Just a couple of kits

LobsterCon 2007 begins this weekend. I will miss it yet again this year, though it has been fun watching the email traffic between those who are attending. If you love QRP, kit building, or great people, this is a fun event from all reports. So, instead of driving up to Maine to buy more kits, I thought it might be interesting to inventory the kits I already own but have not built. Here goes:

• RockMite 40 - from Small Wonder Labs (Dave Benson, K1SWL). I have the 40m radio kit, the connectors kit, and even the nice anodized Mity Box case from American Morse Equipment/San Luis Machine Company. I completed the 20m version (with case) not long after being licensed.
• Frequency counter/Digital Dial - This is an offering from Steve "Melt Solder" Weber (KD1JV) purchased in October 2005. Steve always has great stuff on his web site. As with most kits in the QRP community, if you see something you want, order it immediately as kits sell out quickly. While this particular kit is no longer available, it looks like some of it is now rolled into his QRP Base Station Accessory kit.
• Crystializer - This was the give-away at Atlanticon in 2005. I didn't have time to assemble it, or participate in the interesting contest they had that year, unfortunately.
• Signal Quality Monitor - This was the give-away at Atlanticon in 2006. Same story.
• FT-817 VocalMaster - This is an offering from KG4JJH in 2006 accompanying his QST article. I like the idea. I've just not had time to get the kit together. (Actually, I only see the board. Hmmm. I wonder if I got the parts around here someplace...)
• Tenna Dipper - Another Steve Webber offering. Read about it here.
• Signal Quality Meter - Honestly, I had to do a little research to figure out what this bag of parts was! Oh boy. Where's the circuit board for it?
• SoftRock-40 - Software defined radios are a very interesting advance in the hobby. This one (details here) is about as minimal as you can get. But it works! (Or, would work if I were to actually assemble it.)
• ALT Tuner - from QRP Kits.
• Marker Generator - Another NorCal kit. This one is a version of the VE3DNL Marker Generator. Why I need one, I cannot say. But, it was on the table at FDIM and I had to have it, apparently. ($7.50)
• NorCal Keyer - This looks suspiciously like the keyer kit I just bought. Of course, I didn't realize I had this kit when I ordered the other one. Oops.
• NEQRP SCAF - This is the SCAF filter from the New England QRP Club. I actually have two of these. I intend to build one as a stand-alone unit, and have the other available for integration into a radio I plan to design.
• FCC-1 - Frequency counter kit from NorCal QRP Club. Looks great even in the bag. {grin}

Deserving of its own special place is my Elecraft K1 kit bought by Sandy last year as a Valentine's Day present. I am waiting until I have a nice block of time so I can really enjoy building this, perhaps after my St. Kitts trip.

So, there you have it. Lots of kits. Lots of fun still in bags. I wish the folks going to LobsterCon all the best, but it looks like I've got plenty of fun stacked up here!