This was really amazing. I had been feeling guilty about not getting on the air much during quarantine. I mean, we have these airwaves and we have the gear, right? Shouldn't we be more social, more friendly and get on the air more? I tried yesterday with marginal results (conditions were poor). I called CQ on 40 SSB this morning -- nil, except for one grumpy guy who said I was splattering on his morning coffee clatch. Then I heard KU4NO calling CQ. I did not recognize the call. But when I told him I was on a homebrew transceiver, he matter-of-factly sad that he too was on a homebrew rig. When he started to describe it (see below), it all came back me. His is one of the most soulful of homebrew SSB rigs. And I realized that it may also be THE OLDEST HOMEBREW SSB RIG STILL IN USE IN THE WORLD. (If anyone knows of a homebrew SSB transceiver older than 37 years and still on the air, please let me know.) This was exactly the kind of contact that I needed. TRGHS.
Glenn put out a lot of homebrew wisdom. He said a lot of inspiring things. (He did also at one point talked about wanting to shoot his plasma TV, but that's understandable.) So I recorded most of our contact. (I have his permission to put it on the web).
You can listen to our contact via the YouTube video above.
For my report on an earlier contact with Glenn click here:
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2018/07/a-rig-with-maximum-soul-5-band.html
So, it is worth it to get on the air. They are rare, but people like Glenn are out there, running very interesting rigs. And when you find them, you feel like you've hit the jackpot.
Thanks Glenn!
I am using a cw home brew radio that's 45 years olc
ReplyDeletede Chris GM4YLN
In these troubled times, it is important to remember that such beauty exists.
ReplyDelete"For me, the stickers are the most important feature of this rig." This. I assume that the Smithsonian has been contacted so that they may aid in the preservation of this priceless cultural and technical artifact.