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Today's Topics:
1. W6AM (BY THE LAKE)
2. Re: Don W6AM (George Dubovsky)
3. Re: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II site 571-5
(Anthony Scandurra)
4. Re: Radial wire in bulk (ZR)
5. Re: Don W6AM (Carl)
6. Re: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II site 571-5
(Rick Stealey)
7. Re: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II site 571-5
(Charlie Cunningham)
8. Re: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II site571-5
(Jeff Blaine)
9. Re: Don W6AM (donovanf@starpower.net)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 06:52:53 -0400
From: "BY THE LAKE" <magoo@isp.ca>
To: <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Topband: W6AM
Message-ID: <0662DE2934C54051BD22F92B7A2326A0@customerf880d4>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
An interesting thread on an interesting ham! I recall seeing a picture in
one of the magazines of Don at age 80+ at the top of one of his rhombic
poles (some 100 ft each I believe) doing "routine maintenance".
I was browsing through older QSTs recently and ran across an article by
him
in November, 1937 titled "Making the Most of Directive Antennas-Practical
Pointers on Operating a Number of Antennas in Limited Space". This was,
of
course, before he purchased the Press Wireless property in the hills and
it
describes his Sterba Curtain and phased element wire beams. Apparently,
he
placed so much faith in his antenna static discharge system that he did
not
shut down during thunder storms!
Bill VE3NH
-----
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Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
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------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 07:20:00 -0400
From: George Dubovsky <n4ua.va@gmail.com>
To: Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Cc: TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Don W6AM
Message-ID:
<CAALHBrYnv5Fbyp9RcaS9UtP-JenpYPt9q2qH_w+RBY0SjxY=0Q@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
On Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 10:33 PM, Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com> wrote:
That, of course, doesn't change how antennas work. I have no doubt a good
monoband Yagi is as good as or better than a pretty large Ham Rhombic.
Anecdotal information to be sure, but back in the 60's there was a series
of articles in, I think, 73 magazine, that detailed Gus, W4BPD's ham
career. Part of the story described how he prepared for post-WW2 dx-ing by
erecting a bunch of rhombics down on the farm in Orangeburg, SC. When hams
were once again authorized, he was up in the front of the pack for quite a
while. The story goes on to relate how, on a visit to some ham-radio
emporium in Atlanta (Ack's?), he was convinced to leave with a Yagi - 20
meter, I think - and that on the return trip, he serendipitously acquired
a
broadcast tower to mount it on. He installed it and, as the story was
told,
he started finding more and more reasons to not repair the rhombics as
they
succumbed to the elements. Anyone else remember these articles?
73,
geo - n4ua
But I think we can talk about antennas and amplifiers, and some of the
big
red glowing anodes, without getting in a snit or condemning some old dead
Ham. After all, most of us are 90% there already, and no one will really
care who had what first DXCC or country total. They will mostly remember
the characters that touched their lives. I still can hear W6VSS pounding
in
to Ohio with his 25 watts on 1999 kHz, when I could just barely hear W6YY
with two half waves in phase on top of a 450-foot tower on some mountain.
73 Tom
_________________
Topband Reflector
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 10:24:10 -0400
From: Anthony Scandurra <anthony.scandurra@gmail.com>
To: Frederick Wagner <fhwagner4@sbcglobal.net>
Cc: "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II
site 571-5
Message-ID:
<CAK6fA8nqYzsQgv0Hrc1aPLmOHjRzsuwVzCPHKM-F8Voz452rUg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
For those who may interested in visiting the Titan Missile Museum and/or
learning more about the museum and ham radio operations there, here are a
few links that may interest you:
http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/
http://gvarc.us/GVARCFrames/Titan/Discone/Discone.htm
http://www.wa0itp.com/titandiscone.html
http://www.qsl.net/wb5dyg/html/Titan.htm
73, Tony K4QE
On Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 12:41 AM, Frederick Wagner
<fhwagner4@sbcglobal.net>wrote:
The article and discussion about W3CRA's wonderful results reminded me of
my tour of duty as a
Missile Combat Crew Commander at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson. My
primary
site, now destroyed,
was about 500 feet above the valley floor for headings about 300 through
345 - and the antenna was a
military Collins Discone over a military grade radial field, and the
discone could be fed at the base as a folded cage monopole -
that monopole was about 60 feet tall and the cage was at least 45 feet in
diameter.
