I recently bought an original Yaesu FT101 in an ‘as seen’ condition. There was no accessory socket blanking plug or mains connector supplied with it. WARNING: this information is provided on an ‘as-is’ basis. You undertake the wiring of this socket of your own volition on the understanding that you are competent to do so […]
How to repair an IKEA 3.5v 600mA Power S...
Some time ago I bought a clip-on lamp to use on my workbench. It was a bright white LED lamp that created no noticeable RF interference and it had a bendy, segmented neck, so I could angle the light where I needed it. It was ideal, although now and again it would dim a little […]
Wideband Modification for your Yaesu FT-...
The FT-817 from Yaesu has been one of the most popular portable QRP radios ever made; the discontinuation of the FT-818, its successor, was announced in early 2023. They give you essentially, a shack in a box. Full HF coverage plus 6m, 2m and 70cm, using all popular operating modes: USB/LSB/CW/AM/FM/Packet/PSK-31/RTTY. Power output is up […]
My Collins KWM-380 is sick
Yesterday I switched on my Collins KWM-380 as I often do. The lights and LEDs came on, the few short beeps emanated from the speaker, but no signals or S meter deflection. No tuning ‘blips’ as the main tuning knob is turned on the megahertz dial either. The volume control gave an increase in hiss […]
Resurrecting a Philips PM6671 High Resol...
I do like older test gear…it’s normally repairable quite easily and it’s possible to buy it for a fraction of its original price. Equipment that once cost thousands, can be had for just hundreds, or sometimes tens of pounds. I went to the 2022 Galashiels Radio Rally on the 30th of October and spotted a […]
Microwave Modules 15dB Attenuator
The Microwave Modules MMT1296 and other transverters, rely on a 15dB attenuator between the transverter and the driver radio for matching. When these transverters were designed, 10W output base and mobile transceivers were the norm. When you buy a second hand transverter, these attenuators are often missing. I had a similar experience and wondered what […]
UMIST Powered Prototyping Board
Back in the mists of time, I spent a while at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology…1980 so no mobile phones back then. No internet, social media or even fax machines. Decent computers were housed in large air conditioned rooms and had a team of dedicated staff to provide the tender loving […]
Panasonic TX-32LZD80 TV Sound but No Pic...
Way back in 2005 I bought a brand new flat screen LCD television to replace my old Philips 24 inch CRT one. I chose a Panasonic TX-32LZD80 from John Lewis and got a five year warranty. It’s given sterling service until about a week ago. I’d left it on and gone to make some tea…when […]
AVO No 1 Radiac Survey Meter or Geiger C...
AVO No 1 Radiac Survey Meter or Geiger Counter If you attend Ham Radio Rallies in the UK, especially in the North East of England, you will know Alan Clegg a.k.a. ‘The Valve Man’. He bears a striking resemblance to Santa Claus and, quite often, helps people find wonderful things that bring a smile to […]
Peerless K040MRF Midrange Speaker Repair
These units were actually repaired before I did the UHER Elite Series car speakers. Again these are from the late 1970s…maybe the early 1980s. At the time, the Peerless K040MRF and the doped version, were thought to be some of the best sealed midrange units on the market. I built a pair of speakers using […]