As part of my fox build, I needed a way to control the transmitter and also broadcast the proper ID to comply with FCC rules. There are a number of products out there, but I chose the Piccon from Byonics (Website link). Byonics has several very cool devices for amateur radio and most have the option to be purchased in kit form or pre-assembled. I admit, I am usually lazy with my free time and would rather jump right into using my new toy instead of having to build it first. This time however, due to the fact that I was spending money on other parts and pieces, I decided to save a few dollars and just order the kit. The kit arrived in a nice compact package as you can see below and had all of the parts and instructions.

Here is a closeup of the board itself. I forgot to take a picture of it, so this closeup comes from Byonics.

Assembly is easy as it is all through hole, no surface mount parts. Just put the component in, flip over the board and solder it and trim the excess.

Once you get all of the components soldered in, look it over and make sure everything is in place. Check those solder joints and make sure they are all shiny and solid. Remove the flux. I still have some to remove as seen in the photo two down from here; you can see the haziness around the solder points. A little more alcohol and scrubbing should get that cleaned right up.

Once you get it all cleaned up, follow the instructions and check the assembly with a multimeter. If everything looks good, plug in the two chips (ESD sensitive!) and close up the case. Ok, all ready for a field test!

I did create a short (if crappy) YouTube video demonstrating the tones that the unit makes as a fox. You can view that here: