H 80 CW Transmitter

I originally built the rig for 40 meters during the first NoGa Building Day and Barbecue back in 2001 or so. It was my first Manhattan-style build. Steve published an article on it in the Fall 2003 QRP Quarterly. I modified it in the Spring of 2005 to use on the local 80 meter nets. The original "Hudson 40" was built in a simple clear plastic videotape box. The colorful new enclosure is outfitted with a crystal socket and proper jacks for power and key, with storage for extra crystals in a plastic compartment attached to the inside of lid. I also couldn't resist using a panel-mount ARCO padder to peak the output; the ARCO used to be part of a homebrew "Novice Special" transmitter that I built back in '72.

Power output is a clean 2.5 Watts. Steve included a proper keying circuit as part of the design, rather than simple interruption of the +12 Volt supply.