HamGadgets News

I am entertaining the idea of a new USB Universal Rig Interface, to replace the one I offered until earlier this year.  There were things I didn’t like about the first kit; namely, either I spent a lot of time doing the SMT pre-assembly, or you (the builder) had to struggle with one or two really tough parts.  So…  that being said, pick up to three:

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Just some quick news regarding some of the kits…

• The PicoKeyer-Plus kit is in stock, doing well, and I anticipate carrying it for some time to come.  I may make a couple of PCB refinements to make assembly even easier.
• The ID-O-Matic is in stock, with plenty left.  I hope to have a minor firmware update available in the next couple of months.  No big feature changes, mostly just a couple of new functions for otherwise unused pins on the PIC.  There are a couple of indicators people have asked for to make it easier to implement links and repeaters in some EU countries.
• The jury is out on the USB interface kit.  Right now I’m running low on PCBs and will be making the decision soon whether to have another run made, or discontinue the kit.  Watch this news blog for updates as I get closer to the decision.  I’ll for sure sell the remainder of what I have here, as soon as I get a chance to mount the SMT parts.

Beginning this week, I am making a change to how the USB Universal Rig Interface kit is sold.  From now on, all of these kits will be sold with the chip and USB connector pre-installed.  This will allow me to test each board before it leaves here.  It also will avoid having to keep separate stocks of kits with and without the parts pre-installed.  The rig-side connector will not be pre-soldered, but although it is SMT it’s not a challenge to install due to the large, easily accesible pads.

I am also adjusting the price – higher than the base kit, but lower than the SMD pre-install price.  Cable prices will remain the same, though the cost of the 4-conductor rig cables has gone up sharply from what  I had been paying before.