Articles & Hints by AD5X
Newest Projects - Added within the past year or so
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Amplifier Overshoot Protection - One way to protect your amplifier from transceiver overshoot | |
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An In-Line Spectrum Analyzer Station Interface - Automatic T/R switching for an in-line spectrum analyzer | |
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SG-2020 Operation from a 4S2P LiPo battery - Weekend operation from a low-cost battery | |
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Power Supply Powerpole Adaper - Build a plug-in Powerpole adapter for your power supply | |
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Automatic Voltage Reducer for LiPo 4S Batteries - Protect your radio from fully charged 4S LiPo voltages automatically | |
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Milliwatt Power Sensor for the Powermaster - Directly reads 1-3000mw from 160-2 meters | |
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Transceiver Power Control Accessory - Easily set power for tune-up and amplifier drive | |
| Autotuner Antenna Management Device - Add a dummy load port and lightning/static protection to your station. | |
| Transceiver Front End Protection - Protect your transceiver's front-end if it is subjected to potentially damaging signals. | |
| LiPo 4S Voltage Reducer - Simple in-line unit reduces +16.8V fully charged LiPo output to less than 15V | |
| Convert Orion Band Data to BCD or Band Voltage - Circuits to achieve BCD or Band Voltage from discrete Orion Band Data | |
| AlexLoop WalkHam camera tripod adapter - Lets you support your WalkHam loop antenna on an inexpensive camera tripod | |
| PreciseRF TTG1 2-tone generator accessory - External attenuator and PTT interface for the TTG1 |
Amplifier Related
| Attenuator for transceiver/amplifier interfacing - Makes putting your amp in-line a no-brainer! | |
| ALS-600/500 QSK Conversion - Simple, low cost internal QSK mod for the Ameritron ALS-600 and ALS-500 amplifiers. | |
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Flexible Amplifier QSK Keying Interface - Add Low Current Ground or +12V Keying, and Strappable Turn-Off Delay | |
| HF Amplifier QSK Switch - External relay-based HF Amplifier QSK switch | |
| THP Band Data Buffer - Interfaces that keep a turned-off THP amplifier from loading down transceiver band data outputs. |
Antennas
| 43-Foot Vertical 160- and 80-Meter Matching - UPDATED for easier duplication. Improves performance on 160- and 80-meters. | |
| Simple 43-foot 160/80 meter manual matching - More compact and less expensive than the above, but also less convenient. | |
| BandMaster to 43-ft Matcher - Automatically control the above 43-foot matching unit with the Array Solutions BandMaster | |
| Auto-tuner Tuning Range Extender - Or how I got my MFJ-927 to tune a 43-foot vertical on 160-Meters | |
| Extend High-Power Auto-tuners to 160-meters: A remote-switched high power 160M extender for 43-foot verticals. | |
| Build a 12/17 Meter Trap Dipole - Includes building your own high voltage capacitors. | |
| Portable Dipole - 40-10 meter resonant dipole for portable operation | |
| Vertical Travel Antenna - Compact & improved 60-10 meter portable vertical antenna |
Antenna Tuners and Antenna Accessories
| TB-105 Thrust Bearing Use: How to properly interface the TB-105 with low-cost ham rotators | |
| Static Bleeders for Any Antenna: Stop worrying about damaging your antenna analyzer. | |
| Z-Match Antenna Tuner: 100 watt compact unit | |
| Tenna-Tune - Original Tenna-Tune article updated to support the IC-7000 as well as the IC-706-series transceivers. | |
| Tenna-Tune2 - Updated SWR tuning accessory for the IC-706/7000 and FT-857/897. | |
| Tenna-Tune Audio - An audio-based SWR indicator | |
| Manual Switch with Limit Indicator for screwdriver antennas | |
| Antenna Matching Bases for portable and mobile antennas | |
| VW New Beetle Mobile HF Antenna Base - Useful on many other cars as well | |
| SWR Tamers - Protect your transceiver during antenna tuning | |
| IC-706/703/7000 Tuning Interface - Simple tuning interface for IC-70X series radios | |
| SGC Simple SMARTLOCK - Simple but elegant, and works just like the SGC unit |
Baluns, Ununs. Air-Wound Coils
| HF Legal Limit Current Balun - Build a 160-10 Meter Guanella 1:4 balun. | |
