Daily GLOWBUGS
Digest: V1 #20
via AB4EL Web Digests @ SunSITE
Purpose: building and operating vacuum tube-based QRP rigs
Subject: glowbugs V1 #20
glowbugs Thursday, May 1 1997 Volume 01 : Number 020
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 05:02:28 +0000
From: Sandy W5TVW <ebjr@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: RE: Proposed "BA" Frequency Measuring Test
Here's some of the conversation that's been going on about a possible "FMT".
Any comments, please make them here and on the "boatanchors" reflector.
That seems like the best idea. That's why I suggested it.
>I would assume that an evening would be the best. Some time where it's
>not too late for one coast or too early for the other.
The ARRL did it at around 0100 GMT and repeated it at 0300 GMT as I
recall.
If we were to try just one time, I'd say try 0200 GMT.
>
>Another thought occured to me - do we restrict it to BC-221's or do
>we allow any hetrodyne freq meter (Lampkin, Gertsch, whatever) or
>other BA equipment (I think we should allow them too). If I were to
>be the transmitter, I would like to try 160 also, especially since the
>propagation is so poor (what the heck, I could also try 30 meters).
I say restrict it to "heterodyne frequency meters only-no digital
readouts"
The measuring equipment must be described by the contestant as well as
ancillary equipment used. Secondary crystal-controlled
standards/multivibrator dividers
could be used in conjunction with audio frequency meters, as long as they were
"vintage tube" gear and nothing solid state.
Generally, I think 160 might be a waste of time unless done in the
winter.
Since 30 meters did not exist when the FMT was going on, I'd say restrict it
to the ham bands in use at that time (pre WARC). It should be very easy to
tell who is 'fudging" and who is not!
Let me know your feelings. If there is enough interest, maybe we
can do it
in a month? Should be fun.
73,
(The original proposal was to have an "FMT" on 80/40/20 meters a'la W1AW
ones that they used to have. More as things progress!)
73,
E. V. Sandy Blaize, W5TVW
"Boat Anchors collected, restored, repaired, traded and used!"
417 Ridgewood Drive,
Metairie, LA., 70001
ebjr@worldnet.att.net
**Looking for: 860 tubes, WL-460 tubes**
**Butternut HF2V antenna, G-R test gear.....................***
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 09:58:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: rdkeys@csemail.cropsci.ncsu.edu
Subject: Early Regen Manuals Emailed Out
I emailed out about 20 copies of the early regen manuals. There is a small
chance that some of them may have been botched, in that I may have sent
a source rather then a finished manual. If that happened, and you print
out the manuals and get a bunch of silly .dot commands rather than a pretty
manual, then let me know and I will resend it. Sorry, my error error error err
That is what I get for using ancient magick ``word processors''.....
Bob/NA4G
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 15:55:56 +0000
From: Sandy W5TVW <ebjr@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: E.F.Johnson catalog?
Does anyone out there have a Johnson catalog that covers in detail
or specifically
their line of transmitting variable capacitors? I have the info that
appears in the catalog section of the ARRL Handbooks already. Don't need an
original, just a copy.
73,
E. V. Sandy Blaize, W5TVW
"Boat Anchors collected, restored, repaired, traded and used!"
417 Ridgewood Drive,
Metairie, LA., 70001
ebjr@worldnet.att.net
**Looking for: 860 tubes, WL-460 tubes**
**Butternut HF2V antenna, G-R test gear.....................***
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:18:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: leeboo@ct.net (Leon Wiltsey)
Subject: AT LAST
>To: BA
>From: leeboo@ct.net (Leon Wiltsey)
>Subject: AT LAST
>Cc:
>Bcc:
>X-Attachments:
>
>It finally got here.
>I am now KF4RCL
>
Thank the good LORD for all that you have!!!
Leon B Wiltsey jr. (Lee)
4600 Lake Haven blvd...
Sebring fl 33872.............
68yr old retired semi disabled senior
(stroke got my balance and hand to eye coordination)
formerly w4kcj & kp4ryb ( till I quite) dumb dumb
NOW KF4RCL MUCH HAPPINESS
play keyboard and sing
music 1920's to 60'
none of the 80'S- 90'S noise
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:42:10 -0400 (EDT)
From: rdkeys@csemail.cropsci.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: AT LAST
>From: leeboo@ct.net (Leon Wiltsey)
>Subject: AT LAST
>
>It finally got here.
>I am now KF4RCL
>
Congratulations and Welcome Aboard the QRG Leon!
73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob UP
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 13:34:54 -0700
From: "R. Eric Sluder" <sludere@gte.net>
Subject: Re: AT LAST
Leon Wiltsey wrote:
>
> >To: BA
> >From: leeboo@ct.net (Leon Wiltsey)
> >Subject: AT LAST
> >Cc:
> >Bcc:
> >X-Attachments:
> >
> >It finally got here.
> >I am now KF4RCL
> >
>
> Thank the good LORD for all that you have!!!
