01/05/2008 | K3PX SKN-2008 was enjoyable, great fun. I had a choice of many straight keys from my collection. My choice of favorites was one of the best keys ever made, the hard to find AMPLIDAN marine straight key, the Pryce-Edwards NATO issue key, and several hand made, "one of a kind" long leverage keys made by Ron Ayling, G3YUH in the UK. Check out Ron's interesting website. Once you try a "long leverage" key, you will realize how easy it is to send CW for long periods of time with less effort and fatigue. Let the mechanical advantage of the long arm work for you.
I made 28 QSO's in 10 states on 160, 80 and 40 meters. 40 M had hundreds of stations packed in like the old days, but I did not seem to hear or work as far in distance as previous years. I don't think conditions were as good this year.
The "high point" of SKN and my favorite QSO and best fist went to Brian, K9VKY in Fombell, PA. He said my call was familiar and his was familiar to me although we could not remember a previous QSO. It turned out, when I first fired up my new toy, an AN/GRC-109 Cold War era "spy" radio (further described below) back in November, I had a nice QSO with his friend Roy, W3TZW in Pittsburgh. Roy was interested in my rig and told me about Brian using his famous WWII PRC1 suitcase "spy" radio set. Roy must have passed the message along to Brian.....and we made a QSO, by chance on 7035 KHz. The PRC1 was used in WWII by the OSS in Belgium, Germany and France. A transmitter, receiver, power supply, headphones, key, etc. built into a Samsonite suitcase!!! WOW !!! A WWII spy radio QSO with a Cold War spy radio, this might be a first for SKN?
The equipment I used was newly acquired during the past year. For 80 and 40 M I used a complete AN/GRC-109 (also called the ANGRY 109) "spy" station from the 50's to 70's by Special forces, clandestin missions, etc. and saw service in many world "hot spots". It covers 3 to 24 MHz. The transmitter (T784/GRC-109) is crystal controlled and the output was 20 watts on 80 and 25 watts on 40 M. It has a small morse code key on the front panel. The receiver (R-1004/GRC-109) is similar in size to the transmitter. The power supply, PP-2684/GRC109 is larger and heavier due to its massive multi-tapped power transformer which works 75 to 260 VAC at 40 to 400 HZ, or an external 6 VDC battery, external hand crank generator and I believe there was also a small gasoline powered generator. Each unit has a rubber gasketed cover held down with four turn screw "tommy bars". I guess it was designed for any condition/location such as airdrops, burial for hiding and later retrieval, mud, water, dust, hot, cold, mobile, fixed, whatever! The receiver is good, but was not designed with narrow CW filters for the heavy layered QRM on the ham bands, so I used an external Drake R4-B receiver when the QRM became too heavy.
On 160 M, I used a vintage crystal controlled World Radio Labs (WRL) Globe Chief 90-A. It was putting out about 40 watts on 160. These were very popular in the late 50's and 60's and was one of the rigs that had the 160 M band. My antenna was a 178 ft. CF Zepp at 30 ft and an elevation of 1,800 ft.
Other memorable QSO's was with K3VYL, W2WSC at the Tuckerton, NJ Wireless Club Station (originally marine coastal station WSC), N8MOJ, KE3V, W8GRP who was running less than 1 watt and W8DPK who was using his homebrew 6V6 novice transmitter from his high school days.
I am looking forward to next years SKN and will probably be using some other old boat anchor rigs. See you then, Happy New Year and good DX. Long live CW !!! ...."Bob", Robert Sechler, K3PX. -- K3PX