One of the things that I stress in my One-Day Tech classes is to have on hand a number of snap-on ferrite cores that you can use to eliminate radio-frequency interference (RFI). You never know when you’re going to need them. This set of 20 snap-on ferrite cores for only $11 is an incredible deal.
I often get asked about soldering irons. The one I use is a Weller WTCPN that I purchased not long after I graduated from college. I like it because it’s temperature-controlled and everything is in a single unit. It really is a great soldering station.
About the closest thing you can get to that today is the Weller WES51 Soldering Station. It’s going for about $100. I have no doubt that it does a pretty good job of soldering.
Another option is the recently-released Circuit Specialist CSI Premier 75 W Soldering Station. It costs less than $75 and recently got a pretty good review in EE Times. I’d consider buying one myself if I needed one.
Another nice station accessory is a big world map. At the Hands-On Museum, we put dots on our world map, showing all the countries we’ve worked. This map features:
- Up to date Amateur Radio Prefixes, with ITU and ARRL updates
- 24×36″ Wall Map. Rolled, Not Folded.
- DXCC Prefix Lookup table. U.S. poster size – fits standard 24×36 frames
- Full Color, Matte finish. Robinson Projection
Whether you’re into NPOTA, SOTA, or IOTA, portable operation is all the rage these days. If you’re going to be out and about you need this Amateur Radio Water Proof Log Book. Its compact size fits neatly into a backpack and is easy to use out in the field, and is printed on rugged, tear resistant, synthetic paper. Even so, no special pen needed, and you can record up to seven contacts per page.
When I set up my shack, I went down to Home Depot, bought a shelf, and had them cut a couple of 8-in. slices off the ends. It works OK, but after several years, it’s bowing in the middle. These shelves look like a good alternative. They’ve been specifically designed for amateur radio equipment. I’m tempted to replace my home-made shelves with a couple of these.
This headset was recommended by someone on the Elecraft KX3 mailing list. Another simliar—and cheaper—headset is the Koss SB40 Headset. Someone cautioned that the Koss SB40 has a dynamic microphone, while the Yamaha CM500 has an electret condenser microphone. That being the case, the Koss SB40 might not have enough output for some rigs.
This is a noise-canceling headphone, also recommended by someone on the KX3 mailing list. Note that these are just headphones and do not have a microphone. At $120, this seems like a reasonable deal for a noise-canceling headphone.
Someone asked a question on Quora about how to measure the power consumption of an air conditioner. I suggested that they purchase this device. I have one and use it to measure the power consumption of various devices around my house. It’s easy to use, seems to work pretty well, and the results are quite interesting.
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Walter Underwood says
Instead of the Koss SB40, I’d recommend the Koss SB45. That has an electret mic and is just $25. I’ve heard from some experienced operators who were not impressed by the dynamic mic on the SB40.
https://www.amazon.com/Koss-sb45-SB-45-Communication-Stereophones/dp/B00081A2CW/