11th May 2008
A proof-of-concept POV display charlieplexing 6 LEDs.
4th May 2008
A step-counting pedometer which renders the step count as Morse Code for aural consumption.
3rd May 2008
I add a simple xtal clock source to the programmer.
Parent article: ATtiny13 Programmer.
3rd May 2008
A hack to unbrick ATtiny13s that you've stuffed up the fuses of.
27th April 2008
More progress on the PSK-31 beacon.
Parent article: PSK-31 Beacon Mark 1.
20th April 2008
Prototype PSK-31 Beacon Keyer.
Contains 1 sub-article.
19th April 2008
Simple parallel port programmer for the Atmel ATtiny13 (and similar ATtiny AVR range) chips.
Contains 1 sub-article.
18th April 2008
Better circuit diagram drawing for the super-regen tone dipper.
Parent article: Super-Regenerative Tone Dipper.
12th April 2008
My simple, fully isolated, audio keyed, PSK-31 interface for my FT-817ND.
29th March 2008
A prototype tone-coded multi-channel remote control system.
23rd March 2008
Various toy AM transceiver circuits on 11 metres.
8th March 2008
A small transmitting loop antenna for 20 metres using a Aluminium bicycle wheel rim.
1st March 2008
Building a toy VHF phone transceiver for 3 metres using only one transistor for both TX and RX!
29th February 2008
Using the Negistor to implement a simple sidetone for minimalist QRP rigs.
4th February 2008
I add a front-end and a box to the 30 Metre Autodyne Receiver
Parent article: 30 Metre Autodyne Receiver.
27th January 2008
An interesting and quite useful autodyne receiver that phase locks the remote RF signal.
Contains 1 sub-article.
26th January 2008
Some images and words from this Australia Day.
20th January 2008
The HF Active Auroral Research Program conducted Luna bounce experiments on the 19th and 20th. I listened in.
17th January 2008
That on-again, off-again disaster sited on ancient Sydney buses.
4th January 2008
Experiments with an RF degenerate parametric oscillator using several different non-linear devices.
31st December 2007
A discussion on how non-linear systems produce harmonic and intermodulation distortion.
30th December 2007
A fairly trivial Cellular Automata implementation as a Java Applet.
24th December 2007
Thoughts about building cellular automata in hardware.
22nd December 2007
Some images from my many cell runs and experiments with purification of pyrotechnic oxidisers.
Parent article: Making Chlorates and Perchlorates.
20th December 2007
This website now supports reader feedback via a comment posting system.
20th December 2007
What is wikitext?
18th December 2007
I put the regen-o-reflexive receiver on 31 metres and put it in a box.
Parent article: Regenenerative-Reflexive Receiver.
17th December 2007
I add MathML support to this site using ASCIIMathML.
16th December 2007
Some experiments with a tuned receiving loop for HF.
12th December 2007
I try to write an "about me" page.
9th December 2007
The website has been rewritten to support categorisation and given a much needed face-lift.
4th November 2007
An interesting detector idea from PA2OHH.
Contains 1 sub-article.
21st October 2007
Peter and I take some assorted radios and antennas to the Fairfax Walking Track at North Head NSW.
30th September 2007
Another ARNSW trash and treasure day, including the Homebrew Group meeting with the display of the 80 metre challenge projects and a technical presentation on RF filters.
22nd September 2007
A super-regenerative dip meter that is extremely sensitive and easy to use.
Contains 1 sub-article.
16th September 2007
A simple dip meter using an audio tone as the read-out mechanism instead of a moving coil meter.
16th September 2007
A simple but useful nano-Henry inductance meter adapter for your frequency counter. Doubles as a capacitance meter and stability assessment device.
9th September 2007
A simple 50 Ohm power meter adapter for a multimeter. (Also talks about my diode probe.)
8th September 2007
A simple minimum-component super-regenerative receiver for the FM broadcast band.
17th July 2007
A regenerative receiver based on an emitter-coupled oscillator topology of elegant simplicity but fairly average performance.
14th July 2007
Experiments with Charles Wenzel's "Passive Aircraft Receiver" circuit.
9th June 2007
My experiments with JFET biasing lead to a simple 455 kHz IF module.
3rd June 2007
How I fixed my toilet cistern inlet valve with a Coke bottle cap.
2nd June 2007
A quickie hack that actually worked pretty well.
27th May 2007
Some pictures from the 50th birthday party for the Dural VK2WI broadcast facility.
26th May 2007
A very simple 2 metre AM transceiver from Roger Lapthorn G3XBM.
19th May 2007
Some experiments with the Foster-Seeley Discriminator and the Ratio Detector.
28th April 2007
Simple variable resistance and capacitance jigs for the bench.
15th April 2007
An 80 metre super-heterodyne SSB receiver built using BC556 devices only.
