Oh those days. I got my first crystal radio with the co, stylus, and crystal back in 1966 but could only get one of the super giant AM radio stations, WKBW, out of Buffalo NY spewing 50,000 watts on 1520 from the towers about 5 miles away. Having a problem with my KX3 in that with my KPA100 putting out 100W on a Buckmaster 10-80M OCFD, 100foot center coax feedline. I can hear people but they can never hear me, even when they announce they are running barefoot on 100W also, 20m during day and 40 and 80 at night. Gave up on the Elecraft 3.784 Sunday 9:00 PM Net. Last night, when I tried to transmit on JS8Call, I got a reply on my Windows 11 computer with SignaLink that there was an "error with the audio input." The Notification Sound card output speakers , Input Microphone, and Output speakers on the JS8Call setup were reset to the previous USB Audio Codec. It eliminated the error message but still no responses. Somehow the Codecs might have changed and I corrected the problem (I hope)? But strangely still no acknowledgement or reply from my heart beat inquiry and reply requests on JS8Call. This isn't a problem with the KX3 is it? Also. will the KPA 100 ever suddenly switch on its own from antenna 1 to antenna 2? I now keep a 100W dummy load on the unused one. The KPA100 indicates 90-100 Watts on its lighted linear meter during transmission. Is this reliable to confirm actual output/transmission to the antenna? Or should I join the club of those who get those watt meters to measure the actual power being sent out during transmission? Not for SWR, as I have a Rig Expert AA600 for that. Got a notice from DxEngineering today that the 3000Watt capable Buckmaster 10-80 M antenna is now back in stock for $311.00. I can't go vertical and not enough space for traditional dipole for 40 and 80 meters. I've thought about just going ahead and getting a K4 and KPA1500 to end my frustration, even though I am essentially still a novice. Sheer brute force to make things happen as with back in my college wrestling and football days. 73'sKarl AF5LQ On Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 02:03:53 PM EDT, Dave Kelley <dkel...@bucknell.edu> wrote: Very similar story to mine. When I was 8 years old, my parents gave me a crystal radio kit for Christmas 1972. I built it, ran the antenna wire to a tree outside, and could hear only Top-40 radio from the AM station that was about half a mile away. It was magical. I fell in love with radio to a background of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone," Carol King's "It's Too Late," Elton John's "Rocket Man," and Hot Butter's "Popcorn." (Does anyone remember the last one?)
I've now been licensed for 56 years and teach electrical engineering at a small university. No regrets and a lot of happiness. Thanks for a great story, Wayne. 73, Dave ND3K (ex-NB4J) -----Original Message----- From: Wayne Burdick <n...@elecraft.com> Sent: Sep 15, 2023 7:33 PM I was 8 years old. My dad had bought me a Radio Shack Science Fair 8-Note Electronic Organ kit for Christmas, along with a soldering iron. That night I built the kit, finishing at something like 11 PM, which was unheard of. I remember Dad looming over me in his green bathrobe, smiling, saying it was OK to say up late just this once. He could see I was in flow. Perhaps that validated his experiment. The organ worked the first time I connected the 9 V battery. But I had an ear for music, and after running through the notes, I could tell some were mis-tuned. Undaunted, I looked at the schematic and saw resistors. One per note. That had to be the problem. Thanks to Heathkit I had learned the color code that very morning. I also had a box full of resistors I'd scavenged from old radios and TVs. (Why?) I started sticking old resistors in parallel or series with the shiny new ones until I had the notes all in tune, at least by ear. At last I finished the job by bending the leads of the motley, oversized resistors until they all fit in the bottom of the plastic perf-board enclosure. Presentation was everything. (How did I know that?) I proudly demonstrated the hacked organ for my parents, then for my older sister, who was taking piano lessons. At best I got my hair ruffled. But still: that was the day. Wayne N6KR ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to karlwhubb...@yahoo.com ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
