LW-MAX EXCITER The 1750 Meter band has been called "The Last Refugee Of Homebrewers"...and there is a lot of truth to that. Most folks who operate this beacons do like to roll their own. However, for the soldering iron challenged (like me) there are a few kits and even assembled products available. There are many simple to build designs for Lowfer and Medfer transmitters, with the best of these being done by Lyle Koehler, K0LR. Lyle's web site has an article on how to build these simple devices using breadboards so that no soldering is required. If you'd like to try your hand at building your own, visit his link on Easy Homebrew Transmitters. For those who perfer not to build at all, the only assembled Lowfer transmitter is the LW-MAX available from PCS Electronics. At only $120 dollars, it represents good value. The LW-MAX plugs directly into your computer's ISA slot and is controlled by software. You can select any frequency from 160-190khz, and also your mode of operation. Currently the unit can transmit any message you type in CW, or three different variations of QRSS mode. In the future, the unit will offer BPSK support as well. The LW-MAX is only available for the PC, and requires Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT or Windows 2000 to run. DOS Drivers will be available soon. For more information visit their web site, PCS-Electronics.com EXP-1750a CW / BPSK / SSB TRANSCEIVER Curry Communications has been making 1750 Meter products for years, and his latest offering is the EXP-1750a CW/BPSK/SSB Transceiver kit! This kit features a very hot receiver, optimized for LF reception and a very stable transmitter that can operate in any three modes. You can also operate this unit in QRSS mode by adding a electronic keyer capable of these speeds. Some kit building experience is recommended, as any transceiver can be complex to construct. The manual is well written, and the printed circuit boards are well laid out. Some test equipment is required to properly align this unit. This product is highly recommended. Visit the Curry Communications web site. AM88 LOWFER AND MEDFER TRANSMITTER For those who would like to operate on either the LF or the MF (Medfer) band, there is one kit that will cover both ranges. The North Country Radio AM-88 is a PLL controlled transmitter that is designed for AM voice operation. However, by simply removing an internal jumper, you can use the product as a CW transmitter. This kit is fairly easy to build, though some knowledge of soldering and kit building is a plus. The manual is well written, though not long on construction details. It does include a very easy to understand overview of how the transmitter works. It also has excellent low pass filtering built in so that your beacon will not interfere with other radio services. The only real drawback to this transmitter is that the PLL will only allow you to select frequencies that are in 1khz steps. Operating on even frequencies usually means that you'll have more interference from man made sources of RF. We understand that another kit may be in the works that would allow for 10hz steps. At $80, it is a very affordable way to get started on the LF or MF bands. Visit the North Country Radio web site for more details on the AM-88. In order to program the AM88, you have to convert your desired transmitting frequency into an 11 digit binary code. The Javascript calculator below will make that easy: to base Free JavaScripts provided by The JavaScript Source © 2000 Les Rayburn, N1LF & Others.