Hi Guys,

Got the original SOUNDTX gerber file that needed amdending. Got some boards made, now noticed that it's the oppsite way round from the original but it still works.

Can anyone tell me what gauge wire NRG originally used for their coils in the transmitters?

Also does anyone know the actual dates/years that NRG were in business ?

18-SWG

Bazz sounds about right

Any gauge will work within reason? But too thin could cause unwanted 'Ringing' from external vibrations!

I bought my first kit from Stephen (NRG) around 2000 when the internet became available? I believe he was trading way before that under Veronica through magazine advertisements?

Bazz wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 12:48 am18-SWG

Anyways I have never heard of 'Soundtx'

If that is you? Nice build!

sinus trouble wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:33 am Bazz sounds about right

Any gauge will work within reason? But too thin could cause unwanted 'Ringing' from external vibrations!

I bought my first kit from Stephen (NRG) around 2000 when the internet became available? I believe he was trading way before that under Veronica through magazine advertisements?

Cheers I used 20swg wire but pictures I had of circuit shows larger size used.

Ok on Stephen, thanks for the info!

sinus trouble wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:42 am Anyways I have never heard of 'Soundtx'

If that is you? Nice build!

The SoundTX was a little kit NRGkitz supplied for people starting out I suppose?

It's the same as the Veronica one mentioned on the forum.

Info from their old site

Yes that is the site i bought mine from!

I bought a few items but the first was the 1WATT Stereo VFO! A great bit of kit!

I have later adapted it which can be seen in the SINUS 1WATT PLL section on this forum! If you havent seen it already?

Stephen Moss and I first met in 1991. He had already been in business for several years as "Veronica FM". He ran a fairly powerful (for its day) FM pirate from the hills around Bradford, and lots of other pirates bought equipment from him because the gear he built was reasonably priced, robust and easy to set up. The first kits were shipped in 1994 (as I recall), and he began placing adverts in the electronics comics at about that time.

The original PLL Pro came about in 1995, using Stephen's "Kallitron" oscillator configuration (actually two Hartley oscillators "current-robbing" each other to "self-double"). The Pro II was in the following year, and improved the PLL somewhat and changed the output stage for better spectral purity.

The Pro III came about in 2000 because Stephen's ex-business partner decided to set up in business for himself, using designs stolen from Stephen. He "simplified" the designs (because he didn't understand them) and went into business as "Veronica FM", and then sued Stephen to stop him conducting any business! Stephen and I redesigned the PLL Pro into the version III, using the 74HCT4059 divider chip (to allow use of rotary BCD switches to do away with the need for look-up frequency programming charts), adding out-of-lock power down, and a bigger output stage delivering a clean 4 Watts. I redesigned the little stereo coder so that it knew left from right (rather than start up at random), and added mono / stereo switching.

Despite Paul Hollings' attempts, Stephen continued trading right up until his death (from a stroke brought on by the stress of all the legal nonsense). We continued to improve the designs (I contributed the Pro IV Stereo Coder at that time), and there were several new products under development at the time of his death.

From 1994 onwards, Stephen had developed various pieces of equipment for the growing "RSL" market, and he supplied an enormous amount of equipment for that licenced use. He was able to provide comprehensive systems, from studio output, through links, to the final transmitter and with all the relevant aerials to go with them. Most of the RSLs in the northern UK bought or rented equipment from him.

SOUNDTX wrote: ↑Sun Aug 22, 2021 1:52 am Info from their old site

I've got one of these around somewhere, & it's marked as Veronica, in a small white box, with a telescopic antenna.

How many boards do you have, & are you selling any?

Hi guys I'm looking for a trimmer capacitor, where can I get it?