7/28/2009 - the Mcount has been replaced by the Mcount2
kit
The Mcount kit is a frequency counter with Morse code output.
It features:
![[Mcount circuit board picture -
click for larger version]](mcountsm.jpg)
optional divide by 10 prescaler extends coverage to 500 MHz
code speed can be varied from 5 to 35 wpm in ARRL steps
"cut" numbers can be used to speed up the "display"
kit uses two SO surface mount ICs and 1206 sized R/C
available as a board only kit, with a full parts kit or assembled
programmable offset for digital "dial" usage within a rig
digital "dial" can "display": vfo-offset, vfo+offset or offset-vfo
all settings retained in eeprom after power down
gate time can be either 100 ms (10 Hz) or 1 second (1 Hz)
machine pin socket for PIC counter chip
5V regulator included, power the kit from 8 to 14 volts
board size is about 1.1 x 1.5 inches
NEW: 10/9/2006: sidetone frequency now variable in
16 steps from 247 Hz to 1046 Hz
The PIC counter chip alone is $3.
Please note that no documentation will be sent with the kits or chip.
Print out a Kit
order form to figure your order manually
or try our: javascript order form
to let your browser do the arithmetic.
For more information on the kit please
download (Right click/save target as) the Mcount kit
manual ,
schematic diagram
and hookup diagram
all in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
Chuck Carpenter, W5USJ, has kindly
provided a nice
circuit board overlay
in Acrobat format.
The manual is also available
as a Word 6.0 DOC file
and as a text file.
Don Hatlestad , AC7FA, has created a neat little
foldable pocket sized (but 8 page) cheat sheet for the Mcount
in .pdf Acrobat format based on the manual. Much appreciated Don !
Tom Fowle, WA6IVG, has written a
review
of the Mcount
for the Handiham web site, thanks Tom !
Tom Fowle and David Vasquez of the
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
have recorded an audio version of the
Mcount manual, thanks Tom and David !
If you would like an audio CD of the manual
please let me know prior to ordering the kit.
I've tried converting the CD audio to mp3
format and have posted the 10 parts here:
Mcount00.mp3 Narrators Note and Main Title (82k)
Mcount01.mp3 Introduction (50k)
Mcount02.mp3 General Notes on Building the Mcount (347k)
Mcount03.mp3 Building the Mcount kit (2539k)
Mcount04.mp3 Operation (3647k)
Mcount05.mp3 Gotchas (401k)
Mcount06.mp3 Modification Ideas (477k)
Mcount07.mp3 Email Closing Copyright (78k)
Mcount08.mp3 List of parts included with the Mcount kit (913k)
Mcount09.mp3 Items you need to provide to complete the Mcount kit (307k)
Page accesses: 
![[Mcount circuit board picture -
click for larger version]](mcountb.jpg)