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G4EBT > INFO 22.08.04 15:16l 161 Lines 6644 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 502920G4EBT
Read: GUEST
Subj: Re: Electronics/Mags - Oz/UK
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<VE2PAK<N1UAN<WB0TAX<ZL2TZE<GB7FCR
Sent: 040822/1014Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:7376 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:502920G4E
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : INFO@WW
In an interesting bull re the electronics construction scene in Oz,
Dick, VK3ABK wrote:
>We see 'Practical Electronics' UK in book shops, but at A$12 it's not a
>good buy
You can get P.E. online for only $9.99(US) a year (12 issues). I'm sure
that any currency is acceptable. You can download back issues too.
Go to: http://www.epemag.com for more info.
The website has a "Chat Zone" which is very good. Mainly about EPE
projects. It's moderated, and has an acceptable use policy, a clip
from which is as follows:
Quote:
Language and Abuse:
"EPE is proud to enjoy a very broad multi-cultural spectrum of readership
from around the world. there are no circumstances in which any form of
abuse is acceptable in this chat-zone".
"Abuse includes, but is not limited exclusively to, instances of bad or
foul language, nationalistic or racist remarks, intemperate, abusive
or obscene remarks and other forms of generally unacceptable behaviour".
"Please observe general standards of netiquette when posting - no flames.
As English is not the first language of some posters, other users are
requested to make particular allowances for that".
End quote.
The above wording has a close fit with what many would claim to be the
standards that should apply in amateur radio. Maybe had packet adopted
a voluntary code of ethics along similar lines a decade ago, bulletin
activity wouldn't be on its last legs. Shame really.
"E.P.E". used to be Practical Electronics, but over the years has absorbed
Electronics Today International ("ETI") and Everyday Electronics.
It has an interesting mix of articles, biased towards the use of PICs -
something that I've not got into. One first class contributor is Raymond
Haigh who's written some excellent articles on receiver and test gear
projects.
Elektor, (Dutch - Philips?)is still on the go in UK, but few of its
projects are of direct interest to amateurs.
Practical Wireless is still on the go, (just) but as with many other
specialist titles is likely to disappear from the bookstalls and only
be available by subscription. This is due to a review of the loss-making
UK High Street magazine retailer W.H. Smith.
PW is down to two men plus a dedicated band of contributors, (at least
one of whom is a UK BBS sysop!) Rob Mannion is the driving force, and
"Tex" Swann backs him up. It's nicely put together and well presented, but
often a bit thin on content, with many re-cycled articles from the past.
In the late 1930'as it had more than 200 staff.
As with so many magazines, crowds of people (including me) can be seen in
Smith's browsing through it to see if it's worth buying them walking away.
No good for Smith's profits. I think PW's picked up a bit of late.
As to kits, several firms in the UK have gone out of business. Kanga,
Lake, Hands and Howes spring to mind. However, Walford Kits do an
excellent range. Walford is a "one-man-band" run by Tim Walford, G3PCJ -
highly regarded in QRP circles.
The kits are easily built, ideal for first-time constructors and are
along the lines "high quality home-brew". They range from beginner to
advanced, and use good quality PCBs. They have comprehensive well-written
instructions and follow the "build a bit and test a bit" philosphy.
Hence, you can check that each part of the circuit is working before
moving onto the next stage. As such, they make ideal club or course
projects.
Where wavechange switching is needed, switches can either be mounted
direct on the PCB to obviate errors in wiring up, or mounted on the front
panel and interwired to the PCB. Some kits are single band - others are
multi-band; some enable band-changing via plug-in cards. Tim's kits are
reasonably priced and get over the main bugbear of home-brew - that of
sourcing components.
Here's a list of Tim's current kits in alpha order:
AMU - Matching bridge and T match for 10 - 80M
Audio Amp - General purposes amp for driving a loudspeaker
Audio sig gen Source of two fixed tones or variable freq single tone
Bristol - Multi-band SSB/CW 5 Watt txcver to 10M with plug-in cards
Butleigh - Simple 1.5W DSBSC Phone TX for Compton
Cap meter - Converts 4.5 digit multimeter to read up to 2,000 pF
Chedzoy - Regen TRF RX MW/80M
Compton - Direct conversion RX for 80M
Counter - Five digit frequency readout
CW Kit - Adds CW to SSB only TCVRs
Dundon - Simple 1.5 Watt TX
Fivehead - Single band 1.5 Watt phone txcver for 20 - 160
Highbridge - 80M 5 Watt specialist CW txcver for 20/40 with mixer
Kingsdon - 5 Watt SSB/CW transmitter to go with Midney
Linear - 10 Watt RF amp for 1.5 Watt rigs
Linear - Simple single band superhet RX for any band to 20M
Meter kit - Adds AGC S meter and matching bridge
Midney - Simple single band superhet RX, any band to 20M
Mixer kit - Versatile unit with several alternative roles
Sidcot - 1.5 Watt specialist 80 M CW txcver
Sig gen - Simple signal source covering from 400kHz to 50 mHz
Sig source - Provides harmonics for aligning and calibrating RXs
Speech proc Speech processor to boost average signal level
Wurzel - Regen TRF RX for 20, 40 and 80.
There are of course many other kit suppliers worldwide, such as Small
Wonder Labs and Elecraft in the US, and others in Russia and India etc,
but there's the hassle of getting stuff from overseas.
Check Tim's website out - it's worth a surf even for those who have no
intention of building any of his kits. Apart from details on his kits,
including pictures, prices etc, it has useful links to other QRP
sites:
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~walfor/
(Note: there isn't a "d" on the end of walfor in the URL)
Anyone not on internet can contact Walford at:
Walford Electronics,
Upton Bridge Farm,
Long Sutton,
Langport,
Somerset,
TA10 9NJ.
Tel (UK) 01458 241224
Hope that's of interest.
Please note: I have no connection with Walford or any other company in
the world of amateur radio and this bulletin is not an advert. It is for
information of fellow amateurs, and is not sent on behalf of, or for the
benefit or information of any commercial organisation. As such, it
accords with the terms, conditions and limitations of the UK amateur
licence, BR68 3(3) (a).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thought for the day:
"No passion so effectively robs the mind of acting and reasoning as fear".
Edmund Burke, Statesman and Orator, 1720 - 1797.
73 - David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
QTH: Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 11:12 on 2004-Aug-22
(Registered).
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