New Hobby - Amateur Radio = Ham Radio

[CheckSix]

No tower for me right now. In a HOA.

Dave, I’m surprised that the Ham Operator’s Association (HOA) wouldn’t let you have a tower.

hahaha...!!! That actually made me laugh. If your definition was true, I would have no opposition to the idea. Truth is, it's not worth fighting if I'm leaving this home in the short term (2-3 yrs) to relocate for retirement. Putting a proper tower in with concrete pad, grounding and so forth... is $5K - $10K. I'll wait until I move and don't have to deal with human obstacles and naysayers.

The story on Barfoot I had heard about before. Those individuals that have the courage to do those things in battle, put me in awe. And he was just one of countless brave souls that did these heroic actions.

[CheckSix]

Just a brief update...

I've now talked with people from the states of Washington, to Maine, to Florida, to California, to Texas, to Wyoming and every place in between... Also several contacts made in Canada, briefly heard someone from Australia but the pipeline closed to quickly for contact.... and today, I spoke with someone on St Barts island in the Caribbean. All of these have been on just 3 frequency bands, 40m, 20m & 15m, with antennas in my ATTIC.

We talk about many different topics and sometimes, exchanges are very short due to the band propagation conditions. Sometimes we talk for longer...

The other morning at O'Dark Thirty, 1st cup of joe in hand... I catch a CQ call loud and clear. I respond and he hears me! He was in Odessa, TX and has been a ham for 60 yrs! We had a leisurely, fun conversation for 30 mins. He was running 800 watts, me on the other hand, xmit'ing with only 90w. He told me he was impressed with my tenacity to make something work, with my constraints.

Fun stuff!

I also use the 2 meter and 70cm repeaters at home base and in the car for regional comms.

[jerryd6818]

I wondered where you'd been lately. The radio is as addictive as knives.

[CheckSix]

Well, between corporate "work" and an LLC I started 4 yrs ago and all the hobbies, plus 2 dogs and a wife. Available time gets spread pretty thin. But I still love AAPK and step in and read posts and respond when I can.

Yesterday, I talked with a guy in Jamaica, mon. Brookhaven Nat'l Labs was also on the air and talked with them. Since it's a holiday weekend, I've had more time to get on the air.

Ordered a new digital radio yesterday, in a format called DMR. It uses analog to hit a repeater that is connected to the internet. Then there are something close to 10,000 talk groups worldwide you can connect to and communicate with. Though I would try that and see how the latest technology works. I've been doing it old school so far.

[ScoutKnives]

I guess I’m special Tom

They don't send reminders but you can renew early

[bestgear]

WE always knew that Mike......I stand corrected

[CheckSix]

Amazing Mike! I had read that they don't send reminders any more.

On a related topic...
I picked up 2 antique radios. A 1932 Philco Model 80 Grand Jr... and a 1959 Zenith tube 600 series Transoceanic. Both work.

[philco]

Did someone say philco ?


Cool old radios Dave. Guess which one I like best.

[jerryd6818]

The Transoceanic is a class outfit.

[CheckSix]

LOL!! Too funny Phil! I hadn't thought of that connection until I read your post. My father worked for Philco right after WWII, up until the mid 60's.

Right you are Jerry! The Trans-Oceanic's tag line is, "the Royalty of Radios" and well deserved. It sounds marvelous. I got the battery pack working today, so it is back to being a portable again. When I got it home, it was only working when plugged into 120V AC. The battery pack has to supply 9V and 90V to the radio for it to work on battery, it's a split supply. Mine is a B600 series, the very last portable vacuum tube radio, made in the USA. I listened to Radio Havana on shortwave for a bit today. Clear as a bell.

[knife7knut]

I don't have any amateur radio equipment but I have a good friend who first got his ticket in 1957 and he is still doing it at night as far as I know. His call sign is W1EUI and his name is Jack. As for his antenna (and I'm not very conversant of radio terminology)he was using an,"80 meter dipole wrapped around the eaves of his house" and he could regular talk overseas if the weather conditions were right. I think he called it a,"skip". If anyone ever runs into him on the air tell him "Vago" wants him to call. He leaves his phone off the hook a lot.
As for vintage radios I have a couple. One is a Zenith that works on either house current or a battery(which I don't have).Made somewhere around 1940.
The other one is a Firestone Air Chief car radio that has a concealed(under the dash out of sight)power supply and a cable operated remote tuner. I bought it at a yard sale for a dollar(the Zenith was free one day while,"Sidewalk Shopping". The Zenith works nice for about a half hour then quits.