>
> Leon B Wiltsey jr. (Lee)
> 4600 Lake Haven blvd...
> Sebring fl 33872.............
>
> 68yr old retired semi disabled senior
> (stroke got my balance and hand to eye coordination)
> formerly w4kcj & kp4ryb ( till I quite) dumb dumb
> NOW KF4RCL MUCH HAPPINESS
> play keyboard and sing
> music 1920's to 60'
> none of the 80'S- 90'S noise
Congratulations Leon! Welcome back aboard!!
73,
Eric
- --
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
R. Eric Sluder, KB9BGS
3339 Eden Way
Carmel, IN 46033-3070 USA
<><
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 16:24:44 +0000
From: "Brian Carling (Radio G3XLQ / AF4K)" <bry@mnsinc.com>
Subject: Re: 80M GB funzies
Now if only tha bands weren't in such dreadful shape!
On 28 Apr 97 at 13:53, rdkeys@csemail.cropsci.ncsu.e spoke about 80M
GB funzies and said:
> Like I said, I was on 80M last night, and will be for the next few
> nites. I was there from 3 in the afternoon until a little after
> midnight, every so often, and on the hour. Did manage to work
> KB8OYR in Michigan, and K1FR in NJ (running a 1 tube rig and a 1
> tube regenerator), and N4QY down the state from me. So, it was not
> a complete bust. The band was actually pretty good out to 1500
> miles or so, but not quite transcontinental.
>
> QTR 0400Z/QRG 3579R545KCS
>
> 73/ZUT DE NA4G/Bob UP
>
>
********************************************************
*** 73 from Radio AF4K / G3XLQ in Gaithersburg, MD USA *
** E-mail to: bry@mnsinc.com *
*** See the great ham radio resources at: *
** http://www.mnsinc.com/bry/ *
********************************************************
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 16:35:05 +0000
From: "Brian Carling (Radio G3XLQ / AF4K)" <bry@mnsinc.com>
Subject: Re: AN/GRC-109
Is Fair Radio completely out of these things?
They were selling them cheap last year and I was about to buy one but
they dropped the ad!
On 29 Apr 97 at 0:12, catherine a dumar westelcom.c spoke about Re:
AN/GRC-109 and said:
> On 1997-04-28 keng@uidaho.edu said:
> :I have been having a real BLAST using this very neat little rig!
> :Is anyone else using this little machine, and if so, what are
> your :comments on it? :The unit is as nicely designed and built
> as anything I have ever :seen. Some of the design ideas are
> nothing short of ingenious. :73, :Ken Gordon W7EKB
>
> Cool... I have too. I dont have the matching power supply and
> receiver yet but I have home brewed a power supply to get it on the
> air. My question is do you have the manual for the thing? I would
> very much like to have a copy if you do and I am willing to pay
> xeroxing. The paperwork I have is nothing more than a couple of
> sheets for the bare basics.
>
> So far the best antenna I have used is the windom as described by
> John Nagle in Ham Radio Magazine May 78 or 79 (i forget the year).
>
> Charlie, KA2VCS (cjdumar@westelcom.com)
>
> Anything not nailed down is a cat toy.
>
> Net-Tamer V 1.09 Beta - Registered
>
********************************************************
*** 73 from Radio AF4K / G3XLQ in Gaithersburg, MD USA *
** E-mail to: bry@mnsinc.com *
*** See the great ham radio resources at: *
** http://www.mnsinc.com/bry/ *
********************************************************
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 16:56:18 -0400 (EDT)
From: JOHN SEHRING <JOHN_SEHRING.parti@ecunet.org>
Subject: REVIVING ELECTROLYTICS
To: glowbugs@www.atl.org
I'd like to pass on a tip I got from someone...
His Sprague Tel-Ohmike capacitor checker (don't know which model): one of
the two diodes across the meter died and the voltage read only 1/2 on the
meter what it should have. Could really mess up reforming!!
Problem found on 2 different units (I haven't checked mine out yet).
Found by measuring voltage applied to a cap using a separate volt meter.
-John Sehring (Thu, May 1, 1997 12:00 am MT @Baker, Montana) UCC WB2EQG
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 16:04:56 -0700 (PDT)
From: Ken Gordon <keng@uidaho.edu>
Subject: Re: AN/GRC-109
On Wed, 30 Apr 1997, Brian Carling (Radio G3XLQ / AF4K) wrote:
> Is Fair Radio completely out of these things?
> They were selling them cheap last year and I was about to buy one but
> they dropped the ad!
They still have complete sets. I called about 2 weeks ago. Their '97
catalogue still has them listed.
Ken W7EKB
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 17:09:43 -0700
From: Dave <gekko95@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Old radio books for sale...
Hello all,
I picked up three old radio books today and I am just
passing them on to the group for what I paid. I hate
to see excellent old literature lanquishing in a stale
old antique shop, not being seen. Granted the prices
are 'antique shop' prices, but I didn't think they
were overly high.
