The SolderSmoke Podcast Archive

SolderSmoke Episode 264

▶ Watch on YouTube

• May 2026
• CW transmitter projects: three low-parts-count designs with strong Reverse Beacon Network results
• Component sourcing: raiding the junk box and limiting new purchases
• 17-12 rig repair: parasitic VHF oscillations, SK3050 chip, NE602 damage
• Technical fix: .1µF capacitor on pin 8; “Fat Finger Syndrome” working with ICs
• South Korea contact achieved; DIGI-TIA returned to 40-meter operation
• Shortwave listening on Q-31 receiver
• 2-meter homebrewing challenges; beacon experiments to Puerto Rico
• VWS WSPR Makers Project overview by Dean
• Mailbag: homebrew rigs, vintage radio restoration, design discussions

SolderSmoke Episode 261

▶ Watch on YouTube

• August 2025
• Travel updates: Pete to Denver, Dean to Alaska, Bill in the Dominican Republic
• ARRL Technical Service Award for Dean and Bill; 91 direct conversion receivers completed
• Podcast preservation plans amid concerns about Google ending Blogspot
• Dean’s MOSFET amplifier design with AI consultation
• Pete’s Project X: Transcom SBT-3 transceiver work
• Bill’s RD06 finals failure and recovery using IRF-510 transistors
• VK6 contacts on 20m SSB; HW-101 restoration; 40m CW achievements
• Technical topics: ALC usage, high-frequency hearing loss
• Mailbag: Project 326, Irish radio magazine, EF-50 valves

SolderSmoke Episode 260

▶ Watch on YouTube

• May 2025
• FDIM/Dayton report: interviews with Grayson, Hans, and Farhan; Michigan Mighty Mite revival
• Hollow State Design: Farhan’s review of Grayson Evans’ book on tube radio design
• Direct Conversion Receiver Challenge: international builders from India, Germany, and Canada
• Blog preservation: backing up SolderSmoke blog with the WayBack Machine
• Dean’s bench: Mythbuster MB-20 transceiver completed with plexiglass top
• Bill’s bench: VK6JDW and HCJB reception in Western Australia; equipment restoration
• Pete’s bench: JF3HZB dial work; projects on the shelf of shame
• Mailbag: Soviet spy homebrew capabilities, direct conversion experiences

SolderSmoke Episode 259

▶ Watch on YouTube

• April 2025
• FCC bans direct conversion receivers (April Fools’ joke — alleged Starlink interference)
• Pete’s travelogue: Los Olivos trip, DMV Real ID saga, San Francisco plans
• Direct Conversion Challenge update: 56 receivers built; encouraging builders to mentor others
• Dean’s projects: SDR receiver, 20m Mythbuster transceiver, homebrew frequency counter, balloon experiments
• Bill’s bench: suburban home renewal, new operating table, boatanchor station maintenance, DJI drone
• Mailbag: simple vs. complex radio design philosophy; Russian homebrewer influence

SolderSmoke Episode 258

▶ Watch on YouTube

• March 2025
• Travelogue: return from Dominican Republic; natural wonders — earthquake, Falcon 9 rocket, lunar eclipse, whales, hawks
• Pete’s seismograph build; VWS SDR receiver; 20m Yaesu VFO transceiver
• 45 successful DC receiver community builds; kit vs. homebrew distinctions
• Popular DSB transmitter modifications from the challenge
• Old Military Radio Net check-ins; 10m AM QSO; beacon operations
• Mailbag: Farhan VU2ESE — “the Alchemy of turning lifeless components into living and breathing radios”

SolderSmoke Episode 257

▶ Watch on YouTube

• February 2025
• Wrap-up of the SolderSmoke Direct Conversion Receiver Challenge
• 22 completed receivers; 35 more in progress; 200+ participants on Discord
• Circuit board deep-dives: Oscillator/VFO, Mixer, Bandpass Filter, Audio Amplifier
• “Tales of Woe”: common troubleshooting issues and fixes from participants
• Lessons learned: component selection, test equipment use, parts sourcing from junk boxes
• Future directions: antenna design and further circuit modifications

SolderSmoke Episode 256

▶ Watch on YouTube

• January 2025
• Happy New Year; discussion of the LA fires
• Barkhausen criteria: Dean breaks down oscillator theory
• Southern Cross constellation sighted for first time in 30 years
• SolderSmoke Homebrew Challenge: homebrew vs. kit assembly debate
• Bill’s 10m beacon on 28.233 MHz; AN762 0.1kW amplifier completed
• Troubleshooting the 15-10 transceiver: intermittent oscillation problems
• ARRL Kids Day; VWS Makers SDR receiver build
• Pete’s bench: Thermatron finals and KWM-4 work
• Mailbag

SolderSmoke Episode 255

▶ Watch on YouTube

• December 2024
• HB Challenge: build the high school direct conversion receiver from HackadayIO
• Did Doug DeMaw ever build an SSB transceiver? An investigation
• Pete’s Drake TR-3 restoration work
• Ground Truth Debate: is “the ground” essential in RF systems?
• Troubleshooting tales: unexpected component failures
• TinySA and frequency counter modifications
• VWS Makers Projects: upcoming receiver builds and pico balloon tracking
• SDR receiver project plans for the new year
• Mailbag

SolderSmoke Episode 254

▶ Watch on YouTube

• November 2024
• VK5RS Hex beam antenna eaten by Cockatoos in Australia
• Counterfeit wires from China; recommendation to buy from Parts Candy
• Bill on Ham Radio Workbench; TJ DC RX challenge announced
• Podcast approaching 20 years (launched August 2005); 10 years of Pete’s participation since May 2013
• Pete’s bench: Thermatron-transistor hybrid rig
• Dean’s bench: new Hex Beam antenna; random wire with T-match tuner
• Bill’s bench: Mythbuster II transceiver (20m SSB) built in 3 weeks; QRP contacts with Europe and South Africa
• Mailbag: VK3HN, N3FJZ, KD4PBJ and others

SolderSmoke Episode 253

▶ Watch on YouTube

• October 16, 2024
• Sponsor! Parts Candy is back! Handmade in Chicago! Standard test leads, Hook clips, alligator clips in 12" and 32" and multimeter leads
• Travelouge/Intro
• Bill's trip to NYC -- The Empire State Building
• Dean goes to the Bay area.
• Harry Caul, Marty Klein W3VCG , "The Conversation" and THE KNACK.
• Joe Piscopo in Bell System video!
• Bill's Bench
• Bill's report from SolderSmoke Shack South: The tropics: What this means. Guapo wouldn't go out when the sun was overhead.
• Skies not great for astronomy now. But we see a lot of satellites, and meteors.
• Antenna developments: 1/4 vertical on a fishing pole.
• Lightning suppression coming for the building. Lightning suppressors. Got 2. Good video from the IMSAI guy: Argon gas suppresion tubes.Need to crimp!
• Hurricane prevention. Metal storm curtains.
• Thinking of solar panels. 12 panels, 5 kW system. Probably without batteries. What do you think?
• A golf cart.
• New PC. BeeLink. Very tiny! (palm of your hand) 24 inch screen. Works well
• A very satisfying fix on the 15/10 rig -- loose connection to RF amp. The highly suspect Ramsey Kit Amp was NOT the culprit! Got to use the new Rigol DS-1102. A fun fix. Will build a second CCI amp.
• Digital Selective Calling -- listening to ships and shore stations on HF.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE: Our blogs and the podcast are in danger! Pete is already on a permanent blog hiatus. I have seen a big decline in readership. Frankly, if no one is reading or listening, we just may decide not to do it anymore. We don't want to do this. So please, link to the blogs. Talk up the blog and podcast on your own blogs and social media.
• Parts Candy Test Leads are back as our sponsor. Pete has them. Dean has them, I have them in two different countries! DON'T SCRIMP WITH A CRIMP!
• SPRAT Summer 2O24 Special EXTRA 50th Anniversary issue!
• Dean's Bench
• First CW contact: With KK4DAS on his HB sBITX and Alan W2AEW POTA. TRGHS.
• Dean fixes the sBITX problems. Again. SUB-THRESHOLD CONDUCTION! Lots of patience and stick-to-it-ivness. LPF leakage!
• IMD IMD IMD and the Tiny SA Ultra
• AI AI AI -- Experimental AI Podcasts about SolderSmoke (no kidding -- (NOT April 1) Where they came from
• AI Podcast #2
• AI Podcast #1
• Pete's Bench
• An all PNP rig -- A notional look,
• Videos on old Boatanchors.
• MAILBAG:
• Lex PH2LB making some new stickers. Look out San Francisco!
• Rogier PA1ZZ sending lots of good ideas and links.
• Todd K7TFC great idea on SS readersip decline
• Todd VE7BPO aka Vasily -- great info on how to stabilize LC oscillators.
• Eric 4Z1UG Welcome words of encouragement on the blog and podcast
• Dave W2DAB says that AI just can't replace the Tappit Brothers of ham radio. Now the Tappit Triplets.
• Michael AA1TJ Thoughtfully skeptical about AI.
• Grayson K7JUM on the cleanliness of the 32S-3. Also amazing video on Thermatron MMM.
• Mike WN2A working on DC receivers and hum!
• Floran OE7FTI building Farhan's JBOT amp!
• Mike Murphy WU2D building 1930 replica rigs using a Frank Jones circuit
• Dave K8WPE always great to hear from such a strong SolderSmoke supporter.
• Walter KA4KXX Great ideas from the Wizard of Orlando.
• Paul G0OER -- Reacting to the 1970s Ham Radio video. Didn't remember being so cool.
• Thomas K4SWL -- Struggling with the hurricane in NC. Hang in there OM.
• Nick M0NTZ building another Direct Conversion receiver -- with videos about it.
• Michael AG5VG building a Mythbustrer-style 20 meter rig. FT-101 VFO. FB
• Tony G4WIF -- Readership problem advice
• John AB2XT sent us 6000 47 pf NP0 capacitors. So we are now good for caps! Thanks John.
• Paul VK3HN Was suitably impresses by the AI podcasts we put on the blog. Thanks Paul.
• ==================================
• July 18, 2024

SolderSmoke Episode 252

▶ Watch on YouTube

• July 21, 2024
• This is the first podcast from SolderSmoke Shack South: Eastern tip of Island of Hispaniola. Cap Cana, DR, 70 feet up, 1 mile from Mona Channel. Seventh floor shack with view of the ocean. Antennas: Dipoles for now, maybe Moxons or Hex later. STARLINK
• The San Francisco case against me. One guy thinks we DESERVE prosecution! Get off of my lawn!
• Like the library cop on Seinfeld:
• But one fellow wrote letter to the mayor asking for leniency. Proposes "Bill Meara Day in SF." FB! I fell victim myself this year: Mike WU2D got me with WA1HLR on SSB video.
• Dean: Fighting a spur in the sBITX. Filters?
• Dean: Exploring Class A, Class AB and the RD06HHF1
• Dean: Extensive work on getting flat gain from FETs up through 10 meters.
• hh- Dean and Bill: OIP3 measurement and setting the bias on an RD06HHF1
• Pete: Discovers for all of us "RF Man" In spite of all the CB stuff, he is the THE MAN! On YouTube:
• Pete fixes Dean's relay chattering problem: SUBTHRESHOLD CONDUCTION! Yikes!
• Pete's refurb and rejuvenation of the Drake Twins,
• MXM news. New docs, and ads from WD5L. All on the blog. 7030 crystals. Why MXM? Chuck Adam's mods, Joh DL6ID's questions about VFO. Yes! VFO from RX. Was Bruce Williams an early Swan Designer?
• Weird paradox with 25 MHz filter: Low profile xtals have higher Q, but produce more rounded passbands. Why? I note that Minima's 20 MHz filter also had curved passband.
• Allison's wisdom on filters at higher frequencies. The importance of physical layout. Diodes in the dark! It is indeed more difficult up there. But don't let the perfct be the enemy of the good!
• Is Bill the only one to ever build a 10-15 Dual Bander using a 25 MHz crystal filter. Why? Farhan's Minima has a 20 MHz 6 pole QER crystal filter. And it too had a rounded passband. But it tooc WORKED.
• Did my receiver sound tinny due to rising frequency response of uBITX Rev 4 amp? Yes! So I put in a TJ DC RX Af amp.
• Bill BLOWS UP a Tiny SA Ultra. Ooops. But quickly got a new one from R&L Electronics. Very, very useful. I knew 25 MHz IF rigs were inferior, but by how much? How much was the carrier suppressed? Which filters worked better? What was the opposite sideband rejection. TinySA permitted measurement and comparison.
• Bill quit 15 meter SSB (for a moment) and went to the 1.22 nanometer band with a Wilson Clound Chamber. Videos on the blog.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE: Thanks to new Patreon sponsors. I am sending some additional video content to the sponsors.
• MAILBAGg
• Thanks to Bob Crane W8SX for FDIM interviews. I will get them out!
• Wes -- W7ZOI has a new TIA amp with variable gain on his web site:
• Geoff N6GWB's Rad Receiver
• Dave K1KA sent Ensemble RTX SDR parts. Thanks Dave.
• Chuck Adams AA7FO provided good background on my MXM rig, including the meaning of MXM (1990) . Again, great to hear from Chuck, a true homebrew hero.
• Gerardo HI8P collecting info on the other HI8P, my friend Pericles (SK)
• Alvin N5VZH picked up a Silktronix CB VFO. What to do?
• Jorgen SM4WWG listening from Sweden, and making PCBs. FB!
• Mike WN2A Wondered about opposite sideband rejection of MXM. Not great.
• George WB5OYP loaned me a book from Elmer Bucher. THE Elmer?
• Wes W7ZOI, Farhan VU2ESE -- Thanks for help on filter issue. Thanks too to Alan W2AEW and G3UUR
• Josh G3MOT -- Nice message of support in our "struggle" with SF authorities. Going portable to Vancouver island in August. VE7/G3MOT
• Paul VK3HN -- Antipodean solidarity. Thanks Paul.
• Rogier PA1ZZ -- great input and help. Thanks
• Tony G4WIF reminded me of G3ROO's parasets. See Blog
• Pavel CO7WT His experiences (building, freezing, heating) the VFO in the Jaguey DSB rig.
• Grayson KJ7UM Sent latest ER with his Collins 51S-1 story. Thanks Grayson.
• Allison KB1GMX Commiserating on higher freq crystal filters. Thanks Allison
• Wes W4JYK Notes that Dewey, Cheatam and Howe are based in SF. Can they help with sticky sticker problem?
• =============================
• Audio:

SolderSmoke Episode 251

▶ Watch on YouTube

• April 1, 2024
• Videos: Podcast 251 Aurora! CBLA, Winterfest, Legal Threat, sBITX, SDR, RaspPi, Rounded Passbands, MAILBAG (youtube.com)
• Travelouge: Dean goes to the North Pole to see Aurora.
• A CBLA Call to Arms!
• Winterfest. Lots of goodies. MXM Industries 40 meter transceiver. 1 dollar.
• Jean Shepherd. Recording of Bill talking to Shep in 1976.
• Legal Trouble: Could put us out of operation for a while. We need listener input.
• Pete's Bench
• Homebrew SDR (based on Zl2CTM’s original design) and how good it sounds.
• Raspberry Pi Zero W is now working on FT-8 with digital adapter.
• Ferrite Cores at Digi-Key (a replacement for the FT-37-43 where you buy 100 and the price is 21 cents/each)
• ADE-6 –great specs in HF but more expensive than the ADE-1
• For Pete's recent blog posts, go to this site and click on "Archive" in the right column:
• Dean's Bench
• sBITX progress, McGyver-ing a lifted pad, replacing crystal on the CODEC board, sBITX success! See:
• Shameless Commerce Division: Please use the Amazon link on the blog to start your Amazon purchases. And please consider using Patreon to support the podcast and blog. We try to send extra content to our Patreon supporters. Mostly DIY RF -- Boards, Kits and Pete's PSSST
• Bill's Bench
• More trouble with the 15-10 rig. Rounded passbands in 25 MHz filter. See figure 4 in both links:
• Experimenting with Balanced Mixers and Product Detectors. Paul VK3HN Suggests the MC1496 chip; Walter KA4KXX points to SSDRA circuits
• But it is on the air! Using the PA from a BITX40 module and an RD06.
• Put an OLD dial from Pericles HI8P on 15-10 version 1. Soul in the new machine.
• Mailbag:
• Grayson KJ7UM's Hollowstate video.
• Mike WU2D's amazing 10 meter DSB transceiver.
• Jack AI4SV (Dhaka Jack) liked video of recent QSO with AzoresDSB rig
• Mike AA1TJ and Dave AA7EE on backwaves and 100 uW QRPpppp
• Dave G3UUR on my curved passband problem
• Alan W2AEW heard my only QSO with the MXM indsutries SupeRX/TX40
• Wes W7ZOI, Mike WN2A, Walter KA4KXX. Farhan VU2ESE on passband,
• Ramakrishnan sent article about Charles Proteus Steinmetz. Beautiful.
• Justin AC8LV built a receiver! FB.
• San Francisco QRP: KDOFNR TouCans Rig, and N6ASD Zinc-Oxide TX
• Frank KC8JJL -- Another guy who heard first ham sigs from a homebrew rig.
• Nate KA1MUQ's homebrew thermatron superhet
• Dino KL0S sent info on the PAL CB VFO I picked up at Winterfest. Airborne!
• Bob W8SX will be once again doing SolderSmoke interviews at Dayton. Thanks Bob
• Peter VK2EMU Always good to hear from him.
• Tobias Feltus -- Wisdom teeth removed, wondering if he will get sBITX hallucinations...
• Rick WD5L continues to work on his Herring Aid 5
• Ciprian YO6DXE wants to learn CW. No alerts from his FB Blog!
• Todd K7TFC -- Likes CW, says it eliminates the Blah-Blah-Blah
• February 10, 2024

SolderSmoke Episode 250

▶ Watch on YouTube

• February 10, 2024
• VIDEO VERSION: (1707) SolderSmoke Podcast #250 -- With Pete N6QW, Dean KK4DAS, and Bill N2CQR - YouTube
• Intro: Welcome to Dean KK4DAS. For 2024 Pete and I hope to jazz things up a bit by bringing in fellow homebrewers to talk about their projects. Dean is our first victim. Welcome Dean.
• Some good news: Several new homebrew receivers are inhaling: Armand WA1UQO in Richmond has an amazing looking regen. Scott KQ4AOP in Tennessee got his DC RX working. Mike AG5VG in Texas has been homebrewing BITX 20s and BITX 40s. All are on the blog.
• Pete's report:
• Recent blog entries on filters, SSB rig architecture, and of course digital VFOs.
• Phasing measurements, quadrature, and the Seeed Xiao RP2040
• Error in QST article on early SSB transceiver. ANOTHER ERROR!
• LC VFO on blog! FB Pete!
• Dean's report:
• Tales of woe on the homebrew sBITX
• Help from Farhan.
• Ground Bounce. FFT Hallucinations. Wisdom files.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• Whenever you are tempted to buy something from AMAZON, just start at the Amazon symbol on the right side of the page. We get a cut from Bezos, and it doesn't cost you anything.
• You can try to do the same thing with E-bay. We are finding a lot of great parts there.
• If you see a SolderSmoke post on Facebook, please Like and forward.
• Become a patron! Go to the Patreon page. We put the money to good SolderSmoke use.
• Visit Mostly DIY RF and buy a PSSST kit!
• Bill's bench:
• Building yet another BITX dual bander. 15-10 again. Tried to use a 25 MHz filter left over from the earlier project, but I had to build another. Built a new VFO using the variable cap and anti-backlash gear recommended by Pete. Was a bit tough to get the receiver sounding good. Had a diode ring as the second mixer, but went back to a singly balanced mixer.
• 10 meter AM -- Thanks to Jerry Coffman K5JC for mod.
• Other topics:
• Counterfeit chips. Why?
• MAILBAG:
• Wes W7ZOI
• Jim Cook W8NSA Transoceanic BFO
• Grayson KJ7UM -- Vintage Computer Museum
• Chuck Adams --Glad to hear that Chuck is doing well.
• Frank Harris K0IYE -- NO CHIPS!!!!
• ED DD5LP Antenna software
• Eldon KC5U 10 AM We made a contact
• Joh DL6ID 10 AM
• Phil W1PJE of MIT 10AM Where is L5?
• Bob WP4BQV now in UK
• Dino Papas KL0S in Wilmington Reverse Polarity protection.
• AA7EE Dave Richards Liked Armand's receiver
• Rogier PA1ZZ
• Jonathan-san W0XO Listened to my ET-2 CW Whoop,whoop
• Nick M0NTV Great videos from Nick the Vic
• Will KI4POV Working on his own SSB rigs.
• John West -- Who is the South American ham who made his capacitors and heat sinks?
• Ed KC8SBV Working on DC receiver, experimenting with FETs
• Mike WN2A great contributions. Si5351 sole source danger!
• Nick N3FJZ -- watch out for dead bands when testing receivers!
• Don KM4UDX encouragement from new Prez of VWS
• Dave K8WPE Likes QF1 Cap backlash. Says I'm getting soft!
• Dave WA1LBP My fellow Hambassador, from Okinawa USMC Sergeant with a workshop.

SolderSmoke Episode 249

▶ Watch on YouTube

• November 10, 2023
• There is also a video version of this podcast:
• Travelogue:
• HAPPY VETERANS' DAY TO PETE AND GRAYSON AND TO ALL THE OTHER VETERANS WHO ARE LISTENING.
• Trip out to San Francisco. Sticker placed on the corner of Haight and Ashbury: See picture below. Note other sticker. Really Groovy!
• Cuban Cacharreo! Andy CO2AFV's Knack Story
• Bill's DXCC-100. DONE.
• Tribal Wisdom: W1REX on HRWB
• Pete's Bench:
• Pete's 6BA6 rig
• Pete Re-invents the Shirt-pocket SSB Rig
• ete's remake of the ShirtSleeve Transceiver
• Pete Builds Two Computers
• Pete Adds a Second Band to his Homebrew SDR
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• BEZOS BUCKS ARE BACK! PLEASE BUY THERE! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
• Mostly DIY RF: Work proceeds in the Oregon Silicon Forest on P3ST kit development. Todd is confident the P3ST will be released on December 18th.Many other kits available now:
• Sign up for the newsletter:
• Bill's Bench:
• Rebuild of the 15-10 VFO (for improved Dial Spread) (with yet another QF-1 capacitor)
• Why Building for 10 meters is harder:
• Copper Tape shielding of 15-10 rig.
• Crushing Spurs with Better Bandpass Filters (see blog post)
• Another 15-10 rig in the works... for SSSS. Boards are accumulating...
• More problems discovered with the Herring Aid 5 Receiver . Lots of SS blog posts Comment from Rick WD5L. ) Did you try to build one? Did you succeed or did you fail? Please let us know.
• The Basil Mahon books (blog posts)
• The Sunburst and Luminary book of Don Eyles (blog posts)
• The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill (blog posts)
• Spectrum Analysers: Tiny SA Ultra and Polarad 632C-1; George WB5OYP gave me one of these spectrum analysers (I NEED a manual! Does anyone have a manual or a schematic? ) :
• Polarad 632C-1
• Stabilizing the EB63A (with Pete recommended LP filters from e-Bay.
• MAILBAG:
• TRANSISTOR MAN T-SHIRTS! Thanks to Roy WN3F!
• Todd VE7BPO on AF amplifiers. Thanks Todd.
• Wes W7ZOI -- Always a privilege to exchange e-mail with Wes.
• E-mail from Jay Rusgrove W1VD. About the Herring Aid 5.
• E-mail from Eamon Skelton EI9GQ! Amazing!
• HB2HB with Denny VU2DGR
• Nick M0NTV on diode matching for ring mixers:
• Paul Taylor VK3HN on the new Elecraft CW rig.
• Dean KK4DAS fixed the noise in his Hallicrafters SW receiver. A long battle, finally won.
• Dean also in contact with G3UUR.
• Ramakrishnan VU2JXN helping me set up a backup of blog on WordPress.
• Andreas DL1AJG - Crystal radio video.
• George N2APB on the Herring Aid 5
• Grayson KJ7UM experimenting with Varactors and Thermatrons!
• Thomas K4SWL on Mattia's DC receiver.
• Bob Weaver of Dial Bandspread Linearity fame. Electron Bunker
• Mike Bryce WB8VGE QRP Hall of famer -- he too couldn't get the Herring Aid 5 working.
• Kirk NT0Z wrote about the Wayback machine. But this former ARRL staffer he also tried and failed to get the Herring Aid 5 going. Way back when...
• September 4, 2023
• Audio:

SolderSmoke Episode 248

▶ Watch on YouTube

• September 4, 2023
• Video: (800) SolderSmoke Podcast #238 -- Spurs and Filters, S-meters, 6BA6 mania, Shirt-pocket rigs, Mailbag - YouTube
• Travelogue: Trip to the Dominican Republic 3-9 August. Thinking about the M0NTV video on mixers...
• Solder Smoke Shack South is almost done. I am thinking about workbenches, operating tables and antennas. How high should an electronics workbench be? Table height? Or workbench (woodwork) height?
• My son and I went to see "Oppenheimer" Trinity test scene very cool. They wanted to see if the gadget would work!
• Is the SolderSmoke blog completely archived on the WayBack Machine? Please check and let me know. Thanks.
• Bill's Bench:
• I've been working a lot of DX with the homebrew rigs: Indonesia, Australia, Japan, Hawaii. Lots of fun. 15 meters has been especially good. But the rigs still need work:
• M0NTV's video got me to put TinySA to work. I found that output from dual banders could be improved. Spurs and harmonics. Yuck. I need more TinySA -- ordered the TinySA Ultra.
• Allison KB1GMX helped a lot. EB63A amp was unstable, especially on 10 meters. Higher frequencies are harder! Tightened up shielding, negative feedback, and bypassing. This all helped, but I found that I needed to take the higher frequency LP filters out of the amplifier box. W3NQN filters are better, with steeper skirts and better 2nd harmonic rejections. NanoVNA proving very useful.
• Also worked on the Bandpass filters for these rigs. Farhan's comments on skirts of different filter configurations. Some are "LSB" filters (with steeper skirt at the highest freq) and some are "USB" filters (with the steeper skirt at the lower frequency) See diagrams on the blog page. So I built USB new filters for 12 meters and for 10 meters.
• Danger that my unshielded wooden box rigs might be inviting feedback. So I shielded the 1510 rig with copper guitar amp tape (conductive adhesive). Good stuff.
• Phase Noise rears its ugly head again. See blog posts.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• Mostly DIY RF getting ready to release PsssT kits. Target date: December 18, 2023 (E Howard Armstrong's birthday).
• Amazon Search box seems to have died. I can't get it back. Can anyone tell me what happened? (There seems to be "explanations" from Amazon about this, but they are written in a strange language that I cannot follow.) Something similar happened with the Google Ads on this blog page. Apparently you can't have ads both on YouTube and blogger.
• But hey, there is Patreon for those who want to support the podcast and blog.
• Pete's Bench
• An S-meter for Bill?
• 6BA6 Mania!
• QRP SSB with 6BA6
• Shirtpocket rig re-build
• Mailbag:
• Walter KA4KXX has a great article about homebrewing in the September 2023 QCWA Journal.
• Steve KC1QAY -- Has joined the CBLA. I sent him a 3579 crystal. He built a MMM and experienced JOO. And Allison KB1GMX is in his local radio club. TRGHS.
• Ajay VU2TGG in Pune, India -- launching a high school receiver effort.
• Denny VU2DGR The Wizard of Kerala:
• Joe VK4BYER working with kids a remote Australian community. FB.
• Todd K7ZF -- Wants to get into homebrewing. Advised him to start small.
• Dean KK4DAS: Fixing Hallicrafters Worldwide RX. Ciudad Trujillo! Got question from Mark in the VWS Makers Group: HOW DOES Michigan Mighty Mite REALLY Work. See blog.
• Trevor Woods -- Info on Super Islander Mark IV made in Cuba from old CFL bulbs. FB.
• Bob KD4EBM sent me some great stuff: Sony SW receiver, QCX Mini. Made a CW contact with the QCX. Felt virtuous -- it is going to the DR. Thanks Bob.
• Peter KD2OMV: One of the guys I worked with the ET-2 transceiver. Great to hear from him.
• Armand WA1UQO Richmond area radio museum?
• Mike WN2A -- Sent me a great care package with lots of toroids. A lifetime supply! Thanks Mike!
• Nate KA1MUQ got his Doug DeMaw receiver going after 38 years! FB. Been there, done that!
• Tony: G4WIF Liked Valveman video about Gerald Wells. He visited him!
• Dean KL7MA Bill talked to him on 15 SSB. He had worked Wes W7ZOI! FB!
• June 8. 2023
• Audio Podcast:

SolderSmoke Episode 247

▶ Watch on YouTube

• June 30, 2023
• Video: (482) SolderSmoke 247 -- Hating on the IC-7300, Pete goes FT8 (with a KWM-1), Bill's 15-10 rig, Mailbag - YouTube
• Bill’s Bench:
• The 15-10 Dual Bander.
• n 10 pole crystal filter at 25 MHz.
• n G3UUR, Dishal, AADE and all that..
• n Testing woes. Looked bad. But it was a bad test cable. Duh.
• n VFO (Colpitts) at around 3.5 MHz.
• n Buffer blues: Bad J-310s. Beware!
• n Variable cap from a Heath Q Multiplier
• n A bit of a black art – competing goals. Freq coverage, etc.
• n BFO needed an amp to turn on the diodes in the balanced modulator
• n TIA amps. SIX dual direction TIAs. 18 transistors.
• n On a pine board (like Frank Jones)
• n Will use the N6QW all discrete AF amp.
• n Maybe an RD16 in the final?
• n Will build a second one for the DR.
• Shameless Commerce: Mostly DIY RF and the PSSST kit. Todd K7TFC reports: “The P3ST is on track for Lee Deforest's birthday release (August 26th). I'm going to send out another newsletter on July 4th, and I'll give some details on P3ST development.” Results of Todd’s Survey.
• Pete’s Bench
• n FT-8 on the KWM-1!
• n Presentation to the ham club.
• n Why the Icom 7300 is the anti-thesis of homebrew.
• MMAILBAG:
• SPRAT 195 Summer 2023, in the mailbox. A happy day at N2CQR
• Armand WA1UQO sent a wonderful book about Faraday and Maxwell… And told me Jim K8OI was heading to our area. I met Jim at the VWS Field Day event. FB. Thanks Armand.
• Tony G4WIF sent Father’s Day greetings.
• Alvin N5VZH asking about electrolytics for his 2-B. Hayseed Hamfest!
• John AC2RL replacements for the IBEW. We need to start over!
• Steve “Snort Rosin” Smith WB6TNL was in the area. Sorry I missed him.
• Joh DL6ID helping us to track down origins of a homebrew receiver Grayson saw in Berlin.
• Grayson KJ7UM was in Europe visiting his wife’s relatives. But I think he is back in the USA.
• Walter KA4KXX sent a QRP HB family portrait.
• Wouter ZS1KE sent info on surface mount soldering.
• George Zaff KJ6VU Ham Radio Workbench – re-runs! Recommended audio processor. Let me know how it sounds.
• Michael AA1TJ Great to hear from him.
• Alan Wolke W2AEW on the toroids he used in Diode Ring video. Thanks Alan!
• Dean KK4DAS, AI and SWR meter project And new lexicon word: Hamsplaining.
• Bob N7SUR -- Let me know we are semifinalists in the Hack-A-Day prize!
• May 5, 2023
• AUDIO PODCAST:

