Radio for the Prepless Part 2

[@W1RMD]

I really loved this "mini" series! NOT many (or any) KZbin videos discuss the operation from acquiring and repairing the radio, making a power supply, antenna and operating the radio on the air. If that's not enough, you've included a list of frequencies. It's like going to the store for groceries, and as you're going to your car, they come out with another cart full of stuff for free that you didn't know you needed but actually did and saved you another trip back to the store! Thanks and 73's

[@anonhollmuller4032]

73! i as german love my ncx 3 all tube radio . it need 6,5 amps on 12 volt for heating the shack ;) but the hv section is extremly efficent! the recieve of poor Signals is outstanding.

[@MIKROWAVE1]

The NCX-3 was my first XCVR and the one I used in mobile in college mounted in my gigantic 66 Chevy BelaIr. Single Conversion and hot hot hot receiver sensitivity.

[@w.rustylane5650]

I think the PLL radios are easily modified. All you have to do is cut a trace on the PLL chip, solder a 3.7k Ohm resister across the trace and send the power to a SPST center off to make the chip pin either hi (on with 5V) or off with 0 volts. I used to modify radios back in the day, mid 70's through the 80's. To unlock the clarifier you just had to add an 8V source to either end of the pot or the center tap (can't remember which without looking at a schematic).

[@NebukedNezzer]

my ten tec omni D is easy to work on also. I like your emergency dipole and vertical

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Hard to beat a simple rig that works on DC power and a proven antenna for emergency work.

[@eduardopower5254]

Love that radio. I would like to have one

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Its a cute little box. I had it in the car a lot over last summer. The noise blanker is amazing.

[@hank1519]

Thank you, Mike! Great video!

[@w.rustylane5650]

Yep, in my CB days back in the mid 70's through the 80's, I used an antenna matcher with my base station CB radio. It sure worked great; just wish I had it back. I sold all my TV and radio test equipment along with my CB radio gear just before moving from the Atlanta area to Tennessee. Now I wish I had it all back. I do have my dad's old Davis Electronics freq counter which I'll be using in the near future after getting my HAM Technician license in Sept.

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Good luck on the Ham ticket Rusty!

[@w.rustylane5650]

@@MIKROWAVE1 Thanks, it got postponed until Sept. 21st due to COVID-19.

[@neubert500]

Excellent teaching for serious training! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[@billryland6199]

Your battery should be a deep discharge type.. An MPPT charge controller would be better to get the most from the panel.

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Agree from a best combo standpoint for battery performance and life. But MPPT's can be noisy for EMI. Even that simple PWM controller was nasty. Being caught unprepped, means that you will be forced to scavenge what you can get, and for most folks that would be a car battery and maybe no controller at all.

[@billryland6199]

@@MIKROWAVE1 My new secondary charge controller, the Epever Tracer AN 30 amp MPPT seems to not put out any HF hash. The original Tristar 45 amp unit does. The worst offender is my Samlex 2 KW sinewave inverter. It wipes out 40 meters. I added 4 100 watt panels for a total of 925 watts. 525 are in a tracking array.

[@mohinderkaur6671]

Dipole is a great antenna but deploying it is big deal due to the center feed. End fed is much preferable from the point of deployment

[@Gordonseries385]

Enjoyed watching Mike! take care and safe!

[@arildoaparecidocosta5729]

Potencia total bravo ótimo trabalho bazuka Foz do Iguaçu pr Brasil caminhonista também

[@ksnstechtopics8650]

If only I had your noise floor and space to erect antennas lol :)

[@n8nkqrp595]

Hey, wait, that radio isn't QRP. Looks like you need an attenuator pad! I just love this video! Thank you! I've been playing with ultra simple wire antennas for emergency, temporary, camping, hiking, etc use. All end fed half wave, all used with my multi-tap UNUNs. And I've tested them as 1/4 wave radiators with 3 counterpoise wires just laying on the yard. With shocking results. Plus, my feedline is only 1 foot long. lol. Also I've done a bit of testing with ultra low wires (2 to 6' high) using my same multi-tap UNUNs. Shocking results again. If you want to see my multi-tap unun, look for '80m EFHW & Multi tap UNUN part 1 of 3 Intro & Demo'. Also Mike, take a gander at my Michigan Cacti. It's a garbage picked, junk, 4 band vertical that cost nothing, works spectacularly, and is really fun to play with. It's basically a 20m aluminum vertical with 3 parallel resonator wires added.. just like a fan dipole. Thanks OM and be careful out there. My sister let her cooties loose I think. 73

[@MIKROWAVE1]

I need to add loss immediately before I lose face! Next I will demonstrate 160M on a finishing nail dipole.

