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Posted: 3/29/2016 6:58:37 AM EDT
[#1]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I destroyed a lot of radios. Lost 2 VHF/UHF radios, APRS and GPS, IC7000, tuner and antennas. 
The radio gear was worth more than the truck. http://keithmillerphotography.com/show/truck/2016-03-28%2011.00.11.jpg Next time you buy radios make sure you get them from a non-smoking shack. Sorry for your loss |
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Posted: 3/30/2016 7:37:27 PM EDT
[#2]
Got the MTK30 kit in today (converts a Hustler 5BTV to a 6BTV). It was a good buy from Universal Radio, they had it for 39.95 & 6.95 for shipping - arrived in two days. New-Tronics list price was $50 for the kit - it consists of two aluminum mast pieces & a 30m trap. Cross-bars at top & bottom are support outriggers for 12m & 17m wires, tensioned w/tarred twine.
An easy install, replaces the top mast component & eliminates the spoked cap hats on top of the 20m trap & under the 80m resonator. Still need to retune. As built is close but needs tweeking to get things closer to desired. 
(dark line is current 6BTV, fine line is old 5BTV - 12m & 17m are from outrigger wires No radials yet, just 4' of pipe in the ground) Nick |
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Posted: 3/30/2016 10:28:06 PM EDT
[#3]
Buying a new truck on Friday so I pulled the 7900 out of my old truck. Put the 7900 in the shack and found out that:
1. The 7900 head unit uses a 6 wire RJ45 2. I misplaced the box that has the 3" head unit wire. Since the radio will be my shack VHF/UHF, I need to buy a new cable since this is a specialty part. |
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Posted: 3/31/2016 9:09:19 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Buying a new truck on Friday so I pulled the 7900 out of my old truck. Put the 7900 in the shack and found out that: 1. The 7900 head unit uses a 6 wire RJ45 2. I misplaced the box that has the 3" head unit wire. Since the radio will be my shack VHF/UHF, I need to buy a new cable since this is a specialty part. not sure, but would an rj-12 straight through maybe be the same? Looks like the rj-45, but sized for 6 rather than 8. Might be worth a look if the specific part is hard to come by. Nick |
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Posted: 3/31/2016 9:35:07 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
not sure, but would an rj-12 straight through maybe be the same? Looks like the rj-45, but sized for 6 rather than 8. Might be worth a look if the specific part is hard to come by. Nick Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Buying a new truck on Friday so I pulled the 7900 out of my old truck. Put the 7900 in the shack and found out that: 1. The 7900 head unit uses a 6 wire RJ45 2. I misplaced the box that has the 3" head unit wire. Since the radio will be my shack VHF/UHF, I need to buy a new cable since this is a specialty part. not sure, but would an rj-12 straight through maybe be the same? Looks like the rj-45, but sized for 6 rather than 8. Might be worth a look if the specific part is hard to come by. Nick Hmmm, hand't thought of that. Thanks. |
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Posted: 3/31/2016 4:43:40 PM EDT
[#6]
Did a contest this weekend, everyone was 59
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Posted: 4/1/2016 9:24:58 AM EDT
[#7]
A bit belated, but last Saturday I installed conduit through a crawlspace to the outside near a TV tower so I can finally get some outside antennas up. I got my Ed Fong jpole up on a dodgy looking side mount made from an old metal fence post. I was concerned about stability so I tied it off at the top with some 550 cord. Looks pretty ghetto, but it made it through some strong winds in the past week. Next up: an HF antenna of some sort. I was going to do a horizontal loop like I used to have, but may do an OCFD or fan dipole as that will be easier to mount.
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Posted: 4/1/2016 9:55:15 AM EDT
[#8]
Got another element for my Wattmeter (dang those things are expensive).
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Posted: 4/1/2016 4:45:41 PM EDT
[#9]
Finished tweaking the now 6BTV to get all dips centered on the general class phone bands. Had to shorten the top tube & wire tip a bit to get 80m and 40m where they needed to be and tweak a couple of traps to let me shorten the tube spacing as needed.
