"HIS TRX" for the hiker!
A two band 1 chip + 1 transistor
1 watt QRP CW transceiver
(2000)
KLIK HIER VOOR DE NEDERLANDSE VERSIE
Very simple CW transceiver for in
the backpack of the barefoot hiker!
Barefoot hiker portable in the
woods with the HIS transceiver!
QRP station in a lunchbox for the barefoot hiker!
Just sufficient performance
This small rig is extremely simplified, no volume control, simple VXO tuning and the CW key is a pushbutton. The performance of the direct conversion receiver is just sufficient. But it is possible to make a lot of nice QSO's with this simple rig, even with other QRP stations.
The design
This is a real minimum radio amateur technology QRP design, simple and non-professional.
One evening I tried if it is possible to use a C-MOS switch (1/4 of a 74HC4066) as an amplifier,
just like a transistor.
After a few hour's fight with oscillating circuits, I suddenly found out how to do that.
Two capacitors with good RF performance are required for stable operation of the
"74HC4066 C-MOS switch transistor". See for details the schematic diagram given below.
Of course it is not a perfect amplifier, it is quite noisy, so the sensitivity of the
receiver is only 3 uV. That is good enough for 7 MHz and 10 MHz, but not for the higher bands.
I wanted to make it really simple, 1 transistor and 1 chip, but not too extreme. The LF output
power should be sufficient to give perfect readable signals with a walkman headset.
But there is no side tone oscillator and no volume control. The key is a simple pushbutton
at the front of the transceiver (see picture).
It is easy to build the transceiver on a small single sided unetched PCB board as you can see on the photographs.
Circuit diagram
big diagram
LF amplifier
Just two "74HC4066 C-MOS switch transistor".
It looks as if the input resistor of the first stage is missing. But you can find it at the
input of the mixer.
If LF oscillation occurs, decrease R1. Select R2 so that in receive mode, the supply voltage
of the 74HC4066 is approximately 5 volts.
VXO
The VXO is a "C-MOS switch transistor". In transmit mode, extra RF power is needed for the
final transistor amplifier. This is obtained by the circuit consisting of the diode 4148 and
330 ohm/100 pF. In transmit mode, the VXO is also tuned a bit lower in frequency due
to this circuit. So when you receive a station, the VXO signal should be higher than it's
frequency. Here the values of the tuning ranges of my version:
Crystal Frequency (kHz) |
Minimum Frequency (kHz) |
Maximum Frequency (kHz) |
7030.0 | 7029.5 | 7030.8 |
10120.0 | 10119.3 | 10121.2 |
Transmitter part
The VXO signal is amplified to 1 watt by a transistor 2N3553.
The 1k ohm resistor makes the amplifier more stable when mismatches occur. The 0.68 uH / 180 pF
are tuned to the second harmonic of the 7 MHz transmit signal for extra suppression. One output
filter is used for both 7 and 10 MHz.
Notes
Built via the ugly method (dead bug method). Parts are soldered at one side of the print.
Inductances are commercially available types looking like big resistors.
Do not use a HCT type but a HC type!
If LF oscillation occurs, decrease R1.
Select the value of R2 so that in receive mode, the supply voltage of the 74HC4066 is approximately 5 volts.
The two earpieces of the headphone are connected in series instead of in parallel for more audio signal.
Options
Battery indicator (led off if battery low). The 2 band version is also given here as an option.
Real simple barefoot technology....
Sensitivity: 3 uV signals are readable
3rd intercept: 8 dBm
Spurious responses: Better than -90 dB
RX current: 10 mA
Transmit power: 0.5 W at 8 V; 1.5 W at 12 V
Harmonic suppression: below 30 MHz: 43 dB, above 30 MHz: 55 dB