More Pixie transceiver price madness

From Steve G1KQH:

"Continuation of the Pixie price saga, the more you buy the cheaper they are, £1.94p each if you buy 10

Its just impossible to even think how they do it:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10pcs-DIY-PIXIE-Kit-CW-Short-Wave-Ham-Radio-Telegraph-Transceiver-DC-Buzzer-FH32-/171990462690?hash=item280b6e30e2:g:qR0AAOSwwbdWPG9Z

 73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/"

More goodies found by G1KQH

From Steve, G1KQH:

Excellent VFM Pots.. I am replacing the preset on the Pixie board with one of these, works out at 16.5p each

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-pcs-Silver-Tone-Metal-Split-Shaft-Potentiometer-50K-Ohm-2015-/231446014347?

They also had 100K which I had another 99p worth.. (For another of my many projects)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Pcs-100K-Ohm-3-Terminals-Silver-Tone-Split-Shaft-Potentiometer-2015-/321636385901?

Maybe other values if you search their shop.. Of course its China again where do you think I do my shopping these days?

Another G1KQH bargain

This came in from Steve, G1KQH, today. It is often cheaper to buy the completed, built modules from China than to buy the parts in the UK! What is the world coming to?

I bought 5 LM317s on PCB with heatsinks for a fiver:

 

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-LM317-Adjustable-Voltage-Regulator-Step-down-Power-Supply-Buck-Module-Board-/221577652687?pt=UK_BOI_Electrical_Test_Measurement_Equipment_ET&hash=item33970ea9cf

 

Why bother building it any longer, that used to be half the fun! The heatsinks would of cost a Quid each over here, never mind the LM317 and the PCB with connectors..

 

Happy days 

 

73 Steve G1KQH

http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

Useful info on Steve G1KQH's blog

Steve has some useful links to the new 2m extension NoV (on the RSGB website) and to the draft manual for the new LNR Precision HF rig. See http://g1kqh.blogspot.co.uk/ .

G1KQH blog

See http://g1kqh.blogspot.co.uk/ .

Steve, G1KQH has just started his own blog.  Steve has frequently supplied useful information to me. I usually post these gems to my blog. I wish him well with his new venture. Personally I find blogging compliments what I do in amateur radio, compliments my main website http://www.g3xbm.co.uk and acts as a diary for future reference. I find it fun to share my exploits with others. I hope my readers enjoy it too.

Steve, best of luck with your blog.

Another G1KQH eBay bargain

Our old friend Steve G1KQH has found another bargain on eBay.  As before, you see this as I do - I've no knowledge of the supplier or goods. At 99p it is low cost!

See:

....and another handy tool Roger,

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hot-IC-SMD-Easy-Pick-Picker-Up-Hand-Tool-Vacuum-Sucking-Pen-3-Suction-Headers-/121219424659?pt=UK_Baby_BabyFeedingUtensils_EH&hash=item1c393da193

          73 Steve

http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

More low cost parts (via G1KQH)

Once again, I have no knowledge of this supplier or if the goods are genuine, or "ripped off", but the prices are very good. My thanks to Steve G1KQH once again.

Other valuable finds which may prove useful to constructors or groups:

 

5V 100mA regulators per 100 ( I had some of these).

http://www.banggood.com/100-Pcs-WS78L05-78L05-Voltage-Regulator-5V-100mA-Transistor-Triode-p-932782.html

 

Mixed Zeners pack:

http://www.banggood.com/300pcs-2V-39V-30-Values-1-Or-2W-0_5W-Zener-Diode-Assorted-Kit-p-87725.html

 

1N4148s

http://www.banggood.com/500Pcs-1N4148-DO-35-Switching-Small-Signal-Diode-p-943164.html

 

Precision Ref board (ideal for checking Cal of your DMM) could be used for stable VXO supply:

http://www.banggood.com/AD548-High-Precision-Voltage-Reference-Module-4-Channel-Calibration-p-932160.html

 

If you put the word “Transistor” in the search on Banggood quite a variety of well known general purpose come up at good prices..

 

Orders seem to take about 7 to 10 days to the UK

Logbook (found by G1KQH)

Steve G1KQH has been finding things again.

Found this excellent Logbook:  http://www.ngenlog.com/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNrI_sENS7o

73 Steve
http://www.g1kqh.talktalk.net/

Chinese FT817 a step closer?

Steve G1KQH has alerted me to a new Chinese HF SSB/CW transceiver kit called the KightKit KR-10 that retails in the USA for $259.95  Although this is a kit, it is available ready made for just $30 more. That is less than $300 for a built HF QRP rig.

The rig doesn't look very pretty, in my view, and I/ve no idea about its availability in Europe including the UK.

The spec is:

• RX frequency range: 0.1 ~ 30MHz
• TX frequency range: 0.1 ~ 30MHz
• Operating Mode: SSB / CW
• Receiving sensitivity: better than 0.45uV,
• RF output power: ≥ 4.5W
• Frequency stability: better than 0.5ppm
• Operating voltage: 12.0 ~ 14.0V DC
• RX Standby Current: 0.5A
• TX current: 1.5A Max
• Dimensions: 97 x 40 x 155 (mm)

See http://www.kightradio.com/X1M-QRP-SSBCW-Transceiver-Kit_p_305.html for more details.

Now, there are clearly signs that the Chinese are coming up fast on the HF QRP transceiver front. It surely cannot be long before a Chinese company launches an FT817 competitor. They have a tall order to exceed its spec but they've had 13 years to dissect and analyse the Yaesu radio.