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I posted in the RockMite group earlier and thought that maybe I should post here too. I've been building a RockMite][ 17m recently (in fact I fired it up today for the smoke test), and I suddenly realised that the RockMite first appeared at Lobstercon 2002 - 20 years ago! I'm sure Rex will be busy getting stuff ready for Lobstercon 2022 in a few weeks time. Unfortunately, living in Old England, rather than New England, means that I can't attend Lobstercon in person, but I sure hope that somebody will celebrate my favourite QRP rig's 20th birthday on my behalf. ? I'm hoping to get out for a SOTA activation in early July to celebrate 25 years of holding a ham ticket, I will be sure to pack a RockMite or two too for a double celebration! I was looking back through my RockMite documentation and re-read an article by Dave Benson, K1SWL, in QST April 2003. In the article Dave quotes Seabury Lyon, AA1MY, and I think it's interesting to share the quote here - Dave, K1SWL, quotes Seabury Lyon, AA1MY in his April 2003 QST article - "That first night thriller of real operating with the RockMite was on 7/11/02 on 40m; G3JFC, Brian: 559 him, 339 me. That set the tone and high expectations for many fun evenings later on when the "starter batch" of Mites began to multiply. In early August, KD1JV and N0RC floated the idea of a "Mite Nite." Starting on 8/7/02 I worked between 8 and 22 stations per night, proving that... Once you get used to it, the 'Mite really worked!" 73! Colin M1BUU

Gangue, This is only the second time I've done this.... Towards the end of March, I hosted 3 Buildathons at a turn of the century museum. We built crystal radios and the builders were split between home scoolers from 7 to 12 and a high school STEM class. I lasered up a nice pine board, rounded up all the parts and headed for the puckerbrush 150 miles from home. Over 3 days, I educated the museum people and held the Buildathons for the home schoolers. The STEM clas had to cancel as their school bus crashed on the way to school to pick up the class. It was a very ICEY travel day and I too spent a couple of hours on the interstate doing about 30mph. Anyway, one fault, and a typical one, was that the crystal earpieces were very crappy and only about 1 in 4 actually worked. There Is another story there, but not this story. Anyway, I have 3 or 4 nice vintage high impedance headsets in my personal collection but I haven't seen them in ages. Fortunately, the meuseum had a couple of pairs that were not working but I managed to get one fixed and we used that headset as my 'golden' check out headset to test the student built crystal radios. I vowed to either find mine or buy some more... I did another search when I got home and again came up empty so I went to Ebay. I found a couple of listings for NOS Vintage high impedance phones, 5 headsets in 2 listings from the same seller....BUT he was in Ukraine! Not only that, but he was in Kharkiv which was under seige in that 'Special Military Operation' over there. I figured this guy could use some money so I bought all the headphones he had. I didn't really care if I ever got them but I did want to do something to help out a fellow ham so I sent the money. It was about 2 days later when I got an email from him saying that he dodged the bombs, missles & rockets raining in and got my order into the post office. Further, he said that the post office person told him that there was a pretty good chance that they would make it from Kharkiv to Kiev in a day or two. Then I got another email informing me that he had refunded me $8 for combined shipping!! It took about 3 weeks for them to arrive here in the Qhut. They were as stated NOS vintage military units and beautiful. Of course, as Mr Murphy seems to have an invisible cabin out in the woods here at the farm and while I was rummaging around out in the Qhut for some vintage SN7400 ICs for the upcoming FDIM Buildathon kit prototype, I turned up my box of high impedance phones and now had about 10 nice headsets. I have them all hanging up on a rack on the wall now so I won't loose them again. I went to Ebay again to see what 'sort57' was now selling and I saw that his site was on 'vacation'. I didn't get any answers back from contact seller queries so I went googling. I figured he must be a ham due to all the ham type things in his store. So I went searching for ham clubs in Kharkiv and found one. The only phone or email address I could find was an email to the webmaster. I contacted him about this 'sort57' Ebay seller. He didn't know him but said he would call around and see if any club members knew who he was. I got an email with his name, callsign and email address later that night. I had several email exchanges with the webmaster about the conditions in Kharkiv and what was going on. ALL amateur radio activities have been suspended of course and most clubs and club members are providing technical and monetary assistance to the defense forces. I told him that I was sure that many US amateurs, like me, might like to help DIRECTLY and suggested that they set up a DX membership button or something like that so WE could help them help.... MEANWHILE I finally managed to get emails through to 'sort57'. Ebay doesn't have any provisions for shutting down a site temporarily due to WAR or INVASION so he said 'Holiday' would have to do. He also informed me that he had to evacuate Kharkiev with his family and they are now in Bulgaria in rented quarters. He is retired and 'sort57' is his little retirement business. I could relate to that as QRPme is my r

