New England AM QRP Net 3PM Sundays 3.870

[W1UJR]

New England AM QRP (or PW) Net

Same time - 3:00PM EST

Same frequency - 3.880 MHz

Two questions we'll be discussing on the net today:

1) Frequency - What frequency would you like to see the net operate on, should we stay on 3.880 or consider moving to a less congested part of the band?
(This becomes an issue if any strong local stations are on 3.885, it makes it very difficult to hear the low power stations, and prevents up any good natured AM brethren from using 3.885 while we are on.)

2) Name - What should be the formal name of the Net - New England AM QRP or New England AM PW?
(Not all stations are true QRP, but most are operating on what is euphemistically called "Peanut Whistle" power.)

-Bruce

[Steve - K4HX]

Post all your QRP Net comments, results and ideas here.

[steve_qix]

I'll respond here because we have a wider audience than just N.E.  

First, this is a nice net, and there has been very good participation.  It's fun!!

I only have one suggestion - I really think the maxium power output level should be well defined.  It doesn't necessarily have to be 10 watts (although it could), but it should be something with a number attached to it, so everyone knows what it is

So, some questions: Is a Ranger QRP ?  Is a TCS (with its single 1625 when you're on phone)?  Personally, I say no to both.  A screen modulated 6146 or a Flex running 10 watts.  Definitely yes.

Something like 15 watts and less, or 10 watts and less, or whatever watts and less      (carrier output, of course).

Thanks and Regards,

Steve

[Steve - K4HX]

Good point Steve. If QRP Nets spring up in other regions, post them here!

[K1JJ]

Ten watts or less is a good number.   After all, there are several stations that check in now with one watt and are easy to hear within the region. And 10 watts is 10db louder than one.

This IS a regional thing. Each "region" needs to run their own net. We will not be hearing W8's and W9's checking into the NE net and vice versa. So, ten watts is plenty of power for ~200-300 mile regional coverage.

Most rigs are 20 watts or more on AM. If it's just a matter of turning down the ricebox to 10w, what's the point? Encouraging creativity to put out 10 watts is a good thing.  Remember that guys will build QRP rigs if they are motivated enuff. There were 25 check-ins back in March, 1996 for the first PW net call up - all had built homebrew <10 watt rigs over a 2 month period.

The bottom line is we WANT signals on the QRP Net to have some fading and static hiss in the background. This adds to the flavor and excitement of the net.

T  

[W2PFY]

Is a TCS (with its single 1625 when you're on phone)?

There are two 1625's in the rig and two in the modulator.

[W1RKW]

I'm rock bound  3870, 3875, 3880 and 3885 with the Retro75.  The transmit side of the Retro is not the problem. Sticking in another crystal isn't an issue since the (my) Retro can accomodate anything in 75m.  The receive side on the other hand, the Retro VFO works in a very small range and would need to be configured, not as easy as plunking a crystal in place but not a big deal.  I have other rigs that would work in the interim if we move far down the band.

[steve_qix]

Is a TCS (with its single 1625 when you're on phone)?

There are two 1625's in the rig and two in the modulator.

Right, but one of the 1625s in the final is turned off when the rig is in the phone position (unless you modify it otherwise).   

[W2PFY]

Right, but one of the 1625s in the final is turned off when the rig is in the phone position (unless you modify it otherwise).

You are certainly correct. I forgot that part. My question is, how did you know that

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Perhaps we could post the net schedule on some QRP related sites as well? (NEQRP comes to mind) Both AM and QRP ops generally share a love of building their own stuff, and we should have much in common. Be nice to have a larger group to keep things interesting.

Also, since we are discussing frequency, spring is nearly hear, and with it the QRM.  Perhaps we could look at other bands as well for summer operations?

[W1UJR]

Great net today fellows!

We had two questions on the net today, the operating freq and the name.

The name was easy - New England PW Net
Define PW as you want, it means Peanut Whistle to me.

Power Level - A word about power levels.
I like Tom's comment about power level, and do agree we want to make sure it stays a low power net. With that said, I'd sure like to hear some of the low power rigs - which might make more than 10 watts on. Often there don't get put on the as we need to do battle or compete with higher stations. I'm thinking about Harvey Wells TBS-50, the Knight T-60, etc. I'd sure not want exclude these folks. The spirit should be low power, but the goal is to have fun, and build or get that old gear back on the air.

Frequency - This might be a bit more difficult. While 3.880 has been working for us, it really jams up higher power ops on 3.885 and 3.875. The frequency of 3.870 was suggested by a number of folks during the net as a place to move to. This is hard, as we realize that not everyone has a 3.870 rock, but K1BF had a suggestion about a group buy of crystals, which we'll kick around next week. For the next week at least we'll continue to meet on 3.880 until we make the formal announcement and move as a net.

Your thoughts and comments?

- Bruce

[K1JJ]

I'm thinking about Harvey Wells TBS-50, the Knight T-60, etc. I'd sure not want exclude these folks. The spirit should be low power, but the goal is to have fun, and build or get that old gear back on the air.

Bruce,

It's a difficult decision, but you make a good point for not excluding the smaller rigs above 10 watts.  It takes a certain technical ability to add a low power position. In the distant past, all of the PW rigs needed to be homebrew, so it was a natural thing to design in.

That said, considering the vast experience variation amongst the participants, maybe we should come up with a suggested "target" maximum power level that will not exclude these rigs now - and over time most will find a way to adjust their transmitters below this level. Not mandatory, just a suggested power level.  I've found the lower powered stations usually have the most fun on the net, so over time, power levels will probably drift lower anyway.

T

[W1UJR]

Agreed  Tom, my introduction to PW AM was by way of one today's net participants, Carl WA1ZCQ some years back when he was running only 4 watts! Never forgot that lesson, which is why I was delighted to hear him today.

What power level do you suggest?

[WA1GFZ]

I think we should run power levels to match conditions. The guys in NY were having trouble hearing northern NE yesterday. Maybe we should set an upper limit of say 20 watts.

[WB2EMS]

I think we should run power levels to match conditions. The guys in NY were having trouble hearing northern NE yesterday. Maybe we should set an upper limit of say 20 watts.

I was mobile during that time yesterday, but I couldn't hear anyone. The week before I only heard a couple of mumbles. Maybe it would be good if the NCS had a little strap. It would facilitate hearing the net for us outliers and help us check in without stomping over stations we can't hear.

[K1JJ]

Yes, I agree with Frank. A 20W suggested limit is a good starting point. Though, it might be encouraged to run 10W or less if condix are good.  This will include everyone and give guys time to make QRP rig adjustments.

The problem with power over 20 watts is the net becomes just a bunch of guys running their everyday rigs that are easy to copy - it becomes a regular, run-of-the-mill net. The thrill is hearing the excitement of the guys when they're on real PW rigs. The fading and static hiss is so cool to hear on signals  and creates the desire to join in on the fun.

T

[W1FVB]

To bad I couldn't make it yesterday.
PW net , works for me!
As of power level is concerned, it think 10 W should be the upper limit. For net control it
makes sense to run a little bit more.
The thrill of putting a homebrew rig on the air is just awesome. This is a great net
to encourage building your own. I've just finished my QRP Class E rig with a 1 Fet final. Very fun and educational, For example my peak power slowly went up from 5 to 10 W. It took me a while to figure out, but heating in the caps of the L-network were causing the problem  . Swapped them out for multiple caps to divide the current.

Hope to be there next week

Frits W1FVB

[K1JJ]

Some history: There is a legacy to the net that goes back to 1996. It's nice to see a new version rise again thanks to Bruce. Here's my personal PW QRP certificate from March 17, 1996. Fifteen years ago.   Everyone  who built a homebrew PW rig (about 35 guys total) and checked into the net received one.  There's still quite a few little PW rigs around. There were many endorsement awards for working other PW stations around the country when the net was not in session.  Notice the net slogan: "No mall is too small."  

I like the simpler and more flexible structure the net has today and hopefully it will have longer longevity if everyone keeps the interest up.

T

[W1RKW]

I concur with Frank. I was going to suggest 25W or less. That should accomodate rice boxes  and a host of other rigs.

Conditions sucked yesterday. The past net meetings I pretty much was able to hear everyone. I'm guessing I was able to receive 75% of normal but I'll chalk that up to my lower antenna were Tom/JJ was able to hear those I could not.

Antenna will indeed play a significant roll at low power.

[Steve - K4HX]

I think 10 Watts or less is good. This is only 10 dB down from many typical stations running 100 Watts. If conditions are crappy, crank up the power some. But the trend should be to use lower and lower power - that's the challenge.

And now - the seminal email, announcing the PisWeakers Net in 1996.

--------
WE WANT YOU!

A Class: B Class: 1-10 watts output

from:
Tom Cathey - K1JJ
Internet Adr: K1JJ@aol.com
January 19, 1996

“You’ve finally got a GOOD REASON to play PisWeaker once in awhile “ !

* Got Winter cabin fever yet?…Here’s a way to beat the blues! We’re about to play your FAVORITE hobby: 75M AM !

*Remember the warm glow and “radio smell” of your first little rig when you were a JN ? Please block off some Relaxation Time, find a comfortable chair and read on………

* With thoughtful, sensitive, provocative questions from our ham correspondent:

Joesph B. Strapper, esq…..K4KW

Ques from Joesph: “ What the hell are youse guys bothering me with this PW crap for “ ?

Thank you for your enlightening question , Joe.

We are looking for indications of interest from “roll your own” type AMers interested in becoming a FOUNDING Official PisWeak Station “(FOPS)”. If you get excited like many of us have about building and operating PW rigs , let us know…or just read this over and show up on the air with your own creation!

Over several weeks, please listen to the 75 AM on-the-air PW activities starting up and read this document over a few times to see if you are interested in getting involved. Lets have some FUN!

QUES from Joe: “ Fun my ass! I’m a BIG- BIG gun on 75 …I’ve got a reputation to protect! I’d rather slide down a 50 foot razor blade BARE-ASS into a vat of alcohol before I’d ever be PisWeak on 75 !….. So…….who are these bums already on board “ ?

Based on our conversations, the following guys are interested and potential Founding “Official PisWeak Station” CANDIDATES: (no one is yet a Certified FOPS or OPS …..a few do have PW rigs built already and may start making the required 25 different AM logged contacts soon)!

* Present “Pre-Founders” Listed by: name/call/ “threatened” power and modulation designation

Steve/ WB3HUZ / B1…… Carl/ WB1EYE / B2 …… Dean/ WA1KNX / B? …….. Tim/WA1HLR / B?, ….Joe /WA2PJP/ B? …… Rich/ K1ETP/ B2……. Rick/ N3RIL / B1…… Bob/ W2ZM / B? …….Tom/ K1JJ / A1 / B1, Joe/ K2UX/ B2, Ed/W1QD B2 schematic request, Steve/ KA1SI/ A4, Steve/ KD3HT/ B?……. AND….Still gathering potential FOPS’s… to become the Founders……at least 25 of us needed to start.

