This year we brought back the building contest to the QRP Activities at Pacificion, and it was a huge hit. We had 4 very competitive teams enter. This year's project was the Tuner Upper, which is a surface mount project that enables you to see if your antenna is a 50 ohm load. Basically it is a crystal oscillator at a set frequency with a Tayloe N7VE LED SWR Bridge. We built the units on 40 meters, and each team was given a kit, and a drilled Altoids tin.

Each team was responsible for bringing the tools and other necessary items needed to complete the build. I was amazed at the items that were brought, and the thought and planning that went into this event. It was obvious that the teams had done prior preparation, except for one team. They decided to enter at the very last moment, and all that they brought was a soldering iron, some solder, and some tweezers.

All 4 teams successfully built the unit, and the winning team, "Team Snort" (Steve Smith, Mike Schettler, Mike Scott and Chuck Adams) successfully defended their championship, having also won the last QRPacificon Building Contest. I think it is a testament to the QRP builders out there that these teams could successfully build a surface mount project under these conditions. I was secretly hoping for a dropped resistor or two, as I wanted to see these guys down on their hands and knees looking, but it didn't happen, grin. Several years ago, some made statements that qrp building was on its last legs, because there would come a time when through hole parts were no longer available. I am happy to say that I don't believe that. I believe that outlook for builders of QRP gear is the best that it has ever been. By the way, I bet that the average age of the builders in the contest was over 60.

The Building Contest Team is already planning next year's event. I suggest to other QRP Forum hosts that they consider some type of hands on building activity. FDIM has a build-a-thon, 4StatesQRP has their hands on building activity, and we have our building contest. All of these are fun!! Keep having them, and I suggest that if you are going to attend one of these events that you think about participating in them. Thanks to Song Kang, WA6AYQ for designing the kit and helping the builders, and thanks to James Bennett, KA5DVS for donating 4 Pac-12 Antennas as prizes. 72, Doug, www.qrpkits.com

By the way, Tuner Upper Kits are available at www.norcalqrp.org