From NG9R
7/5/2007 9:13:02 AM (0 comments) 
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I am not talking about making your own beer but making your own ham equipment. The internet has made it so much easier to find the parts, just not much cheaper!
Who has made any of their own station equipment? Antennas? Coax switches? Keyers and paddles? Antenna tuner? Amplifier?
We talk about the "dumbing down" of amateur radio, but what have we done to help keep the expertise at the level we think it ought to be?
Maybe Elmering some of these newer hams in how to build their own antenna tuner, or build their own trap dipole, helping them trouble shoot their broken power supply would build a little technical interest, not only in newbies but us "mature" hams.
I am as guilty as anyone. I have collected hundreds of parts over the years and sold most of them without ever starting on the project. I still currently have several tubes I would like to eventually make amplifiers for.
even to old Heathkit has gone the way of the dinosaur, but there still many kits that can be bought.
Ever since "The Home of the Empty Peg" quit carrying electronic components, I have had to rely on Ebay, mail order and the ham swap sites for my parts. But that sure beats looking for parts at hamfest flea markets, where I swear I see the same stuff I saw 25 years ago. Yep, the parts are getting scarce and the price keeps going up, but there are plenty of things we as hams can build without making a 15 year project out of it. A simple keyer, our own paddles, a coax switch, a keying interface for our radio to computer for those digital modes can all be built with easy to find, cheap parts.
we recently had a program at out local club on how to build and tune a dipole using am MFJ antenna analyzer. Not very high tech is it? But how many of us would rather buy a $40.00 wire antenna than make our own for a couple of bucks?
What's your take?
NG9R