QUES from Joe: “ Yeah yeah…I know some of dem guys…some of ‘em are ALREADY PisWeakers!…

And there are still more regulars to be contacted, and knowing you radio gangsters, I’ll bet most of you’re game:

Frank/ WA1GFZ, Chuck/WA1EKV, Eric/WB2CAU, Joe/ WA1IWQ, AL/N2SHG, AL/K1JCL, Ed/N3LHB, Derb/N3DRB (from North Dakota of course), Fred/KC4MOP, Nick/KC1ZU (if his new XYL lets him play) , Jeff/KA1WLZ, Dave/N1RBM, AL/W1EOX, Dave/K3ZRF, Willie/W3DUQ, Greg/ N1EXI, Doug/AA1JB, Pete/W1VZR, (3rd BA audio) Chris/AJ1G, Bill/KB1DX, Fwaf/WA1FAF, Warren/NY2H , Jamie/KF2VM, Gary/N2NIR (big rig guilt), Paul/WA3VJB, Greg/K3EWZ, Ron/WA3WBC, Chuck/WB3FJJ, Bill/K1KV, Tom/WA3KLR, Mark/N2ZAB, Pete/WA1SOV, Alan/KA1ZZC, George/W1UAX, George/W1GAC, Larry/NE1S, Pete/N2IDU, John/N1MMD , Gerry/W2TPL

Now THERE’s 50 well known East Coast AMer’s……….I know I missed others…who are they ?

THESE are guys who have been on the air lately… I’ll bet there are many more who would probably get back on if they had a fun project like this to get into….Many are looking for a little more insanity in their lives.

*I’ve only got a few packets left… so please make a copy for your buddies if they want one.

QUES from Joe: “ Hey!…. I recognize a few of my COMPETION there! Dose guys will eat me fer breekfest if I show up wid a lousy 10 watts….GEEZ” !

QUES from Joe: “ What’s the PURPOSE?…Ain’t my $ 5,000 ricebox good ‘nuff fer ya “ ?

Our purpose is to take a needed break from appliance radios of all kinds, old and new…. and remember a time back to our roots in the 50’s and 60’s….when men were men and… well…. when homebrewing and operating simple, low power (10 watts and less), miniature tube type 75 meter AM transmitters were a lot of fun. To further encourage and provide a somewhat organized, fun environment to share ideas, work others for awards and show off our PisWeak creations.

QUES from Joe: Yoose guys got a plan or ya just flying by the seat of ur pants, like my bum son?

Our initial goals are to encourage others to build and get NEW PW AM rigs on the air and successfully check into the PW Net. To encourage as many diversified A/B Class and 1-5 modulation configurations in as many states as willing. (*see power classes and modulator designations below)…Once a good, strong enthusiastic PW group is developed, we will work on making good use of our rigs through PW awards chasing , the PW Net, and usual on the air fun.

* Important Note: If later, you find yourself out of control like the rest of us, try to get your rig built and Pre-Approved before the end of February, 1996 to be certified as a Net FOUNDER….. since ALL new PisWeakers coming on board AFTER we have our first official net call-up will become simply “OPS’s” (Official PisWeak Station). This “Founder” designation will stick with you the rest of your natural PisWeak life and will entitle you to the privilege of checking into the net BEFORE all of the poor PisWeakers who get sucked in, in the future.

By the way…We’re looking for a good PisWeak Net slogan/motto ……..anyone *Late Update…one suggested by Tim/WA1HLR on the air tonight….”The weaker they are, the longer they talk “ ..PisWeakers First Law….. Or, how about “Good things come in PisWeak packages??….. naw.
Like anything else, the more fluent you become in “PisWeakeze” as discussed in these SUGGESTED PW guidelines, the more fun you will have becoming a part of the game. If you learn these guidelines well….the terminology is especially important…. you may test review a OPS PisWeaker Candidate on the air soon once YOU have become a (Founding) OPS through this same process.

QUES from Joe: “ So… what will youse Founders all do…prance around in your ivory towers like my boss barking orders to us working stiffs down at the mill “ ?

There are no officers, etc. We all work together based on a voluntary basis . You want to be a Net Control “Shepherd for All PisWeakers” (the net SAP) ? OK, if you got a strong signal. Want to be one of the Designated Awards Stations (DAS) ?, great… you need a computer with a fancy certificate making ability…. Ever make a HARP contact ….Want to be a OPS Elmer and help some poor PisWeaker get up, running and approved?…many of us expect to do this on the air in the near future once we get our own rigs going….

Want to be the only PisWeaker to hold and WEAR the coveted UAN CUP?… Well, then ya gotta work like hell and give out a lot of PisWeak contacts…or lose it to someone else…… Or you can work towards SIX different PW awards (beautiful laser generated certificates) such as the Worked all States PisWeak (WASP) award requiring 25 different states (AM) contacts using your homebrew one or ten watt 75 meter PW rig! They’re all available to you as a PW Net Certified “Official PisWeak Station” (OPS) …..Not to mention the anticipation and fun of designing and putting together your own PW rig…

Comment from Joe: “ Yeah, and the PAIN IN THE ASS of getting it running right and sounding decent “!

QUES from Joe: “ OK, OK…I’m waiting for the punch line…how much green stuff this gonna cost me? The XYL’s gonna have my ass already for dat four grand Commander linear I got her for Christmas “ !

ONLY a small one time fee of $1,000 paid in small bills, Joe! I guess it goes without saying, but its worth saying to make sure: There is No Money involved…no dues….all awards , schematics, etc. are free…….. SASE’s, FAXes, Internet, telephones and Ham Radio pass our info. We as PW individuals absorb the costs of whatever we wish to contribute via time, guidance, parts, mailings, award services, etc. on our own. We advise no one to accept money for ANY services, perhaps with the exception helping someone with occasional radio parts and shipping if you feel it is appropriate.

QUES from Joe: “ Ya mean, I don’t gotta raise no CASH MONEY “ ?

QUES from Joe: “ What’s this PisWeak stuff? I thought this was FAMILY RADIO “ ?

* Note: The word “PisWeak” or “PisWeaker” in our organization is ONE complete word and thus does not have the “four letter word” connotation / definition…at least we hope not. The two word phrase, “piss weak” was originally coined by WA1QIX (now KA1SI) in the early 1970’s….. back in his more crass days. It still means the same things: An extremely weak signal or someone who is extremely weak. As a “new” more socially acceptable word, just as the word “pistol” has the same prefix sound, it means something entirely different than when it’s broken down into two. For a few straight lacers, this new word STILL may take some getting used to. But let’s use it freely and give it a new acceptable meaning just like any other of the estimated 200,000 new words people invent each year…..But if they STILL can’t take a joke……….well, you know the rest !

* As you have probably already guessed, the MAJOR reason for the new spelling is certainly not to satisfy stiffs on the air, but rather to keep the door open for listings in some of the many publications without having to change our name down the road. What the hell do you think the editor of QST would say when he came across the name “Piss Weaker Net” ??… We’re already stretching it as it is !

* Note: Throughout this document “A Class, B Class , or C Class “ refers to the PisWeakers’s Power class, NOT “Class A “, the usual final amplifier conduction angle category. Explained later. Notice the reversal in order….our power class is stated as “A Class” NOT Class A to avoid confusion.

QUES from Joe: “ So… Where do I get the BLUEPRINTS to build an OUTFIT like this?…there’s nothin’ in the ‘95 handbook …I even called HRO…after arguing with them for 10 minutes they called me a damn miscreant and hung up….what the hell’s a miscreant anyway “ ??

*Here’s a couple of rig designs I’ve spent alot of time on, and use on the air effectively (at least the 50C5 rig for now) ….The 750 Milliwatt 6BA6 rig is being built at the time of this writing , though it will be completed in time for February, I’m sure. You may use these circuits or develop your own unique ideas from them……..

The K1JJ PisWeak Rig schematics are available to all: Send a SASE for schematics if interested. Or design your own…see if I care! (I’m looking to HUZ to make ‘em look like a million bucks on his computer)

The JJ DUAL PW “A Class” and “B Class” integrated system…shares VFO, P.S. and low level audio: *built on two separate chassis to meet PW guidelines requiring separate finals and modulators for each power class….The 750 MW rig can be operated completely alone or operated as an RF driver for the 9.9 watt rig by flipping three self contained switches. Both rigs’ finals and modulators are driven by common, self-contained homebrew solid state low level RF and audio drivers for simplicity and stability.

A Class) PW Net A1 Class, 756 milliwatts out. A single “ Class C” 6BA6 Miniature pentode RF final, plate modulated by a homebrew 7 watt solid state modulator (for big audio headroom, and to be different)! The 6BA6 is a 2.5 watt tube often used in receiver VFOs , IF strips, front ends, etc.) It runs 120 VDC X 9 ma X 70% estimated efficiency = 756 MW output. The rig is fully self contained including audio, power supplies , and built on a 11x14 inch chassis. It features a single FET VFO and a solid state RF pre-driver….this is a micro-power “hi-tech” rig with an old buzzard tube touch). From initial scope tests, I think this little mosquito will actually sound better than my big rig which uses a Class C 4-1000A, plate modulated by a pair and employs broadcast iron!…..I guess good things DO come in PisWeak packages.

B Class) PW Net B1 Class, 9.9 watts out, a pair of “Class C” 50C5’s plate modulated by a pair of push-pull 50C5’s, featuring modified heising and a Ranger II modulation transformer. ( This smaller 8x11 inch chassis holds only the RF final tubes , modulator tubes, and associated iron…..the VFO, RF drive, assorted voltages, and audio drive are all borrowed from the 6BA6 rig above. It runs 300 VDC X 47 ma. X 70 % estimated efficiency = 9.9 watts out. Using a split H.V. supply produces a cracking 600 VDC on the modulators….those poor 50C5’s sing for their supper and actually show plate color when hitting 200% audio peaks!

Other schematics of different designs available from other fellow Founding PisWeakers by SASE request. Please send to callbook addresses….more on this as their rigs hit the airwaves soon.

QUES from Joe: “ OK, I’ll get my bum son to run down to the Post office today…. Let’s just assume I might be interested…….. when does the joint get hopping “ ?

Starting Time: Sometime in late February…giving everyone time to build up a PW Rig, work 25 AM stations with it on 75 meters, learn this document well, and get their first rig pre-approval .

QUES from Joe: “ At what time do we meet and on what CHANNEL “ ?

Meeting times: To be determined, though due to current Winter 75 meter conditions, an initial 2:30 -3:00 PM Sunday afternoon starting time might be a good idea for now to allow for optimum PW signals before the skip rolls in… General PW activities, rag chewing, awards chasing, etc. can go on at any time, 7 days a week. Conditions will improve in the Spring for later net times. We will always try to shoot for the best time /conditions for the PW Net as the season and solar cycle changes……so stay informed by being an active PisWeaker on the air. As for the “channel”, somewhere in the AM window between 3870 and 3890….design your tank circuits centering on 3880 Mhz.

QUES from Joe: “ How do I keep up to date on what’s going on? All my buddies on SSB ever talk about is who got the best deal on their rice boxes or the best mike to use….I still love my lollipop D-104 no matter what those rednecks say.

