28.34 3PM EDT.

[kc7jty]

Should be able to be on this freq the next few days looking for contacts. Will check in here just before to see if there are any stations available.

[W2NAP]

I just tuned down there. not hearing anything

[W9JAM]

I heard people on there today but was too tired to care.

[kc7jty]

mañana

[N8YX]

I have the afternoon off - will check there when I am in the shack.

[kc7jty]

Will be calling @ 3PM EDT today (Wed.)

[NQ6U]

Gave you a call around 15:30 EDT.

[kc7jty]

I think I was jawing with Beaumont, TX @ 15:30
Try again tomorrow....

[N8YX]

I did something painful to my neck yesterday morning when at the gym and as a result my shoulders are hurting like a mofo at the moment. Had the day off for a non-related visit to the doctor so when I got back home around 1PM I turned the radios on, laid down on the couch in the shack...and slept.

Just got up within the last hour.

[kc7jty]

Life can be wonderful at times....no?

[K7SGJ]

Will be calling @ 3PM EDT today (Wed.)

I heard someone back east calling you, but never did hear you. Maybe next time.

[kc7jty]

Conditions must be changing.

[W2NAP]

well im on 340 now. dont hear anything

[NQ6U]

CMEs and geomagnetic storms have put the damper on 10m for the moment.

[W2NAP]

29-Sep-2011 at 1805 UTC
SFI = 133 A = 27 K = 3

[N8YX]

I'll park a receiver on frequency today and see who shows up.

[kc7jty]

Heard a PA3 station contacting 1,2,&3 landers about an hour ago.

[WØTKX]

As the CME mellows out, hopefully we'll see some action on 10 again. That was a lot of fun about a week ago.

Must MUST get the mobile installation going in the van. My shift just changed to 10 AM to 9PM.

[KG4CGC]

Get on frequency now. Bill and I are there.

[KK4AMI]

Get on frequency now. Bill and I are there.

I could not hear KG4CGC, but I think its because my dipole is oriented east-west. I tried to reach KC7JTY, but I think my antenna sucks "Tea Party Corn Dogs"! I have a new one to go with the little AT-100ProII tuner, but my wife is moving me to my own man cave soon, so I postponed putting it up.

[kc7jty]

I'm a bit behind on stuff to get caught up on today after dentist this morning. Will be 1/2 to hour later getting on today.

[KG4CGC]

Anyone work any DX today? The band is as wide open as it has ever been.

[kb2crk]

Anyone work any DX today? The band is as wide open as it has ever been.

Guadalajara, the pan american games special events station.

[WØTKX]

I'm munching on some ribs, listening to to 28.340 right now...

[KC2UGV]

Anyone work any DX today? The band is as wide open as it has ever been.

Dammit! I need to actually LOOK at propagation reports... I wasted my time trying to work 30M, which during the evening was dead as a door nail. Except an overmodulated station repeatedly calling "CQ DX", and another US station running "all knobs right" calling "CQ LOTW WAS Illinois!!!!". Yes, the exclamation points were there as well.

I bumped the VFO, and tried some Contestia, and then played with Wefax (My youngest son loves watching the fax images come in).

[PA5COR]

I'm listening now.
Worked in 2 days
CN8QN
KB1HY
EK6TA
JO3JIS
UT1AN
A41OO
VK4MD
200 watts Imax 2000 vertical.
So, what's holding you back? ;)

[KC2UGV]

I'm listening now.
Worked in 2 days
CN8QN
KB1HY
EK6TA
JO3JIS
UT1AN
A41OO
VK4MD
200 watts Imax 2000 vertical.
So, what's holding you back? ;)

Not in front of a rig :lol:

[PA5COR]

Damn....
Just worked KF4UGA 5-9+10 both ways with my measly 400 watts...

[KG4CGC]

Damn....
Just worked KF4UGA 5-9+10 both ways with my measly 400 watts...You probably could have done it on 40 watts today.

[PA5COR]

Yep.
Needed the amp to push a few Italians aside that were very obnoxious, hearing me but trying to get their nose in front.

Didn't help, i was a bit better in the USA ;)
Looked again, 600 watts.. hmmmm
Oh well, i need to compensate the 60 feet LMR 400 coax i think ;)

[KG4CGC]

Only 60 feet? LOL! You make it sound like 600 feet. LOL! hihi

[KG4CGC]

From where I'm located, I can't tell who the DX station is on 28.509.5

[PA5COR]

Band still open listening to 28.340 to EA7IQQ station working stateside.
MUF dropping fast band will close soon for me i'm affraid.

