01/02/2008 | W1TS Another SKN to add to the many I have participated in over the years and the pleasure never wanes. During my traditional lobster dinner, the 75A-3 and 6L6 XTAL controlled oscillator rig are warming up, and shortly after 7 P.M. I make my first SKN QSO. Three more follow before I take a break and watch the ball come down in Times Square. Each QSO has an interesting op on the other end who is intrigued by my little 6L6 rig which I built mostly from TV parts some 40 years ago. I only have a crystal for 3520 on 80 meters, but I can double it to 7040 with the change of a plug-in coil for 40 meters. A final contact is made on New Year's Day with my "high powered" Heathkit DX-60-B with matching HG-10-B VFO. It was good to hear the lower 75 Khz of 80 and 40 meters full of CW activity well into the early morning hours in an era when CW is considered a non-essential mode. Again, I am looking forward to next year's SKN as my New Year's Eve tradition. -- W1TS