[Heathkit] Building for Pleasure

[Bob Macklin]

A few weeks ago I bought a SoftRock Essmble II RX kit. I am still working on 
assembling it. Some of the SMD stuff is a bit difficult for a 79YO OF.

But after seeing some comments about SDR stuff from people I respect I 
decided to give it a try. But it may take me a few more weeks to finish this 
thing.

The BIG tube stuff is easier to work on.

But the next project is a solid state 2M transverter for my TS-520. Any 
commercially available (DEMI or Elcraft) are out of my price range  After I 
get the breadboard working I will probably do a PCB. If I live that long!

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Cromwell" <wrcromwell at gmail.com>
To: <heathkit at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 11, 2013 7:06 PM
Subject: Re: [Heathkit] Building for Pleasure


> On 07/11/2013 04:49 PM, Bob Macklin wrote:
>> Lee, w0vt comments:
>>
>> " I have very little in common with most hams on the air today. I've been 
>> a ham for 60 years and the operators as a whole on the air today are much 
>> different then those of days gone bye."
>>
>> This is the same thing I found after restarting in ham radio about 12 
>> years ago.
>>
>> So my main interest has become restoring old radios and building things 
>> similar to those in the 50' and 60's handbooks. The problem now is a lot 
>> of the parts for the old HB projects are not easy to come by.
>>
>> In the 50's and 60's we used to scrap[ out old AM/SW BC sets for parts to 
>> make our own ham band receivers. Those items are no longer available and 
>> if they were ewe would probably not scrap them.
>>
>> But I do have an old 12V car radio I bought for parts. But it is solid 
>> state. I need a 12V tube type car radio for a project.
>>
>> Bob Macklin
>> K5MYJ
>> Seattle, Wa.
>> "Real Radios Glow In The Dark"
>
> Hi,
>
> I have built some gear from kits - most recently a NEScaf audio filter 
> that I really like. I have a SoftRock 20 meter receiver kit here and I am 
> going to eventually give that a try to see what this SDR stuff is really 
> all about. The comment about "today's hams" being different is sometimes 
> painful. I was curious about SDR techniques but I was put off several 
> times reading the mail on a couple of SDR lists. It seems like those guys 
> are pulling their hair out for the longest time with apparent software 
> glitches and a lot of computer technology. Eventually some of the problems 
> were resolved and it seems those hams had their problems "enhanced" 
> because they did not (and still do not) understand things as simple as 
> "zero beat" (for example). Some of those hams really are pretty sharp but 
> they are appliance operators. "Appliance Operator" is considered to be a 
> personal attack on some of the ham lists - I guess they are ashamed of it. 
> To me it's just a matter of fact description of one one way to be a ham. 
> Just not my way of being a ham. Maybe when I get more familiar with 
> building and using SDR gear I can help some of those newer hams get "up to 
> speed".
>
> I prefer to scratch build - often with "found" junk. It doesn't pay very 
> well to use junk caps or items that don't fare very well with age (like 
> electrolytic and paper caps). I can go to the hobby store and buy brand 
> new aluminum, copper, brass, and steel panels and tubing to cut, bend, 
> hammer, and weld into new frames and panels for radios. Using "found" junk 
> costs a lot less, isn't really much more work, gives the same end result, 
> and durability is good. The fact is I haven't been transmitting an awful 
> lot with a lot more listening. I am ramping up a building 'spree' with the 
> aim of improving the "fun" of operating.
>
> 73,
>
> Bill  KU8H
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