[WØTKX]

12 and 15 are rocking, I just worked Slovenia on 12m SSB. :mrgreen:

[KG4CGC]

The Straights Of Gibraltar is on 28.340

[WØTKX]

Yo COR, where you at? Or did you take off for one of your frequent showers? :mrgreen:

[WØTKX]

Enuf radio for a bit... time for a late season top down drive...

[PA5COR]

We had our local meeting from the Hamclub, pick up qsl cards, and send mine on their merry way...
Will be on 10 tomorrow, looks like the conditions will keep on for a while ;)
Let's keep 28.340 as home freq?

K just a quick run over 10 this morning
TA3TTT 5/9+50!
JF2GWN 5/9+
9H3IT 5/9+
JN1GTG 5/9+
All worked with 200 watts from the FT 2000 D into the Imax 2000 vertical antenna with ground radials of 16 feet.
No need for the Heathkit SB-1000, with 200 watts i pegged the needles in Japan and Turkey.
Put the dial back on 28.340
Getting a coffee now ;)

[kc7jty]

28.5 to 28.6 was rocking today (Friday) France coming in 5 9 all day. Heard F4 station work JA and JA work Argentina. Wish I knew you were on 28.34 Cor. Any chance to try for a contact?
I should have been checking this thread. Probably the weekend will be a lot of traffic though.

[PA5COR]

Trying to be qrv on 28.340 ( + - qrm) this weekend, hoping to work one of you guy's LOL
Now at 28.330 running 500 watts into the Imax 2000, lots of stateside to be heard, New Mexico etc, South america as well, where are you guy's ?

Worked:
KB3MXM, K3S0M, N4VG, VE2SG, K8YSE, K1CGZ, N1JCW. ;)

[kc7jty]

Was there for a while about 1.5 hour plus ago (9:30-10:00 PST) heard a Jerry in New York City calling QRZ. Tried to get my desktop up and running and have been farting around with all the updates for over an hour. Had to install AVG 2012.

[PA5COR]

I heard jerry calling too, but then conditions wer already dropping out here, 6 hours difference has that tendency, so, better next time ;)

[kc7jty]

Will get on 28.34 around 17:30 - 18:00 UTC tomorrow. Might be on earlier if I get the courage to get out of bed.
I heard France here yesterday surprisingly late into the afternoon.

[PA5COR]

Will see if i can get a signal there, and occupy the frequency there in advance ;)
Muf dropped to 14 MHz now, and does so quite fast when the darkness makes it's entrance here.

[kc7jty]

will set my alarm to get up at 17:00. CQ 10 CQ 10...

[PA5COR]

That will be 18.00 local, will be qrv on 28.340.

[kc7jty]

I'm on freq now at 15:11...

[kc7jty]

F4FSY now, 5 & 7 contact

[kc7jty]

28.342 is hot now. Total WHACK job, sounds like Spanish.

34 quiet @ 15:40

[kc7jty]

LA5ZO Geir SW Norway 5&7 contact, he is 700 whiskey into 9 element yagi.

Weak Brazil? at 16:05 contact with LA5ZO

LA5ZO strong signal here still at 16:30

Weak London @ 16:40

F5AD 5 & 7 @ 16: 52

KB1VSY woman sounds like a 3 year old child + many weak stations including Italy & Mexico @ 17:00

[PA5COR]

On 28.340 now ;)
MUF already going down here :( on 28.690) and falling

[kc7jty]

Will have to try earlier next time. Many stations on freq now.
Are you available tomorrow?
I didn't hear you Cor.
I'm gonna make me an eggy now...

[PA5COR]

I'm free tomorrow m8.
No problem, will be on the same frequency then, thought i heard you faint through a lot of EU pile up here....

Tomorrow most of them will be working :)
Have a nice dinner though, take care.

Cor

[kc7jty]

Will be on 28.34 @ 14:00 tomorrow Monday. I usually get up then to pee anyway.
(if you would like to switch freq to 28.8 or so that would eliminate a lot of traffic) let me know.

This is cool:
http://24timezones.com/

(http://24timezones.com/)Let me know if 14:00 UTC will work for you. (I also have 12 meter capability)

Have you ever worked Japan on 10 or 12? They are like a swarm of bees, all 5/9 here in the afternoon, then we get a pipeline into the land of OZ. Hey Bob VK3ZL, you out there?

