40M QRP TXCVR

TX

The G-QRP Club sells a good range of 40M CW xtals at a very reasonable price. Here is a very cheap and easy to build
transmitter using these xtals. Power output is approximately 6 Watts for a supply voltage of 13.8 VDC ( if you experiment
with the Pi output values and FET bias then over 10 Watts can be had, but a large heat sink will be required for the FET ).
Construction is made easy by using a pad cutting tool for the circuit board - this tool is also available from the G-QRP
Club. Easy to obtain components are used throughout the design.

The circuit consists of a colpits xtal oscillator TR1 followed by a diode switch D1, D2 , a driver TR2 and PA stage TR3. A
zener diode ZD1 stabilises the DC supply to TR1 stage, this oscillator runs continuously to avoid any chirp etc. The
oscillator output is keyed by a diode switch consisting of D1, D2 and their associated components. Capacitor C1 provides
some envelope shaping of the keyed waveform, it is isolated from RF by L1. On key down C1 gradually charges up
towards the supply rail via D4 and R1, thus D1 and D2 become forward biased allowing the oscillator signal to pass to TR2
without a steep rising edge of the waveform. On key up, C1 discharged via R1, R2 the time constant of which eliminates a
sharp falling edge of the waveform. Tr2 is biased to class B via D3. It's collector load consists of L2, VC1, a parallel
resonant tuned circuit. A low impedance tap on L2 feeds TR3 gate. The gate is heavily swamped by low impedance bias
network and L2 tap, this is to overcome the 150Pf or so of gate capacitance that would otherwise be difficult to drive. TR3
is biased for a standing current of 200 - 250mA by VR1. The drain load for TR3 is a Pi network, the 80pF ( approx ) of
output capacitance exhibited by TR3 is taken into account for the network component values. A low pass filter (L5 and L6)
follows the Pi network. A two pole two way switch is used for antenna switching, DC supply to the transmitter and also a
mute voltage for a RX IF. A matching RX is currently under construction for use with this TX. As mentioned earlier, it is
possible to obtain 10 Watts output simply by changing the 880pF capacitor in the Pi network to a 1200pF and increasing
TR3 standing current to 800mA. However, I do not recommend this unless you fit a large heat sink to TR3 as it does run
very hot at this power level. The receiving station is unlikely to hear any difference between 6 and 10 Watts Tx power, I
run mine at 6 Watts for a total current drain of 750 mA, if you require 5 Watts exactly, reduce Tr3 bias voltage accordingly.
Alignment of the finished transmitter is simple, with no drive set the standing current of TR3 to 200 - 250 mA. Apply drive
and adjust VC1 for maximum output power. Adjust the xtal trimmers for exact xtal frequencies, these trimmers were only
included in case several of these transmitters are built for use in a net and all produce the same TX frequency. You may
note an extra transistor on the circuit board, this is used as contact closure to ground key switch so my electronic keyer can
be used with this set. The front and back of the case is made from some copper clad board, the circuit board forms the
bottom of the case. The lid of the case is made from a perforated aluminium ceiling tile.

RX

Here is a 40m CW receiver for use with the 40m CW QRP transmitter. Again cheap, easy to obtain components are used
throughout the design. Performance is good, signal levels of 3uV at the antenna socket are easily copied and selectivity is
excellent due to the use of a 9MHz CW crystal filter ( G-QRP club ). The set also has RF derived AGC although this can be
omitted if desired reducing the component count slightly. Local oscillator signal injection is provided by a VXO using a
2MHz ceramic resonator giving a coverage of most of the CW portion of the 40m band. Good quality VFO's can
sometimes be difficult to acheive for those not experienced in building these, so a VXO is used here. The performance of
the VXO very good, after ten minutes " warm up " it is absolutely solid, no tuning adjustments need be made for half an
hour or so, I was pleasantly surprised by this considering a cheap polycon tuning capacitor is used.

