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wa4chq

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V.T. Eric Layton
3 hours ago, wa4chq said:

Linux helps me deal with that creepy memory.

 

Linux has very many therapeutic properties. :)

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On 3/13/2023 at 3:29 PM, V.T. Eric Layton said:

therapeutic properties

 

I could not find them mentioned anywhere in the Arch Wiki ?? Are they Slackware only ?? 🤔

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V.T. Eric Layton

Oh, I never did find much therapeutic whilst I was running Arch. It got even less so after SystemD. ;)

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Cluttermagnet
On 3/13/2023 at 5:41 PM, wa4chq said:

It does....and then some.

 

I think we may have crossed paths one time in NRR 2023. Boy am I beat. Eight days on the radio...

Anyway your call sounds very familiar. I shall have to go check my log book... I did pretty well

this year with my old, beat up Johnson Adventurer...  (March 8th, 1850Z, 40m)

(end hr geek talk)

Now back to your regularly scheduled program, which is already in progress...

Edited by Cluttermagnet
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6 hours ago, Cluttermagnet said:

 

I think we may have crossed paths one time in NRR 2023. Boy am I beat. Eight days on the radio...

Anyway your call sounds very familiar. I shall have to go check my log book... I did pretty well

this year with my old, beat up Johnson Adventurer...  (March 8th, 1850Z, 40m)

(end hr geek talk)

Now back to your regularly scheduled program, which is already in progress...

FB OM...I didn't op all of NRR, but I did make a few QSO's.  Looking at my log, are you a K3?

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Cluttermagnet
5 hours ago, wa4chq said:

FB OM...I didn't op all of NRR, but I did make a few QSO's.  Looking at my log, are you a K3?

 

Yep, dat's me. :sorcerer::bangin:

(My Novice year was 1963)

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15 minutes ago, Cluttermagnet said:

 

Yep, dat's me. :sorcerer::bangin:

(My Novice year was 1963)

FB OM.  Your Johnson Adventurer sounded great.  We were allowed to use an xmtr with a VFO when I got my novice ticket nine years later...my father gave me the test.  I was using a Johnson Navigator back then....boy I wish I had kept it!  I bought the DX-35 w/ the VF-1 about 4 months ago.

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V.T. Eric Layton

While I worked on all those radios you Hamster types were playing with, I was never one of you. I was a chicken beater with a Wawasee Black Cat 2000 on my 75' high 5/8s 11 meter ground plane. ;)

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Cluttermagnet
8 hours ago, wa4chq said:

FB OM.  Your Johnson Adventurer sounded great.  We were allowed to use an xmtr with a VFO when I got my novice ticket nine years later...my father gave me the test.  I was using a Johnson Navigator back then....boy I wish I had kept it!  I bought the DX-35 w/ the VF-1 about 4 months ago.

 

I think it's  trend- a lot of guys now regret selling their original gear.  I'm on my 3rd and 4th

Knight T-60, for example. That was my '63 Novice transmitter. But most hams are anything

but rich. Trading in the older gear made sense back then.

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10 hours ago, V.T. Eric Layton said:

While I worked on all those radios you Hamster types were playing with, I was never one of you. I was a chicken beater with a Wawasee Black Cat 2000 on my 75' high 5/8s 11 meter ground plane. ;)

Are you sure the Wawasee Black Cat 2k wasn't some kind of firecracker?   I  remember friends having CB's in their cars but I never saw them using 'em much.  Ham radio has changed over the years.  You could still become a ham if you wanted.  They dropped the code requirement.  You could easily pass the written with your background.....not the CB background.  That's something you don't bring up while taking the test.  It'll show through after you get your ticket and spend all your time on 75m or 2m....lol556dfaab786f1_360016b.jpg

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8 hours ago, Cluttermagnet said:

 

I think it's  trend- a lot of guys now regret selling their original gear.  I'm on my 3rd and 4th

Knight T-60, for example. That was my '63 Novice transmitter. But most hams are anything

but rich. Trading in the older gear made sense back then.

Yeah, I know.  The Navigator apparently (from what I read) had issues with the meter or meter switch.  I was too young and dumb to understand troubleshooting.  Around this time I passed my General test so I ended up using my fathers Swan-350.  I sold the Navigator a few years later after moving out of the folks house.  This part is a little foggy but I think I ended up trading the Nav for a Heathkit HW-32 and a MFJ random wire tuner....he may have thrown in a few bucks too, I don't remember.  I hardly used the HW-32 as I recall.  About a year later, I took out a loan and bought the FT-101ee.  I'm glad I never sold it!  It's strange, I don't think of it as being vintage because of it's looks but it's almost 50 years old.  The DX-35 is fun but they put the xtal sockets and switch on the back which is a pain to get to when you want to switch xtals or use the VFO.  There's a plugged hole on the front that may work for a xtal switch. 

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V.T. Eric Layton
3 hours ago, wa4chq said:

You could still become a ham if you wanted.

 

Oh, I know. Sadly, that very fun hobby (RF Communications) has lost its shimmer/glimmer for me now that I'm old. Besides, have ZERO funds available to start any kind of hobbies. I'll have to wait till that Lottery Jackpot becomes a reality... SOON, hopefully. :)

 

Oh, and Morse never bothered me. We used to shoot skip all over the world during the sun spot peak in the late 70s using CW on the "lower side" (SSB) of CB channel 29 (27.295Mhz). ;) But... if you don't use it, you lose it... just like my Spanish vocabulary. I'd be lucky to figure out S O S in Morse  today. Oh, wait.. I remember: . . .  - - -  . . .

 

4 hours ago, wa4chq said:

Are you sure the Wawasee Black Cat 2k wasn't some kind of firecracker?

 

Oh, and not only was that Wawasee Black Cat SERIOUSLY illegal on 11m, but it also conveniently doubled as a space heater in my room on those cold Florida winter nights. Those two 3-500Z tubes in that monster could roast your little piggies under that desk. ;)

 

Ka8m9YY.jpg

 

s-l300.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f327cad4c4e2b3

 

 

 

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V.T. Eric Layton

I wish I had some pics of my 5/8s wave ground plane from back then. My brother and I installed that thing on 75' of sectioned 3" steel water conduit planted in a 3' X 3' X 3' chemically (some fancy-schmancy chemicals tossed into dirt/cement mix that a Ham pal told me about) grounded hole. It required six sets of 7-ply aluminum-coated steel guy wires to stabilize it.

 

It actually survived quite a few hurricane near-hits and tropical storms. My father HATED it. He said it made the house look like a g-d@mned radio shack. HA! My neighbors across the street used to enjoy watch the lightning strikes on it during summer storms. ;)

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Cluttermagnet
6 hours ago, wa4chq said:

Yeah, I know.  The Navigator apparently (from what I read) had issues with the meter or meter switch.  I was too young and dumb to understand troubleshooting.  Around this time I passed my General test so I ended up using my fathers Swan-350.  I sold the Navigator a few years later after moving out of the folks house.  This part is a little foggy but I think I ended up trading the Nav for a Heathkit HW-32 and a MFJ random wire tuner....he may have thrown in a few bucks too, I don't remember.  I hardly used the HW-32 as I recall.  About a year later, I took out a loan and bought the FT-101ee.  I'm glad I never sold it!  It's strange, I don't think of it as being vintage because of it's looks but it's almost 50 years old.  The DX-35 is fun but they put the xtal sockets and switch on the back which is a pain to get to when you want to switch xtals or use the VFO.  There's a plugged hole on the front that may work for a xtal switch. 

 

I was in the same boat as a young teen, didn't really much understand how the electronics worked.

But I did have the intuitive knack that made for pretty good operating abilities.

 

If I owned a DX-35, I would do a 'no holes' mod, putting a crystal switch in an available front panel

hole, but using it to remotely switch crystals with small relays. That way everything could be near

the oscillator tube in the back area of the chassis. I know there was a crystal switch on the back

apron. (I own two DX-35 bare chassis, bought on Ebay). I have an old Johnson 10-position FT-243

crystal deck, which would be perfect for this mod. Could probably be fitted atop the chassis in

back.

 

I bought the descendant of the great FT-101 series- the FT-101ZD, in 1979. Great radio, tops.

I wouldn't sell it. Nearly 45 years old now.

 

Did you see my comments in this year's NRR wrapup? They include an interior photo of the

Adventurer showing an example of a mod using remote relay switching. Colorful, eh?

