When reminiscing, the first transmitter I ever built was a very simple
crystal controlled oscillator. It used a 5u4 rectifier and a 6v6 or 6l6
oscillator tube. The 6v6 and 6l6 were interchangeable, except the 6l6 ran
slightly more power, as I recall. It was strictly a low-powered, 25 watt
plate input, CW rig. It was also my 10th grade science project, and I built
the little rig, and then, I had to describe each part and what that part
did in the circuit. I used plug-in coils for the tank circuit to change
from 80 to 40 meters. It used link coupling, and if you weren't really
careful you could tune it to the 2nd harmonic, which would put you in the
20 meter band if you accidentally tuned to the 2nd harmonic with the 40
meter crystal and tank coil plugged into it. One of the only citations I
ever received from the FCC was for putting out a signal on the 20 meter
band as a novice by accidentally tuning to that 2nd harmonic. In those
days, you actually received citations in the mail from the FCC, and as a
kid, I'll never forget how scared I got when I received that citation. I
thought I was going to lose my license for sure after working so hard to
pass the novice test! <lol> 

This getting old stuff is interesting; I can't remember what I did
yesterday, but I can remember even the individual part values in that
little rig I built when I was a kid well over 50 years ago!! <lol>

Ron, K8HSY

  
At 10:44 PM 4/25/2013 -0600, Phil Scovell wrote:
>Hearing that BC-348 mentioned brought back my novice days because that =
>was my only receiver.  The transmitter was a DX20 and I had a 100 foot =
>long wire with no tuner.  One day I took my DX20 to a friend's house who =
>owned a very expensive watt meter.  It was putting out 9.5 watts so he =
>had a new, never been used, 6l6, I think it was, and we plugged that new =
>tube in and the meter still read, 9.5 watts output.  I worked 29 states =
>on 80 and 40 with that rig before I put up inverted vees for 80 and 40 =
>and got the Viking ranger one.  Had 41 states on those two bands in 6 =
>months before I passed the general.  I never had so much fun in my life =
>back then.
>
>Phil.
>K0NX
>
Dr. Ronald E. Milliman, retired Professor Western Kentucky University
Ph: 270-782-9325 
Email: [log in to unmask]

Chair, American Council of the Blind Public Relations Committee

Chair, American Council of the Blind's Monthly Monetary Support Program
(MMS) Committee

President: South Central Kentucky Council of the Blind (SCKCB)