Monday, April 18, 2011

No Interface PSK 31 or Hillbilly Engineering

Got this new all mode, damn near all band, qrp transcever, a new laptop and some Digipan freeware and they want how much for an interface? Not gonna happen! First I tried ginning up the "Dirt Cheap" pot and resistor interface but the salvaged din-6 plug from an old mouse was too banged up so I was looking at spending some money. I had used the mike on the speaker bit for my first SWL taste of PSK when I noticed that the laptop was listening to the speaker, quite well, with its own mike. It slowly sunk thru my thick skull that this laptop was made for video/music types and its speaker, mike and soundcard had pretty good fidelity. So...set the mike near the speaker on the laptop and turn up the volume till the waterfall display looked good, turned on the vox and tried a CQ. KA0UEH replied and helped me clear up some splatter and then Brett, KE5EYQ/QRP/P and I had a 599/599 QSO 5 watts each way-WV to La. FB indeed! Now, on the Brag macro, I call it an "Homebrew Acoustical Interface," real hillbilly engineering-making something from nothing, See ya on the waterfall!

73 de Rob

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Doh!

Rewired the shack a bit, easier access to the tuner and all that. Then tried to tune up the antenna that had been re cut to compensate for the additional feed in the shack. SWR thru the roof, trimming not of benefit, tore the home brew tuner apart and back together; nothing, nichts, nada, nichivo! Then I check the only thing left- a coax pigtail that came with a name brand tuner ( No not MFJ, their stuff is like a Russian T34, simple, needs a hammer as a fine adjustment tool...) bum stuff-and I almost gave that tuner away. A Rat Shack pigtail, tunes right up and a 5W QSO with David in Magnolia TX. Why is it the solution to a problem is always the last place you look?

73 de Rob