Here's the rundown:
#1 - Principls of Radio 4th ed. - Keith Henney c. 1929-1942
549 pages.
Many good chapters on TRF principles, detectors, and
the like. Has chapter with SW receiver circuit, longwave
receivers, and many charts and tables of coil data.
Very good book.
#2 - Reference Data for Radio Engineers - Federal Radio and Telephone
Corporation. c-1949 640 pages
Has color fold-out Electromagnetic Spectrum in front,
FULL of charts, formulas, and tables for everything
even remotely related to radio, BA style
#3 - Coyne Television and Radio Handbook - Coyne Radio & TV
School, Chicago. c.1952 355 pages
Compendium of charts and references on coil winding,
tube base pinouts, tube concepts, vibrator power
supplies, schematics, etc. Good reference.
All three are a heavy 8+ to 9 condition. All are hardback.
#1 has 'US Navy' stamped in it, but it is still in
extremely good condition. They also have the prices I
paid penciled in the front leaf.
I'd like to sell the 3 as a set. I paid $12 each (really -
I'm not out to make a buck!), and would like to recoup
that (plus a couple bucks for shipping).
Please feel free to email if interested.
Thanks
Dave WB7AWK
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 18:18:37 -0700
From: Dave <gekko95@ix.netcom.com>
Subject: The books have been spoken for...
Thanks to all who replied. The 3 old radio books have
all been spoken for.
73
Dave WB7AWK
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 21:31:16 -0800
From: "catherine a dumar westelcom.com" <cjdumar@westelcom.com>
Subject: Re: AN/GRC-109
On 1997-04-30 bry@mnsinc.com said:
:CC: glowbugs@www.atl.org
:Is Fair Radio completely out of these things?
:They were selling them cheap last year and I was about to buy one
:but they dropped the ad!
:********************************************************
:*** 73 from Radio AF4K / G3XLQ in Gaithersburg, MD USA *
:*** See the great ham radio resources at: *
:** http://www.mnsinc.com/bry/ *
:********************************************************
Dont know about Fair Radio Sales selling them because I bought mine at the
Milton, Vt Hamfest this past February.
Charlie, KA2VCS (cjdumar@westelcom.com)
A hundred years from now, none of us will give a damn.
Net-Tamer V 1.09 Beta - Registered
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 1997 20:40:51 -0500 (EST)
From: "Roberta J. Barmore" <rbarmore@indy.net>
Subject: Of Carbon Mic Input Transformers
Hi, Gang!
I'm still in "superbusy" mode at work, thanks to some ickies in the
HVAC system design, hardware and/or implementation. (Don't ask. You
don't want to know. But don't trust so-called "HVAC Engineers" without
checking *all* the numbers and talking to a competent *service* *tech*
first!)
Ahem. Topic at hand, I'd promised to investigate various subs for
carbon mic input transformers. They all work! Used a 12.6VCT job on a
single-button T1 WECo element at 1.5 and 3V--the 6.3:120 mode with 1.5V on
the mic worked best, with no real increase in level at 3V. A small
"beam-tube-to-voice coil" transformer was the next test subject--the one
I used was made for a 6V6, and had secondary tapped for 4, 8 and 16 Ohms.
8 Ohm tap worked best, with 1.5V as good as (and less hissy than) 3V.
Started the test with a *real* double-button-to-grid transformer (using
half the primary). If anything, the filament transformer was a little
*better* than and the plate-to-speaker job was nearly as good as the
purpose-built transformer.
Conclusion, the OTs were right when they talked about keeping the juice
low on carbons, and filament iron works FB in this application!
Still to come, address for PhoneCo (and maybe another source of T1
elements, Mike Sandeman in Chicago), plus a review of the most recent
reprints of Modern Radio Labs literature. Paul at MRL is *really* doing a
super job of it! But that'll have to be later--put in just under 12
hours at work today and I'm sort of needing to get some sleep....
73,
--Bobbi
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 09:15:09 -0400 (EDT)
From: EWoodman@aol.com
Subject: Svetlana Tube
Seeing the blurbs over the last couple days about Svetlana tubes reminded me
of a project on my list of things to do. I'm ordering an SV811-10 today. Hate
to spend 30 bucks on a tube but I'd like to have a bit more than the approx.
2.5 watts output that I get when using 6SN7's and such in Hartleys. Besides,
with the conservative way we'd run those things they'd probably last forever.
Need to build a Hartley for 80 meters anyway so it's a good excuse. If it
works I'll probably stuff one in my 160m rig as well. If anyone has already
tried one, let me know. I looked at the spec sheet and it certainly looks
like a good candidate. It also is a bit easier to handle in a breadboard rig
without the plate cap. Sure would make a spiffy looking push-pull rig if you
don't mind the whopping 8 amps it would take to light two of them up!
Will report on results.
End of glowbugs V1 #20
**********************
Created by Steve Modena, AB4EL
Comments and suggestions to modena@SunSITE.unc.edu