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The Wireless Amateur Experimenter Group The BARC WAX Group |
[ QRP ] |
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Requirements for membership:
One example of a good low cost HF QRP rig that you can build, is the
Small Wonder Labs RockMite40
http://www.smallwonderlabs.com/.
To get an idea of what the original Wireless Amateur Experimenter was, read “From Spark to Space, the Story of Amateur Radio in Canada”. This is required reading for WAX members, so as to understand how and why Amateur Radio came into existence in Canada. It can be downloaded from: http://www.barriearc.com/Spark2Space.pdf (this is a 42MB file). Another article on the history of Amateur Radio (from an American viewpoint) is The History of Ham Radio. If you've wondered where the term HAM came from, read Word Origins - Ham. The purpose of the WAX Group is to try to bring back to the club some of the original essence of the Amateur Radio Operator, or Wireless Amateur Experimenter as we were originally called. Every Ham should have the opportunity to experience the thrill of making his first contact on a ham station that he built himself! The group will meet for “build sessions” so that new members can help each other in constructing their QRP CW rig, antenna, antenna matching unit or other equipment. We will also be providing help in learning morse code. As a group, we are hoping to have periodic trips to a city park to setup and operate our QRP equipment - an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the fun of Ham Radio to the general public. Once qualified, you will be issued a WAX membership number and receive a certificate like this one.
Al Duncan – VE3RRD
The RockMite 40 Step-by-Step Assembly Manual - an excellent construction guide by NE1RD. RM 40 Step-by-Step manual notes - corrections and additional info The Small Wonder Labs Rockmite 40 Instruction Manual The SWL RockMite Connectors/Controls kit The SWL Rockmite Supplement and Troubleshooting Guide Workbench Hints and More Hints - lots of good ideas for the kit builder from DL2BQD K7QO's QRP Laboratory Notebook - many good equipment homebrewing ideas (8MB pdf) The Handyman's Guide to Homebrew Construction Practices Part 1 - by NA5N The Handyman's Cuide to Homebrew Construction Practices Part 2 - by NA5N
Crystal Sets to
Sideband rev12 - by K0IYE (13.5 MB pdf ebook)
The new DXer's handbook - by K7UA
Construction tips - use PC board to make an enclosure - by AA7EE
If you don't have PowerPoint on your computer to be able to use the BC-1 drilling template (link on the right), install the Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer (just Google it)
Comments on choosing a first kit to
build: Important concepts behind the formation of The Wireless Amateur Experimenter Group are:
73, AL - VE3RRD, WAX #1
Want to increase your chances of making contacts with your QRP rig when competing with the "big guns", read the article by K8ZT: Top Secret QRP Tips - for QRPers only Pictures from a WAX Group "build session" -
WAX Group members hard at work on their kits. It takes a lot of concentration to count the turns of 24AWG wire on an FT37-43 toroid! Left to right: Bob VA3BNC, Robert VE3QTH, Dave VE3ILA, Joe VE3GSL, Werner VE3DIL, and Al VE3RRD wearing the magnifier hood.
Two more WAX Group members, left to right: Dave VA3WHI and Tom VE3THR. Missing from the empty seat is Jack VE3RDQ who was taking the pictures.
I finished building my QRP rig and it works, so now what do I do? A really fun thing to do is to join some of the numerous QRP Clubs, many offer free membership and most organize on-air contests or other activities for their members.
How about getting out of the house
and taking your QRP rig on a hike, or a trip to the lake, cottage etc.
If you are operating from a provincial/state or national/federal park,
then you can take part in P.O.T.A (Parks On The Air), where members are
recognized for being the first to activate a park, see their Yahoo Group
at:
http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/p_o_t_a_/ . There is also an
international group called the World Flora Fauna Foundation
http://www.wff44.com/en/rules/
. Other possibilities are to activate a lighthouse http://wlol.arlhs.com/ , or an offshore island recognized by IOTA (Islands on the Air) http://www.rsgbiota.org/index.php . You could also activate one of the many interior islands of Canada recognized by CISA (Canadian Islands Award Program) http://www.qsl.net/ve3tpz/cisa/ . If you want to find out what QRP stations are active, check QRPspots at: http://www.qrpspots.com/ . This is also a good way to advertise your own QRP activity whether at home or when you are heading out to have fun. The latest project that will be "tackled" by several of the WAX Group members is the construction of the Tony Parks KB9YIG Softrock Ensemble RXTX SDR (Software Defined Radio) 1W QRP transceiver. You can try to order this US $74 kit from his website at http://www.kb9yig.com/ but he only sells them in batches of maybe 20 units at a time, and these disappear in a matter of minutes from the time they show up. We managed to purchase 5 kits for the five of us that will be building it for the 20m, 30m, 40m configuration. The assembly information can be found at http://www.wb5rvz.com/sdr/ensemble/ , WB5RVZ's builder notes can be found at http://www.wb5rvz.com/sdr/common/index.htm , and more information/support is available on the Yahoo Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/softrock40/ . A 16W RF amp that could be used with this 1W transceiver kit is found at http://openhpsdr.org/wiki/index.php?title=PENNYWHISTLE with more information at http://www.dspradio.org/df7tv/sr1004 . A couple of articles to help understand how SDR radios work can be found at: The SDR Concept and at http://www.nonstopsystems.com/radio/frank_radio_sdr.htm
A Basic CW
Operating Manual - by KB0OBU. You are
ready to make that first contact. Your palms may be sweating and your
heart rate may be racing. That’s ok. We’ve all been there. Here is
some help with establishing that first contact. Ideas and Projects for QRP - prepared by RK3ZK. A lot of good info on antenna projects from AntenTop. QRP Transceivers and PA's from Accessible Parts - prepared by RK3ZK from AntenTop. The New Jersey QRP Club ( http://www.njqrp.org/index.html ) holds very interesting online technical meetings for anyone interested in homebrewing equipment, or just learning more about subjects such as antennas. They meet periodically using TeamSpeak3 client software (free from http://teamspeak.com/ ). MP3 recordings complete with comments and notes of previous meetings can be downloaded from: http://www.njqrp.org/teamspeak/TeamspeakChat.html
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Click on the links below
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Enriching Your World of Ham Radio __________________ End Fed Half Wave Antenna Coupler with LED SWR Indicator __________________
Altoids tin hole drilling guide for end fed half wave antenna coupler
(ppt file) __________________ Simple Tunable CW Audio Filter Demonstration of Audio Filter (mp3 file) __________________ Slingshot Launcher (getting your antenna up in the tree) _________________ Float charging your QRP rig battery power supply _________________
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The Art of Learning Morse Code _________________ _________________
The Art and Skill of Radio Telegraphy __________________ Texas Topper 5W amp for the RockMite or other QRPp rig from QRPme Kits. Assembly instructions from W5USJ ________________
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