Firsts ...Will we pass it on?

[Paul Staupe]

First call:  WN0BQA   1970
Reverend Bittner organized a 7th grade ham radio class, and about  
five of us showed up.  A few months later, the class was over, and I  
was the only one left,  having convinced my Dad to rent an  
Instructograph in order to learn the code.   My curiosity about this  
hobby was begun  by experiencing the wonders of  SWLing at my  
cousin's farm on a  National NC 183D a year earlier.  I had no idea  
at the time that  the strange whooshing sounds created by CW  
detected without a BFO would be so indelibly impressed on my brain,  
or  that I could participate in making my own music (CW).   The  
'hook' was set by visiting W0AIH 's QTH  after the class ended and  
seeing a real  contest station in action.  Thanks, Paul.

First QSO:  W0AIH (of course)

First Rig:  Hammarlund HQ 110, borrowed (again with W0AIH's help)  
from the Civil Defense department, and  a Johnson Ranger with four  
crystals.

The Hammarlund and Ranger were replaced when I passed my  
Conditional class license (guess who proctored the test?) with a  
T-4X & R-4A  again sourced by W0AIH.

I find it fascinating that my two sons, ages 13 and 11 have never  
expressed any interest whatsoever in the hobby, even though I've  
been a ham now for (gasp) 26 years and my father in law was a ham.    
In my case, the radio was an extension of my imagination, sort of  
an extended book experience...   Could it be that passive television  
viewing and computers have replaced our hobby as an extension of  
our children's imaginations?

Paul WZ0V
pstaupe at uswest.com

>From Lee Buller <k0wa at southwind.net>  Fri Apr 26 17:20:47 1996
From: Lee Buller <k0wa at southwind.net> (Lee Buller)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 11:20:47 -0500
Subject: Watt Meter
Message-ID: <1.5.4.32.19960426162047.00689580 at southwind.net>

Hey everyone....


Does anyone remember the Signal Crafters company wich had an outstanding
power/SWR meter in the late 70's and early 80's  I picked up thier 32A model
at a recent estate auction for $45.00.  Did not get any instructions.  

Can anyone out there help?


Lee Buller
k0wa at southwind.net


>From John Brosnahan <broz at csn.net>  Fri Apr 26 18:17:31 1996
From: John Brosnahan <broz at csn.net> (John Brosnahan)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1996 11:17:31 -0600
Subject: Ground Rods Made Easy
Message-ID: <199604261717.LAA21861 at lynx.csn.net>

I hate to give away all of the secrets in my upcoming book
but since the topic is hot right now let me pass along a
trick perfected by AA0RS/G3SZA.

First, I have aways been concerned about using a hose
with a piece of tubing since there will exist quite a gap
around the copper tubing due to the "backwash" of the
water and I have always questioned the effectiveness
of the resulting ground.  With time, temeperature variation,
and soil moisture variation the soil will probably fill back
in around the ground rod--but probably isn't good enough
for me.

Dave (AA0RS/G3SZA) is a veteran 160 operator who has
mastered techniques to keep the cost down.  For ground
rods he takes 10ft lengths of 1/2 inch hard copper pipe
and crimps the end to make a point.  The pipe is just
slightly over 1/2 inch INSIDE diameter so a steel rod
1/2 inch in outside diameter fits nicely.  He machined a 
collar of about 2 inches in diameter and a half inch thick 
that he mounts on the rod with heavy duty set screws at
the point where the collar will come into contact with the
copper pipe just before the rod runs into the crimped end.

He drives the copper pipe with the steel rod inside using
a fence post driver.  To date it has been tried in prairie
soil in eastern Colorado--soil that can vary from sand to 
loam to clay, but has few rocks.  It works very well and
the rod easily pulls out of the pipe when finished.

I will probably machine a "head" of 2 inch steel rod with
a 1/2 inch hole through most of it to fit over the top of
the rod.  This will provide the surface area to contact the
upper end of the pipe as well as provide a bigger target
for either the fence post driver or a sledge hammer.

1/2 inch copper pipe is a little over $2 per length.
The 1/2 steel rod should be less than $10.
Material for the head is about $2 or $3.
Plus drilling a 1/2 inch hole about 6 inches deep
     which might involve buying a $10 drill bit (or wearing 
     out an old one).

A regular 10ft ground rod is about $13.  So, to install 10
of them will run $130.  But to install 10 of the copper pipe 
grounds will run, say $25 for the pipe and a max of $23
for the driver and drilling materials.  A net savings of $82.

Every additonal rod will cost less than $3 instead of $13.
Net result is a lot of very efficient antennas on 160 when
everybody starts driving in many ground rods because 
they are now so cheap.


73  John  W0UN

John Brosnahan  
La Salle Research Corp      24115 WCR 40     La Salle, CO 80645  USA
voice 970-284-6602            fax 970-284-0979           email broz at csn.net


>From barry at w2up.wells.com (barry)  Fri Apr 26 17:31:51 1996
From: barry at w2up.wells.com (barry) (barry)
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 96 12:31:51 EDT
Subject: Rain Static
Message-ID: <sR4ZmD1w165w at w2up.wells.com>

If the static is caused by the charges particles striking, or just being 
near, the antenna elements, then why does the lower antenna in a stack 
seem relatively immune to the static?

I have a Cushcraft 2 el 40 about 9 ft above a TH7, which is about 40 ft 
above the lower TH7. The Cushcraft does not "protect" the upper TH7 from 
noise, but the lower TH7 is MUCH quieter.

--

Barry N. Kutner, W2UP       Internet: barry at w2up.wells.com
Newtown, PA                 Packet Radio: W2UP @ WB3JOE.#EPA.PA.USA.NA
                            Packet Cluster: W2UP >WB2R (FRC)
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