Topband: Budget Rig Performance ?.

[Donald Chester]

My solution to the "budget rig" problem has always been to build my own.  
Over the years I have collected enough "junk" to stock my own private radio 
parts warehouse, and I have accumulated enough that I could build at least a 
couple more kilowatt transmitters and keep what I already have running for 
generations.

When I first started in ham radio at age 17, I built my own because I 
couldn't afford anything factory made.  Instead, I used parts salvaged from 
discarded broadcast radios and TV's.  Later, as I began attending hamfests, 
I found top quality parts at the fleamarkets for next to nothing.  In those 
days WWII surplus was abundant.  I just kept on rolling my own, and never 
developed any interest in "plug 'n play".

Today, much of the kind of stuff I have is scarce and often expensive at 
flea markets.  Nevertheless I  have what I consider a  top quality station 
at a fraction of the cost of anything similarly-equipped and commercially 
built.  I wish more of today's hams were into homebrewing.  One present-day 
inexpensive source of heavy transmitting components is older tube-type 
broadcast transmitters, which have recently become an industrial surplus 
item with the advent of practical solid-state RF technology.  In the past 
few years I have had three transmitters given to me for hauling away from 
broadcast stations, all within a 25-mile radius of  here.

In addition to the "boat anchor" crowd, I occasionally run into hams who 
build low cost state-of-the-art solid state rigs, particularly QRP cw.  This 
is still an option for anyone with the inclination (and eyesight) to 
manipulate tiny components.

Don K4KYV

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