Surface mount stuff is fine. I use them all the time in my transverters
(VHF-microwave) and my other homebrew stuff. OK on your 160-10
homebrew. My example (my Yaesu FT857 is what I had in mind) covers that
PLUS 6, 2 and 432. How much would it cost to add those to your radio?
Probably not too much, but it might still get you close to the $700
Yaesu. And, yours is not counting labor costs. How many hours did it
take to build? When I build, I "pay" myself at $20/hours...less than
that and I stay in bed! I know it's a hobby, but even if I don't
count my labor costs, it uses up my time where I COULD be making
$20/hour. Don't get me wrong, I still love to build stuff!!!

Scott
N0EDV

Harold E. Johnson wrote:

"Scott" wrote in message
.. .

Part of the reason might be that building piece by piece is getting pretty
expensive for what you end up with. For $700 or so, you can buy a radio
that works all the HF bands plus 6, 2 and 432 with all kinds of features.
Try homebrewing that for $700... Seems that most stuff homebrewed
these days is station accessory equipment that just makes some task around
the shack a little more convenient (I'm guilty of this as well). I do
still hombrew all of my own antennas

Scott
N0EDV


Not really so Scott. Try the PicaStar group. By the grace of Analog Devices
in their enlightened policy of providing samples of even their most
expensive devices, and the price of SMD ((NOT really so difficult to work
with, just different. And you purchase new resistors and capacitors at
$0.003 each (Not a typo, 3/10ths of a cent) from DigiKey!)) Mine came in at
something under half your $700 figure for a 160-10 meter transceiver with
more bells and whistles than the average $2000 radio, and more performance
than most radios costing twice that!

W4ZCB




--
Scott
http://corbenflyer.tripod.com/
Gotta Fly or Gonna Die
Building RV-4 (Super Slow Build Version)