N6KN
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WB2AWQ
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WQ8U
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K3MD
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K4JYS
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W8KGI
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K3KYR
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AA4RM
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W8TM
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W2JEK
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W3CNS
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K3MSB
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K2LMQ
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K2TOP
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The score was down, but I had a heck of a lot of fun, as usual. Preparations are important for this activity - you have to exercise the equipment, especially the pots and switches. I spent the two weeks prior to CX trying to put my newly acquired Hallicrafters FPM-200 on the air; this proved to be very, very challenging, chirp, whine, and all, but I had it working somewhat on the bench by Thursday. But I needed an amplified mike - the SSB gain was a bit low.
I began with the AMI activity on Friday night with the Desk KW on 14.286; my neighbors later commented on the great audio through their stereo. I moved to my newly refurbished Viking Valiant and received more good audio reports. KL7HDY was very strong with HIS Deck KW. Then Murphy hit - HDY did not come back after a few exchanges - did the band die? Nope - the 40-m VFO portion of the Valiant decided to fly high - some 200 kHz higher than the VFO dial. You do the math. No wonder he could not hear me any more. What was really bad is that the rig's tuning did not change much - I could not tell I had a problem for a few minutes - wonder why nobody could hear me? Finally got wise and moved to 3970 - using the "good" 80-m portion of the Valiant VFO to qualify that station, finally. There were a bunch of the regulars on with excellent signals and modulation - several were active for AMI, and we exchanged numbers as appropriate.
Saturday morning I went to the TRW swapmeet and found a beat up D104 on a Model G stand for $20. The labels were gone, but it cleaned up nicely and when I removed the baseplate - I almost fell off the chair - it had the amplified base! I quickly wired it up for the FPM-200 and it worked great! This must be an omen.
I tried 40 AM on 7290 and picked up a few contacts. Don, W6BCN, was blasting in, as usual. I should really hang out there more often.
I began the CX portion of the weekend on 40 CW, because 20 was overrun with the Texas QSO party. Rich, KC9GQ, had an outstanding signal with his Hartley UX210; I think this was his father's old rig. K5KS also was strong with his Marauder on CW from New Mexico.
The higher bands were dead, so I tried 20 SSB. It was very, very crowded around 14270, but I worked a few. I missed K2TOP - he just disappeared as we were trying to complete the qso. K7NCR's WRL Galaxy V Mk 3 was outstanding - I should have hauled out my Galaxy V, but did not have the time or space on the desk. Finally made it to 20 CW at 1800 and worked several regulars, including Howie, WB2AWQ, K2TOP, and others. K2TOP's Meissner Signal Shifter was loud out here.
15 finally opened a bit, so I fired up the FPM-200 and qualified it easily - the new mike worked out perfectly. Back on 20 CW, worked a bunch more. It was nice to hear Al, N5AIT, with his Lysco 500S, Mac WQ8U with his Drakes, and K4JYS's Eico 720. Back on 20 SSB, it turned out to be TS 520 night. I usually run really big old American gear, but I picked up a TS 520SE at the swapmeet cheap (it was rusty on one side). So I cleaned it out and put it on the air - I once used a TS 520 S as my main station, so it was nostalgic for me, anyway. It turned out to be a great attractor of other TS 520's, including PR7CPK from down south. The point is - CX is for any rig, new or old, as long as you have fun. The TS 520 SE and FPM-200 are at the opposite ends of the "easy/hard to find" scale - but both were exciting in their own ways.
Finally went to 40 CW and worked Howie, WB2AWQ with his BC458A and several others. Missed W8KGI. 80 was a bust out here, as usual - I really need to put up a better antenna.
So that's it - lost a few rigs to Murphy, the bands were crowded and/or dead, but it was exciting to put the old stuff (18 stations) on the air. Would not miss this one!
Score: AM, 654,056; CW 1,272,364; SSB 4,017,016 for a total of 5,943,436 or thereabouts (see separate logs).
