When [Pete Juliano] sat down to style a sideband transceiver for the 20 Meter (14 MHz) ham radio band, he avoided the prominent circuits that comprise so lots of designs. He forged ahead, building a book style that he phone calls Pete’s basic seven SSB Transceiver, or PSSST for short.
What makes the PSSST so basic is not only its construction, however the low element count. The exact same circuit utilizing four 2N2222A’s is utilized on both transmit as well as receive. On transmit, an additional three elements step in to amplify the microphone input as well as develop output power, which is 2.5-4 Watts, depending upon the final output transistor used. the very best part is that all of the transistors can be had for under $10 USD! [Pete] shows where radio elements such as the RF mixers as well as the crystal filter can be purchased, saving a new constructor a great deal of headaches. The VFO as well as IF frequencies are both supplied by the venerable si5351a with an Arduino at the helm.
Many basic transceivers are created to demonstrate a minimum viable radio, with performance not truly a goal. On the other hand, the PSSST was modeled stage-by-stage in LTSpice, ensuring excellent transmit audio as well as great receiver performance. Be sure to inspect out the presentation below the break!
[Pete] has painstakingly documented the entire job on his website, as well as the code for the VFO is offered by request by means of email. We appreciate this contribution to the homebrew ham radio community, as well as we’re sure this will supply lots of nights of solder smoking pleasure for radio amateurs around the world.
Thanks to [Nick, G8INE] for the Tip!