30m QRSS Junkbox Beacon
Simple and low-cost QRSS beacon project utilizing mostly reused parts.
Description
This simple 30m QRSS beacon is built entirely out of junkbox parts, the only component purchased specifically for this project was the 10,140kHz crystal.
Hans Summers' 30m QRSS beacon project emphasizes simplicity and low cost, built almost entirely from reused parts. Key components include a 10,140kHz crystal, a 2N3904 transistor from a broken DVD player, and an ordinary LED used for frequency shift. The oscillator is stabilized in a polystyrene box, with power amplification driven by recycled copper PCB. Output power peaks at 360mW, and a custom 50-ohm dummy load manages heat. Though aesthetically unconventional, the beacon works effectively, fulfilling the project's low cost aim.