Kanga Products Bassinet Guide

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 1 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
‘Rooster’CW Transceiver
Kit Manual and User Guide
Rev3 22/11/2023
Easy Build 40m Crystal controlled Transceiver.
Direct Conversion Design
Part Pre-installed SMD design
Only 20 parts to fit, No coils to wind!
Single Frequency Crystal controlled operation
Front panel RIT control
approx. 2 Watts RF Output
Active Audio Filter
Pleasant Sinewave CW Sidetone
Visual RX/TX indicator
10-14v DC Operation
Supplied with Strong Aluminium Case

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 2 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Introduction
Welcome to the Rooster. The Rooster is designed to be a single evening project that will be
fun to build and even more fun to use. The Rooster is intended to be a replacement for the
FOXX3 kit Kanga offered for many years. The FOXX3 was very popular but had a few issues
that we wanted to address with its replacement. We wanted a simple transceiver kit that
offered better sensitivity and selectivity, more power and a purpose made enclosure.
The Rooster was first offered at the RSGB convention in 2023 to beta testers and following
feedback the Rooster design was updated to this version.
The design is based around a standard SA/NE612 front end mixer/oscillator with an op-amp
audio amplifier and active audio filter. The transmitter also shares the NE612 oscillator and
buffers the VFO signal before feeding it to a high gain PA stage giving approx. 2 watts of RF.
The kit uses a mix of SMD and though hole parts, ALL the SMD parts are pre-installed but
still leaving about 20 parts to fit to complete the transceiver. The kit can be completed in
around an hour by an experienced builder and would be a good choice for an intermediate
level build-a-thon option.
The Rooster will require a suitable antenna with a low SWR, like all direct conversion
transceivers we would suggest it is powered by a 12V battery pack (10.5V-13.8V DC).
Disclaimer
The kit is designed to be built by Ham radio enthusiasts and in order to use the finished
product you need to hold a valid ham Radio licence that permits operation on the Rooster
frequency in your locality.
We oer the kit as is and do not guarantee the assembled kit by yourself can meet your local
regulatory requirements, including spurious, environmental or other requirements.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 3 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Parts Inventory
The parts are presented in a long strip of clear tubing, separated in sections. Each section
covers a small number of stages in the instructions, only open the section you are working
on at that time so you don’t lose any parts. Start at the end with the DC connectors and
3.5mm PCB sockets.
Item
Qty
Value
Comment
Enclosure
1
Rooster Aluminium Case
Enclosure
PCB
1
Rooster PCB
SMD Parts Pre-fitted
Parts Pack Section 1
DC PWR SKT
1
2.1mm DC Power Socket
PWR
3.5mm Jack
2
3.5 mm Stereo Type
PHONES/KEY
Capacitor
1
0.01uf MLCC Capacitor
C16
Q4
1
2N3906
Transistor Q4
Parts Pack Section 2
XTAL
3
40m Crystal
X1, X2, X3
TRIMMER
1
4-20PF Trimmer
C26
Q5
1
2N4401
Transistor Q5
Diode
1
44V 1N4755A
D3
Parts Pack Section 3
NE602
1
Mixer IC on adapter board
IC1
4 Way Strip Pins
2
Mixer Mounting Pin Strips
Strip Pins (may be fitted to IC1
IC Socket
1
8 way IC Socket
IC1
Parts Pack Section 4
L1
1
100uH
See Instructions for colours
L2
1
10uH
See Instructions for colours
L3
1
1uH
See Instructions for colours
L4
1
1uH
See Instructions for colours
L5
1
3.3uH
See Instructions for colours
Parts Pack Section 5
RIT
1
10K Potentiometer & Knob
TUNE
BNC
1
BNC Screened Socket
ANT
Thermal Pad
1
T226 Thermal Pad
Thermal Pad
Q6
1
2SC1162
Transistor Q6 PA Transistor
LED
1
Dual Colour LED
LED
Feet
4
Rubber Feet
Feet
Parts Pack Section 6
Rooster Front Panel
1
Front Panel
Pre-drilled and printed
Rooster Rear Panel
1
Rear Panel
Aluminium Rear Panel
Parts Pack Section 7
M3 Nut
1
M3 Black Nut
PA transistor Mounting Nut
M3 Screw
5
M3 Black Screw
Screws (Extra long one for PA)

