WA1ANT

KISS 2: SSB transceiver might not be the best first homebrew project

2026-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

Further to earlier thoughts about keeping it simple</a> with respect to the PJPT20</a>, I got distracted by a Soldersmoke episode covering Bill Meara's "Green Hornet"</a> CW beacon, based on a design from Doug DeMaw called the "Lil' Slugger".</p>

The distraction deepened: I found used copies of DeMaw's QRP Notebook and Design Notebook. I wish I had read these books sooner. Definitely recommend them. Some day I'll add a bibliography section, but today I'll just spin up a new project page for the Lil Slugger CW beacon</a>.</p>

All the hubris about "first project is going to be a SSB transceiver" evaporates. I will focus on building a transmitter with ostensibly five submodules: the oscillator, two amplifiers, the keyer, and the power system. Add to this: learning KiCad, procuring components, building the circuits, learning how to use the handheld scope and signal generator to debug, learning how to use the NanoVNA for about a million things, learning better CW, building a sidetone oscillator, building a CW controller, etc...</p>

I'll come back to the PJPT20 later.</p>

-73, WA1ANT.</p>

Lil' Slugger

2026-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

A 1W 15m CW beacon based on Doug DeMaw's Lil' Slugger CW Transmitter design</em>
Status:</strong> Building · Started:</strong> July 2026</p>
Overview</h2>
The Lil' Slugger CW Beacon is my build of Doug DeMaw's Lil' Slugger CW Transmitter, ultimately intended to run as a CW beacon rather than a keyed transmitter. My goals are:</p>

Successfully build a homebrew ham transmitter from just the circuit diagram</li>
Understand the circuit from the ground up</li>
Build modularly, so I can extend and elaborate over time</li> </ul>
The build-log posts on the blog</a> will capture the build as it happens; this page holds the current (and at some point final) state of the design: references, open questions, decisions, and eventually schematics, board layouts, and test results.</p>
References</h2>
Bill Meara N2CQR's blog post with his build of the Lil' Slugger: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-green-hornet-my-visual-and-10-meter.html</p>
Doug DeMaw published the Lil' Slugger CW Transmitter in his "W1FB's QRP Notebook" and "Q1FB's Design Notebook", both ARRL publications. PDFs are online, e.g. here</a>.</p>
</p>

</li> </ul>
Open Questions</h2>
(To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>
Decisions</h2>
Answered questions land here, newest first.</p>
(None yet.)</em></p>
Schematics</h2>
(Not yet — will appear as design work starts.)</em></p>
Board Layouts</h2>
(Not yet.)</em></p>
Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

KISS

2026-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

I was sketching out layouts for the PJPT20</a>, thinking how the SMD components will work, and looking on youtube at how to make the perfboard "tracks". It occurred to me that this is needless complexity. I should just stick to through-hole components. I think I'm going to adjust my approach, turn down the difficulty/new stuff dial, and KISS.</p>
As I think about what this means, this also has me rethinking the homebrew ground plane boards I have in mind. I'm going to reconsider how this work work dead-bug style, or manhattan style.</p>
-73, WA1ANT.</p>

PJPT20: Reading, Questions, and Construction Plans

2026-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

First real progress update on the PJPT20</a>.</p>
Reading, re-reading, re-re-reading</a></h2>
I printed the QRP Quarterly article</a> and full-page versions of the schematics (from jessystems.com</a>) and read them, and re-read them and re-read them.</p>
I highlighted the key non-obvious sections in the text, and started jotting down questions.</p>
Construction approach</a></h2>
I thought about construction. I'm not too worried about the rig being super compact. I don't have a mill or any other precision circuit construction equipment or PCB fab facilities, and for some reason the Manhattan-style construction doesn't hold much attraction for me.</p>
I looked at colander ground plane proto boards, but they're really hard to find and really expensive. Instead, I think I'm going to use regular non-strip proto board and stick a copper foil ground plane on the non-pad side of the board.</p>
Bill of materials</a></h2>
I sketched out a bill of materials, and the thorough re-reading of the diagrams opened up a few more questions — and answered a few others.</p>
While hunting for sources for all the components in the BOM, I realized that since Pete originally designed these circuits, some components have gone obsolete. I'll either have to replace them with alternates, or find them on eBay.</p>
Going (mostly) SMD?</a></h2>
Looking at the few SMD components in Pete's designs, I wondered whether adopting SMDs would make the board construction even easier. Since I'll be mounting through-hole components with connections on the ground plane on the "normal" soldering side, and track connections on the component side, SMD might actually simplify things.</p>
0805 plus solder paste doesn't look too bad. I think I'll try to do as much as I reasonably can with SMD — certainly most resistors, perhaps some capacitors.</p>
Housekeeping</a></h2>
I also finally spun up this blog.</p>
72/73, WA1ANT</p>

