The "New" Digital Supermode: JT9

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to test and use the newest mode offered in an experimental release of WSJT, called "WSJT-X".

WSJT-X offers a new mode called JT9, designed for use on the LF, MF,
and HF bands. JT9 shares many characteristics with the modes JT65 and JT4.
All three modes are designed for making reliable, confirmed QSOs
under extreme weak-signal conditions. They use nearly identical message structure
and source encoding. JT65 was designed for EME (“moonbounce”) on the VHF/UHF
bands and has also proved very effective for worldwide QRP communication at HF; JT4
is used mainly on the microwave bands. In contrast, JT9 is optimized for HF and lower
frequencies. JT9 is about 2 dB more sensitive than JT65A while using less than 10% of
the bandwidth. World-wide QSOs are possible with power levels around 1 W and
compromise antennas. Several dozen JT9 signals fit easily into a 1 kHz slice of
spectrum.
All WSJT modes use timed sequences of alternating transmission and reception. JT9
offers five choices for the sequence durations: submodes JT9-1, JT9-2, JT9-5, JT9-10,
and JT9-30 use 1, 2, 5, 10, and 30 minutes, respectively. A minimal QSO with JT9-1
usually takes 4 to 6 minutes: 2 or 3 transmissions by each station, one transmitting in
odd minutes and the other even. The remaining JT9 submodes take proportionally
longer, so JT9-1 is the preferred submode under most circumstances. The submodes
with longer transmissions trade reduced throughput for smaller bandwidth and
increased sensitivity. The slowest submode, JT9-30, has total bandwidth 0.4 Hz and
operates at signal-to-noise ratios as low as –40 dB measured in the standard 2.5 kHz
reference bandwidth. It requires very stable oscillators in both transmitter and receiver.
JT9-1 is always the recommended submode unless you really need the additional
sensitivity of a slower mode.

On Saturday night, when it appeared as though 10m had "closed up" for the day, I figured it was the perfect time to download the software and get comfortable with it.  It's doubtful, I thought to myself, that anyone via groundwave would be monitoring 28.078 MHz.  After loading the software and starting "Dimension4", the clock synchronization software, I began calling CQ.  After a minute or so, I saw a FAINT narrow line streaming down the "waterfall" display.  It turned out to be KC8QOF in Tennessee...some 570+ miles away from me.  This was amazing...since I couldn't even hear any 10m beacons from that area.  But, I was able to complete a QSO...with some of the exchanges approaching WSPR signal levels.

Again, this contact as well as one with K4MU using JT9 were made using the 43' loop.

This new mode makes me wonder how much better my results would have been on 160m if I had been using this rather than JT65a.  I was still able to make PLENTY of QSOs on 160 with 5 watts and a 75' random wire...so a more robust "weak signal" mode has me quite curious.

So much new stuff...so little gear to play with it with.

Even More Success with the 43' Loop

Yesterday, after arriving home from work, I set up my company laptop to operate JT65-HF 1.0.3.  The preparation is a little bit tedious, since I use my company phone's MyFi/tethering for an Internet connection.  This is critical, as I am a fanatic about keeping the PC clock synced with NIST clocks.  This is a MUST when operating any of the WSJT modes.  

First, I worked K4OP in Kentucky.  As if this wasn't great news, the NEXT signal on the waterfall was ZD7JC on St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic.  (St. Helena is the same island that Napoleon was isolated to in 1815.)

This is astonishing to me, since I had seen ZD7JC in the past and wasn't able to work him with my Hustler 4BTV.  So, working him with the low loop was pretty cool, indeed.

Afterwards, I took a break to go running, and when I returned home, I worked KC9LZV in Wisconsin, and THEN AJ4HW and N2YUO.  

Later, I'll be QRV on 20 to see how the loop loads and operates.

Success...UPDATE

Yesterday, May 7th, was an important day for me...at least as far as Amateur Radio is concerned.  After getting home from work, and getting ready for the Lancaster Amateur Radio Club's May meeting (which was  the "Show Off Your HT" night...where I won the award for Oldest HT with my Icom µ2AT), I also was blessed with decent propagation, and had almost a "bent pipe" to the Caribbean and South America.  I was able to work PY2EB in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 28.120 MHz PSK31.

Now, it's not exactly rare DX...but it's my first QSO at my apartment in Elma.  To that end, I am thrilled that I was able to work Reis.

With that in mind, I came into the office today, and found my EXE of JT65-HF 1.03 and Dimension4 on our network.  JT65a is my favorite mode other than CW, and in the past I have worked incredible DX with 5w. JT65 is the perfect low-power/modest station mode.  I have seen many guys work DXCC with mere watts and random wire antennas.  

Even with 5w on 160 meters to a 75' random, I have done VERY well by using JT65a.  And lately there HAS been a ton of activity on 28.076 MHz.

Can't wait to play radio later today!

Success...FINALLY!

After almost 3 months of living in my apartment in Elma, I can say that I have finally reached a satisfactory level of performance with the latest "compromise" antenna I have tried.

It is nothing more than 43' of 28 gauge wire, fed at the top corner with 450-ohm ladder line.  There is enough spacing between the A/C unit and the window frame to bring the ladder line into my apartment.

It's crappy looking and it's low to the ground.

But, I was able to load it on 40-10 meters and was shocked at what I could hear.  On Saturday alone, the 10m beacons from 28.180-28.300 MHz were in there...not as well as when I had my 4BTV at my last QTH, but this little loop was even decent enough to catch the PSK31 DX stations in South America.  I tried a few CQs, and was easily picked up by PropNet beacon/receiver stations.  The true test will be during the next contest that I enter, whether it's Field Day (not quite a contest), or the next RTTY contest.

On 20, I was able to load it easily to my HW-7 and heard quite a bit of CW activity on Saturday morning. 

Now it's time to improve upon the loop.  But for now, version 1 isn't bad.

After Considerable Frustration, My FINAL attempt

In the past few weeks, I have tried out several hidden...COMPROMISE antennas at the new QTH, and all of them have been fairly useless.  It goes without saying, that I am pretty frustrated with my inability to achieve any reasonable outcome that would lead me to being able to get back onto HF.

I have tried ceiling loops, a few random wires with lousy counterpoises (that were located next to a very "noisy" TV), even a few small magnetic loops...and they all have been fairly poor radiators.  With that, I have decided that before I go ahead and just buy the PAR EF-10/20/40, I am going to try ONE MORE time with a small vertical loop outside.  Last week, I found the access panel to get to the outdoors, so a pathway is readily available.  Over the weekend, I was routing through my garage at the ex-wife's house and found my 450-ohm ladder line, as well as my tried and true "Ladder Grabber" that I bought from the Rochester Hamfest in 1995.  I have the space available to me to install a loop of ABOUT 50' in circumference.

