Thank you, again. The older European professors used to refer to me as "a 1930's professor." I built much of the laboratory equipment I used or modified it for use. This included mass spectrometers, gas chromatographs, light isotope preparation lines, photosynthetic gas exchange systems, etc. After a fashion, this was kit building. I had lots of help from machinists, electronics technicians, high vacuum technologists, welders, scientific glassblowers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, elevator repairmen, engineers, etc. Sometimes it was utter frustration. Other times it was back breaking, heavy labor, but in the end very gratifying. Some projects took a year or longer to complete and get fully operational.
It is true, the fun really is the part of putting it all together. I started with a simple AM transistor radio kit that was quite a learning experience and nothing is more rewarding than turning on and using something you have built with your own hands :) A device can become SOoooo very personal if built yourself and even customized, And this is what i love the most about kits with passive components.
Dave, congratulations, you just got on the spot. Thanks for your wise advice in connection with assembling kits. It requires lots of patience more than skill. This one might be learnt, but that means very deep and frequent breathing while puzzled
With the last 3 weeks of googling, redditing, and other website hopping, researching, I have FINALLY found your video where I can actually find reliable kits to buy. The places other people recommended me were not selling many, if ANY kits at all so its nice to see actual results this time. You were right about one thing for sure. The time for hobby kits were in the 50's to the early 80's I really wish I was alive then just to be able to learn how technology advanced and see how radio technology improved over the years.
My 13 year old son would love to build a kit. Any recommendations on a beginner kit. He is VERY good at electronics and assembly. He has a whole garage full of projects and vintage radios. Thanks for any advice.
My start in kits also requires some initial investment in good soldering iron, tips, magnifying glass, PCB holder, anti-static bands and mat, desoldering braid, VNA etc. My first kit has costed way more than the assembled radio due to these things.
My first kit was an Elecraft KX3 and PX3. Built both last year over 2 days. Fantastic manuals, and much information online. I've built many PCs in the past...The Elecraft kits were no more difficult, and in some ways easier. Be sure to have a static mat and wrist strap, and inventory all parts and screws (I contained them in multi-section hardware storage cases), and you'll enjoy the experience! 73!
Mark Tosiello, with the greatest of respect, the Elecraft KX3 is a kit that is assembled not built. The difference being, of course, the former merely requires bolting components together while the latter requires soldering parts onto a board or boards.
I was chatting with some folks about kits, and wouldn't you know here is about the best video I've seen on the subject and It's Dave Casler..again! :D Shared with thanks! 73 de N2NLQ!
I have wonderful memories of sitting with Dad as he built several Heathkit projects. I have built a few kits through the years and "in another life" a few decades ago, I used to prototype and component-level repair computer hardware. I earned my tech license but never did anything with it and let it lapse... A few years ago I gave away my wideband Tektronix o-scope and my trusty DMM to an engineer in need, thinking I would never touch hardware again at my age. ...But now the "bug" has bitten and I want to refresh my toolkit, learn code, build a qrp rig and earn my license back. AND I finally have a few $$ I can toss at it. Goodness, I haven't burned my fingers & hair, nor torn my fingertips with cut-leads in years! Wish me luck!! 🔌🎛🎧💙
Good afternoon Dave do remember Heathkit I used to order from them I really miss them too bad then went out of business I wish they came back I like to make new kits Dave
i RECENTLY BUILT A mINIPA70 RF AMP. iT CAME WITH NO INSTRUCTION. i HAD TO WATCH A NUMBER OF UA-cam VIDEOS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BUILD IT. It also had surface mount componets that I did not like.i NEARLY SMASHED IT WITH A HAMMER, BUT HUNG IN THERE. In the end it worked, with one watt in I managed to get 20 watts on 28 mhz. On lower frquencies it will boost up to 70 watts. I miss the old Heathkit days where I built a number of quality radio andother electronic devices. I still have my Heatkit power supply I built decades ago!
I’ve made a few before I was even a ham .. I’ve done ✅ ( 12 volt power supply / impedance match /speech processor /mic tester various mic plugs / all done with basic electronic’s -stand alone aka > solid state . No firmware required
Yes om! A three knober will work just as good as a ken wood. It's not just the rig, but the operator that knows his stuff. And keeps his rig in band limits. Once got a letter from a OO for my image being out of band. That is,I had to tighten up the filter on final amp.contacted the OO and test. Revealed no harmonic . 73 om tks for your work de kv4li
Kits can be fun but some can be very frustrating if a component or part is missing from the kit. Some act as if your calling them to get this or that doodad for free, as if you enjoy going out of the way just to complain or rip them off for a 25cent part. So now I buy mostly assembled things if possible. Thumb up good topic Dave.
