Greetings Elecrafters, Maybe there is a better place or forum to post this that I'm not aware of (if so, please let me know), but I thought I'd see if anyone had "been there, done that" before I start reinventing the wheel.
Probably due to having "hardcore homebrewing" in the gene pool, I tend to get into some unusual projects from time to time. This particular project started a few years ago when a set of FAR Circuits Sierra boards "followed me home" from a hamfest ;-) I've been slowly gathering parts (helped by my 95 y.o. homebrewer dad's "downsizing" when he moved to assisted living) and now it looks like I may actually have some time to warm up the soldering iron now and then. I resolved the well-known connector issue (I think) by doing some surgery on a couple of shorter connectors with a razor saw and splicing them together. However, I wasn't finding an easy solution to the tuning cap issue, so I started considering using varactor tuning instead. In researching possible solutions I ran across "Sierra tech note: VFO harmonics, birdies, and varactor diodes" that Wayne posted on QRP-L detailing some issues with the aforementioned items and listing some solutions. After thinking about the situation a bit, I started wondering if the K1 VFO design could be used/adapted to the Sierra as I'm guessing the design changes incorporated in the K1 were at least partly intended to address the issues noted in the QRP-L post. So, what's the word? Is this a possibility, and if so, are there any changes that would need to be made? I figure there would be plenty of room for a small daughterboard where the tuning cap normally mounts, and it would also allow moving the tuning knob to the center (where I prefer it - or it could even allow for a more "radical" layout with top-mounted controls.) Also, a couple more questions: 1) what would be the best place to pick off a signal for a counter/display - Q8/PMO line, or somewhere else? 2) Are J310s suitable for Q3 & Q8 in addition to Q5? Any other hints or suggestions concerning this project? (Other than that I need to have my head examined HI HI!!) TNX/73, Al ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