Years ago, I had this Ladder Grabber installed at my old West Amherst QTH on a 300' loop that was installed with assistance from the one and only Lee Cebik, the antenna MASTER himself.  This antenna was, and still is, the absolute GREATEST HF antenna I have ever had.  If I could hear it, I could work it...even with the old Ten Tec Argonaut 505 that I once owned.  I realize that this new loop will be significantly shorter, but, nevertheless...fed with ladder line, I should be able to load this antenna reasonably well on 40-10.

If this latest iteration of an antenna fails, I will then resort to the PAR.

If only I had some bloody TREES close enough to my apartment!!

The QST, June 1967 "Windowsill Semivertical"...Phase One

Last night, I had the chance to spend some time on initial assembly of the Lew McCoy "Windowsill Semivertical" antenna.  The base for the coil is 1/2 inch plywood...painted with black gloss enamel.  The supports for the B&W coil are curtain rod brackets from Home Depot.  For the interim, until a more elegant solution is found, cable ties are temporarily being used to secure the coil to the brackets.

Later today, the vertical element(s) will be attached, as well as the coax feed to and from the tuner.  All in all, it should be ready for SWR testing and coil/tap analysis.

UPDATE: 4/8/2013:

After a solid weekend worth of work on this "vertical", I found that it was exhibiting an enormous amount of hand capacitance.  If I found a resonant spot on the coil while still holding on to the wander lead, once I locked down the wire clip and examined the resultant SWR, it became infinite. This is simply too much bother for me at this point.  

Over the weekend, we had warm weather here in Buffalo, so I did some more evaluation of my building, etc...and I think I will be able to go with my original plan of using a PAR EF-10/20/40 underneath the eave of the roof.  There are a few write-ups on eHam where others have used this antenna in a similar fashion and have made out well.  I want to just turn on the rig and use the antenna...much like my 4BTV at the ex's house.  

Alas...back to the drawing board...FOR NOW.

Getting Ready For My New Apartment Vertical

On St. Patrick's Day weekend, it was exactly one month that I've been in my apartment.  And now that I'm fairly settled-in, I have started the final assembly stages of my apartment antenna.  Currently, I have nothing more than a "piece of wire" tossed out of the back window.  Loaded up for 40 meters, I have been able to hear more activity on 7.030 than when I first experimented with the indoor loop...and have been able to be received on the Reverse Beacon Network, but haven't had any QSOs as of yet.  It is almost useless on 10, as I've only been able to hear the local W2DLL beacon in Colden NY...via groundwave.

After reading the W5ALT website ( http://www.hamuniverse.com/w5altverticalantenna.html ) that shows how Walt built his version of what I'm trying to accomplish, I feel even more confident in what I am going to achieve.  His version is built out of a bathroom wastebasket and a toilet-bowl brush.  He even wound his coil using what appears to be stranded copper wire around the "coil form".  And he's made it work for him.  The large diameter of the bucket, as well as the amount of turns...a little quick math has the inductance at what could be as high as 240 uH.  I am just guessing the dimensions from quickly viewing Walt's photos.  This would be enough inductance to load a 6 foot vertical on 40...possibly even 60 meters.

My first attempt at fabricating a loading coil turned out fairly well.

According to EZNEC calculations, it 's just under 10 uH.  This would be fine for 20-10 meters, but since 40 meter CW is my favorite band/segment/mode, this is the BARE MINIMUM that I will be building for.  If it will load and match on 40, the higher bands will as well.

For resonance on 40m, I would need around 20 uH of inductance to load a 6-10' whip/vertical.  This coil will clearly not do the job with the length of vertical I'm going to be using.  However, the Barker&Williamson  "airdux" coil that WB2VUO gave me is almost 30 uH in inductance.  This will be more than adequate for loading on 40m.  This coil was made in the late 1950's, and even came with a matching B&W #3942 coil clip.

The whole point to this is that if W5ALT can make a FUNCTIONAL vertical out of JUNK that he bought in Venezuela, then, I as a seasoned PBX Technician, equipped with a warehouse full of parts and fabrication machines, could certainly build one that would be equal to or greater than what he created.

I wish that I could have my 4BTV with me in Elma, but I don't think the property manager will be allowing a 22' vertical ANYTIME soon.

It's interesting that this style of antenna is still as popular today as it was in years past.  I had written about the different brands of antennas that use this method of loading/band-switching, and recently, I realized that there is yet ANOTHER that is nearly identical: the Buddipole "Buddistick".  Exact same antenna in theory...multi-turn coil with shorting lead and a short radiating element.  Their version, however, is $140.  Not in my budget.

So, I have the RG-58A/U (actually...I have a spool of it) coax, I have the coil, the necessary hardware and brackets, I have the mast pieces and couplers.  I SHOULD be ready for careful final assembly in the next day or two.

Since my BlackBerry Curve 9330 FINALLY died (thank GOD!!!) and my company purchased a Samsung Galaxy Stellar as my company phone, I have a MUCH better camera at my disposal.  I plan on taking some photos of the final assembly as it happens.

All Moved In

It has been two weeks and a few days since moving into my new apartment in Elma, NY...FN02QT.  All in all it has been pretty good, given the circumstances.  I recently reestablished a presence on 2m APRS with my Icom u2AT and a homebrewed vertical dipole made out of drop-ceiling rods and a BNC-to-binding post adapter, along with a short length of RG-58A/U to get it up a little higher.  Since doing that, I have been able to have a CONSISTENT signal into the APRS network, as well as the repeater that's closest to me, K2ISO (145.17) in Wethersfield, NY.  

And, it's been great thus far.  I've been able to reconnect with my local friends via APRS.

But, I still have an HF deficiency in the antenna department.  The loop I tried out run along my ceilings turned out to be a dismal failure.  It does, however, pick up noise like a CHAMP.

With the recommendation of some very nice people from the QRP-L, I tried out a 26' random wire tossed out haphazardly out my bathroom window.  And once loaded with the tuner, I was able to call CQ and be picked up by the Reverse Beacon Network.  

So, in essence, it's getting better.  

Still, no QRP CW QSOs from the new QTH.

I have been looking into an antenna similar to the Barker&Williamson AP-10/MFJ-1622/Airtronix PV-7/SuperAntenna MP1.  They are ALL related in that they are a shortened vertical antenna, complete with a coil/wander-lead with alligator clip, and a length of telescoping whip at the top.  Some whips are shorter, like the MFJ-1622 at 5.5', and some are longer.  In fact, this design is similar to even the Hy-Gain AV-18VS "base" antenna.  So, there is a history behind this design.  And for my situation, it is about all I can do.  

I was planning on installing a PAR EF-10/20/40MkII, but I'm lacking even a nearby support for one end of it...and I doubt that it would perform "as it should" stapled to a low overhang (my building is single-story in height).  

I have a warehouse filled with materials to build a copy of this antenna, and Keith WB2VUO even has whips and mast pieces to make the process a little easier.  Since I managed to build an eggbeater that was quite sturdy, I'm sure that I can build this antenna in a similar fashion.

Last weekend, I even read a QST article where a ham built one of these, with the exception that he's using it mobile, and in the article it was stated that dimensions aren't critical, since it's the wander-lead-to-coil and the counterpoise that make the antenna resonate.  