[PA5COR]

No problem wll be on 28.340, i can work all bands here from 160 up to 70 cm's ;)

Worked Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, South America on 10/12/15 last weeks, had a ball.

All on the old Imax 2000 vertical, and mostly 100 - 200 watts from the FT 2000 D no amplifier needed with these conditions.

14.00 UTC is 15.00 local time for me.
Will be on the lookout for you then.
;)

[kc7jty]

Cool beans Cor, C U then.
I'm starting to get leery about this DX business. I keep hearing Frenchmen saying the word Florida, and assorted words with a Japanese accent, all with the radio af turned completely down.

I'm using a 20 year old A-99 that I put a fresh coat of marine quality fiberglass gel on about 7 years ago. It's 1.1:1 on 12 meters and 1.5:1 @ 28.4. Above or below those limits the MFJ tuner gets me into 29 meg and down through 17 meters.
If I ever have to replace the antenna the Imax 2000 will be a serious contender.

[kc7jty]

If 14:00 is too early here for conditions to PA land I'll monitor 28.34 and check in here to see what's happening. Sunrise here will be 14:53 tomorrow.

[PA5COR]

Watching the Muf with eagle eyes at the moment.
12.00 i'll go up to 10, the Imax is an underrated antenna, it works 10/12/15/17 MHz the last band with a little less efective, but it works fine there, SWR all under 1:3 so easy tunable by the internal FT 2000 D tuner, or the outboard MFJ 993-B tuner.
I put 1 KW into it on all these bands, use the European equivalent of LMR 400 cable on it with 60 feet length.

On 15 it works as a 1/2 wave and performs quite well.
I outperformed someone using an tribander and running also 1 KW, so it will definately stay up, i even have 2 spare ones here.
It was given to me 9 years back, and the others as well, so not bad for a free antenna.
I just put 4 wires on it as ground radials, 5 meters long or 16 feet long, just laying on the roof.

If 28.340 doesn't work alternative 12m meters 24.930 might do, if didn't hear a peep at 15.30 i'll try there, and keep this page refreshed to see what you have of condx there.

[kc7jty]

QRV
Louisiana conditions here so far.
28.34 @14:18
Michigan @ 14:23 on .345
listening .340

[PA5COR]

Just worked W8ERN now, calling you now

[kc7jty]

Too early yet I suppose
I hear Cleveland calling you now
KB8PQM calling you now said he had you 5 9
He's talking to you now RCI 2995, starduster antenna
He signed with you, conditions poor to PA5COR for him
I called him no reply

[PA5COR]

Not hearing a peep from you, just KB8PQM from Cleveland, just barely made a contact with Robert, and RN4HT in Russia.
Still calling you 0n 28.340

LOL just read your post above....

[K7SGJ]

I can hear you in there Cor, you've got a bit of a pile up going. Lot of QSB here at the moment. I'll try calling you in a bit, too. Lookin for you, too Bill.

[kc7jty]

Nothing here but faint scratch from .345
Wonder if 12 might be better?
Monitoring 28.34 @ 14:43
KJ5IX @ 14:49 N Texas has contacted you Cor

Hopefully conditions will improve, I'm getting you better now Cor @14:57

Paul in Michigan now NF8J station 500 watts

I have you about 3 & 2 Cor. Sounds like they are piling up for you now @ 15:05

You've dropped down here but I can still hear you with QSB @15:09

You are very weak here now Cor @ 15:15



Good signal now Cor but too many stations lined up for you. @15:35

CALL KC7JTY NOW COR!

FINALLY GOOD CONTACT! 73 Cor 15:42

[KJ4FEL]

COR... I can barely hear you in North Carolina. You just completed a QSO with someone named Daniel:-)

Good Job William & Cor @1543 UTC

[PA5COR]

Took some work, but in the end DID work William, KC7JTY in the end ;)
And about 20 others Canada, Russia and all over the USA.

Thanks everyone for trying, will be QRV again tomorrow same time, same frequency.
Thanks everyone for giving reports here in the thread too, really appreciated, thanks Stephen.
Thanks William it worked in the end LOL, ;)

[kc7jty]

Halleluja!
I get to sleep an additional hour tomorrow.
You are really loud Cor. What is your microphone?

[NQ6U]

I'm gonna try to put together a decent 10m antenna today (working nights again); if I succeed and can drag my ass outta bed early enough, I'll be there. Same Bat time, same Bat channel.

