AmateurRadio.com

The Ultimate3 QRSS/WSPR Transmitter Kit is the third version in the “Ultimate” QRSS/WSPR kit trilogy. It can produce QRSS, Hell, WSPR, Opera and PI4 slow-signal modes anywhere from audio to 10m and above. Plug-in LPF filters are available for all 12 HF/MF/LF bands.

The price is USD $29.00. To order please visit QRP Labs.

The Ultimate 3 is probably the lowest cost beacon available. I still have my unbuilt kit awaiting better health to build, although several kind folk have offered to build mine for me. Jay W5OLF kindly supplied me a 10m 500mW, single PCB, WSPR beacon (WSPR-AXE-CW) ready assembled and that has blown me away: it has been copied in every continent on 10m.  The Ultimate 3 is the more flexible design but the WSPR-AXE-CW is an ideal tiny WSPR only beacon.

My Ultimate 3 kit was ordered with GPS, but it was supplied without this, but with an extra PCB – I think I got the wrong order. I really should write to Hans Summers, but I have been too unwell. For now, the kit remains unbuilt. I intend to build it when I am fitter and less clumsy, hopefully in 2015.

See http://www.ozqrp.com/index.html

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2o8mpYIgAAX6Pc.png:large

A nice line of SSB QRP transceivers for 80, 40 or 20m with power up to 5W.  These kits come from Australia and payment is by PayPal. I have no experience of these kits so have no idea how they perform when bands are busy as in Europe.

It looks like these are easy to build kits.

See http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=qrp+kit .

Occasionally I look on eBay to see what is on offer. Searching for “QRP kits” throws up quite an interesting selection of stuff, much of it only available by eBay and not otherwise advertised. Some of these items are good bargains.

Touch wood, I have never yet had a bad experience on eBay when buying or selling. Mind you, I would be very careful and not spend too much. Some dealers are good (the vast majority) but there are always a few “bad eggs”.

Caveat emptor.

During the week I took a trip with 3 other members of the Workington Amateur Radio Club (MX0WRC.org) to the Furness Amateur Radio Club. A short hours drive away courtesy of Barry, G0RZI. There was a 2 pronged attack on their club, firstly Glyn M0UXH gave the low legendary power supplies presentation (legendary as it has the dubious honour of being the most postponed talk at the club) and my chat about what we do as a club with a hot soldering iron.

What struck me is what might be a common theme for clubs, not just with amateur radio, but the fact that we can all get a bit stale. What also struck me was that we have a similar demographic. Some really talented, clever people who can design and build stuff without batting an eyelid. Some (and I include myself in this) enthusiastic but short on skills and experience, and those that just like to use stuff.

I shared our experiences with building the Radio Kits digital power and SWR meter, the Ultimate 3 kit from Hans Summers and my experiences with Arduino’s. The latter included the great stuff being done by K3NG (Radio Artisan bloke) and those that support his work in producing kits and PCB’s. I was pleased to see that I wasn’t the only one who has an interest in the ‘Maker’ fraternity and that tinkering is alive and well in Cumbria.

In between all this mucking about I do occasionally operate. But owing the excellent summer we’ve had I prefer to be outside, in fact I should be out on my MTB today but I’ve got a 10k race on Tuesday and don’t fancy doing it after an ‘off’. This weekend is the Cumbria Raynet support to the SBU 35 trail race from Bassenthwaite to St Bees over Honister. First one home in about 5hrs 30mins and the last around 12 hours. A long day for us but nothing compared to the competitors. Maybe I’ll do it next year. Maybe I’ll make use of Ennerdale Brewery instead, the summer ale was great.

After that it is most definitely heading for Autumn and time to bring out the mic, soldering iron and broken PCB’s. Looking forward to it already!

The Adventure Tuner Kit from SOTABEAMS is an affordable small project suitable for beginners and pros who will end up with a useful wire antenna tuner. According to SB:

It’s an L network tuner – but with a difference: the L network is bi-directional to increase the matching flexibility of the tuner. Both sides of the L network can be used for the antenna or the radio. It’s got co-ax socket on both sides of the network too so it can be used to extend the useful tuning range of narrow-band co-ax fed antennas – such as making an 80 m dipole usable across the whole band.

The inductance is provided with switched inductors giving a range of 0 – 5.6 uH in 0.1 uH steps. Hyper-bright LEDs indicate antenna current to aid tuning. They are in circuit all the time to give you reassurance that your system is working at peak efficiency. The typical matching range of the Adventure Tuner is 3.5 – 30 MHz.

It looks like another swell Saturday morning project melting solder followed by radio adventures from the field and shack.

What’s not to like?

Filed under: Ham Radio Tagged: kits, news

Hi all!

CRX1 Receiver from Etherkit

I’m working on a major update for the kit guide.  I’m finally alphabetizing the list, and including a directory of sources.  I should have the new guide up by this weekend.

I have added a bunch of new vendors. 14 so far and counting.  If you can think of any more, let me know at: W2NDG(at)RadioKitGuide(dot)com

The next big change will be getting the guide into a separate hosted site, and adding a files section, and a forum.

Big things are coming.

Click “Read The Rest of This Post” to read the current list of vendors.

(note: new vendors in the list (*) have not been added to the site as of yet)

73 de Neil W2NDG

Read the rest of this entry »

Hi all,

The Lydford from Walford

I am in the process of updating radiokitguide.com.  If you can think of any new kit sources that I haven’t covered yet, please leave a comment here.  I am looking for RECEIVER, TRANSMITTER, and TRANSCEIVER  kits.  I will cover accessories at a later date.  If you know of a spectacular source of accessory kits though, send it along anyway.  I am adding a couple of new sources, and making changes to YouKits, Small Wonder Labs (goodbye), TenTec, and several others.  Thanks in advance for your help!