A Pin Drop

[Pete, WA2CWA]

With 3097 registered members, why is it always so quiet here. 
No one has built anything?? No one has worked some exotic DX on AM phone??  No one has had a piece of AM equipment burst into flame?? Has everyone gone to a home??

Or is the majority just looking over the fence.

[w8khk]

With 3097 registered members, why is it always so quiet here.  
No one has built anything?? No one has worked some exotic DX on AM phone??  No one has had a piece of AM equipment burst into flame?? Has everyone gone to a home??

Or is the majority just looking over the fence.

No, I'm not quite ready to give up my tower and sky-hooks (tall trees) for a nursing home (YET).  The ole ticker just ain't what it used to be.  Hospital visits and yard work have taken a toll on my time for ham radio, but then again, with so many severe thunderstorms in the area, the feedline is disconnected from the shack more often than not.  And when connected, the constant crashes raise the noise floor above the audibility level of most AM stations.  So a good bit of time is spent listening via remote KiwiSDRs while working in the shack.  Listening from a remote location with a low noise floor is a godsend!  For casual use this is fine, but I often wonder how many contesters leverage this resource?

I heard tell somewhere that a cluttered desk is a sign of genius.  I have been working on so many projects for others, that I have yet to dig into my own bucket list.  I'm not sure that I have enough time left to make a dent it that list before I become horizontally polarized.

In the meantime, a great deal of effort is spent between those projects for others, and, in between, tidying up the desk that I use as a workbench, lest  I give an artificially-elevated mistaken indication of my meager IQ.  Or I could just live with a crappy looking work area, and pretend to  be an authority on all subjects and a master of none.  Yes, clearing off the desk can wait until next week, er month.

[W1RKW]

it's noisy on QRZ

[W3SLK]

W8KHK said:

I heard tell somewhere that a cluttered desk is a sign of genius.  I have been working on so many projects for others, that I have yet to dig into my own bucket list.  I'm not sure that I have enough time left to make a dent it that list before I become horizontally polarized.

If that is true Rick, then change my name to Albert Einstein!

[KD6VXI]

The members here that did most of the posting, for the most part, have gone elsewhere.

That's not true in 100 percent of the cases, but as someone else said, the am forum on QRZ is active almost constantly.

The active calls there where the active calls here 5 to 10 years ago except those that went SK........ I haven't seen K1JJ there, either.

Sign of the times.  Website popularity comes and goes.  Not everyone will always be happy with moderator decisions and they 'take their business elsewhere', etc.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

[KD1SH]

   I may not have posted anything here for some time, but I still check in and read posts several times each day. Plenty of radio projects going on, but in most cases, I suppose, I'm just waiting for them to take a more "presentable" form before exposing them to daylight here in the forum. There's the 3-500Z three-holer amp, for which I've so far completed only the heater circuit (a big 45 amp copper buss and three bifilar chokes), but the project got put on hold when my milling machine developed a minor problem. I have just finished installing a new VFD on the machine, and work will soon resume with the addition of the cathode drive portion.
   And then there's the 125 watt modulator that I picked up at Nearfest: a home-brew job that turned out to have major design issues (a pair of 1625's supplied with only 300 volts; a combined [yes, really!] bias and screen supply with no common ground reference; wires fed through ragged holes in the chassis with not a single rubber grommet in sight, and more). I've mostly stripped it down in preparation for a rebuild, and I've been keeping a photo record, which will appear in this forum.
   And then, of course, as Rick said, there's the constant tidying up and organizing of the workbench, which always appears as if a tornado has passed through after every project, completed or incomplete. I've recently added a new spectrum analyzer to the bench, as well as a new HP RF generator, and also working on a new home-brew high-voltage supply. Pictures and descriptions of that will follow, as well.
   This is a fantastic forum, and I'm not even remotely abandoning it.

[KD1SH]

I haven't seen any posts from Tom on either forum, or heard him on the air, either; even during the Rally. I hope all is well with him.