73,
Rocco N6KN
BTW - I had some E Mail from Jim, W8ZR, who was sorry to have missed the CX this time around and promised to be there in the future. We traded some info on Hallicrafters FPM-200's. Seems that they all tend to whine audibly on transmit. Mine sure made a racket during CX. I have since cleaned and reseated the power supply switching transistors cut the noise a bit. I intend to keep chipping away at this rig until it is fit for heavy CX duty.
Rocco N6KN
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This CX I had the opportunity to get a little earlier start than I usually do - a whole hour. With great determination I tuned up on 10 meters, hoping to find at least some activity, but the band was dead-quiet. Down to 15, a little SSB activity from South America, but little else. On to 20 - the band was rocking. Too bad it was mostly Texas QSO party! Nonetheless, I did manage two QSOs, one with Germany, and the other with (who else?) Rocco N6KN, who played only one rig at that time. I had begun CX with my newest acquisition, a Heath SB102 transceiver, which seems to be a neat little bread-and-butter rig. No bells, no whistles, just decent performance.
On to 75 meters where I like to catch up with the AWA gang for CX. Lots of big iron there, including not one, but two ART-13s plus the usual assortment of classic AM rigs. I used my Gonset G-76 there, in conjunction with my Novice RX, a BC-348Q, which has splendid audio for AM work.
Back to 40 after the AWA bunch, where I met up with some of the CX regulars - Mac on his Valiant, Marty AA4RM using a Heath SB-102, which also sounded great, and Perry W8AU, who was using a Johnson Adventurer with what he described as a sluggish crystal. The net effect was the sound of an RMCA transmitter out of a 4U commercial console. A very quick, tiny chirp that gave his rig a distinctive quality that any commercial op would have thought was from a Victory or Liberty ship rig. On 40 I used a variety of rigs - T4XC, SX101A, BC-458A, HRO, Swan 350, Navigator, and NC125. Logged another DX station also, OE3SPA, who was QRP at just one watt.
This year for 80 meters I decided not to put the big Hartley beast on the air, opting instead to play my 1921 twin-tube UV-202 transmitter, a pretty thing that eats up more power in the filaments than on the plates. I combined it with the 1932 Jim Lamb superhet built by W4AWS (SK), ran it full out at 15 watts input, and proceeded to work as far away as Arizona (W7FOX), and of course, a local QSO with Rob K2TOP and his TBW. See Rob, I took your comment about working the big Hartley so many times to heart I kept it off the air - now YOU need to put something else on besides the TBW!!! (grin).
This year was a first, an actual CX QSO on 160 meters, with, of course, Rob K2TOP. He was the only CX op I heard on 160, but I am not really set up there antenna-wise. As for the most interesting QSOs I would say the mil rigs won out - W7FOX with his T19/ARC5 and TCS, K2TOP's TBW and RBB, and W8AU with his TCS pair. Honorable mention would go to Mac WQ8U and the Meissner Signal Shifter, and Perry W8AU's neat sounding Adventurer.
This year I missed working W8KGI - don't know why, just didn't hear him - and Al N5AIT, who is still getting over a house fire, but did work fearless leader WQ8U, and our author-laureate AA4RM.
As for the popularity contests, this year was the year of the military radio - a total of 15 mil sets worked, with the ART-13, and the TCS combos taking center stage. Drake was next at 10, Johnson 7, Heath 6, and slim showings from Hallicrafters, Collins, Hammarlund, etc.
Another very nice CX - decent conditions, lots of familiar fists, plus some new friends, a smattering of DX, and the faint but permeating smell of ozone for some 8 hours. Life is good. See ya all in February!
Howie WB2AWQ
RECAP
QSOs: 40
Rigs Worked: 55
States: 28
CX Multiplier: 793 Years
TOTAL SCORE: 2,632,760
RIGS:
HEATHKIT SB102
GONSET G76
BC348Q
BC458A
DRAKE T4XC
HALLI SX101A
NAT'L HRO
NAT'L NC125
NAVIGATOR
SWAN 350
KNWD TS440-S
HB 1932 SUPERHET
HB 1921 HARTLEY, UV202 TUBES, 15W
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For much of the country Sunday 9/26 presented a beautiful Fall day with sunny weather, moderate temperatures and the Fall leave color starting to show. It called to be outside, not in the ham shack. So much for planning.......