SolderSmoke Episode 246

▶ Watch on YouTube

• May 5, 2023
• YouTube VIDEO: (247) SolderSmoke Podcast #246: uBITX, Hex Beam, DX, High School DC RX, 10 meter SSB Rig, MAILBAG - YouTube
• The AI Deep Fake Threat! PeteGPT!
• Hearing Aid info: I can hear the cymbals in my audiogram adjusted Airpods.
• Update on the TJ DC RX project – Several receivers working!
• Sunil’s company provides Nano/Si5351 combos. With the KD8CEC software. Very cool. They have a new SSB dual band transceiver – the Airpal.
• Mark AJ6CU helping me. Sent me Nanos with KD8CEC software. His uBITX Settings Editor seems very cool. Thanks Mark.
• Franklin Oscillators.
• Cuban Islander and Jaguey info. Send more!
• Fixing up uBITX 2 How Bill blew up TWO Raduino Nanos. My results with the KB1GMX mods. (see below)
• Hex Beam work: Adding 10 and 15 meter elements. But now I can hear AM breakthrough from WFAX 1220 AM (5 kW during the day), So I made a high pass filter.
• Made first contacts on 15 and 10: Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic.
• First contacts with both India VU3TPW and China BA4TB. SSB homebrew.
• sBITX news. Taking orders!
• Pete’s 10 Meter SSB Project
• Mailbag:
• Wes W7ZOI provided great info and analysis on the Franklin oscillator. And lots of great tech info on other topics: Thanks Wes!
• Lex PH2LB. uBITX mods. TO-18 Heatsinks. New stickers (see above).
• Kostos SV3ORA and Hans G0UPL about the Franklin Oscillator.
• Listening to HRWB 178: Great stuff, many old friends: George KJ6VU moved to Oregon. Thomas K4SWL on the show. Ben, an old friend of Pete’s, mentions John Zaruba K2ZA – the guy who gave me the DX-100. Wonderful connections.
• Thanks to Todd VE7BPO for sending me another AADE LC meter. I need it for the SSSS.
• Nick MONTV planning a 15/10 meter dualband SSB rig. Me too! See video.
• Trevor Woods in W. Australia – The portrait in Artie Moore’s shack. Chuck WB9KZY – Willam Ramsay
• LA6NCA Helge three tube RX. Regen or DC? Mike Masterson WN2A and I discuss.
• Mike WU2D video on Retro QRP rigs – Steve G0FUW discusses Severn rig long in the works –started 1983 and nearly finished!
• Tim Hunkin of Secret Life fame did video with speaker made from potato ship bag. Discussed with Tony G4WIF and others. Also, Tim has an amazing video on cutting holes in metal. On the SolderSmoke blog.
• Bob Crane W8SX will be covering FDIM for SolderSmoke!
• Glen VE3DNL working on a more sophisticated DC RX.
• Craig KC2LFI from the beach on Grand Cayman. FB.
• Steve EI5DD reports We have changed our name - The May Issue of the HAM RADIO IRELAND Magazine, Ireland’s only independent magazine for the Radio Experimenter:
• Mike EI0CL on 15 meters with Dean KK4DAS. FB
• Howard N3FEL of the Penn Wireless Association wants to do a group build of a DC RX.
• Martin LW9DTR in Buenos Aires looking for help with the code for an AD9850
• Todd K7TFC – always helping other homebrewers.
• Really thoughtful message from Kevin WN7Z
• April 1 (!) 2023
• Audio Podcast:

SolderSmoke Episode 245

▶ Watch on YouTube

• April 1, 2023
• Video: (68) SolderSmoke #245: Cuban DSB, DC Receiver?, AI, Winterfest Loot, Gina's Podcast, 6BA6 buy, MAILBAG - YouTube
• Travelogue: Cuba DSB and AM. Jose CO6EC and the Islander. We need more info, especially on the solid state Jaguey rig.
• Bill’s bench:
• Will the High School DC receivers get finished? Future uncertain. But the project was technically interesting. Great working with Dean KK4DAS. Battling AM breakthrough from Radio Marti. We joked that Dean has been listening to Radio Marti so much that even though he doesn’t speak Spanish, he has noticed an increased urge to liberate Havana.
• Audio amps: Harder than we thought. Lots of variation in Hfe of 2n3904s. Oscillations.
• Not using feedback amps nor LM386s, nor push-pull. Simplicity is a design goal.
• Fixing the tuning (bandspread) problem on the VFO was fun.
• Antennas? A quarter wave with ground or counterpoise works well. We tried it. (59) An Antenna for the TJ 40 Direct Conversion Receiver - YouTube
• Back to work on the uBITX. I chickened out on replacing the predriver with a BFR-106, but then – Just in time Todd K7TFC and his Mostly DIYRF came out with BFR106 boards! TRGHS. I will do the mods on two uBITX transceivers. I even bought a solder-sucking iron for the second job.
• Winterfest Hamfest. Big success. Thanks VWS. HERRING AID FIVE! Simpson 260! QF-1, Another Radio Shack DMM, Eamon Skelton’s Homebrew Cookbook, Knobs, SWR meter.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE:
• Todd’s Mostly DIY RF and the BFR106 boards, and much more:
• Become a Patreon sponsor of SolderSmoke:
• Pete's Bench:
• Technical Note: Skype problems. Pete's Skype kept dropping out. Bad in the last podcast (#244). Three minute gap. I was ready to scrap the whole podcast when Dean KK4DAS offered to help. And he is obviously well qualified: Dean went to work with AI. And he was able to fill the audio and the video gaps. Can you spot the three minutes of AI? Send me an e-mail with the time segment of the AI/Deep Fake portion of SolderSmoke 244. The first one with the correct answer will win a prize.
• Thanks Dean!
• Interview on his Pete's daughter’s podcast.
• 6BA6 e-bay buy. Will we see an all 6BA6 rig from Pete?
• The NCX-5 on e-bay
• PETE’S NEW BLOG:
• Mailbag:
• A New SPRAT arrived in the mail. PH2LB’s Gluestick on the cover.
• Will KI4POV – Awesome homebrew – on the blog.
• Sands, VK9WX listening to SolderSmoke on Willis Island! Wow.
• Andreas DL1AJG in Germany continues with the Electronics for Biologists DC RX build.
• Dean KK4DAS and his homebrew 10 meter DSB rig.
• Jim W2UO built a Michigan Mighty Mite and made a contact.
• Dave K8WPE and the E in IBEW. We need new stickers.
• Bob KC4LB – Surface Mount is SMALL.
• Bruce KK0S on the Herring Aid 5 Board.
• Chuck WB9KZY on Nuclear Monopole Resonance very cool video – on the blog.
• Alan WA9IRS wants a CW editor for his phone. Really.
• Vic WA4THR also working on uBITX power out improvement.
• Tobias weighs in on Kludge. As in Fudge.
• Tony G4WIF notes that when he changes his oil he often removes sludge, not slooge.
• Consultations with Lexicographer Steve KB3SII.
• Walt AJ6T says CW operating declined after FCC ruling in 1970s about callsigns.
• Ramakrishnan VU3RDD now VU2JXN has joined the VWS. An old friend of SolderSmoke. Urged us to launch a blog back in 2008. We announced his daughter’s birth - - now Ram is getting ready to build a DC receiver with her.
• March 7, 2023

SolderSmoke Episode 244

• March 7, 2023
• Video version at:
• (118) SolderSmoke - YouTube
• HE’S BACK! HOORAY! PETE JULIANO N6QW IS BACK! SOLDERSMOKE COMMUNITY WAS SENT INTO A COLLECTIVE FUNK BY PETE’S ABSENCE. ---------------- Pete’s TR-7 (SEE VIDEO ABOVE) CK722 The BFR106
• Pete's new blog:
• Update on the high school project: Mixers made. Harder than they seemed.
• First QSO with the DC RX. Allan W4AMV Homebrewer TRGHS Ten Minute Transmitter – Better than the MMM! AF4K (SK) crystals.
• Other supporting projects: Farhan in Hyderabad. Rick N3FJZ, Walter KA4KXX, Andreas DL1AJG Electronics for Biologists. Peter Marks VK3TPM (fighting the siren call of the Si5351) . Steven VK2BLQ built a beautiful one. Daniel VE5DLD will build three of them with his students. Orlando PY2ANE is building one in Brazil. This week: The Bandpass Filter. (Thank you Hans Summers)
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: BECOME A PATRON VIA PATREON. I am posting some fun stuff for the Patrons. AMAZON SHOPPING ADS Now on both the left and right columns. CHECK OUT Mostly DIY RF in the right hand column.
• My HP8640B Lives to Fight another day. Two new DMMs A low-end Fluke and a AstroAI 6000 Electrolytic Replacement Controversy Continues
• Mailbag: -- Dave AA7EE is blogging again! Yea! -- Mike Rainey AA1TJ back in the Hobbit Hole Building a WWVB receiver. -- Farhan is coming to FDIM. -- Tony G4WIF reminds us that 39 bucks for JUST a 60 MHz counter would be great! -- Dave VE3EAC again helped me fix my HP8640B. -- Dean KK4DAS finalizing 10 meter DSB rig. FB. Upgraded my NanoVNA. -- Mike KD4MM giving me a Nano VNA for the SolderSmoke Shack South. -- Ian VK3LA asked what happened to Chuck Adams content. Good question. -- Don ND6T and I have been discussing envelope detection. -- Nick M0NTV working on AM modulators. He has a new video. -- Ciprian YO6DXE built a Ten Minute Transmitter. -- Steve EI5DD Connacht Regional News:
• February 10, 2023

SolderSmoke Episode 243

▶ Watch on YouTube

• February 10, 2023
• Video here: (32) SolderSmoke Podcast 243 (video) Hi7/N2CQR, uBITX, Success with High School Receiver Project - YouTube
• Pete N6QW had technical difficulties this morning. He insisted that the show must go on. Pete will be back for the next episode.
• Travelogue:
• Bill in the Dominican Republic for all of January.
• HI7/N2CQR Eastern tip of the island. uBITX and dipoles.
• 20, 17, 10. CW and SSB. SSB was tough and I had reports of RF getting into the signal.
• Went to CW.
• Worked VWS Mike KA4CDN, and Walter KA4KXX on 20CW.
• Finally moved up to 10 CW. Lots of contacts. Even though uBITX very QRP on ten.
• I am modifying the uBITX now.
• Copper tape shielding to keep RF out.
• Low power out not the fault of the IRF-510s. The problem is the 2N3904s.
• Will replace with 2N2222 in To-18 cans.
• Dean KK4DAS putting KD8CEC software into Arduino. I gave up.
• Who sent me this orphan uBITX?
• SolderSmoke Shack South in final phase of construction.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• Patreon!
• Bezos Shopping!
• DC Receiver Project
• Local High School radio club.
• Simple: Like Herring Aid 5 and Wes’s original.
• Farhan’s four stages:
• BP Filter, Diode Ring, PTO, AF amp.
• Simple Colpitts PTO SURPRISINGLY STABLE.
• Simple and easy. No chips. No complicated circuits.
• Guys have helped test out the design: Rick N3FJZ, Walter KA4KXX,
• Daniel VE5DLD, Stephen VK2BLQ and others.
• First session last night: We demonstrated build of the PTOs.
• They worked (thank God).
• Open Circuits book.
• Envelope Detection Controversy
• Save the Antenna – Book “Losing the Nobel Prize” K1JT
• MAILBAG
• Dean KK4DAS 10 meter DSB! Tiny SA ULTRA! FB
• John AC2RL on Elmer W3PHL DSB guy
• AC3K reports inventor of Fender Stratocaster guitar was a ham: W6DOE
• AF8E was doing POTA. I worked him. He said my rig had presence. FB
• Alain F4IET FB DSB rig with mic in Cigar can!
• Daryl N0DP worked him on SSB. He is homebrewing
• Steve N8NM was in for repairs but is on the mend.
• Rick G6AKG working with sub-harmonic mixers and logic chips
• Paul HS0ZLQ Built DC receiver but looking for something else to build. No DSB!
• Steve AB4I – Coherer, Jagadish Chandra Bose, and Marconi
• Eldon KC5U Worked VK5QD right after me and mentioned SolderSmoke FB
• Todd K7TFC is building the DC RX.
• Tony G4WIF and Ian G3ROO using automotive relays for antenna switching. FB.
• Dave WA1LBP Great to hear from my fellow Hambassador (Okinawa)
• Older post comments:
• Scott VO1DR was also in CF Rockey’s class! (Blog comment)
• Aurora Aug 4, 1972: Twelve people shared memories. (Blog comment)
• Will WN1SLG Googled novice call and was led to my Novice log.(Blog comment)
• Dec 3, 2022
• Audio podcast:

SolderSmoke Episode 242

▶ Watch on YouTube

• Video: (362) SolderSmoke Podcast #242 December 3, 2022 - YouTube
• Travelogue:
• Mars at opposition. Not as good as 2020 (see charts below)
• SSSS Prep
• Hearing aids and high frequency loss.
• AirPods as hearing aids.
• Out in the Shenandoah with a Baofeng.
• Success among TJ High School students.
• Satellite in space?
• PARTSCANDY
• Bill's Bench:
• Direct Conversion Receiver: IT IS ALIVE! EVEN IN LTSPICE
• PTO works very well.
• Diode ring -- really needs a diplexer, Radio Marti.
• AF amplifier simplicity.
• But WHY can't you listen to DSB on a DC receiver? Now I know.
• How does a diode detector work? Is the envelope real? Is it square law?
• The benefits of writing... 1967 and 1966 articles on PTOs and 2Qs.
• Shameless Commerce Division:
• MOSTLY DIY RF! NEWS FROM PORTLAND! Get your free Michigan Mighty Mite.
• YouTube Goal Reached. Thanks! Keep watching. Subscribe!
• Keep buying from Bezos using the link on the right-hand column of the blog page.
• Become a Patreon sponsor! Left hand column of blog page.
• I have ads on the blog page, but I have configured to avoid troublesome ads -- dating sites, etc.
• Pete's Bench
• Stepper motor, LCD and Arduino for my little DC RX?
• SDR Console
• PSSST, BOMS, Schematics and spoon feeding...
• Proficio SDR by Multus
• 8 meters?
• Mailbag
• Alan Yates VK2ZAY now also W7ZAY PTOs, trivial motors, a broken ankle...
• Dhaka Jack AI4SV formerly of Cyprus, Madagascar and Northern Virginia. has moved to France!
• John WB5OAU/K5MO An old friend. FMLA as "Glowbugs Noir"
• Dale Parfitt W4OP on the Homebrew 2Q from 1967
• Nick M0NTV Glue Sticks, PTOs, DC receivers and AM breakthrough testing.
• Todd K7TFC suggests “cool” names for DC RX PT Cruiser? PT109? PT73?
• Levi replacing Selenium diodes in a Globe VFO. I am not alone!
• Juanjo EC5ACA wants to build DC RX . FB.
• Dave designed a discrete LM386. Picked up by Jenny at HackaDay. Can you build this?
• George Zaff. HamRadio Workbench Spiritual Brother of SolderSmoke.
• Alain F4IET -- Still building DC receiver. FB. Sorry I got the call wrong.
• Drew N7DA Building Pixies with 3D forms.
• Toni G6XMO in Sheffield getting a 3D printer business going:
• Chuck KE5HPW restoring an old SW-54. Pete is skeptical.
• Lex and Jesse like Colin's placement of WYKSYCDS sticker on his Homebrew rig.
• Jim KI4THZ joined the Vienna Wireless Society -- FB on the faculty at GMU
• Tony G4WIF suggested mechanical counter for DC RX PTO freq readout. I have some in the junk box.
• Our old friend Jonathan-san in W0XO now a Patreon sponsor. Origato!
• Thomas K4SWL sent him video of Tiny SA watching Vatican Radio sign off for the day.
• Farhan and Chuck Penson liked blog post about Heathkit Digital Rig SS-8000 1978!
• Ed KC8SBV working on DC receivers -- I recently used the Peppermint Bark box he sent.
• Old friend Bob KD4EBM on the linearization of the R-390s. Hard to homebrew one of those!
• George from VWS trying to figure out how (if?) Marconi got his coherer to work DX...
• Steve EI5DD sends Connaught Radio news:
• Won’t have another Podcast until the new year so Happy Holidays to all! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!
• Oct 28, 2022
• Audio (podcast):

SolderSmoke Episode 241

▶ Watch on YouTube

• Video (YouTube): (215) SolderSmoke Podcast #241 October 28, 2022 - YouTube
• Introduction:
• Back on Mars. Opposition approaching. I have a Mars filter. And (like T.O.M.) a Mars globe.
• N2CQR DXCC done
• SolderSmoke in the WayBack Machine
• Sticker news
• PARTS CANDY -- Don't Scrimp with a Crimp!
• Bill's Bench
• School DC RX projects -- in Hyderabad and Northern Virginia.
• Direct Conversion Receivers -- Keeping it Simple, Learning a Lot. A step beyond the Michigan Mighty Mite. Do we really need 100db? Do we really need to shield VFOs? Farhan's super-simple and stable Colpitts PTO. Audio amps, 1000-8 transformers and rolling your own LM386
• PTOs and Glue Stick PTOs. Paul Clark WA1MAC. Brass vs. Steel bolts. #20 thread vs. #28 thread. Backlash Blues. The best Glue Sticks.
• 2 meters and the VWS. Bill has a Baofeng.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE: MOSTLY DIY RF
• Pete's Bench
• 20th Anniversary of the BITX20 Pete's early BITX rigs.
• Computer Woes
• The Multus Proficio SDR rig
• Simple SSB in China BA7LNN
• Things of beauty: Tempo One, NCX-3 and a SBE-33
• MAILBAG
• NS7V is listening.
• Graham G3MFJ sent SPRAT on a stick.
• Nick M0NTV FB Glue Stick and 17 Shelf videos.
• Dino KL0S HP8640 Junior
• Mark AA7TA Read the SolderSmoke Book
• Steve EI5DD Connaught (Ireland) Regional News
• Dave K8WPE Planting the seeds of ham radio interest
• Peter VK3YE Ruler idea on PTO frequency readout
• Michael AG5VG Glue Stick PTO
• Tobias A polymath with UK and Italy connections. And cool tattoos.
• Alain F4EIT French DC receiver
• Michael S. was in USMC, working on PCM/TDM gear
• Alan Yates writes up Amazon transformer problem
• Todd VE7BPO, Dale W4OP, Wes W7ZOI
• Farhan VU2ESE sent me an sBITX
• Todd K7TFC The Revenge of Analog
• Jim Olds Building QRP HB gear
• Monday September 19, 2022

SolderSmoke Episode 240

• September 19, 2022
• Sorry, I had some technical difficulties so my audio is a bit distorted.
• NIMCELS? Niche Internet Micro Celebrities. I dunno.... Can our listeners come up with an acronym that describes our place in the universe?
• Sponsors: Parts Candy. Carlos in Chicago. Great leads. Don't scrimp with a crimp! You need some good quality test leads on your workbench. Get yours from Carlos. Click on the picture on the blog page or go to PartsCandy on e-bay.
• "Techno Wizardry"? Our lawyers at Dewey Cheatham and Howe will be after them for that!
• Bill's Bench:
• Hex Beam has made me a DXer. 91 countries. Having fun. Mozambique (Long path), San Andres island, and Saudi Arabia, all on Friday. All homebrew SSB 100 watts.
• Put my old 20 meter CW station back on the air: Barebones superhet and the VXO 6 watter. WYKSYCDS. This may be one of very few CBLA Receivers in the world!
• Been getting active in the Vienna Wireless Society. Dean KK4DAS is President and a lot is happening in the Club. Makers group. Lunch with the group on Tuesdays. Lots of fun.
• We are looking at Farhan’s Daylight Again Analog rig. Using parts from Dean’s 3D printer, we have made PTOs. See blog post for picture. (But are they really PTOs? Or just Variable Inductors?)
• VFO madness. Solid stating an HT-37 VFO. Grayson: “You have clearly lost your mind.” Perhaps. 100 MHz FM broadcast RFI. This brought me to capacitors and linear tuning:
• SLC, SLW, SLF and Midline/Centerline caps. Do special caps explain why some VFOs have linear tuning while others do not? NO, not really. You can get linear tuning with ordinary caps. See blog post
• Working on the bench. Reading Adam Savage’s book on workshops and tools. (link to the book in the right hand column of the blog. Some other workbench links on the blog. Upgrading tools and test gear. I have a proper bench power supply. Better side cutters. Engineering rulers. Digital calipers. Better solder (I was talking to Ron WA6YOU – a real solder authority - about this. Kester 60/40 ).
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• mostlydiyrf.com
• Currently offering seven items:
• ·UDVBM-1 (in three versions)
• ·PG-TIA Broadband IF Amplifier
• ·TIA-AGC IF Amplifier
• ·Dual-Gate MOSFETs
• ·OA741D Op-Amp (discrete components)
• ·8-Pole QER Crystal Filter
• ·I2C Rotary Encoder
• Three more are shown as coming soon:
• ·GP Audio Amp (general-purpose audio amp)
• ·HyCas IF Amplifier with AGC
• ·M-Cubed (Michigan Mighty Mite kit)
• ·Mostly DIY RF offers hardware for hardware-defined radio. That's not a comment on software-defined radio. SDR is cool and useful, and it has its place.
• ·In fact, I believe in explicitly making use of technology from all eras (vacuum tubes, discrete semiconductors, and integrated circuits
• ·What does "mostly" DIY mean? It means making what you want and using ready-made for the rest. Even the most fanatic DIY'ing home brewer does this without much thought. He uses components he didn't fabricate, electricity he didn't generate, and theoretical knowledge he didn't discover. One can't fight all battles, one has to choose which to fight and which to leave to others. If an appliance-operating Ham doesn't want to fight at all, that's okay, but Mostly DIY RF has nothing to offer him.
• I need YouTube viewing hours. So I am putting some of the best SolderSmoke podcasts up on the YouTube channel. Please listen/watch on YouTube. Here is the playlist:
• Google feed no longer sending our e-mails. So please follow the blog, Get yourself a blog feed reader. I use Feedly. It is free. Download, search in Feedly for SolderSmoke, hit subscribe and you are done. Follow Pete’s blog too! It is easy.
• Pete’s Bench
• Resurrections:
• SBE-33!
• TenTEC Model 540
• KWM-1
• Mailbag:
• Dan KC5VPI getting into homebrewing. No longer WRONG!
• Michael AG5VG built subharmonic DC receiver, put it on 40 and 20. FB.
• Mike AA9IL working on old tube stuff including a DX-100 AMD UUHF gear up to 122GHz.
• Ed WA4MZS liked the SolderSmoke book. USCG vet. As is Mike Rainey AA1TJ Semper Paratus!
• Clint KA7OEI – The Music of the Beams – My Hex does not sing! So far!
• Walter KA4KXX – The Knack started early. Video of getting a toolbox for Christmas. And working on PTOs! He likes them!
• Phillip G4HOJ Also working with subharmonic mixers – using the more complex 4 diode version.
• Peter GW4ZUA Built an amazing rig from RADCOM (1980s) Cool VFO with varactor fine tuning and a coil with a dust core that was cut in half to minimize temp effect. Box now holds 3 band version of Pete’s SimpleCeiver. FB.
• Bruce KC1FSZ building 25 Watt amp for his Peppermint Bark rigs. We won’t turn him in to the QRP authorities.
• Grayson KJ7UM tested the 12BY7A from my DX-100 VFO. It was in fact weak. Thanks Grayson.
• Charles Smith KV4JT has some really interesting stuff on how to solid state tube gear. Especially R-390s.
• Gianfranco I0ZY Old friend from Rome. Amplifier manufacturer. FB.
• Paul WA1MAC getting started again after long hiatus.
• Vasily.. I mean Todd VE7BPO. Always great tech info. Thanks.
• Mark WB8YMV building a superhet with a 455 kc IF.
• I sent Farhan some comments on his Daylight Again video: He wrote back “I marvel at their stamina to watch an hour long video of a man talking with a funny accent!”
• August 5, 2022

SolderSmoke Episode 239

• August 5, 2022
• TRAVELOGUE:
• James Webb Space Telescope. Mars returning to opposition in early December.
• BILL'S BENCH
• Hex Beam K4KIO - on roof – TV Rotor – 20-17-12 Lots of fun. Working Japan regularly, Australia, South Africa on long path 17,000 miles. 52 countries SSB since July 11.
• VFOs and Temp stabilization. Dean KK4DAS found my ceramic resonator VFO for DC receiver drifty. He was right. So I built a real LC Colpitts VFO. Got me into temp stabilization. A new hobby! An obsession. HT-37 and Ht-32 parts. Ovens? WU2D’s second VFO video. Understanding thermal drift and how to address it. Split stator caps. Cut and try.
• Built a Polyakov DC Receiver. Lauser Plus. Lauser = Imp or Young Rascal! DK2RS. He used a ceramic Resonator VXO at 3.58 MHz. Mine works great on 40 with VFO running 3.5 -- 3.65 MHz. See schematic below.
• On 40 AM with DX-100 and MMMRX. DX-100 died. 12BY7 VFO buffer went bad. How common is failure in this tube type? Nice QSO with Tim WA1HLR about the DX-100.
• Got my Dominican license: HI7/N2CQR! SSSS on the way. Thanks to Radio Club Dominicano and INDOTEL.
• Getting more active in the Vienna Wireless Society.
• BOOK REVIEW:
• "The History of the Universe in 21 Stars” by Giles Sparrow. Written during the pandemic. Published by Welbeck, in London. Also: From “Atoms to Amperes” by F.A. Wilson available for download. See blog.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• Todd K7TFC getting ready to launch “Mostly DIY RF.” I used his TIA boards in my 1712 rig. He will have boards like this and much more. Stay tuned.
• I need more viewers on YouTube. They want 4,000 hours IN A CALENDAR YEAR! Please watch!
• FARHAN’S NEW “DAYLIGHT AGAIN” RIG. Analog. VFO. Comments, observations. We need to get him on the podcast. Maybe two shows: SDR and HDR.
• PETE'S BENCH
• Time very limited. But still sharing lots of tribal wisdom.
• Wireless set with tubes!
• Tool recommendation – Air compressor
• MAILBAG:
• Farhan VU2ESE – Speaking of big antennas “Whenever I look at the huge construction cranes in Hyderabad, I always think how one could make 160m, 4 element yagi using it as a boom..”
• Todd K7TFC in Spain, spotting Log Periodics in Madrid.
• Andreas DL1AJG: Can Biologists fix Radios?
• Janis AB2RA Wireless Girl. Expert on Hammarlunds. And was my first contact with the Tuna Tin 2. She too was HB!
• Peter Parker VK3YE on Owen Duffy VK1OD
• Lex PH2LB on homebrew radio
• Would this really be homebrew? Mail from H-A-D article on FM receiver
• F4IET a DSB rig from France
• Ciprian got his ticket YO6DXE
• Josh G3MOT sent us a good video about the Vanguard satellite and IGY.
• Dave Wilcox K8WPE bought Chuck Penson’s Heathkit book.
• Rogier -- So many great articles and links from PA1ZZ
• Bill AH6FC Aloha. Retiring. Wants to build. Mahalo!
• Grayson KJ7UM Working on an Si5351. Gasp.
• Mike KE0TPE viewing YouTube while monitoring 6 meters. He will have a lot of time to watch!
• Chris KD4PBJ spotted Don KM4UDX from VWS FB
• Mark WB8YMV building a superhet. Having trouble with 455 kc IF can filter.
• Walter KA4KXX Great comment on the Daylight Again rig.
• Ramakrishnan Now VU2JXN was VU3RDD. Found lost Kindle with SolderSmoke book on it. Building SDR rig from junk box. Trouble with the LM386.
• Pete, Farhan and Tony: Shelves of Shame
• June 17, 2022

SolderSmoke Episode 238

• June 17, 2022
• TRAVELOGUE:
• Cathartic decluttering: Bill preparing for future winter travel to Dominican Republic. Will build SolderSmoke Shack South. Dividing everything up: Rigs, parts, tools, supplies, antennas, test gear. Everything.
• OUR SPONSOR: Parts Candy. Premium quality test leads! Hand cut, hand crimped, hand soldered, these will become your new favorite test leads GUARANTEED!
• PETE'S BENCH:
• Cycle 25 better? – Out here on the left coast – it is not evident
• Chiquita Banana and the US Navy in early ‘wireless” operations. Why RCA was created by the US Navy in 1919.
• Update on the MAX2870 –someone has written the code to make it work with the Raspberry Pi and the QUISK SDR software
• Field Day prep
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION:
• Bill needs your help:
• Please watch his YouTube videos. The longer the better! Success based on hours watched. Great to have on while you are working in the shack. Just go to YouTube and search for the SolderSmoke channel. Or: SolderSmoke - YouTube
• Please put links to the SolderSmoke blog on your websites and blogs.
• How to USE the SolderSmoke Blog: Propagation, shopping, other sites...
• Please put comments under the articles on the SolderSmoke blog. We like comments and dialogue.
• BILL'S BENCH:
• Repair of the Sony ICF SW1 shortwave receiver. Bad electrolytics. Number Station receiving device?
• HQ-100 Q-Multiplier. BFO Switch. AVC. Noise Limiter limitations. Dave K8WPE: Old Radio Lessons.
• MMMRX: Detector circuit. Alignment. Muting. On the air (40 AM with DX-100)
• MAILBAG:
• Bob Crane W8SX -- Great interviews at FDIM. On the SolderSmoke Blog. Thanks Bob!
• Dave Bamford W2DAB -- Stickers on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. FB Dave!
• Farhan VU2ESE: LADPAC software now available through W7ZOI' site.
• Lex PH2LB: Stickers in a Netherlands pub.
• Dave K8WPE Michigan Mighty Mite links. Old Smoke idea. On the SolderSmoke blog.
• Rich WB4TLM was in the electronics class of CF Rockey W9SCH. FB.
• Dean KK4DAS Working on his dad's HQ-170A. VWS maker group on mixers.
• Grayson KJ7UM -- Mixology article in ER.
• Pete Eaton -- Farhan's new analog rig: Daylight again! Standby for more info from Farhan.
• Will KI4POV New HB Al Fresco single conversion superhet. FB.
• Alvin N5VZH. Shep's "I Libertine." Yes. I laughed, I cried, It changed me.
• Chuck KF8TI. Mr. Wizard!
• Steve N8NM on the mend after some routine maintenance.
• Ben AB4EN is listening and likes the podcast -- Thanks Ben.
• May 7, 2022

SolderSmoke Episode 237

• May 7, 2022
• Travelogue -- New York City! Stickers!
• And about that trip to Los Angeles for the SolderSmoke Cable TV show...
• Well, it fit in well with SolderSmoke's UNFORGETTABLE appearance on the Oprah book club.
• And TechieTatts? Daughter worried about listeners rushing to get tattoos -- A risk we were willing to take.
• This episode is sponsored by PartsCandy. GREAT test leads:
• Bill's Bench
• Tracking down Johnny Anderson's 1939 or 1940 homebrew TV receiver.
• Working with Joh DL6ID.
• Jean Shepherd's January 1973 description.
• FlickLives web site and Steve Glazer W2SG have lots of info on Shep and his friends.
• Internet allows us to look at TV articles that were being published.
• We've concluded: Probably 1939 or 1940, using an RCA 913 1 inch CRT tube.
• Lots of ideas from IRE Journal, QST, and Gernsback magazines.
• Quite an achievement! Amazing how much pre-war TV progress there was.
• 17-12 rig
• All boxed up and working DX!
• Figured out how to display both 17 and 12 on the same LED.
• Drain protector for speaker cover. Copper tape to cover horrible cabinet making.
• I think I need a Hex Beam.
• Hammarlund HQ-100
• Needed some maintenance.
• I started to look more closely at it.
• Got the Q-Multiplier to work -- it really adds a lot on CW.
• Makes me feel guilty about all the QF-1s...
• Using the 100kc calibrator with a 455 kc crystal as a BFO,
• keeping Q multiplier below oscillation point.
• Moved the BFO switch to the front panel. Helps a lot.
• Need to fix the S-meter AVC circuitry.
• Much more sturdy than the S-38E.
• S-38E 1957-61 $54.95 5 tubes. AC/DC.
• HQ-100 1956-60 $169 10 or 11 tubes. Power supply, regulator.
• You get what you pay for.
• Pete's Bench
• Jack Purdum and Al Peter's new SDR rig and book (featured on the SS blog Amazon ad).
• JF3HZB's beautiful digi VFO.
• Backpack antenna for Field Day?
• Pipsqueak Disaster -- Too simple?
• Peashooter Eye Candy.
• Build Something Different.
• MAILBAG
• James W0JKG CBLA -- Others are building MMM too!
• SM4WWG // Jörgen Wonderful message. Joined GQRP. No longer "wrong."
• Dennis WC8C Libraries for Max2870 board.
• Jack NG2E Progress on the Right to Repair movement.
• Jim K9JM Someone cutting into our business with Solder candles!
• Chuck WB9KZY Correctly identified the location of the IBEW sticker. As did Dan Random.
• Dave Bamford (who lives nearby) suitably impressed.
• Farhan wrote to us about a video on Don Lancaster. Homebrew keyboards! Yea!
• Dean KK4DAS QRP to the Field. HB2HB 40 SSB QRP I feel virtuous.
• Todd K7TFC likes my ingenious use of the drain screen as the speaker protector on the 17-12 rig.
• Todd had good thoughts on granular approach to homebrewing as seen in the Don Lancaster video.
• Lex PH2LB HORRIFIED by my reverse polarity protection circuit. This is a touchy subject! (as is WD-40!)
• Rogier PA1ZZ sending great info on SWL and numbers stations.
• Jesse N5JHH -- The guy who made the IBEW stickers -- Liked the NYC stickers.
• Steve N8NM has a new antenna article on his blog:
• Randy AB9GO Agrees -- Can't GIVE old 'scopes away.
• Dino SV1IRG Liked the 17-12 rig videos.
• Steve Hartley G0FUW Murphy's Law of Enclosures.
• Ralph AB1OP FB on the 17-12 Rig.
• Roberto XE1GXG --Our correspondent in Guadalajara. Petulant, irritable people on the computer scene.
• Have some gear looking for a good home: Tek 465 'scope from Jim AL7R W8NSA. SBE Transceivers.
• Windsor Signal Generator. Let me know if you are interested and can either pick up or arrange shipping.
• April 1, 2022

