CLASSIC RADIO EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2006 CX

CLICK ON THE CALL IN THE TABLE TO JUMP TO THAT REPORT
OR JUST SCROLL DOWN AND ENJOY IT ALL

CALL	NAME	SCORE
W8KGI	JIM	324,676
N6KN	ROCCO	85,960
K3MSB	MARK	80,070
K3KYR	JEFF	77,580
AA4RM	MARTY	12,792
KC2GHT	HARRY	10,200
K9VKY	BRIAN	9,765
WQ8U	MAC	5,870
W5TVW	SANDY	5,580
W0VLZ	Niel	4,758
K4JYS	BILL	3,856
K3MD	JOHN	1,892
W8TM	PAUL	1,704
W2JEK	DON	1,372
W4YOK	TOM	1,372

INDIVIDUAL REPORTS -NO SCORE SUBMITTED
K2WI ROB	K1RJZ RICH

ATTRIBUTION AND DISCLAIMER

The CX Newsletter is intended for the enjoyment of CX participants and others interested in the restoration, operation and enjoyment of Classic Ham Gear. This Newsletter was prepared from materials submitted by CX participants and from on-the-air observations and QSOs. Editorial comments on Individual Reports are shown in [Italics]. Any errors, omissions, or insensitive comments are unintentional. Please let me know if you have suggestions on improving the Newsletter or the CX website.
Thanks and 73,
Mac, WQ8U

REPORTS

W8KGI Jim

PHONE
Mac, It’s Monday, September 25 as I write this, the “morning after,” and I have survived Phone Sunday of the fall CX. It was a very good idea to split the phone and CW sections of the contest, it will make getting on both modes much easier, and it should avoid that terrible RTTY QRM for the CW section next week.

I had a good time operating AM. Most of the guys I worked were just regular AM’ers, some of whom were aware of the CX. There were not as many “CX regulars” heard out here, so it was a good opportunity to spread the word and get some more folks interested.

I tried calling on 20 about 11 a.m. local (MDST) time, but no one was around, so I left the comfort of the “inside shack” and went out to the garage where I had gear tuned up on 7290. The usual 40 meter bunch was there, including W8QBG, NA7RH, W0OGH, AE8O, W7MD, and W6OQQ, so for a while I was able to participate in the roundtable, changing transmitters and receivers on each turn. The biggest problem I had was changing my three, functional mikes around between the transmitters. I managed to twist the Amphenol chassis connector clear off the HT-20, and I wound up connecting the D-104 to it with clip leads! I should also have paid attention to that smoky smell that was developing, because when I had my sixth pair on, the power to the HT-20 started to fade and finally it and quite a bit of my other gear including my common power supply and keyer lost 120 ac and put me completely off the air. I opened the garage door to get some fresh air and then went looking for the source. It turned out to be an old isolation transformer that was feeding power to a Heathkit power strip. I use an isolation transformer to make peace with the ground-fault breaker that supplies power to the garage, sometimes the leakage in all that old gear doesn’t agree with it. But I got lucky when I just plugged the power strip directly into the line and the breaker held, and I was able to continue with my 40 meter contacts. I had 11 transmitters going on AM in the garage, so I was planning on using my 11 good superhet receivers with them. But the SX28A went deaf (maybe that antenna cable again?), so I just switched on the SW-3 and doggone if it didn’t do a great job of copying all of the AM’ers with its regeneration control set just below the point of oscillation. I am continually amazed at how well some of this ancient gear really can operate.

After I had gotten all of the gear in the garage on the air, I came back inside and tried 20 again. There was a bunch of ssb QRM around 14286, but there were also some AM signals on the air and I managed to work K8GM, W9AD, KL7OF, AA4RM and W1LYD/VY1 (in the Yukon Territory! “On King, on you huskies!”). I had three pairs on 20. My old reliable DX-100 was heard with no trouble of course, but guys were also able to actually copy the 10 watts or so output of my Harvey Wells Bandmaster TBS50D and of my Elmac A54. I was using that HP scope we found a couple of years ago in Dayton to watch the modulation on all of the rigs, and even the A54 with a T-17 mike was doing a fairly decent job. After exhausting 20 I listened up on 75. There were a couple of AM’ers up on 3880, but between the rapid QSB and the really bad SSB QRM I wasn’t able to make myself heard. So I just decided to take a break. I took the puppies, now 1 year old and weighing about 65 pounds each, for a nice, two and a half mile walk. And then Kathy and I shared some dinner and talked about the Ohio State Buckeyes and their performance against Penn State on Saturday afternoon for a while.

