Success !!
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I motivated myself this weak to finish my CMOS4 keyer
kit which I've had sitting here on the desk since April. Put the batteries in today and the little keyer gave me the OK. This is only the 2nd kit I've put together the 1st one was an AMECO Code practice oscillator I built back in 1976 to practice code to get my Novic license .. I could have used a torch to solder in those components, but realized I had to be a little more careful with the CMOS4 kit :) I want to thank everyone here who gave me information & encouragement, plus obtaining the wealth of information from reading the archives, this all help with this successful build. Now do I get the courage enough to attempt and Elecraft kit.... maybe soon!! 73, Clint WS1V __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Howdy Clint,
You will do fine. Just take the K2 - K1 - KX1 (which ever you choose) a little bit at a time. I was told by Ms. Patricia I could not (or was that should not :) work on it for more than an hour each evening. I used my K2 as a sanity saving exercise during graduate school. The course load was onerous but the goal was in sight. They paid me pretty well as a GA/RA too so I could afford a few toys. I played with my robots and got some grad credits with them. I wanted to get better comms for them and remembered amateur radio from when I was a kid in the '60s. I found the tests were given every other month a few blocks away. I passed the tech and general paper tests and got on the air with VHF on SSB and FM. But the match had been struck. I found I wanted to learn CW and get better at it. I built the K2 before I had my CW down and before I took my code test. In fact, the K2 was used to practice quite a bit while I was learning. Wayne's rig has a neat feature: the TEST setting on CW. I used my paddles, my code tapes, my computer, and the K2 to pass my code test. It was good. Then I got on the air the first time for my very first CW QSO. Sweaty palms, scripts written out in front of me. Fifteen meters was full of noise and the op was running way too fast (8 wpm ????) but somehow I got his call sign and an RST. I had been blooded. My first CW QSO. I found I was not ready for prime time so found a local code practice friend. We worked on our skills together until Ms Pat and I moved back home to Oregon. Then I tried the FISTs code buddy system. No luck. Not to happen. But, the Elecraft Reflector was the place to voice my issues. I found a Mentor!! He worked with me for quite some time until I was ready (?) to try other ops again. About this time there was an Elecraft SSB net forming. It worked a few times and then went away since the bands were fading for voice modes due to the solar cycle decline. I had a thought, "Why not try this on CW?" So, fool that I am, I tried starting the Elecraft CW Net. Somehow or another my match must have landed on dry tinder since the net is still running over two years later! If you build one of these rigs you are very welcome to join us each Sunday afternoon and evening on either 20 or 40 meters to listen to propagation reports from around the country and occasionally from even further. You'll hear about weather, about folks' kids, and a little more. We all enjoy our rigs from Elecraft but enjoy getting on the air even more. At the end of the net, when I run the list of check ins and close down, there are a number of folks acknowledging the end of another fun net. No pressure, just folks. Please build one of Elecraft's rigs. Take your time, enjoy the solder flowing, the lead clipping, and the sound of 40 meters awakening to your first receive tests. When you complete the rig join us one day even if it is just to listen. I know there are some out there who do more listening that transmitting. That is fine with me. I was an SWL for many, many years. I still enjoy listening while I am working on other things. Above all else: have fun! Take care, Kevin. KD5ONS (Net Control Op of the ECN) On Fri, 20 Jan 2006 21:12:32 -0800 (PST), Clint Sprague <[hidden email]> wrote: > I motivated myself this weak to finish my CMOS4 keyer > kit which I've had sitting here on the desk since > April. Put the batteries in today and the little > keyer gave me the OK. This is only the 2nd kit > I've put together the 1st one was an AMECO Code > practice oscillator > I built back in 1976 to practice code to get my Novic > license .. > I could have used a torch to solder in those > components, but realized I had to be a little more > careful with the CMOS4 kit :) > I want to thank everyone here who gave me information > & encouragement, plus obtaining the wealth of > information from reading the archives, this all help > with this successful build. Now do > I get the courage enough to attempt and Elecraft > kit.... maybe soon!! > > 73, > Clint > WS1V Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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