Ah yes, the original "Call to PW Arms" by Tom, K1JJ. I found it getting dusty in the HUZ Radio archives. Note the date, 19 January 1996.
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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, Dirb/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://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%)
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 a