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1998 Winter Classic & "Homebrew" Exchange (2/2/98)
50 watts output on 7060kc from my 1625s...
My First Classic Exchange...and Certainly not my Last....
I RECEIVED A THICK ENVELOPE IN THE MAIL.. WITH A CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT INSIDE ...I READ ON....
The Classic Exchange ("CX") is a contest celebrating the older commercial and homebrew equipment that was the pride of our ham shacks and our bands just a few short decades ago. Our object is to encourage restoration, operation, and enjoyment of this older equipment. A "Classic" radio is atleast 10 years old (age figured from first date of manufacture) , but NOT required to participate in the Classic Exchange. You may use anythingin the contest, although new gear is a distince scoring liability. You can still work the "Great Ones" with your new equipment.
The Classic Exchange will run from 2000 UTC Sunday, February 1, to 0500 UTC Monday, February 2, 1998. Exchange your name, RST, QTH (State/ Province for US/Canada; Country for DX), receiver and transmitter type (homebrew, send final amp tube or transistor), and other interesting conversation. The same station may be worked with different equipment and combinations on each band and on each mode. CW call "CQ CX"; phone call "CQ Classic Exchange." Non-participants may be worked for credit.
Suggested Frequencies: CW- 3.560, 7.060, 14.120, 21.180, 28.240, Novice/ Tech Plus: 3.695, 7.120, 21.180, 28.240, Phone: 3.880, 7.290, 14.280, 21.380, 28.320, Note: 7.060 & 3.540 seem to be most popular frequencies
This is the wording on the announcement that I recieved in the mail, along with information on the last Classic Exchange! This Glow-in-the-Dark Radio Operating Bonanza was too much to resist, even if I only had a little time during the scheduled operating hours. THANK YOU!...Jim Hanlon, W8KGI, Marty Reynolds, AA4RM, and Allan Stephens, N5AIT for all your hard work making this event happen. I will try and be availiable for /KH6 contacts on more bands and longer hours next year. I do not know if there were any other "Classic Stations" on from the Hawaiian Islands or not, but I am always trying to get folks interested in Classic or Military Radios.
WB6FZH/KH6's Operating Plan...
The only time availiable was only a few hours before the 0500Z end of the contest. It was late Sunday afternoon, and I wanted to use my TCS-12 Transmitter 1.5-12.0mc and National HRO-W Receiver (.4-30 mc) both from 1944 for this event. 40 meters and perhaps 80 (doubtful this time of day) would be useable. I would concentrate my limited time to the published frequency of 7060kc and see what I could find...
The Event Activity...From the Log...
At 0300Z I moved a couple cardboard file boxes that are stacked in front of my 5' relay rack (they actually protect the front of the TCS Transmitter) and plugged in the homebrew AC power supply. I returned in 5 minutes and zero beated a broadcast station around 7050kc, and tuned up the TCS-12 and adjusted the MFJ-986 Tuner that was connected to my Butternut HF-6 Vertical. Next..I started to tune around... There it was ...Music to my ears..K6KN calling "CQ CX", I put the 1944 TCS-12 transmitter VFO on to the "MO test" position, and turned the dial until I heard the 1944 National HRO-W reciever groan as I got closer to Rocco's frequency. I turned the RF gain down on the RX, and then started pounding on my J-37 leg iron equipt Key. Rocco was in California, using a Collins KWS-1 and 75A4 to a Loop antenna. We exchanged reports and good wishes and I went in search of the next Contact. K0JY, John, in Colorado, was next, with his "S-Line", and Windom Antenna was good copy as the band started fading. I adjusted the crystal filter and phasing trying to make John's signal the easiest to read of the several I was hearing at one time... I called CQ again, and Patrick, WL7CKX, in Palmer, Alaska returned my call with his trusty Kenwood 520 and Delta Loop. We traded information and good wishes and signed. I could hear the band making that last change that it does, telling me that until later tonight, 40 meters was again the home of the Short Wave Broadcasters out here. The time was 0340, time left in the contest, but my time had expired for this year.I carefully copied my log to forward to Jim Hanlon, W8KGI, along with a note, and a copy to Marty (a fellow TCS Operator), AA4RM. I will also send a couple of large SASE for the activity of the event, and the announcement of the next event.
EPILOG
I love to operate and restore "Classic" Amateur, Commercial and Military Radios. I also enjoy planning, finding parts and building homebrew radios from technologies of the 1930s to the 70s. I avidly read magazines and books from the era, and sketch schematics of future projects...I must also confess that I have built and operate radios that have these little black things with numbers and short leads coming out of them into sockets that I wire to printed circuit boards or perf board. I further confess that I have wound some torroidial transformers and built QRP radios that take less power that the filiaments of one of my 807 filiaments.
More Information: Contest- SCORING & AWARDS
Multiply total QSO's (all Bands) by total number of different receivers plus transmitters (transceivers count as both xmtr and rcvr) plus states/ provinces/countries worked on each band and mode. Multiply that total by your CX Multiplier, the total years old of all receivers and transmitters used, three QSO's minimum per unit. For transceiver, multiply the age by two. If equipment is homebrew, count it as a minimum of 25 years old unless actual construction date or date of its construction article (in the case of a "reproduction") is older:
Total QSO's all bands Times
RCVRs + XMTRs + States/Prov./Countries (total each band and mode separately: add totals together)
TIMES CX Multiplier:
SCORE= QSOs x (Rx+Tx+QTHs) x CX Multiplier
Who, Where and What...
Certificates and appropriate memorabilia are awarded every now and then for the highest score, the longest DX, exotic equipment, best excuses, and other achievements. Send logs, comments, anecdotes, pictures to Jim Hanlon, PO Box 581, Sandia Park, NM 87047, Marty Rdynolds, AA4RM, POB 13354, Atlanta, GA 30324, or Allan Stephens, 106 Bobolink Drive, Richmond, KY 40475. Include TWO, two-stamp, SASE for the next CX Newsletter and Announcement of the next CX. E-mail Reports may be sent to modsteph@acs.eku.edu (Al, N5AIT)
RETURN to Classic & Military RADIO
Last Updated: February 02, 1998
