Hi All,
There still are Official Observers.
I got a congratulatory Message from one a while ago.
I also know an Official Observer.
They didn't go anywhere.
Colleen Roth


----- Original Message -----
From: "Senk, Mark J. (COULDC/NIOSH/NPPTL)" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: 2009/02/03 13:22:13
Subject: Re: Out Of Date

>
>
> My novice rig was a DX-40 AND VF-1.  I just remembered that I had stuck
> the cap from a Budweiser beer on the tuning knob.  It was a perfect fit
> and maybe helps explain why the oscillator staggered around the band.
> 
> One day I removed the cover from the VF1.  When I checked my SWR, IT WAS
> way off.  I thought something was wrong with my dipole, but it was
> unchanged.  It turned out that removing the case moved things from 7 to
> 8 MHz.  I was somewhere in the marine CW BAND.
> 
> Does anyone remember Official Observers?  I remember getting the "QSL"
> card telling me I was heard in Florida, but a Novice should not have
> been on 7.098 MHz.
> 
> 
> Mark =3D WB3CAI
> =20
> 
> 
> From: For blind ham radio operators
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Louis Kim Kline
> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 7:55 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Out Of Date
> 
> Hi.
> 
> John's message made me think back to my early days, some 30 years ago.
> And, my activities as an SWL GO BACK FURTHER THAN T-COMAB 35 YEARS.
> I had all tube gear-coma couple of Hallicrafters receivers (the S20R Sky
> Champion, and a Hallicrafters S108).  I came on the air with a Heath
> HW16 WITH THE HG10B VFO (Ok, I ewas spoiled with the VFO!), AND A LITTLE
> while later bought a Heath DX40, A VF1 VFO, AND A Heath 10 HR.B receiver.
> 
> The VF1 WALKED ALL OVER THE BAND, AND THE 10 HR.B is probably one of the
> most worthless receivers I've ever owned.  I used the Hallicrafters
> receivers because they could hear a lot better.  I took the antenna off
> the 10 HR.B, and set it on the bbottom shelf.  When I would work CW, I
> would tune it to my operating frequency and use it as a rather
> overcomplicated side tone oscillator!
> 
> I finally graduated to the Heath TX1 Apache with the SB10 SIDEBAND
> adapter.  Now there was a beautiful transmitter, if a little cumbersome
> to tune.  I bought it, thinking I would like to play a little AM WITH
> it, but in the end, only used it on SSB AND CW.
> 
> During that time I started buying solid state equipment, which was a
> dream to operate, although the nuisance of having to plunk down another
> $100 for a power supply was a pain.  Also, during that time I bought a
> Heath HW8, STILL IN KIT FORM.  I was going to put it together with my
> father, but I went away to college, and he got laid off from work, and
> in his boredom, he built the thing while I was at school.
> 
> When I think about how equipment has changed since I started, it is mind
> boggling.  Radios like the Icom 706 MkII Go weren't even possible in that
> time period.  Even the worst of the radios being produced today would
> outperform the stuff I was using at the beginning.  My receivers had
> images almost as strong as the fundamental signals, the transmitters and
> receivers drifted all over the place, there were no CW FILTERS, AT LEAST
> until I bought a MFJ AUDIO FILTER, I had to mess with crystal
> calibrators and dials, and through all of that the message still got
> through.  And, I enjoyed it.
> 
> 73, de Lou K2LKK
> 
> 
> 
> Louis Kim Kline
> A.R.S. K2LKK
> Home e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
> Work e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
> Work Telephone:  (585) 697-5740 =20