Jack NG2E's Pebble Crusher

 Check out NG2E's Pebble Crusher homebrew transmitter.  Doug DeMaw would be enormously pleased.   

Jack will no-doubt have this 250 mW rig on the some peak along the Shenandoah Valley, handing out QSOs to SOTA fans.   

Jack's blog page has a really nice video on this project: 

https://jackhaefner.blogspot.com/2021/06/pebble-crusher-40m-xmtr.html

Overcoming the Complexity of the Michigan Mighty Mite: Walter's Sunrise Net Special

From Walter KA4KXX
June 21, 2020

Michigan Mighty-Mite:  Why So Complicated?

The April 2020 issue of QRP Quarterly magazine featured an article by Bob Rosier K4OCE which included a schematic for a “Ten Minute Transmitter” by G4RAW (SK), which apparently first appeared in SPRAT 82 in 1996. 
It is even simpler than the Michigan Mighty Mite, so this transmitter can truly be built on a solderless breadboard in about 15 minutes, because a complex coil is not required.  
The only tuning needed was for me to establish the correct value of the output series capacitor. 
This rig allowed me to check-in to the Sunrise Net (see details in blue text on my QRZ page) today on my very first attempt, and landed me a 549 signal report from 250 miles away.
The first photo shows the transmitter connected to a Transmit/Receive Switch mounted in an Altoids box. In the Transmit position the antenna is disconnected from my 1979 Heathkit HR-1680 receiver, which then coincidentally supplies a sidetone at an ideal volume level.  That little black pushbutton which can be seen in the second photo serves as my key, and works just fine for a five-minute daily QNI on the Sunrise Net.
Of course, part of the secret is having a crystal exactly on the Net frequency, and I have a few left, free to whomever in the Eastern U.S. is interested in building one of these simple Sunrise Net Special Transmitters and participating in our Net. 

Wild Woody WARC Keys

From the NAQCC newsletter: "The key is Dave's own unique invention called the WILD WOODY WARC KEY, and each key is consecutively serial numbered. (My key is number 476). WILD WOODY WARC KEYs have a place of honor in the ARRL Headquarters, and in the offices of Kewnwood, Icom and other such places. Dave, as some of you may know writes a monthy column for CQ Magazine and is the author of several books on keys, QRP operation and other subjects. The WILD WOODY WARC KEY is pictured below. Ingenous simplicity -- a true work of wonder. Thank you Dave."

I post this for several reasons.  

1) A friend recently complained that telegraph keys are getting expensive.  "Ha!" I said.  This proves me right.   Clothes pins are not expensive. 

2) I think we should make more use of clothes pins in ham radio.  They were used in my 20/15 meter dipole in the Dominican Republic. 

3) I worked K4TWJ several times -- twice from the Dominican Republic, and once from Virginia using a homebrew transceiver that he had inspired.  He was pleased.  It was cool. 

4) As a little kid, I liked Woody the Woodpecker. 

4) On Thursday morning my wife and I saw a Pileated Woodpecker (just like Woody!) in our neighborhood.  TRGHS.