Here is a look at my stations through the years: http://wiegandfamily.org/shack_tours/shacks.html
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
WN6ULH / WA5VLZ / W0VLZ Through the Years
Sunday, January 7, 2024
Thursday, January 4, 2024
QRPKits / Pacific Antenna 40 mtr EZRcvr
Looking over my shack I see a lot of two tube homebrew receivers, mostly regeneratives. It's time for a two IC receiver.
I've been a fan of direct conversion receivers for some time. Unfortunately most of them have left the market but recently my search found the QRPKits / Pacific Antenna 40 mtr Easy Rcvr. While only covering 75KHz of 40 meters the $25 price tag made it sound interesting. If I don't actually use it on the air maybe I can recommend it to a friend of mine as a learning tool and cheap way to listen in to ham QSOs.
My $25 (plus tax and shipping) got me a small plastic bag with all of the parts plus knobs, antenna connector and a 9V battery connector. A battery, antenna and ear phones/buds were all that was needed to put it to use.Friday, December 29, 2023
National Radio Product Listing
Saturday, April 9, 2022
Summer QRP => Portable Antennas
Here are some links:
https://w0vlz.blogspot.com/search/label/20%20Mtr%20Zepp Construction details and experiences using a 20 meter endfed halfwave wire "tuned" by 14' of TV twinlead.
https://w0vlz.blogspot.com/search/label/20%20Mtr%20Crappie%20Pole%20Vertical A portable 20 meter vertical
https://w0vlz.blogspot.com/search/label/20%20Mtr%20C-Pole Building and using a C-Pole Vertical
https://www.wiegandfamily.org/CrappiePoleAntenna/CrappiePolesPP.pdf My quest for a stand-alone 20 mtr portable antenna
https://w0vlz.blogspot.com/search/label/30-10%20Mtr%20Clotheline%20Dipole A 30-10 meter "clothes line" dipole
See you next time from a convenient park.
73, Niel - W0VLZ
Thursday, March 31, 2022
A Shack Tour
This past winter I finished setting up my new ham shack. It has 10 operating positions but (reflecting my ham radio interest in vintage technology) only one antenna.
See it on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7C7-a1hN70
Friday, March 25, 2022
Building and Using a Push-Pull TNT Transmitter
My first '29 transmitter was a push-pull TNT. I built this transmitter in 1989 based on an article in the Nov 1930 issue of QST. I have web pages about this transmitter but those pre-date this blog. Here are links to those pages:
- A 1930 TNT transmitter: http://www.wiegandfamily.org/tnt/tnt.htm
- Operating a late 20s/early 30s ham station: http://www.wiegandfamily.org/1929Stn/1929Station.htm
Friday, March 18, 2022
Winter 2022 Vintage Radio
The Novice Rig Roundup was my favorite. Its nine day operating window let me work around stormy weather, other contests, family obligations and propagation while still having fun.
I did find that I really like my Drake 2NT/R4B station. The 2NT operates break-in well with the R4B and its delay/timing circuit allows the crystal oscillator to run between code character elements. This minimizes chirp, even for the laziest of crystals. The R4B has KHz frequency readout and great filtering options. This pair is a keeper.
With almost 40 years of radio technology between my '29 transmitters and the 2NT it is not surprising that my '29 station is the more unique (and challenging) to use. Challenging, though, does not mean unusable. While unique and challenging my '29 station is still usable. Depending on conditions I can switch between an SW3, an early 30s National regenerative receiver, and my early 80s Drake SPR4. Once and a while it is good to go back and experience ham radio roots.
We've already had temperatures in the 60s this year. With spring arriving the snow has melted here in southeastern Minnesota. Now I'll start thinking about my QRP in the Park plans.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
On The Air Again!
After almost a year off the air I'm finally back with a working antenna system.
Before my move I started thinking in terms of a trap vertical at the new QTH but I had safety concerns. My backyard butts up to a public golf course. For many reasons this is a great location but how can I keep a golfer from straying through the yard and, possibly, leaning against my ground mounted vertical as he is searching for a ball? A vertical would not work. I needed something up in the air.
The layout of the yard, safety and the need to keep my installation as unobtrusive as possible led me to an inverted L using insulated wire. I have almost always used some sort of end fed antenna, both for portable/QRP operation and for the main station. An inverted L would be no exception and a 66' wire would easily fit.
I installed my 66' inverted L over a south facing half circle field of 22 40' radials, all terminated at a DX Engineering Radial Plate. This easily loads up on 80 and 30 but presents a very high impedance on 40, 20, 15 and 10 where it is a half wave (or voltage fed) antenna. The solution on these bands is a 49:1 wideband EFHW matching transformer. This allows the high impedance (2.5K-3K) inverted L to be transformed down to 25-100 ohms, a load my transmitter and/or antenna tuner can easily handle.
My shack is just behind the radial plate/hub. I mounted the 49:1 transformer on the inside wall here. I can easily bypass this transformer for operation on 80 and 30. In addition, everything is out of the weather.
Does it work? The Reverse Beacon Network says that my KX3 at 10 watts is covering the US on 40, 30 and 20. On 80 it appears to be working as a NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) antenna as expected . I'll find out for certain starting in November as we move into the winter vintage radio contest season.
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
A tour of W0VLZ
Last Sunday Phil, WE0K, stopped by. I'm lightening my load in preparation for a move and Phil was acquiring a heavy load.
While Phil was here he did a video tour of my shack including many of my vintage operating positions. You can view it at https://youtu.be/u-vH10U71qY?t=1