Homebrewing...

Couple email discussions with some US amateurs about what we are building right now and parts lists and component supliers. Looks like I have a load of ADE-1 and MV1662 varicap diodes coming from US so I guess no delays on some projects now... asked if I had seen the new Chinese commercial SDR radios.... not yet.

Been having a break from work for last few weeks, just doing the odd bit of consultancy to get stuff done around the house. This morning finished boxing up a 80m/40m SDR TXRX from Tony Parks and now have a 10W PA for it as well (http://partsandkits.com/linearamp.php). Want to give it a go asap but I lost my antenna (tree came down 2 weeks ago and took out vertical and all the antenna supports, no operating from home right now. WX looks interesting for /P this w/e.

Last week finshed a little 20m PSK TCVR off the schematic from KD1JV.

Spent most of last 2 weeks melting solder. In the shack finally clearing much of the un-built stuff, putting the kits and projects together and pairing up things and building them.... I have 5 different little 10W IRF510 et al PA's, one is even SMT and fits in an Altoid tin using a 1U server copper heatsink and fan. Still got lots to build including my version of the NoGaWatt meter that I have a great dual meter from B&O for.

I found in the 'junk' I have plenty of kits to keep me busy for a while...gems are two unbuilt ATS rigs a ATS-III and ATS-IIIB, just completed my NorCal-20 and thinking about what colour to paint it, a second N2PK VNA (big mistake gave first away!), I found I had started and then boxed up a 2N240+ and a BITX20 so restarted them, all the parts for VXCO low voltage valve 'glow bug' CW TX Hans Summers suggested I try, 4 or 5 QRP2004 component kits, G3ROO designed RAMU component set and the tubes for a Nixie Clock for the shack. But the best bit is I finally have got space to work instead of moving jiffy bags and boxes of projects around to find enough space. I do need to build a shelf for the finished projects though. All this in a 10' x 8' shack! Rev George Dobbs or maybe was Dick Pascoe (??) gave me 24 Altoid tins last Rochdale and I have been meaning to use them so I have, 17 of them this w/e contain.. 3 Rockmites, three keyers, a negative voltage (100V) key interface, AF amp and mini speaker, numerous antenna related things, several bits of test kit etc... I could probably make a N5ESE type display, which is what I thought of as I arranged them on a shelf!I just came back into the house to eat after cleaning up the shack and work bench and thought I'd check email.