I needed a laugh.

Lary Moe and Curly.. on CW

Interesting T/R switch. Low power.

Here is an interesting article about a T/R switch (QSK) for low power ..

http://www.n5ese.com/tr_switch.htm

Monks and Amateur Radio

https://www.qrz.com/db/SV2ASP

N1GMM

Guy's New Call

CW is much better than the old call (AI1G)

Vibroplex Champion Key Slow Down

Jerry my friend from the Warrenton area gave me a good idea about slowing down my Vibroplex Champion key (from a buddy of his).  Jerry did not know what it was called but sent me a picture of it.  It is a stair gauge, I bought 2 from Home Depot today.  Here are some pics.

Fits perfectly.  It REALLY slows it down to about 13 wpm.  Yea!

Quadrature Detectors Overview

how-it-works-quadrature-detector

I love these things.  More on some applications in the near future.  I am still trying to figure out what I am doing with this blog.

-G

New (Ha!) Balanced line tuner for my ladder line... $49

I won a bid on ebay for a Johnson Matchbox 275 .. light. $49

watch the video below to see the guts... Looks like they are made to go in a tank..

see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0GAlg9QJ8s


A funny...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Il84OQJ-E


Ill take some actual pictures of it when it gets here.. (I did not get to look inside it... so I dont know what I am getting... hopefully the caps and coil are still in it...)

Update 2018-01-10 08:03

Matchbox came in yesterday evening as I was putting up my antenna.. Good timing.  Putting up the antenna was another thing... 500ft of rope does not go far!

The matchbox was in GREAT condition.  Now I understand why they did not show the guts.. there are about 30 screws holding the thing together and you have to remove the knobs to look at the guts.
It was absoulutely spotless inside!  No burn marks everything was intact.  There was a piece of card stock inserted in the relays.. I left it there as I do not intend to use these.  I hooked up the antenna and tuned around on the bands using the QRP Plus (Bobs, that I replaced the IRF-510 final in).  I did not load up the antenna as I was bushed and it was 8:00pm.  Putting up the antenna was not so much fun.. 

Pictures:

40 meters was VERY  noisy last night. I did hear some nice CW at the lower end of the band.  Switching in and out the antenna was a major success.    Now to get on the air.  I am making a little dual meter SWR bridge for it that I will house in pcb material.  Meters coming, I have built the bridge.    Here is the schematic for the Bridge stolen from kits and parts :

-G