Tuna Tin 2

Yo Quiero TT2!

When Doug DeMaw, W1FB, first built his Tuna Tin back in 1976, I'll bet he never suspected that 25 years later it would become a classic and an icon of QRP amateur radio. Now 25 years later and after only minimal modification it is still being kited and built by hundreds of hams who are still after the thrill and challenge of making radio contacts with low powered equipment that they have built themselves.
The Tuna Tin 2, as it is now known, has been kited by the NorCal QRP Club as part of the "Back To The Future" project, the New Jersey QRP Club and now the Fort Smith QRP Group.
Parts bags and schematic

The images on this page are of the recent kit offered by Jay Bromley, W5JAY, and the Fort Smith QRP Group with the help of the NorCal QRP Club and the NJ-QRP Club. Jay, sparked by comments made at ArkieCon, orchestrated the latest kit production run in just a little over a month! An outstanding effort by all involved and one that I, for one, am thankful for.
The kit comes with the components grouped by type and sealed in plastic bags making construction of this kit an organized pleasure. The assembly manual includes step by step assembly instructions and the original circuit description by Doug DeMaw with notes regarding changes in inductor and transformer design due to parts availability. Also in the manual are descriptions and schematics for three sample mods that the builder may use to personalize his/her Tuna Tin 2.
Close-up of board mounting hook

The design is simple and with the new circuit board laid out by Doug Hendricks, KI6DS, construction is a snap. The components are outlined and labeled on the upper surface of the board making component location quick and easy. In fact the only challenge that I faced was how to mount the board in the tuna tin! There have been many suggestions for doing this but what I settled on was to simply use snipped off component leads as hooks soldered to the bottom side of the circuit board and bent to suspend the board just below the lip of the tuna tin. Once testing is complete and all is verified to function correctly, the hooks (I used four) may be soldered to the outer rim of the lip and the board is held suprisingly well.
Completed Tuna Tin 2

I very much enjoyed building my Tuna Tin 2 and look forward to making contacts with it. For images and more information about the Tuna Tin 2, visit some of the sites presented below.

Back to the Future - Hosted by the NJQRP Club
The Tuna Tin 2 Gallery - Sponsored by Electronics USA

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