2023 Updates to the VE3DNL Calibrator kit
Chuck, WB9KZY


Updates:

1) the board is now solder-masked, silk screened

2) the fixed capacitor is now 68 pF

3) the variable capacitor is a yellow Murata 7-40 pF

4) no socket is provided

5) a .1 uF decoupling capacitor is provided (the original kit had a socket with a built-in cap)


Modification ideas:

0) add a series diode to the positive supply (this might complicate item 1) to prevent a reverse polarity problem

1) use .1" headers for arduino style connections to 9V battery or antenna wire

2) pin sockets for a low profile IC connection (just don't cut them flush !)

3) pin sockets for the crystal to allow changes to a different frequency

4) as mentioned on the blog:  https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/07/blinking-led.html
   add a blinking LED in series with the positive supply to "gate" the markers

5) alternately to #4, use a "blinky" LED kit to gate the markers, see the Jackson Harbor Press blinky kit

6) add a pulse generator to the output, as mentioned in the markers document:  

   http://wb9kzy.com/markers.pdf

   see the Jackson Harbor Press pulse generator kit