Also, this weekend the Texas QSO Party (TQP), the CW Worldwide RTTY contest, and a QRP event were taking place. The TQP rules had the participants operating on and around the CX frequencies and there were a TON of TQP participants. Lots of quickie (RST and QTH) QSOs and their rules rewarded high QSO counts so there was little interest on the part of the TQP participants in CX QSOs. The TQP ended at 4 PM Eastern Time so 40 meters became a usable band for CX - for a while. The RTTY folks normally operate around 100KC above the bottom of the CW bands; however, during the contest they were all over the CW band. Like any good contesters, they moved with the improving band conditions so when 20 meters faded. Around 2300Z, 40 meters became unusable for CX or any QSO other than RTTY. It was interesting to hear the Canadian SSB folks who hang out around 7050 and up complaining about the RTTY. It was sort of fun to listen to them since the VE SSBers normally dominate those frequencies and CW is near impossible around them. Thank goodness that the RTTY contest ended at 8 PM Eastern time and we could get on with CX. At 2400Z the band exploded with CX! Maybe next year we will try a different weekend for CX.
I had a number of rigs ready for this CX and intended to operate AM, SSB and CW. I started just after Noon on Sunday (Church and Sunday brunch are a mandatory family activities for us.) I had the rigs set up for 15, 20, 40 and 80 meters so I started on 15 meters. There was lots of CQ WW RTTY and a little SSB DX but no CX activity that I could find. I moved up to 20 meters to find the TQP was very active and there was some RTTY. A number of SSB nets were active such as the Microcomputer net offering to solve computer problems but mostly talking about automated ham weather reporting on local conditions. I prefer to look out my "Accu-Window" or watch the weather channel. Oh well, each to their own. Unfortunately, even with all this activity, I could not find any CX activity. I next moved to 40 meters AM where I heard K8JD talking about his TS-440 and WA3GPE running his Apache and Mohawk combo. They were both enjoying a BA rag chew, not CXing. There was some SSB activity but the CW portion of the band was covered with the TQP - Those folks in Texas never do anything in a small way, do they? As to be expected at that time, there was very little going on in the 75/80-meter band. Having done a survey of the bands, I started trying to have CX QSOs.
My first QSO of this CX was with one of the founders of the CX, no other than N5AIT, Al. Al had the misfortune of a house fire and has been trying to bring his life back to normal - including his ham radio life. I am not sure about the Freudian implications, but Al was using a spark suppressed submarine key, which slowed his usual WPM. Al said he would only be active on 40 meter CW because when he went on 80 meters it set off the fire alarm - Al, we're not going near that!
W8TM. Paul showed up on 40 m CW. Paul is a new CX participant and puts out a really big signal from Cincinnati with his Heathkit twins SB-301 and SB-401. It was good to work K9KEO, John again with his classic Collins 32V3 & 75A3 rig. Switching over to 20 meters immediately yielded a QSO with VE7OM, Ralph out in Vancouver, BC with his Drake TR-4C. 20 meters was hopping with CX activity. N6KN, Rocco, the February 2004 CX multi-mega high score champion, was showing his style with this TR-7A and then with his TS-520SE. By this time he had already had 17 stations on the air - I think we have another winner here :).
K3MD, John was very patiently explaining what fun CX is to someone when I first heard him- what a great CXer! Had the privilege of working him later on 40 meters with his TR-4B.
WB2AWQ, the chief media communicator for CX, was hyper active this CX. It seemed Howie was on every band whenever I listened. When I first worked him he was running his Drake T-4XC/SX-101; however, the best was to come, when I ran into him again he was running his homebrew 1921 Hartley with pair of UV-202 s and a homebrew 1932 design Superhet receiver. Now those are classic rigs!!!
The Top Band Club, K2TOP, made its usual strong showing in the CX. I only have to wonder what they had going on that I did not hear. Peter was stressing the PP 811 rig with RBC receiver on 40 meters while Rob was showing the real capability of the WWII Navy TBW and RBB on 80 meters. Last CX they had a 1911 telephone for calling for brewskis; what now? Rob is to be complemented for his poetry which was published in the last CX Newsletter - but one must wonder, how does that make those old rigs work so well for K2TOP?