Here's hoping!

Introducing My "New/Old" Heathkit HW-7

IT CAME!!!

After almost a week, my new HW-7 arrived from Orlando, Florida...and amusingly, it used to be owned by a ham that lives less than 4 miles from where I lived in Altamonte Springs, Florida.  

If you've ever read eHam's Equipment Review page, you'll find MANY differing opinions from hams from all over the world.  The HW-7 page (http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/741) is among the many of them.  I even wrote a review on the HW-7 on April 30, 2004.  (My current HW QRP is probably the 5th or perhaps 6th one I've owned.)  That being said, reviews are mixed as to whether or not the HW-7 is a GOOD rig, or a BAD rig.  Since it has a 3.0/5.0 only enhances the generic.

This one in particular is pretty rare, in that it has been LIGHTLY modified.  One of the previous owners had replaced the RCA antenna jack on the back with a common SO-239.  And the main 13V power cable inside the radio was replaced with a small length of RG-58...an obvious response to the hum that is so prevalent in the HW-7 and HW-8.  Besides those minor alterations, it is STOCK.  

If you look closely at the photo, you'll see that the Receive Preselect knob is not original.  It WAS on the radio when it arrived, however, two of the HW-7 reviews (KE7WAV and WB0KWJ's) mentioned that using a larger knob makes receive tuning much easier.  And they were spot on!  Peaking the audio now is a breeze.

One thing I did is to remove the power cable from the matching HWA-7-1 power supply that came with the rig.  Truth be told, I NEVER liked this power supply.  The hum they produce is legendary.  I made a clean extraction, so that if I EVER change my mind, I can add this cable back to it for a 100% stock power supply.  My main battery that I use for ALL of my gear is now providing the power for the HW-7, and once I did that, the hum VANISHED.  I don't believe I have ever heard a 7 sound this good.

I even tuned up the band and listened in on the OMISS W.A.S. Net.

The HW-7 is one of the many radios of the era that required high impedance headphones/speakers for proper audio reproduction.  Connecting the Boom Cube to it only reinforced this.  With unbelievable luck, I happen to possess my grandfather's WWII-era Telephonics Corp TH-37 "can" headphones.  In the past, when I've used them in new gear, I wasn't very impressed...this, of course, was the same issue...only in reverse.  Since it is closer to the impedance that the HW-7 "wants", the old "cans" were giving me audio that I didn't think they were capable of almost 70 years later.  These WILL be the audio device of choice while using this radio...not only because they work so amazingly well, but it adds to the NOSTALGIA effect.  (Thanks, grandpa!)

Since my Ten-Tec KR5A keyer is connected to the CRK-10, I decided to hook up the Heathkit SA-5010 keyer for the sake of testing and tuning.  (Once in my new apartment, the old-school Heathkit HD-10 is going to be the keyer of choice for the HW-7 since they are from the same era.)  

Once connected to the MFJ Versa Tuner II, I observed 2 watts output on all bands.  So, the transmit is good as well!

As of this morning, I called CQ a few times with the Micromatic's memory function.  I pressed 2/SEND, and the HW-7 called CQ for me...and I was pleasantly surprised by my call coming up on the Reverse Beacon Network.

All that's left...is to make a QSO...and all of the basic elements are there.

Despite the drawbacks present in this radio (microphonics, hum, "Radio Jesus" on shortwave, lack of selectivity), I can say that I am going to enjoy using this radio.  And even though it has all of the limitations of a direct conversion receiver, keep in mind, that whether I've been using the CRK-10 or the Rockmite, ALL I HAVE BEEN USING SINCE RETURNING TO THE AIR has had a DC receiver in it.

What's more, if you or I can make reliable QSOs with a RM-40, or the CRK-10, or a Pixie II, or a DCxxB, or Rex Harper's BEAUTIFUL "Lil Squall Transceiver", then making contacts with this old HW-7 will be simple.  Plain and simple.  There IS NO magic to it...once you get the feel for how a direct conversion receiver operates and are OK with its limitations, it becomes a non-issue.  The 2 watt output is icing on the cake.

Tonight will be the last chance that I have to operate from West Falls, and with my 200' random wire.  Most of my gear is already packed and ready to be taken to Elma and set up in my new apartment.  I have some ideas for a few stealth antennas that I can install easily.  One idea taken from a CQ article was from an American ham in Germany that installed a loop around the ceilings of his flat.  It wasn't a perfect "loop", but it was a 150' enclosed space, and it worked very well for him.  I am considering trying the same...except that not only would I encircle the ceiling, but also run down the corners for some additional length and vertical components.  I have been given permission for a "shortwave antenna", so I have finally settled on the PAR EF-10/20/40MKII, since it is 40' long and I can have it up in no time.  (And during the Lockport Hamfest, I had a chat with my friend Steve, AG2AA.  He purchased a KX3 and a PAR End Fed, and was playing around with the KX3's keyer.  The story he told us is that he was setting up the keyer with his callsign, and when complete, he pressed the "execute" button.  The EF was laying in his living room, half of it apparently strung across his chandelier in his dining room.  When the KX3 was done calling CQ, he immediately received a response.  He was shocked, and I was amazed...and encouraged to get one.  Thanks, Steve!)

So, next week or thereabouts, if you here me calling CQ on or around 7030-7040...I'll be using the HW-7.

In closing, I have been in numerous discussions with component vendors from around the world.  The parts that make the HW-7/HW-8 (and the Ten-Tec Powermites, for that matter) so rare, such as the CA3035V1 IC, as well as the MPSU05 transistors, and 40673 FETS are still "available" in remote corners of the world.  This year, I am going to bring together ALL of these sources to market a Heathkit Hotwater Rebuild Kit.  

Stay tuned.

The 2013 CQ WPX RTTY Contest

If anyone were to examine my operating logs (which I admit have some "holes" in them), you would see that the greatest majority of my operating over the past few years has been using RTTY- mostly in contests.  After my Yaesu was sent to Australia in September, I wondered whether or not I would be back on the air in time for RTTY Contest season.

A few weeks ago it was WB2VUO to the rescue...selling me his HTX-100.  And, since I still had one of the Buxcomm Rascals leftover from the gear that I had before, I purchased the 5DHTX100 cable to use with it.

But, as luck would have it, I couldn't find my Rascal GLX among the boxes of my personal belongings that I have in West Falls.  I even drove to my office in Orchard Park to look through the totes of my stuff I have stored in our warehouse.

NOTHING.

At 4:00am Saturday morning, I woke up out of a sound sleep, and realized where the interface was: my suitcase.  So, there I was during the wee hours of the morning, setting up the HTX-100 to the PC.

Now, I wrote about the HP 6715b in my last post that I've been using.  And it's been going VERY well.  Even with the Class 4 SD card housing the OS, the computer is smooth and runs very well.  I added fldigi from the Ubuntu Software Center and set it up, in anticipation of using it a few hours from then.  With the cables are connected properly, I switched on the HTX-100, and tuned to 28.224 MHz.  Where I am in West Falls is about 6 miles from the W2DLL/B, so at least I had a consistent signal source.

