Welcome to 3rd Planet Solar & the shack of KC9ON

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2018-04-14	Fox Hunt Offset Attenuators are back in stock!
2018-04-14	Reverse Polarity Protection SMD kits are back in stock
2018-04-14	LCR-T4 Component testers are back in stock
2018-03-21	HW-8-MC1496 replacement adapter kits are back in stock
2018-02-14	*** Kanga UK products are in stock *** *** M0TGN Morse Tutor *** *** DX40 DC Receiver *** *** URMSTON Regen Receiver *** *** NEW *** *** Foxx-3 Transceiver ***
2017-11-29	We now have Polyvaricons! 20/20pF and 60/140pF varieties available.
2017-09-10	NEW “CCK” PRODUCTS Pixie with Pixie Switch and 3 extra Crystals  Simple Test Equipment kits Audio Spectrum and volume display kits Solder practice and learning kits and more…..
2017-09-08	NEW PRODUCT – HC49U (TALL) Crystals! Available in 3560, 7030, 7040, 7055, and 7118KHz 3560 works with the Cricket!  Great for VXO’s!
2017-09-08	NEW PRODUCT – 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
2017-08-01	HW-8-TR replacement relay kits are back in stock!

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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