Mon DU1FV

Ideas for modifying the Icom IC-720 from rotary switched LPF to discrete relay type:

Icom IC-721 Japanese model "remodelling" Tired of the IC-721 40m upper limit of 7.100 Mhz? Here is how to add 7.100 to 7.200 to the TX range of your Icom IC-721.  It is the Japanese version of the popular IC-725 marketed in the U.S.A. and Philippines.   Just cut the specifed jumper.  It is hard to believe technicians charge thousands of pesos for this simple modification.

I was given a junk automatic tuner from a Kenwood HF radio years ago. I cleaned it a bit after I got and stored it. While in Mega Mall a few months ago, I saw a nice good sized cast aluminum project box at Alexan and though it would be a nice case for that tuner innards if I convert it to a manual tuner. Last night I finally drilled the last holes for the SO-239s and for the band switches. It requires 12 volts to operate, but that is ok. I might one day put in the original  SWR bridge and do a built in electronic SWR meter (bar graph) or something so I left the band relays in, instead of replacing it with a rotary wafer switch. I left the original nylon gears for the capacitor shafts and use them as knobs. I just tested it on forty meters and it works well. This is now my most compact 100W tuner, so I will bring it for field work instead of the heavy Yaesu FC-901.

My IC-735 sojourn: travel or travail? Sometime in December 2015, I bought a used  Icom IC-705 (white one in the picture) and I proceeded immediately disassemble it so that I can attach a spare front panel that my friend Ricardo gave me. The front panel came from an Icom IC-731, the Japanese domestic model of the famous IC-735.   The front panel has a damaged LCD.   The IC-705 is a rare creature however.  I was told that  the local distributor took some new IC-735 replaced the front panel with a VFO less one so it can be sold to the commercial fixed frequency market. I first saw the ad for the 705 months earlier.  There were two that were advertised for sale by a ham from Lucena City but too many questions in my head back then so I did not buy it.  Eventually a ham from Marikina, Ed bought the pair and a few days later, I was at his place trying to buy one of them.  The one he sold me looked better than the one he retained.  N...

Ages ago I had a chance to service an FT-1000 which belonged to an American ham. I was impressed with the radio and in the course of the service I got to read the schematic and focused on the first mixer.  I noticed the difference between it and my old IC-729 was it had parralled FETs in the mixer so instead of just two (see IC-729 mixer circuit in the photo), The FT-1000 had a total of four which accounts for its signal handling capability. On a lark, I set out and bought s ome FETS and thought I would try out the mod. Just before I started construction, I consulted my CQ ferrite core handbook (in Japanese) and saw a circuit for a FET double balanced mixer which promised good strong signal performance as well as gain over the standard diode ring double balanced mixers I have used before in my projects. The only additional part I had to "make" was another transformer for one port. Please see big photo. The four FETs I bought were metal cased. The mod is not too prett...

"Despair of Judas" When it was announced that Henry (Manolito Cua) won second place, Edmundo Barreto told me "Panalo ka na!". Our class had won the declamation contest. It was my first time to join one and Mr. Santos, our class adviser did a good job training me at the house of Manolito Cua in Sto. Nino. I remember his tip: if you do not know how to fake a crazy laugh, just gasp! It seems just like yesterday. This was my piece: "I will rest here, awhile. His face! His face! Not comely now. There is no beauty in it. It is scarre d into my heart. It is burned into my soul and never will it lift from me until I die. Die? Will death quench the flames which consume me? Traitor, not endless years in hell can even pay the crime of murdering the son of God. And last night, he dealt with me so gently. He washed my feet. He bade me to put my hand into the cup with his, while in my purse there jingled the coins which bought his blood. It was better ...

Kenwood shortwave 50Mhz base equipment, TS-680V This is the rig that you have purchased a used will want after purchasing a new article, but also I have rung the local after a while. The unit was purchased used. Rather than a full-fledged HF machine, it is an entry-level radio if anything, but it is rig for convenient simple operation. 　In addition, we inherited the traditional TRIO Kenwood sound, even if I have listen for a long time, it is not tiresome to the ear. Device-specific problems are not inherited in the traditional colors of the TRIO walkie-talkie. Model number is also ◎ They discuss pulling the tradition of TS-600. 　It has come in handy and check the band condition, local ragchew, and mobile operation. Condition is excellent for local bands like communication, mobile .... And features To proceed normalKenwood shortwave 50Mhz base equipment, TS-680VKenwood shortwave 50Mhz base equipment, TS-680V, even with the machine of HF, the knob has been placed tig...