Hello. I had dx4win back in the 90's when it came on 3.5 inch disks. I still have my log file and want to transfer it to a new program and need to convert it to an .adi file. Is there a conversion program?  I tried installing the demo dx4win program, but it would not convert my file to .adi, though my old file worked with the new demo program. Any suggestions?  I dont want to buy a new program just to convert my old log. Thank you.

Joe

I just saw in CQ that MFJ came out with a new antenna. It is a vertical that is suppose to work on 8 bands. It is a portable antenna that weighs 2 pounds. It can extend to 17 feet.

Anyone know anything about this?

Joe

I moved the rig to my station that has a permanent antenna on my tower and problem is gone. The antenna that was causing problem was about ten feet away from plug causing problem. I had an ugly balun, but rf in shack must have been problem.

Just sort of scary, with the buzz and all.

Joe

I imagine that with CW, you could exceed the rated wattage because of the intermittent power flow.

Joe

Yes, I still have the Hallicrafters station that was set up in the Coke pavilion at the Wirkd's fair. Hope to have it up and running in a few weeks got the TS 520 permanently set up.

I have to admit that I am running the audio for the TS 520 through a DSP unit. The 520 does not have any filters and I lost a couple of QSO's to QRM, so I figured I'd have to bow to the march of time. It works well now. I used an old Radio Shack unit. Probably one of the last things that Radio Shack built for ham radio use.

Joe

Thanks. It will make the xyl feel better when she gets home.

Joe

Grounding it did not help.

Joe

Hello everyone. You know those ground interruptible plugs they put in kitchens?  I have my Kenwood TS520 in my kitchen with a temporary antenna on my deck. The xyl was out of town this week, so I played with radio all week.

I ran an extension cord to my shack downstairs where I have 30 amp circuits. So, I have nothing hooked up to the circuit in the kitchen. This circuit in my shack is all by itself, specially installed for ham radio.

However, when I key on CW, I hear a little buzz and I trigger the circuit breaker in the plug. There is nothing connected to that circuit.

Why would keying my radio which is plugged into a separate circuit blow the circuit breaker in the plug?  When I use the toaster, it does not blow, so it is not "weak."

Is there RF feedback going into the wiring?  The wiring on the kitchen circuit is about 3 feet away. I do not have a ground connected to the radio. Probably should try that to a cold water pipe. But, what do you think?

Joe

My first CW QSO was using a FT101ZD.  As soon as I hit the key, I immediately blew out the two final amp tubes! I forgot to do or not do something. I had to wait about two weeks before the new tubes came in the mail.  At least you managed a QSO without smoking your radio. FB OM.

Joe

After reading the comments, I got the Czech key out and put it next to the US Navy Flameproof key. The Navy key is not a key that was intended for the field, of course. But, the Navy key fells like a smooth precision instrument compared to the Czech key.

So, while the Czech key is definitely built to stop a 7.62 mm NATO round, it certainly looks really cool and it is composed of a lot of parts, (like that big spring inside), I can't see where it should be an everyday key. I think it is a great key to use on a portable operation, a really great key for that,  but it just is not made for peacetime, everyday use. It is still a great unique key to have.

Oh, the clothlike cord and plug are neat too on the Czech key.

Joe

I think the only limit we now have on ham radio fun is the lack of Hans on the air available for ragchewing.  I believe that the busy world we live in limits the time that most hams have to simply fire up the rig and make some QSO's.

Joe

Well, I received my Czech key today and thought I would give my impression of it. Let's just say it is not a US made Navy key. Quite frankly, it looks like they designed this key to be at home in a bunker, not in a radio shack. The thing was designed to take the most labor to put together as possible. It is very strange and unique.

The key is very solid on the table. It will be used here as the key that I will take to the field and not worry about banging it around. I personally think it dies not have a crisp feel to it, but perhaps I have to learn how to adjust it.
Is it worth the money? Yes. But not for every day use. To throw in a box of stuff to take camping is what it should be bought for if you want not to chance damage to one of your other keys. I can't imagine anyone using this key every day.

Joe

I received my new TS520 from buying it  from a ham here on eham.
I set it up in my kitchen so I could play with it this weekend.  I threw together a shortened dipole made from ladder line and wire where the ladder line is used to load the arms of the dipole. I fed it with some old Radio Shack RG58 I had and threw it up on the deck. I had to wrap the wire around the deck posts to get it to fit. I wrapped a bunch of the coax around a Pepsi bottle to make a choke and brought the coax through the doorwall.
My second contact with it (I am near Ann Arbor, Michigan), was on 40 meters with a guy running one watt to a 600 foot long wire in Wisconsin. What a riot! The TS520 had no trouble picking him out. In fact, he was pretty loud.  I was listening through the rig's internal speaker to boot.

So, it just goes to show that you can still have fun using normal equipment ($200 plus shipping), with an antenna that is not supposed to work. The rig does not have any CW filters, I just use the RIT to get the signal to come in where I can hear it.  Ham radio is a lot of fun.

Joe

I always wondered what would happen if I put a 40 meter dipole on the same mast as my quad. Would it interfere with the workings of the quad?

Joe

30 meters, in my opinion, is truly a blend of 40 and 20 meters. I think it is alive more than 20, but more quiet than 40.

That's the good part. The problem is that the band is simply not used as much as it should be. All us CW guys should be active on 30, but there are just not enough people on the band.

I used to use 17 meters a lot during the 90's, but now it is just not busy. The band is
nice because it does not have the contested and is a great DX band. Obviously, 20 has to be open before you will get to use 17.

Within I was restricted to one band, for propagation I would choose 30. But, the problem is the lack of activity. That is not to say it is not busy at times. I just think that there should be more action.

Joe