Date: Sun, 25 Jul 93 15:46:05 -0500 From: adams@chuck.dallas.sgi.com (Charles Adams) Message-Id: <9307252046.AA27972@chuck.dallas.sgi.com> To: qrp@Think.COM Subject: SWR Analyzer es Keyboard de MFJ Gang, just a quick report on the trip to "Ham Holiday" the swapfest in Oklahoma City OK. somebody has to drive north on I35 aperiodically to make sure the Red River is still there and i'm here to report that it still is. :-) i just went up for Saturday, which was long enough for me to part with some of my money. i had reported last year on the net, when there was flame wars going on for MFJ products. i don't think that i'll ever learn. i'm already educated beyond my intelligence anyway. MFJ-451 Morse Keyboard - A Review by Chuck Adams K5FO i normally use either a Heath Ultrapro Keyboard or when i'm practicing on the Bencher i use an AEA MM-3 or CK-2 keyer. the heath is losing one of the memory chips for the 10 memory buffers and i hadn't taken the time to fix it, so i saw the MFJ-451. thought, what the hey, it was reduced i'll just buy one. replace the large AT keyboard with the small one i have on a 386 and take up less space (vertically) on the operating desk. the MFJ-451 keyboard has an unmodified keyboard (AT type) that plugs into a small box (sorry, i'm at the office and don't have the exact size). got it home, opened the box, plugged it in, and it worked outta the box. didn't even have to read the instructions. only two parts and parts is parts, right? ok, get the instructions, get through them in short order and know how to set the speed, load the two buffers, adjust the tone (the volume controlled with a knob on the little processor box), learn to program the beacon operation up to 99min 99sec delay, and use the serial numbering in time to use it for SS. :-) ok kids, so far so good. fire up the QRP rig on 40 for the sunday morning schedule and call cq. get another qrp in st louis mo. worked about 20 minutes at 30 wpm and stood by for the group. no answer and the other guy signs. fine. so far so good. ok, 40 not all that hot, let's go up to 30 (another fine QRP band). WHOW BUCKAROO!! it is very very obvious that noone at MFJ works 30 meters. this little keyboard sucks canal water when it comes to putting out trash on 30 meters. it's S9+ and then some. i can't hear the digital guys above 10.110 with this thing on. ;-) ok, look at the schematic. uses 80C32 Intel processor clocked at ***10 MHz***. only decoupling caps in the system are four 0.1uF caps. bad news. ok, i'll help, give me phillips. two screws to the case and its apart. hey, nice little board, double sided silk screened plated through solder masked. not bad. ok, three more screws to remove board and a model airplane prop-nut driver to remove volume control nut. board comes out and i turn it over. GEEEEZ!!! we have 12 year olds learning to solder here or what? the second worst soldering job in the world that i've seen. you guessed it the first place is the MFJ-249 HF/VHF SWR ANALYZER. see second half of this posting. i take pride in my work, no matter what it is, and i'd think that others do too. component leads were not cut short and overlapped PC board paths and on and on i could go, but i won't. it works, but once again, bad quality control for cosmetics. if it works, ship it!!! if you plan on working 30 meters, do not (and i repeat) do not buy this keyboard until you hear from me that they got the problem fixed. i thought that i'd play with some ferrite beads strategically placed, but no way am i going to spend my valuable time doing this. going to call them on monday and ship the little box for a revision. or else. i didn't pay the $89.95 list price and got a good deal, but not that great. MFJ-249 HF/VHF SWR ANALYZER - A Review by Chuck Adams K5FO this is the deluxe swr analyzer by MFJ. list price of $199.95, which of course i didn't pay at the swapmeet. :-) i had asked the qrp mail group about these and got a response after the fact and as it turns out, i made the right decision. we all get lucky once in a while. MFJ has another analyzer MFJ-207 which is the same without the frequency counter. i have a heath counter, but i prefer to put all my eggs in one basket and have a small self-contained unit like the 249. once again, outta the box, hook up 12V supply and fire it up. worked first time every time. hook it up to the 80 meter long wire and check it out. GREAT. with the digital readout for frequency and the analog meter for direct reading SWR, it's very easy to see where you are and how good the antenna is doing. checked all the bands from 160 to 10 Meters. i had my previous settings from measurements made at 1 watt with Oak Hills QRP wattmeter. they were correct (of course). but, the MFJ makes it very easy. none of the forward vs backward, etc. just read it and weep or smile. one of the questions i asked the friendy sales rep was how much does this little puppy put out. it obviously must generate rf to the antenna to get the swr. he didn't know and the MFJ manual does not say one word. so, couple of pieces of RG58U with PL259s and in goes the OHR QRP WM-1 meter. 