[K7SGJ]

I'm gonna try to put together a decent 10m antenna today (working nights again); if I succeed and can drag my ass outta bed early enough, I'll be there. Same Bat time, same Bat channel.

Same Batshit Bach......................never mind.

[PA5COR]

Microphone is the old MD-1 from Yaesu, my first tabletop mike i got in 1977.
That goes into the EQplus from W2IHY and from there into the Yaesu FT 2000 D, in which the equalizer is just set a bit ( few dB's up for 300 Hz and 2700 Hz.

Antenna used was the IMAX 2000, given to me 9 years ago, for free, just added the ground wires laying on the roof of 15 feet long ( 4 of them), feeding it with quality coax, Aircom plus, 60 feet, running 5 - 600 watts into it from the old Heathkit ( rebuild new 3 - 500 ZG RF parts tube) SB-1000.

The mike is mounted on an small arm on the desk, and if i speak into it it is 2 inches from the side of my mouth.
Te piccie is an old one with the FT 847, now replaced with the FT 2000 D
On the board you can find pictures of my new antenna setup, or looking up my call on QRZ.
It might help there's 3000 feet of copper wire buried under it ;) ( for the inverted L)
Again, thanks for the trouble to get it working, and we did in the end :clap:

[kc7jty]

I need to get 60 feet of quality coax. Am now using 60 feet of Radio Shack RG8X that is over 30 years old. I'm only getting 90 watts to the antenna.
Will be on .34 @ 15:00 UTC tomorrow. The first hour today was a waste of time.
Don't forget us peasants Cor when all those big boys are in the pile up for you.

[PA5COR]

I have more fun digging out the weak stations out of the noise as working the strong ones.
I remember all to well the times i tried to work outside Europe on a wet string :lol:
Now i have some middle of the road antenna's i find it rewarding to dig out the qrp stations or someone that struggles see above, we had to try for an hour or so, but got there in the end.
Much more fun as working 1000 5/9+30 stations.
But that is just me, though a niice loud station now and then is fun too to give the ears a rest pause :yum:

I had tons of fun today thanks to you guys and all that came back to my puny signal.
Thanks for that, made my day :yes:
Will be back tomorrow on time so don't sweat, if conditions hold we can make it.
Coax doesn't matter much on 160, there i use RG 213 of good quality all 40 fet i need to get to the MFJ 998 tuner.
For anything up i have the Aircom plus, a little better as the LMR 400, above 50 MHz its 1/2 inch Ecoflex 15.
No reason to waste R.F. made at considerable cost to waste it in bad coax is it?

It's the antennna system doing the work, not the transceiver.

[PA5COR]

Just adding the worked stations today.
W8ERN, RN4HT, KB8PQM, KJ6MSU, KJ5IX, K0CIY, VE6NL, KD8QBV, K4UUG, NF8J, VO1GES, VE3FNX, W9SAM, N4KTL, W7BC, KC7JTY.

All on 10 same frequency.
Back on 160 now, will try this night to get some USA stations if conditions allow me.

Isn't Ham radio fun ;)

[KC2UGV]

I need to get 60 feet of quality coax. Am now using 60 feet of Radio Shack RG8X that is over 30 years old. I'm only getting 90 watts to the antenna.
Will be on .34 @ 15:00 UTC tomorrow. The first hour today was a waste of time.
Don't forget us peasants Cor when all those big boys are in the pile up for you.

I am in the same boat... Next purchase is Coax.

[kc7jty]

Just adding the worked stations today.
W8ERN, RN4HT, KB8PQM, KJ6MSU, KJ5IX, K0CIY, VE6NL, KD8QBV, K4UUG, NF8J, VO1GES, VE3FNX, W9SAM, N4KTL, W7BC, KC7JTY.

I heard you speaking other than English, do you speak Russian or was that Dutch to a local contact?

That NF8J had 500 watts of absolute commercial broadcast quality, sweet.


Isn't Ham radio fun ;)
Yep, I used to DX starting in the late 70s on 11 meters. Had a 4 element Yagi horizontal and worked many world stations with 20 whiskies. Had a shoe box full of qsl cards, coins, and other memorabilia. I tried to find it in my Pop's attic a couple years ago but I fear someone chucked it.

[PA5COR]

The VE6NL was a Dutchman now living in Canada, and still able to speak Dutch, so what you heard was our Country language ;)
I speak German and some French as well, as my second acknowledged Dutch language, Frisian.