Ciruit description

The antenna signal enters the set via a 9MHz trap and a two pole bandpass filter L1, L2 feeding Tr1, a FET grounded gate
RF preamp.The FET preamp is used to overcome the insertion loss of the mixer and crystal filter. Initialy a common source
pre amp was used but this was prone to strong broadcast signal break through, although it did produce slightly more gain.
The drain load for Tr1 is T1 which along with D1, D2 form a single balanced mixer.

Local oscillator from the VXO is injected at the center tap of T1. From here the mixing products pass through T2, a 9:1
impedance ratio transformer in order to provide a good match to the 50 Ohm impedance crystal filter. The wanted IF signal
leaves the crystal filter via a 1:9 step up transformer, this provides a good match to following cascode IF amplifier. Two
cascode IF amplifiers are used giving a gain of roughly 70dB in total. The IF transformers used are standard 10.7 MHz
interstage IFT's with an additional 10pF connected across the primary. The second IF amp feeds a diode product dectector
D3, D4. and also feeds the AGC amplifier.

A crystal oscillator, Tr8, is used as a BFO for carrier re-insertion at the product detector. A 9.0015 MHz or 9.000 Mhz xtal
is used here as the CW filter has a center frequency of 9.0008 MHz, this is probably so a 9.0015 MHz USB Xtal could be
used for carrier reinsertion in the set it was intended to be used in thus saving the cost of a seperate CW carrier Xtal. (
several of these filters were sweep tested and they all had a center frequency of 9.0008 MHz ). Recovered audio from the
detector passes to common emitter preamp Tr9 via the volume control and then to the audio power amp. A LM386 can be
used here ( you will still need the preamp Tr9 ) if you wish, indeed it is probably cheaper to do so. I used the discrete audio
amp as a design exercise and to keep the set " chip free ".
VXO

The circuit for the VXO is straight forward. A colpits variable oscillator is used. A zener diode is used to stabilise the DC
supply to VXO Tr6. A buffer Tr7 follows the oscillator which reduces oscillator loading and pulling by the mixer. A cheap
polycon variable capacitor ( G-QRP ) is used for the tuning control, no reduction gearing is required - tuning is smooth and
easy providing a large control knob is used. Approximatley 40 kHz of swing is given by this VXO, resulting in a band
coverage of 7.00 MHz to 7.045 Mhz thus matching the range of crystals used in the transmitter. Experimentation with the
feedback capacitors in the VXO may give a greater tuning range. Polystyrene feedback capacitors are to be recommended
for use in the VXO, I used a mixture of polystyrene and ceramic disc as I did not have correct values available. If you are
an experienced VFO builder then you could build a VFO giving coverage of the whole of the 40m band if desired.

AGC amplifier

RF derived AGC is used in this set. A small proportion of the IF signal is taped off from Tr5 collector via C1 a 3.3pF
capacitor to feed a emitter follower buffer Tr10, therefore very little loadind is presented to Tr5 collector. A low gain
preamplifier Tr11 follows the buffer via the AGC threshold control P1. Tr11 collector load R7 feeds a rectifier / voltage
doubler D1, D2. The result is a DC voltage proportional to the received signal strength present at the cathode of D2. This is
used to control Tr12, the stronger the received signal the harder Tr12 conducts thereby reducing the the voltage on the
AGC control line. During TX the AGC voltage is grounded by Tr13 allowing P2 control of the IF gain for correct sidetone
level. It is important to keep any BFO signal out of the IF amplifier ( apart from the IFT2 ) as this will upset the AGC
action, screening should be used between the BFO and IF amp. The main purpose of this AGC circuit is to stop strong
stations from deafening you when the IF gain control is at maximum. If you do not require AGC then it is a simple matter
to use a pot as a manual gain control, details are shown for this in the AGC amp circuit diagram. No side tone oscillator is
required as the receiver will pick up the TX due to proximatey, P2 is adjusted for a suitable sidetone level whilst holding
the key down.
 M0DGQ

