Everybody should build one of these 

OK, I'm a dinosaur. BACK IN THE DARK AGES, ESPECIALLY WITH GERANIUM diodes, we always used a bending jig to avoid stressing the fragile glass cover on the diodes. Also, I learned to allow a small air gap around pc board components by slipping a small tywrap under each component before soldering. That small gap does a few things: heat dissipation (when things go WRONG), Mechanical stress relief on component legs, easier component replacement if repairs are needed, and my favorite - a place to easily attach a test lead when troubleshooting. BTW - I ordered the kit too ! Just my $.02 ... 73 de KG5RK

My first CW QSO (or whatever that moment was😅) was using one of these... I built one and placed a random wire on the antenna just to check if I could hear anything... I heard it was alive... I call "CQ CQ de PU4ALZ" a couple of times just to hear the tone! The random wire was laying on the ground. To my surprise I hear "PU4ALZ de PY4..." 😮 I was actually making a qso... what to do now? How to answer? 😂 I sent 599 and the other guy sent me 569... my very first CW QSO!! Scary, I know! But from this day on I never went back to voice!! 100% cw ever since 😂

When you said "To the internet!" I was expecting the 🎶doodly-do 🎶 and spinning effect on the screen from Batman.

9:40 it was at this moment i realized you have a very intuitive way of doing a kit build, and now have inspired me to order this kit with a side mission to learn CW in the process😂 thanks for the great content ! You have inspired this rookie ham to continue to grow. 73

I never get tired of building these kits, I think this is one of the best kits out there to practice soldering on. Good Build 73!

You have great soldering skills. It was a good lesson to watch. Thank you!

I'm going to have to get one of these as incentive to upgrade to general and learn cw. This build looks really fun! Thanks for the video Steve!

Newbie to the RF world here, Your inventory method is brilliant. Added it to my nearly empty bag of tricks

Im an experienced constructor, so I didn't learn anything, but this was so beautifully and lucidly explained - I enjoyed every minute. I just got one of those cheap LCR-T7 component testers and they are GREAT for identifying mystery parts.

You don’t have to be color blind to have issues with color on resistors… this is a great tutorial for anyone that has issues with id and management of components. Thank you.

Got it built and it works perfectly 🎉🎉🎉 Now I am learning my dits and dahs … completely obsessed with Amateur Radio !!!!

Ice cube trays are also good to use on the bench to separate parts and screws

I got a couple of these a couple of years ago . One with a case put together for me and the other I did myself. The one put together was only $18. The other was $4. . I bought the extra Seattle and crystals . They both work nice . One is in a tin and goes out in the field the other stays home to play with. My key is also a kit . It goes all over . Not the best but works .

Resistors -- I do "tolerance band" right and down

Bought one because ... why not? Thanks for the video and the idea.

$15.99, what a great deal. Thanks as always Steve

I received a few Pixie kits a few days ago. I'm glad your helpful video is one I can hear. Resistor reading: according to someone, the color ring / band nearest the wire lead is the first band to read. Someone else said that for 4 and 5 ring resistors there's a gap near the tolerance ring. Going past 3 colors is asking too much. Learning capacitor markings is a lot worse than resistors and inductor markings are just about as confusing as capacitor markings. They sell a LCR meter (not too many $$$) to help with Ls and Cs. I recently got a cheap one and it seems to work OK. Soldering heat sensitive parts: the bent wires are already holding the part on the board, so I put a finger pad on / under those heat sensitive parts. Yep it'll get a little warm if I'm slow to melt the solder. So, like you I sometimes get a dab of solder on the tip first. Your comments about your straight key technique gave me a chuckle. My first rig didn't have a side tone. After 3 or 4 years I got a rig with side tone. Then I cleaned up my straight keying by letting my ears tell my fingers how to control my key timing. Thanks for the video I can hear.

Wow! You single-handedly sold them out. Guess I must wait for restock

Good idea putting in the capacitors facing the same direction, except maybe electrolytic if they have to go in only one way.🍻👍

This is a very well done tutorial! BTW, transistors are flat sided only if plastic . Unless the transistors are round like upscale metal version 2n2222a

Note to younger self: save all FT243 crystals for later use in reborn xtl xmtrs!

I might have to pick one of these up as an incentive to learn CW

Got one I built a couple weeks ago. It came with the 8 crystals. As my antenna situation(renting and landlord says no more antennas) means my only antenna is a 2m/70cm, I can't even RX using this radio. Learning CW is on my to do list, although my annual schedule has me moving into theatrical lighting mode rather than electronics mode, so this might take a while. Mine didn't come with a dummy load, although I have one on order, so I haven't been able to test it it's actually working. My kit building ability results in ~ a 50/50 success rate. Hard to know when I don't have anywhere near an antenna tuned to these frequencies. I'd also like a better manual, as I've no clue what kind of key to attach, as I yet to have any. The Heathkit HD-1416 I've got on order has a straight key with it, so perhaps IO can adapt that,, although I've yet to learn more than a couple characters of code.

