Welcome to 3rd Planet Solar & the shack of KC9ON

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2018-12-07	HOLIDAY18 Use coupon code HOLIDAY18 during checkout to save 10% on orders of$5 or more.  Valid until December 17th.  Must be used at time of check out.
2018-12-03	NEW PRODUCT From the 2018 RSGB Buildathon Kanga UK 2 tone audio oscillator kit
2018-11-13	NEW PRODUCT HC49/U (TALL) Crystals for DSB/AM/SSB 7.285MHz 3.985MHz Also available in Band/Sampler Value packs and 10-packs Value packs
2018-11-13	Reverse Polarity Protection SMD kits and assembled units are back in stock
2018-10-26	*** NEW *** Love using polarized headers on your projects?  Hate crimping those pins?  Try our 2 and 3 pin wafer assemblies with the pins already crimped on!
2018-09-14	*** NEW *** Component tester – check transistor pinouts, resistors, capacitors, diodes and more……..
2018-09-03	Mini-Yack Keyer/Practice kits are back in stock
2018-08-22	Check out our review of the Kanga UK Sandford Watt Meter Meters can be purchased from this page (USA) or from Kanga UK
2018-08-19	Fox Hunt Offset Attenuator Kits are back in stock
2018-08-15	CALF – Configurable Audio Limiter Filter is back in stock. Updated with new changeable CALF EARS
2018-07-10	Ceramic, SMD, And Air Trimmer Capacitors 18+ Varieties
2018-07-09	Check out our review of the Kanga Acorn II SDR Receiver kit
2018-06-15	Pixie kits w/ switch and crystals are back in stock
2018-6-07	Magnet Wire Bifilar Magnet Wire Litz Wire Starting as low as $.04/ft
2018-05-24	KANGA UK PRODUCTS ARE HERE! Acorn II SDR Receiver M0XPD Internet of Things DDS Shield Arduino Sudden TX Shield Arduino Receiver Shield Aluminum enclosures
2018-05-27	HW-7 & HW-8 3D Printed Replacement Buttons Available in 9 colors
2018-05-27	NPO and Temperature Compensated Capacitors (High Quality Commercial and Military Spec)
2018-05-12	N Female Chassis Connectors only $2 each
2018-05-12	We are now stocking various toroids
2017-11-29	We now have Polyvaricons! 20/20pF and 60/140pF varieties available.
2017-09-10	CCK PRODUCTS Pixie with Pixie Switch and 3 extra Crystals Solder practice and learning kits and more…..
2017-09-08	SMD Dummy Load Want to try surface mount soldering? Don’t want to start with a big project and tiny parts? This dummy load uses larger 1W “2512” style resistors for your first SMD project. Usable up to 225MHz with an SWR of less than 1.3:1 and up to 20W intermittent. Available in BNC and SMA versions

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What’s 3rd Planet Solar all about?  Check it out in the About section.

 

 

Bagging a CALF herd

 

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A few pictures of the shack:

 

Once in a lifetime event – The bench is clean!	2016 Shack Upgrade	The happy trio – HW-8, CALF, and 3CPO

 

 

The gear consists of an Icom IC-725 and MFJ 949D tuner/meter as the primary HF station with a Bencher and 3CPO for CW.  The old TRAC keyer still works but mostly retired now.  The main antenna is a simple 40M bowtie dipole which works pretty good on all bands.  Lately my Heathkit HW-8 has taken center stage pretty much replacing the IC-725.  Since my first HW-8 there is now a HW-7 and another HW-8 for camping.

 

The 2M primary station is an IC-251H with killer audio and RF output.  For Satellite and ISS work a Yaesu FT-290RII and Kantronics KAM fills the bill.  Yes, you can work the Space Station on just a watt or two and a simple vertical antenna!

 

When home-brewing and repairing we also use some fairly older equipment.  Heathkit IG-1271 signal generator, B&K 512MHz frequency counter, Philips 100MHz scope, Autek WM-1 RF/SWR meter, Heathkit IM-1210 DMM, Ramsey COM3 service monitor, Bird Wattmeter (that I always want more slugs for!), a few handheld DMM’s, my Digital Dummy Load, bench vise, and of course a Tenma solder reworks station.

 

Not pictured of more old equipment I pull off the shelf from time to time to play with.  A Kenwood TS-520 (under restoration), TS-530, Heathkit HW-16, HW-7, 2nd HW-8, HW-101 (under restoration), and my first rig an old Hallicrafters HT-17 (also under restoration).

 

Thanks for stopping by and 73!

John kc9on