Great video. A couple of years ago, I modified an ssb cb using the same clock generator. I used the Si5351a to replace three internal crystals, leaving the pll in place. I didn't bother with filtering the output of the si5351a as the radios internal filtering did that. I also enclosed my si5351a, and controlled its temperature, with a PID controlled Christmas tree bulb. Worked great. I have had the radio in use for a couple of years now, and get good on air reports. Frequency stability is excellent, where it was useless before the upgrade. My radio is used in my basement and temperature can vary from 16C to 25C. My si5351a is heated to 30 degrees C so there is no noticeable frequency variation . Thank you for your video.
Hi Peter, Thank you for your comment. Very interesting stuff! Regarding filtering, you are correct. When you replace oscillator circuits or crystals in radio gear, the radio's internal filtering usually eliminates the harmonics and overtones. I've done the same thing, and it works great. I also like how you stabilised the reference crystal, essentially creating a TCXO. Brilliant idea!
Hi Paul, Yeah it's really been fun playing with this device, I am really impressed with it. As you say the possibilities are fantastic. I am planning to make some follow up videos to this. Thanks for the comment.
Would not compile....faults. I double checked it from what is blurry on the screen, looks exact. Is there a copy of this code for download so I can test my si5351 module? What should I be seeing pk-pk voltage OUTPUT?
Hi Rob, Thank you for your comment. I looked at the code again from the video and it should compile. I think that you may be using the wrong library, I should have made this a little more clear in the video. So the sketch is based around the Etherkit library by Jason Mildrum. You may need to unistall the current library and install the Etherkit library via the library manger within the Arduino IDE and search for Si5351 and install the Etherkit library. Also I have some videos with code called "how to build a VFO" where I go through this in more detail. I hope this is of help. If you are still struggling drop me a line and I will try and help. Also the output at 2mA drive should be around 0dBM into a 50ohm load there ar e on line calculators that will calculate the pk voltage from this value.
I have a couple of candidate radios I've been considering for this. Thanks for the demonstration. The software is the head banger. There's a bunch of examples, but some of the fancier CB stuff is closed source. It might also be fun to build a VFO for an old Yaesu FT-101 or something and see if it can keep it from drifting.
Hi Jason, I think that FT-101 would work well with this board and I think it would be much more stable. Yeah I get that the software can be a bit of a head banger, I need to think about how to make a video going through C++ programming for a VFO that would make things a little easier. I could possibly write a universal type sketch that can be simply modified to work on many radios. let me see what I can come up with. Thanks for the comment.
Welcome. Another thought if you can't get suitable direct FM from a clock synthesizer might be to try replacing one of the mixing crystal inputs. You could still have the PLL for FM then.@@M0XFXUK
@@keyboarderror1 Hi Jayson, Yes that is a great idea and suggestion. I have been thinking about just replacing the band oscillator and leaving the PLL still running as I am sure it would work. I am currently playing with the B version of the clock generator IC which has a VCO built in with the hope it will modulate FM.
Hey MicroChipz thanks for stopping by the channel. Yes it certainly has been an eye opener for me as I really didn't think the clock gen board would work that well. I hope to take another look at this over the weekend and sort out the FM TX and write some code to interface the channel selector with the Arduino.
@@M0XFXUK well you only need 40 sets of n codes from the channel change ,ch1 is all 1 think it’s 8 data lines , why not use a up/down instead then add a oled display then you have a dds vfo of sorts .
@@MicroChipz If I wanted to use the original display and channel encoder I guess that the 8 bit parallel binary may inversely translates to a a decimal channel number may be? I am not sure but I will take a look. If it does it would make it easer to code. Interesting on the up/down option as it wouldn't be too difficult to code. I like the OLED idea and I have lots of then knocking about the workshop. I hope to have another go at it this weekend.
Nice project. Did some similar experiments a few years back but using the ad9850 dds module. It's possible using an adc input on the arduino to modulate the frequency of the dds fast enough to generate FM. But 10m Ssb worked well.
Hi Brain, I haven't played with the ad9850 but it's on my radar it's very interesting what you have managed to achieve with it. I have playing with the AD9910 DAC controlling it with Arduino Due with mixed results, I should really go back to it and do some more tinkering. I was pleasantly surprised how well the SI5153A works, even though the output waveform is as rough as hell without a band-pass filter but it's still fantastic for the price. I have also been playing with the SI5351B which unlike the A version has a VCO and I'm supplying it with an audio signal to modulate FM but again I need to spend more time on it. I currently really busy but I hope to have that video out in a couple of weeks time. Thanks for the comment, really great to hear from you.
