Final chapter of Dashtoons' Christmas serial "The Gate Crasher"

[Jeff K1NSS]

This way to the action-packed conclusion of our little holiday ham heartwarmer, where else but www.dashtoons.com? (http://www.dashtoons.com?)!

Happy Merry Seasons' Dit-Dits from our shack to yours.

5043 (http://www.dashtoons.com)

[kb2vxa]

"Happy Merry Seasons' Dit-Dits from our shack to yours."

Likewise, nothing beats a great pair of dits.

[W1GUH]

:clap::agree::cheers:

Just outstanding, Jeff. Take a bow.

And Charles...for da man of the hour, if you could oblige?

LOVED it, Jeff.

[NQ6U]

Nice job, Jeff.

BTW, I think I forgot to thank you for the "Homebrew" mug, so let me do that as I'm sipping tea from it right now!

[N8YX]

Very well done!

I can see influences of Gil here, though I think your work is a bit more eclectic. Keep 'em coming! :clap:

[Jeff K1NSS]

Tnx fellas! Sorry for belated response, went off-Island for Christmas but me and da dog paddled back late this AM from the wilds of Bearsville NY (a Woodstock suburb) and most appreciate your kind words. The 811A Tree Capper is awesome! Is that your handiwork Warren? Tnx again Paul, (also stuck on D104 BTW as you know) You're welcome Carl, sip hearty matey! TU2 John, yep Gil is one of my heros. His art has such a good-natured grace about it. I never thought it was so funny as much as comically cozy, a distillation of my favorite things, old time ham radio and old time comics, a lost world of double Zepps strung behind Major Hoople's boarding house. If one's heart can have an eye like one's mind, Gil's stuff looks like ham radio deep down feels to me, and will remain a comfort till I shed my mortal Airdux.

[kb2vxa]

Yeppers, the 811A is my creation atop K2PG Phil's tree. To make a long story even longer it all began in the living room, pre-Christmas 1999 when his prized hand blown antique German angel shattered on the floor, shattered Phil too so I just had to do something. One day while he was out and I was hanging around the shack bored as hell with no DX running the bulb above my head lit, AN IDEA! Rummaging through the biggest junk box I've ever seen (everywhere except the bathroom) I came up with the tubes we pulled from the KWM-1 (he hoards EVERYTHING), a transformer, socket and assorted bits I jock strapped it all together and attacked the tree. hen he returned that evening he plugged in the lights as always but didn't notice, I told him go back and take another look. He turned around, looked up and down, squinted, looked again and did such a double-take he nearly fell over backward.

The original picture in the living room that seems to have mysteriously vanished was submitted to the ARRL and appears in the December 1999 edition of QST if you manage to dig up a copy somewhere.

Oh I should add that he was so delighted he started bouncing like some sort of cartoon jumping bean making me laugh in a fearful sort of way. There ensued a minor earthquake and bits of this and that raining from the ceiling, I had just installed lolly columns under the transmitters but not enough for the whole floor... STOP PHIL STOP!!! For those unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation here's the AM Gangsta himself at the helm, Leslie West isn't the only Mountain. (;->)

[Jeff K1NSS]

Yeppers, the 811A is my creation atop K2PG Phil's tree. To make a long story even longer it all began in the living room, pre-Christmas 1999 when his prized hand blown antique German angel shattered on the floor, shattered Phil too so I just had to do something. One day while he was out and I was hanging around the shack bored as hell with no DX running the bulb above my head lit, AN IDEA! Rummaging through the biggest junk box I've ever seen (everywhere except the bathroom) I came up with the tubes we pulled from the KWM-1 (he hoards EVERYTHING), a transformer, socket and assorted bits I jock strapped it all together and attacked the tree. hen he returned that evening he plugged in the lights as always but didn't notice, I told him go back and take another look. He turned around, looked up and down, squinted, looked again and did such a double-take he nearly fell over backward.

