Articles & Hints by AD5X

Newest Projects - Added within the past year or so

bullet

Amplifier Overshoot Protection - One way to protect your amplifier from transceiver overshoot

bullet

An In-Line Spectrum Analyzer Station Interface - Automatic T/R switching for an in-line spectrum analyzer

bullet

SG-2020 Operation from a 4S2P LiPo battery - Weekend operation from a low-cost battery

bullet

Power Supply Powerpole Adaper - Build a plug-in Powerpole adapter for your power supply

bullet

Automatic Voltage Reducer for LiPo 4S Batteries - Protect your radio from fully charged 4S LiPo voltages automatically

bullet

Milliwatt Power Sensor for the Powermaster - Directly reads 1-3000mw from 160-2 meters

bullet

Transceiver Power Control Accessory - Easily set power for tune-up and amplifier drive

bulletAutotuner Antenna Management Device - Add a dummy load port and lightning/static protection to your station.
bulletTransceiver Front End Protection - Protect your transceiver's front-end if it is subjected to potentially damaging signals.
bulletLiPo 4S Voltage Reducer - Simple in-line unit reduces +16.8V fully charged LiPo output to less than 15V
bulletConvert Orion Band Data to BCD or Band Voltage - Circuits to achieve BCD or Band Voltage from discrete Orion Band Data
bulletAlexLoop WalkHam camera tripod adapter - Lets you support your WalkHam loop antenna on an inexpensive camera tripod
bulletPreciseRF TTG1 2-tone generator accessory - External attenuator and PTT interface for the TTG1

Amplifier Related

bulletAttenuator for transceiver/amplifier interfacing - Makes putting your amp in-line a no-brainer!
bulletALS-600/500 QSK Conversion - Simple, low cost internal QSK mod for the Ameritron ALS-600 and ALS-500 amplifiers.
bullet

Flexible Amplifier QSK Keying Interface - Add Low Current Ground or +12V Keying, and Strappable Turn-Off Delay

bulletHF Amplifier QSK Switch - External relay-based HF Amplifier QSK switch
bulletTHP Band Data Buffer - Interfaces that keep a turned-off THP amplifier from loading down transceiver band data outputs.

Antennas

bullet43-Foot Vertical 160- and 80-Meter Matching - UPDATED for easier duplication.  Improves performance on 160- and 80-meters.
bulletSimple 43-foot 160/80 meter manual matching - More compact and less expensive than the above, but also less convenient.
bulletBandMaster to 43-ft Matcher - Automatically control the above 43-foot matching unit with the Array Solutions BandMaster
bullet Auto-tuner Tuning Range Extender - Or how I got my MFJ-927 to tune a 43-foot vertical on 160-Meters
bullet Extend High-Power Auto-tuners to 160-meters:  A remote-switched high power 160M extender for 43-foot verticals.
bulletBuild a 12/17 Meter Trap Dipole - Includes building your own high voltage capacitors. 
bulletPortable Dipole - 40-10 meter resonant dipole for portable operation
bulletVertical Travel Antenna - Compact & improved 60-10 meter portable vertical antenna

Antenna Tuners and Antenna Accessories

bulletTB-105 Thrust Bearing Use:  How to properly interface the TB-105 with low-cost ham rotators
bulletStatic Bleeders for Any Antenna:  Stop worrying about damaging your antenna analyzer.
bulletZ-Match Antenna Tuner:  100 watt compact unit
bulletTenna-Tune - Original Tenna-Tune article updated to support the IC-7000 as well as the IC-706-series transceivers.
bulletTenna-Tune2 - Updated SWR tuning accessory for the IC-706/7000 and FT-857/897.
bulletTenna-Tune Audio - An audio-based SWR indicator
bulletManual Switch with Limit Indicator for screwdriver antennas
bulletAntenna Matching Bases for portable and mobile antennas
bulletVW New Beetle Mobile HF Antenna Base - Useful on many other cars as well
bulletSWR Tamers - Protect your transceiver during antenna tuning
bulletIC-706/703/7000 Tuning Interface - Simple tuning interface for IC-70X series radios
bulletSGC Simple SMARTLOCK - Simple but elegant, and works just like the SGC unit

Baluns, Ununs. Air-Wound Coils

bulletHF Legal Limit Current Balun - Build a 160-10 Meter Guanella 1:4 balun.
bulletHF Legal Limit Voltage Unun or Balun - Build a 160-10 Meter Ruthroff 1:4 unun or balun.
bulletK5OOR balun - Alternative build ideas and test results for a compact 100-watt balun
bulletElecraft balun modifications - Make it a 1:1/4:1 switchable unit
bulletBuild your own air-wound coils and coil supports
bulletMulti-Impedance Switched Transformer for Short HF Antennas