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 4 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Important
The Rooster is a relatively easy to build transceiver BUT you need to carefully follow the
instructions, do not move on a stage until you are sure that you have completed the
previous stage correctly and fully, all parts must be fitted neatly and their leads trimmed
flush. I cannot stress strongly enough that unless you follow the instructions and make
sure that each part is fitted correctly as indicated in these instructions you will not
successfully complete the kit.
Get familiar with the main PCB.
You can see many parts are pre-fitted for you, there are about 20 parts left for you to fit.
Some of the parts are close together so you will need to take extra care when soldering,
make sure all the parts are fitted flush to the board if the instructions call for it and trim the
leads as flush to the board as you can. There is not a lot of room under the board when
fitted in the case.
The parts for the kit are in a number of sections, start with section 1. That is the end with
the DC and 3.5mm sockets, this will cover the first few stages of the build.
Section 1 :- Stage 1 - 3
Section 2 :- Stage 4 –5
Section 3 :- Stage 4 - 5
Section 4 :- Stage 6
Section 5 :- Stage 7 - 14
Section 6 :- Stage 7 - 14
Section 7 :- Mounting screws (Case/PA transistor)

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 5 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 1 :- The DC input socket
The first part of the build is to fit the DC socket.
The socket must be fitted so that its flush to
the board and level with the edge of the PCB,
the position for this is labelled PWR on the
board. It must be square to the edge of the
board as shown here. The silk screen printed
layout can be used to make sure it is positioned
and aligned correctly.
Solder one pin first on the bottom of the board
and checking the part is correctly fitted, once
you’re happy that it is right solder the remaining
two other pins.
Here is what you should have now.
The 3 legs are now
much too long, they
would short out
when fitted into the
case, use wire
trimmers and cut
the soldered pins
flush to the board.
Do not move on a stage until the current stage you are working on has been completed
correctly. The biggest problem identified with the beta testers was poor soldering and
rushing to get the kit built, do not take short cuts. Each part is as important as the next. Save
your self-problems later by taking care at each stage.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 6 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Testing your work
Ok we have only fitted one part but that will allow us to do some basic testing on the board.
We can test the voltage regulator and DC distribution now.
I suggest using a current limited supply if you have one and monitor the current the board
draws.
For all the following test I have used a 12v DC supply.
Apply 12v to the board via a suitable power lead (Centre pin positive) to the DC input socket
of the board (2.1mm plug needed)
The current consumption should be just a few milliamps, the overall finished receiver will be
around 20-25mA when complete.
On the front edge of the board you will see
the position for the RIT control (labelled
Tune). Use a DC Volt meter to measure the
voltage across the two outer pads for this
control. You will see about 1 volt less than
the supply voltage so approx. 11v with a 12v
supply.
Next we can check that the voltage regulator is
working correctly.
Check the voltage on position for U2 (that will
be the mixer chip NE612).
Measure across Pin3 (0v) a Pin 8 (+V).
You should see 8V.
That completed the first stage and the first
tests.
Take the same care with each of the following stages.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 7 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 2 :- Phones and Key sockets
The two jack sockets are
used for the key and the
headphones. They fit
right on the front edge of
the PCB. Both sockets are
the same type.
Fit them one by one.
Make sure that all the
pins pass though the
board and none are
folded over when you fit
them. The socket MUST
be flush on the board when you fit them, if not they will not line up with the holes in the
front panel later.
Solder just one pin on each socket first, then
double check the alignment. When sure they
are correctly aligned and flush solder the
remaining pins.
Again after you finish soldering these cut
the pins flush with the board.
Now we can do a more interesting test on the board.
Now since a lot of the parts are preinstalled we can
already test the audio amplifier section.
Make sure that any off cuts are cleared from the work area.
Plug a set of headphones into the ‘PHONES’ socket and power (12v DC) up the board.
Again check that the current is less than 20mA @12v

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 8 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Now we can perform the ‘Buzz’ test
With the headphones connected, touch the board with a metal screw driver on Pin 5 of the
position for U2. If you touch the shaft of the screw driver you should hear a loud buzz in the
headphones. Repeat the test but this time touch pin 4 of the U2 position
You may find that Pin 5 produces a louder Buzz than Pin 4.
This tests the audio and filter section of the board.
Pin 5 Buzz Test
Pin 4 Buzz Test

