First call: WN0BQA 1970
Reverend Bittner organized a 7th grade ham radio class, and about
five of us showed up. A few months later, the class was over, and I
was the only one left, having convinced my Dad to rent an
Instructograph in order to learn the code. My curiosity about this
hobby was begun by experiencing the wonders of SWLing at my
cousin's farm on a National NC 183D a year earlier. I had no idea
at the time that the strange whooshing sounds created by CW
detected without a BFO would be so indelibly impressed on my brain,
or that I could participate in making my own music (CW). The
'hook' was set by visiting W0AIH 's QTH after the class ended and
seeing a real contest station in action. Thanks, Paul.
First QSO: W0AIH (of course)
First Rig: Hammarlund HQ 110, borrowed (again with W0AIH's help)
from the Civil Defense department, and a Johnson Ranger with four
crystals.
The Hammarlund and Ranger were replaced when I passed my
Conditional class license (guess who proctored the test?) with a
T-4X & R-4A again sourced by W0AIH.
I find it fascinating that my two sons, ages 13 and 11 have never
expressed any interest whatsoever in the hobby, even though I've
been a ham now for (gasp) 26 years and my father in law was a ham.
In my case, the radio was an extension of my imagination, sort of
an extended book experience... Could it be that passive television
viewing and computers have replaced our hobby as an extension of
our children's imaginations?
Paul WZ0V
pstaupe@uswest.com
>From Lee Buller <k0wa@southwind.net> Fri Apr 26 17:20:47 1996
From: Lee Buller <k0wa@southwind.net> (Lee Buller)
Subject: Watt Meter
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19960426162047.00689580@southwind.net>
Hey everyone....
Does anyone remember the Signal Crafters company wich had an outstanding
power/SWR meter in the late 70's and early 80's I picked up thier 32A model
at a recent estate auction for $45.00. Did not get any instructions.
Can anyone out there help?
Lee Buller
k0wa@southwind.net
>From John Brosnahan <broz@csn.net> Fri Apr 26 18:17:31 1996
From: John Brosnahan <broz@csn.net> (John Brosnahan)
Subject: Ground Rods Made Easy
Message-ID: <199604261717.LAA21861@lynx.csn.net>
I hate to give away all of the secrets in my upcoming book
but since the topic is hot right now let me pass along a
trick perfected by AA0RS/G3SZA.
First, I have aways been concerned about using a hose
with a piece of tubing since there will exist quite a gap
around the copper tubing due to the "backwash" of the
water and I have always questioned the effectiveness
of the resulting ground. With time, temeperature variation,
and soil moisture variation the soil will probably fill back
in around the ground rod--but probably isn't good enough
for me.
Dave (AA0RS/G3SZA) is a veteran 160 operator who has
mastered techniques to keep the cost down. For ground
rods he takes 10ft lengths of 1/2 inch hard copper pipe
and crimps the end to make a point. The pipe is just
slightly over 1/2 inch INSIDE diameter so a steel rod
1/2 inch in outside diameter fits nicely. He machined a
collar of about 2 inches in diameter and a half inch thick
that he mounts on the rod with heavy duty set screws at
the point where the collar will come into contact with the
copper pipe just before the rod runs into the crimped end.
He drives the copper pipe with the steel rod inside using
a fence post driver. To date it has been tried in prairie
soil in eastern Colorado--soil that can vary from sand to
loam to clay, but has few rocks. It works very well and
the rod easily pulls out of the pipe when finished.
I will probably machine a "head" of 2 inch steel rod with
a 1/2 inch hole through most of it to fit over the top of
the rod. This will provide the surface area to contact the
upper end of the pipe as well as provide a bigger target
for either the fence post driver or a sledge hammer.
1/2 inch copper pipe is a little over $2 per length.
The 1/2 steel rod should be less than $10.
Material for the head is about $2 or $3.
Plus drilling a 1/2 inch hole about 6 inches deep
which might involve buying a $10 drill bit (or wearing
out an old one).
A regular 10ft ground rod is about $13. So, to install 10
of them will run $130. But to install 10 of the copper pipe
grounds will run, say $25 for the pipe and a max of $23
for the driver and drilling materials. A net savings of $82.
Every additonal rod will cost less than $3 instead of $13.
Net result is a lot of very efficient antennas on 160 when
everybody starts driving in many ground rods because
they are now so cheap.
73 John W0UN
John Brosnahan
La Salle Research Corp 24115 WCR 40 La Salle, CO 80645 USA
voice 970-284-6602 fax 970-284-0979 email broz@csn.net
>From barry@w2up.wells.com (barry) Fri Apr 26 17:31:51 1996
From: barry@w2up.wells.com (barry) (barry)
Subject: Rain Static
Message-ID: <sR4ZmD1w165w@w2up.wells.com>
If the static is caused by the charges particles striking, or just being
near, the antenna elements, then why does the lower antenna in a stack
seem relatively immune to the static?
I have a Cushcraft 2 el 40 about 9 ft above a TH7, which is about 40 ft
above the lower TH7. The Cushcraft does not "protect" the upper TH7 from
noise, but the lower TH7 is MUCH quieter.
--
Barry N. Kutner, W2UP Internet: barry@w2up.wells.com
Newtown, PA Packet Radio: W2UP @ WB3JOE.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
Packet Cluster: W2UP >WB2R (FRC)
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