Historical Circuit Diagram - Circa 1950's

I have a very special original historical circuit diagram dating back to the 1950's.  Now what is so special about this diagram.  This circuit diagram has the following characteristics:

• This diagram is the original diagram that was included  with the product purchased from Italy.
• This diagram was hand drawn.  ( A real work of art!)
• The ink used was not normal ball-point type ink.  It might have been drawn with a type of fountain pen or an even earlier dipped ink pen.
• This circuit diagram was not drawn on ordinary paper.  The type of paper has the characteristics of a material based paper that was used to draw patents on in the 1950's.
• Durability and quality was clearly part and parcel of the product that was sold by the manufacturing company.
• The condition of the drawing is still fairly good which is quite remarkable for a piece of  "paper" dating back to the 1950's.  If normal paper was used this diagram would have been the worst for wear as this specific diagram was used many times since the purchase date.

To try and preserve this historical circuit diagram I have decided to laminate it as the diagram was folded in two places and from old age it started to tear in one area.  The tearing was a blessing in disguise as this revealed the structure of the paper to be material based.  The lamination clearly was the answer to prevent further deterioration of this historical diagram.

What diagram is being drawn on this material based paper?

The circuit diagram is related to a VFO exciter unit N 4/102/K product manufactured by Geloso in Italy in the 1950's.

Image (Click on image for larger view)

Herewith more information on the history of the Geloso company.

The Geloso Story  (PDF)

The Geloso  Signal Shifter  (PDF)

The Geloso VFO it  (PDF)

Images  (Click on images for larger view.

 

Terugvoer "Lippeklap" Net Potgooi (Podcast) Sondag 12 Maart 2023 15h30

Foto:  Yaesu FT-991A.  My keuse van radio as hy maar net goedkoper was. 

Soos reeds te kenne gegee is in die kennisgewing tov van Lippeklap vir Sondag 12 Maart 2023 het ons die week na 'n potgooi geluister.  Geen onderwerp was bespreek nie en was daar ook dan geen geselsie na die potgooi nie.  Dit wil voorkom of daar 'n verskeidenheid van redes is wat Lippeklap negatief beinvloed waarvan die grootste natuurlik beurtkrag (loadshedding) is.  Ek sal indringend ondersoek instel na die  redes en later 'n aankondiging plaas oor my bevindinge en moontlike veranderinge wat aangebring gaan word.

Nietemin ons het lekker geluister na die potgooi. 

Onderwerp van die Potgooi:

“What is the Best HF Radio in production at the beginning of 2023? All of these radios in this list are still currently being offered by the manufacturer and are tried and true. Today I take you through the top 7 picks of HF Ham Radios for 2023 that can be used for a Base Station or Mobile HF operation.” 

Die radios wat volgens sy opinie die beste waarde vir geld is om the gebruik as ekonomiese basis stasie of mobiele HF werking.

1. Icom IC 718 Radio 100W $613.00
2. Yaesu FT 891 Radio 100W $639.00
3. Yaesu FT 710 Radio 100W $1050.00
4. Icom IC 7300 Radio 100W $1060.00
5. Yaesu FT DX10 Radio 100W  $1400.00
6. Kenwood TS590SG Radio 100W $1579.00
7. Flex 6400 SDR Radio 100W $2299.00

Volgens Jason KC5HWB is die Flex 6400 sy keuse van radio alhoewel jy hom nie mobiel kan gebruik nie.  Alternatief kan jy hom wel gebruik as 'n "remote" stasie vanaf die huis en dan met 'n ander radio in die mobiel na die Flex toe werk.

Volgende keer kan ons bietjie na Jason se VHF/UHF Radio keuses kyk.

Baie dankie aan al die stasies wat gekoppel was tydens die Lippeklap Net.   Onthou om volgende Sondag middag om 15h30 weer in te skakel by die "Lippeklap"  Net.   Kom sluit gerus by ons aan!

Hoe skakel ek in by die Net?

