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Author Topic: Back on the Air Again. Finally.  (Read 15843 times)
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Todd, KA1KAQ
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« on: June 28, 2015, 07:52:29 PM »

Since the wee one arrived in late 2012 my already-sparse free time/radio time has all but dried up. The last time I had the big rig on the air was 12/22/2013 and Pete/'CWA was my final contact with it. Did manage to log a 15m contact in early Feb 2014 and three 10m contacts on Feb 23rd 2014 with the green boxes. But it's been a while.

Most of the previously-mentioned free time now gets used for catching up on household chores like repairs, mowing, etc etc. At least I have a cool lawn mower.

After 16 days of 90-100s temps it finally got down into the high 80s yesterday and even lower today, with a nice low humidity level to match. The perfect day to get the long-overdue messenger cable strung for the 40 & 10m feedlines behind the garage. Once that was done I reassembled an old Zenith T.O. that was strewn across the operating position in the station. Then put away a few more odds 'n ends, all the while listening to 40m on the 75A-4. Steve/'QIX was booming in 20 over from Townsend MA with his experimental 40m rig. Then....

....there it was....the Heathkit station, beckoning me. So I uncovered it, reacquainted myself with the elongated tune up process, and fired it up. Took me a couple tries to get it dialed in and talking, but Steve eventually heard me and we exchanged a few by-gollys before he had to leave for a dinner engagement. As he was leaving, Russ/WB3FAU in Erie PA jumped in with his GK-500B along with Steve/KB1VWC on Cape Cod running a Cheyenne.

Spent maybe 45 min -1 hour on the air. It felt good. And now that I can get to the station again, the big rig is next in line for some repairs. Again. Like leaving the air and returning months or years later, some things never change. Like old transmitters zorching. Need to do some antenna work, too.

'QIX mentioned getting back on the air after dinner, so if you're looking for some activity, head to 40m and give a listen. I'm going to try to get back on for a bit as well, if only for a few minutes. It's kinda fun running a peanut whistle rig again after years in front of the big box. Not that it's going anywhere. I mean - 100 watts is fun and fine and all that, but there's nothing quite like running full strap (strap).
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« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2015, 10:04:28 AM »

Got back on around midnight and chatted with Glen/WA3GPE, Robert/W0VMC, and Lacey/KJ4TSA until the foreign broadcaster lit up on 7.290. Pretty nice conditions overall, though 40 was 40 with its usual deep fades and odd coverage.

If you haven't heard W0VMC's latest creation on the air yet, it's amazing sounding. He calls it the 22V-2, a 20V-2 with 4-1000s replacing the 4-400s. A bit more extensive than that, of course. He had it on display at Dayton. Here's a link to a photo by Nick/K4NYW:

http://www.virhistory.com/ham/dayton-15/IMG_7988.JPG

Snapped a couple shots of the instigator messenger cable project from yesterday. I really just wanted to get the cables up out of my way before mowing them again like I did a few years ago. It was enough to get me back into the station for some housekeeping and back on the air. More to do, but that's always the case.



* Messenger1.JPG (1673.07 KB, 3008x2000 - viewed 507 times.)

* Messenger2.JPG (1451.95 KB, 3008x2000 - viewed 418 times.)

* Messenger3.JPG (1581.07 KB, 3008x2000 - viewed 424 times.)
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« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2015, 03:23:30 PM »

Welcome back on the air Todd and commendations for a very neat looking ant/feedline setup. As my kids were growing up I found it much more difficult to mess around with ham radio. There was about an 8 year period where I never fired up the big rig and the antennas out back in the trees eventually fell down. Then, before I knew it, the kids grew up, graduated from HS and college and moved out! I suddenly found myself warming up the soldering iron again. Looks like you got back on track much more quickly than me!

I'll look forward to tuning across your signal soon and I bet you get the big rig back up and running sooner than you think!

73,

Rob W1AEX
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« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2015, 04:26:22 PM »

Kudos's for getting back on the air Todd! 

