AmateurRadio.com

No room for Oliver on the old desk

The new desk twice the size

The first half of August sure has been busy around the shack here, not busy with on air time but with getting things done. I have built the A A Engineering smart battery charger for my Elecraft K2. I will be posting the build in the near future. On this project for the first time the during the "smoke test" I actually had SMOKE!!! With kits I have found some of the final check out testing is what I call "destructive" testing as opposed to non destructive testing. Going to a destructive testing  with the Smart battery charger post. One of the kits I built just a short while ago was the QRPometer and it did not have a case...well it does now and that too is going to be another post. I am really not finished with that case yet. I was at the
electronics store the other day (picking up parts as a result of a destructive test going wrong) and saw a neat 9 volt battery holder I am going to add to the QRPometer case. I also have sold all of my items that were up for sale and I have the funds to order my Elecraft KX3. It's not going to be here until  October but that will give me time to read the manual and set up a place for the radio. While on that topic with some of my funds I went online to Ikea and purchased a much needed larger table for my kit building. The old desk was just way to small and things were falling off. The old table was actually a computer desk and it now is off to the side in my shack with an  iMac (27 inch screen) one that Julie donated to me!!! So the new Elecraft KX3 is going to run on Mac software.

iMac waiting for the KX3

F8DGY's antenna

The on air time has been very limited as having to get things done around the house and shack the rig really has not been turned on. I did manage to get some radio time in late last week in the evening. I heard clear as a bell Chris F8DGY calling CQ on 20m. I dropped the K3's power down to 500mW's and gave him a go. He came right back to me with a 579 report. It was a fast exchange and he was off answering others. For me that that a 7,597 miles per watt contact.