It would be a great advantage to get on the Internet in the future (if not already) to receive late breaking PW news…New OPS plans/rigs on the air, new OPS states, UAN CUP threats, etc….. In fact a lot of guys can be reached by simply addressing to “Their ham callsign @AOL “. Steve, KA1SI has given the PWN permission to use his Internet Site for info posting. He presently has a “Ham Radio” site with the address as: “HTTP://hamradio.bicnet.com” More on this area at a later time. We expect to have this document on soon so that new PisWeaker candidates can download it. Of course, the best way to stay informed is to listen in the AM window, or better yet, get on the air yourself and give out some PW contacts to others!

* Late breaking news: The PisWeaker Net is now WORLDWIDE!….. Tell your PW buddies to download this document off the Internet: “http://hamradio.bicnet.com” once you have registered with Steve’s site, no doubt.

QUES from Joe: “ When did you idiots ever dream this one up “ ?

PWN First thought of: January 6, 1996 (day of the great Blizzard of ‘ 96 ‘) by a renegade band of PisWeak gangsters.

QUES from Joe: “ Youse guys got everything running smooth as a Bridgeport yet “ ?

Not Yet…The FIRST HURDLE: To get at least TEN A Class and/ or “B Class “ OPS (Official PisWeak Stations) operating and certified on the air. Let’s get those rigs built and running, make the required 25 contacts, and get ourselves pre-approved to have our first PisWeak Net call-up in late February!

Remember, you are a NET FOUNDER if you complete these steps and check into the FIRST net session for your official certification.

QUES from Joe: “ So whose gonna test YOOSE guys? The chicken or the egg? Gotcha…. wise guys……Or ya gonna make yourselves the kings while the rest of us poor slobs suffer in the trenches “ ?….

* We will all go through the very same certification procedure as future PisWeakers will. Once two of you, and I work the required 25 different regular AM stations using our “candidate” PW rigs, I will give out the first two tests/approvals… and one of you will give me the test/approval. Then these two of you will approve four more of us and so forth until we are then approving AMers other than the Founding PisWeakers. Then we will all get certified on the FIRST session of the PW Net.

* Any OPS can make himself an “Elmer” at any time, and then pre-approve an OPS Candidate/rig on the air in a private QSO…..but the candidate must survive the final “Live PisWeaker Net quiz”. Remember, only the Net control “SAP” can officially “Certify” a station during a live net….. for all OPS’s to hear…. and object to the certification if they have a good reason….like say the candidate had at one time tried SSB or Mary Jane……… or the PW rig once saw service as the “Voice of Communism”.

QUES from Joe: “Mary Jane???………So how does a REAL man like me, Joe Bubba Strapper, get to be a PisWeak Station “ ?

HOW TO BECOME AN OFFICIAL PISWEAK STATION: (OPS)

Build yourself a simple 1-10 watt (PWN B Class ) OR less than 1 watt (PWN A Class ) OUTPUT 80 meter AM transmitter, learn the rules and guidelines set forth in this document, work 25 other different AM stations with at least 5 of these being existing Official PW Stations (OPS), meet with an OPS Elmer on the air for a one on one pre-review and quiz of you and your rig qualifications. Then successfully check into the PW NET using your PW rig for a quick final test. Always be ready to give the call signs of the stations you worked from your PW log at the request of the “SAP” (Shepherd For PisWeakers) net control station or OPS Elmer, and answer any random quiz question concerning the guidelines of this document and general suitability for your rig to be approved as a new OPS. At minimum, a PW log is required to be kept of ONLY other OPS stations or OPS candidates since new candidates may need you to verify they worked you.

The log needs only five items: His Call, Your Report, His Name, His State, and His Class/mod designation. To further clarify, A or B Class designations are ONLY given out to individual stations by the net after meeting certain guidelines and all other stations outside the net are C Class regardless of their power .

QUES from Joe: “Ya mean I can tap off the 12BY7 driver of my FT- 101 and I’m a PisWeaker “!!!! ?

MIMIMUM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSMITTER:

The RF Final and Modulator circuitry MUST be HOMEBREW. It must transmit AM, 75 meters. A “ B Class” rig (1-10 watt output PW rig) must use TOTAL RF final dissipation ratings of no more than 20 watts. Likewise for the modulators. Similarly, an “A Class “ rig (LESS than 1 watt output… always quote it in milliwatts for fun) must use TOTAL dissipation ratings of seven watts or less for the RF finals or modulators. The RF final and modulator circuitry may be tube or solid state….but MUST be homebrew.

All OTHER transmitter components can be ANYTHING….. outboard, solid state, commercial or whatever you wish . The RF final amplifier must have real time metering for the RF final input plate current and plate voltage while on the air to determine your power INPUT to within 1\10 of a watt under dead carrier conditions. (This metering can be outboard if you wish ). Have a clear, updated schematic copy of your rig and be willing and able to FAX or mail it out to any ham SASE request.

QUES from Joe: “ Yeah, well, what if some guy opens his yap up once too many… can I still turn on my “CASH HEAT” to smoke em’ “ ?

You can change your power anytime (with a variac if you wish) as long as its within your certified class limits. Once a PW rig is certified as either an A Class or B Class by the Net “SAP” it will always remain in that class unless the rig is rebuilt with different type finals or is to be put into another permanent power class. In this case, another fellow OPS must approve that it still holds to minimum PW technical and construction specifications and then a formal request is made at a net session to re-certify it. The PWN prohibits reducing the drive of a B Class rig to masquerade as A Class and vice versa for net functions and activities…INSTEAD, please build a smaller CAN, however, change the modulation configuration anytime you wish WITHOUT PW Net certification. This will give fellow PWer’s more “WAD” (Worked ALL Designations) Awards contacts! Just tell the station you are working the modulator designation you presently are using. This modulator designation will be described shortly.

* As you probably realize, you can run you PW rig any damn way you want during non-net related activities….regular rag chewing, etc…though when pursuing awards, giving out an official PW contact for any reason requires you to stay within the PW Class guidelines for which you had your rig certified.

QUES from Joe: “Yeah, Yeah…You didn’t think BIG JOE was gonna turn down the heat on his Big Maw, now did ja? Now……… what’s all this AB 1-2 -3 stuff about, anyway “?

RIG CLASSES:

PWN POWER CLASSES: Power Output

A…………………………………………….. less than 1 watt

B…………………………………………….. 1-10 watts

NON- NET POWER CLASS:

CLASS POWER

C ……………. Any power

ALL OTHER SET-UPS OUTSIDE OF the PW NET REGARDLESS of POWER, COMMERCIAL/HOMEBREW, etc., that are NOT Certified PisWeak rigs are C CLASS . If YOU own a certified PWN rig and happen to be running a 10 watt output ricebox at the moment, you are running a C Class station….(in this case C5…. a non-approved rig , running a linear final) In other words, C Class means ANY non-certified rig. By saying: “ I’m running C5 / 10 watts “ , etc……..this could be a 10 watt rice box.

MODULATOR DESIGNATION

Modulation Designation “Modulation Classes”: (relating to how the FINAL Power amplifier is modulated:

Modulator

Designation: Modulation Configuration:

1…………………. Plate or Collector Modulation

2…………………. Series Modulation (PDM usually uses series modulation…. but it deserves its’ own deseg.).

3…………………. Grid/Screen, Base Modulation

4…………………. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM or PDM)

5…………………. All Linear RF Finals using low level AM drive.

*** A Solution for Non-builders: You may convert a little CB set, etc., etc. type rig and run it in the 1 or 10 watt class, though it cannot be certified since the finals/modulators are not homebrew. Thus, you cannot qualify for awards…… though, you can still make PW contacts as a C1, C2, C3, C4, or C5 class like the other PisWeakers and still have fun! When you give your designation, say “C1/ 10 watts “ ……or whatever designation and PW power class you’re simulating at the time.

However…if you’ve got the time and expertise to convert and get on the air with it, you’ve got time to slap together a little homebrew PW rig and be a CERTIFIED PisWeaker!

Examples:

A 6BA6 putting out 750 milliwatts and PLATE MODULATED by a solid state modulator is an A1 Class station ONCE it is certified by the PW net. BEFORE it is certified, it is a C1 Class station , and simultaneously a A1 Class OPS “Candidate”

A pair of 50C5’s plate modulated by a pair putting out 9.9 watts is “B1 Class “ once certified by the PW Net. As in the last example, before certification it is a C1 rig while at the same time a B1 “Candidate” while in the process of making the required 25 AM contacts for certification.

A Viking II, a 4-1000 rig, a homebrew 5 watt rig NOT approved by the PW Net, a rice box, etc. are all Power “C CLASS …..”…..but with there appropriate modulator designations. A Viking II is “C1 Class .” A rice box is “C5 Class.”

* You need to know this designator info for your PW log to qualify for the six PW awards, etc….its really quite easy.

QUES from Joe: “So NOW I’m ready to peak this little sucker for maximum smoke, right “?

POWER MEASUREMENTS: …Nothing’s perfect….

The final amplifier tube DC input voltage and current should be continuously monitored. If you are using a series modulator of any kind make sure you measure voltage ACROSS the final only; do not include the modulator in the voltage circuit. To determine the output power estimate with a power meter is difficult because most scales read near the bottom for PW low power, swr error effects, meter tolerances, etc. It is better if we all do the same thing to arrive at a standard method…(Assuming we all have reasonably accurate VOM’s and current meters) We will take the power INPUT (DC current X DC Voltage UNDER LOAD while transmitting a dead carrier) and multiply this input power by the PW Net standard efficiency factor to come up with estimated output power.

Designation: PW NET Standard Efficiency Factor (SEF)

ANY Plate, Series , or PDM modulated final

(PWN designations 1,2, 4)………. 0.70 (70%)

Any Grid/ Screen modulated final

(PWN designation 3……………….. 0.30 (30%)


----- continued in the next post -------

[Steve - K4HX]

Part 2 of the email announcing the PisWeakers Net in 1996.


--------

Any Linear Amplifier

(PWN designation 5)………………. 0.25 ( 25%)

* These conservative efficiency figures will give everyone a chance to see similar or better results. They are ballpark and may change somewhat based on our future technical discussions.

Example: If your rig is an A1 Class (

QUES from Joe: “ Hey Stash!…Look at yur S-meter…….I’m strapping the W5’s and I’m only on my Class A3

350 Milliwatt rig…get aload of dat!….That PROVES Big Joe’s got the best location and antenna in the world”!

PisWeaker Integrity…

All of us have heard the dependable and strong 15-20 watt signals from Eric/WA2CAU, Joe/K2UX, Bill/W3DUQ and Carl/WB1EYE who choose to run this level a lot of the time…. Even 10 db down, ( running 1.5 - 2 watts) their signals would still be great copy! Notice they run QRP mostly during good conditions, and have bigger rigs on tap.

Since everyone’s rig will have slightly different final amplifier efficiencies for each configuration , the builders with the more efficient techniques will have an edge over the PWN efficiency factors. It is well and good to reward good PisWeakers this way… HOWEVER, a word concerning the dark side to this….. I’m sure it exists in all of us from time to time. Some operators may choose to buy efficiency by means of a Variac for ego’s sake. We’ve all been there at one time or another….the big DX pile-up, the AM strap contest, QRM battles, etc…sometimes its gets emotional, no doubt. We all have egos - it’s part of being human.

