Re: [AMRadio] Shocking Stories
Good Day All, Well, I've read a LOT of tales of tragic near-misses here that truly would fall under the category of ...accident. But how about a near-fatal, near-miss occurance that surely deserves to be preceded by the header of STOPID...?! It was 1976, the budding, relatively newbie Ham --- i.e. yours truly --- decided that the 20-foot electrical extension cord in the basement with the intermittent receptacle head would better serve the world of VE3CUI as fodder for hook-up wire...and so, to this end, a large METAL-handled carving knife was procured from mother's cutlery drawer, a tight loop was made at the receptacle end of the extension cord, and I diligently proceeded to cut away through the wire... BWAMMM I was near-blinded by a flash of white blue arc / spark, and the knife was literally flung away from my hands, hitting the floor --- hard. Yup --- the extension cord WAS STILL PLUGGED INTO THE AC WALL RECEPTACLE 20' AWAY AT THE OTHER END...! I suffered no ill-effects, other than receiving the (then) fright of my life...but the knife did NOT fare as well: it bore witness to my stupidity by way of what looked just exactly like a spotweld nugget, about the size of your baby pink nail, right where it had contacted the 120 VAC. They say that The Almighty looks after drunkards and idiots in this life: I surely had NOT been drinking at the time, so I humbly defer to my lifetime membership within the latter category...! ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body.
Re: [AMRadio] 160 meter antenna
Hi Jim, When it comes to 160-meters, you must first assess just what, exactly, you want to accomplish on the band... Do you want to work just your Stateside buddies...? If so, a half-wave dipole / inverted V at 80' will be MORE than up to the task. Feed it with open wire line, coax, whatever... Do you just wanna work DX on the band...? Then delve into the various antenna handbooks to learn how to shunt feed that tower as a vertical. Eighty feet of physical tower height translates to some 120' of electrical tower height when fed the proper way (remember to add lotsa ground radials). Do you wanna work both domestic AND DX stations, both, on Topband...? Then string up an inverted L alongside your tower. The mix of both horizontal and vertical wire will be a good compromise in the matter of working both near-in, and far-away, stations...but again, be prepared to lay down some radial wires for it to work effectively. Radial wires are a whole 'nother topic, for sure... Anyway, that's my $0.02 worth...and I've been on the band, off on, almost from the time I first got licensed some 38 years ago. ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: Jim Miller WB5OXQ in Waco To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service Sent: Sunday, January 11, 2009 11:28 PM Subject: [AMRadio] 160 meter antenna I always wanted to try am on 160 but like most do not have enough room for a full size antenna, so, I am considering building a 160 meter antenna at our clubhouse because there is a 80' tower there and over an acre of land to spread out a 1/2 wave dipole. Question is; 1 Is a 1/2 wave wire dipole the best antenna for the band considering there is room for it. 2 Is 80' high enough for the center of the inverted V? 3 How high do the ends need to be off of the ground? 4 Should I feed it with coax or ladder line to the 10' level (or other) then a balun to coax to the tuner (coax is the only acceptable line into the shack)? The shack is a metal building 30X60' and directly below the tower. There is no way to get ladder line to the operating position since all cables have to run through a 3 conduit for at least 30'. The tower is a free standing commercial tower made of 4 20' sections bolted together with a 2 meter and a 440mhz antenna at the top, all ham antennas. Thanks for any advice. Jim wb5oxq -- __ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body.__ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:AMRadio@mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-requ...@mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body.
[AMRadio] 40-Meter AM OPeration (EPILOGUE)...