In CW mode, fldigi was solid copy.  Then it came time to set up the Prolific PL2303 USB-to-Serial cable.  Plugged it in, went into Terminal, typed "lsusb" and "dmesg", and sure enough...12.10 saw the cable and loaded the proper "drivers".  Drivers is a poor choice of words since the PL2303 "driver" is part of 12.10's kernel.

I then restarted fldigi.  Went to Rig Control, and clicked on the separate PTT setting.  And...good news.../dev/ttyUSB0 was there.

But no joy.

Nothing I tried would make the HTX-100 key up.  NOTHING.

I even tried 2 other cables, one of which being the OVERPRICED Radio Shack $30 adapter.

NOTHING, even though 12.10 could see them in Terminal.

So, at 5am I went back to bed for a little while.

Later that morning, I set up my Windows 7 laptop, and it took very little provoking to get everything set up just right.

And away I went.

On Saturday, 10 meters was rough, and there wasn't much activity to be found.  This of course has a lot to do with how 10 meters can be finicky and somewhat regional.  Nevertheless, I managed to work EE8E in the Canary Islands.  So, USA contacts, no....3 points for working AFRICA...yes.

Between both days, I worked maybe 8 hours of the contest, and made 32 contacts.  I worked about a dozen countries and managed 1800 points.  Not a stellar performance, since my 2011 and 2012 scores placed me in the Top 5 for QRP both years.  Still, it was great being back on HF and working a contest with the mode that's the most fun for contesting.

And as I sit here writing this, I'm the second entry in the Single Operator/Single Band/10m/QRP class, 2nd to KO3T in Eastern Pennsylvania.

Whether I win new wallpaper, or not, it was nice to see the usual "Big Guns" and even new calls I've never seen in the past.

So, once in the new apartment this weekend, I will be using this HP 6715b with the Virgin Mobile Broadband (yes, the USB CDMA modem works) and then using my Dell Inspiron 8100 for RTTY/digital.  Last night, I was even playing with my vintage 1998 Sony Vaio PCG-505f "netbook", setting up MixW 1.45.  I was never really a fan of MixW, but the old versions are simple to break the encryption so you don't have to pay for the registration.  1.45 was made for OLD Windows, and the Vaio has Windows Me on it...and they work astonishingly well together...even with 32MB of RAM in it.

The NEXT RTTY contest is the NAQP RTTY.  That one's always a good one.

Resurrecting my HP "Monster"

Professionally, I am a PBX Technician for a government contractor, based in Orchard Park, NY.  In 2004, we expanded the company and set up an office in Midtown Manhattan.  

For a few years, my direct supervisor was based in Manhattan to get the office up and running.  He hired people, bought equipment, etc.

We had one particular manager in NYC that wasn't worth keeping around.  This was in 2011.  He was let go from our company, and his laptop was requested to be sent back to Buffalo for forensic work.

This is where I come in.

I do the forensics on several government systems ON REQUEST.  So, if it's on the HDD hiding, I am going to find it. (Ask my ex-wife how good I am at finding "dirt")

The laptop in question was an HP/Compaq 6715b:

HP Compaq 6715B Notebook PC 

Preinstalled:  

Genuine Windows Vista Business 32/64

Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic

Genuine Windows XP Professional 

FreeDOS 

Supported:  

Genuine Windows Vista Enterprise 

Certified: 

SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 

Processor:

AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology (up to 2.2-GHz, 2x512-KB L2 cache) 

AMD Turion 64 Mobile Technology (2.2-GHz, 512-KB L2 cache) 

Mobile AMD Sempron Processor (up to 2.2-GHz, 256-KB L2 cache) 

Mobile AMD Sempron Processor (up to 1.8-GHz, 512-KB L2 cache) 

Chipset  AMD M690T Chipset 

Memory  DDR2 SDRAM, 667-MHz, two SODIMM slots supporting dual channel memory, 512/1024/2048/4096-MB 

Hard drive(s):

SATA 80/120/160-GB 5400 rpm, 80-GB 7200 rpm, HP 3D DriveGuard 

Removable media:

12.7-mm optical drives:  DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL LightScribe, DVD+/-RW SuperMulti DL, DVD/CD-RW Combo, DVD-ROM  

Display: 

15.4-inch diagonal WSXGA+WVA (1680 x 1050 and 16M colors), 15.4-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 800 and 16M colors), 

15.4-inch diagonal WXGA BrightView (1280 x 800 and 16M colors) 

Graphics:

ATI Radeon X1250, up to 512-MB shared system memory 

Audio:

High Definition Audio, stereo speakers, stereo headphone/line out, stereo microphone in, integrated mono microphone 

Wireless support:

HP ev2200 1xEV-DO Broadband Wireless Module (requires Verizon Wireless Service)

 12

, HP hs2300 HSDPA Broadband Wireless

Module (requires mobile network operator service)

; Broadcom 802.11a/b/g/draft-n, 802.11a/b/g, 802.11b/g WiFi Adapter,

Bluetooth™ 2.0, HP Wireless Assistant 

Communications  Broadcom NetLink Gigabit

Ethernet PCI Controller:

(10/100/1000 NIC), 56K v.92 modem 

Expansion slots:

1 Type I/II PC Card slot supports 32-bit CardBus and 16-bit cards, Media Card Reader 

Ports and connectors: 

4 USB 2.0 ports, VGA, stereo microphone in, stereo headphone/line out, 1394a, power connector, RJ-11/modem, RJ-45/ethernet, S-video TV out, docking connector, secondary battery connector 

Input devices:  

Full-sized keyboard, Touchpad with scroll zone 

Software: 

HP Backup and Recovery Manager, Roxio Creator 9, Microsoft Office 2007 Small Business or Professional- Optional 

Security: 

HP ProtectTools, TPM Embedded Security Chip 1.2, HP Fingerprint Sensor, Smart Card Reader (optional), Kensington lock, HP Privacy Filter (optional), Symantec Norton Internet Security 

Dimensions:

 (h × w × d)  1.37 in (at front) x 14.05 in x 10.43 in / 34.9 mm (at front) x 357.0 mm x 265.0 mm 

Weight:

 Starting at  5.7 lbs / 2.59kg (weight will vary by configuration) 

Power: 

6-cell (55 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, 6-cell (47 WHr) Lithium-Ion battery, optional HP (52 WHr) Extended Life Battery, optional HP (95 WHr) Ultra-Capacity Battery, 90W HP Smart AC Adapter, HP Fast Charge

Expansion solutions:

HP 3-in-1 NAS Docking Station, HP Advanced Docking Station, HP Docking Station, HP Monitor Stand, HP Adjustable Notebook Stand, HP External MultiBay II 

Without question, it's a nice, corporate grade machine.

There was ONE BIG PROBLEM, though: our fired manager beat the hell out of it.

