I built a 20m RockMite several months ago, or at least got to the 90% point and got distracted. Last week I decided to finish it and put it in the traditional Altoids case. Once I got everything situated inside, I was happy to make contacts with POTA stations in IL and MA. Not bad for a little 1/2 watt radio!
73,
Mike, KL7MJ
20m RockMite success!
Re: 20m RockMite success!
Awesome. I've got a 40M Rockmite and have had a lot of fun with it. These are fun kits...a bit easier to use than a pixie. You can make contacts with them if your patient. I don't know how the chip works on the board, but I'm fascinated by how cool the CW menu system is. I just put together a Tuna Tin 2 for 40M I'll be trying to get on the air with soon.
Re: 20m RockMite success!
Ted,
It was a lot of fun (and frustration). I'm thinking about building a Tuna Tin S, a simple transmitter that uses an Si5351 as the VFO. Hope to hear you on 40!
73,
Mike, KL7MJ
It was a lot of fun (and frustration). I'm thinking about building a Tuna Tin S, a simple transmitter that uses an Si5351 as the VFO. Hope to hear you on 40!
73,
Mike, KL7MJ
Re: 20m RockMite success!
I remember chugging along putting together my rockmite and then running into something that was stumping me. I think I put a resistor in the wrong spot but I figured it out. There's just enough components on there that you better in the mood to be paying attention or you're better off leaving it alone. I put mine in an old Linksys router box...there's still a slot along the side of it where the Ethernet plugs would go where you can see right into it but it's what I found when I was putting it together.
That sounds cool, Tuna Tin S. I got the Tuna Tin on the air yesterday before dinner. Conditions had been lousy earlier in the afternoon so I wasn't expecting much. Reverse beacon was giving me some reports though, and then I caught a QSO! I don't really have a gauge I'd call accurate but I think I'm putting out 250mW with it, contact was 250+ miles away so a mile a mW. Especially proud of making the contact since I was using a homebrew receiver.
That sounds cool, Tuna Tin S. I got the Tuna Tin on the air yesterday before dinner. Conditions had been lousy earlier in the afternoon so I wasn't expecting much. Reverse beacon was giving me some reports though, and then I caught a QSO! I don't really have a gauge I'd call accurate but I think I'm putting out 250mW with it, contact was 250+ miles away so a mile a mW. Especially proud of making the contact since I was using a homebrew receiver.