KA8MAV Product Reviews

Here's a little bit of my background.  My father worked at Heath Company from 1973 to 1983 designing kits.  I've literally grown up building kits.  The first kit I ever built was a Heathkit Code Practice Oscillator.  In 1993 I began technical writing and technical editing under the mentorship of one of Heath Companies BEST technical writers that ever wrote a manual.  He developed all the manuals for the HERO1 Robot among others.  I've built a lot of kits.  I know what's good and what's not.  Heathkit is no  longer around as we know them... but the legend lives on and ALL kit makers should strive to develop kits to the Heathkit standards.  

Several clubs produce kits that are extremely high quality and I will make sure to credit those that do.  Some commercial companies produce kits that are marginally better than absolute junk.  The reviews on this site are my personal opinions and that's all.  Take them for what they are worth.  I won't pull any punches.  I'll try to provide excellent photos of the kits before, during, and after construction.  I'll provide tips to building it that I discover along the way.  If you have any questions about a kit that I've built, please don't hesitate to ask. 

Most of all, enjoy the reviews... and enjoy the kits!  If we don't build them... "they" won't make them.

If you have a product you would like to have evaluated and reviewed here, please contact me at ka8mav@arrl.net.

Transceiver Kit Reviews

• KA8MAV Builds a Pixie 2
• TINY-TORNADO Micro-Transceiver
• Ft. Smith QRP Group - Tuna Tin 2
• Kanga FOXX-3 Transceiver
• Small Wonder Labs - SW-30+

Other Kit Reviews

• Az ScQRPions "Stinger Singer" Morse Code Frequency Annunciator  
• VE3DNL Marker Generator by the Ft. Smith QRP Group
• New England QRP Club - Noise Bridge
• Almost All Digital Electronics - DFD3 Digital LCD Frequency Counter/Display
• Almost All Digital Electronics - DFD4 Digital LCD Frequency Counter/Display
• Almost All Digital Electronics - L/C Meter IIB
• KD1JV "Melt Solder" - True RMS Digital Power Meter
• KD1JV "Melt Solder" - SMT 555 Keyer
• Kanga VFO MkII 
• Kanga ONER VFO
• WA1FFL direct-digital VFO

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