Literally.

When I opened the FedEx box, I was greeted by the distinct odor of urine.  The next thing I saw when I opened the screen...15 keys were missing!  OK...so he physically damaged it, as well.

Well, at least I could do the forensic work to see what he'd been doing during his daily routine for the past 11 months or so.

NO hard drive.

Ray knew what he was doing.  To this day, we never recovered the HDD from this machine.  It's the ultimate "cover your ass" conspiracy...at least as far as my company is concerned.

The machine then sat in our upstairs office here in Buffalo for a few more months.  Since the machine was damaged/destroyed, there was no reason the company needed it anymore.  With permission, my supervisor allowed me to take it home to play with.

The keyboard was not only missing keys, but it also had destroyed key contacts underneath it.  So, there was no way that I could even enter the BIOS to see what I was dealing with.

Enter the Belkin "USB-to-PS/2" adaptor:

The needed peripherals plug right in.  No further explanation is really needed.

Next...need power.  Ray sent the machine back without the power supply.  A quick trip to Best Buy fixed that.  I KNOW I could have gotten the power supply from Level 8 MUCH cheaper, but getting a receipt means I can expense the cost.  It IS a company machine, after all.

Once power was added, and the keyboard was all set and recognized, I powered it up...miraculously it survived the beating it took at the hands of the disgruntled former employee.  As I went through the BIOS settings, I came to realize that this laptop had been outfitted with the BEST of everything.  

While powered up, I pressed the button on the DVD drive and popped the Ubuntu 12.10 disk in.  The machine started right up in "Live Mode", and even let me surf the web a little.

I don't like Live Mode, though.  I could have stopped right there and just used it as a "Real Time" computer, because I wasn't about to go through the paperwork necessary (material requisition) to get the hard drive.  Small purchases are easily posted to company "petty cash".

Then, the beam of light shone down from the heavens: this thing has a MEDIA CARD SLOT...and the BIOS sees it in the boot order menu.

Another trip to Office Max for the advertised special: 8GB microSD with adaptor for $7!

With microSD in hand, I returned to West Falls determined to install an OS to it.

Once installed in the card reader on the HP, I entered the BIOS one last time to eliminate the HDD from the boot order.  WHY?  Because it's NOT THERE.  Some machine BIOSs will stop dead because it's trying to find a ghost device, while others will toss out an error code, and make you figure it out.  This HP allowed me to remove it completely.  After the DVD's first to boot, the card reader slot is second.

And away it went!

It only took about 25 minutes or so to install Ubuntu 12.10 to the microSD, and it hardly feels like a compromise using the OS off of it.

The sheer quality of 12.10 can not be overstated.  Canonical's Ubuntu 12.10 is THE OS, Linux or otherwise, that I have been patiently waiting for for YEARS.  While I've never really been much of a fan of any form of Linux., Ubuntu 12.10 is what a computer OS SHOULD BE.  It's smooth, it's pretty, and it has APPS that allow real work or play to get done.

My biggest pet-peave of old distros of Linux, which I've said in the past, are the over use of stupid nomenclature...seen mostly in KDE.  You find HUNDREDS, if not THOUSANDS of apps with names that all start with "K", and are clunky, difficult to install, and sometimes difficult to use.  12.10 and the Unity desktop have gotten away from that mess.  For the first time I can remember, there is REAL software in the OS.  Gone (at least as far as I can tell) is the old "Synaptic Package Manager", and replaced with "Ubuntu Software".  This is GREAT!  In one "visit", I had Google Chrome (they call it Chromium in some forms of Linux/Unix), Xastir, fldigi, and WSJT all added.  And the REALLY nice part...the OS adds the icon to the "taskbar" at the left vertical side of the screen.

After an evening of using 12.10, I could HARDLY remember that I was USING LINUX!  And that is the holy grail to switching from Windows.

I'm not exactly a Windows hater.  I like Windows.  I like Windows 7.  Hell, Vista Starter was cool, as well.  And XP?!  Think of XP as Iggy Pop, or Mick Jagger.  Holy Christ they're old, but they STILL kick ass and get the job done.  I installed Ubuntu because Windows, with its massive amount of HDD read/writes would destroy the microSD in short order.

I know what some computer "experts" are going to say: That SD/microSD will wear out pretty quickly.

Let me show you why this is pure BS:

Flash memory indeed has limited write cycles. However, by now it is unlikely that you'll encounter this within the normal lifetime of such a card. Usually this is in the order of 100,000 write cycles today and SD cards include circuitry to manage wear-leveling, that is, spread out writes over the storage media evenly to avoid "hot spots"—pages that are written too frequently and therefore failing early.

Said lifetime is commonly agreed upon as "10 years".

And...we have MANY voicemail systems installed that use SD cards AS the HDD, and they only fail when they are browned-out or spiked.

And if I really become worried, I can ALWAYS duplicate the microSD.  One fails, and the other goes in.  "HDD" replacement is 2 seconds.

This weekend is the CQ WPX RTTY Contest.  I will be BACK in the transmit chair on 10m for the contest.  And I will be putting the HP Beast to work with fldigi for the digital suite AS WELL as for logging.  I'll add photos as the weekend progresses.

My ex-XYL's Gift: The Heathkit HW-7

My ex-XYL bought me a Heathkit HW-7 as a "house-warming" present.

In the very early 1970's, as the QRP craze was beginning to become popular, both Heath and Ten-Tec released kit radios that would change the face of amateur radio forever.  Ten-Tec, of course, had the Powermites and the Argonaut, while Heath sold the HW-7.

The HW-7 Transceiver was/is a three-band QRP CW Transceiver with both built-in VFO and crystal transmit provisions.  The crystal socket was due to the fact that Novices during this period in time weren't allowed to use a VFO, hence, they were restricted to being "rockbound".   Band coverage is the CW portion of 40, 20, and 15 meters. The Transceiver can be operated from the Heathkit Accessory Power Supply Model HWA-7-1, an equivalent low impedence power supply, or batteries. 

The HW-7 was available from 1972 through 1975. The transceiver featured a very simple direct-conversion receiver design, based upon the 40673 MOSFET and the CA3035V1 amplifier chip.  These, in fact, were the EXACT SAME components that Ten-Tec used in the PM-1.  (I would know, since I had one, restored it, and used it for a few years) This simple design led to performance problems including sometimes-severe broadcast-band interference, microphonics, and AC hum. According to the January, ARRL review (January, 1973), the original price of the HW-7 was about $70. 

There have been many articles, books, and websites devoted to the modification of the HW-7/HW-8/HW-9 radios.  Some mods are simple to perform, while others are a bit more drastic.  According to the Heath service bulletins from 1973, there were a few mods for things such as weak sensitivity, hum, and "popcorn" audio...and these were easily fixed with basic soldering of new parts, fixing grounds, etc.  Some have suggested through the years (you can read about this on eHam) that the HW-7 simply wasn't tested enough before being released to the public at large.

