01/06/2018 | WB2AWQ Been doing SKN since its inception. I decided to do something a little different this year. Instead of using only my preferred keys, I decided to use all that I had. Now I only have 10 keys that qualify for SKN, so that wasn’t much of a challenge, just a neat thing to do. Looking at the photo of my keys, from L to R, top to bottom: A McElroy 1937 Navy bug, a Vibroplex Original Standard that I bought when I was a CW op in the Navy, A Vibroplex Original Deluxe, a Lafayette Hi-Mound BK-100 coffin bug, a J-37 key on the training (also sometimes called the Mae West) base, a SpeedX black base, an early Signal Electric 2KW Navy spark key, a Navy 26003A flameproof, a WW2 Brelco flameproof, and on the bottom a Signal Electric R-68 practice key/buzzer combo. Used them all in a total of 9 QSOs. I know SKN has also become a place where rig nostalgia reigns as well, but I only worked one station using a classic, K6HDI who had a Collins 75S3 receiver going. For my gear, two of my contacts were made on a “modern” radio, a Kenwood TS-440S, but the rest were on classic stuff: a Swan 350, a WW2 mil transmitter GO-9 – my favorite XMTR, a Millen 90800/90700 XMTR/VFO combo from 1947, and a National HRO Sr from 1938. This stuff isn’t just nostalgia for me, it’s my everyday operating gear. Stations contacted include K3EYJ, WB2WIK, K6HDI, WB6UBK, WA6BXV, AC4CA, AC5P (twice) and WA6FEJ. Best fists have to go to AC5P, (one of my radio buddies for some 27 years now), on a Blue Racer, and WB2WIK also on a Blue Racer. Most interesting QSO was with WA6FEJ, who happened to be using a Lafayette Hi-Mound coffing bug, so we had a coffin to coffin QSO. SKN is one of my favorite operating events, and as long as these old hands can still make some brass noise, I’ll be there on SKN! 73 and thanks, Howie WB2AWQ Reno NV -- WB2AWQ