| WB8NUT |
Rating:      |
2003-03-12 | |
| Love my Rock Mites! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I would not say it is better than sex, but a close second. This little kit got me into building again. I was attracted when I noticed that there were no torroids to wind - never wound any, but I had that fear that I could not do it. Well built the Rock Mite. Worked right away, up to eight states on it. Odered two more, another 20 and a 40 meter version. Built another 20 meter version, moded it with a heavier duty final and installed it in the neat American Morse enclosure. Ordered two more, plus a Ten Tec QRP kit and an SWL SW20 kit. Like I said, I'm into building - actually wound some torroids too! Great kit. Goes together in a day and QSO that night. Can't beat it.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by WB8NUT on 2003-01-19
Kit arrived Friday. Was going to work PSKFest, but decided at 8:00 pm that night to build the kit instead. I had the board completed at 10:30 and put it away for the night. Got up in the morning, ran some errands, then decided to mount the board in a Ten Tec project box. Drilled the holes, painted the bottom of the box, mounted the Rock-Mite board, and wired it all up. By about 1:30 pm that afternoon, had the first contact with a 569 report in New Jersey. Not too shabby for a $25 kit. The only negative is waiting five weeks for the kit to arrive. Big demand, get your order in now! |
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| W3DCG |
Rating:      |
2003-03-06 | |
| Better than... |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Whoa! Better than sex? Okay...
But HF CW is still my 2nd most favourite thing to do...
unless it's rare DX with their beam pointing my way! :)
re the product under review, I'm sure it's a 5/5 when I get mine!
73. |
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| NC4RT |
Rating:      |
2003-02-10 | |
| Lots of fun |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This kit went together very easily. I suppose I have 4 hours in the construction, another hour driving to radio shack for the connectors, another 90 minutes preparing my Altoids tin and installing the connectors, another hour to wire the printed circuit board in.
Everything worked perfectly the first time out. Using 8 AA batteries, mine emits about 500 mW of RF, at 7.0435 or 7.03973 MHz. It draws 20 mA on receive, about 125 mA on transmit.
It took about 5 minutes of CQs to hook up with KB8JFC in Xenia, OH, 316 miles away. Thanks, Dan, for the QSO. Dan says my signal sounds FB.
This was my first project that involved a SMT component. It was much easier than I expected... thanks to the good instructions that came with the Rock Mite, and to the PDF supplement Dave Benson put on the internet (address listed in the assembly instructions).
I plan to use this little rig in the next ARS Spartan Sprint. With 'phones, battery pack and Palm Paddlette, it weighs in at 14 ounces.
What a hoot, all for $25.00! (plus another $3.00 or so for a diode, a BNC, two stereo jacks, a 2.1/5.0 power connector, and a SPST switch).
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| K0KP |
Rating:      |
2003-01-15 | |
| Rock Mite errr...Rocks! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Read the other great reviews. Just had to throw in how pleased I am with my little Rock Mite on 40 meters! Went together like a breeze. Have already made a number of great QSOs on it. I splurged and went for the optional blue anodized die cast box seen on the Small Wonder web site. The box is quite pricey considering the super low cost of the Rock Mite. But it sure does finish the project off nicely! Been having a blast with it. Go ahead and get one....see you on 7040! |
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| KZ1X |
Rating:      |
2002-12-27 | |
| most fun you can have and still tell the Mrs. |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
You have to _wonder_ at how you can get this much ham radio fun into such a _small_ place (and at a price less than many bar tabs I've had).
I guess that is where Dave Benson gets his company name from ... Small Wonder Labs.
This is a great deal AND a fun kit. And many reading this review know that, somehow, it's much more ...
The only question is: should you buy the 40 meter or the 20 meter RockMite?