Amazing kit indeed!!" Iv,e been into electronics and ham radio for over 50 years, even retired after 26 years electronic engineering, I have bought three of these pixies over the years as kits, and guess what ,"none of them worked!" to save myself any more hassle, I bought an "assembled" one last week, That one doesn,t work either! either i,m just unlucky with these kits or they just don,t like me?? I,m not wasting any more money on kits from this part of the world, 😤.....

We used to sort into egg cartons or muffin tins. But the parts were big enough to easily read.

The answer is B, your CW skills.

Ordered.

The color codes for those resistors appear to be nonstandard too. I had to use the multimeter because the blue series 1%'s seem to not follow the 1st value, 2nd value, multiplier, tolerance standard. Just built one of these. At least you got picture instructions. Mine came with something that looks like it was printed from a notepad file. Where'd you see that VFO kit? I was going to figure out a way to plop a QRP Labs SiS-ish module in there but if someone has already figured it out.....

I measure all of the passive components then stick them into Styrofoam and label each group with a felt pen. I also use only machined pin sockets for all DIP IC's. I figure if it's worth soldering together it's worth using a reliable IC socket.

Only caution here. Watch our for damage from static on diode/xstrs. Can lay them on alum foil and touch a grounded object first. We used to get issues from apparently good power xstrs made from multiple ones on a chip to get higher amp rating. Looks okay to VOM. But after a few days in use at full power would die. Traced to esd blowing out some of the xstr bundle inside the device but leaving a few intact. 50 watt becomes 5 watt device.

I like the music T.O. Call it "Wreck-It Ralph's Dream" 😅

This was super informative and helpful for my first build! Mine receives a religious radio station when I plug in head phones somehow. Learned a lot though haha.

Got mine for $4 Cdn. Haven't built it (yet) ;). Actually got 3. One for a standard, two for mods. Now just need time and inclination ;)

Looks like cool little kit. Maybe when I finish rebuilding my SX1250.....

I commented several months ago but here's an update. Yes, they work. 180 miles when I put mine on 5.262 MHz, 350 mW out with a SWL report from 220 Miles for that QSO. G4GHB.

The acronym “F.U.N” is Fouled Up Nightmare. Of course one can replace fouled with the appropriate exploitive. 😂

Okay, today I learned that there is at least one person in the world who refers to 3-lead transistors as "triodes". Not that that's wrong, technically, but after .. many years in electronics, this was a first.

is there any boards that you can take the old boards out from a old bearcat 1 - 4 scanner and replace them with a newer scanner board that is more advance but you keep the same vintage look? Maybe program the scanner via usb connector?

The type and color temperature of the light you are using makes a huge difference in what colors you see in the bands. I use 9000k led lights or halogen, sunlight is the best.

There is a discussion if the pot is a RIT. It looks like there is an automatic shift from TX to RX. The pot let you tune around a few kHz + and - 7023 kHz. It looks like it is not a RIT.

Kit bash is a model train term. Wonder if we share that other techy hobby? Great vids and fun kit. 73

Thanks for the video. Could I ask what brand the paddle key is please? Thanks. Peter M0LMG

What is the difference between the Pixie kit and the Super Pixie kit? Is it only the acrylic case? On line there's several offerings of the kits. There's hardly any difference in the text descriptions, so I can't tell if one of the kits does anything different from the others. One of the choices is transmit PLUS receive, but the pictures show no difference that I can see, except that kit shows 2 circuit boards and that kit does cost a little more. I assume one board is RX and the other board is TX. Does that kit actually transmit 3 watts? From what I see from video reviews the 3 watt text might be a typo where the text should say 0.3 watts. What do you think? Thank you.

i ordered one a few years back off of ebay and never got it ! thanks china !

