Ordered the ELECRAFT T1 ATU Kit

I have just ordered the above ATU kit from America. Hmm I hope I am not taking on too much but will look see when it arrives in all its bits. I am ordering a Yaesu 817ND for Portable use and thought this will go well with it on SOTA walks... If I can manage to get up the mountain without the car (lol). It's turning out to cost a bomb as I need to buy a Gel 12v Battery with a half decent ah and then some cheep wire for some sort of antenna for my new homemade ATU to tune...

My XYL i gonna kill me when she looks at the bank... It gives me something to build and its gonna go towards the licence exam.

Anyone else seen this kit?
http://www.elecraft.com/T1/T1.htm

Great stuff.

An ATU should not be too bad a kit to start on. They are fairly simple.
I have been working on a couple of elderly ATU's that I was recently given. One is a Nevada TM 1000 a 1 KW ATU that needed a little TLC & the other is a KW that I'm currently half way through adding SO-239's to.
The 1 KW ATU is currently hooked up to my FTDX 401. A 1970's Yaesu valve set that has an input of around 400 watts & a output of around 150 - 180 watts & my SEM is 100 watts only & known to go up in a cloud of smoke at anything above that.
Sadly the FTDX looks like it needs some TLC it's self as I cannot get it to tune up.
For portable operation I run something called a power cube. It cost about £5 from Aldi a couple of years ago & is little more than one of those car power packs but without the jump starting leads. It has instead a couple of posts like a power supply plus a cigarette lighter socket etc.

Let us know how you get on Dave, sounds an interesting thing indeed

I will Simon, I am planning on doing a step by step write-up on the building of the ATU (with pics) for the website. I am looking forward to the package arriving and have bought a Solder Station from Maplins with plenty of solder!!!

Dave

Nice one david ill be having a look at that... we have hands on with solder and how to do it right in the club the last two weeks some good stuff ..good luck with the ATU ...

Well I have started it but due to a resistor breaking its on hold until I get a delivery of 100...

I have added a new page on my website with some pictures to show how I am getting. Feel free to take a look, www.MW3VSG.com

Dave

Sounds dead interesting indeed. If you need a spare 817nd have one here. Just got one from a local that he uses as a PMR so will be sold or ebayed for him soon

My XYL i gonna kill me when she looks at the bank...

Know this situation also, oh man

I know what you mean Simon, If I buy anymore radio stuff I have been told my shack will be my home and I don't think it's quite that big to fit a bed in... lol

The 817nd is a great little radio and I don't think you will have any problems shifting it. I used mine for the longest time yesterday since I had it and am pleased with it. The battery meter (Voltage) is a good display for the radio and lets you monitor the battery whilst in the field. I had no problems as I was uing my new 12v 12amp Sealed Lead Acid (SLAB).

There is too much to buy in this hobby and you could get everything in the world but then u'd carry on spending to buy spares... lol...

Hope the XYL has not yet seen the bank...

73

Thats a fact and was indeed on this one today and programmed it for some repeaters and also listened on the PMR and made some nice qso there too. Expensive piece of kit for an 8 channel radio but love the hobby, and its something that if you spent 200 or 50 pounds its a great place to be and have some fun