• Echolink - Konnekteer aan ZS1I-L, ZS1FC-L, ZS6WDL-R of ZS5PMB-R Neem kennis as die laaste drie stasies nie gekonnekteer is aan ZS1I-L nie, konnekteer dan via  Echolink aan ZS1I-L om by die net aan te sluit.
• AllStar - Konnekteer aan node 49355 ZS1I of 28052 ZS5PMB-R
• VHF - 145.550 Mhz Simplex in die Mosselbaai area. Onthou die 88.5 khz CTCSS toon.
• Enige ander Echolink, AllStar  herhaler of link stasie wat aan ZS1I-L gekoppel is.
• Gebruik sommer Echolink wat op jou selfoon geinstalleer is.

 

Terugvoering "Lippeklap" Net 26 February 2023 15h30 SAST

 Die onderwerp vir bespreking was:

"Kom vertel ons van jou eerste ondervinding met Kommersiele (Uitsaai) FM/Kort Golf Radio.  Het jy na FM of Kort Golf geluister?  Was dit ‘n lamp of transistor stel? Het hy met batterye of krag gewerk?  Kon jy na amateur radio op die stel luister?  Kom deel met ons jou ondervindinge en of eerste kennismaking met radio. "

Met die keuse van die onderwerp het ek gedink dat daar nie juis veel reaksie sal wees nie.  Boonop was daar Beurkrag asook die SARL Digitale Kompetisie wat in dieselfde tydsgleuf van Lippeklap geval het.  Groot was my verbasing oor die reaksie wat die onderwerp uitgelok het.  Daar was selfs 'n hele paar komiese vertellings gewees wat tot groot vermaak gely het.  Nou ja hulle se daar is nie beter medsyne vir 'n oorstuurde gemoed nie as lag nie.  Dankie aan almal dat julle julle storie met ons gedeel het.  Ek het lanklaas so lekker in my mou gelag oor al die mannewalisse.

Hier volg net 'n kort saaklike opsomming van wat bespreek is:

1. Wie onthou nog die Groen Oog wat gebruik was in ou radiostelle.  

2. Nie tyd gewees vir radio in daardie dae nie.  Gespeel in die veld en baie tyd in die natuur deurgebring.

3. My eerste radio was 'n Pilot FM Radio.  Kan nie onthou wat van hom geword het nie.

4. My dae van radio het in Montagu begin.  Grammofoon wat bestaan het uit 'n Kortgolf en FM Radio sowel as 'n platespeler met groot ingeboude luidsprekers.  Groot affere gewees.  Gereeld na die CB Radio geluister op die 11 meter AM band.

5.  My eerste radio was 'n Yaesu FT101 wat ek van Charles Gregory gekry het toe ek nog skoolgegaan het. Later het ek 'n Tedelex 6000 gekry wat ek verandering op aangebring het.  Ek het ook 'n Triton Versterker met 6 uitset lampe aangeskaf.  Eendag wou ek die uitset spanning toets met 'n goedkoop multimeter.  Wel na 'n groot geskrik was daar net rook en vlamme.  Nodeloos om te se die multimeter was swart bebrand en dit was die einde van die meter.  Maar so leer mens.

6.  As daar radio amateurs is wat Pietermaritzburg KZN besoek kan hulle gerus by die Museum van OK Bert Cornell ZS5MQ aandoen.  Dit is een van daardie moeite werd besoeke.  Bert het n groot versameling ou radios wat hy tentoonstel aan die publiek.

7.  Volgende stop is op De Aar.  Eeste radio was 'n valve stel.  Ek het gereeld aan die radio "gekarring" en verstel asook ander toerusing.  My pa het in die 1970's 'n Sansui Valve Radio aangekoop destyds nog by Morkels.  Op 'n dag was ek weer besig om te karring en die volgende oomblik was alles net donker.  My pa het van die vertrek langsaan na my kamer toe gestorm en was my radios en toerusing permanent buite aksie gestel, onherstelbaar natuurlik.  Twee lampe vir die Sansui Valve Radio moes van die Ooste af ingevoer word teen R75.00.  Dit was die prys van twee maande se kosvoorraad!

8.  Gereeld na die AM manne geluister tussen 4 - 5 in die middag wanneer die manne by die huis was nadat hulle van die werk afgekom het.

