Topband: "Antique Wireless Association" 1929 QSO Party

[Eddy Swynar]

Good Day All,

Without a doubt, this weekend will see the band wall-to-wall full of Hams engaged in the "ARRL 160-Meter Contest"...however, the second weekend coming will see participation of a number of QRP 1929-style transmitters taking part in the annual AWA-sponsored "1929 QSO Party".

Complete rules may be seen by clicking onto: http://www.antiquewireless.org/pdf/kelley_rules.pdf

This year marks the very first time that the use of 1.8-MHz is allowed. Contenders will limit activity to just the bottom 10-KHz of the band, however, so as not to disrupt any regular routines on Topband.

So---if there is no DX responding to your repeated calls, and you've already pasted your fill of postage stamps into your collection's album(!), have a listen to the bottom of 160, close your eyes---and be transported back in time some 83 years: this is really & truly the way things sounded on the bands right around the time of the "Big Crash of '29"! It's a unique & very rare opportunity to gain insight into the roots and history of this wonderful passion that we call Amateur radio...

~73!~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ

PS: Yours truly will take to the air the second weekend with a homebrewed balloon-envelope type 227-tube Hartley oscillator driving a pair of 227's in parallel...input? A bone-crushing 10-watts!