Although I completed my NorCal 40A several weeks ago, I discovered that while the receive section worked great, I had no output on the transmit side. Took it to work for N7CE to look at on an o-scope and discovered that I appeared to have a cold solder joint on a JFET. Removed and reinstalled the JFET, but still no output.
Then, through pure serendipity I discovered the K9YA Telegraph newsletter. The sample issue I read from 2008 had a brief review from K9PL who had just built the 40A. Interestingly, upon completing his kit he had the same issue I did: great receive but out output. He rewound T1 and, voila! All was well. On the strength of that suggestion I uninstalled, rewound and reinstalled T1 in my 40A and...voila! I scored a QSO on my first call with W0WN in Pocatello, ID. A few minutes later I had a nice chat with KE7LKW in White Salmon, WA.
So, finally I'm off and running. I plan to participate in my first QRP contest on Tuesday: the NAQCC Sprint. Can't wait!
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Low-cost, low-power, low-profile, QRP ham radio from the Pacific Northwest. "There is a pleasure in achieving creditable results by the simplest means."
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