Well, I got on the air a little after 0400 UTC last night, found that 7295-KHz was reasonably clear here...called CQ for about 15 minutes, or so, to no avail... Guess everyone's attention was otherwise diverted, alhough I DID hear another very weak station calling CQ on AM as well... C'est la vie, I guess...! ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
Re: [AMRadio] AM from a ricebox
Hi Bob... Please don't be so quick to put down that type of AM operation! Some 14 years ago, when I was just beginning to wonder why I was so heavily into DX'ing contests, I stumbled upon an AM window frequency...at the time, the only way I could join the fun was just through the ...rice-box-into-an-afterburner technique. How lucky I was, indeed, that the guys I worked at the time were so supportive encouraging---sure, they strongly recommended that I secure a ...real AM rig, and eventually I did just that---SEVERAL of them, in fact! Still, were it not for those first diminutive baby steps, I might NOT have gone beyond the rut that I THOUGHT was Amateur Radio 'way back when... Now, if we all just KEEP on encouraging newbies to buy vintage stuff, it won't be long before a Ranger hits a cool grand in the pricing department...and I'm NOT so sure that that'd be a good thing...! Anyway, my $0.02 worth... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: RJ Mattson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 10:49 AM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] AM from a ricebox I can't understand the fascination of hooking a rice box to a linear amp for AM? I find a qso with this setup boring. Give me an op with a DX-100 or equivalent and the conversation is interesting and exhilarating. 73, bob...w2ami http://www.qrz.com/callsign/w2ami ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
[AMRadio] Al Feder...
Hi Al, I hope you're reading this...the e-mail I sent you bounced right back to my server... Please give me your exact e-mail address again, I'll try sending the photos of my QST SUPER 12 to you again. Thanks, my very ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
[AMRadio] My 1929 Retro-Superhet Receiver---THE QST SUPER 12
Hi Gang, Well, anyone who may have asked for photos of my retro-1929 superhet receiver SHOULD have received them by now... If not, do please give me a buzz, I'll try again... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
[AMRadio] My 1929 Retro-Superhet Receiver---THE QST SUPER 12
Hi Gang, Well, anyone who may have asked for photos of my retro-1929 superhet receiver SHOULD have received them by now... If not, do please give me a buzz, I'll try again... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
[AMRadio] Items For SWAP...
Greetings All, I came up two items short here in my 1929 homebrew replica superheterodyne receiver project, specifically, two ceramic plate caps for my 224 globe tubes... Does anyone have a pair they'd like to part with...? They can be either National Radio type, or James Millen---as long as they're both white, glazed ceramic presentable, I don't care. I'd be willing to trade TWO of my National 813-sized ceramic plate caps (i.e. R.F.E.---Removed From Equipment) for your two 807/224-sized ceramic plate caps. Anything out there...? BTW, the behemoth is done---but NOT working (naturally!). The audio stages are FB, but little else. NOW comes the learning process...! I'm working backward from the detector stage on up to see what gives. It is one HEAVY mutha'! Good lookin', too, in a roaring 20's kind of way. Sure does look like it's hiding a lot of potential from me...with any luck, I'll be able to unlock its secrets BEFORE the 1929 QSO Party...! May have some digital pix taken available on the weekend, too, in case anyone is interested---but I HATE taking shots of non-working gear... Thanks my very ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
[AMRadio] EUREKA!!! It WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi All,
Well, I am VERY happy to say that my homebrewed 12-tube 1929 superheterodyne
receiver project IS WORKING!!
I gave it the maiden run test voyage this morning---some problems
('natch!): an open plate choke, a bad solder connection on a bypass cap, and
not enough (and later too much!) coupling between the local oscillator the
detector...the usual little stuff.
I still have to determine how many turns of the local oscillator coil I'll
have to short out in order to make it tune the 80-meter band (right now it
tunes from about 3.3 to 3.490-MHz---but I was wise enough from the get-go to
employ more coil stock turns than needed, ...just in case. It's always
easier to SHORT turns, rather than to try ADD them later on, after the
fact!).
It purrs along every bit as loud as my FT-980 along side it (the rice rocket
is relegated to the role of digital frequency meter for these particular
tests). Signals definitely peak right up with the two pre-selector
capacitors (yup, it's a knob twiddler's delight!), the old British vernier
dial assembly is as smooth as silk---BETTER than anything encountered from
either National, or Millen, surprisingly enough...
Surprised, too, by the absence of hum, IF feedback in the thing---either
I'm really lucky, or I've managed to learn a trick or two in these matters
after homebrewing for some 32 years now. :)
The whole package LOOKS real sexy, too---with any luck, I may be able to
borrow a digital camera this weekend...if anyone cares to, I'd be more than
pleased to e-mail shots of my latest pride joy here to them. Just ask!
