Builds/Reviews

Builds and Reviews Collection

This is an assortment of published articles about different subjects including builds of my own products and reviews of those of other suppliers…

All articles are copyrighted material as stated thereon; photo credits are given as appropriate and are also stated thereon. If no specific photo credit is given, the photo is the intellectual property of and is copyrighted by CMS in Pitman, NJ USA.

As you read these articles, please feel free to drop me an email with any questions that you may have. I will be happy to provide an explanation for any of the material that you may find to be confusing.

A new feature, effective 23 March 2024, is that the article titles in the listings below will from this point on also be live links to those articles!

FET DIP Meter BuildPacAnt Buddy Keyer Build
This article chronicles the build of a HecKits FET DIP Meter…This article is a write-up of the build process of a Pacific Antenna Buddy Keyer and Speaker Console kit…
Ascel Æ20204 LC Meter Build100W Oil-Cooled Dummy Load Build
This article reports on the build process for the Ascel Electronic Æ20204 LC Meter…This article describes the procedure for building a 100W oil-cooled quart-size paint can dummy load…
Relative RF Field Strength Meter BuildLC Meter Kit Build
This article covers the build of a simple but handy relative RF field strength meter for the shack…This article deals with the build of a HecKits LC Meter kit…
Ascel Æ20401 Frequency Counter/Power Meter Build1.25m Homebrew J-pole Antenna Build
This article details the build of an Ascel Electronic Æ20401 Frequency Counter & Power Meter kit…This article describes the build of a copper pipe J-pole antenna for the 220MHz band…
6m Hen-Delta Antenna BuildPacAnt Dual-Band QRP CW Transceiver Build
This article explains the build process for a copper pipe and ABS antenna for the 50MHz band…This article covers the build of a Pacific Antenna 80m/160m dual-band QRP CW transceiver kit…
Time Domain Reflectometer(tr)uSDX QRP Transceiver Build
This article describes the design and build of a simple time domain reflectometry oscillator useful for measuring unknown coaxial cable length…This article describes the build and tune/tweak process for the 5x5x5 (tr)uSDX QRP Transceiver, a great little portable HF unit…
QRP Labs 20W 50Ω Dummy Load BuildCombination Capacitor Tester
This article describes the build and some discussion about the QRP Labs 20W 50Ω miniature dummy load in kit form…This article discusses a unique dual-function capacitor tester that I designed and built for my own use…
Remote Antenna Switch BuildAntenna Rotator Controller Build
This article discusses the build of a remotely-controlled antenna switch system that is capable of switching up to six antennas…This article explores the process and procedures for the build of a modified K3NG antenna rotator controller to accompany my G-800 Yaesu rotator under my hex-beam antenna…
RF Probe Build for Conar 231 Signal TracerQRP Labs QCX+ CW Transceiver Build
This article describes the design and build of an amplifying high input impedance RF probe designed to mate with the Conar 231 Signal Tracer that was in my shop for repair…This article looks at the build process and a quick review of the resultant radio when I tackled the QRP Labs QCX+ CW Transceiver kit…
Audio Dummy Load BuildStation Monitor Access Port
This article details the design and construction of a selectable impedance 50W two-channel dummy load for testing of audio amplifiers…This article explains the quick and easy method of building an access port that permits the picking off of a sample of the RF output of a radio…
Ascel Æ20218 Milliohm Meter Build30dB RF Sampler
This article details the build and calibration of the Ascel Electronic Æ20218 Milliohm Meter kit…This article describes the build process for an inductive attenuating RF sampler that is easy to build and can be built in different attenuation levels…
Quansheng UV-K5(8) Handheld Radio30dB Resistive RF Power Tap
This article explores the most popular HT on the web right now, looking at the radio as to the egzumer firmware change, empirical testing of the radio, and many of the radio’s unique features…This article discusses the process involved in designing and constructing a resistive RF power tap, including the necessary mathematics…
Coaxial Cable Tester BuildLightweight Paddle Set for CW Operators
This article details the design and construction of a simple tester for identifying shorted and/or open coaxial cables, utilizing connectors of the four most-commonly used types in amateur radio…This short article describes a 3-D printed paddle set for CW ops that is smooth, compact, and a great value…
Two-Meter SmartPhone HT BuildCW Notching Filter for Field Day Use
This article describes the building and testing of a unique 2m handi-talkie built on an Android SmartPhone…This article describes the build of a notching filter based upon the design of Nelson Sollenberger KA2C, intended to remove the CW CRM so prevalent on the 20-meter band during Field Day activities…