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W4JNN Balanced L Tuner

Bob Arrowsmith, W4JNN (later K4JN, now SK), built this beautiful balanced L Tuner. Bob's implementation featured a huge bread slicer capacitor from a Johnson KW Matchbox, and dual 28 microhenry inductiors. The unbalanced to balanced transformation was done by the outboard choke balun. I eventually lettered the front panel for Bob, but I don't have any pictures of that work.

Oct 17, 2011

Photos: 4

SB-200 converted for 160M

My father, cousin and I had frequent skeds on 160M, and with my father's compromise antennas, he needed a little power to make things reliable, especially in the winter. So, when I traded my FT-726 to a friend for an SB-200, I made the conversion from 80M to 160M. Dad rarely used the amp, almost exclusively for 160, so he didn't miss 80.

Oct 11, 2011

Photos: 4

Cars over the years

Now that we have two Hondas in the garage (OK, one's an Acura, but same thing), I decided to take pictures of the pictures of some older Hondas we've owned. Also included is my Datsun 260Z. What a wonderful, driver's car! Later, I expended this gallery to include my 1967 Triumph Spitfire. Relatively few photos remain, but ah, the memories.

Jul 7, 2010

Photos: 23

2003 Acura RSX-S

Well, if the mid-life crisis car thing wasn't satisfied by a V-6 Mustang, maybe this will do it.

Jun 23, 2010

Photos: 81

Father's Day Hammock

We saw these hammocks in Louisa, VA when we visited Lake Anna. Diane surprised me with this gift on Father's Day, 2010.

Jun 20, 2010

Photos: 6

220V Step-Start box

The ugliest box in the shack, from the outside...When I had my 160M 4-1000 connected to a step-down transformer, instead of a variac, I wanted to provide inrush protection for the HV supply, so I built this box. It's brute force and inelegant, but provides 10 ohms in each side of the primary, and a shorting relay to remove them. The operator provides the step-start, flipping one iminiature toggle, then the second. I've just put in in service again, this time for the Henry 2-KB Classic.

Jun 7, 2010

Photos: 12

The $12.99 piece of cardboard

Many hams added a speaker to their Collins 516F-2 power supplies. In the case of my S/Line, Maury, W4HYB, the original owner, moved the speaker from a 312B-3 into the power supply enclosure, and then homebrewed a console with a phone patch and wattmeter. In doing so, he cut and drilled holes in the origiinal piece of cardboard, used to back the grille of the power supply enclosure. When I restored and sold the 312B-3, I was left without the cardboard insert, so I fabricated my own. Later, when KE9PQ offered "reproduction" cardboard inserts for $8.99 (plus shipping), I couldn't resist. It's a nice touch, to an enclosure that Maury took excellent care of for 50 years.

May 31, 2010

Photos: 26

HA-1 de KI4XH

Well, I'm hooked on the HA-1 as the perfect adjunct to the S/Line. This one came from KI4XH, and still needs just a little sprucing up, mostly a new case paint job (it's in excellent shape) and just light polishing and cleaning. Fred kept it in excellent shape and already re-capped it.

May 1, 2010

Photos: 53

A Tale of two paddles

One as Vibroplex intended (with a non-original black knob and paddle), and one that W6OJW was converting into a Turbo Encabulator. There are extra holes for the Marzel vanes, and bits of pre-famulated amulite. I have no earthly idea what he had in mind, but at least his hole-drilling and related work was neat.

May 1, 2010

Photos: 13

HA-1 Keyer de W1JA

Like a phoenix from a barn...well, maybe a crawlspace. Next, I need to clean up my paddle technique, since this unit has self-completing characters, but no dot or dash memories (or message memories for that matter.)

Mar 12, 2010

Photos: 105

February 5-6 Snowstorm - 3 days, no power

Feb 3, 2010

Photos: 51

K1PX 75S-1 plate punching for IF amp

A 1967 article in CQ Magazine shows how to add an amp between IF stages for higher sensitivity on the high bands. The tube is easily mounted in the accessory plate in the middle of the 75S-1.

Jan 16, 2010

Photos: 17

312B-3 SN 047 built in October 1958

This came with the S/Line, but was sold to help defray the cost of a newer 312B-4. I kept the pictures since the tags and low SN were interesting.

Oct 18, 2009

Photos: 12

1973 Numechron Tymeter in BLACK

I never realized these were made in a black case, until I bought this one.

Aug 8, 2009

Photos: 10

Numechron CALL-IDENT Tymeter (1960)

A closer look at this icon of Ham Radio in the 50s-70s, or maybe even 80s. My first one of these didn't need as much dis-assembly, so this one gave me more insight into the details. Considering that they sold for $15 or so, back then (I know $15 was REAL money back then), it's not surprising that some of the details are somewhat crude. Still, for most of us who hammed through that period, this is how we kept time, and our logs, and watched and listened for the click, before sending, "CQ test...," or saying, "CQ Contest..."

