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Saturday, June 24, 2017

Straight Key QRP Homebrew Adventures -- TRGHS


Last Saturday I put the Tuna Tin Two Top together with my Herring Aid Five 38 (year) Special and the Indian key that Farhan gave me.   I discovered that some of my 40 meter CW FT243 crystals had disappeared into the entropy of the shack.  But I was able to find one for 7050 kHz. That was a bit of good luck because it turns out that 7050 is the frequency of a congenial group of operators known as the Straight Key Century Club.  I felt right at home.  I have been inducted.  My SKCC number is 17272.  Very QRP, don't you think?   It is almost a Vanity SKCC.  Clearly, TRGHS.

I have been having excellent luck with this 7 transistor rig.  I have had one contact each day since I put it on the air, all of them in response to my CQ calls.  I've worked:

K1PUG Hank in Connecticut (twice)
W8HOG  Jerry in Ohio
WA4GQG Kevin in North Carolina
WA2AAW Frank in New York
KM4FO Dwight in Kentucky

This morning I added a little piezo buzzer for sidetone.  I am thinking of adding a VFO to the Tuna Tin.

8 comments:

  1. Welcome to the club OM!
    Armand SKCC# 14433

    ReplyDelete
  2. So OK Bill, what kind of VFO? Will it be modern technology Si5351 with OLED, display or "the other kind" you know the ones that can be cranky, chirpy and drifty.

    Pete N6QW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with Pete, a nice precise Si5351 is the way to go.

      Delete
    2. I can also see Bill's point, a retro rig deserves a retro VFO.

      Delete
  3. My money is on old style. Maybe a PTO
    wa7hrg

    ReplyDelete
  4. I got hit with a wave of laziness this morning. For now, it will remain crystal controlled. But there is an LC VFO in the receiver built around a Radio Shack RF choke. And it performs quite well Dr. Juliano.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Bill,
      There is no fuzz on this issue that Analog VFO'S can work well. It is just that one must exercise great care in the design as well as construction.

      Delete

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