24th March 2007
A fairly small MK484 based receiver for the AM broadcast band.
11th March 2007
My cute little EFHW tuner with in-built VSWR bridge.
4th March 2007
My implementation of Drew Diamond VK3XU's "Nano-L", plus how I constructed and trimmed my calibration inductances.
3rd March 2007
The circuit diagram for the transmitter so far.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
25th February 2007
I put the 4 Watt exciter in an Aluminium box.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
24th February 2007
IRF510s arrive and I build a TX power-chain.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
18th February 2007
I go to the CCARC field day and think about different RX topologies.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
17th February 2007
I get the TX talking to the RX and true First-Light for the Receiver.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
7th February 2007
I start building the RX side of things.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
5th February 2007
I build the AM exciter, including crystal oscillator and speech amp.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
31st January 2007
I decide on low-level AM modulation, design and breadboard an AM modulator.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
28th January 2007
Clarification on the Challenge requirements means a completely different approach.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
24th January 2007
I complete a 1 Watt DSB transmitter lash-up.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
22nd January 2007
My study of the VE7GC "Wee Willy" 80 metre DSB transmitter power amplifier.
21st January 2007
A basic 50 Ohm switched attenuator.
20th January 2007
Another rotating multi-draw cabinet.
14th January 2007
My experiments with the VK2ZOI Flower-Pot antenna for 2 metres.
13th January 2007
A very easy to get going VHF impedance bridge for antenna work.
13th January 2007
My work towards the ARNSW Homebrew Group's "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge" transmitter project.
Contains 11 sub-articles.
13th January 2007
I first read about the challenge on the ARNSW website.
Parent article: "2007 80m Homebrew Challenge".
7th January 2007
A simple direct conversion receiver for 80 metres using a ceramic resonator VXO.
18th November 2006
My go at making a JF1OZL-style spectrum analyser for 40 metres.
11th November 2006
A simple filter-based SSB exciter. Still work in progress, but will some day become an SSB transceiver.
11th November 2006
A quick folded dipole antenna for 3 metres.
4th November 2006
An extremely useful RF sweep generator.
3rd September 2006
My implementation of Dick Cappels' simple RF Inductance Meter.
2nd September 2006
My copy of VK5BR's sweeper detector.
13th August 2006
My implementation of Francis Hall's "Euro Set".
6th August 2006
A simple 3-transistor regenerative receiver from the MW broadcast band.
12th February 2006
Hard-won experience with the processes of making Chlorate and Perchlorate on a small "kitchen windowsill" scale.
Parent article: Making Chlorates and Perchlorates.
30th July 2005
Open-crucible alloying of pyrotechnic Magnalium.
9th July 2005
My simple "tub" reverberatory furnace for scrap melting.
18th June 2005
A basic 150 mm bore crucible furnace.
5th June 2005
Small furnace to teach myself refractory material handling and usage.
4th June 2005
A simple naturally aspirated 20 mm propane burner for my furnace experiments.
21st March 2005
How to determine the components of a given composition.
20th March 2005
My first attempt at making Potassium Perchlorate.
Parent article: Making Chlorates and Perchlorates.
5th March 2005
A run with a Platinum anode.
Parent article: Making Chlorates and Perchlorates.
5th March 2005
An incredibly crude soda straw hydrometer.
28th February 2005
Is dampening your BP helpful or harmful?
18th February 2005
Or how to almost gas yourself for less than a tablespoon of KClO3.
Parent article: Making Chlorates and Perchlorates.
18th February 2005
Iron gall ink and a bamboo pen of sorts.
15th February 2005
How to make your own flame test tool.
13th February 2005
My adventures in practical pyro oxidiser preparation.
Contains 6 sub-articles.
13th February 2005
My first attempt at making Potassium Chlorate electrolytically.
Parent article: Making Chlorates and Perchlorates.
10th February 2005
I finally got around to that CMS conversion.
16th January 2005
Theory and practical electrical ignition circuits, e-matches, and pyrogens.
27th January 2004
A simple particle system simulation for making fireworks-like animations.
21st December 2003
My work-horse payload lifting rocket motor design, which has proven itself fantastically reliable.
19th November 2003
Rotating devices that are amongst my favourite devices to build and shoot.
8th November 2003
Rockets that fly without sticks or fins.
29th August 2003
An ancient Chinese invention, the Bamboo Dragonfly.
13th August 2003
Just what is inside those neat Neon plasma drinking cup things.
9th August 2003
How I make the various kinds of ignition materials I use.
2nd August 2003
A small ball mill for crushing and mixing.
11th July 2003
Simple little parallel port breakout tool and software.
30th June 2003
A programmer for the AT89Cx051 series of microcontrollers. Uses the PC parallel port.
10th June 2003
Using red cabbage juice as a cheap homebrew pH indicator.