9.  Ek het in 1987 'n radio amateur geword en my eerste radio was 'n FT101ZD.  Die radio het gedryf en moes ek dit eers goed laat warm word.  My man was toe reeds 'n radio amateur en was baie weg van die huis af gewees.  Met amateur radio kon ons kontak behou aangesien die posdiens aflewering baie lank  geneem het.   Ek onthou die groen oog.  Dit was gebruik vir fyn vestelling.  Amateur radio was nie so freemd nie aansien ek 'n radio operateur was by 'n kus stasie wat boodskappe afgeneem het.

10.  In 1987 was ek op Prins Albert gewees.  Gereeld veilings gewees en was daar talle veilings waar ek kommersieele ou radios (lampstelle) aangekoop het.  Dit was 'n fees gewees om die ou stelle te herstel en dan weer te verkoop.

11.  Besoek gerus die Latsky Radio Museum op Vanrynsdorp om die ou radios van weleer in al hul glorie daar te sien.  Onthou net jy moet voor die tyd 'n afspraak maak om die museum te besoek.

12.  In 1993 het ek die voorreg gehad om 'n skeepshouer  vol radios oop te maak by die Oorlogsmuseum in Johannesburg saam met ander lede van ZS6MUS ook 'n duitser wat 'n uitstaande kenner was van ou radios en toerusting.  Ek was sprakeloos gewees nadat die skeepshouer oopgemaak was.  Ons het 'n inventaris saamgestel van al die toerusing sommige nog in hulle oorspronklike verpakking.  Ek weet ongelukkig nie wat op die ou einde met die toerusting gebeur het nie want ek was verplaas na 'n ander standplaas.

Baie dankie aan al die stasies wat deelgeneem en gekoppel was tydens die Lippeklap Net.   Onthou om volgende Sondag middag om 15h30 in te skakel by die "Lippeklap"  Net.  Die onderwerp van bespreking sal later in die week bekend gemaak word.  Kom sluit gerus by ons aan!

Hoe skakel ek in by die Net?

• Echolink - Konnekteer aan ZS1I-L, ZS1FC-L, ZS6WDL-R of ZS5PMB-R Neem kennis as die laaste drie stasies nie gekonnekteer is aan ZS1I-L nie, konnekteer dan via  Echolink aan ZS1I-L om by die net aan te sluit.
• AllStar - Konnekteer aan node 49355 ZS1I of 28052 ZS5PMB-R
• VHF - 145.550 Mhz Simplex in die Mosselbaai area. Onthou die 88.5 khz CTCSS toon.
• Enige ander Echolink, AllStar  herhaler of link stasie wat aan ZS1I-L gekoppel is.
• Gebruik sommer Echolink wat op jou selfoon geinstalleer is.

 Images:  (Click on images for larger view.)

Look what I found at a Farmers Market Stall. (Part 1)

Image:  Yaesu FT-80C  (Click on images for larger view.)

Several months ago I visited a farmers market stall where I found the above radio that needed  a new home.  Well it is very unusual to find and amateur radio transceiver at a market stall.  For the price advertised I could not leave it standing on the table.  The seller had no idea if the radio is still in a working condition or not.  Maybe this is where the very low price is coming in.  Be as it may if it does not work then I will still get my money back if I sell it as a scrap radio on an amateur radio Swap Shop.

Now one thing I learned from a Elmer is that you do not just plug in the power cable and switch the radio on.  I took off all the covers and looked for various signs of "neglect" etc.  I also did a "smell test" and checked for an internal fuse.  The final result was that the radio was full of dust on the inside and outside but I could not find any traces of  "magic smoke" burns or that the radio was "butchered" or being worked on before.  Today I will hopefully add some power to the radio but only after I installed a low amperage fuse in the power line.  Well I have really nothing to lose here but you never know,  I might just have bought a bargain or a complete dud.

The only damage that I could find is the plastic clips that holds the front control panel was broken  and that the unit could not be affixed to the main part of the radio.  For the interim I used painters tape to secure the panel.  I will fix this later if the radio do "come to light".   There is no microphone or power lead so I will have to improvise here.

