| This is the front panel of the
20-M CW/SSB transceiver. The antique National tuning dial
solves the "reverse tuning" problem of the VFO.
The VFO tunes down from 5.5 MHz through 5.0 MHz as the
rig tunes up from 14.0 MHz to 14.5 MHz. The dial not only reverses mechanical direction of the VFO shaft, but also provides a mechanical variable tuning rate. The tuning rate is selected by moving the silver ball detent, visible just above the main tuning knob. It's "retro" technology, with ugly construction. But, it works. The AI2Q log shows DXCC on 20-M fone with this rig, feeding 1.5-W into a doublet antenna at a height of 66-ft. Click on image for a magnified view of this 10-in. x 10-in. transceiver cube. |
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| Here's a view of the top of
the QRP transceiver, revealing the highly modular nature
of the assembly. Each board-level module was built, tested independently, installed, and then tested in situ in conjunction with the other modules. No attempt was made at "beautifying" these assemblies. Click on image for a magnified view. |
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| This view shows the receiver
section RF amplifier multi-section miniature tuning
capacitor. Click on image for a magnified view. |
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| Here you can see the
transmitter's mixers, RF drivers, change-over relay, and
MOSFET power amplifier and output filter stages. No attempt was made to miniaturize any of this circuitry, hence the great amount of unused real estate. Click on image for a magnified view. |
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| This is the rear panel of the
transceiver, dominated by the BFO board housing a 9-MHz
crystal oscillator. Click on image for a magnified view. |
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| The bottom of the transceiver
shows the unshielded Ten-Tec 4-pole crystal filter
daughterboard, as well as the Toko active noise filter
(black multi-pin package at the lower left-hand corner of
the main board). A separate 9-MHz receiver-only BFO is located at the upper left of the main board. Click on image for a magnified view. |
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