Jul 20, 2009

Photos: 30

Downstairs bathroom

Newly tiled bathroom adjacent to the shack. Should improve contesting morale.

Jun 14, 2009

Photos: 9

204BA - EU and Western US

This monobander is affixed to the tower at 44 feet, and is swapped from an EU-facing mount (most of the year) to due west for SS each year, then back again for the WW and the winter.

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 10

December 2009 Snowstorm

Record-setting snow, around 24 inches.

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 124

Collins 75A-3, built 1953, visits K4SO

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 14

Hartzell refinished cabinets on MS-4 and R-4B

After over a year of consideration, I sent my MS-4 and R-4B cabinets to Hartzell Mfg. (one of the original paint contractors for Drake) for refinishing. The job is beautiful, with a glossier finish than my T-4XB, but excellent consistency and reproduction of the spotted finish. The MS-4 was a mess, and they did a beautiful prep. and paint job. TNX to the paintshop!

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 29

SixPak Project for SO2R or Multi-Single use

The missing piece in the station, since I have two transceivers, is a shared antenna switch for easy access by both rigs. This will solve the problem nicely. Thanks Phil.

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 22

O Henry (with apologies to William Sydney Porter).

Henry 2KD-Classic on long, long term loan from my cousin, KF4YH, Art. I've had a lot of fun with this amp.

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 43

160M 4-1000 Monoband Amplifier

New tubes arrive for use in my remaining homebrew HF amplifier. I rebuilt it from a 5-band design that just didn't hold up to the rigors of contesting. By making it a monobander, I eliminated quite a few parts, leaving room for more robust components in the tank circuit and input circuits. I added vacuum relays for bias switching. and had a vacuum T/R relay, but the receive side had a high resistance after some use. The tank coil, plate choke, and filament choke are hand-wound. I took it down to bare metal and started over, but the metalwork was really well-done. I opened the top, enlarged the blower, painted the whole thing, including the Peter Dahl filament transformer, and have enjoyed its hour-after-hour toughness. Phil, KT3Y, bought it from a fellow in Leesburg many years ago, and gave it to me a few years after that.

Apr 19, 2009

Photos: 57

Elecraft K3

Well, I took the plunge into the 21st century world of radios.

Mar 31, 2009

Photos: 41

6M blower retrofit.

A longstanding desire to put a bigger blower on the 6M amplifier was finally sated on a snow day off from work.

Mar 2, 2009

Photos: 36

Alpha 78 Cleaning and Preening

Mar 1, 2009

Photos: 48

Certificates, QSLs & Nametags

A collection of my QSLs over the years, with the related nametags for hamfest and radio club use. I also found a couple of certificates from the early SWL days, and they begin the parade.

Oct 26, 2008

Photos: 32

Cat's Cove Cottage

Diane and I spent two nights and part of Friday, all of Saturday, and part of Sunday at this B&B. Our hostess, Kathy, brought hot bread and muffins, homegrown apples and homemade jellies and jams, plus coffee and juice each cold, breezy morning at 8AM. This cottage is located on Virginia's Northern Neck, about two hours from Manassas. Our trip has us thinking about the Northern Neck as a possible destination when we move from Nokesville. As an added benefit, it's a ferry ride away from family on the Eastern Shore, across the bay.

Oct 18, 2008

Photos: 35

Collins 312B-4 WE

After a couple attempts to repaint the cabinet on the basket case, RE console that I had from K3TRM, I decided to buy one with good paint, and resell the other one.

Oct 14, 2008

Photos: 17

1987 K4SO Tower Project

After 17 years as a ham, this was my chance to have a 100 foot tower. N2FB did the serious work of climbing and installation, and loaned me his truck to transport the tower, his tools to make up the guy wires, fabricated the mast adapter, and generally encouraged me to "make it happen." We moved into this house on June 4, 1987, and the tower went up on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7 1987.

Oct 5, 2008

Photos: 27

New Heat Pump

Aug 30, 2008

Photos: 3

Wyotech 2008

Some shots from my trip to Wyotech in July 2008.

Jul 18, 2008

Photos: 108

Ham Radio - Microphones Large and Small

Time for a separate microphone album.

Jun 14, 2008

Photos: 54

My Dad, Charles F.(Fred) Killmon 2-12-1922 - 6-23-2004

My father was a radio operator on B-29s flying from Saipan to Japan in 1944-45. I built the model for him about 20 years ago. The picture is of him with one of his crews. He's in the lower, left corner. The medal was given to vets from WWII after the Allied victory.

Jun 14, 2008

Photos: 36

Collins 312B-4 Basket Case

An interesting item, formerly employed by Air America in SE Asia.