The original picture in the living room that seems to have mysteriously vanished was submitted to the ARRL and appears in the December 1999 edition of QST if you manage to dig up a copy somewhere.

Oh I should add that he was so delighted he started bouncing like some sort of cartoon jumping bean making me laugh in a fearful sort of way. There ensued a minor earthquake and bits of this and that raining from the ceiling, I had just installed lolly columns under the transmitters but not enough for the whole floor... STOP PHIL STOP!!! For those unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation here's the AM Gangsta himself at the helm, Leslie West isn't the only Mountain. (;->)


Brilliant, OM! That's the coolest. You gotta, gotta, write it up as a construction project. Were construction details included in the QST article? I would love to make me one of those for my 813. Wonder how many amps it would take to hot up the filament, probably no more than the 811A, eh? Hmm, Hmm, Hmm. Tip o' the phones to Phil and you, great story!

PS what a terrific shot of Phil too!

[kb2vxa]

"You gotta, gotta, write it up as a construction project."
Aw cummon Jeff, any ham worth his salt can lash it together in a few minutes without thinking twice about it.

"Were construction details included in the QST article?"
What QST article? Some people have dandruff, when I scratch my head 811s fall out.

"Wonder how many amps it would take to hot up the filament, probably no more than the 811A, eh?"
10V @ 5A will do it.

"PS what a terrific shot of Phil too!"
Yeah, I know a few who would like to shoot him. (;->) Oh, click on the picture and note the filename he put on it. Now here he is in his younger days, look closer at the picture on the wall and you'll see the chucklehead who has entertained me since the mid sixties and got the funniest NoV I've ever seen from Sir Riley of Hollingsworth. Cryptic Zappa clue follows...

I'm the best you can get,
Have you guessed me yet?
Slimatron sludge from your radio set.

[Jeff K1NSS]

The original picture in the living room that seems to have mysteriously vanished was submitted to the ARRL and appears in the December 1999 edition of QST if you manage to dig up a copy somewhere. Just picture? OK no article.

10V @ 5 amps eh? Now I'm thinking I want to make a lamp as well as a topper for next year's tree. Looking into filament transformers tonight. Any ham worth his salt, huh? OK, OK, I resemble that remark. While the project is probably even within my knowledge base, the idea of a construction article about wiring a very inefficient light bulb strikes me funny and you seem weisenhiemer enuff for the job. If you write it, I'll illustrate it and we'll submit the article jointly. If published, we split the obscene profits. QSL?

After a quick lookaround, the filament transformer appears to be the rub.

[kb2vxa]

As long as the Misfits are chuckling along in the background here goes nothing. If I write an article it'll confuse the hell out of everybody, I'm taken back to my CB daze and an alter ego, Da Crushah. He welded battleship plates with his breath like Godzilla thanks to the breakfast of champions, no, not Wheaties, Crusher Os with that miracle ingredient... garlic. I'd end up with a lesson on reflow soldering or maybe reflux soldering since you need flux to do the job right. I can imagine illustrations... or maybe I don't want to.

I can help with the filament transformer but I can't supply what I don't have so here's an alternate approach. Phasing is a wonderful thing and old TV power transformers come to mind. Wonderful things they are, they can even be used as modulation transformers but I digress. I started off thinking of putting two 5V outputs in series but remembered the classic 5U4 rectifier only requires 3A so on to the 6V heater windings I went. Since you're only lighting the filament the tube won't care about the extra 2V except it'll light a little brighter, maybe a good thing. A large TV had a beefy transformer, a bifilar heater winding is a clue you'll get plenty of amps out of it. Wire the primaries (black) in parallel and the heater windings (green) in series and check the voltage, they'll either buck or boost so you'll know if you got the phasing right. Now you can do that with any transformers and come up with pretty much any voltage you like, primaries, secondaries, series, parallel combinations and the only limiting factor is the lowest amperage rating of a particular winding. Any ham knows about the key component to any electronic device is smoke, let it out and the device fails. Trouble is you can't get it back in and there is no such thing as replacement smoke of the sort contained in these devices. Just observe this caution and you can't go wrong... that is unless you make the mistake of switching wires around with the power on.

