Saturday, June 4, 2016, 2 a.m. — My ham radio life of recent days is best described with this old chestnut” “The best-laid plans of mice and men (and Amateur Radio operators) often go awry.”
In my case, our local government has gone awry, which requires a steady stream of original reporting (as well as writing, editing, posting, photography, videography and streaming) to the point that my work is interrupting my hobby life. In short: “Antennae interrupus.”
My plans to re-route my end-fed longwire remain unfullfilled, though I have just about decided to ditch the baby cross bow idea and tie a fishing line to a sizeable SAE bolt and shoot the sucker over the $*#@! tree. The limiting factor in this system isn’t the height, it will be the amount of fishing line on the reel. But I am convinced it WILL get me the result I seek.
And of course, there’s the easy route. I have two different towers stored in the barn — one 40 foot, the other 50. I could simply put two sections of tower up and strap it to the side of the barn and use that to help hold the longwire up and away from the barn roof. Almost too simple, isn’t it? Actually, I did something similar on the far end of the barn, though I used 20 feet of mast pipe. Why not 20 more feet on the near side of the barn? Some lag bolts and strapping and its done. KISS!
EBAY REMORSE. As I may have written in this space recently, I have had the itch for another rig. Not a new one to replace my Yaesu FT-2000, but one for my office corner here in our library.
I’ve been watching the various flavors of IC-746 and IC-756, trying to get a sense of where the “normal” pricing levels float. It varies widely.
THE LINE UP. Right now on the book case to my left, I have my Wells-Gardner BC-348 WWII-era receiver. On top of that I have an MFJ antenna tuner and a Yaesu FT-817 (pre-ND version with CW filter). On the next shelf up, about all I can fit is the Hallicrafters SX-130 receiver, along with a Radio Shack Pro something-or-another scanner. Right now, I can tell you that the Halli and the 817 are going to go.
Both are great radios, and I love the SX-130. The truth is I rarely use either one, and haven’t for a couple of years. Neither the SX-130 or the BC-348 are even plugged in to power. The FT-817 has power, but with my antenna laying on the barn roof, its like being a permanent resident of the Bottom of the Sunspot Cycle-ville.
WELCOME NON-PRO ICOM! The IC-746 (with filters) that I snagged on eBay over the weekend arrived this morning. I didn’t have time to unpack it until tonight, and knowing it wasn’t shipped in the original packaging, I always worry about damage in transit. I’ve already had the rig on the bench tonight, and it plays great — no bent knobs, no dents, no scratches.
The seller did a very good job packing it — it was wrapped in thick layers of large bubble wrap, then well protected by layers of styrofoam sheeting that was layers on all sides of the rig.
Well, my Icom infatuations returned as soon as the display lit up … it was like greeting an old friend. I’m looking forward to operating the rig.
No, I didn’t need another rig, but I appreciated what my wife calls a little “retail therapy.” My old IC-746PRO is freaking mint, and my plans for the non-Pro involve a little more rough-and-tumble operating.
NEW KEY TOO? Yes sir! I saw a Buy It Now for a 1936A 1936B McElroy Mac Key and the truth is I couldn’t help myself. The key was priced right and fairly complete (it has some knurled brass nuts on some places they don’t belong, but the parts are all there).
I have said this before, but I need to cull the extra keys I own from my collection. I have my go-to- keys at the operating position, which of late includes my re-discovered 1937 Mac Key.
I’m not sure what it is, but of all my Mac (and related) Keys, this one has the sweetest main spring. I could operate it without any bug tamer installed; most of my Mac Keys seem to be very fast without a tamer. This one is just such a sweet key to operate, I’ve been using exclusively since I cleaned the contacts and gave it a try.
Photos will come next, it will be here in the next week or so, along with another key surprise. Stay tuned.
73 es CUL de KY4Z SK CL … dit dit …