Project finally started!!

Well I finally got off my backside and started my project for the SWR meter/audio filter/Frequency meter.

Below is the front panel. The two meters are for the SWR meter. The switch and two pots are for the audio filter. The rectangular slot is for the frequency meter.

Front Panel

The back panel (below) has two 1/4" phone jacks for the audio input and output, two RCA phone jacks for the antenna input and output and a rectangular hole for the Molex plug that connects the frequency counter. The Molex connector also supplies 12 Volts to run all the electronics.

Rear Panel

This picture below shows how the PCBs are mounted. The one closes is the audio filter and the one further away is the SWR meter. A lot of empty space there... maybe room enough for some boots for my HW-8?

PCBs mounted to Chassis

Below is the frequency counter I will use.  You can just see the Molex connector between the HW-8 and my home brew QRP antenna tuner

Frequency Counter

Both the frequency counter and SWR bridge I got from Kits and Parts dot com  http://www.kitsandparts.com/ . Inexpensive and good documentation. I highly recommend them!

As with any project not everything goes the way you would like. Mounting of the frequency counter is turning out to be a little more of a project then I originally thought. I needed to order some 3/4" and 1/4' standoffs before I can finishing mounting it.

I always struggle with the mechanical part of a project. I am not good at cutting slots and aligning holes and I also end up scratching up the front. That is why I procrastinate so much when doing these projects. I was one of those kids that could not color inside the lines. In fact the box that is just above the frequency counter in the last picture is one of my projects. It is the antenna tuner I built 30 years ago. You can tell the slot in the front is kind of sloppy.

BTW, one of the reason I am doing this project is to see if my antenna tuner actually works. I never had a SWR meter so I was never sure it actually tuned correctly.

All for now. Next I will put the PCBs together. When the standoffs come I will try and finish mounting the frequency meter.

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