Well I’ve just built my Rock-Mite 40 and boxed it up ready to go. Although it’s crystaled for 7.030… the two operating QRG’s are 7.028 and 7.0287… so away from QRP calling QRG’s and better for SOTA I guess (although 7.028 is the Fists QRG though)
I thought would give it an airing tonight and see if I could rustle up a QSO before taking it out to The Woods for an activation.
Well I called for a while on both QRG’s with no result but it was a little busy so I suppose it was difficult for stations to hear me. Then I heard OK1KW calling so I called back.
He replied and we had a short QSO where I gave him 599 with QSB and he gave me 559… I was pretty pleased given that he’s in Prague, I’m in Aylesbury and I’m only using 500mW… that works out at about 2200 km per watt!
So I’ll finish up my full size lightweight dipole and try it out on the hill as soon as I can using one of the QRG’s. I hope it works as well during daytime QSO’s
…do yourself a favour and get a kit and try it out. With the dollar the way it is at the moment, if you buy the kit plus the hardware pack, it will cost you less than £25! (30€) It took me about 3 hours to build the board and another couple to box it up. Very satisfying!
Anyway, excuse the gushing enthusiasm but it’s also the first working TX/RX I’ve built!
73 Marc G0AZS
PS …and another QSO to OK - 2700km/watt this time!
“Anyway, excuse the gushing enthusiasm but it’s also the first working TX/RX I’ve built!”
Your comment evoked memories from 40 years ago when we built Heathkit kits at the school radio club. It was always pleasing to get them going. It provided a good grounding for home construction as was required for 2m AM operation in the late 60’s when I was first licenced, there being no commercial equipment readily available unless you were fortunate enough to be able to get hold of a piece of decommissioned Pye equipment.
Years later when the 10MHz band first became available, I had a Yaesu FR100B receiver which covered the frequency, so I built a small valved transmitter using a strapped QQVO3/10 as the PA running about 5 watts output. The first QSO was with VK6HD… an achievement that only paled slightly when I learnt that his antenna farm stretched from Perth to Melbourne!
I’m not into CW but I have been considering building the “Fivehead” from Walford Electronics: 1.5 watts of phone on one band for £79 (with a 10 watt linear available). Has anyone here built that one?
Just had a look at it and it looks a little cramped for my 25w Solon Iron!!
Realistically though, I might find this one a little awkward, - have you also looked at the Midney/Kingsdon combination at £89. Looks quite interesting and gives 5w SSB and CW without a linear. Looks like the CW may be MCW though.
Yes, I looked at the Midney/Kingsdon combo, and it would definately be easier to build, but I like the small size of the Fivehead which is less than half the area of the combo. I built the ATU so at least I still know which end of the soldering iron to use!