Hi John, glad to hear your RockMites are up and runnng
I would say the most common frequencies belong to the RockMites using 7.030 MHz and 14.060 MHz crystals. The frequency of use typically comes out around 2kHz lower than the marked crystal frequency, i.e. 7.028 and 14.058MHz in this case.
I believe the original RockMites in the USA were supplied with 7.040MHz crystals, as this frequency was used for QRP . More recently there has been an effort to coordinate the QRP COA frequency Internationally at 7.030MHz.
I would say that the frequencies used during the weekend will be those that your RockMite works on, hopefully the chasers will have frequency agility and will be able to tune to the RM frequency! In some of my RMs I have pin sockets mounted in the crystal holes to fashion a crystal āsocketā I can then have several crystals for each band allow a choice of frequencies to use. I swap the crystals in pairs, but as noted before, the front end is pretty wide, so if the oscillator crystal is within a few kHz of the filter crystal, you might be able to get away with swapping only the one crystal.
There will probably be a bit more interest in the RockMite in the coming months as Rex W1REX at QRPme has taken over the kit and is rumoured to be in the process of relaunching it. Keep an eye out for news in the usual places!
I currently have the following crystals available for use in my RockMites -
7.030, 10.106, 10.116, 10.118, 10.125, 14.060, 18.086 and 18.096. (Actual TX frequency will usually be around 1-2kHz lower)
Typically Iām otherwise engaged on Saturday 7th, but Iām pretty much certain Iāll be able to join in with the RM fun on Sunday 8th.
At the moment iI have got 7.030 and 14.060, so it looks like I will be ok. I have had a look on the dreaded ebay, and there are many suppliers of crystal pairs at reasonable prices, so should have chance to expand my frequency range in time for the RM weekend. I really am taken with these little radios, to the point that I have been ignoring the other gear in the shack, and just having fun. No earth shattering contacts as of yet, but I did manage to get myself on the reverse beacon net, unfortunately I was that shocked that I forgot to look which skimmer had picked me up, DOH! Although itās out of character for me, i feel the need to get out of the shack and up the hills to see what this little gem can really do. Looks like the birth of a QRP nut.
Cheers All John
Although itās out of character
for me, i feel the need to get out of the shack and up the hills to
see what this little gem can really do. Looks like the birth of a QRP
nut.
John,
A QRP nut? Next youāll be lusting over Steve Weber rigs
I recommend that you get out there and give the RM a whirl. I think you may be surprised at what it can do. My first QSOs here:
Iāll be available for part of the time on both days over that weekend so, weather permitting, Iāll be out there calling on 14.0574 unless I can find another RM for a multiband attempt!
Pete
Just to be clear for those unfamiliar with the RockMite, changing the band of operation is not just a case of swapping the crystals; the low pass, oscillator and tx rx shift portions of the circuit also need to be altered. Using different crystals within the same band is fine.
There will probably be a bit more interest in the RockMite in the
coming months as Rex W1REX at QRPme has taken over the kit and is
rumoured to be in the process of relaunching it. Keep an eye out for
news in the usual places!
For those that canāt wait, thereās always the Chinese copy alternative.
The page is worth a visit just to read the Chinglishā¦
e.g. Their ATU uses:
āT-topology networks, QRP facilitate communication with the low-power transceiver (shoes, frogs, octopus, etc.) used to make transceiver and antenna valid match, meet your emission requirements,ā
As for the Super RM, I might order one just to give it a try!
Itās obviously a DX machine because in the FAQ it says:
Q: communication distance can be far?
A: shortwave communication distance depends largely on the antenna selection, and the use of small power station must choose good weather conditions, many expert use of these paragraphs by Classical radio has hundreds of kilometers of associated performance. Radio component of this shop are through the detection apparatus, device purchase volume so can guarantee authentic, key devices will After sampling, the output power of a good. So we can say, as long as the antenna resonance your good, there will be a good communication distance.
A: shortwave communication distance depends largely on the antenna
selection, and the use of small power station must choose good weather
conditions, many expert use of these paragraphs by Classical radio has
hundreds of kilometers of associated performance. Radio component of
this shop are through the detection apparatus, device purchase volume
so can guarantee authentic, key devices will After sampling, the
output power of a good. So we can say, as long as the antenna
resonance your good, there will be a good communication distance.
