Month: December 2021

A Great Morning on the Old Military Radio Net: AB9MQ’s Central Electronics 20A, W3EMD’s Dynamotor, WU2D

Just a portion of Masa’s shack

I usually try to listen in on the Old Military Radio Net on Saturday mornings (3885 kc). Lately I listen with my Mate for the Mighty Midget receiver.

This morning’s session was especially good. For me the highlight was when Masa AB9MQ called in from Normal, Illinois using his Central Electronics 20A (see below). That was one of the earliest SSB rigs. A phasing rig, it also ran AM (which was what Masa was using this morning). He had it paired up with a Central Electronics 458 VFO. You folks really need to check out Masa’s QRZ.com page:

https://www.qrz.com/db/AB9MQ

Buzz W3EMD called in from Rhinebeck, NY. I could hear his dynamotor in the background. Buzz said hello to Masa in Japanese. FB.

Always great to hear Mike WU2D.

Alan Wolke W2AEW: YouTube Silver Play Button Award, and ARRL Hudson Division 2020 Technical Achievement Award

Three cheers for Alan Wolke W2AEW, truly one of the great guys of homebrew ham radio. Alan’s wonderful YouTube videos have enlightened hams all around the world. He is always there to answer questions and help hams (like me) who are at times struggling to understand technical concepts.
Photo from the November 13, 2021 ARRL Hudson Division Awards Luncheon. That’s Alan with the ARRL CEO David Minster NA2AA, the Nobel Prize winning Dr. Joe Taylor K1JT, and 2021 Technical Achievement winner David DeCoons WO2X. Alan was presented with the division’s 2020 Technical Achievement award.

Peter Parker VK3YE Inducted Into QRP Hall of Fame

Wow, I was really pleased to learn that Peter Parker VK3YE was a 2021 inductee into the QRP Hall of Fame.

This is a richly deserved honor. Peter Parker has been making extraordinary contributions to QRP and homebrewing for many years. I remember reaching out to him when I was just getting started with homebrew phone gear. I considered him a guru of DSB. He helped me a lot. Peter Parker was interviewed on the SolderSmoke podcast in 2013:

Peter has published many books and has produced many YouTube videos. He hosts an annual QRP gathering in his beloved home-town of Melbourne Australia that gets attention from solder-melters around the world.

Three cheers for Peter Parker!

Congratulations Peter!

VK3YE’s Web Site: https://vk3ye.com/

VK3YE’s QRZ.com page: https://www.qrz.com/db/VK3YE

Thanks to VK3HN for alerting me to this.

KI4IO in India and Nepal, and Discrete Homebrew Gilbert Cells

Jerry KI4IO is such an amazing homebrewer that he has been dubbed “The Wizard of Warrenton.” The picture above shows Jerry during the early 1980s in the shack of Father Moran 9N1MM in Nepal. Jerry was also in India. (I previously posted the info on Jerry’s time in India and Nepal, but I didn’t have this picture. The picture makes it worthwhile to post the story again.) From Jerry’s QRZ.com page:
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While in India I was licensed at VU2LHO and worked a lot of US hams with a 135′ flat-top and open-wire feed. I had the antenna strung between two bamboo towers atop the embassy housing 2nd-story roof-top. I also put up a 3/8 wave vertical on the roof for 10 meters. That little antenna had 110 radials stapled into the roof screen and worked very well! The rig was a HW-101. I was in Kathmandu, Nepal from early 1980 to late 1982. I could not obtain a license there, but became good friends with Father Moran, 9N1MM, and would often spend time up at his place putting his Drake station on CW. Pretty cool being real DX! Back in the states in late 1982.

Here I am at one of my many visits to Father Moran’s shack.
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Check out Jerry’s QRZ.com page: https://www.qrz.com/db/KI4IO
I got in touch with Jerry because Pete Eaton reminded me that Jerry had homebrewed a discrete transistor version of the NE602 Gilbert Cell Mixer, a device that I am very interested in. Nick G8INE also built one.