It has been over a year since I last wrote about the topic for this month, and with all of the new hams that the VE's (Volunteer Examiners) have been testing over the past few months, I think it is time to mention it again. I want to make a few comments about homebrewing or making radio gear yourself...
Many hams are fearful of going that route because they think that they lack the skills necessary. The truth is that very little “skill” is required. I say that because I have been homebrewing for several years, and God knows, I have as little skill as anyone...
The secret is to recognize which projects are within your grasp. At first, go for simple projects that have little or no electronics involved. Say a simple antenna to give your hand held greater range. Then, as you gain experience, move up to something with a little wiring like a mic selector switch. Still with no capacitors, resistors, or the like. When you feel ready, try a few components and build a simple project such as a sound card interface. They really only have about four or five components, the rest is all just cables and plugs, most if not all of which you can get pre-assembled...
To start, look through the pages of QST magazine for articles detailing simple little projects like J-pole antennas, wire antennas and the like. They are there, at least one or two per month in profusion. Also check the Internet. Just plug “ simple ham antennas” into your search engine and see what comes back. Try “J-pole” or “ham radio antennas”. You will be amazed at the neat and easy projects that are out there. Several of the projects I have built came from the Internet. I have also published several of my pet projects on my web site, www.n1gy.com. Another web site with links to thousands of neat DIY projects for Amateur Radio is www.ac6v.com . The ham operator who created that links site has unfortunately passed on or gone SK as we say in Amateur Radio, but members of his family are committed to keeping the web site going...
I am not suggesting that anyone try to compete with the likes of Kenwood or Icom or Yaesu and build the latest all mode all band transceiver. Rather, I encourage you to start small and work your way up slowly and comfortably to building accessories and gadgets that make the commercially available gear work better for you. Many of the projects I have built are little more than connecting wire A to wire B and so on. Even so, the projects I have built have added immeasurably to my enjoyment of the hobby and to the ease of operation of my station...
The experience gained and the confidence realized will make you a better ham, and you will have more fun than you can imagine.
So grab that soldering iron by the cool end and start playing with homebrewing. I guarantee that you will have fun and more importantly, you can say, “yeah, I built it myself”...