@@M0XFXUK I like the SI5351 module, I've played quite a bit with it mostly using 2 outputs in quadrature to drive sdr radios. Must admit I've not come across the B variant, sounds interesting I'll have to look out for it. The radio I was experimenting on was the Major M588, almost identical I think to what you have there.
@@brianharper9798 Hi Brian, The B version I picked up from Digikey as just the IC and I have been cobbling all the bits together to make a breakout board. I am currently working on the voltage conversion for the I2C from 5 to 3.3V. It's looking promising for FM mod.
The level shifting should be straightforward, the little circuit boards you can get just use a small mosfet and a couple of resistors. 3.3v one side 5v the other and it's bi-directional.
@@brianharper9798 Hi Brian yes as you say it's straightforward enough to do the voltage conversion and I have everything to make up a prototype board but sadly not the time. I am going to see if I can get back at it over the weekend.
Impressive work going on here. Kindly do you have a documentation of this project with connection diagrams for the test instruments ? Especially how/where you test the signal to noise ratio. Thank you
Hi apologies I have been busy with work commitments of late. With regards to your question, to be honest signal to noise isn't really the best way to test the performance of the clock generator. I had noticed the the original LO in the radio had quite a bit of phase noise indeed you can see it on the oscilloscope. If you wanted to test signal to noise I find using SINAD measurement is good way doing this especially if you are using FM. To do this you need to inject a 1 KHz modulated RF signal into the antenna socket tune the radio to the same frequency. Connect a SINAD meter to the Ext speaker socket and reduce the RF signal level until you get into the noise. The SINAD is the ratio of noise to the RF signal level.
What a great video! I've just discovered and subscribed to your channel and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been looking for "how to" videos using Si chips and old radio conversions. Any plans to use the Si5351 with old PMR radios? Thanks and best 73, G0ACE
Apologies for the late reply as for some reason I didn't see your comment until now. Yes I have continued playing around with the si5351 and PMR equipment would be a prime candidate, I have made some more video's regarding how to build a VFO using the si5351. Thank you for the comment. 73 John M0XFX
Hey Houdi, I am really cuffed that you are enjoying the new videos. Let me know if you have any suggestions and I will do my best to put a video together. Should be a part 2 to this soon. Best regards John
Hi Johnny, Great video, even though I did get lost a few times, lol. Keep the videos coming please buddy.. Meanwhile, How's things with our old jumbo coming along.? I don't recall seeing any further updates lately hi hi. I'm off the air sill at the moment due to not being able to get a new & decent antenna back up. Plus, I've had a few falls recently both in the house, & trying to get something antenna wise up in the garden. I've lost count of how many times I wish I still had a pump up, LOL, , , Did you ever get 1 of the 2 put into good use? Hope all is well with the family. Kind Regards, Your old buddy in Milton Regis.
Ray me old mate it's always a pleasure to hear from you? I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment. I wish I still lived near by as i would sort out the antenna problems for you. Surly there must me someone in Kent that could help you? re the mast, Yeah I lost the pump up Clarke mast when I left Sittingbourne, I miss it too. Yeah the family is all good. Take care and stay in touch. Regards John M0XFX
Great video John. I'm a right thicko when it comes to Arduino (whatduino?). Could you do a dds vfo construction and programming video please. I also have a project for you, it's a Maycom AR108 receiver, fine on broadcast band but airband not working. P.M. me your address and I'll post it to you. Keep the videos coming, top channel!
Hi Chris, hope you are well mate. Re the (Whatduino) LOL 🤪so was I but you just need an interesting project to get started you would soon pick it up. More than happy to sort out the Maycom AR108 receiver for you as it's would make an interesting video. I may have to leave it for a couple of weeks though as I am currently on an intensive training course with 2.5 hours of evening home work of a day.. It's killing me LOL. As always thanks for the comment.
Yeah no worries Mark thanks for the offer, what I am really looking for is a Uniden rig and I think I may now have one in the pipe line. I was surprised how well these clock oscillators work especially at the price. Hope you are well mate.
Great video. A couple of years ago, I modified an ssb cb using the same clock generator. I used the Si5351a to replace three internal crystals, leaving the pll in place.
I didn't bother with filtering the output of the si5351a as the radios internal filtering did that. I also enclosed my si5351a, and controlled its temperature, with a PID controlled Christmas tree bulb. Worked great.
I have had the radio in use for a couple of years now, and get good on air reports. Frequency stability is excellent, where it was useless before the upgrade.
