TOM VU Discovers A Way To Limit Time In Roundtable

[flintstone mop]

I had a nice short QSO on 1885 with the infamous K1JJ, Tower Tom, and W3TIM,N3WWL, and Mike, the call slips the memory banks. Very peaceful in the 'hood.
Tom had a problem in the maul he was using that, after 5 minutes, there was an aroma of something burning. He discovered that it could be a way to limit the time on the air and prevent buzzard transmissions.
A timer set to press an aersol can of "burning resistors" smell would be released in the operator's shack causing alarm and release of the PTT.
HA!!

Fred

[ke7trp]

Thats a great idea!   Time should be kept short.

I used to talk in a Group that encouraged 10 minutes minimum.  They actualy told me to get an EGG timer and set it for 10 minutes when it was your turn.  That was a BORING group.  It would be up to 40 or even 50 minutes before you got to speak again!

c

[K1JJ]

Whatever it takes to keep the transmission shorter is a good thang. We had a blast last night on 75M doing break-in with a large group.

Yep, that smell from the 4X1 rig had been haunting me for about two weeks now. After 3-4 minutes I'd start smelling burnt Plexiglas, of all things.  It has a nasty, acidic smell.  

The problem with smells is they are really hard to find. I looked all over the shack - into power supplies, antenna connectors - anything that could do it, but no luck. I thought it might be under the air subchassis, which is covered, but it was clean when pulled apart.

Last night on 160M after only 2 minutes, it finally lit up with a flame and showed itself. It was from a bolt holding the center of the tank coil to a piece of Plexiglas. The turns arced thru the bolt insulation and and melted the Plexiglass. Fixed it.

I then switched the rig to high tap to shake it out at a new level. Then the bandswitch started arcing. I moved some taps around to increase separation and that solved the arcing.

If that wasn't enuff, I QSYed to 75M and after an hour of fast break-in operation  I unkeyed the rig and the PTT relay stuck closed. The RF drive was gone so the final got bright yellow. The fixed protective bias should be a little higher. Turns out the delay capacitor was discharging big-time into the relay contacts causing big pits. I added a 22 ohm resistor in series with the contacts. The arc is almost gone and all is FB again.

So, today, running at full high-tap on 75M, the rig is hanging in there.  We'll keep trying it on different bands until it finally hangs in there OB style.

No excuse to make long OB xmissions, though...

T

[ke7trp]

Tom..  BOOOMING into AZ at 9:15 PM AZ time.  50 db over. Called CQ a few times but you never answered me.  I think you where talking to Tim.

C

[W1RKW]

T,
Be careful about burning some plastics.  Some gases emitted, can be carcinogenic.  Not sure about plexi or lexan.
An MSDS search might reveal toxicity.

Whatever it takes to keep the transmission shorter is a good thang. We had a blast last night on 75M doing break-in with a large group.

Yep, that smell from the 4X1 rig had been haunting me for about two weeks now. After 3-4 minutes I'd start smelling burnt Plexiglas, of all things.  It has a nasty, acidic smell.  

The problem with smells is they are really hard to find. I looked all over the shack - into power supplies, antenna connectors - anything that could do it, but no luck. I thought it might be under the air subchassis, which is covered, but it was clean when pulled apart.

Last night on 160M after only 2 minutes, it finally lit up with a flame and showed itself. It was from a bolt holding the center of the tank coil to a piece of Plexiglas. The turns arced thru the bolt insulation and and melted the Plexiglass.

I then switched the rig to high tap to shake it out at a new level. Then the bandswitch started arcing. I moved some taps around to increase separation and that solved the arcing.

If that wasn't enuff, I QSYed to 75M and after an hour of fast break-in operation  I unkeyed the rig and the PTT relay stuck closed. The RF drive was gone so the final got bright yellow. The fixed protective bias should be a little higher. Turns out the delay capacitor was discharging big-time into the relay contacts causing big pits. I added a 22 ohm resistor in series with the contacts. The arc is almost gone and all is FB again.

So, today, running at full high-tap on 75M, the rig is hanging in there.  We'll keep trying it on different bands until it finally hangs in there OB style.

