The AM Forum

Looks like the weekend should be great for some on air activity. Just tuned around 40 and think I heard Skip/K7YOO. 75/80 seems quiet too, although it's still a bit early for anything but local signals. 160 should be good, too.

Looking forward to working some of you over the next few days.

I'm tossed between radio and telescope.  Got a new DSLR and want to hook it up the telescope.  So the choice, go outside in the cold or stay inside and be warm.  Leaning toward warm and quiet radio conditions.  Though I haven't had the scope out and do have a new camera.  decisions, decisions.

I have been operating on 1880 last few days.  Working on the L network tuner.   the centralab doorknobs get warm.  just got some of those Russian 470 pF RF doorknobs to try.  I hope I can find some brass screws to use with them.  gg 2 try them plus a bigger cardwell air variable cap.     

Rob, try some of the larger hardware stores.  Home Depot Lowes and an independent here all have those shelves and a myriad of screws including brass and nylon.  I forget but think the smaller caps use a #6 and #8 in the larger ones.  You will find that size brass screws at any of those stores, or should.

Hi Jim, thanks; I'm about to try the local ACE because they have a pretty good selection of brass nuts and bolts.  I am mainly worried the Russian caps will be metric, and the local brass hardware will all be English. 

the vendor (qro-parts or something like that) actually provided screws, but they are some kind of steel  ???

rob

Darn French anyway.  Brass, being as soft as it is, should make threads as you insert the screw.  Just don't expect it to be useful a second time.  I am betting you will be able to get it tight enough to do what you want.

If you need some odd hardware that is not available locally, try ordering on line from McMaster-Carr. Whenever I order from them, the merchandise arrives usually the third business day after I submit the order. They don't have a minimum order, and  carry about anything in stock that is still being manufactured. They are not cheap, and shipping charges can sometimes be more that the cost of the merchandise, but Hells Bells, if you need some specific little piece of hardware unavailable locally to complete a project, why make a fuss over paying a few bucks for a 50¢ item. Home Cheapo, Lowe's and Ass Hardware cater to merchandise they can move in large quantities. You won't find anything there that is the least outside the mainstream, such as brass metric.   

It turned out the cap threads were M5 (whatever that means--I just read what it meant and have already forgotten).

I thought about forcing a standard brass screw into the doorknob (of course none of the stores around here had brass metric) but I was afraid what would happen is the threads in the doorknob would strip instead of regrooving the brass.  I don't know what the doorknob metal is--it's not like what you find with HEC caps.   Anyway, I found what I wanted at McMaster-Carr like Don mentioned.  Not cheap but I deliberately ordered around twice what I needed on the hunch I'd wind up using it all in other things eventually, and then I'll have it on hand.

This reminds me of the time I tried to work up a quarter wave 10 meter mag mount antenna for the car.  I got a s.s whip at radio shack as I already had a big mag mount base.  I get home and find R.S. sold me a whip threaded for metric.  ??? Just try finding metric mag mount hardware in the U.S.  After trying to work up all kinds of hardware adaptations I gave up and got a refund and went back to the low bands at the house.

Sorry about hijacking the thread--I didn't start out to do that but I can easily loose control  ;)

Had a  couple of QSOs this evening.  One on 3705, and then moved up to 3885 and had another. But not a  lot of activity on the band.  The Ghetto was almost devoid of signals, and it took several CQs on 3705 before anyone came back. Some activity on 160 but still a little too noisy for me.

I have had several 160 M QSO's in the last week with 'mid-west' stations and condx have been unusually quiet and even operating in harmony with an AM QSO on 1885....We were down on 1880.....No trouble with hetrodynes.........I think folks are working harder to get closer to QRO power and better antennas on 160.
Fred

Brrrrrrrr.

Cooler Temps mean Fewer Leaves and that means Wire time.... :)


73
Jack
KA3ZLR

Just about the time the atmospheric noise has gone away, the power lines will awaken from their slumber and start to act up. Just wait and see; happens here every year, like clockwork.

It's pretty quiet out my way as far as line noise goes. Certain bands have a few birdies from nearby neighbors, but overall not bad.

Had plans to get on last night but static was surprisingly high, apparently a few T-storms still moving out to the south. Did hear a crew on 3875 with Robert 'VMC and a few guys from Ohio. Had everything warmed up and ready to go, all tuned to the 75m ghetto area from the last contacts with Pete 'CWA and Jim 'JUH. The last few days were busy for me though with little sleep, so the eyelids grew heavy and the bed won out.

Hopefully things will have cleared out well tonight.

Good Afernoon..... :)

That's why I like my Wire Bazookas...No Electric Fence noise... :)


73
Jack
KA3ZLR

..todd..having a nap, or going to bed i call "an eye lid inspection"...


..sk..

I was on 1880 last night with Mike KD8CVY and Terry N8<forgot this part> but band condx were not as good as a few nights ago, and the QRN was pretty bad.  There was this big blob of storms out around KC and Eastern Kansas and I guess those were wrecking everything, however I thought they'd be far enough away to not be too bad.  I guess they were pretty bad storms.

Cooler weather also means Gas Engine show wx! ! ! ! ! ! !  ;D  ;D

Hey Slab,

 Do you come to the RT 40 Event over here above Bentleyville Pa. ?

73
Jack
KA3ZLR

i was at a show yesterday, saw that V8 powered massey harris again, had some work done to it since last time.

Look at them rusty bolts on the valve pan covers...those shows are fun.. :)

73
Jack
KA3ZLR

the writing on the plug wires is upside down....  must be defective..................  shame shame shame

Hey Slab,

Did the Big Bess run at the show? I love to hear them run. I've got a Hercules 1.5 horse on the original cart.

Mike

Jack,
        Unfortunately, I never get up that far. About the farthest north we go is Kinzers (just east of Lancaster) They have some really kool stuff on permanent exhibition up there. One of my favorites is the "Three Ball Klein" (3 weighted balls in the governor).  6300 cubic inches, 2 cylinders, and 90Hp @ 160 RPM! ! ! ! (and a 24-7-365 duty cycle) It weighs TONS and has to sit on it's own concrete foundation


Mike,
       The big bess was running for 4 days solid! ! !  Complete with "hot tube" ignition.
Another kool one that was at this weekends show was a 15 HP Fairbanks - Morse model "Y" "oil engine" made in 1918. It also ran for 4 days all day. It is a single cylinder 2-cycle hot-bulb "diesel" (actually semi diesel).  Back in those days, because of patent fights they were called "oil engines" It just runs happily at 350 RPM going "chuum, chuum, chuum" all day.

Way too much storm static here last night.
I got the antennas ready for the winter season and tried a bit of 75/80 and 160 last night.
20over9 static on both bands.
There'll be other days!

I've been chomping at the bit to get my 80 meter dipole back up.... NEXT clear weather and off day that happens to merge!
Friday the 23rd = Autumnal Equinox so it's that time!

I'm in the same boat with my 40m aerial, John. Though it's back up in the air, the feedline now has a problem and needs to be replaced. Looking forward to working you on the band soon, Buddly as well.

We had another excellent group on 75m last night, including a visit from Ron W8ACR in Montana. Was receiving him 10-20 over S9, but by that time of the morning the static level had built up quite a bit and copy was maybe 75%. Grant 'BVT was back on for the first time in a while, and Fred N8BX was booming into NC from north of Columbus OH on his T-368. Think we had a half dozen or so folks drop by until 2AM or so when we called it a day.