Nasty USB Cables: Overpriced at “Free”

Dear gadget vendors: I like gadgets (at least good ones). I buy lots of them. I will probably continue to do so as disposable income allows. But I have a plea:

Please stop including a USB cable in the package with your products.

It’s unnecessary, it’s wasteful, it’s a giant hassle when the said cable is lousy (as it all too often is) and the cost of the “free” cable adds to the overall cost of your product.

TM-D710 Internal GPS (de NF3H)

I’ve got a Kenwood TM-D710A ham radio transceiver. This handy device is a portable 50W dual-band (2m and 70cm) radio, with a built-in packet radio TNC and some native APRS features. What it does not have (unlike the new TM-D710GA model) is a built-in GPS receiver.

This is a problem that can be fixed with a surprisingly small parts budget, provided you’re up for some fine-pitch soldering. Details after the break.