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W6JL

11/21/2015

7 Comments

 

Episode 068 - Don Huff - W6JL

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When it comes to hams making their own kind of music, one has to think of Don Huff, W6JL, who notes on his QRZ page that people who make things are happier than those who buy them. Don operates a completely modular home-brew HF station and power amplifier that is continuously variable in output power from 50 mw to 550 watts. Don loves to rag chew and share, and this is why he is Eric, 4Z1UG’s guest on QSO Today.

Show Notes
Listen to Podcast
W6JL Resources: 
  • Don's Ham Radio Autobiography
  • ​Improved QSK System
  • QRZ Page - lots of home brew resources
  • Homebrew QSK QRO Station​

Montgomery Wards crystal set

National Radio Institute early radio repair course

1 tube grid leak detector

J38 key with code practice oscillator

First License: Novice, KN6KDE,  March 1955,  Age 15

Class B Modulator

First Rig:
  • Hallicrafters S20R receiver
  • ARC5 transmitter

HO Gauge Trains - Harry Wiess
​
Mentor from "Cal-Mag": Beverly Friedendahl

Education: Cal Poly Pomona, BSEE

The Basics of Transformers

Hewlett Packard, San Diego
Hewlett Packard, Loveland, Colorado

Quote attributed to Dr. Seuss on Don’s QRZ Page  
"Be who you are and say what you feel....
Because those who matter,
don't mind.
And those who mind, don't
matter."

Current and only operating mode: CW

Current rig:
Link to current rig design

DDS - Direct Digital Synthesizer

AA0ZZ pic programmer

Tayloe detector - or quadrature sample detector

Ring Diode Mixer

Harbor Freight

Full QSK

Solderless Breadboard

Arduino Controller

DDS Synthesizer AD9850 Board

Express PC Boards Software

Photoresist circuit board - how to build a printed circuit board​
biographical_summary_of_w6jl.pdf
File Size: 200 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

w6jl_improved_qsk_system_with_bias_switching_info_and_141t_measts_17_oct_2014.pdf
File Size: 2891 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

homebrew_qsk_qro_cw_station_at_w6jl_9_1_2015.pdf
File Size: 6846 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


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Hallicrafters S20R Sky Champion Receiver
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ARC 5 Transmitter
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AD9851 DDS Direct _Digital Synthesizer
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W6JL Current H_ome-Brew Rig
7 Comments
Yehuda Cern
11/22/2015 06:48:46 am

Don Huff must have been one of better engineers at HP. Do you remember when HP published periodic technical notes about its new products? These were academic-level articles written so that customers could read them. All the inventive features, superior performance... all put on display. In the days before it degenerated into a printer company. So sad.

High level engineering comes through Don's modest talk, and I learned about the Tayloe Detector for the first time - thank you!
73, Yehuda 4X1TQ

Reply
Bill N2CQR link
11/24/2015 04:17:26 am

Another great interview filled with lots of homebrew wisdom and inspiration from W6JL. Thanks Don! Thanks Eric!

Reply
oldhamshavebigegos
11/25/2015 03:12:46 pm

try dirtypcb.com for cheap good boards.. ah, u old fogies & your love affair with the damn duino+dds..... btw atmega328 is mcu not mpu, big difference. I'm sold on the tayloe detector, def gonna check that out, thanks for giving outline of how it works. Great work and keep it humble brother! 72

Reply
oldhamshavebigegos
11/25/2015 03:15:41 pm

ps, what one person is aware of does not necessarily represent reality. just like u say hams always complain parts are hard to find but that is not so, just because u personally arent exposed to a lot of homebrewers doesn't mean we don't exist, we just dont like old fogies :p j/k keep up the great work OM. 72

Reply
Josiah
3/22/2016 09:35:51 am

Where does one find this crew of not old fogie homebrewers?

Nick WA5BDU link
11/25/2015 06:56:23 pm

Enjoyable interview. Partly as the result of a CW QSO I had with Don some time ago, I'm now building my version of an all hardware phasing receiver. Hey, the S20R was my third receiver, after the S119 and S120.

Reply
Eric 4Z1UG
3/22/2016 01:34:05 pm

Josiah - I try to get home brewers on the podcast from time to time. Stay tuned for Ashhar Farhan on April 2nd. He home brews everything. Look at the show notes pages links to his resources. Also check out the "Soldersmoke Podcast". Listen to Episodes 50 and 60 with Bill Meara and Pete Juliano.

Reply



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