When a kit has a missing component, I first check my "junk box" (actually a large series of plastic bins, and a large shelving unit with dozens of small plastic drawers) to see if I have it. If I don't, and it's a commonly-used part, I'll order a bunch of them from Amazon, Mouser, or Digi-Key. I might as well stock them! I did this with a missing toroid from a QRPGuys tuner. I sent them an email asking after the missing part...but went ahead and ordered them from Amazon anyway in quantity. The Amazon order arrived first, so I completed the kit using one of the 10 I ordered from them, then put the part I received from QRPGuys a week and a half later with the others in my storage. Can't have too many toroids! I did the same with 2n2222 transistors, both the epoxy and metal can varieties, and a certain signal diode that's popular in a lot of different kits. I found a project online for a Z80-based computer built with a minimum of parts, and bought a number of each part needed, including six of the PC boards from a PCB prototyping house in China. Eventually, I'll build the thing when the mood strikes me...but I bought a lot of the capacitors and diodes it required since they were inexpensive and used in practically every kit I've got. Small 104 ceramic disks, 100pf electrolytics, and that signal diode, used in a small QRP dummy load I accidentally fried. Test equipment is getting cheaper all the time. You can usually find an older cathode-ray tube model oscilloscope cheap or even free online. I got a 20mhz 2-channel model on Ebay for $40, including the shipping. I've since replaced it with a 4-channel 100mhz Rigol, and will cheerfully give away that CRO to someone who wants to set up their own workbench. If you're in the Philly area and want a CRO, drop me a note with your callsign and we'll arrange a time when you can come pick it up. I won't ship the thing, it's not worth the expense. Heck, I even ordered a small digital storage oscilloscope and multimeter that's a keychain fob. It pairs with an app on your smartphone for the controls and display. Relatively inexpensive, and a potential lifesaver in the field! There's also good soldering gear available for low prices nowadays. Get one with temperature control at a minimum. I swear by my little 20v-powered TS-100 soldering iron. It has temp control and a little OLED screen to display current settings. It's usable in the field with a battery pack if that's what you need to do, but I find it indispensable for small component soldering, a real joy to use. But if that's not your cup of tea, Stahl tools has a temp-controlled solder station available on sale for about $14 that has gotten some very good reviews. (www.parts-express.com/stahl-tools-stssvt-variable-temperature-soldering-iron-station--374-100?Retail&Email_Newsletter&) I don't work for them, I saw this go by on the SKCC mailing list.
Dave, this is an absolutely superb preparatory video that should be required viewing for any new ham contemplating kit building. Also, in addition to the basic tools a beginner would need, he or she should plan on getting test equipment and I would suggest a decent DMM or VOM and an inexpensive frequency counter. Down the road, an oscilloscope would be invaluable for those who get serious about kit building. New hams who engage in kit building for several years will find their "electronic theory aptitude" increasing and they will appreciate and enjoy the hobby a lot more. For example, there are few things more scintillating than working someone across the country or across the ocean with 5-watt radio you built yourself! Tangentially, wonder what ailed your OHR-100. I must have built four of those and they semed pretty simple. However, they *did* have idiosyncrasies but I have found the support by Marshall Emm to be superb! (incidentally, my first OHR kit was purchased when Doug Demaw owned the business, my second when Dick Witske was the owner.) Sincere thanks for your efforts with these videos (I subscribed and am becoming a big fan) and keep up with the great work. 71/72/73 de Bill, k6whp dit dit
Great video! I just built my first kit, the ZM2 ATU. Sadly it's not working to spec and I don't know why or how to find out. But I'm still fighting. In the end the diagnosis and repair experience will probably be the most valuable thing about the project. Very encouraging to know that your stuff doesn't always work, either! Thanks, Dave.
I just finished building a Kanga Kit that doesn't work either. I'll go looking for bad solder joints, and components in the wrong place. I don't know yet whether I'll save it.
I've built a number of kits, including an Elecraft K2. But a favorite was the digital VFO version of the Small Wonder Labs QRP 20m rig, the DSW-20. I have a couple of plastic bins full of unbuilt kits. This is usually because I buy some kits on Ebay, and the prices are so low that the shipping is actually a large percentage of the cost...so I'll buy 3 or 4 of the same kit because it doesn't increase the shipping charge. I am very fond of QRPGuys kits, especially their travel antennas for QRP operation. I also don't mind winding toroids, I find it somewhat relaxing. One of my early rigs was an 80m QRP transceiver, a variation on the venerable Pixie called the Tixie. The main difference was the incorporation of a TICK keyer chip, hence the Tix in Tixie. I have an unbuilt 80m PSK31 kit called a "Warbler". The K2 was a real challenge. My partner and I built it very slowly and carefully, and it's still alive and kicking to this day.
I also built the Warbler, but I don't find any activity on 80m digital. It was a bear of a kit given it has two SMDs to be soldered. The kit does appear to work, but needs an RS-232 output from the computer, and most computers don't have that anymore.
