[SCCC] Kalifornia Kilowatts...

Wed Jul 3 12:09:51 EDT 2024

I also once heard something about the original W6RW, Roger Mace, getting
busted? As it was told to me, his plate transformer was located outside
the shack on the ground, and he had a tube with handles inside
(something that has become fairly common, these days). Seems to me that
something was also mentioned about the yagis showing corona on the
tips... 8-O

Don Wallace, from what I saw during my many (short) visits there (I
never operated from his place; I heard that due to on-air "misbehavior",
he'd all but banished all operators but a couple guys he really trusted
by the time I knew him), never had the ability to run super-multi-KWs.
Three of his amplifiers (80, 20 and 10) were a pair of push-pull 450THs
(450 watts plate dissipation) and the remaining two for 40 and 15 were
push-pull 833s (also 450-watts each plate dissipation). Although all of
those probably ran at least 5 or 6 kV plate voltage and glowed almost
white-hot key-down, the tubes alone, even in Class C and at 85%
efficiency (as Don claimed), would only have been able to do perhaps
around 6000 watts plate input power. When he keyed up one time while I
visited, the 833s merely glowed a dull cherry red 8-) He had a Henry 2K
with 3-400Zs (those, too, ran white-hot) sitting right on top of his
operating desk for SSB. Admitted: I never had the chance to actually
look seriously around his "shack". Others, such as WA6EPQ (now N6AR) and
his brother Larry (SK as of last month) apparently operated often from
Don's during the early '60s, however (see N6AR's qrz.com web page). With
his antler gain and super-distinctive voice and fist, Don didn't really
need too many kilowatts! I don't think any of us who ever heard Don on
sideband will ever forget hearing him call...

"W- 6 - AMERICA-A-A, Mexico!!".

Steve K0XP

On 7/3/2024 7:11 AM, W6PH via SCCC wrote:
> The FCC raid of 1958 was a classic.  It was the ARRL DX Contest.  I think it was this raid that Dale Hoppe got busted.  There was one account that the FCC came into the ham's house and asked to observe the input of the amp (1 kw input was the legal limit).  The ham was at 800 watts input.  The FCC engineer then got on an HT and asked the outside engineer how the signal was and the outside engineer said the signal was down about 10 db.  The ham then confessed that he had a switch that reduced the plate voltage by half.  This story was told to me second hand back in 1958 and might be embellished.
>   W6KG wrote an article in QST and claimed he had been visited during that contest.  He claimed that his plate current meter also contained screen current.  When the screen current was removed from the plate current meter, he was below I kw input. The raid on W6VSS is legend.  I believe the story goes that Dale told everyone to bail and he would handle the FCC.  There has to be some people on this reflector that can tell the complete story.  I have heard that the amps were 10 kw.  I would love to hear more about it. Kurt W6PH
> In a message dated 7/2/2024 7:22:45 PM Pacific Daylight Time,tree at kkn.net  writes:
> It's a good thing I forget the callsign of the guy who used this amp.  I do
> know who built it however.
>
> AVeryBigAmp.jpg (2864×2048) (kkn.net)
> <https://www.kkn.net/n6tr/misc_pictures/OldScannedPictures/AVeryBigAmp.jpg>
>
> That's 4 - 4-1000s.
>
> It was in the attic with a Henry "driver" and a chalkboard or something
> like that which you swung up to show the controls for the amp.
>
> It was only used on 20 meters.
>
> I bought this amp for $300 around 1975.  It got turned into a number of
> amps from the parts by WB6JOS/KB6I.  I never put it on the air.
>
> Tree N6TR
>
> On Tue, Jul 2, 2024 at 6:51 PM Dino Darling<dino at kx6d.com>  wrote:
>
>> I'd love to hear the Goo stories from the 60's, 70's and 80's!
>>
>> I heard rumor there was a prominent radio operator around the corner from
>> Knott's Berry Farm that has some suds on reserve. If memory serves, a
>> single 4-1000 was mentioned. I would think it would take at least two to
>> make legend status. It was before my time but my curiosity still reigns.
>>
>> Some people look down on QRO amplifiers. I see it more as another way to
>> make gain...if you lack the room for a 100'+ boom or a rotating stack.
>>
>> If anyone has stories they want to share, you have a captive audience.
>> Just change the names to protect the innocent. 😁
>>
>> Dino - KX6D
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Glenn Rattmann
>>
>> ...Phil was known for using some serious Goo in those days; meaning "more"
>> than Bud.  ;-)
>>
>> 73,
>> Glenn K6NA
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> SCCC mailing list
>> SCCC at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc
>>
> _______________________________________________
> SCCC mailing list
> SCCC at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc
> _______________________________________________
> SCCC mailing list
> SCCC at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/sccc
--
See my QRZ.com page at *https://www.qrz.com/db/K0XP*