2mW (that's 2 milliwatts) out from 1.8 to 170MHz. constant and true. good news as that is the requirement to not have an adjustment for meter calibration. i wouldn't part with the OHR for love or money. need it for power measurements for 10 W down to 1 mW. i assume, since the MFJ-249 device transmits outta band (i did this into a dummy load guys and girls and FCC) i assume that it is type accepted or something like that. being an avid QRPer, i know what 2 mW can do when the bands are right. and outside of the ham bands you can easily get a clear frequency. ;-) that why the HT mods i see posted here in rec.amateur.radio.misc????? frequency meter is accurate as tested with heath counter and 3.600000 output from the wwv clock. without the counter (the 207), MFJ put dial with freq markings and i understand from another individual that has one, they aren't all that great. not good if you're tuning an antenna from phone down to cw band or whatever. ok, let's look at the schematic? what, no schematic in the booklet or box!! ok, take the back off. BIG mistake big mistake (line from Pretty Woman, the movie). the worst soldering job i've seen. tied with MFJ-815B Cross-Needle 1.8-60MHz SWR/Wattmeter. close behind is the above keyboard system. somebody in QC outta work on this or start selling them as kits. i can do a better job easily. the counter is SMT (surface mount technology and i assume it was wave soldered) and separate from the badly soldered board. another board also SMT and wave soldered for RF generator. at least i hope so. i didn't want to see any more and put it back together. so, final results. MFJ-249 SWR Analyzer. good deal. MFJ-451 keyboard is a bad bad idea. wait til Christmas or later on this keyboard. both are new items and maybe with feedback we can get MFJ to do a little better....... 73 es 72 de k5fo dit dit ------cut here---------- Chuck Adams, K5FO - CP60 adams@sgi.com ====================================================================== I want to thank everyone that was involved in the R&R Associates deal for the CMOS Super Keyer II deal. I received mine on Friday, October 8th. If you remember from posts some time ago to this group, the kit was for $25 + $1 for programming + $1 S&H. I keep hearing feedback from numerous places that due to the fire in a plastics plant in Japan, the IC market has been hit fairly hard causing numerous price increases, delays in components, etc. Motorola has a backlog for the MC68HC705C8P microprocessor, the one used in this kit, and there is also a price increase to $19 each - up from $10.80 for the old price, in small quantities like R&R is getting. So the price of the kit is now $32 + $1 + $1 in the note that I got from R&R. In the kit I got the micro, associated parts, a small speaker 8ohm 2inch (for monitor, but I don't think I'll use it due to poor quality), and two small PC boards (and for the same reason I won't be using these). The boards were hand drilled and no way a socket (not included - 80 pin) is ever going to go onto the board due to alignment. I will be wirewrapping (I can still do that stuff) this critter onto a small perf board with wirewrap sockets and wirewrap pins. Think I'll put this in one of the NN1G xcvrs (the 40M one) and see how it does. It (CMOS keyer) runs for a long time on two AA cells. With the kit came a four page photocopy of the November 1990 QST article by KC0Q and N0II and two page photocopy of a Manual Supplement: Version 2.0 from Logikey K-1 CMOS Super Keyer II Kit (Copyright 1991). Also a one page "catalog" from R&R for PC Boards from 73, QST, and ARRL HB circuits. I don't think I'll be ordering any of these after my experience as outlined here. In summary, I think maybe the $49 kit price from Idiom Press might just be a better deal. It wasn't that I was trying to be cheap, but the price of $25 + change looked too good to be true (and it was). My personal opinions expressed above. I'd like to hear comments from the others, but they may not wish to be so open as I. Hope they are having better results. Anyone in this group get the Idiom Press kit? Is this a record? Is the first negative review that I've done? I think it is. OK, back to my hole where I hope it's still warm. :-) Hope to see you during the Fall QRP ARCI QSO Party next weekend. 