Yes Tim, I agree. Unfortunately, the physics of RF favors "small" and
"compact". This is the price we pay for such high performance. It's not yet
to the point where it's a 'show stopper' for experimenters, but you have to
be increasingly resourceful and persistent. Many have dropped out of
hombrewing at a time when the possibilities are most exciting, merely
because they can't or won't adapt to the new packaging technologies and the
need to learn a little about firmware programming in order to make the new
generation of parts work. It's not that they "can't" learn, it's mostly that
they "won't" learn.

Joe
W3JDR



In the case of RF devices like DDS's and high-performance microprocessors
(you think 1GHz isn't RF?) the surface mount package significantly
enhances
performance. I haven't found them to be that bad to work with; you just
need good eyes and a steady hand.


--------------------------------------
Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com