User manual RAMSEY QRP20

[. . . ] QRP20 THE RAMSEY QRP20 IS AN AMAZING PERFORMER THAT WILL WORK THE WORLD ON ABOUT A WATT!FOLKS OF ALL AGES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BUILT AND ENJOYED THIS EASY, FUN KIT. · · · · · · · · · · Ideal for portable or travel fun VCXO design allows up to 8 - 10 KHz of tuning about the crystal frequency Front panel switching of TWO channels and includes a crystal for 14. 06 MHz, the International QRP frequency Excellent and clean keying waveform Built-in antenna T-R switch Operates on 12 - 15 volts DC at 1/4 amp current Appoximately 1 Watt RF power Clear, concise step-by-step instructions carefully guide you to a finished kit that not only works - but you'll also learn too!Proven design that has won many of awards for operators around the country! [. . . ] The PC board used in your kit is common to all the QRP transmitters in the Ramsey Kit line. This means that there are some component locations on the PC board that may not be used on your kit. (The reason for these holes is that different frequency bands require various styles of inductors and capacitors for correct VXO frequency and shift). Now, since we have gone to all this explaining, let's install some more parts!Install Varactor diode D3, observe correct placement of the flat side. (Varactor diodes act as a variable capacitor whose capacity is varied by the voltage applied across it). With the above components installed correctly, the three holes for Q1 should be clearly apparent. It's time to decide which crystal(s) are to be installed in which position and to install at least one of them for testing. Notice that there are two pairs of holes for each crystal connection, so that you can install virtually any standard crystal case style. HALFTIME SUGGESTION It won't be too much longer before your Ramsey transmitter is ready for testing and on-the-air operation. It is common for experimental projects to give disappointing results because of inefficient "haywire" hookups as soon as they are completed. To try out this transmitter, you will need the following, and we'll offer suggestions about each of them: A healthy and CLEAN source of 12-14 volts DC, connected with CORRECT POLARITY. A receiver capable of CW reception on the same band as this transmitter, with a coaxial antenna line terminated in a plug or adapter to mate with the receiver jack on this transmitter. A resonant antenna with a 50 ohm coaxial feedline such as RG58, terminated in a plug or adapter to mate with the RCA antenna jack on this transmitter. A CW key, keyer or computer interface connected to a cable terminated in a plug or adapter to mate with the RCA key jack on this transmitter. It is preferable but perhaps not essential that this cable be shielded. We will give you several of these in detail in the "Verifying Transmitter RF power Output" section on page 18. Feel free to read ahead before picking up the soldering iron again. QRP-20 · 15 CRYSTAL OSCILLATOR TESTING: Connect a key, keyer or momentary switch to J3. Make sure that S1 is set to the correct crystal position. Keying J3 should result in a crisp, clean oscillator signal in your receiver. Adjusting the R1 tuning control should vary the crystal frequency up to 7 KHz. Also, you will notice that the VXO circuit usually swings the frequency down, a fact to remember if you order additional crystals. NOTE TO NEWCOMERS:Please be aware that even this one transistor oscillator is itself a transmitting device, quite capable in good propagation conditions of emitting an RF signal and HARMONICS, when and if connected to an antenna. [. . . ] The very fact that your kit includes this new manual is your assurance that a team of knowledgeable people have field-tested several "copies" of this kit straight from the Ramsey Inventory. If you need help, please read through your manual carefully, all information required to properly build and test your kit is contained within the pages!DEFECTIVE PARTS: It's always easy to blame a part for a problem in your kit, Before you conclude that a part may be bad, thoroughly check your work. Today's semiconductors and passive components have reached incredibly high reliability levels, and it's sad to say that our human construction skills have not! [. . . ]