@@davecasler That may well be why I haven't built it! My most recent build wasn't a kit. I just finished turning a disused Southord single-ball stainless-steel lockpick into what I call the "Goalpost" style sideswiper "Cootie" key. I had seen a straight key on the SKCC website made from a Yale door key, and figured I'd take the gag one step further and make a Cootie out of a lockpick. I don't use the single-ball style, so I could easily spare it. The 301 stainless it's made from is very strong and springy, and I used standoffs for the contact post. I'd messed it up at first and only had a contact on the left side. In response to corrective suggestions, I made a brass crosspiece that allowed gap adjustment and added a contact on the right side. The shape is reminiscent of a football goal post, hence the name. I have it adjusted very precisely, and it works great on the air! photos.app.goo.gl/VZfMpzvuBtQFWQp98
Hi This Is VU3 YWB From India .I've been looking for this for a long time. I want to make my own radio.I want you to make this kit yourself.I want to know which kit should I get.which one do you think would be better?
I just earned Extra-Class and I still don't know that much yet. I'm hoping to put together a rig before too long. I appreciate the tips that will help me going into the job. 73 AJ6AE formerly KJ6VSR
Don't fear the SMT! It took me awhile to get over my aversion to SMT, but once I did, it opened up so many more options. You need slightly better tools, but the investment is not too bad. I know you have a new solder station, Dave, which is more than up to the task. And there are plenty of videos on the Internet to help you get a handle on the technique. There are tricks! A good temperature-controlled iron, squeeze-bottle of flux, some fine solder, some desoldering braid, a pair of tweezers, and a magnifying lamp will get you very far! Also, once you get a little practice you may find that SMT is actually _faster_ to do than through-hole. Not all SMT is the same, either. I am happy to solder 1206 and 0805 devices all day long, but avoid 0602 or 0402. Similarly, I can do devices with 0.5mm pitch or more, but when it gets tighter than that, I have to bow out. Some devices have thermal pads on the bottom, and that requires special technique. The one type of device I cannot touch with my current technique is the BGA, though I know a lot of home amateurs that have had good luck soldering such devices in skillets on their stoves! For a bit more money, there are kits to build reflow ovens.
I like 630-675F. It's s personal preference thing. Stations with good temperature control don't need to be as hot because the work doesn't cool them down so much. I always use good leaded solder. There is no reason to deal with the no lead solder unless you have to - and hobbyists never have to. in fact, when reworking something that was soldered professionally using silver solder, I will usually add leaded solder to the joint first to make it much easier to work.
@@policyprogrammer The temperature to use depends on the solder. There are solders with very low melting points available that are very useful to "mix" it into unleaded solder to lower the melting point. This could be helpful doing unsoldering of professional soldered part (repairing your station). In general unleaded solders needs much higher temperatures.
David thank you so much for the info. Prices for radios are too high for me. This is the way maybe for me. I think I will well a lot more by doing this. Again you soo much, you are great!!
What do I gotta do, where do I gotta go to find a work up for my first radio in like a breadboard format. Something like 1930's technology, so that I can treat the assembly not as just a kit to be assembled but as a foundational start for an electronics education. Something with entirely discreet components that I can meticulously go over with something like an oscilloscope junction by junction so that I can actually visualize what is going on. No amount of reading books, taking classes, or watching youtube is going to help me visualize these currents, ohms, voltages, sine waves, amplitudes and frequencies. I can read the books, I can recite the knowledge I've acquired front to back, but I'm never going to gain the wisdom until I can find that perfect radio design and/or kit that will help me teach myself. So that when someone says something like well this diode has this particular effect that isn't very good and if you changed it out for that diode this other such thing would be improved, I can actually witness that knowledge and learn from it.
You could try looking in old magazines or old handbooks from the 1960s and backwards. These days even small kit radios are dependent on integrated circuits for many functions. Another way is to get an old radio and go through the process of restoring (watch high voltage safety!). A magazine you may find interesting is Electric Radio.
David Casler thank you david, I'm familiar with the NE Kansas hams, and got my general a few years back. But I would really hate to pester an elmer with too many questions, some things might be better worked through alone in my case. I'm gonna see what I can dig up.
Watching this vid and were it mentions soldering iron burning hands, yep, it melts computer keys too. I was working on a circuit board the other day and bumped my iron and it landed on my key board, oops, well at least my computer is still functional even though old.
I started to do some kits. Last one I had to trouble shoot but didn't have the proper equipment. What would be the components for a beginner beyond the multi meter?