Let me know when you want to get on 40M and I will fire up the rig.  Late nights are out though! 

GMS Radio these days is a day-timer.   Sun up to sun down are our authorization hours as stated on the license.  Someday, when I don't have to get up at 0530 we will apply for a station modification.   

Joe-GMS 
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« Reply #4 on: June 30, 2015, 08:57:57 AM »

Thanks guys. This is getting to be habit with me. Everything is working and I'm on the air regularly, then *poof* - gone. It just bothers me a bit when I look at the log book and see how much time has slipped by. We all have lives and more important things to do, sure, but that doesn't make it any less startling to see your last contact was over a year ago.

Rob, this is the first successful messenger cable I've gotten around to installing. A piece of black dacron rope with left over coffee bag ties holding the cables up (knew they'd come in handy for something). Like your experience, I also have aerials that are down or otherwise need work. If you look in the background of pic #2, you can actually see one leg of the 40m dipole drooping down. The 80m dipole needs a boost back up as well. The little 10m above the messenger is the only one in fine shape.

I may go out this afternoon and see what 40 sounds like, maybe 1:30-2pm or so. So if you're around Joe, give a listen. The late night session was a rare opportunity for me these days, too!
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« Reply #5 on: June 30, 2015, 12:41:20 PM »

I've been listening on 7290 and 7295 from around 12:15pm to 12:40pm (eastern) and it looks pretty flat. Unfortunately, there's a special event sideband station set up on 7288 calling incessantly so the calling frequency is not much use at the moment. I called CQ down on 7168 where some sideband regulars hang out but there was nothing heard. I'll keep listening and will call CQ up on 7295 while I munch some lunch. The solar activity looks fairly amiable today so maybe 40 meters will play nice!

Rob W1AEX
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« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2015, 01:51:32 PM »

Headed out now Rob, baby monitor in hand. Just got the Princess tucked in for her nap and she's snoozing away. Heard Dave/W3NP call to see if the frequency (7.290) was in use, then nothing. A lot of static crashes down here today.
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« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2015, 02:08:20 PM »

Todd,

I can hear you in there chatting with Dave - W3NP so it looks like you have the antenna back up, nicely done! The band is really down but you are about S-5 here and W3NP is about S-7. Unfortunately, the special events station on 7288 is definitely getting stronger up here in CT. The band seems to be improving and I notice that CHU Canada on 7850 has climbed up from S-7 to S-9+10dB over the past hour.

Have fun!

Rob W1AEX
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« Reply #8 on: June 30, 2015, 03:35:43 PM »

You guys should try 10 meters. 10 meters has a Sporadic E opening. Low end hopping; 29.0 dead.
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« Reply #9 on: June 30, 2015, 03:37:41 PM »

Had a good chat with Dave, he hung right around 10 over with the occasional fade that I could still hear him through. Hadn't talked to Dave since seeing him at Berryville last year, so it was nice to catch up again. It also gave me another opportunity to lament the sale of his beautiful Meissner 150B.

Too bad you couldn't get in, Rob. Would've been nice to work you again. Never heard the special even station or any interference other than the occasional SSB quack nearby. I'm guessing those quacks were folks working the special event.

Joe, Dave sends his regards. Said he got your email a while back but was busy elsewhere and didn't get back to respond, but all is well. Guess he hasn't operated much, either. Was in his shop working on a speech amp and threw out his call, so I jumped in.
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« Reply #10 on: July 01, 2015, 07:56:57 AM »

Joe, Dave sends his regards. Said he got your email a while back but was busy elsewhere and didn't get back to respond, but all is well. Guess he hasn't operated much, either. Was in his shop working on a speech amp and threw out his call, so I jumped in.

Hi Todd,

Glad to hear that he is doing well and is still on AM.  Several years back the big AM BC rig was up  for sale and it appeared he was just operating CW from a more recent photo I saw of his station. 
The AM'ers often disappear and ultimately come back. 

