Greetings!

Had a great time at NEAR-Fest. Please post your experiences and what you may have bought or sold. Here is my story with photos:


This Spring’s NEAR-Fest (https://near-fest.com/) was on Thursday April 25 and Friday April 26. I decided to take Thursday from work for some radio stress relief, and to sell some unwanted items from my QTH. During the previous week I started to gather items together. I was going to sell a couple of large National HRO-50T’s but instead and preferably I was able to loan them to Kevin KD1NW for his enjoyment, so I had more room for other “treasures” to put in the car and vend. I decided to go Friday as well.

Thursday I arrived at the Deerfield NH fairgrounds around 7AM, and happily there was no line. I found a spot among the pines and set up two folding tables with stuff. I also started taking photos. I sold a few items and gave a few away to unsuspecting recipients (it is fun to play Santa!). After a while Kevin stopped by and watched my table to allow me to walk around and look for goodies. The day went well, and I truly enjoyed visiting with fellow AM’ers, club members and other interesting folk.

In the afternoon, Tim Smith WA1HLR arrived, and I delivered an old Collins 32V2 that he has modified for Peter W1ZZZ (SK) that his wife Sara allowed me to donate to him (thanks to Kevin for driving up from southern RI to help me load the heavy transmitter in my car). As Tim modified the transmitter, it felt good that he would be able to use it again. Putting my Santa hat on, I also tossed one of my Orban Optimods in his car, which he promises to put on one of the WBCQ Shortwave transmitters-I am looking forward to hearing it. In all I sold about $300 worth of gems Thursday.

Meeting up with mover and shaker, and all around nice guy Joe W3GMS, he implored that I stay for the AM dinner. I was beat-tired by 1PM, but I walked around the flea until about 4PM, tried to get a nap in my car (no good) and drove to the Northwood Brewery in Northwood NH (https://www.northwoodsbrewingcompany.com/) early. Here I enjoyed one of their many in-house brewed beers until the AM folks started arriving. I enjoyed meeting and discussing the hobby with some folks that I knew, and some that I just met, took some photos and a video of most of the attendees introducing themselves (link below). At about 8PM I started the drive home, still very tired but happy.

Friday, I arrived at about 8AM and did not set up to sell. This was my buying day. The day before I was eying a National NC183 that Ross W1EKG had on his table, and while it looked a bit rough, it showed promise. I was able to talk him down to $60 for the radio and speaker. He allowed me to use his flatbed dolly to bring the radio to my car if I delivered a military radio to Brown W1NZR. After playing UPS delivery, I walked around and bought a few items such as a well-made directional sample for $2 and a box of disc ceramic caps for $3. I left the flea at about 1:30PM with far fewer items as I went up with Friday.

The attendance was less than in previous years, and this could be attributed to this event being held on weekdays instead of a weekend. As running NEAR-Fest takes a lot of work, I am very thankful for the gift we have in this event.

Here are my photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EQ91mCJmgZD4RvVa7

Dan
W1DAN
Natick MA

Chris,

Your 422 will work fine for checking phase relationship between the two RF "channels".  Start by connecting both probes to the same RF phase to check to make sure that there is no phase shift due to an issue with your probes/preamp channels.

I use pretty much old school Tektronix gear; a pair of 7854 mainframes with an assortment of plug-ins are my bench scopes along with a 7623 storage mainframe equipped with a 7L13 spectrum analyzer plug-in.

Rodger WQ9E

Thanks for the advice Roger.  I’ve dialed it in as best I could using a Wandell and Goltermann AT-611 selective level meter to look at and listen to the relative signal strength of the desired and suppressed side bands and I’ve also looked at the spectrum and waterfall display on my IC7300 and also on air with remote web SDRs.  I do have a dual trace scope, the Tek 422 that is my duty AM modulation envelope monitor.

The browser you use on your shop computer should be able to show you your saved passwords so that you can see what it is using on this site.  I primarily use Firefox and saved password/login info is available from the menu but other browsers should have a similar function.

Rodger WQ9E

I can take a picture of the RF input transformer on mine.  A poster indicated need.

A word about those capacitors: They make them with both axial leads and ribbon leads.  Most of the MRI work we do sees ribbon leads.  You do NOT need the nonmagnetic version.

I have a like new 75A4.  Serial number 4973.  The original owner was a certain KH6CON.  He took possession in January of 1958.  It has lots of noise.  I suspect caps.  The main dial rotates smoothly.

BTW, there is an article about working on the PTO in the December 1974 edition of Ham Radio Magazine.  This may be found on World Radio History.

Looking  for new 4'400 tubes for my Globe and Johnny 5

Johnathan N8QPC

Chris,

I use a dual trace scope with these phasing type exciters to adjust the RF network phase shift, it makes it much simpler than dealing with the interaction that occurs when you are going back and forth between the audio and RF adjustments. 

Do set the audio pots back to center range if you are going to try to use the scope technique in the manual.

Phasing setup is pretty easy and painless if you have access to a dual trace scope.  I use a spectrum analyzer for the final adjustments but once you get the RF phasing right, a modern highly selective SSB receiver makes for easy adjustment of the carrier and audio balance controls to finalize the setup.

Rodger WQ9E

Ok Steve We will give a listen. Looks like conditions are not that good right now but give it a shot 73s Gil K3GTS

Hi Greg!  Welcome back!  Nice to work you on 40
meters yesterday, good luck with the MT-1.  I came into a complete MT-1 /MR-1 system many years ago, including the original small AC and DC power supplies, little square box mobile speaker, and square backplane mobile mounting plate for stacking the two units on the transmission hump of your late fifties land yacht.

One thing to watch out for is severe chirp and FMing on AM on 40 meters, where the VFO is running at 7 MHz.  I have had similar issues with the VF-1 VFOs and a DX-40, where the workaround is using the 1750 -2000 kHz 160/80/40 meter mode on 40.  A similar approach works on the MT-1 VFO but you have to manually disconnect the internal mechanical linkage that shifts the VFO fundamental between 1750-2000 kHz used on 80 meters and 7000-7500’kHz used on 40 meters and up, which pretty much makes it a semi permanent 40 meter
setup unless you undo it.

After you get them going, start looking for a 56 Ford Crown Vic and have it repainted and reupholstered in two-tone Heath Indian gray and green to install them in.  Would be a real showboat at both cruise nights and hamfests!