For many years the only test equipment I had was a multimeter and an SWR meter. I recently got an oscilloscope, but it's certainly not required. My next purchase will be a signal generator, but I don't have a timeframe for that. 73
Dave, this is KG5KYJ, John. I started with the 51 Super Rock Mite cw kit and it had a bad ceramic cap that failed the smoke test. It also had a bad audio op-amp and final power amp. It also got me an Oo postcard for a raspy signal. Right after that I got a cheap Chinese ESR component tester device to help check the components of my next few kits. I wish I had that to begin with and recommend it to others who make kits. I am also a big fan, and thank you for updating the extra class videos. 73
you know dave, i never thought of antennas and others as kits. i have always dreamed of building a hw-100 or hw-101 as a kit. you have pointed out that i have and others have built kits. antennas are the most common for me as i have been through a few when upgrading but never thought of it as a kit. that makes sense. thank you for another great informative video. i will have to see if i can find a good question for you to use on ask dave videos. keep them coming. I am also curious as to if you have any recomedations to any test equipment kits. i would love to build a multimeter for sure as i do have a good reference one to use to calibrate from work. and any other ideas you might have that would be beneficial to a ham workbench. i love to build and would love to have homebuilt equipment to service along with that. 73, ad0am
I've been on a kit building binge for the last few months. I built three OHR100A's 80m 40m. and 20m (love these kits. They are nice rigs and not hard to build) I also built Marshall's Digital dials and QRP wattmeter. I built an Elecraft KX-1 (not for the beginner). I built a couple of Rcokmite ]['s. I've built numerous QRP Labs kits. All in the last couple of months and I had a blast. 73 NE5U Mike
hey great video !! Very informative and encouraging. I THINK I WANT TO BUILD A HAM RADIO ! I was wondering if I would be patient enough, and i believe i surely am
No way. I like doing things where I can see what is wrong. I can see getting something all soldered together, only to have it not work and me having no idea which part(s) were put in backwards, etc. No, I will be buying finished stuff.
This is very sad! This "spirit" was why I got my amateur licence this summer, but after getting it I am finding that "making money using overseas" has decimated this "spirit". So I am now trying to find information on homebrew and even that is falling of the edge of the earth.
kits can be fun. but, without the right test equipment they can be difficult to calibrate. especially when the kit requires winding inductors and toroids.
I'd take a Heathkit or any build your own kit verses these newfangled radios that are coming out these days. not those new radios aren't really cool but a ham radio shouldn't be a smart device and do all the work for you that's the whole point of being a ham radio operator it is to operate your equipment not have your equipment do the operating for you and you have simply just become a talker and listener. We all know how smartphones made us all a little stupider so let's not go through this with our radios LOL. 73's everyone!
Dave, I once purchased a Transverter (2m->6m) that had parts that I just Could NOT see/make out the values on! I sent it to my Brother-in-Law who, promptly put it together with No Difficulty at All! His eyes were Much better than mine, but I don’t think the Transverter ever made it “On the Air”! Many years later, I’m looking for a kit to build an HF Rig, but as of this time, I haven’t been able to locate a company from which I can obtain a Kit...I’ll keep looking and, One day, hopefully sooner than later, I’ll find a kit and build it and get it on the Air!
Dave as always very good coverage. Software highlights on importance are absolutely correct. I think that we will see in the near future pick and place machines for the home for hobbist level and pricing. Finally, TRXBench and Mr. Carlson's Lab channels have excellent coverage on dealing with small surface mount components.
If you can’t find a kit ,try scratch building it’s not that difficult .just get a schematic make a pc board collect the components you now have a kit !
Cat? Human for joke. And they set and wach the panic. And get off on your dismay. I had a camera and forced the perp to get my part and ushered him out. "Bums rush" hi hi De kv4li thanks.
@@pufango4059 a man walked in with stupid mask.(not required) he was so scared of getting COVIT( scared) then took up a attitude. When he saw me with out. Telling him I am in charge here Thel I gave him the "bum' rush" in a word I waited for my parts just to get a lecture about COVIT. I ushered him out went back to work. "Bums rush= grabbing and showing him/her the door" thanks sgt williams retired
Hi This Is VU3 YWB From India .I've been looking for this for a long time. I want to make my own radio.I want you to make this kit yourself.I want to know which kit should I get.which one do you think would be better?
Thank you, again.
The older European professors used to refer to me as "a 1930's professor." I built much of the laboratory equipment I used or modified it for use. This included mass spectrometers, gas chromatographs, light isotope preparation lines, photosynthetic gas exchange systems, etc.
After a fashion, this was kit building.
I had lots of help from machinists, electronics technicians, high vacuum technologists, welders, scientific glassblowers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, elevator repairmen, engineers, etc.
Sometimes it was utter frustration. Other times it was back breaking, heavy labor, but in the end very gratifying.
Some projects took a year or longer to complete and get fully operational.
Realistic, honest and to the point. Wonderful video sir thank you.
It is true, the fun really is the part of putting it all together. I started with a simple AM transistor radio kit that was quite a learning experience and nothing is more rewarding than turning on and using something you have built with your own hands :) A device can become SOoooo very personal if built yourself and even customized, And this is what i love the most about kits with passive components.
Dave, congratulations, you just got on the spot.
Thanks for your wise advice in connection with assembling kits. It requires lots of patience more than skill. This one might be learnt, but that means very deep and frequent breathing while puzzled
With the last 3 weeks of googling, redditing, and other website hopping, researching, I have FINALLY found your video where I can actually find reliable kits to buy. The places other people recommended me were not selling many, if ANY kits at all so its nice to see actual results this time.
You were right about one thing for sure. The time for hobby kits were in the 50's to the early 80's I really wish I was alive then just to be able to learn how technology advanced and see how radio technology improved over the years.
The Heathkit HW-16 was my first kit as well. It was my novice go to radio and it was a joy to operate. I made a lot of CW contacts with it. -KE6EX
My 13 year old son would love to build a kit. Any recommendations on a beginner kit. He is VERY good at electronics and assembly. He has a whole garage full of projects and vintage radios. Thanks for any advice.
