*Censored*
Good work. I've been thinking about getting one myself since they seem to be real easy to work on should something go wrong.
Hello,
Those rigs are definitely good experimentation platforms. I'll second the kit option as well. My approach is a bit different. I would rather build a bunch of cheap small CW radios than get more than one large transceiver. Take the Rock-Mite for instance.. You get a fully functional transceiver for $40, albeit a very simple single-frequency one.. Other kits might cost $100-200. Still, you can build a few kits the size of a pack of cigarettes or small pocket book and have a few backups. When one fails, pull out a new one from the tin can.. Not only that, but if you are part of a group, you can distribute them and insure communications on a local or regional scale. Sure, HTs might work better for that short range, but it's always nice to have the option. I would still have a main all-mode radio of course, but a few QRP/CW rigs that use very little current are always useful. I have my KX3, K1 and three functional tiny QRP radios, plus one being built right now.. I never leave more than one radio outside of a Faraday cage at a time..
Gil.