Lowell, Et Al,

You mentioned that one of your Novice rigs was the AT-1. I remember looking
at all of the ham gear in the Heathkit catalog, and thinking the DX-100 was
my dream transmitter, but the DX-20 or DX-40 was a little more realistic,
but my bank account said that I would be lucky to afford the AT-1 selling
for $29.95 in kit form. The DX-100 was $189.95 in kit form, and I think the
DX-40 was around $49.95 in kit form. I ended up with the homebrew
transmitter that I described in an earlier post built out of parts
scrounged from old TV sets, military surplus gear, etc. It was a crystal
controlled transmitter, and I only had one crystal for the 80 meter Novice
band and two for the 40 meter band. 

Eventually, I was able to save up enough money to purchase a used DX-40 and
the Heathkit VF1 VFO, which, as you said, was very unstable. 

I was always experimenting with different antennas, and I loaded the DX-40
in an antenna with the SWR so high that it caused the insulating material
in my final tank coil to melt, shorting out the tank coil, which, in turn,
caused my power supply to overheat and burn up. What a smelly mess!! I
lived in Michigan, not too far from the Heathkit factory in Benton Harbor,
and so, I took my burned up DX-40 over to the factory to their service
techs, and they repaired it in less than an hour. 

Ron, K8HSY



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)