Claiming he was straining his ears was no other than W7FOX, Fox, with his TCS-12 and T-19/ARC-5 on 80 meters from Arizona. What does he expect, foxes have big ears for a reason.
AA4RM, Marty, the literary genius of the February 2004 CX newsletter ("A Rig Too Far..."), was again very active but this CX with Collins and Heathkit rigs. Marty is among the early CX participants and is always showing up with the unexpected. The question is: Will he have a BC-191 on the air for the next CX?
W8AU, Perry was showing up repeatedly but escaped my log. His TCS sounded good and he did work W8KGI in NM but apparently Massillon, OH is just the wrong distance from Dayton - or maybe all the ground wave strength from Massillon gets sucked into Columbus - Go Bucks!
W8KGI, a usual multi-million point CX competitor was absent for most of this CX for personal reasons but did put in a cameo appearance around midnight Eastern Time. After exchanging "you gotta be kidding" signal reports with W7FOX, Fox he worked AA4RM, Marty in GA and finally found me in the noise. Giving the excuse that he had smoke coming from something in the garage shack (you remember, that's the one where he was wearing gloves and looking for a disadvantage multiplier in the Feb 2004 CX) he was inside running a CE-100V and NC-200.
My long CX night ended up with the "non-B&W-5100 collector", K3MSB, Mark - he only has three. Mark almost missed CX because he was helping with a club antenna project and was hanging out /in a bucket truck most of the day. He did show up with his HT-37 and SX-111 for CX though. Mark Bell has improved his recognizability by changing his call to K3MSB from the old K3ZX. Ask him what the "S" really stands for the next time you work him.
With that I pulled the switch and put WQ8U to bed for the night. I went off to dream about the great QSOs with those classic rigs that I longed for in my youth and those I marveled at for their engineering and, sometimes, simplicity. We are truly fortunate to be able to re-live those fun times and to show the rest of the ham radio community that the past should not be forgotten but should be enjoyed.
73
Mac
WQ8U
SCORE:
QSOs: 20
TX Worked: 12
RX Worked: 18
States: 19
CX Multiplier: 397 Years
TOTAL SCORE: 389,060
RIGS:
Drake T-4X
Viking Valiant
Meissner Signal Shifter
Viking II
Drake R-4A
HRO-50R1
75A4
NC-173
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Have not operated CX since 1979. Used to have an HT-44, Drake 2B, and HT-41 as main station then.
Not too much activity. Thanks to Larry K2LT for repairing the TR-4. Thanks to ICOM for repairing my IC-720A, one of my favorite all-time classic radios, classic in my book. A working IC-701 (The original synthesized rig) is impossible to find, have had 2 so far.
73
John, K3MD
Winfield, PA
SCORE:
36 QSOs
25 RX
25 TX
18 States
CX Multiplier: 154 years
TOTAL: 376,992
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Really enjoyed the CX exchange. Have been in it a time or two but never got around to sending in a log...this time I did. K2TOP's TBW was really rolling in down here.
Thanks Mac for spear-heading this fun event.
73
Bill Steward
Smithfield, NC
Rigs: 80 M: Globe Scout 65; HQ-129-X
40 M: ELMAC AF67; HQ-170
20 M: EICO 720; Drake 2B/2BQ
SCORE: 20 QSOs
17 RX
18 TX
13 States
CX Multiplier: 295
TOTAL 283,200
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Mac,
As you know, I was really busy on Sunday and I could only work the CX for a
few hours. I got on 20 CW in the morning after church for about half an
hour, but I made only 4 QSO's thanks to the bunch from the TQP (Texas QSO
Party) who were really dominating the scene. I broke away for about an hour
in the afternoon and worked on 40 meters, but I made only one QSO the entire
time thanks to the RTTY gang who were blanking the entire band. I got on 80
CW about 9:15 MDST and there were a few guys around. I worked five
different guys including yourself, but by 10:30 everyone I could hear had
left so I cashed it in and went to bed.
