"Howard" wrote in message
om...
"Keyboard In The Wilderness" wrote in message
news:21ANb.23933$zs4.10105@fed1read01...
Lots of kits and projects at URL:
http://ac6v.com/kits.htm

Here is some info that may be of interest:

IMPROVED NEOPHYTE RECEIVER

This receiver was featured in the spring 1994 issue of Ham Brew
Magazine
Designed by Wes Baden, K6EIL

This is a nice 40 meter receiver and uses a NE602AN OR NE612AN mixer
chip
and incorporating an AF pre-amplifier and bandpass audio filter
will drive a 2 1/2" to 3" speaker to room level volume.

snipped

I have a question, has anyone built the above and had success with it? A
friend of mine built a kit once from Ramsey - it used a NE6XX chip and the
receiver was the biggest piece of garbage I had ever seen. He built it
right, I and another person checked his work and tried to get it to work for
him, that thing had NO EARS! A WASTE. It had some audio, but it sucked for
volume and that wasn't counting the static when "trying" to receive. He
called Ramsey to complain, they wanted a bit of change to correct it for
him.. The kit was about $30 to start with. In the end, he would have had
about $80 or so tied into a crappo receiver. I'd hate like hell for that kid
to be disappointed when he is done. I know I've been down that road and it
sucks. That can sure suck the interest right out of a newbie real fast. I'm
not saying the above mentioned design or circuit is bad. I don't know, I've
never tried one. All I'm doing is comparing the similar - even if only in
the chip used - design basis. I don't want to see the kid crushed by a non
working unit. Even with the Heath Kits, some times, there were defective
components or so on. Eico too. I hope the father or whoever - is prepared
to help the boy along and EXPLAIN any problems up front so the kid isn't
blown away to the point of saying to hell with it and quitting if the item
doesn't work. Some soldering practice would be good too, if he's not done
any as yet. SM.