My 'free' time to operate was mainly at night, and I'd take my Century-21
transceiver to the site, and run some RG-58 from
my commander's console down to where I could tie into the antenna
switching relay (our site rarely had to use HF for
communications). On 80 CW, at night, on that antenna, in the late 1970's,
working up into WA, BC, AK, JA and on to the rest of Asia
was like calling down a quiet hallway. The only Titan II site left in
Tucson is 571-6 down in the valley next to I-19,
preserved as the Titan Missile Museum, and visiting hams can tie into the
discone - but it sits next to a mountain of mine tailings,
with none of the takeoff angle advantages that the site across the
valley
and up the hill had.
If anyone wants to see the location, follow the two lane road East out of
Green Valley AZ up to the mouth of Madera Canyon.
Near the mountain, you'll see some faded Orange Fiberglass globes on the
HV powerlines. We periodically had military Helicopters
visiting the site, and those balls were so the helos would know where the
site, and the powerlines were.
My callsign in those days was W7HSS - I occasionally operated from other
sites west of the copper mines, but the best results
were always from my home site, 571-5
Fred Wagner
KQ6Q (ex W7HSS, W5QDL, K(N)6VVD
_________________
Topband Reflector
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 09:03:45 -0400
From: "ZR" <zr@jeremy.mv.com>
To: "AA8R - Notebook" <aa8r@aol.com>, <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Radial wire in bulk
Message-ID: <E346CAC1766148C3ACE8EB0978C74D38@computer1>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Check at the metal recyclers; Teflon insulated wire brings little money as
scrap and is rather common where there is high tech and military
contractors. Regular tinned copper and stranded PVC insulated is also
common
and around here magnet wire as used in motor shops is hard to find in any
quantity on a regular basis.
Sometimes Fleabay is good when shipped from close by. I got all my
military
telephone Beverage wire real cheap since its listing description was
misleading, $25 for 2.5km was hard to take!
Hamfests have always been good hunting during a poor economy.
Carl
----- Original Message -----
From: "AA8R - Notebook" <aa8r@aol.com>
To: <topband@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2013 9:33 AM
Subject: Topband: Radial wire in bulk
Hi all,
Can anyone suggest a good online resource to purchase wire in bulk? I am
in
the process of laying down a radial system for a 160m Inverted L.
Randy, AA8R
_________________
Topband Reflector
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1432 / Virus Database: 3209/6027 - Release Date: 07/28/13
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 09:37:46 -0400
From: "Carl" <km1h@jeremy.mv.com>
To: "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com>, "TopBand List"
<topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Don W6AM
Message-ID: <C3DB64ED3C084A2DBA05F013ADBA9A58@computer1>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Subject: Re: Topband: Don W6AM
I think this topic has gone from talking about actual radios and antennas
and the merits and folklore about each, to disrespecting people.
I actually thought it was kind of neat that as a 12 year old kid, living
in a house with tar paper outside and dirt floors and building my gear
with parts from a dump, that someone was kind and thoughtful enough to
have a 160 signal I could hear clearly from the west coast on the crap I
had for equipment, and that could hear me with as little as I knew about
antennas and the small junk I had. As long as all those old guys were
having fun and not hurting anyone, that's OK with me. I never felt
anything except admiration for them being available for contacts, and how
loud they were.
That, of course, doesn't change how antennas work. I have no doubt a good
monoband Yagi is as good as or better than a pretty large Ham Rhombic.
But
I think we can talk about antennas and amplifiers, and some of the big
red
glowing anodes, without getting in a snit or condemning some old dead
Ham.
After all, most of us are 90% there already, and no one will really care
who had what first DXCC or country total. They will mostly remember the
characters that touched their lives. I still can hear W6VSS pounding in
to
Ohio with his 25 watts on 1999 kHz, when I could just barely hear W6YY
with two half waves in phase on top of a 450-foot tower on some mountain.
