24/1/23, 9:13 Chinese Pixie - 3rd Planet Solar / KC9ON

Chinese Pixie

These kits usually come with a 7.023MHz crystal(s)

which are in the EXTRA class bands.  Check out our
Crystals to move these little rigs to the General
Tech/Novice frequencies.
Want to change frequencies?  Try the Pixie Switch to
change up to 4 crystals.
Need a Pixie? Get a Pixie, Switch, and Crystals with
our CCK-Pixie.
 

Have a neat Pixie tip or hack?  Let us know and we’ll add it
to this page.
 

Click here for the Pixie Assembly Manual

Having problems with your Pixie?  Download the Pixie-
Troubleshooting screen shots and DC voltages of a typical
Pixie.

Follow THIS LINK for a neat enclosure you can build by

VE3FWF.
 
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Read on for more information about the Pixie including a

couple of tips, tricks, mods, and hacks…………..

Kit Cost:  $7
Kit Contents:
Bag of Parts, Printed Circuit Board, Schematic Diagram, Parts list and Layout page.

No other instructions

2020 update:  There are several variants of Chinese Pixies now days starting from $3-10:

Pixie  with BNC connector (3 ground plane variations but all the same footprint) – This
is the version discussed here.
Pixie with polarized plugs for the antenna/audio/power/key
Pixie with a built in side tone buzzer

Assembly:
Fortunately there are not many parts on this board and no coils to wind.   Assembly was pretty
easy by matching up the correct part and soldering in.  Lay the R/C/Q parts in first, then the 8
pin socket, and connectors the last.

Note: These kits may have inventory issues – one kit was missing a 470pF cap.  See the
Ocotpus below for other part variances.

Operation and comments:

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Lead spacing on disc caps should have been either .1″ on the PCB or .2″ parts.
Solder pads could have been slightly larger.
Ground pins did not have thermals which makes soldering more difficult (bad for VHF
RF but were talking 40M here!).
Beginners may have problems identifying the inductor values since the color codes are
not on the parts list.
RIT is a trimmer and should be an outright potentiometer w/ knob.

It works but what more do you want for a $7 kit?  Output power is about 1/2W and receive
sensitivity picks up signals so that makes it good for what it is.  The worst part is the wide
bandwidth makes tons of high pitches noises which can be annoying after a while.  Best to use
an outboard audio filter (see CALF).  Not sure if I will make a QSO with it but will make a nice
board for Tx/Rx testing of other projects.

Using FLDigi and HRD software to receive CW works good with this little rig.  Seems no
attenuator is needed between the Pixie and computer although the drive can be a little much at
times. Found HRD to work slightly better.  YMMV.

2015-02-24 – Finally made a QSO on the Pixie with the 7122 crystals.  Missed Texas
the night before with a copy of “SRI NO CPY QRM” returned but managed to work
Wisconsin today with a 579.  That’s 280 miles away which makes it 560 miles to the
watt!

2015-02-28 – The pixie built by N8JTQ is up and running.  Was missing a 470pF capacitor but
it makes and sends CW now!

Pixie Filter Output Values for Other Bands

This is listed in other places on the internet but decided to list them here because I keep
loosing my scrap of paper for them.  Use the nearest standard value parts.  For example on
20M a 220pF capacitor should work fine.  In the list below are parts from Tayda Electronics  

160M 1750pF 4.4uF 1750pF

(Tayda A-4002 1800pF) (Tayda A-467 4.7uH)

80M 894pF 2.23uH 894pF

(Tayda A-542 & A-529     820+68pF) (Tayda A-192 2.2uH)

40M 470pF 1uH 470pF

(Tayda A-968 740pF) (Tayda A-455 1uH) 0

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30M 315pF .79uH 315pF

(Tayda A-4306 or A-537 300/330pF) (Tayda A-444 .68uH)

20M 226pF .57uH 226pF

(Tayda A-535 220pF) (Tayda A-442 .56uH)

17M 176pF .44uH 176pF

(Tayda A-534 180pF) (Tayda A-41 .47uH)

15M 151pF .38uH 151pF

(Tayda A-533 150pF)

12M 127pF .32uH 127pF

(Tayda A-532 120pF)

10M 113pF .28uH 113pF

(Tayda A-531 & A-520 100+12pF) (Tayda A-440 .27uH)

6M 64pF .16uH 64pF

(Tayda A-4043 62pF)

For 10M & 6M replace the capacitors in the oscillator circuit to 47pF (A-966).

For 20M replace C7 in the oscillator section to 82pF.

For 80M Add 100pF (A-4170) to C7 to start oscillation.

Using 2N2222 (A-113) or 2N5401 (A-116) transistors may increase power output.

TRANSMIT AUDIO POPPING

One problem with the pixies is the loud popping sound in the earphones when changing between
receive and transmit.  Although this mod will not eliminate the popping it will reduce it.  Simply
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add
a pair of back-to-back small signal “switch” type diodes across the headphone jack.  Any type of
switching diode will work (1N914, 1N4148, 1N4001, 1N458…..).  You may even find using a pair of
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Schottkey diodes may further reduce the popping due to it’s lower .35Vturn on voltage.  I used a
pair of HSMS-2802 schottkeys as it’s what was in the junk box.

Adding a simple side-tone

The Pixie lacks a simple side-tone and one can be easily added with a Pizeo buzzer and 7.5V
1N4737 Zener Diode.  Simply connect the positive (red) on the buzzer to the positive input voltage
terminal on the Pixie.  The connect the banded end of the Zener to the negative (black) on the
buzzer.  Finally connect the opposite end of the Zener to the tip of the keying jack.  I used a Tayda
A-875 buzzer.  The zener may be optional depending on  your  buzzer.  However in receive there
was enough leakage for the buzzer to be lighting audible.  The Zener eliminates this effect.  You
may wish to use a little heat shrink tubing to keep the zener from shorting other parts.  You may also
wish to add a little cardboard and tape over the piezo hole as it’s a bit loud for my taste.

Thanks to Bernie, VE3FWF, I now have this cool LASER

cut enclosure to put it in.
 
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Pixie Enclosure w/ Switch Rear View – Replaced transistors

  with PZT2222’s for 1W output!

VE3FWF Enclosure Plans (.SVG, .PDF & .JSON files)

along with SVXO instructions are available here:
VE3FWF-Enclosures

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