Build
Something!
A couple of years ago, a group of us were talking on the club
repeater, and the talk got around to building stuff. One of the
guys said, "You cant really build anything anymore." I almost fell out of my chair. That's simply not true. Heathkit may be just a fond memory,but there are still many companies out there selling kits that are not only fun to build, but are useful additions to the ham shack.
Here are a
couple of sources:
* Elecraft (www.elecraft.com). In my mind, Elecraft has become the
premiere ham radio kit company, if not the premiere ham radio company,period. The new K3, for example, outperforms just about anything on the market by many accounts. Personally, I have built the KX-1, which is a real blast to operate from a park bench or to take on vacation. I also have and use the W1 wattmeter.
* TenTec (radio.tentec.com/kits). While perhaps known
more for their ready-made rigs, they
also sell a line of single-band transceivers and receiver
kits.
* QRP Kits (www.qrpkits.com). QRPKits.Com sells kits that were
originally projects of
the
Below are some other companies whose kits have good reputations, but with which I have no personal experience:
* Small
Wonder Labs (www.smallwonderlabs.com)
* Wilderness
Radio (www.fix.net/~jparker/wild.html)
* Milestone
Technologies (www.mtechnologies.com)
* Almost All
Digital Electronics (www.aade.com/index.html)
* FAR
Circuits (www.farcircuits.net)
*
* QRPme (www.qrpme.com/)
* Linear Amp
QRP clubs are also a good source of cool kits. The problem with QRP clubs is that they order parts only for a very short run of kits. Once they sell out, the kits are no longer available. Even so, here are some clubs that are worth checking out:
* American
QRP Club (www.amqrp.org)
*
* NORTEX (www.kk5na.com/nortex.htm)
Ready to rock and roll? Here are a couple websites that you might
want to check out before you dive in:
* Electronic Construction from A to Z
(www.mtechnologies.com/building/atoz.htm).
This site includes a page that lists all
the tools you'll need to become a successful kit builder.
* Crystal Sets to Sideband: A Guide to Building an Amateur Radio
Station (www.qsl.net/k3pd/book.html). This site not
only discusses kit building, but also
radio theory.
* The Art of
(ww2.netnitco.net/users/wt9w/kit%20building.html)
I hope that I've whetted your appetite for building a kit or two.
They're a lot of fun to build, and you really do get a rush from
operating a radio or using a piece of test equipment that you built yourself.
What have you
built lately? Let Dan know. Email him at