Since the point of being PisWeak is to have fun and not try to prove how loud we are, (in fact, in the PW game, the more PisWeak you are while still being heard is actually cooler)! Instead, pour on the audio! Notice Tim WA1HLR/mobile when his carrier is S5 and his audio seems to peak up over S9….unbelievable! It is very important to adhere strictly to your VERBALLY stated power levels. This keeps everyone from second guessing the other and discounting each others accomplishments, etc….all bad news.

The two PW power levels are broad…1-10 watts, or 0.00000000001 - 0.9999999999 watt…alot of room for variation. RUN what you SAY you’re running…there’s no FCC rule to govern this power range like the big rig limitations which force us to be more than forthright sometimes about our power out. On 75 meters we all know that conditions favor everyone at different times and to boost our power for egos’ sake and say you are running less will only result in your losing the fun that the whole PisWeakers spirit is about. If violated, in a very short time most will know that you are not really running what you say you are since it averages out over time… Burn yourself out with the BIG AM rig first…strap everybody…WORLDWIDE , THEN turn on the PW rig. As for LOCAL CONTACTS, NO ONE has an advantage over anyone else when it comes to long term high angle propagation….You will be EXTREMELY PisWeak at times and at others expect to be the top strapper even running in A Class ! In short, forget the “strap ego” for a little while and watch how much fun all we have…

Now……. let’s have a little “Ham Watching” fun:

If YOU, like many of us, have healthy, competitive personalities, there may be a way to get a good “ego strap stroke” if you choose, without upsetting the balance…. High power isn’t the answer. First of all, the reason MOST hams (there’s exceptions) do what they do; chase DX awards, compete in contests, wear callsign badges, send QSLs, run high power, put up big antennas, even spend long hours ragchewing, etc., etc. is for one major thing…. RECOGNITION ! We all crave it in most of life. Why do people want hospital wings named after them, or are more motivated by a new title and peer recognition more than the raise, or want fancy cars…etc. How did you feel checking into that QSO and finding no one remembers your name, and then left you out of the rotation from neglect?…It’s happened to all of us. How about when EVERYBODY knows AND wants to talk with you?

After spending a lot of time in both the 75m DX window (3790 area) and AM window (3880 area) and getting to know many of the stateside personalities quite well, I’ve come to the conclusion that we hams look for recognition in two forms of ego stroke compliments depending on the activity. If we are rag chewers, like most of us AMer’s, the highest compliment to give another (besides a good audio report) is that you have heard them on before, and that you know who they are, even though they may not know you.

(“ O’ boy, I listen to you ALL the time, Timmy”!) Doesn’t that make you feel good ? ….We think to ourselves…..Hey, guess I’m doing something right!

For a DXer, this is also true by telling them they are one of the big guns that you often hear on. But the ULTIMATE recognition compliment to a DXer is: “Man, I can’t believe how well you can hear the DX stations…you hear better than anyone else on the band “!…..ad naseum….which is saying that the guy has arrived into the fold…..As a result of THEIR superior efforts, they have a great location, focused antennas, trained ears, etc….Notice I didn’t mention transmit signal…. most guys play it down as to not sound like an alligator….the worst insult is a big transmit signal and poor ears! In fact many DXer’s give out overly generous BS signal reports just to look good to their local buddies and demoralize others who can hardly hear the DX….it’s true, believe me. I’ve spent many hours listening with a pair of 3 el yagis at 130 feet on Europe…. and how many times have I heard the local BS’ers pulling the crap over everyone’s ears and saying that some Eastern European DX station is loud when they’re BARELY PisWeak! I do it myself sometimes, ha ha.

I’ve listened to my DX buddies (and myself) work the same Europeans over and over every night…saying the same things: “Good to HEAR you again, Pascal. You’re S9 +45! CU later, Chow….ad infinitum. It’s actually fun sometimes! BUT….I ask you. Even if it were FREE, would any of us call Pascal PRIVATELY on the telephone night after night just to say “good to hear you” (yeah, almost a stranger) and tell him he was 59? I doubt it! We all do it ‘cuz we know our buddies are listening and others we hope will hear us who do not know us yet….we are trying to build a radio reputation…very much like back in High School, etc….you know what I’m talking about.

The “Struggling Fish” scenario.

One last observation is the “struggling fish” scenario. A buddy and I were boat fishing in the Gulf a few miles off of Key West a few years ago. I had just caught a small 3 lb sea bass and threw him back in. The bass was injured from the hook, and just flapped on top of the water for a few seconds ……until …..BANG! His severed head flew out of the water as blood gushed everywhere. Then a four foot long barracuda slowly plowed by like a nautilus submarine….I saw the whole thing in slow motion….unbelievable!

The same thing happens on 75 sometimes. Just watch what happens when some poor local bastard in the DX window cannot quite pull a DX station through and is struggling to save face…..he’ll desperately gag: “someone threw a carrier on… or the QRN just got louder…..or you faded way down, etc. When he signs off, you will hear all the big guns calling the DX station like CRAZY to prove that THEY can do it…like sharks and blood. It’s so predictable sometimes, I would bet heavily on the outcome….How do I know? ‘Cuz I do it myself, sometimes…. its a perfect set-up to help further your “RX-DX” reputation amongst the listening barracudas.

Now, based on this “RX DX” ego factor that many competitive “strapper” people have, it could be easily adapted to the PW arena in a VERY positive way. I think a good way for someone to blow their recognition strap load with PW activity is to make a great effort in being able to hear ANY damn PW AM signal on the band. When some station is transmitting 450 milliwatts and you’re the only guy who can copy him amongst your buddies, there’s the stroke….This is a “reverse strap” reciprocal measurement of your stations’ efficiency. A closer look into high angle beverages and other ideas to improve the ability to pick out the LOCAL PisWeakers may be in order. Check out the last few QST’s on short, (120’ long or so) high angle, LOW, (8 feet high) beverage antennas for receive with great F-B ratios to null the QRM off the back. Just pick a couple of your favorite directions and go to town.. Hey, what the heck.

So when you hear us PisWeakers saying to each other: “ I can’t believe how strong you are!….. You’re almost against the pin with your 450 mw rig…..By the way, could you please repeat your call , my report, and your name one last time? ………You’ll know the score “ !

Comment from Joe: “As long as you can barely hear me, that’s ALL I care about”…………Yeah, RIGHT! , Mr. Strapper.

QUES from Joe: “ What’s this CANDIDATE - pledge crap? Ya mean, I, Joesph Bubba Strapper, the pride of the Elks BPOE #163, Iron Workers Union Steward, can’t be King of the PisWeakers right away? What the hell are my buddies on 78 gonna think of me…they’ll be saying I went queer or sumtin “ .

A or B CLASS OPS CANDIDATES:

As an OPS Candidate (Official PisWeak Station Candidate) , you must first complete the above requirements. Lets further clarify the station contacts requirement: With your new PW candidate non-certified rig, you must work at least 25 AM 75 Meter stations (any A/B/C Class ) with at least 5 being OPS’s outside the net on 75 meters. (Net contacts do not count). You must obtain his Call, your report, his Name, his State, his Power output, and attach a class/modulation designation (C1, A2, B3, C5, etc.) to each contact in the log. Everyone starts with one contact (themselves) for the same rig designation they are running. The reason for this will be explained later. As you start making your first few qualifying contacts, start looking around for an existing OPS Elmer who can help you along if needed and give you your Pre-Approval review once you’ve worked your 25 stations and have learned this document well enough to generally explain it to someone else by memory. All you need to know is spelled out here somewhere. Remember, you can check into the PW Net even if you are running the legal limit, but it will be near the end of the session with the C Class stations. As a new OPS A or B Class Candidate, you may call in with the Candidate gang which goes after the certified OPS/ B Class PisWeakers.

Ques from Joe: “ Now, lesseee….A silver plated chassis, silver plated tank coils, gold contact switches, I’m just getting started, Stash !….trying for 90 % efficiency! ……When the boss leaves, lets say me and you pay a little visit to the plating shop “ !

SUGGESTED (Desirable setup) STATION: (NOT REQUIRED, but guidelines to have more fun)

If you are a new builder, don’t be intimidated. These small building parts are all over the place and there are many Elmers OPS’s willing to give you a hand. You might build your first rig on a piece of wood to learn and get the bugs out. Once its working and tested, write the final design down and start it on a clean chassis. Don’t make the mistake of building the rig on too small of a chassis. It becomes a layered spider web after a while and real tough to troubleshoot….ask “Surgeon” George/W1UAX about his “little rig”. My own 6BA6 750 Milliwatt self -contained plate modulated rig is on a 11x14 inch chassis and it’s filled up! Many of the parts you find in the junk box may be regular size and not miniature 750 mw stuff. Besides, I decided to power my bigger B1 Class 10 watter 50C5 rig off of it, thus the bigger components… so think ahead to features you may add on later and you’ll be glad there’s more room in there.

Try to build a completely self-contained unit. The ONLY outputs should be the RF power SO-239 connector and the scope probe to sample some RF and monitor your AM waveform . The ONLY inputs are LOW LEVEL audio input, PTT keying, and AC power. The unit is built on a single simple aluminum chassis WITHOUT a front panel to make touching and viewing of PW tubes more fun. The entire rig circuitry is built under the chassis, except for the tubes… and maybe the power transformers sitting on top. Everything else is closed off with no chance of coming in contact with any voltages. You should be able to molest your 50C5’s while on the air without a fear of being shafted by accident.

The tubes should be 7 or 9 pin miniature types (though not required to be so) and running near their full ratings… preferably being slightly pissbeat showing a little plate color for effect! Suggested tubes: the tiny 6BA6, 6AU6, etc. for A Class rigs….. use a heftier 50C5, 6AQ5, etc. for bigger B Class rigs….etc. you get the idea. I find the tetrode/pentode to be much better than the triode for RF final PW work. They are stable as can be without nerd-ralization, modulate better, and I just noticed something……the triode has some feed-through power because of high G-P capacitance and from higher drive requirements w/o neutralization. When playing around with the milliwatt range, I found it difficult to get a negative 100% modulated carrier due to this unmodulated feed-thru drive power . Switching from a 12AU7 triode final to the 6BA6 pentode solved all of these problems!…This 750 mw rig is now very stable, will modulate upwards of 200% with clean 100% negative pinch-off, and is gonna be a real Jumbo Shrimp on the air…I’ll tell you! Tonight while testing this rig into a light bulb at 550 mw, I actually tried sticking my tongue on the output and socking a Yallo into the mike (at the same time)…didn’t feel a thing….try it and see for yourself, sometime. Better yet, try to talk your YL/ XYL into doing it!

As of this writing, Steve/WB3HUZ is building up a temporary, JS, haywire, breadboarded 10 watt 6AQ5 plate modulated by a pair…a mighty fine set-up… he plans to rebuild it nice and pretty into an actual breadbox once it’s working right….no kidding …….AND, by God,…… he’s even threatening to STICK IN a pair of 50C5’s modulators for 200% audio….pins first !

We’re gonna try to persuade the PDM boys, Steve/KA1SI, Frank/WA1GFZ and Larry/NE1S to build up a few A Class and B PDM tube or solid state rigs to give everyone some very hard to get modulator designators for the WAD “Worked All Designators” Award. * update: Steve has expressed an interest in putting something together solid state.