My radio is used in my basement and temperature can vary from 16C to 25C. My si5351a is heated to 30 degrees C so there is no noticeable frequency variation .
Thank you for your video.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your comment. Very interesting stuff!
Regarding filtering, you are correct. When you replace oscillator circuits or crystals in radio gear, the radio's internal filtering usually eliminates the harmonics and overtones. I've done the same thing, and it works great.
I also like how you stabilised the reference crystal, essentially creating a TCXO. Brilliant idea!
John, Your videos , like you, are brilliant . Thanks for sharing both with all of us. More like this please.
Oooooh thanks for a great video!!! I will perform this modification on an ICOM IC202s which has major concerns with frequency stability.
Wow what a fantastic project this could be!
Hi Paul, Yeah it's really been fun playing with this device, I am really impressed with it. As you say the possibilities are fantastic. I am planning to make some follow up videos to this. Thanks for the comment.
@@M0XFXUK yeah fm mod and a funky screen for starters
Thanks John, very interesting.👍🏻
Thanks I'm glad that you found the video interesting. Best Regards John
Would not compile....faults. I double checked it from what is blurry on the screen, looks exact. Is there a copy of this code for download so I can test my si5351 module? What should I be seeing pk-pk voltage OUTPUT?
Hi Rob, Thank you for your comment. I looked at the code again from the video and it should compile. I think that you may be using the wrong library, I should have made this a little more clear in the video. So the sketch is based around the Etherkit library by Jason Mildrum. You may need to unistall the current library and install the Etherkit library via the library manger within the Arduino IDE and search for Si5351 and install the Etherkit library. Also I have some videos with code called "how to build a VFO" where I go through this in more detail. I hope this is of help. If you are still struggling drop me a line and I will try and help. Also the output at 2mA drive should be around 0dBM into a 50ohm load there ar e on line calculators that will calculate the pk voltage from this value.
I have a couple of candidate radios I've been considering for this. Thanks for the demonstration. The software is the head banger. There's a bunch of examples, but some of the fancier CB stuff is closed source. It might also be fun to build a VFO for an old Yaesu FT-101 or something and see if it can keep it from drifting.
Hi Jason, I think that FT-101 would work well with this board and I think it would be much more stable. Yeah I get that the software can be a bit of a head banger, I need to think about how to make a video going through C++ programming for a VFO that would make things a little easier. I could possibly write a universal type sketch that can be simply modified to work on many radios. let me see what I can come up with. Thanks for the comment.
Welcome. Another thought if you can't get suitable direct FM from a clock synthesizer might be to try replacing one of the mixing crystal inputs. You could still have the PLL for FM then.@@M0XFXUK
@@keyboarderror1 Hi Jayson, Yes that is a great idea and suggestion. I have been thinking about just replacing the band oscillator and leaving the PLL still running as I am sure it would work. I am currently playing with the B version of the clock generator IC which has a VCO built in with the hope it will modulate FM.
@@keyboarderror1 Just a quick update I have cracked the FM problem, video to be out in a day or two max.
A interesting project you have there.
Hey MicroChipz thanks for stopping by the channel. Yes it certainly has been an eye opener for me as I really didn't think the clock gen board would work that well. I hope to take another look at this over the weekend and sort out the FM TX and write some code to interface the channel selector with the Arduino.
@@M0XFXUK well you only need 40 sets of n codes from the channel change ,ch1 is all 1 think it’s 8 data lines , why not use a up/down instead then add a oled display then you have a dds vfo of sorts .
@@MicroChipz If I wanted to use the original display and channel encoder I guess that the 8 bit parallel binary may inversely translates to a a decimal channel number may be? I am not sure but I will take a look. If it does it would make it easer to code. Interesting on the up/down option as it wouldn't be too difficult to code. I like the OLED idea and I have lots of then knocking about the workshop. I hope to have another go at it this weekend.
Nice project. Did some similar experiments a few years back but using the ad9850 dds module. It's possible using an adc input on the arduino to modulate the frequency of the dds fast enough to generate FM. But 10m Ssb worked well.
Hi Brain, I haven't played with the ad9850 but it's on my radar it's very interesting what you have managed to achieve with it. I have playing with the AD9910 DAC controlling it with Arduino Due with mixed results, I should really go back to it and do some more tinkering. I was pleasantly surprised how well the SI5153A works, even though the output waveform is as rough as hell without a band-pass filter but it's still fantastic for the price. I have also been playing with the SI5351B which unlike the A version has a VCO and I'm supplying it with an audio signal to modulate FM but again I need to spend more time on it. I currently really busy but I hope to have that video out in a couple of weeks time. Thanks for the comment, really great to hear from you.