The members here that did most of the posting, for the most part, have gone elsewhere.

That's not true in 100 percent of the cases, but as someone else said, the am forum on QRZ is active almost constantly.

The active calls there where the active calls here 5 to 10 years ago except those that went SK........ I haven't seen K1JJ there, either.

Sign of the times.  Website popularity comes and goes.  Not everyone will always be happy with moderator decisions and they 'take their business elsewhere', etc.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

[KD1SH]

   I participate in both forums, a slightly different mix of personalities and backgrounds in each, for variety, but I won't make any comparative distinctions otherwise; they're both fine forums and excellent resources in which to share and gain knowledge.
  

[Detroit47]

The members here that did most of the posting, for the most part, have gone elsewhere.
  Not everyone will always be happy with moderator decisions and they 'take their business elsewhere', etc.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

I told myself I wouldn't post again, but here I am. I read the Forum most every day. I have been active with top end tube audio of late no static crashes or personalities to deal with. Everything is operational in the shack. Most of it is for sale too much stuff not enough time. Its boating time in Michigan which is a big distraction. So back to being QSX.

Johnathan N8QPC

[W1RKW]

I dropped JJ/Tom a note last month to see if all is good with him. All is good but has been very busy.

Maybe reinstate N8FVJ for some fun banter.

[KD1SH]

   Thanks, glad to hear Tom is well. Busy is good. I miss hearing about all his cool homebrew rigs; he's always been one of the most prolific builders on the forum, and very creative.
   Yes, N8FVJ's antics can be amusing. He's working, I guess, on earning his BOAF (banned on all forums) certificate.
   

I dropped JJ/Tom a note last month to see if all is good with him. All is good but has been very busy.

Maybe reinstate N8FVJ for some fun banter.

[W1DAN]

Hi Pete!

I've been busy with family and house stuff. I get to listen about once or twice a week and transmit about every two weeks. 75M is way too noisy these days with a noise level of S5 to S9.

I recently bought the ARRL's K7DYY transmitter from their open house and tag sale and have used it on the air on 40M. Hope to work on one of my Yaesu FRG-7700's to get rid of the hum, and in the fall hope to work on a 1942 National HRO.

Today I gave away a Ranger, S76 and HQ110. Was very busy with our club's Field Day last weekend where I used a Johnson matchbox to feed our Cobra-Lite antenna. The tuner works better than the provided toroidal balun.

I am very thankful for AM-Fone and the folks here. I snoop here once or twice a week.

Cheers,
Dan
W1DAN

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I dropped JJ/Tom a note last month to see if all is good with him. All is good but has been very busy.

Dancing in the stock market these days can be busy challenging times.

Maybe reinstate N8FVJ for some fun banter.

That kind of fun banter is something we really don't need.


You posted this on 7/1/2025. You want to explain or provide obituary.
The Original Quote:

"author=W1RKW link=topic=49207.msg346709#msg346709 date=1751365178]
Re: Burt, K1OIK SK  
https://www.qrz.com/db/K1OIK"

His QRZ log book shows 20 meter SSB activity on 7/6/2025
MAGIC RESURRECTION

[KB2WIG]

For me, it was too much rain this spring.

KLC

[W1RKW]

I dropped JJ/Tom a note last month to see if all is good with him. All is good but has been very busy.

Dancing in the stock market these days can be busy challenging times.

Maybe reinstate N8FVJ for some fun banter.

That kind of fun banter is something we really don't need.


You posted this on 7/1/2025. You want to explain or provide obituary.
The Original Quote:

"author=W1RKW link=topic=49207.msg346709#msg346709 date=1751365178]
Re: Burt, K1OIK SK  
https://www.qrz.com/db/K1OIK"

His QRZ log book shows 20 meter SSB activity on 7/6/2025
MAGIC RESURRECTION

I was ribbing regarding FVJ.