The the usual cuss words in Portuguese, Spanish, and some small phrases in Russian.
Comes all from working as pipe fitter/TIG welder with foreign peeps ;)
At least i can blame them for it :liar:

Normally i have the bandwidth of the FT 2000 D on 1-4000 Hz so broadcast quality for local ragchew, ( Europe = local) and on 100 - 2900 Hz for DX and temper the low side on the EQplus.
Critical DX is done in 300 - 2700 Hz.
Using the compressor/expander and limiter from the EQPlus and 10 dB processing of the FT 2000 D gives a very loud audio without overdoing it.
Most of the time i get unsolicited reports about the audio in the DX setting, so i leave it as it is then.

Started out at 12 building tube amps (audio) for our not so successful school band, listening to shortwave radio, and then building transmitters ( illegal FM) be4 i saw the light ;)

Went to the full license exam in 1977 and never looked back, on 11 meters i did some repair work, but got sick of repairing the golden screwdriver results and botched up radio's.
Was active on 11 only because the wife wanted a 11 meter radio, and after 2 years she didn't want it anymore, so there's a good one still in the Attic catching dust.

Trading in through the repair work a Lincoln and some Superstar 3900 F with frequency counter thingy also catching dust.
With the cndx now i might be tempted to put one of them on a wire in the shack above for listening on 10.
Been busy building several active loop antenna's just for the fun of it and testing them for 160m antenna ( actually 100 KHz to 30 MHz.)

Had some serious designing to do with the amplifiers and testing them, now one is up with 4 x the BFW `16A transistor as differential loop amplifier followed by the 2 transistor amp, could not destroy it with 1 KW on 160, even with the open pcb and loop working at 12 feet from the inverted L.

Working fine, at 12 feet above ground reception is as the OCF or inverted L, but i can turn the loop to cancel the noise somewhat.

[kc7jty]

Before I saw the light as you put it I did a lot of mod and repair of Cb radios. It was a lot of fun and lasted for decades. I still have a Cobra 2000 which I modded to 2 meg continuous coverage at 25 watts tx on ssb. Replaced the stock rf final with MRF497 and added additional amp stage to the power strip.

A local 2 meter friend says he'll get on .34 tomorrow after listening just now to me telling of our fun today. His call is KD7YLD and he only has a wire dipole for 10.

[PA5COR]

I did every trick on the book with cb radio's adding additional bands, make 5 band radio's of the Superstar 360 FM, by adding diode matrix and new 5 band switches, rework P.A's putting the MRF 455 in it running 50 watts from 12 watt radio's with clean signal, add Schottky diodes to the AM detector with doube diode detector, replace the front end transistor by the BFY 90 for low noise, add monolithic 10.695 chrystal filter in the I.F. for more selectivity etc, etc.
Most of the designs are all the same just another box around it, but the basic schematic is all the same.
The EU radio's were different, other PLL systems making it harder to expand, but it could be done.
I still have the PLL book and screwdrivers guide of Lou Franklin here LOL.
But when most radio's first passed an lot of "experts" they ended up here as junkers, it gets disheartening if you have to clean up somebody's elses mess...

So stopped repairing them, and got questions to repair them till years after i stopped.
Still have original Mitsubishy 2SC 2166, 2SC 1969's and monolithic 10.695 X filters new in box here.

I'll be on and looking out for the weak stations here.
Still have a smile on the face thinking about yesterday, causing a pile up there :shifty:, not used to that, mostly i'm in a pile up trying to work another entity.:)
If 28.340 is occupied i'll tune down by 5 KHz .
I'll be doing this all week if conditions keep up, and through the weekend till everyone had a try.

Maybe i should rename it to the Hamisland DX group net? :mrgreen: i
I'm already an old fart....:ugh:

[PA5COR]

Going down to 28.330, RK3 station operating on 28.339.2 wide as an barndoor splattering all over 7 KHz...

[kc7jty]

.34 quiet @ 15:00
will check .33 then return to .34

[PA5COR]

Activety now from an USA station on 28.330, 28.327.5 is free and i'm off to there.

[kc7jty]

weak station .33
off to 327.5
@15:22

I can hear you .327.5 but very weak @ 15:32

[PA5COR]

Lots of stations outside .327.5 no reaction to me calling.... must be the weather LOL
Faint signals calling me but lots of sideband splatter and too weak signals...
At least someone hearing me... 600 watts doing no good then, MUF already dropped below 30 MHZ... Grrrrr

[kc7jty]

I hear you but very weak. tried to get you few times
Good copy on Michigan but I have many stations all over the place

[PA5COR]

KB8HJH Brian worked from his car 5/8 here, that must be the score for today......

