It was great to see the announcement of a new Maker Faire event in Orange County, Calif. after so many years. Organizing and launching a new event is a ton of work, thank you to all planners, sponsors and the volunteers to make this happen!
I am glad all of my Maker Faire projects are still intact and have not been hacked for parts or made into other projects. So I brought some of my favorite projects from past events. This had to be done, since I had a short notice of the event.
I answered many questions on the items on display, and so I decided to share some details of what I did to these projects to make them “Maker Faire friendly.”
And, as part of our theme – Not Your Grandpa’s Ham Radio – all projects – as one visitor said, “do not look anything like the radios I have seen.”
My team of ham radio operators are always inspired to explore, experiment, improve, and create new and fun gadgets with some radio related twist. Integrating, hacking, modifying, breaking and fixing are all part of the ham radio experience. This is a ham radio tradition over 100 years old – and continues. Our mission is to explain and expose people to today’s ham radio and the technologies we use. It is truly “not your grandpa’s ham radio.”
Projects on Display – Details
Transverter System for the 10368 MHz (10.368 GHz) Amateur Radio Band
My current transverter system is based on a kit from Kuhne Electronic, in Germany. It is an older unit, their website has a new and improved version.
I said “current” system because the rig has changed many times over the years, which is why my transverter is named “Morpheus.”
In Greek mythology, Morpheus is the god of sleep. However, My use of the name is derived from the many iterations of the basic components, layout/ergonomics, performance and packaging. In other words, it has “morphed” or changed many times.
By the way, the transverter is only one part or module of a working 10 GHz ham radio transverter station. The transverter must be interfaced with other sub-assemblies in order to actually communicate.
I covered this aspect in several articles, here are some articles available online:
QSO Today Online Expo August 8, 2020: More 10 GHz Information
Presentation: Microwaves: Not Just for Leftovers
Lightning Detector Circuit from Charles Wenzel’s TechLib (Technical Library)
Lightning Detector/300 kHz Receiver
As mentioned during the show, the lightning detector is a very low frequency (VLF) receiver. The circuit can be found on Charles Wenzel’s site, TechLib, short for “Technical Library.”
My lightning detector appeared in Makezine, “Detect Lightning with a Simple Circuit”
My Lightning Detector at Bay Area Maker Faire 2016 can be seen in this LinkedIn post.
The LASER Communicator
Ramsey Electronics Model No. LBC6K. No longer made but may be available on online auction sites or other sources.
The RF Signal Detector
The RF detector is based on a portable power meter available as a kit from Down East Microwave (DEMI). It is called the W1GHz All Band Power Meter Complete Kit, Model ABPM. I replaced the LED bar graph display with individual LEDs to make the “meter” more visible.
The 1152 Board: The Magic Frequency
The 1152 MHz synthesizer is a modified circuit board from a surplus Qualcomm electronic logging device (ELD) for freight trucks. Modification information can be found on the San Bernardino Microwave Society (SBMS) website.
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