Dave, lots of good information. Have fun with your ZZRX-40 kit. Randy
Many thanks! I was greatly inspired by your ZZRX-40 construction videos. 73
My start in kits also requires some initial investment in good soldering iron, tips, magnifying glass, PCB holder, anti-static bands and mat, desoldering braid, VNA etc. My first kit has costed way more than the assembled radio due to these things.
My first kit was an Elecraft KX3 and PX3. Built both last year over 2 days. Fantastic manuals, and much information online. I've built many PCs in the past...The Elecraft kits were no more difficult, and in some ways easier. Be sure to have a static mat and wrist strap, and inventory all parts and screws (I contained them in multi-section hardware storage cases), and you'll enjoy the experience! 73!
Mark Tosiello, with the greatest of respect, the Elecraft KX3 is a kit that is assembled not built. The difference being, of course, the former merely requires bolting components together while the latter requires soldering parts onto a board or boards.
I built an HW 101 while on alert in the 80s; loved it!
I was chatting with some folks about kits, and wouldn't you know here is about the best video I've seen on the subject and It's Dave Casler..again! :D
Shared with thanks!
73 de N2NLQ!
I have wonderful memories of sitting with Dad as he built several Heathkit projects. I have built a few kits through the years and "in another life" a few decades ago, I used to prototype and component-level repair computer hardware. I earned my tech license but never did anything with it and let it lapse...
A few years ago I gave away my wideband Tektronix o-scope and my trusty DMM to an engineer in need, thinking I would never touch hardware again at my age.
...But now the "bug" has bitten and I want to refresh my toolkit, learn code, build a qrp rig and earn my license back. AND I finally have a few $$ I can toss at it.
Goodness, I haven't burned my fingers & hair, nor torn my fingertips with cut-leads in years! Wish me luck!! 🔌🎛🎧💙
Good afternoon Dave do remember Heathkit I used to order from them I really miss them too bad then went out of business I wish they came back I like to make new kits Dave
i RECENTLY BUILT A mINIPA70 RF AMP. iT CAME WITH NO INSTRUCTION. i HAD TO WATCH A NUMBER OF UA-cam VIDEOS TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO BUILD IT. It also had surface mount componets that I did not like.i NEARLY SMASHED IT WITH A HAMMER, BUT HUNG IN THERE. In the end it worked, with one watt in I managed to get 20 watts on 28 mhz. On lower frquencies it will boost up to 70 watts. I miss the old Heathkit days where I built a number of quality radio andother electronic devices. I still have my Heatkit power supply I built decades ago!
I’ve made a few before I was even a ham .. I’ve done ✅ ( 12 volt power supply / impedance match /speech processor /mic tester various mic plugs / all done with basic electronic’s -stand alone aka > solid state . No firmware required
I build many Heathkits as a child, including an oscilloscope
Yes om! A three knober will work just as good as a ken wood. It's not just the rig, but the operator that knows his stuff. And keeps his rig in band limits. Once got a letter from a OO for my image being out of band. That is,I had to tighten up the filter on final amp.contacted the OO and test. Revealed no harmonic . 73 om tks for your work de kv4li
I might have missed it, but be sure to wear a grounding wrist strap to keep static electricity off your work..
Kits can be fun but some can be very frustrating if a component or part is missing from the kit. Some act as if your calling them to get this or that doodad for free, as if you enjoy going out of the way just to complain or rip them off for a 25cent part. So now I buy mostly assembled things if possible. Thumb up good topic Dave.
When a kit has a missing component, I first check my "junk box" (actually a large series of plastic bins, and a large shelving unit with dozens of small plastic drawers) to see if I have it. If I don't, and it's a commonly-used part, I'll order a bunch of them from Amazon, Mouser, or Digi-Key. I might as well stock them!
I did this with a missing toroid from a QRPGuys tuner. I sent them an email asking after the missing part...but went ahead and ordered them from Amazon anyway in quantity. The Amazon order arrived first, so I completed the kit using one of the 10 I ordered from them, then put the part I received from QRPGuys a week and a half later with the others in my storage. Can't have too many toroids!
I did the same with 2n2222 transistors, both the epoxy and metal can varieties, and a certain signal diode that's popular in a lot of different kits. I found a project online for a Z80-based computer built with a minimum of parts, and bought a number of each part needed, including six of the PC boards from a PCB prototyping house in China. Eventually, I'll build the thing when the mood strikes me...but I bought a lot of the capacitors and diodes it required since they were inexpensive and used in practically every kit I've got. Small 104 ceramic disks, 100pf electrolytics, and that signal diode, used in a small QRP dummy load I accidentally fried.
Test equipment is getting cheaper all the time. You can usually find an older cathode-ray tube model oscilloscope cheap or even free online. I got a 20mhz 2-channel model on Ebay for $40, including the shipping. I've since replaced it with a 4-channel 100mhz Rigol, and will cheerfully give away that CRO to someone who wants to set up their own workbench. If you're in the Philly area and want a CRO, drop me a note with your callsign and we'll arrange a time when you can come pick it up. I won't ship the thing, it's not worth the expense.