If your up for trying 40 today, let me know.

Joe - GMS 
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« Reply #11 on: July 01, 2015, 10:42:39 AM »

You guys should try 10 meters. 10 meters has a Sporadic E opening. Low end hopping; 29.0 dead.

Pete,

Yesterday, at around 1:00pm (eastern) I was calibrating the FiFi SDR and when I tuned to the bottom of 10 meters I saw what I thought were lots of spurious responses on the pandadapter. After a few seconds of watching them I realized what I was seeing was about a dozen CW beacons pounding away furiously. A few of them from the 8 and 9 region were quite strong. As you said, things were flat up at 29.0 but there was quite a bit of activity at the bottom of the band.

Rob W1AEX
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« Reply #12 on: July 02, 2015, 01:11:52 PM »

I did make a couple 10m AM contacts with the Heathkit station last year, but it was a challenge to keep it on frequency. 40m and down is more user-friendly for that equipment.

Was able to work Glen/WA3GPE again yesterday afternoon on 40. He started out very light copy on a Ranger, then came up considerably when he switched to his Apache and the band came up some as well. Joe/WA2PJP joined us before the band started getting noisy.

Thought about getting some time in last evening but the band was incredibly loud with static and foreign broadcast so I went back in the house. When I went out to shut down the gear around midnight, there was Robert/W0VMC chatting with Jerry K9*** (missed his called) so I hopped in for a couple rounds before shutting down for the night.

Robert's urging to get the big rig back on reminded me that I do have some good 4-250 pulls in the garage, so that's the project for the afternoon. Jen took Caitlin shopping, so I have unrestricted time, woohoo! As soon as I take the trash out, of course.

The green station is warming up, we'll see what happens today.
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« Reply #13 on: July 02, 2015, 01:22:36 PM »

Hi Todd!!

Great to hear you're back on the air. I'll checkout 40M tonight after my son's game. Being off tomorrow I'll most likely be on during the daytime.

-Buddly
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« Reply #14 on: July 02, 2015, 07:12:43 PM »

Will look forward to catching up, Buddly - been a looooooong time. I do miss the good ol' days when someone from the crew was on pretty much nightly. Guess it only works if we all take part.  Grin  While listening today I heard Ohio coming in pretty well after 2PM. Had a nice long chat with Joe/W3GMS prior to that and he was booming in with only the occasional fade. Afternoon looks promising to that area, maybe earlier.

So! After getting my chores done I tore into the big rig to get the bad tube(s) out and put in some working replacements. This pair of Fo-Fo-Hunnerts (4-400s) was purchased at Dayton in 2007, NIB with 1989 date codes. When I decided to install them in 2013 it was a little disappointing to see how much quality had dropped from earlier tubes. Then as luck would have it, one of the 'new' tubes developed a filament short which dissuaded me from dealing with it then (December) since it was cold, dark, and I wasn't that thrilled about it.

But it gets better (worse, really). When I went to remove the tubes today, I was in for another surprise. As I loosened the plate cap set screw on each tube I heard a very distinctive *hisssssssss*. Sure enough - the mere 'snick' of the set screw coming loose was enough to not only break the seal, but the actual envelope around the top cap. Would've been easy to think I was too rough with removal if all the other tubes removed had done the same thing. None have. The sloppy red paint job should've been my first clue.

Anyhow - went to the tube storage area(other garage) and found a pair of military 4-400As in a brown paper bag along with a few Jones connectors and other goodies. Even better than finding a half-drank bottle of Old Duke or Thunderbird in a bag behind the local supermarket back home left behind by a wino. No recollection of where I got them. But they're in the transmitter now putting out full power AND....they have a cool 'radioactive' symbol on the side along with the mil numbers, so....they must be better.

Just did some quick preliminary testing, all systems appear to be 'go' so we'll see how it works later tonight. Couldn't believe how much dust was on the 'scope and other gear from a couple years of no use.