@@M0XFXUK I like the SI5351 module, I've played quite a bit with it mostly using 2 outputs in quadrature to drive sdr radios. Must admit I've not come across the B variant, sounds interesting I'll have to look out for it.
The radio I was experimenting on was the Major M588, almost identical I think to what you have there.
@@brianharper9798 Hi Brian, The B version I picked up from Digikey as just the IC and I have been cobbling all the bits together to make a breakout board. I am currently working on the voltage conversion for the I2C from 5 to 3.3V. It's looking promising for FM mod.
The level shifting should be straightforward, the little circuit boards you can get just use a small mosfet and a couple of resistors. 3.3v one side 5v the other and it's bi-directional.
@@brianharper9798 Hi Brian yes as you say it's straightforward enough to do the voltage conversion and I have everything to make up a prototype board but sadly not the time. I am going to see if I can get back at it over the weekend.
Impressive work going on here. Kindly do you have a documentation of this project with connection diagrams for the test instruments ? Especially how/where you test the signal to noise ratio. Thank you
Hi apologies I have been busy with work commitments of late. With regards to your question, to be honest signal to noise isn't really the best way to test the performance of the clock generator. I had noticed the the original LO in the radio had quite a bit of phase noise indeed you can see it on the oscilloscope. If you wanted to test signal to noise I find using SINAD measurement is good way doing this especially if you are using FM. To do this you need to inject a 1 KHz modulated RF signal into the antenna socket tune the radio to the same frequency. Connect a SINAD meter to the Ext speaker socket and reduce the RF signal level until you get into the noise. The SINAD is the ratio of noise to the RF signal level.
What a great video! I've just discovered and subscribed to your channel and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been looking for "how to" videos using Si chips and old radio conversions. Any plans to use the Si5351 with old PMR radios? Thanks and best 73, G0ACE
Apologies for the late reply as for some reason I didn't see your comment until now. Yes I have continued playing around with the si5351 and PMR equipment would be a prime candidate, I have made some more video's regarding how to build a VFO using the si5351. Thank you for the comment. 73 John M0XFX
@@M0XFXUK No problem John, thanks for your reply. I'm eager to learn and will check in with your channel regularly. Best 73, Ace G0ACE
I also made Local Oscillator for ICOM IC-970 radio with GPS disciplining.
Imagina o yaesu ft7b, deve ficar muito bom , será que já tem na Internet o software para o yaesu ft7b?
Hi Poulo, I am sorry but I don't know this radio.
Top draw again John 👌
Hey Houdi, I am really cuffed that you are enjoying the new videos. Let me know if you have any suggestions and I will do my best to put a video together. Should be a part 2 to this soon. Best regards John
Hi Johnny,
Great video, even though I did get lost a few times, lol.
Keep the videos coming please buddy..
Meanwhile, How's things with our old jumbo coming along.? I don't recall seeing any further updates lately hi hi. I'm off the air sill at the moment due to not being able to get a new & decent antenna back up. Plus, I've had a few falls recently both in the house, & trying to get something antenna wise up in the garden. I've lost count of how many times I wish I still had a pump up, LOL, , , Did you ever get 1 of the 2 put into good use?
Hope all is well with the family.
Kind Regards,
Your old buddy in Milton Regis.
Ray me old mate it's always a pleasure to hear from you? I'm sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment. I wish I still lived near by as i would sort out the antenna problems for you. Surly there must me someone in Kent that could help you? re the mast, Yeah I lost the pump up Clarke mast when I left Sittingbourne, I miss it too. Yeah the family is all good. Take care and stay in touch. Regards John M0XFX
Great video John. I'm a right thicko when it comes to Arduino (whatduino?).
Could you do a dds vfo construction and programming video please.
I also have a project for you, it's a Maycom AR108 receiver, fine on broadcast band but airband not working.
P.M. me your address and I'll post it to you.
Keep the videos coming, top channel!
Hi Chris, hope you are well mate. Re the (Whatduino) LOL 🤪so was I but you just need an interesting project to get started you would soon pick it up. More than happy to sort out the Maycom AR108 receiver for you as it's would make an interesting video. I may have to leave it for a couple of weeks though as I am currently on an intensive training course with 2.5 hours of evening home work of a day.. It's killing me LOL. As always thanks for the comment.
thats not work !
I could have lent you a few Multimodes :)
Yeah no worries Mark thanks for the offer, what I am really looking for is a Uniden rig and I think I may now have one in the pipe line. I was surprised how well these clock oscillators work especially at the price. Hope you are well mate.