Cool gadgets in amateur radio that work on the air.

Here is a quick little tidbit to chew on today. I worked a legit ham radio op for a change. You see, most of us (including me) cant build a radio from parts, not because we cant, but because we dont know how. Possibly, instead, we have not taken the time to learn the different sections of a radio or have the space to build it or some of us dont have the resources. But some us us…do.

I had the honor of recently working an op that had built his own radio… that is one of the things I like about CW and particularly QRP is the homebrew radios you get to encounter. The other day I was working an activation and heard the familiar sound of a homebrew radio. They have a distinctive sound unless they are built as a SDR machine, and you can just tell it. Well, I made the contact and moved on at the time. Later in comes this email explaining what I had encountered on the air to include a photo of said rig! This thing is GLORIOUS! Just take a look at it!

If you run into KA4KXX on the air, ask if he is using his deadbug rig, he probably is. I love this about amateur radio, the experimental side of the whole game is awesome. I am dedicating myself to building a radio like this at some point just so I can say I built it myself.

Have you ever wanted to do something like this? I know I have and in the past, I have kicked the can down the road for no good reason other than I wanted to do something else… now is the time…

72

WK4DS

David