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Project TouCans

 Hello, and welcome to the Project TouCans intro page!


Latest Outings







Update!

Project TouCans is now completely wireless! There's no feedline. At. All. There are also no lines for the keyer controls or the power supply. Everything Project TouCans needs it takes with it up into the antenna. Here's a recent photograph of the rig.

Project TouCans is the integration of a RockMite with a Tuna Topper amplifier. Both circuit boards are housed in a Dole pineapple can while the tuna can the Tuna Topper ships in is used for a lid and antenna mount. Hence, Project TouCans, ('cause there's two cans... get it... hehehehe.) Also, the rig is housed in the antenna, so it's a flying rig, so, once again, Project TouCans! The rig completely assembled delivers a QRP maximum 5 Watts directly into the antenna.

KO6BTY explains:


TouCans Innards
Photo of the Rockmite seated just below the tuna topper amplifier
TouCans without a Top
Photo of the Rockmite and Tuna Topper amplifier housed in a Dole pineapple can
Rockmite Keyer Port
Photo of RJ-45 breakout board mounted below the Rockmite. The board brings in the dih, dah, keyer programming signals, as well as the rigs 15 V power supply
Tuna Topper RF Out
Photo of the interior of the dipole antenna mount.
Exterior view of antenna mount
Photo of the dipole feedpint
Project TouCans in flight with the keyer in the foreground
Photo of Project TouCans nestled into it's dipole.

As you can see, originally TouCans was powered by D cells, but before long KO6BTY and I figured out that we could use a USB-C power brick.

Here's a list of the entries in this blog about Project TouCans.

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