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Re: Topband: Old Radios

To: "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Old Radios
From: Eddy Swynar <deswynar@xplornet.ca>
Date: Sun, 16 Sep 2012 15:19:05 -0400
List-post: <topband@contesting.com">mailto:topband@contesting.com>
On 2012-09-16, at 12:47 PM, Tom W8JI wrote:

> 
>> Specifically, every year The Antique Wireless Association (NY, USA) sponsors 
>> the "Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party" for two weekends in late autumn: this year 
>> marks the first time that 160-meters will be added to the existing 80- and 
>> 40-meter bands of activity. Details may be seen at 
>> http://www.antiquewireless.org/pdf/AWA_2012-2013_Event_Schedule.pdf
>> 
>> The gist of the event is simply this: members dust off any available 1929 
>> (and earlier) active devices---also known as "tubes"(!)---and incorporate 
>> them into homebrewed, self-excited transmitters, with a maximum limit of 
>> 10-watts input (double that, optional, after midnight).
> 
> I have a TPTG pair of 45 tubes, but I don't think 160 meters is a good idea 
> during the ARRL contest. I hope someone made the AWA aware of the conflict.
> 
> 
> :-) 



Hi Tom,

Rest assured that both I, as well as Paul (N1BUG), reminded the gang of that 
fact!!! I think they're all resolved to the reality of the one weekend 
conflicting with the ARRL event, & so will restrict themselves (ourselves!) to 
specifically the 80- and 40-meter bands at that time...

Heck, it's tough enough by times during the ARRL 160 fray to be able to copy 
kilowatt stations through the wall of QRM with even the tightest of IF filters, 
never-mind attempting to QSO a 10-watt chirpy / yoopy signal whose self-excited 
& unbuffered frequency is only as steady as the wind that might be tossing 
about its antenna! Hi Hi

Well, Tom, if you have pair of 45s in a TPTG set-up, why not take a break 
during the non-contest weekend on the band & join us...? Or at least tune 
around & soak-in some of the on-the-air ambiance, & imagine that that's how 
things most likely sounded during the Roaring Twenties. It's really quite 
infectious, AND a whole lotta fun...seriously!

Do you have coils made to cover Topband...? If not, there's plenty of time to 
get that done, well in advance of the event. I hope to use a somewhat more 
"modern" rig here, i.e. a master-oscillator-power-amplifier consisting of a 
Hartley 227 oscillator, driving a paralleled pair of 227s (but it needs a bit 
of work here still to "tame" the frequency). For a receiver I want to employ 
the services this year of my homebrewed 1929-style 12-tube superheterodyne 
(224s, 227s., & 245s galore!).

~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
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UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK

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