"...you seem weisenhiemer enuff for the job."
Unless you've seen me on a packet BBS you ain't seen nothin' yet... bbbbbaby, you ain't seen nothin' yet. You ain't been around!

[W1GUH]

Yeppers, the 811A is my creation atop K2PG Phil's tree. To make a long story even longer it all began in the living room, pre-Christmas 1999 when his prized hand blown antique German angel shattered on the floor, shattered Phil too so I just had to do something. One day while he was out and I was hanging around the shack bored as hell with no DX running the bulb above my head lit, AN IDEA! Rummaging through the biggest junk box I've ever seen (everywhere except the bathroom) I came up with the tubes we pulled from the KWM-1 (he hoards EVERYTHING), a transformer, socket and assorted bits I jock strapped it all together and attacked the tree. hen he returned that evening he plugged in the lights as always but didn't notice, I told him go back and take another look. He turned around, looked up and down, squinted, looked again and did such a double-take he nearly fell over backward.

The original picture in the living room that seems to have mysteriously vanished was submitted to the ARRL and appears in the December 1999 edition of QST if you manage to dig up a copy somewhere.

Oh I should add that he was so delighted he started bouncing like some sort of cartoon jumping bean making me laugh in a fearful sort of way. There ensued a minor earthquake and bits of this and that raining from the ceiling, I had just installed lolly columns under the transmitters but not enough for the whole floor... STOP PHIL STOP!!! For those unable to comprehend the magnitude of the situation here's the AM Gangsta himself at the helm, Leslie West isn't the only Mountain. (;->)

"Yeppers, the 811A is my creation atop K2PG Phil's tree."
"I came up with the tubes we pulled from the KWM-1.."

The KWM-1 uses 811A's? Modified? Huh? ;)

[kb2vxa]

OOPS! My bad, it's the 30L-1 that uses 4 811s. Thanks Paul, now WHAT was I thinking??? Oh and BTW, if you take a closer look at the picture you'll notice a hole in the anode.

[W1GUH]

OOPS! My bad, it's the 30L-1 that uses 4 811s. Thanks Paul, now WHAT was I thinking??? Oh and BTW, if you take a closer look at the picture you'll notice a hole in the anode.

Sorry, I couldn't help myself!

[Jeff K1NSS]

OK, transformer to be shipped. Triad 10 volt 7 amp Got the 813, got the socket, thinking big fat bat handled switch, vestigial ceramic anode cap, With Christmas passed, now thinking lamp with power takeoff socket in lamp base for remote socket next December. Now to imagineer base. Wood? Metal? Ceramic? Giant translucent lady's leg? Do have access to my brother's excellent woodshop with possible metal capabilities, not sure about those. All thumbs, and once I go a few rounds with his seven foot Delta bandsaw, might be down a couple of thumbs. I'm excited about this. Boy if that 813 filament is dead I'll be pissed. Better check it out before I build anything. Would a simple continuity/resistance check confirm its lightability? What might signify good or bad?

Oh yeah. After buying something, time to sell something. Anyone interested in a little used TigerTronics Signal USB retail 99.95 for 60? Forgot, messed a little with it with my IC 718, heart never in digital, too little radio, too much computer, mac, pc, oy.

5059

[kb2vxa]

"Would a simple continuity/resistance check confirm its lightability?"
Do I really have to answer that?

"What might signify good or bad?"
#@%*^&^) ???

Good grief man, KISS! I just put the transformer in a box with a line cord, a switch and a socket for the tree lights to plug into and a twisted pair long enough to reach the top with a socket and snap on hood on the end of it. Then I attached the assembly with a tie wrap, all done.

WHAAA??? My leg warm and wet? AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!! Jeff, come and get your dog...

