Building
I've always wondered how things work, and how people figured out the physics, or chemistry, or electronics, to make the things we take for granted. There's also a an artistic aspect of this, with the arrays of part, and colors of all the components coming together into a mosaic of function. Some of the most fun I've had in the ham radio hobby is the quiet time I spent building radios.
These few pages show some of the work I've been able to do. Several of the kits are from Elecraft, a company that originally specialized in high-performance radio kits you could build yourself, and now concentrates most of their efforts into making the very best radios available.
Click on the pictures for a full page of photographs and description.
These few pages show some of the work I've been able to do. Several of the kits are from Elecraft, a company that originally specialized in high-performance radio kits you could build yourself, and now concentrates most of their efforts into making the very best radios available.
Click on the pictures for a full page of photographs and description.
The Elecraft K2
The Elecraft K2 kit is still available as of this writing, and it continues to be a good performer. I had such a good time building one that I built another!
The Elecraft K1
The Elecraft K1 kit is nearing its end-of-life. Alas, a shortage of through-hole parts may have been its undoing, at least in part. I built two of these radios before they began fading away. They are good performers, and a really fun kit to build.
Elecraft KX1
The Elecraft KX1 brought Elecraft back to its roots as a maker of "trail-friendly" radios. It's tight quarters in there, and some of the assembly was a challenge, but it is a fun radio to operate.
RockMite
The RockMite is a palm-sized single frequency radio that sells for about $50. It is a great choice for a club kit building party.
MFJ Cub
The MFJ Cub transceiver is a relatively simple kit to build. I have written some very specific step-by-step instructions so that it could be a club kit build project for those new to building.
Elecraft K1
Elecraft KX1
Elecraft K2
