I do not even need to reply. Mathew, Wayne, Don have done so eloquently. I think there might have been a point when components were difficult to acquire but not today. There are many specialty houses to make custom pcb's (I use ExpressPCB). But most of my "one-of" boards are RS project boards (similar to vector board) with spacing for thru-hole mounting. I find I can also use 1206 and 805 sized chips on that board. Mouser, Digikey, Nebraska (surplus) Sales, RF Parts, etc. And my Anchorage-based supplier Frigid-North Co. The biggest issue is having patience for the mail or UPS to bring the components.
Not being able to run to the store requires a bit more fore-planning. I also have tried to accumulate common parts like a resistor and capacitor for a personal inventory. I picked up a APC chip cap demo box off one of the prize tables at a VHF conference. Analog Devices offers free samples of almost everything they make. I've gotten samples of two of a lot of AD stuff. Other companies do that too. So I maintain it is hams who have abandoned HB (for whatever reason). There is a healthy HB community in the QRP, mw and eme worlds. TAPR bunch too. The common perception is "I can't do that". Well, you do not know until you try. Building stuff is the real joy of ham radio for me. 73, Ed - KL7UW, WD2XSH/45 ====================================== BP40IQ 500 KHz - 10-GHz www.kl7uw.com EME: 50-1.1kw?, 144-1.4kw, 432-100w, 1296-60w, 3400-? DUBUS Magazine USA Rep dubus...@gmail.com ====================================== ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
