On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 08:25:55 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 10:06:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:
I can stop cars dead in their tracks with my 160 meter transmitter in
my truck. And if I'm really feeling mean, I use my mobile linear on a
remote tuned antenna. :)

You cannot successfully protect a small, hang-around-your-neck
controller from EMP which is similar to what I'm talking about.

Then again, I reread the article and caught the relevant section, so
the point is mute.
========================================

You "Top Band" guys are incorrigible. Is there much activity these
days?

Yes and no. It's not like it used to be - I can work up a few QSO's
during the day and at night, but with the lowered CW requirement,
there aren't a lot of good high speed CW ops around anymore and that's
my real passion. In fact, there aren't a lot of good high speed ops
around period.

At the upper end, there's a lot of political nonsense now - righties,
lefties, jammers, etc - it's like 14.313 used to be on twenty meters.

However, occasionally I get out with the mobile stuff and show the
flag. Then I have to slow down to their speeds and I get bored.

Of course the ARS has changed since I was licensed. Back in the day,
it was a ton of fun and you could do things like work somebody a state
or two over using a 100 watt light bulb as a dummy load and the cold
water pipes as a RF ground. :)

My favorite QSO was when I received my General Ticket in the mail - I
immediately ran down to the TV store where I worked after school and
begged the owner, who was a ham, to use his Heathkit 10 meter lunchbox
(this was a five watt AM rig remember). We went out back, loaded uip
the lunchbox on an 11 meter steel whip and I did a CQ. DL3ALT
returned my call and I was the happiest guy in the world - man, that
was 'da bomb - I was talking to somebody in freakin' Germany!!!!

Now, all I need to do is pick up my cell phone and I can talk to my
oldest in Germany anytime I want.

By wireless. :)

Oh well - sorry for the trip down memory lane.

Take care.

Tom

"The beatings will stop when morale improves."
E. Teach, 1717