I'll probably have to redo this once the permanent placement and radial field are done, but good enough for now as a receiver antenna for the upconverter driving a couple of RTL-SDR's & sitting on a 5' pole driven 4' into the ground. Nick |
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Posted: 4/1/2016 6:44:00 PM EDT
[#10]
Made a patch box to simplify connecting my CW keys to my radios.
With 4 keys, 2 rigs, 1 stand alone keyer, and 1 stand alone code oscillator, it was a bit of a pain to swap keys from one radio to the other. I had cables running from the back of my radios so I wouldn't have to constantly be climbing behind them, but I decided to try something that would allow for several keys to be connected to each radio at the same time. Six in the front.....up to three keys for each radio: 
Two out the back....one cable to each radio. 
Only time will tell if I like it. 
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Posted: 4/1/2016 6:46:37 PM EDT
[#11]
I opened up www.websdr.org while at work and listened to some SSB and a little CW as I soldered some assemblies.
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Posted: 4/2/2016 7:48:29 PM EDT
[#12]
Wind is crazy here today, 50mph gusts. My current antennas don't like 10Mhz much, so I made a simple half wave dipole to hang when the wind stops. Plan to hang & tune tomorrow, weather permitting. I already have the center support line in place. Balun Designs model 1113 balun.
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Posted: 4/2/2016 8:12:40 PM EDT
[#13]
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays.
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Posted: 4/2/2016 8:18:35 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays. What toy is that? |
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Posted: 4/2/2016 8:21:43 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Wind is crazy here today, 50mph gusts. Same here. What did I do today? I worried about my antenna. 
The antenna itself has held up just fine, but there is now a LARGE branch that broke and is swinging way too close to it. I can't safely do anything at the moment so it's just cross my fingers and hope for the best at this point. ...also did some more CW head copy practice. Trying to get back into it after a few months off...shaking that rust off is taking longer than I want. |
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Posted: 4/2/2016 8:28:52 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays. Now it all makes sense |
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Posted: 4/2/2016 8:32:29 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays. |
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Posted: 4/2/2016 8:51:42 PM EDT
[#18]
Fixed 40m inverted V. Originally had it around 40' but moved it up to around 70' and the resonant frequency changed.
Got it to 1.07:1 down around 7170 where I normally work. Still need to move the beverage antenna further away from transmit antennas. Put the ANAN 200D up for sale. |
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Posted: 4/2/2016 11:19:54 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
What toy is that? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays. What toy is that? Just like me......... y'all are gonna have to wait. 
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Posted: 4/2/2016 11:39:39 PM EDT
[#20]
So my birthday was a few weeks ago... A few family members were nice enough to send me a cards stuffed with $$$. I had always wanted a digital scanner so I used that $ to buy one off the EE. I thought I had satiated my RF related desires for a bit.
Then tonight I bought a "kicker" off the EE from one of our members here and to top it off... http://i870.photobucket.com/albums/ab266/pilotman66/7300_zpsm1qwbi2e.jpg So the direct answer here is... I spent a lot of fucking money 
Don't drink and internet, kids
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Posted: 4/3/2016 6:04:03 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Just like me......... y'all are gonna have to wait. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays. What toy is that? Just like me......... y'all are gonna have to wait. I think mine is stuck in customs 
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Posted: 4/3/2016 8:18:35 PM EDT
[#22]
Finally got back on HF at my new QTH. I thought I would put up an OCFD, but it turns out the 4:1 balun I have is a voltage balun, not current, so I put up a horizontal loop like I had at my old QTH. It isn't quite as big, but I got Poland on my first try and worked some of the MS and MO QSO parties. Time will tell how well it performs.
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Posted: 4/4/2016 5:06:44 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
IC-7300? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays.  " />
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Posted: 4/4/2016 7:31:43 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Today I cried because my new toy is stuck at the Post Office since it wouldn't fit in the central mail box and the Post Office is only open for an hour and a half on Saturdays. http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk260/honu_photo/IC7300_zpszdraejm1.jpg" /> Very nice Arfcom patch. |
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Posted: 4/4/2016 10:07:09 PM EDT
[#25]
Got my 902mhz antenna in the mail. Need to tear out the headliner of the truck to find the spot to bore thru for mounting, and pick a location to mount the Motorola it will be attached to.
