Whats on your bench?

[Radio Tech]

So we have this nice new shiny forum here thanks to Dave. 
Guess we should get to using it since we have ham operators on board.

So what projects "amateur radio related" do you have going on?
Quite a bit of personal projects here let alone costumers stuff.
And been so busy as of late. Really leaves little time for my own stuff.
Two projects I have to get back on are the Kenwood ts-940 and the ts-50.
I just picked up two Yaesu ft-757GX units. VCO problems I think.
Bought a Heathkit HW-101 that needs a restore. Transmit but no receive.
My National NCX-3 has started humming on me. Guess it does not know the words, time to restuff some caps.
Several years ago I picked up a Icom IC-745. Everything above 24MHz became intermitted. Talked with Sue (AL6FJ) quite a while ago and she told me what is needed to fix the rig. But then the thing started back working and has not missed a beat since. Until today lol. Looks like a new YouTube video repair for that one.

So lots of bench time here dealing with my own radio equipment.
What's on your bench?

[dkozel]

I'm working on my first 10 GHz system in preparation for a talk on GNU Radio I'm giving next month. I need to build, buy, or borrow a mixer and filter to replicate this system.
http://sourceforge.net/p/sodaradio/wiki/A%2010GHz%20Transceiver%20with%20the%20USRP%20B210/

In addition I'm currently pondering an offer I've received of either a 6 foot or 12 foot mesh satellite dish. I'm hoping to construct an EME system for 1296 MHz, but the infrastructure requirements, 1m^3 (2400 kg or 5300 lbs) of concrete for the 12 foot dish!, are somewhat intimidating.

I've just acquired a Boonton 4200 power meter with a pair of 4200-6E-S16 sensors covering 100 kHz to 18 GHz up to 2 Watts. I'm picking that up on Thursday and will do a post here covering the initial use and calibration of it.

[VK5RC]

@dkozel , have you seen this stuff? Good value not super cheap but very good.
http://www.vk3xdk.net46.net/1_6_10Ghz-3cm-Transverter.html

[MrSlack]

A working 12v linear power supply, 40m varactor tuned VFO that drifts way too much for my liking to the point I'm going to widlarize it and start again and a semi-working attempt at a discrete gilbert cell mixer after watching w2aew's videos on the subject. That's as far as I've got. Eventually I'll have a nice 40m CW QRP transceiver, probably in about 2023 the way this is going.

No callsign so receive only to start with. I haven't done the RSGB test (yet).

[warnberg]

Elecraft Transverter number 2 currently on the bench.. XV144... XV432 already completed but needs some fine tuning..   

[TSL]

Built one of the cheap 70cm amps that can be found on eBay. No documentation or schematic to go by but I have it working.

Its not as efficient as the 2m unit I've built previously so needs some tweaking to make it better.

[Srbel]

I don't have a bench. I have a floor, though.

[vk3yedotcom]

Been experimenting with a novel regenerative receiver which uses no inductors. 

It's stable and a pleasure to use over a 120 kHz slice of the 7 MHz band.

Here's a demo.

[mehdi]

I'm working on my beacon (Softrock or HackRF, plus an amplifier)
I have also set-up a WebSDR for my ham club: http://websdr.ir:34567/
It uses Avala01 as its main receiver and a dipole for antenna (only 14MHZ)

[Nuno_pt]

Working on K3NG rotor interface to replace the controller from Yaesu.
GPSDO it's on hold to go next.

[Melt-O-Tronic]

• A friend's Kenwood TM-D700 with an intermittent Tx problem
• My never-ending GPSDO project which has been a fantastic source of learning numerous subjects for nearly 2 years
• A stack of MSP432 Launch Pads that I need to learn
• An experimental antenna switcher for a doppler RDF set I want to design/build
• A blizzard of parts I've been salvaging and organizing
• Numerous strands of unwanted cat hair (1 is too many!)

[Radio Tech]

Oh wow, missed all these replies. Thought the thread was a dud to begin with.
But now it has come to life.
You guys have some interesting things happening.  I always like hearing that.
MrSlack, no call sign? Time to get busy

Peter, I watched that video when you uploaded it. Very nice. I have to build another regen one day. Been a long time. I always give them away.

Nuno, I really need to build a new rotor system for my sat  antennas. The old Alliance U100 have seen better days. So had to take my antennas down. Got a VHF and UHF Texas potatoe masher up for the time being.

Sitting in the shop this morning and have not started anything yet. Trying to make up my mind. Had 2 gentlemen call and are on the way over to look at some equipment. 30 degree F here this morning and I blew my main breaker feeding the 100 amps to the shop. It was getting old and the replacement was 65 bucks. Got the shop up to 70 degree F now. So may as well get started on something.

Keep em coming guys.

[Nuno_pt]

Buddy,

Look at K3NG rotor interface with Arduino, both horizontal and horizontal & vertical.

[Radio Tech]

Buddy,

Look at K3NG rotor interface with Arduino, both horizontal and horizontal & vertical.