Tim/WA1HLR claims to have a PW rig already built waiting for him in Syracuse….come on Tim, build something NEW like the rest of us!….I can see it now, a single TPTG tube type 01A DFO (drift frequency oscillator) with a transformerless plate supply running 450 MW…..carbonium mike…. ……Oh CQ, can anyone PLEASE hear me!!!?

While Rich/K1ETP recently called me looking for last minute details about putting his own 50C5 rig together….he was inquiring about the best lubricant to use. The last time I heard him on, Dale/VE3VJA had his gears turning about a solid state PW rig.

Dean/WA1KNX claims to have at least two PW rigs in his “neat” shack….I’ve actually heard his 50C5 rig that runs directly off of the AC line, transformerless…just like the All American radio and 50C5 were intended to do!…..And Rick N3RIL has his plate modulated 5763 plate modulated by a pair of 12B4’s almost finished in the B1 class….it should be one of the first ones on…I’ll let HIM tell you more about it.

*Late breaking news: Dino/KNX just called me all excited about his NEW 550 milliwatt “A Class Candidate” 12AU7 series modulated by a 12AU7…. it’s in the shakedown mode. His first contact was with no other than (who else?) Irb. He built it on a tiny 1X3 inch chassis…self contained with a little LM386 audio chip driver and using a tiny Radio Shack backwards 8 ohm to 2K audio transformer to drive the 12AU7 modulator…..Said the audio peaks are still not good enough yet, needs work. He said he worked Irb and W3ZGW in the afternoon with (“OK FINE”!) S8-9 reports for about an hour! GOOD GOING DEAN! This may be the FIRST “A Class Candidate” contact so far! Just work 23 more AMer’s and you’re ready for your rig’s pre-net certification review, Dino!

HUZ says he heard Tim on with his little PW rig talking to Chuck/WA1EKV about Chuck building something up. Knowing Chas, it will be something VERY unique and clean.

Perhaps we will have to add a WACP Award someday…”Worked All Continents PisWeak”.

There was a W2 with a 59 +25 signal, can’t remember his call, that broke in last week with a little PW AM rig he said he just pulled out of his cellar…he built it 25 years ago for mobile……. heard all of us on discussing the PW concept the previous day….. said couldn’t resist getting it going again! I know we’re gonna hear from a lot of these guys who just gotta get back to their roots……if for only one last fling.

* Hmmm perhaps an “AA Class”……. 10db less than “A Class” would be 100 mw or less….Now THAT would be great HARP “Hit And Run PisWeak” material!

Now that my own 6BA6 “A Class” rig is almost complete, I’m thinking of building something VERY simple…smaller and VERY PisWeak. How about a few 2N2222A transistors powered off of a 9V battery, 50mw….. Build it in into a little Sucrets box?…hook it to the big antenna… Get on during a thundering Sweepstakes Contest with a bad aurora at 11:00 PM………. “O’ Boy, CAN ANYBODY, ANYWHERE HEAR MY PW SIGNAL???………ah, OVER!…….

And there’s many more like us… some are probably just listening and building right now. Its only been a week or so since the idea started….. but you’ ll hear them on the air soon. It oughta be real interesting to see what the various personalities come up with. I’m getting quite a kick out of hearing most of us struggle for days trying to get these little animals sounding decent…IT AIN’T EASY! But they’re saying: “It ain’t done, but it sure is fun” !

* Another Earth shattering news- flash update: Rich/K1ETP has just informed me of his startling decision to “can” the 50C5 idea and has actually paid $18 dollars for a new chassis to mount a 6AQ5 plate modulated by a LM384 seven watt audio chip…..that’s makes the third little PW rig getting built now that uses this little chip. He’s talking about meters, another 6AQ5 driver, potential VFO, etc. That is going to be an nice B class rig combination. Rich was in a panic and contemplating suicide due to having plenty of big variable tuning caps, but very little SMALL parts to work with!….I advised him to drop the razor and start asking around……I bet I know what will be popular at DeerChester this year!

Anyway, back to the “desirable” rig discussion ……no matter what I say, please do what suits YOU best!

Strive to homebrew everything and put the four major rig components, the power supply, VFO, final/modulator, and audio driver self contained on the same chassis. We highly recommend using a VFO instead of crystal control since the ability to QSY at will is one of our main QRM solutions in the world of the PisWeaker. I mean you’re gonna be really out of sync when the PW Court groups get going and you’re too weak to be heard off frequency 3 kc away. A single FET VFO works well, is easy and stable….with a buffer stage, that is. In addition, a slight, built-in VFO SBE effect is a welcome feature since whenever you speak, it testifies to your rig being a homebrew OPS… Plus it will help keep the SSBers’ QRM at bay…yeah, keep dreaming!

It is highly desirable to have at the FLIP of a switch, a 75-100 watt carrier linear amplifier ready to use for sudden QRM emergencies. A Collins 30-L1 (4 811A’s) is a great choice for its’ 100 watt carrier and the instant warm-up feature…though a homebrew linear would be even better. Try to use this linear VERY infrequently…it’s better to be using a “Class A” ( It is encouraged to give out your final amplifier voltage and current ( with resulting power) frequently to others to keep the spirit of accurate PisWeak measurements and to let others know how big a MAW you’re really swinging there… I’ve strapped a pair of large 3 inch meters on a plate bolted to the top of the 6BA6 rig showing 0-500 volts, and 0-50 ma. This reads both rigs’ parameters real time (depending on which is turned on. In your face- you can’t miss it.

* A word on power supplies: Many of us hearing “only 10 watts” think we’re going to get away with a tiny walnut sized plate transformer. Well, think about it. Ten watts output 100% modulated = 40 watts out PEP. This has a modulator efficiency to contend with too, so lets say the overall efficiency is 60%. That’s 40 watts / .60 = 66 watts PEP input instantaneous power requirements! NOW… try modulating it 200% for tough times…. 66 watts X 2 = 133 watts input requirements for a 10 watt carrier output! The point here is to minimize voltage sag. (poor regulation). Only a TV type transformer with the minimum core size of an apple will give you the regulation you need for these big audio peaks…otherwise expect to pay the price with audio peak flat topping…… causing distortion , splatter, less audio than you want, etc. Like it or not, HEADROOM is the name of the game for big, clean audio…ask Dean/WA1KNX HIS opinion about it sometime.

* Last comment: A matter of opinion, but from personal experience I’ve found that an ALL solid state rig, though “high tech”, neat, and compact, gets boring…. real fast…….nothing to look at but plastic and silicon. …. Just like riding a Honda. So, when thinking about building your big 10 watt rig, think about a Harley……then put a few friendly miniature tubes in it…..The warm glow is fun to look at and the majority of guys on the air will probably be MORE interested in what you “hollow stated”………….THEN carve your other PisWeak 950 milliwatt rig in silicon, if you must. In other words, mix it up a little.

QUES from Joe: “ How do I know all YOOSE GUYS are gonna hear me when I open my YAP “ ?

For more advanced PisWeakers:

High fidelity audio is a bonus. We do expect however to hear our share of carbon microphones for self contained simplicity… I think a mix of everything is good for everyone….plus a weak signal carbon mike sound is kinda neat once in awhile! In the PW game, do try to get as much asymmetrical audio on the carrier as possible. Make sure your modulator tubes are at least as big or bigger than the final….Or run a higher voltage on the modulators, or idle a series modulator way down for big headroom, or load a linear real heavily and use maximum plate voltage. It’s obvious when dealing with PW power, what needs to be done here to SWING A BIG MONKEY: You need BIG AUDIO!!! Use a low level negative peak limiter of some kind , or a high level three diode limiting circuit (ala WA1HLR) and some speech compression, maybe 10-15 db or so. Accent the highs more than normal, say in the 1500-3500 hz range. An audio equalizer is real nice to have with pre-settings for punchy tough guy audio, or laid back in the middle of the day wide body audio at the slide of your fingers.

It really pays to audio sweep your little PW rig, just like any big rig, with a an audio tone at the mic and a scope on the RF output to observe how good the in/out sinewave is. Once you do this kind of test, you know MORE than anyone can tell you on the air…you’ll just need your buddies to help you tailor the audio equalizer for your particular voice.

Do everything right and you just might get the ultimate PisWeaker compliment…. Picture this: One of your buddies 5 KC down frequency comes up and tells you you’re QRMing his QSO…….you gotta admit you smiled - you’re running 200% audio peaks on your 650 milliwatt rig !

And one last area: A Variac on the final plate supply is a great tool for initial testing, and zeroing in on the desired power you want to run. If you like the idea of running “ A Class” at 750 milliwatts output, it is easy to juggle final loading and the variac around to come up with a good output estimate using the PWN standard efficiency formula. Plus when operating OUTSIDE PWN operations doing regular rag chewing, its quite OK to run the Variac up to make a 10 watt “B Class “ rig run 15-25 watts out if you want. In fact, my pair of 50C5’s plate modulated by a pair will put out 20-25 watts with the variac run all the way up…though it now sees the vast majority of its service at a fixed 9.9 watts output.

QUES from Joe: “ So, watda I do…just call around the band with my PisWeak rig until I hear another PisWeaker like me….. like mating birds “ ?

PisWeaker NET PROCEDURES: *Note: These procedures are actually relatively short when handled efficiently in real time….with transmissions never lasting more than 55 seconds from most stations. However, we’ve spelled them out in detail to catch all the subtlties you as a “SAP” (Sheperd) may encounter.

SUMMARY:

The Net Call-up Order: Introduction, OPS Elmer Award, UAN Cup, A Class Founders, B Class Founders, A Class regulars, B Class regulars, All Certification Tests, C Class - 10 watts or less, C Class- 10 watts more, Close Net.

An Official “SAP” STATION, “Shepherd for All PisWeakers” Station will be Net Control. He will be required to run AT LEAST 125 watts of AM carrier, and preferably the legal limit to protect the PisWeakers’ frequency from the wolves. A dipole at least 50 feet high is highly recommended and the approval of the net will be required to insure this station meets these requirements and is not REALLY a PisWeaker in disguise due to living on a UAN Research Foundation RF black hole, or living in Florida or some other reason no one can hear him scream. Remember, it’s a proven fact that no energy, EVEN 75 meters, can escape from a UAN black hole.

As a “SAP” net control for the PW Net, you will start the session by reading the purpose and goals of the net, how to become a PW member, OPS minimum requirements, etc as explained in this document, how to obtain a schematic of a rig you hear on the net (send him a SASE), a listing of OPS’s with their current designations , a quick summary of PW Net Awards and a list of stations currently holding these awards. We will reduce this information load later as everyone gets more familiar with everything. Then giving the PWer’s 30 seconds to tune up their PW rigs, a PW Net call up is started. (Be ready to say, “ the frequency is in use” alot during PW transmissions..

During the Call-up, you should initially just obtain the Callsign and power output from each check in:

As a SAP you will already have a current OPS listing to say names, etc.

QUES from Joe: “ So here’s where I get to talk at everybody , right “ ?