73 Tom
The QST's of the late 20's, thru the 30's, are full of W6AM items from
station descriptions, articles, stations worked, etc. How he was alerted
of
DX and got home or laments of when he was in SF on business and missed a
new
one.
I always enjoyed reading about him and somewhere in a drawer or attic box
is
a 10M QSL from when I was a 14 yr old SWL using a HB regen. It had a RF
stage and was out of a Popular Mechanics article from mostly parts
scrounged
from the various town dumps I could bicycle to. My parents gave me
prewound
plug in coil sets as a birthday present and the tuning caps and vernier
dial
came from Radio Row in NYC which was a subway ride.
I still have those coils!
Carl
KM1H
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 15:21:51 +0000
From: Rick Stealey <rstealey@hotmail.com>
To: "topband@contesting.com" <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II
site 571-5
Message-ID: <COL126-W30E914402943EF0861FE72CE540@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
No matter how impressive that discone antenna looks, it still is just a
vertical, right?
Nothing magical about the signal it radiates.
I mean, you're not going to have DX falling all over you telling you
you're the loudest signal on the band.
Rick K2XT
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 11:34:10 -0400
From: "Charlie Cunningham" <charlie-cunningham@nc.rr.com>
To: "'Rick Stealey'" <rstealey@hotmail.com>, <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II
site 571-5
Message-ID:
<!&!AAAAAAAAAAAYAAAAAAAAAF0xXac1rOhFkn7GlcEWNIjCgAAAEAAAAC2vvER/aStGqfmFClICVusBAAAAAA==@nc.rr.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
I expect that the main advantage of a discone antenna is bandwidth.
Charlie, K4OTV
-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rick
Stealey
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 11:22 AM
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II site
571-5
No matter how impressive that discone antenna looks, it still is just a
vertical, right?
Nothing magical about the signal it radiates.
I mean, you're not going to have DX falling all over you telling you
you're
the loudest signal on the band.
Rick K2XT
_________________
Topband Reflector
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 10:34:40 -0500
From: "Jeff Blaine" <jeff@ac0c.com>
To: "Charlie Cunningham" <charlie-cunningham@nc.rr.com>, "'Rick
Stealey'" <rstealey@hotmail.com>, <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II
site571-5
Message-ID: <59F903E4FFC24269B1790C2AF2464BDB@w520>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Right, the discone is sort of the LPDA of the vertical world.
73/jeff/ac0c
www.ac0c.com
alpha-charlie-zero-charlie
-----Original Message-----
From: Charlie Cunningham
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 10:34 AM
To: 'Rick Stealey' ; topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II
site571-5
I expect that the main advantage of a discone antenna is bandwidth.
Charlie, K4OTV
-----Original Message-----
From: Topband [mailto:topband-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rick
Stealey
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 11:22 AM
To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: Height of antenna and takoff angle - Titan II site
571-5
No matter how impressive that discone antenna looks, it still is just a
vertical, right?
Nothing magical about the signal it radiates.
I mean, you're not going to have DX falling all over you telling you
you're
the loudest signal on the band.
Rick K2XT
_________________
Topband Reflector
_________________
Topband Reflector
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 11:56:19 -0400 (EDT)
From: donovanf@starpower.net
To: TopBand List <topband@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: Topband: Don W6AM
Message-ID:
<199475416.22597143.1375026979843.JavaMail.root@md05.rcn.cmh.synacor.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
Gus was DX editor for 73 Magazine starting in January 1973. All issues of
73 magazine are available free of charge on archive.org
Just use Google to search for: "W4BPD site:archive.org"
Here's what Gus had to say in his first column as DX editor in his unique
very casual style.
DXing was much different when he wrote his first column 40 years ago, but
much
the same too. I thought some of you might like to read his first column.
73
Frank
W3LPL
Hello, "You-AH", looks like it will be me running
this column and the WTW Award from this date on.
Let me introduce myself:
Name: Gus M. Browning
Call: W4BPD
Have signed well over 165 other calls from DX locations overseas
Been A DXer since Nov, 25, 1927
QSOs made: Total over 600,000
DXCC Nr. 4
WAZ Nr. 40
and lots of the other awards not all can be remembered.
