Re: Sorta OT - assistive technology assistance

[Steve Forst]

As a blind guy, I use the MX400 mixer to put radio audio and screen
reader audio from the pc into my headphones.  Works perfect for me.

73, Steve KW3A
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[JHRichards]

THANK YOU for the several replies to my mixer circuit question - both on
and off the list.  Unfortunately, few actually answered the original
question,  most often advising me to abandon the project or mix on a
computer sound card.

First - Thanks, Steve, for your input based on personal experience.  
While I am familiar with your mixer, Tom prefers a device with stereo
channels and outputs for both headphones and powered speakers. The model
under consideration has only two control pots, making it easier to
manage.   Tom truly appreciates your personal input and direct
correspondence off list.   He puts a lot of stock in your take.

Second - Tom prefers a simple hardware solution.   Locating a manual
control next to the rig is much easier (for him) to manage, than mixing
with a computer sound card.   Navigating multiple operating system
windows is a serious challenge because he cannot see the monitor or use
a mouse.  This is not the preferred method for a contest or snagging
rare DX before a pileup ensues.  Mixing on a computer would be very
inconvenient;  close your eyes and try it some day!   It's easy for you
to say ... but, not so easy for my friend to do.

Third -  We can simply purchase a commercial product  (I recommend the
Rolls MINImix MS22s stereo mixer, with just two pots, and outputs for
both headphones and speakers)

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DEFEATS THE WHOLE POINT BEHIND MY QUESTION.

While I do NOT wish to look a gift horse in the chops, or appear
ungrateful for the advice received so far;  money is not the object as I
want to LEARN how this type of circuit works, and do a favor for a
friend, in one stroke. Advising me to save money and just buy a
turn-key, off-the-shelf solution hardly fits the HAM RADIO TRADITION of
experimentation and self-determination,  and teaches me nothing about
circuit design.   I was hoping to build something MYSELF- earning that
heady sense of self-satisfaction that accompanies the completion of a
successful home brew project.  Considering all the experts on this list,
including world class board certified AES audio man Jim Brown, I figured
a simple summing circuit would be a snap.

I close this thread with a big THANK YOU on behalf of my  ... um ...
"client,"  whilst I repair to the proverbial drawing board to renew my
search for a simple summing circuit.

Happy trails to all.       JR

(We return you to your regular daily programming content)     ;-)

-----------------------------------------------------


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[Ken Winterling]

JR,

Another approach to help your friend is to buy and install an inexpensive,
simple mixer as he can clearly make use of it now.  You can still build a
mixer for the experience.  After taking whatever time is necessary for
designing, building, and debugging in your shop you can try it out at your
friend’s location for a “real world” evaluation by a real “end user”.  His
feedback may give you an opportunity to provide improvements to your design
or tailor it to his specific needs/desires.

Ken
WA2LBI



On Fri, Jan 11, 2019 at 10:57 Walter Underwood <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> Since you are dead set on building one from scratch, start here.
>
> https://www.google.com/search?q=audio+mixer+circuit
>
> You'll see a lot of four-channel mixers because quad op-amps are cheap,
> under $1.
>
> This one has the pots before the op amps.
>
> https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/projects/build-an-audio-mixer/
>
> This one has the pots after the op amps.
>
> http://www.theorycircuit.com/audio-mixer-circuit/
>
> I’d be interested in the parts cost after you have chosen a design.
>
> wunder
> K6WRU
> Walter Underwood
> CM87wj
> http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog)
>
> > On Jan 10, 2019, at 11:36 PM, Richards <[hidden email]> wrote:
> >
> > THANK YOU for the several replies to my mixer circuit question - both on
> and off the list.  Unfortunately, few actually answered the original
> question,  most often advising me to abandon the project or mix on a
> computer sound card.
> >
> > First - Thanks, Steve, for your input based on personal experience.
>  While I am familiar with your mixer, Tom prefers a device with stereo
> channels and outputs for both headphones and powered speakers. The model
> under consideration has only two control pots, making it easier to manage.
>  Tom truly appreciates your personal input and direct correspondence off
> list.   He puts a lot of stock in your take.
> >
> > Second - Tom prefers a simple hardware solution.   Locating a manual
> control next to the rig is much easier (for him) to manage, than mixing
> with a computer sound card.   Navigating multiple operating system windows
> is a serious challenge because he cannot see the monitor or use a mouse.
> This is not the preferred method for a contest or snagging rare DX before a
> pileup ensues.  Mixing on a computer would be very inconvenient;  close
> your eyes and try it some day!   It's easy for you to say ... but, not so
> easy for my friend to do.
> >
> > Third -  We can simply purchase a commercial product  (I recommend the
> Rolls MINImix MS22s stereo mixer, with just two pots, and outputs for both
> headphones and speakers)
> >
> > UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DEFEATS THE WHOLE POINT BEHIND MY QUESTION.
> >
> > While I do NOT wish to look a gift horse in the chops, or appear
> ungrateful for the advice received so far;  money is not the object as I
> want to LEARN how this type of circuit works, and do a favor for a friend,
> in one stroke. Advising me to save money and just buy a turn-key,
> off-the-shelf solution hardly fits the HAM RADIO TRADITION of
> experimentation and self-determination,  and teaches me nothing about
> circuit design.   I was hoping to build something MYSELF- earning that
> heady sense of self-satisfaction that accompanies the completion of a
> successful home brew project.  Considering all the experts on this list,
> including world class board certified AES audio man Jim Brown, I figured a
> simple summing circuit would be a snap.
> >
> > I close this thread with a big THANK YOU on behalf of my  ... um ...
> "client,"  whilst I repair to the proverbial drawing board to renew my
> search for a simple summing circuit.
> >
> > Happy trails to all.       JR
> >
> > (We return you to your regular daily programming content)     ;-)
> >
> > -----------------------------------------------------
> >
>
> --