D094EuT.jpg

 

Edited by Cluttermagnet
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Cluttermagnet
2 hours ago, V.T. Eric Layton said:

I wish I had some pics of my 5/8s wave ground plane from back then. My brother and I installed that thing on 75' of sectioned 3" steel water conduit planted in a 3' X 3' X 3' chemically (some fancy-schmancy chemicals tossed into dirt/cement mix that a Ham pal told me about) grounded hole. It required six sets of 7-ply aluminum-coated steel guy wires to stabilize it.

 

It actually survived quite a few hurricane near-hits and tropical storms. My father HATED it. He said it made the house look like a g-d@mned radio shack. HA! My neighbors across the street used to enjoy watch the lightning strikes on it during summer storms. ;)

 

That was a heck of a skyhook, Eric. I assume you tossed the coax out the window when lightning

storms were in the area? I had a local ham buddy here who sat on higher ground than me. He took

repeated lightning hits over the years- he had a 120ft tower. Lost some gear, some of it bigger

ticket items. My losses to lightning were minimal- a modem here, a modem there...

 

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1 hour ago, Cluttermagnet said:

 

I was in the same boat as a young teen, didn't really much understand how the electronics worked.

But I did have the intuitive knack that made for pretty good operating abilities.

 

If I owned a DX-35, I would do a 'no holes' mod, putting a crystal switch in an available front panel

hole, but using it to remotely switch crystals with small relays. That way everything could be near

the oscillator tube in the back area of the chassis. I know there was a crystal switch on the back

apron. (I own two DX-35 bare chassis, bought on Ebay). I have an old Johnson 10-position FT-243

crystal deck, which would be perfect for this mod. Could probably be fitted atop the chassis in

back.

 

I bought the descendant of the great FT-101 series- the FT-101ZD, in 1979. Great radio, tops.

I wouldn't sell it. Nearly 45 years old now.

 

Did you see my comments in this year's NRR wrapup? They include an interior photo of the

Adventurer showing an example of a mod using remote relay switching. Colorful, eh?

D094EuT.jpg

 

Looks very nice OM....  I'm just curious, isn't the xtal socket on the front?  I need to check the NRR comments.  I made a few contacts but not enough to even send a log...hi.  I've been using Yaesu rigs since the 101ee purchase.  An old friend SK had the 301, which I thought was a really sharp looking rig.  But it was really chirpy.  I don't think they were all like that but his was.  I did buy the an IC-703 but had to get rid of it.  It was a nice rig but I was use to the 817/857 buttons/menus etc so I sold it.  You may told me, but what were you using for your RX?  I should be excited about the VAQSO party, but I'm not...hi

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V.T. Eric Layton
1 hour ago, Cluttermagnet said:

Eric. I assume you tossed the coax out the window when lightning

storms were in the area?

 

Nah... not out the window, but it was definitely disconnected whenever I was not using it. The entire bench was also powered (AC) down when I wasn't using it, actually.

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Cluttermagnet
5 hours ago, wa4chq said:

Looks very nice OM....  I'm just curious, isn't the xtal socket on the front?  I need to check the NRR comments.  I made a few contacts but not enough to even send a log...hi.  I've been using Yaesu rigs since the 101ee purchase.  An old friend SK had the 301, which I thought was a really sharp looking rig.  But it was really chirpy.  I don't think they were all like that but his was.  I did buy the an IC-703 but had to get rid of it.  It was a nice rig but I was use to the 817/857 buttons/menus etc so I sold it.  You may told me, but what were you using for your RX?  I should be excited about the VAQSO party, but I'm not...hi

 

In the NRR I used the FT-101ZD to receive. It's way better than the awful receiver kluge

setup I had as a Novice in 63. For the entire contest period, there was near-constant

crystal swapping going on, too- so you really do want front panel crystal socketing.

