Quote:
Originally Posted by MrBungle
Jabdog sell a complete kit for a VFO only. This might be a good option for you! See: http://www.jabdog.com/kits-txrx.htm
I think this is about £2's worth of parts and this has a power amp on it too. |
Though the link to that Jabdog website still works, you'll see that the webpage was last updated on 9th June 2011. For some years now, Peter has run his business as an ebay shop, the link to which is here. Many of the items he used to stock, which are listed on the defunct webpage have been obsolete and no longer available for some years now. For many years Peter used to have a full page add in 'SPRAT' magazine, but again, that went by the wayside some years ago.
Here's where JABDOG is now:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/JabDogElectronicComponents
As to designs for simple regenerative receivers, they often appear in SPRAT, but rarely with full constructional details suitable for a raw beginner.
QRP is really the last bastion of home-brew and SPRAT is a 'cookbook' for experienced home-brewers. As an example, in issue 170 - Spring 2017, there was a design by a French radio amateur (F5LVG) for a 'High Performance Regenerative Receiver'. It covered five amateur band - 80,40,20,17 and 15 Metres, using self-wound high-Q plug-in coils on 22mm diam plastic tube formers, for which winding details were provided. (only one coil per band with no taps). The devices used are 1N4148 x 4, 1N4007, BF199 x 2, (RF Amp and regenerative detector), BC547 (AF pre-amp) amd a TDA2003 AF Amp.
But as far as this thread is concerned, this design has little relevance.
It does meet the criteria of being cheap, it's high performance, it's as simple as could be consistent with good performance for an experience constructor, but it does not meet the criteria of being simple to build for someone studying for the intermediate licence so as to meet the requirement for demonstrating practical skills. Anyone wishing to build it would need to design their own layout and means of construction. Often, that's 'ugly style/dead bug/Manhattan' or less often, a self-designed PCB, which the SPRAT 'F5LGV' design would lend itself to. Along with a homebrew QRP transmitter, the designer had several SSB contacts from France with North American amateurs.
If there are any problems in building the Rockwell, Tim Walford is at the end of a phone and on e-mail, and would I'm sure be happy to help in any way possible. Bear in mind that the Intermediate licence permits the licence holder - should they have a mind to - to design, build and put on air transmitting equipment using up to 50 Watts, so at least a minimal understanding of how transmitters work, and a minimal level of practical skill and experience is called for.
This tends to be self-regulating - if someone either doesn't wish to build transmitting equipment or doesn't feel competent, they don't do it - the reality is that as with the full licence, in the time poor/cash rich society in which we live (relative to yester-year), most amateurs use out-of-the-box equipment, some of which costs as much as a small family car, but that's a personal choice, not a condition of the licence.
In this - as in any other hobby - people will do what interests them most, whether it's just going on air, home-brewing, or a bit of both.
To enjoy driving a car, you don't have to build it from a kit.