Friday, October 5, 2012

The MST (Minimalist Sideband Transceiver)

The MST (Minimalist Sideband Transceiver) is an easy to build and fun to use single sideband QRP transceiver for the 40M or 80M amateur bands. The MST transceiver follows a minimalist design making it inexpensive and simple to build yet still delivering excellent performance and being a pleasure to operate.

The MST PCB contains a complete transceiver except for a VFO. You can add a VFO of your own, as long as it has the correct frequency range and drive level, but to obtain best results it should be used with the companion DDS VFO. The DDS VFO offers drift free performance and features a clear backlit LCD display, selectable frequency steps and programmable IF offset.
MST Features:
1.Complete SSB transceiver on a single PCB (just add a VFO).
2. Superhet receiver using a 4 pole 10MHz crystal filter.
3. 5W PEP minimum power output using a rugged power MOSFET output stage.
4. Unwanted sideband suppression is typically 40dB.
5. All spurious transmit outputs below -45dBc.
6. AF and microphone gain controls.
7. Easy to adjust and set up.
8. Front panel LED transmit power and modulation indicator.
9. Plenty of audio output to drive a loudspeaker.
10. High quality double sided PCB with ground-plane, solder mask and silk screen.
11. Simple and easy to build using all through hole components.
12. No complicated coil winding required. Uses inexpensive commercial coil assemblies for tuned circuits.

DDS VFO Features:
1. Stable frequency no more drift!
2. Simple to operate using a single rotary encoder control with press button switch.
3. Bright 16 character by 2 line LCD display. Can be used with non-backlight display to reduce current consumption.
4. Output frequency range of 1MHz to 10MHz.
5. Selectable 1KHz, 100Hz or 10Hz frequency steps.
6. Tuning lock control.
7. Displays power supply voltage.
8. Programmable IF frequency. Ensures the displayed frequency is the same as the transmitted frequency.
9. Programmable IF offsets: Minus, Plus, None.
10. Draws only 80mA at 13.8V DC (with LCD backlight).
11. Spurious outputs at least -45dB.
12. Typically 300mV pk-pk sine wave output.
13. High quality double sided PCB with ground plane, plated through holes, solder mask and silk screen.
14. Simple and easy to build using through hole components apart from one SMD chip. To assist constructors the PCB comes shipped with the SMD chip already installed.




Reviewing and testing the ozQRP.com MST400 40m SSB QRP transceiver kit. Link http://www.ozqrp.com/index.html
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My Stamp Collecting Blog

My Stamp Collecting Blog

Counter Added January 1, 2011

free counters

HOW TO READ PROPAGATION NUMBERS

The A index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 1 to 6 is BEST
  • 7 to 9 is OK
  • 11 or more is BAD

Represents the overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Ap" if averaged from the Kp-Index) (an average of the eight 3-hour K-Indices) ('A' referring to amplitude) over a given 24 hour period, ranging (linearly) typically from 1-100 but theoretically up to 400.

A lower A-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Ap-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

SFI index [ HIGH is GOOD ]

  • 70 NOT GOOD
  • 80 GOOD
  • 90 BETTER
  • 100+ BEST

The measure of total radio emissions from the sun at 10.7cm (2800 MHz), on a scale of 60 (no sunspots) to 300, generally corresponding to the sunspot level, but being too low in energy to cause ionization, not related to the ionization level of the Ionosphere.

Higher Solar Flux generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; Solar Flux rarely affects the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

K index [ LOW is GOOD ]

  • 0 or 1 is BEST
  • 2 is OK
  • 3 or more is BAD
  • 5 is VERY VERY BAD

The overall geomagnetic condition of the ionosphere ("Kp" if averaged over the planet) over the past 3 hours, measured by 13 magnetometers between 46 & 63 degrees of latitude, and ranging quasi-logarithmically from 0-9. Designed to detect solar particle radiation by its magnetic effect. A higher K-index generally means worse HF conditions.

A lower K-Index generally suggests better propagation on the 10, 12, 15, 17, & 20 Meter Bands; a low & steady Kp-Index generally suggest good propagation on the 30, 40, 60, 80, & 160 Meter Bands.

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