Ramsey Electronics Discontinues Kit Business

Longtime kitmaker Ramsey Electronics of Victor, New York, has announced that it has shut down its hobby electronics kit division effective January 1, 2016.

The company, which has been making kits for electronics hobbyists since the 1970s, cited "rapid changes in technologies (that) have make if difficult for the do-it-yourself hobbyist" as the key reason behind its decision. "You just don’t go out and build yourself an 802.11ac wireless router these days!" the announcement noted. "You buy one at the corner big-box store for fifty bucks!"

Existing kit stock was being sold off on Amazon.com. Ramsey's announcement said the company would continue to provide technical and warranty support throughout 2016 for kits purchased in 2015. Ramsey's RF Test Equipment Group is unaffected by the moves. 

CQ Kit-Building Editor K0NEB plans to have more on Ramsey and its kit products in his April column.

Update - Planned N. Korea Operaton Delayed Until Summer

Polish DXer Dom Gryzb, 3Z9DX, who made a surprise on-air demonstration of amateur radio for officials in North Korea in late December (see story below), has told DX World that he is delaying his planned full-scale DXpedition until late summer of 2016. 

This, according to the report, is to give him time to secure a quieter operating location. He had initially planned to be back on the air in February.

The success of Dom's December operation was limited by being in a very noisy location and by a solar flare that degraded HF conditions. Nontheless, he was able to make 785 contacts during the unannounced operation, mostly in Asia.