The AM Forum

Did you ever wonder how they fit so much into such a small package?  Amazing indeed!  The schematic probably is just a few blocks, but with amazing circuitry into the block supported by some great software.   Whats next for Ham Radio?   

http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=251470&cid=NL_Newsletters+-+DN+Daily 

Joe, W3GMS

Quite impressive. I wonder how many layers the board is. Do you suppose just 4?

Taking these things apart and even fixing them apparently is not uncommon. Perhaps not the iPhone5 as yet, but earlier models, Androids and shirt pocket MP3 players. Spare boards, displays, hardware, and special tools abound on eBay. Can anybody imagine hams standing in line at 3 AM to buy the first 75A1 when they came out? Wait until you see the new Elecraft K4!

Give me an HQ-140X re-cap and alighment job any day; I can barely see well enough to do that.

Bob, W3NE

Sometimes the layout folks miss a macro problem.

Apple 4 -- oh, your hand can short the antenna.  That's a problem.

Motorola Razr HD -- oh, your hand can short the antenna. That's a problem.

OK Paul, turn in ALL your electronics made since 1955. No fair sneaking over to your neighbors to watch TV,  and you must quit all employment that uses any such devices made or used in anyway since '55 too.  ;D

Retro Rick.

Good handle for you !

Not all technology is consumer-friendly. I had fun with the local car dealer who refused to tell me what a fault light code meant (check engine light).

I asked instead if he could tell me how to take out the bulb and defeat the check engine light.

This puzzled him.

So did'ja buy the car?
Yeah, I've been called Radial Rack, Radio Rick, Rick the P.. , but never Retro Rick.  I like the sound of it.  Kind of matches my age if nothing else.  Guess I'll have to turn in my QS1R & E card, my K3, "atomic clock", iPad the kids got me, and, and..   
...my DVD player for an unnamed, loaned DVD to an unnamed, unknown, haunted and gapped antenna aficionado.  ;D

Jon,

I am sure its a lot more than 4 layers.  Typically 1 for ground and another one for all the various voltages.  With such intensive I/O in and out of some of the larger LSI chips it usually mandates many signal layers.  3 or 4 mil signal lines with control impedance strip-line type construction.  It would be interesting to look at the simulation results for noise and cross-talk. 

Joe, W3GMS

Joe,

This looks VERY different from my Viking One. Also, where is the modulation transformer? What the heck!?!

Rob W1AEX