The DC Receiver Project

Just wanted to share this little project with my Ham Radio friends, Frank, Joe, Allen, and Tim. The first photo is my messy workbench. I'd like to say that it is normally neat, clean and organized but that's not the usual case. (Mostly because I'm always building stuff or repairing sewing machines.)

Actually, what I'm trying to show is the building technique, a modified "Manhattan" process first introduced to me by Chuck Adams who started QRPL.COM years ago. (Of course, it, in one form or another, has been around and used by homebrew hams for decades.) I'm not a technical guy by any means, just an old lumberjack with a passion for ham radio. So, anyone can do this kind of building. Not all my attempted projects work, but most have so far. I just get a schematic, acquire parts, choose a starting point (which is usually the antenna jack) and place the parts one after another, giving thought to available space and branching before committing to a pad.

This receiver is pretty basic but it does the job... Hope you enjoy looking.

73 - Bill - W7WEL

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

These were supposed to be 29 and 30, so take your pick for 29.

 

 

The DC Receiver Project

Since this photo, I've added an additional filtered RF stage at the input which increases the sensitivity a whole bunch. (A technically educated fellow would include a db figure to show the gain here, but I'll stick to the dabblers definition of "whole bunch." Also added a couple of voltage regulators to provide different voltage levels for the chips, etc.

Anyway, the receiver is now housed in a nice, unmarked, metal case with two knobs on the front and on the back are two switches, one for power and the other to switch in the additional front end stage. Also, on the back, is the antenna, power, and speaker jacks.

The receiver tuning with a ten-turn pot is nice and smooth. It covers the 40 meter CW band. (Of course with a DC receiver you get twice as much for your money, hearing the same signal twice!) I do intend to juggle the capacitors in the tank circuit, using some poly caps with to offset some of the drift that occurs with changes to ambient temperatures. (Someday, when there's a clear spot on the workbench.)

Steelhead?

No Steelhead in the river. There is a dam at the lower end of Couer d'Alene lake that blocks all upstream fish migration, so no annual upstream flow of migrating fish. (No sea-run from the columbia.)

This is a Northern Pike.. It was caught by my fishing buddy's grandson. Twenty-nine pounds. Quite a fish for a 12 year old!

Northern Pike were illegally planted in the Coeur d'Alene lake several years ago and now it is a very good but regulated fishery, making the local tackle sellers lots of money.

 

Kokanee

 

 

 

For Frank and the Woodrat Bunch.. Blueback (Kokanee) before and after..