Welcome to 3rd Planet Solar & the shack of KC9ON

	U.S. Distributor for Kanga UK Click HERE for Kanga US stock
	CW Morse keys and paddles

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2020-04-25	*** BACK IN STOCK *** CALF Audio Limiter Filter
2020-04-09	*** SOLD OUT *** Scout CPO A beginners SMD kit using LARGE parts. (Assembled units available soon)
2020-02-15	We now carry select CW Morse keys and paddles
2020-02-15	SMD Dummy Load SMA style kits are back in stock
2020-01-10	*** NEW *** Mini-Yack 2 Iambic Keyer/Trainer Our re-designed Mini-Yack in an enclosure with negative grid keying!
2020-01-08	Magnet Wire in 16-22 gauge
2019-12-11	HW-8-LM386 Audio Replacement Kits are back in stock
2019-12-11	HW-8-TR QSK Relay Replacement is back in stock
2019-12-02	Kanga Sudden-2 40M SMD Receiver
2019-09-27	Kanga sized Prototoids boards
2019-09-13	Our Component Testers now include an SMD adapter!
2019-08-26	The Yack is Back! Mini-Yack kits are back in stock
2019-06-15	Back in Stock…… CCK Tracing Car Kits
2019-03-23	Looking for an RF filter for your next project? We have over 500+++ filters ranging from 5.6KHz to 300+MHz, bandwidths of 50Hz to 100MHz, in Band-Pass, Band-Reject, Low-Pass,and High-Pass configurations.
2018-07-10	Ceramic, SMD, And Air Trimmer Capacitors 18+ Varieties
2018-6-07	Magnet Wire Bifilar Magnet Wire Litz Wire Starting as low as $.04/ft
2018-05-27	NPO and Temperature Compensated Capacitors (High Quality Commercial and Military Spec)
2018-05-12	We are now stocking various toroids

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

 

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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