Occupations: Editor & Publisher of The DXers Magazine,
printer and Electronic Repair Shop,
Thats enough tooting my own horn.
Plenty of time at later dates.
I need all the good, reliable DX tidbits, news, DXpedition
plans, DX QSL info, and even any good photographs
(in black and white - when possible)
you may happen to have or get later on -
They will to returned to you if you.
I mention "return to ??? on the back side of them.
You can send your info to me either at the address of this
magazine or (to save time) send it to me direct at this address:
Gus M. Browning, W4BPD
Drawer "DX"
Cordova, S.C. 29039
Or if you run across something that's red hot" and you think is
important enough you could call me (please NOT COLLECT) at:
(803) 534-6485
You can call me anytime of day or night (as late as 2 o'clock A.M,
local time - I work that late every night here - 7 nights per week).
In submitting info to me please keep in mind that I will have to
have the news items in my hand no later than 3 days before the
first of each month. This is being prepared on October 28th. as an
example of how long before ot appears in your magazine.
In case you haven't heard yet, the year 1973 is being called "our
year" by 73 magazine so Wayne (the "big boss") and I have come
up with an award to celebrate, an award not too hard to make. All
you have gotta do is to work 73 different countries in the first 73
days of 1973, We will call this something like "The 73 - 73 - 73
DX Award." So get the old rig ready to start on Jan 1st, 1973.
After you have worked your 73 different countries in the first 73
days of 1973 (thats the 14th of March) get three other hams to
certify your log send us the fist of stations you worked, giving the
dates and times, etc. of the QSOs. The Award may be either a nice
certificate or lapel pin, maybe it will have a small "cost" tacked on
to cover our cost or maybe even free (if Wayne can afford to lose
on the whole thing). Will let you know well in advance of the
March 14th.
Future DXpeditioneers, prepare for all events* because you will have
certain troubles" (other than the usual licensing, customs, etc.) You
will have QSL problems when you are back home, you will have a lot
of such items as, time wrong, band wrong, even the mode and band
will be wrong. Then you may have a "pirate" working the fellows at
the same dates you are on. some- times a few days before or after
you are on. Be sure you have a good GMT watch or clock and set
it right and be sure of your GMT date (this also goes for those back
here working the DX stations, too). All the above came to mind when I
received a letter from Jim, K9TZH after his operation at Market Reef,
where he operated as OJ0SUF.
A portion of his letter quoted:
"OJ0SUF QSL INFO: Fellows I am very sorry that there has been
such confusion regarding the Market Reef Expedition QSL s. When I
left Finland, all was in order but since that time, problems have
developed concerning financing the 6000 cards. Have just received a
letter from OH2BHU, who stated that the cards have finally been ordered
and will be coming out very soon. Anyone having problems getting
a card for their QSO please write me and I will do everything in my
power to get the contact confirmed. This includes fellows who have
received their own cards back marked "Not in Log".
I would like to emphasize this is not a request for $ Jim says in
the letter, "if I had only knew then, what I know now", after
mentioning other problems.
NOW FOR THE WTW AWARD
At the present moment all the info and present status of the WTW is in
the hands of Dave, K2AGZ and I am QRX for him to send all the
info, etc. down here so that I can arrange it all in the files and then
get going on the project again. I hope to soon receive this all from
Dave and get going again. I suggest that all confirmations be sent to
me direct instead of to 73 Mag, It will be more quickly handled
and be less chance of your cards being lost, etc. I do very strongly
suggest that you send your cards by "certified ' (cheaper), or via
Registered mail and include enough (either stamps or money) to return
your cards by "certified mail' plus of course the usual parcel post
costs and naturally the WTW fee of One Dollar (to partly cover our
costs). Be sure to list every card in the order they appear in the DXCC
country list, giving date, etc. of the contact. Remember we will keep
this list you send us. You had better make yourself up a duplicate
list to keep for reference purposes at later dates when you add new
countries to your standing in the WTW. Remember there are three
awards, the WTW* 100, WTW-200 and WTW- 300 and these can be
earned on CW and then the same for all PHONE. Will be telling you
more about this from time to time.