Boat-Anchor Related

bulletQSK T/R Switch for your vintage station: Full break-in operation with any separate transmit-receive combo
bulletARC5 Receiver Conversion Info:  Bring that military receiver to life.  Updated with clearer instructions and more pictures.
bulletInexpensive Vacuum Tube Plate Supply:  AC-isolated power supply for your vacuum tube receiver
bulletJohnson Ranger restoration project - Detailed info on updating/restoring this transmitter
bulletJohnson Ranger front panel removal - Step-by-step directions
bulletBoat-Anchor TR Switch - Simple T/R switch uses inexpensive DPDT relay
bulletBoat-Anchor Night Light - Unique gag gift for the older ham
bulletLED Replacements for incandescent pilot lamps

DC & Powering Related

bulletSimple PowerPole Adapter for Gamma HPS-1a - Plug-on adapter for the Gamma power supply
bulletDC Power through your coax - Multiplex DC voltage onto your feed line.  Handles full legal limit 1.8-148 MHz & 400ma DC.
bulletBiasT hi-current and extended frequency - This BiasT willl handle 3-amps DC from 1.8-225 MHz.
bulletVoltage Protector - Protect your transceiver from voltage transients, over-voltage and reverse-voltage
bulletVoltage Reducer for IC-703 and other QRP transceivers
bulletIC-703 Side-Mounted battery pack - Self-contained IC-703
bulletCompact 9.6V NiMH Fast-Charger - For NiMH battery packs
bulletSG-2020 Battery Pack
bulletFT-817 voltage conditioner - and more!
bulletVariable Voltage Controller - Add-on to your fixed output power supply
bulletSurface-Mount your PowerPole Connectors - Simple support method for your workbench
bulletBattery Holder Voltage Drops - Home-brew battery pack considerations
bulletDigital milliammeter - Inexpensive in-line unit you can easily build

Measurements

bullet50dB RF Monitor Tap - 160-2 meter tap prevents overloading your spectrum analyzer
bulletPrecision Mismatches - For checking your SWR Meter and Antenna Analyzer
bulletAccurate TX Power Measurements: 12- and 200-watt precision dummy load/peak detectors.
bulletAttenuators for Receiver Tests - Attenuators and techniques to check your receiver.
bulletMeasure Inductor Q - Q Meter Adapter for your antenna analyzer.
bulletHigh Current DC Test Fixture - Switchable current steps to check power supplies & batteries
bulletSimple In-line Current/Voltage Monitoring Fixture - Get rid of your rat's nest of wiring

Miscellaneous

bulletBosch DDS181 Bit Holder:  This adds a screwdriver bit holder holder for the popular Bosch DDS181 drill.
bulletCable Hanger:  Inexpensive cable hanger cleans up your shack
bulletRF Patch Panel:  Build an RF patch panel for transceiver and antenna interfacing in your shack
bulletUseful and inexpensive tools and supplies for the ham
bulletTemporary HF Mobile Mount & Powering:  For occasional operation in different cars.
bulletPortable Work Area Extension - Use a portable cart to temporarily extend your work area
bulletConnectorizing RG-6 coax - How to solder a PL-259 to aluminum-shielded RG-6 coax
bulletSuitcase Portable HF Station - Entire station fits into an MFJ-6404 carrying case
bulletSpeech Compressor for Dynamic Microphones - Specifically designed for the FT-817
bulletAdd a fan to the IC-706/MKII/MKIIG heatsink
bulletScratch-Proof the IC-706/703 flip-up stand
bulletFT-1K MKV Memory Keyer & Tune Control - Nice replacement for the FH-1 keypad
bulletPalm Paddle portable key base - Easily built non-skid snap-on steel base
bulletSG-2020 Mobile Mount - Built with parts from yur local hardware store
bulletLow-speed DC Motor - Used for remote tuning capacitors, etc.
bulletSimple RF Detector - Good from HF through 450 MHz
bulletLED Light - Great low current lighting for portable operation
bulletReduce RFI in your Home & Shack:  RFI minimizing techniques.
bulletSnap-On Ferrite Tests - Characterizing some snap-on ferrites, including tests as choke baluns

RF Switching Related

bulletTransmit/Receive Antenna Switch - For separate T/R antennas and single port transceivers
bullet160-2 Meter Remote Antenna Switch with control through the coax cable

Links to other pages on this website:

About the AD5X household

Items for Sale & Interesting Links

Presentations, Product Reviews, and Equipment Modifications

Back to the Home Page