not a wonky socket in sight Haha!

Thank you Sinus for your kind comments and welcoming. I do try to make my homebrew gear as nice as possible. I must admit that metalwork is probably the bit I dislike doing the most.

I see you also like to achieve a high standard when It comes to building, as do many others that have posted in this thread.

[Electronically]

Something a bit more modern, LPAM Medium Wave transmitter. It's about 95% complete, just waiting until I can use the CNC milling machine to cut the window out for the 1602 LCD.

I'm not really a fan of the modern transistorized kit, especially for AM. However this is better than lugging heavy valve equipment along with large capacity battery and inverter up the side of hills.

20210216_115611.jpg

I decided on N Type socket for the RF, 2Pin Aviation plug for the power, and XLR for the audio, as used on professional broadcast equipment.

Good work

Sent from my AMN-LX9 using Tapatalk

[reverend]

Another kit ready to go if anyone missed out last time... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224370983294

May be a while before there's any more as I'm waiting for a new supply of boards.

Rev

[Phoenix]

Sold !!!
Look forward to building it