The very FIRST Call-UP if for the current monthly recipient of the highly regarded PisWeakers Elmer Award or (PEA). This is for the OPS who has personally helped and officially certified the MOST NEW Candidate PisWeakers the previous calendar month. To show our respect and praise we have the entire OPS Class A, then B Class stations key their PisWeak transmitters 5 times in a row…and remembering that some of those signals would be silent now without this great PisWeakers’ Elmer guidance. He will then check in and say a few words of encouragement, then tell about his rig/plans in normal fashion. As a holder of the PW Elmer Award, he will get up to 2 minutes rather than the normal 55 seconds to speak.

QUES from Joe: “ I get gab for 15-20 minutes now, right “ ?

The very second call-up is for the current holder of the UAN AWARD. He is to be held in high regard, for he has paid his dues in the PW battle trenches more than most, and is the king strapper in a world of PisWeakers. More on this award later. He will be expected to say a few words of encouragement before conducting other business. At his option like, the Elmer Award holder, he may initially check in using high “C Class “ power for all to hear, and he may break back in at any time to finish his regular PW dialogue on the PW rig later. Normally, the holder of the coveted UAN award and Elmer Award are the only OPS station besides the SAP who are permitted to run more than “B Class “ ( max 10 watts) unless there is a temporary sudden QRM emergency requiring everyone to temporally go to “flip a switch” 100 watt linears……

QUES from Joe: 100 watts? The hell wid 100 watts….there ain’t a sidewinder in North America that can run my 4X5 off the band. By God, I’ll have my fat little finger pulling on that Big MAW breaker faster than a rattlesnake if I even hear a peep of QUARMMM!

By the way, since most of our PisWeak life will be spent having fun outside of the official net as you will see later , its not a big deal if propagation and QRM conditions dictate we ALL have to run HIGH POWER to be heard amongst ourselves for the entire net. On the other hand, consider us lucky if we can sometimes hold the net under great conditions and we can all run our PW rigs…. its just an additional bonus…either way the net is a success. Remember, that the world of the PisWeaker is a little like guerrilla warfare…you have to strike on your own terms when conditions are right. You wouldn’t get on during an aroura at night on 75 and call CQ with 750 milliwatts and expect to work anyone Rather, when signals are coming in rock crushing in the late afternoon, I’ll bet we’ll hear a dozen milliwatt PisWeakers come out of the woodwork for some fun someday…….just like nightcrawlers in the rainy night when conditions are just perfect…

QUES from Joe: “ Look you SAP geek……I told all my buddies from 78 to listen for me here tonight…don’t you be embarrassing me now, you here? Its time you let Big Joe have his say “ .

The FOPS Stations come next…(FOUNDING Official PisWeak Stations) A Class , then B Class ….followed by the regular OPS’s (Official PisWeak Station), Class A then Class B.

[Steve - K4HX]

Part 3

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The Following procedure is followed for both FOPS and OPS:

The SAP (Shepherd All PisWeakers) calls for check-ins of A Class stations ONLY. Restate to everyone to listen closely since these OPS’s are running in the milliwatt range and it will be a test of everyone’s listening abilities. Since these guys are the ultimate PisWeakers, much effort should be taken to get their calls through via relays if needed. A good example should be set that we DO put the effort in to LISTEN! However, be sure not to bog the net down after a few trys if no one can hear someone enough to even relay…tell him it’s poor conditions and you will get back in 5-10 minutes, or turn on the linear.

The next call up is for B Class stations and you will also simply write down their CALLs and power outputs.

TANTRUM from Joe: (As Big Joe keys up his 4X5, distorted as hell)…… “ THATS IT!!! Hows 5 KW sound on the PisWeakers Net, HUH? I’m WALKING THE DOG ON ALL YOU SONS of BITCHES, NOW! ALL YOU CAN HEAR IS ME!!!! Hey Stash, Hey Richard, Hey Larry …you listening? I warned these damned PisWeak Yankees not to screw with Big Joe! CUMmmmm MOOOOOOAN “ !

Comment from “SAP”: ****Calm down, Joe …here’s your chance to check in as a A Class Candidate….. Go ahead…..55 seconds only, like the rest of us.*****

JOE CHECKS IN: ……….dead air…….red face….. “ uh, uh,………I,… I……..I’m having a crapout! Gotta go….bye “.

Next: Call up for any A Class or B Class OPS CANDIDATES

Tell all other C Class stations listening to be patient, they to will be called after the FOPS/ OPS’s/OPS candidates get their business finished.

Now for the PW transmissions from each station in the order they checked in:

Start with the Class A stations. Tell everyone their transmissions should last NO MORE than 60 seconds with 55 seconds the preferable time limit. If conditions are bad we may have everyone run Class C high power and talk about their rigs the same way…there will always be times like this on any net.

The SOP starts by saying the OPS’s call, name, state, and power class /modulator designation. The SOP will have this printed info for all OPS’s in front of him. Tell everyone to listen closely.

QUES from Joe: “ I’m back…I, I,…. fixed the problem…..(Yeah, his mouth). So, what do I blab to yoose guys about now that I got the lolly pop squeezed “ ?

In this 55 second PW transmission, What you say is up to you. As a suggestion , considering packing in some of the following information over the course of a few nets:

Give GENERAL info: Give the tube line-up. State the transmitter components that are self contained on the chassis with the Final /Mod….Example: My VFO and Power supply are both homebrew and self contained on the chassis …the audio is outboard. State briefly your GENERAL plans for the future….”I’m building up a Class A1 600 Milliwatt rig now” etc.

OR: My WASP total is now 15 states…got Michigan last night…. Or just say whatever is important to you at the time…in 55 seconds or less…about the same amount of time as a 60 second TV commercial. Then Hit the road, mobile! Practice to keep this short and to the point. If others want more specific details on your rig, they can assault the you after the net or during normal rag chew operations.

QUES from Joe: “ YA MEAN THATS IT???!!! You’re telling BIG JOE that he just spent $38 bux building this damn rig just to talk fer 55 seconds??? What the hell kind of scam yoose guys running up there anyway? I’ll bet Yooose own stock in the miniature tube companies don’t ya you damn Yankees “ !

Now, Here’s The Best Part!!

The actual net session is only a small part of the PisWeaker “Club or Fraternity” entire picture. Unlike most nets that disintegrate once the session has ended, ours really begins! Being a PisWeaker is about having fun out in the real world. The net is only a central meeting place for all OPS’s to get official certification, get acknowledgment for awards, hear about new PW rigs just on the air, changes in NET guidelines, new awards available, etc.

The net is simply a tool to bring everyone together on a semi regular basis…The real net or “PW CLUB” is in the real world after the net is over. That’s where we help each other get set-up, telephone each other, have fun on the air, work towards awards, discuss new rig ideas, send each other schematics or parts, etc. The SAP’s job is really as a MC to see everything goes smoothly….. and as a final judge as to who gets certified. All the work should have been completed when it gets to him on the net…he simply gives a welcome dignity to the miscreant world of the PisWeaker.

QUES from Joe: Hell, what if I start transmitting when I let the dog out….when the neighbor knocks on the door to tell me he just crapped in his yard….that’s when I’ll end my transmission….how’s that?

As an acting SAP, tell all members to keep an eye on the second hand of the clock during their own PW transmission. Nothing is worse than having net members tune out because a of a long winded, old buzzard, “ PisWeakers first law” practitioner. The PisWeakers First Law reads “The weaker they are, the longer they talk”. Keep it moving and lively. Otherwise the poor SAP will end up having to defend the frequency and telling every Joe SSBer that the “frequency is in use.” Let everyone know that as a “Strap Sap” you will begin transmitting over any transmission exceeding 70 seconds and re-starting net business while the PisWeaker talks himself out. The only exception is with permission of the SAP, and he feels the subject is important enough to exceed the time limit and the PW station is sufficiently strong enough.

QUES from Joe: “ Can I phone directory information and see if they know where I can get me a blueprint for a PisWeakers rig “ ?

After each A Class station is finished, repeat the rig details quickly…. and then HOW to obtain a schematic from him. For example: “ You just heard his rig…..K1ETP is running A2 Class , a 500 milliwatt 6BA6 series modulated by a 12AX7…send Rich an SASE via his callbook address, etc. Do this for each OPS after their transmission.

Next do the same for the Class B stations.

QUES from Joe: “ Ok, OK…we’ve been jerking around long enough…when do I get that there OOOFEESHAL badge? You don’t want me to have another QRO bad spell, do ya “ ?

NEXT: Call up A Class Candidates ready to take their OPS certification test…Have fun with it. All candidates must be Pre-approved by an OPS outside of net time before they get a short mini test in front of the whole PW net. Their PW rig had better not crap out or the test is forfeited until next week. If a PisWeaker Candidate already has a previous rig certified, you can concentrate more on the rig itself or another Candidate since he already passed the guidelines once before.

Time permitting, quiz them BRIEFLY on a random requirement or two as stated in this document and determine if you can then grant them official OPS status now. Time permitting, it is best to gruel one of the OPS candidates at random real good once in awhile to keep all potential listening PisWeaker Candidates on their toes for future sessions. Don’t ever let them think it’s easy unless of course they have studied the material and then it IS easy. Since an OPS Elmer has already approved him, the OPS Elmer’s reputation is also on the line if the new PisWeaker Candidate fails.

QUES from Joe: “ Say WHAT? What’s the difference between a power mike and a roger beep “ ?

The pre-net one-on-one OPS approval process should take about 15 minutes on the air in a private QSO to determine that the candidate’s rig meets the minimum requirements for the class and he knows the guidelines of this document, including net procedures, SAP procedures, and the various awards particulars. Once he learns his way around, a good OPS Elmer could probably handle a few guys TOGETHER in one pre-planned, scheduled short session. A good question ALWAYS for any test is: What is the difference between blank and blank? A sample question: What is the MAJOR difference between the WAP award and all the other awards? ANS: Other than their obvious objectives, the WAP “Worked All PisWeakers” is the only award open to EVERYONE …(everyone means all Non-certified stations running any power or rig) while all Net-certified OPS’s must still use their PW rigs for the award.

QUES from Joe: “ Sceezmatic !……. of my rig?…. Ah…. No problem…..Just see my buddy Freddy….Freddy can lift a car radio in seconds…… He’s got a garage full of em’. Fer a sawbuck ya don’t gotta never build nothing!… ya sound like a million bucks when he’s through “.

An OBS Candidate should also have his rig fully completed with a schematic ready to mail out to any ham requests via SASE. To mentally prepare yourself, a good 2 hours over a period of a few days studying this document will probably be enough time and the rest can be picked up on the air.

QUES from Joe: “ OK, I’m ready! Let me hear the magic words! My buddies are all listening “!

If the candidate looks OK then the SAP will state the “CERTIFICATION SCRIPT” in formal words:

“As the acting SAP , Shepherd for ALL PisWeakers on behalf of the PisWeakers Homebrew AM Net, I hereby officially certify you and your rig as an Official PisWeaker Station, (OPS) “ Class B1” (or whatever class he is). You may now participate in all PW Net awards, check in with the regular Class A (or Class B whichever) stations during the net call up. Expect to be a highly sought after PisWeaker for award contacts AND you now have the responsibility of helping others to get their rigs on the air by providing your own customized schematic to all that request it via SASE. You will be listed in various documents and publications as an OPS/ B1. However, if you permanently tear this rig down, or do not make at least ten AM contacts with one of your certified PW rigs for more than 90 consecutive days, you will lose this certification… To reactivate will require your re-qualifying and meeting the candidate requirements again. CONGRATULATIONS as a new PWN (A or B) Class Official PisWeak Station!

