FDIM Buildathon 2017

Price: $40.00 - By Special Request. Please email



NOTE: The FDIM 2017 Buildathon kit has been upgraded and now sells as:
Current Crystal Grinding X-CHECKer kit


Gangue, the 2017 Buildathon has a full house of 35 builders.... There is a standby list with 4 builders presently waiting to build. There is a good chance that we might be able to have a few builders take over a seat after a fast builder has finished. I will be there until late so staggered seating is a distinct possibility.


Due to all the latest interest in FT-243 crystals and crystal grinding, I have decided to update the workshop that was presented by myself, W1REX, Darell Brehm, WA4OPY, and Ron Hale, AC5UR at the Ozarkcon 2006 QRP convention. We held a hands on workshop where everyone ripped open an out of band surplus FT243 crystal, removed the quartz blank and re-ground it to a QRP friendly frequency. That workshop was focused on the crystal grinding. The FDIM 2017 Buildathon will add a kit to the process. we will first build an integrated crystal oscillator and frequency counter, calibrate it and then grind an FT-243 crystal from somewhere in the 6.x Mhz region to a desired 40m frequency. I will provide a genuine factory OLD FT-243 crystal within grinding distance of the 40m band as part of the Buildathon package.

As usual, the Buildathon will also include a time out for a complementary pizza party so that builders wont miss dinner while we build. Directly after the Buildathon, the now sated builders only need to take a short walk around the lobby in order to enjoy the FDIM Club night being held in the adjacent ballroom.

We will be using the *USUAL* format of the Buildathon so we can register 35 builders.... Dont wait until the last minute to sign up! After that, you will just have to resort to picking up your kit at the FDIM Buildathon and taking it home.....
W1REX

Registered Builders:
----------------------------------
JILL COMBS..................KD8QGA
JOE EISENBERG...............K0NEB
MARTHA AUCHARD..............W0ERI
GARY AUCHARD................W0MNA
DAVE WILCOX.................K8WPE
DEAN SANDERS................WB0P
MIKE DOOLEY.................N5BGZ
JOHN DEMUTH.................K8CQA
KARL DEMUTH.................N8PKB
STEVE DEMUTH................KC8YBV
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 10

DAVE PALMGREN...............N8DP
ROGER STEIN.................VE1/K7SJ
RED WILLOUGHBY..............KC4LE
GARY MORTON.................M1GRY
DON SZENINA.................N8HDT
JOHN KUNZ...................N8MCA
RICHARD SCHWENKE............N8GBA
MARTIN BOROFF...............WD9GYM
JIM EKLUND..................KD8QCS
PAULETTE QUICK..............WB9VHF
PETER AYEARST...............VE3POA
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 21

DAVE RAJNAUTH...............VE3OOI
ERIC GUNTER.................KC2TXO
DAVID WENDT.................VE3EAC
THOMAS DICKMAN..............N8TD
HIROKI KATO.................AH6CY
JONATHAN BRANDENBURG........KF5IDY
JOHN COVINGTON..............W4CC
DENNIS TERRIBILE............WR4I
DAVID DOSTIE................AE9Q
BRETT KNUDSON...............N0BAK
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 31

SEAN ADKINS.................
SCOTT McDONALD..............KA9P
AUTHOR JOHNSON..............WB0JMG
DON SZENINA.................N8HDT
DON SZENINA.................N8HDT
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 36
BUILDATHON SOLD OUT!
SEND ME AN EMAIL IS YOU WANT TO BE ON A STANDBY LIST!!
STANDBY LIST
----------------------------------
CHARLES BROWN...............
DANNY WILSON................
JIM FISHER..................
CHUCK OHRSTEDT..............WB8YUM



KITS TO BE PICKED UP @ FDIM
----------------------------------



KITS MAILED TO QTHs
-------------------
EDWARD ROSTOLLAN..............KM5GK
LARRY WISE....................
ALAN SKERKER..................
MARK JANZER...................K5MGJ
PATRICK TORMALA...............KI7JQR
CHRIS WALDRUP.................KD4PBJ



Please pay special attention to the names and calls below! They are volunteering their time & expertise to help make the 2017 FDIM Buildathon a success!

VOLUNTEERS:
------------

Rex Harper.........W1REX
Joe Eisenberg......K0NEB
Rod Walberg........KD8DNS
John Demuth........K8CQA
Jon Poland.........N0WL
Charlie Brown......W3CHB

Hope to see you there!
Rex W1REX









Documentation
  • X-CHECKer Builders Overview
  • 2017 Buildathon parts list
  • FDIM2017 Counter Pg1
  • FDIM2017 Counter Pg2
  • FDIM2017 Counter Pg3
  • FDIM2017 CRYSTAL GRINDING KIT layout error
  • FDIM2017 X-CHECKer Mods

    Related Links
  • VIDEO: Modding the LCD module to light the LED backlight
  • VIDEO: Intro Calibration & Use of the FDIM2017 BUILDATHION X-CHECKer Kit!
  • VIDEO: A complete build of the FDIM2017 bUILDATHON kit!
  • VIDEO: A complete grinding session for making a new FT-243 crystal!


  • ACCESSORIES: FT-243 SOCKETS & CRYSTAL BLANKS from QRPme

  • VIDEO: An ARRL video with scenes from FDIM 2012s Buildathon.