With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings

The crank-up tower problem on Washington Island had taken down the Bruce Array I had built for W9EVT. 

In building the first one we’d learned a lot and in the field tuning more nuances of the Bruce Array were discovered.

Field tuning was much more sensitive than expected.

So plans are being made to build another Bruce Array for W9EVT on WI-001L.

The warehouse where we built last time is filled with winter storage at the moment, though with the experience of the first build proving out the roll-up build system we trialed I think we could do the build in a much smaller area.

The field-assembly system we designed also worked excellent.  The transformation from a spool of wire & antenna ropes to a ready to lift Bruce Array couldn’t have gone any better.

Reality is that until the snow clears on the Island and the ground firms enough for the Terex Lift the Bruce Array wouldn’t go up - so perhaps waiting for the storage to clear and building then would work out.

Thinking more than one will be built - the main new one for W9EVT and a spare for him to store (will leave the balun out of the spare for the time being).

It would not be very hard to make this a short run of Bruce Arrays. 

If any of you reading might be interested in a 40m Bruce Array for your QTH this spring, please drop me a note.  We could discuss if the design we’re building would work for you and put some costs together based on whether you’d be helping with the build & the final spec.

73

Steve
K9ZW

— [ SALE PENDING ] —

I’ve adjusted the price on QTH and here on the Alpha 78 to below what it would cost a person to have an Amp redone like this.

If you’re happy with second-best in your shack you certainly can scrounge an Alpha 78 with bad cosmetics and perhaps less assured in being up to snuff electronically for less.

Consider me picky, as I just don’t fancy having a shack full of rough gear at anything less than spot-on functionally.

Perhaps I should box this one up and save it for my planned second shack at work.

Thank you for looking!

73
Steve

K9ZW

— [ AMP IS SOLD ] — 

I’ve gear that I’ve no room for in the shack, and really should whittle down.

With a new Amp on order it doesn’t seem prudent to be back at four amps when I have room on the bench for only one.

As listed on QTH.com:

FOR SALE - Alpha 78 Amp

FOR SALE - Alpha 78 Amp, exceptional condition, recently fully serviced by Alpha, all their mods/upgrades, including installation of a full new front panel & case cover. (This is the new face & cover Alpha 78 pictured on their website!).

Has been on the air less than ten hours since return from Alpha (I have room for only one Alpha on-line at a time).

Alpha’s test paperwork and manual included.

Will ship in two boxes (Alpha provided).

Looks and runs like an Alpha 78 did when they were new.

$2700 (reduced) plus shipping from 54220

73
Steve
K9ZW

 —–

 I had written up the Alpha-78 amps I had redone by Alpha Radio Products at “The K9ZW Shack Alpha 78 Amp Story”

I’ve just never gotten any traction on the NSU Ro80 project and have listed them on eBay: 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320132935683 

73

Steve
K9ZW

Listed a couple more unused items from the shack on

(click on the QTH.COM logo for their website)

If I can keep at it, I will be able to reduce the clutter to reasonable levels here at the K9ZW shack.

Steve
K9ZW

I’ve had worried emails and voice-messages asking “was there a reason behind my selling off a few items?”  Yes there are reasons.

But they are nothing bad - one overseas friend asked after my health, worried that selling a few items meant something.  

Offering some of my projects for sale does mean something though - that I have too many projects going to give all of them even some attention, much less do many them of them any justice at all.

Not that the K9ZW Shack & Raft of Projects could ever be as simple as the Amateur Radio parallel to Walden Pond.

My fault, but over the last several years too many items have arrived, only to be stored away and not used. 

Some of my duplicates will be cleared too.  One really dosen’t need a back-up to the back-up of their back-up amp, now does a person?   

And way too many projects started and shelved.

To do my best by the ones that matter the most, some of the projects & unused gear will be cleared.

That is unless someone has a line on a couple years worth of 36-hour days, so I can catch up!

73

Steve
K9ZW