After dinner I tried 75 again and it was in better shape. I worked KC9VF, K5RHK, WB5BZO, W5KGZ using my Valiant and HRO-50, and W5BWP with the 32V3 and SX-28. Then Chuck, WA0ZHH and Bob, W2ZM, showed up with their beautiful signals and dominated 3880, driving off the remaining SSB QRM. I worked them and also Marty again, AA4RM, and Tony KC6BSJ, qualifying the Collins and Hallicrafters gear and also my 30 watt, National NTX-30/NSM and NC-173 pair. I rounded out the evening with the HRO paired with all of the above transmitters and talked to NA7RH from the 40 meter gang again and also to WA6JUS and WA6HCF from California.

At that point, nearing 11 o’clock, I hung up the phones and went out to the garage to get big, sloppy kisses from the pups and to put them to bed in their kennel.

This week I have a few repairs to make – par for the course after a CX. And then it’s on to the CW session next Sunday. Hope to work WQ8U on that one.

CW
Mac, Well it’s now Monday, October 2, the day after the CW CX. I had a good time yesterday as well, although 80 meters later in the evening was nearly dead. At least it got me to bed at a decent hour.

This CX, instead of capturing one guy at a time and doing a “rig run” where I would work him all at once with all of the transmitters and receivers I had available on that band, I took a different tack. I put on one transmitter and receiver at a time and made three QSO’s with them and then I switched to my next pair. That way, even through my score didn’t turn out to be quite as high, I got to talk to a lot more different guys.

We got home from Church and breakfast, which included Annalee and Jim Mueller, KG0BY, who had come down from Fort Collins, Colorado to visit New Mexico, a little after 11. I was out in the garage and on twenty by 11:30 and started off well by talking to Marty, AA4RM with his G76. Most of my gear held up pretty well. The RME70 was deaf, I think one of the IF tubes has a bum socket, but everything else was working well, so I managed to qualify 9 receivers and 8 transmitters and to talk to 13 different guys in 28 QSO’s. I switched to 40 using the “inside shack” about 4:15, and things were hopping down there. I worked 17 different guys and had 35 QSO’s, getting 11 receivers and 8 transmitters qualified. I would have gotten more transmitters on, but in the middle of my third QSO with the TBS 50 my 300 volt common power supply quit, putting the Bandmaster off the air and also the BC457 and Elmac A54 which were next in line. One of the more interesting 40 meter QSO’s was with Niel, W0VLZ, who was running a genuine Thordarson 100 transmitter and a National NC81X receiver, quite a good boatanchor pair!

Around 8:30 I quit for some much needed nutrition, and got back on 80 again out in the garage a little after 9. There were several signals around 3545 but not many CXers, and I managed to work only 6 different guys in 9 QSO’s in the next hour and a half. I qualified one more receiver and three transmitters on 80, leaving one receiver and 9 more transmitters on the shelf unused.

So it was a good time, it left me with a few repairs to make as usual, and there is always next February to look forward to.

73,

Jim Hanlon, W8KGI

CW Statistics:

Transmitters qualified on CW: AF67, apache, AF68, HT-20, Viking II, Knight T150, DX20, DX60, Central Electronics 100V, DX100, 32V3, Valiant, 1941 Meissner Signal Shifter, Millen 90800, T4X, National NTX-30, Viking I, Globe King 275, globe Scout 680. On but not qualified: Adventurer, Lysco 600, TBS50 Bandmaster.

Receivers qualified on CW: NC303, SX28A, HRO5TA1, HRO50R1, 75A3, HQ170A, BC348R, SX43, SX73, HQ239X, HRO50, NC200, 75A4, SX28, HRO, NC101X, R4B, FB7, RME69, BC455, NC173

Total Age multiplier 2243 years, total number of CW QSO’s 72.

CW Score 72 x 2243 = 161,496

Total CW and AM score 161,496 + 163,180 = 324,676

Jim Hanlon, W8KGI

N6KN Rocco

Mac,

Here is my report for the September "event." I really like the dates and splitting up the two weekends into two Sundays of fun. For once, I felt I was not robbing Peter to pay Paul by staying on SSB into the evening, and I could really concentrate on the CW crowd. This format gets my "thumbs up."

