Do you build your own gear?

[al2n]

I am getting into building my own stuff. Got a couple great elmers up here who are more than happy to help me get started. I find it fun and satisfying to use some gear that I made.

How much homebrew do you do?

[wa9cwx]

None, I have tried, they are not pretty, nor do they work right. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[W5HTW]

I gotta admit, while I love working on the old commercially made (or designed) boat anchors, I was not good at building them. My sheet metal and crinkle steel fabrication skills were limited to looking at a panel, deciding I had no idea where to punch a hole, and giving up. I could design the equipment on paper, but unfortunately when I plugged the paper rig in, it never seemed to work. I was of the metal-working level where I could actually punch a hole in a panel, decide it was in the wrong place, cover it with black tape, and punch a new hole nearby.

Those skills were only surpassed by my carpentry skills. I learned many years ago not to build anything of wood. Then I broke that rule and actually built a deck. That was three years ago and it is still standing, so maybe I should try chassis work again??

What I did build in electronics, I built on existing chassis, modeling my circuitry to fit the holes already punched. That didn't work too badly, actually. Usually, though, it meant a much larger finished item than it really would have had to have been. Like a floor model transistor radio?

Ed

[K9STH]

I don't build as much these days as in the past. Mostly antennas, antenna switching boxes, phasing boxes, and the like. Occasionally I do build a receiving converter and things like that.

In the past I have built a 22 tube receiver that covered .50 MHz to 34 MHz plus converters for 6-meters and 2-meters and a Q-Multiplier that included variable bandpass (did this as a junior in high school). Built 2-meter AM / CW transmitter, DSB transmitter for 75 meters, VHF converters, plate modulator for my original Globe Chief 90A, and several other projects in high school including simple transmitters for Novice CW operation..

Didn't build much while I was in college except a 6-meter AM transmitter and a few antennas. Did "modify" several Motorola FM receivers / transmitters. Built a Heathkit HW-12A when I was a senior in college and modified a Heathkit CB-1 into an HW-29A "Sixer" my sophomore year.

After graduating I built a 120 watt (input) bandswitching AM/CW transmitter (80 through 10 meters), transverters for 6-meter and 2-meter SSB, a number of VHF / UHF converters, and many other items like a solid-state keyer. Of course this does not include "kit" items like a Heathkit SB-401, SB-301, SB-200, and so forth.

Now days I spend most of what would be "building" time repairing, aligning, restoring, etc., "boat anchor" equipment for others. I did modify a PACE Landmaster II lowband FM transceiver for various amateur 10 meter FM frequencies a little while back.

Glen, K9STH

[KF0RT]

Building is as much fun as the old days. Maybe more now that we have places like Newark and Mouser that will deal with the little guy.

You really can get just about anything these days in the way of parts, and it's still a hoot.

73, Rob

[w8znx]

hello

make homebrew beer

and some gear
not about to give up
JA rice box xceivers
qrp kit rigs
or old tube radios

still have loads of fun
building and
playing with solid state qrp
and tube glow bug hb radios

nothing but nothing
quite as grand as
realy building a radio
running it
then working a dx station with it

to to much fun
yours truly
Mac

[AB6ND]

In 90% of my building projects I qualify for the N E W award, 'Nothing Ever Works.' Crummy eyesight and lack of depth perception makes the meeting of the component, Soldering Iron, and solder an almost impossible task in spite of some coarse language.
AB6ND

[KG6YTZ]

None of the above. "No, but I'd like to be able to, and not just kits either - I'd like to be able to design and build from scratch. THAT is ultimate radio skill."

[WS2L]

I used to do a lot of homebrew projects years ago but these days the only things I build are antenna's.

[w5alt]

I've always got a few hair-brained projects going and have built a variety of things in the past. It's a little harder now that I travel a lot, but I still tinker with radios, circuits, antennas, etc. I've still got a lot left to learn, too.

There's not anything quite as satisfying as getting a project to work. That feeling even nullifies the feeling one gets when letting the smoke out of the gear!

73,
Walt, W5ALT

[KC2MDP]

As I hopefully Gain more smarts I hope to get involved with more projects. I have built a number of things over the years, some that worked and some that just sat there and did nothing. I have a whole yard of homebrew antennas and still I keep on building more. I only wish that there were more places readaily avalable to buy My homebrew supplies other than "online".

[n8yx]

I build a lot of - and repair all of - my own gear, with the exception of a few station peripherals such as packet-radio TNCs and so forth. (All computers in the shack are "homebrew", and many run software packages written by me.)

Latest project is a pair of Cubic 1500ZA amps (one a Dayton fleamarket special and one found through an online classified). The 'fest special is now online and humming along nicely, while I'm straightening out various kinks in the other...rebuilding the plate matching circuitry, restoring the front-panel switches to "stock" and so forth.

Two of the exciters used to test the first amp decided to lunch their output transistors, courtesy of misadjusted ALC and power foldback limiting pots. Got one back in operation with some spare MRF458s I had laying around, but I'll have to order another set to finish the other.

If I couldn't tinker - if ham radio was like CB - I would have very little to do with the hobby.

