Untitled Document

LEFT:- Pauls Combo Star with TFT, 28-08-10

Paul has restored some Collin's gear to as new condition in his spare time and worthy of some pictures here. Very nice. What you can't see is the amount of work Paul put into the restoration, apart from the end result of course

More Pics. below.

26th August, 2010:

Hi Glenn

Well I'm at last moving forward again so I've attached some pictures of my progress so far using the newly acquired
instrument case. I now have to finish off and anodize the rear panel which needs further connectors added for USB, RS232 CAT and maybe switching and band information for external PA and also DC power input provision. Screened enclosures to RF deck boards to make and fit. All integration wiring to combo panel and RF deck and power distribution board/fan controller and wiring. Then a lot of testing and commissioning required and combo board screens....and front/rear panel graphics......should keep me busy for some time at my present rate of construction but all good fun...

Cheers

Paul M1PVC

Fantastic work by Paul, Click image for larger pictures:

. Hi Glenn

Herewith part of my boat anchor collection.....the KWM2 with the matching 30L1 Linear Amplifier. Bought both a few year ago - Linear first them KWM2 and refurbished them. They now perform very well.

Paul

Paul's Combo STAR build:

15th March, 2010

Hi Glenn

"Two pictures of construction so far on front panel...this has really taken some time. Designed to be a complete TrxAVR controller assembly with rest of ComboStar mounted behind and separated by a full height full width screening plate....I have 50 mm spare room in case depth to allow this installation....just enough! Assembly uses "cut down" version of TrxAVRB board including encoders8, Mk1 TFT driver board, 5" TFT display (without touch pad), 8 "label" buttons, menu encoder, tuning encoder, 4 parameter encoders, mic/headphone socket, and dsp led (to right of tuning knob). Front panel dimensions are 275mm x 135mm high excluding bezel. As before all knobs and button caps have been turned up from aluminium stock. Tuning knob is 55mm diameter.....the largest size that wound fit the situation....the weight of this gives the Bourns 128cpr encoder a superb feel. Both front panel and sub-front panel have been anodized with panel markings still to do"

Very pleased with the way that the display has mounted now with the connector "ribbon" behind the pcb and though a slot (hidden by the rest of the wiring) straight into the driver board socket. Button caps were a pig with each one having to be finally hand reamed out to fit the individual switches with all proved to be very slightly different in diameter. However I did manage to make all of the other knobs in one day...getting quicker!!

Paul

In case you missed the details above, Paul has made all of the knobs himself, including the tiny 12 that run down the sides of the 5" colour TFT display. (vk3pe)

< Click for larger pictures >

4th Feb, 2010: Paul has wound his Lodestone formers and has kindly provided his winding details here. Note there are two sheets in the Excel file. The information was derived by Paul as below.

Hi Glenn

Think I've cracked it as shown in attached photographs. I turned up a mandrel in the lathe to hold the Lodestone bobbins safe and securely, put my hand crank on the lathe headstock and used the lathe as a coil winder. A little bit of stick on the windings to hold them in place allows the formers to be assembled with ease without those pins getting in the way. I do not have an accurate inductance meter for the low levels of inductance required so I

made up a jig to connect up the assembled coil (using pins from a turned pin ic socket), produced a self calculating Excel speadsheet to find correct tuning caps, sorted out suitable test caps accurately measured on my Marconi bridge and checked to resonant frequency of each inductor. Started using my dip meter but it was easier to use a sig gen, frequency counter and 'scope all as shown (this particular sig gen is a bit of a joke but used with an RF attenuator it does the job and it's small).

I've wound the inductors for 160, 15/17 and 12/10 so far but I have ordered some 0.2mm wire for the rest - hopefully this will come
tomorrow. Seems that my previous calcs are in the right ball-park but need a few tweaks. When I've done the whole batch I'll revise this and send you a copy.

Cheers, Paul