* Since you can change your modulator scheme (and thus designator 1-5) at any time without net re-certification, we do not give a modulator designator in this certification ceremony.

If there is a large group of PisWeakers waiting to be certified, as in a group wedding, you can certify them all together. Just fill in each power class/designation assignment for each call sign while reading the same certification script above….

By the way, each certification is assigned to each individual rig. If you tear a rig down or change the final/modulators, you lose the certification for JUST that rig. But if YOU are PW inactive for over 90 days, you lose certification for ALL of your PW rigs.

NEXT: Do the same for OPS “B Class “ candidates ready to be certified.

NEXT: Call up all “ A Class “ regular candidates not ready to test yet and then “B Class “ regular candidates not ready to test yet.

QUES from Joe: “ How long do I gotta be dog meat and wait around while everyone else gets to gab on the mike “ ?

Notice the order of call ups…from existing OPS/ A Class members to OPS/Candidates not ready to test yet. There is a call-up hierarchy based on your accomplishments in this net.

Later as we get more stations certified as OPS’s and they begin to receive awards, we will call up say “A Class “ stations with at least 2 awards, etc. as the first check in group. This adds to the fun, and gives certain dedicated PisWeakers the recognition they deserve….

QUES from Joe: “ Breakity, break-break ….Big Joe here….. Hey SAP! I got some real important, big gun buddies been listening that just called me on the twisted pair….they sez they all wanna check in…they’re all running smoke…but I gotta tell ya….I think they’re real interested in joining this here PisWeaker Club since ol’ Joe here led the way fer em’ “.

Next call up all General C Class non-net stations. Let them also check in with the SAME format… Give them an example how…Encourage them to ask questions or discuss their PW rig plans (in 55 seconds or less like everyone).

Before closing the net you have the option of giving the net over to another SAP and running your own PW OPS rig if you like with the same format as the others….or you can just talk about it on the SAP rig and wait until next time you check in as an OPS yourself with someone else as SAP.

By the way, because of weak signals and time constraints, the giving of phone numbers and addresses on the net will not be done. Simply get yourself a Callbook, CD ROM, Packet Racket, or ask someone else on the air OFF the net for the address of an OPS to obtain a specific schematic via SASE.

QUES from Joe: “ OK, SAP…. So now I’m an OPS…… My XYL says BIG DEAL!…MY buddies been kidding me ‘bout why I ain’t got no wallpaper to show fer it…I mean a tough guy like me knows how handle the competition with an iron fist! You know what they say, when the tough get going….ah…..yoose know what I mean “.

The PISWEAKERS HOMEBREW AM NET……. SIX AWARDS

Summary of Awards: WASP Award, WAD Award, WAM Century Award, WAP Award, the highly respected PEA Award, and the coveted UAN Cup.

*Important Note: The WASP Award is the only one requiring you to qualify on EITHER the A Class or B Class rig. The others can be done on both rigs combined.

* All Award Recipients will receive a BEAUTIFUL laser printer generated certificate (suitable for framing, of course) AND recognition at the beginning of every PW Net.

THE HARP QSO: “Hit And Run PisWeaker”

* While it isn’t always easy to get on with less than 10 watts (or even 800 Mw) and make long “old buzzard” transmissions and expect to be heard ALL the time….it is still quite possible to have “hit and run” fun MOST of the time. HARP QSOs’ are quick contacts, getting the data exchange, and then moving on….. When there’s a big group on and you feel like having some quick PW award fun, be a Hit And Run PisWeaker!…. Just gang bang ‘em all and hit the road! “HARP” technology - PW Gorilla Warfare at it’s best !

When working towards the SIX awards, all contacts are to be made on 75 meters to other 75 meter Am stations, unassisted. All award contacts need to be logged…..with the 5 magic entries for each station……The data exchange: The other stations’ callsign, YOUR signal report, his State, his Name, and his Class/designation. (His class/designation is determined by you after asking the other station what his output power is, and his modulator configuration. If he can HEAR you ask this question, it is indeed a good contact…though no one is permitted to relay any info for you during a PisWeak Award contact. If its another OPS, then just get his rigs’ official designation, B1, A2, etc. QSL’s are NOT needed as QSO proof. Give a tree a break!

As for information from you, just like any normal contest contact, the minimum info he must “roger” is your call and your report to him, unassisted.

* By the way, the first 25 contacts you made to pre-qualify as a PisWeaker do not count towards any awards since you were not a certified PisWeaker while making them. It was your rig “shakedown” run and your own initiation into becoming an efficient PisWeaker. We all start fresh with one QSO (worked ourselves) the moment we receive our official net certification.

* Another recent quote heard from Tim/HLR: “Why not 40 meters “ ?….Let’s export the revolution !” … Once the 75 meter PWN gets on solid ground, we may some or all of these awards available for 40 meters. We need to think out how to do it for each award and still keep it fair for the PisWeakers who choose not get on 40m. Perhaps the WASP should be a separate 40m award and the other awards can be earned on both 40/75. Look over the awards with this concept in mind. Give us your opinion and keep updated as to what we vote as a group.

Ques from Joe: “ Hey Sap! Say…whatda say I slip ya this Grant and ya let me pop the cash- heat on once in awhile to body slam the QUARMMERS when I’m doing my PisWeaker thing “ ?

For the WASP Award, you get two separate awards….WASP/A or WASP/B , etc. It is permitted to build a new or different rig with the same power class and get it certified to continue your progress where you left off in the SAME power class…. This again being less than 1 watt OR 1-10 watts. There is no time limit, just get it done before the year 2050 if possible before we’re ALL old buzzards.

Probably the thing to do is to first build up a “B Class “ 10 watt rig and make a good dent in the awards, then later build a second 950 milliwatt or so “A Class “ rig to have even more fun starting over for a tougher challenge. For each operating session pick the rig you want to use based on conditions. Fire up the A Class milliwatt rig on those rare times to pick up a few far off states that are elusive but coming through now.

Consider having some local fun and get together with other mixed A and B Class PisWeakers looking to hold “PisWeaker Court” (PWC). This is when one PisWeaker calls CQ for the group (usually the stronger stations in the group, but you all can take turns) , and when a station answers, you all gang bang him in succession……then tell ‘em to hit the road! Actually, each guy works him in round robin with an exchange of info to work towards PW awards.

Make sure that you follow the rules and make each contact “unassisted .” What this means is that after you work him, and you turn it over to the next PisWeaker in your group to work the guy, you say: “Please stand by while another friend of mine gives you a call”…..go ahead Tim. (the name of your buddy). If you say Tim’s call, then the other station is really getting an illegal relay by you. The other station should be able to “roger” each PisWeakers’ report and callsign without help.

The only assistance from the PW group members is an “over” if the guy doesn’t respond to your buddy, or by telling them that the call or report was incorrectly received or they both doubled, etc. Of course, a station could easily listen to your group for awhile and get all the calls down easily enough…but by giving each new guy a specific signal report each time, such as 59 +25, 59 +10, etc., you can tell if he can really copying you when he rogers it back. Give each PisWeaker three tries for a good contact and move on….unless you’ve got a REAL rare one that someone badly needs for an award.

QUES from Joe: “ Hey SAP…..What you say ur name was anyway? I was thinking….. I’m not too good at writing and dat sorta stuff…. What if I get my XYL to sit in the shack every day and log in all the PisWeak contacts for me….Hell, I’ll bet she’ll get a real, big kick outa dat!…after all she still gets excited as hell every time she makes out a check payment for our $5,000 Commander linear I bought her for Christmas. Too bad she never got her ticket though “ .

As an easy, painless way to handle logging contacts for awards, try keeping a separate dedicated notebook labeled PisWeaker Awards as your log. Simply log everyone in that you work on AM with your OPS rig with no regard to what award they may be credited towards. After awhile you will begin to go back over the entries and see that you are starting to qualify part way for several awards. Then you can start zeroing in on what you are missing for the awards that interests you the most.

As an OPS, if you are not interested in chasing PW awards yourself, there are many PWer’s that would still appreciate your valuable contact for their own progress….the fun is still there either way.

To receive an award, send in a copy of the contacts that qualify you for the award to the Designated Awards Station (DAS) with a Smile and SASE.

* There will be a few “loose” appointments as time goes by. I would like to nominate Tim/WA1HLR as the CHIEF PTA, “PisWeaker Technical Advisor”….someone the OPS Elmers consult when even they don’t know the answer to difficult technical PW questions. I’ll bet Paul/WA3VJB would make a great “PPR” PisWeak Public Relations man, considering his journalism background. The HUZ man, WB3HUZ would also make a great DAS “Designated Awards Station” considering he knows how to read and type…..I think.

*And perhaps someone will nominate Irb as the OPL. “Official PisWeak Lawyer” in case the PWN has a scrape with the law.

I’m sure these and other titles will be invented as the need arises.

* By the way, there is no award for it at this time, (maybe later) but all PisWeakers are always encouraged to brag about their best watts per mile (w/m) contact. A contact to say Georgia (1500 miles from the Northeast) using 10 watts is 150 miles per watt. The same contact using 100 milliwatts is 15,000 miles per watt! There are guys in QST running 40 meter CW Microwatt levels setting records that makes us look like QRO!

Now…The PisWeaker Awards in detail:

QUES from Joe: “ I got lots of buddies in lots of states and thay all know Big Joe..fer sure!…this here WASP Award…..John Birch or whatever you call it…….it’s gonna be Johnycake “ !

The WASP AWARD…. >a/b/c “Worked All States PisWeak”…Required to work ANY 25 states. If you work all W1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9, (closer in districts from the NorthEast) you’ve basically got it all. You are required to be an OPS first of course, and must use your designated OPS rig to do it without the help of a external linear…even for an instant. The reports exchange needed FROM THE OTHER STATION is as before: His Callsign, YOUR signal report, his state, his name, and his class/ modulator designation. Example: you just entered WB3HUZ in your log as a potential award QSO as : WB3HUZ, 59+10, MD, Steve, B1. You can work ANY AM station of ANY class as credit towards the WASP Award….”Worked All States PisWeak” refers to you being PisWeak, not necessarily the other guy.

QUES from Joe: “ Hell, that’s too easy…a REAL man needs a challenge “ !

For more advanced PisWeakers, the a/b/c designation next to the WASP name above will continually change. It refers to how many of the Power Classes make up your total states worked. For example WASP 2/5/10 means you’ve worked a total of two A Class stations, five B Class stations , and ten C Class stations for a total of 17 combined different states. Of course the toughest WASP award would be to work all 25 states with just A Class stations in each. This would be WASP 25/0/0. To do this will the require us as PW Net Members to get more OPS states on line. Since new stations will be getting on all the time, the WASP award can become a continuing quest as you substitute old class C stations for harder to work A/B Class stations. PisWeaker WASPs, arm your stingers!

