diy IF transformers: first attempt.

[Amie]

I struggle with coils, I tend to always test them in a circuit and see what results I then get, many a time I forget that my test gear is 50 Ohms so end up loading it badly.  In the end I check up with articles that say how they had wound coils and what size formers, then guess if I need to go more or less.

I used to watch dad "doing" inductors, he seemed to just know, there was a calculator running in his head I think

I have only found one software calculator that I like, and that is  from this site https://coil32.net/ 

I like this one:  https://www.1728.org/resfreq.htm

Keep plugging along it is all part of the fun of the hobby.

Seems a bit elementary to be foxed by those kinds of measurement errors. But.... I think I'll remember next time.

I wonder about building a small FET amp and  as a source follower....

Yeah, maybe I need one too! It has been suggested to me by a friend, now I see why

Crochet is way to complicated for me.

And me too, (I was joking, I'll leave clever stuff like crochet to my great gran....)

Rather more than I can set out here. There are some excellent articles on the subject of probing available online. I think there's at least one by Jim Williams, one of the all time great analogue designers. This paper certainly covers a lot of it: http://www.mit.edu/~6.331/an47fa.pdf

Big fan of Mr Williams, he was a natural, and had a very palatable written style, I've downloaded from the link, it may shed light on some more of my blunders.

I have managed to get some values that are ball park for my LO, it would have been more annoying, had I have had to wind the coils myself, and made an error, rather than taking a given value from the bag....

Your plan to take up crochet is full of holes, stick to electronics, you are good at that.

double funny! The times I sit and stare at something obvious for hours and can't work it out would tend to disprove your last statement but, I appreciate the encouragement.

I think I'll give it a couple of months before starting on a career in knitwear.

Thanks.
Amie.