Ramsey Electronics QRP20 User Manual

Manual is about: 20 METER (14MHz) CW TRANSMITTER

Summary of QRP20

  • Page 1

    Qrp-20 • 1 20 meter (14mhz) cw transmitter ramsey electronics model no. Qrp20 the ramsey qrp20 is an amazing performer that will work the world on about a watt! Folks of all ages have successfully built and enjoyed this easy, fun kit. • ideal for portable or travel fun • vcxo design allows up to 8 -...

  • Page 2

    Qrp-20 • 2 ramsey transmitter kits • the “cube” microstation transmitter • fm25b synthesized fm transmitter • fm100b stereo fm transmitter • am1 am transmitter • am25 synthesized am transmitter ramsey receiver kits • fr1 fm broadcast receiver • ar1 aircraft band receiver • sr2 shortwave receiver • a...

  • Page 3: Qrp20   20 Meter Cw

    Qrp-20 • 3 qrp20 20 meter cw transmitter kit ramsey publication no. Qrp20 price $5.00 table of contents introduction to the qrp20 ............. 4 understanding power levels ......... 5 qrp20 circuit description ............. 7 block diagram ................................ 8 parts list ................

  • Page 4: Introduction:

    Qrp-20 • 4 introduction: most "qrp" transmitters are one-of-a-kind experimental circuits which take some patience and fine-tuning to get clean keying and satisfactory performance. Most qrp building projects presume either unlimited radio junkboxes with all the right coils and capacitors, or that you...

  • Page 5

    Qrp-20 • 5 if you're studying this manual before deciding to try this ramsey "qrp" transmitter project, perhaps the following discussion will be helpful to you. The purpose of this manual is to help you construct this ramsey electronics 4- stage, variable-frequency cw transmitter efficiently and suc...

  • Page 6

    Qrp-20 • 6 start at the proverbial "30 db. Over s-9" and work itself down to s-1 for reasons that will become obvious. S9+10 db. 1000 watts output s9 100 watts output s8 25 watts output s7 6.25 watts output s6 1.56 watts output s5 .39 watts output we can see that it becomes easy to play games with s...

  • Page 7: Circuit Description:

    Qrp-20 • 7 on the other hand, if you hear a 1000 watt station producing a moderate signal such as s4 or s5, you can reasonably assume that you will not have a lot of luck over that path right now with the theoretical s1 signal level of your qrp transmitter. While these figures also can be used to sh...

  • Page 8: Block Diagram:

    Qrp-20 • 8 q3 is a class c rf amplifier that amplifies the rf output of q2 to the final rf power output level. L6,c17 and c18 form a low pass filter (butterworth) to match the output of q3 to the antenna and reduce harmonics to acceptable levels as specified by the fcc. When the keying line is close...

  • Page 9

    Qrp-20 • 9 parts supplied with qrp20 transmitter kit: capacitors: 1 47 pf capacitor (c6) 2 68 pf capacitor (c2,c12) 2 220 pf capacitor (marked 220 or 221) (c17,c18) 1 330 pf capacitor (marked 330 or 331) (c3) 11 .01 uf capacitors (marked .01 or 103 or 10 nf) (c1,4,5,7,8,9,10,13,14,15,19) 1 100 to 22...

  • Page 10

    Qrp-20 • 10

  • Page 11

    Qrp-20 • 11 qrp20 parts layout diagram:.

  • Page 12: First Assembly Steps:

    Qrp-20 • 12 "learn-as-you-build" transmitter assembly strategy: as you can see in examining the circuit board and components, there is a bit more to this transmitter kit than soldering a few parts and putting a signal on the air. So that you don't spend extra time "troubleshooting" instead of gettin...

  • Page 13

    Qrp-20 • 13 5. Insert and solder r1, the 10k tuning potentiometer. 6. Insert and solder s1, pushbutton switch. Carefully select, insert and solder the following components in the order given in the following steps. Check off each step as completed. 7. C16, 100 to 220 uf electrolytic. Electrolytic ca...

  • Page 14

    Qrp-20 • 14 18. Install r14, 10k ohms [brown-black-orange]. 19. Install q4, be sure to orient its flat side correctly as shown. 20.Install c15, .01 uf (marked .01 or 103 or 10 nf). So far, here's what we've accomplished. First, we've got over a third of all the parts soldered onto the board, which s...

  • Page 15

    Qrp-20 • 15 29. Install c3, 330 pf (marked 330 or 331). 30. Install r6, 470 ohms (yellow-violet-brown). With the above components installed correctly, the three holes for q1 should be clearly apparent. Make sure q1 is correctly identified as a 2n3904. 31. Install q1, 2n3904. Orient its flat side cor...

  • Page 16: Crystal Oscillator Testing:

    Qrp-20 • 16 crystal oscillator testing: ◊ connect a key, keyer or momentary switch to j3. ◊ connect +12vdc to power connector j4. Note that the center connection is the positive (+) side. ◊ tune a nearby receiver to the anticipated crystal frequency. ◊ make sure that s1 is set to the correct crystal...

  • Page 17: Initial Tests:

    Qrp-20 • 17 46. Install c14, .01 uf (marked .01 or 103 or 10 nf). 47. Install c9, .01 uf (marked .01 or 103 or 10 nf). 48. Install d1, 1n4002 (large black epoxy body), notice placement of banded end. 49. Install l4, 100 uh inductor [brown-black-brown-silver]. 50. Install r8, 47k (yellow-violet-orang...

  • Page 18

    Qrp-20 • 18 14 to 15 volts dc. The easiest method is to place two fresh "d cells" in series with your power source, if a full 13.6-15 volts dc is not available. If your supply voltage is in the 11-12 volt range, you can expect a 200 to 250 ma current flow and about one-half watt of the rf output pow...

  • Page 19: Maximizing Rf Power Output:

    Qrp-20 • 19 please remember, though, that a flashlight bulb does not present the proper load impedance to the transmitter output, so theoretical calculations based on the bulb`s rating can only be approximate. For example, the pr-4 at full brilliance presents only an 8.2 ohm load to the transmitter....

  • Page 20: Option:

    Qrp-20 • 20 is the ramsey cw-7 cmos keyer, with built-in sidetone. This transmitter is an ideal travel companion to the growing number of portable shortwave broadcast receivers which feature digitally synthesized tuning, memories and other features, provided that a bfo for cw-ssb reception is one of...

  • Page 21: Final Considerations:

    Qrp-20 • 21 final considerations: our earlier discussion of how a watt of rf output can indeed offer satisfying communications has several presuppositions: 1. A resonant antenna (dipole or quarter-wave vertical) 2. Good quality coaxial feedline and connectors 3. An effective earth ground we cannot e...

  • Page 22

    Qrp-20 • 22.

  • Page 23: The Ramsey Kit Warranty

    Qrp-20 • 23 the ramsey kit warranty please read carefully before calling or writing in about your kit. Most problems can be solved without contacting the factory. Notice that this is not a "fine print" warranty. We want you to understand your rights and ours too! All ramsey kits will work if assembl...

  • Page 24

    Qrp-20 • 24 20 meter cw transmitter kit quick reference page guide introduction to the qrp20 ..............4 understanding power levels ...........5 qrp20 circuit description ..............7 parts list ..........................................9 schematic diagram ......................10 parts layou...