** Inductor for 9MHz

trap is standard 220R
10.7MHZ IFT with 13.8V
D3, D4
parallel resonant
Conection “A” to 100R 1N4148
Capacitor removed 100R
100nF AGC amp
100nF 8V2 input
L1, L2 = 27t
IFT1 100nF 270R
Tap 3t from ground 100nF IFT2
end L1 and 7t from 10p AF out to
Ant 4K7
Ground end L2 D1, D2 10K 10p 4K7 Volume control
32 swg enamelled G-QRP club 10K 4K7
Cu T1 CW filter 270R
1N4148 10nF
On T50 – 2 core A
9MHz Tr3 2u2
Tr5
Filter 1N4148
L1 10pF L2 Tr1 10nF 10nF
10nF
1N4148 Tr2 Tr4
10nF
T2 T3
100pF d 10nF
s
270R 22K 2K7 10nF 22k 2K7 2K2
** g 470R 10nF
9MHz 470R 470R
trap 2N3819

60pF trimer 10nF

5K6
With 33pF in
parallel All transistors
5K6
2N3904
AGC control voltage
220R 470R
13.8V 13.8V

100nF 100nF 8V2 27K

8V2 100nF

27K T1 = 30t primary

2 MHz Tr8
15t secondary 10nF
Ceramic resonator center tapped 32
Tr6 220pF
swg enamelled
Tr7 Cu on T50-2 9.0015 Mhz
250pF red core
27K
560R
T2, T3 = 12t tapped
27K 2K2 at 60pF
1K 4t from cold end 220pF
250pF
200pF 32 swg on FT37-43 270R
Ferrite core

140pF + 60pF
 M0DGQ
1K 13.8Vdc

100nF
15K 470R
2K2
22K IF Gain
10nF 1N5711 47uF
Tr10
Tr13 Sidetone
10nF 10K 10K level
A Tr11 2K2 IF mute
4K7
1N5711 Lin From TX
3p3 P1 Tr12
15K 47uF
From last IF 3K3 470R 1K 4K7
10nF P2

P1
AGC threshold
1N4148 1N4148

All transistors AGC control

2N3904 voltage
For no agc just use
circuit from right
hand side of dotted
line
 M0DGQ

13.8V

270R

470R 47uF
1K 1000uF
Tr4
7 Vdc plus or
minus 2V,
If not adjust Rc
2R2
100uF 1N4148 accordingly

4K7 1N4148 2R2 220uF

1nF
Tr3
1uF 2K2 Tr2 2N3906

1M5 **
1uF 56K
Audio in from 10K Tr1
product detector log 8R
Rc
Volume 10K

0V

** adjust for 6Vdc

( + or – 2V ) on Tr1 All transistors
Collector. 2N3904 ( apart from
Tr3 )
 M0DGQ

D4

RX IF mute
R2 KEY
4K7
220R
+13.8V
47nF ZD1 27K
R1 560R
8V2 6K8 6K8 1K 100n 6V8 100n L3
1K
27K
D1 D2
ANT
Tr1 L4 L5 L6
send
220pF
47nF
10n
L1
330uH
L2 receive
820R Tr2 d
10n Tr3
470R g
1nF 470pF
880pF
C1 VC1 s
2K2
1uF
10n
D3
60pF
VR1
150R To RX
220pF 330R 2K2 10K
100n 12R
100n

0V
60pF 60pF 60pF 60pF

4 X G-QRP club Tr1 2N3904

Diodes = 1N4148
Tr2 2N3904 Set Bias Tr3 IRF510
40M xtals
L3 = 40t, 32 swg L4 = 11t, 22 swg L5, L6 = 14t, 22
L2 = 36t, 6t tap from
Enamelled Cu Enamelled Cu swg
Cold end
On FT50 - 43 On T50 – 2 Enamelled Cu
32 swg enamelled
Ferrite core core On T50 – 2
Cu on T50 - 2 core
Core
 M0DGQ

T1A

T250mA
L
LM7812
18Vac 13.4V

2200uF

All diodes 1N4001

E 0V