* Garbage.JPG (164 KB, 950x632 - viewed 379 times.)

* Atomic 4-400A.JPG (133.15 KB, 950x632 - viewed 385 times.)

* Replacements.JPG (162.6 KB, 950x632 - viewed 372 times.)
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« Reply #15 on: July 02, 2015, 08:19:54 PM »

Way to go Todd and can't wait to work you on the big rig.  Saying that, the Apache was doing very well considering the power you were running up this way. 

Conditions were not the best, but we had a Hi Hi FB QSO OM! 

Joe-GMS   
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« Reply #16 on: July 03, 2015, 10:45:52 AM »

Yes, well.....things really were going too well anyway. Made a couple transmissions last night with minor issues, W0VMC reported 'crunchy highs' and the pattern on the scope did look a bit odd (peaks were bent to one side, like a cow's horns). Made a couple more test transmissions after everyone left the air due to the foreign broadcaster on 7.295 at midnight. Result was two very bright arcs from the band switch. As in 4-5 inch purple-blue *ZORCH*es. At least the replacement tubes work well!

That green Heathkit gear is kinda fun to use anyway... Wink
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« Reply #17 on: July 03, 2015, 12:19:02 PM »

"the pattern on the scope did look a bit odd (peaks were bent to one side, like a cow's horns). "

Todd,

It's a proven scientific fact that horniness is curable...   Grin

One way is to inject a controlled sine wave into your mic input and use a scope probe to see where in the audio chain the waveform begins to distort. I'll bet it is reasonably clean all the way up to the modulator driver, then falls apart after that.

Be careful cuz problems like this can blow mod iron.


Rob,

"I was calibrating the FiFi SDR"   

So it's finally come to this.... from a homebrew pit bull 833A rig to an SDR poodle rig named FiFi....?


T

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« Reply #18 on: July 03, 2015, 03:23:44 PM »


Todd,

It's a proven scientific fact that horniness is curable...   Grin

Y'know, they said that right after my daughter was born. Doesn't seem to have taken with 'PJP, though. Oh, wait....you mean the AUDIO pattern...yeah.....okay...... Wink

Wonder what a parasitic would do to audio? Make the highs crunchy sounding perhaps? Discovered while working on the band switch this afternoon that the arc came from the 10m contact - not even in use at the time. Discussing it with Buddly and Russ on 40m a while ago they seemed to think I have a nasty gremlin lurking within. I suspected some sort of creature to blame, but didn't find so much as a leg, wing, head, or any other remnants. Weird.

Quote
Rob,

"I was calibrating the FiFi SDR"   

So it's finally come to this.... from a homebrew pit bull 833A rig to an SDR poodle rig named FiFi....?


Sad.....so sad. Shuffle board tournaments can't be far away.....

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« Reply #19 on: July 03, 2015, 03:54:57 PM »

How dare you insult my little FiFi SDR! The calibration procedure is quite involved but the payoff in performance is spectacular if you have the patience to do it right!

Viva la Fifi!

Rob W1AEX


* fifi.jpg (8.06 KB, 190x266 - viewed 364 times.)
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« Reply #20 on: July 03, 2015, 04:33:19 PM »

Todd,
I am totally amazed at all the problems you have had with the KW-1.  These transmitters normally just chug right along. 

I insist on using instruments and keep it off the air when your running your checks.  A good high power dummy load is a good investment.  I bought a high power Bird dummy load some time ago and I think all I paid for it was 100 bucks or so.  Keep you eyes out for one at a fester. 

Then you need a good audio signal generator and look at the scope pattern.  I would just leave the generator at 1KC for starters and maybe modulate 80% or so.  You mentioned the positive peaks bending over which is not right.  I seldom go by on the air reports so as my mentor would say, have the test equipment at your station and zero in on the problems there.   I know the tubes are believed to be good, but if they are weak on emission, you won't have the positive peaks you should.  When the final gets the extra HV on Mod peaks the tubes have to respond accordingly.  Then again, what does the modulated HV look like?   If you have some funky going on in the modulator that could cause the positive peak issue.   

