There are a lot of smart people that come here and i guess help SF with product design for instance the UBW. Everyone benifits from this.
My suggestion for new products is cheap and fairly accurate test equipment.
An example is like what I’m currently working on is a DDS RF signal generator using Analog Devices AD9851 180 MHz DDS synthesizer IC.
Still working out whether I’m going to just use a PIC or go with trying to tie it to a UBW so I can control it by computer. This is nice for Ham Radio projects, Radio alignments (CB Radio my favorite) or any other HF project.
Equally nice would be test equipment like frequency counters, function generators, Logic analyzers, Graphic LCD Scopes, LCR meters, a Digital RF watt meter (looking to make one myself someday), or how about a radiation detector. Probably others can think of more things to add. We can work on projects as a team too using the forum to coordinate activities for those that want to help in the designs, firmware/software. Eventually SF can market some really cool equipment for the hobbyist or just people who are on a tight buget and can’t afford a couple thousand dollars for a piece of equipment they want.
Also if SF just wants to venture into this alone so there isn’t any legal issues down the road I’d be happy with that too.
Still have my 600Mhz frequency counter I built as a KIT in the early 70’s that was sold by Ramsey Electronics. Working good to this day. Now it is being feed with an 10Mhz OCXO frequency standard sync to a GPS timing signal and is very accurate now. This is the kind of thing I’d like to see. Even as a put it together yourself kit would be great.
Thanks for the site tip, interesting projects on there. I’m not a Ham but was an electronic technician in the Navy and use to take care of all the HF/VHF equipment. Enjoyed listening to the R-390 (collins) HF receiver at a lot of times. But anyways, still not a ham operator yet. Did have a nice kenwood tranceiver TS-430 I think it was but never got around to getting my ticket. So, I sold it. Now I just have some old Tube type Hallicrafters receivers to mess with and my CB radio. Thinking about maybe putting more effort into getting a license now seeing I have alittle bit more time on my hands.
The R-390 is still a good receiver. I have a couple of ex Royal Navy Redifon R551N receivers.
Getting a license is very easy these days, and you don’t need to pass a CW test to use HF. I’ve got a Yaesu FT-857 and Yaesu FT-817ND but don’t get on the air much, partly because a good antenna is difficult where I live.
I’ve got an alot of property and actually have enough room to even stick up a tower.
Anyways, as for the Ham Radio stuff I wanted a nice receiver too as the hallicrafter shortwaves are not as sensitive and do drift some. Been thinking of picking up a Kenwood R2000 off Ebay. I like to just listen sometimes. Awhile ago I almost purchased a R390 but remembering what a monster they were kinda made me change my mind. Plus replacement parts are not easly found even when the US Navy was using them. They did have nice HF transmitters I wish I could get my hands on. I remember one day I was performing some general maintenance on a AN/URT-23 1000 watt HF transmitter and accidentally spilled a can of coke in it. I got in really big trouble for that and spent my entire weekend off working on cleaning and rebuilding it. What was fun with that piece of equipment was I could transmitt on CB Radio frequencies at 1000 watts. Didn’t do it much but when I did I think the whole world heard me cause I could talk some some really good skip with it. Being a Tech for the navy I didn’t need a license then to operate the equipment. Although I know 1000 watts on CB frequencies is not what the FCC would have been too happy with especially coming from a US Naval ship.