And I quickly learned, hoodwinked actually like some others, that OIK is AOK (Joined the banned club) and he was yanking chains including mine. You deleted the SK post before I got the chance.  I blame Reddit

[WD8BIL]

Ya know Pete, it is summer, and we are all knee deep in family affairs. Now that the 4th of July has passed there will probably be a bit more, although not much, of an improvement in activity.

I, for one, have a 6 meter single 3-500 amplifier I'll be drilling and blasting in the next month along with the Henry 3K-A rebuild for the Viking Bud AM setup. So, stay tuned as we get the family summer stuff completed and my guess is you'll see a bit more activity.

WD8BIL as the Beaver

[KD1SH]

   I'm big into 6 meters; looking forward to hearing more about your 3-500Z amp. I picked up a Raytrack 2X 3-500Z amp a couple of years ago. Got as far as rebuilding the power supply before the project got bumped for another, which all too often happens with me.
http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=48271.0

Ya know Pete, it is summer, and we are all knee deep in family affairs. Now that the 4th of July has passed there will probably be a bit more, although not much, of an improvement in activity.

I, for one, have a 6 meter single 3-500 amplifier I'll be drilling and blasting in the next month along with the Henry 3K-A rebuild for the Viking Bud AM setup. So, stay tuned as we get the family summer stuff completed and my guess is you'll see a bit more activity.

WD8BIL as the Beaver

[w9jsw]

I had to dismantle all of my equipment for a QTH change. The 813 rig was so heavy with broadcast iron, I had to disconnect and empty the iron and the RF/MOD decks to get it out of the basement. Kind of like building a boat in the basement. 

[W3RSW]

Oh Pete,

Thanks for the reminder.  It's been quite a while since I posted,-well,even fired up a transmitter.  Similar to others, many of my friends have passed, found other interests. The fun at setting up bodacious AM stations at ham fests, most notably Gaithersburg seems to have gone too. ("How Dry I Am" rendition over the air.) Not to mention the sheer energy required to overcome lazy inertia .  I should update my icon too, but that'd take away another kernel of my younger past. A pair of Trimm cans on a much older gent might suit.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Ya know Pete, it is summer, and we are all knee deep in family affairs. Now that the 4th of July has passed there will probably be a bit more, although not much, of an improvement in activity.

I understand priorities and interests change as we proceed through the summer months. Cutting grass and static crashes are always a pain in the butt to me. 

Members here may not know this but:
ON the Home Page, you can review this web site's stats including a Monthly Summary of current activity and all the way back to 2005.
http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?action=stats
Scroll down to FORUM HISTORY

I, for one, have a 6 meter single 3-500 amplifier I'll be drilling and blasting in the next month along with the Henry 3K-A rebuild for the Viking Bud AM setup. So, stay tuned as we get the family summer stuff completed and my guess is you'll see a bit more activity.

WD8BIL as the Beaver

I have my Gonset 6 meter 913A amplifier on the bench for the past year to change out the power supply caps. I blew them apart during September 2024 VHF contest. Don't understand it, they were only 60+ years old 
Probably should change out the caps in the 2 meter Gonset 903A amplifier while I'm at it.
Both run a single 4CX-250B or 4X-150.

I started serious 6 meter activity with an Apache driving a SB-10 driving a homebrew tranverter. Transverter ran a pair of 6146B's.
Later, more serious, used a Kenwood TS-600 all mode transceiver to drive a 100 watt brick or the Gonset 913A amplifier, or even more serious, a Johnson 6N2 Thunderbolt amplifier. Still have the TS-600 and the Thunderbolt.
Under my belt for 6 meters, WAS, WAC, and 186 countries worked on mostly SSB and a few on AM and CW. No diddly modes involved.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

And I quickly learned, hoodwinked actually like some others, that OIK is AOK (Joined the banned club) and he was yanking chains including mine. You deleted the SK post before I got the chance.  I blame Reddit

I actually didn't delete it; I just put it in a safe place to review when I had time to check for accuracy.
Having an actual obituary generally is a good clue 

[W2NBC]

Regarding AMfone pin-drops, and "online" gear for sale on eBay,  ET Al. :

I've been a participating member of "eBay" since 1997. It's been an interesting ride, with a virtually unlimited resource of parts, gear, and amateur-related equipment. Chances are, if you're looking for a part or a piece of gear, the vast amount of users and resources has you covered.. right?

