Well, the AM
bug has bitten hard. What a great mode of operation to
QSO with. My first introduction to AM was on 2 meters
with a Heathkit Twoer and after up converting CB
transceivers on 10 meters. My transition to 10 meter FM
was yet another reason for my attraction to pleasant
sounding signals. The audio quality on that rig
was awesome. I have always loved the fidelity of
transmission and reception. As you can see, I am active
on AM.
"Thunder is good,
thunder is impressive but it is lightning that does the
work"
......Mark
Twain 1835-1910
All my projects are being moved to my blog. Eventually this
website will be taken down
My National
HRO-50T that I recapped. This receiver is awesome.
What excellent sounding audio. After a long day of
the AM transmitter rally, R33, a 5k 10 watt resistor
opened up.
PROJECT STATUS: Repaired and working well !
160/75 Meter Inverted
"U"
My 3/8 wave inverted "U" with a raised radial
system consists of a vertical element about 40 feet,
then shoots out about 100 feet horizontally and drops
down another 50 feet. I use an elevated ground plane
that starts at the feedpoint rooftop level. I
currently have 3 radials on the system. I am building
a tuning network that consists of a vacuum variable
capacitor and 2:1 transformer. I use a home depot
weatherproof enclosure to house the capacitor. I also
fashioned a homebrew lightning arrest. The system is
being tweaked for 160/75 meter operation. I seem to
finally have the design finalized and hope to put it
all together for final testing and on air use.
PROJECT STATUS:
Tweaking/Testing
Knight T-60
My Knight T60 that I recapped. A 6DQ6 output in the
final.
PROJECT STATUS: Restored
Auto-Mate Electronic
Keyer
My electronic keyer full of 12AU7's !
PROJECT STATUS: Recapped but
need to design a TR relay system for the DOW Key and my
other transmitters.
Cushcraft R7
I obtained an R7 that needed a lot of TLC. The
fiberglass insulator was severly weathered and the 1:4
balun was damaged by excessive heat. I reworked the
insulator by coating it with several layers of
polyester resin. I repaired the 1:4 balun by replacing
the damaged FT240-61 ferrite core.
PROJECT STATUS: Restoration Completed and working
great. My first contact with this antenna was with RX3xx
near Moscow, Russia on 20 meters using my FT-817. My
report was 57.
BIO
Personal
My radio interests
were Inspired by many nights tuning through the AM and shortwave
broadcast bands for distant radio stations, an electronics
tinkerer at heart, lover of morse code, a ARRL Volunteer
examiner, collector of vintage vacuum tube radio gear, and awe
inspired by severe thunderstorms since the day a stroke of
lightning struck my parents house. My growing interest in severe
weather has always followed me through life, from the excitement
of buying my first anemometer to my first storm chase. That is
the reason for the "WX" in my callsign. My interest in weather
has been present since 5th grade. My sister Pam got her Tech
Plus license the same year I upgraded to extra class in 1996. I
passed the 20 WPM morse code exam and proudly display the CSCE
on my wall in my shack. I wanted to pass the 20 WPM morse code
exam before they downgraded the need for morse code in amateur
radio exams. I was very proud of my sister passing her CW exam
on her first attempt. I will always remember that very special
exam session the rest of my life.
Public Service
Awards/Recognitions
April 1996 - American Red Cross -
Severe Snowstorm
March 2001 - NOAA Special Service
Award - Mt Holly NWSFO Skywarn
November 2003 - ARRL Public Service
Commendation - EPA
Professional
Background
The breadth of my
electronics experience encompasses: television bench repair (My
first job), broadcast transmitter/studio equipment installation,
repair and maintenance, two-way radio bench repair, supervisory
positions in the electronics field, test engineering positions
in research and development of wireless products and technical
project management. I am a certified Radio Broadcast Engineer
through the Society of Broadcast Engineers and have a number of
years experience in radio broadcast engineering. I was employed
as a per-diem engineer for many educational, non-commercial and
commercial radio stations.Currently an RF design engineer in the
Telecommunications industry.
Some of the equipment I
worked on
Harris Gates Vanguard II
1KW AM Transmitter (4CX3000)
Harris MW1 1KW Solid State
AM Transmitter (My specialty, worked on lots of these)
Harris BC1G 1KW AM
Transmitter
Gates FM3H 3KW FM
Transmitter
Gates FM10H 10 KW FM
Transmitter
Collins 831E2 3 KW FM
Transmitter
Radio Related Stuff
!
Do you have articles,
pictures, etc of Alice W9DXX ? I would like to hear from you !
HDRI - High Definition Radio Interference is a
new phenomenon one can readily hear on the AM broadcast band.
The FCC allows AM stations to broadcast their HD signals at
night as of September 14, 2007. This obnoxious frying egg
sound can be plainly heard on adjacent channels of a strong AM
night time signal. I was listening to KDKA on 1020 kHz one
evening and at times during signal fading the HDRI from WBZ on
1030 kHz obliterated KDKA completely in noise. HD should have
never been authorized at night. The FCC's concern was local
service areas. Guess what, lots of people like to listen to
stations at night like I listen to CINW on 940 kHz in Montreal
Canada. Write the FCC to inform them to rescind this ruling.