Rex must be busy so I will ask here. I have recently completed the Low Profile Rock Topper with a 40M Band Module. I am looking to purchase the 80M Low Profile Band Module. Can anyone assist? Thanks 73, Rick - N8XI

I purchased the TX Topper V5 along with the 80M Rockmite II. The Rockmite II was finished long ago. I am trying to figure out how to proceed with the Rock Topper. I guess I use the Tuna Topper II+ Assembly and Operation Guide. But I also have the "Topper Amplifier RF Power Mods" from 8 Sep 2013. What is that for and is it necessary to perform those mods to have a working Amp? Two... Which is preferred the Slow T/R or Fast T/R Switch method? I am having trouble getting started because there seems to be several options in the assembly guide. I wanted the Band Module for 80M but I have the 40M Band Module Filter Caps. Guess I could finish as a 40M Amp since I do have a few Mw Rigs for 40M. Then...purchase the 80M Band Module later. Thanks 73, Rick - N8XI

I am running a Lil Squall on 40M. So far have a lot of QSOs with it. Am considering trying on other bands. Has anyone success with the Band Pack and running the radio on other bands like 80M or 30M or 20M Curt KB5JO

Gangue, A good friend, Paul Pedrazza, AE5VM, has had to downsize his shack and has a bunch of tube oriented parts that he needs to pass on to a good shack. Here is his email to me: Items are as follows, Hallicrafters SX-24, S-40A. Signal tracer injector and Signal Generator, rand new fabricated probe for tracer injector and tote with miscellaneous tubes and parts. Even a Grid leak detector with plug in coils. Everything is working. Even did the mod on the signal audio tracer that takes away the thump was done. All for $200.00 or make an offer when U get here. It is in storage and needs to go. # is 505-423-8444. Paul AE5VM In Ohkay Owingeh NM. Paul is a good guy so if you think you need to have some tube FUN, in your future, give him a call. Rex W1REX

I just made a QSO with KR2Q in NJ using a QRPme Sea Sprite I had converted to 20M. 4th QSO so far. I had added a trim cap to let me swing the frequency a bit which helps a lot. I answered his CQ on 14.058, Power was 200 mW into a 40M FW loop @ 50', Distance 1400 miles from me or 7000 mpw. He gave me a 449, he was 599 The SKCC sprint was on, so a LOT of signals heard on this radio ( essentially a Pixie ). Curt KB5JO

Selling all 4 of my 40m TT2 rigs, receiver and tuna tuner. Best offer over $75 +shipping. Lo@ing sight and lost hearing. Not gonna give away. Respond to rlynngirou@...

(Thanks for reply on a different topic Chuck) I have recently acquired a Beaconator kit, it's the keyer that drew me to the kit, that and the fact that I'm running out of novel tuna can based kits to build! I have the canned Beaconator kit with the universal can / enclosure PCB. I've found the schematic etc on the QRPme site but what I didn't find was build instructions. I'm pretty sure that I can just build from the schematic, so it's not so much of an issue. What I was mostly interested in is the band module. Which band module is it? Would it be the Lil Squall type module? I've worked out that it's definitely not the Super Tuna style modules. It would be cool to implement a multi-band Beaconator. 73, Colin