SolderSmoke Episode 236

• April 1, 2022
• Winterfest! Many Boatanchors. Lots of old good analog test gear. Talk with Dean KK4DAS. Met up with Armand WA1UQO and Charles AI4OT.
• Pete's Bench:
• Looking for help in software development for MAX2870 board.
• Tapped Capacitance Impedance Matching
• The Pea Shooter (See N2USD's version in videos
• below).
• Tribal Knowledge on Making Enclosures
• Bill's Bench:
• 17-12 Band Imaging SSB Transceiver. It works on both bands.
• Plan for Glowing Numerals (N6QW has been there and done that!)
• WU2D's videos on VFOs.
• Temperature Compensation: HT-37 capacitor. FT-101 VFO, even in the ARC-5 receiver!
• Trying to get more rigorous about receiver design. Gain distribution, IMD, Dynamic Range, etc.
• Do I need a true RMS audio voltmeter? Or can I get the same info from freeware audio spectrum analyzer and soundcard?
• 6EA8s replace 6U8s in MMRX
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: We have a sponsor!
• PARTS CANDY out of Chicago produces quality test leads for your bench. The guy who runs the company is Carlos, and he is one of us. He is an electronic tinkerer. See the ad on the left hand column of the SolderSmoke blog. Just click on the picture of the test leads and you will be taken to Carlos's ebay store. Go for it.
• Mailbag
• Walter KA4KXX in Orlando -- Diodes in BITX Bilats -- Why? Farhan says To prevent reverse junction of off transistor from conducting and clipping waveform.
• Tony G4WIF -- Audio test gear and G3ROO paraset
• Todd K7TFC Pine boards, TIAs and 12 meters
• Dean KK4DAS Ceramic Variable Oscillators on 40. Juliano Criteria?
• Mike WU2D VFOs and Temp compensation. ARC-5s
• Chris KD4PBJ A really nice parts care package -- Thanks Chris!
• Steve M0ECS. Inspired by SS, moved something off the Shelf or Box of Shame.
• Jason KD2RKN Building a DC receiver. It is all our fault.
• Chris Mannon in Indiana joining the CBLA
• KC4GMH is listening!
• Ed N2XDD has been armed with a 3.579 MHz crystal.
• Harvey Wa3EIB working on his museum
• Tim AG4RZ is BACK IN THE SOLDERSMOKE!
• Fred KC5RT -- an old friend -- recommends Bangood RF sig gen for 88 bucks.
• Shlomo 4X4LF listening and homebrewing from a Kibbutz in Israel.
• Chuck KF8TI was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines.
• February 9, 2022

SolderSmoke Episode 235

• February 7, 2022
• Travelogue:
• 6 weeks in the DR for Bill
• One contact on uBITX. More SW listening.
• Repaired my Chrome Book in Santo Domingo!
• Christmas Present for All: James Web Space Telescope launch
• Bill's Bench
• Understanding the NE-602 (see blog post)
• Thinking about a 17/12 dual bander. Looked at old G3YCC Tx for circuits...
• Using Spurtune08. WB9KZY found it. In the LADPAC zip file here:
• Then Put G3YCC Acores SSB TX back in operation
• Put W4OP Barebones Superhet on 17 with NE602 down converter.
• Netting and audible spur problems
• Now working many stations with this old "split" TX/RX
• Pete's Bench
• The Peashooter
• Dean's VWS build of your DC RX
• Building a SSB Transceiver Doc
• Homebrew Crystal Filters
• The shrinking of the PSSST
• PSSST on Hack-A-Day
• Bad Dead Soldering Stations
• My X-Tonics 4000 dies. But it left behind a great box with ample socketry.
• Mailbag:
• AA1TJ Mike Rainey --- Again in the Hobbit Hole! 486 kc RX
• Thomas K4SWL -- Radio Astronomy and the Raspberry PI
• WC8C Dennis Invite to the L'Anse Creuse ARC FB Fun
• Todd K7TFC got boosted at Tektronix Beaverton Ore.
• What happened to Chuck Adams K7QO? His work taken off the net.
• W1MJA ex WN2RTH
• N7DA worked W7ZOI in Sweepstakes. FB
• Kirk NT0Z formerly of ARRL HQ
• Farhan VU2ESE was up in the Pench Forest, trying to spot a Tiger!
• We spoke to Farhan's Lamakaan ARC in Hyderabad. QO-100 beam down!
• Dean KK4DAS's 16 watter. On SS blog
• Scott WA9WFA Bad 6U8s? Ordering 6EA8s
• Bruce KC1FSZ Peppermint Bark gift box
• Mike WU2D: Book by Frank Harris on Homebrew radio
• Bob Scott KD4EBM So many good ideas and links
• Rogier PA1ZZ sending parts packages -- Thanks Rogier
• November 17, 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 234

• November 17, 2021
• Roots of SolderSmoke: The "Click and Clack" of ham radio?
• Influences: Jean Shepherd, CarTalk, Shortwave stations.
• Steve "Snort Rosin" Smith WB6TNL? No. Steve "Aching Sinus" Smith WA6SOC
• Pete's Bench:
• PSSST Super Simple SSB -- 7 Transistors. Switching IF Module:
• PSST Details:
• DC RX.
• KWM-1 Resurrection "Shame Shelf".
• How to make things work:
• Diode Switching or Relays?
• (Why the T/R diodes in the BITX 20 amplifiers?)
• National Receiver.
• Bill's Bench
• Farhan's Talk to RSGB got me thinking of VHF 2 meter AM.
• 2 meter Benton Harbor lunchbox madness. SuperRegens Super Strange.
• I broke my Maplin AF Sig Gen in the process. Fixed it.
• Playing with MMMRX again. Put in 6 kHz ceramic filter. Sounds great SSB and AM.
• Swept IF with noise, TinySA, and NanoVNA. Need better noise gen.
• Mod to listen with TinySA (on blog).
• Thinking of 17 meter /12 meter Dual-Bander IF around 21.4, VFO around 3.41 Mhz. Thoughts?
• Sweeping double half lattice filter from Swan 240. UGLY.
• MAILBAG:
• ROOTS OF MAILBAG: Radio Moscow, Havana Cuba, HCJB, others.
• Thomas K4SWL of the SWL Post: Could have been worse! Stairbag?
• MY NOVICE LOG -- Heard back from ex-WN2RTH ex-WN2FLK ex-WB2RKK.
• Drew N7DA worked Wes W7ZOI in Sweepstakes. FB.
• Peter VK2EMU The movie Frequency and the Magic of Heathkits. Good, but not that good!
• Thomas KK6AHT! Our old friend. Minima! Now has a young son! FB
• Chuck WA7ZZE Saw QST profile. Sympathizes with Two-er trouble.
• Tim M0CZP. Spell corrector. Vatican Diodes. Infallible!
• Ramakrishnan VU3RDD Working on a NORCAL and a noise cancellation arrangement.
• Skip NC9O said I was 40 Hz off on 17. But he had a reason to KNOW!
• Steve K9NVD Glad he's a listener.
• Bob KY3R Novice Nostalgia. Should he use 75 watt bulb for dummy load? Yes!
• Todd K7TFC Video about why solder smoke goes into the face.
• Anthony VU3JVX Homebrew Antuino. I ask for help in moving freq to 450 kHz.
• Jack NG2E Building Pete's DC RX.
• Scott WA9WFA HBR-13 and MMMRX.
• Stephen 2E0FXZ also got a FT-101 VFO.
• Bob K7ZB on the air with 56 mW and a big antenna.
• Dean AC9JQ Retired.
• Allan WA9IRS Right to Repair update.
• Farhan Invited us to Lamakaan ARC, Dec 11 or 12. Will be on QO100 Satellite Live!
• Many suggestions about my Apollo 11 Time Capsule. Still looking for ideas.
• Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate this holiday!
• October 13, 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 233

• October 13, 2021
• Travelogue: Cape Cod. SST. Marconi Site.
• The WFSRA: The World Friendship Society of Radio Amateurs.
• Pete's Bench:
• The Pimp.
• The NCX rig.
• The Collins.
• The many DC receivers built worldwide.
• The parts shortages are real! Several key radios on hold. Si5351 sub.
• Talk to G-QRP convention
• Bill's Bench:
• FT-8. Not for me. I tried it.
• Novice Station Rebuild.
• Globe V-10 VFO Deluxe.
• Selenium rectifier removal CONTROVERSY?
• Not crazy about my Novice station. Not crazy about CW.
• Mate for the Mighty Midget. Again.
• Mike W6MAB -- Detector problems LTSPICE Check
• One more mod for MMM RX. Ceramic filter at 455.
• Dropped screw inside tubular cap on Millen 61455 transformer.
• Talk to the Vienna Wireless Society
• Thinking of a Moxon or a Hex beam.
• BOOK REVIEW Chuck Penson WA7ZZE New Heathkit Book.
• Mailbag
• New SPRAT is out! Hooray!
• Todd K7TFC sent me copy of Shopcraft as Soulcraft. FB.
• Dean KK4DAS building an EI9GQ 16 W amp. FB.
• Jack NG2E Getting close on Pete's DC receiver.
• JF1OZL's website is BACK!
• Tony K3DY sent link to cool books.
• Sheldon VK2XZS thinking of building a phasing receiver.
• Peter VK2EMU has joined the WFSRA. FB!
• Ned KH7JJ from Honolulu spotted the Sideband Myth in the AWA video.
• Chris M0LGX looking at the ET-2, asks about the variometer.
• Pete Eaton Nov 64 anti HB rant in november 1964 QST. Wow.
• Josh Lambert Hurley spreading FMLA stickers in the UK. FB
• Stephen VE6STA getting ready to melt solder.
• Got a great picture of Rogier PA1ZZ back on Bonaire.
• Farhan reading the manual of Hans's new digital rig.
• Paul G0OER wonders if FMLA getting ready to move on 5 meters.
• August 27. 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 232

• August 27, 2021
• Featuring a guitar intro by Pete "Bluesman" Juliano, playing his own composition: "Juliano Blues."
• Upcoming GQRP convention and the N6QW rig
• Frank Jones and the FMLA -- Possible Victory?
• IBEW Stickers: NASA, Johns Hopkins APL....
• Cycle 25 Lookin Better Today: SFI 93 SN 47
• Pete's Bench:
• Toobular! A Tube Transmitter
• SR-160
• Simple SSB rigs around the world!
• KI7NSS's Pacific 40
• Bill's Bench
• The Mythbuster and the Struggle Against the Urban Legend
• W2EWL's Cheap and Easy SSB
• W4IMP's IMP. Articles in ER by Jim Musgrove K5BZH and Jim Hanlon W8KGI
• The Spirit of Homebrew SSB. From Electric Radio K5BZH December 1991
• Reduced Front End Gain on the DIGITIA
• Back on 17! HP3SS sells HBR receiver to Joe Walsh
• Maybe another Moxon?
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION
• Test Gear
• NanoVNA -- Alan W2AEW helped solve mystery of why NanoVNA not providing accurate readout of circuit impedance. Over driving. Need attenuator.
• TinySA -- Limited Resolution Bandwidth. But you can listen with it! See video on blog.
• MAILBAG
• Google Feedburner to end e-mails from the blog :-(
• Paul VK3HN -- TIA AGC? Farhan and Paul looking into options
• Ciprian's Romanian Mighty Mite
• Dino KL0S SolderSmoke GIF and graphical presentation on sideband inversion
• Allison KB1GMX helped me on 24 volts to IRF 510 issue.
• Dave K8WPE Wabi Sabi and Martha Stewart. And thanks for parts! 40673s!
• Steve N8NM building a 17 meter rig with 22.1184 crystals in a SuperVXO and a 4 MHz filter.
• Dean KK4DAS restoring an old Zenith. One hand behind your back OM.
• Pete Eaton debating SSB or DSB for 17. Go DSB Pete!
• Richard KN7FSZ a FB HBer. Asked about my solid-stating of Galaxy V VFO.
• Walter KA4KXX on benefits of no-tune BP filters like Farhan's FB.
• Jack 5B4APL on Time Crystals and Homebrewing in the 4th dimension. FB OM!
• Moses K8TIY listens to the podcast with his young son Robert. Crank it in Robert!
• Farhan and the SBitx on Hack-A-Day
• Also Tom's receiver from junked satellite rig on Hack-A-Day
• Todd K7TFC sent in beautiful message about the spirit of homebrewing. On the blog.
• Grayson KJ7UM was on Ham Radio Workbench with George Zaf
• AAron K5ATG running a uBitx with a homebrew tuner and antenna. Hope I can work him
• Heard Mike WA3O last night on 40 DIGITIA. Water cooled amplifier
• June 26,, 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 231

• June 26, 2021
• Annual Field Day Special Edition
• Travelogue: To the Dominican Republic!
• New dog -- Meet Guapo (see below).
• A great Father's Day for Pete and Bill. I got a TinySA.
• Pete got some cool chick magnet glasses (see below).
• Watch out Newbury Park!
• Bill's Activity
• SST Transceiver. Took it to Dominican Republic.
• Made only one contact, but QRP-QRP.
• Not a lot of CW activity, and not a lot around 14.060.
• A lot more FT8 visible on the NA5B WebSDR.
• That might be better for this kind of operation.
• I might try SST CW out today from the backyard. Field Day!
• Fired up my 20 meter DSB NE602 rigs. Made two contacts.
• Still trying to fully understand the NE602 Gilbert Cell. Lots of mystery in there.
• Building "The MythBuster." 75/20 with sideband inversion.
• 10 pole 5.2 MHz filter. Used Dishal and AADE.
• Used NanoVNA to see the passband.
• G3UUR for crystal parameters.
• Cohn Constant K topology.
• Also used NanoVNA to check input and output impedance on the TIA amps I will use around the filter.
• Pete's activity:
• Article on DC receiver in SPRAT. FB response. 50 receivers under construction.
• Work on Drake A Line.
• Jim Spillsbury.
• The N5JHH IBEW SolderSmoke stickers (see above and below). How we will use them.
• Mailbag:
• N2SVD
• K8ITY
• Tom (Junkbox receiver)
• N0ZIB (Curse you, SolderSmoke!)
• DL6ID
• N2NLY
• VK2EMU
• ZS1KE
• AF7O
• NG2E
• VU2ESE
• OK1RP
• N5JHH
• May 15, 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 230

• May 15, 2021
• N2CQR was down for maintenance
• A few words about April 1
• The Ingenuity helicopter
• China lands on Mars
• Brood X Cicadas arriving in NOVA
• Pete's Bench
• The Dentron Project
• The Spillsbury Tindall SBX-11A
• KK4DAS and the Simple SSB Group Build
• TenTec mods
• Shack Mystery solved. Maybe
• Changing the channels at age 9
• Bill's Bench
• Why LSB below 10 MHz? The "SSB Legend" Rig
• WU2D RTL-Dongle Up converter
• Understanding the Gilbert (Jones) Cell
• SDRSmart RTL-SDR.com V3 Dongle
• VK3HN and 2 meter SSB
• Jack NG2E, MMM and the 10 minute transmitter
• KD4EBM sends me SST by Wayne Burdick. DX!
• A new computer
• Mailbag:
• MM0ACN
• VK2EMU
• N5VZH
• VE3KZJ
• HS0ZLQ
• AD0JJ
• VK8MC
• KK0S
• VE3VVH
• KB3SII
• WA9WFA
• M0NTV
• W2DAB
• March 20, 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 229

• March 20, 2021
• G2NJ Trophy is awarded to Pete Juliano, N6QW.
• Get your vaccine shot as soon as you can!
• More from "Conquering the Electron" by Derek Cheung.
• Bad fire in the chip factory. Such a shame. Sad! I had NOTHING to do with it. I was home that day. I can prove it.
• Bezos is not such a bad guy. Turns out he is a space-geek.
• Perseverance was the big space news. Very cool.
• Pete's bench:
• Raspberry Pi vs. Microcontrollers
• Treedix display
• Conversion of the Dentron Scout
• CW rigs?
• 6L6 on a wooden chassis
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION
• I NEED TO BUILD UP TIME VIEWERS VIEW MY VIDEOS: So please watch!
• Our Patreon sponsors get an early look at our YouTube content. So please, consider
• becoming a Patreon sponsor.
• Please continue to use the Amazon search engine on the blog page (upper right).
• Bill's bench:
• Hodgepodge:
• BITX40 Module.
• Ramseykit Amp.
• San Jian counter,
• CW using 750 Hz oscillator.
• RF-actuated piezo buzzer.
• SDR! SDR using PC and tablet.
• Checking the output with SDR.
• Moving the carrier osc frequency.
• Also, I put the Fish Soup 10 back on the air. Nice contacts under 200 mw.
• Up next: A rig for 80/75 and 20 meters. Single Conversion. Using VFO from a Yaesu FT101 that runs 8.7 – 9.2 Mhz. Quiz question: What IF should I use?
• MAILBAG
• Mark Zelesky sent me wood tokens with power and Ohm's law formulae. Thanks!
• Scott WA9WFA Built a really nice Mate for Mighty Midget RX – getting it going!
• Tryg EI7CLB found board of his George Dobbs Ladybird RX. Rebuild it OM!
• Tom WX2J – We talked about “No lids, no kids, no space cadets” nastiness.
• Nick M0NTV about sideband inversion. I like the simple rule about subtraction.
• Jonathan M0JGH – Always listen to Pete. Got married, has mixing product. Leo?
• Mike AE0IH. Dad used a BC-348 in the service. Looking for one. FB.
• Adam N0ZIB – “Silent Shep” site --- with some ham radio shows I had not seen.
• Walter KA4KXX in Orlando has a similar subtraction problem with San Jian counter.
• Bill N5ALO sent me a really nice KLH speaker. I’m using it now.
• Jason N2NLY – interested in building SSB transceiver. One step at a time OM…
• Trevor in Annapolis sent xcsd cartoon that really hit home.
• Farhan is doing OK in India, diligently protecting his family from the virus.
• Peter VK2EMU also doing well.
• Dave AA7EE Casually killed a DC receiver in Hollywood, and disposed of the remains.
• Charlie ZL2CTM doing great things with simple SSB. Blogpost.
• Phil VK8MC in Darwin sends article on "Mend not End" battle against planned obsolescence.
• Bob KY3R re my SDR adventures, asked if I’ve had a recent medical/psychiatric evaluation.
• January 26, 2021

SolderSmoke Episode 228

• January 26, 2021
• Of course, no travel. But vaccines are here so maybe soon we can leave our shacks.
• In the meantime:
• I’ve been playing chess against AI bots on chess.com.
• Netflix recommendation: The Bureau. From France. A review from NPR:
• A reading from "Conquering the Electron." Germanium vs. Silicon.
• Bill’s Bench:
• The KLH Model Twenty-one II. Acoustical Suspension. First receiver WITH A PILLOW! Bad speaker? Blown AF amp finals. Hot heat sink. VBE Multiplier. Desitin.
• Tony Fishpool’s recommended LM386 boards. 10 for 11 bucks. Nice. They work. Pictured in the Amazon ad at the upper right of the SolderSmoke blog page.
• Putting a digital display on the Lafayette HA-600A
• Test gear trouble. My Radio Shack multimeter getting flaky. I many need something better. Auto ranging? My beloved Maplin AF generator died – will have to fix. I need that thing. Probably a bad chip. Good thing they are socketed.
• I almost forgot about SKN! But I remembered and I made one contact with the HT-37 and Drake 2-B.
• Pete’s Bench:
• Presentation to RSGB on Homebrew.
• TenTek Troubleshoot.
• Swan 240? Looking nice.
• SDR adventures.
• MAILBAG
• Bill N8ET sent me some really nice Showa 9 MHz 8 pole crystal filters.
• Kevin AA7YQ Smoke jumper! Building a hybrid SDR.HDR rig. Launched blog. FB
• Nick M0NTV working on similar HDR/SDR project. Great video.
• Grayson KJ7UM Hollow State Design – Launched a new blog. Very FB!
• Thomas K4SWL of SWL Post blog. Kearsarge Mountain Transmission system. And recent events.
• Peter VK2EMU Poetry. CW poetry.
• Pete WB9FLW looking at DSB rigs…
• Drew N7DA Feels not like a real ham because he hasn’t built a quad from bamboo. Which type of landscape bamboo is best for antennas?
• Ryan Flowers of MiscDotGeek.Com blog is also watching the Tally Ho YouTube videos of Leo Sampson. Wants to put a WSPR beacon on the Tally Ho.
• Joe KF5OWY Working with diode ring mixers, trying to see the mixer action on his ‘scope. 1 and -1!
• Jim AB9CN sent a cool idea about how to do a 20/17 Moxon.
• Roy GM4VKI – I thanked him for his article in SPRAT about putting a 2n3904 on the output of an NE602 10P mod. Brilliant.
• Roger Hayward Told him that I really liked his Dad’s recent web site updates.
• Farhan – Jokingly cursed me for showing him the Oscillodyne regen of Hugo Gernsback and Jean Shepherd. “Now I will have to build this!”
• December 15, 2020

SolderSmoke Episode 227

• December 15, 2020
• Travelogue
• Mars is moving away. Jupiter and Saturn close in the sky. And the Sun is back in action – Cycle 25 is underway. Also, the earliest sunset is behind us. Brighter days are ahead.
• Book Review: “Conquering the Electron” With a quote from Nikola Tesla.
• No real travel for us: Hunkered down. Lots of COVID cases around us. Friends, relatives, neighbors. Be careful. You don’t want to be make it through 10 months of pandemic only to get sick at the very end. SITS: Stay In The Shack.
• Pete's Bench and Tech Adventures:
• Backpack SDR [email protected]
• Hermes Lite 2
• Coaching SSB builders
• G-QRP talk
• A new source for 9 MHz crystal filters
• Bill's Bench:
• Fixing the HA-600A Product Detector. Sherwood article advice. Diode Ring wins the day. Fixing a scratchy variable capacitor. Studying simple two diode singly balanced detectors. Polyakov. Getting San Jian frequency counter for it.
• Fixing up the 17 meter BITX. Expanding the VXO coverage. Using it with NA5B's KiwiSDR.
• Resurrecting the 17 meter Moxon. But WHY can't I nest the 17 meter Moxon inside a 20 meter Moxon? They do it with Hex beams. Why so hard with Moxons? DK7ZB has a design, but I've often heard that this combo is problematic. Any thoughts? I could just buy a 20/17 Hex-beam but this seems kind of heretical for a HB station.
• Suddenly getting RFI on 40 meters. Every 50-60 Hz. Please tell me what you think this is (I played a recording).
• MAILBAG:
• Dean KK4DAS’s Furlough 40/20
• Adam N0ZIB HB DC TCVR
• Tony G4WIF G-QRP Vids. Video of George Dobbs.
• Grayson KJ7UM Collecting Radioactive OA2s. Why?
• Pete found W6BLZ Articles
• Rogier KJ6ETL PA1ZZ lost his dog. And we lost ours.
• Steve Silverman KB3SII -- a nice old variable capacitor from Chelsea Radio Company.
• Dave K8WPE thinks we already have a cult following.
• Dan W4ERF paralleling amps to improve SNR.
• Jim W8NSA -- An old friend.
• Pete Eaton WB9FLW The Arecibo collapse
• John WB4GTW old friend... friend of:
• Taylor N4TD HB2HB
• And finally, we got lots of mail about our editorial. No surprise: Half supportive, half opposed. Obviously everyone is entitled to their opinion. And we are free to express ours. It’s a free country, and we want it to stay that way. That is why we spoke out.
• Yesterday the Electoral College voted, finalizing the results. All Americans should be proud that the U.S. was able to carry out a free and fair national election with record turn out under difficult circumstances. And all loyal Americans should accept the results. That’s just the way it works in a democracy.
• We are glad we said what we said. It would have been easier and more pleasant to just bury our heads in the sand and say nothing. But this was a critically important election and we felt obligated as Americans to speak out. We'd do it again. And in fact we reserve the right to speak out again if a similarly important issue arises.
• October 31, 2020

SolderSmoke Episode 226

• October 31, 2020
• About the U.S. election
• Mars: Setting early, will have to shift to evening observation. Weather has been poor.
• Sunspot Cycle 25 is underway -- SFI 78, SN 32
• The Gliessberg cycle
• Pete's Bench: #49, #50, uSDX, Hermes Lite
• Bill's Bench: HP8640B, Global Specialties Corp 6000 counter, Lafayette HA600A.
• MAILBAG:
• Peter VK2EMU Sent me copy of 1947 Handbook. Thanks Peter
• Brad W1BCC Spotted 10 S-38s for 80 bucks on Craig’s list. What’s going on here?
• Dale K9NN sent both Pete and I care packages with very cool part, including DG Mosfets
• Stuart ZL2TW sent me Les Moxon’s Antenna Book. TRGHS. Moxon will be back!
• Alvin N5VZH got his receive converter with a little Tribal Knowledge from SS.
• GM4OOU The Bitsy DSB rig from Scotland
• Peter VK3YE DSBto DC incompatibility SOLVED
• Paul VK3HN's Digital SWR and Power Meter and Low band AM TX VFO/Controller FB Videos.
• VK2BLQ alerts us to article about Jac Holzman of Elektra Records.
• AA0ZZ great message on assembler language and writing software the hard way.
• Septermber 19, 2020

SolderSmoke Episode 225

• September 19, 2020
• Mars, West Coast smoke.
• Pete's Activities:
• DC receivers.
• CW offset
• GQRP talk
• The uSDX project
• Bill's Bench
• Sliding into the Vintage Test Gear Cult: HP8640B .
• Fixing up and figuring out Radio Shack DX-390 receivers.
• 220 to 110 on a few remaining devices.
• Got myself a Dremel-like rotary device.
• Tech News:
• ARRL/TAPR Convention: SDR project from Walla Walla University students. Intuitive explanation for why desired and image freqs in a mixer come out with very useful phase differences.
• Chuck Adams' Amazing Lab Notebook. Includes a simple circuit to measure resistance and Q in crystals. FB.
• MAILBAG:
• Dino KL0S SITSing in his shack, homebrewing 9 MHz filters FB Dino. Airborne!
• Dave NT1U sent us the famous 1968 QST Article by W7ZOI re DC RX.
• Ron K0EIA listening to SWBC staions with uBITX.
• Ted AJ8T Korguntubes making a 12AX7 equivalent.
• Joel N6ALT sent me a nice DX-390 manual. Thanks Joel
• Bob KD8CGH alerted us to the uSDX project -- story on the blog.
• Craig AA0ZZ Sent a great message with insights on computer code -- I will put up on the blog.
• Tracy KN4FHX reports on optimistic prognosis for SolarCycle 25. Some chickens may have to be sacrificed.
• Stephen M0OMO Thanks SolderSmoke for rekindling interest in this hobby.
• Paul VK3HN has a cool new rig -- The Prowler -- check it out
• Steve N8NM working on his Sunbeam car -- Pete already knew about the carburetor synch problem. N6QW knows everything.

SolderSmoke Episode 224

• August 1, 2020
• The launch of Perseverance Mars probe With Ingenuity Helicopter.
• China’s Tian Wen 1 on its way – Radio Amateur Daniel Estevez EA4GPZ is listening to it!
• Sci Fi Books: Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson. No skip on Mars :-(
• We have some sunspots! SFI now 72 and the Sunspot number is 23.
• Bill's bench:
• Conquering Ceramic Spurs in Q-32 Roofing filter -- sort of
• NE602 for a Q-75 converter – Gilbert Cell.
• Measuring low power levels out of NE602. Antuino better than 'scope .
• NanoVNA Really cool stuff. SDR in there.
• Building a 455 kc LC filter from QF-1 rubble. Using LTSPICE, Elsie...
• Reviving my Bicycle AM radio – The “All Japanese 6”
• Understanding L Network impedance matching.
• Bill’s new resistor kit from Mouser. Thanks to Drew N7DA.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE: PATREON, AMAZON SEARCH. THANKS
• Pete's Bench:
• Lockdown Special
• BPF work on SDR Rig
• I U W I H
• Mailbag
• VK3HN Summit Prowler 7
• VK2EMU “The Stranger”
• SM0P HB uBITX in Dubai
• AE7KI Worked him in VK from London
• ON6UU EA3GCY’s 4020 rig
• KA4KXX A Simpler Mighty Mite
• W9KKQ M19 DMR
• KD4PBJ Radio Schenectady
• W3BBO 12AU7 Regen
• KE5HPY Another 12AU7 regen
• N5VZH Ne602 Converter
• KY3R Wall Art
• G4WIF Spectrum Analyzer in your pocket
• W2AEW Talks to UK Club
• KK0S Sent 455 Kc IF cans
• KL0S Making 9Mhz filters
• VU2ESE Diving into simple SDR schemes
• Dean KK4DAS Amateur Radio Astronomy

SolderSmoke Episode 223

• 27 June 2020
• Quarantine Field Day!
• Ironically, THIS YEAR we are both participating
• Pete's FD Plan, Bill's FD plan
• Talking to Clubs:
• Pete's talk to the Cedar Valley Iowa Club
• Bill's talk to the Vienna Wireless Society
• Pete's Bench
• DDC SDR
• Ideas from the Summer SPRAT
• Mean Well Voltage Regulator
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: PATREON. SS is an SV DELOS WANA-BE!
• We got our very first Patreon Patron! Jonathan Magee from the UK! Upper Left on the blog.
• Continue to use our site for your Amazon purchases.
• Bill's Bench
• NanoVNA
• Understanding L Networks
• +/- 6kHz Ceramic filter for Q-31
• Lobes, Nulls and WSPR
• Miscellaneous:
• Farhan's feedback Amplifier Video
• British Antarctic Broadcast heard (sort of)
• MAILBAG:
• Mauro VA6BRO liked the SolderSmoke book. Thanks Mauro
• Tryg in Galway Ireland is listening. Hope to get you the signed books Tryg.
• Michael N4MJR suggested that I use N2 Corona Quarantine Radio as my phonetics. I dunno...
• Ed DD5LP has been helping us get SS rebroadcast on a German SW broadcast station. Stay tuned!
• Rogier PA1ZZ in California sent an e-mail about the Don Lee Broadcast System. Thanks Rogier!
• Rick KE3IJ Silver Skirt on his 2B also. W3GOO did it. Rick traded his Commodore 64 for the 2B. Yea!
• Walter KA4KXX has a simplified circuit for the MMM! From UK
• Peter VE1BZI thank us for the tribal knowledge. Dipolo Crilolo
• Peter VK2EMU Wee need someone to make the Constructor Crusader badge.
• Scott KA9P sent us the Amateur Wireless cover from 1934 with the Constructor Crusader thing.
• John GM4OOU Built lockdown rig. we want pictures!
• Jerry KI4IO His version of the Sproutie by AA7EE FB
• Adam N0ZIB built a MMM
• Wouter ZS1KE in South Africa -- comparing notes on Drake 2-Bs
• Randall KD5RC wants to get started in HB.

SolderSmoke Episode 222

• May 23, 2020
• No travelogue but… SolderSmoke Almanac!
• Memorial Day in U.S.
• End of Ramadan so Eid Mubarak!
• #222 marks SIX YEARS of Julian-ismo. He started on SS 161. Thanks Pete.
• Thanks to all who sent good wishes on Billy's graduation.
• He heads to Boston and the lab in a week or so. Very proud.
• Bill was on Ham Radio WorkBench Podcast
• PETE'S WORKBENCH
• Antenna Ideas -- Don't Buy that $165 dollar dipole! It is just wire!
• THE PHASING RIG. Does this point to a need for meditation?
• Or at least some temporary disengagement? Tribal wisdom from Pete.
• DEAN KK4DAS's rig. The Furlough 40. Troubleshoot. Tribal knowledge.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: AMAZON BOX -- SEARCH FOR ANYTHING OU WANT THERE.
• PLEASE PUT COMMENTS ON THE SOLDERSMOKE BLOG POSTS.
• PLEASE CHECK OUT THE SolderSmoke YOUTUBE VIDEOS.
• BILL's WORKBENCH
• Shortwave dials and exotic locations. Java!
• Galaxy V VFO Project. Series-tuned Colpitts.
• DRAKE 2-B. Hayseed Recap. Put the skirt back on the old rig. Reduction drives?
• SHOPPING BAG:
• I got a replacement for the Xtronics 4000 soldering station. Yaogong worked!
• Ordered screws and stuff from McMaster -- Came very fast!
• Working on a resistor kit from Mouser.
• MAILBAG:
• VK2BLQ's Phasing RX with an HRO dial. Cool Retro.
• Adam N0ZIB -- Cool station. TFT screen Aluminum welded box. FB.
• Karl G7AFT BITX 40 doing USB and LSB by changing the VFO freq. Pete's trick!
• Jerry KI4IO out in nearby Warrenton. Hope to be able to meet up soon.
• Keith N6ORS's Hot Mustard Phasing Board.
• Mike N5GTF'd FULLY INDOOR Quarantine Receiver. Need a slogan for the antenna!
• Nick M0NTV's Bread Bin 80 Quarantine rig
• Bruce KC1FSZ Quarantine 10 -- Brave man in solar minimum. But I hear 10 is opening.
• Talking to Grayson Evans KJ7UM TA2ZGE about Collins 9.9 MHz transformers.
• Talking to Alan Wolke W2AEW about Drake 2-B stuff Was there a reduction drive?
• Paul VK3HN about Ceramic filter spurs.
• Peter VK2EMU notes no animals were harmed in the making of my videos. But many electrons were agitated.