[Jeff K1NSS]

"Would a simple continuity/resistance check confirm its lightability?"
Do I really have to answer that?

"What might signify good or bad?"
#@%*^&^) ???

Good grief man, KISS! I just put the transformer in a box with a line cord, a switch and a socket for the tree lights to plug into and a twisted pair long enough to reach the top with a socket and snap on hood on the end of it. Then I attached the assembly with a tie wrap, all done.

WHAAA??? My leg warm and wet? AAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!! Jeff, come and get your dog...


Simmer down Mr Bluster. I asked because I figured the filament has to have a certain resistance to heat up, but not so much as to be nonconducting. How high that certain resistance might be I dunno, nor do I know if there might be a value that marginally conducts without useful heating. Yes, I'm a sloth and averse to to digging out my multimeter and poking at 813 pins when I'm unsure what readings are good news. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you that I've fallen and I can't get up doesn't elicit much sympathy around here. By gee, when I was younger, without a multimeter or an 813, I'd be poking away at some dumb tube with my junkbox panel milliameter and battery just to see what happens, but that was 50 years, 70 pounds less and at least 20 more IQ points ago.

Far as KISS, what's the fun in that? Given the prospect that it's gonna be one expensive, hot, dim bulb, I've got to dream up some redeeming aspect of this project beyond its quintessential absurdity.

[W1GUH]

Far as KISS, what's the fun in that? Given the prospect that it's gonna be one expensive, hot, dim bulb, I've got to dream up some redeeming aspect of this project beyond its quintessential absurdity.

As if that's not the best reason do to anything? ;)

Besides, IMHO, a Ham themed tree-topper is the essence of appropriateness. I had a few Christmases that were total hamming. In '61 when my paper route Christmas Tips financed my beloved R-100...in '63 when I got a Monitor Scope as a reward for major progress towards Eagle Scout....etc. Oh, yea, in '65 when I was home from college and got my '753 on the air.

Not a bad rig, really, in the benign environment of the shack the air was pretty much constant temp. and that kept the drift down. BUT...its major flaw to this op was you couldn't turn off the RIT and never knew when you were on freq. or not.

[kb2vxa]

"I asked because I figured the filament has to have a certain resistance to heat up, but not so much as to be nonconducting."

OK, OK, never mind resistance when we're looking for continuity between pins 1 & 7 here. Resistance of a metal increases with temperature but not a real consideration, a cold filament will read only a few millohms and you can only measure it on a Kelvin bridge but that's beside the point. If it shows a short on a standard meter it's OK.

"Far as KISS, what's the fun in that?"

I always thought they put on a good show, love the music too. (;->)

[Jeff K1NSS]

"I asked because I figured the filament has to have a certain resistance to heat up, but not so much as to be nonconducting."

OK, OK, never mind resistance when we're looking for continuity between pins 1 & 7 here. Resistance of a metal increases with temperature but not a real consideration, a cold filament will read only a few millohms and you can only measure it on a Kelvin bridge but that's beside the point. If it shows a short on a standard meter it's OK.

"Far as KISS, what's the fun in that?"

I always thought they put on a good show, love the music too. (;->)


Now yer talkin'! Thanks OM. Once I get the South Sudan page put together, I'm gonna test the heck out of that darn tube.

Far as KISS goes, never saw a show, although I thought their pop popped pretty good, and the Kabuki-ish makeup was pretty cool branding. My concert going time was not much, but a little, earlier. Saw Who, Faces with Stewart, Zappa, Janis, Wicked Wilson Pickett, etc. Tough to call a best of show, although sitting on the floor stageside at the Boston Tea Party with the Faces and Rod pitching full bottles of wine from crate over our heads to the crowd, was probably the biggest visual kick. Musically, probably the Who, about the time Tommy was breaking, those guys were unstoppable and their show wrung ya out like a rag. Then again, sneaked into Wilson Picket Concert, and free is mighty sweet, especially when Mustang Sally and green metal flake blazered horn sections are involved, what a blast.