 

Yes, on the Adventurer, the Xtal and VFO socket is on the front panel. Sure is more convenient

than the DX-35 crystal setup. But the photo above is showing my Adventurer modified to have

a Pi-L output network, not just the stock Pi type in most Novice rigs. The extra L inductors

get selected on that little scrap of upright perf board by the yellow relays. My point was,

this same *method* could serve in your DX-35, remotely switching crystals using a front panel

switch plus remote relays in back. And you could have more than just 3 crystals- you could

have up to 10 or even more if something like the item below were to be added (use with 10-

position rotary switch on the front panel:

EhrpdLj.png

 

 

Edited by Cluttermagnet
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10 hours ago, Cluttermagnet said:

 

In the NRR I used the FT-101ZD to receive. It's way better than the awful receiver kluge

setup I had as a Novice in 63. For the entire contest period, there was near-constant

crystal swapping going on, too- so you really do want front panel crystal socketing.

 

Yes, on the Adventurer, the Xtal and VFO socket is on the front panel. Sure is more convenient

than the DX-35 crystal setup. But the photo above is showing my Adventurer modified to have

a Pi-L output network, not just the stock Pi type in most Novice rigs. The extra L inductors

get selected on that little scrap of upright perf board by the yellow relays. My point was,

this same *method* could serve in your DX-35, remotely switching crystals using a front panel

switch plus remote relays in back. And you could have more than just 3 crystals- you could

have up to 10 or even more if something like the item below were to be added (use with 10-

position rotary switch on the front panel:

EhrpdLj.png

 

 

OK...I see now...thanks.  That's really a great idea!  Having the option to select 10 instead of 3 xtals and not having to get up and reach around to make the selection would be great.  I just looked at the NRR rules and I see for scoring they have two classes of Novices.  Since I got my ticket in '72 I could have used my VF-1.  I also checked out the soapbox and looked at the shack-shotz.  And I saw your photos and read your comment and see where you mentioned the mod to the Adventurer.  You've got some nice rigs there OM and collection of keys too.  I especially like the "brace" key above the Adventurer...hi.  I need to get to a hamfest....I think the last one I went to was Frostfest in Richmond VA and that had to have been every bit of 15 years ago! 

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Cluttermagnet
14 hours ago, wa4chq said:

OK...I see now...thanks.  That's really a great idea!  Having the option to select 10 instead of 3 xtals and not having to get up and reach around to make the selection would be great.  I just looked at the NRR rules and I see for scoring they have two classes of Novices.  Since I got my ticket in '72 I could have used my VF-1.  I also checked out the soapbox and looked at the shack-shotz.  And I saw your photos and read your comment and see where you mentioned the mod to the Adventurer.  You've got some nice rigs there OM and collection of keys too.  I especially like the "brace" key above the Adventurer...hi.  I need to get to a hamfest....I think the last one I went to was Frostfest in Richmond VA and that had to have been every bit of 15 years ago! 

 

The only reason, really, for doing such an involved mod would be for the ham who is

gung ho about NRR and wants the scoring advantage of crystal control. That's

enough of a difference to matter for some. Crystal control and up to 75W power input

qualifies for the NV1 class, more points per QSO. Any VFO operation puts you into

NV2 class, earning less points for each contact. It's free style, one can work

mostly NV1 for the points, with old Novice rigs like yours and mine, and yet switch

over to an NV2 'big rig' with VFO as needed- to work the guys who are only working

transceive and are not tuning around for off-frequency replies. That's how a lot of us

did it, mostly NV1 but some use of VFO's as needed. I'd suggest you would work a

lot more stations pairing your DX-35 with a VFO.

 

It's been too long since I was last at a hamfest. When I do go, I usually buy parts

rather than radios. A lot of bargains to be had at these swap meets. Who doesn't

like a bargain? I have quite the parts collection after 60 years in radio. I like to build...

 

Edited by Cluttermagnet
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Cluttermagnet

:fishing:   ...One mans tech, another mans boredom. I get your point.

 

But I'm a charter member of SEA (Society of the Easily Amused) and local Chapter president.

We radio amateurs rarely suffer from boredom... :rolleyes: :bangin:

 

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On 3/18/2023 at 1:10 PM, V.T. Eric Layton said:

 

Oh, I know. Sadly, that very fun hobby (RF Communications) has lost its shimmer/glimmer for me now that I'm old. Besides, have ZERO funds available to start any kind of hobbies. I'll have to wait till that Lottery Jackpot becomes a reality... SOON, hopefully. :)

 

Oh, and Morse never bothered me. We used to shoot skip all over the world during the sun spot peak in the late 70s using CW on the "lower side" (SSB) of CB channel 29 (27.295Mhz). ;) But... if you don't use it, you lose it... just like my Spanish vocabulary. I'd be lucky to figure out S O S in Morse  today. Oh, wait.. I remember: . . .  - - -  . . .