Pre CX: I spent the month before the CX trying to repair my brother-in-law's S Line, KWM-2, and SX-117. My brother in law is from Seatlle, and I offered to put his E Bay specials on the bench - turned out they desperately needed work - all of them. So did my own 32S-1, which I hauled out for comparison troubleshooting. All of those were completed and were used for this CX. Not so for the Hallicrafters Hurricane that I desperately tried to finish for the phone weekend - just not enough time, and I did not want to rush the HV supply rebuild (there is a skull and crossbones on the schematic - no kidding). I spent Sept 23 replacing my 40 m antenna with a full size rotary dipole and put up a better 80 m dipole under it. Both really worked great for CX.

Phone/SSB weekend: The Texas QSO party folks were out in force. This has good and bad aspects - there was plenty of SSB QRM from the TQP crowd, but on the other hand, I worked a LOT of Texas stations in this CX. When they got tired of running in the QSO party, they were happy to take a break and yak about old radios. I began to make QSO's around 1400Z, when 20 opened up. 14.270 was busy most of the day, so I just found holes in the ether each side of the SSB frequency and kept calling CQ Classic Radios. There were a LOT of people looking for CX activity - I have found that pointing the yagi east and just calling CQ will reliably scare up a long list of interesting QSOs and radios to talk about. K8GM was in the log with S Lines and also with a barefoot Ranger on AM, just to show it CAN be done, even through the QRM. Gary, W6UH called in and gave me detailed audio reports on several of my vintage SSB transceivers, which was fun. There were a lot of Swans out there this year. Of course, I qualified my Swan 500 CX; how can I not use that rig for this event? Ron W6QM was on frequency with his Hurricane, just to demonstrate what they can do when they are working. Al, W8UT sounded great on his HT-32 (what an underrated transmitter - really wonderful boatanchors). K5YLT was using a modified Knight T150 on SSB. How he did that is a mystery for me - but it sounded great.

Finally moved to 40 m at 2330. Ran into Damon, W7MD, with his big signal and tons of equipment on 7280. We traded stories for a while with strong signals both directions. Finally gave up at 0042 and spent some quality time with the family.

CW weekend: Conditions were pretty terrible, especially on 20. There were very few stations operating at all, and QSB was very deep. However - CW gets through when nothing else does. I put 70 CX CW qso's in the log without too much strain. Worked a lot of CX regulars. Started on 40 CW at 1300. 7030 through 7080 were covered with OTH Radar at S9 plus. I managed to pull a few midwestern stations out of the interference and learned later that others had heard me and were calling. Sorry - those radar signals (Woodpecker II) were bad news. Moved to 14045 at 1600 and worked a long list of boatanchors. Notable signals included: Marty with his Gonset G76 (award for most unstable signal); John KU4AF with his "musical note" modified DX 60B; Rob K2WI's Navy TCK/RBC combo (strong sig); Perry WW2LST's marine mobile 1942 Navy TX on the Ohio River; and Tom W4YOK's powerful Viking Adventurer, surely the best signal ever from one of those things. XE1HSW called in with 599 signals both ways. Marty AA4RM and I managed to exchange reports between our KWM-1's. Those who know these rigs on CW know that is not easy. On 40 CW, the new rotary dipole worked great. Interesting signals: W4NTI's Heath HX-11; Al W8UT's HX-500 (no relation to HX-11); TWO powerful Adventurer signals from W4YOK and John N2BE; and Tom K6LQI's usual rock crushing modified ARC-5. W8KGI and I worked each other many times, including my one and only 80 m QSO.

Had lot's of fun and do like the two weekend format - it's more relaxing and friendly.

73,

Rocco N6KN

73 from Rocco N6KN
Owner-Operator of Way Too Many Old Radios

See you next CX,
Rocco, N6KN

K3MSB Mark

Hi Mac –

Didn’t think I’d make the fall festivities, but managed a few hours of operations.

Sunday afternoon I started out on 20M with my B&W 5100B and Hallicrafters SX-101A. The first CQ netted Rocco N6KN running his Collins 32S1 and 75S3. Afterwards I picked up Tom W4YOK running his Johnson Adventurer and Drake R4B and Kenny K5KS sounding FB OM with his Heathkit HX-10 and National NC-303. Next up was Mike AC5P running a Ten Tec Delta 2 transceiver. This was the first time I’ve ever worked a Delta 2.

Rocco and I got together again to exchange info while he was running his Drake TR-7A. The next QSO was a treat as I had the privilege of working Howie W7HQC running a T4XB and a homebrew 11 tube receiver!! Always great to hear some HB stuff on the air, but I typically don’t hear them on 20M. Len K8GM checked in next with his Collins 32S3 and 75S3. Right on his heels was (drum roll…) Rocco for a chat using his Hallicrafters SR-150.