SolderSmoke Episode 221

• 25 April 2020
• Obviously no travelogue. QUARANTINE. SITS.
• Good news: Lawyers at Dewey Cheatham and Howe report that SolderSmoke will NOT
• be taken off the net for brazen promotion of the S-38E receiver.
• Also some good news on the FT8 vs. FT-FAKE issue. That report itself was fake.
• PETE’S PROJECTS:
• Phasing SSB
• And what’s this about a tube CW rig?
• Dean KK4DAS builds Pete’s Simple SSB rig. Quarantine Rig: The Furlough 40. See:
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: NEW AMAZON LINK IN THE UPPER RIGHT SIDE OF SOLDERSMOKE BLOG. .
• BILL’S BENCH:
• QUARANTINE PROJECT: Q-31 AM SW Receiver. April 4 through April 19. 15 days of fun. Learned a lot.
• Need to pay attention to total gain. Need to measure. Not always easy. My resistor-based technique.
• AM detection can be more difficult than SSB/CW detection. Germanium diodes make a big difference.
• But…I don’t have to build a BFO, because these signals bring their own beat frequency.
• 455 CAN BE PROBLEMATIC AS AN IF – image response, making impedance matching transformers tough at those
• low frequencies. But WIDE filters available.
• LM386 AF chip make a LOT of audio. Hard to reproduce these great results.
• Great stuff you can listen to on 31 meters (9.4 –10 MHz):
• DX WaveScan
• WRMI Rock and roll
• VORW music show
• Radio Nacional De Espana (Madrid)
• China Radio International soap operas and Confucius philosophy lessons.
• China Radio International Chinese Lessons.
• Radio Greece
• Radio Republica (France)
• Radio Havana Cuba
• Radio Saudi Arabia
• WBCQ – They advised listeners to fix up an S-38 during quarantine! !!!!!!!
• WWV
• SHOPPING BAG -- THINGS TO GET:
• Great source for hardware (screws, nuts, bolts and more): McMaster-Carr
• Thermax RGS316 coax. Great stuff. Thanks Jim In some ways better than Belden 1671A
• Copper Clad board: Pete’s boards use CEM 1. CEM 1 is low-cost, flame-retardant, cellulose-paper-based laminate with only one layer of woven glass fabric.
• BEST TEST LEADS:
• NEED/WANT:
• Thermaleze magnet wire. First encountered in QRP GUYS EFHW tuner kit. Very FB
• Resistor kits
• NP0 cap kit
• Replacement Iron for XTRonic 4000 Iron.
• RIGOL PROBES Why do we burn through so many of these?
• MAILBAG:
• Eric 4Z1UG Episode 300 Special
• Farhan working on ventilators. Special thanks to Dr. Gordon Gibby KX4Z.
• Jonathan-San working out of new shed in Seattle
• Grayson reminds us of the Fran Lab:
• WRMI likes SolderSmoke
• Peter VK2EMU continues to build his amplifier. But it is NOT for 50 MHz. It does have 6 different meters on the front panel. But it is not a 6 meter rig!
• Rich K7SZ – “now look what you’ve done” Fixing up an S-38
• Rich WD3C Provided some great SWL links:
• if you move the green dot to your location it will predict what the signal strength would be at your location and will also allow you to search by station, language, frequency, etc.
• Thomas Whitherspoon, Another, and of coarse all the pirate broadcasters show up here.
• Paul KL7FLR amazing S-38E diagnosis from afar. Paul's toroid tool (more to follow on this).

SolderSmoke Episode 220

• April 1, 2020
• Hunkered Down. StayInTheShack: SITS! Flatten the Curve! It is working.
• Teaching English again – via Zoom. Kids completing the school year remotely.
• BILL'S BENCH
• Finishing up on the S-38Es.
• I wrote up my alignment, isolation and dial string experiences.
• SWL WRMI Radio Miami International on 39 meters 9.4-9.9 MHz. Rock and Roll.
• S-38E work is causing me some serious legal problems. They are threatening to take down our sites and our podcast. Google has put a CEASE AND DESIST ORDER on my blog: Check it out
• S-38E caused me to want to get my HRO dial receiver on the SW broadcast bands with a good AM detector.
• Next up: Hayseed Hamfest cap for my Drake 2-B. And I have an idea on how to easily broaden it for AM: Tap the 455 kc output on the Q multiplier jack. 455 AM detector to audio amp.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION
• PETE’S BENCH
• AD9833
• Phasing Rig Project
• DEAN’S PROJECT – Step by step. Trouble shooting. Understanding. Receiver triumph. FB.
• MAILBAG
• Jack 5B/AI4SV doing well in Cyprus
• Daniel SA7DER listens during commute in Sweeden.
• Peter VK2EMU building a 6 meter amp. With Tubes
• Jim WA8ZHN says there are still 7751 Novices on the books. FB.
• Mike WB2BLJ modding his BITX – having a lot of fun.
• Fred KC5RT – Great idea on isolation transformer in my S-38E.
• Jerry Palsson: S-38C's curves vs. S-38E's exotic places. Java.
• Krakatoa East of Java
• The Year of Living Dangerously
• Anonymous mail: FT-8 DX -- Are these contacts legitimate?

SolderSmoke Episode 219

• 14 March 2020
• SPECIAL CORONA VIRUS EMERGENCY EDITION
• We thought it would be nice to put out a special edition of the podcast to help listeners keep up their morale during this difficult time. So we’ll do our regular kind of show, but we’ll try to emphasize things you can do to stay busy and keep up morale while stuck at home.
• BILL’S BENCH (and operating position)
• NOVICE RIG ROUNDUP. NRR. Continues through this weekend. Lots of fun. Cool rigs worked: Jon WS1K’s "Scrounger." Greg AA8V’s 6X2 superhet. And WN4NRR.
• S-38 MANIA. My S-38E story. Bought parts. Bought a junker. Fixed the first one then used the parts to fix the junker. Now I have 2 S-38Es.
• Got capacitor kit from Hayseed Hamfest. FB.
• PETE’S BENCH
• Hilbert Transforms
• AD9833 glued onto a Nano
• Teesny and Radig and ZL2CTM
• PWKSCDS
• More Mint
• SOME THINGS TO DO DURING COVID 19 CRISIS
• Sampson Boat Company Tally-Ho videos.
• WebSDR NA5B
• NRR
• Revive an old boatanchor
• Get back into shortwave listening.
• Get on the air—make some contacts!
• Take a walk. Get some exercise. Listen to SolderSmoke and other podcasts when you walk.
• Cook something from the famous Pasta Pete web site.
• Help someone who needs help.
• MAILBAG
• QSP – What a cool magazine! Pete and I both have articles in there.
• Hot Iron – great new issue also. Lots in there.
• Tony Fishpool G4WIF Words of Wisdom on the NanoVNA.

SolderSmoke Episode 218

• 24 February 2020
• Flying drones with Billy. Amazing tech out there. In the 50 buck range with video cameras and facial recognition and tracking. Check out Air Pix.
• Bill's Bench:
• Active CW filter in uBITX.
• Hi-Per-Mite from 4 State QRP. Easy to do. Works well.
• uBITX to 5 W level.
• S-38E adventure.
• Replaced antenna input coil BUT -- it came from an earlier S-38 and doesn't resonate.
• So I bought a junker on e-bay and will take the E model coil out of that one.
• Had to re-string the dial! And add rosin to it from Maria's old violin.
• BFO was not working. Bad buzz sound.
• So: Re-cap, Re-tube, Re-string, Re-align, Re-build power supply.
• Shortwave sounds good. Nice to hear music coming from our machines.
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE DIVISION: Please use the Amazon Search Box in the upper right hand portion of the blog.
• Pete's Bench
• A teensy-weensie explosion and fire
• Mint! Kl7FLR
• 60 Meters
• Cheese Microscopes
• Peaberry
• Radig
• California hams using online SDR receivers for local nets.
• News You Can Use!
• J-310s in LTSpice
• MAILBAG
• K5HCT August via Regen and YouTube
• Doug WB5TKI and his wife read "Us and Them."
• Rich K7SZ finally following SolderSmoke Podcast. Welcome aboard Rich.
• Rick KD4KRA His son was one of the kids in the MIR-Classroom contact that I monitored around 1993...
• David AD8Y Read SolderSmoke Book. Similar Knack story. Shared 1978 story: Homework net on 75 meters.
• Paul KL7FLR Tapping and other tribal knowledge.
• Dave K8WPE Says I'm fortunate to have a supportive wife. So true.
• SPECIAL REQUEST: IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO THIS. SO PLEASE, SEND AN E-MAIL TO [email protected] JUST SAY THAT YOU LISTENED TO PODCAST #218 AND TELL US HOW YOU LISTENED TO IT (ITUNES, DOWNLAD FROM BLOG, STITCHER, PODBEAN, WHATEVER... THANKS

SolderSmoke Episode 217

• 1 February 2020
• Travelogue! Dominican Republic trip. uBITX on the Beach. EFHW. LiPo Battery. First contact of the new year.
• Bill's Bench Report
• Following up on proposed uBITX mods:
• Put pot on sidetone line from Raduino to keep the sidetone a bit quieter.
• Fixed the key -- pounding brass
• Will install 4 States QRP Active AF filter.
• Need to reduce power on CW to 5W
• Stereo to mono headphone adapters.
• Turning off display and mic amp circuit not really worth it -- they don't pull much current.
• Pete's Bench Report:
• ELMAC Power Supply project
• 1930s era transmitter?
• Teensy and SDR
• PETE'S IDEA ABOUT GETTING LSB AND USB FROM BITX40
• KWM-2 suggestions
• Back to Bill's Bench:
• Working on HRO-ish Receiver.
• Bad SBL-1
• Got idea for wider ceramic filter from Paul VK3HN
• Ordered parts from Mini-kits in Australia. They sent 6kc filters.
• Bruce KK0S sent me some 10 kc filters too.
• Installed 6 kc filter with L network matching networks. Works great.
• Also installed Infinite Impedance Detector that Paul used.
• Needed some additional amplification ahead of the IID, so I used one stage of BITX amp.
• Works great. I can tune full 40 meter band AND 49 meter SW band. Radio Romania, China, Radio Marti, Brazil, South Carolina.
• Beefed up the shielding to cut down on AM detection.
• MISCELLANY
• AM and DSB in LTSpice
• Duly Noted: Paul VK3HN's RIG: "THIS MACHINE KILLS KILOWATTS"
• Kanji YC3KNJ's QRPesso Expresso Coffee in the field
• The DANGERS of powerful magnets.
• MAILBAG:
• KK4DAS Dean doing great things. MMM heard at Penn State. Where is the rest of the CBLA?
• Thanks to Don for kind donation to the SolderSmoke cause
• Dale BA4TB -- First SolderSmoke feedback from China. Thanks Dale!
• Steve Silverman: Sideswipers and bugs were made to handle "carpal tunnel of the day" So do I need a keyer for casual CW work?
• Peter VK8VWA on the limited knowledge gained from kit building. Listens to podcast while walking on the beach in Australia.
• Allan Hale -- Clothes Pins as Toroid holders. Yes! More Clothes Pins Wild Woody Keys from Dave Ingram
• Pete WB9FLW 100 Watt Amp from WA2EUJ
• Dave Wilcox K8WPE A medical question: Does the Michigan Mighty Mite work differently depending on what kind of medicine was in the pill bottles used for the coil form? Good question Doc! Dave suggest that putting CBD on the coil or the crystals. Anything to mellow out the ham bands...

SolderSmoke Episode 216

• 21 December 2019
• HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!
• Pete's Bench
• Sprat Article
• BITX 40 Fun
• ZL2BMI Rig
• Paraset. Three tubes! Almost an ET-3!
• Bill's Bench
• ET-2 Adventure over, Rig on the wall
• Final QSO count. 20 3 "random"
• Last QSO with AA8OZ
• Lessons learned: 100 mW not the problem. Crystal Control cramps your style.
• N0WVA regen amazingly effective.
• Tried for the Sunrise Net. Walter sent me some crystals.
• On to the uBITX.
• Accidentally wiped out calibration and BFO settings.
• Had to do recalibration and reset BFO.
• Learned a lot about the rig.
• How they did CW and how they do it now. Shift TX? Or shift RX? Or just shift BFO on RX?
• How all the signals end up as upper sideband. Only one BFO freq. Very cool.
• TalentCell 12 V Lithium Ion 3 AmpHour battery. Size of a deck of cards.
• Inspired by Peregrino -- I ordered EFHW Tuner from QRP Guys.
• Homebrew Straight Keys
• Antuino upgrade
• SMT soldering.
• Back to Arduino Nano and the IDE.
• A very cool tool.
• Antuino filter analysis.
• Version 6 of uBITX out.
• The "Watt Meter" DC power meter. Very useful. 8 bucks. LINK:
• SPRAT, balloons and hardcore homebrew hydrogen.
• MAILBAG
• VK3HN's AM receiver. I ordered 6kHz 455 kHz filters from Australia.
• Dean's MMM
• Peter VK2EMU Hertz not hertz.
• Ben KC9DLM LTSpice YouTube Videos
• Steve Silverman Electroluminescent Receiver Kit
• Lyndon N0LFX back to listening. FB OM
• Steve M0KOV built a pill bottle variometer. Did you get the regen going?
• Anthony VU3JVX FB HB uBitx. Looking for a job in Bangalore.
• Allison KB1GMX Great to hear from her
• Leif WB9IWT -- helped me trouble shoot my uBITX (BFO was low)
• Mike EI0CL old buddy from Azores days. Recognized his voice on 20. Great QSO.

SolderSmoke Episode 215

• November 25, 2019
• Happy Thanksgiving!
• Transit of Mercury
• Book Reviews
• Bill's Minimalist Adventures:
• 15 Contacts with the ET-2
• Ethical issues: Is spotting yourself OK? OK to use TWO FETs?
• Using Reverse Beacon Network
• How to keep receiver on the right frequency
• N0WVA's receiver sounded better, so I built a second N0WVA receiver
• Regens reach back to Edwin Howard Armstrong's 1912-1923 breakthrough
• Regens are fun, but they are not good projects for new builders.
• Pull out those Michigan Mighty Mites and listen for yourself via on-line SDR receivers.
• Pete's Projects:
• "WHEN YOU KNOW STUFF YOU CAN DO STUFF!"
• Left Coast SSB -- "The Paesano" -- To be featured in December 2019 SPRAT.
• Pete's KWM-4 on The Collins Collectors Net
• Pete builds an N0WVA regen -- just in time for Sweepstakes CW Saturday!
• Arduino IDE Library trouble
• uBITX 6.0? Fake News?
• No more BITX40 Modules. Long Live BITX40 HOMEBREW!
• BITX-101. Intriguing but on second thought, no.
• MAILBAG
• Steve Silverman: Lexicon: "Audible Modes."
• Felipe CU2BD Old buddy from the Azores
• Michael Rainey AA1TJ: Come back Mike! The ionosphere needs you!
• Jack Welch AI4SV is in 5G land (Cyprus, not the cell phone thing).
• Walter AC4IM is at the San Vito Solar Observatory in Italy. DO SOMETHING WALTER!
• Kostas SV3ORA has an amazing homebrew web site. Thanks Kostas!
• Mike KC6SAX -- How to deal with the frustration of HB projects that don't work.
• Paul KL7FLR -- Pete is 7 Hz high.
• Keith W3ISZ sent his photo of the Transit of Mercury.
• 4 November 2019 (shockingly late!)

SolderSmoke Episode 214

• November 3, 2019
• The visit of Farhan to Northern Virginia
• "I heard this guy from Southern California on 20..."
• Fire Report from Pete
• Pete's Bench Report
• "When you know stuff, you can do stuff!"
• The CRAP rigs
• Old Boatanchors -- the Swan 120 with SUPER STABLE ANALOG VFO!
• Ten Tec rigs dial cord replaced with Chinese digi sig counter
• Pete's 500 mW encounter with a QRO curmudgeon
• The ZL2BMI Challenge has Pete building crystal filters
• The Left Coast Loafer CW rig
• Bill's Bench Report
• ET-2 Refinements
• N0WVA's Regen Receiver
• Going from ET-1 to ET-2
• J-310s vice MPF-102
• 100 mW from a single J-310
• Receiver kind of deaf -103 dbm MDS
• 10 contacts so far in 9 states
• THREE contacts yesterday.
• Worked Wisconsin - 633 miles on 92 mW
• We are at sunspot minimum.
• "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
• Simplicity is the real reason for CW
• IDEA: Get those Michigan Might Mites on the air!
• Use Reverse Beacon Network to see if you are getting out
• Use SDR receivers to make contacts
• MAILBAG
• DL1AJG
• KC6SAX
• W9VNE
• KA4KXX
• N0WVA
• Zl2BMI
• AJ6BD

SolderSmoke Episode 213

• 7 September 2019
• The dire consequences of our summer absence.
• 50th PODCAST WITH OUR FRIEND PETE!
• THREE CHEERS FOR PETE!
• Pete's Bench Report
• Transceiver Count: FORTY!
• SDR RADIGS
• Colorful OLED screens
• Pilgrims and Paisanos -- "Left Coast Homebrew SSB"
• Pete builds a CW transceiver (see picture above)
• Bill's Bench Report:
• Going minimalist
• Tuna Tin 2 + Herring Aid 5 = Fish Soup 7 (and later 10)
• My QRPp QSO with K1PUB overheard in Canada
• Glen Yingling's ET-1
• Bill attempting a single transistor transceiver
• SPACE NEWS
• Antuino's Cubesat Origins. Farhan's Antuino Mods
• Apollo 11 Anniversary
• Possibly the best space book ever: "Carrying the Fire" by Michael Collins
• Chinese microsat sending eclipse pictures from the moon
• LightSail 2 success
• India has spacecraft in lunar orbit.
• Eric Sears ZL2BMI and Dino Papas KL0S on "QSO Today" Podcast
• MAILBAG:
• ZL2PD's Sugar Cube VFO
• N8WQ gets free samples
• N5RWF Getting started, wisely wearing beret
• VK2EMU Australian Ad for Collins Filters
• W1PJE on new LDMOS PA transistors
• KA4KXX Al Fresco 75 meter SSB rig with model plane engine mufflers!
• Forgot to mention: W9TH still has manuals for whover owns Drake 2-B #4215. Check your serial number!

SolderSmoke Episode 212

• 22 June 2019
• CONGRATULATIONS TO PETE: Licensed 60 years today
• Pete Juliano during Field Day, 1959
• Sideband Engineers Models 33 and 34 -- Thanks Pete!
• Hans's QSX SDR Rig at Dayton-Xenia and FDIM
• W8SX FDIM interviews
• Pete's SDR Projects -- Update
• The Peregrino SSB transceiver in the summer SPRAT
• Why no rare earth cell phone speakers in ham projects?
• My HDR "waterfall" project
• Farhan's Antuino
• Cubesat origins
• RF Lab in an box
• SWR, PWR, SNA
• Superhet receiver with ADE-1 at front, and log IC at the output
• Adapters (SMA to BNC) help
• DON'T BLOW UP THE INPUT RESISTORS (LIKE I DID!)
• My dirty DIGITIA -- Denial, then acceptance
• FFT
• Useful programs: SPURTUNE and ELSIE
• A better bandpass filter for the DIGITIA
• The importance of a good test set up with Antuino
• Manassas Hamfest: WA1UQO, W4WIN, AI4OT
• MAILBAG:
• KG7SSB
• WA3EIB
• VK4PG
• W3BBO
• Jeff Tucker -- Who owns Drake 2-B #4215?
• KN4BXI
• KC5RT
• K3ASW
• 27 April 2019

SolderSmoke Episode 211

• April 27, 2019
• Pete NOT quitting podcast! Malicious code case RESOLVED!
• Ambiguity and the Digi-Analog Divide
• Edwin Howard Armstrong biography
• SPAACE!
• Apollo 11 50th Anniversary
• Oscar 100 in Geostationary Orbit. Why can't we have one too?
• Farhan puts AISAT in orbit. FB!
• Space is difficult
• SSTV from the Space Station
• Pete's bench report.
• Vintage Sidebanders
• Recording of Midwest Vintage SSB "tune up session"
• Vintage rigs that sound bad
• Distorted views on "distortion"
• Bill fixing old Bose Wave Radio
• NOT GOING TO DAYTON. AGAIN! But SolderSmoke rep will be there
• 75 meter secrets of success (timing is everything!)
• MAILBAG
• Steve N8NM sends me FB National Dial
• Steve N8NM aspires to complexity -- enough of this simple stuff!
• Dave W2DAB goes to Columbia U session on Armstrong, sends FB book.
• Jim W4JED -- reports of QCX sideband a bit exaggerated. Where is Allison?
• Rob Powell wins beret challenge. VK2TPM and VK2BLQ also win. CONGRATS!
• Colin G3VMU sends nice 1930s radio picture
• Alan WA9IRS sends diagram of digi radio signal flow. CLEAR AS MUD!
• Chris KD4PBJ Grandmother worked at Hammarlund.
• Steve NU0P sends info on Art Collins and the Apollo moonshots.
• 2 March 2019

SolderSmoke Episode 210

• March 2, 2019
• Alexa, Marie Kondo, berets, and ham radio
• Bi-Coastal Boatanchors
• BATTLE CRY: The Vintage SSB Preamble! "We are NOT ashamed!"
• Bill's HT37 and Drake 2B
• Pete's National National NCX-3 TRGHS
• Mechanical Filters
• Magnetostriction
• Why did Collins go with mechanical vice crystal filters?
• The foam deterioration syndrome in mechanical filters. Sad.
• Please send any unwanted Mechanical Filters to Bill.
• BONUS QUESTION: Look at the filter below. What is different/special about this one?
• Pete's antenna trouble
• Pete's FB amplifier troubleshooting
• Recent improvements in the uBITX finals
• Pete's design for a VFO for Bill (and an indoor antenna tuner!)
• Bill's VFO for Pete: HRO dial and gearbox driving a rotary encoder
• Guido PE1NNZ puts the QCX on SSB
• "The Secret Life of Machines -- Radio"
• HB HRO dial from DL6WD
• WA1QIX's USB D-104
• "The High Frequency Oracle"
• DeMaw's LC filter receiver
• Godzilla and Ham Radio
• Bill's poor quality SSTV images from space (what happened?)
• Listening to AM on an SSB receiver
• Mixed feelings about CW
• MAILBAG
• M0KOV's mom took him to the doctor due to THE KNACK.
• M0JGH getting married (ALWAYS LISTEN TO PETE!)
• Jac's FB Receiver
• 13 January 2019

SolderSmoke Episode 209

• January 13, 2019
• An HT-37 "With Presence!" Even on CW! A Straight Key Night Story
• Saving a much-loved HT-37
• Drake 2-B Alignment
• Tweaking the Mate for the Mighty Midget
• Fixing a Deaf DC Receiver
• A Wobbly National HRO-ish Gear Box
• Minimum Discernible Signal Tests
• Pete's Festive Holiday Transceiver in a Bottle
• Movie Review: "First Man" Neil Armstrong goes to the moon.
• Safety Tips for 2019: Fuses, Hard Drives, Flu Shots.
• MAILBAG:
• Dave G6AJW builds Pete's Sudden Transceiver
• Rogier KJ6ETL builds a new shack
• Steve N8NM Helps save the HT-37
• Jim AL7RV W8NSA builds Parasets
• Dave AA7EE puts a beacon on the air -- Please Listen!
• Jan OM2ATC builds and documents an Si5351 VFO
• Bruce KC1FSZ Homebrew's a BITX
• KB1GMX's Tip on IRF-510 Oscillation Prevention
• Ryan W7RLF Homebrews a DC Receiver
• Listening to August K5HCT from the East and West Coasts on 40
• Tim WA1HLR rebuilding his 1968 transmitter.

SolderSmoke Episode 208

• 15 December 2018
• Pete and the California fires
• Bill goes to Brooklyn
• 2 meter simplex
• A return of the trivial electric motor
• Audio from Mars
• HF Conditions -- a real mixed bag
• Pete looks back at 2018 -- The Year of the SSB Transceiver -- Lessons Learned
• Hans Summers, the QSX and the virtues of SDR
• W7ZOI's DC Receiver Retrospective
• The 1972 Solar Flare and the Vietnam War
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE: Buy your gifts through the Amazon link to the upper right.
• Consider SolderSmoke the book as a gift. Visit Pasta Pete's for cooking ideas.
• Don't Build It! Sage -- but unexpected -- advice from Pete.
• Straight Key Night approaches.
• Book Reviews:
• "What is Real?" (Quantum Physics)
• RHdb by K6LHA.
• Movies
• "Bohemian Rhapsody"
• "First Man" (Not yet!)
• MAILBAG:
• Steve G0FUW
• Ed KC8SBV
• 27 October 2017

SolderSmoke Episode 207

• October 27, 2018
• Giants of Radio
• Pete on 15 Meters
• Bill on 60 Meters with the uBITX
• Pete's Sudden and Heath Filter Transceivers
• Cubesats to orbit! To the moon! And to Mars!
• Bill rebuilds his 2 meter "Ray-Gun" Quad (for Farhan's Cubesat)
• Homebrewing Variable caps and stockpiling NP0
• My "by ear" Minimal Discernible Signal Technique
• Thoughts on Direct Sampling SDR and the Radio Art
• MAILBAG
• A request for feedback from GQRP
• G4WIF reports G3ROO on UK TV with spysets
• VU3XVR builds FB rig from EMRFD
• M0KOV Charter member of the 3 Scratch-built BITX club
• KD4PBJ's PTO Turtle DC Receiver
• AB1OP builds Pete's LBS receiver and gives us a new acronym: SITB
• KD4EBM -- Thanks for the scanner Bob!
• A possible sponsor from California...
• Pete's dream neighborhood...
• 2 September 2018

SolderSmoke Episode 206

• September 2, 2018
• SolderSmoke resumes after a busy summer.
• We did a portion of #206 via Skype at the GQRP Convention. Thanks to Steve G0FUW for setting this up. A portion of our participation appears at the end of the podcast.
• Pete's SDR Rig and his new involvement with WSPR and FT-8
• The allure of SDR and the pitfalls of complexity.
• Bill's 135 foot Doublet, 75 AM, 60 USB and 30 Meter CW.
• Plans to change the IF of Bill's HRO dial receiver.
• Thinking (again) about sold stateing the HW-101.
• Hans Summers, QCX and QSX rigs.
• MAILBAG:
• Ralph builds Pete's LBS receiver. FB!
• June 23, 2018

SolderSmoke Episode 205

• June 24, 2018
• Summer solstice. Mars Observations. Graduations. Internships. Fathers Day.
• Antenna Angst: Pete's tribander and Bill's Moxon. Insulation and resonance?
• Pete's work on color displays.
• Bill goes back to fix up older projects:
• Fixing the Frankenstein Phasing RX. Found an open choke!
• Tightening up the HRO Dial.
• Achieving Juliano Criteria stability on a BITX20 VFO.
• Lexicon additions: "Scratch Built" "Hardrock Radio"
• PastaPete:
• MAILBAG:
• Bob Crane W8SX Corrspondent at FDIM
• Ralph AB1OP Building LBS
• Bruce KC1FSZ Digital Pot
• Jason W5IPA uBITX in Juliano Blue
• Rogier KJ6ETL ON THE AIR WITH A uBITX
• Special thanks to Tim Walford for 25 years of Hot Iron.

SolderSmoke Episode 204

• 5 May 2018
• April 1 Recap -- We thank you for your support!
• Pete's Rig on Cover of SPRAT 174
• uBITX Mania
• uBITX Dual Conversion Design
• uBITX Gettng more out of the Arduino/Si5351 combo
• uBITX KD8CEC's amazing software
• uBITX Future Possibilities
• uBITX On-the-Air Experiences, with CW too!
• MAILBAG
• KD8CGH's Hyderabox -- THERE ARE TWO!
• QSO with N1AW's cardboard uBITX
• DuWayne on QSO TODAY
• Jack 5R8SV -- Radio Gods NOT Happy
• Jack Purdum W8TEE -- Thanks OM
• Charles AI4OT
• Chris KB4PBT 15 inch telescope
• John WJ0NF Reading SolderSmoke
• Ken W8KTP Ordering a uBITX
• Darren KG7KOI Listening
• Gary AK4NA New Word: "Cabinetize" FB OM!
• SolderSmoke Pocast #203 is (FINALLY!) available:

SolderSmoke Episode 203

• 24 March 2018
• The reasons for our delay.
• Winter, Computers, College, Family Trees, Lawyers....
• Winterfest 2018
• Pete launches 2018 THE YEAR OF THE TRANSCEIVER
• SDR - Satan's Digital Radio?
• Direct Conversion Receiver Projects
• Mixer Musings
• A Thailand Troubleshoot
• Nor'Easter knocks out Bill's Moxon -- An appliance replacement?
• Homebrew Electret Mics. Seriously.
• uBITX Build with Rogier
• Civilized Crystal Testing
• Baofeng!
• DRAGNET
• MAILBAG
• KD4PBJ's REGEN
• N6ORS's SDR rig
• Mike Rainey's DX-100

SolderSmoke Episode 202

• January 13, 2018
• " style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(97, 49, 189);">
• 13 Jan 2018
• Opening music from Shel Silverstein and Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show.
• On the Cover of the Rolling Stone or On the Cover of SPRAT magazine.
• Travelogue and Weather Report
• Bill's trip to the Dominican Republic. SWL on the beach. Return to the ice box.
• Dramatic events in California.
• Reading Chinese Sci Fi with lots of radio in it. "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu
• Straight Key Night. IN QRP MODE THANK YOU. With nephew Jeffrey. Annual event -- worked Jim W1PID friend of Mike Rainey.
• Steve Murphy and Jeff Damm on QSO Today. FB.
• Oh your rig is homebrew? "It must be propagation."
• ER Reading about G3UUR
• Hams avoiding 60 meters due to 100 watt limit. SAD.
• Bill's Bench: Continuing series on the Ceramic Discrete DC receiver. Described the oscillator and the AF amp. Next we will do the Mixer. The most interesting stage. Nephew John Henry and niece Helena visiting today.
• Pete's bench. uBITX adventures.
• The K1BQT IC transceiver.
• The Vector Board building technique. See
• MAILBAG
• Paul KA5WPL Looking for project with his son. Sawdust. Thanks again Steve Silverman.
• Chris Waldrup OM PBJ thanks for the gift
• Pete in contact with Sven Johnson
• Chuck KE5HPY sent us picture of fashion model with boatanchors in background Grayson recalled 73 magazine covers...
• Pete WB9FLW Bilateral SBE-33 ad "with inherent stability" That's the best kind!
• Bruce KK0S experimenting with AF amps for the DC receiver
• John KE5ETX Attempting CBLA

SolderSmoke Episode 201

• 9 December 2017
• Santa Juliano
• Forest fires, snow storms, and an earthquake.
• Santa arrives from Hyderabad -- uBITX in the house.
• Radio history. First transtalantic amateur contacts.
• Bill's International Brotherhood Ceramic Discrete Direct Conversion Receiver Project.
• Goals -- Build your own receiver. Really. From scratch. No cheating.
• How to get started. Get parts and tools.
• Stage by stage.
• VFO first -- maybe build two.
• Bill built two already
• Nephew is testing the first one.
• Polyvaricon limitations.
• Varactor limitations
• Variable cap limitation.
• MEETING THE JULIANO STABILITY CRITERIA
• Understanding the F5LVG mixer
• Pete goes to the dark side with an SDR receiver.
• Pete's 800 Watt Amplifier gives him trouble. TRGHS.
• People in the News
• Cliff Stoll -- Still Passionate about Electronics
• Peter Parker -- VHF/UHF By the Bay
• Yardley Beers -- Early SSB with "The Black Rose"
• John Kraus -- Moonbounce without the Moon.
• MAILBAG
• 14 October 2017

SolderSmoke Episode 200

• October 14, 2017
• Old friends on 17 meters.
• Another Knack Nobel in Physics.
• Hans Summers' QCX transceiver: $50 IS THE NEW 10 GRAND!
• New Bands! 630 and 2200 Meters. BIG ANTENNAS!
• Nuke Powered QRP. No joke!
• The Challenge of UHF. Not for the faint of heart.
• Reginald Fessenden, Father of Phone.
• PETE'S BENCH REPORT: The New Simple-ceiver. Soon to be a Transceiver.
• BILL's BENCH REPORT: Discrete, Direct Conversion, Ceramic Receiver in iPhone Box.
• THE EDUCATIONAL PORTION OF TODAY's PROGRAM:
• HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT A HOMEBREW RECEIVER.
• MAILBAG.