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Posted: 4/5/2016 12:53:29 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Got my 902mhz antenna in the mail. Need to tear out the headliner of the truck to find the spot to bore thru for mounting, and pick a location to mount the Motorola it will be attached to. Who do you talk to on that band? Just curious. |
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Posted: 4/5/2016 1:01:58 PM EDT
[#27]
Made my first ham related purchase of the year.
Picked up a Larsen NMO/RG58 combo, Comet fender bracket, and an NMO2/70B for my mobile install. I figure, even if I can't decide on a radio yet, I'll still need an antenna and some coax ready and waiting for me.
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Posted: 4/7/2016 9:40:41 PM EDT
[#28]
Icom radio, Comet antenna/mount, and Relentless bracket. I am 2m ready!
(also I have seasonal allergies) |
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Posted: 4/7/2016 9:48:38 PM EDT
[#29]
Built an mcHF radio
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Posted: 4/9/2016 2:33:51 PM EDT
[#30]
The wife has been away from the house for a couple of days doing things with her sister and our daughter. Taking advantage of the lack of supervision, I got the post hole digger out yesterday & built a permanent mount in the back yard for the 6BTV, then today have just finished laying down 16 near field radials. Be interesting to see what her reaction will be
Nick |
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Posted: 4/10/2016 10:15:56 AM EDT
[#31]
I finally got out there and put in a new power cable for my tmd710. It had been rebooting when I keyed it up and after chasing it for a couple months, decided to run a new power cable, all soldered connections, no crimps this time. All is well again.
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Posted: 4/10/2016 5:20:58 PM EDT
[#32]
Ruined a cheap Baofeng.
The speaker jack was getting "intermittent" so I decided to tear the radio down and push on the contacts from the outside of the speaker jack housing to make them protrude into the jack more and make better contact. Unfortunately, in order to access the jack housing, you have to remove the LCD screen. I don't really understand how these screens make contact with the circuit board. It appears to have a flexible rubber contact that pushes against some pads on the board. In every instance of having removed one of this type of LCD, they invariably have some segments that no longer work, or some lines of the display that do not work. No matter of fiddling around or cleaning the edges of this rubbery contact strip seems to fix it. Is there a way to fix these or are they simple designed so that they cannot be removed and replaced? is there some kind of conductive material I should use on the edge of the strip? In any case, I have 2 more radios just like it so if it is a total loss I am not at all concerned. The display still functions well enough to still use the radio, so I could build it into an APRS iGate or something that doesn't need to be "looked at" much. But if there is a way to fix it, I'd like to know. ETA I just looked these up. "elastomeric connectors". Looks like they are mostly a one shot deal and are extremely fragile. |
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Posted: 4/10/2016 10:07:34 PM EDT
[#33]
I shorted something on the stupid DB-25 connector SteppIR tells you to use with their SDA100, which resulted in me smoking the control box for the antenna (and I hope to God I didn't smoke something on the antenna) so I did it up the way it was should have been done in the first place.
No way something is shorting out inside this bastard! 
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Posted: 4/12/2016 11:02:24 PM EDT
[#34]
Check off two more HF digital modes.
I had a QSO using RMS Express and Rx the ISS SSTV Tx. |
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Posted: 4/16/2016 5:08:46 PM EDT
[#35]
Reorganized the shack.
Went from this... 
to this... 
Basically, I added a shelf to the center cubicle, and got both rigs up off the desk top. That leaves room to use the keyboard without blocking the radios, and also a space in which to store the keyboard. I also picked up another MFJ ClearTone speaker. I'm not a big MFJ fan, but that little speaker is much better (and louder) than the stock speaker on the K2. They're not high fidelity, but they work fine for a CW op, like me. I'm thinking about adding a monitor to the left of the K3, for the panadapter display, but I don't know. It's one more cable to connect, and one more thing to plug in, and I'm not sure it's worth the effort. It might look cool, though. We'll see... |
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Posted: 4/16/2016 10:20:57 PM EDT
[#36]
Last weekend, operated in NM QSO Party. Casual and low key as usual, I ran sideband at 5W, and worked some National Park activations in addition to QSO Party stations.
