Surface Mount Components in Kits

[Rex E Pickett]

Kits have made somewhat of a comeback amongst
QRP clubs, many of these designs are now in
commercial production.  See page 137 of the
May QST.  The Elecraft K-2 is certainly no toy
rig!  It features rival the best ready made
commercial reigs out there.  160-10m SSB/CW
dual synthesized vfo's, RIT/XIT.  It puts out
10 watts, but there will be an amplifier coming
out soon.  There is still enough room to put
a battery and an antenna tuner inside the case!
Check it out at www.elecraft.com.

No surface mount boards in this unit, yet it is only
3"x8"x8".

Other company's that are making kits are:
Emtech: http:\\www.emtech.steadynet.com/
                        single band transceivers
                         tuners
Wlderness Radio:http://www.fix.net/jparker/wild.html
                                    multi-band,single band
                                    transceivers
Redhot Radio: http://www.redhotradio.com/
                        transceivers
Kanga:http:www.bright.net/~kanga
Small Wonder Labs:http://www.fix.net/~jparker/sml/
                single band transceivers CW & SSB

Of course there is also TenTec and Vectronics a subsidary
of MFJ.

Most of these guys started with a design that a club
kited and found so successful that they decided to
go into business making the kits.  Dave Benson NN1G,
of Small Wonder Labs designed a small minimal parts
40 meter rig that has evolved into the SW40+ which has
become the basis of the Elmer 101 series on the
QRP reflector, QRP-L(website: http://qrp.cc.nd.edu/QRP-L/).
 The Norcal QRP club devoted an entire issue of their
magazine to just this rig explainingwhat each part does
and why it was chosen.  What is neat about some of these
smaller companies is if you call in with a problem, you will
usually be talking to the designer himself!

The clubs still do kits.  The New Jersey QRP Club has several.
The Fireball 40 is a 40mw 40meter transceiver for $10!

If you want 'hollow state' there's Antique Radio which makes
the 'Cake Pan' kits.

I don't think anything will replace the green boxes but there are
kits out there to be built!

73, Rex, KA7NQK

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