How simple?

Many years ago I designed and built this transceiver for 80m CW. It has been on the blog before. It is also on my website. It just goes to show what is possible with just 14 parts!

Ultra-simple transceiver

Many years ago I set out to see just how simple a viable transceiver could be made. It was published in GQRP SPRAT. It certainly works! Others built it and have worked some remarkable DX. It is also on my website.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

How simple can you make a transceiver?

 When I was fit (before my stroke!) I liked the challenge of "something for nothing".  This is how this little 80m CW transceiver came about. It is hard to get much simpler.  

My main issue was netting the TX to the RX frequency. I am sure this is a solvable issue. This has been on before, I know.

I think it was in GQRP SPRAT many years ago, but I honestly cannot remember.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver

How simple can you make a transceiver?

Before my stroke in 2013 I enjoyed seeing what could be done with almost nothing. This circuit was based on an earlier design for 40m CW by someone in the USA. Others made copies and some remarkable DX was  worked.

80m FETer transceiver

Years ago I was inspired by a circuit for a 40m transceiver by W2UW who is now a SK. My challenge was to see if I could make an 80m version with even fewer parts. 

This is a complete transceiver using just a single FET and very few components. It is detailed on my website.

FETer transceiver (2008)

This was another of my attempts to get something for nothing! 

It worked remarkably well, but I struggled with netting the RX onto the TX frequency so I was afraid of clobbering someone else. It was an adaption of a circuit for 40m by W2UW but made even simpler. It appeared in SPRAT some years ago. 

Some have duplicated it and achieved some remarkable DX.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

Crickey - 2008! I must be old  HI 😀

How simple can you go?

This has been on before, but I make no excuses for posting it again. One of the challenges in amateur radio is to see how simple a complete transceiver can be made that really works. This is just one possibility. There must be many others. My main issue was adjusting the RX to be precisely on the TX frequency. Maybe you have some ideas?

80m FETer transceiver

One of the challenges in amateur radio is how simple can you make a rig that really communicates? Some years ago I designed and built this unit for 80m CW that appeared in GQRP SPRAT. It is one of the simplest transceivers you can make. It really works!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

How simple can a rig be?

This was a challenge I wanted to have a go at. This is probably one of the simplest transceivers one can make. My inspiration came from a 40m rig by W2UW who is now sadly a silent key. My wish was to make it even simpler. My main issue was netting. The RX worked well. This appeared in GQRP SPRAT, although I cannot remember when.

There is a video on the website.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

Minimalist transceiver

This has been on before, although I make no apologies. It was inspired by a 40m design by W2UW (now a SK). My main issue was netting the receiver, although you may have a way of doing this. The rig must still be around somewhere - probably in the loft.  As I recall, it needs just 14 parts including a single FET.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

80m FETer transceiver

It seems like yesterday, but this was designed in 2008. Starting from the 40m design by W2UW (SK) I wanted to see how simple a transceiver could be made for 80m. The result was the 1 FET FETer transceiver. My main issue was netting on RX. 

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver  .

Simple regen RXs

There is always a challenge getting the most from very little. Great fun can be had from simple regenerative receivers. 

This simple circuit works really well and has been a great surprise. I made an 80m transceiver version and I was surprised by how uncritical it was and by what it copied. 

The video shows the transceiver version and the first link takes you to a very simple RX schematic. The second link takes you to the FETer 80m transceiver.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-or-40m-regen-rx .

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/homebrew/80m-feter-transceiver .

The FETer transceiver

Thinking of ultra-simple rigs, perhaps consider my FETer. I was surprised how well this worked.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

How simple can you go and communicate?

Some years ago I wanted to see how few parts are needed to make a viable transceiver that really worked. The result was the FETer transceiver for 80m. This appeared in GQRP "SPRAT" magazine and copies were made. G3XIZ worked as far as Switzerland with his!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

The FETer transceiver for 80m

Inspired by W2UW (now SK) I created the FETer transceiver for 80m CW. This uses just a handful of parts, but works. It only uses 14 parts all together.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

FETer - a very simple 80m transceiver

Many years ago, I created the FETer, a one FET transceiver for 80m. Although very simple, it certainly worked. It is featured on my main G3XBM website.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

Simple Regen RXs and Transceivers

You may be wondering just how simple you can make an effective HF receiver. You may like to try this.  It works remarkably well.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/regen

If you want an ultra-simple transceiver, try this:

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

FETer very simple transceiver

It seems unbelievable that this ultra-simple design (14 parts) is 10 years old. It was a simpler version of a W2AW design for 40m. I put mine on 80m CW. It certainly works!

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver

How simple?

Many have wondered just how little do you need to communicate on HF?  Well, running really simple rigs is a compromise often with the receiver being the weakest link. For ideas, try my main website. Use these ideas as a starting point. Half the fun is experimenting to see what works.  Specifically:

https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/80m_xbm80
https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver
https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/chirpy

How simple can you make a rig?

This is a question I asked myself a few years ago. Here I am talking about a complete transceiver. Inspired by a design from W2UW, I designed and built the FETer transceiver for 80m CW. It worked remarkably well.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/feter-80m-qrpp-cw-transceiver