73 from the ranch of k5fo dit dit ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1993 08:29:07 -0500 (CDT) From: "JEFF M. GOLD" Subject: Cmos Keyer To: qrp@Think.COM Message-Id: <01H422L3UBWOC2JGJH@tntech.edu> X-Vms-To: IN%"qrp@think.com" X-Vms-Cc: JMG Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Hi, Well Chuck's first was a negative review, I think for the first time I might have to disagree a little with Chuck (sorry). I finally received my keyer kit yesterday. I own the Idiom press $50 version which I love.. think is the best keyer I own.. and have used in many a contest.... The $50 kit had a board and the board parts... I nice thick operations manual. I needed to provide the push buttons and all jacks and such. The $25 kit came with the board and board parts and 4 push buttons that already had wires coming off and a small speaker (haven't tried it.. real cheap looking.. but that is all you really need.. I never use my speaker in the other keyer except to program the memories and functions.. all other times use the rigs sidetone.. sounds better and uses the batteries much less). Well at breakfast this morning proceeded to check out Chuck's comments. I cleaned the bottom of the board with isopropal alcohol and took the chip socket out.. the socket had some bent legs.. easily straightened them out and the socked went right into the board.. I soldered it in and the board took the solder with no problem. This wasn't the best quality board I have seen, but certainly no problem or nothing worth complaining about. I noticed that one of the solder pads really was almost non-existent and you really couldn't solder to it. I checked the schematic and it isn't used anyway.. I think the other 39 legs will hold it to the board. If this works correctly, I feel it is one of the biggest bargains out there. Curtis keyer chip keyer kits are going for $39-$59. They don't have memories or any of the other functions.. like reversing dits and dashes and a mess of other stuff..I still think for $50 the idiom press is also quite a bargain. 72 Jeff, AC4HF ====================================================================== Date: Wed, 13 Oct 93 21:36:48 PDT From: dh@deneb.csustan.edu (Doug Hendricks) Message-Id: <9310140436.AA03864@deneb.csustan.edu> To: qrp@Think.COM Subject: QQ for Oct? I see from Chuck's postings that the October issue of QQ is out. Mine is not here yet. Will someone send me a list of the Table of Contents so I will be even more anxious for my copy to arrive? Also, I want to apologize to the net. I am the one who originally posted the availability of the Super Cmos II Keyer kits from Richard Rathburn. I posted it in response to a request from Vicki Welch. Chuck, I did get mine and it was excellent as far as I could tell. Mine works great. I did replace the buttons with some from Radio Shack, and used a different speaker, but other than that, I love mine. Have to agree with Jeff on the review. But, I did not realize that he was going to take so loooong to deliver!! Maybe it is like a friend of mine who likes to tell his customers, "You can have it Good, Fast or Cheap, Pick any two you want." My kit was good, cheap, but boy did it take a long time to get here. My advice is that if you want it fast, order from Idiom Press. 72, Doug ====================================================================== From: jpo@acd4.acd.com ( Jim Osburn ) Message-Id: <9404111415.AA01393@IEDV5.acd.com> Subject: More on DSP 40 To: qrp@Think.COM (QRP Mailing List), Hoover@hydra.Rose-Hulman.Edu (Keith Hoover), Derry@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu (Jack Derry) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 94 9:15:05 EST X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11] Sender: qrp-admin@Think.COM Precedence: bulk I saw a message about the DSP-40, a copy is attached to the end of this one, on one of the newsgroups. Being interested in DSP, I rushed right out and bought one. My intention was to use it in the contest, but I