Re: [VHFcontesting] DEM 2m Transverter (144-28CK) Kit

[Lee Scott - AA1YN <aa1yn@aa1yn.com>]

To save bandwidth, I've removed the previous emails.

I would encourage anyone with any thought of building a kit to take the 
leap.  It is much too rewarding to have your own transverter than going out 
to buy one. - Here are some simple tips to get started:

Find an old pc board with components on it.  Remove the components and 
clean the board up using solder wick.  Now practice soldering the 
components back on the board.  This is how I learned to solder SMD devices 
including the 0406 size resisters.  Soldering takes time and practice. 
There are enough scrap PC boards from personal computers in the junk pile 
to practice on.

For winding coils, you can get some bare tined copper wire (bus wire) and 
practice winding some small coils and soldering them onto a scrap pc 
board.  Then graduate to the magnetic coil wire - find a friend with some 
to spare.

Once you get around to buying the transverter, the assembly will be a lot 
easier than you would expect. The special tools you will need are a good 
solder iron (Weller), a good pair of tweezers, small needle nose pliers, 
solder wick, 0.032 Kester solder, and a Kester Flux Pen (#951). Most of the 
coils in the DEMI kit are the Toko can coils and are pre-tuned by DEMI so 
all you have to do is solder them in. The hardest job you will have is 
soldering the Posister onto the crystal and DEMI provides some good 
instructions.

Back in the hay-day of Heathkit, the Internet was not available and you had 
to rely on the manual to tell you everything. Now, with the Internet, there 
are enough hams out there you can ask just by posting on the Internet.  If 
you run into some really serious problems, I'm sure you can find a ham near 
by who can help with test equipment - we're not that uncommon. There is 
nothing special or difficult about a 2m transverter that anyone with a 
little patience and help from the reflector could not do with the basic tools.

I bought 3 DEMI assembled transverters, sold one and put together 3. If I 
were to buy any more, they would all be kits. That way I can put it 
together the way I want - "but that's just me". Save you $100 and have 
something you can point to with pride.

So - my vote is to have at it.

Lee Scott - AA1YN
Home of the VHF & Up Register http://www.aa1yn.com/vhf
Hooksett, NH
FN43gc52


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