[Lowfer] Virginia Stations

[Pete Cranwell]

I proof read one or two of Ken's first scrapbooks while he was still
pounding away on his typewriter.  I think I gave him some circuits to use
using FETs for a preamp or preamp / converter.  They would have used
MPF102s, because I had a lot of them and Radio Shack sold them back then.  I
think he took the circuits to someone to have them manufactured.  Ken didn't
have a real solid theory background so I usually supplied him with working
designs.

I don't know of Ken's heirs.  His wife was a "pistol" who about ripped my
head off when I called Ken at 10PM one evening.  She divorced him in the
early 70s when he moved to Point Pleasant so she should have no say in the
matter.  As far as kids, he may have some, but he never spoke of them.  I
would be interested in looking at a scrapbook, particularly one of the first
if anyone has one.  The later ones were probably published from The NJ Shore
area.  I didn't keep up with him after he moved, only an occasional
conversation about a red head lassie he had his eye on.

My comments on digital:  Its good for a lot but I think a good tuned analog
front end, and perhaps regenerative loop will beat the pants off a digital
front end.  We did a lot of work with regenerative loops, some with Faraday
shields.  The bigger the better.  How about a large powdered iron core loop,
say somethibng about 2 inches in diameter and 2-3 feet long?  I might build
one to see how it works but first I need to get my Orion fired up on the low
freqs.

Does anyone knpow about the palomar comverter?  Is it worthwhile?

I don't build a lot these days because my eyes ain't so good and the parts
supply is limited but I would be interested in a good front end for my Orion
and love to press a powdered iron core for a loop.

-----Original Message-----
From: lowfer-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:lowfer-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Peter Barick
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:34 AM
To: lowfer at mailman.qth.net
Subject: RE: [Lowfer] Virginia Stations


Wow, this is something. "Ken Cornell, (W2IMB, beacon call "K"), " your
neighbor. Anyone who's
read a bit of LF lore knows of Cornell. Quite the leganary figure in the
early days of LF.

His "scrapbook," a tome of his projects and times, has been a topic of
discussion in the
recent past here. It isn't published anymore and word is that his heirs will
not release it for
another printing. Of course it dates to the 60s and so the electronic info
is more nostalgic,
but his antenna work is still, well, antenna work.

Every so often the LF journal, THE LOWDOWN, has a piece of his work, likely
as filler now. But things
have gone digital now (sorry, Ken ;-) and the analog stuff is best left on
the shelves and boxes.

Another List response mentions several Web sites of regulars who have
established themselves
in the LF community. You'll do good to dwell a bit lookig at them. Another
site to see for LF projects is
Lyle Koehler's, a noble builder. The link to it is on a good many sites.

--Peter
-----------------------------------------------------
>>> "Pete Cranwell" <pete at pcranwell.com> 02/06/08 8:08 PM >>>
No.  I'll take a look, thanks.

Last time I worked VLF was back in late 60s or early 70s from Westfield NJ.
My neighbor, Ken Cornell, (W2IMB, beacon call "K"), got me interested.  We
ran a couiple of stations & I worked around 100 miles on 189.5 (beacon call
"P").
<...>
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