After multiple online purchases, a trip to the local Radio Shack and a trip to an electronics part store in Anchorage (over 350 miles from home!), I had everything I needed except the heart of the project: the 5-15 pF dual-gang air variable capacitor. For example, I really wanted to find the temperature compensating NPO capacitors so that my final product would have more stability and be true to John’s design. I started with Internet searches, trying to find the precise parts called for in John’s schematics. My first task was to gather all the parts, which is not an easy task in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The process of putting together John’s signal generator fostered my budding fascination with radio and electronics. Over the first few weeks, Eric kept bringing up an article in the October 2010 issue of QST written by John Pivnichny, N2DCH: “A Signal Generator for the VHF Operator." 1 Finally, not having found another project and feeling up for a challenge on that particular day, I decided to try to build John’s signal generator.
I built the ubiquitous crystal radio kit in the Boy Scouts and wanted to do something different. The one element of the class that probably hooked me on Amateur Radio, and from which I learned the most, was the class project.Īs the class progressed, my fellow students decided on various projects, but I was having a hard time coming up with something that I found interesting and was within my limited skill set.
Thankfully, Eric was a great instructor and was able to get the basic concepts through even my thick skull. This class presented the perfect opportunity.īy trade I am a lawyer with little electronics experience and a low aptitude for math, so I was worried about my ability to comprehend the world of Amateur Radio. Amateur Radio always interested me, but I never found a way to learn about it. Last fall semester, I decided to do something different and take the Introduction to Amateur Radio class taught by Eric Nichols, KL7AJ. I admit to purposely failing the oenology class several times just to retake it. There’s nothing like a hot iron to fire up your enthusiasm.Įach year, I try to take at least one class at my local university.
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