As a former owner of two HW-7's, as well as three HW-8's, I can say that unless the rigs are sufficiently grounded, you are NOT going to hear much.  Comparing the modern solid-state direct conversion receiver such as the Rockmite to the HW-7 or HW-8 is akin to comparing an AMC Gremlin to a 1965 Ford GT-40.  It's no contest.  But keep in mind that for 1973, a radio that was THIS small, and capable of real communication was pretty amazing, since in 1973, behemoth tube rigs were still very common.

Another problem that these rigs had was the plates literally falling out of the tuning capacitors.  EVERY one of the ones I've had in the past has done this.  Now, in the internet era, suitable replacements can be overnighted.  Back then...you had to work the phones...and pray!  Now that I'm a technician and have been for 15+ years now, repairs to this rig will be much easier than when I was younger.

Some hams loved them, some hated them.  YMMV.  But, I won't expect much until I get into the rig and give it a good "once-over".   

Interestingly...Heathkit's last QRP rig, the HW-9, was a superhet, and it offered more bands than just 40/20/15.  

The HW-9 was THE Cadillac.  

That's another dream entirely. 

 Thanks, Sam.

 

Specifications:
	General
		Frequency Coverage	40 meters, 7.0 to 7.2 MHz
			20 meters, 14.0 to 14.2 MHz
			15 meters, 21.0 to 21.3 MHz
		Frequency Stability	less than 100 Hz drift after 10 minutes warmup
		Power Requirements	13 volts DC, nominal. 35 mA receive mode and 450 mA transmit mode
		Active Devices	synchrodyne detector, 40673 dual-gate MOSFET
			audio amplifier, CA3035V1 integrated circuit
			VFO and buffer, MPF105 JFET
			doubler/tripler, MPS6521 silicon transistor
			driver, MPS6521 silicon transistor
			final amplifier, two MPSU05 silicon transistors
			sidetone oscillator, 2N3393 silicon transistor and X29A829 silicon transistor
			break-in keying, 2N3393 silicon transistor and X29A829 silicon transistor
			transmitter keying, S2091 silicon transistor
		Dimensions	9-¼" wide x 8-½" deep x 4-¼" high, including knobs and feet
		Weight	4 lbs. 8 oz.
	Transmitter
		DC Power Input	40 meters -- 3 watts
			20 meters -- 2.5 watts
			15 meters -- 2 watts
		Frequency Control	40 meter crystal or built-in VFO on 40 meters
			20 meter crystal or built-in VFO on 20 meters
			15 meter crystal or built-in VFO on 15 meters
		Output Impedence	50 ohms unbalanced
		Sidetone	built-in
		Spurious and Harmonic Levels	at least 25dB down
	Receiver
		Sensitivity	less than 1 microvolt provides readable signal
		Selectivity	2 kHz at 6dB down
		Type of Reception	CW or SSB
		Audio Output Impedance	1000 ohms nominal

The HW-7 Service Bulletin Library

Heathkit Service Bulletins for the HW-7

February 16, 1973
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-1

Dial Rubbing

To Prevent the dial rubbing against the front panel the following change
has been made in production.  Replace the [4] 253-27 flat washers with two
aluminum spacers, Part No: 255-1.


********************


February 16, 1973
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-2

Broadcast Interference

In spite of the article in the January issue of QST, page 48, we do not
plan to make a modification kit for this problem.  However, we plan to
track the identity of all purchaser's and mail the information and parts to
them individually.  To service those we miss [retail sales primarily],
the attached information sheet will suffice.  The parts should be
furnished at no charge.  Only those with serial numbers starting '002'
require the change.  Others already have them in the kit itself.


********************


February 16, 1973
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-3

Low Audio Level - Receiver

Replace R411 [10K Ohm] Part # 1-20 with 1000 Ohm, Part #1-9.  This is a
production change which should be made in all kits with SN's starting
with '002'.


********************


February 16, 1973
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-4

Service Hints

RECEIVER:  The receiver section of the HW-7 is basically a direct
conversion type circuit.  The incoming signal is mixed with the
on-frequency VFO signal to provide audio output.

The audio is filtered by the low-pass audio filter and coupled to the audio
IC which has approximately 100db of gain.  A certain amount of microphonics
is normal for this type of circuitry.

Normal sensitivity for this receiver is less than 1uv will provide a
readable signal.  This is normal since all Protos and Field Test Units
showed much better sensitivity.

Typical RF voltage readings at the detector FET Q1 are .6 to 1 volt RMS
nominal measured on Boonton 91-C meter.  Any injection appreciably less
than .4 volt RMS will give a loss of sensitivity.  NOTE:  This voltage is
not a pure sine wave.

When Receiving a signal, the front panel pre-selector control must be
carefully peaked in the designated areas.

VFO/DOUBLER/TRIPLER

The Colpitts oscillator operates on 3.5 to 3.6 MHZ and doubled to 7.0 to
7.2 MHZ for 40 Meter operation.  For 20 and 15 Meter operation, the
oscillator runs at 7.0 to 7.1 MHZ and doubled for 20 meter [14.0 to 14.2
MHZ] and tripled for 15 meters [21.0 to 21.3 MHZ].  Following are typical
RF readings:


 Gate of Q3 = Approx. 1 Volt RMS [Sine wave]
 Base of Q4 = Approx. .8 Volt RMS [Approx. Sine wave]
 Collector of Q4 = Sine wave with harmonics


OSC./DRIVER and RF AMPLIFIER

Base of Q5 [xmit] = 1 to 2.5 Volts RMS [not Sine wave]
Base of Q6, Q7 = 1.5 to 2.5 Volts RMS [not Sine wave]
RF output across 50 Ohm load should be approximately 10 Volts RMS [Sine
wave for all bands].

Possible problem area in transmitter may be two extremely mismatched out
transistors [high gain with low gain].  This may cause one transistor to
"hog" all the current thereby destroying itself.  When this happens, also
check Zener diode ZD1 for possible open circuit.  If instability is a
problem, also check ZD1 for open circuit.


********************


May 3, 1974
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-5

Audio ["popcorn"] Noise Reduction

The following modification will reduce the noise level of the CA-3035V1
audio IC considerably:

1]  Connect a 220K [PN 1-29] resistor and a .1uf [PN 21-95] disc IN
SERIES from pin 4 to pin 5 of the CA-3035V1 on the foil side of the
board.

2]  Connect a 1 uf Electrolytic [PN 25-197] from pin 6 of the CA-3035V1
to the ground foil between pins 2 and 8.

********************


July 12, 1974
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-6

Sensitivity Improvement

1]  Jumper a small wire across C6 [100pf] on the foil side of the board.

2]  Remove R1 [100K Resistor].

NOTE:  If the unit fails to operate, or there is no increase in
sensitivity with this resistor removed, it should be reinstalled in the
circuit.

These circuit changes are to be made only as needed.


********************


March 26, 1975
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-7

Pulse Oscillation on 40 Meters

If the HW-7 has an oscillator problem, check to see if Q2 is a Teledyne
device rather than a Motorola.

