Starting a blog to document my Amateur radio activities, mainly homebrew construction, and QRP projects. I will also publish various stories of how I got started in this radio hobby (from the age of around 12 or 13)
My main website www.ai4pp.com is currently not being updated as I would like.... need to tackle that project soon for the more static content.
In the mean time this blogging seems to be an easy way to add content that may be of interest to friends, family and beyond.
I am currently doing a major Shack "Fall cleaning". While houses typically have their "Spring cleaning" it seems to me that shacks go through this process every fall. At least this seems to be the case here with me. So, Fall cleaning... in preparation for a winter in front of the workbench with all kinds of homebrew radio projects.
There is no shortage of Projects on the list for this winter season! Here are a few that I am busy with.
Plywood TowerOver late summer I conceptualized a tower construction method using plywood. It is made from two sheets of plywood, epoxy glue, and hours and hours of patient cutting gluing clamping... I spent the later part of summer and September building it. I have almost completed it but my (paying) work and the rainy season caught up with me and it is now stored away in the back yard, waiting for better weather so I can complete and install it. Total height of the tower is about 5 meters, the base of the tower will be on the roof which is about 12m above ground. That will put the Spiderbeam yagi that will go on it at around 17m or 56 feet above ground. The house itself is at an altitude of 550 meters above sea level. Hoping for some good DX.
Till the tower crowns the house I got the Hy-Gain AV-640 back up after making a small repair to it. The picture is from when I started building it in summer.
Bitx20
I ordered a Bitx20 Version3 from Sunil in India. A Great price on the kit and it arrived in a few weeks from order. The kit was wrapped up in a cloth with sewn corners, and wax seals! This is typical of Indian packages (according to my postmaster at least). Impressive and unique packaging.
I have so far inventoried the kit, and now that my attic shack is cleaned out will start on this project soon. I am going slow taking the time to build and test one section at a time in order to try and better understand the circuits. Once I get this kit on the air, I will start on a build from scratch rig (from a published schematic). But more on that later.