WELL. things have changed! Almost EVERY piece of gear as of today (2025), is described as "parts only", and "not tested".
Now I understand liability and refunds as they are applicable to eBay, fear of parts swapping, and perceived functionality! After all, some of the offered-up gear is older than.. well, US!

The point is:
The dearth of activity on this forum, and the VOID of on-air activity on the bands says it all! We are ALL AGING out, and the wealth of technical information is wafting into the ether as is demonstrated by "eBay", and other sites proffering up gear for sale:

 "Powers up", "got TUBES!", "no power cord", "not tested", "missing fuse", and the dreaded "PARTS ONLY"!!

10 Years ago, there were ads online with: "re-capped, aligned, includes a Manual-Man manual, WORKS GREAT!", and get this: "REFUNDS"!!

So, regarding the use of this forum, I think its a CLEAR choice. It's time to dig down and write some information that we could all use that will LAST. Think of it as YOUR running operational diary of things learned and gained through the years. And, who knows? Maybe "eBay" will list a fully operational TUBE radio with your name on it!

PS:  This post was "untested"

[WD8BIL]

"And, who knows? Maybe "eBay" will list a fully operational TUBE radio with your name on it!"

It would be nice for the name "Buddly" to go down in history as a major player in AM history!

[Pete, WA2CWA]

"And, who knows? Maybe "eBay" will list a fully operational TUBE radio with your name on it!"

It would be nice for the name "Buddly" to go down in history as a major player in AM history!

You're building a 6 meter amp. Why not label it as the BUDDLY-1  6 METER LINEAR AMPLIFIER.
Rub on type lettering or even a self-stick label on the back or bottom, indicating the manufacturer/builder, date of manufacturer, etc.
If you get tried of it and want to move it along to another owner, or if you pass and your survivors want to move it along on Ebay, it adds pizzazz to the equipment and maybe some fame to the original builder/designer.

In looking around my shack, I have stuff here that I built many years ago that I actually designed and built, that don't have any real identifying labels/tags as to what it is, when it was designed and built and by whom.
So, for the homebrew stuff that's still here, I made myself a mental promise to identify and tag. The other interesting fact would be actual paperwork for this stuff. Some of it was massaged from other published designs but some of it was designed as I went along and whatever popped into my mind.

After we closed down a number of the Lafayette Radio stores, I wound up with a number of NOS SWR/Power Meters for the Lafayette TM-58 SWR/Power Bridge. Since I had access at work to a decent bending break and metal shear, I made about 10 or 12 enclosures, punched the panels, and made a bunch of homebrew SWR/Power Meter Bridges and sold them all at hamfests.  BUT, never occurred to me to identify who made and designed them. Of course, I did label the front and rear panel controls and connectors.

Also, around the same time, I fabricated an 8 memory CMOS keyer from a design from somewhere. I built one and it worked well. With that I did some additions and changes and built a second one and gathered enough parts to build 6 or 8 more. All the parts for the 6 or 8 more are sitting in a box, I think under my workbench. The original and 2nd build were sold over time at various hamfests. They came with paperwork that I generated but the actual equipment had no identification label or tag on it. Maybe I should resurrect the build process, tagged them, and become famous.  

If you're going to add a printed identifying label on the back or bottom, it would be wise to coat it with one of two coats of clear paint spray or varnish. Will keep it from peeling or ripping off and getting dirty and unreadable.

Well, at least I remembered to tag each of my manuals that I sell and ship.  

[W2NBC]