[@Broken_Yugo]

On using a salvaged pc supply, always check first for bulged capacitors in the output filtering section. Can also try without the 5v dummy load, I've seen some run hapilly with just the green enable line pulled down.

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Oh yeah! Bulged caps and some of these are probably bad anyway. I have some pretty old ones that are very dusty inside too. This one was happy with a 330 Ohm resistor so 15 mA is all it needed!

[@margaqrt]

Nice work on the video and the repair to the radio. That's a neat rig.

[@PaintmanJohn]

Hello Mike, I wish you would have posted those FREQUENCY Tables in the Comment section ! BTW, I love that SWAN radio.

[@PapasDino]

Nice series Mike...stay safe! 73 - Dino KLØS

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Hey Dino same to you - and stay smart! Get some shack time in.

[@w.rustylane5650]

You have to be a good guy since you have a fire pit in yer back yard. LOL!

[@Phoenix135tube]

I love that microphone! :D

[@иванепифан-к8ж]

Progress is so fast that some things do not have time to become outdated (and are still relevant to this day) SWAN 100 of this number . Even "lamp" devices are still in price !

[@w.rustylane5650]

Isn't TV coax 75 ohm coax? I thought you'd have to have 50 ohm coax since most radios operate with 50 ohm systems of impedance. I really like the antenna matcher you made. I had to stop the video and take a screen shot of your schematic. Think I could build one if I can lay hold of all the parts. That's a feat in itself when you're a retired, disabled Vietnam vet on a very fixed income.

[@W1RMD]

Outside of the stiff, small center conductor and aluminum outer shield that is associated with 75 ohm coax, tell yourself that it's 50 ohms and you'll NEVER know the difference! Even in VHF use. It is amazing how far off SWR has to be before it effects a signal. If you don't believe this, listen to some dummy (load) tuning up on the air. During this their SWR is WAY off, BUT you can still hear them trying to get it "perfect" while putting out a 59 signal of 2000-3000 hz drilling out my inner ear drum! I can only assume that their SWR is probably 3:1 or greater at times during this long transmission because of how long it takes for them to "get it right". I can add to this, while people tuning up PLEASE use low power and AM mode with no audio. Just enough to calibrate the meter. Using AM mode will zero beat the frequency so that in theory no one can tell you're there. I've never had a complaint. Plus, the radio will reduce the power to about 1/4 th power out automatically even if you don't manually turn the power down! REALLY handy for operating an adjustable screwdriver antenna while mobile. 75 ohm is lower loss for receiving, 50 ohm is for power, hence the larger, closer together conductors. Closer together = lower impedance. Good Luck!

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

What about an UNUN to match a long-wire antenna to a transceiver.

[@MichaelMarko]

Hey, great video. I'm interested in that homemade mic. Did you make a vid of that build?

[@MIKROWAVE1]

Ha! In Part 1 I discuss.

[@MichaelMarko]

@@MIKROWAVE1 Thanx

[@tommybewick]

Mike is at a techtronics oscilloscope mobile stand that your radios are sitting on?

[@tommybewick]

Mike absolutely love your videos My only criticism is when you do your on screen text leave it on long enough for people to read, I realize you're probably thinking people will pause the video to read it but in reality most people don't, and by the time they realize that they need to pause it to read it it's already gone past the screen, leave it on the screen long enough for people to finish reading it It's very annoying when it flashes by very quickly...

[@qvatch]

different people read at different speeds. You can use the arrow keys to jump forward and back by 5s, or adjust the video playback speed with the gear icon.

[@alexwild4350]

As Qvatch commented about using the cursor keys, which I think jump backwards or forwards in 5 second segments, I wanted to add that if you hit the space bar on the keyboard, that will pause the play. Usually pressing it again continues the play. I was actually happy with the presentation of text, and glad the presenter didn't leave it on the screen long enough to read, because when I didn't want to read it, it past quickly, and when I did, hey presto the space bar was pressed.

[@doncollins9331]

Very Interesting thanks

[@Yarz01]

Love the videos. What was your Facebook page for electronics?

[@timsmith428]

40m dipole==flat swr on 15 and 6...

[@technician122]

First!.... ...but seriously though, your videos are great