Tom K6AA and I then had a nice QSO; he was running an IC-756 but was enjoying talking to all the “great sounding tube gear” on the air!! Jim W8KGI and I did a double QSO with his Johnson Adventurer and Hallicrafters SX-73 followed by his Lysco 600 and Hallicrafters SX-73. Rounding out my 20M ops was (yet again) N6KN with his Johnson Valiant and Collins 75A4.

I got on 40M later Sunday evening with my 5100B and my “Red Letter” Hammarlund HQ-129-X. W8KGI and I once again did a duet with his NTX-30 and RME-69 followed by his Drake T4X and R4B.

I finished out the CX with a chat with Miles W0VLZ. Once again, I worked a piece of grand old gear that I’d never even heard of before – a Thordarson 100 transmitter. Copy was rough but we did it. Miles had his National NC-81X joined up with the Thordarson 100.

I tried to get on 80M with my BC-348 but twas not to be. I zapped my power supply and after some impromptu repairs found I couldn’t hear the VFO spot. Well, maybe next time….

I’m looking forward to the February 2007 edition of the Classic Exchange.

73 and God Bless

Mark K3MSB

K3KYR Jeff

PHONE
RIGS:
Globe HiBander Mod 62
HQ-110A VHF
SR-46
TR-106
HE-35
HE-45A
SWAN 250
HW-10
HQ-170
HW-29A
HT-40

TOTAL YEARS: 880
TOTAL QSOs: 44
TOTAL PHONE SCORE: 38,720

CW
RIGS:
DX-40
NC-109
DX-20
NC-57
HT-37
HQ-170
NC-270
DX-60
HR-10
DX-60A
HW-16
HT-40
HQ-110C
HX-50
NC-125

TOTAL YEARS: 827
TOTAL QSOs: 47
TOTAL CW SCORE: 38,869

TOTAL CX SCORE: 77,580

AA4RM Marty

Mac I did this for you as a lunch treat ------------looka theah----------> Ranger with Cohones If there was ever a stand-out phrase, that's it. Came from W0ENE in FL who ran a rager himself. But author's Johnston 500 was just barreling into Tampa Bay & hence the phrase. AM Sunday saw me preparing a 70' high elderly G5RV redux. It'd been assassinated at both ends by falling trees. Geting durn thing 'way up taxed my archery skills to max. But after I bet 12 hrs, success. This opened opportunity to again run the "Big Johnson" which had lain dormant for an age. Durned if it didn't come back with some lumbago because it'd rested in an area with a bad dehumidifier.... a unit also restored thru the good offices of a fan lube. SSB on 20 was a wash-out. Tried & tried w. KWM-1 & only result was angered TX QSO party mavens who reviled anyone who'd disturb their event. Or so it seemed around 14.270.

AM Log
9/24/06 3880 +/-
9A W4UOC G76 G76 59/59me Tom GA 1
9A KF4TXQ URT12 75A3 59/59 Sam GA 1
9A KN4HH Aache R390 59/59 Bob GA 1
9:10A WB0JZG HB HB 59/59 Kevin TN 1
9:15A K0OCC 32V2 75A4 59/59 Ernie GA 1
9A K4FNY BC610 HQ170 59/59 Charlie GA 1
9:20A KE4ID 32V2 R388 59/59 Jack AL 1
9:30A KF4TXQ TCS TCS 57/59 Sam AL 1
9:30A K0OCC Ranger 75A1 59/59 Ernie GA 1
9:40A WB4FGV AF67 75A2 59/59 Walter AL 1
9:40A W4CT 32V2 75A1 59/59 Ben GA 1
9:50 WB4FGV B&W 5100S SX71 59/59 Walter AL 1

7290 +/-
10:15A W4IT B&W5100 SX101 59/59 Steve SC
1 3:50P W8VG HT32/SB220 75A4 59/59 Geo VA
1 3:55P KC8OPP HB4-125s R390 59/59 Rodger OH
1 4:30P W1GUD DX100 NC303 59/59 Warren FL
1 4:40P W0ENE Ranger RME6900 59/59 John FL
1 4:41P W4NFR TS870 TS870 59/59 Bill VA
1 4:57P KC8OPP John500(#@!blew) R390 59/59 Rodger OH

