This is the first of a two part posting. Personal comments: We need to
keep the zepp antennas extended and the booms/elements as long as
possible to include the wide range of interests and varying levels of
knowledge present in the world of QRP. In addition to thanking Mike and
Glen, I wish to thank the presence of countless 'elmers' who asked
questions about things that seemed so obvious to me...but Glenn's
answers pointed out that I did not really understand or the 'elmers' who
had problems and the courage to ask for help so that Mike's and Glenn's
troubleshooting logic/theory helped to increase my understanding. The
Elmer Sprint was an appropriate way to say 72 to this effort, although
as you read the comments you 'know' that Elmer 101 will continue to
live. N9KW
1. WHAT ARE THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT OUTCOMES FOR YOU FROM
YOUR ELMER 101 PARTICIPATION?
---Substantially improved practical knowledge of communications
electronics AND ego gratification -- I made it and it works!!!!
---a very good understanding of the functional operation on the
transceiver and a fair understating of the operation of each component
and the design tradeoffs driving the selection of components and their
values AND a working transceiver that is a real radio.
---I learned the specific functions of many minor components in a
transceiver design and how they all come together AND I learned the
'why' behind some of the decisions (especially specific component
selection) involved in a design.
---the motivation to build something. This was the first radio I have
built in over 20 years. Since tubes were state of the art, I have only
built 'accessories'
---joined up but no time this summer -- have saved everything and will
pick it up this fall. The spirit of the thing is vital. I'm an old
ham,want to pick up on the new technology and the romance of ham radio
again
---learn more about RF design AND have fun building a useful/quality kit
---get this nice rig at a reduced price AND learning something new and
refresh my technical knowledge
---learning how to calculate the input and output impedance AND
establishing e- mail contact with other hams having an interest in
designing and building.
---First the thrill I had at Field Day, drawing a crowd around my little
SW40+ and other home-made devices. Secondly, the renewed interest in
getting my code speed up.
---The two most important outcomes for me is that my SW40+ worked, and
worked well, and I understood why it worked and worked well.
---I learned alot about design and theory. There is hope that if I keep
this up I can learn to design my own.
---I have a working radio, AND I have a better clue as to what's going
on inside of it.
---to have a much better working knowledge of what's going on "under the
hood" AND to improve my skills in kit building.
2. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHANGE IN
ELMER 101?
---for me, the process was a bit slow
---increase the pace of instruction. I went Type A about 30% through,
and finished on my own
---a list of dates when each segment would appear on the list. Would
allow for better planning of the time to work the project.
---I would have made it more generalized (ie., include discussion about
alternative circuits that accomplish the same goals), but I guess that
the future series will cover that.
---the shaking in my hands!
---not a damn thing, it's great!
---a little faster pace, possibly one lesson per week.
---I would like to have seen more questions from participants.
---I only wish that all the lessons were available, when I was ready...I
know that this is a nit, but it is the only thing I would have changed.
---I would change the pace -- in the end I followed K5FO's speeded up
approach, but studied the lessons as they came out anyway. It was way
too slow for such an exciting project.
---The course went way too slow. It was hard to refrain from building
ahead of the class.
---I would have liked to see more of the e-mail between participants. I
think quite a lot of e-mail was never posted to the group at large.
---The time it started turned out not to be the best time for me but
this is because we have such a short summer here so my 40+ had to be put
on the back burner, probably until September -- our cold, blowin' winter
Saskatchewan nights are excellent for fox hunting and kit building :-)
3. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, THE ELMER 101 PROJECT FOR ME ---
---was a great success, both goals were accomplished
---was a resounding success: truly knowledgeable people helping those
who needed help in the best tradition of amateur radio.
---it exceeded my expectations. I was impressed with the depth of
knowledge of the Elmers and the willingness to respond to stupid
questions. They represent the best of what the hobby offers. It also
demonstrated how effective the internet/e-mail can be to provide a
pseudo interactive learning capability. I am considering using it as an
example of how our company can provide training to our employees in the
field
---was a good RF design tutorial "next step". This kind of information
is 'not' in books!
---was very rewarding. I am just glad I don't do that too often! It
really was fun, but I wouldn't want to do it more that once a year!
---is a revitalization of the real spirit of ham radio. Thank you
---was GREAT! One of the best kit building experiences I have ever had.
---was a blast!
---Elmer 101 for me was a rip-roaring hoot!
---Elmer 101 was for me one of the best experiences of my 30 years of
ham radio
---Was wonderful. I wish I had been able to spend time on the project
more consistently, but this just isn't a perfect world.
---Was a worthwhile effort. I learned alot from it and built a great
little rig for a friend and non-qrper
---All things considered, the Elmer101 project for me is without doubt a
very worthwhile thing to do...it does and will fullfill the two reasons
why I participate in QRP and that is to have fun and learn more.
72
[
QRP-L Archive |
]
[
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000
]