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 9 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 3 :- Side Tone
The Rooster has a sine wave sidetone generator, much more pleasant than many radios.
The first part we need to fit is a capacitor C16
C16 is a yellow capacitor with a 2.54mm pin spacing,
The value of this capacitor will adjust the volume of the
sidetone, we have used a value of 0.01uf for this.
CC16’s position is just
behind the Tune Control
location near the front of
the board.
Put this capacitor in its
location and slightly bend
the legs apart under the board, this will stop it falling out when you turn the board over to
solder it. Solder one lead first and re-check its still sat down correctly on the board. When
happy solder the second leg and trim the leads flush on the board.
The next part is a transistor, IMPORTANT ! many different transistors
all look just the same, look on the flat side of the transistors in this kit
and check you select the right one for this, you need to find the
2N3906.
This transistor is to be fitted in
position Q4 on the board, it’s just
behind the KEY IN socket.
Make sure you put it the correct way round, the outline on
the PCB shows the way it must be fitted.
Push the part down to the natural stop point, don’t force
it! It will sit about 3mm above the board. Bend the two
outer legs outwards so the part doesn’t fall out when you
turn the board over.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 10 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Solder the centre pin first and check the alignment of the
transistor it should sit nice and square on the board. When
your happy it looks right, solder the other two pins and
trim the leads flush.
Now we can test the sidetone
circuit.
Plug in the headphones and
key.
Next the DC supply.
Tap the key and you should hear the sidetone. IF you wish you can test the muting circuit
too at this time. Perform the ‘Buzz’ test again but while listening to the ‘Buzz’tap the key.
The sidetone should replace the buzz.
Stage 4 Mixer
The Rooster uses an active mixer circuit that much better performance than the old FOXX3
ever could offer. We need to fit the 8 pin socket for this chip.
The socket if you look carefully has a
small notch on one of its shorter
edges, this notch must be next to D7
on the PCB. Make sure that the
socket is flush down on the board. I
solder one pin first and double check
before soldering the other pins.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 11 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Next we need to fit the trimmer capacitor. Its colour may not be as shown in the photos
here (if you not reading black and white paper instructions!)
Important! The trimmer has one flat
edge, that should be positioned next
to the crystal as shown here, don’t
worry, you haven’t missed fitting the
crystal we will do that next.
The Crystals.
The kit uses three crystals, two in the front-end filter and
one for the mixer, The crystals are all the same frequency
but some of the characteristics are different between the
two types you have with the kit. For the mixer we need to
use the shorter crystal.
This is to be fitted between the chip socket and the trimmer
as shown above.
The Mixer IC
The mixer chip used on the Rooster is getting very rare in its
DIP format, it’s still available in its SMD size.
I have supplied this chip pre-fitted to a small adapter board BUT
you will need to solder the pins to this board, unless you are
VERY lucky and I have already done that for you. (If the pins are
already fitted move on to the next stage the RF noise test.)
Put the two 4 pin strips into the
adapter board. The short pin side
into the adapter board as the
photo here.
CAREFULLY plug the board into the socket on the board.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 12 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Now with great care solder the pins to the top of the adapter board. This should be no
harder to do than soldering the socket to the main board you did earlier. Double check you
have no solder bridges between pins when you are done.
RF Noise Test
Now make sure that the chip is plugged in the socket the correct way round, it didn’t matter
when you soldered the adapter board and pins but it DOES matter now!
The adapter board has Pin1, 4, 5, and 8
marked. Make sure Pin 1 is nearest to the
DC in socket.
Connect up the headphones/key and power again as before. Now use a metal screw driver
and touch the top pin for the Y2 crystal. You should hear a mix of Hum and RF noise, you
may even hear some weak CW signals!

