[Lowfer] 1750 meter frequency for Part 5?

[Jim]

> What ever watering hole we pick lets keep in mind the attraction to
> newcomers of a simple way to get on.

I have to agree with that. Some commonly available crystal that can be used 
with a 4060 oscillator/divider would make it a lot easier. Otherwise you get 
faced with either having to order a custom oscillator or crystal or going the 
DSS route. To me that changes it from a "simple weekend project".

It would also make it very reasonable for someone to "kit up" the crystal, 
4060, and a couple of pairs of transistors. I've got a PIC programmer and 
could program the K1EL K8 chip or the PICBeacon (that's the one I use) for 
anyone who needed it. Or you can order a K12 very reasonably. Or you can just 
use a 555 chip and build a dasher with some unique dash length.

I like the idea of a watering hole, but it's just such an offbeat frequency to 
get to with off the shelf parts. I remember when I first started looking at 
building a beacon I kept doing the math just certain that the watering hole 
had to come from some common combination of readily available crystal and 
common divider.

I should have my DSS going soon and it will be a moot point. But I do think 
it's a "barrier to entry" for people interested in building a beacon.

If you look at the interest in building simple QRP rigs, there's really no 
reason to think that there shouldn't be more interest in Part 15. But there's 
got to be some critical mass of 1) xmitters and 2) grabbers.

73 de
Jim W4JBM