I use Pelican cases...

Gil.

QuoteThe VX-6R is also supposed to be waterproof, or to use their term "submersible".

Only three feet down and for a short time...

Gil.

I sold the MST kit! I needed the funds to buy the Weber MTR. The more time goes, the less I see a use for SSB, and the MST does not have CW... On to better things...

Gil.

How much can you fit in an Altoids tin? Not much, as far as radios are concerned. There is of course the proverbial Rock-Mite, a single-frequency crystal driven transceiver we all have learned to love. But times are changing, and surface-mount components are replacing through-hole ones, giving us really tiny devices. It probably won't be long before I can't even see the darn things. Soldering them isn't that hard mind you, just very precise work with a good magnifying lens and a fine-tip iron.

Enter Steve Weber KD1JV with his A.T. Sprint series. The latest of his realeases is the MTR, or "Mountain Top Radio," a two-bander with full coverage, digital VFO, message memories, built-in keyer, one-digit display and Morse frequency feedback. Amazingly it does fit in an Altoids box! Not only that, but power output is a hefty 5W! Talk about QRO! It will even work down to 5.5V (12V max). It also does PSK31, with a computer. Unbelievable!

These kits are only available to members of the AT Sprint Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AT_Sprint/. They are rarely available. 150 kits were made and 149 offered on Thursday, early morning. I believe they were sold out by noon! Quite a few people who did not check their email early enough missed it. They were gone within hours. At only $120, that isn't surprising. The kit would sell for twice that price. So, my hat is off to Mr. Weber.

Guess who got one?

Hehehe, I'm still giggling... Order #124, yep, barely made it. I should get it some time this week.

I will post my building process with photos.

I am planning a one-week QRP camping trip soon, and the MTR will ride along, with my trusty PAR End-Fed. I bought an ICS (Improved Combat Shelter) one-man tent made by ORC Industries for the military. I will also be testing a newly acquired Thermarest pad and a couple other pieces of camping gear. The MTR will be powered by eight AA cells, which I hope to recharge with a flexible solar panel. I will probably have one radio session on 20m in the morning, and one at night on 40m, CW of course!

Stay tuned for more  :D

Gil.

http://www.radiofreeredoubt.com/2013/03/15/voice-of-america-mixes-with-digital-communications/#comment-361

http://voaradiogram.net/post/45846389802/official-launch-of-voa-radiogram-teaching-old

Gil.

I have an FT-270R, because it is waterproof, cheap, and is a 2m band handheld.. If I had the money, I would have bought a VX-7R, for the 6m AM option. I still might get one some day, though I prefer operating on HF CW.

Gil.

Yep, I have the DCP paddle and two Mighty Boxes for my Rock Mites... He does good work... SMD isn't too bad, but you need to take your time and a good magnifying lens! I should be getting a Weber MTR soon if all goes well, that will be an amazing radio. Not easy to build though.. Look into Hammond cast aluminum boxes...

Gil.

Excellent Geek. That is what I did, got a Yaesu FT-270R first... 2m is indeed a must-have band. That said, I never found VHF traffic very interesting.. Maybe just my area.. I knew I wanted to do Morse code from the start, and of course that's HF. The next car I get, I'll put an FT-2900R in it. Right now I just can't justify the expense. Now you can think about the General exam  ;)

Gil.

Hello Ray,

Looks like a great kit! I love those small CW rigs, and in my opinion there is nothing better for SHTF communications. I have built two Rock-Mites as backups, and they work great. 5W gives you an advantage to about 1W with a Rock-Mite and upgraded transistor. It's a little bigger, but the price is right.. I wouldn't hesitate... Had I not two other projects I want to buy right now, I would get one.. 40m is my favorite band, even though antenna length is a pain sometimes...

If you build one, please post a build log with photos here!

Gil.

That would certainly give you much more bandwidth to play with!

Oh it wasn't easy  :o

Gil.

Congratulations Geek!

Remember you can do Morse code on some parts of the HF bands!

Gil.

Welcome aboard Cownose, where are you in the Philippines? I spent two months there 20yrs ago, really liked the place..

Gil.

Sure. I don't know much about it. Probably a gimmick for emcom types... In some cases, it might be useful, but I have doubts. Seems like a solution looking for a problem. My opinion is biased tough. I only like the simplest solutions. APRS also means a big price increase. You can buy two radios for the price of one enabled APRS one. Exchanging location information is easy, you press the PTT button and you say "Where are you?"  ::)

Gil.

Even if my HT had it, I would not use it. Why broadcast your position to anyone in the world? It would be a great tool for robbers, keeping track of the house owner while ransacking his house..

Gil.