From a design perspective, you know its a well proven design so others with sometimes say Mod this or Mod that which in my opinion is not the way to go.  I believe the KW-1 has a low power position so I would start out at that level and when that looks good, ie cleanly modulating the final then go to the high power position and proceed accordingly.

Wished you lived closer!   

Joe-GMS       
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« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2015, 07:13:59 PM »

You're entirely right, Joe - it's not the transmitter at fault here so much as it is the owner/operator. Had this unit been gone through when I got it, I'm sure it would be chugging along just fine needing only typical maintenance. But it wasn't.

When I got the unit back in '88, it had been sitting for a lot of years already. I didn't get to it immediately, it was another year or so before I got it on the air. I knew a lot less back then and was still figuring out my way through the world, so when one of the 4-250s developed a grid short in '91 or so, it went off the air for another decade-plus even though I got a set of replacement tubes at Deerfield in '91 or 2. Basically due to job/travel/women/overall lack of time.

Finally got it going again into a dummy load around 2004 and back on the air within a year or two. Along with the bad 4-250A I replaced a broken doorknob cap.

When I got it back on the air, I used it. And broke it. And fixed it (with the help and advice of others). Time was always an issue.

Eventually I went through the audio deck and replaced all caps, new electrolytics, etc. Re-tubed as needed. Then there were the power supply and mod transformer issues. And HV feed-thru, and on and on. All fixed.

The real problem is - I never took the time or made the time to go through this transmitter from top to bottom like I should have when I first got it. 99% of the time I've been reacting to the problems that have and will inevitably crop up as a result. There are some design issues with the transmitter, but very few and very easily handled. Regardless, it's wouldn't be realistic to expect it to work well, or right, or to be reliable until it's been completely serviced.  

Of course, it didn't help that the bulk of my test gear went to the scrapper during the moving process. Not a huge loss - a lot of it needed work (ha!). I do have a large kw-plus dummy load, but it's an old broadcast load made of non-inductive resistors that aren't good probably above 80m.

The final issues lie within the RF section which is basically the top half of the transmitter. A two man job to wrestle around then adjust and reinstall. That's where I'm at now. Messed with it more this afternoon and reached the point of saying it's going to stay like it is until I get someone here to help out with it who is a lot smarter than me (not a difficult requirement to meet).

In the meantime - there's the green boxes. Talked with Stu/AB2EZ, Buddly/WD8BIL, Russ/WB3FAU, Terry/W2PFY today without even realizing I hadn't taken the transmitter out of 'Tune' mode! Heard Dave/W2VW later but got the dinner call just as I tried to call in. So I guess the upside is - I'm at least back on the air thanks to some time and effort and have no one to blame but myself for the current state of affairs in the station. Just need to keep from thinking that I'm smarter than I actually am or I'll make it worse.  Grin
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« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2015, 08:17:09 PM »

I would part it out.  Tongue
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« Reply #23 on: July 03, 2015, 09:25:47 PM »

I would part it out.  Tongue

I will stand guard at the dumpster Smiley
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« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2015, 09:28:27 PM »

In the meantime - there's the green boxes. Talked with Stu/AB2EZ, Buddly/WD8BIL, Russ/WB3FAU, Terry/W2PFY today without even realizing I hadn't taken the transmitter out of 'Tune' mode! Heard Dave/W2VW later but got the dinner call just as I tried to call in. So I guess the upside is - I'm at least back on the air thanks to some time and effort and have no one to blame but myself for the current state of affairs in the station. Just need to keep from thinking that I'm smarter than I actually am or I'll make it worse.  Grin

And that is the best part, your back on the air.  You know very well where short cuts gets you.  When you have the time to go step by step, you will get the transmitter to be very reliable.  In the meantime, enjoy being back on the air.  The green boxes sounded very good up here.

Joe-GMS
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