Saturday afternoon I worked 7 different guys on 7290 AM. They were engaged in their normal ragchewing, none of them were really involved in the AMI AM Discovery Weekend. But they were all nice guys and gave me good reports on my DX-100, Valiant and 32V3. I also got my new NC101X on and qualified listening to them, a really nice old receiver and a good addition to my inside shack.
I had a little fun with the gear out in the Summer Shack while I was on 40. Some white smoke started curling up out of my common power supply under my operating desk, so I had to QRT out there in a hurry! Not that the RTTY guys would have allowed it, but I did have 12 receivers and 18 transmitters out there all ready to go. (After the CX I opened up the supply, and the only thing I found was a fifteen year accumulation of New Mexico dust and dog hair. That's
what was smoking, at least none of the nonobtainium parts were involved.) Between both days I got five transmitters, DX-100, Valiant, 32V3, 100V, and T4X, and six receivers, HRO-50, NC-101X, SX28, 75A4, NC-200 and R4B, on the air and qualified. I also got on with my AT-1, Viking I and NC-303, but not for 3 QSO's each. My AM score was 118,768, my CW score was 155,883, for a total of 274,651. Wait till next time, HI.
I agree with you that we should probably move the Fall CX to another day when the QRM is a little lighter. Hope we can find one.
73, and thanks for doing all the work!
Jim Hanlon, W8KGI
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Sorry so late in submitting log for CX. I used 3 separate stations and antenna combinations. KC2JKL participated for part of afternoon and enjoyed CX so much that he now has some acquired some vintage gear.
73
Jeff Jones
Bombay, NY
RIGS:
DX-60; Drake-2C; D-104; 4BTV (Hustler)
HT-37; HQ-170; D-104; Johnson Matchbox; Folded dipole
DX-60A; RX-1; D-104; WINDOM
Score:
20 QSOs
11 TX
11 RX
10 States
CX Multiplier: 255 years
TOTAL: 163,200
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Mac,
hi
I've led a dizzy last few months & here I am again on the verge
of an airport departure.
But I've met your correspondence challenge & am writing
(could have said "risen to the occasion" but not right after a sentence
mentioning an airport)
My Sept. effort fell far short of last February where I pulled out all the AA4RM stops. Just 17 contacts & and an aggregate of 148 years in 2 stations. 110,000 points
But one station was new to this CX. That was a SB102 that's been basement- bound for a quarter of a century. Seems every 100k & 33K .5W resistor went open-circuit in the thing. That perceived, fix was easy & I sure liked using the thing & it's CW filter.
Worked founding station Al N5AIT & ole familiar W8AU three times. Twice with his cornerstone TCS, one with a Viking & a Halli. Could have knocked me over with a stick
Hope to better my 2/04 numbers in next event. And am looking forward to another WQ8U CX qso.
-------scoring program output------->
CX score is:
110,704
eqpt age is 148 years
17 qsos
10 band-mode state-countries
17 band-mode transmitters
17 band-mode receivers
Marty
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Enclosed is a copy of my log for rthe Sept 2004 CX along with a scoring worksheet.
I had nine QSOs on 40 meters using my TENTEC ARGONAUT505, Heathkit HW-8 and my Harvey Wells TBS-50C - Hallicarafters S-76 combination. This was despite the RTTY contest in progress.
My Johnson Ranger 1 wasn't working so I have to get it fixed for February. I also have a TENTEC PM-2 - if 40 meters is good, may put it on the air in February.
Thanks & 73
Donald Younger, W2JEK
RiverEdge, NJ
SCORE:
9 QSOs
8 TX
8 RX
6 States
CX Multiplier: 223 years
TOTAL: 44,154
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This was my first CX. My SB-301 and 401 get used in SSB-only contests, but for CW or all-mode events I usually operate QRP with an Elecraft K1. This was the first exercise for the Heathkits on CW since I retired and relocated 18 months ago.
Equipment used: Heathkit SB-301 and SB-401, aged 37 and 30 years respectively (built 'em myself). Antenna 40-meter inv vee fed with ladder line so also tunable on other bands. TRLog was used to record the action, although paper might have worked as well for this event.
