[Heathkit] My first station

[rbethman]

I wasn't in the market for replacing finals on a regular basis.

So the answer is YES - I checked the VSWR!

What does it take to make a VSWR meter?

Two SO-239s, a pair of 1N34s, several brass rods, and a meter.

Add a pot, a couple of switches, and a small project box.

The handbook gave circuits for them, as well as the antenna handbook 
gave what you needed to figure out an antenna system.

Choice of open feed line or coaxial feed line is all yours!

Heck, even the old 11 meters had parts, pieces, and meters available.

I took an old Rat Shack VSWR/Power/Signal Strength meter as a guide.  I 
discovered that the old Vanco ones would even do 2mtrs!

I took an HW-12, and a Leader Tuner/Power/VSWR goodie I picked up and 
went single wire on a trip to the Wife's Sister's for Thanksgiving.

Ran some oddball length of enameled wire, ran it out the kitchen window, 
and - *YES* - loaded it up and tuned with the far end of the wire tied 
to a bed spring that was out back of the apartments laying against a tree!

Every single one of us have *many* stories we could spend a month on, 
amongst all of us.

Regards, Bob - N0DGN


On 4/22/2015 1:44 PM, RAY FRIESS wrote:
> With the T60 I just loaded the end fed wire for max meter reading on 
> the front panel and went for it.  No idea what the swr was or how much 
> power was being put out of the pi network final or getting 
> radiated.  Might have been a 10 to 1 swr and 5 watts radiated for all 
> I knew.  My dad was also licensed as a novice with me and we kept 
> racking up the contacts.  Especially at night on 80 and 40.  I 
> remember my first dx contact ...  a VE7 straight up the map from 
> utah.  It was over the U.S. border so it was dx.  My friend got his 
> license the same day as i did.  His dad gave us both the test as he 
> was a general class.  I had a great time bragging to my friend about 
> getting dx before him.
>
> > From: bcarling at cfl.rr.com
> > Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2015 13:19:02 -0400
> > To: rbethman at comcast.net
> > CC: heathkit at mailman.qth.net
> > Subject: Re: [Heathkit] My first station
> >
> > VSWR?? You checked VSWR?
> >
> > Well WE had it tough.
> > We had to guess the antenna length by cutting length of old rusty 
> wire with a bent ruler and then tune 't rig for maximum shock when 
> hold oop a wet index finger near 't antenna and our fathers would jump 
> oop and down on our receivers until they died, while singing hallelujah!
> >
> > (With thanks to Monty the Python)
> >
> > Best regards - Brian Carling
> > AF4K
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > On Apr 22, 2015, at 12:58 PM, rbethman <rbethman at comcast.net> wrote:
> > >
> > > Buck,
> > >
> > > Whether it was '50s, '60s, '70s or even '80.
> > >
> > > I imagine we were all amazed to get on the air and *really* work 
> anyone.
> > >
> > > Everyone made their own antennas. It was always a guessing game 
> with an antenna! You went by the formula, cut it long, then began the 
> process of trimming and adjusting until the VSWR fell within the 
> operating frequency range you were going to use.
> > >
> > > Even today, more of the same. Unless you obtain one of those fancy 
> antenna calculators that ties to the end of the feed line.
> > >
> > > I just finally bought *ONE* last year. I picked up a 40mtr 
> Double-Bazooka. It is the only time that I ever bought one. I decided 
> to go to one of them, but I didn't really want to go through making 
> the center balun and cutting coax to a certain length, along with the 
> extensions after the coax.
> > >
> > > I don't regret it one bit. I used to work Lucky, WA4EZN, for a 
> number of years. He was pushing everyone to go that way.
> > >
> > > Now it seems that this design is all over. It originated at MIT 
> IIRC, in the radar work done there in the '40s.
> > >
> > > Regards, Bob - N0DGN
> > >
> > >
> > >> On 4/22/2015 12:37 PM, Buck via Heathkit wrote:
> > >> First station way back in the 50's. . .
> > >>
> > >> Heathkit AT-1
> > >> Heathkit AR-3
> > >> Heathkit QF-1
> > >>
> > >> Not sure how I ever heard or worked anything in those days!
> > >>
> > >> Buck
> > >> W0LC