Now, according to Murphy's law, the darn thing should blow up between now
the first request for a shot...Hm.
~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
Re: [AMRadio] FW: Homebrew receiver
Don... Go to www.kiwa.com check out the manufacturer's website... Contains some FB info, will doubtlessly answer all of your questions. ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: Donald Chester [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Friday, November 07, 2003 2:39 AM Subject: RE: [AMRadio] FW: Homebrew receiver Two tuned circuits using B+W coil stock, seems to have a very high Q, directly into the mixer, out to the Kiwa filter (no loss), into the IF amps. What kind of filter is the Kiwa (crystal, mechanical, ceramic?), and do you say they have no insertion loss? What is the skirt selectivity like? What bandwidths are available, and where can one purchase them? Don _ MSN Messenger with backgrounds, emoticons and more. http://www.msnmessenger-download.com/tracking/cdp_customize ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
[AMRadio] Homebrew 1929 Superheterodyne Receiver: UPDATE
Well, the receiver metal work is ALL DONE---the receiver paint work is ALL DONE(at last!)...and this past weekend I wired the filaments the primary AC wiring... I'm on night shift for the next two weeks, I'm quite confident that I can get everything completed by the middle of the month: that'll leave me a good two weeks to get the thing (hopefully!) trouble-shot operational, well in advance of the Bruce Kelley 1929 QSO Party... Boy, a project of this magnitude sure does take time...! Thus far, I figure I put in AT LEAST a GOOD WEEK drawing the schematic/laying out the parts (on paper) planning the thing, TWO weeks doing all the metal work (drilling holes for sockets, screws, transformers, tie bars, AD NAUSEUM!), and ANOTHER good week doing the priming/painting---a WHOLE MONTH, the darned thing is only now getting its first whiffs of rosen solder... I must say, though, thus far, it's a pretty-looking thing: those white National Millen ceramic sockets sure are FB nestled-in atop the flat black painted chassis top... A good supply of 224's/224A's has been steadily arriving at the door, c/o eBay... I can hardly wait to hear those push-pull 245's swing into action! Hopefully this monster will PLAY as good as it LOOKS! Hi Hi. Will keep you posted... ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
Re: [AMRadio] RE: new home brew receiver progress
Hi Brett, I sure would appreciate some more info re. those Kiwi IF filters...! Where do you buy them...? What are their different bandwidths...? Do they have a website...? Hope to hear from you soon, with thanks in advance! ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: Brett Gazdzinski [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 2:39 PM Subject: [AMRadio] RE: new home brew receiver progress I am making good progress on the new receiver. I have tried lots of circuits for the local oscillator, and have come up with a good circuit. Its very hard to build a good stable oscillator without complex coils with feedback windings. I found a circuit in the Bill Orr handbook, out of the C-W man's receiver that uses one untapped coil, one side goes to ground, a variable cap across the coil to ground, an RF choke in the cathode, and a pair of caps in series from the grid to ground, the center (between the caps) goes to the cathode for feedback. I tried various coil types, various size ceramic slug tuned forms with various gauge wire on them, pre made phenolic slug tuned forms that I unwound some wire from till I got to the correct frequency, large ceramic coil forms, and B+W coil stock. The best results are from the B+W coil stock, a much higher Q coil, gives less harmonics out. I changed the design some, instead of using the 6U8, I used a 6C4, since the ARRL handbook says a separate oscillator tube results in a more stable receiver. 2nd harmonics are down more than 45 DB with the B+W coil, much less with some of the others, some generate harmonics out to 60 Mhz or so! The oscillator keeps working down to as little as 10 volts on the plate, and I may run it at 75 volts. I just tack parts together on the workbench, hooked up to the old heathkit variable high voltage power supply, so the finished product should actually work better, with short wires and a sensible layout. To switch between 80 and 40 meters, all I need to do is short part of the coil to ground. One end is always connected to ground, and a tap to ground will give 40 meters, I tested it, and it works well, no drop in output, no increase in harmonics. I plan on putting the coil and switch in a small box to isolate it. I think the mixer tube will be a 6AH6, and I will try to inject the osc into the cathode. If that does not work well, I can inject it into the grid. The ARRL 1967 handbook has lots of good info about this sort of mixer stuff on page 99. I think the IF amps will be 2 or 3 6BZ6 tubes. The same handbook