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| N3HKN |
Rating:      |
2002-12-27 | |
| Amazing For A Small Unit |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
My real concern was the ability of a direct conversion receiver to do anything reasonable given the cost - $25.00 for a transceiver! Well,the darn thing seems to hear everything my Icom-746 does - 14.060. Some have had hum and oscillation problems, but I have none of these. Using a 12v gel cell (1.3ah).
All of the parts were in the kit as promised. The one surface mount 6-pin device was no real problem once I was able to get one pin soldered. Had a bad solder joint on it and re-heated - all ok. Other devices and components were no problem. Mounted it in an old keyer with built-in paddles. Just using the paddles and not the electronics since for $25.00 you also get an iambic keyer.
Even if you are not into QRP this unit is fun to build. Do some math and decide for yourself about the cost of a "big rig". Most of the cost seems to go into all band capability. A single band/single frequency unit, with an xtal filter front end (again for only $25.00) provides excellent performance. Add an audio filiter and it challenges the "big rig".
Dick N3HKN
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| KC2FPR |
Rating:      |
2002-12-01 | |
| Great Value |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Good Fun Kit! I would not recommend as first kit, however that said it will certainly go smoothly for anyone with even just so, so expirence. I also bought the mity-box enclosure to accompany the kit. The hardest part was cramming every thing in!! Kit operates exactly as promised in power up. Neat little radio. Now I just wish my code was as good as my soldering! :) hihi |
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| KB5VJY |
Rating:      |
2002-11-28 | |
| Great Value, Great Fun |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I have put together many kits, but this was the best one that I have ever completed. Took about 2 hours from start to air. Was a gift from a fellow ham BOB that was tring to get me into QRP. He has his mounted in a Whitman's Tin. So do I.
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| K3ESE |
Rating:      |
2002-10-14 | |
| My first but not my last! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
My $.02:
I never built a single thing before my 20M Rock-Mite, and I made a QSO the first night it was done, 1344 miles on about 250 mW. Yes, I needed a bunch of elmer input, but with e-mail, there are many willing and able to help, and as mentioned, Dave Benson is right there to support both you and his products.
In my quest to understand electronic theory, this experience was immeasurable in beginning to make some concepts real for me.
Now, I'm able to get more out of books, and I have a 40M Rock-Mite on order, as well as the beginning module of a Multi-Pig+ and the old book from the ARRL, "Understanding Amateur Radio." That, along with my Handbook, these projects (and more to come,) and the many friendly, willing e-elmers out there, are helping me move from "appliance operator" status to someone with some understanding of the workings of this great, great hobby. |
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| KG4VCG |
Rating:      |
2002-09-22 | |
| A remarkable bargain |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I agree with the earlier review that the RM series’ kit is currently aimed at experienced or Elmer-guided kit builders. A rookie builder might be able to assemble the board without trouble, but would most likely need guidance in wiring headphones, power, RF out, the key jack and frequency switching. With a parts count of 73+ compared with the SW series 130+ parts count one would think that the RM would be the Small Wonder Labs entry kit; however, the current 4 pages of instructions for the RM are directed more towards experienced kit builders while the SW series 20 pages of instruction assume practically zero experience in kit building. After assembling the SW 40+, I see where the rookie (as I was with the SW40) would have problems. In fact, in assembling the RM 20, I often consulted my SW’s instructions. The design of the SW eliminates grounding issues because DC ground, AF return, etc., are built into the wiring harness systems for the SW-40. However, Dave Benson’s unflinching, steadfast willingness to promptly resolve problems online is an asset worth more than 20 pages of instructions. I had no problem with quickly assembling the board and passing the smoke test. Afterwards, Dave helped eliminate a loud hum. However, once stuffed in an Altoids tin, one frequency gave off a loud, bagpipe-like noise which Dave agreed was an oscillation. He suggested that I made sure that the DC power line was not over the Amplifier system and that AF ground not be directly on the same ground point as DC return. My power line had been kinked towards Q1. Once the kink was removed, the oscillation disappeared. I am amazed at the performance of this $25 radio. It is truly a remarkable bargain. |
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