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30m portable CW tranceiver

This simple receiver was originally just for testing my QRSS beacon, and calibrating my frequency counter against WWV or RWM (Moscow time signals on 9996KHz). But now I am inspired to turn it into a complete 30m CW tranceiver, hopefully with built in key, battery and ATU. Read more...

60KHz Rugby Radio-controlled Nixie 'Scope clock, using all valves!

An insane idea to build an all-valve clock, to receive and decode Rugby MSF time signals and displaying them on an oscilloscope tube using Lissajous figures, with an auxillary nixie display for date etc. This is a NO SEMICONDUCTOR zone. Read more...

4-band portable CW tranceiver

This complete station-in-a-box will contain a 20/40/80/160m CW tranceiver, morse key, frequency counter, clock, batteries, ATU and coiled up antenna wire, ready to operate anywhere. So far not very much of it is built, but all the parts are ready for when time allows. Read more...

Spectrum Analyser Mk2: "The Crazy Man's Spectrum Analyser"

Following on from my successful Mk1 Spectrum Analyser, the next version has dual channel digital storage, inbuilt 4.5-inch ex-TV display and a host of onscreen digital readouts and features. Performance and frequency range will also be greatly improved. Read more...

G0UPL station HF Receiver

There's plenty more to be done on this polyphase-method direct conversion HF receiver. Eventually it will cover all HF bands, and be a complete CW/SSB QRP tranceiver. The Tayloe switching mixer and polyphase board is already wired to be an SSB exciter as well as detector. Read more...

All-valve tranceiver for 80m/20m CW/SSB

Another NO SEMICONDUCTOR zone. The VFO will cover 5.0 to 5.5MHz, and the tranceiver will be a single conversion superhet with 9MHz IF. A PL519 TV sweep-valve will be used for the final. So far, only the PSU is built. Read more...(about the tranceiver) Read more...(about the PSU)

Ultra-miniature 20m CW tranceiver

A complete miniature station! The ex-mint tin contains 20m direct conversion tranceiver, micro switch morse key, battery, and space to coil up the headphone and antenna wire! No, I'm not joking. If this ever works and I ever manage a QSO on it, it will be a miracle. Read more...

The Riskometer

A giant LED matrix display in a 2-metre high T-shape, for my employer. It contains 17,600 high brightness 5mm LED's and has a peak current consumption in the region of 100A at 5V DC. The deadline for completion is 23-Jun-04. Read more...

60KHz Rugby Radio-controlled clock / 10MHz frequency standard

1st year university project, which was never finished and boxed. It needs a new receiver, the current TRF design being very poor. I also now wish to extend this project to be a 10MHz off-air standard for all shack equipment e.g. frequency counters, using a 10MHz OCXO type HCD71. Read more...

Frequency Counter

The frequency counter is in fact almost finished. It has been in this category since 1988. All it really needs is an input amplifier so that it can be used on other than just digital TTL level signals. It has also developed a fault which will need repair. Read more...

Homemade valves and components

Eventually I want to build some homemade valves in ex-baby-food-jars. I want to build a valve receiver and matching transmitter using all-homemade components (even the PSU transformer), using commonly available DIY materials. But so far all I built was one lousy capacitor. Read more...

Homemade nixie tubes

Another thing I want to build myself is a nixie tube (also in an upside-down baby food jar). I have already planned the internal construction, using spot welded wire for the digits. The picture and link take you to a real nixie (Z568M) and my nixie clock. Read more...

Z80 Computer

Currently the board contains video circuits, the memory and Z80 processor etc. It really awaits a rudimentary operating system. Some day when I get back to work on this computer I'll finish the keyboard interface and write some applications, maybe for digital radio modes etc. Read more...