[hpsdr] Newbie saying hello and getting a sanity check

[Adam L. Mendelson]

Hello all,

I have been following the HPSDR project for a little while now and really
would love to get involved and tinker with this kit.  Yet, I am concerned
that I do not have the skill for this.  I have very little experience
building kits and absolutely no experience with working on SMT components.
 From the perspective of hardware I am just a total newb when it comes to
building.

When it comes to software, firmware, fpga code, well I do have some
background in this end.  I have worked for FPGA based hardware
manufacturers for years and this part excites me.  I have been dying to
jump into SDR for years but never found a rig that I was comfortable
sinking my $$$ into.  HPSDR seems to really fit the bill for me as I am
firm believer in opensource, and knowing this is open from the hardware and
software really gets me excited.

Furthermore, I have been a network engineer for 15+ years and the IP side
of this makes me itch to get started,as I have had the concept of a
software defined shack in my head for a while.  By this I would love to be
able to segment the entire RF chain into soft controllable pieces placed
where needed and operated at a clean and neat computer like position.  I
dream of placing receivers and transmitters close to the antenna, having RF
switches where needed and so on....

So, I ask this of the reflector, is this a project someone like myself can
undertake?  If I read correctly it looks like a few of the board are
available assembled?  If I have read correctly iquadlabs.com may be selling
fully assembled kits?  I was not able to find them on the website.  Is
HPSDR far enough along to really work and be a viable radio, not just a
tinkerer's time sink?  I love to play but I only have so much $$ to burn
and I want my SDR to be a viable radio to operate not just tinker.

Thanks all for listening to my lengthy rambling and any feedback you can
offer on a newbie looking to get started.

Adam
KG4PES
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