[WA3KYY]

I checked 100% homebrew but only if you include kits with homebrew. I do not have a single item in the home shack that was not built from a kit.

[ki4bbl]

I don't think my stuff qualifies as homebrew, but I do build thanks to the guys that do homebrew. Steve, Dave, K1el, etc make it easy to put stuff together. I have done a 20 meter rockmite, picokeyer, winkey (Which I trashed trying to key an old tube type rig: it keys negative while the winkey keys positive.) I have built quite a few antennas--but dipoles are dirt simple. I would love to build one of the glowbugs just to see it glow. My next project will be an amp I think. I just need to find one to build.

73
Greg
ki4bbl

[WB2WIK]

I don't homebrew as much nowadays, either, but that's mostly because there's nothing I really need, and also I value my spare time a great deal. I figure I'm worth $200 an hour, at least, working or not. So, for the hours I'm awake and not working, I try to make the most of them by enjoying life.

However, it is enjoyable to homebrew stuff, too!

Currently, the following components of my station are 100% homebrew and also home-designed:

-160m KW amp
-80-10m KW amp
-6m KW amp
-2m KW amp
-6-port mike mixer
-6-port headphone mixer
-electronic memory keyer
-8-line keyer output switch
-222 MHz transverter
-2m/135cm wattmeter/directional coupler

I have some other homebrew accessories, mostly residing in the closet because they're no longer useful.

My amplifier projects mostly became published construction articles, and it's gratifying to see when others build the same things based on those articles.

The way to prevent the "never works" blues is to really, truly understand what you're building and how -- and why -- it works. One of the best ways to assure understanding of why something works is to also understand how to make it *not* work. As we say in the industry, "You shouldn't sell anything until you know how to break it."

WB2WIK/6

[kf6rdn]

Haven't really homebrewed radio stuff, just peripheral stuff. #A few whacked out antennas, 2 or 70cm dipole on a stick type things.

A kinda fancy soundcard i/f with digital recorder that I never got to work right, due to severe laziness and apathy it sounded cool, but wasn't worth the hassle once it didnt work right the first time - I can call "cq" the old fashion way. The rest of it worked.

[k4kyv]

The two transmitters I have used since the 70's are homebrew, but I have always used commercial receivers. Two years ago a local broadcast station gave me a 1 kw AM broadcast transmitter for removing it from their building. It's not homebrow, but I have converted it to 160, modified it to work on CW as well as AM, modified the control circuitry so that the relays work (quietly) on DC instead of AC, added PTT circuitry, converted it from xtal control to VFO, changed all the rectifiers to solid state, plus numerous other mods, so it too almost qualifies as homebrew.

[K8ERV]

Quote[/b] (w5alt @ May 22 2005,06:52)]There's not anything quite as satisfying as getting a project to work.
I'll have to take your word for it, sure never happened here!! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

TOM K8ERV Montrose Colo

[w8znx]

Quote[/b] (k4kyv @ June 08 2005,17:02)]The two transmitters I #have used since the 70's are homebrew, but I have always used commercial receivers. #Two years ago a local broadcast station gave me a 1 kw AM broadcast transmitter for removing it from their building. #It's not homebrow, but I have converted it to 160, modified it to work on CW as well as AM, modified the control circuitry so that the relays work (quietly) on DC instead of AC, added PTT circuitry, converted it from xtal control to VFO, changed all the rectifiers to solid state, plus numerous other mods, so it too almost qualifies as homebrew.
hello all

you should hear
Don's hb big signal am xmitter

on good am receiver
to good speaker

Don sounds like
he is right in the shack
with you

homebrewing seems
nowdays to be most
used by qrp ops
and the am gang

some am ops
now building new style
big sig class e
solid state transmitters

some other
am ops also playing
with hb mopa
glow bug
low pwr xmitters

don't realy half to be
hot shot tec to build
simple hb am and cw rigs

don't need to work with
metal chassis
low pwr 160-40 meters
can use old style
easy to work with
bread board style

example of dirt simple
is acorn tube transmitter
I built few years ago
u can see photo of it
in this month's CQ magzine

yours truly
Mac

[kd7eze]

Due to current health related matters, my homebrewing is limited to antennas and such. Although I would like to build a good 300 watt amp for 6M SSB, and some sort of transverter so I could work 2M SSB. Unfortunately, I have no schematics, working drawings, or elmers. Life goes on. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[N8CPA]

I've worn off circuit assembly. My dexterity can lay waste to even the easiest to assemble and align kits. The last one I tried was the LDG tuner and never again! I won't waste any more money on thinking that any desired future project will turn out differently.

However, I recently bought a SolderIt package, along with some solder paste. But that will just be for some antenna work waiting to be done.

[WA2ZDY]

I've always known my construction technique needed some "help." So I've limited myself to kits and things I really couldn't screw up. For example, simple stuff on a breadboard I could handle. I made lots of antenna tuners, accessories, and of course my ultimate, my first transmitter. THAT was a 6L6 on a plank of white pine with sloppy point to point wiring. For 40m that was good enough, though I know the neighbours didn't like it.