Heck, I even ordered a small digital storage oscilloscope and multimeter that's a keychain fob. It pairs with an app on your smartphone for the controls and display. Relatively inexpensive, and a potential lifesaver in the field! There's also good soldering gear available for low prices nowadays. Get one with temperature control at a minimum. I swear by my little 20v-powered TS-100 soldering iron. It has temp control and a little OLED screen to display current settings. It's usable in the field with a battery pack if that's what you need to do, but I find it indispensable for small component soldering, a real joy to use. But if that's not your cup of tea, Stahl tools has a temp-controlled solder station available on sale for about $14 that has gotten some very good reviews. (www.parts-express.com/stahl-tools-stssvt-variable-temperature-soldering-iron-station--374-100?Retail&Email_Newsletter&) I don't work for them, I saw this go by on the SKCC mailing list.
Dave, this is an absolutely superb preparatory video that should be required viewing for any new ham contemplating kit building. Also, in addition to the basic tools a beginner would need, he or she should plan on getting test equipment and I would suggest a decent DMM or VOM and an inexpensive frequency counter. Down the road, an oscilloscope would be invaluable for those who get serious about kit building.
New hams who engage in kit building for several years will find their "electronic theory aptitude" increasing and they will appreciate and enjoy the hobby a lot more. For example, there are few things more scintillating than working someone across the country or across the ocean with 5-watt radio you built yourself!
Tangentially, wonder what ailed your OHR-100. I must have built four of those and they semed pretty simple. However, they *did* have idiosyncrasies but I have found the support by Marshall Emm to be superb! (incidentally, my first OHR kit was purchased when Doug Demaw owned the business, my second when Dick Witske was the owner.)
Sincere thanks for your efforts with these videos (I subscribed and am becoming a big fan) and keep up with the great work.
71/72/73
de Bill, k6whp
dit dit
Great video! I just built my first kit, the ZM2 ATU. Sadly it's not working to spec and I don't know why or how to find out. But I'm still fighting. In the end the diagnosis and repair experience will probably be the most valuable thing about the project. Very encouraging to know that your stuff doesn't always work, either! Thanks, Dave.
I just finished building a Kanga Kit that doesn't work either. I'll go looking for bad solder joints, and components in the wrong place. I don't know yet whether I'll save it.
Dave. Reminds me reminds me of hearth kit I heard they are coming back and they doing saw the less you don't need to solder to the boards
Hey David, How about an all tube phone/CW kit? Any suggestions?
I've built a number of kits, including an Elecraft K2. But a favorite was the digital VFO version of the Small Wonder Labs QRP 20m rig, the DSW-20. I have a couple of plastic bins full of unbuilt kits. This is usually because I buy some kits on Ebay, and the prices are so low that the shipping is actually a large percentage of the cost...so I'll buy 3 or 4 of the same kit because it doesn't increase the shipping charge. I am very fond of QRPGuys kits, especially their travel antennas for QRP operation. I also don't mind winding toroids, I find it somewhat relaxing.
One of my early rigs was an 80m QRP transceiver, a variation on the venerable Pixie called the Tixie. The main difference was the incorporation of a TICK keyer chip, hence the Tix in Tixie. I have an unbuilt 80m PSK31 kit called a "Warbler".
The K2 was a real challenge. My partner and I built it very slowly and carefully, and it's still alive and kicking to this day.
I also built the Warbler, but I don't find any activity on 80m digital. It was a bear of a kit given it has two SMDs to be soldered. The kit does appear to work, but needs an RS-232 output from the computer, and most computers don't have that anymore.
@@davecasler That may well be why I haven't built it!
My most recent build wasn't a kit. I just finished turning a disused Southord single-ball stainless-steel lockpick into what I call the "Goalpost" style sideswiper "Cootie" key.
I had seen a straight key on the SKCC website made from a Yale door key, and figured I'd take the gag one step further and make a Cootie out of a lockpick. I don't use the single-ball style, so I could easily spare it. The 301 stainless it's made from is very strong and springy, and I used standoffs for the contact post. I'd messed it up at first and only had a contact on the left side. In response to corrective suggestions, I made a brass crosspiece that allowed gap adjustment and added a contact on the right side. The shape is reminiscent of a football goal post, hence the name. I have it adjusted very precisely, and it works great on the air!
photos.app.goo.gl/VZfMpzvuBtQFWQp98
Hi This Is VU3 YWB From India .I've been looking for this for a long time. I want to make my own radio.I want you to make this kit yourself.I want to know which kit should I get.which one do you think would be better?
WELL DONE,INFORMATIVE, AND HELPS ONE TO DECIDE ABOUT KIT BUILDING AS A HOBBY.
One more safety tip: When soldering, have a fan on to blow the fumes away so as not to breathe them in. Good video, Dave.