PJPT20

2026-07-05T00:00:00+00:00

Status:</strong> Planning · Started:</strong> June 2026</p>
Overview</h2>
The PJPT20 is my build of a pocket-sized 20 meter SSB QRP transceiver, following Pete Juliano's Shirt Pocket design. This is my first from-scratch homebrew rig; the goals are:</p>

learn some RF circuit design and build skills</li>
learn how to work with SMD components</li>
build a fully functional HF transciever</li>
package the build up into a satisfying robust unit I can throw into a pack and take on a SOTA activation.</li>
bonus: build an external RF TX amp to get me a little way past QRP</li> </ul>
The build-log posts on the blog</a> will capture the build as it happens; this page holds the current (and at some point final) state of the design: references, open questions, decisions, and eventually schematics, board layouts, and test results.</p>
References</h2>
Pete Juliano's publications on the Shirt Pocket transceiver:</p>

Pete Juliano's site</a> — home of his transceiver designs </li>
SolderSmoke blog</a> — build discussion and updates </li> </ul>
Open Questions</h2>
(To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>
Decisions</h2>
Answered questions land here, newest first.</p>
(None yet.)</em></p>
Schematics</h2>
(Not yet — will appear as design work starts.)</em></p>
Board Layouts</h2>
(Not yet.)</em></p>
Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

N8QW's Shirt Pocket 20M Transceiver

2026-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

Why this rig</a></h2>
I'm somewhat heeding the advce on SolderSmoke: I won't be trying to build a SDR multiband multimode transceiver as my first homebrew project.</p>
But looking at the block and circuit diagrams, a QRP transceiver made up of solid state componets looks both like a solid, challenging effort, and something that isn't so far past my knowledge that I'll stall out. I'll skip over the Michigan Mighty Mite...</p>
I also love hearing Pete's contributions on SolderSmoke. Seems like building a radio of his design would be fitting.</p>
This post kicks off a build log. I'll update as plans progress, as designs get drawn up, as solder gets smoked, as modules get tested, and hopefully as I make new QSOs on a new rig.</p>
I'm calling this project the PJPT20. The current state of the design — open questions, decisions, and eventually schematics and test notes — lives on the PJPT20 project page</a>.</p>
72/73, WA1ANT</p>

Open Questions</h2>
(To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>

Board Layouts</h2>
(Not yet.)</em></p>
Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Reading, re-reading, re-re-reading</a></h2>
I printed the QRP Quarterly article</a> and full-page versions of the schematics (from jessystems.com</a>) and read them, and re-read them and re-read them.</p>
I highlighted the key non-obvious sections in the text, and started jotting down questions.</p>

Housekeeping</a></h2>
I also finally spun up this blog.</p>
72/73, WA1ANT</p>

Open Questions</h2>
(To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>

Board Layouts</h2>
(Not yet.)</em></p>
Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

WA1ANT

KISS 2: SSB transceiver might not be the best first homebrew project

Lil' Slugger

KISS

PJPT20: Reading, Questions, and Construction Plans

PJPT20

N8QW's Shirt Pocket 20M Transceiver

WA1ANT

KISS 2: SSB transceiver might not be the best first homebrew project

Lil' Slugger

Open Questions</h2> (To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>

Board Layouts</h2> (Not yet.)</em></p> Build Notes</h2> (Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p> Test Notes</h2> (Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Build Notes</h2> (Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p> Test Notes</h2> (Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Test Notes</h2> (Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

KISS

PJPT20: Reading, Questions, and Construction Plans

PJPT20

Open Questions</h2> (To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>

Board Layouts</h2> (Not yet.)</em></p> Build Notes</h2> (Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p> Test Notes</h2> (Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Build Notes</h2> (Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p> Test Notes</h2> (Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Test Notes</h2> (Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

N8QW's Shirt Pocket 20M Transceiver

Open Questions</h2>
(To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>

Board Layouts</h2>
(Not yet.)</em></p>
Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Open Questions</h2>
(To be added — transcribing my notes soon.)</em></p>

Board Layouts</h2>
(Not yet.)</em></p>
Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Build Notes</h2>
(Not yet — module-by-module notes will go here, with links to the relevant build-log posts.)</em></p>
Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>

Test Notes</h2>
(Not yet — measurements, scope traces, and on-air results.)</em></p>