We are thinking about maybe giving nice Lapel Pins for the 200
and 300 plateaus of our WTW. I wonder when the ARRL will start
something like this, too 7 And while I am "wondering", why not
also wonder about the overall viewpoint of DXing in general?
For instance, why not more countries? YES that's what I said "more
countries"! I have not met anyone yet who really has complained that
there are "too many now". This word "countries" are used very
loosely when refering to our DX awards. Except WTW, which stands
for Worked The World, certainly a more descriptive group of words
when talking about our kind of DX. I think it's time for Big Brother,
the ARRL to do something about their DX Award set-up, give some
pins for the 200 and 300 brackets, give us some new countries, cut
that 250 miles separation between islands for a starter * OR - better
yet -START SOMETHING BRAND NEW. (all of which I doubt they
will do.) With computers being used these days even by some of my
small grocery stores, I am sure that this could be done at a very
reasonable price. They of course would be able to use the computer in
many other ways when it is put in.
This is nearly 1973 (73 Magazine's) and times are changing rapidly
and I think ARRL will have to do the same to "keep up to date" with
the rapidly changing world I know that I will receive many
letters telling me to not "rock the boat", you can't fight the
establishment, etc. My answer to these is all the same Ole Buddy,
you have your ideas and I have mine and if you want to "air" your ideas
we have the "LETTERS" page in 73 for you to use (I also have "Letters
to the editor" page or pages (if necessary in my little DXers Mag.)
They are yours to use to let the other fellow have your viewpoints,
All I want to do is to have MORE DX for the boys to chase, giving
them something to do these long winter nights coming on us now.
I wonder if there are still some of you out there that have not yet
tried making some of these new "gadgets" using these new IC's?
It took me ONE HOUR to build a very FB 10 meter pre-amp using a
Motorola type 1590G and it gave a 50 db gain with less noise than I
could hear from my Collins 75S-3. Have built up a number of very FB
other little "goodies" (quite useful, "gadgets".) All which will get
you started with Solid State, you may as well face it fellows, solid
state is with us and the days of hot, noisy, inefficient, etc. is about
over.
You are never too old to learn !! 73 Magazine will give you plenty
of these little "goodies" to build.
Try a few of them and the Old Bug will bite you again and you
will again become a ham like you used to be! - Remember ??
That's it for this month,
73 es DX,
de W4BPD
----- Original Message -----
From: "George Dubovsky" <n4ua.va@gmail.com>
To: "Tom W8JI" <w8ji@w8ji.com>
Cc: "TopBand List" <topband@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 12:20:00 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: Don W6AM
On Sat, Jul 27, 2013 at 10:33 PM, Tom W8JI <w8ji@w8ji.com> wrote:
That, of course, doesn't change how antennas work. I have no doubt a good
monoband Yagi is as good as or better than a pretty large Ham Rhombic.
Anecdotal information to be sure, but back in the 60's there was a series
of articles in, I think, 73 magazine, that detailed Gus, W4BPD's ham
career. Part of the story described how he prepared for post-WW2 dx-ing by
erecting a bunch of rhombics down on the farm in Orangeburg, SC. When hams
were once again authorized, he was up in the front of the pack for quite a
while. The story goes on to relate how, on a visit to some ham-radio
emporium in Atlanta (Ack's?), he was convinced to leave with a Yagi - 20
meter, I think - and that on the return trip, he serendipitously acquired
a
broadcast tower to mount it on. He installed it and, as the story was
told,
he started finding more and more reasons to not repair the rhombics as
they
succumbed to the elements. Anyone else remember these articles?
73,
geo - n4ua
But I think we can talk about antennas and amplifiers, and some of the
big
red glowing anodes, without getting in a snit or condemning some old dead
Ham. After all, most of us are 90% there already, and no one will really
care who had what first DXCC or country total. They will mostly remember
the characters that touched their lives. I still can hear W6VSS pounding
in
to Ohio with his 25 watts on 1999 kHz, when I could just barely hear W6YY
with two half waves in phase on top of a 450-foot tower on some mountain.
73 Tom
_________________
Topband Reflector
_________________
Topband Reflector
------------------------------
Subject: Digest Footer
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------------------------------
End of Topband Digest, Vol 127, Issue 16
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