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 13 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 5: Driver and PA Protection Diode
You may want to unplug the chip so you don’t damage it while fitting the remaining parts.
Now fit Q5 transistor, make sure it is the right one, it should be a 2N4401. Check the
printing on the flat of the transistor. And fit it as you did for Q4 before.
Make sure it is fitted to
match the outline on the
PCB and that it is sat
squarely as per the picture
here.
We now will fit a protection diode that will help protect the PA from high SWR. This is D6
(1N4755A).
Shape this diode ready to fit first.
Bend the leads about 3mm from the body. Take care doing
this. The diode has a glass body and you could break it if
you’re too rough.
You will note that this diode has a black band on one side,
this is VERY important.
The diode must be fitted so that the band
is in line with the line on the symbol on the
PCB for D6.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 14 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 6: Fitting the 5 inductors
This stage is the easiest to make a mistake with so read and then re-read this section before
you fit any.
There are 5 inductors and unfortunately most are very similar in colour bands.
We need to be 100% sure that the right one is used in the right place.
Take time and care with this stage, it is hard to remove parts once fitted.
L1 is a 100uH inductor
The inductors used on this kit use the same colour bands as resistor to identify their value so
you can use the colour resistor code chart that came with the kit to help you.
Don’t fit any yet, lets just check the values.
L1 has bands that are Brown, Black, Brown and the last one is Gold.
L2 is a 10uH inductor
L2 bands are Brown, Black, Black, Silver.
L3 and L4 are both the same value 1uH
L3 and L4 bands are Brown, Black, Gold, Silver
L5 is a 3.3uH inductor
L5 is easy to spot, its bands are Orange, Orange, Gold, Silver.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 15 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Now you know the values read this section again and this time fit each inductor one by one.
To fit them you will need to bend the leads of each
inductor at 90 degrees right next to the body as shown
here they will then fit correctly on the board.
Here are the inductors fitted to
the board.
Make sure yours are fitted
flush to the board and that the
leads are trimmed flush on the back of the board.
Stage 7: Front end bandpass filter
We now will fit the last two crystals, Y1 and Y2
These crystals will be the larger ones in the kit.
They are both the same and either can be fitted in either position.
When fitted the board
should look like this.
Not much more to do
now.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 16 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 8: RIT Control
The RIT tune control.
First remove the nut and washer
from the front of the control,
make sure the 3 pins are not
bent over and insert it onto the
board, push the control down so
the body is flush to the board. It
must be flush to the board or the
front panel will not fit!
Solder the centre pin first and
check the control is still
positioned correctly, when happy
solder the two outer pins. Trim
the leads flush with the board.
Stage 9: Antenna BNC
Socket
Now the finial part, maybe the
hardest to solder!
The Antenna BNC socket
The antenna socket is a heavy item, it
is made from metal and is really a big
heatsink. It can be difficult to solder
the mounting lugs to the PCB if the
soldering iron is not very powerful,
you may need to keep the iron on the
lugs for a prolonged time when
soldering so be very careful that you
don’t burn yourself on the body of it.
It will be very hot for a while after you
finish soldering.
Make sure that the two circuit pins
pass through the PCB first and solder
these before the two big mounting lugs. Trim these two leads. Press and hold down the
connector flush to the board and tack solder one of the lugs. Check its flush, if not re-melt

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 17 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
the solder again on the lug and reposition, when happy solder the other lug and then solder
the tacked lug fully. Again, be careful this will be hot for some time afterwards.
Stage 10: Testing and Alignment
Time for some testing and alignment.
Like all the tests so far, I would recommend a current limited power supply, up to now you
could expect a max current of 25mA, now you will need to set the limit up a little to 100mA
as we have the driver stage installed and will be testing the transmit chain.
For this test you need another transceiver, antenna, dummy load (advisable), headphones
and key.
Connect the remote transceiver up to an antenna or even just a short (1m length) wire will
do fine,
Monitor 7.030Mhz on the this set. Select a wide filter BUT be sure you put the radio in CW
mode (Important!)
Connect the Rooster to the power supply with the key, antenna and headphones connected.
You should now hear at least band noise, if someone is operating around the Roosters freq
you will most likely hear them too.
This is a direct conversion receiver, this means the internal oscillator runs at the frequency it
is receiving, the side effect of this is that the oscillators signal can be heard on a receiver
placed near it. If you can hear a tone on the remote rig don’t worry, that’s normal and not a
fault.
Now key the Rooster, you should expect the current to increase to about 60-80mA, tune the
remote radio to find the signal as you key, it maybe a few 100Hz off either direction.
Once you have found it retune the remote radio to 7.030Mhz
Now ideally a ceramic trimer ( I use a small flat blade screwdriver myself) adjust the red
trimmer on the Roosters PCB while holding down the key.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 18 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
You should be able to
bring the Rooster onto
7.030Mhz on the remote
radio.
The tuning will move
slightly when we fit the
PA transistor later as the
loading on the oscillator
will change but for now
this will be ok.
Now connect the remote rig to a dummy load, no need for an antenna on the Rooster,
transmit a CW signal on the remote rig (set the power level as low as you can).
Set the RIT control about half way and the Rooster should be hearing the transmitter, adjust
the RIT control clockwise and the pitch should change, it should go very low as the control is
almost fully clockwise, ideally a point should be heard when the tone stops altogether. This
point is zero beat.
Congratulations if this is all working, apart from the PA transistor and the RX/TX LED the
Rooster PCB is complete.
Stage 11: Fitting the PA Transistor and rear panel.
First find the heatsink mounting pad. It should be noted that the type of transistor does NOT need a
mounting bush BUT does still need an insulator pad so make sure you use it,
Cut about 3 or 4mm off the bottom of
the pad. Before you fit the pad put a
small amount of clear tape on the top
edge of the pad, use that to hold it in
place. Put the pad on the inside of the
rear panel so the mounting hole in the
pad is in line with the mounting hole
on the panel.
Now fit the rear panel on the back of the PCB, for now use the
larger BNC nut and tighten the rear panel to the board.
Only tighten finger tight for now, drop the transistor in place so
the metal side of the transistor is against the insulator pad,
pass the M3 Black bolt through the rear panel and through the
hole in the transistors body and use the M3 nut to attach the
transistor. Do not fully tighten the nut yet.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 19 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Aline the rear panel so the DC
connector is in the centre of the
power hole in the rear panel,
carefully solder the centre pin of
the PA transistor and recheck
the correct fitting of the panel,
resolder that transistor pin if
you need to make adjustments.
Once happy solder the
remaining two pins of the
transistor and trim the leads.
Tighten the BNC and the
transistor screw.
Stage 12: TX/RX LED
The Rooster has a LED indicator for RX and TX, we have used a dual colour LED so on RX it is Green
and on TX its Red.
This LED has three legs, each one is a different length.
When we fit this part, the shortest leg MUST be
towards the centre of the board.
You need to bend the legs at
approx. 13mm from the back edge
of the LED’s body. You want to
produce a 90-degree bend. I use a
pair of pliers to hold the 3 legs and make the bend. You must make sure that
you bend it the right way so that when fitted the shortest leg is towards the
centre of the board.
Temporarily attach the front panel loosely to
the board using the RIT controls nut. Put the
LED in the board (again checking the shortest
pin is towards the boards centre). Then make
sure the led passes through its hole in the
panel. Now you have it at the correct height
solder its legs and after double checking all is
correct trim the leads flush. Now remove the
front panel.