| HF Legal Limit Voltage Unun or Balun - Build a 160-10 Meter Ruthroff 1:4 unun or balun. | |
| K5OOR balun - Alternative build ideas and test results for a compact 100-watt balun | |
| Elecraft balun modifications - Make it a 1:1/4:1 switchable unit | |
| Build your own air-wound coils and coil supports | |
| Multi-Impedance Switched Transformer for Short HF Antennas |
Boat-Anchor Related
| QSK T/R Switch for your vintage station: Full break-in operation with any separate transmit-receive combo | |
| ARC5 Receiver Conversion Info: Bring that military receiver to life. Updated with clearer instructions and more pictures. | |
| Inexpensive Vacuum Tube Plate Supply: AC-isolated power supply for your vacuum tube receiver | |
| Johnson Ranger restoration project - Detailed info on updating/restoring this transmitter | |
| Johnson Ranger front panel removal - Step-by-step directions | |
| Boat-Anchor TR Switch - Simple T/R switch uses inexpensive DPDT relay | |
| Boat-Anchor Night Light - Unique gag gift for the older ham | |
| LED Replacements for incandescent pilot lamps |
DC & Powering Related
| Simple PowerPole Adapter for Gamma HPS-1a - Plug-on adapter for the Gamma power supply | |
| DC Power through your coax - Multiplex DC voltage onto your feed line. Handles full legal limit 1.8-148 MHz & 400ma DC. | |
| BiasT hi-current and extended frequency - This BiasT willl handle 3-amps DC from 1.8-225 MHz. | |
| Voltage Protector - Protect your transceiver from voltage transients, over-voltage and reverse-voltage | |
| Voltage Reducer for IC-703 and other QRP transceivers | |
| IC-703 Side-Mounted battery pack - Self-contained IC-703 | |
| Compact 9.6V NiMH Fast-Charger - For NiMH battery packs | |
| SG-2020 Battery Pack | |
| FT-817 voltage conditioner - and more! | |
| Variable Voltage Controller - Add-on to your fixed output power supply | |
| Surface-Mount your PowerPole Connectors - Simple support method for your workbench | |
| Battery Holder Voltage Drops - Home-brew battery pack considerations | |
| Digital milliammeter - Inexpensive in-line unit you can easily build |
Measurements
| 50dB RF Monitor Tap - 160-2 meter tap prevents overloading your spectrum analyzer | |
| Precision Mismatches - For checking your SWR Meter and Antenna Analyzer | |
| Accurate TX Power Measurements: 12- and 200-watt precision dummy load/peak detectors. | |
| Attenuators for Receiver Tests - Attenuators and techniques to check your receiver. | |
| Measure Inductor Q - Q Meter Adapter for your antenna analyzer. | |
| High Current DC Test Fixture - Switchable current steps to check power supplies & batteries | |
| Simple In-line Current/Voltage Monitoring Fixture - Get rid of your rat's nest of wiring |
Miscellaneous
| Bosch DDS181 Bit Holder: This adds a screwdriver bit holder holder for the popular Bosch DDS181 drill. | |
| Cable Hanger: Inexpensive cable hanger cleans up your shack | |
| RF Patch Panel: Build an RF patch panel for transceiver and antenna interfacing in your shack | |
| Useful and inexpensive tools and supplies for the ham | |
| Temporary HF Mobile Mount & Powering: For occasional operation in different cars. | |
| Portable Work Area Extension - Use a portable cart to temporarily extend your work area | |
| Connectorizing RG-6 coax - How to solder a PL-259 to aluminum-shielded RG-6 coax | |
| Suitcase Portable HF Station - Entire station fits into an MFJ-6404 carrying case | |
| Speech Compressor for Dynamic Microphones - Specifically designed for the FT-817 | |
| Add a fan to the IC-706/MKII/MKIIG heatsink | |
| Scratch-Proof the IC-706/703 flip-up stand | |
| FT-1K MKV Memory Keyer & Tune Control - Nice replacement for the FH-1 keypad | |
| Palm Paddle portable key base - Easily built non-skid snap-on steel base | |
| SG-2020 Mobile Mount - Built with parts from yur local hardware store | |
| Low-speed DC Motor - Used for remote tuning capacitors, etc. | |
| Simple RF Detector - Good from HF through 450 MHz | |
| LED Light - Great low current lighting for portable operation | |
| Reduce RFI in your Home & Shack: RFI minimizing techniques. | |
| Snap-On Ferrite Tests - Characterizing some snap-on ferrites, including tests as choke baluns |
RF Switching Related
| Transmit/Receive Antenna Switch - For separate T/R antennas and single port transceivers | |
| 160-2 Meter Remote Antenna Switch with control through the coax cable |
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