To prevent the circuit from pulse oscillating, install a ferrite bead [PN
475-10] on the gate lead if Q2 is a Teledyne type.

          HW-7 Modifications

A.  Remove and discard capacitors C-5, C-6, C-8, C-9.
B.  Replace C-5 and C-9 with .22uf mylar capacitors.

A.  Lift coax from point A on circuit board.
B.  Install 100pf mica capacitor between center conductor of coax and
point A.  [Improves BCB rejection].

A.  Install heat sinks on transistors using silicone grease for PA
protection.

   PARTS LIST
[2]  .22UF   27-85
[1]  100PF   20-102
[2]  #4-40X1/2" SCREW 250-52
[2]  #4 LOCKWASHER 254-9
[2]  #4-40 NUT  252-15
[1]  SILICONE GREASE 352-13
[2]  HEAT SINK PLATE 205-1436


********************


April 17, 1975
HW-7 QRP Transceiver
Bulletin No: HW-7-8

Modifications F/U/W the HD-1410 Keyer

The HW-7 keying circuit was designed to be compatible with the HD-10
keyer.  This is the reason that the key jack has the tip contact
grounded.  Two changes should be made to the HW-7 to allow use with the
HD-1410:

A]  The two wires going to the HW-7 key jack should be reversed.

B]  R39 should be changed from 470 Ohm to 4700 Ohm.

Less Than 2 Weeks and Counting

As I'm writing this in my West Falls temporary QTH, a few things interesting to note.  Today was the Vermont QSO Party, and while I was trying to get the rest of my things re-packed for moving, and go running, I tried to work a few.  Turns out that HF wasn't so hot today.  Apparently, a CME erupted and just obliterated the bands.  Well...whatever...all I know is that NEXT WEEKEND is the 2013 CQ WPX RTTY Contest.  Since I received my HTX-100 last weekend, I purchased the cable from Buxcomm so that I can connect the HTX-100 to my laptop with the Rascal Interface.  Next weekend, I will be back on RTTY...and not a moment too soon!  I have died a little inside during each of the last few RTTY contests that I haven't been able to take part in.  SWL Class is fun, for sure, but nothing beats Search and Pounce on 15 and 10 meters during a contest.  It's also a great way to add to your DXCC and WAS totals.  I've already done WAS Basic AND Digital, so I just need to work at the DXCC Digital now...although DXCC RTTY would be even better!

I realize that since the start of this blog in 2007, I have changed directions a few time.  At first, my goal was to work the satellites with 5 watts or less.  I developed the easiest eggbeater antenna you'll ever build.  Then, I focused on APRS and digital for a while.

Lately, it has become a little more personal with the sale of my gear, and the rebuilding of my shack, my ex-XYL's affair and the fallout from it, and now, it seems as though my emphasis will be in operating stealth from an apartment.

I need to find time this week to build my 80m Rockmite.  I won't have my 200' random wire for much longer.

As My Friend Amanda Said, "FORWARD!!"

This morning was a decent one here in Buffalo, NY.  Freak 70 degree day here...with rain and a couple peeks of sun, but ANY Winter day in Buffalo where there's no snow is a great one.

This morning ALSO had me putting the down-payment down on my new apartment.  Life, as I know it, will be changing forever in a matter of days.  Sometimes, as I've said before, life gets in the way.  Soon, I will be moving to my new digs in Elma NY.  It's 18 miles from my kids, 2.5 miles or so from the Village of East Aurora, and 8 miles from both my great friend, Joe, that has helped me out in immeasurable ways throughout this stage of my life, as well as Bob's Deli @ Valero, in West Falls, NY.  (They make the GREATEST sandwich called the "Belly Buster".)

My new place isn't what a lot of people would ever consider living in.  It is an apartment, by every definition...but it's an efficiency.  Think ONE BIG ROOM, and a bath.  That's perfect, since I don't particularly have a lot of stuff.  Convertible couch...ottoman...BIG TV...plastic totes FILLED with books and QSTs and CQs...my kitchen appliances...glass top desk for my ham gear.  And room in the corner for one of my motorcycles.  Most likely my Yamaha will be coming with me, and my 1979 Honda will stay in my garage at the Williamsville house.  If the ex-XYL doesn't get pissy, perhaps I can finish restoring the Honda this year at my old home.

After a quick meeting with the property manager, I asked if a thin and invisible "shortwave antenna" would be allowed.  The manager said that he didn't have a problem with it, so I will be tossing up another random wire.  If I can manage 70-80 feet, I should be in excellent shape for HF.  Here in West Falls, I've been using my 200' random with decent success.  As much as I'd LOVE to ground mount my Hustler, I won't even attempt it until I've been there for a few months.  Perhaps the MFJ-1796 12' vertical, or maybe the Maldol HVU-8 might be a solution.  Maybe I might even try something like the old AEA Isoloop.  Basically, though, I can still get on the air and have some fun with the greatest mode of them all: CW.

So, for the next few weeks, I am going to be writing about my adventures with "stealth" antennas.  I want to install a random (I'd do the EF-10/20/40MkII, but the XYL managed to buy me a Rockmite-80 for Christmas that finally came the other day) that will be invisible, not piss off the other tenants, and be long enough to work moderately well at 40 and 80.

With hope for the future...and closing the book that was my marriage, and opening the book that will be the rest of my days, it's time to heal, get beyond the hurting, and just live.

FORWARD!

The Lockport NY Winter Hamfest 2013

This morning was the 2013 Lockport Amateur Radio Association's Winter Hamfest.  I usually don't do much of anything in Niagara County for the simple fact of the people.  I was never a fan of  Lockport...I had plastic surgery on my face as a reminder to NEVER live there.

However, the hamfest this morning was interesting at the very least.  There were your typical hamfest goods...in 3 categories:

The Good
The Bad
The Utterly Useless/Junk/Garbage

In the good category were a few honest to God treasures...such as a Radio Shack HTX-10 for $40...a Japanese Hi-Mound bug for $40 OBO...a Vibroplex Iambic Standard (with the grey base) for $100 but he was negotiable...and so many more.  HTs for $20 were another example. The Chinese radios such as Baofengs, Wouxons, TYTs, Jialings, and many others that are available in the US for under $40 SHIPPED have caused the bottom to fall out of the HT market.  Unless it's a SPECIFIC type of HT, such as the APRS models from Kenwood or Yaesu, or the D-Star units from Icom, there is simply NO inherent value in used HTs anymore.

One seller was selling a 1939 Hallicrafters SX-28 WITH matching Art Deco inspired speaker, and he had the original packaging.  I didn't ask what he was asking for this old boat anchor, but it attracted a crowd, to be sure.  This same seller had an utterly FILTHY 1966 Heathkit HD-10 electronic keyer for $20.  I WANTED THIS KEY!!!!

I talked with the seller for a bit, and he realized that I was the one responsible for the "eggbeater video" he saw at his radio club a few years ago.  That was my window!  I offered $15 for the Heathkit, and he accepted...and after I found an outlet and plugged it in, it worked like a charm.  So far, so good.

