[Lowfer] lowfer tx kit

Thu Nov 12 13:36:12 EST 2009

Warren I like your comment in an earlier post  " I never met a lowfer 
transmitter I didn't like"

I think the guys at NCR had a couple of articles on lowfer in 
Electronics Now( formerly Radio and Television News) back in the '90s. 
My first lowfer tx and loading coil was from an article in 1992 Elec
Now. They also have a lowfer up converter listed in their products. 

There have been a lot of articles and equipment like LF engineerings tx 
kit and Currys kits that are over 10 years old but still useful info. 
Like Harry Truman said " The only thing about the future we dont know 
is the history we havent read."

If there was only one way of doing things on LF it would be a dull world. 

Paul

Quoting Warren Ziegler <wd2xgj at gmail.com>:
> Andy,
>
> >but from my personal viewpoint, the price tag of
> > $ 139.00 USD is a little steep,
>
>     Keep in mind that he is buying parts in small quantities unlike say MFJ. 
> I imagine that he will be very lucky to sell a dozen of these. 
>
> -- 73 Warren K2ORS
>                 WD2XGJ
>                 WD2XSH/23
>                 WE2XEB/2
>                 WE2XGR/1
>
>
> On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 11:08 AM, Warren Ziegler <wd2xgj at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Interesting offering from North Country. 
> >
> > I worry about the reference oscillator being stable enough - appears
> > that there is a crystal on the bottom right side of the board - it
> > really needs to be in an oven to be stable enough for QRSS and WOLF
> > (BPSK).   Ten Hz frequency steps can be problematic if you are trying
> > to stay within a 6Hz wide ARGO/Spectran/Spectrum Lab  window AND have
> > the ability to dodge LORAN lines. (Although LORAN may be going away
> > very soon.)
> >
> > I don't think that $139 is too much at all - I would be curious what
> > the total cost of parts from Mouser would be - and you get a nice PC
> > board to boot!   In short I would buy one to fool around with (I never
> > met an LF transmitter I didn't like!) except that I already have
> > virtually the same thing in the form of a Lyle Kohler's  "Synthesized
> > LowFER Transmitter With Built-In Keyer" which has the synthesizer,
> > BPSK keyer etc and it can put out 10W or so from 130-190kHz. 
> >
> > 73 Warren K2ORS
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 10:31 AM, Andy Lokken <alokken at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> I am very intrigued by such a thing. As a guy who recently made an
> >> Epson Oscillator and 74HC4060 sizzle (kinda neat), such a project is
> >> very attractive to me. Most of my projects die on the table. 
> >>
> >> 139 plus shipping plus accesories is an OK price to "add a band"- if
> >> you look at it that way. But I agree with Andy somewhat, it is a
> >> little steep. What I will wait for is comments on performance. 
> >>
> >> Now if only someone would come out with space for an antenna in a kit. 
> >>
> >> 73,
> >> Andy K0AJL
> >>
> >>
> >> On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 9:06 AM, Andy - KU4XR <ku4xr at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >>> Paul:
> >>>
> >>> I have no experience with the kit, but repeating what I read
> >>> in a post from John Davis on the LWCA Message board; It's
> >>> basically a " souped up " version of their " AM-88 " XMTR
> >>> with the different keying, and modulation schemes, along
> >>> with the 1 Watt power to the antenna. 
> >>> I went to their website and looked at it. It is a nice looking
> >>> little box; but from my personal viewpoint, the price tag of
> >>> $ 139.00 USD is a little steep, and most likely will scare away
> >>> a possible newcomer who is uncertain about lowFER operation to
> >>> begin with.   BUT !! carefully reading all the benefits, bells,
> >>> and whistles available in that little box; and the frequency
> >>> range covered; it has potential. One other " CON " on my side
> >>> is that for the price, you shouldn't have to purchase switches,
> >>> connectors, cables, case etc. I personally feel that it should
> >>> come with " All Parts Necessary " right out of the box. 
> >>>
> >>> The viewpoints expressed may not be those of other group members:
> >>>
> >>> hi - hi. 
> >>>
> >>> 73 all  ::::
> >>>
> >>> Andy - KU4XR - EM75xr - Friendsville, TN. 
> >>> LOWfer Beacon " XR " @ 185.29866 KHz ( QRSS-60 )
> >>> Coordinates:  N:  35* 43' 54" - W:  84* 3' 16"
> >>> http://www.myspace.com/beaconxr
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --- On Thu, 11/12/09, Paul Daulton <k5wms at centurytel.net> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> From: Paul Daulton <k5wms at centurytel.net>
> >>>> Subject: [Lowfer] lowfer tx kit
> >>>> To: part15 at yahoogroups.com, lowfer at mailman.qth.net
> >>>> Date: Thursday, November 12, 2009, 12:34 AM
> >>>> Lookingat the internet I ran across a
> >>>> lowfer tx kit from North Country Radio. See
> >>>> http://www.northcountryradio.com/Kitpages/lfxmtr.htm
> >>>> It is synthesized and capable of cw or bpsk. dip switch
> >>>> programmable. 
> >>>>
> >>>> Anyone familiar with this kit?
> >>>>
> >>>> Reasonable price of $139.00. 
> >>>>
> >>>> Paul Daulton K5WMS
> >>>> beacon WMS 187.492 khz qrss30/slow 24/7
> >>>> Jacksonville,Ar 72076
> >>>> em34wu
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> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> _______________________________________
> >> Andy Lokken
> >> ______________________________________________________________
> >> Lowfer mailing list
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> >>
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> >>
> >
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>

Paul Daulton K5WMS
beacon WMS 187.492 khz qrss30/slow 24/7
Jacksonville,Ar 72076
em34wu