SolderSmoke Episode 199

• 2 September 2017
• The Eclipse. The Floods.
• Sawdust Regen gets John Henry off to a good start.
• Voltage regulators as audio amplifiers
• The return of the Simple-ceiver (Direct Conversion)
• Ceramic Resonators
• 3D OLEDS
• iPhone Boxes as rig enclosures
• Electric Radio on Frank Jones
• 17 Meter Contacts
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 198

• 29 July 2017
• Sign on a beach store: SHACK-TACULAR!
• Noticed that EB63 amp was getting hot. Why?
• TT2, Herring Aid5, Farhan's Key: QRPp and CW! See?
• D-104 lore -- Reading from Bill Breshear's (WC3K) ER article
• Astatic crystal/ceramic element -- disappointingly flimsy
• Electret-ing it. The G-Spot (see picture above)
• Walery KB2FIV sent crystal mic element and piezo buzzer (reverse for mic!) FB
• HW-8 AF filter Center Frequency Problem. IT'S TRUE! Fixed! Finally.
• Shack re-org at N2CQR
• Got Steve Silverman's HP 8640B Sig gen on the bench. Required reinforcement
• Pete's new DIFX
• LM373 rigs. Perhaps with that CA3020 Pete sent me. Chips Ahoy!
• Juliano Yellow? Origins of Blue? Juliello? Julionyx?
• HB Crystal Filter Capitulation? Don't give up Pete -- just dish the Dishal!
• Ceramic VXOs? K.P.S. Kang
• Crystal testers by G7WKE and Dino KL0S. Impressive.
• Antennas and BITX40 modules. Antennas are important.
• Bill's new Baofeng HT on 440.
• Fixing my Sony SW7600GR
• MAILBAG
• Steve Silverman alerts us to NYC radio row now in the Bronx.
• Tony G4WIF on the cover of SPRAT -- Getting the Don Cameron award. FB
• Armand WA1UQO points out that the Berryville hamfest is coming up...
• Thomas KK6AHT F4HDQ writes in.
• On the air with W8NSA
• June 17, 2017

SolderSmoke Episode 197

• June 17, 2017
• Up in NYC, met Dave W2DAB. got Steve Silverman's HP 8640B Sig Gen.
• Farhan's visit to SolderSmoke HQ
• Got me a TEK1401A Spectrum analyzer
• Farhan at "Geekfest" @W7ZOI
• BITX40 Modules. 5,000 already. 1,000 a month.
• The BITX pronunciation problem.
• QRP Hall of Fame. I suspected April 1 reprisal! "I am unworthy"
• Like in Wayne's World:
• Dusting off my Tuna Tin 2, Herring Aid 5 and Farhan's key from India.
• The Manassas Hamfest: OLD crystal gear. 20's and 30's stuff. Leon Lambert RX and Philmore Fixed Crystal Detector.
• Reminder of how YOUNG the radio art is.
• RELATED: Bell System 1953 Transistor Documentary. 11 year old Pete and his CK722.
• Bought some good stuff from Charles AI4OT.
• Armand WA1UQO gave me a big collection of Electric Radio. So much history and HB wisdom in there. Frank Jones and Lafayette Radio. Jim Lamb and 1930s SSB.
• Is the CK-722 the source of Pete Juliano's affinity for Juliano Blue?
• Was Wes Hayward already using Juliano Blue?
• "Your rig sounds real good for a homebrew rig!"
• "Well, your rig sounds pretty good for a Yaesu!"
• Related topic: Going over the Waterfall: The SDR Superiority Syndrome. Feathering.
• ARRL Arduino Book by Popiel. Very nice. Right level. Lots of good info.
• BENCH REPORT:
• Pete's Dishal Dystopia -- Is the perfect TRULY the enemy of the good enough?
• Bill's NE602 RIG:
• Replaced OLED. Blue one seems noisier. Shielded it with copper flashing.
• Made me yearn for bigger boxes WITH A HOOD!
• DOCUMENTING WITH LTSPICE
• MAILBAG:
• Special Thanks to our correspondent in the Dayton Xenia Metropolitan area -- Bob Crane W8SX.
• Jack Welch, AI4SV 5R8SV -- Our Man in Antanarivo -- Sent me a GREAT BOOK "I, Libertine" by Frederick R. Ewing. EXCELSIOR!
• Bruce KC1FSZ Building Scratchbuilt BITX. On the way put the VFO where the BFO should go and had a DC RX. FB
• Greg, VK1VXG Suggestion for WA8WDQ on Arduino serial plotter
• Ben KC9DLM Mercury PTO. In a syringe! No thanks! Maybe add some high voltage and selenium. And a radium dial! Yea!
• KY3R's metalized cigar boxes! FB On Blog.
• Richard WB2PEF has revived his Doug DeMaw 8P6 rig. FB. But bothered by PTT thump.
• Update on Dave AA7EE (from Mike KC6SAX)
• 5 May 2017

SolderSmoke Episode 196

• May 6, 2017
• Shenandoah Rocket Launch -- With video!
• Pete and the QRPARCI HOF: We thank you for your support!
• Note the strange seasonality of these kinds of events... Always in the Springtime...
• April is the cruelest month. Especially the FIRST DAY!
• Feel Tech Follow-up -- the DC blocking cap issue.
• HBTV? Roku Challenge?
• A tube of Desitin? Why?
• SDR Misadventures.
• SDR on a tablet Just like WA7HRG
• Pi Day More RaspPi Linux observations TOO HARD
• The problem of Si5351 and updated libraries -- old sketches don't work!
• My SDR question: If we go with direct sampling, no need for I and Q at front end No image problem, right? But why is there often a digital I and Q in the direct sampling receivers?
• BITX MODULE
• Getting RF in through the DDS jack.
• Electric Radio: Reading from the history of SSB. And from the T.O.M. article
• Joe Carr K4IPV : Homebrew Hero from Falls Church Va. Any more info on him?
• Pete's newest DifX
• Pete's new digital scope.
• Bill's NE602 RIG, Epiphyte History.
• He put AADE crystal filter impedance match circuits in backward That's why he needed RF amp. Duh.
• The perils of a crowded box
• Building RF amp board (BITX Module design) for the NE602 rig.
• NE602s do not put out a lot of power. uW
• BITX Module Amp circuits very stable.
• Chassis as the heat sink.
• Mic amp? We don't need no stinkin' mic amp! But yes, we do. 741 on the way.
• Parts on e-bay very expensive! Back to the hamfests. On to Manassas!
• Congrats to Tony Fishpool G4WIF, who received the Don Cameron, G4STT, Award for an outstanding contribution to low power amateur radio at the RSGB AGM meeting in Cardiff.
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 195

• April 1, 2017
• We’ve got a problem: Pete Juliano and the QRP Hall of Fame :-( PLEASE HELP!
• BENCH REPORTS
• Pete Releases Smoke (wiring harness)
• Pete's DifX on 60
• Architecture and Dual Conversion (uBITX: uses ALL THREE clocks on the Si5351)
• The Big Kahuna
• ON HACKADAY with Philco SB100 SEE! QRP!!!!!
• BITX60
• Cap Stack Hack mod (with leads)
• Let the smoke out of an Si5351 (shorted output) Several actually.
• (Same day delivery zone for Amazon -- but no drones or parachutes yet.)
• Installed scanning switch
• Observations on 60. All the weird bands have a 6 in them: 160, 60, 6
• The good: 100 watt limit, wire antennas
• The bad: Kind of cliquish-- like 75, not much of a CQ band. Channels. Not much activity.
• Met Josh KE8CPD on 40. BITX 40!
• TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE:
• Socketry: How to keep BNC jacks from spinning loose?
• Do you heat shrink?
• Feel Tech Sig Gen might not have blocking cap at the output.
• Speaking of which, when I spoke of the Ne602, I mostly meant blocking caps, not bypass caps.
• How come they don't have a cable TV channel devoted to radios? They have HGTV? Why not HBTV?
• REPORT FROM WINTERFEST
• Bad weather. Tailgaters wimped out!
• Combined forces with Armand WA1UQO.
• Met up with Charles AI4OT.
• Acquisitions: 1/4 phono jacks, carbon mic, vero board, disc caps, weather radio,
• LARGE collection of Electric Radios from Armand. Wow.
• Electric Radio notes: 1st Fifty Years of Sideband 1991 articles by Jim Musgrove K5BZH
• Why LSB on 75? -- so AMers couldn't follow to top of band
• W2, W6, W8s liked phasing, W3, W4, W0 more into filter rigs.
• Early SSB guys turning on carrier and talking AM hams into SSB RX.
• Kelvinator Refrigerator rigs.
• A reading on the homebrewing of SSB rigs.
• Tony Fishpool on QSO Today! Pete mentioned prominently.
• Good Hacks from ND6T on BITXHacks, Stockton Bridge
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 194

• March 4, 2017
• BIG NEWS: uBITX from Farhan
• BENCH REPORTS
• Pete: Recycling Old Boards
• Working on Arduinos and advanced displays
• Bill: SDR Adventures and Misadventures.
• RTL-SDR is fun. Built HB front end.
• HDSDR under Windows is fun and easy.
• Thought about Raspi3, 7 inch touch screen, Linux, software YUCK.
• Followed advice of Ken G4IIB and got a 50 buck tablet with Google Play.
• Who needs tiny OLEDs? Use a 7 inch tablet as your display!
• Building a Ceramic Resonator for the HRO 455 kc filter
• The value of doing something different.
• Boxed up my NE602 OLED rig.
• OLED noise and ACTIVE decoupling.
• NE602 and MOSFET tips
• LEXICON:
• OTD Obsessive Tinkering Disorder G6LBQ
• "A Thing of Beauty"
• Source of Tombstoning term: Don ND6T.
• Ken G4IIB’s extremely smooth audio.
• ON THE AIR:
• On AM on 75 and 40. Fun. Old Military Radio Net and "The Lonely Guy Net" on 75 Saturday morning.
• Good old 17 meters. Open at mid-day
• HB2HB on 40 with W0PWE.
• Listening on 60
• Hambrew magazines disappeared, but are back now.
• EMRFD Classic Edition available
• New Posts to BITX HACKS
• MAILBAG:
• Gloves follow-up. Not a good idea.
• VK3YE’s QRP by the Bay event and a new book!
• Colin M1BUU achieves Mountaingoat status
• Martin A65DC JoO MMM in the UAE
• Tom NY2RF Editorial with mention of JoO!
• Lots of Al Fresco rigs: W8LM BITX on a board, Brad WA8WDQ DC RX, KA4KXX Al Fresco OZ DSB
• ON6UU DSB from Spain via Belguim
• Hugh ZL1UEM SMALL Si5351 OLED
• Cookie Tin rigs VK2EMU’s Biscuit Tin DC RX, WA7HRG’s Popcorn rig
• VK4FFAB FB LTSPICE intro
• Ken G4IIB’s BITX adventure (with VERY smooth audio. How smooth? We can’t say.)
• VU2XE’s BITX with a CAD box
• G0ETP’s shockingly beautiful SDR receiver
• Alan W2AEW on the mend with broken ankle. His videos are a treasure trove of tribal knowledge.
• 28 Jan 2017

SolderSmoke Episode 193

• January 28, 2017
• Report from Pete on BITX 40 Session with California radio club.
• Update on the BITX40 Module Revolution
• Check out the BITXHACKS page. Send in contributions.
• BITX20 mailing list very active.
• Raduino!
• Interview with Farhan with W5KUB -- Eliminating the commercial gear.
• BITX 40s on the beach in Australia. FB
• Bench Reports:
• Pete:
• Color Displays!
• KWM-4
• OLED MADNESS!
• Bill:
• Fixing up the old HT-37 HT37 to HT37 QSO with W1ZB
• Dabbling in VHF with Ramsey Aircraft band receiver. NOT FUN.
• Going all IC with Si5351 OLED NE602 rig.
• BANDSWEEP
• OLED Noise and the Active Decoupling solution.
• Using LTSPICE as a diagnostic or understanding tool.
• Of Waterfalls, Homebrew Rigs and Casual Critics on 40 meters. Words of Wisdom from W8JI.
• LEXICON: HAYWIRE TOMBSTONE BIKESHEDDING from Todd K7TFC
• Some great recent interviews by Eric 4Z1UG:
• Ian G3ROO Origins of ROO Regen at age 8
• Hans Summers G0UPL Balloons! NO COMMECIAL GEAR
• David White WN5Y ELECTROLUMINESCENT RECEIVER EXPLAINED
• Rob Sherwood NC0B
• MAILBAG:
• Chris KD4PBJ's BITX 40 with improved stability
• Jerry W0PWE built a DIGITIA! Very nice. Worked Keith N6ORS and heard me! TRGHS
• Mike AB1YK's Al Fresco Scratch built BITX. But give that LC VFO another chance Mike!
• Steve N8NM 30 meter rig with salvaged CB LC VFO. FB
• Keith N6ORS Franken SDR rig with parts from the 1980s. FB
• SKN Bandscan from Mike WA6ARA I worked W1PID Jim!
• What is Mikele up to?
• Rocking Johannesburg and Kirghizstan via local repeaters:
• December 16, 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 192

• December 17, 2016
• N6QW COMPLETING AN ORBIT TOMORROW!!!! Happy Birthday Pete!
• Shortwave Woes: Deception and Disappointment!
• Voice of Vietnam! But it is from Cyprus Creek S.C.
• Radio Athmeeya Yatra in Punjabi! but it is in Nauen Germany. Yuck!
• Sort of like these 9 cents per minute on-line relay ham stations. Yuck I say!
• You know you are a hardcore homebrewer when a near empty can of Deoxit makes you nervous, so you order more, just in case.
• Bench Reports:
• Pete:
• FPM FPM FPM!!! Tell us about it!
• BITX 40 Module in Juliano Blue
• Explaining the BITX 40 to the local club.
• CULTURE SHOCK! Plug and play vs. Hardcore Homebrew.
• Bill:
• An EXTROVERTED BITX 40 Module
• QRO with 24 volts on the Drain: 20 watts out. Heatsink upgrade, Chris KB4PBJ Thanks.
• Analog Readout -- Dymo tape and a Sharpie arrow
• REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTION Where the perfect is the enemy of the good enough.
• HRO no longer AL FRESCO Boxed up. Thanks Armand. Thanks Tim Sutton. Still working on AM receiver. Not inhaling very well.
• Boatanchor Day: Fixed HT37 and hurt my back. Really. Got 160 meter station going. Changed ball bearings on CW key.
• Next project. Another BITX 40, but perhaps for 160, 75 and 60 with Si5351 and plug-in filters.
• Sideband History: THE SIDEBAND SUZY AWARD. Pete deserves this. I say we revive it.
• LEX: Al Fresco. And Tim Walford calls them "Blackbox rigs" not "rice boxes"
• HB2HB contacts. Often with guys who built their linear. I say that counts Too!
• MAILBAG
• xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• November 6, 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 191

• November 6, 2016
• TRAVELOGUE AND FAMILY DOINGS: Pete son's wedding, Billy's Birthday, Gonzalo safely home in the Dominican Republic, MORE BEARS IN THE SHENANDOAH WOODS
• BIG NEWS: EMRFD LIVES ON! Three cheers for Wes and for Tom Gallagher of the ARRL.
• BENCH REPORTS:
• PETE: FPM Rig. Some Halli history. A TRUE RIG! Working Japan.
• WITH 600 WATT LINEAR AMPLIFIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• New FEELTECH Sig Gen.
• BILL: Farhan's BITX Module
• Built to Mod, built to get you started in homebrew
• Very impressive. BITX in miniature. But completely recognizable.
• REMARKABLY stable.
• Farhan personally checking each one.
• Ladies collective doing toroids. DONATION money bought them some Diwali candies!
• VFO Drift: Will NP0 SMD caps and lower current help enough?
• My Analog VFO -- BANDSWEEP
• QRPppppppppppp with REX's Hamfest Buddy. Thanks Rex and Bob Crane.
• HB2HB with KW4KD
• MAILBAG
• Jan's Netherland Mate Mighty Midget
• Charlie's Kiwi DSB
• Steve, Donald Fagan, and Jean Shepherd
• Rob VK5RC repairs Tek Tube 'scopes
• Colin M1BUU Si5351 superhet
• Denis Klipa and NRL 3538
• Jonathan M0JGH Wizard of Wimbledon Matchbox rig
• JH8SST Simpleceiver
• Peter Parker Vk3YE Reviews Book
• Peter GW4ZUA Welsh LBS
• Michael Rainey helping hobbyist in Germany with tuning forks.
• xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• September 24, 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 190

• September 24, 2016
• Pilgrims' Progress: Inspiring words from G3RJV
• BENCH REPORTS on JUNKBOX RIGS:
• Pete describes his beautiful 40 meter blue transceiver (video above)
• Bill describes his "Armand HROish" receiver
• BANDSWEEP!
• Bill needs small (yellow slug) 455 kc transformers.
• We need a good user-friendly 40673 SPICE model.
• SEND US YOUR BENCH REPORTS!
• The BD139 transistor
• Ferrite Core Matching Transformers
• QSO Reports: Getting on the air with HB rigs
• Bill's new FeelTech Signal Generator
• MAILBAG
• ........................................................
• August 6, 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 189

• August 6, 2016
• Billy in Europe. Bill in Virtual Reality.
• Great News: Little Gonzalo is "all clear." Thanks for the help.
• BENCH REPORTS:
• Pete paints the rigs blue.
• Pete's FET amplifier project with FET switching and key pad
• Using an Si5351 for CW offset and QSK.
• Bill working on VFO for a rig built around HRO dial and gear box.
• HRO gears seem a bit loose. What should I do?
• The search for an Imperial Whitworth.
• For variable caps, brass is better, but two bearings beats brass.
• QSO REPORTS
• Pete having fun with homebrew rigs.
• Bill works K3MRK, WA3O, W4OP, W1VLF and N6ORS
• MAILBAG:
• Dallas CBLA
• Conventional Current Flow Controversy
• "I regret ever listening to your podcast!"
• LCR recommendations
• ......................................
• July 2, 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 188

• July 2, 2016
• Audio "sparkle"
• Bench Reports:
• Pete: Blue Rig, Amplifier Project, LBS and Simpleceivers around the world
• Si5351s in the new Elecraft KX2
• Bill:
• Mighty Midget Mate 6U8 RX Refinement
• Using a Millen 61455 IF can
• Broad, but beautiful. But not as nice as PA3GSV's
• Tweaking a VFO the old fashioned way
• Reduction Drive Re-works.
• A Confession: Using Amplified Computer Speakers
• Back to the lipsticked pig. Pete convinces Bill to fix the S38-E
• dial cord.
• Manassas Hamfest Report.
• Field Day.
• Mysteries:
• Who is WV2YAU
• Who sold Bill the hombrew SWR meter at Manassas?
• MAILBAG
• May 21 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 187

• May 21, 2016
• Second Anniversary of Pete Juliano's arrival on the SolderSmoke Podcast.
• Dayton and FDIM underway
• Bench Reports:
• Pete:
• Repurposing old Circuitry
• Pete's small Display
• New Transmitter
• LBS in Japan and at Dayton
• Bill:
• S38-E The lipstick has worn off.
• Reduction drive for the Mighty Midget's Mate
• Back to the Barbados Barebones Receiver:
• Which LO to use for 40 Meters with a 5 MHz IF?
• Sideband Inversion and "Lower Sideband" filters.
• Eradicating WWV with parts from AA1TJ
• Improving VFO stability
• A bandspread/bandset arrangement with fixed caps
• Soul in the Old Machine
• "The Amateur is FRIENDLY..."
• MAILBAG
• ​April 9, 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 186

• April 9, 2016
• April 1 WireWrapRap Rap-up. Feedback from participants.
• Bench Reports:
• Pete talks about his Raspberry Pi SDR DSP rig.
• Bill talks about on his Mate for the Mighty Midget Receiver and his R2 Frankenstein.
• A story from Pete's youth: Cruising the "Miracle Mile" with a Heathkit "Ten-er."
• Why do we need more RF amplification (in receivers) on 20 than on 40?
• Have you ever tuned the BFO freq in a superhet by the "sound of the noise?"
• A visit to Washington by Jonathan W0OX and family.
• Bill goes to Winterfest Hamfest with Armand WA1UQO
• Pete on the importance of balance (in life).
• Great interviews on QSO Today: Peter Parker, Grayson Evans, and Ashhar Farhan.
• MAILBAG:
• Paul Darlington M0XPD has a new book about life, travel, and the Dayton Hamvention.
• Michael AA1TJ QRV with a tuning fork at its 2,000th harmonic.
• Jonathan M0JGH living dangerously with homebrew QRP in Italy.
• Ben KC9DLM JoO with MMM
• Stefan DL1DF needs 3.579 MHz rock "with mojo." We have it for you OM.
• *****​*************************
• 22 Feb 2016

SolderSmoke Episode 185

• February 22, 2016
• Travelogue: 550 feet above Washington DC
• Bench reports
• Pete: Simpleceiver update. Adventures in Raspberry Pi SDR.
• Bill: A daring but failed attempt at divide by 2 I&Q.
• Audio Mods on the Hammarlund HQ-100.
• Dual Digital Readout for the AM station.
• SPECIAL FEBRUARY ANTENNA DISCUSSION
• Why we build antennas in February.
• Why hams should concentrate on antennas.
• The importance of noodling.
• Pete's beam project.
• Pete's Lazy H.
• The pernicious influence of automatic antenna tuners.
• Bill's Ray Gun Antenna.
• Bill's Moxon and his 160 inverted L.
• MAILBAG
• Tom Gallagher NY2RF (new ARRL Exec VP).
• Mike Rainey AA1TJ on the air with a unijunction transistor.
• Dale W9DKB sends me 160 meter book.
• Alan Wolke W2AEW builds a Mighty Mite.
• Daniel HK4DEI builds a DSB rig in Medellin.
• Chris KD4PBJ modulates an AD9850.
• Charlie ZL2CTM Builds a Teensy Superhet.
• Jim W8NSA -- a Tek 465 goes toes up.
• Thomas KK6AHT has roof, needs antenna!
• Grayson TA2ZGE homebrewing crystal filters in Ankara.
• Ian G3ROO and I had QRP QSO in 2001!
• Steven G7VFy sent me a box of VALVES.
• Frank KM4AXA repairs a rig and thus adds SOUL to the machine.

SolderSmoke Episode 184

• 16 January 2016
• The Radio Amateur is BALANCED
• Pete exhibits CLEAR symptoms of Dilbert's disease!
• Santa brought me a 160 meter antenna
• Ground Radial systems large and small
• Clip lead L network
• ON THE AIR ON 160!
• AM contacts
• SKN 160 CW with sidetone from the DX-100 transformer
• Stations with character and personality on 160 AM
• Pending projects for the AM station
• R2 phasing receiver Trials and Tribulations
• Bill's Astatic D-104 goes into rebellion
• Ramsey Kits closing down
• SPRAT 165, Sidetone, M0XPD's VXO
• "The Martian" movie
• Little Gustavo is doing well. Thanks to all.
• MAILBAG (an especially good one)

SolderSmoke Episode 183

• 20 December 2015
• Foxes in the Backyard
• Pete completes another orbit
• Simple-ceiver Success!
• Frankenstein Receiver: IT IS ALIVE! AND BINAURAL!!!
• 160 Meter AM OR BUST!
• Fun on 40 AM -- Lots of Multi Elmac AF-67s! Who knew!
• The Amateur's Code, and violations thereof.
• Negative Frequencies? I don't think so.
• Capacitor Offer from our Secret Benefactor: EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY
• Projects for 2016: Pete goes Raspberry Pi, Bill goes DX-100
• Mailbag:
• Croation Creation
• Salvadoran 2B
• N3FJZ's Homebrew QSL
• WA7HRG's LBS-ZIA-Simple-Ceiver Mashup Rig
• KC0IZR turning VCRs into Mighty Mites in NOVA
• AB1YK Starting with DC RX, going BITX
• G8GNR puts Mighty Mite on AM!
• G3ZPF Modulates THE SUN (Amazing)
• VK3YE's Simple Superhet
• Grayson in Turkey drools over KG7TR's Octalmania
• N7REP reaches for the Zantac because of Arduinos and Surface Mount

SolderSmoke Episode 182

• November 22, 2015
• Travelogue: In Shenandoah with BEARS!
• Michigan Mighty Mite Update and a Generous Offer (with conditions).
• BENCH REPORT:
• Pete's Ten Tec Conversion using LTSpice
• Pete's Simple-ceiver
• My CB to 10 conversion plans
• DREAMS OF 160 METER AM: KB3SII, N2CQR, N6QW Building for Top Band
• Raspberry Pi Nightmares
• Homebrew to Homebrew (HB2HB) Contacts
• Elser Mathes Cup -- We have some competition!
• QST, "The Radio Art," and The Channelization of HF Bands
• WA5BDU Nick Kennedy on QSO Today Podcast
• Ed Walker of "The Big Broadcast" was a ham: N3HFT
• MAILBAG: A Letter from Turkey: Tubes and R-390s
• Si5351: G4GXO says give it a go!

SolderSmoke Episode 181

• 17 October 2015
• Our audience IGNORES Pete's guitar intro!
• Pete on QSO Today Podcast.
• Part 97, The Radio Art and International Goodwill.
• BENCH REPORTS:
• Pete connects his new beam to the KX3.
• Pete puts the Bell-thorn on 20.
• Simple-ceiver update.
• Pete's new drum machine:
• Bill fights noise in the DIGI-TIA.
• Bill fights power-line noise (and wins!).
• Drake 2B, skirts, reduction drives, and tuning rates.
• Warming up (with!) the DX-100.
• N2CQR -- N6QW First Ever HB2HB QSO.
• On 40 AM with an HT-37
• Listening to Chinese CubeSats.
• SDR Dongle as a bandwidth checker.
• SDR and the Future of Homebrew Radio.
• Bryan's LBS Receiver.
• Dean's First Ever QSO with his HB rig.
• 32 Mighty Mites Completed
• The Martian -- Did Mark Watney REALLY have the Knack?
• MAILBAG:
• Peter Parker's New Book
• Sparks from Ron Sparks
• Armand's 1Watter
• Rogier's pyro machine
• BIG boxes from Tim KI6BGE
• Mikele's ZIA and N6QW rig collection
• SPRAT 141 and SPRAT 164

SolderSmoke Episode 180

• 19 September 2015
• PROJECT REPORT:
• Pete's Antenna Project: The Joy of Rotation!
• Simple-ceiver
• Bill fixes Digi-Tia (after breaking it)
• Shack Configured for Winter (DX-100)
• Working (a little) on the Drake 2-B
• SolderSmoke words we forgot to mention:
• Noodling
• The Radio Gods
• The Radio Art
• The Grand Poobah
• Magic Smoke
• Lud(d)ite Curmudgeonism
• SDR and the Homebrewer
• "QSO Today" Interviews
• Lady Ada interviews Paul Horowitz of "Art of Electronics"
• SHAMELESS COMMERCE: Book still free!
• Start your Amazon purchases at our blog page.
• Book Review: "The Martian"
• Great QSOs with W5NDS and AE5RM
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 179

• 22 August 2015
• YESTERDAY MARKED 10 YEARS OF THE SOLDERSMOKE PODCAST
• A clip: The first minutes of SolderSmoke #1
• A trip down SolderSmoke memory lane.
• The SolderSmoke lexicon -- words and phrases we use (a lot).
• BENCH REPORT
• Pete's antenna project.
• Pete's new Blog:
• Bill's big amplifier problem fixed thanks to Allison KB1GMX.
• Six digit freq readout with an Altoids case.
• THE Si5351 PHASE NOISE CONTROVERSY
• ALL oscillators make noise.
• Keeping things in perspective: It is 100 db down!
• Observations and tests from LA3PNA, NT7S, and K0WFS:
• Try it, you'll like it! The benefits trying things on real rigs.
• NEWS
• Interviews on "QSO TODAY" with Eric 4Z1UG.
• Horrible band conditions.
• Looking at Saturn with telescope.
• MAILBAG
• Another recruit for the CBLA: Paul KA5WPL.
• Ron G4GXO on Bell-Thorn and Eden9 SSB rigs.
• Rupert G6HVY on Kon Tiki radio and Mr. Spock.
• Mikele's Croation BITX rigs.
• Dean AC9JQ's TIA.
• Bryan KV4ZS will build an LBS receiver.
• Dave Anderson give Pete good antenna advice.
• Steve Smith moves in from the garage.
• Pete has built 12 SSB transceivers. Intervention time?

SolderSmoke Episode 178

• 18 July 2015
• Anniversaries:
• Pete Juliano -- One year with the podcast
• BITX20 -- Ten years of homebrew fun
• SolderSmoke Podcast: Ten years of podcasting
• Bench Report: Pete's ZIA and LBS II
• Bill messes around with old microphones
• Looking ahead:
• Pete plans antennas
• Bill lusts after ladder line (spurred on by Farhan's new blog)
• On the Air Reports:
• Pete on 20 with ZIA and LBSII
• Bill having fun on 40 (even with the Spectral Purity Police)
• Bill tries rock-bound QRPp. It is hard. (Spoiled by QRO BITX luxury)
• Bill's verdict: BITX40 with Yaesu filter, Si5351, and TIA best of the 3 rigs.
• Catching Cubesats with Pete's SDR Dongle
• Digitizing old paper logs (and finding a lot more HB rigs)
• Interviews with Eric 4Z1UG on QSO Today Podcast
• FDIM interviews by Bob Crane
• Peter Parker's review of DSB kit
• MAILBAG:
• Parts from W8NSA
• Colin's tuna Tin Mighty Mite
• Dean's Tiny Tia
• Bryan's MMM dreams
• Armand braves the heat at the Manassas Hamfest

SolderSmoke Episode 177

• 13 June 2015
• PETE JULIANO INDUCTED INTO THE QRP HALL OF FAME
• Bench Reports: Bicoastal Bilateral Success: A Tale of Two Tias
• Only 3 TIA rigs in the world? It depends...
• Relay improvements in the BITX Builds
• Straightening out amp problems
• The many uses of copper foil
• No phase noise or bleed-over troubles
• Plug-in filters
• Adjusting TIA amp gain on RX and TX (too much is not good!)
• Getting the BITX to work with the CCI amp
• Allison wisely prescribes 3 db pads
• Curing hum by moving the power supply (duh!)
• Farhan's New Minima -- Crying out for an Si551?
• Mike KL7R's Web Site is Back (thanks to W8NSA)
• SolderLex: Rigs or Radios? We go with Rigs
• A ham rite of passage: Build a Dipole!
• What does your shack look like at the end of a project?
• MAILBAG
• The CORRECT pronunciation of Belthorn
• Multiplication and Division by 4
• W8NSA, Vietnam, a Transoceanic and a 9V Battery

SolderSmoke Episode 176

• 16 May 2015
• Bench Update:
• Pete releases some magic (amplifier) smoke
• Pete's new termination-insensitive transceiver makes first contact
• Bill goes Yaesu (well, just a filter)
• Juliano Mill-Pad boards
• Termination Insensitivity is not a personality disorder!
• Flip those Bilat Boards! Pete's cool technique for bilat building
• Bill's project notebook and stage testing
• Installing the W6JFR EMRFD SBL-1 Bal-Mod Mod
• AREA 5351: Myths, Urban Legends, and Conspiracy Theories about the Si5351
• A Rule of Thumb for Sideband Inversion
• Dongle Madness and the Dangers of Dongle Modification
• What is a dongle?
• 24 Mhz to 1.7 GHz right out of the box
• Modification for 0-29 MHz
• Tapping the IF of a Drake 2-B
• Getting another one for VHF-UHF
• Dongling Meteors, Satellites and Airplanes
• SPRAT cover AD9850 in 1988! Three cheers for SPRAT (and QQ and QST).
• Elecraft's new Rig

SolderSmoke Episode 175

• 18 April 2015
• Some enhanced audio testing (Mellow, with Presence!)
• Pete's trip to Fake-shu-out, China
• My visit to the National Academy of Sciences
• Bench Reports:
• Pete's JBOM Re-born
• Bill's plans for a new SSB Transceiver
• Arduino Woes BASTA!!!!!!!!!!!
• Si5351 VFO/BFO development
• Chuck Adams, Tribal Knowledge, and Muppet boards
• KX3 QRO?
• What antenna for Pete?
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 174

• March 28, 2015
• Happy Arduino Day!
• Pete's Belthorn III Transceiver (with cool color display)
• Bill's BITX 20 (that used to be a BITX20/40)
• AD9850 DDS added to Barebones Superhet
• Jean Shepherd on Parasitic Oscillations, Obsession, and Madness
• Simple Test Gear for the Homebrewer
• Digital Oscilloscopes and their amazing capabilities
• Dongles and other great stuff in SPRAT 162
• The BIG St. Patrick's Day Solar Flare
• VK6MV's Amazing Rhombic (+)
• VK7XX (Dos Equis!)
• A Bit of BITX History
• Pete going KX3 QRO

SolderSmoke Episode 173

• 7 March 2015
• Bench Report: Pete's Progress on the Let's Build Something Rig:
• Ben's cool case for his LBS rig
• Bill's Tale of Woe: QRO troubles with the BITX 40
• QRO amplifier taking off on 40 (but not 17)
• Criticism and public humiliation on 40
• Troubleshooting
• Suggestions from Allison
• A sad realization about my VFO frequency selection
• Exorcism needed
• Pete suggests a digital solution
• Wow, my 'scope has an FFT! Almost a spectrum analyzer!
• Some thoughts on trouble shooting
• On the meaning of "BASTA!"
• The Spring 2015 Issue of Hot Iron
• More on Pete's KX3
• Encouraging other hams to build

SolderSmoke Episode 172

• 16 February 2015
• Bench Reports:
• Pete under the gun to finish SSB transceiver project. NEW VIDEO:
• Bill fixes his BITX 2040 Oscillator (Bandsweep!)
• Next: LP filter for 120 watt amp.
• Bill's 13 dollar Chinese freq counter (Blue! With anti-wobble tape!)
• Bill's next rig: Chipped to the Max, DDS, SBL-1s, plug in filters!
• Radio Shack going under and JAN no longer making crystals.
• Mighty Mite Project: Let's get them DONE!
• An easy way to get Q or ESR measurements on crystals?
• SI5351 as a crystal substitute.
• DuWayne's Scalar Network Analyzer lights up the internet!
• The Portable SDR rig -- Pete almost goes to the dumpster!
• Report from the cutting edge: Pete's new Elecraft KX3.
• MAILBAG: Meeting W7ZOI and WA7MLH at a hamfest.
• Instant Messaging with Farhan

SolderSmoke Episode 171

• January 31, 2015
• Bench Report:
• Pete's Small Screens (in Color!)
• Si5351s
• Bill's Graph Paper Frequency Readout
• Bill's Broadened Barebones Barbados RX. DIGITIZED!
• Another AD9850 DDS using M0XPD Kanga UK Shield
• New 13 dollar Color Display (Prettier than Graph paper!)
• Pete and Ben's Article in QRP Quarterly Available free here:
• The DEEP SPIRITUAL REWARDS of DC Receivers
• The Importance of Good Power Supplies
• SPRAT Article on HW8 Design Error
• Latest Edition of Hot Iron
• Elecraft KX3 -- Has one of the best receivers in the world

SolderSmoke Episode 170

• January 11, 2015
• Bill's Double A, DSB, Dipole, Dominican DX-pedition.
• Living the "How's DX?" Dream
• Seeing the Southern Cross with Soviet Binoculars
• Pete goes remote
• SI5351 a chip with a lot of potential
• Pete's experiments with Nokia LCD displays
• Michigan Mighty Mites around the world
• The Postal Stream Roller
• Steve Silverman's very kind variable cap offer
• MOXON modeling with EZNEC
• Aspirations for 2015

SolderSmoke Episode 169

• December 6, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 169
• December 6, 2014
• 25 crystals "deployed" to new Colorburst Liberation Army recruits
• OBJECTIVE: For now, just oscillation
• Using the Reverse Beacon Network (when time comes to transmit)
• W2DAB's Mighty Mite: trials, tribulations, triumphs (and karma)
• Explaining the Mighty Mite (all 7 parts)
• Minima IF evolution -- up to 25 Mhz?
• Chuck Adams and "Experimental METH"!!!!!!!!!!
• Different kinds of Arduinos
• Si5350s and amateur experimentation
• First menus, now KEYPADS!
• The launch of Orion
• N2CQR/HI Beach Portable DSB on 20
• Video review: "The Wanderers"

SolderSmoke Episode 168

• November 22, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 168
• November 4, 2014
• The benefits of software inefficiency.
• Don't throw a wet blanket on computer baby steps.
• DDS-ing Pete's old boatanchors and Bill's BITX.
• Bill's DSB amplifier woes: a JBOT unfairly scorned.
• Getting ready for solar-powered beach DSB.
• Michigan Mighty Mite Crystal Offer -- FREE ROCKS!
• Tribal knowledge: Beware of mistakes in published schematics!
• QRO update: Working Japan on 17 meters.
• Happy Thanksgiving!