Rooster CW Transceiver Rev3 Page 20 of 26 22nd Nov 2023
Stage 13: Tidy up the PCB
Now fit the front panel to the case using two black M3 screws. Check the panel is correctly aligned
on the case. Do not fully tighten the panel just yet.
Now before you put the board into the case a VERY IMPORTANT job.
Trim all the leads on the back of the board as flush as you can, there is not much clearance in the
case, the 2 large lugs on the BNC are as low as you can go, make sure ALL other parts are cut flush
and are shorter than these pins.
Now double check all the soldering. If your happy you can Align the Rooster.
Stage 14: Alignment
If you did the Alignment as suggested earlier this will be easy, it’s just a finial adjustment.
The trimmer capacitor will allow you to correct the transmission frequency, you will need a receiver
to do this (or a freq counter etc)
I put a ham band receiver on 40m 7.030Mhz and in CW mode, I set the filter on the receiver as if it
has one to around 500Hz.
Now connect headphones/key and dummy load to the Rooster and once all these are connected
then connect a power supply. If possible, a power supply of say 11v (don’t go below 10.5v) will be
kinder to the PA while doing the alignment.
Key the Rooster and you should get sidetone in headphones. You should find the Roosters signal on
the receiver within a few 100hz of 7.030Mhz.
Set the receiver to 7.030 and adjust the trimmer to correct the frequency. You MAY not be able to
bring the frequency bang on 7.030, you may only get within a few hundred Herts of that target. That
depends on the Crystal in such a simple circuit as the Rooster but remember 7.030Mhz isn’t a
magical frequency, it’s just the centre of operation for QRP users, just get as close to it as you can
and don’t worry. Don’t leave the key down for more than 10 secs at a time and give it a short break
between transmissions to allow the PA to cool.
Now you can drop the board into the case and the controls should pass though the holes in the front
panel. You may have to ‘jiggle’ the front panel just a little to align it with the board. Secure the rear
panel now with two black M3 screws.
Fix the RIT control with the supplied washer and nut, finger tight will be ok. Turn the control fully
anticlockwise and push the knob onto the shaft so the knobs marker line is point to the start of the
RIT marker scale. When done fit the four stick on feet.
If you have a power meter connect that between the dummy load and the Rooster, check the output
power, the lowest voltage the Rooster will work on its about 10.5v, the voltage regulator ( it’s a 8v
device) will drop out around 10v as it needs about 2 volts head room. With approx 11v you will see
over 1 watt, at about 12v nearly 2 watts, with a 13.8v supply you will most likely see a shade over 2
watts, again this will depend on a few factors but a variation of a few hundred milliwatts could be