Yes, I'd love to homebrew, but again, I knew my limitations from the start, and as I've aged and my health has begun to slide, I know them even better.

[k4kyv]

Quote[/b] (WS2L @ May 22 2005,05:20)]I used to do a lot of homebrew projects years ago but these days the only things I build are antenna's.
I kinda get a hoot out of it whenever I hear someone over the air remark, "Antenna here is a homebrew dipole."

In addition to tube stuff with point-to-point wiring, I have dabbled with solid state projects. Never tried etching circuit boards; just made do with peg boards. Or simply a sheet of bakelite, drilled holes for the components and poked the wires through, soldering on the other side. Use "dead bug" construction for IC chips, with a tiny drop of epoxy on the top to secure them to the board while leaving them easily removable.

Have never attempted to tackle surface mount technology or even tried to repair it. Eyesight is not sharp enough, even with my wonderful new glasses.

[WA7KKP]

Homebrewing gear is getting tougher now due to advances in integrated circuits and surface-mount technology. Competing with rice boxes is a tall hurdle for even the 'professional' hams.

Homebrew was much easier back in the 50's and 60's with tube gear, and AM modulation. One could cannibalize cheap gear and use those parts in simple to moderately complex equipment. That's what Howard Anthony did when he started Heathkit in Benton Harbor, MI.

I've always enjoyed homebrew, having watched my OM build his own KW and RTTY gear while I was but a young tyke. I started by building a push-pull 6K6 audio amplifier to go with the tuning head of a Plymouth car radio -- then built an L Match antenna tuner, and several 12v DC power supplies.

There is still a good supply of surplus electronics, now with the synthesized commercial FM radios becoming cheap as air on the market. My next project will be putting a Motorola Syntor on 10/6 meters, with less than $100 invested. Eventually I want to build transverters for 6 and 2 meter SSB using either some of my Progress Line gear, or other radio stuff for the receiver converters.

One good place to start is surplus CB radios -- you can get them for a buck or two -- and learn how to solder/desolder components. Convert one to 10 CW or SSB and get some OJT. Or HF qrp -- there's another starting point.

I wish there were more kits available, but most hams don't have the skills or tools to work with solid-state kits, and Heathkit's demise was due in part to the clout of the Japanese electronics industry.

Gary WA7KKP

[KC9BKA]

I build lotsa ham antennas for all bands

[KC9BKA]

and they work pretty good I havent blown a radio yet! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[kc7flr]

I build antennas, interface cables for computer control. I haven't tackled building a radio or amp as yet. I don't think I'd do too well with my eyesight what it is. I have difficulty building computers anymore with my aging eyes and fat fingers. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[KA1UNW]

If we are talking about only recently, yes. I built a 30watt transmitter, a VFO and a 2 tube receiver as well as the power supplies to run them.
However I'm not so certain I want to make any more...lack of initiative, and I tend to rush and get sloppy; taking short cuts....

Prowl my mini website ( set up by N1OKM ) to see what I mean.
Use qrz's look-up since I can't get the http thing to work right

[K5UOS]

This was a wonderful list of postings. My belief is that homebrewing is certainly easier when you have a bunch of experienced old timers helping you and encouraging you. My dad used to make me stay home many Sunday’s and take electronic classes. He taught me how receivers worked and helped me through my first superhet before I was high school age. At the time I didn’t appreciate it and my dad used to say that there would be a time when it would mean more to me. When I settled down and bought my first home he nudged me a little to get my ticket and do a little homebrewing again. That year I got my ticket and I built a 4 band tube superhet and a simple tube transmitter. I have had the bug ever since. It was much easier having someone who had walked the walk before though. Thanks to elmers like W1KPS(SK), K5SAM, WI5W, W5LII, and many, many others like K5DOA who visited just last weekend and brought me a box of tubes and parts. Hamming and particularly homebrewing has been a wonderful adventure. I am most fascinated by receivers particularly tube type. There is nothing more fun than being in the shack on a cold winter night, lights down low, tubes glowing in the dimly lit room working a station on CW using homebrew gear. It really brings out the kid in me again!

thanks you guys for sharing some of you homebrew stuff K5UOS Don

[ve2nsm]

I build things like controllers, test gear, antennas, duplexers, amplifiers.
Radios are not worth it today, neither computer stuff.
I like to modify and recycle old or used gear though.

[KI4CIA]

Homebrew is on my “list of things to do” once John starts drawing a check from his new job. But I’ve got to get through the ARRL emergency communications courses first. The ARRL has some additional classes that seem promising on building antennas and such; will also check into the electronics courses. (and also find a local ham to supervise so I don’t blow the house up!!)

And since I’ve never built anything in my life, I’ll make sure the local ham (and my husband) have a boat-load of patience!!

Building my own antennas, radio, amps, etc. has never appealed to me before, but the more I think about it, the more "appealing" it is.

Well, got to run, lunch break is almost over ...

73,
Melinda, KI4CIA

[ky5u]

I do small homebrew stuff like recently built a tube t/r switch for one of my boatanchors. Mostly repair old rigs for my own use or resale.