SolderSmoke Episode 167

• November 3, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 167
• 3 November 2014
• Who the heck is Giovanni Manzoni?
• Pete's Bench Report:
• "Let's Build Something" Project
• Arduinos and Si5351s
• Bill's Bench Report: 140 watt Amplifier Completed!
• Low Pass Filter Design with the ELSIE Program
• Samlex Power Supply
• How I almost blew it up!
• The new amp and the lids in the FT4TA pileup
• Tribal Knowledge!
• "Nature abhors a vacuum (tube)!" "The Innovators" by Walter Isaacson.
• Carter, WA9DNF, REALLY knows which end of the soldering iron to grab!
• Meeting with Thomas, KK6AHT. The two electronic cultures.
• Interviews by Chris, KD4PBJ, at Two Days in Huntsville:
• Glen Popiel, KW5GP, Author of "Arduino for Ham Radio"
• John Henry of TenTec
• Steve, WG0AT

SolderSmoke Episode 166

• October 4, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 166
• October 4, 2014
• Bench Report: Pete working on Direct Conversion Receivers.
• Bill on his 2B and on 20DSB rig, and an M0XPD/Kanga DDS kit, and a 140 watt amp.
• GETTING STARTED IN HOMEBREW:
• Start simple: Build an oscillator. Make it oscillate!
• Gather tools, simple test gear, and books.
• Try to understand what you build.
• Build a direct conversion receiver.
• Don't fear the toroids!
• Be patient. This is not Plug and Play.
• Build a DSB transceiver.
• Little tips:
• Protect variable caps.
• Use heat sinks.
• Use reverse polarity protection.
• Don't breathe the solder smoke! Ventilate your bench.
• China Radio International Mystery Solved.
• Book Recommendation: "International QRP Collection" by Dobbs and Telenius-Lowe
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 165

• September 13, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 165
• September 13, 2014
• Workbench Update: Bill's "Off the Shelf" Regen, Pete's Boatanchors
• Mysterious Echos on Shortwave Signals. Solve the Mystery. Please.
• Microcontrollers -- What they can do for you.
• Small world: As a kid, Pete was neighbor of "Digital Dial" N3ZI
• NEWS FLASH: Arduino creator Massimo Banzi was a ham!
• Born in a bar, cheaper than pizza: The Italian origins of Arduino
• Arduino CW generators
• No coding skills needed
• Arduino + AD9850 = Signal Generator or VFO
• Arduinos in the Minma
• What the heck is a Shield?
• SolderSmoke Mailbag

SolderSmoke Episode 164

• August 16, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 164
• August 16, 2014
• ANCIENT TRIBAL KNOWLEDGE -- TUBE AND TUBE-LIKE RADIOS
• Workbench Updates:
• Pete's Arduino Keyer Project
• Bill Builds (and LIKES!) a REGENERATIVE RECEIVER
• The Joys of Regen Shortwave Listening
• Grayson Evan's Tube (Thermatron) Book
• Book review: "The Joy of X" (It's about math).
• Shameless Commerce: A Plug for Bill's Book
• Pete discusses tube projects
• Making your own enclosures from Home Depot flashing
• Amplitude Modulation
• Compactrons, Nuvistors and other unusual tubes
• BANDSWEEP: Radio Havana on Bill's new regen

SolderSmoke Episode 163

• July 26, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 163
• Saturday July 26, 2014
• Part III with Pete Juliano: Tribal Knowledge -- Sideband Sidecars
• Moxon Update "A Thing of Beauty"
• Pete is Building Peter Parker's Knobless Wonder
• Ladder Filters
• Construction Practices for SSB rigs
• Essential Test Gear
• Junk Box development and parts storage
• Next time: Tubes, Valves, Termatrons, Firebottles.
• Thanks to Bob Crane and the FDIM musicians for this episode's musical opening.

SolderSmoke Episode 162

• June 21, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 162
• June 21, 2014
• Part II of our interview with Pete Juliano, N6QW
• Bill's Moxon Monstrosity
• Amplifiers and Exorcisms (See slideshow link on the blog)
• Varactor tuning
• Polivaricon capacitors
• The challenge of building small rigs
• Heat, layout, components and VFO stability
• "No frills" as a building philosophy
• The future of Bill's Heathkit HW-101
• We still have a lot more to talk about. Stay tuned for Part III!

SolderSmoke Episode 161

• May 26, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 161
• 26 May 2013
• Homebrew Single Sideband -- An Interview with Pete Juliano, N6QW
• Pete's background: 55 years in radio. Boatanchors AND Arduinos. 40673 Mosfets. Guitar!
• A personal transition from CW to phone.
• The importance of passing on "tribal knowledge."
• What you need: A library, tools, test gear and a junque box.
• A new word in the homebrew lexicon: Pete explains "noodling."
• One stage at a time!
• The attractiveness of standard circuit blocks (that work!)
• The importance of IF selection.
• Building your own crystal filters is easier than ever.
• Thinking (early) about the enclosure.
• VFOs, VXOs, and (gasp) Direct Digital Synthesis
• Thanks Pete!

SolderSmoke Episode 160

• May 17, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 160
• Bob Crane, W8SX, was out at the Four Days in May event and did an excellent series of interviews with the guys who made presentations: -- Harold Smith, KE6TI Many Ways To Homebrew; Chris Testa, KD2BMH Battery Powered Software Radios -- Having your cake and eating it, too; George Dobbs, G3RJV The Classic World of the Regenerative Receiver; Gary Breed, K9AY Why Does My Rig Have a Receive Antenna Jack?; Craig Behrens, NM4T The Great Arduino, JT65 and Rebels Caper -- High adventure with new radio paradigms; Dave Cripe, NM0S PoW QRP

SolderSmoke Episode 159

• March 31, 2014
• ">SolderSmoke 159
• April 1, 2014
• Vienna Wireless Hamfest
• BITX Talk
• W1REX speaks
• Tuna Tin 2 Mojo Transfer Ceremony
• After 38 years -- finishing my Herring Aid 5 receiver
• Feedback, Phasing Dots, Rotational Sense, and Oscillation (or not)
• Motorboating (when you don't want to)
• Building my Tuna Tin 2 with parts from W1REX
• On the air with Tuna Tin and Herring Aid
• More Minimalist Meanderings:
• An (Almost) All Altoid Crystal Radio!
• Tek 465 dies (again) :-(
• MAILBAG
• SolderSmoke at WinterFest Hamfest
• Presentation on BITX rigs at Feb 2014 Hamfest

SolderSmoke Episode 158

• January 20, 2014
• MLK Day. Tough winter. Shack heated by Heathkit.
• BITX 20/40 Almost done:
• Bandswitching arrangement.
• VFO construction using spreadsheets.
• 2N2222s wired in backwards! (CBE not EBC! Who knew?)
• Other amusing building errors.
• Crystal filter evaluation -- the G3UUR method.
• Sweeping a filter with an Arduino DDS.
• Building a BITX in LTSpice.
• New Rigol 'scope (now 100 MHz).
• Tek 465 REBORN!
• QRP HATERS -- They are out there!
• MAILBAG.
• BITX 20/40 dual band bandsweep

SolderSmoke Episode 157

• December 27, 2013
• Santa Report: Rigol Scope at SolderSmoke HQ. Kites at VK3YE.
• Project updates: Bill's BITX 40/20 build.
• Peter finishing up BITX40 (in a big box)
• BITX 17 (5 watts SSB) works JA, ZD7, ZS!
• The mystery, elegance, and gentleness of phasing SSB
• Phasing explained in 1970 ARRL SSB book
• Phasing SSB: From Hallicrafters HT-37 to SDR
• The SP5AHT Phasing Rig
• I & Q for you: The Binaural Experience
• Direct Conversion receivers and Software Defined Radios
• Simple DC receivers plugging into sound cards
• The joy of receiver building
• 145 MHz aircraft bounce across the The Great Australian Bight
• HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

SolderSmoke Episode 156

• November 4, 2013
• Special hour-long interview with Peter Parker, VK3YE
• Early experiences with radio
• DSB Gear
• Simple gear, and gear that is TOO simple
• VXOs, Super VXOs and Ceramic Resonators
• Building receivers
• Chips vs. Discrete
• Making the leap to SSB
• The Knob-less wonder and the BITX
• No need for a sophisticated workshop
• Advice for new phone QRPers

SolderSmoke Episode 155

• October 14, 2013 (Delayed Back-to-School edition)
• Topics covered:
• BITX Beauty -- Building a BITX17
• VFO woes, and the wisdom of Doug DeMaw's love for crystals
• Why does a 55 year old man NEED clear nail polish varnish?
• How the VFO KILLED the Tek 465
• Trying to fix the Tek 465 (not for the faint of heart)
• New products: Justin Beiber Duct Tape, bifocal safety glasses,
• magnetic reading glasses, Ward Silver's new book
• Backwards British Bike Brakes
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 154

• August 11, 2013
• Alligators! Real Alligators! (see picture below -- look closely)
• Ten meter beacon project (with Arduino and Reverse Beacon Network)
• Telescope repair: Chap Stick as lubricant, and the perils of macular pucker!
• HW-101 saved from cannibalism!
• The Wonders of WSPR and our need for instant feedback and gratification.
• QST Review of SolderSmoke, The Book.
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 153

• June 22, 2013
• Manassas Hamfest
• Building a Balanced Modulator in LTSpice
• Peter Parker's Minimalist SDR receiver
• Alberto I2PHD's SDRadio program
• My Arduous Arduino Adventure: Sig Generator
• MAR-1 amplifier chip
• WSPRing again (the sound of WSPR)
• Broadening my Barebones Superhet for phone
• Cliff Stoll on Kludge vs. Kluge
• FDIM INTERVIEWS:
• G3RJV on one and done projects, Sodder vs. SoLder, Regens
• G3VTT plays SolderSmoke for his students
• NM0S on new Four States PTO rig
• K0NEB on kit building techniques
• NH6Z on high performance SDR
• KK7B on hard rock rigs, modular construction and understanding
• I2RTF Saluti a tutti!
• W7EL on EZNEC, Dilbert, and escaping the Cube Farm
• W1REX on QRP as a creative outlet, Knack to the Max!
• SPECIAL THANKS TO SOLDERSMOKE'S DAYTON CORRESPONDENT:
• BOB CRANE, W8SX

SolderSmoke Episode 152

• May 18, 2013
• SolderSmoke's WWV Advertising Campaign!
• Bands Better -- Working DX!
• Shack and Shed reorganization
• Arduino Madness! CW Beacon Machine! DDS Sig Generator! (see video above)
• Breaking and Fixing an Arduino
• Reverse Beacon Network
• The Cult of Arduino: QRP Computing with Italian Charm
• PSK-31 and JT65 with Homebrew DSB Rig
• SolderSmoke Book Corner: Hollow-State Design! Getting Started With Arduino!
• Massimo Banzi has THE KNACK!
• MAILBAG: AA1TJ, G3RJV, AL7RV (now W8NSA), others...

SolderSmoke Episode 151

• April 1, 2013
• Topics:
• Spring not yet sprung
• Dominican nostalgia wave hits SolderSmoke HQ
• Rebuild of my first transmitter
• Dusting off the Barebones Superhet
• SolderSmoke Book Corner:
• Ben Franklin by Walter Issacson
• How Arthur C. Clarke handled his Mailbag
• "The New Cool" Dean Kamen's house/shack
• Transistor Radios by Ronald Quan
• New SolderSmoke Advertising Campaign
• QRP vs. QRO:
• Put 40 milliwatt "Shark Fin" QRSS rig on the air
• Being lured into QRO amp construction projects
• Reverse Beacon Network
• Looking for my Elmer (or his son)
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 150

• March 6, 2013
• SolderSnow!
• Winterfest Hamfest report
• N2CQR WINS ARRL INTERNATIONAL DX DSB CONTEST!!!!
• Homebrew Direct Conversion RX meets PSK-31 and FLDIGI
• Kludge Controversy II
• More Q Killing
• Fixing up old cassettes
• Pat Hawker, G3VA, SK
• Mailbag

SolderSmoke Episode 149

• 17 February 2012
• IGY intro
• Cappuccio turns off TV on New Year's Eve
• Pre-inaugural day on the National Mall
• The importance of audio bandwidth in DSB rigs
• On 15 meters with the HT-37 and the Drake 2B
• Q Killing and Swamping
• Adding a Filter the Mighty Midget Receiver
• Italian lessons via Echolink
• Billy and the Raspberry Pi -- Three Cheers for Ada Fruit
• Translate Button on the Blog page (upper right)
• C.F Rockey SK
• Mailbag: Kludge or Klooge?

SolderSmoke Episode 148

• December 30, 2012
• Hurricane Follow-up
• Subliminal Mind Control to Encourage Homebrewing (beep-beep)
• The Shortcomings of the All American Five Receiver
• Solid-Stating a Heath SG-6 (with Farhan's circuit)
• VK3YE's Beach DSB Rig
• Tek 'scope connection to frequency counter
• Mod to W7ZOI/W7PUA power meter
• JBOTing my 20 meter DSB Rig -- A Tale of Woe
• LU1AR "The Most Interesting Ham in the World"
• Billy's Raspberry Pi
• Latest QST, SPRAT, Hot Iron
• Videos: Landfillharmonica, Knack in Sierra Leone
• Santa delivered a Soldering Station
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 147

• October 30, 2012
• October 29/30 2012
• Hurricane Sandy on the way
• Thanks for birthday wishes
• Einstein -- a very nice fellow with a bit of the Knack
• Rocket project update
• 808 key chain cameras (thanks for the Amazon support!)
• Audio output transformer for Barbados Barebones RX
• Mighty Midget RX -- breaking it, fixing it (with help from friends)
• Freq counter connection to Tek scope
• Halli S-38E -- How to avoid electrocution?
• The HQ-100's anti-drift alarm clock
• Book Review: "Instruments of Amplification" by H.P. Friedrichs (5 Soldering Irons!)
• BANDSWEEP: 20 meter SSB via DC receiver on hurricane day
• Report on outcome of the hurricane -- inverter saves the day (really the night)
• MAILBAG (a big one).

SolderSmoke Episode 146

• September 23, 2012
• Trip to the Dominican Republic: Puerto Plata and Samana
• Evading Hurricane Isaac
• Honda Accord as an emergency generator
• On the air on 75 and 40 AM
• 17 Meter Azores rig works...THE AZORES!
• Working (STILL!) on 20 meter DSB rig. Soon to be JBOTed
• Building model rocket with Billy
• Book review: "Martian Summer"
• Einstein on staying young
• Primo Levi on QRP
• HOT IRON: G3ROO's Regen wins West Country prize
• Commodity Investment Opportunity: SILVER MICA!
• MAILBAG:
• SolderSmoke is on 478 THz in Salt Lake City
• WA3EIB's HT-37
• Radio-Erotica in Hallicrafters Ad

SolderSmoke Episode 145

• July 29, 2012
• Derecho Storm hits Northern Virginia
• Cappuccio impersonates a Pitt Bull
• July 4 Fireworks
• A 17 Meter QSO with W5JAY (QRP Hall of Famer)
• Rules of Thumb for Decoupling Caps (.1 uF now suspect)
• Heathkit: Mic jack? Or Mike jack? (Who is this Mike guy?)
• On the air with the K2ZA DX-100
• Saturnian Sidewalk Astronomy
• NJQRP "Chat With The Designers" -- Mandatory Listening!
• Back with the ARRL: Goodwill Transmitters and Herring Aid Receivers
• Billy's computer build and Arduino adventures
• Fixing up NE602 20 meter DC rig
• Join G-QRP! Support our SPRAT!
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 144

• June 13, 2012
• ">SolderSmoke 144
• June 13, 2012
• A CQ from the Rolling Thunder!
• The Transit of Venus.
• JA DX on 17
• Kick Panel Finale:
• Workin' on the Workbench (and test gear)
• Billy's Computer Project: Success!
• SPECIAL REPORT FROM FDIM
• MAILBAG: Urban legends, Hot Iron, Dry Joints
• Bluegrass Music
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 143

• May 7, 2012
• " style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">SolderSmoke 143
• May 2012
• Cappuccio the Flying Retriever
• Kite Flying (no injuries this time!)
• April 1 getting more and more difficult
• Turtle Wax and Telescope Maintenance
• Titan's Orbital period
• NJQRP's Amazing "Chat with the Designers"
• QRP-Tech and A-QRP
• Billy's workbench and computer build
• Sony Vaios goes toes up (really)
• Digi modes make me grumpy
• Kick Panel rig gets a receiver
• The Joy of Belden 1671A
• I want to bulild a BITX 75/20!
• Solar Flux when I was born (300+)
• SPRAT 150! Congrats!
• Jason NT7S and his new OpenBeacon QRSS kit
• BONANZA!
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 142

• March 19, 2012
• ">SolderSmoke 142
• March 19, 2012
• SWR meter as a poor man's spectrum analyzer
• QRP Quarterly: Pete Juliano's SSB Rig, Idea Exchange, Mike's articles
• Great contacts on 17 SSB
• Squeezing the birdies out of 17 meter rig. Again.
• STOP MURPHY'S WHISKERS! A PLEA FOR BELDEN 1671A!
• My new 'scope
• Zen and the Art of Telescope Maintenance
• SETI Live: Search the waterfall for ET's sigs
• Ade Weiss's wonderful new book
• Chinese Knack?
• Soul in the Machine: Billy's earliest toroids
• Re-cycling my 20 meter CW rig (from cycle 22)
• Winterfest report
• Relay repairs and back EMF dangers
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 141

• February 5, 2012
• Recording on repaired computer
• RG-174 shield wires: "Murphy's Whiskers"
• "The Radio Art"
• "Non e radioamatore se non gli fuma il saldatore!"
• Does soldering a soldering iron disturb the universe?
• HCJB: Home of the Quad, but DX Party line is over
• Butane, Loctite, Scotchbrite, Velcro, and Gorilla tape
• Getting the 17 meter SSB station going -- trials, tribulations, triumph!
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 140

• January 9, 2012
• Santa Claus: Ice Skates, Brownie Box Cameras, and Piper Cubs
• On the air with 17 Meter Azores DSB rig
• Seeking balance (with antennas)
• 23/24 recycling of Azores SSB Rig: Adding Soul to the Old Machine!
• Attacked by my own soldering iron!
• RG-174, swarf, and other insidious threats to the homebrewer
• Inspiration from QRP Quarterly
• G3RJV validates the D-104
• T/R admonition from the 1973 Handbook (words to live by)
• The Woz on electronics and teenage social isolation
• BANDSWEEP: Straight Key Night at WA6ARA
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 139

• December 3, 2011
• Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Billy's Birthday (on the range!)
• Astro-Knack: CCD camera in the telescope. Solar astronomy.
• Winter approaches: Shack heating by Heath, Halli, Hammarlund and Drake.
• 2B troubles on 17 meters.
• Rig Re-Cycling: Rebuilding 17 meter rigs from the last solar cycle.
• Azores DSB re-build: Oscillator troubles then adding a JBOT.
• Manhattan style construction and the need for urban renewal.
• Book Review: Steve Jobs. (Woz has the Knack!)
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 138

• October 4, 2011
• A Meteor and Jupiter: Cosmic Birthday Present!
• Sagan's Pale Blue Dot -- Lots of interesting radio info
• On the cover of "Hot Iron"!!!!
• The HW-7 Philosophy and Way of Life
• Sputnik Anniversary
• Getting my 2B back on 17
• Preparing for a return of sunspots and 17 meters
• Raiding Radio Shack (for 2N2222s!)
• The Autumn SPRAT
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 137

• 10 September 2011
• Earthquake! Hurricane! Tropical Storm!
• The Heathkit HW-7 -- An Undeserved Bad Reputation
• Over-the-counter saltpeter
• Movie review: Green Hornet, Captain America
• How many 2-Bs? (11,571)
• Ubuntifying dead laptops
• Get the SolderSmoke blog by e-mail
• Replacing a diode ring mixer with a diode...
• ...then trying the NT7S MOSFET detector
• Where is boatanchor wizard Walt Hutchins KJ4JV ?
• GREAT NAMES IN RADIO: MCMURDO SILVER
• Sputnik update
• Lew McCoy wrote about one of my projects
• MAILBAG (with mail from Farhan and Wes)

SolderSmoke Episode 136

• August 7, 2011
• Travelogue: New York City
• A Stroke of Luck: Lightning strikes Rome HB DC DSB WSPR rig
• It's an IGY thing: Recreating the Sputnik Transmitter
• ArisSAT-1 deployed. Audio Clip (Can anyone decode the SSTV in this clip?)
• Summertime SPRAT -- ZL2BMI rig and the mysteries of the '602
• A writer for "The New Yorker" builds a radio
• June Smithsonian Magazine has a lot of Knack
• Electric Radio on AM selectivity, Japanese, and the sibilant S problem
• Gathering Drake 2-B Serial numbers for use with German Tank Equation
• Amazon breaks into oscillation on "Atoms to Ampere" prices
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 135

• June 26, 2011
• Bike riding, composting... what next?
• Lightning kills the WSPR rig
• New finder for old telescope
• SPECIAL FOUR DAYS IN MAY INTERVIEWS BY BOB CRANE W8SX:
• FEATURING:
• Joe Taylor K1JT (Nobel Prize Winner -- FOR PHYSICS!)!
• Plumbing Defined Radio!
• Steve WG0AT: Fly Fishing, Retirement, Goats, YouTube, and Amateur Radio!
• George Dobbs, G3RJV! And more!
• Drake 2-B updates: WARC and 160 Dial Templates,
• Drake 2B Serial Number Math Estimate Project (Using German tank method)
• Michael AA1TJ's Sputnik 1 Project
• Putting the Shack back into RadioShack

SolderSmoke Episode 134

• May 15, 2011
• New "Ikea" microphone
• NOVA QRP Club
• WSPR T/Rouble resolved
• Finishing up Rome WSPR rig
• Easy-Peasy on Asus eee-PC
• Space Station Packet Beacon
• Boatanchor News: DX-100, HT-37,
• "CQR" anchors,
• 75 meter antenna
• Drake 2-B history interview by W8SX
• Lew McCoy and Ernest Hemingway
• Ade Weiss, QRPoetry and Ade's new book
• Regen theory
• MAILBAG (with a focus on New Zealand)

SolderSmoke Episode 133

• April 20, 2011
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 133
• April 19, 2011
• KindleSmoke
• Amazon's Whispernet (not to be confused with WSPRnet)
• April 1 and the Perils of Plausibility
• The difference (significant!) between Cream of Tartar and Tartar Sauce
• A short Italian lesson
• Polyakov QRSS
• Snort Rosin's Mighty Mite (NOTE: NO FILTER!)
• Fly Fishing in Space: 2 Meter Packet Beacons and the International Space Station
• Upside-down Amplifier
• Rock and Roll and Ham Radio: The Bob Heil Story
• The Shuttle Discovery Lands in Northern Virginia
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 132

• March 31, 2011
• ">SolderSmoke 132
• April 1, 2011
• Fickle Finger of Fate: Lamp falls on QRSS Crystal
• Another heroic computer repair
• Sleuthing for RFI with Crystal Radios and Peter Frampton
• The seductive allure of the British Regen
• Watching the Space Station and the Space Shuttle
• Packets from SPAAAACE
• Don Vorgaard and the birth of SSB (and DSB!)
• Electric Radio Magazine
• SPRAT and the ZL2BMI DSB Rig
• Jerri Elsworth's 555 contest (Did I win?)
• 73 Magazine
• QSO with Mike Bryce WB8VGE
• Knack Job Opportunities at Make and Hack-a-Day
• Chemical Tailoring of Crystal Mic Audio Response
• Pi Day!
• Sling Shots, Fishing Poles, and Antenna Launchings
• MAILBAG!

SolderSmoke Episode 131

• March 3, 2011
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 131
• 28 February 2011
• Winterfest!
• UK nostalgia: "King's Speech" saves British Regen
• Dark Cloud, Silver Lining: ice storm gets us back on the air
• 40 meter phone (AM and SSB)
• K2ZA interview: John Zaruba's DX-100
• OUR NEW SPONSOR: SIERRA RADIO SYSTEMS
• SolderSmoke audio woes: interference! Lollipop ditched.
• Buzz Aldrin's lunar seismograph
• Watching the space station fly over Virginia
• Twain, Tesla, Edison and Halley's Comet
• Capuccio on Drugs
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 130

• February 4, 2011
• " style="font-weight: bold;" title="">SolderSmoke 130
• February 5, 2011
• Some important trivia questions (answers will be given in the podcast):
• What is the connection between radio amateur (and pioneer radio
• astronomer) Grote Reber and world famous astronomer Edwin Hubble?
• In the world of radio-controlled helicopters, what is "TBE"?
• In Britain they have radio "rallies," but at one time they had hamfests." When did this happen?
• Only one terrain feature on Venus is named for a man. He is man of radio. Who is he?
• What music did Neil Armstrong listen to on his way to the moon?
• Plus:
• The Air and Space Museums
• Our music
• The SolderSmoke D-104
• NASA asks for our help
• Telescope repairs
• A BFO for the Trans-O
• Back on Echolink
• MAILBAG!
• Please send reports on the D-104 audio!