LOL KC7JTY worked again 5/3 to 5/4

Not bad for 100 watts ;)

[kc7jty]

Too many signals above and below freq to understand you can we qsy to .34?

You would have been 3/2 but too many other stations above and below freq.

Finally good 3/2 contact on .34
N8DE coming in 5/3 from Michigan with you.

Probably be good to schedule for 16:00 tomorrow Cor on .34.

[PA5COR]

Listening on .340, but giving a few calls there now.

You were above the noise constantly, 5 by 2 the N8DE was loud, 5/9 here .

[kc7jty]

I'll give you a call now @ 16:14

OK Cor, C U tomorrow.

[PA5COR]

Trying again tomorrow, at 16.00, better for you, too early the conditions will ot be good for you, so better wait till cndx go up on your side.
Good work, 100 watts into a dipole is over 4000 miles on a simple vertical here a near wonder ;), specially me running 500-600 watts.

MUF at 26.6 now, it's that fast like pulling a curtain down...

[kc7jty]

4000 miles
I'm sure there is at least 5000 miles between us.
Sometimes I think 10 meters should be channelized at 5khz spacing on ssb. It would solve a lot of problems. Also a pita is someone tuning up a transmitter and the receiving station getting BLASTED with heterodyne.

[kc7jty]

I still have the PLL book and screwdrivers guide of Lou Franklin here LOL.
Yep, me too. I was so happy at learning how to expand the pll and "open up" and extend the range of the clarifier, and also broadbanding, and how easy it was.
Still have many parts including MRF497, about 50 rf chokes, 50 switches, etc that will never get used now.
I was getting about $300/month working on radios when I lived in Texas. Good money back then, the little 2 br house I was renting then was $325/mo. When the word gets out you are cheap on the work they line up at the door.

[PA5COR]

You can try to sell the spare parts on that "other" forum the Worldwide Radio forum... just saying.... ;)

Though 2sc2166 and 2sc1969, etc became obsolete, they became also quite pricey.... i bought them 100 each at the time, 2 guilder for the 2166 3.50 for the 1969 in bulk, price for one 10/17 guilder then bought at the shop, there was my first profit.

Did repairs/modifications for over 10 years, including full re allignment of the screwdriver victims...
Not cheap, but good, people came here from 60 miles around, there weren't a lot of people with a full set of equipmnent like scope, frequency counter, and all other goodies to do a decent repair.
Ham radio shops didn't want to do the repairs, so i had a ball.
At least i could help someone here on a good PLL board of a Lincoln ;)

[kc7jty]

Haha, you bootlegger you. I had a HR 2510 that covered 11 meters for a while. My other radios I still have are on the CB forum.

[kc7jty]

Curiosity has killed the cat (http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg72/alnihilation/dead-cat2.jpg) :
http://www.mapcrow.info/cgi-bin/cities_distance_airpt2.cgi?city3=19226%2CS&city4=-2969693%2CA

[kf0rt]

Yep, me too. I was so happy at learning how to expand the pll and "open up" and extend the range of the clarifier, and also broadbanding, and how easy it was.
Still have many parts including MRF497, about 50 rf chokes, 50 switches, etc that will never get used now.
I was getting about $300/month working on radios when I lived in Texas. Good money back then, the little 2 br house I was renting then was $325/mo. When the word gets out you are cheap on the work they line up at the door.

Back then, didn't it require a First Phone ticket to work on a CB? :wtf:

(We won't tell, honest!)

[K7SGJ]

Back then, didn't it require a First Phone ticket to work on a CB? :wtf:

(We won't tell, honest!)

Second or First. First for commercial broadcast.

[WØTKX]

:lol:

I used to work on CB's, we had one guy with a First Class (and an old school Advanced) who "supervised" two of us for a total of three who did repairs. NEVER did illegal mods, and sent people elsewhere. Many came back after their radios got screwed up. All of the radio repair guys were hams.

We did a great job on the legal stuff, and made damn sure the radios had legal power and excellent modulation. We were also an authorized Pierce Simpson and Hygain repair shop. Turner power mics had the slide control "tweaked" so it didn't do a damn thing after setting it correctly for the users voice. We focused on excellent antennas and used field strength meters to setup phased antennas. And sold a hell of a lot of base stations with beams.

