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PO Box 296 • TRACYTON, WA 98393-0296 • (360) 405-6805
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NW Series Monoband CW Transceiver
80, 40, 30, 20 meters - Order
The NW8020 is a state-of-the-art monoband QRP transceiver designed to bring Fun, Skill and Pride back into Ham Radio.
Fun, because you find that here is a small rig that offers features of a "Big" rig, but is much easier to operate!
Skill, because QRP contacts are not as easy to make as with the "Big" rig. You develop operating skills that will set you apart from the QRO crowd!
Pride, because you're making contacts, even DX, with a rig that you built yourself!
There are many other things about the NW Series and QRP that will enhance your Ham Radio experience. Take it camping; you can operate it from a gel cell.
Since you built it, you will have a better understanding of how it operates. You will meet other QRP'ers and discover a group of people who are different than many other Hams you may have met.
SuperHetrodyne
The NW Series has a superhet single signal receiver, with a variable bandwidth crystal filter. A two-pole active audio filter (from the ARRL handbook) is available as an option. The kit is assembled in steps, and each step is tested before the next step is started. In this way, you can be sure the finished radio is going to work. The silkscreened and solder-masked printed circuit board makes assembly easy.
Click to enlarge
Strong Audio
The audio will drive a 5" speaker, just like the "Big" rigs. The transmitter puts out four to five watts, and is adjustable down to the MW range.
Solid State Keying
The keying and muting is very smooth, and features solid-state antenna switching, so there is no clicking antenna relay. This is true QSK; you can hear interfering or breaking signals between letters. The sidetone is from the transmitted signal, and the level is internally adjustable to suit your ears. It can be adjusted so that your transmitted signal sounds just like the receive signal. This makes for comfortable, smooth, non-fatiguing, fun operation.
What is incuded in the "FULL" kit
A cabinet featuring painted and silkscreened front and rear panels is included. All hardware and knobs are included. Also included in the full kit is the AF-1 audio filter. The AF-l has optional resistors to set the gain and center freq where you want it. The AF-1 does a great job both of reducing background noise bringing weak signals up out of the noise.
NW - Reviews
NW20 QST December 2000 review by Bob Kellogg, AE4IC
Model NW30 -- HAMBREW Magazine, Autumn 1996 Issue. Article by Marshall Emm, AA0XI / VK5FN.
"HAMBREW" magazine (Summer 1995 issue) published an article which covered adding a Digital Readout to the NW8020, and also showed the unit in a Ten-Tec enclosure.
Building The Kit
MINIMUM TEST EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
Calibrated General Coverage Receiver (or Transceiver) or Frequency Counter.
Volt-Ohmmeter.
50-ohm Dummy Load.
12 Volt Power Source rated at 1.5 Amps Minimum.
Building time is from 10-30 hours depending on skill/experience.
NW Series Specifications and Lab Test Results
80, 40, 30, 20 meters - Order
The NW8020 is a state-of-the-art monoband QRP transceiver designed to bring Fun, Skill and Pride back into Ham Radio.
Fun, because you find that here is a small rig that offers features of a "Big" rig, but is much easier to operate!
Skill, because QRP contacts are not as easy to make as with the "Big" rig. You develop operating skills that will set you apart from the QRO crowd!
Pride, because you're making contacts, even DX, with a rig that you built yourself!
There are many other things about the NW Series and QRP that will enhance your Ham Radio experience. Take it camping; you can operate it from a gel cell.
Since you built it, you will have a better understanding of how it operates. You will meet other QRP'ers and discover a group of people who are different than many other Hams you may have met.
SuperHetrodyne
The NW Series has a superhet single signal receiver, with a variable bandwidth crystal filter. A two-pole active audio filter (from the ARRL handbook) is available as an option. The kit is assembled in steps, and each step is tested before the next step is started. In this way, you can be sure the finished radio is going to work. The silkscreened and solder-masked printed circuit board makes assembly easy.
Click to enlarge
Strong Audio
The audio will drive a 5" speaker, just like the "Big" rigs. The transmitter puts out four to five watts, and is adjustable down to the MW range.
Solid State Keying
The keying and muting is very smooth, and features solid-state antenna switching, so there is no clicking antenna relay. This is true QSK; you can hear interfering or breaking signals between letters. The sidetone is from the transmitted signal, and the level is internally adjustable to suit your ears. It can be adjusted so that your transmitted signal sounds just like the receive signal. This makes for comfortable, smooth, non-fatiguing, fun operation.
What is incuded in the "FULL" kit
A cabinet featuring painted and silkscreened front and rear panels is included. All hardware and knobs are included. Also included in the full kit is the AF-1 audio filter. The AF-l has optional resistors to set the gain and center freq where you want it. The AF-1 does a great job both of reducing background noise bringing weak signals up out of the noise.
NW - Reviews
NW20 QST December 2000 review by Bob Kellogg, AE4IC
Model NW30 -- HAMBREW Magazine, Autumn 1996 Issue. Article by Marshall Emm, AA0XI / VK5FN.
"HAMBREW" magazine (Summer 1995 issue) published an article which covered adding a Digital Readout to the NW8020, and also showed the unit in a Ten-Tec enclosure.
Building The Kit
MINIMUM TEST EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
Calibrated General Coverage Receiver (or Transceiver) or Frequency Counter.
Volt-Ohmmeter.
50-ohm Dummy Load.
12 Volt Power Source rated at 1.5 Amps Minimum.
Building time is from 10-30 hours depending on skill/experience.
NW Series Specifications and Lab Test Results
| Model tested: NW40, 40M QRP Transceiver | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unit tested was built by Roy Gregson, W6EMT | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuning ranges for the models are listed below: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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**80 Meters - 3.500 to 3.750 MHz; IF freq is 9.6 MHz; VFO tunes 6.100 to 5.850 MHz
**40 Meters - 7.000 to 7.200 MHz; IF freq is 12.0 MHz; VFO tunes 5.000 to 4.800 MHz 30 Meters - 10.100 to 10.135 MHz; IF freq is 12.0 MHz; VFO tunes 1.900 to 1.865 MHz 20 Meters - 14.000 to 14.090 MHz; IF freq is 9.600 MHz; VFO tunes 4.470 to 4.400 MHz ** Note novice band coverage |
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| Physical Size/Weight: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Height 2.75 in. (7cm)
Width 6.625 in. (15cm) Depth 6.75 in. (14cm) Weight ~1lb. 4oz. (574 grams) |
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| Lab Tests were performed by Paul Harden, NA5N using HP 1590 and/or Colby SG1000A signal generator; Tektronix 475 or TDS520 (plotting) oscilloscope; Tektronix 7L13 or Tek 2712 (plotting) spectrum analyzer; HP435A Power Meter; HP 5342A frequency counter; Wavetek DM27XT DVM. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DC Power Requirements: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Receiver Section: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Minimum Detectable Signal (MDS): | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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-118 to -130 dBm (.07uV) (from wide to narrow on variable BW filter) |
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| VFO Drift from power on: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| IF Filter: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4-pole crystal filter -- 6dB Bandwidth: 1.7KHz - 150Hz wide to narrow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Transmitter Section: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tracyton, WA 98393-0296 (360) 405-6805 Hours: (WEST COAST USA) 9:00 am - 6:00 pm (PST)
Eastern US call between 12:00 pm thru 9:00 pm YOUR time. |
| HOME | •NW80/40/30/20 | •ZM-2 TUNER | •LADDER GRABBER | •COAX GRABBER | •ORDER | •GALLERY | •FORUM |