Annual QST DIY..

Tis the season to be grinchy.

Just received my latest QST -- the January annual DIY issue -- and, rubbing my hands with glee, I sat down yesterday for a browse. It did not disappoint; loaded with a lot articles scraped form the bottom of the barrel that makes one wonder who really takes this shit seriously. Some samples and my crusty, salty comments:

A 3D Printed Key for Straight Key Night
One of those pillowy, brickish white things off a 3D printer. Looks like the key the Pillsbury Dough Boy would use. So, lessee, you drop several centabucks on a 3D printer to make one of these things..or, plunk down about $20-80 for a vintage J-38 and do SKN in style. Hard choice.


Using Unmodified Command Set ARC-5 Radios on the Ham Bands
The article concedes that the unmodified versions of these "command a significantly higher price than the modified ones". Yea, have you been out to ebay and seen the criminals sticking up the public for MilSurp gear? And the chances of finding an unmodified command set at a swap are slim and none. And "slim" is outta town. Plus with the unmodified ones, you have the dubuious pleasure of all those rotten, leaky old beeswax caps to deal with. You know the ones that double as 250 KOhm resistors?

Pass.

The Double-Nickel QRP Key
..another of those tin-snip-and-bolt-together beauties that are of dubious value because they have no weighted base nor tensioning/space adjustments. Again with the eBay vendors who sell decent products at a reasonable cost that are much more able to cope with my epileptic fist.

Desk Microphone Power-On and PTT Indicators
Mod your high-priced Icom SM-2D with a PCB and NPN-toggle device that turns on two small LEDs in the base of the mic when (1) the power is on and (2) you are yammering away with some other dolt on 14,275 KHz about the neat mod you made to your mic.

Like John Wilkes Booth once said, "Useless, useless."

Done in One: Battery Backup for your Wall Wart
Subtitle says it all: "Ride through the line interruptions with this handy device."

Wonder if these guys have ever heard of, ummm, oh, I don't know, running your station off of a battery in the first place?

You Too, Can Work 630 MetersAn article form one of the FCC-authorized hams allowed to experiment on 472-479 Khz wherein he advises that he scored a backup JRC NSC-17M transmitter from an auction of stuff from a commercial ship. Of course, like unmodified command sets, we have these things floating around all over the place.

..so, to avoid the rise in the subscription rate (and save about $50), I renewed QST for three years.

..please note, all pics and images (c) ARRL.

Bah, humbug!

-72-