Had a very loyal bunch of customers, mostly truckers. Many of them got "boots" elsewhere after we got their rigs running correctly. Oh well.

I HATED those Pace and Kraco radios... hard to work on, lots of jumpered traces on the circuit boards, etc. I got hired away to sell Midlands CB's all over the upper midwest as a "rep". Made a lot of money for a few years till the boom died out, and didn't have to do or sell anything illegal. Got asked all the time though, imagine that,

Besides, if you wanted to do illegal stuff, an FT-101 was a hell of a lot better than a regular CB. Just saying. ;)

[kc7jty]

Just remove the rf sniffer cap that supplies the control source for the entire alc circuit.

If it wasn't for the Morse barrier I would have become a ham around 1980.
A CB friend who was a novice then, and I went to visit a guy he knew who had recently gotten his general ticket.
This guy showed us his shack in which the main rg8 feedline to the hf antenna was spliced together just inside the wall of the house with 2 wire nuts. My friend pointed out to the guy that was the epitome of mickey mouse. The guy replies, It works! and acted like that was the way it was going to stay.

On the way home the conversation was about how dumb ass hams were, not to mention assoles.

[WØTKX]

Of course it worked. Kind of a homebrew version of this...

http://sadoun.com/Sat/Installation/Flat-coaxial.jpg

[kc7jty]

I had a firestick antenna mounted in the middle of my chevy sta wagon roof that had wire lug connections for the coax inside the car (no so239 connector). Wrapping grounded, plastic insulated wire so it covered the entire hardware connection inside the car brought the swr down from 1.6:1 to 1.2:1.

[PA5COR]

Calling on .340, just some very faint sinals in the noise....

[PA5COR]

ooops, repeat...

VA6AK, WØTKX, W7JTY ( 3rd day in a row) WD8JDU.
Bad cndx today, lots of noise and lots of splatter Grrrr...

[kc7jty]

I had you at 5/7 but too much QSB. You have a lot of noise on my signal today at 16:06

[kc7jty]

Want to try 12 meters? 24.94
HOLY SMOKES! 12 is a big pile up. Every ham on the planet is on 12 now LOL

[WØTKX]

Cor gave me a 319 on CW. LOL! Weako, Weako.

I can hear you in there now Bill, but you're not as loud as Cor.

Need to get an amp running on 10. Just don't bother to use one above 7.3 Mhz, and need to rewire
some stuff here so I can switch the amp to my Gap Titan... which is dedicated to 10 Mhz and higher.

[WØTKX]

Going to 12. Hanging out at 24.985 at the moment.

[kc7jty]

Very weak W4 heard on 24.985 @ 16:21
Hear you on .985 Cor but weak @16:27
Heard Bulgaria on .94 15 mins ago.
Weak contact with you Cor @ 16: 31 try again tomorrow
HAAH! Guy in NY with "little" antenna LOL
Noise level very low .985 very quiet here now, only the NY station saying United Kingdom.
NY station has UTC suffix. Too much QSB

[PA5COR]

Listening there, hearing faint noises ;)

[WØTKX]

Ja, it's rough today. Oh well. I can hear both of you (Bill and Cor). But you can't hear me.

You two are doubling now. Heh.

[PA5COR]

Yep, guessing when someone passes the microphone.
Sometimes i hope for beter signals, and we could have a roundtable with decent signals
But, but , but, i heard your CW signals ;)

[kc7jty]

Heard the CW as well, yes big round table with everyone from the Island.
This UTC guy in NY is a riot. Sounds like he has a screw loose. K2UTC
"I'll talk to anybody in South Africa" he says. He's not fussy, as long as you are in SA you are game.

[PA5COR]

I'm not moving for his ego LOL

I'm not a small station, more the better middle of the road station here, but mostly i get through when others fail.
Running 500 - 600 watts here as measured on the Daiwa HP-801 with active PEP measuring.
Cranking up the Heathkit to 1000 watts doesn't help, i like to keep that one for the next decades...

[kc7jty]

Did you hear K2UTC saying he had a little antenna?

What's the freq tomorrow Cor? Wonder if 15 would be any better? Seems 15:45 to 16:30 is right about bingo for contacting you so far.

