July 7, 2024. Where to start?

 That is such a powerful question and one not often asked? Unfortunately, too many times the answer comes before the question. Like Start by charging $1500 on the plastic and buying a radio only to find out you need another $600 to get the stuff that will make the $1500 stuff work, like a power supply and simple antenna.

Good friend N2CQR and I often respond to that question with the same answer -- Start Small and Start Simple 0r 4S. If you are new to a soldering iron this is sage advice, and the benefit learning factors are immense.

A simple One Transistor Transmitter!

Do Not Put This Simple Design on the Air unless followed by a W3NQN Low Pass Filter!

With but a few simple components this transmitter puts out RF and is capable of making contacts heard several hundred miles away. If you get 100 milli-watts out of this jewel buy 10 lottery tickets. 

I would change the 2N2222A to a 2N2219A and up the supply to 15 Volts. This will more than double your output. A further keying refinement would be to add PNP transistor keying using a 2N2905 in the supply lead. Later you could add a IRF510 amp stage, and this will get you to watts output.

You likely have spent less than $40 and you have a transmitter. Now for a Receiver, start with a Direct Conversion Receiver and I recommend one I designed and was the subject of an article in G-QRP Club SPRAT. The build is detailed on my website https://www.n6qw.com

The parts for this part of the project likely will set you back about $150 and provides an excellent performing receiver. At this stage I would swap crystals from a 7030 to a 14060 crystal and move the DCR up to 20M. Two watts CW on 20M will net a page of DX contacts. You will need to adjust the Tank Circuit to work on 20M.

Another friend placed a general call via email for anyone who has some spare 80M color burst crystals to which I sent him a couple. Get this -- he is designing a M^3 using vacuum tubes and is planning a vacuum tube DCR. Watts to the antenna is watts to the antenna!

This is a good place to end.

73's

Pete N6QW