Jock Cooper writes:

Hi everyone,
[snip]

Thanks to everyone for the great and helpful suggestions. This sure
is a friendly group.

Since I just recently started all this tinkering, my junkbox is a
little low in some areas, notably NP0 capacitors.. I have a few in
values from 3.9 up to 47 and a few 100s but not else. So I've used
various other types when higher values are called for.. I'm planning
on picking up an assortment soon.

Also I have some copper clad non drilled pc boards, I'm going to try
to rebuild the oscillator (and radio) using the 'ugly' method;
although I'm a little afraid I'll make myself a tangled mess of
useless and stuck together parts. The main reason I use breadboards is
so that I can take parts in and out of the circuit quickly (ie I'm at
the stage where I'm curious about what happens when I take such and
such part out, or change its value etc).

I'd love to get a oscilloscope but my 'play' budget is mostly spent
for awhile. So I've been making due with an LCR and a little cheapo
DMM.

I did order the book _Experimental Methods in RF Design_ .. I've also
got a lot of good info from an old (well 1998) ARRL handbook I got
on Ebay.

Jock