didn't get to work any of the contest due to other obligations (sigh). I did get to play with the thing for about half an hour. Here are my first impressions. First, since several have asked what it is, I'll try to describe it. It's a black plastic box with knobs on the front and connectors on the back. It has an 1/8" audio in jack, a 1/8" external speaker jack, and a coaxial power connector for 12 VDC. On the front is a 1/4" phone jack. An audio amplifier and speaker are built in. The speaker is mounted in the top of the box. On the front is a volume control which also turns the unit on and off. To the right of the volume control is the DSP button. With the DSP button out, the unit is just an audio amplifier. With the DSP button in, the unit is an audio DSP. Also to the right of the volume control is an LED that flickers to indicate audio input level, which is on solid when the unit is in CW mode. To the left is a function switch and a bandwidth switch. The function switch has three positions, NR, SSB and CW. The bandwidth switch has three postions, Narrow, Medium and Wide. When the unit is in the NR or SSB mode, it will eliminate steady audio tones. In all three modes, the unit will do bandpass filtering, the bandwidth varies with both the function selected and the bandwidth selected. I left the user's manual at home, but I remember that the narrowest SSB bandwidth was about 300 Hz to 2 kHz and the narrowest CW bandwidth was about 600 Hz to 900 Hz. The unit does work, but I would say a phone operator might be more interested in it than a CW operator. In the CW mode, the unit seems to me to just be a narrow audio filter. Frankly, I like my MFJ active filter better. My active filter is also cheaper, I got it used for $5.00 at a hamfest. The DSP-40 is about $80.00. A phone operator would like the automatic notch filter function. It is effective. The bandpass filtering also helps, but most rigs already have bandpass fitlering. I have not yet noticed that noise reduction does a lot. However, I've only played with it for about half an hour. Also, if you're listening to signals that are already good, the DSP-40 can actually make them worse. Yes, you can hear the quantization noise. If you're use to picking weak signals out of the noise, it's very noticable. I have a hunch this is an eight bit unit. I am experimenting with implementing the W9GR stuff on a TI DSP Starter's Kit that has a 14 bit AIC. I hope I get better results with it. You can do some silly things with the unit too. You can put it into SSB mode while listening to CW and see if you can copy with just the key clicks. You can wiggle your rig's tuning knob and see how long it takes the DSP-40 to adjust. You can listen to a SW music broadcast and see how nicely the notch filter mutilates that. You can also listen to AM SW as SSB using the DSP-40 to notch out the carrier. Here are my conclusions. If you're interested in learning more about DSP and want to play like I do, buy it. If you just want better CW reception, don't buy it. Buy a good active filter instead. If you're a phone operator that can't stand people tuning up on your QSO, buy it. If you only work strong stations with excellent signals, don't buy it. Those are my impressions so far. Hopefully others will evaluate and review the unit for us too. A copy of the post I saw about the DSP-40 is attached. 73, Jim, WD9EYB From: jwa@tellabs.com (John Albert) Subject: Radio Shack DSP Message-ID: <1994Apr6.125608.5212@tellab5.tellabs.com> Sender: news@tellab5.tellabs.com (News) Nntp-Posting-Host: tellabb Organization: Tellabs, Lisle,IL Date: Wed, 6 Apr 1994 12:56:08 GMT Lines: 34 Radio Shack is in the DSP race with their new DSP-40 noise reduction system. It's a black box with a speaker, 12 volt and input chord. It has 2 three position switches and a volume control. One switch selects wide, medium and narrow. The other selects CW, SSB and NR. The CW position selects narrow audio filters and allows a CW tone to pass. The other positions (SSB and NR) reject CW or heterodynes and provide a noise reduction filter. The other switch selects the filter bandwidths. The volume knob controls the audio level and there's a 5 watt internal amplifier/speaker. The unit does a nice job nulling carriers but does very little noise cancelling. The narrow CW mode works fine but the I.F. filter in my Kenwood 440 does a much better job. The unit makes a great mobile speaker for my H.T. and it runs on 12 volts but $80.00 