SolderSmoke Episode 129

• January 8, 2010
• Introducing Cappuccio
• "On the Cover of the Hot Iron"
• Old tech, new tech:
• Hammarlund HQ-100
• Lafayette HA-600 (A)
• WSPR: VK6 on the grey line, also Wake Island, and Alaska
• How I fixed a broken GPU chip using a light bulb!
• EMRFD's cool mod of the SBL-1 Diode Ring device (from W6JFR)
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 128

• December 7, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;" title="">SolderSmoke 128
• 3 December 2010
• Visit to Wright Brother's Kitty Hawk site
• Antenna work on Veterans' Day
• W4HBK's Pensacola Snapper
• "Knackers of the World Unite" (even in the UK!)
• Sky and Telescope Jupiter moons program
• Listen to a meteor ping!
• DSB DC WSPR transceiver
• Other ham books on Lulu
• Ubuntu Karmic Koala's Skyrockets
• Movie Review: "Social Network"
• LTSpice under Wine (in Ubuntu)
• Forrest Mims
• Broken laptop -- need advice
• MAILBAG
• New puppy en route

SolderSmoke Episode 127

• November 7, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;" title="">SolderSmoke 127.mp3
• November 7, 2010
• Karmic Koala makes you EVEN YOUNGER
• The smell of an old HT-37
• 75 meter AM
• DaVinci Code QRSS rig on the air
• Cul-de-sac astronomy with TWO telescopes
• READING: SPRATS, Hot Iron, Sky Buddies, Wired
• Jeri Ellsworth's homebrew transistors
• Tatjana Van Vark's homebrew Enigma-like machine
• MAILBAGLinux Ubuntu and Audio Quality.
• Reverse Culture shock, Woodpeckers,and the Washington METRO system
• Antenna work and hamfests on the horizon

SolderSmoke Episode 126

• October 12, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;" title="">SolderSmoke 126.mp3
• October 11, 2010
• SolderSmoke returns!
• Shack #7: The New Shack
• Drake 2-B inhaling RF
• Listening to 75 AM and SSB: WA1HLR, KM1A
• Time signal on 3820 +/-?
• Repairing DaVinci Code QRSS rig
• UK test gear works fine on this side of pond!
• Computer woes: First Linux SolderSmoke
• Astronomy from inside the Beltway
• Winter SPRAT: Great info, philosophy, inspiration
• Charging up solar cells
• Inbound Boatanchors: DX-40, DX-60, HQ-100, HA-600(A), HT-37
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 125

• June 11, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 125.mp3
• Special Four Days In May Edition!
• Opening music: FDIM Bluegrass
• Our last (sniff) Italy Travel Report
• Snakes and Fireflies in Lazio
• G3ROO's Antenna Book
• Davinci beacon crosses the pond
• WSPR rig repaired
• New transceiver built for 30 meter digi
• Manhattan-izing a SMT board
• Paul Harden's wonderful book
• BOB CRANE'S FDIM INTERVIEWS!
• "Muntzing" with Michael, G3RJV's "Socketry"
• Meeting Andrea IW0HK in Piazza San Cosimato!
• MAILBAG: Including mail from Farhan, Roger Hayward and Ade Weiss

SolderSmoke Episode 124

• May 3, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 124.mp3
• Oprah follow-up: On to Martha Stewart and Dr. Phil?
• Fencing on a Roman piazza
• Breaking an important cable
• My WSPR Direct Conversion receiver
• Roger Hayward's wonderful ugly AF amp circuit
• The beauty of SBL mixers
• My DaVinci Code Oscillator goes on the air!
• Making my own 555 timer chip (sort of)
• LEDs as varactors (or are they colorful switches?)
• Black Holes in workshops -- is the LHC to blame?
• Altoids: now made in TENNESSEE!
• G3RJV's wonderful video
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 123

• March 31, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 123.mp3
• April 1, 2010
• Spring! Equinox! Sap in Vermont! Aurora in Norway! Birds singing in Rome!
• Soldersmoke on Oprah. Program Schedule:
• Special Report from MASSCON QRP Convention by Mark, NX1K
• Propagation improving
• WSPR as a personal sunspot detector
• Building the W3PM WSPR rig
• Colpitts oscillators
• Polyakov's "Russian Mixer"
• BANDSWEEP: A low frequency sweep by Chris, KD4PBJ
• EMRFD on Direct Conversion and Direct Aversion
• Faraday's toroid diagram
• NA5N's ISBN
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 122

• February 28, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 122.mp3
• February 28, 2010
• Snow in Rome!
• In London: A visit to Marconi's house, Maplins, and Faraday's lab
• A visit to the Dover Construction Club
• Computer problems resolved
• A short period of QRSS, then back to WSPR
• Putting the Drake 2-B into WSPR mode
• The Rome-Norway WSPR pipeline
• Increased solar activity
• 50 years of SETI with Frank Drake
• QQ Review
• Work Bench Eye Candy
• Movie Review: UP! (Five Soldering Irons)
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 121

• February 5, 2010
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke 121.mp3
• 5 February 2010
• Into the Apennine snow!
• Technical troubles
• Roadkill computers
• Luddite Curmudgeonism
• Mars and Andromeda from Sabina
• Telescopes and Olive Oil
• Math and Electronics
• Crashing R/C planes
• 5X5JD and the Uganda Tuna Tin
• AA1TJ's diode amplifiers
• Rotating parts boxes
• MOVIE REVIEW: Avatar (2.5 Soldering Irons)
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 120

• January 2, 2010
• Olive harvest in Sabina, Christmas and New Years in Rome.
• "What, no Klingon?"
• How's my whistling SSSS problem?
• DX on 20, HW8 QSO with KZ1H
• Auroral flutter on US stations
• W4OP: Homebrew Hero
• Softrock progress
• Linux woes
• FDIM 72 Part Challenge: "Stuck between best wishes and hugs and kisses!"
• Chinese Hamsat in orbit, with CW telemetry
• AA1TJ in CQ, and using diodes as audio amplifiers.
• Stradavari and Julia Child: inspirational late starters!
• Billy's RC plane
• QRSS: telemetry next?
• WSPR: 150K reports per day
• New issue of Hot Iron
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 119

• December 6, 2009
• 4th Grade Morse lecture; SPRAT in the Pantheon; Cinghale shot
• SSS problem and the gap in my teeth
• STAGNOSALD! (Italian Flux)
• Movie Reviews
• Water on the Moon
• QQ: FB!
• Tyson the cat crashes both Ubuntu Linux AND WSPR 2.0
• Building the Softrock 40: Comments on surface mount
• WSPR hits 100k spots per day; my numbers
• BIG MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 118

• 15 November 2009
• Trip to the North of Italy -- All the way to Trieste!
• SSSSS SSSSSSolution?
• Playing with PSK-31 -- Shortwave Watching
• I0/N2CQR wins CQ WW DX! (QRP, HB, DSB category)
• New England Code Talker
• Monitoring Apollo 11
• Adventures in Surface Mount Soldering with Softrock 40
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 117

• 24 October 2009
• Climbing Monte Calvo + Horesback riding + Piggy-backs = LOWER BACK PAIN
• Visit of Bob, W8SX, Soldersmoke correspondent in Dayton
• AA1TJ's point contact adventures -- Backwaves and Backwash
• AF Collins on Kindle -- "William" Marconi
• Hans Summers and Turkish Piracy
• RSGB Convention via Skype
• "Air and Space" Aurora Article
• My new, old Pentium III with Ubuntu (Thanks Jorge!)
• Roadkill computing
• CQ interviews Joe Taylor, K1JT
• New Spart and new Sprat CD
• AA1TJ's voice-powered transmitter (and some advice from Italy)
• QSOs from Ponticelli: Dk1HW/P (SOTA) and UN9GD.
• SOLDERSMOKE THE BOOK -- WEEKEND SALE!
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 116

• 27 September 2009
• Wild Boar Hunting Season Opens
• SPRAT and QQ on Kindle?
• Kite Antenna Day -- An idea whose time has come!
• Doublet antenna in Ponticelli
• Ponticelli QSOs on 40, 20, and 15
• Steve Roberts -- Knack on a Bike
• AA1TJ goes Iron Pyrite and Point Contact
• Princess Elettra Marconi
• SolderSmoke Book: Price Reduced AND Oktoberfest Sale!
• Prices reduced on T-Shirts, coffee cups, bumper stickers
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 115

• 12 September 2009
• Camping in Sabina
• Michelangelo's late start
• Anniversaries: Internet, SolderSmoke, Hack-A-Day
• From Kitty Hawk to the Moon
• Carrington flares and childhood aurora
• Calculating speed of light (using cheese)
• Mythbusters
• Hubble Space Telescope, Sliding Spring Observatory
• Europa
• Transistor Museum
• Understanding Mixer products
• FALL SALE AT SOLDERSMOKE CAFE PRESS STORE!
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 114

• August 29, 2009
• Roman Forum, Sabina, Snakes! Wild Boar!
• Amateur Engineering?
• WSPRing again (cheap thrills?)
• Trastevere flea and a return to 1995
• Electric airplanes
• Ether rediscovered?
• Galileo!
• Sir Douglas Hall
• Sonya had The Knack
• Altoidism?
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 113

• August 9, 2009
• The Ponticelli Astronomical Observatory and QRP Station
• Mystery Sound -- Can you ID?
• Even Farhan Fries Transistors
• Google marks Tesla's birthday
• Adventures with Google Ads
• Spotting the Space Station from Rome (and from London)
• Arthur C. Clarke's version of MAILBAG
• Mystery beeps in SS111?
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 112

• July 26, 2009
• Jean Shepherd comments on solder smoke
• Back to Sicily
• Apollo 11
• Hans Summers' Heroic Homebrew Grenadian QRSS Adventure
• Regen progress (the ARE possessed)
• Knack-related maladies
• Amateur astronomer discovers scar on Jupiter
• A reading from SolderSmoke (the book)
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 111

• July 5, 2009
• Ponza and the Pontine Islands
• The Xtal Set Society -- Great guys!
• Spark plugs as lightning arrestors
• The Grundig Mini 300 SW receiver
• Jupiter from Rome and from Mars
• Saturn from the window
• More tremors
• Back to visual MEPT
• Is my antenna down, or is it conditions?
• W7ZOI on bidirectional amps
• Farhan's simple "JBOT" 5W BJT amp
• AA1TJ's xtaflex
• Regens from hell
• WD-40
• Sprat 139
• Arthur C. Clarke's "Voices from the Sky"
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 110

• June 21, 2009
• Day trips in Lazio and Tuscany
• My SSSSSolder SSSSSSMoke SSSS problem
• Crystal Radios pick up heavenly Gregorian chants...
• ... regen picks up screeches from somewhere else
• Speech processing for DSB?
• I0ZY's linear amplifiers
• Book Review: "The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments" by George Johnson
• MAILBAG (including an update from Dover)

SolderSmoke Episode 109

• June 7, 2009
• Violin gig in Rotterdam
• June 2 Parade in Rome
• Why do we use Rl=Vcc^2/2Po for Class C amps?
• NA5N article, EMRFD, SSDRA, LTSpice
• Radio Signals from Jupiter and Io (on 17 meters)
• VK2ZAY's X-Rays
• Jeff Damm, WA7MLH: Homebrew Hero
• Tim Walford's Constructor's Club:
• Floor Polish as PCB Laquer
• Numbers Stations (very timely!)
• SolderSmoke -- The Book: Very rapid delivery, even to UK
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 108

• May 24, 2009
• Hubble Space Telescope Repair Mission
• WSPR: W3PM sees my sigs, back to visual (briefly), on to Slow Hell.
• Ubuntu ham radio software
• Time nuts
• Jean Shepherd gets his Class A license
• "SolderSmoke -- The Book" Good for summer vacation reading.
• SPECIAL REPORT FROM DAYTON FDIM BY BOB W8SX
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 107

• May 10, 2009
• SolderSmoke -- The Book! ON SALE NOW!
• Get it here: SolderSmoke: A Global Adventure in Radio Electronics
• Orbits II reborn via a VK6 junkbox
• NA5N's Amazing Atlanticon 2002 article
• WSPR madness:
• 20 mw across the Atlantic.
• K1JT picks up my sigs
• WSPR generates interes on Hack-A-Day
• Linux: Ubuntu gets SolderSmoke Thumbs-up
• Somerset Supper Report
• Diode Ring Mixers
• Solar conditions
• AA1JT, Chloroform, and HB transistors
• ET's rig
• Have fun at FDIM!
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 106

• April 26, 2009
• Sicily, Mt. Etna, The Godfather
• DSB success on WSPR
• Am I the lowest power WSPR station in the world?
• Diode Ring Mixers
• SolderSmoke: The Book
• SolderSmoke: The Cologne?
• And now, a word from our sponsor: Genesis Radio
• MAILBAG

SolderSmoke Episode 105

• April 11, 2009
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke105.mp3
• Italy Earthquake
• WSPR DSB, WSPR MP3
• SBL-1 Blues
• Clockwork minimalism
• QST articles (design, HBR RX)
• Marconi
• Spring SPRAT
• Blog stuff
• ECHO-QSO with Mike, WA6ARA
• MAILBAG
• Happy Easter!

SolderSmoke Episode 104

• 1 April 2009
• Rome Marathon
• Billy climbs Vesuvius!
• Fixin' up old Toshiba laptop
• Solar Power from Donuts and Tea!
• Eldon's MEPT ET Phone home machine
• More Catalan minimalism: The MOSquito
• Book: Thunderstruck! Marconi history
• MAILBAG:
• Paul M0XPD new homebrewer, Funster 40, Paraset, and SDR
• Preston WJ2V on REAL solder vacuum pumps
• Ted AA5CK keys MEPT with iduino
• Ken KG6PO on obit of TV pioneer Thomas T. Goldsmith
• Art W2HQQ: "Man of High Fidelity" lacks knack
• Scott KD5NJR on Sputnik 4, NASA comms
• Alan W2AEW Don't smother MEPT oscillators! Books
• Steve GOFUW Old Book recommendation. Building WARC rig
• Jacki (XYL of KL7R) says hello from volcanic Alaska
• Jeff KO7M Why FSK on QRSS?
• Jim AL7RV Sends WSPR care package. (Thanks!)

SolderSmoke Episode 103

• 15 March 2009
• Beware the Ides of March!
• Ostia Beach and Ostia Antica
• 248 Knights of QRSS. And Wizards!
• ET Phones Home (with QRSS?)
• Possible new grabbers in VK6 and Dubai
• Telescope, Satellites...
• REAL QRP QSOs on 80 and 40
• Saving an old Toshiba Laptop
• ECHO-QSO WITH JEFF, KO7M:
• Piper Cubs and MFJ Cubs
• Satellite QSOs
• LT Spice and test gear
• MAILBAG:
• Gene W3PM listens from QE2, HB WSPR rig
• Jim AL7V sending parts for my W3PM rig
• Jim AB3CV's color burst Gnat
• Jason NT7S on Tektronix guys and SolderSmoke
• Kevin ZL3KE on old computers
• Paul M1CNK's DDS 30-based QRSS beacon
• Soeren OZ2DAK on exercise bikes to power beacons

SolderSmoke Episode 102

• 1 March 2009
• In the shadow of Vesuvius...
• ...then back to the "laboratorio."
• QRSS musings:
• 1 transistor for transmit, 100 million for receive.
• We need a low tech beacon generator -- maybe mechanical clock driven?
• QRSS on "Hack-A-Day."
• VK2ZAY QRSS booms into Europe.
• Soul in the New Machine: Billy's oscillator.
• ON5EX's grabber on SolderSmoke blog.
• Italians at the forefront of QRSS.
• T-shirt news: "Menus are for restaurants!"
• "QRSS Ops Do it Very Slowly"
• Using iGoogle for ham radio.
• USENET is going strong!
• Back on Echolink.
• Minimalist Radio:
• The Gnat! The NS-40!
• I add a second transistor to my ET-1 (and hang my head in shame).
• MAILBAG:
• Jim, AL7RV, developing smoke generator for LTSpice.
• Randy, K7AGE, sent Empire of the Air video -- Thanks!
• Jim, K9JM, prescribes higher Q for regen rx. "Never will be a 2B!"
• Rye, K9LCJ, "Low Space Means Fine Teletype."
• Alan, W2AEW, Listens to SS while on the road with Tektronix.
• Dave, W8NF, "Armstrong, A Man of High Fidelity." Indeed.
• Mark reports W7ZOI releases new EMRFD software.
• Jonathan, KB1KIX, Shep fan, has good Smith Chart stuff on his blog.
• Jerry, NR5A, building a QRSS beacon.
• George, K8VU, Dilbert has "utter social ineptitude."
• David, VK6DI, moving East.
• Paul, K3PG, took Willamette project on ski trip.
• Steve, WA0PWK, Gil cartoon about Wes.

SolderSmoke Episode 101

• February 15, 2009
• Superbowl Sunday in Rome. "Playing for Pizza." Spirals on the Piazza
• Empire of the Air -- Gerbils Renamed
• "Electrons on Parade" Good RCA film about tubes
• Minimalist Mania:
• ET-1/FETer transmitter built -- some problems
• New Minimalist Yahoo group
• AA1TJ and AA1MY make QRP History with tunnel diode rig
• QRSS News:
• New beacons and grabbers in US and Canada
• K6HX and the lure of the whisperers
• Upside down FSK for VK/ZL observers?
• Chip extraction tips (belated)
• What "s.o.t." means.
• MAILBAG:
• Brad WA5PSA still jogging in Tulsa
• Ted AJ8T and Paul VK5PH: Lake not named for Lee
• Neil G7AQK HB mystery box
• Doug WB5TKI on how to extract chips
• Ron AA5RS advises Billy to stick with Linux
• Bill AA0RQ uses the hard stuff
• Sott on Heaviside: Good guy or not?
• Brent in Twin Cities: SWL Rockmite and SS lead to ham radio
• Dan NM5DV building SDR QRSS rig
• Jeff K07M listens while flying private plane
• John W6TC has great article for Electronic Design
• Edwin WA4YHL: Amateur Logic TV #23 is available
• Dale WA5DJJ on the possible benefits of upside down FSK
• Eddie G3JZO: Upside down FSK looks like laundry on the line!
• Jerry NR5A has the minimalist bug

SolderSmoke Episode 100

• February 1, 2009
• SPECIAL CENTENARY EDITION
• A look back to the beginning
• Rome Travelogue: Palatine Hill
• Fixing my old freq counter: Trials and Tribulations
• Empire of the Air:
• More great history, but more tech faux pas
• "The radio art"
• An historical precedent for our GONG
• Lake DeForest?
• A. Frederick Collins
• Understanding Beta Independence
• Understanding Feedback and Distortion
• SPRAT 137: Minimalist Radio:
• The FETer/ET-1: "Haiku from Solder"
• Regens: Not for the faint of heart
• NEW: THE SolderSmoke STORE: T-shirts, Mugs, Hats, Bumper Stickers!
• MAILBAG:
• Shawn N3ZHP new to Knack, wants to build ALL his gear. FB!
• Steve WB6NTL on hippie origins of "Snort Rosin"
• Scott AC0GG recommends new mic, equalizer
• Jim AL7RV going QRSS mobile. Can we find him?
• George K8VU on kid busted by FCC
• Craig KC2LFI helps with SS s sounds
• David KB1BED says SolderSmoke driving up Drake 2-B prices
• Steve G0FUW "Ten new DSB rigs built in cloud of aromatic 60/40"
• Brian NF0G HBing at -20F Comet Lulin coming
• Tony G4LLW Freq standards, IC extraction, Arc phone transmitters
• Kevin AA7YQ listened to SS while on smoke jumper (parachute) mission
• Graeme ZL2GDN building for DSB and QRSS
• Stu N6TTO has new FSK QRSS beacon 10140060 -- Please listen for him!
• Mark K6HX (has great "Brainwagon" blog) lost SSDRA, not yet to "design-build" stage
• Robin AF1RE Heard BITx20s on the air, now is building
• Gerry EI8DRB has his 2B
• Ray M0DHP has a strange aromatic solder experience near Waterloo Station...

SolderSmoke Episode 99

• January 18, 2009
• Epiphany in Rome -- La Befana brings two Gerbils (Dot and Dash)
• Ice skating near (but not on!)the Tiber
• QRSS: Eldon's beacon spotted. 723 miles with 15 millwatts
• QRSS Calibration Problem: My proposed solution
• A Tale of Two BENELUX Grabbers: ON5EX and PA1SDB
• Watching VK2ZAY cross Tasman Sea. Watching G6AVK reach VK6DI
• Inspiration from old SPRATs: From PA3BHK and W7ZOI
• Book Review: "Empire of the Air" (Good bios, but author Knack-less)
• AA1TJ's CFL revolution reaches Cuba. Now a CFL receiver.
• AA1TJ's "Reggie" converts all sigs to QRP!
• Several new videos on the Blog (from WA7MLH, N0TU, KD1JV)
• MAILBAG: Ragav VU3VWR has Knack since 9th grade. Wants to QRSS in VU
• Nick M0NJP likes show, getting used to the voice, Amazon UK instructions
• Bryan VK3HXR has eeePC running Ubuntu
• Paolo IK1ZYW has external keypad chips for FT-817 (available at cost)
• Jim AL7RV's wife thought SolderSmoke gave him a fit. Agrees on 1)design 2)build
• Wes W7ZOI on feedback circuits
• Joe Rocci has an LtSpice model for the NE602
• Gerri EI8DRB asks if he should buy a Drake 2-B (Uh... YES!)
• Steve "Snort Rosin" Smith : SMT paste lacks bouquet of 60/40 multi-core
• Chris KC2LFI prescribes 3500 Hz notch for silibant SS problem (advice followed)

SolderSmoke Episode 98

• January 4, 2009
• New Year's in Rome, Fireworks, Abruzzo snow trip.
• AA1TJ and the compact flourescent bulb rig; "Michael the red-nosed Rainey..."
• Billy's Asus eeePC : Amazin's piece of gear.
• The Lure of Logic: Fixing my old Global Specialties counter (chip needed).
• The Joy of Troubleshooting.
• N3ZI's FB counter.
• Balsa boxes.
• Todd, VE7BPO, also getting logical.
• Hans, G0UPL, back on 30 meter QRSS from London.
• Lawrence, KL1X grabbing VK QRSS sigs in N. China.
• My sigs steady in ON5EX grabber.
• Dan's deals.
• Book of the week: "Empire of the Air." Armstrong as a teenage ham.
• MAILBAG:
• Todd K5TAK on new name for Knack (no!)
• Rick KC0PET has new 'scope, analyzer, Elsie
• Bill N8ET Kanga USA getting going again.
• Alan WA9IRS on Pete Millet's free online tech books
• Wayne VA7AT on SDR
• Frank VK2AKG is NOT the solenoid musician
• Bill N3HQB was in Ade Weiss's summer camp ham class!
• Roger K7RXV on shaving resistors
• Dino KL0S on other free books on-line
• Gareth G1DRG on BBC Digital Planet Podcast
• Tim Walford's FB ham construction magazine
• A word about words from our sponsors

SolderSmoke Episode 97

• December 21, 2008
• Tiber flooding, Italian @ (snail!)
• DSB 80 "Kickpanel" project:
• Rig reform
• Harder than SSB?
• Do we need to match diodes?
• Terminating balanced modulators
• An antenna for my "spot" ("net") circuit, LED
• Thinking of speech processing
• Driver hotter than final
• MEPT QRSS:
• VK2ZAY crosses Oz on 470 micro-watts
• Using 9H1LO's grabber engine as time machine
• My beacon box: 10 and 30 in same enclosure
• Knights QSY to lower bands (temporarily)
• Theory:
• Thanks for beta independence help
• Why does feedback lower distortion?
• W3JDR's Ne602 modeling
• Grinding resistors for precision
• Broken counter leads to learning logic
• Miscellaneous:
• Wes updates site
• Kanga USA is back
• There is no SPRAT 13
• AA1TJ's lightbulb rig
• MAILBAG:
• Lyndon smells the smoke
• Roger KA7EXM goes to Aikhabara
• Mark KI7N hits Singapore's radio row
• Bob KD4EBM's feedback on feedback
• Mike KC7IT fixes Christmas lights with 'scope
• Frank VK2AKG on YouTube solenoid concert
• Mike AA1TJ working on return loss bridges
• John K7JM says SS blog makes DXCC
• Jerry NR5A on Solder-SETI, b'day
• Ron WB3AAL 1K QSOs from AT
• Alan N8WQ: Tree battery!
• Jeremy N1JER and QRP-L QRSS group build
• MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

SolderSmoke Episode 96

• December 8, 2008
• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke96.mp3
• December 8, 2008
• Moj Music
• Rome winter: Snowcapped mountains, Starlings
• Billy’s Blog – Please visit!
• “Make” redeems itself with LED video
• 80 DSB rig: LTSpice, Design, Diplexers, Decoupling
• Properly terminating balanced modulators
• The virtues of feedback
• 80 meter DSB QRP (in a contest)
• Reading Recommendation: January 2009 “Air and Space”
• Jupiter and Venus aligned
• Saturn picture with (sorta) homebrew rig
• Ben’s Balloon Beacon
• Laurence KL1X in N. China – will set up QRSS grabber
• MAILBAG
• Roger K7RXV and Bob KD4EBM on SolderSmells
• Jerry NR5A has WSPR-mania
• Scott KD5NJR on “Soul of a New Machine”
• Bob K7HBG “Real radios have knobs”
• Akshay VA7AAX 15 year-old listener, homebrewer

SolderSmoke Episode 95

• November 23, 2008
• Amp design adventures with Spice, EMRFD
• WANTED: NE602 Spice model
• Pictures (from pirates?) in 80 meter waterfall
• Problems space with tools and solar panels
• QRSS news: W1BW 50 mw heard in VK6 and VK7
• WSPR QRO controversy
• IK0IXI's video on HB 8 band SSB rig
• Ordering parts -- the aroma factor
• 1 uF caps OK for HF bypass?
• Reading Recommendation: December 2008 Discover Magazine
• MAILBAG:
• Thanks for help on CD for Mike's wife
• Paul WA1MAC: Chapstick PTO, alternate use for political lawn signs
• Aisea 3D2AA: Listening from Fiji. Just retired, has Softrock kit
• Bob NT7S: Has setup SolderSmoke Facebook
• Steve G0FUW: Bath Build-a-thon January 17, 2009
• Roberto XE1GXG: Getting married, took detour to radio row
• Ben N1VF: An old friend from Vienna Wireless Society
• Steve "Snort Rosin" Smith: Wants real gong, "Once upon a clip lead..."
• John VK3AJG's FB SSB rig
• Steve KG6NRM TAK-40 Pic project

SolderSmoke Episode 94

• November 2, 2008
• Halloween in Rome, Autumn rains
• Building Class A Amps with Spice, Copper, SSDRA, EMRFD
• Wes on oscillator output wave forms
• Inspirational article in "Air and Space" Magazine
• Book Review: "My Detachment" by Tracy Kidder
• Autumn SPRAT
• SPECIAL REPORT FROM G-QRP MINI-CONVENTION
• Aliens on 80 meters
• MEPT: Can you see me?
• Softrock 40 Group tries to digitize N2CQR
• Homebrew solar panels
• Request for assistance...
• MAILBAG:
• Alan Yates in cahoots with AA1TJ
• Les gets our logo on I-tunes
• Paul WA1MAC gets 2 2Bs
• Scott KD5NJR on KSC honeymoons
• Bruce VE9QRP on new free QUCS simulator
• Keith G0CZR on bubble wrap insulation
• Bob KD4EBM on green laser dangers
• John VK3AJG designs 80 meter SSB rig
• Todd KE7KXI on Knack relapse, old electronics smell
• Jerry NR5A BACK IN ACTION!
• Bob N7ZF on SolderSmoke Facebook

SolderSmoke Episode 93

• October 12, 2008
• HB Pi Network Tuna (with mystery)
• Hamfest report from Belgium
• Space Hackers removed from YouTube
• Verdict on Judica Cordiglia brothers
• FB Italian ham magazines
• I shift to FSK on 30 meters
• Gimmick capacitors
• QRSS QSY woes
• SolderJoke
• MAILBOX:
• Jerry NR5A Back in action
• Scott KD5NJR on Space Hacker controversy
• Steve WB6TNL on the different flavors of solder smoke!
• Paul WA1MAC labled PC boards with SSDRA page numbers
• Ramakrishnan VU3RDD getting back on the air
• Jim K9JM had 60 POUNDS of 2N2222
• Jim AL7R listening from Yuma
• Wes W7ZOI on plumbing washer toroids
• Paul WA5WCP on laser safety
• Terry G4GHU also went to KSC on honeymoon

SolderSmoke Episode 92

• September 28, 2008
• The Flea at Trastevere
• QRSS 2N2222 goes toes up. Why?
• Da Vinci Code MEPT Frequency Standard
• Wind Powered QRSS
• QRSS Whispers reflecting off airplanes
• Transformer troubles at CERN
• Arnie's cool Cuban hack
• Woodpecker update
• A SolderSmoke charity project
• Another engineer joke
• Kanga USA BACK IN BUSINESS!
• The Joy of Fixing Things
• Jim Severns - KNACK VICTIM
• A Homebrew Italian Space Program
• MAILBAG: G0FUW in Gibraltar
• VU3RDD in Southern India
• KB1QVO on laser comms
• K4BVL likes our audio
• VK3PB on Italy's "Space Hackers"
• W0DAB on free online MIT courses
• DL4MGJ on fixing 2B parallax
• WB6NTL on transistor failure mode
• AF6C on crystal ovens
• G3ZTB likes Shep

SolderSmoke Episode 91

• September 14, 2008
• Sardinia!
• ON5EX's QRSS MEPT leads us back to bike riding
• Watching Jupiter, listening for Jupiter
• KF6KYI's I-tunes QRSS
• Stan, 9H1LO's new grabber
• Laptop motion detectors as earthquake detectors
• Nuclear fusion in the shack
• Filo T. Farnsworth
• Building a QRSS freq standard
• SPRAT CD
• Forget about stocks: SSDRA now selling at $399.89
• SolderJokes
• QST articles on-line! FB!
• Jim Williams and the joy of fixing things
• STEREO SPECIAL: Roger Hayward's new binaural DSB project
• Antenna woes
• MAILBAG:
• G0WAT on HOGCON 2008 (21 Sept in Herts.)
• AJ8T on Russian rovers with laser reflectors
• KA9OOI on language and low pass audio filtering
• WB6TNL says NO to rat neurons in QRP gear
• KB6QR "beknacked" vice "knackered" ?????
• NR5A has a Drake 2A
• 7J1AWL on the air from Vietnam
• KC0PET goes solar
• OZ1CJX Bad case of Knack, may need professional help
• K8WPR says Knack keeping him away from wild women, bars
• AJ8T on CK722 museum
• AG5RS works Texas balloon from Dubai (via net)
• KI4SGU POW radio parts
• N8WQ on schematic drawing program
• KF4LMZ has QRSS-itis, finds 10.140 rock in CB rig

SolderSmoke Episode 90

• August 17, 2008
• August in Rome, Italian beaches, Circeo
• Hardrock Cafe, My Sharona, The Knack
• The Planet Mechanics
• VK6DI on QRSS
• Listen to me talking to Jean Shepherd (1976)
• SolderSmoke (sort of) in Australia in 1944
• Herman Munster is not an appliance op...
• Book Review: "The Science of Radio"
• August QST: KD1JV's rig, pneumatic switching, QRP WAS
• Conrad's Garage, KDKA, K4HU (SK)
• Kits and Parts by W8DIZ
• Working on 80 meter DSB rig
• Computer fixed, counter still dead
• MAILBAG: 7J1AWL in Vietnam
• Jerry, NR5A, gets a Drake 2A
• KB1DRK recommends Spitfish
• SM5QU on Apollo Backpack Radios (AM!)
• AC7ZN reports WB8LZG has aerielitis
• W8NF on Dorkbot (Knack? or no Knack?)
• G0FUW to speak at Basingstoke 1 September
• M0JRQ on the meanings of "knackered"

SolderSmoke Episode 89

• August 3, 2008
• Positano on the Amalfi Coast
• QRSS: An Idea for More N. American Activity
• Argo's bandwidth: .34 Hz
• The New SolderSmoke Audio Filter
• Knackered? Translating American to British
• Kanga USA helps in Lake Michigan rescue
• Google's "Back to the Moon" contest
• Russia's Mars sample return mission
• Apollo 11
• Lasers from San Diego to the Moon
• N0TU's slideshow (with Tuna Tin Two)
• MAILBAG: K4QO on clubs without rules.
• G0WAT names me "Hodeghog #4"
• VE7SL ID's Mystery Military Radio
• ZL2GX finishing Ph.D.
• KC0PET gets EMRFD
• N5XL reports Tantalum shortage
• G3WOE on Shep and 20 new BITX20s
• W8OAJ is now N8WQ, building MEPT

SolderSmoke Episode 88

• July 19, 2008
• My walk to work in Rome
• The BEST Jean Shepherd ham radio episode
• My talk with Jean Shepherd
• NR5A's beacon
• 200 Knights
• QRSS of .3 wpm = 1.3 Hz bandwidth
• IZ4BFA in stereo CW
• K1JT - The Knight with the Nobel Prize
• WSPR
• Drain cap audio popping filter
• Help ID a BC-348
• Dan's Small Parts to return
• The British Amateur Television Club: Knack to the Max
• ADVERTS: N3ZI's Freq Counters, Gadgeteer Books
• MAILBAG: Home Counties QRP Club, LU1CBL's BA Beacon,
• I2NDT's Thailand Beacon, KI4UZI listens at Cape Kennedy,
• KD0BIK's podcast, AF4UI's LC meter, KD4EBM on Coherent CW,
• ZL3TKA IS NOT CRAZY, 7J1AWL reading "Crystal Fire,"
• M0JFE wants HB phone, VK7AX rebroadcasting SolderSmoke in
• Tasmania, M0NDE caught The Knack at age 6.

SolderSmoke Episode 87

• July 6, 2008
• On the beach at Fregene
• QRSS Mania:
• Calibration problems solved
• First reports received
• The Fun of Grabbers
• Checking your signal via Blackberry
• The Joy of Milliwatting
• Chirp, Click, Drift in QRSS
• Temperature sensitivity
• Bury that Beacon?
• Why so little US QRSS?
• More US Grabbers needed
• AA1TJ/QRSS?
• Elser in "History of QRP in US"
• New Slides, WAC on ClustrMap!
• MAILBAG: G0FUW reports EI9GQ victin of Knack
• KC0PET on understanding our circuits
• ON4FW sends FB pictures
• KG6TCJ on QRSS calibration
• W7ZOI on FD and calibration
• W4NI on measuring harmonics
• PE1OIT on GPS calibration technique

SolderSmoke Episode 86

• June 22, 2008
• Maritime Mobile on Lake Bracciano.
• Jean Shepherd loses girlfriend due to THE KNACK.
• 30 Meter transmitter self-constructs (almost).
• QRSS Woes.
• Do CW signals have sidebands?
• Freq Counter down for the count.
• Dial Parallax: Drake 2B jumps 3 kc from eyeball to eyeball.
• Radio Shack: Count your blessings!
• Nice wire from old computers.
• Good luck on Field Day.
• MAILBAG: VU3RDD NEW HARMONIC!
• Frank on analog scopes,
• PE1OIT on si570 chips,
• KG4ENB on 179 kc LOWFERS,
• M0NJP on how XYL's can deal with THE KNACK,
• K7JM on SolderSnow,
• W8OAJ SolderSmoke as Knack Therapy,
• Jonathan 7J1AWL "from a commuter train in Tokyo"

SolderSmoke Episode 85

• June 8, 2008 Echo-QSO with WA6ARA!
• Phoenix lands on Mars.
• Beacon operations.
• Adrian Weiss, W0RSP. FB QRP Author.
• Need correspondent for Flea at MIT.
• Understanding balanced modulators.
• Dan's accident (Dan's Small Parts).
• Hendricks Cap Kit.
• "Hot Iron" Journal of The Constructor's Club
• The Woodpecker.
• MAILBAG (Return of the GONG!): W6DWF
• KC0PEI on "IP Telepathy"
• Mark Z on a crank-up Pocket Pixie.
• Ramakrishnan in Singapore.
• Niels PE1OIT on Robert E. Pease.
• Jerry NR5A: Cursed with Beacon Madness.
• Echolink QSO with Mike, WA6ARA.

SolderSmoke Episode 84

• May 25, 2008 SPECIAL FDIM PROGRAM!!!!
• Flying a glider over Circus Maximus
• The NEW SOLDERSMOKE BLOG:
• SolderSlides!
• SolderLinks!
• SolderChat!
• SolderYouTube!
• Subscribe today!
• W7ZOI/W7PUA Power Meter Calibration
• Bifilar toroids in LTSpice. Help!
• Variations in Type 43 Ferrite
• Finding friends in old SPRATS
• Beacon Madness hits I0/N2CQR
• AA1TJ crosses the pond (really)
• 80 Meter DSB project (design first, build later!)
• Bob, W8SX, interviews FDIM speakers!
• MAILBAG:M0NDE, WB6NTL, ZS1I, NR5A, M0EEJ, ON6CSV
• 7J1AWL, KC0PET

SolderSmoke Episode 83

• May 11, 2008 Shortwave listening from the island of Ischia.
• Chicago's old "Surplus Row."
• New antenna yields trans-Atlantic DX!
• SPRAT's minimalist MPF-102 rig.
• SDR vs. HDR.
• Dan's Small Parts.
• LB Cebik SK.
• AA1TJ's Zener Diode rigs discussed on Radio Havana Cuba.
• Beacon project.
• Design first, build later!
• SPECIAL REPORT FROM OZARKCON!
• MAILBAG: Scopes and distortion, Spectrum Analysers,
• new kits, 30K lemons, FDIM

SolderSmoke Episode 82

• April 27, 2008 Tech details of AA1TJ April 1 beacon.
• Thoreau, computers, and QRP.
• The Knack and computer "repair."
• Hardware Defined Radios (HDRs)
• Farhan's inspirational head scratching.
• Crude "spectrum analyzers" -- Mike makes Maker Blog.
• WA5BDU's 60 Meter SSB Project.
• My matching technique (exorcism completed).
• 30,000 lemons?
• MAILBAG: Ideas for Gary KB9ZUV. Steve G0FUW and the
• dreaded parabolic current. Chris GM4LYN and surface mount.