[WØTKX]

My antenna may not be long, but it sure is skinny. :shifty:

[PA5COR]

We can try 28.340. or if you guy's want 15, there the Imax works very fine, thank you ;)
Mostly i make 600 -700 watts there, easy for the new tube, without blinking the Heathkit will make 1000+ there.
Lets try 21.160 there, just above the narrow band and data modes here.
Most votes count ;) and the conditions will last a lot longer when the MUF tanks.
Imax 2000 swr there is 1: 1.4 without tuner....;) acts as a 1/2 wave there. ( 7.10 meters long).
The OCF ( FD-4 from Fritzel does not like to work there, the inverted l can be tuned there without a problem.

I won't tell you what the wife thinks of my "antenna"....:shock::scared:

So lets hear what you guy's want i'll be there.:-D

[WØTKX]

I heard that guy in NY talking about his small antenna as well. We should have invited him to The Island. :rofl:

And yes, 15 meters might work as well or better. Still have a "thing" about 15, it was my favorite band years ago.

[PA5COR]

21.160 + QRM if there is any, always 5 KHZ up in case the frequency is occupied , i'll be there from 15.30 on UTC, maybe even earlier.
Looking forward to what the band will do, if not we have plan B, 10 meters ;)

[kc7jty]

You guys must have a different band plan. 21.275 is as low as I can go as general class.
Did you mean CW? I'm 100% Morse free.

http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Hambands_color.pdf

[PA5COR]

No problem, 21.275 it is then ;)
My license is the same as the Extra at your side of the pond....
http://www.pa1jlg.nl/Bandplan.html

[kc7jty]

21.275 will have me right up against the peg with no ability to tune down. Make it 21.28 @ 15:45. Keep in touch here too.
Maybe we'll hear that NY guy with the "little" antenna again. If I ever hear him I'm gonna try to contact him.
He's close to John IZE, maybe he knows the guy.

[PA5COR]

21.280 it is in case of QRM 2.5 KHz up ;) listening already on 21.275 to a QSO
Now free frequency at 21.285 listening
lots of dx around will try to keep this freq.
No takers yet on my calls...

[kc7jty]

21.285 @ 15:45
at least a contact if not a very good one on 15
I have a birdy on my receive in this area of 15 but the notch filter knocks it out.

We were predicted 3 inches snow here this morning and only rain with no snow, so things are good here today.

[PA5COR]

21.290 now, very bad cndx William was 5/2 at most, but went down to 3/1 at the end in the noise...
Thanks for trying William, made 650 watts here, most i make with this amp, i could go to 1 KW but that would not really matter improving the reception here...
Bandnoise is low, but the signals were low too William, i recieved someone from New york running 1 KW with just 5/5 and he was using a tribander beam...
So you're doing fine actually ;)

[kc7jty]

I don't hear any other stations. Did you want to try again or give up for today?
Monitoring .29 now @ 16:05

OK Cor, slightly better that time but still not good HA3OZ calling now.

Good contact to Hungary, HA3OK Zoli is 80 watts into tri band beam,

[PA5COR]

Conditions Suck big time, i did not see the band improve, 10 meter is open but also not big class.
Let's call it a day, you were the only one today i hear and worked.
MUF dropping like a rock, went down 5 MHz in just as many minutes, so the window is closing fast.
Dark here now, daylight gone.
Thanks for trying ;)

[kc7jty]

OK Cor thanks for the contact. CU tomorrow maybe.

[kc7jty]

IZ4NPE perfect 5/9+10 contact @ 15:05 (21.277) he is 1KW into Cushcraft vertical antenna.
Frank has been holding the freq for 40 minutes with nothing less than 5/7.

OPPS! Correction it was @ 17:05, not 15:05.

[PA5COR]

Missed the joy, shopping for the weekend, replacing the amplifier for the loop, and when i was done only 15 and lower were open.
Better luck tomorrow then, 15 looks good for me.

[kc7jty]

For some reason I get farther south better and later than up north. Maybe because of the sun shining longer there. I have a birdie on 21.28. Will plan on getting on 21.29 at 17:00 but I suspect 15 will be a pile up for the weekend.

[PA5COR]

Yep, contest time ......will listen on 21.290 at 17.00 then, we can always hope
21.292 now WD8CCC 5/9.
Listening down to 21.282 it's free;)

[kc7jty]

IZ4 Franco again on 21.27 @ 17:08
Strong Missouri station on .283 17:12

Back to .277 Missouri W0LAB is a real yap box.

Franco still 5/7 @ 17:24

QSY to breakfast at 17:43 Franco still coming in Q5