 

 

Oh, and not only was that Wawasee Black Cat SERIOUSLY illegal on 11m, but it also conveniently doubled as a space heater in my room on those cold Florida winter nights. Those two 3-500Z tubes in that monster could roast your little piggies under that desk. ;)

 

Ka8m9YY.jpg

 

s-l300.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f327cad4c4e2b3

 

 

 

Having never been around many CB radios other than a few in friends cars or boats, I just never thought that the earlier ones, like any radio would have used tubes.  Do you still have that rig?  I know what you're talking about when it comes to the warming effect.  Prior to getting the DX-35 and the Drake receiver and having the older Yaesu brought back on line, I had been using all solid-state equipment.  But since using the vintage stuff, the shack is the warmest place in the house!  Next time you're at your local library you should see if they have any ARRL books....like the handbook or even a study guide.  If you decided you'd like to get your ticket,  I bet you could get a donor rig from someone in your area.  Just a thought.

 

Edited by wa4chq
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V.T. Eric Layton
3 hours ago, wa4chq said:

I just never thought that the earlier ones, like any radio would have used tubes.  Do you still have that rig?

 

Well, there actually were tube type 11m rigs waaaay back in the day; however, that Wawasee was NOT a radio. It was a linear amplifier, and in my humble opinion, if you wanted to run a linear and cared about modulation and "clean" distortion-free amplification, vacuum tubes were the way to go, particularly at high output levels (250+ watts). I also feel that tube type audio amplifiers are still MUCH cleaner than solid state, but that could be because I'm old and biased. ;)

 

Oh, and no... sadly, I don't have any of my 2.5 sh*tloads of radio gear, nor any of my shop electronics (scope, signal gens, spec analyzer, etc.), anymore these days. The only thing out there on my shop bench is a HeathKit freq counter that I built when I was about 15 years old (still works!) and an old Rat Shack 12vdc power supply. You can see the freq counter w/ the power supply on top next to the Weller soldering station on the bench in this pic of my much diminished set-up out there in the shop:

 

OK94WIY.jpg

 

As far as Amateur Radio goes, though... nah. I doubt I'd ever bother with it. Two-way radio was my 1st Love for most of my life. It's what inspired me to learn electronics, get my degrees and certs, etc. I spend 25+ years in that field (component-level repair of consumer & commercial RF Communications and Audio). I was one of the top 5 Audio specialists in the State of Florida back in the hay days, and I personally trained the other four.

 

Times have changed, though. I'm old and have very simple needs/interests these days. I probably should join Clutter's group.... Society of the Easily Amused.

 

BA1y8Gc.jpg

 

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, V.T. Eric Layton said:

 

Well, there actually were tube type 11m rigs waaaay back in the day; however, that Wawasee was NOT a radio. It was a linear amplifier, and in my humble opinion, if you wanted to run a linear and cared about modulation and "clean" distortion-free amplification, vacuum tubes were the way to go, particularly at high output levels (250+ watts). I also feel that tube type audio amplifiers are still MUCH cleaner than solid state, but that could be because I'm old and biased. ;)

 

Oh, and no... sadly, I don't have any of my 2.5 sh*tloads of radio gear, nor any of my shop electronics (scope, signal gens, spec analyzer, etc.), anymore these days. The only thing out there on my shop bench is a HeathKit freq counter that I built when I was about 15 years old (still works!) and an old Rat Shack 12vdc power supply. You can see the freq counter w/ the power supply on top next to the Weller soldering station on the bench in this pic of my much diminished set-up out there in the shop:

 

OK94WIY.jpg

 

As far as Amateur Radio goes, though... nah. I doubt I'd ever bother with it. Two-way radio was my 1st Love for most of my life. It's what inspired me to learn electronics, get my degrees and certs, etc. I spend 25+ years in that field (component-level repair of consumer & commercial RF Communications and Audio). I was one of the top 5 Audio specialists in the State of Florida back in the hay days, and I personally trained the other four.

 

Times have changed, though. I'm old and have very simple needs/interests these days. I probably should join Clutter's group.... Society of the Easily Amused.