I tried to score the accompanying messy log w8tm.log according to the rules. I counted the one dupe (marked by the program) because the opr said he was using another rig (although I didn't manage to log the identity of the second rig). I counted only logged rigs and final tubes, not power outputs (which were all that I got from some ops). I scored by hand except for the QSO count, the only thing that the computer counted reliably.
By my count from the accompanying log:
27 QSOs, all CW
38 rig types
17 SPCs.
As indicated above
37 + 30 CX multiplier.
Score (27)(38 + 17)(37 + 30) = 99,495
The Classic Exchange was quite a change from the rigid structure of the Texas QSO Party, which I also worked this past weekend (but with my Elecraft K1). It was fun to hear again the hum, chirps, etc. that used to be routine but now are pretty rare. And it was a bit sobering to find that the control relay in my SB-401 has some dirt on it from disuse.
73,
Paul Kirley W8TM
Cincinnati, OH 45236
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Didn't have much time to operate and didn't hear many stations. My 10 watts may be a factor also. I enjoy using the older gear.
Thanks for your efforts.
73
Jim Shank, W3CNS
Elizabethtown, PA
RIGS:
Miessner Signal Shifter
Collins 75A-2
SCORE:
6 QSOs
6 TX
6 RX
5 States
CX Multiplier: 115 years
TOTAL: 11,730
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TX: HT-37
RX: SX-111
QSOs: 5
TX worked: 5
RX worked: 5
States: 5
CX Multiplier: 88 years
Total Score: 6,600
I'm moving the shack into the garage as having three kids, in two bedrooms, with Dad in the other spare bedroom, isn't gong to last much longer!! I'm partitioning off a section of the garage, and plan to have the move completed around Thanksgiving. I will have 220V into the new shack, so the Invader will be online for the Feb 05 event ! I'm thinking of using the Invader 2000 and my R4-C as my new DX station!!
Dec. 13th update: The new shack is almost finished, so I should have a much easier time getting gear on the air for the Winter 05 event. The Winter 05 event is my birthday, so I shan't forget the date!
73
Mark
K3MSB
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Cast of Characters: Jack K2BMI, Peter WW2Y, Jeff WB2WCO, and host Rob K2WI.
Equipment by Band:
160: Drake C-line, RCA AR-77, Meissner Signal Shifter EX. Half-loop fed against ground(50ft up, 160 feet over, 50 feet down. One vertical grounded, feedpoint at the other).
80: US Navy TBW and RBB. 160-meter half-loop on TBW, Beverage on RBB.
40 AM: Viking Ranger II, RMCA AR-8506b(Liberty Ship receiver). Dipole at 60 feet.
40 CW: TBW and RBC, Meissner Signal Shifter EX and AR-88d, homebrew Push-Pull 811a . aforementioned dipole.
20CW: Drake C-line, Meissner Signal Shifter EX and AR-88d. Stacked dipoles at 50 and 25 feet.
10AM: Viking Ranger II and AR-88d. Stacked dipoles at 30 and 15 feet.
Once again, the theme of our CX was "Family Values". All of us had family or other commitments so that radios sat idle much of the time. We got a nice visit from Peter's wife Ingrid, her daughter Jackie, and Peter and Ingrid's new daughter Margot. Jeff marched in a parade, playing his bagpipes. I wonder if he snuck in a quick "CQ CX" in the middle of one of his Irish ditties.
At the start, I sat down at the Drakes and established contact on 20m with Steve, VK6VZ, running an FT-1000 with a power amp. Signals were really weak, so he did not try his Panda Cub and BC-348 combination. Better luck next time. There was nothing else happening on 20 so I got up and moved to 40.
For the first time in K2TOP CX history, I set things up so we could work people with multiple rigs. It wasn't elegant, but a patch panel with BNC connectors let me move antennas from one rig to another. I used the TBW/RBC combo to establish contacts and then switched to the Meissner Signal Shifter EX and AR-88d. The Meissner really likes 40m, where it puts out a healthy 8W. Everyone that I worked with the TBW also heard me with the Meissner during this session.