Great, I will look that one up and see if I can make it a spring project.  Really like to try out my Kenwood TS-2000 on the sats. Have not used it yet on them.  Perhaps I will make up my mind then if I want to sale my Yaesu's. I have a 736 and two 726 rigs.

Thanks for that heads up.

[German_EE]

I try to keep things under control or I end up with a bench of partially completed projects.

So................

A switched mode shack power supply that gives 13v8 @ 22A, -12 @ 5A, 20V @ 4A and 48V @ 5A. It just needs the case painting.

A new shack PC (powered by the 20V feed above) that uses an old notebook PCB, the display died ages ago so it now feeds a SVGA monitor. It needs a front panel USB connector and the case painting.

10 MHz Frequency Reference that's working but needs to be manually set to lock with DCF77. I may build a PLL sometime.

Finally of course there is my homebrew transceiver that is in a continuous state of modification and improvement. I spend more time with a soldering iron in my hand than operating but I like to do 80m CW to relax at the end of the day.

[agronaught]

Lots of stuff happening at the moment owing to some time of work.

*completing an amplifier controller for the radio clubs EME efforts.  Not a complex project, just time consuming.

*a barret s250 has just gone on the bench for a cleanup and testing.  This should wind up in the patrol for a trip I'm planning later this year.

*starting on a single console project for the car.  The plan is to control up to 5 radios from a single console, I'll see if this one gets off the ground.  (Ft857d, ft-100dr, ft-8900r,gme tx3520 rescued from the scrap bin - repaired).

And the long running recap of a kenwood ts850sat. Lots of damage done to this one courtesy capacitor plague.

Lots happening!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[MrSlack]

MrSlack, no call sign? Time to get busy

On it

[TSL]

Tear down and repair of a Weinschel 30dB 150W, DC-1.5GHz, attenuator that got cooked.

I'll start a new thread detailing it.

[Radio Tech]

I try to keep things under control or I end up with a bench of partially completed projects.

So................

A switched mode shack power supply that gives 13v8 @ 22A, -12 @ 5A, 20V @ 4A and 48V @ 5A. It just needs the case painting.

A new shack PC (powered by the 20V feed above) that uses an old notebook PCB, the display died ages ago so it now feeds a SVGA monitor. It needs a front panel USB connector and the case painting.

10 MHz Frequency Reference that's working but needs to be manually set to lock with DCF77. I may build a PLL sometime.

Finally of course there is my homebrew transceiver that is in a continuous state of modification and improvement. I spend more time with a soldering iron in my hand than operating but I like to do 80m CW to relax at the end of the day.

Man you are busy. Would like to see some pics of those projects. As far as uncompleted ones I have my share of them. Too much to so not enough time.

Lots of stuff happening at the moment owing to some time of work.

*completing an amplifier controller for the radio clubs EME efforts.  Not a complex project, just time consuming.

*a barret s250 has just gone on the bench for a cleanup and testing.  This should wind up in the patrol for a trip I'm planning later this year.

*starting on a single console project for the car.  The plan is to control up to 5 radios from a single console, I'll see if this one gets off the ground.  (Ft857d, ft-100dr, ft-8900r,gme tx3520 rescued from the scrap bin - repaired).

And the long running recap of a kenwood ts850sat. Lots of damage done to this one courtesy capacitor plague.

Lots happening!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

You are busy also.  Good luck on the 850 recap. Interested to know which ones caused the most issues.

[Radio Tech]

MrSlack, no call sign? Time to get busy

On it

Good deal, I know you can do it 

Tear down and repair of a Weinschel 30dB 150W, DC-1.5GHz, attenuator that got cooked.

I'll start a new thread detailing it.

Will be looking for the thread.


Had a quick repair myself on a Yaesu FT=757GX. Had no TX due to owner repairing the burnt out meter lamps. He accidently pulled the drive coax to the PA right out of the connector.

[vk3yedotcom]

The abovementioned receiver has now had a 1 watt transmitter section added and several contacts up to about 1000km have been made.

Still a rats nest inside.

[AF6LJ]

MrSlack, no call sign? Time to get busy

On it

Good deal, I know you can do it 

Tear down and repair of a Weinschel 30dB 150W, DC-1.5GHz, attenuator that got cooked.

I'll start a new thread detailing it.

Will be looking for the thread.


Had a quick repair myself on a Yaesu FT=757GX. Had no TX due to owner repairing the burnt out meter lamps. He accidently pulled the drive coax to the PA right out of the connector.

Nicely Done.
I love it when the simple stuff comes our way.

[Radio Tech]

Nicely Done.
I love it when the simple stuff comes our way.

Thanks Sue. Agree, it is nice to get some easy ones.
Bet you have a few projects going.

[VK5RC]

@TSL, does that attenuator have any "nasties" inside, I have a couple that do.

[TSL]

@TSL, does that attenuator have any "nasties" inside, I have a couple that do.

If you mean ceramic based resistor pads made from unobtainium - then yes