I was running a 53' end fed through the Balun Designs 9130 balun with a MFJ 9201 pocket tuner. This is the first time I have used this setup much at all but it was super easy to deploy and worked great. I still need to choose the right super portable vertical, I am still doing my research on that because I only want to buy once. I had a Portable Zero 817 Escort kit in the box, which I installed on my rig. I bought the black kit to match the radio. It really does add some protection to the radio so I guess it was a worthwhile purchase. We were "exploring" a different site for possible Field Day use, at a local park not very far north of town, adjacent to the old Hobbs Army Airfield. The place they let us operate was difficult though, it couldn't have been farther away from traffic, not to mention the park facilities. It was pretty thick with cactus and scrub, and the jack rabbits were attempting to run us off the whole time. But as a test of some of our gear it was a success, the tower trailer and wire antennas went up lickety split and all worked as well as expected, and new for this time around was a test of the solar power / battery system on the tower trailer (perhaps originally intended for a reader board, it was instead combined with very nice lattice type crank up tower for lights and security cameras, this trailer is a unit built by Solar Tech which was surplus to one of the local oilfield service companies), it appeared it would maintain a 100W HF rig at least through a day - so a small supplement to our endless fleet of oilfield generators and light towers. |
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Posted: 4/17/2016 2:14:41 PM EDT
[#37]
"Fixed" Icom IC V8000 low audio by soldering pad ic1. It's better.
Glad it's done, the front LED readout fell out as I removed the logic board. That was kind of a surprise. I'm not very well versed with electronics, at least not SMT technology and LED's. Programmed (at least I think I did) my new Yaesu FT-2900. I got an FTDI chipped US sourced cable and used chirp. Worked like a champ, but time consuming. If there was a way to do a cut & paste that would be the real answer. Now I have to go over tones and offsets because I'm not hitting repeaters like I should.
Next project is a push up or fold over pole. I want my antenna up about 30'. Still studying for general class......
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Posted: 4/17/2016 4:40:31 PM EDT
[#38]
I'll tell my comedy of errors week. Installed a dipole off the side of my house, got poor swr so I decided to put in a mast further away. Found a piece of 30' irrigation pipe (aluminum) sleeved it inside a pvc pipe for a stiffener and then slid that inside a bigger schedule 80 pipe had at the farm. Pulled the dipole up and worked great, good swr on 20, much better on 40 but 10 and 15 remained the same so I probably need to shorten the wires. Listened for a couple of nights and then the strong winds came and bent my flimsy aluminum pipe. I've now taken everything down and thinking of doing a tilt up mast or just getting busy and putting up my tower that I bought used. It seems like I've done a ton of work and only gotten to use my new radio for a couple of evenings. I've also learned that 10m and 15 are pretty much dead right now and I need to build a new fan dipole probably in the 80, 40, 20 range, or just go with a long wire or some other configuration.
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Posted: 4/17/2016 5:38:18 PM EDT
[#39]
Out portable in the yard. using the antenna in my It's orange thread. Worked some rookie roundup stations. First one when I turned it on was KM4IPL. Hope was doing very well handling the pileup she created.
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Posted: 4/17/2016 5:48:48 PM EDT
[#40]
Updated the Firmware on my mcHF
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Posted: 4/17/2016 6:01:37 PM EDT
[#41]
Didn't like the fuzzy traces seen when doing SWR sweeps on the newly tuned 6BTV, which turned out to be coming from a frayed shield connection at the feed point. Added a strain relief for feed point w/riveted shield connection. Fix cleaned up the trace (& probably improved the signal)...
Nick |
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Posted: 4/17/2016 7:44:02 PM EDT
[#42]
3 days ago.. Learned how to program old GM300 radios (and pin outs) using software, cable, and dosbox..