Anticipating Jack's arrival, I fired up his Ranger II for some 40m AM fun. I mated it with my RMCA AR-8506b, which isn't much good on crowded CW bands but was perfect for this job. I had been running it previously on DC, but this time got it running nicely on AC with an isolation transformer. I made a couple of quick contacts with Jeff K3KYR and 2 of his stations. When Jack arrived, I passed the D-104 to him and went back to 20. Jack worked another couple of guys on 40 AM.
On 20m, VE7OM provided a c-line to c-line QSO, and then he impressed me by hearing the 3W that the Meissner Signal Shifter puts out on 20. I didn't hear anyone else, so I figured the action must be up on phone. I was right, there was N6KN working SSB with his SR-150. I made an abortive attempt to work Rocco, but discovered that my c-line is not very happy on SSB. I had a lot of hum on my audio and my VOX wouldn't work right.
Jack moved over to 40 CW and worked a few more contacts before he had to split. A couple of them were QRP guys in their event, which runs parallel to ours.
20 finally picked up and I worked W7FOX with his usual military gear, W8KGI with a couple different rigs, and Rocco with his Heathkit twins.
The mid-afternoon was a real doldrums period. 20 didn't open for short-skip, which often provides CX fun and 40 had little activity, except for Breck K4CHE with his ART-13/BC-348 combo. I'll nominate that for the coolest setup since they sounded good, are a nice match for each other, and it was our first CX QSO with Breck.
I moved the Ranger II over on top of the AR-88d and set it up for 10 AM, but conditions really didn't materialize. There was a pipeline to LU1, with the LU1FHH beacon pounding in for hours, but the only ones heard on 28.200 were 4U1UN and a weak LU4AA.
During this slow period, Peter and I set up the P-P 811a transmitter, and we had our visit with our families. Jeff arrived and I went out to make a quick appearance at a friend's bachelor party, a risky move I know, but these guys who wait until they're 40+ to get married just are not up to the same hijinx as the 20-something crowd. In my absence Peter worked the P-P 811s and Jeff worked the TBW/RBB. I heard later from W8AU that the P-P 811s were "loud, but with a heck of a chirp".
On my return, I checked into the Old Military Radio Net on 80 and worked AJ1G, W3PWW, W1NZR, W1NU, N8YE, WF2U, and KW1I. On moving back down to the CX frequency, the TBW and RBB did some heavy hauling, working W7FOX, K6LQI, and W8KGI with a couple rigs. I jumped back and forth between 80 and 160, trying to get some attention with the C-line, so that I could then make contacts with the Meissner Signal Shifter and AR-77. I've only managed to get the AR-77 working on 160, so Top Band was my only hope.
I couldn't attract any attention on 160, so I begged people to move from 80. I worked Howie WB2AWQ on 160 but he was weak, so I didn't try with the QRP rig. Perry W8AU moved down with his TCS but could not pick out the Signal Shifter from the noise. I worked him with his 2 rigs, using the T4xc and the AR-77, so I needed only one more contact to qualify the AR-77. I couldn't find anyone else to move from 80, and no one was CXing on 160, so I tuned up the band and found Wolf DF2PY pounding in with his FT-1000, L7 amp, and 3 element transmit and Beverage receive antennas. I worked him with the T4xc and AR-77 to qualify the receiver, and then called him with the Signal Shifter but he did not hear my 3W. Over the next 10 minutes I worked three more Europeans with the c-line but since none of them shared their equipment info they didn't make it into the CX log.
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Five AM contacts on Sunday morning. One of the guys said he chatted with you on Saturday. 40m CW was quiet, except for the RTTY contest, until 6:00pm, PDT. Had two QSO's with a gent in Flagstaff and two QSO's with Bob, WA2VMO on Staten Island, and that was it. By 7:00pm, the CX activity was gone. Went to 80m and could weakly hear Perry and Mac, but that was it. No other activity.
Very disappointing!! Like you, I really look forward to the CX events. We need to come up with some new ideas.
Just finished up bringing a Globe Chief 90A and a Globe Scout 40A back to life. Starting on a PMR-7 now.
73's
de Paul K2LMQ
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