The fumes come from the heated flux, and don't have any metals in them. Still, good idea not to breathe them.
6:40 That flawless checkmark!
;-)
I just earned Extra-Class and I still don't know that much yet. I'm hoping to put together a rig before too long.
I appreciate the tips that will help me going into the job.
73
AJ6AE formerly KJ6VSR
Look at my Ask Dave videos, especially the early ones. Lots of tips for setting up HF stations.
Great video.....don't be shy of SMT components. Very good results can be achieved with flux, solder braid, practice, & patience
Don't fear the SMT! It took me awhile to get over my aversion to SMT, but once I did, it opened up so many more options. You need slightly better tools, but the investment is not too bad. I know you have a new solder station, Dave, which is more than up to the task. And there are plenty of videos on the Internet to help you get a handle on the technique. There are tricks! A good temperature-controlled iron, squeeze-bottle of flux, some fine solder, some desoldering braid, a pair of tweezers, and a magnifying lamp will get you very far! Also, once you get a little practice you may find that SMT is actually _faster_ to do than through-hole.
Not all SMT is the same, either. I am happy to solder 1206 and 0805 devices all day long, but avoid 0602 or 0402. Similarly, I can do devices with 0.5mm pitch or more, but when it gets tighter than that, I have to bow out. Some devices have thermal pads on the bottom, and that requires special technique. The one type of device I cannot touch with my current technique is the BGA, though I know a lot of home amateurs that have had good luck soldering such devices in skillets on their stoves! For a bit more money, there are kits to build reflow ovens.
Thanks for the encouragement! What temperatures do you recommend for soldering? 73, Dave
I like 630-675F. It's s personal preference thing. Stations with good temperature control don't need to be as hot because the work doesn't cool them down so much. I always use good leaded solder. There is no reason to deal with the no lead solder unless you have to - and hobbyists never have to. in fact, when reworking something that was soldered professionally using silver solder, I will usually add leaded solder to the joint first to make it much easier to work.
Thanks for the info! 73
@@policyprogrammer The temperature to use depends on the solder. There are solders with very low melting points available that are very useful to "mix" it into unleaded solder to lower the melting point. This could be helpful doing unsoldering of professional soldered part (repairing your station). In general unleaded solders needs much higher temperatures.
David thank you so much for the info. Prices for radios are too high for me. This is the way maybe for me.
I think I will well a lot more by doing this. Again you soo much, you are great!!
is this a 2 meter kit? ı want to recieve signals from ıss which is around 145mhz
Now you make me want to get my Ten-Tec shortwave radio that I built out and see if it still works!
Do it! It just might!
What do I gotta do, where do I gotta go to find a work up for my first radio in like a breadboard format. Something like 1930's technology, so that I can treat the assembly not as just a kit to be assembled but as a foundational start for an electronics education. Something with entirely discreet components that I can meticulously go over with something like an oscilloscope junction by junction so that I can actually visualize what is going on. No amount of reading books, taking classes, or watching youtube is going to help me visualize these currents, ohms, voltages, sine waves, amplitudes and frequencies. I can read the books, I can recite the knowledge I've acquired front to back, but I'm never going to gain the wisdom until I can find that perfect radio design and/or kit that will help me teach myself. So that when someone says something like well this diode has this particular effect that isn't very good and if you changed it out for that diode this other such thing would be improved, I can actually witness that knowledge and learn from it.
You could try looking in old magazines or old handbooks from the 1960s and backwards. These days even small kit radios are dependent on integrated circuits for many functions. Another way is to get an old radio and go through the process of restoring (watch high voltage safety!). A magazine you may find interesting is Electric Radio.
David Casler thank you david, I'm familiar with the NE Kansas hams, and got my general a few years back. But I would really hate to pester an elmer with too many questions, some things might be better worked through alone in my case. I'm gonna see what I can dig up.
Watching this vid and were it mentions soldering iron burning hands, yep, it melts computer keys too. I was working on a circuit board the other day and bumped my iron and it landed on my key board, oops, well at least my computer is still functional even though old.
I started to do some kits. Last one I had to trouble shoot but didn't have the proper equipment. What would be the components for a beginner beyond the multi meter?
For many years the only test equipment I had was a multimeter and an SWR meter. I recently got an oscilloscope, but it's certainly not required. My next purchase will be a signal generator, but I don't have a timeframe for that. 73
Dave, this is KG5KYJ, John. I started with the 51 Super Rock Mite cw kit and it had a bad ceramic cap that failed the smoke test. It also had a bad audio op-amp and final power amp. It also got me an Oo postcard for a raspy signal. Right after that I got a cheap Chinese ESR component tester device to help check the components of my next few kits. I wish I had that to begin with and recommend it to others who make kits. I am also a big fan, and thank you for updating the extra class videos. 73
This awesome presentation , love it
Very nice presentation - incidentally did you memorize it - if so congratulations on that as well!
Used a teleprompter.