SolderSmoke Episode 81

• April 13, 2008 FORTY MILLION MILES PER WATT!!...??... :
• April First and the Annual SolderSmoke Iron Pyrite Awards.
• Heliography: Solar-powered UUUUUUUHF
• Amplifiers and Exorcism; SWR meters as RF demon-detectors?
• The latest SPRAT: Lemon batteries. Nails as RF controls!
• Homebrew Hero: Tim Hulick, W9QQ, SK
• MAILBAG: Jerry NR5A goes extraterrestrial.
• Stan 9H1LO puts beacon on 28.224 Mhz. PLEASE LISTEN!
• Jason KF6PQT flies to Hawaii with SolderSmoke.
• Dan KF8Z suffers Knack relapse in Benton Harbor, Mich. (Duh!)
• Gary KB9ZUV is blind, but wants to build. Can we help?

SolderSmoke Episode 80

• April 1, 2008 "The New American Amateur."
• Tech Troubles: Tires, computer, clock, even a bad Dummy Load!
• AA1TJ: Defintely NOT an Appliance Operator!
• BANDSWEEP: AA1TJ's Tunnel Diode Beacon Received in Rome!
• 20 Meter Roman Roundtables. Using my W7ZOI/W7PUA meter.
• MAILBAG: Greg in Finland converting CB rigs. Stanley 9H1LO in Malta.
• Mark "MOJ" Johnson finds Jean Shepherd episode on THE KNACK.
• Matt on MC1496 Balanced Modulator chips.

SolderSmoke Episode 79

• March 2, 2008 The beauty of a chirpy signal. Armstrong Solar Panel
• movement. Babani book campaign? AM on 3705 in Europe.
• ARRL HB Contest winners. BBC QSYs.
• BANDSWEEP: G0KYA's SDR 40/80 receiver.
• My meeting with IK0JNI (DSB rig in a Rome cafe).
• MAILBAG: Frank VK2AKG on stealth ladder line. Kevin ZL3KE
• on Q-11's demise. Gil NN4CW on monofilament. Farhan on Pat Hawker.
• John G8SEQ on Q11. Seth W8FG on QRP-L group build. Wink WA8KOQ on
• loading up rain gutters. Jim N8ESH spots Loan Ranger
• (the cowboy, not the rig) in 1939 video.
• Ramakrishnan VU3RDD moving to Singapore AND LOOKING FOR
• A COPY OF SSDRA. PART IV of Echo-QSO with Ron Sparks, AG5RS.
• in Dubai.

SolderSmoke Episode 78

• February 22, 2008 "In vain he prayed for percolation..."
• More HW8 fun. "Hot Water Handbook." Q11? Using my UK HB Power Supply.
• Tony Fishpool and Graham Firth's Test Gear Book.
• A WA8MCQ corollary to Murphy's Law. 2-B retube.
• DSB QSOs from Rome. A visit to the Rome radio club.
• I0ZY and I0YR: Big Amps and Antennas!
• The Florence (Firenze) Science Museum.
• MAILBAG: W7ZOI on G3VA's "Technical Topics." WA7MLH's new videos.
• Don K6WH on 30 gauge, mono-filament, and listening to SolderSmoke
• at an African campsite under the Southern Cross.
• Part III: Echo-QSO with Ron, AG5RS, in Dubai.

SolderSmoke Episode 77

• February 14, 2008 Back to QRP and CW! My 30 gauge antenna.
• What happened to Q-11 in my HW-8? Drake 2-B re-tubing.
• AA1TJ goes "All Tunnel Diode." Marconi's HUGE cap = 1.7 uF.
• MAILBAG: John K7JM listens to Rome thunder in snowy Montana.
• Randy K7AGE makes a HAARP Moonbounce video. Pete W6JFR on
• Italian craftsmanship. Ramakrishnan VU3RDD notes that Tesla
• had The Knack. Jorge Luis KI4SGU on turtles and cosmology.
• ECHO-GUEST: Part II of our QSO with Randy AG5RS in Dubai.

SolderSmoke Episode 76

• February 4, 2008 On the air (HF) from Rome. Stealth antenna.
• Fixing my HW 8. Recording of AA1TJ's Tunnel Diode Beacon.
• A FB QST. Marconi's capacitor (with a quiz).
• A Rome thunderstorm in the background.
• MAILBAG: Aise 3D2AA homebrewing on Fiji. Rogier PA1ZZ's
• California hassles. Jerry NR5A building tube gear in S.
• Dakota. Niels PE1OIT in defense of DSB. Ramakrishnan
• VU3RDD needs articles. ECHO-GUEST: Ron, AG5RS,
• (a Knack sufferer) homebrews in Dubai, UAE.

SolderSmoke Episode 75

• January 27, 2008 "A Nonlinear History of Radio." Fessenden's mic.
• Clustr Map. BANDSWEEP: Lunar Echoes at 6.7 MHz. Winter SPRAT.
• HALO Balloon. AO-16 Satellite goes DSB. Calling CQ on Chinese
• repeaters. MAILBAG: AA1TJ setting up Tunnel Diode beacon. Kevin,
• M0KHZ builds in an 18th Century Shack. Steve, G0FUW, listens from
• Ascension Island. Lars, OZ1CX, has THE KNACK.
• WA7MLH Builds a Superhet on YouTube. Waza, VK2HDH, calls in
• on Echolink. PART III: Andy, ZS6ADY, on Boatanchors in
• South Africa. A SPECIAL ENDING: A 1979 song by Mike, KL7R.

SolderSmoke Episode 74

• January 18, 2008 Solar Cycle 24. First transistor QSO. Tunnel Diode
• Madness. Rovers on Mars. SETI. BSEE in a can: EMRFD+LTSPICE+QRP-L.
• Understanding mixers. Kipling's Afghan Heliographs. Tech Topics.
• MAILBAG. Part II of Andy, ZS6ADY, Boatanchors QSO. KL7R SK.

SolderSmoke Episode 73

• January 2, 2008 SPECIAL NEW YEAR'S EDITION
• AA1TJ's circuitry and poetry. Homemade tubes. Book Review:
• "Early Radio" by Peter Jensen. The Vatican's antennas. Google Earth
• flight simulator. Mixer madness continues (now in LTSpice). Mars-asteroid
• collision? Bollywood: The BITX-20 connection. BANDSWEEP: Straight Key Night at
• WA6ARA. ECHO-GUEST: Andy, ZS6ADY, South African Boatanchor fan. MAILBAG:
• Jake N4UY(NOVA QRP), Steve G0FUE (Bath Build-a-thon), Nigel M0NDE

SolderSmoke Episode 72

• December 19, 2007 M0HBR's Bollywood debut. Alien hams. Blackboxophobia.
• Solar power (in Rome and on Mars). TechShop. South Pole IT. Mixer madness.
• The Radio Club of America. 200 Meters Index. Peter Dahl. MAILBAG: Al on
• audio quality, WB2REW on Yogi Berra, W9ILF's tube type mp3 amp, G8SEQ's bad
• case of "The Knack", N8XMS's "Curiosity Curse."

SolderSmoke Episode 71

• December 9, 2007 Copper clad as blank canvas, Understanding mixers,
• Bookshelves and the fight against entropy, China listening?
• Barebones superhet in Rome, Lead -- the new gold, 500kc trans-atlantic
• QSOs (and some history), 3D model of Altoids tin, Italian space podcast,
• MAILBAG: Shacks/Sheds: K5TAK on TechShop in Menlo Park, OH2FFY and
• the Aussie shed movement in Finland.

SolderSmoke Episode 70

• " style="font-weight: bold;">SolderSmoke70.mp3 November 26, 2007 Iraq back on the air. Curie engine. Surfer GUT.
• Fleming's valve. NYC goes AC. Hayward Damm article in QST. Fixing
• a Heath O'scope. Radio Row. Arecibo in danger. SolderSmoke Google
• Gadget. Mailbag: From Dhaka to Brussels. IZ0BNW's Rome coffee secrets.

SolderSmoke Episode 69

• November 14, 2007 Drake 2B repair, Frequency Measuring Test,
• Guy Fawkes, No sunspots, Simple Sideband and straws from McDonald's,
• CBer stealing volts from NYC subway, Australia's Shed (Shack!)movement,
• Ham makes major medical breakthrough. MAIL: G4WIF, M0NDE, 2E0BIX, G0BON,
• K7AGE

SolderSmoke Episode 68

• November 4, 2007 Bill's B'day, First Italian QSO (with clip),
• The N3ZI Special, Cuban Islander SSB rig, SatNav, Nanotube radio,
• Fall SPRAT: Pine resin, Messages from Wes and Roger Hayward,
• MAILBAG: Digital Gong, Comet 17P Holms, Letter from ZL, IZ0BNW/1

SolderSmoke Episode 67

• October 28, 2007 Dino Dig, train ride, balloon launch. Radio
• in Rome. Audio efforts. Sputnik. Moore's law. On to Mars!
• 1939 Video. SSB Islander? ARRL HB Challenge? Search Engine for
• Parts. MAILBAG: Alan VK2ZAY building antennas, Eric NM5M building
• converters, Claus OZ1LQB on EU regs and solder, Scott -- listening
• in Iraq.

SolderSmoke Episode 66

• October 13, 2007 FROM ROME! Getting settled. Summer adventures.
• New shack. Meeting W7ZOI in San Diego. The speed of dark? Iron
• Pyrite. Wireless kids. Noise cancelling headphones. MAILBAG:
• Dennis OX3UR listening from Greenland, Gary VK2KYP, Paolo F5VMJ on
• on NASA and tin whiskers, Mike WA6ARA listening (with Zen)
• in the high Sierras.

SolderSmoke Episode 65

• July 1, 2007 Alexanderson Day. Report from Friedrichshafen.
• Ole Romer, Hippolyte Fizzeau and the speed of light.
• Zen, toroids, QST, and the joy of homebrewing.
• BOOM! Ramakrishnan's RFI disappears in a flash! (Again!)
• BANDSWEEP: Jason, NT7S, lets us listen to 40 CW on Field Day
• with his homebrew Tualatin rig of FDIM fame.
• MAILBAG: K8VU tells of Rick Campbell's envious thoughts on the
• Drake 2-B. VK3HN on Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance, quiet bands
• in VK. KA9OOI tells us when he got The Knack.
• MOHBR SIGNS OFF FROM LONDON -- Summer travel plans. On to Rome.

SolderSmoke Episode 64

• June 24, 2007 Feynman uses ham radio. Mr. Wizard: WANTED!
• P/S project completed. More Wabi Sabi. Field Day memories.
• DX listeners. Studying Italian on Echolink. Getting ready
• to go. MAILBAG: K2CK, NN4CW, MM station...

SolderSmoke Episode 63

• June 17, 2007 "Shop Class as Soulcraft." AmateurLogic TV goes
• to Dayton. My power supply goof-up. Good Causes: SETI and
• Geek Corps. Mr. Wizard. Bandsweep segment: G0KYA's Rockmite.

SolderSmoke Episode 62

• June 10, 2007 WHY WE BUILD: Opposable thumbs and soldering
• irons. 'Scopes, bandwidth, and clean sigs. Power Supply
• project: The Soul of A New Machine. Mississippi Oscillations.
• My Wabi-Sabi shack. Metal work. NEW FEATURE: CLUB TALK
• a visit to the meeting of the New South Wales Homebrew Group.
• MAILBAG: Steve, WN0PWK. Dov, AD0V. Seth, W8FG. Dennis, KC0IFQ.

SolderSmoke Episode 61

• June 3, 2007 Farhan's new blog. More AGC. Ramakrishnan's RFI.
• SolderSmoke returns to 2X QSO mode: Echolink interview with
• Jim, N5SPE, of AmateurLogic TV: Origins of Amateur Logic TV.
• "The Knack" hits Mississippi. Kick-plates as radio cabinets.
• Visit to Dayton. Encounter with the Haywards.
• Building a W7ZOI power meter. Milton Keynes
• BITX80 club build. The dangers of molten solder.
• Getting oscillators to oscillate.

SolderSmoke Episode 60

• May 27, 2007 Tesla, Google, the Elser-Mathes cup, SolderSmoke.
• AGC (Automatic Gong Control). Free Tech Books. WIKI-ZOI. Noise
• and the W7ZOI power meter. LA3PNA designing DC receiver with
• AD831 chip. Kanga Special on EMRFD. New Video: Huge Tesla Coils.
• MORE DAYTON FDIM INTERVIEWS: Jeff, K8GD, winner of homebrew
• contest. Eric Swartz, WA6HHQ, of Elecraft TALKS ABOUT THE K3.
• John, WB8RCR, on micros, Dayton, and seeing old friends.

SolderSmoke Episode 59

• May 20, 2007 Kindred spirits on QRP-L. Fredbox on 2 meter AM.
• New videos. Hewlett, Packard, Garages and Terman. LV Blake.
• SPECIAL REPORT FROM DAYTON: INTERVIEWS WITH G0BPS, G3MFJ, G3RJV,
• K8IQY and W7ZOI! MAILBAG: W9HAU, NC0O, WD5DZG on source for low
• value resistors. Scott Haley on thermal noise and the ZOI power meter.
• The need for SolderSmoke correspondents at other summer radio events.

SolderSmoke Episode 58

• May 13, 2007 Ham radio brotherhood: ST2NH, homebrewing in Khartoum.
• W7ZOI power meter completed and calibrated. Homebrewing good for the soul.
• Crystal receivers on HF. Basic Stamps on "24."
• HELP WANTED: SOLDERSMOKE SEEKS DAYTON/FDIM CORRESPONDENT!
• Book Review: "From Crystal Sets to Sideband" by Frank Harris.
• MAILBAG: AC7FA, N8ET, M1CNK

SolderSmoke Episode 57

• May 6, 2007 Destined to build a W7ZOI RF power meter. And a current
• limited P/S. BANDSWEEP: 20 Meter HB DSB QSO with Rolf, SM4FQW.
• WEB NEWS: FMLA articles posted, SolderSmoke makes Wikipedia. New Videos:
• Flying motorcycle, Summits-on-the-air. BOOK REVIEW: Feynman fixes radios.
• MAILBAG: KF4TQJ, KB9JLO, G3XBM (uses xtal receiver on 80 meters), ON4AW

SolderSmoke Episode 56

• April 29, 2007 Stephen Hawking. Hams rebuild Apollo antenna. BANDSWEEP:
• Listen to Moonbounce. Elser-Mathes Trophy (Don't miss out!).
• Tesco HTs and the FMLA. My weird power supply. Why no feedback in
• finals? Major updates to Gadgeteer News and SolderSmoke video pages.
• MAILBAG: Mayfair Resistor Mystery solved by AA2VK. Parts donated by
• LA3PNA. KD5NJR on Tim Ferris book. Alan Yates on P/S project.
• CT1EFL on "AWESOME" soldering.

SolderSmoke Episode 55

• April 22, 2007 Solar minimum. Meteor shower. Plasma deflector shields.
• Homopolar Motors. How SWR meters work. "The Club Saver" 2 meter rig. Testing
• air variable caps. Building traps (for animals, not antennas!)
• The Mystery Resistor of Mayfair. P/S problems.
• BANDSWEEP: India's HAMSAT over California.
• M0HBR rejected by Bollywood.
• MAILBAG: WA6ARA, K4BVL, Scott Haley, W2MY, LA3PNA

SolderSmoke Episode 54

• April 16, 2007 Hamfest report. Interview with Tony Fishpool of G-QRP.
• Book Review: "Simple Test Gear for the QRPer." Paul Lauterbur, inventor.
• California balloon launch. Homebrew or Home BREW? Frank Jones and the
• FMLA. MAILBAG: SSB projects, wearing out copies of SSDRA.

SolderSmoke Episode 53

• April 8, 2007 Happy Easter! Anti-Soldering legislation -- NOTE THE DATE!
• Mike's article appears in I-QRP. SPRAT 130 review. Salute to Gus Taylor,
• G8PG. Soldering iron review: Elenco SL5. Workbench report: Balanced
• Modulator. ECHOLINK ANTICS. Bandsweep: A visit to 30 meters, with a
• demonstration of the famed "Q multiplier." MAILBAG: LA3PNA, N1VWD,
• KF6HQC

SolderSmoke Episode 52

• April 1, 2007 Excelsior! Jean Shepherd's stories about ham radio.
• Legislation to ban hobbyist soldering. History of LTSpice. Workbench
• update. SPECIAL GUEST EDITION OF BANDSWEEP: A satellite pass over M0DHP.
• MAILBAG: Using an AM radio to interfere with the Chicago White Sox.
• SolderSmoke in 1930.

SolderSmoke Episode 51

• March 25, 2007 Moj's e-music. AmateurLogicTV#12. PiccoZ Helo. WA7MLH's site.
• 1.6 Mhz IF as a transmitter trick. Chinese listeners? .rss files fixed. My
• evolving HB,Class A, feedback amp, CW, .5W transmitter.
• BANDSWEEP: On 17 meter SSB with EA8EQ. MAILBAG: Pete, W6JFR, describes a
• realworld troubleshooting problem. Arv, K7HKL, updates on BITX20 kits.
• Thomas, LA3PNA, describes current projects.

SolderSmoke Episode 50

• March 18, 2007 New homebrew theme music. Born in IGY. Vernal Equinox.
• Inspirational e-mail on BITX20. BITX20 kit development. BASIC Stamp
• video. RSS problems. Antipodal map tool. Ferrites in rock tumblers?
• BANDSWEEP: 20 meters on an HW-8. MAILBAG: Lasers and highway nets.

SolderSmoke Episode 49

• March 11,2007 SPRAT! New Videos, including a rap video about UHF rovers! Fixing
• an old laptop. Itunes problems. Bookstore. Special "remote" edition of BANDSWEEP.
• MAILBAG: greggW's BFO solution (at age 8)

SolderSmoke Episode 48

• March 4, 2007 Lunar Eclipse. Feedback amps in LTSpice. 17 Meter HB SSB QSO w EA8EQ.
• Video recommendations. Dilbert's "Knack."
• New Feature: BANDSWEEP - Hear how the bands sound from London. MAILBAG: W6JFR,
• M1KTA, gregW (soon to be OH2???), KB0ADD, KK6CB.

SolderSmoke Episode 47

• February 25, 2007. Three cheers for K1RFD. Steve Weber's Tiny SSB rig. BITX20 kit.
• BITX20 videos. Liquid Oxygen. How to make a bad solder joint in LTSpice.
• Lasers for gadgeteers and for pets. Camping in the Science Museum. 17 SSB.
• On 20 with an HW-8. QRSS software. MAILBAG: Ramakrishnan's RFI problems SUDDENLY
• disappear. Bob Scott. KA4BLS. KF4LMZ. KG6QQR. AI4QQ. VE3SP. G1HDQ. WD5DZG. WA4YHL
• WV7G. VK2ZAY. VE5AEA.
• SolderSmokeKL7R.mp3 February 4, 2007
• About the tragic loss of our friend Mike Caughran, KL7R.

SolderSmoke Episode 46

• January 13, 2007. Mike's oscillator work. Michigan Mighty Mite. Lasers, diodes,
• and Einstein. Laser communication experiment. W7ZOI-KL7R QSO on SKN.
• M0HBR's feedback amps.
• The new comet. Saturn, Jupiter and calculation of c. 17 meter QSOs. New SPRAT CD.
• MAILBAG: China enigma, VE4KEH, M0DAD, GU0SUP, M1CNK, K4AHU, KD4EDM, KG9DK, AA6KI,
• VA7AT ON5EX

SolderSmoke Episode 45

• December 30, 2006. SPECIAL NEW YEAR'S/STRAIGHT KEY NIGHT EDITION. SolderSmoke CW.
• Crystal Radios With Fool's Gold detectors. Mike's oscillator experiment with
• use of kitchen temperature sensor. Christmas gifts: r/c planes and helicopters,
• FM transmitter, Amateur Scientist CD, lab notebooks. MAILBAG: Hello to listeners
• in China, and mail from G0FUW, VE4KEH, K5LXP, AmateurLogic TV guys,
• Mike in Panama City.

SolderSmoke Episode 44

• December 16, 2006. New soldering station. LTSpice-videocasts. More on return loss.
• Minimalist radio. Crystal radio. Three cheers for: Elecraft, K1EL, QST. Small FM
• transmitters for MP3s. New PC Sats. Antikitheria Mechanism. Merry Christmas!
• MAILBAG: M1CNR, AL7RV, WA4YHL, KG4ENB

SolderSmoke Episode 43

• December 9, 2006 LP filters. Feedback. Return loss calc. Exploring Titan.
• London tornado. Maxwell's equations. TRS 80. Name-that-Noise.
• Book: "Gonzo Gizmos." MAILBAG: AK9N, N2NLY,
• Ramakrishnan.

SolderSmoke Episode 42

• December 2, 2006. Mike's EMRFD-LTSpice-Workbench amplifier lessons.
• Fixing hamfest P/S.
• Rick's transmitter in QST. Name that noise. Superconductivity and r/c plane
• videos.
• MAILBAG: G4CWX goes round-the-world with SolderSmoke, and KI4SGU dubs SolderSmoke
• "The Mythbusters of Ham Radio"

SolderSmoke Episode 41

• November 28, 2006. Bill's antenna spotted by Google Earth. Homebrew tubes.
• Return to 17 meter HB sideband. Michigan kid builds fusion device. New videos.
• New web sites. LTSpice/YouTube mashup. New: GADGETEERNEWS.
• MAILBAG: G4CWX, VE4KEH, WB8ICN

SolderSmoke Episode 40

• November 19, 2006. Rally Report.73 mag from 70's. Mike's HB woes. Saturn returns.
• Leonids.AmateurLogic TV. MAILBAG: VU3RDD, WA6ARA, M0AYF, NE1OB, Reg Lancaster.

SolderSmoke Episode 39

• November 12, 2006 Kempton Park Rally (Hamfest). QRSS -- more tolerant than
• once thought! Class C amps and saturation. Practical Wireless goes DSB.
• Wireless Range Extender working.
• Mike's power supply. 73 Magazine. Mailbag: M0AYF, G0FUW, G4KKI, WA7MLH, WJ2V

SolderSmoke Episode 38

• November 5, 2006 Guy Fawkes Day. Da Vinci's notebooks. r/c plane with
• gyro camera.
• LTSpice's thermocouple. Ocean State Electronics. Mike's power supply.
• QRSS. Bill's
• struggle with Class C amp design. WA7MLH in SSDRA. Other podcasts.
• Long Delayed Echoes.
• 99Hobbies.com. WiFi encryption. Mailbag: KG9DK, M0JQZ, KF4LMZ, AA2VK

SolderSmoke Episode 37

• October 29, 2006 Mike's homebrew manual spectrum analyzer. Bill's Class A,
• no-feedback amplifier design project. LTSpice, DSB, AM, IMD and SPLATTER.
• HW-101 clutch repair and oil change. Owning two copies of SSDRA - moral issues?
• Wireless Range Extenders. Mailbag.

SolderSmoke Episode 36

• October 22, 2006 Mike's return loss bridge. Learning amp design, LTSpice
• software in EMRFD, input/output impedance, Harry SM0VPO's site, aurora, making
• hydrogen, Mike's bookmarks, Book review: iWoz by Steve Wozniak.

SolderSmoke Episode 35

• October 14, 2006 Misc. projects, crystal radios with galena, homebrew tubes,
• homebrew CPUs, muffin fan hovercraft, MTP3055V vs. IRF510, EMRFD,
• learning to design, YouTube videos.

SolderSmoke Episode 34

• October 7,2006
• Interview with Ashhar Farhan, Indian homebrewer
• and father of the famed BITX-20 transceiver. HB in India EMRFD.
• W7ZOI influence. Hans Summers. Quadrature rigs. DSB and PSK31.
• Homebrew test gear. The importance of measurement, Tektronix scope.
• Homebrew heartaches. Homebrew spirit. Symmetry.

SolderSmoke Episode 33

• Sept 30, 2006
• Care packages. QST Homebrew Challenge rule change.
• Phasing/Quadrature SSB generation. 2 chip receivers.
• Smoke management in electronics. SBL2 receiver frontend.
• Gadgeteer video page.

SolderSmoke Episode 32

• Sept 16, 2006
• HW101 FT101 Hybrid Rigs. BNC and RCA phono connectors.
• Changing the clutch and oil on an HW101.
• Third order intercept rules of thumb.
• Modular circuit boards. Babbage difference engine.
• Hardware to crack enigma. Bills video of his DSB rig.

SolderSmoke Episode 31

• Sept 04, 2006
• Heathkit VTVM. QRSS. Radio Jove. Jupiter/IO laser.
• HF interferometer
• Kootie Key. SM0VPO's website. RF green thumb vs
• dead chickens. Homebrew Wifi antennas.
• KL7R's bookmarks and new shack photo.
• PG1N's website. QEX article on "Why antennas radiate."

SolderSmoke Episode 30

• August 20, 2006
• Completed Motley1 Schematic. Steve Weber's IRF510 amp.
• 30M QRSS receiver. Wildlife in downtown London.
• QST-50 challenge. BITX 20/ McGuiver Radio.
• Reverse sunspot/SolarMin.
• HelioSeismology. Solar Music. SPRAT SBL1's.
• Sounds from Jupiter and the JOVE project.
• The first homebrewers.
• Video Bang-a-gong.

SolderSmoke Episode 29

• August 7, 2006
• A PC board box for Bill's FET final
• Richard Feynman video clip
• Mike's amazing Octopus oscilloscope aid
• Another plea for graphics help (SS logo)
• Overcoming podcast tech difficulties
• FIRST EVER SolderSmoke EM wave poetry from The Moody Blues
• SolderSmoke Mailbag: Tony Fishpool and the GQRP club

SolderSmoke Episode 28

• August 5, 2006
• SPRAT Ceramic Oscillator article
• Tin whiskers and lead free solder
• QST's $50 rig design challenge
• Class C amps: Saturation required?
• Solder Smoke's LOGO DESIGN challenge
• FB QSO on 20 DSB with SM4FQW
• Slow Speed QRP (QRSS)
• WebShots, YouTube
• MAILBAG: K8WDE, KA6VKP, WB8ICN, VK2KYP, KK7CC

SolderSmoke Episode 27

• August 5, 2006
• Computer woes. Bill's visit to the Dominican Republic.
• Building Xtal oscillator with kid.
• Book Reviews: "The Art of Electronics" "The Electronics of Radio"
• Ether and Quantum Mechanincs, Tao of Physics
• SolderSmoke Mailbag: Nigel in Dover, Mike WA6AWA, Matt KC8COM

SolderSmoke Episode 26

• September 6, 2006
• Mike's backyard QRP operations
• Fishing pole antennas - Bill goes vertical
• D-104 use on internet
• Live (recorded) Audio from Bill's DSB rig
• Scott Sled Kites, Kite Aerial Photography
• Destroying perfectly good ham gear
• ZL1VK in NZ carries SolderSmoke

SolderSmoke Episode 25

• August 5, 2006
• Bill puts Astatic D-104 on ECHOLINK
• Mike's 80 mtr DSB rig becomes transceiver!
• Mike's two chip EMRFD NE602-LM386 receiver
• The rewards of homebrewing

SolderSmoke Episode 24

• August 5, 2006
• This week: Two-Tone Test mp3 file. Review online book "crystal sets to sideband".
• Doubly rockbound SSB TX. HF Packer SlimGem amps. Push Pull IRF510 Mosfet amps.
• W1FB 40 db wide band general purpose amp. HF amplifier degeneration.
• HF+6M diplexer.

SolderSmoke Episode 23

• August 5, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimentors discuss workbench radio projects.
• This week: Taming HF amp self-oscillation. Output broadband transformers.
• DSB transmit on both usb and lsb at the same time. Adjusting LSB ladder filters.
• The "SSB advantage" vs the "CW advantage". Satellite Oscar 52.
• Using jet wings as topband and magic band passive reflectors.

SolderSmoke Episode 22

• August 5, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimenters discuss workbench radio projects.
• This week: How to get more than a watt out of a 12volt/50ohm amplifier.
• Wb7aei lowpass filters. Passive and active mixers. The binaural receiver.
• UK vs US hamfests.

SolderSmoke Episode 21

• August 5, 2006
• This week: First Light for QRP rigs. Final amplifier voodoo.
• Quantum mechanical necromancy. Ne612 carrier balance.
• Transmitter lowpass filters. The sweet sound of DC receivers.
• Slinky verticals. LC tuners, TiddlyWiki, VMWare and AFUKnoppix.

SolderSmoke Episode 20

• August 5, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimenters discuss workbench radio projects.
• This week: 80 meter qrp ssb and dsb transciever circuits.

SolderSmoke Episode 19

• September 6, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimenters discuss workbench radio projects.
• This week: Easter edition. Experimenter vs Tinkerer. NTP3055v FET amp.
• Apr 2006 Bacon Bits. Ham radio software. Soundcard software.
• IQ receivers with soundcard software. MMANA. 4nec2.
• Michigan Mitey Mite Transmitter.

SolderSmoke Episode 18

• August 5, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimenters discuss workbench radio projects.
• This week: New Bench and Shack wiring.
• Using a hot screwdriver as a soldering iron. VW solar panels.
• Class AB Amps. Saturn's watery moon. Mars Recon Rover.
• The next SolarMax. Heliosismology.
• Aurora in NY. DX during a solarmax on the Azores.

SolderSmoke Episode 17

• August 5, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimenters discussing workbench radio projects.
• This week K1 receiver/receivers in general.
• The "feel" of programming languages/rigs. NE602 Spice model.
• Blue sun. Green flash. Receivers made from tooth filling detectors.
• Ejection seat HF radios. Saturn. Book review: "Technical Topics".
• Websites of the week: www.theregister.co.uk, www.spaceweather.com.
• Cracking Enigma. SETI at home.

SolderSmoke Episode 16

• August 5, 2006
• Two ham radio operators discuss workbench radio projects.
• This week: Desitin as heatsink compound and bottom paint.
• Supermodulation. Mixers / ne602 spice models. Soldersmoke in space.
• Website review: revver.

SolderSmoke Episode 15

• August 5, 2006
• This Week: SuitSat. Jupiter's moons. Back yard telescopes.
• Trip to Pluto. TimeDomain Reflectometer. KX1 high power mod.
• DC-DC converters. Good Jobs. Movie Review: "The Dish".
• Book Review: "First Light".

SolderSmoke Episode 14

• August 5, 2006
• This week: curry toast and tea. Satellite tracking and worried neighbors.
• Stardust probe. Whale on the Thames river. HCJB. Soundcard Modes.

SolderSmoke Episode 13

• August 5, 2006
• This issue: Happy New Year 2006, Transisistor RF amp design using Spice and
• spreadsheets. Multistage amplifier feedback mechanisms. PopCorn QRP.
• Burning DVDs. MP3 Players. Online and published technical magazines.
• The value vs price of technical publications. Experimental Methods.
• The 2006 Handbook. Solid State Design.

SolderSmoke Episode 12

• August 5, 2006
• This week Dobsonian reflector telescopes.
• Class A amplifier design spice vs spreadsheet.
• Christmas.

SolderSmoke Episode 11

• August 11, 2006
• Two amateur radio experimenters discussing workbench radio projects.
• This week: PIC Pong. Coax Traps. Solar powered QRP.

SolderSmoke Episode 10

• August 5, 2006
• This week "Einstein's Heroes" - PCB prototyping
• Atmel butterfly - respect for those who do with less.

SolderSmoke Episode 9

• August 5, 2006
• This week - Mars Rovers - nano wattmeter - xtal radios - QRP news

SolderSmoke Episode 8

• August 5, 2006
• Discussions between two ham radio operators/experimentors
• about projects we have currently on our benches.

SolderSmoke Episode 7

• August 5, 2006
• Discussions between two ham radio operators/experimentors
• about projects we have currently on our benches.

SolderSmoke Episode 6

• August 5, 2006
• Ham radio discussions of RF projects that are on our benches.

SolderSmoke Episode 5

• August 5, 2006
• Binaural Receiver Crystal ladder filters. 17m DSB xcvr

SolderSmoke Episode 4

• August 5, 2006
• This issue : ladder filters, binaural receiver, test equipment

SolderSmoke Episode 3

• August 5, 2006
• This issue: "rubbering" ceramic resonators and
• the "DC to Daylight binaural receiver"

SolderSmoke Episode 2

• August 5, 2006
• Discussions between two amateur radio experimenters about
• what is currently on our benches.

SolderSmoke Episode 1

• August 5, 2006
• Tech talk between two radio amateurs.
• Bill in London and Mike in Juneau meet on the ECHOLINK
• VoIP system and discuss their homebrew radio projects.