[K3PZN-List] Was Your First Transmitter Homebrew?

[Philip Karras]

Hi Curt,

My first rig, I became a ham in June of 1992, was a used Ten Tec Century 21, AC power, 40W out, CW only (I was a Novice). My first antenna was a long wire drapped over the roof with a borrowed tuner I made my first contact about two weeks before field day.

That was the first & last time I ran any even as a Novice as I upgraded to Extra in early December of 1992 & so even worked that years Novice Round Up as an Advanced or Extra and also worked my first Streight-key Night as an Extra.

I sold that rig & bought a Century 22, 20W CW only output, DC power only rig with WARC bands included, 160 - 10m.

I've built a number of smaller CW QRP rigs as well as an OHR-400. No tube rigs in my shack.

I used to repair tube radios and TVs, sometimes for a living, but since my shack is so small I made the decision that I would not even try to fit a tub rig in it.

There's some cool information about the 807 if you just google, "807 tube" schematics, photos of tube rigs open showing the 807, etc.

73 de ke3fl
Phil

> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:41:03 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Curt Milton <wb8yyy at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [K3PZN-List] Was Your First Transmitter Homebrew?
> To: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net>
> Message-ID: <221938.50678.qm at web162008.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> 
> I am interesting if any of you all used a homebrew tube
> transmitter when you were first licensed? (presuming by now
> that we all currently use a rig from Japan, that company on
> Dolly Parton Pkwy or Elecraft).? If you used such a rig, did
> you construct it yourself and did you make use of parts
> scrounged from a dead TV set?? 
> ?
> I know that 'slightly before my time' this practice was
> common, based upon articles in QST and in books in the
> library.? My own first rig was a used heathkit, but I
> remember asking the advisor of my high school club 'what is
> this 807 transmitter' the other guy was using.? 
> ?
> Some of you folk can't relate at all, as your first rig may
> have been 2m FM!? 
> ?
> 73 Curt
>