is a little steep for a mobile use. I purchased it so I can compare it to the Hamblaster which does a much better job reducing noise. Inside is a PCB that's partially covered with a sheild. Under the bottom sheild there's a Texas Instruments chip with unknown markings. It's probably a custom chip with a TMS320C10 core. The top side probably has the A-D/D-A. I didn't look at the number. --- Jack Albert WA9FVP Fellow Radio Hacker Tele (708) 378-6201 Tellabs Operations, Inc. FAX (708) 378-6721 1000 Remington Blvd. jwa@tellabs.com Bolingbrook, IL 60440 ====================================================================== To: qrp@Think.COM Subject: Re: Keyer Info Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1993 20:25:46 -0700 From: Clark Savage Turner WA3JPG Message-Id: <9306042025.aa23389@Paris.ics.uci.edu> Doug Hendricks is interested in a Memory Keyer. My own take on this situation is that the CMOS Super Keyer II in the (nov?) 1990 QST is easy to build and has adequate memory for my contesting tastes. It is really great to operate, cheap, etc. Love it to death. Really. The feel of the keyer is far better than any other I have ever used. Now if I could just find the right paddles (Bencher is "adequate" for the job.) The only possible drawback is the amount of memory and the basic 4 locations for those memories. If you get real fancy with contesting, it may not do the trick. If you are interested, write me directly and I can tell you more about my experience with the CMOS Super Keyer II. Clark ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1993 11:05:44 -0500 (CDT) From: "Jeff M. Gold" Subject: Keyers To: qrp@Think.COM HI, I agree, my first ham radio kit was the Super keyer using the Idiom Press parts kits. The keyer without even the memory is worth the price. It has the best self-completing dots and dashes and feel I have ever used. I have built at least 4 keyers (avoid the "Cheap Keyer" from the Handbook.. the worst.. I use it mobile and hate it), and find this to be the best. For contest use, we at the University Club, always use it. The way it was set up for contesting is much easier to use and much better thought out than any I have come across. 73 ====================================================================== Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 08:49:15 From: hlester@as.arizona.edu (Howard Lester) To: qrp@Think.COM Subject: keeping the tradition alive Message-Id: I have a new Vibroplex Brass Racer iambic paddle to replace the Bencher I had borrowed for several months. The Vibroplex is wonderful, and, as David Letterman would say, "easy on the eyes". It is a heavy brushed brass piece on a triangular rosewood base. Simply made, its tension on each paddle is adjusted with sliding magnets - no springs. The price is similar to a Bencher: $65. You have just read an unsolicited testimonial from: Howard KE7QJ ====================================================================== From: vikki@precipice.chi.il.us (Victoria Welch) Subject: Thoughts on keyers and keys... To: qrp@Think.COM Date: Sat, 5 Jun 1993 19:05:24 -0500 (CDT) .... As for the key itself, get a Kent, you'll never regret it. I had a bencher and was less than impressed with it. I never did get it adjusted (and it wasn't for lack of trying :) and if disturbed it would erupt in a shower of parts (I hear the new ones are better about that) or if undisturbed, it would go off at 0300 due to the expansion coefficients of dissimilar metals (my husband loved that :) as I like movement to be minimal. The Kent, on the other hand, makes you WANT to do cw. Its solid and VERY easy to adjust (I don't mind someone else adjusting this one as it is so easy to get re-adjusted). I have had the Kent for about the same amount of time (now) that I had the bencher and have probably used it 20+ times as much, its really a pleasure. I even replaced the plastic paddles with oak using the plastic ones as a template ! I am quite pleased and several people I know have gotten them after using mine (and I from using KE9GGs). Someone here stateside is supposed to be carrying them now so you don't have to wait for Dayton or Dallas or mail order it from England. As a last note, the thing is also SOLID. Mine spent a couple of months bouncing around in by briefcase with no problems at all. I wanna see someone with a bencher try that . ... Take care es 72, Vikki. -- Vikki Welch, SysAdm Welch Research, WV9K, DoD#-13, NEIQRP# 