The colors were a lot easier to identify on the US made resistors of the 50's and 60's. (Or were my eyes just younger?) For parts where you worry about the heat (such as the 1N4148) you may actually want a bit of standoff from the board, rather than flush. The soldering of other components can make the board hot. Not so high that it could bend around and short to something else, but at least room for the flat of a tooth pick between the part body and the board. (It can also make it easier to clip on your scope probe.) And don't be too vigorous with your "mechanical advantage device": unless you're trying to solder to something large, it will be easier to fracture the component than to overheat it. But silicon semiconductors are not quite as heat sensitive as you seem to think. (Germanium, on the other hand, is pretty sensitive. But you can't get real 1N34 or 2N404 parts anymore, so you're unlikely to see germanium in a kit. The 1N34s they sell today usually are actually Schottky diodes, which means that the crystal set you're building isn't quite as performant - 035V forward drop, versus 0.2.) I wish that I could find a source of the 7.050MHz crystals. I've got half a dozen traditional pixie kits, with the plan of using them in a large room for a CW class. But they all have the 7.023MHz crystals, and some, if not most, of the potential learners will be Technician or General class. Nice video. Thanks. I guess that I'll grab one of these. You can never have too many radios. 73, Bill - KE1G

What size is the power connector? What polarity did YOU use to power this? Those little paddles, where did you get them? 73 DE W8LV BILL

1. is a license required for the super pixie kit? or is it low enough power for the frequency range and/or the frequency range is not a critical so you wont do much harm if you was to start trolling or denial of service interfering ? 2. what would happen if you put in a 3.57 mhz color burst crystal found in many older tvs or even a 38khz crystal from a clock movement? 3. or d being a kit maybe designed for beginners( hence the full sized parts verses surface mount) means it is possible that it will be assembled and used by an unlicensed person and has the capability to transmit on some very critically sensitive frequencies say for example the master clock you know "at the 3rd beep it will be that ever time" beep 3 times or some emergency back up band for if all bands was to fail. so the manufacturer intentionally did a davinci effect and disabled something so we would not have unlicensed people not know what they are doing get on the airways and cause havoc.

Ok, we are family of 5, so I read the your title, an order 6 sets. Me and my wife and oldest son already completed, two 7 and 9 y.o dougters strugle, so far but make progress with last parts soldering, sixth set for our cat, I must put together myself. Now I have a question.. what is this device used for ? What does it do, and why we all need one ?

Sold out 2 days after post. WOW

Just got one. No instructions like yours just schematic. Do u hv link for yours? Karl

Are those popular QRP frequencies in America? Here for Europe I use 7.030 MHz but put my Pixie on 5.262 MHz where it's less crowded for a simple receiver. QRP to QRP is great. G4GHB

200 feet of RG-316 at 7Mhz with 0.5 watts in equals 0.0026 watts to the antenna. Maybe QRPppp?

Please note that it isn't available at this time, 12-10-2023

pretty sure you were just shorting out a stereo connector with a mono jack. Decent kit.

Why did you have a part left over?

I built two of these, first one didn’t work. I didn’t give up, though. The second one works fine :) edit: the first one was my mistake, but it’s is a learning process. This was my first ever solder project aside from some wires here and there.

All kits should come in a box, not a bag.

Built the same radio (from China) about 7 yrs ago for $3 something if I am not mistaken with the price. It is a junk kit.

You might want to learn cootie. It’s easy to create beautiful CW.

"$15" ? They were like Cdn$3 or $4 shipped a couple of years ago; I bought several and built one. Even now, they're Cdn$7 and up, shipped. To be fair, that's for the 7.023 MHz only version.

Nice build, but your technique of taping to paper, although nifty, is not a good principle. The reason is your adding the glue/sticky material to the leads and thereby causing corruption/corrosion to the surface. Not an issue at low(er) freq. Can affect over all component reliability at higher freq. So be cautious when building up in VHF/UHF ranges ( and especially microwave). Also get a pair of hemostats or a clip-on heat sink that you can attach to a lead whilst solder to draw any extraneous heat away from the component. But having a solder station ( thermal regulated) is a big advantage. 73

🤦‍♂I can't believe I've been looking up color codes for years when I have a multimeter that _I use regularly_. Sigh. Thank you, TO.

Way beyond my skills (at this time) but an enjoyable video. KE8MWQ 73

Did you collect bugs as a kid?

I built the same kit a while ago. Managed to make some contacts but the receiver is terrible! I think your long high-loss feed line did not help. Or maybe mine worked better because I soLdered it and not soDDered it? 😇

Erm, triodes?

range 2000 km !

CW is much easier on a real key😂

The chinese ones have a bright blue background and not truly opaque color code paint so it distorts the colors. Frustrating. Unlike good old US carbon types with a darker brown surface and nice bright standard colors. Easy to read even on small ones. Bad Boys Reject Our Young Girls But Violet Gets Wooed. Cleaned up old USAF mnemonic. Black, Brown Red Orange, Yellow. etc. But on the new resistors the VOM is best. Also L/C meters are around $25 from ebay or Amazon these days. Saves time for older eyes

Very impressed by that part sorting method! 73 de Tim N7KOM