May 20, 2008

Photos: 49

Collins RE 30L-1 from a yardsale (bought by a friend's wife)

Krud Kutter really earned its keep on this one. New PS board, new Taylor Select 572Bs.Still chasing a problem with the PS board and installed new suppressors and a new shunt resistor on the B- end of the HV supply.

Apr 26, 2008

Photos: 145

1958 S/Line (received 1959 by W4HYB, second owner K4SO, 3-2008)

Collins invades what was "The Drake Corner," and now it's renamed "The Black and Gray Corner," aka Studio C, Studio D, or Studio B&G. The S/Line is the focus of this album, with shots added as I find the time or want to document a detail or event. Check back from time to time if you're interested.

Mar 27, 2008

Photos: 329

It only took 38 years! #1DXCC plus 6M WAS

For the moment, the goal has been met. It's fun, but it's just a piece of paper. Same for the recent 6M WAS. It took about 10 years, once I was QRV on the band, but conditions the first year (1999) were great and AK and HI were in the log the first year.

Mar 22, 2008

Photos: 11

Drake Corner

The first steps of building the Drake corner were started today. The family ghetto router, modem, and switch were also re-engineered underneath the desks. This area will be painted, track-lighted, and new shelves added for the C-Line and the 4-1000 will live here too. Then there's rotor controls and antenna changeover controls too.

Sep 4, 2007

Photos: 66

2000 Mustang AG EQUUS

My V-6, daily driver, 2000 Mustang. Steven (our younger son) bought me the later version headlight/turn signal assemblies with the black background. Prior customizations were: move the spoiler back ($0 and about 30 minutes of planning and drilling and re-attachment) and $8 worth of little, diecut black horses to stick in the factory 15" wheels. 150K on it so far. Typical older Mustang, hardly a straight seam anywhere on the car! The 2005 and up seem to have finally fixed that. Even Mustangs from the 60s on tend to have poor fit of doors and hoods.

Sep 3, 2007

Photos: 9

K4SO Deck project June-September 2007

Contractor did the hard work--Steven and I added 744 holes and 742 screws to the top surface. Oh yeah, we added the decking boards too.

Jul 1, 2007

Photos: 31

Drake Line Preselector Reduction Coupler

R-4B preselector reduction mechanism. Pressed bearing race around ball bearings that run in holes in the outer, brass cylinder. Inner shaft apparently has a groove in which the ball bearings run. "Tennis racket" handle fits in a hole in the chassis to keep the entire assembly from turning. Removing the RF gain pot gives access to the "handle" which is flattened to keep it from shifting back and forth.

Nov 22, 2005

Photos: 10

Mr. Andrews visits K4SO, and stays!

Lee, WW2DX, provided this awesome piece of feedline to me for use at my station. It was unnecessary and extremely generous. Thanks Lee.

Nov 22, 2005

Photos: 4

Beverage antennas - cheap but effective

Microcircuits Labs 9:1 transformers in IC packaging, then in Scotch black tape containers with stainless steel screws. Cheap, but surprisingly effective. Either they're all shorted, or these have withstood numerous nearby lightning strikes without failing. The low wattage terminating resistors I use, soldered to a blown fuse, and place in fuse holders in film cans, blow up like fuses and perhaps protect the matching transformers. The UPS is designed for cordless use after charging to support a soldering iron for outdoor antenna maintenance.

Nov 22, 2005

Photos: 35

10M Contest 2007 Multiop, WW2DX, KT3Y, K4SO

Run station (FT-1000, Alpha 78) and Mult station (TS-930, HB 4-1000A) with N1MM for logging and control. Antennas will be KT-34XA at 100 feet and 6 el. HB OWA monobander at 50 feet. HB lockout box prevents multiple signals on the band and ports either transceiver to the amp. The Alpha is primarily for SSB and the 4x1 for CW. The incoming RX signal will be split with a power divider and ported to the RX ANT in port to each rig, so both ops can hear on the transmit antenna.

Nov 22, 2005

Photos: 8

Ham Radio - KF4YH Tuner Panel

Russell Industries Dri-Transfer lettering applied over Rustoleum Hammertone Gray paint. Machine work and paint by KF4YH.

Nov 22, 2005

Photos: 3

Idiom Press Rotor-EZ with LP-Rotor and DXLab DXview

After a multi-year interest in the Idiom Press board for the Tailtwister/Ham IV series of rotator boxes, I took the plunge. I built the kit, with RS-232 interface and installed it in my Tailtwister control box. This box can also be swapped to either of the two Ham IV rotators on the tower. It took about 2 hours to build and another 2 to install. It could certainly be done faster. It's a great product and works even better than expected (I was unaware of some of the helpful details of its operation.)

Nov 22, 2005

Photos: 4

K4SO
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