It has been an interesting year, one that has kept me busier than expected with retirement. Not that this is a bad thing - just haven't been as active in ham radio and electronics as I expected to be. I plan to be at some of the Texas hamfests this year. The first will be the Greater Houston show at the Ft. Bend Fairgrounds in March.
IsoCat kits are still available, at a reduced price of $80 plus shipping. I also have a few completed units that I built for a deal that fell through. These are new, tested, and ready for plug-n-play. All cables are provided, so you could be on the air very quickly. These are $100 plus shipping.
The Projects website is adding a new area of interest and new products this year. The new area of interest is photography - equipment or products that I found interesting and/or useful while pursuing photographic interests.
The first one is a simple idea, but very handy when working in the field. I found that I often needed a tripod or monopod to keep the camera steady when taking wildlife photos. Frequently, by the time I set up the tripod, the opportunity had passed. This is where the beanbag proved to be very handy. Simply set the beanbag on a partially-lowered car window, a nearby fork in a tree, or other handy feature, and then rest the camera on the beanbag. The camera is protected from scratches and damage and is as steady as if it were on a tripod. The beanbag weighs only two pounds and does double duty as added padding in a camera bag if necessary. It ships easily in a suitcase when travelling if you don't want to carry it in your camera bag.
Beanbags are available now, for $10.00 each, plus shipping. Two of them will fit in a small USPS flat rate box,
The second new product is a camera trigger to enable external random events to press the shutter. This controller is designed for any camera with an electronic shutter release - primarily DSLRs - as well as a few of recent model film 35mm cameras. The controller responds to lightning, sound, or infrared level changes. I am completing field testing, and expect to have the multi-trigger available for shipment later this year. Check back for the announcement.