QUES from Joe: “ One of my buddies named Dirb is talking ‘bout building up a “A Class “ 950 milliwatt Linear amplifier from North Dakota….think anybody might like to work an A5 from there” ?

[Steve - K4HX]

Part 4

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The WAD AWARD

“Worked All Designations”…(All modulator designations , that is). This award will require 10 specific contacts to qualify and all contacts must be OPS’s of course.. To qualify you must work all of the different Power Classes and modulator designations: This includes A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, B1, B2, B3, B4, and B5 . We must all work together to make this award a reality since most people will probably build an A1, A2 or B1, B2, B3 rig. The “A4 Class “ (PDM 600 milliwatt) and PDM “B4 Class “ ( PDM 10 watt) rig and the Linear A/B rigs as well as the grid/screen A/B rigs will have to be built, certified and used on the air.

You can use your A or B Class rig or BOTH to obtain this award. As a reward to one who builds any PW rig, you will automatically receive a QSO for your designation at the instant you are certified on the PW NET (working yourself) since it may be awhile until the next one gets built? I can foresee as a strategy, someone getting the VERY FIRST WAD Award by building the last new designation! That’s the fun of it….we must encourage our buddies to not only have a “bread and butter” plate modulated “ B1 Class “ (plate modulated 10 watt rig), but build something more unique, like say a second “A5 Class “ linear running 950 milliwatts output. Don’t shoot your whole WAD on just one PW rig.

QUES from Joe: “ How ‘bout a badge for working my Big Gun buddies

The WAM CENTURY AWARD “Worked All Maws’’ 100 Stations, 100 times stronger than you…..finally a great advantage for the A Class stations! …..thought up by Steve/WB3HUZ

A “Maw” or Mall was a large hammer used by ancient warriors in battle. It got to be known as a large transmitter on the air in the last decade or so. To qualify for the WAM Century Award you need to work 100 different “Big” AM stations whose output power is at least 100 times (20 db) higher than yours. The lower power (or class) you run, the easier it will be. In the first place, a B Class station must reduce his power to 3.75 watts output to be able to make a good WAM contact with a legal limit 375 watt output station. He may be wiser to go down to 1 watt output for this award since then his limit is 100 watt stations and up. However, as you can see, imagine the great advantage that an A Class station has running say 300 milliwatts. He can work ANY station running more than 30 watts or more output! That’s nearly every AMer on the band except for the PisWeakers!

To be ready for anything and be within the award guidelines, it pays to have a Variac on your rig to match the output power of the station you’re working minus 20 db (100 times)….assuming you don’t go below 1 watt as a B Class station. In other words, a B Class station cannot technically work a station under 100 watts for this award, whereas an A Class station can reduce his power down to infinity and work even OTHER A Class stations if he likes. (if he runs 9 mw and the other A Class runs 900 mw, its a good contact).

It is suggested that you have pre-marked settings for your variac, voltmeter, and current meters to easily adjust your rig to exactly 1 watt, 2 watts, 3 watts and so forth.

QUES from Joe: “ What kinda sheepskin ya gonna give me fer working ALL the PisWeakers “ ??

The WAP AWARD…rhymes with Bap! (Everyone’s’ Award, including Power Class C strappers)

“Worked All PisWeakers”…OPEN TO EVERYONE, ANY CLASS OR POWER….Non-OPS members included. Must work at least 50 Certified PisWeakers over time. (This number may increase later).

A great way to get new people involved who have not decided to build up a PW rig yet. The requirement is to work FIFTY A Class and B Class stations over any time frame. At least 15 of the 50 must be A Class stations. (one of you own certified PW rigs, not a C Class rig like non-members can. Here is another award where we as “OPS Elmers” can make it a reality….if there’s not 50 PisWeakers to work, how can you get the award

QUES from Joe: “ Look, I’ll be straight wid ya….I’ve been working my tail off helping all my buddies on 78, and guys I never even met before get their PW rigs up and running…..I think ‘OL Big Joe deserves some kind of special gravy treatment for that, don’t you think “

The PEA AWARD “PisWeaker ELMER AWARD “

This is the most important…. and serious award of all….though the recipient will probably have more fun than anyone else getting it…not to mention the satisfaction….and new friends he will make in the process.

It is given on a monthly basis to the ONE OPS who has helped and then given pre-approval to the most PisWeaker Candidates. We will base the award on the number of official net certifications as each new OPS Candidate comes through the net and says who is their OPS Elmer. Since most candidates will naturally gravitate to someone they know and like for the pre-approval test, all OPS’s will be helpful to all who ask for help. This award works like a pipeline…you fill a pipe up at one end, and it takes time for the water to start pouring out the other end…..you stop filling the pipe, and it stops later on at the other end. Start working with PisWeaker Candidates this month to fill your pipeine and in a few months perhaps you will receive the Highest PisWeaker Award of all: The PisWeaker Elmer Award…….By the way, guess who gets to check into the net as numeral uno PisWeaker???

QUES from Joe: “ Whose this UAN guy anyway??? I’ll bet all yoose guys been ghost talking all these years, huh …I ain’t heard NOTHin’…not a damn PEEP!….. out of Philadelphia for years!” ?

And Now, The MOST Ambitious PISWEAKER’S AWARD of ALL!

THE UAN CUP, presented on behalf of the UAN Black Hole Research Foundation, is affectionately named after the most famous PisWeaker of all time, Jeff, WA3UAN….A man who has spent most of his ham career furthering the cause of the unheard, the downtrodden, the constantly walked on and generally ignored PisWeaker.

The UAN CUP, like the Stanley Cup, and the Americas Cup and other athlete supporters gets passed around to the latest winner. It is worn by the ONE OPS PisWeaker who currently holds the most PW awards…or in a close tie, the station who is the closest to completing the next one…., or has the hardest WASP A/B Class totals, etc. The two closest competing stations can argue it out outside the net and announce their decision on the net. Arbitration is available for stubborn PisWeakers who will not TAKE OFF the CUP but are clearly dethroned.

The UAN CUP is physically worn only while on the air in the PW mode… and when not in use is displayed near the OPS’s PW rig as a reminder that the only way to keep it is to get on the air…now…PisWeak ! When the UAN CUP is officially challenged by someone else during a net session and taken away, it is to be mailed to the new holder within 48 hours… at the losers’ expense.

Other stations lucky enough to work the current official UAN CUP holder station, and use it as a contact credit towards ANY award will receive a mini cup endorsement saying so on their new certificate. UAN Cup holders should add a “U” designation to there power/mod designator. Example: A regular B1 station is now a B1/U station while the Cup is in his possession. Once the net determines a New UAN Cup holder, at that instant the losing PW station loses his “U” and the winner gains the “U”.

* The actual UAN CUP has been rumored to be a fur lined, lead shielded JS. It is allegedly used to protect oneself when getting “stepped on” when in the PW mode. The fur is to warm oneself in the absence of big rigs, and the lead lining is to protect oneself from stray radiation when molesting the rigs’ exposed final tubes while on the air. (You will have done a lot of tube molesting by the time you receive your cup). If a UAN CUP holder is ever caught violating PisWeakers First Law, and he should damn well know better, immediately after being cited for the incident by another OPS, he must then recite PisWeakers First Law 10 times in a row, on the air with the UAN CUP strapped over his mouth.

* It is rumored that there will be a PW Rig “shootout” for certified rigs only at DeerChester this Spring. Rigs will be displayed, and judges will present awards for various categories. (perhaps the most JS, smallest fully self contained A or B rig, simplest, most features, most professional circuitry, best cosmetics, ugliest, strangest, funniest…categories to be voted on). Only the self contained RF/Modulator section need be brought. A group picture with the rigs will be sent in to QST, Electric Radio, etc. and knowing their thirst for the last remaining homebrewers in the world, IT WILL PROBABLY be printed.

Last word from (Little) Big Joe: “ Next time you tune the band be sure to stop in on BIG JOE and the boys. By the way, XYL’s left…….they repo’ed my Commander …..I’m permanently PW….. lost 157 pounds ……know any hot babes?… ……need a new logger …..Electric bills’ way down……having a real good time !

END of Document.

Personal Comments to founders only…NOT to be read on the air.:

As we all know, the homebrew building parts needed for these projects are still very common…I’ll bet there are many OT Elmers listening to us on the air who would love to get involved with this stuff again and help out some of the newer gangsters with parts… once we circulate a few good schematics around. Consider taking a few close pictures of your rig with a parts list and a worded description of how it works to help some of these less experienced homebrewers get it up and running.

I’ve been absolutely amazed by the reaction to this whole idea on the air. A few of us talked about it only a few times so far! I would never put in this kind of writing effort unless we were fairly certain it would go. That is why its been developed it further here. Its time to get ready to launch the boat… I’m looking forward to see how big it can grow…. I personally want to get involved in the awards chasing, and being an “OPS Elmer” to help a bunch of the guys. Worst case?…O’well,….. at least we’ll all have a PisWeak rig to get on with once in a while and have made a few more friends in the process…not so bad!

I plan to put this document (once it is cleaned up and modified by all of our suggestions) on the Steve, KA1SI Boat Anchor Internet Site and let AMers know they can download it from there. Also, I MAY make a cassette tape of IMPORTANT PARTS of this to play a few times on the air with the big rig……just to give it an initial thrust of excitement, activity and get the guys talking on the air of their plans. I also have a few packets left over to mail out to anyone who requests, (postage paid by me) or anyone you tell me about, with the two B1 Class and A1 Class projects. ( 50C5 and 6BA6 rigs). Steve, WB3HUZ said he will input the schematics into his cad-disco duck computer and give us some real professional looking schematics….bet he’d do the same for you if you ask him….Tell ‘em Big Joe sent ya.

If a few of you get excited about it too, it would be great if you could make a few copies for buddies who didn’t receive one on this first and only major mailing. I think once we give it an initial thrust, it will build momentum by itself with just a little effort on our part. Others listening to us on the air will also want to know how to join in on the fun.

With a little luck, we may have 20+ certified OPS enthusiastic members on the air PW in a few months…even more fun than we all had during the mobile craze last year! Lastly, and most importantly, let’s get our own PisWeak Creations shooting hot jazz ASAP. Then we all can become certified FOPS’ to start reviewing/testing other OPS candidates on the air!

QSL 0% sure via bureau, Chow. T.C. K1JJ 1-19-96

P.S. Just show up on frequency next time in PROPER Piss Weaker transmitter attire, OK ?

[K1JJ]

     Good Gawd....  I must have been on narcotics when I wrote that.  Who in their right mind would take the time to read it all anyway?      Later on we reduced it down to one short page and mailed it out to the members. 

Class A= <1 watt    Class B = 1-10 watts.   Many guys built both rigs.  It was worth the effort as many new builders went on to construct big rigs. Rich K1ETP was one who stands out.


Glad the new PW Net is simple and features "run what ya brung."

T

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Heh, yes indeed. You were outta control back then. Was a lot of fun, though.

So am I remembering this right - did Richaroni 'ETP and Carl 1-Eye start the cakepan thing that morphed into kits for a short period of time?

I use to listen in because I wasn't pisweak at 100 watts, I just couldn't be heard at night. It was a limbo of sorts.