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Enhanced Construction Manual for the Softrock RX-Lite V6.2 (40m)

The Kit

The Softrock Lite V6.2 series provide an economical entry-level kit for the ham or SWL who wants to experiment with Software Defined Radio (SDR).  As of 10/26/2008, the offerings in this series are (links are to schematics in Yahoo Groups files folder):

 40m kit option (the example used herein)

c    40m kit at $10 US/Canada and $11 for DX will tune the following ranges:

c    40m when used with a soundcard that samples at 48 kHz - 7.032 to 7.08 MHz

80m kit option

c    80m kit at $10 US/Canada and $11 for DX will tune the following range:

c    80m when used with a soundcard that samples at 48 kHz - 3.504 to 3.552 MHz

160m kit option

c    160m kit at $10 US/Canada and $11 for DX will tune the following range:

c    160m when used with a soundcard that samples at 48 kHz - 1.819 to 1.867 MHz

Upgraded 30m kit option

c    30m kit at $12 US/Canada and $13 for DX will tune the following range:

c    30m when used with a soundcard that samples at 48 kHz - 10.100 to 10.148
MHz

Upgraded 20m kit option

c    20m kit at $12 US/Canada and $13 for DX will tune the following range:

c    20m when used with a soundcard that samples at 96 kHz - slightly below
14.00 to 14.094 MHz

Upgraded 15m kit option

c    15m kit at $12 US/Canada and $13 for DX will tune the following range:

c    15m when used with a soundcard that samples at 96 kHz - slightly below
21.00 to 21.092 MHz


Orders will be accepted by PayPal to Tony Parks’ gmail account, kb9yig or by mailing a check or money order to Tony at:

Tony Parks
1344 E 750 N
Springport, IN 47386

 

These Web Pages

This manual is based upon an idea by Leonard WC0WOX and his excellent work in producing a web-based construction guide for the RXTX V6.2 Transceivers.  It expands upon the elegant builders notes of Tony Parks KB8YIG and Bill Tracey KD5TFD, notes which are adequate, but also assume a quite sophisticated builder.

 

The intent of these enhanced notes is to:

  1. Make the build process a bit easier for the unsophisticated builder to undertake.
  2. Modify the original, “stuff it all in then test it” process to a “build a stage, test a stage, …” process, whereby the builder gains confidence in their ability to build the kit by delivering the radio in small, functional, and tested stages.

 

The manual makes extensive use of graphics and schematic snippets.

 

Original KB9YIG documentation (40m RX-Lite)

  1. Bill-Of-Materials
  2. Schematic
  3. Board Layout

 

Additional (Enhanced) WB5RVZ Documentation

  1. Scan of Board Top
  2. Scan of Board Bottom (with ICs and SMT Caps Identified
  3. Annotated Schematic with Test Points at designated resistor “hairpin” leads
  4. Top-Bottom of Board – Overlayed

 

Theory of Operation

Color-Coded Schematic

Misc Tools

c    Soldering iron:  temperature controlled, grounded tip/ESD-safe, fine point (at least 0.032”)

c    Eutectic (63/37) solder (.015” diameter), e.g., Kester Wire Solder, .015", Sn63 Pb37, #66/44

c    Magnifying Head Strap

c    Tweezers (bent tip is preferable).

c    Diagonal side cutters.

c    A "third-hand" (e.g., Panavise or the Hendricks kits PCB Vise) to hold your board while soldering.   In a pinch, you can get by with a simple third-hand, alligator clip vise.

c    Small, rounded jaw needle-nose pliers.

c    Set of jewelers' screwdrivers

c    An Exacto knife.

c    Fine-grit emery paper.

c    Digital multimeter

c    (not essential) dual channel oscilloscope

c    (not essential) signal generator for audio and RF

c    (not essential) frequency counter

 

Builder’s Aids

Toroid Winding

            Tips

            Video

 

Soldering and Other Kit Construction Skills

 

SMT Chip Soldering

 

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection

 

SMT IC Soldering

 

Another (one of the best) SMT Soldering Video

Stages of the Build (in the correct build sequence)

 

            0 Inventory/Bill of Materials

I Power Supply

II Local Oscillator

III Dividers

IV Op Amps

V RF Input

VI QSD (Mixer) Circuit

 

            VII Misc Connections

Software (free downloads)

Rocky

WINRAD 

Reflectors

Softrock-40 User Group  

 

Softrock Radio