Great video, and Happy Thanksgiving... 73...Roger / NQ8RP
Great and interesting Video :)
Knight Kit Star Roamer when I was 12 or 13.
you know dave, i never thought of antennas and others as kits. i have always dreamed of building a hw-100 or hw-101 as a kit. you have pointed out that i have and others have built kits. antennas are the most common for me as i have been through a few when upgrading but never thought of it as a kit. that makes sense. thank you for another great informative video. i will have to see if i can find a good question for you to use on ask dave videos. keep them coming. I am also curious as to if you have any recomedations to any test equipment kits. i would love to build a multimeter for sure as i do have a good reference one to use to calibrate from work. and any other ideas you might have that would be beneficial to a ham workbench. i love to build and would love to have homebuilt equipment to service along with that. 73, ad0am
Great video!
I've been on a kit building binge for the last few months. I built three OHR100A's 80m 40m. and 20m (love these kits. They are nice rigs and not hard to build) I also built Marshall's Digital dials and QRP wattmeter. I built an Elecraft KX-1 (not for the beginner). I built a couple of Rcokmite ]['s. I've built numerous QRP Labs kits. All in the last couple of months and I had a blast. 73 NE5U Mike
I like your show it was good think you
hey great video !! Very informative and encouraging. I THINK I WANT TO BUILD A HAM RADIO ! I was wondering if I would be patient enough, and i believe i surely am
At 68 I do mine In jumps. Caps, restors, and transistors. In sortes. Tks de kv4li
I want to build a am tube radio kit except no one sells them anymore
They're out there. Keep looking.
No way. I like doing things where I can see what is wrong. I can see getting something all soldered together, only to have it not work and me having no idea which part(s) were put in backwards, etc. No, I will be buying finished stuff.
Kits can cost more than the assembled unit.
This is very sad! This "spirit" was why I got my amateur licence this summer, but after getting it I am finding that "making money using overseas" has decimated this "spirit". So I am now trying to find information on homebrew and even that is falling of the edge of the earth.
There are kits available from all over. The Brits seem to enjoy developing them. In the USA, look at 4 states QRP club.
Thanks David, I will look around more
kits can be fun. but, without the right test equipment they can be difficult to calibrate. especially when the kit requires winding inductors and toroids.
Yep!
thank you so much for the information on safety
I'd take a Heathkit or any build your own kit verses these newfangled radios that are coming out these days. not those new radios aren't really cool but a ham radio shouldn't be a smart device and do all the work for you that's the whole point of being a ham radio operator it is to operate your equipment not have your equipment do the operating for you and you have simply just become a talker and listener. We all know how smartphones made us all a little stupider so let's not go through this with our radios LOL. 73's everyone!
Dave,
I once purchased a Transverter (2m->6m) that had parts that I just Could NOT see/make out the values on!
I sent it to my Brother-in-Law who, promptly put it together with No Difficulty at All! His eyes were Much better than mine, but I don’t think the Transverter ever made it “On the Air”!
Many years later, I’m looking for a kit to build an HF Rig, but as of this time, I haven’t been able to locate a company from which I can obtain a Kit...I’ll keep looking and, One day, hopefully sooner than later, I’ll find a kit and build it and get it on the Air!
Take a look at hfsigs.com. They have a 5 watt radio that operates both SSB and CW on all HF bands.
Thanks Dave. I learned electronic kit building is not for me.
Dave as always very good coverage. Software highlights on importance are absolutely correct. I think that we will see in the near future pick and place machines for the home for hobbist level and pricing. Finally, TRXBench and Mr. Carlson's Lab channels have excellent coverage on dealing with small surface mount components.
Thanks for the info. 73
I will thanks
If kits worked then they should work now. I'm not interested in computer run ham radio.
If you can’t find a kit ,try scratch building it’s not that difficult .just get a schematic make a pc board collect the components you now have a kit !
Manda um para mi Brasil
If you no of any tube am radio kits ,I no of a few disabled vet ,s who would love to make those kits,anyone please let me no .
VERY GOOD VIDEO PLEASE MAKE MORE ! MIKE VE2UU
Soddery
We never had the $$$ back in the 50's & 60's. Now the best companies (Heathkit) have all made their millions and closed their doors.
oof
The improvement in technology has allowed manufacturers to charge more as if they had hired a team of experts. Its still the hobby of privilege.👎
Meh, I don't know. All hobbies involve equipment and expenses of some kind.
Cat? Human for joke. And they set and wach the panic. And get off on your dismay. I had a camera and forced the perp to get my part and ushered him out. "Bums rush" hi hi De kv4li thanks.
Any chance of translating your comment to English?
@@pufango4059 a man walked in with stupid mask.(not required) he was so scared of getting COVIT( scared) then took up a attitude. When he saw me with out. Telling him I am in charge here Thel I gave him the "bum' rush" in a word I waited for my parts just to get a lecture about COVIT. I ushered him out went back to work. "Bums rush= grabbing and showing him/her the door" thanks sgt williams retired
ubitx v5
Hi This Is VU3 YWB From India .I've been looking for this for a long time. I want to make my own radio.I want you to make this kit yourself.I want to know which kit should I get.which one do you think would be better?