Transistor Tidbits

I got another little shipment of components today from KitsAndParts. Namely:

• 25 @ 2N7000 N-Channel MOSFETs – A general use enhancement-mode FET with a few hundred milliamps current handling.
• 6 @ BD139 NPN Transistors – Able to handle 1.5 amps DC at 80V, these form the driver or final stages of a number of VK3YE’s portable rigs, and I’m excited to experiment with them.
• 12 @ J310 FETs – a VHF/UHF amplifier JFET, which turn up in a lot of the regen-recevier designs I’ve been reading.

A little progress has been made on stripping the silver chassis from the DeKalb Hamfest to turn it into something. And I’ve put a little more work into optimizing the amp in the Si5351-based transmitter. But neither have enough actual results to write-up yet. So, for today, just a shopping list and a ping.

Hear you on the air,

73

KitsAndParts Bits And Bobs

In the interest of continuing my transmitter explorations, I put together a small order from KitsAndParts.com which arrived yesterday. Here’s the spoils:

• Twenty-five BS170 FETs – A basic fast-switching FET in a TO-92 package, some of these will be going straight into my Si5351-driven transmitter.
• Twenty-five T37-6 Toroids – For constructing low-pass filters. The -6 material is rated for higher frequencies (roughly speaking) than its -2 cousin, and will be useful for exploring 20m and 15m.
• Twenty-five T50-2 Toroids – For filters on the lower bands, and other basic transformers.
• Five IRF510 MOSFETs – Rated at 10 Watts, I’m keeping these aside with an eye toward higher power in the future.
• 5 MVAM109 Varactor Diodes – For constructing later VFOs or tuned circuits, these ‘voltage-controlled capacitors’ vary in capacitance from about 500pF with 1V of reverse bias down to 50pF at 9V.
• Five BNC Jacks, Chassis Mount with Nut & Solder Tab – I found the nice panel-mount BNC jacks from my local Fry’s electronics to be so useful in putting together my Virgin Receiver that I ordered another pack of five, for when the time comes to assemble another radio.

This is the second time I’ve ordered from KitsAndParts, which is run by W8DIZ out of Florida (the first was a SWR Bridge Kit). Both times, my order arrived in a little under a week. I’ll definitely be ordering from them again!

Santa in September

Santa (UPS) delivered some goodies today! Here’s what was in the mail sack:

Lots of toys on the desk! All nicely package and bubble wrapped.

• From Adafruit
  • Si5351 Breakout Board– the handy clock-generator chip I mentioned in my previous post. And it came with a 7-pin male header! How kind!
  • A nice backlit 20×4 LCD display (white-on-blue)
  • 20 each of male-male, female-female, and male-female 0.1″ pin jumper wires. I’ve always laughed at these a bit – they’re just wire – but for $1.95 for each pack of 20 and no additional shipping charge, why not?
  • A bunch of breakaway 0.1″ male header. You can always use more breakaway male header.
• From KC9ON (3rd Planet Solar)
  • A six-pack of useful 40m Crystals – 7.030, 7.050, 7.055, 7.110, 7.114, and 7.122. A piece of cake to order through ebay, and John shipped them out in no time. Came packaged in a nice mailing envelop with invoice – would gladly order from this source again.

73