Ken
WA2LBI

Sent from one of my mobile devices
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[alorona]

JR - I have a folder of dozens of replies to Elecraft posts that I've never sent. (I try to exercise discipline so that the moderator doesn't have to slap me on the hand.) But your reply said *exactly* what a draft that I had written said. I'm very happy that you expressed the same idea.

Building vs. buying, especially when buying is cheaper, is the homebrewer's dilemma. You now have to really want to learn something to build something yourself, and not merely save money.  More and more, homebrewing is in effect paying "tuition" to learn by doing.

I built a QRP transceiver totally from scratch last year, and virtually everybody I told asked me, "Why?" It took me weeks and weeks and, had I not been blessed with a really good junk box, would have cost me more than a KX2. But... I got to work with some really cool ultra low noise op amps and figured out how to get a half-watt out of a 2N2222, so putting this particular rig on the air for the first time was my "diploma".

I hope your construction project goes well. Please let us know when you get it working.

Al  W6LX
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[Bill Frantz]

Real hams design and build their own radios. :-) (I'm not a real
ham yet.)

73 Bill AE6JV

On 1/11/19 at 11:48 AM, [hidden email] (Al Lorona) wrote:

>I built a QRP transceiver totally from scratch last year, and
>virtually everybody I told asked me, "Why?" It took me weeks
>and weeks and, had I not been blessed with a really good junk
>box, would have cost me more than a KX2. But... I got to work
>with some really cool ultra low noise op amps and figured out
>how to get a half-watt out of a 2N2222, so putting this
>particular rig on the air for the first time was my "diploma".
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Frantz        | "I wish there was a knob on the TV to turn
up the
408-356-8506       | intelligence.  There's a knob called
"brightness", but
www.pwpconsult.com | it doesn't work. -- Gallagher

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[Bob McGraw - K4TAX]

Been there, done that.  Too smart and too old to do it again. Buying is
better.   Operating what one has purchased is more fun. Better yet,
learning to operate what one has purchased is very gratifying.

73

Bob, K4TAX

K3S, P3, KPA500, KAT500


On 1/11/2019 6:42 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:
> Real hams design and build their own radios. :-) (I'm not a real ham
> yet.)
>
> 73 Bill AE6JV
>
>

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[Edward R Cole]

Al-W6LX,

Commendable.  I enjoy building stuff, too.  Not so far as to design a
radio "ground up" but my first ham radio was a kit back when I was 14
years old.  Mainly because it was cheaper ($19.95 in 1958).  When I
got my Novice license my dad bought my elmer's DX35 for me (he wanted
to upgrade to DX100).

Later getting on 2m AM a friend modified my WWII aircraft radio for
me (still a teen with no experience or test equip) but I built two
8-element yagis from conduit and aluminum ground wire and put up a
small tower (with manual rotation).

Over time I learned more and took on bigger projects (see my website
for examples).  Now on 630m to 3cm. EME on three bands going to five bands.

Along the way I got a college degree and had some nifty jobs (sent a
few spacecraft out into the Universe).  Now retired and finishing up
a 1200w sspa kit for 2m.  I built a few Heathkits in my time.  I
consider a kit as something you solder vs just assembling hardware
(sorry Elecraft).  My Elecraft are all "kits" partly because I am cheap.

But I also felt it made little sense to reinvent things one could buy
good quality.  Thus I have my K3U and KX3-2M; an old FT-736R and an
old MOT 900-MHz mobile radio.  I do not bake my own integrated ckts
but will solder a few onto my custom pcb's.

Nothing wrong with buying vs building; you still have to put the
station together as a system.

73, Ed - KL7UW
http://www.kl7uw.com/

From: Al Lorona <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email], Richards <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Sorta OT - assistive technology assistance
Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

JR - I have a folder of dozens of replies to Elecraft posts that I've
never sent. (I try to exercise discipline so that the moderator
doesn't have to slap me on the hand.) But your reply said *exactly*
what a draft that I had written said. I'm very happy that you
expressed the same idea.

Building vs. buying, especially when buying is cheaper, is the
homebrewer's dilemma. You now have to really want to learn something
to build something yourself, and not merely save money.? More and
more, homebrewing is in effect paying "tuition" to learn by doing.

I built a QRP transceiver totally from scratch last year, and
virtually everybody I told asked me, "Why?" It took me weeks and
weeks and, had I not been blessed with a really good junk box, would
have cost me more than a KX2. But... I got to work with some really
cool ultra low noise op amps and figured out how to get a half-watt
out of a 2N2222, so putting this particular rig on the air for the
first time was my "diploma".

I hope your construction project goes well. Please let us know when
you get it working.

Al? W6LX


73, Ed - KL7UW
   http://www.kl7uw.com
Dubus-NA Business mail:
   [hidden email]

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