gives circuits and values for various tubes. I have a circuit for the low distortion detector, and the S meter amp, but have to change from octal tubes to 7 or 9 pin tubes, from a 6SN7 for the S meter circuit, and the detector needs a diode, and a triode, like the 6SN7. I may be able to drive the S meter directly with an IF amp plate current, like the Gonset G76 does. I found a nice S meter from an old heathkit receiver on E bay a while ago. It can be lit up from the back, a nice touch, and its only an S meter, not out of a transceiver with plate current and so on.. I have the chassis, the side supports and front panel, the IF transformers, the digital frequency display, the tuning cap and various reduction drives, nice ceramic tube sockets, the antenna tuning coil forms, loads of VR tubes, and all the other tubes. The Kiwi filters have not arrived yet, and I may need to buy a power transformer, to give 200 volts out with choke input, and filament windings. Its really getting to be ham radio season, with building and operating, and I am having FUN! Brett N2DTS ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
Re: [AMRadio] Camp X Field Day
Hi Matthew, Does your group have plans to include a vintage, 40's era set-up at the site, as well as the more modern gear...? A receiver like the RCA AR-88 comes to mind, which WAS, indeed, used in the original Camp X radio room (condfirmed by photos in the lobby of Lear Seating, which is presently located nearby). ~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: VE3ZQW-Matthew [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 11:39 PM Subject: [AMRadio] Camp X Field Day On the weekend of June 7-8 the Camp X Historical Society (www.campxhistoricalsociety.ca) with the radio amateurs of the Durham Region will be doing their annual radio re-activation of the former Spy training and SIGINT operation known as Camp X. Operation will be on all HF bands with all modes planned. Callsign for the event will be VE3SCX. Frequencies will depend on conditions at the time. Camp X, located outside of Toronto, was in operation from 1941 til 1969 teaching the art of intelligence, sabotage while operation as a relay station between Great Britain, Canada, and the USA. Next year our group will be building a museum to pay tribute to these secret warriors. Many thanks and 73's Matthew Batten-VE3ZQW President-CXHS [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts --- multipart/alternative text/plain (text body -- kept) text/html The reason this message is shown is because the post was in HTML or had an attachment. Attachments are not allowed. To learn how to post in Plain-Text go to: http://www.expita.com/nomime.html --- ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
Re: [AMRadio] Re: 500 Transformer
Jeff, Baking transformers behind the XYL's back is a CINCH---the REAL challenge comes when you're trying to bake on an enamel finish paint job on some enclosure that you sprayed earlier...! Even I must admit to doing such things REALLY early in the morning (when she's asleep), or when she's out on some errand! ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: Jeffrey J. May [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 7:17 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Re: 500 Transformer Hi John! You mean that your wonderful xyl lets you use her oven! 68F here today!..73..Jeff..W0XV - Original Message - From: John Leer [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2003 6:24 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Re: 500 Transformer Regarding drying transformers etc. I have been drying transformers and chokes for quite a few years. I have used both electric and gas ovens with no apparent difference in results. I store my spare transformers in an unheated outbuilding and temperatures here in Wisconsin run from -20F to +100 so condensation can be a problem in many different devices. I first check the resistance from winding to core with a small hand held megger which applies about 1000 volts. I find many transformers and chokes will have an indication of leakage to ground after a year or so in storage. After baking for 4 hours or so at 200+ degrees and allowing to cool, the megger will indicate infinite resistance winding to core. I have found a something strange, to wit, if the measurement is taken soon after removal from the oven , the megger will still indicate a leakage resistance. Upon cooling the resistance will usually be infinite. The transformers with tar type potting seem to be the worst offenders at absorbing moisture. I assume this is due to cracking of the tar. John K9XH Donald Chester wrote: Be careful about using a gas-fired oven to dry out the transformers. Water is a by-product of gas combustion, and the air will carry plenty of water vapour. Better to use an electric stove oven. If you are in no hurry, bring the transformer into a dry, heated room and store it there over the winter season. By the time you start cutting off the heat in the spring, the transformer should be well dried out. It is more effective to let the moisture gradually evaporate from the guts of the transformer, just as it gradually condensed there when the transformer was in a moist environment, and there will be less likelihood of abnormally hot temperature causing deterioration of the insulation. Don K4KYV _ Add photos to your messages with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
