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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>For those of us who may not be here in six years,
check your local 99 cent or $1.00 store</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>as a source for various wattage fluorescent
bulbs. Presumably the highest wattage bulb</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>will give you the most bang for the buck!
(pun intended :-)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(Thanks Bob for bringing this idea to our
attention!)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>73 de Jack -- N7OO</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bruninga@usna.edu href="mailto:bruninga@usna.edu">Robert Bruninga</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=hfsig@lists.tapr.org
href="mailto:hfsig@lists.tapr.org">hfsig@lists.tapr.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, August 04, 2006 8:53
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [hfsig] 20W HF xmtr
challenge</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Build a 20 Watt HF transmitter and get $50
too!<BR><BR>Here is a modern scavage built amateur radio project that is
reminiscent of my novice years 40 years ago, when the discarded TV set was a
gold mine of parts for building a novice transmitter. The modern day
equivalent is the modern compact fluorescent bulb. <BR><BR>These bulbs
are a mixed blessing to the amateur radio community because they can generate
RFI in the HF spectrum that is counterproductive to weak signal work.
But on the other hand, they cut one's lighting electric bill by
75%! Each incandescent bulb replaced with a $1.99 compact
fluorescent bulb can save over $52 over the life of the bulb. So in
effect, you get paid $50 to use this bulb.<BR><BR>"If you can't lick-em,
join-em." Instead of an RFI generator, lets make a
transmitter!<BR><BR>Eventually this bulb will fail and this is usually due to
the aging of the flourecent bulb. So after you have used the bulb
to put $50 in your pocket, break open the base and find these components to
build your 20 Watt HF Transmitter:<BR><BR>2 IFR214 power mosfets<BR>4
1N4007 rectifiers<BR>1 22 uF 200V capacitor<BR>1 510pF 1.2 kV capacitor<BR>And
various smaller capacitors, resistors, thermisters and zeners.<BR><BR>I
challenge the amateur radio community to come up with a transmitter (or ther
useful ham radio project (inverter power supplies, etc) out of these
components.!<BR><BR>A schematic of the typical bulb is shown on Sam's
Schematic Collection Website:<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/samschem.htm#schpre">http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/samschem.htm#schpre</A>
<BR><BR>do an edit-search for "compact" and go right to it. Here is a
photo<BR>of the guts inside the bulb:<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/cfl2prts.jpg">http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/cfl2prts.jpg</A>
<BR><BR><BR>P.S. Don't pay $7 each for the bulbs! Look for the
blister packs of 6<BR>or the "contractor boxes" of 12 at a time, and the cost
gets below<BR>$2 each. (use one for 6 years and then when it burns out,
then<BR>start your transmitter project. hi hi)<BR><BR>AND not only do you save
$$$ from electric use alone, but the<BR>reduction of waste heat saves another
two-times that much in<BR>air conditioning costs in the summer! You just
made $150 bucks...<BR><BR>good luck!<BR>Bob,
WB4APR<BR><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>