[Hallicrafters] Sunday HHI 20M Net Surprise Enclosed

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Hi All,

Please join us tomorrow, Sunday January 13th, for the Halligan's 
Hallicrafters International 20 meter Net. If it glows in the dark, there has 
to be a vacuum tube inside that cabinet, so leave those fingerprints all 
over the bifocal lenses making it not possible for you to read the 
make/model of the rig! Even if it is not a Halli you are still welcome.

The Saturday Net today was FANTASTIC! We had propagation like you would not 
believe! The weakest signal was a 5/9 , most were from 5/9+10 to 5/9+30! 
Incredible!

I could not hear a MI station on the west coast near Lake Michigan at 1:00 
PM, then at 1:10 PM EST the band changed and he came booming in with a 
5/9+20 signal! Even better, I did not lose the other stations north - 
south - east - west as generally happens! It was like five years back when 
we had real propagation! And it did NOT suddenly vanish into the ethers of 
the cosmos either! It was still stronger then a two day old pot of Deer 
hunting camp coffee when the Net closed down at 1945 UTC.

The Pre-Net commences at 12:45 PM EST, 1745 UTC and the Net proper starts at 
1:15 PM EST, 1815 UTC. The frequency will be 14.293 MHZ usb +/- for key 
clicks, mike splatter and hopefully fifty state HHI vintage vacuum tube rig 
chatter! Make it so #1!

Hear you tomorrow! Be there or be a square wave on a round scope! Speaking 
of vintage, here is some vintage vacuum tube verse I penned some years back. 
Enjoy!

                   And Nobody Knows But Me


                                  By, Duane B. Fischer, W8DBF


There is a place of velvet black,
Where darkness rules and lights denied.
The probing fingers feel the mark,
The seller said it worked, he lied?
And nobody knows but me.

A feeble glow lights up the room,
A hissing sound soon fills the air.
One short could spell a certain doom,
You spin the knob with loving care.
And nobody knows but me.

A crackle from the speaker leaps,
A signal flutters in the wind.
The smell of something burning seeps,
Some EBAY guilt, for all have sinned.
And nobody knows but me.

With trembling hand you pull the plug,
Scorched insulation burns your eyes.
A molten metal tuning slug,
As color codes curl up and die.
And nobody knows but me.

A vacuum tube explodes with light,
And voltage arcs to waiting hands.
Resistors pop with all their mite,
And I.F.'s bulge within their cans.
And nobody knows but me.

A knob falls off and hits the floor,
Capacitors pop like seed corn.
You duck a coil that strikes the door,
Wiring hangs from where its now torn.
And nobody knows but me.

The fuse explodes and hits the fan,
Transformers glow a cherry red.
The Chassis turns a sickening tan,
As wire fragments strike your head.
And nobody knows but me.

The Halli glow fades out to dark,
The smoke detector screams Alert!
This EBAY bargan left its mark,
A nightmare from a vintage dream.
And nobody knows but me.

Through open window goes your prize,
The snowflakes sizzle as it sinks.
Another relic meets demise,
Sometimes the past can really stink!
And nobody knows but me.

You'll try again, of this you're sure,
Nothing quite like a boat anchor.
Perhaps your wife would like a fur,
There must be some way to thank her.
And nobody knows but me.

Her house is smoked like roasted fowl,
The morning may find you packing.
So hide the checkbook coos the Owl,
Right now no more circuit tracking!
And nobody knows but me.

And who am I you kindly ask,
While wind moans through attic rafters.
As moonlight shines across my mask,
I am the ghost of Hallicrafters.


Original: Friday November 15, 2002

Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
dfischer at usol.com

HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
http://www.w9wze.net

HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
hhrp.w9wze.net