[AMRadio] cw

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Sun, Sep 22, 2013 at 8:19 AM, Larry Szendrei <ne1s at securespeed.us> wrote:

For a ton of CW fun, try the AWA 1929 Bruce Kelley QSO Party which is held
> for two 24-hour periods (on two consecutive weekends) after Thanksgiving.
> Main requirement is that the tube type and circuit used was available in
> 1929, crystal-control is NOT allowed, and 10W MAXIMUM DC input (up to 20W
> is allowed during part of the overnight periods.)  So build up a breadboard
> Hartley, TPTG, TNT, Colpitts, Meissner transmitter, or a MOPA using one of
> those oscillator circuits, and join the fun! A sample (but incomplete) list
> of tubes "legal" for the transmitter are the '10, '45, '71A, 841, 203, 211,
> 865. Put as little/much time you like in the construction and make is as
> ugly/pretty as you like. There are no restrictions on the receiver,
> anything from a 1929 regen to an SDR is allowed. Listmember Eddy
> VE3CUI/VE3XZ always participates, as do I.
>


I'd call that more of an operating event than contest, Larry. As you say,
folks are on there making contacts with old HB gear at a casual pace, not
the more typical fake '599 stomp on others' format. I love listening in to
the signals: the whoops, the chirps, and plenty of interesting notes.

Somewhere I have the makings of one of these little transmitters boxed up.
Tube socket, air variable, two long glass tubes. You might've seen it in
the stash up over the garage when you visited VT some years back. Might
even get it built one day!

It's an excellent opportunity to hear how the bands sounded so many decades
ago even if you don't get to operate it.

~ Todd/KAQ