I notice that the power supply BOM only has 2 nylon standoffs instead of 4 as suggested by the youtube video. Is that correct? will only 2 be sufficient. I notice only 2 for that crystal module as well. ---John AC9UV

Gangue, This email is to let everyone here know that Lobstercon2021! is ON! My first Lobstercon gathering was in 1999 so this will be my 23rd straight Lobstercon! We ALWAYS have a great time even when it is pouring down rain.... I think in the last 4 or 5 years now, we have had pretty good weather so crossing my fingers that we will have another fine weekend. Lobstercon! is more of a social event that a radio operating event. 'Conners do operate but the social gathering is bigger than operating. I think I can safely say that XYLs and little qrppp tykes enjoy Lobstercon! as much as the QRPers. So talk among yourselves and see if you might want to enjoy a summer weekend on the mid-coast of Maine this year.... I have confirmed the TPB&C reservations and according to the trends it looks like we can meet safely though we might still have to take some precautions. I did host a Lobstercon last year but due to stringent travel rules, we were only 10 Lobsterconners strong. It looks like this year can be somewhat 'normal'. The page is up: http://www.qrpme.com/?p=product&id=L21 and I'm ready to start taking names... Rex W1REX Virus-free. www.avast.com

Hi, everybody. Got a question for Rex and he can feel free to take it off list. I've been doing some weird things. I found an ancient sardine can from a cannery in ME and an old tuna tin from San Francisco with the intention of, well, you know. It's a sickness. The tuna tin label was able to be shellacked and has held up well. I also found a sardine tin label from a cannery in MA that was, believe it or not, labeled with the brand name Radio. What I'd like to do is make a duplicate or duplicates of the label to use on some projects. What sort of label paper do you use and do you mind telling me how you print them? Yours always look great. Also, do you have a product that might fit in a standard small 3 and change ounce sardine tin that could be an 40m/30m/20m alternative to the 80m Sardine Sender? 73, -HRS H. Russell Smith, N0QLT

Sorry Groupers, I thought I was responding directly to Chuck on that last email that he misstakeingly sent to me via the group which, of course, I then misteakinglie sent back to the group again.... I didn't mean to have you waste your time reading an email without any content relative to you...unlike this additional time-waster.... So I'll add some relevance... PREAMBLE: I'm currently holed up in my little basement office with a corundum: I was working on a little side project for my daughter's upcoming birthday. For over 10 years, she has wanted something in particular and rather unique, that you can't really buy in stores. I have tried to make her one several times with less than gift giving or daughter satisfying results. I tackled it again last week, did hours of detective work online and thought I found the solution. I ordered a couple of parts online for my latest attempt and they arrived in the mail Monday morning. But there was no way that the parts would mate together and nothing in my massive collection of oddball stuff in the Qhut would facilitate any mating, so I headed to my local hardware store. Now, a little sidebar is in order: My very first job was as a stock/sales clerk in our local hardware store in Cape Elizabeth Maine. I learned both hardware and sales from the best. The owner Chet had been in hardware all his life and this was his retirement business. I started on my 16th birthday and worked 7 days a week all through high school. Anyway, I got to know fairly well the inventory stock of a typical hardware store which really hasn't changed much over the years except for the additions of newly invented stuff over the last 50+ years since I last stocked a shelf. So I left the hardware store business, went off to college, earned an electrical engineering degree and have spent almost 50 years in the field of new product development. Needless to say, I have hosed up many a prototype both simple and monster 'while working in the lab late last night'.. Stay with me as this is all relevant.... I go to the hardware store and search several departments myself looking for a solution to my problem primarily because I don't know exactly what I'm looking for but I'll know a solution when I see it! Plumbing: nothing, nuts & bolts: nada, tools: zilch. So I approach a older gentleman (but not as old as me) clerk and ask him if there is a thread gauge in the store. He stops his stocking and takes me to the nuts & bolts department and shows me a very heavy metal plate with threaded holes, protruding bolt threads for sizing nuts and nuts welded on it for sizing bolts. I politely tell him that I have already been here, seen this and my problem is with a fine thread. He points out that the bolts in this sizing unit have coarse and fine threads which of course is right but I would hardly define 20 tpi bolts as having a fine thread. As many of us know from working with smaller machine screws, 24 tpi is considered coarse (relatively) with 32 and 40 tpi (and up) defined as fine..... So I started to tell him this when he interrupted me to tell me that he was a retired mechanical engineer and he knows all about nuts and bolts and 20 tpi is a fine thread. I tried to explain that in my line of work, 32 & 40 tpi were considered more as fine then what you find on 1/4" bolts etc. He gets testy with me so I interjected that I too was a 'retired' engineer and then he got even testier. There has always been a running rivalry between engineering disciplines and it was now rearing its ugly head here in my local hardware store. I again show him my 2 things I'm trying to mate up and state that what I'm looking for is more in the 32 tpi range. I further explained that it was more like the fine threads found on gas compression fittings but NOT the same. (I had already tried all the compression fitting sizes without finding a match which is why I was trying to find a thread gauge) So he heads over to the compression fitting department, which is about 10 steps away from the nuts & bolts department and proceeds to rifle through all the little b