Update to follow once I "fire" up the radio.  Fingers crossed that this old workhorse is till in a working condition.  The plan is to use it for digital modes.  Time will tell!

 

DIY TVI Filter by ISAK ZS2I SK

Well this goes back many years. Let me just explain.  The current bearer of the ZS2I call sign is Johan van Aarde.  He is the son of the late Isak van Aarde ZS2I SK.  Johan has taken over his late father's call sign.  The DIY TVI Filter originated from Isak.  I regularly visited Isak when he was still alive.  One day as per usual we were sitting in his shack and Isak tried to work a station with 100 watt but this station could barely hear Isak.  No problem,  Isak turned on "Die Stoof" (1.5K Linear Amplifier).  Well needless to say that the station heard Isak a 5/9 into Kleinbrak River.  We were having tea and the next minute his phone rang.  Isak answered and I was told afterward that it was his neighbor complaining that she cannot play her electric organ as it emits strange sounds and she does not know why.  Yep, it was Isak's turn to play the electric organ on behalf of the neighbor.  As a good neighbor would do Isak installed this TVI Filter on her TV and also fitted other filters that cured the neighbor's problems.  He gave me a copy of the TVI Filter.

I would like to share this filter with others that might experience TVI while operating their station.  Just be careful to install such filters today at your neighbors as you might be accused of various problems.  It is not like it was in the olden days!!  You have been warned!!

(Click on image for larger view.)

The amateur radio bands are dead. You need an amplifier to work voice HF!!

Statement: The amateur radio bands are closed.  You need an amplifier to work voice HF!!

Is the above statement really true?  This is far from the truth and this article will prove just the opposite - that the bands are open and that you do not need any amplifier to work voice HF.

On the 22 November 2022 in the early evening I was informed by Corne ZS1COR that the 40 meter band is wide open and that he worked the following stations on voice with only 5 watt RF output power on a frequency of 7155 Mhz:

• Elton ZS1LT - Paarl
• Granville ZS1GVW - Paarl
• Werner ZS6SAR - Meyerton
• Russel V51RJ - Ross Pinah, Namibia
• Allewyn ZS3A - Kimberley

Corne informed me that the contacts was made during a period of loadshedding with a far lower noise floor.

Enough writing from me.  The following videos provide more details of the contacts:

With the current sun cycle on the up conditions are improving every day.  In the past up cycles I used a "shoe string" antenna to work the world on many bands.  The moral of the story is that you need to switch your radio on and call CQ.  You never know who is going to answer your call.  QRO is OK but QRP is GREAT!!

Boland Amateur Radio Klub HF Assessering groot sukses!

 Foto: Die RAE kandidate onder toesig van Con en Marius. Waar is die groot HF radio en stemmer dan?

Na die afloop van die afgelope BARK ledevergadering is ons RAE kandidate vir die Mei RAE getoets op hulle stemprosedures as deel van die amptelike HF Assessering. Dit is ‘n belangrike deel van die verkryging van ‘n amateurradiolisensie wat die kandidate so bietjie touwys maak oor die opstel en gebruik van ‘n HF radio, sowel as om vir hulle blootstelling en oefening te gee aan die wêreld van HF-kommunikasie.

Die stasie wat deur die kandidate gebruik is, is deur Marius, ZS1ML verskaf en het bestaan uit die kompakte, maar uiters doeltreffende, Xiegu G90 met ingeboude antennastemmer, sowel as ‘n liggewig DX Commander 9m antennamas wat ‘n entgevoerde halfgolfantenna ondersteun het. ‘n Werklike puik mobiele stasie vir enige amateur om mee te speel, baie dankie Marius.

Foto: Die baie kompakte maar doeltreffende radio en antenna wat as die roepstasie deur kandidate gebruik is.

Die vyf kandidate wat tans die BARK RAE kursus loop en die assessering afgelê het is Niko Sadie, Jan Lamprecht, Francois Wooding, Johnathan Carter en John Grobler. Sommige van hulle het ook sedertdien aangesluit by BARK, en ons hoop dat hulle die klub (en hierdie eerste weergawe van CQ Boland wat hulle ontvang) geniet.