1 14286 +/-
6:15P W8KGI DX100 75A4 56/53 Jim NM 2
6:25P W8KGI A54/T17 75A4 42/43 Jim NM 2
6:30P W8KGI TBS50 75A4 42/43 Jim NM 2

3880+/-
11:50P W2ZM McMartin BA 75A4 59/59 Bob NY
3 11:48P W8KGI Nat. NTX/NTM NC173 32/33 Jim NM
3 11:55P WA0ZHH T368 75A4 59/59 Chuck TX/OK
3 00:20A W8KGI Valium NC173 59/59 Jim NM

26 QSOs
Stn Eqpt. age
1John500('55) Pro310('55) 102
2 Gonset G76 (2 x '60) 92
3 32V3 ('53) 51J4 ('54) 106
--- YEARS: 300

AM score 7800 pts.

Now comes CW Sunday. And with it comes the gift of a deadish Navigator. Bet 2-3 hrs. ditched pinpointing a dried-out 30mfd@450V cap. Then off it went running with a 2B ganged up thru a "horrid vacuum tube TR switch." Perhaps ghastly in the day with a BA is sooooo neat. Had one surprise QSO. KWN-1s @ either end. See below. Log shows I was pretty distracted from regular operation. Relative invasion is excuse. Another comment is QRN in south horrid about 10P.

Here's the outcome

CW LOG 20M 10/1/06
12:50P N6KN NCX-5 599/579me Rocco CA 1
1:07 N6KN NCX-5 589/579 Rocco CA 2
1:25 N6KN SR-150 589/579 Rocco CA 2
1:30 N6KN SR-150 589/579c Rocco CA 1
1:33 W8KGI AF67 / NC 303 559/559 Jim NM 1
1:45 K8GO 32S1 / 75S3 459/559 Len MI 2
4:50 N6KN KWM-1 589/579c Rocco CA 2

40M
7:15P VE3JKM FT101 459/549 John ONT 3
7:22 W8KGI DX100/75A4 559/559 Jim NM 3
7:30 W8KGI 32V3 / SX28 559/559 Jim NM 3

80M
7:45 K4JYS DX60/HQ129 559/579 Bill NC 4
10:30 WA2VMO GK500C/SW54! 569/459 Ted NYC! 4
10:40 W5TVW TCS12+amp/AR88 559/569 Sandy LA 4
10:50 WQ8U Valium/75A4 449/569 Mac NC 4

13 QSOs
Stn Eqpt. age
1 Gonset G76 (2 x '60) 92
2 Collins KWM-1 (2 x '57) 98
3 JohnNavi('59)/Drake 2B('61) 92
4 John500('55) Pro310('55) 102
YEARS: 384
--- AM score 4992 pts.

G R A N D T O T A L 12792 pts

KC2GHT Harry

Did not get a chance to operate as much as I would like to.
Hope to be able to put all of my Heath queipment on the air next time. Had fun ut then again I use all of my Heathkit gear on a daily basis.

RIGS: HW-29A
HW-10
SB-100
SB-101

TOTAL YEARS: 340
TOTAL QSOs 30
TOTAL CX SCORE: 10,200

Harry KC2GHT

K9VKY Brian

Hi Mac--
Family obligations came up on CX day, and for Radio Free Fombell it was not much more than an eleventh hour "showing of the flag". Click here to see Brian's "showing of the flag." Only gear that was in place and ready to go for regular operation was used, and then only for a mere 21 QSOs. On a more positive note, though, the historical strained back, shocks, sparks, smoke, and acrid odors of yesteryear didn't occur as the behemoths were left idle this time. (They won't stay idle, though, as Old Man Winter will soon be upon us here in the hinterlands).

Here's hoping the guys found conditions good, QSOs plentiful, and that everyone is looking forward to the 2007 CX events.

Cheers.
Brian K9VKY

Mac--
I failed to mention the total score.
It came to: 21 QSOs x 465 years x 220 degrees (bulb temp on the 6146s) x 12 minutes (average QSO length)= 25,779,600.

Regards.
Brian K9VKY

Ed. Note: Brian has suggested the scores are too low under the current system and has attempted to demonstrate the power of other metrics to increase the numeric value of the score. While his intentions are good, his choice of metrics is questionable. Other CX participants are invited to suggest improvements - but remember - the eagle eye of the CX Newsletter Editon will seek them out if they are embedded in the scoring. Actually in prior CXs Brian has used other less creative metrics such as the age of the operator and the weight of the equipment, He is getting better!
But his score is still: QSOs: 21 X Equipment Age: 465 = 9,765.
Nice try Brian