[JMS] Society Update 04-JAN-2006 : W1HRX QSL's, AWA AM QSO Party, National 600 Transmitter and more

[Don Buska]

Happy New Year JMS Members,

Well I arrived at work today to find the W1HRX QSL cards have arrived.
The family and I had left for the Dallas area over the holidays so I
wanted to have the cards sent to my work address.  Just before we left
for the south country a box did arrive at my home from QSL Works.  It
was the wrong cards!  They sent me around 500 QSL's for the United Radio
Broadcasters of New Orleans.  Basically it is a QSL card confirming
reception of around twenty of the commercial AM and FM stations that
operated after hurricane Katrina and Rita hit that area.  Cool card with
a satellite view of the hurricane on the front.  I admit, I did steal
one of the cards before I forwarded them on to their proper owner in
Memphis TN.  I figure it was due payment for having me stand in the post
office line a few days before Christmas to send the box off, hi.  So as
I expected the W1HRX QSL's arrived from Memphis, so the United Radio
Broadcasters of New Orleans got our cards and had to forward them to me.

The cards turned out very nice and we now have 2000 on-hand.  For those
who are new to the JMS we had these QSL's printed up to look similar to
Jim's QSL used in the mid-1930's.  

A report on our fund drive.  As of today I have received a total of
$158.99, again not a round number due to PayPal donations that have
transaction fees.  There are a couple of remaining donations that have
been communicated via email that have as not yet arrived.  The total
cost for the 2000 QSL was $195.00 from QSL works.  We are getting close.
One final donation has been put forward to cover any remaining up to the
printing costs.  So if we get another couple donations that person will
not need to dig very deep.

W1HRX QSL Distribution Points
-----------------------------

The 2000 W1HRX QSL cards will be divided into 500 piece units and sent
to four distribution coordinators within the USA.  These JMS members
will be responsible for the distribution of QSL's for future W1HRX event
operators upon the completion of such activities.  The coordinators will
NOT be filling in the cards or acting as QSL managers.  Simply they will
supply the needed quantity to an event organizer based on requirements.
The W1HRX QSL coordinators have been selected based on their past
activity within the JMS and also their locations within the continental
USA. 

W1HRX QSL Coordinators

Northeast 	Ed Gable K2MP

Southeast	Gary Carter WA4IAM

Central	Don Buska N9OO

West		Jim Hanlon W8KGI

I will be getting the 500 quantity packets out to the coordinators
within the next two weeks.


W1HRX Special Event Station - AWA AM QSO Party
---------------------------------------------- 

Well all is now official with Jim Hanlon's email sent out the last day
of 2005.  This will be the first event that will use our new QSL's.  As
a reminder here is Jim's text from that email:

"On Saturday, February 18, starting at 7 pm EST (0000 UTC) and running
until 7 pm on Sunday, February 19, the Antique Wireless Association's AM
QSO Party will be on the air.  

There will be two "Flagship Stations" in the Party this year.  W2AN will
be on from the AWA Museum Annex in New York State running James Millen's
personal, 1930's transmitter on 75 meters and other gear on 40 and 20
meters.  And I will be on the air from New Mexico signing James Millen's
personal call sign, W1HRX, courtesy of the James Millen Society which
now holds this call as its club station.  I will have a very special
transmitter on 80 and 40, a National NTX-30 and NSM modulator.  The
NTX-30 originally belonged to O. Eugene Simms, Millen's personal
assistant at National and also at the James Millen Company.  It will be
paired with an HRO that originally belonged to Professor Bob Higgy,
W8IB, from The Ohio State University.  I will also have a Viking II on
20, paired with an HRO-5TA1.  

W1HRX will be between 3850 and 3885 on 75, around 7290 +/- QRM on 40,
and around 14286 +/- QRM on 20.  My friend Doc, K7SO, is coming down for
the event; so we will have two stations on the air at the same time
during the contest.  We will listen for SSB and CW as well as for AM
stations calling us.  

If you would like to work W1HRX and get a James Millen QSL card, please
give us a call."

Jim and Doc, don't forget to snap some pictures of your operating
activities so we can add them to the JMS website. 


Jim Millen's National 600 Transmitter
-------------------------------------

New JMS member Mort, W6KLG has sent me some very interesting letters
between James Millen and another ham relating to an interview being
scheduled between them many years back.  I don't want to give out to
much information but as a result Jim Millen gave his own National 600
transmitter (dates from the early 30's) to the gentleman who was
performing the interview.  BTW this interviewer is still alive and I
hope well.  We have a JMS member currently in the process of contacting
him (Future JMS member?  Future JMS web article?).

To make a long story short, Mort has become the new keeper of this
National 600 and is working to restore it to on-the-air operation.  I
have asked Mort to keep a visual record of his work so that we can
provide a full history of this transmitter as a future JMS website
article.

Maybe we have another Flagship Station in the works for the 2007 AWA AM
QSO party.  What do you think Mort?

Hey Jim, I hope we can get some pictures and words from you on your
National NTX-30 and NSM modulator refurbishment too.  

Final
-----

Well the JMS has completed our first five years as an organization.  I
am personally proud and also humbled by the assemblage of such a high
level of talent, experience and historical knowledge in our ranks.  I
thank everyone for their support in our efforts and for providing our
organization with a much respected presence in the area of radio
historical preservation.

Here's to another successful JMS New Year.

Don N9OO