I believe that Stanley Unwin went on to write technical manuals ;o)
Iām not sure who āUnwinisedā this, credit to whoever, it wasnāt me.
Halfit Wavely Dipold.
The constructile of a halfit wavely dipold is simplicitole itsolve.
Takit a long of wirelode or tubit and usit the formulop spode of
lightening dividi by the waveloder in motors (spode of lightening in
milliode motors per secloder, fastit than a rep in a cavalearider on
the motorwave).
Donāt forego a gaply in the centro for the dangly of the feedlopper.
The dipold may be resonded for the particulops frequent on transmode
(or receptile on the earlobes of a shorting wavely listenopit) by the
snippet of the dangly ends. Carefold!!! too much snippet of the dangly
ends will mean a visitate to your locum emporiold to buy a VHF (Very
Haughty Frequold) rigget, causop deep strangly of the veesit carding and
maritold disrupting. The spittli and hurling of the crocklodes at the
wall by the better halfit does not mode deepest joy.
Dangly the dipold for the nearost conveniold troe or polat usy ceramital
insuloids and strong. Carefold! not to let the dangly endits to come
into roach of the curiolder passit byling otherwhole, a touchit will
mode the lightening of the passit by eyboles uplode as the stove lampit
and cause your dentloppers to be dissaport down your throcus.
In operatult, the wavelode travellit alone the diplode until at the
endit, with nowhole to go, launchit into the atmospold (as the skydover
from an aeroplode) and rebold from the ionospoke back to the surffelt of
the globit. Soon, your transmode will arrovit at the earlobe of the
amatole in all ferve corns of the globit. This resolves in a QSL cardit
droply throve the door onto the matloder, only to be chewcus into
milliode particoles by the ferve leggold furricks friendlopsā¦deep joy.
Deepest fundermole Dee Exlate to those who washā¦
I decided to do a test with my Rockmite today. I have been working on an antenna system that is more in keeping with these minimal radios and, having made it, I wanted to test it. 20m was very busy with contest traffic but I still made a good number of contacts - including Rich N4EX. All in all I was very happy with how it went. It was pretty windy and not very pleasant out on the hill though.
Richard,
Are you missing something?
When you announced the challenge you said:
āthere could be a prize for the activator who makes most contacts over a weekend on their Rock Mite(s) and a prize for the chaser who works the most Rock Mites.ā
So are we still going to entice (dangle a carrot) at the chasers to encourage them to come and hunt us down?
It all helps
Maybe an orange, carrot shaped trophy?
Pete
(who hopes to be an activator but might as well chase too!)
The Might Mite Weekend is approaching. Time to dust off those Rock Mites and Rock Mite clones and get out in the field. Letās see how many QSOs the Mites can make?
Remember there will be a trophy for the best account posted here. Please e-mail me some photos so that I can do a short write-up for Radcom or QST.
In reply to G3CWI:
I will be out with a RM20 and UM40.
More about the UM40 after the event together with a nomination for the MM trophy.
All will become clear in due course.
On a separate note, although too late for the event this weekend, RMs are once again available see below:
Pete
Gangue,
The new Rockmite ] printed circuit boards landed here in Limerick on Black Friday as promised by the pcb FAB house. The first unit has been successfully assembled using the new documentation and completed without any problems arising. The unit completed successful āfirst electronsā turn on without any smoke leaking out of the components. Testing was completed and met expectations. A new kit is born!
Improvements over the original design include:
SA612 mixer is now a through hole part instead of surface mount.
Additional on board low pass filter components meet current FCC regs.
Additional grounded pads for easier connections to external parts.
Crystal sockets included with middle pin grounded for easy crystal swapping.
80m, 40m, 30m and 20m kits available.
External connectors, plugs and jacks supplied with kitā¦no more scrounging for parts. Just supply an enclosure of choice.
Introductory price of $40 including 2 PAIRS of crystals!
I have a couple last minute components arriving on the BIG brown truck later today and will be mailing out a bunch of Rockmite ] kits on Thursday!