No excuse to make long OB xmissions, though...

T

[K1JJ]

T,
Be careful about burning some plastics.  Some gases emitted, can be carcinogenic.  Not sure about plexi or lexan.
An MSDS search might reveal toxicity.

Bob :  heheheh.... yeah, I try not to burn plasdicks too often, OM...   But sometimes it just happens.  BTW, nxt time we chat, remind me to axe you a few thangs about your 813 rig.


Tim: Aw too bad we'd didn't hook up.  I called CQ once and unkeyed to hear Buddley and Gary/WA1OXT. It became a local roundtable and forgot to listen out west, sorry.  I always enjoy working out there and will make a special effort to try next time. Maybe tonight?

Maybe we can make a sked. What is your biggest working rig and antenna for 75M?

T

[W1RKW]

Bob :  heheheh.... yeah, I try not to burn plasdicks too often, OM...   But sometimes it just happens.  BTW, nxt time we chat, remind me to axe you a few thangs about your 813 rig.
T

I maybe be on the air around 500p for about an hour or so.  Got a couple errands in town to complete.

[flintstone mop]

Last night on 160M after only 2 minutes, it finally lit up with a flame and showed itself. It was from a bolt holding the center of the tank coil to a piece of Plexiglas. The turns arced thru the bolt insulation and and melted the Plexiglass. Fixed it.

I then switched the rig to high tap to shake it out at a new level. Then the bandswitch started arcing. I moved some taps around to increase separation and that solved the arcing.

If that wasn't enuff, I QSYed to 75M and after an hour of fast break-in operation  I unkeyed the rig and the PTT relay stuck closed. The RF drive was gone so the final got bright yellow. The fixed protective bias should be a little higher. Turns out the delay capacitor was discharging big-time into the relay contacts causing big pits. I added a 22 ohm resistor in series with the contacts. The arc is almost gone and all is FB again.

That sounds like my story lately with this high tech stuff and switching modes. Not everything here is goof proof, so I have myself to blame for some of these gremlins.

Fred

[KL7OF]

Tom.... you were loud out west...the fast breakin style kept me out but I talked to Roy KA7NGT later and he said he worked you.. Roy is near Mt Rainer.......By the way...Burning acrylic makes phosgene gas....very nasty...  Steve

[K1JJ]

Tom.... you were loud out west...the fast breakin style kept me out but I talked to Roy KA7NGT later and he said he worked you.. Roy is near Mt Rainer.......By the way...Burning acrylic makes phosgene gas....very nasty...  Steve

OK on the nasty gas. Yeah, it sure was nasty alright.  The only good thing is it didn't leave a lasting odor like resistors or esp transformers burning...


I'll make an effort to work youse guys out there soon.  Fire up the Fred Flintstone rig.  How 'bout posting that picture again?

T

[KL7OF]

Here's the "Fred Flintstone Rig"...PP100ths mod by 813s...Hope to work you soon...Steve

[N3DRB The Derb]

wo. that tx has scrote. All hail Fred...

I see that,  like me, that safety is not a big consideration. Is that the grid leak rx hanging out the back like that or something worse??

[flintstone mop]

A serious transmitter for serious A.M. operation and clearing the air.

Fred

[K1JJ]

Yep, nice old buzzard workmanship.  I especially like the 100TH-outlined viewing windows.  Dave/VW once said it looked like one of those Flintstone cartoons when Fred goes thru a wall...

T

[WA1GFZ]

Reminds me of the time my XYL went off the road in Bermuda leaving a void in the bushes along the side of the road. She bent the forks on the new moped she rented and landed on a dead bird. This was about 10 miles from the hotel.
I knew not to laugh but sure wanted to snap a picture but knew it would cost me a taxi to get back. She drove very slowly back to the hotel and I got a good sun burn on my legs. She was cranking when she slid off the road.
I had to go shopping with her the next day as the road burns healed.
The guy who rented us the bikes never noticed the twisted forks after I man handled them so it would go down the road.
driving on the left side is a trip