 

BA1y8Gc.jpg

 

 

 

 

OK about the linear.  Like I said, I really don't know CB stuff....looked like a transmitter.  I can't remember the last time I went above 50 watts.  Up until maybe 4 months ago I was 5w or less since maybe mid-90's.  That's a nice looking shop you have.  I can understand about getting old and changing interests.  Also very cool about your electronics background etc.!  Very impressive!  I can follow a schematic and know (most of the time) which end of the soldering iron to hold but I don't understand how radios work.

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V.T. Eric Layton

Well, different frequencies of operation require more or less power. On 11m (about 37' wavelength), you have to HAMMER those babies out of that antenna. ;) The legal limit of 4 watts is OK for chatting around town, but when you REALLY want to be heard, you crank up that linear. That Wawasee's max output was 2000 watts. Yeah... tad illegal on CB bands. For normal operation, though, I used a smaller tube-type linear that only had 100 watt output.

 

It's a miracle that Ol' Uncle Charlie (FCC) didn't pull up in my front yard with that legendary white van back in those days. I actually knew a few idiots who did get busted by the FCC back then. I was a relatively responsible (mis)user of CB, though.

 

The only time I was really naughty was when a fellow a few blocks south of me would decide to run his big mouth and his big linear (and beam antenna system) to try to talk "direct" with his relatives in South Florida using sideband transmission on CB Ch. 16. When he did this, he would SPLATTER the entire neighborhood for hours with "bleed over" (broadband interference). When he'd piss me off enough, I would crank up that 2000 and slide 5KCs under his frequency (known as "talking on the evens") and lock my D-104 mic down while my stereo was playing Black Sabbath Paranoid (the entire album).

 

When I returned to the room an hour or so later and unlocked that mic, the airwaves were pleasantly empty. ;)

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V.T. Eric Layton
2 hours ago, wa4chq said:

but I don't understand how radios work.

 

That, my friend, is a SPECIAL magic! ;)

 

It's really relatively simple, but just amazingly awesome. Like I said, it (RF Comm) was always my first love. I was absolutely amazed at how you could sit somewhere and click a mic and talk with someone somewhere else. Telephony wasn't anywhere near as interesting to me. ;)

 

And sadly, I've forgotten most of that magic in my old age. Like anything else... don't use it; you lose it. :(

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28 minutes ago, V.T. Eric Layton said:

Well, different frequencies of operation require more or less power. On 11m (about 37' wavelength), you have to HAMMER those babies out of that antenna. ;) The legal limit of 4 watts is OK for chatting around town, but when you REALLY want to be heard, you crank up that linear. That Wawasee's max output was 2000 watts. Yeah... tad illegal on CB bands. For normal operation, though, I used a smaller tube-type linear that only had 100 watt output.

 

It's a miracle that Ol' Uncle Charlie (FCC) didn't pull up in my front yard with that legendary white van back in those days. I actually knew a few idiots who did get busted by the FCC back then. I was a relatively responsible (mis)user of CB, though.

 

The only time I was really naughty was when a fellow a few blocks south of me would decide to run his big mouth and his big linear (and beam antenna system) to try to talk "direct" with his relatives in South Florida using sideband transmission on CB Ch. 16. When he did this, he would SPLATTER the entire neighborhood for hours with "bleed over" (broadband interference). When he'd piss me off enough, I would crank up that 2000 and slide 5KCs under his frequency (known as "talking on the evens") and lock my D-104 mic down while my stereo was playing Black Sabbath Paranoid (the entire album).

 

When I returned to the room an hour or so later and unlocked that mic, the airwaves were pleasantly empty. ;)

I mostly operate on 40m.....next in line is 30m and some on 20m.....On all of those bands, I have worked outside of the U.S.  10m is starting to come around.  I worked a guy in France last week with only 5w on 10m.  I'm more of a rag-chewer so I don't look for DX.  My antenna is DIY 40m Delta loop, apex up around 35 feet and I feed it with DIY ladder line, thru the window to my tuner.  I don't know if they still have 'em but back when I first got my ticket, I was out of freq just a hair and the Official Observer...kinda like the hall monitor sent me a card warning me of my evil ways.  17b59162-e4d8-4311-afb8-9592766cf8f7.677

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