8th June 2003
A cardboard box pinhole camera that operates without film. The image is projected onto a screen for human observation. A quick and simple project to demonstrate pinhole optics.
10th May 2003
Fred Kennedy noticed the circuit diagram might be wrong.
Parent article: High Voltage Probes.
10th May 2003
A new VHF super-regenerative receiver designed specifically for the FM broadcast band. The design is IC-free, built from bipolar and field effect devices only.
18th April 2003
A simple parallel port programmer for I2C 8-pin serial EEPROMs (24XX devices). It also works well as a general purpose I2C interface for your PC.
14th April 2003
Parent article: UHF Log-Periodic Array.
13th April 2003
My ugly implementation of Jens Dyekjær Madsen's PIC programmer.
6th April 2003
A simple VLF/ULF magnetic field probe for taking a quick aural measure of the local mains noise. It also works well as a cable-in-wall locator.
4th April 2003
Going LF/VLF/ULF with a large multi-turn loop.
24th March 2003
A Piñata the girlfriend and I built for her birthday party.
20th March 2003
Richard Solis asked me to post the circuit diagram.
Parent article: High Voltage Probes.
14th February 2003
A super simple inverter that will flash a neon brightly, powered by as little as a single 1.2 Volt rechargeable cell.
9th February 2003
Built to show ceramic caps are generally OK for Marx service.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
28th January 2003
Characterizing the testing supply, and some more thoughts towards building "the big one" some day.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
27th January 2003
More new capacitors lead to a multi-Joule device.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
14th January 2003
An attempt at a choke charging Marx generator.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
5th January 2003
Two new prototypes for the New Year.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
22nd December 2002
Demodulation of microwave radiation using a Neon plasma.
14th December 2002
Just how fast can you make a CD-ROM or DVD drive before the CD media fails?
14th December 2002
A simple reflection-pair optical tachometer head for my CD structural integrity tests.
14th December 2002
Some eBay wins pay off and my first serious Marx Generator is born.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
8th December 2002
The Proof-of-Concept unit gets an extension.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
16th November 2002
An ultra-simple, very sensitive electrometer.
10th November 2002
My small implementation of Bill Beaty's soda bottle electrostatic motor.
10th November 2002
I've been working with high voltage quite a lot lately, so I decided to make myself some basic test equipment. Starting with a 1000:1 DC probe.
Contains 2 sub-articles.
10th November 2002
My first meeting with Bill of SolderSmoke fame.
Parent article: Trivial Electric Motor.
3rd November 2002
Marx generator evolution, through many prototypes.
Contains 8 sub-articles.
3rd November 2002
A simple interface for picking up the audio on a phone line.
3rd November 2002
Fooling around with a strobe light in the dark with long exposures.
3rd November 2002
The first Marx Generator I built.
Parent article: Marx Generator.
27th October 2002
My small, and quite ugly, prototype built using house hold materials.
26th October 2002
Various fooling around with a old TV flyback transformer.
21st October 2002
Fooling around with a self-resonant long solenoid and modest RF power.
19th October 2002
My implementation of SM0VPO's cute little QRP linear amplifier.
17th October 2002
A simple demonstration DC motor you can build in 10 minutes with your children.
Contains 1 sub-article.
23rd June 2002
A simple SQL relationship graph generator.
7th March 2002
A prototype implementation of the Charles Kitchin N1TEV super-regenerative receiver featured in the ARRL handbook.
25th November 2001
Harking back to my old days as a FM broadcast pirate, I whipped up this very simple 500mW transmitter.
25th November 2001
A simple tuned-loop I threw together for DFing a local noise source that has been effecting my father's nightly listening to 2BL 702 kHz.
Contains 1 sub-article.
18th November 2001
Small, peppermint tin sized, 80m receiver. Borrows the elegant WA6OTP PTO VFO.
11th November 2001
A small experimental HF rig based on a Permeability Tuned Oscillator for the VFO. Currently on 20m, but the plan is to move it to 80m once debugged.
27th October 2001
A classic 6dBi LPA design for the Australian UHF TV broadcast bands IV and V. Initial tests indicated excellent pattern performance with ultra deep nulls.
Contains 1 sub-article.
24th September 2001
A simple 14.91 MHz comb generator that I built for testing a S-Band dish.
24th September 2001
My bench amplifier that I use for listening to small AF signals.
31st August 2001
How I built my parts cabinet for all my electronic components.
27th August 2001
A quick hack to produce VHF/UHF and above test signals with ease.
27th August 2001
A simple tube/solid-state hybrid regenerative receiver for the AM broadcast band.
3rd April 2000
A Linux driver for the Electronics Australia August 1996 Pocket Sampler project.
25th March 2000
2HoT FM, my pirate radio station in high school.
24th March 2000
My simple IR modem to let my computer talk to various consumer devices.