- CFLs manufactured
by GE carry a label warning that state "This product
complies with Part 18 of the FCC rules, but may cause
interference to radios, television, wireless telephones and
remote controls. Avoid placing this product near these
devices....Do not install this product near Maritime safety
equipment or other critical navigation or communication
equipment operating between 0.45-30 MHz.
VLF/ELF has always
been a very intriguing area of the radio spectrum to me.
Please check out N6NKS's VLF site. There
are actual recordings of whistlers and chorus.
Please consider
joining Shawn's VLF group:(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VLF_Group)
My new WOXUN KG-UVD1P 146/222 HT is a great
value for the money ! There are two minor issues I have with
it though. One being some RF (Noise generated from
microprocessor/synthesizer ) leakage back into the HT antenna.
This issue seems to be worse with the speaker microphone. I
can hear this noise heterodyning with weak FM signals(Example
NOAA weather radio stations). The other issue is the S-Meter
is FULL SCALE no matter what signal strength. What is the
value of that ???
A Nice Gesture by our friends at Proctor &
Gamble, manufacturers of Duracell batteries
I own a Yaesu VX5 and have a FBA23, the alkaline
battery pack I keep loaded with new battery cells in case I
need the extra battery power in an emergency. Well, I found
that one of the Duracell batteries leaked and corroded the
pack terminals. I went to the Poctor & Gamble website and
sent feedback regarding my damaged battery pack and the
relatively new cells I had loaded in the pack. I received an
email thanking me for the feedback and stated I would receive
something in the mail. Well, I received a check for $30, the
cost of a FBA23 AND they sent me a coupon for a 8pk of AA
alkaline batteries. Nice ! Thank you !
You must
have at times, thought into the past, Where some things go
out, while others last. What comes to mind is the Old Morse
Code, That has weathered the storms from any abode. To talk
with one's finger is surely an art, Of any info you care to
impart. In most conditions the signals get through, While
the same about phone is simply not true. Those dits and dahs
cut through the trash, Of nearby noise or lightning's crash.
To the sensitive ears of the ham receiver, That records this
data with ardent fever. He knows he's doing something
unique, In such poor conditions, that's quite a feat ! To
roger the message that came off the air, These brass
pounders sure do have that flair. They say Morse ops are a
dying breed, but don't despair, There's always the need.
When conditions get rough for the new automation, Rest
assured there is a need for your station. CW is dying ?
Believe it never, This mode will be 'round forever and ever.
But one thing is for sure, What we really need Is to relate
our knowledge to the younger breed. To carry the torch long
after we're gone To send Morse code through the air like a
song When at last, silent keys pull that final lever We can
rest in peace. It's CW forever --Jim Hatherley, WA1TBY
RFI - Radio Frequency
Interference...........A growing concern to
anyone who listens to the radio spectrum at 50 MHz and below !
I am constantly finding new noise sources around my location
here. Over the past several years, BPL, BPL Broadband over
power line was a threat to the shortwave radio spectrum.
Many electric utilities have trialed BPL with dismal
results. Numerous electric utilities have since dismantled
their BPL systems as they realized that this technology was
not only technically inferior but did not provide a long
term business model that was feasible. And so, BPL, is now a
dead technology. We need to urge the FCC that use of
the shortwave spectrum for any unlicensed radio spectrum
service is a poor decision. Part
15 governs Broadband over Power Line deployment and Part 15
does not adequately address our concerns for the prevention of
interference. Part 15 states that the hard limit is 30uv/meter
at 30 meters(98.4 feet). According to W1RFI, this type of
signal at 3.5 MHz will produce a S-meter reading of S9 +16
when using a dipole antenna. Clearly, an issue for most
amateurs that live close to power lines in their neighborhood. Bad sign ballasts or burnt
out bulbs on signs, neon sign displays that radiate better
than real antennas, traffic light controllers that put nasty
AC line spikes on the AC distribution system, local power line
noise from faulty insulators and poor connections. NEW THREAT
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL), The list is endless.
Amateur radio is
changing as is the world around us. Many of us have a hard time with change
and when faced with an environment that is under constant
change tend to become negative about the way things are. We
need to grow and stop blaming others for the present state of
the hobby. The ARRL takes a bum rap from all those whiners out
there. You know who you are. The ARRL has provided a
tremendous amount of positive support for us ! Don't
complain.....do something constructive !!!! I have always
believed that if you are not part of the solution(being
positive and offering a positive future for amateur radio),
then you are part of the problem. The years ahead are going to
be challenging as Amateur Radio faces many growing
challenges.....Business is after radio spectrum, BPL, low
power noise sources abound everywhere.
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maintained by WX3K
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