SW+30

The SW+30 QRP kit from Small Wonder Labs seemed to just fit the bill for what i was looking for in a QRP hiking rig. I really did not want to carry about a multi hundred dollar radio hiking. I have less than $80 in the rig ($55 for the radio kit, ten tec enclosure, and various controls/connectors).

For this i have a Superhet receiver and 2 watts output. The thing seems to run endlessly on 2400mah NIMH batteries especially compared to my FT817. At first i am going to simply use with a vertical dipole without tuner. Shoot a line over a tree (slingshot and fishing reel) and pull the dipole up.

I added a switch on the front in case i want to add an audio cw filter. I drilled the other holes thinking i would put in a tuner but abandoned that idea. No painting here as this is a knock around rig for hiking.

Also note the 10 turn pot for the VFO and the knob from a Motorola Mastr II base station console.