Clipped and Shorn Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 Finding the right antenna is exactly like deciding on speakers. At the moment, given my space, I am considering the Double Bazooka and/or an Extended Zepp. Interconnects are called "feed line" and impedance matching is a major consideration. Its all the same stuff except the concern is how your amp (transmitter) will sound miles from your sweet spot. C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwm Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwm Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 You're not by chance a ham radio operator are you?? -.-. .-- ..-. --- .-. . ...- . .-. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted March 3, 2004 Share Posted March 3, 2004 You're getting close to the analogy between radio antennae and speakers. Gil AB9BE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 3, 2004 Author Share Posted March 3, 2004 I was thinking about getting back into it. I had a ticket when I was a kid and then dropped out, then recently fini gave me an old 40 m Arc 5 he found at the county dump and it was deja vu all over again. That, and spending all winter upgrading old tube audio amps, the solder fumes finally got to me. It is fun dreaming of antenna farming and getting my code speed up to speed. I was curious to know who else on these boards might also be into it. So "9" puts you into WI, IL, or IN when you got your license. Surplus Fun It will probably mess up all the TVs in the neighborhood.... C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwm Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 With all the folks using DBS these days or cable, I think the TVI thing is not as risky as it once was. Did your ticket elapse or are you still licensed? Even with the internet and other "techy" type modes of communication, I still love HF and good ol' CW. Between 'puters, SWL, ham radio and listening to my LaScalas I'm less "on the street" then I might of been. VE3MFN (now I've "outted" myself so to speak) FISTS #6922 CFO #888 (high speed CW club) CWM (CW man) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 4, 2004 Author Share Posted March 4, 2004 wow, high speed CW club! how fast can you copy? Now you only need 5 wpm to get any level. I let my ticket lapse years ago and cannot find it anyway, so I will just retest and get current. I hope you are right about tvi being less because of cable etc. because I think it would be fun to resurrect a couple of old tube xmtrs at some point. I cannot believe what 40 wpm sounds like, I will be lucky if I can conduct myself around 15, but you are right the whole ritual of CW is its own reward. C&S my old ticket is currently not being used, theoretically I could get it back.. K6CCG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cwm Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Well the CFO guys use a qualifying speed of 45 wpm, but bear in mind this is just to carry on a conversation not to take hard copy.....Some guys are using keyboards at anywhere from 45 to 70+ wpm (nuts!) I can basically get the gist of 60 wpm but might miss the odd lengthy word. I use a Bencher and iambic keyer at about 45-50 wpm. I'm about 95% CW and, of course, like to check into the odd phone net etc. BTW, I too admire that old tube gear and enjoy listening to the AM guys on 3880+/- talking about and using their vintage gear. The only tube gear I own for radio is an old Racal RA-17 receiver (doesn't have all the bell and whistles, tons of memories etc) but still a honey of a performer! Basically SS for audio but I do own a modded Dynaco ST-70 and am curious about this whole SET thing. Maybe we should see who else on the Klipsch forums is a licensed ham and get a discussion net going on 75m or whatever band works best for the time of day----a little more personal than this computer mode.......... BTW CFO is (chicken fat operators)-I know, hokey!! Its named for the clucking sound that CW makes running at high speed.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnorv Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 As a kid, I shared a bedroom with my brother who was a ham. -.-. --.- is forever burned into my brain. Jim N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 5, 2004 Author Share Posted March 5, 2004 If anyone is curious what 5 wpm vs. 40 wpm morse code (CW - "continuous wave" refers to how it is transmitted) go to this site to compare a couple of samples. Morse Code at Various Speeds 40 wpm is very fast to my ears, 70 wpm is inconceivable, but it goes to show that humans are truly amazing creatures..... It will be awhile before I am set up to qso, first the ticket, then the antenna, and then putting some kind of relatively contemporary rig together. Think I am getting a Kenwood TS-530S bargain and today I decided to try this antenna: Alpha Delta DX LB Plus because it fits the specific space and parameters I have to work with (eg. multiband with ATU, under 150 feet long, coax feed not being a critical aspect requiring specific orientation). Later on I might set up another little station in a chicken shack at the top of my hill where I could put up the Zepp with 450 ohm ladder-line for multi-band operation. meanwhile back to the books..... C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Robin Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Hello to the fellow hams. I took the tower down last summer and have sold all of the radios except for the hand held. too many parking lots and business`s with high power lights and so much noise it was too much to bare. I could point North East and that was it. Plus i work 2nd shift so i would miss out on the good DX and all of the real good rag chewing. "Sure do miss it though". One of the best times i had working on a tower was for a now silent key. 80ft off the ground changing a tail twister out of 45g for a 40 meter mono bander with a force 12 log above it. The Thunderbirds were putting on an air show at Little Rock Air Force Base, And would fly around me on the tower. Once they realized i was up there; they would fly by and wave back to me.It was great. the silent key had 300+ confirmed countries only needed 5 or 6 to have them all. Sadly he did not get them all. 73`s for now Bill KJ5DQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 http://kc5jk.tripod.com//sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/half-sq-ant.gif A loudspeaker using the half-square antenna principle: http://164.195.100.11/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5170435.WKU.&OS=PN/5170435&RS=PN/5170435 Click on 'images', requires a TIFF viewer (free). http://www.cebik.com/hs.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2dx Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Amost missed this thread! I will check in for the record. My former calls were: WN2BZB, WA2JFF, KB2BF. The station is disassembled due to home renovation/addition, so I am on HF mobile presently. My main interest has shifted to AM again (along with DX). I've been collecting some vintage (as in hollow state) gear as well and a Gates BC1t broadcast transmitter. Perhaps someshould organize a Klipsch net? I would think 40 meters, Saturday or Sunday would be the best bet? Maybe a different thread with an Amateur Radio title would be good. I recall seeing other callsigns in the member roster and it's likely some don't read this forum. 73, Fred k2dx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Great idea, Fred! Start one! BTW, Clipped, I seem to recall my wife mentioning she saw a Double Bazooka and an Extended Zepp at Chipendales. It made her a little squirly. They didn't get very good reception from her, thank goodness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted March 6, 2004 Share Posted March 6, 2004 Hmmm, fini, with a woodworker like you by her side, what would she ever see in the Cheapindales' Double Bazzoomka with a half-twisty Zepp? Are they likely to bring the Sacrament-o of Klipschorns into her life? Not hardly... as far as I know, Andy never built any Klipschorns out of wormwood. Then again, the mystery of it all is being called "fini" before youre done. =HornEd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clipped and Shorn Posted March 8, 2004 Author Share Posted March 8, 2004 Man....I need to check in here more often (been distracted while studying up to renew the old ham license.) I am glad to see there are a few others here who enjoy(ed) the hobby. Today I realized that even hams on SSB are concerned about good audio, and there is even a ham sub-culture involved with "hi fi" transmissions and reception. As a result, I am reconsidering the mic I will get for my forthcoming Kenwood tranceiver. I wonder if there is an SET group out there using flea powered 45 tube output doing QRP. "QRP" is a relatively recent hobby manifestation with hams treking up to quieter mountain tops with flea powered equipment transmitting on make shift aerials hung from trees......could be fun...... C&S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ka7niq Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 Ka7niq here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauln Posted October 22, 2007 Share Posted October 22, 2007 AD5FT here. Prefer CW. I have an old 6146B tube TS-820S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Whatever became of the man known as Clipped & Shorn? He knows his LPs (and his LPs). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted October 23, 2007 Share Posted October 23, 2007 Yeh, I find myself thinking of him from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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