13, ARCI#(NOT) vikki@precipice.chi.il.us(daily), vikki@wv9k.atl.ga.us(weekly), arrl(NOT) ====================================================================== Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1993 10:14:28 -0500 (CDT) From: "Jeff M. Gold" Subject: Kent Keys To: qrp@Think.COM Message-Id: <01GZWPC8CMN69JD4CS@tntech.edu> I received and built my 2 Kent Key kits. The first one I buildt was the Twin Paddle Morse Key kit. It has a real heavy steel base. The main parts are machined from brass bar. It has ball race bearing, solid silver contacts and fine pitch screw threads with instrument knuled heads that allow precision and individual adjustement on each of the two contacts and springs. The kit comes with the main pars assembled. It was fun to put together.. and very easy. I suggest reading each sentence of the instructions a few times before acting on it. The directions are kinda backwards in my opininion.. EX: it will tell you to mount a part with a certain size screw.. after you have put on the necessary washer and solder lug.. instead of telling you to put on the solder lug, washer and then mounting the part.. no big deal.. still easy to put together. Really pretty key... the plastic paddles can be mounted either with the pointed parts up or down.. I tried it both ways and mounted them up.. fits the way I send perfectly. The paddles work GREAT.. you can adjust them down to "breath on them" level of sensitivity. I sold my Benchers immediately after using them. They can't fly apart like Benchers.. the arms are solid. Next I put together the Solid Brass Morse Key kit.. a BIG straight key.. Had fun putting it together. This key is tied with the nicest feeling straight keys I have ever used.. still also like my Merrick solid brass from Canada. The Kent has all brass parts on a nicely finished piece of wood that has weights that go inside it. The Kent is really nicely weighted...precision adjustable.. haven't had time to try every possible adjustment yet.. but easily got it to the point of loving the feel. Has a big knob with the flat underpiece..I am experimenting with a different approach to sending with it...I think it is like the old telegraph style. A great key.. only thing I don't like is they should have used a harder wood.. the wood can be indented with any pressure.. not good for really using it environment. I feel both keys were bargains.. don't remember exactly the prices (sent them in with the order). I think the paddles were around $65 and the straight key around $75 or visa versa. R. A. Kent Engineers PO Box 809 Mount Ida, AR 71957-0809 73 Jeff, AC4H ====================================================================== Date: Thu, 10 Jun 1993 11:32:43 -0500 (CDT) From: "Jeff M. Gold" Subject: Simple home made paddles To: qrp@Think.COM Message-Id: <01GZ7MTQI908K6P3DF@tntech.edu> X-Vms-To: IN%"qrp@think.com" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Hi.. here is my idea: for my backpack I came up with a simple and inexpinsive rugged set of paddles to use for QRP. You can see a picture of them in the new ham section of Feb. 1993 QST.. think I even described them. I took a plexiglass organizer and hacksawed off the pencil holder (probable can find one for about .98 or use something else). It is about a one inch square by 4". I tried all types of levers and finally came up with a simpler and better approach. I used the metal pieces that are in the back of almost every IBM clone as place holder for adding peripherals (when you add a peripheral.. you throw these away.. very easy to come by). They have the back bent over and a screw hole already. I cut some holes in the middle of the plexiglass and used very sensitive momentary pushbuttons... had some small RS pushbuttons, but they didn't work as well. You can get a good selection at ham fests usually. I bolted the metal pieces on the back of the plexiglass with 2 screws each. I bent them around the buttons till slight pressure closed the switches. I cut a small finger grip size (used rounder English style rather than Bencher) plexiglass pieces and bolted them to the front of the metal pieces. I mounted the plexiglass on a piece of wood and bolted some brass weight to the bottom. Worst case is that I have to slightly bend the metal to the feel i like when I get where I am going. They work real well and have been using them for quite some time now. They can be built for about $3.00 or so.. or you might have everything you need. 73 Jeff,AC4HF