HI Ted,
Thanks for the kind words!
Yes, I'm fascinated with the simple, elegant steam engine designs of the
past. Not so much on the RR's, but that may develop later...
I have a little QRP paddle, and I've drawn it up. I've also taken a GOOD
look at some of the really nice keys out there. I believe I could design
and build a reasonable hand key. Just too many other interesting things to
do!
I have a few small CW transmitters in the closet that I intend to restore.
A Johnston and a Heathkit.
For now, I intend to get going on PCB's. And there's the PCB router parts
that are taking up space and not being useable... yet.
I'm still making minor improvements in my board layout, and in the parts I
incorporated into my design. Seems they don't look equally well when it
comes to exporting Gerber files from Eagle. Outlines which must be on the
wrong layers, funny pad sizes/shapes. And now it appears that I'm a "little
too big" in my layout (pushing the envelope), I've lost part of my board!
I'm using DeskPCB to do generate the isolation toolpaths, and export in DXF.
This allows me to import into Vector CAD/CAM and examine it thoroughly.
Can I re-center the border on my board? Just erase and redraw it?
73's,
Alan KM6VV
> Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: freeware CAD EAGLE
>
> Alan,
> Now I understand why you want to mill your PC boards! Those are very
> nice looking engines. I have a fascination for mechanical technology,
> especially engines and steam. The National Museum of American History
> is my favorite Smithsonian museum. Plus, I'm something of a railfan.
> I arranged to have our QRP to the Field annual operating event last
> year at the Southeastern Railway Museum. It was fun operating from a
> caboose!
>
> Speaking of mechanical technology, have you seen Rich Meiss's work
> with Morse keys? I have a link to his three sites on my page, and I
> just received a CD from him yesterday. He's going to have his stuff
> at Four Days in May this year at Dayton. With your skills and
> equipment, I imagine you could turn out some darned nice stuff as
> well, if you had the time.
>
> My problem is 1) the lack of funds to put into the lathes and other
> tools I'd need to do mechanical work like both you and he do (I'd have
> to sell all of my ham radio gear), and 2) lack of good shop skills and
> experience. The good thing about Rich's simpler designs is that they
> can be done with a hacksaw and belt sander, and I've ben out pricing
> belt 1" / combo belt sanders.
>
> As far as building radio equipment, I'd like to be fully homebrew
> eventually. The 15 meter SSB/CW transmitter and its peripherals like
> a VFO stabilizer circuit and PIC-based counter/display is taking up my
> time right now. Then, I'll get back on the 17/12 meter SSB
> transceiver based on the Belthorn SSB IF board you saw on the site. I
> have an SW-80+ kit to build with the local QRP club next month, and I
> have a 40 meter homebrew version as separate VFO, receiver and
> transmitter boards ready to build, done in Eagle.
>
> I sold all my modern equiqment last spring when I got back into the
> hobby, and I bought several old Heathkit monobanders and three AC
> power supplies to restore and sell. Eventually, the HW-101 that is my
> primary QRO rig will probably go, as well. I have a full set of
> Heathkit HF oscillator crystals, SSB and CW filters, a power
> transformer and filter choke from an SB-401, and an LMO. Eventually
> that's going into a chassis as a solid state up to the driver and
> finals 5-band rig.
>
> 73,
> Ted