[CheckSix]

Very cool Ray! I looked up W1EUI.... Jack is John J. Keaney in Salem, NH. Born in '39, so he is 78 y.o. I'm not on 80 meters... but if he ever shows up on 40m or 20m, I have a shot at him.

It's not "weather" so much, but more about the Sun and sunspots exciting the atmosphere that helps radio wave propagation.

Your Zenith is a H503 model and was first available for sale in 1951. It uses 5 tubes. two IU4's, a 1L6, a 3V4 and a 1S5. Your Zenith is missing the battery pack in the lower shelf.... the Z909 battery pack. It's an A+B supply of 9Vdc and 90Vdc. They work better on Vdc. I would suspect dried out caps and/or something in the power supply voltage divider/regulation circuit is going south on it. It would be relatively easy to fix, by someone knowledgeable. The one caveat is the 1L6 tube, as it is as hard as finding "hens teeth". Zenith was the only company using them and Sylvania was the only mfg'er. I just bought one for my Zenith Transoceanic B600, to have as a spare and paid $38.00 for it.

I listened to my Zenith B600 last night, I caught the Blackhawk's game on WGN, so I listened for hours and the audio is warm and lush.

Probably more than you wanted to know.

[jerryd6818]

Jeez Dave. Where you live, you can get WGN on the fillings in your teeth.

[CheckSix]

Jeez Dave. Where you live, you can get WGN on the fillings in your teeth.

ok smarty pants! I did mention previously that I pulled in Radio Habana. Better?

[knife7knut]

Very cool Ray! I looked up W1EUI.... Jack is John J. Keaney in Salem, NH. Born in '39, so he is 78 y.o. I'm not on 80 meters... but if he ever shows up on 40m or 20m, I have a shot at him.

It's not "weather" so much, but more about the Sun and sunspots exciting the atmosphere that helps radio wave propagation.

Your Zenith is a H503 model and was first available for sale in 1951. It uses 5 tubes. two IU4's, a 1L6, a 3V4 and a 1S5. Your Zenith is missing the battery pack in the lower shelf.... the Z909 battery pack. It's an A+B supply of 9Vdc and 90Vdc. They work better on Vdc. I would suspect dried out caps and/or something in the power supply voltage divider/regulation circuit is going south on it. It would be relatively easy to fix, by someone knowledgeable. The one caveat is the 1L6 tube, as it is as hard as finding "hens teeth". Zenith was the only company using them and Sylvania was the only mfg'er. I just bought one for my Zenith Transoceanic B600, to have as a spare and paid $38.00 for it.

I listened to my Zenith B600 last night, I caught the Blackhawk's game on WGN, so I listened for hours and the audio is warm and lush.

Probably more than you wanted to know.

Hardly more;thanks for that info! Jack is now living in Saugus Massachustts in his parents home.We have known each other forever and he used to run a body shop specializing strictly in repairing Corvettes.I worked for him in a couple of his shops and we always had some pretty wild after hours jaunts into Boston's "Combat Zone" for consumption of,"adult beverages" and more.He has become a bit of a recluse of late and I worry about him so if you ever do get hold of him please tell him to call!
As for the radio it is more of a display piece now than anything else although I did have it plugged in and operating before I set up my Marantz tuner and turntable in the shop. Got both of those at a yard sale for $2 apiece and they work fine!

[CheckSix]

Made my longest voice contact to date, today... using just 100W of transmit power and a simple, 39' wire antenna in my attic. Over 8700 miles, to Cape Town, South Africa. 100% copy on both sides.

I also made contact with a Cuban gent, in Havana. Not a long distance big deal but Hams there are fairly scarce.... especially compared to the number of Hams in the US and Canada.

[Old Folder]

Being that you are a Pilot and Ham Radio enthusiast Dave, I thought you would get a kick out of the below technology.
We went to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley Ca. a few days ago to see the "Titanic" exhibit before it moves on this January 7th.
They have the Presidents actual Air Force One aircraft which served President Reagan and six other Presidents. It is on permanent display.