Verder vorder die RAE kursus goed en is ons kandidate al deur meer as helfte van die studiemateriaal. Met die afloop van die HF Assessering is ‘n groot mylpaal bereik en kan die kandidate nou fokus om die eksamen suksevol af te lê. Baie dankie aan al die lede en stasies wat die kandidate gehelp het met hulle HF Assesserings, en wat die groep welkom laat voel het binne die BARK gemeenskap.

Vriendelike groete,

Jannie ZS1JFK

BARK RAE en Jeug

Feedback: " THE NSN NET #8" – Thursday 31 March 2022 19h30 SAST

Thankfully this time around we did not experience erratic Internet connections and we had a very interesting and informative  Podcast transmission!!  As  stated before, those that participated in the Net ensure the continuation of the Net.  The Net  is not a one person en-devour but belongs to every radio amateur that participate.  However it does not belong to listeners as they do not contribute to the Net in any way.  I therefor ask listeners to report in by just telling us that you will be listening or to actively participate.  Just a reminder the net is not a club affiliated net and is open to all radio amateurs.

The following radio amateurs, repeaters and links were logged:

1. Chris ZS1FC
2. Jannie ZS1JFK
3. Thys ZS1TBP
4. Willem ZS5WA
5. Majorke ZS5V
6. Johan ZS1I
7. ZS1FC-L  West Coast Link
8.  Bertus ZS2BCM
9.  Christie ZS4CGR
   
10.  ZS3KBY-R  Kimberley Repeater
11.  ZS1I-R Mossel Bay Repeater
    
12.  ZS2BCM - L  Jeffreys Bay
13.  Bertus ZS6BJG
14.  Marco ZS1NEU
15.  Willem ZS5WA
16.  Herman ZS6CTA
17.  Pieter ZL1PDT
    

Apologies:

Lem ZS1LEM

Order of the Net:

 

This week was an Open Net. We did not continue with the normal order of the net.  Instead we streamed a very interesting podcast.  The current Ukraine and Russian War is of great concern to many, including Radio Amateurs and Amateur Radio as a hobby. We look back at the "clandestine"  use of  amateur radio during the Kuwait invasion on the 2 August 1990.  The podcast was about an incredible true story of a honorable, courages and selfless man called Abdul Jabbar Marafi 9K2DZ who is still alive and 83 years old.  I am sure that all who listened to the podcast last night will agree that this man saved his country from the wrath of a bloodthirsty dictator.  Abdul Marafi 9K2DZ was truly the last voice from Kuwait. 

 

 

Images: Thanks to Frank Moore + WaneTV and many others.

(Click on images for larger view.)

"Lippe-Klap":

The question:  What did you do in amateur radio this past week?   All those that reported in participated in the "Round Robin".  Some radio amateurs are busy with interesting projects and ventures. Unfortunately I cannot provide full detail about the comments.  I would suggest you join the Net in future to find out more.

There you have it.  A short summary of events that took place last night during the NSN - Net.  Once again a wide variety of amateur radio activities, something for everybody.  Can you provide more activities?  Please join us.  Your presence will be most welcome.  We need you expertise!!

If there is any questions you can contact me via email by clicking HERE.

All that remains is the next date for  "The NSN Net" gathering which will take place on Thursday,  7 April 2022 @ 19h30 on the ZS-Link Network.  Please diarize the date and time as to ensure that you can join us for another interesting Net.  A big thank you to those that reported in last night..  Highly appreciated!!

73

Johan ZS1I

Mossel Bay

Short Wave Radio makes a comeback during the Ukraine and Russian conflict.

Please note that the GRHub Network and its owner distance itself from the objective of WRMI. This video is solely displayed to show that Short Waver Radio is still alive in many parts of the world, not only that but that several short wave stations were brought back to life as a result of the Ukraine/Russia conflict.  Long live Short Wave Radio!!

More videos of Short Wave Radio available HERE. and HERE

Please note this is about the use of  Short Wave Radio and not about the contents that are broadcasted.