As for the bad, there was a mix of stuff that COULD be fixed if you knew what you were doing,and stuff that was missing parts, meters, switches, and the like.  One example was an MFJ-492 memory keyer.  MAN...when these came out, they really intrigued me.  These were for the "Gods of CW".  It was an intimidating unit to say the least.  The seller this morning wanted $15 for his...and I ALMOST bit...until I picked it up and could hear "loose change".  Hamfest Warning #1: If it sounds like a maraca, LEAVE IT THERE.

Another few examples of "the bad" were old rigs like the Heathkit HW-30 "Benton Harbor Lunchbox".  In 1993, I had one of these to chat with the Sunday night 144.40 MHz AM gang.  2m AM sounds so rich and so full-bodied (like black coffee)!  We had a great time with this net, until one night, we heard the distinct "braaaaaap!" sound on an adjacent frequency.  We knew it was related to Packet, but we had no idea it would have real staying power.  Of course, I'm referring to APRS at 144.39 MHz.

Another case of "the bad" was found in SWR/Power meters...that had no meters!!!  PASS.

Then, the useless/junk/trash was abundant.

There were COUNTLESS laptops for sale for $1 that were simply too old and slow to be of any good to anyone.  When I say "LAPTOP", don't think MacBook Pro, or HP 6715b. Think IBM 486 Thinkpad, or Compaq 386SX, or...worse still...8088-based "amber screen machines".

Or CBs.

Or computer parts in HUGE plastic totes for hardware that was obsolete 10 YEARS AGO, let alone NOW!

Or crap video game systems that went out of popularity in the late 1990's.

Or ham-related junk that was SO OLD, that no one would want it.  Think wave meter, or Q Multiplier.

WHY BRING THIS STUFF WHEN YOU DAMN WELL KNOW YOU'RE BRINGING IT HOME AGAIN?!

These types of things are COMMON at hamfests.  You have 15 pieces of crap for every one item that is really good.

When I arrived home (the Williamsville QTH)...the soon-to-be-ex XYL, in a rare moment of kindness towards me, "allowed" me to use my Hustler and power supply in what WAS my office.  Along with my newly acquired HD-10,  I also had/have the HTX-100 that WB2VUO sold to me.  The HTX-100 was my first, HONEST-TO-GOD, true Amateur Radio transceiver that I owned when I was a Novice.  Comparing the HTX-100 with the HTX-10 that I sold to WB2VUO is a difficult task, because while they each have their own pros and cons, the BEST asset of the HTX-100 was the inclusion of CW, whereas the HTX-10 did not have CW, but DID have AM and FM.

First, I brought the HD-10 into MY kitchen and began to remove 47 years of grime, cigarette smoke film, and common dirt.  It took an hour of rubbing with HDX Orange Degreaser to cut through the filth.

Once clean, I plugged the ungrounded cord into the wall and began to send some code through the built-in speaker.  Some was sent at 5-7 WPM, some at my comfort zone of 16-20 WPM, and some at "CW Contest" speed of 30-40 WPM.  And I noticed that some of my dits (or dots) were not being sent properly. When you turn the keyer upside down, there are 7 screws that mechanically adjust certain aspects of the keying, such as contact spacing on the dot and dash sides, the firmness of the paddle, and finally the paddle height.  None of these adjustments made much good...I had no choice but to open up the 6.5 POUND keyer and see what was up.

Upon taking the top cover off the old monster keyer, I noticed the "L-shaped" brackets that the SPST momentary switched were bolted to.  The "dot/dit" side had about 2mm too much bracket in the way, which prevented the switch from making a solid and CONSISTENT contact with the paddle arm EVERY TIME.  So, I unscrewed the L-bracket, and walked out into my garage in the 22 degree Buffalo weather, and fired up my Dremel to grind off that 2mm of metal.  Once complete, the switch contact was even with the bracket.    Once reassembled, the dits/dots worked EVERY TIME as they are supposed to.

After reassembly, I had to recalibrate everything according to how I like a single-paddle keyer to feel.  Now, this is a 47-year old keyer.  It's NOT a Bencher BY-2...it's NOT a Vibroplex Iambic or Vibrokeyer.  It's NOT a Begali Signature.  It's an OLD, HEAVY, CRUDE, CLICKING, ELECTRO-MECHANICAL behemoth.  And with that in mind, I set it up to feel as closely to my Ten-Tec KR5 or my Vibroplex Original as it could...within reason.

It took approximately 20 minutes to get the spacing how I like it...medium-wide.  I don't like close action.  I am a 25-year Speed-X straight user, and have used a bug in the past...so the delicate Iambic touch is just out of the question.  I work with my hands all day in a profession that requires brute hand strength sometimes...so I need some wider spacing.  And I like the paddle medium-firm.  Not too gentle that it actuates if you blow on it, but also not so firm that it requires the key to be permanently attached to the desk.  At 6.5 lbs. that would be funny to see this beast slide all over the place.

Once it felt just right, I made up a cable, and plugged it into the HTX-100, and fired up the CW portion of 10 meters.  And typical of my luck, the Solar Flux was 99, the Boulder-A was 17, and the Boulder-K was 4.  In English...not a great day for HF.  Still, I called CQ a few times while the HTX-100 was in low power (5w) mode, and the Reverse Beacon Network spotted me about a dozen times on receivers in Utah and British Columbia.

Using this old keyer is a bit like driving an old car, like a Model A Ford.  It takes patience.  It takes genuine love. You're not going to manhandle this keyer, because, at close to a half-century old, you'll either break something, or it won't do what you are asking it to do.  ALL of the components inside are the same as when they were installed in the mid-1960's.  In my professional, PBX Technician opinion, it doesn't look like a soldering iron has ever visited "the old neighborhood" since completion.  And that's a great thing.

As the paddle feels the way I prefer, sending CW is actually quite easy.  It feels light to the touch, and much more modern than it's old "Benton Harbor Green" paint would suggest.  The square paddle is as basic and free of creature-comfort as you'd probably want...but hey...this was 1966!!!  If you want the luxurious CW experience, order a Begali...prices START for the luxury models at about 500 Euros.  But even as crude and antique as it really does feel, the old girl surprised me as I was sending a 22 WPM test from the latest Time Magazine, and she didn't miss a beat.

It's going to be amusing to use this keyer with the CRK-10 or the 80m Rockmite, as the HD-10 DWARFS the tiny QRP rigs.

In the March 1966 issue of "73 Magazine", Mort Waters, W2JDL wrote the following of the HD-10:

"Heathkit has produced an electronic keyer kit
that will gladden the heart and tickle the ears
of every CW man. Yes, you too can send beautiful,
effortless, perfectly formed code. For the
benefit of those who still pound away at a
straight key or use a bug, you can send for
hours with this keyer without strain or fatigue."

And you know what...old Mort was correct.  It IS a great keyer, even in 2013.