4 days ago.. I installed a NOS Kenwood TK-705D (which has front panel programming) in my truck for mobile 2m usage.. The 705D was minty.. still had the box and plastic covering the screen. Was almost same cost as new TM-281, but since I own a 805D I figured why not.. |
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Posted: 4/17/2016 9:23:23 PM EDT
[#43]
I don't get on the air as much as I should so this made me smile: I worked a guy doing NPOTA portable from Volanoes NP in Hawaii yesterday. This was from my mobile rig in the truck sitting in one of my local municipal parks. 857D with a Little Tarheel.
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Posted: 4/17/2016 9:25:10 PM EDT
[#44]
Hooked up my mcHF to my Elecraft amp but the bands were dead
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Posted: 4/17/2016 10:58:27 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Didn't like the fuzzy traces seen when doing SWR sweeps on the newly tuned 6BTV, which turned out to be coming from a frayed shield connection at the feed point. Added a strain relief for feed point w/riveted shield connection. Fix cleaned up the trace (& probably improved the signal)... Nick I started adding a piece of heatshrink tubing to all of my connections for this reason. I have to ztretch it out with needlenose pliers beforehand but it shrinks up nice and tight. Probably adds a measure of waterproofing too. |
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Posted: 4/18/2016 12:22:32 AM EDT
[#46]
Ordered parts to build an end fed antenna like the one km is using with his ft991.
I have torroids coming, along with a couple of different project boxes, panel mount SO239s and I decided to use banana jack binding posts for the antenna wire connection. I am going to try to source the wire locally. I also ordered a "Super Antenna" kit as well. I want to try some SOTA activations some time and wanted an antenna that isn't dependent on trees and packs down small. Still waiting on a backordered FT817ND and it will probably be a month or so before I finally turn it on. |
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Posted: 4/18/2016 6:51:03 AM EDT
[#47]
I rebranded my podcast this week: Ham Radio 360
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Posted: 4/22/2016 11:14:58 PM EDT
[#48]
I built one of these QRP antenna tuner kits.
For $14.14 and free shipping, I didn't have really high expectations. The kit itself is not all that hard to build, but the instructions are not included. You can find youtube videos and other instructions online, along with a schematic. It should only have taken less than an hour to do a good, careful job of assembly, but it took me about 4 hours because I ran into a few snags. First, the nut that came with the rotary switch fit so loose you couldn't tighten it down enough to hols the plastic switch housing into place. The nut is aluminum, so I took it out to my lathe and put it in the 3 jaw chuck and squeezed it real good, then rotated it one space and repeated. This got it tight enough for decent thread engagement. I added a drop of super glue to the threads after installing it to make sure it won't back out. Next, the tuning capacitors need some washers because the mounting screws are a little too long. I had to hunt through 3 different storage tube before I found some washers that would work. Not wanting to go out in the garage, I drilled the holes by starting them with an X-acto knife and then reaming them to size with a taper reamer. And finally, the press fit knob for the rotary switch is a very tight fit. As I was installing the knob, the rotary switch housing popped open and one of the tiny steel ball detents went missing. I got on my hands and knees with a strong magnet and a flashlight, and found the ball in the carpet. Then after getting everything lined up with the spring, the ball launched a second time. Fortunately I heard it land in a pile of papers on my desk and I found it a second time. Very lucky! I went and got a gallon ziploc bag to reassemble the switch the second time, and this time everything snapped into place. I haven't had a chance to test it yet. It uses BNC connectors so I will need to get a couple of PL259 to BNC adapters to test it out. I don't really "need" it since I have a couple of tuners already, but I thought it would be a fun project for the price. And as small as it is, it would be good for portable use. Hopefully it works.
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Posted: 4/22/2016 11:33:52 PM EDT
[#49]
I bought a J-38 CW straight key from Ebay and took it apart and cleaned it up. Turned out nice I think!
BEFORE CLEANING 
AFTER CLEANING 
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Posted: 4/22/2016 11:45:37 PM EDT
[#50]
That's great, BigDaddy! How did you find one so nice on there? All of the ones I ever see are really nasty looking.
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