20-Meter pipsqueak transmitter! 1-watt output

[W7UUU]

So I got bored yesterday at work (I work at home) so took off 2 hours to
go out in the shop and put 1-watt on the air at 14.318 MHz (yeah, CW in
the middle of the USB portion of the band - but hey - I have hundreds
of the crystals laying around).

Has a little chirp, but I moved the output link on the tank coil around a
bit and got it pretty tamed now. As long as I don't run the transistor
too hard (16v right now) it holds pretty steady.

I actually made ONE contact - OK - truth is we had a schedule arranged
and he's only a few miles from here, but what the heck! Not like I'm going
to get a lot of answers to a QRP CQ in the Phone Band!

:)

Dave
W7UUU

[NQ6U]

Very cool!

[KG4CGC]

Cool looking stuff. Bare bones and wood. Stuff of legend!

[K7SGJ]

Cool looking stuff. Bare bones and wood. Stuff of legend!

Yeah, but watch out for the RF burns.

[kb2vxa]

Hey, how did you get my Bendix key?

[W7UUU]

Hey, how did you get my Bendix key?

Believe it or not, I found that great key as "New Old Stock" brand new in the original
box at an antique store somewhere in rural Ohio for $25, a number of years ago. My
first thought was "wow! that will fetch a nice price on eBay!!" - then I brought it
home and tried it out... OMG! It's my favorite hand key of all time. It's terminated
on a short RCA-terminated cable that mates up with my "Key interchangeability" cable
system so I can use it with any radio in the shack. SO glad I didn't sell it. The base
I bought on eBay for $13.95 including shipping from an OM who makes those in his
his garage. VERY nice quality base.

Dave
W7UUU

[KA9MOT]

I'm impressed! Notice you won't get any nay sayers here like you did the "other" place. That coil form looks very familiar to me for some reason! :)

[N8YX]

Let me root around Ye Olde Junque-Box and see if I have any lower 14MHz HC-18 rocks. If you wish to duplicate that on 30 meters, I know I have a few in the 10.140 region.

[W7UUU]

Let me root around Ye Olde Junque-Box and see if I have any lower 14MHz HC-18 rocks. If you wish to duplicate that on 30 meters, I know I have a few in the 10.140 region.

Really? I'd happily trade ya for a fundamental rock on 30 meters... not for THIS transmitter,
but for a much better one. 30 is a fun CW band and I'd build up a very decent RF puffer.

Let me know via PM or email

Dave
W7UUU

[kb2vxa]

"Believe it or not, I found that great key as "New Old Stock" brand new in the original box at an antique store somewhere in rural Ohio for $25, a number of years ago."

By an odd coincidence I found mine the same way at the Timonium, MD hamfest some years ago for $5 cheaper and I know a bargain and a collector's item when I see it. The original cable is in remarkably good condition and strangely is terminated in a military 3/4" phone plug rathr than the "standard" odd size I don't recall at the moment. Plug 'n play I always say. (;->) No wonder it's your favorite straight key, it has the best feel of any I've ever tried. Pipsqueak huh? Glad you got the pips and squeaks worked out, NOW what are you going to call it?

[W7UUU]

That coil form looks very familiar to me for some reason! :)

You have a very good eye my friend! Yep - that's one of those. Saving the 3 NOS Hammarlund forms
for another project maybe in Spring or Summer - a band changing open chassis transmitter for 40, 30
and 20 meters CW with a 2E26 final.

Dave
W7UUU