----- Original Message -----
From: Brian Mattson
To: topband@contesting.com
Cc: f5in@wanadoo.fr
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 11:18 AM
Subject: Trans-Atlantics Revisited
Success at last....
Last night I completed a qso with Mike, F5IN. His professional operating
techniques helped to be sure, and are much appreciated.
What made this qso unique is that it was entirely random, no spotting or skeds
involved, and the station here is all homebrew using designs AND components
from the 1920's!
The receiver was inspired by the December 1927 issue of "QST", which featured
the new "Shield Grid Tube". My receiver is very close to R.B. Bournes' unit on
page 35. It uses the copper lined wooden case concept (my case is from an early
1920's battery receiver & has been cleaned, but not refinished at all). I
brought the receiver to the TopBand Dinner at Dayton several years back, so
some of you may remember it. It has a UX-222 RF amp into a UX-201A regenerative
detector, followed by two steps of UX-201A audio. The CW filter is an L/C
affair, using a Ford spark coil secondary.
The transmitter is still in the breadboard stage, literally...A UY-227
oscillator, either crystal controlled or variable as a TNT, drives a UX-245
driver stage; this drives a push-pull pair of "Fifty Watters", either 211's or
203A's (both were announced in 1921). I have the antenna current up to 1.9 Amps
on the vintage Weston meter, so am putting about 180 watts into the 50 ohm
antenna (a pair of inverted L's broadside to Europe).
I've been a ham for over fifty years, but only got on 160 six years ago. After
WAC & DXCC, I felt the need for a new challenge. Reading the histories of
TopBand, and of the intense excitement of the first Trans-Atlantic tests in
general, I decided to give it a shot using period stuff. Researching the
designs & scrounging the parts have been pure pleasure. I am continually amazed
by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the early hams & by the results they
obtained.
Next, I've GOT to get a Beverage going towards Europe, perhaps with a "Pre-amp"
to make up for its' lower output AND gain some much needed additional
selectivity. Eventually, I'd like to use antique furniture & lighting to create
a completely period shack..
It was interesting that although the first Trans-Atlantic tests were started
with British stations, the first two-way QSO was completed with France!
Although I called CQ DX for a few evenings, and called several European
stations near my crystal frequency, F5IN was the first to complete a QSO.
History repeats itself....Thanks Mike!
Brian K8BHZ
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