On the 23rd of February 2023, after long isolation due to Covid, members of Glenrothes and District Amateur Radio Club gathered at the Leven Sea Cadet’s premises for a shoot out with hot soldering irons.

Tam (MM0TGB) had arranged a bulk purchase of Kanga Kits ‘Universal Morse Code Practice Oscillators’ (uCPO Tutor) for club members. Interest in the build was high, with ten members signing up for the Build-a-Thon. The uCPO can generate morse code practice groups at various speeds and can also be used as a practice oscillator for manual keys and paddles. The kits can be bought from Kanga Products

This well designed kit was supplied with comprehensive instructions but required care and attention to detail. Previous experience with soldering small components onto PCBs was helpful. We set up individual workstations around a large group of tables in the centre of the room. Electrical power for lamps and soldering irons was supplied from a cluster of power reels in the centre. This arrangement minimised tripping risks from trailing cables.

Everyone worked at their own pace. There was a lot of banter as the kits went together but experience and advice was shared freely too. The atmosphere was friendly but competitive. We were all waiting for the first burst of morse code from a completed kit. One of us, ever optimistic, had packed no fewer than three morse keys for the anticipated success. Unfortunately, no one managed to complete their kit in the six hours available. Some were close to finishing but the deadline arrived all too soon and it was time to pack up. My own kit required a few additional leads to be soldered before it was ready for the lid. I had to do that at home the next day.

It’s the first time I have been involved with a ‘Build-a-Thon’ but it was really good fun getting together with shared purpose and the prospect of a working “something” as an end goal. I can recommend it even for experienced constructors. It was a lot of fun! I’ll use my own uCPO primarily as an aid for tutoring others. It’s a very useful little box for demonstrations and for allowing members of the public to ‘have a go’ at sending code.

The great advantage of this club event was sharing knowledge and tools with others during a fairly challenging project. There were a few electrical continuity issues with ‘plated though holes’, particularly where upper component pads were covered after soldering. Most of these could be anticipated by those with previous experience of double sided PCBs. The advantage of kit building is the fun of construction without the distraction of hunting down components or the chore of making an enclosure.

Thanks to Tam for his efforts in organising the Build-a-Thon.

Personally, I’m up for another. Anyone fancy making a handheld HF DF receiver for radio fox hunting?

Catherine GM4FYH

From L-R – Ron 2M0DSU, Hugh MM7HCN, Tam MM0TGB, Vince MM6NVW, Catherine GM4FYH & Ian MM0HRL – Image, Ken GM3YBQ