First real progress update on the PJPT20.

Reading, re-reading, re-re-reading

I printed the QRP Quarterly article and full-page versions of the schematics (from jessystems.com) and read them, and re-read them and re-read them.

I highlighted the key non-obvious sections in the text, and started jotting down questions.

Construction approach

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.

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.

Bill of materials

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.

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.

Going (mostly) SMD?

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.

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.

Housekeeping

I also finally spun up this blog.

72/73, WA1ANT