Groupers: Here is a link to a nice McMC story: https://hackaday.com/2017/09/13/noobs-guide-to-mcmaster-carr/ One thing that I did forget to mention: McMC is a business to business company. But there are many ways to get around that. If you have a PO box, make up a business name and add it to the post office's official list of box holder names to your box. Use that as a mailing address and then have the shipping address as your house. Works for me. Granted, I buy LOTS of stuff but really not that much from McMC. Lately, I've spent quite a bit more since I've been experimenting with my laser cutter which consumes quite a bit of raw materials. Mostly I buy kitting quantities of nuts, bolts and the like. McMC accepts personal credit cards and that is what I've always used. Some things are a bit pricey but keep in mind that if you combine different things, sometimes it is cheaper to buy several little more pricier things from one company with 1 shipping fee than from several companies with several shipping fees that add up quickly. During this whole pandemic thing, I've bought more and more stuff online while spending less and less time going out shopping for it myself. Limerick is like 30 miles from everywhere.... Rex Virus-free. www.avast.com

Hello, everybody. I've got a handful of TRW and TI transistors in a TO-5 or TO-39 package (I'd have to look) and was wondering if anyone had a source for data. The TRWs are 201 B-022 7914 and are supposedly similar to 2N3866. The TIs have either house markings or maybe are DoD surplus. TI customer service wasn't readily able get me info without some gyrations if said data even exists today. Those are 5973-22 A7914. Maybe some of these numbers are date codes? Be nice to make use of the junk box stuff. I always seem to need a 2N3866/2N3553 here and there... -HRS H. Russell Smith, N0QLT

Looking for RF FInal Power transistor BLF 147 for FT-1000. Believe these ae now obsolete. Anyone has a old unused rig and can cannabalize these?? Please do let me know. To be shipped to an address in USA. 73 vu2ali

Hi all, I was doing some window shopping at Amazon and came across this: https://www.amazon.com/Toolour-Pieces-Circuit-Board-Holder/dp/B07TDGT21L/ref=pd_di_sccai_1/141-0245591-8116743?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07TDGT21L&pd_rd_r=7b0da477-6da5-44bc-a310-0cadc5342c46&pd_rd_w=sxl4t&pd_rd_wg=BWTHC&pf_rd_p=c9443270-b914-4430-a90b-72e3e7e784e0&pf_rd_r=60J8V780JFKXTPYVWZYK&psc=1&refRID=60J8V780JFKXTPYVWZYK Has anyone tried these? They look cool and you can get flexible arms to hold your PCB up higher and change the orientation of the board. Any feedback god, bad or indifferent would be appreciate any info. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! -- Bob de k2ki k2ki@... k2ki.bb@... (Goes to my cell) 4SQRP #2292 FP #4214 SKCC #12195 NAQCC #2337