This is a replica of the Titanic as it was discovered in 1985 and photographed on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Here we have the Titanic's 1912 "Marconi Room" State of The Art Transceiver able to reach over a whopping 250 miles across the sea in Morse Code only.
You have a simple, 39' wire antenna in your attic with 100% copy on both sides over 8700 miles, to Cape Town, South Africa.

[Quick Steel]

Old Folder, Thank you for those very interesting photos. I saw President Truman's plane, a DC 6, in Arizona. Tiny compared to today's Boeings.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Hey Old Folder - we must be neighbors. I live about 40 minutes from the RR Library.

[Old Folder]

Old Folder, Thank you for those very interesting photos. I saw President Truman's plane, a DC 6, in Arizona. Tiny compared to today's Boeings.

Thanks Quick Steel.
The public is allowed to take the tour through Air Force One at the Reagan Library, it is a walk through from front to back. Very interesting. Funny, that the press had to stay in the very rear of the aircraft and could not mingle anyplace forward of their own seating. Hopefully, those rules have not changed.

I would love to take a tour of the current Air Force One pictured below. And I believe there is a new Air Force One in the works.

[Old Folder]

Hey Old Folder - we must be neighbors. I live about 40 minutes from the RR Library.

Yes, I think we are almost neighbors. We live in Santa Clarita.
You still have until Jan. 7th to see the "Titanic" exhibit, original artifacts and Titanic movie props.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Hey Old Folder - we must be neighbors. I live about 40 minutes from the RR Library.

Yes, I think we are almost neighbors. We live in Santa Clarita.
You still have until Jan. 7th to see the "Titanic" exhibit, original artifacts and Titanic movie props.

Ahh - I'm on the other side in Ventura. Too darn hot in the Summer in Santa Clarita! Although, a few weeks ago it got WAAAY too hot around Ventura!

[CheckSix]

Being that you are a Pilot and Ham Radio enthusiast Dave, I thought you would get a kick out of the below technology.
We went to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley Ca. a few days ago to see the "Titanic" exhibit before it moves on this January 7th.
They have the Presidents actual Air Force One aircraft which served President Reagan and six other Presidents. It is on permanent display.

IMG_0011.JPGIMG_0009.JPGIMG_0008.JPG

This is a replica of the Titanic as it was discovered in 1985 and photographed on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

IMG_0001.JPGIMG_0003.JPGIMG_0004.JPG

Here we have the Titanic's 1912 "Marconi Room" State of The Art Transceiver able to reach over a whopping 250 miles across the sea in Morse Code only.
You have a simple, 39' wire antenna in your attic with 100% copy on both sides over 8700 miles, to Cape Town, South Africa.

IMG_0005.JPGIMG_0006.JPGIMG_0007.JPG

Dan,
Awesome of you to post this! Loved all of it! It still amazes me, that Marconi, et al... figured it out back in the day. And then there was Einstein and Bohr, figuring out the other major ideas too!

A friend in the radio club is an airline pilot. We were discussing airplanes (of course) and I shared with him one of my favorites I have flown and took aerobatic instruction in... made around 1941... it has a 9 cylinder P&W R-1340 Wasp radial engine, producing 600hp at WOT. Weight is around 6000 lbs (read: heavy). This is a North American SNJ-3 (very much like an AT6). Fun to fly, a little under-powered for it's weight but very stable in flight and just chugs along. Drank quite a bit of fuel, and costs quite a bit per hour of flight time.... i.e. not very efficient but major mojo.

[CheckSix]

Well, this is a fun photo down below...
....My 1960 Heathkit HA-10 Warrior 1kW SSB RF amplifier... with my vintage NorCal 40 QRP CW rig and Bencher BY-1 iambic paddle in front of the "boat anchor". QRP means 5W or less. In this case, the NorCal 40 is a 3W Morse code transceiver for the 40 meter band, that a friend of mine built 30 yrs ago and gave to me. The Warrior amplifier is gigantic and weighs 100 lbs. It uses four 811A output tubes. A classic golden era vintage amp.

[jerryd6818]

Heathkit was really something in it's day. Early '70s I took a television repair course on the GI bill. Part of the course was a Heathkit 23" color TV we had to build. Once it was finished (just in time for the summer Olympics) I drove into the suburbs and bought a cabinet for it. I even got to keep it in the divorce.