Re: [AMRadio] AG6K
Hi John, Thanks for the tip on Rich Measure's website---I'm going to save that one, look into it before holidays are over here... I had occasion to speak to the man once some years ago: he struck me as being a tad arrogant, i.e. not one to suffer fools too gladly for any length of time. Not that I didn't enjoy our conversation, mind you, but I got the distinct impression that he might rub certain people the wrong way with his personal courage of conviction. Once one gets over that, one certainly can learn a lot from Rich, I for one came to appreciate his knowledge (he used to market a FB telephone RFI kit, too)... ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ Original Message - From: John E. Coleman [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: AMRadio AMRadio@mailman.qth.net Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, December 27, 2002 7:56 PM Subject: [AMRadio] AG6K How many of you know of Rich Measures AG6K whose web page is at http://www.vcnet.com/measures/ I don't know the fellow but he has some really interesting stuff on home brewing and amplifier design. At lot of the stuff is for linear amplifiers but it could be class C as well. I especial liked the articles on VHF/UHF parasitic prevention. Care of tubes by proper regulation and control of parameters and the all too often overlooked control of filament current inrush and filament voltage regulation also caught my eye. There seemed to have been a disagreement a few years ago between him and the QST/ARRL people. Not to uncommon, I suppose, when knowledge meets political corruption. John, WA5BXO ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
Re: [AMRadio] AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 Memorial QSO Party
Hi Larry, It was nice to work you last weekend---you had a real FB signal. I've been making changes in my 1929 station during the week here, in anticipation of Part Deux this Saturday night...probably the biggest improvement will be the incorporation of a beefier plate transformer in the power supply of my 3x227 MOPA. Hopefully the higher power will compensate for noisey conditions like we had last weekend. I heard some good stuff, but just couldn't raise the DX...ex., AC5AM (Louisiana) had a real kick-ass signal here, but I couldn't even get a QRZ? out of him! Oh well, maybe this weekend will tell a different tale! Good luck, my very ~73~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ - Original Message - From: Larry Szendrei [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: amradio@mailman.qth.net Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 11:02 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] AWA Bruce Kelley 1929 Memorial QSO Party Don et. al., I participate in this contest, was on last weekend, and will be on again this coming weekend with my push-pull 45 TNT. Worked as far west as Ohio and as far south as Florida. Great fun - I don't work much CW, but when I do, it's with this kind or stuff. The AWA contests and Classic Exchange are the only contesting I do. The rest of the time I'm on AM... -Larry/NE1S Donald Chester wrote: Last weekend and again this weekend December 7-8, 2300 GMT start and finish times, 3550-3580 kc. Transmitters are limited to 1929 or earlier types of self-excited oscillators and MOPA's, 10 to 20 watts maximum, straight keys encouraged. This makes fascinating listening. Last Saturday evening, that portion of the band was filled with signals from those rigs. Unlike the sterile machine-perfect ultra-stable CW signals heard from the plastic radios of today, the band segment was alive with signals with various degrees of chirp, buzz, hum, drift, and operator fists. It gives you a good idea of what 99% of the ham frequencies must have sounded like in 1929, when the vast majority of hams were limited to low power CW. Some of the rigs were amazingly stable to be simple self-oscillators. I didn't participate (don't have an appropriate rig) but I monitored for hours. Part of the exchange consists of a description of the station. Very enlightening for anyone interested in the heritage of amateur radio. I encourage everyone to take a short break from AM this weekend and spend a few minutes enjoying the rare opportunity to hear the sounds of those signals. Don K4KYV _ Help STOP SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio - Introducing NetZero Long Distance 1st month Free! Sign up today at: www.netzerolongdistance.com ___ AMRadio mailing list AMRadio@mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio
