Next meeting:October 18th at Round Table Pizza in Jackson/Martell. Find out more.
In this issue: Not a lot I’m afraid, we need your input! But we do have our Tube of the Month – classifieds – DX – focus contests – State QSO parties are over for the year! – funny stuff! – and more!
Are done for the year! See you in February for the VT, MN, and BC QSO Parties.
Classifieds
For Sale: New, never used, EHU for BigIR / $250 or best offer – Thank you, Steve / NC6Rnc6r4dx@gmail.com
High Power Antenna Tuners: Have you always wanted a big Johnson? Now’s your chance! I bought this EF Johnson Kilowatt Matchbox years ago at a hamfest and never used it – darn those resonant antennas – so I have no idea of its actual condition. Is said to be able plenty more than 1000 watts, and can tune a balanced antenna as well as something at the other end of a coax. Includes the directional coupler. $150 or best offer. Jeff WK6Iwk6i.jeff@gmail.com.
I also have a big Dentron MT3000A. Same story, never used it. This unit includes an antenna switch, dummy load, and can also handle a balanced antenna. $200 or best offer. Jeff WK6Iwk6i.jeff@gmail.com.
As of 14 October 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
247
2
W1SRD
241
3
W6DE
216
4
K6OK
200
5
K6YK
195
CW
1
K6YK
174
2
NO5Z
138
3
K6OK
121
4
NA6O
112
5
N6WM
111
Phone
1
K6YK
121
2
W1SRD
120
3
NO5Z
116
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
103
Data
1
NK7I
238
2
W1SRD
223
3
W6DE
191
4
K7QDX
189
5
K6OK
173
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
10
In the March, 1921 issue of QST, RCA announced that they had added their first CW power tube to their post war lineup. The UV-202/C-302 had construction that was similar to their others tubes with short pins and a brass base. It was rated at 5 watts output. The first 202 tubes I ever found had their bases removed. This was a common practice to get a tube to operate at higher frequency as it reduced capacity.
10
In the October, 1925 issue of QST, RCA announced several new tubes including the UX-210/C-210. The new tube was called a 7 ½ watter and it had the new UX base. That base had long pins and was made from baklite plastic. The plate voltage for transmitting was 425 volts at 60 ma. When used as an audio amp in a receiver, 90 to 157 volts could be used. The filament voltage was 7.5 volts in a transmitter and 6 volts in a receiver. The mu was 7.7 which made it a better oscillator then the UV-202 was. By 1929 the ARRL Handbook didn’t list the 202, but almost every transmitter circuit featured a UX-210 as an oscillator or amplifier sometimes using several parallel tubes.
With an effective monopoly on tube production in 1929, RCA was in control. Control was lost in the early 1930’s when the courts broke the game open when they allowed other makers to build tubes using the RCA patents. Soon production was started at Sylvania (210), Raytheon (RK-10), Taylor Tubes and others. RCA made the 10 in a different envelope and designated it a 10Y. It was also known as a VT-25-A and was used as the speech amplifier in the WWII BC-375 transmitter that was incorporated in the B-17 bomber and other mobile and fixed applications.
Today these small triodes are all collector’s items but audio enthusiasts have made a big market for them.
Next meeting:October 18th at tbd in tbd. Find out more. (No September meeting.)
In this issue: CQP tips, tubes – classifieds – DX – focus contests – State QSO parties! – funny stuff! – and more!
From the Prez
Just random rambling thoughts…..
I played around in the NA CW Sprint a couple of weeks ago. “Played” around is probably the best way to phrase it. While copying 36 wpm is not an issue for me in a contest like this, just trying to figure out the strategy and using N1MM is. I’m sure, after some goof-ups, there were a few out there who clearly thought that this guy wasn’t worthy of a 1×2 callsign! It’s not like I haven’t done a few of these. I have. Maybe once or twice a year. The NCCC Sprints are a great way to practice. I just need to remember to do so.
I have now done a few CW, Phone and RTTY contests since my migration from Writelog to N1MM, but had not done a CW Sprint with N1MM until this one. My biggest issue was the function key setup. I’ve grown used to N1MM’s default function key configurations, which have seemed to work out just fine for me. For the Sprint, however, they were worthless and I had to figure it out on the fly, which did result in some sloppy exchanges from me. I did put a note out on the NCCC reflector and Ed, AJ6V, sent me his function key file, so I’ll try it out on a NCCC Sprint.
Before I go any further, let me say that I started out using CT and then went to Writelog. I have found Writelog to be incredibly stable and I have had no complaints with the program until I got a Flex. In theory, Writelog should be a great logging program for Flex users, since they have a native Flex driver, but I found over the years that I would have one problem after another. Flaky problems, especially when using SO2R. Steve, W1SRD, told me long ago to switch to N1MM and now that I have, the Flex issues are no longer an issue. SO2R and everything else seems to be trouble-free now.
So, back to N1MM. The CQWW RTTY contest is this weekend and it will be my second RTTY contest using N1MM. In my first N1MM RTTY contest, everything went perfectly, including SO2R. What I miss from Writelog are some of the tricks WK6I taught me, like “WK6I, TU NOW K6TQ 599 SV” There’s got to be a way to do this in N1MM. Just haven’t figured it out yet. Oh, and when working SO2R late in a contest I would use Jeff’s other trick….”WK6I TU QRV 28090 W1RH CQ”. Maybe someone reading this can clue me in.
More rambling.
My first ham transmitter was home-built, using a 6AG7 and a 6L6. I built it from a circuit the 1954 handbook, which my father had although he never got his ham license. The circuit is nearly identical to the old Heathkit AT-1. I don’t have a clue what I did with the home brew transmitter. I was 13 years old at the time. The receiver I used back then was an old Heathkit GR-91 that I built when I was 12 years old. Don’t know what happened to that one either. I have often regretted losing track of what I did with that receiver and transmitter so when Rusty, W6OAT, mentioned on the NCCC reflector that his neighbor had a Heathkit GR-91 headed for eWaste, I had Rusty grab it for me. Another friend happened to have an old Heathkit AT-1 and I grabbed that. Bill, N6GHZ, also gave me an old HQ-100 receiver, which I thought might be a good match for the AT-1. All of these boat anchors have been sitting in the shop for a few years now but I am getting interested in making them work. I have never plugged in the GR-91 but I did try the AT-1, and it’s a basket case just waiting to be repaired. When I had that homebrew Novice transmitter, I came across a used VF-1 at Selectronics, in Sacramento. Now, if I only had one of those to go with the AT-1.
The same friend that gave me the AT-1 also gave me a Heathkit DX-35 and a DX-100. I gave the DX-100 to Fred, NO5Z (better known as KH7Y), who restored it but I kept the DX-35. After I got my Conditional class license (remember those?), I copied the circuit of a DX-35 control-carrier modulator and used it with my home-brew AT-1. Worked great! So, I kept the DX-35 with the idea that I’d restore it also.
But, once restored, what do I do with this stuff? I suppose there’s Straight Key Night for the AT-1, if I can find a VF-1 or crystals. But what about the DX-35? Well, today I got the ARRL Contest Update and it mentions the AM QSO Party, hosted by the antique Wireless Association. Never heard of this, but now I have a reason to get the DX-35 operational, along with the GR-91 or the HQ-100. All it takes is time…
Our next meeting will be on October 18th. I have Greg, NR6Q, tentatively scheduled to do our October meeting, which will feature his “Saga of the Free Tower.” I’m still waiting to verify Greg’s availability, but I can’t wait to watch this presentation.
One more thing. I want to thank our Pacific Division Director, John, NZ6Q, and his wife, Annie, N6ACL, for attending our last meeting and filling us in on some of the current happenings at the ARRL. John has done an outstanding job as Pacific Division Director, along with Carol, KP4MD, as Vice-Director.
For Sale: New, never used, EHU for BigIR / $250 or best offer – Thank you, Steve / NC6Rnc6r4dx@gmail.com
High Power Antenna Tuners: Have you always wanted a big Johnson? Now’s your chance! I bought this EF Johnson Kilowatt Matchbox years ago at a hamfest and never used it – darn those resonant antennas – so I have no idea of its actual condition. Is said to be able plenty more than 1000 watts, and can tune a balanced antenna as well as something at the other end of a coax. Includes the directional coupler. $150 or best offer. Jeff WK6Iwk6i.jeff@gmail.com.
I also have a big Dentron MT3000A. Same story, never used it. This unit includes an antenna switch, dummy load, and can also handle a balanced antenna. $200 or best offer. Jeff WK6Iwk6i.jeff@gmail.com.
As of 22 September 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
238
2
W1SRD
236
3
W6DE
216
4
K6OK
196
5
NO5Z
189
5
K6YK
188
CW
1
K6YK
169
2
NO5Z
135
3
K6OK
120
4
N6WM
109
5
NA6O
108
Phone
1
K6YK
118
2
W1SRD
117
3
NO5Z
116
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
101
Data
1
NK7I
230
2
W1SRD
217
3
W6DE
191
4
K7QDX
187
5
K6OK
167
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
Schedule the time in your calendar to operate the contest. Get focused on making your best effort this year. Give the contest 100% effort for the time you have to operate.
I like to go to 3830 scores and copy my last year’s contest score and place it on the operating table so I can see how I did last year. This gives me a benchmark to beat.
In the California QSO Party, you need to be calling CQ all the time. People are looking for you; this is not the time to spend lots of time searching and pouncing. I wait about a second to a second and a half before my next CQ if no one answers me. Calling CQ is like fishing; if your line is not in the water, no fish will bite.
Keep your exchange to just the serial number and the county you’re in. You need to set the tempo of your exchange. If you sound like you mean business, they will respond in kind.
Plan your off times to be the most efficient so you’re not off when the rates are still high.
Meeting was called to order at 12:24 p.m. by Vice President Steve Allred, NC6R. There were 14 attending in person, with two more attending via zoom (sign-in sheet). There were three guests. Steve welcomed everyone. Each member introduced themselves.
Old Business
The July minutes were published in the Newsletter. The motion to accept was made by Sue Allred K6SZQ, and seconded by Rick Karlquist, N6RK. The vote was unanimous.
The Treasurer’s report is now done quarterly.
New Business
The plaque for CQP top score outside of California is sponsored by Rick Karlquist, N6RK, and Greg Glenn, NR6Q.
Bob Kehr, KA9MDP, applied for club membership. His application was accepted, and the vote was unanimous.
The club placed second in the last Cal QSO party, all members encouraged to participate this year.
Member Achievements
Greg Glenn, NR6Q, has made 80 QSOs running AM phone.
Upcoming Contests
ARRL EME contest Sept 13 – 14th.
North American Sprint, CW 0000 – 0400 Sept 14th
New Jersey, Texas, Iowa, New Hampshire QSO Parties and the Washington State Salmon run are all on Sept 20 – 21st.
John Litz, NZ6Q, made a presentation requesting our votes for him for Pacific Division Director,
There are swap meets in Reno on the 13th, and in Lincoln on the 20th.
Robert Hess, W1RH, led discussion of strategies for success in CQP. He outlined the available classes and the possibility of recruiting area amateurs to allow MLDXCC to move to a larger club category. Also discussed was the possibility of recruiting Colin Meeks, K6CMM or another young ham to participate as there are bonus points for youth involvement and many other bonuses available.
There was also extensive advice given by Rich Cutler, WC6H, on methods for maintaining high QSO rates in contests. Thank you to Bob, Rich, and all for the valuable advice!.
Next Meeting
Is Scheduled for September 27th, location TBD. (Actually, not. Stay tuned… – Ed.)
A joint meetings with NCCC is in the works, date and location TBD.
Adjournment: Moved by Norm Wilson, N6JV, and seconded by Jason Pritchard, KE5JTS, passed unanimously at 1:36 PM.
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
304T
In 1940, EIMAC tried using four 75T tubes in parallel and designated it the 304T. The 304T had plates with caps and external grid connections. A cup shield that was concave down was added later (2nd example). I believe the shield is used to protect the glass seals from overheating due to the proximity to the extremely hot anodes and grids. Experiments were made to make the grids connected internally (3rd example).
example 1
example 2
example 3
By 1941 the 304TL (VT-129) with a mu of 12 and the 304TH (VT-254) with a mu of 20 were being produced. They had an external grid ring and the cup shield was now concave up. The late 1942 production of 304TLs was made with their plates open at the top (4th example). In 1943 the caps returned to the covered type and with the external grid ring for the first 3 months. In May of 1943, the grids were all internally connected (5th example). The 304TL was made in great numbers especially in Salt Lake City. In 1941 alone, a total of 544,473 TLs were made. The TLs were used primarily as pulse modulators most commonly in the Army SCR-584 RADAR. With the great demand for these tubes, the type became copied by competitors especially Heinz & Kaufman. The last (6th) example shows a HK-304L which had the same Army VT designation in spite of the fact that was a taller tube and may not fit in all applications. The 304L had no internal shield as there were four separate wire seals that were a distance away from the anode/grid heat sources.
Next meeting: August 30th at Round Table Pizza in Martel (Jackson). Find out more.
In this issue: tubes as always, and… ancient PowerPoints? – new videos! – classifieds – DX – focus contests – State QSO parties! – funny stuff! – and more!
From the Prez
Hello Contesters and DX’ers!
We’re going to talk about CQP at our next meeting so I thought I’d suggest a few items for everyone to peruse.
There are five categories for a California club to enter in:
Yosemite
Joshua Tree
Sequoia
Redwood
Channel Islands
The number of logs submitted determines what category a club is in.
The Yosemite category is for those clubs submitting 31+ logs.
The Joshua Tree Category is for those clubs submitting 21-30 logs.
The Sequoia Category is for those clubs submitting 11-20 logs.
The Redwood Category is for those clubs submitting 6-10 logs
The Channel Islands Category is for those clubs submitting 1-5 logs.
In 2024, the Yosemite category had no entrants. Not one club submitted the required 31 or more logs.
The Joshua Tree Category is where the Southern California Contest Club and MLDXCC ended up, with SCCC submitting 30 logs and MLDXCC submitting 28 logs. SCCC beat us by a lot….775,754 points. In short, we were not even close.
The Redwood Empire DX Association was the only entrant in the Sequoia Category, with 12 logs and, obviously, won the category.
Pizza Lovers 259, with 8 logs submitted, won the Redwood Category beating the West Valley ARA, with 10 logs submitted. This was a fairly close competition.
Last, but not least was the very interesting Channel Islands Category. There were 42 clubs represented in this category. The winner, by around 150,000 points, was the Sierra Foothills ARC. The Orange County ARC came in second.
It is interesting to look at the clubs in MLDXCC territory who submitted logs:
5 logs – Sierra Foothills ARC
2 logs – Calaveras ARS
2 logs – River City ARCS
3 logs – Yuba-Sutter ARC
2 logs – El Dorado County ARC
1 log – Stockton-Delta ARC
1 log – Toulumne County Amateur Radio and Electronics Society
1 log – Fresno ARC
Recruiting from local clubs could be a possibility for us. Something else to dig into are the respectable scores from some of the members of clubs competing in the Channel Islands Category. Let’s take a look at the scores they contributed to their club total (with bonus points).
Sierra Foothills ARC – KD6HOF – 152,768 (Expedition to Butte/Plumas)
Sierra Foothills ARC – N6WYZ – 113,600 (Expedition to Alpine County – new contester)
Sierra Foothills ARC – WU6X – 103,344 (Expedition to Siskiyou County)
Calaveras ARS – KA9MDP – 125,124 (Expedition to Alpine County – new contester)
Calaveras ARS – N6FRG – 61,484 (Expedition to Calaveras County)
River City ARCS – N6PGQ – 105,468 (Placer County)
Yuba-Sutter ARC – W6PNH – 66,750 (new contester, Sutter county)
El Dorado County ARC – KN6UDK – 61,190 (new contester, Madera county)
If you total up all of the above scores, the total is 789,728 points.
You may recall that I mentioned above that SCCC beat us by 775,754 points. Note, however, that if every one of the stations listed above entered logs for MLDXCC, we would be in the Yosemite Category all by ourselves but at least we would have the pleasure of out-scoring SCCC.
So, my question to all of you: Do you know any of the stations mentioned above? These are stations that are ripe for recruiting.
See you on Saturday!
From the Veep
Did you get an opportunity to participate in the NAQP SSB contest? I was pleased to host Skip N6NFB at home during the contest. He ran the contest under his call @ 100 watts and managed to log quite a number of states on 15 meters. Hopefully some of those will turn out to ones he needs for 15 meter WAS.
My HF activity has been someone what limited lately as other jobs tend to take precedence. I’ve yet again allowed myself to be looped into another repeater project. While very time consuming, the results are rewarding.
My six meter quest continues. Band conditions have been on again, off again. I continue to look for Delaware and Rhode Island only to have them fade out. One day last week there were a number of openings, thanks to a sporadic “E” event. This was my first real exposure to that much of an opening. As the name implies, one minute they were there, then gone the next, very frustrating indeed.
I had previously mentioned to a couple of members that I had purchased a receive loop from W6LVP. I’m looking for it to be an asset during the winter season on 40, 80 & 160. I’m still looking for four (4) DX Q’s to confirm on 80 meters.
How’re your DX Marathon numbers looking? Remember even though you’ve worked a DXCC country before, they count as “brand new” again every year for the CQ DX Marathon. Also for those of you using FT8 / FT4, those contacts count in your Marathon totals as well.
I like to urge each one of you to become involved in MLDXCC by attending meetings, submitting your DX contacts to Club Log, participating in the CQ Marathon and by contributing your contest scores. Please list your log submission under the name “Mother Lode DX Contest Club“.
Also invite new people to club meetings. It doesn’t matter if they are new to the hobby, we all started somewhere. MLDXCC is an award winning DX & Contest Club and with your support we can continue to excel.
It’s time to brush up on your code skills for the fall DX and contest season! Two great resources to help are CW Academy and Learn CW Online.
Don’t wait until the last minute to get your RTTY going for the CQ Worldwide next month, visit Don AA5AU’s excellent RTTY Contesting site for help (or ask on the MLDXCC email list.)
A new four-part interview of noted (and perhaps notorious) DXer and DXpeditioner Don Miller W9WNV was posted recently on the NCDXF chat. Here’s the link to it in case you missed it.
For sale:Bob W1RH has a WaveNode WN2 Digital Watt Meter, with four HF sensors. This unit sells new for $385, with a single sensor. I have been using is in an SO2R configuration with a sensor on the input and output of each amplifier.
That way, I can always see my input and output power. Rick, W6SR, who uses my station remotely more than I do, has depended on the software display to know how much power he’s running.
There are several options for the look of the computer display. And there are several other features such as rotator control and antenna switching but I have just used the wattmeter function.
I’m selling this because I have purchased the Flex PGXL amplifier, which has built in and remotable watt meters. It can be yours for $200.
Bob also has for sale an Array Solutions 6-PAK 6 port SO2R antenna switch – $250
“You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat.” – Albert Einstein, explaining radio
And a bit of prescience from 1906, stumbled into by your editor:
As of 25 August 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
232
2
W1SRD
231
3
W6DE
209
4
K6OK
190
5
K6YK
188
CW
1
K6YK
168
2
NO5Z
130
3
K6OK
119
4
NA6O
107
5
N6WM
106
Phone
1
K6YK
118
2
W1SRD
116
3
NO5Z
115
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
101
Data
1
NK7I
223
2
W1SRD
206
3
W6DE
184
4
K7QDX
183
5
K6OK
159
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
Meeting was called to order at 12:23 p.m. by Vice President Steve Allred, NC6R. There were 10 attending in person, with four more attending via zoom (sign-in sheet). There was one guest, the meeting speaker: Chris Knox, KI1P introduced by Steve Allred. Steve welcomed everyone. Each member introduced themselves.
Old Business
The June minutes were published in the Newsletter. The motion to accept was made by Norm Wilson N6JV, and seconded by Rick Casey, W6RKC.
The Treasurer’s quarterly report motion to accept was made by Rich Cutler, WC6H, and seconded by Norm Wilson, N6JV. Both motions passed unanimously.
The IDXC 2026 convention is scheduled for Santa Maria on April 10 – 12, 2026.
IDXC 2027 has been announced, it is a go. NCDXC will once again be hosting the event scheduled for March 12 -14 2027 in Visalia.
Steve also encouraged us all to promote the club among our ham radio friends.
Next Meeting
Is Scheduled for August 30, location TBD.
A joint meetings with NCCC is in the works, date and location TBD.
Adjournment: Moved by Jay Harmor, KE6GLA and seconded by Steve Allred, NC6R, passed unanimously at 12:45 PM.
Presentation “QSO Party roving in Style” by Chris Knox KI1P. He outlines his acquisition of first one, and then a second retired news van, each with pneumatic masts and converting them to ham radio rover use. Amazing and inspiring stuff. Much more can be found at his website. Rich Cutler asked if there was any difficulty with wind against a big antenna at the top of the mast. Chris explained that each van weighed more than 10,00 pounds, providing ample ballast (and poor gas mileage).
Our illustrious VP Steve NC6R was rooting around in his desk the other day and chanced upon a couple of thumb drives (remember those?) containing Contest and DX Academy presentations from the 2013 and 2014 International DX Convention (IDXC) in Visalia, CA.
Steve passed these along to your Editor to publish in The Nugget. And so, here they are for you enjoy and reminisce about contesting in the last decade! (And there’s a lot of still-relevant material!)
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
152T
In 1938, Eimac started experimenting with paralleling 75T tubes in the same envelope. The earliest form of a two-unit tube was the 152Trated at 150 watts. The grids were connected in parallel but the filaments were separated. Eimac advertised that you could run one triode until it failed and then turn the tube 180 degrees and use the second triode. If both sections were to be used, the filaments could be paralleled and run at 5 volts or in series and operated at 10 volts. The plate had a maximum of 3000 volts at 450 ma. The maximum frequency for full power was 40 MHz. When used as a pulse modulator, the maximum voltage was 18 KV. Subsequent tubes made in WWII had a different envelope shape.
The first example (above) is the oldest example I have ever seen. It has an envelope that slopes to the anode connection and a brown ceramic base. Eimac filed a patent numbered 2,355,717 in February 1941 that illustrated the 152T with an envelope that was flat on top as is shown in the second photo. The original design was probably made in 1940 or before. During the war, the grid connection was made internal and an internal shield was added as seen in the third photo. These tubes were used as pulse modulators in the REL MK IIIC gun laying RADAR and other equipment. The later tubes were designated the 152TH with a mu of 20 and the 152TL with a mu of 12.
Next meeting: July 26th in Martel (Jackson). Find out more.
In this issue: tubes, verticals, and… tuning forks? – new videos! – classifieds – DX – contests – State QSO parties! – funny stuff! – and more!
From the Prez
Hello DX’ers and Contesters,
If you missed our last meeting, you missed a good one. Craig, K9CT, gave us a presentation on his contest super-station in Illinois. The good news is that Jeff WK6I will have the video of the presentation up on the website by the time you read this. Look for the Resources tab on the website, click on it and go to Videos (also linked below – J.)
I do have some videos available from our past meetings, but very few were actually recorded. Little by little, I am editing these down and sending them off to Jeff, as YouTube videos, so he can add the links to the website.
The California QSO Party will be here before you know it, so now is the time to start planning whether or not you’re going to operate from home or as a county expedition.
Last year, SCCC’s CQP score was 4,593,487. MLDXCC was well under SCCC, with 3,817,733 points. SCCC also won the Club Competition, in our category, in 2023. MLDXCC beat SCCC in 2022. Let’s go for the WIN in 2025!
County expeditions can be a lot of fun and can be a way to really rack up the points for the Club. A group of us were in Alpine County last year and part of that group has also operated in Tehama County for several years. We had a blast! The more county expeditions MLDXCC members can do, the better, especially if they are in rare counties.
Dean, N6DE, has done an exceptional job with CQP, and that includes compiling an annual list of rare counties. I don’t see any 2025 updates on the website yet, but you can bet that they will be there soon. You’re going to want to look at that rare county list and then claim it. (See below for the latest!)
How many of you have wished you had the ultimate operating location during an HF contest, a VHF contest, or even when trying to work that all-time new one? This could be on the top of a mountain, the side of a mountain, or on an ocean beach. Chris, KI1P, lives in Northfield, Vermont, and with a location like that one would think that he has a pretty darn good QTH. Not the case. An HF beam, pointed at Europe, looks into a granite mountain that is nearly in his back yard. To solve this problem, Chris bought a retired television live truck and turned it into a superb contest station, with top notch equipment. It is essentially an HF and VHF rover. There is a lot more to this story and you can hear all about it at our next meeting, which will be on July 26th, at Round Table Pizza, in Jackson (Martel). I saw Chris’s presentation at the Contest Forum this year in Dayton. Chris has a great sense of humor. You will find it very entertaining and you may just want to find a retired television live truck and build one of these rover contest stations yourself. Hope to see many of you there!
From the Veep
Hello MLDXCC!
Well, Field Day (2025) is now completed, how did you guys do? With a part time effort (due to challenges), there were 392 Q’s in the log. It always gives me pleasure to work the new (younger) operators. Their excitement is refreshing. Make sure you get your score and field day stories to Jeff WK6I so he can put them in the news letter.
Worked any good DX lately? As observed, HF conditions have been a little up and down. Stations in Europe on 20 are now workable in the evening providing some new Marathon contact.
Six meters (50.313 FT8) however has been very active at times. The last several evenings the north (BC, WA & OR) and south (AZ & NM) path has been active. Regarding my WAS search on 6 meters, I’m still waiting for a good east coast opening to Delaware & Rhode Island.
How’s your DX Marathon numbers looking? Remember even though you’ve worked a DXCC country before, they count as “brand new” again every year for the Marathon. WARC band & FT4/FT8 contacts all count for the Marathon as well.
Also listen for the K6C Special Event Station starting July 11th. This is a special call for the California State Fair (Cal Expo). I will be on 20 SSB various evenings, so give me a shout.
Well that’s all for now, time to go work outside before it gets to hot! Remember to stay hydrated!
The California QSO Party (CQP) is October 4th and that day will arrive faster than you think. The CQP web site has just been updated for 2025. You can now go there and register your planned activity, and you can track what others have planned.
The Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) has announced a new special on-air event — the NCCC 55th Anniversary Fiesta, taking place Saturday, August 9, 2025, from 1900Z Saturday-0300Z Sunday (noon to 8pm Pacific Time). This is an “operating event” with no log checking, on CW, SSB, and RTTY. Find out more!
The Southern California DX Club (SCDXC) notes in their July newsletter that due to waning interest, the August 2025 newsletter may be the last one. Readers are encouraged to respond if they desire to see more newsletters after that.
For Sale: New, never used, EHU for BigIR / $250 or best offer – Thank you, Steve / NC6Rk6sca@volcano.net
For Sale: $995 takes all, HF Amp / Tuner / Swr-Power Meter / Dummy Load – see below. Located in Northwest Reno, NV and can deliver to NCCC Truckee BBQ Sun July 27th if desired. Barry K6STk6st@arrl.net
HF Amplifier 160m – 10m Ameritron AL-811H. The Al-811 gives you 600 watts PEP output. 13.75 x 8.65 x 16 inches. Weight: 31 pounds. The Ameritron AL-811H is similar to the AL-811, but with four fully neutralized 811A transmitting tubes for 800 watts of power.
LDG AT-600ProII is a general-purpose automatic tuner intended for use with midsize amplifiers with up to 600 watts output SSB, 500 watts CW, 300W Digital from 1.8 – 54 MHz. Easy to Read Bar Graph – Dual Antenna Switch – Switched-L tuning network.
High Power SWR watt meter. HF, peak reading, 3kW
MFJ-250X VersaLoad KW Wet Dummy Load with oil. Lets you tune up fast!
For sale: Bob W1RH has a WaveNode WN2 Digital Watt Meter, with four HF sensors. This unit sells new for $385, with a single sensor. I have been using is in an SO2R configuration with a sensor on the input and output of each amplifier.
That way, I can always see my input and output power. Rick, W6SR, who uses my station remotely more than I do, has depended on the software display to know how much power he’s running.
There are several options for the look of the computer display. And there are several other features such as rotator control and antenna switching but I have just used the wattmeter function.
I’m selling this because I have purchased the Flex PGXL amplifier, which has built in and remotable watt meters. It can be yours for $200. Contact Bob W1RHw1rh@yahoo.com.
Bob W1RH also has the following items available:
Alpha 91B amplifier. $1200
Brand new, in the box, Svetlana 4CX800A amplifier tube – $250
Array Solutions 6-PAK 6 port SO2R antenna switch – $250
For sale:Eimac 8877 and 3CX800A7 tubes, all tested to factory spec (June 2025) by retired Eimac engineer, includes individual data sheet for each tube. Price $700 each, $1200/pair.
Also for sale Jan 7203/4CX250B NOS in sealed can $100 each and Jan 7609/4CX150D NOS in sealed can $30 each.
As of 17 July 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
229
2
W1SRD
227
3
W6DE
205
4
K6OK
187
5
K6YK
183
CW
1
K6YK
163
2
NO5Z
122
3
K6OK
120
4
NA6O
106
5
N6WM
104
Phone
1
W1SRD
116
2
K6YK
115
3
NO5Z
115
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
101
Data
1
NK7I
220
2
W1SRD
200
3
W6DE
180
4
K7QDX
173
5
K6OK
157
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
Meeting was called to order at 12:27 p.m. by Vice President Steve Allred, NC6R. There were 12 attending in person, with three more attending via zoom. Of these there were three guests.There was one guest: Randy Keen, K6TVT introduced by Steve Allred. Steve welcomed everyone. Each member introduced themselves.
Old Business
The May minutes were published in the Newsletter.
The Treasurer’s reports are now being done on a quarterly basis, so there is no report presented during this meeting.
New Business
None
Member Achievements
Norm Wilson, N6JV, worked his long sought E6 prefix via moonbounce.
Jay Harmor, KE6GLA, activated 3 summits recently.
Skip Chraft, N6NFB, made just under 200 Q’s in 9 hours in the ARRL Digital contest.
The IDXC 2026 convention is scheduled for Santa Maria on April 10 – 12, 2026.
IDXC 2027 has been announced, it is a go. NCDXC will once again be hosting the event scheduled for March 12 -14 2027 in Visalia.
Steve Allred recognized Norm Wilson, N6JV for his tireless effort as the former newsletter editor. He also thanks Jeff Stai, Wk6I, for stepping up, and making a great newsletter and website upgrades.
Steve also encouraged us all to promote the club among our ham radio friends.
Next Meeting
Is Scheduled for July 26, location TBD.
A joint meetings with NCCC is in the works, date and location.
Adjournment: Moved and seconded, passed unanimously at 12:41 PM.
Craig Thompson, K9CT, gave a fascinating virtual tour of his super station. His station defines what a super contesting station should be!
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
2C40 The Lighthouse
Many of the tubes that were used to make the first experimental RADAR sets were standard types as the frequency was relatively low and would work without modification. Early large ground RADARs were in the 100 – 200 MHz range. Developing higher RADAR frequencies quickly became a race to stay ahead of the competition and their ability to jam your system. The limit that a tube could operate at is determined by its output capacity and the length of any internal inductances. The grid to plate spacing in the 2C40 was only .3 mm.
2C40
The 2C40 was developed to be a low power oscillator or amplifier at a maximum of 3370 MHz to be used in microwave receivers or signal generators. That high frequency was achieved by using a tube with an output capacity of 1.3 pf and coaxial tank elements that were designed to mount directly on the tube. The tunable cavity was designed to use concentric cylinders that were sized to slide over the 2C40 and make contact. When the cavity was assembled, the tube could be plugged into the end and a socket fed with a cable supplied filament power. The filament of the 2C40 was 6.3 volts at .75 amps. In a conventional oscillator or amplifier, the plate voltage would be 450 maximum at 22 ma. If used in a pulse application, 1400 volts could be used.
The 2C40 had a low noise figure for this period so it was used in preamplifiers for RADAR receivers such as the AN/TPS -1D and the AN/FPS-37 and the BP shipboard IFF interrogator.
A holy grail for many hams is an antenna that’s usable on nearly all bands that takes up very little room. This time we’re talking multi-band verticals. While compromised in several ways, they at least get us on the air. For this survey, we’ll only consider the contraptions that are resonant on their supported bands (without adjustment) as opposed to the non-resonant ones that are heavily reliant on an antenna tuner, such as a 43-foot vertical.
What About Radials?
Every vertical antenna has an associated ground radial system, sometimes called a counterpoise. When dealing with multiple bands, an effective solution is ground-based radials which are non-resonant. The drawback is that you have to deploy quite a few long wires in your yard in order to achieve good efficiency (radials provide a low-loss return path instead of the lossy Earth). Another solution could be elevated radials which are resonant, but that would mean that you need separate wires for each band, and that’s quite a cobweb. Yet another solution is an off-center fed vertical dipole (OCFVD) where the radials are a single, fixed length, and need not be very long. We’ll review a couple of designs like that.
Some Models That Use Ground Radials
Reminder: All of these antennas require a robust ground radial system in order to maintain efficiency. See the ARRL Antenna Book for some design recommendations and tradeoffs for ground radials.
DX Commander [Ref. 1] offers several models that use ground-based radials covering everything from 80 through 2m. For the vertical elements, they use an array of parallel 1/4-wavelength wires, making this the vertical equivalent of a fan dipole and nicely resonant on all bands. This is electrically very simple with no traps or elaborate mechanical contraptions though some elements fold back or have small loading inductors. Their kits include plastic guides that keep the wires parallel (Figure 1). Assuming you can put down an adequate radial field, this will be an efficient antenna with good bandwidth on each band. A drawback is that it’s going to be tall, e.g., 33 ft for 40m. They do have a loading kit for 80m to keep it from ending up in the stratosphere. Overall, I really like these antennas because of their straightforward design, efficiency, bandwidth, and power handling.
Figure 1. Detail of the wire guide/guy ring on a DX Commander vertical.
Hustler is an old brand (now owned and sold by DX Engineering) of trapped verticals that require ground-based radials. For instance, the 6BTV covers 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 80m and is only 24 ft tall. There are five traps in series which add inductance thus shortening the antenna on the lower bands. They are rated for high power (1 kW CW) and have reasonable SWR bandwidth except on 80m where it’s roughly 80 kHz (2:1), which is typical of any shortened antenna. The only issue I have is loss in the traps and the possibility of trap failure with weather and time.
Butternut is another older company now owned by DX Engineering offering a 6- and a 9-band version. The HF6V covers 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 80m and is 26 ft tall. They use several interesting tricks including loading coils, traps, and transmission line matching sections. Their traps are pretty serious, being made of large aluminum tubing and low-loss ceramic capacitors (Figure 2). This minimizes loss and fully supports high power. Once again its reduced height means bandwidth will be limited on 40m (150 kHz, 2:1) and 80m (<80 kHz). Like all complex multi-band verticals, plan on spending some time with an antenna analyzer and your toolkit to adjust the SWR on each band per the instructions. And if you choose the big brother with nine bands, tuning may be even more interesting. Overall, this is another solid though complex antenna design.
Figure 2. Closeup of a Butternut trap. This is very robust and low-loss design.
The OCFVD Vertical
Hy-Gain and Cushcraft made a number of popular models based on off-center fed vertical dipoles such as the R6000, R9 and AV640, but with the demise of MFJ, they are only available on the used market. Today there are a couple of other companies making antennas of this type that we’ll cover. But first, how do these antennas work?
As an antenna hacker, my hat is off to the folks who designed these OCFVD contraptions using an arsenal of tricks. We begin with an off-center feed point. On the short end (nearer to the ground), add a set of radials of modest length, commonly about 6 ft long and made of stainless steel.
Like an OCF dipole, you can experimentally find a place near one end that yields a similar impedance on all the desired bands. It’s similar on all bands, but not 50 ohms, so you add a matching transformer to yield a reasonable SWR.
To improve the match on various bands, add some traps. These effectively cut off the far end of the antenna at their resonant frequency. They also act as an inductor at other frequencies, shortening the antenna. Traps can also be added to the radials.
Next, add some capacitance hats near the top of the antenna. These are a low-loss method of lengthening the antenna. Length of the capacity hat wires is another tuning element. And by placing them between traps, you can tune particular bands. A Christmas tree is born.
Finally, you can add one or more coupled resonator, or open-sleeve elements. These are typically 1/4 wavelength pieces of tubing that may or may not be directly connected to the rest of the antenna. Because they are resonant they literally “suck the power” away from the rest of the antenna structure on a specific band.
Somehow the crafty designer combines some or all of these elements into a reproducible package. A drawback of this complexity is that it can be tricky to tune in the field because some of the elements interact.
I should also mention that, being an off-center fed antenna, the outside of your coax must be isolated via a robust common-mode choke. Most of the commercial antennas include this in their matching box. The matching transformer is also under some stress and between that and the choke, quite often you will find power limitations due to overheating. Running high power, you may see the SWR start to rise. Keep going, and the whole matching unit will eventually melt!
Figure 3. Left to right, antennas from DX Commander, Hustler, Butternut, and Chelegance.
Some OCFVD Models
Chelegance model KC4 [Ref. 2] covers 40, 20, 15, and 10m and is 26 ft long with 9 ft radials. They use three traps in the vertical plus capacitance hats. It has limited power handling, such as 500 W on CW, which indicates that the matching system is under stress and probably dissipates a bit of energy, typical of this kind of antenna. It’s pretty light (16 lbs) and doesn’t take up too much space. Mount it up on a pole as high as you can. This may be the only viable OCFVD antenna on the market at the moment.
Diamond Antenna model CP6AR covers 75, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6m. It uses three traps plus capacitance hats and, unusually, tuned radials with traps. It’s only 13 ft tall and radials are 6 ft long. Because it’s so short, SWR bandwidth and power handling a highly compromised. For instance on 75m, bandwidth is only about 20 kHz and on 40m about 30 kHz. Also, it’s only rated 70W CW. Clearly there’s an efficiency problem in the matching box, likely qualifying this antenna as an “outdoor dummy load.” The old Cushcraft antennas were taller but way better!
Installation Tips
Install guys: Many verticals require guys and they are most recommended in windy locations. Thankfully the wind loading isn’t too severe so the guy anchors can usually be something simple like a piece of pipe driven in the ground, or a heavy eye bolt attached to the house, fence, or tree. Dacron rope is recommended for long lifetime in the sun.
Use an antenna analyzer: Don’t try tuning up one of theses complex multi-band antennas without an antenna analyzer or it will take forever. You will have to raise and lower the antenna several times.
Elevate the base: If your chosen vertical does not use ground-based radials, it is very desirable to elevate the base of the antenna on some kind of mast or mount it on your roof. This will lower the takeoff angle and increase gain for better DX [Ref. 3]. Ideally the mast would be non-conductive but most of us just use some pipe.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As stated at the opening of this article, the reason for choosing an antenna like this is that you get multiple bands in a fairly compact installation, give or take some ground radials which at least you can hide. Efficiency is your main concern, followed by usable bandwidth, and some of the models we looked at are compromised in either or both aspects, so choose wisely. And like any vertical, we joke that they radiate “equally poorly in all directions,” but seriously, any antenna is better than no antenna.
Terrestrial telegraphy required countless inventions, and one of the more unusual devices from that industry is the subject of this report. I am calling it a Telegraph Tuning Fork (TTF) because I can find no better description at this time. It came to me via a friend who got it from a fellow who collected surplus equipment, in particular from the Navy’s Mare Island facility near Vallejo, CA. Considering the history of the facility beginning in 1854 and the Navy’s extensive use of all forms of communication, this could indeed be the provenance of this item.
Figure 1. My mystery instrument.
Who Made It and When?
There is a partial label on the instrument, seen in Figure 2. It was made for The Western Union Telegraph Co., so indeed it has something to do with telegraphic communications. Its manufacturer turns out to be D. & H. Precision Tool Co. in Newark, NJ. This company was founded no later than 1918 by Mr. DeSaules and Mr. Hall, and still exists today as D & H Cutoff Co. So perhaps it was made in the early 20th century. Someone skilled at identifying early electrical components may have an opinion.
Figure 2. This label gives us a starting point.
Searching online, the closest match to my device was located at the Smithsonian (Figure 3). They identified it as a telegraph tuning fork, and the maker is Western Union Co. It does have some of the basic features and clearly we are on the right track for identification.
Figure 3. Photo from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, identified as a telegraph tuning fork [Ref. 1].
Overview of the Instrument
Figure 4 is an annotated top view that identifies the major components. The base is of cast bronze and the entire device weighs about 35 pounds. The main structure is literally a long, heavy tuning fork fabricated from steel and anchored at the left end. A series of weights adjust the resonant frequency. A large electromagnet (MAG-1) resides under the fork, with pole pieces just outside of the arms so that when energized the arms are pulled outward. Clearly this is the excitation method. Two sets of SPDT contacts are actuated by movement of the forks. At the far right end is a pair of coils (MAG-2A and B) that apparently are used to sense motion of the forks. Four terminal strips provide connection points.
A clever gear-driven mechanism slides tuning weights along the forks, thus allowing the resonant frequency to be adjusted while the forks are in motion. I located a patent [Ref. 2] “Adjustable-Vibration Tuning Fork” assigned to Western Union Telegraph Co. in 1923 that describes this mechanism. Due to age and corrosion, the mechanism is frozen, and no attempt was made to restore it.
Figure 4. Top view of the TTF, annotated.
Looking at the bottom of the device in Figure 5, a number of electrical components are identified. Three identical capacitors, C1-C3, are all marked 1 uF and in fact tested good despite their age. A stack of three resistors, R1-3, measured 150 Ohms. A pushbutton module is connected in series with MAG-1, so that may be considered the on/off switch for excitation. I didn’t have a suitable instrument for measuring inductance but did measure the resistance of each coil.
Figure 5. Bottom view of the TTF, annotated.
Analysis and Operation
After identifying components and doing some wire tracing, a schematic was produced (Figure 6). Operation is simple. Starting at rest with S2 closed, an applied voltage produces a current in MAG-1, forcing the forks to move outward, which opens S2. Current collapses, allowing the forks to move inward, then the cycle repeats. This is a kind of relaxation oscillator and will preferentially operate at the resonant frequency of the mechanical system. C1 and R1 form a snubber circuit which suppresses arcing when the contacts open.
A second set of contacts, S1, also has snubber on each side and connections are simply routed to a terminal strip TS2. These could be used to synchronize an external device with the vibration of the forks.
Coils MAG-2A and B are connected in series and brought out to TS3. They could be used for monitoring oscillation. TS4 is routed to a pair of wires that are disconnected on this instrument. There are some mounting holes in a black bracket above MAG-2A and B that may have held a now-missing device.
Figure 6. Schematic diagram of the TTF. (Link to PDF)
Even after a hundred years or so, this instrument is still functional! Some cleaning of contacts at S2 and terminals at TS2 was all it required. Connecting a DC power supply and beginning at 40V, I slowly adjusted the contact spacing and the forks sprang to life, with a current draw of just 10 mA. With further adjustment, I found that the TTF would start and run as low as 3 V. Amplitude was roughly proportional to excitation voltage. Sitting on the bench, it made a low purring sound with no vibration felt in the base due to careful dynamic balancing of the forks.
Connecting MAG-2A and B to an oscilloscope, I observed oscillation at exactly 30 Hz. Considering the mass of the tuning forks, this should be a very stable oscillator, drifting only slowly with ambient temperature changes. Assuming the forks are made of ordinary steel, I estimate that the temperature coefficient of frequency is about -24 ppm/degC.
What is it For?
Little information on “telegraph tuning forks” can be located with a web search, but a number of interesting uses are suggested in a patent search. One fundamental application is synchronous telegraphy where the two ends of the connection rely on stable, matched oscillators to encode and decode transmitted data. More importantly, such synchronization allows multiplex telegraphy where several independent data streams may be sent down a single wired connection. In one patent [Ref. 3], a TTF is shown at each end of the link with its auxiliary contacts causing a large rotary switch to advance with each pulse. In effect, the rotary switch dynamically chooses among several sender-receiver pairs in a kind of time-sharing arrangement.
As time went on, manual sending and receiving of Morse code was sometimes replaced with faster automated transmission consisting of punched tape at the sending end and a variety of receiving devices. Synchronous timing is very important and once again the TTF appears. We would now call it a clock oscillator. By the way, these same mechanisms were also used for teletype data. Long terrestrial lines are problematic due to signal loss and distortion. What was needed is an amplifier of some sort, but that did not exist prior to the invention of the vacuum tube. So an electromechanical repeater was devised. The patent in Ref. 4 relies on synchronous telegraphy where the transmission occurs at a fixed frequency, and uses a TTF as a sampling device to pick out the best part of each signal pulse. The auxiliary contacts then produce a nice, clean output for retransmission.
This turns out to be an important and useful invention in the telegraph industry. Being a telegrapher myself (radio, to be exact), these devices are fascinating. If anyone has additional information about the TFF, I’d love to hear about it (email gwj@me.com). Additional high-resolution photos are available.
The next meeting of the MLDXCC will be on June 21st in Shingle Springs. Find out more.
From the Prez
Hello Nugget readers,
I do believe all of you are aware by now, but MLDXCC has won the club competition for the 2024 ARRL Sweepstakes. This is our 10th first place win in a row. It was announced in the June QST. I really like competing in the Medium Club category. It’s always a good competition and a win every year is never for certain unlike the Unlimited Club competition where PVRC is just shooting fish in a barrel. Congratulations also go out to PL259 for winning the Small Club competition.
I went to the Dayton Hamvention again this year and I actually spent some money. I came back with a Flex PGXL amplifier, the TGXL tuner, and the AGXL 8×2 antenna switch. All of this now makes for a complete SO2R remote station. To get to that point, I need to replace the Array Solutions 6×2 switch with the AGXL and W6SR and I need to do a bit more antenna work.
I am really impressed with the PGXL amp so far. The protection circuits work as they should and this amplifier can put out a true 2 KW. The amp has three fan/blower modes: Standard, Contest and Broadcast. In the Broadcast mode, the fans absolutely scream and I like that in an amplifier. It never hurts to blow too much air on an amplifier. The down side of this is if the amplifier is located at the operating position, it can be incredibly annoying when running in Broadcast mode, which is recommended for RTTY, FT8 and SO2R operation. The good thing is that in an all-Flex station, the transceiver, amp, tuner and antenna switch are all on the network. No serial cables, USB cables, etc. are necessary. All control is over the network. This means that the transceiver, amp, tuner and of course the antenna switch can be located nowhere near the operating position. I am going to be rack mounting the 6700, tuner, amp, rotor controllers, bandpass filters, etc. all in an open-frame rack that will be located away from the operating position.
We’ve got a great meeting planned for this month. Craig, K9CT, will be giving us a tour, via Zoom, of his contest super-station. Hope to see you at the meeting.
From the Veep
Hello MLDXCC!
As a reminder, Field Day (6/28) is just around the corner. Yesterday I received my ARRL 2025 Field Day T-shirt so I’m ready to go! As of now, Sue K6SZQ and I will be working from our home station so keep an ear out for us. Remember to update your logging program for Field Day use too.
Worked any good DX lately? I know HF DX lately has been a little sparse; however there has been some activity from Wake Island. Six meters (50.313 FT8) however has been very active! Currently I’ve been able to log 46 states, only needing RI, DE, VA & WV at this time. As a suggestion from a club member I’ve started to pay attention to grids as well.
How’s your DX Marathon numbers looking? Remember even though you’ve worked a DXCC country before, they count as “brand new” again every year for the Marathon. WARC band & FT4/FT8 contacts all count for the Marathon as well.
Well that’s all for now, time for me to go check east coast six meter propagation.
The Southern California DX Club is gone, but a newsletter is still being published – and there’s a lot of great content there! Check out the June 2025 issue. (Thanks Rick W6SR for the tip!)
I have a WaveNode WN2 Digital Watt Meter, with four HF sensors. This unit sells new for $385, with a single sensor. I have been using is in an SO2R configuration with a sensor on the input and output of each amplifier.
That way, I can always see my input and output power. Rick, W6SR, who uses my station remotely more than I do, has depended on the software display to know how much power he’s running.
There are several options for the look of the computer display. And there are several other features such as rotator control and antenna switching but I have just used the wattmeter function.
I’m selling this because I have purchased the Flex PGXL amplifier, which has built in and remotable watt meters. It can be yours for $200. Contact Bob W1RHw1rh@yahoo.com
Need a REAL dummy load, rated 500W continuous (2 kW peak)? Here’s an old MIL TS-118A/AP, which is also a Bird 693. Flat to >1 GHz. Normally configured to use the included thermocouple sensors and a built-in meter, I’ve included a little shorting plug that turns it into a simple dummy load (disables the meter), but you can run it either way. The steel case weighs more than the instrument! Will sell for $140 because that’s what the special LC to N adapter cost me. Manual: https://birdrf.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/23027152223767 Contact Gary NA6O gwj@me.com
Jim K9YC passed along information about some free towers and antennas “for a lot of labor”. They are located west of Portland OR. More details here.
Rick N6RNO has one of these shack warmers for sale, new in box. Contact Rick at rick@eversoles.com for details.
ClubLog DXCC Standings
As of 17 June 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
227
2
W1SRD
224
3
W6DE
201
4
K6OK
184
5
K6YK
182
CW
1
K6YK
162
2
NO5Z
122
3
K6OK
120
4
NA6O
105
5
N6WM
104
Phone
1
W1SRD
116
2
K6YK
115
3
NO5Z
114
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
101
Data
1
NK7I
216
2
W1SRD
195
3
W6DE
177
4
K7QDX
173
5
K6OK
154
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
It seems that I spend too much time restoring old keys but somehow it’s more fun than trouble to me. I recently was given a beat-up and not very valuable Les Logan Speed-X model 510 bug.
This represents the low-end of the market in the 1930s, with a cast zinc base and all-steel components. It’s also too light and almost demands bolting to the table. As received, it was dirty and rusty, missing the damper assembly, the dot spring was broken, and an adjustment screw had its head broken off. Also there was no return spring. I stripped and repainted the base, cleaned everything, and machined the required parts. So this sow’s ear is… Well, still not a silk purse but at least it functions and is non-toxic. If you need any Morse key of any type repaired, let me know.
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
8011 (The Micropup)
In 1940, the British were just holding their own in the Battle of Britian. The outcome was not certain as their cities were being flattened by the Luftwaffe and the German “U” boats were stopping much of their shipping. Nations don’t like to share their top secrets with even their best allies, but if they lost, their allies could use their research and possibly stop the Axis.
8011
A delegation under the leadership of Sir Henry Tizard, sailed to the United States with a collection of equipment they wished to share with the United States and Canada, They met at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and shared their “Holy Grail”, the cavity magnetron, and some other equipment including a working RADAR system that would allow a plane to find surface ships and “U” boats in any weather. The British were hoping to trade for the Norden bombsight. It was decided to form a new working group to conduct research. This became the MIT ”Radiation Laboratory” or just the “Rad Lab”.
The RADAR was the ASV (Air to Surface Vessel) Mark 11. Its development started in 1937 and it had been successfully deployed against a “U” boat. The transmitting pulsed oscillator used a pair of British VT90 valves that had an output of 7 kW at 175 MHz. Copies of the VT90 were made by each country. The 8011 was the RCA version. The Canadians made the REL1 and Western Electric made the WE710A but all were interchangeable. The sets were basically the same and the US sets were designated ASE/SCR-521. The Canadians alone made 10,000 units. A search aircraft could spot a destroyer or submarine at about 20 miles using the Mark II. Larger vessels could be spotted up to 35 miles.
The 8011 operated with 9 kV on the plate with a dissipation on 100 watts. The filament operated at 8.25 volts at 7 amps. The mu of the tube was 15 and the maximum frequency was 600 MHz. Air for cooling was applied to the side of the plate through a notched tube. I have never found the reason they called these tubes “micropups”.
The British had been mounting their Mark II sets in their PBY Catalina flying boats. As new sets were available, starting in Dec. 1940, they were mounted in the U.S. Navy’s PBYs and were an instant success. By the start of the U.S. involvement in WWII, the Mark IIs were widely deployed. The Catalinas played an important role in spotting Japanese ships in the Battle of Midway and the Guadalcanal campaign. The Mark II had a receiving antenna mounted near the end of each wing. Other multi-engine aircraft were used including the B-17 bomber. I have seen photos of B-17s flying long range security for a large convoy traveling to Europe.
Meeting was called to order at 12:14 p.m. by Vice President Steve Allred, NC6R. There were 22 attending in person, with three more attending via zoom. Of these there were three guests.
Steve welcomed everyone. Each member and guest introduced themselves.
Old Business:
Steve thanked Sue for presiding over the meeting when he was unavailable.
The March minutes were published in the March Newsletter.
The Treasurer’s reports are now being done on a quarterly basis, so there is no report presented during this meeting.
Steve Allred said that we have nominations for the three club director positions, Jeff Stai, WK6I, Rich Cutler, WC6H, and Rich Hill NU6T. Rick Samoian, W6SR made the motion to accept the nominations, and Greg Glenn, NR6Q. seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
New Business: None
Member Achievements:
Norm Wilson, N6JV, commented on his DXCC status. Greg Glenn, NR6Q, said that he worked TX9A Austral Island.
Upcoming Contests: CQ WW WPX, Arkansas and Canadian QSO parties. Also upcoming are the Stew Perry Topband contest and the ARRL Kid’s Day.
Upcoming DX operations include Guernsey, East Sawatini, Vanuatu, and Pelau.
Next Meeting is scheduled for June 21 at the Break Room in Shingle Springs. Program to be a virtual tour of the K9CT super station.
Adjournment:
Rick Samoian, W6SR, moved to adjourn the business meeting and move to the presentation. Jason Pritchard, KE5JTS seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 12:33 p.m.
Presentation:
Chuck Leader, AA6XX gave a fascinating presentation on 6 meter DXing. He gave with many bits of advice from his years of 6 meter activities and studies of 6 meter propagation.
It’s interesting how I became the President of this club again… especially when I said I would not do it. I’m just too involved in our Community Emergency Radio Assn, CERA, the non-profit organization supporting the El Dorado County Amateur Radio Club, the El Dorado County Neighborhood Radio Watch, and El Dorado County ARES. I am also a board member with the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council and am the Chair of the Coloma-Lotus fire Safe Council. In short, that’s all the bandwidth I have.
So, as things were going downhill, at that lightly attended meeting at the end of the year, Steve NC6R reminded everyone that the Southern California DX Club folded because no one would agree to run the club. He also said that there was nothing we could do since he was termed out except perhaps to do a bylaws modification. At that point, and perhaps without a lot of thought, I suggested that I take on the position of President on paper and Steve take on the position of VP on paper. I continue arranging meetings and speakers and Steve continues to run the club.
And that’s how we’re making this club survive today. And, I’m asking myself why I’m taking the time to write a President’s article for the Nugget when I’m really only a paper prez!
OK, end of rant, unless you want to hear me rant about all of the email QSL’s I’ve been getting in the past few months. Makes me want to take my email address off of QRZ…
Now to the good stuff.
We have a terrific meeting this month. “6 meter DX’ing, From Northern California”. Our speaker is Chuck, NA6XX, and he will be giving his talk in person at Habanero Hots, on May 10th in Lodi. We will also stream this meeting. I’m told that the internet is good at that location, so cross your fingers.
Next month, Craig Thompson, K9CT, will do a talk and virtual tour of his incredible contest station, in Illinois. The meeting will be at the Break Room, on June 21st, in Shingle Springs, and we will stream it via Zoom.
Stu, K6TU, will also be doing a talk for us on his great propagation website, K6TU.net. No date or location yet.
We may also do a joint meeting with NCCC. And, I am working on several other super speakers, thanks to the magic of Zoom.
I want to thank Jeff, WK6I, for taking on the job of newsletter editor and running the website. Also, thanks to Norm, N6JV, for doing both of these tasks for years prior to handing it all over to Jeff. Norm will continue to do those great tube articles that I look forward to every month.
If we’re going to grow this club, we need to get the word out to the local clubs as to when we have our meetings. Please help us out and notify your club of our meeting dates and presentations. – Bob W1RH
“I have three items for sale. All the items are on a make and offer basis. The items below are excess to my need, since I live in a HOA 55 plus community. I use a remote station location at W1RH’s QTH. Call or email me for more info. or offers.” de Rick, W6SRricksamoian@outlook.com or (530) 672-2885.
Ameritron 1306 power amplifier and matching power supply. 160M-6M 1300W SSB/CW/800W RTTY/FT-8. 40 watts drive = full output. I have original shipping boxes unit works 100%
Johnson KW matchbox very nice condition. This is an original unit that has NOT been modified.
Honeywell 4 cycle KW inverter sine wave generator. Used for portable operating. Quiet, and perfect for K3 and KPA 500.
ClubLog DXCC Standings
As of 7 May 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
220
2
W1SRD
215
3
W6DE
194
4
K6YK
178
5
K6OK
162
CW
1
K6YK
149
2
NO5Z
116
3
NA6O
104
4
N6WM
104
5
W1SRD
99
Phone
1
K6YK
115
2
NO5Z
114
3
W1SRD
114
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
101
Data
1
NK7I
209
2
W1SRD
182
3
W6DE
173
4
K7QDX
163
5
K6OK
139
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webwookie Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
The Southern California Contest Club has announced that the Santa Maria 2026 DX & Contesters Convention is happening April 10-12, 2026 at The Historic Santa Maria Inn. Registration is open for the convention, and a Contest Dinner Friday night. Hotel reservations are also open.
Santa Maria is a charming town on the central coast, close to wineries and other attractions**.
** Your webmaster suggests making time for a visit to the nearby Carrizo Plain National Monument, where April is the start of the wildflower season, and the San Andreas Fault is visible in all its glory. Dirt road ready vehicles recommended. Also nearby are Hearst Castle and Pismo Beach.
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
In their build up after WWI, the Royal Air Force developed a new triode transmitting tube that was capable of higher power than earlier types. The DET25 was a developmental tube similar to the “50-watters” being made in the US. In 1925, the RAF was still flying open cockpit biplanes so the DET25 had the L4 base, with its long voltage breakdown paths, for use in wet applications.
DET25
I have found two early RAF transmitters that used the DET25. The TR 4 is a single DET25 oscillator that has plug-ins to operate on the range 143 to 500 KHz or 3 to 15 MHz. It uses either CW or interrupted CW (ICW) where the keying lines are fed through a motor driven wheel like a spark transmitter. The TR 1091 was a MOPA design with the DET25 as the amplifier. It operated in 1.2 to 1.5 MHz and 2 to 3.4 MHz using plug-in capacitors and coils. It used the same CW/ICW keying system, but also had grid voice modulation. This was a larger unit and required a larger aircraft.
The DET25 has a published filament voltage of 7.5 volts but other sources give it as 6 or 8 volts. Filament current is somewhere in the 1-to-2-amp range. Plate voltage has a maximum of 1200 volts and a current given as 36 ma dissipation maximum. The user needed to know the average of the mode they were using. Fifteen WPM CW has an average of 45% depending on the fist. Hand written notes indicate that in practice about 80 ma was used for a 60-to-70-watt output.
The designation DET25 was changed to VT25 and then CV1025 (Common Valve) when the Inter-Service Technical Valve Committee in 1941 started their version of JAN numbers. The British Army also used the designation AT35 for the VT25.
We hams are famous for helping one another in many ways such as education, setting up equipment, or group operating events such as Field Day and emergency communications. Our team recently had a very successful experience helping a young CW op who was in need.
Twenty year old Jenna Hurley, N4JEH, is a blind student at the E.H. Gentry Facility, a component of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind (AIDB). Adopted from an orphanage in China along with five siblings by her parents in Alabama, Jenna received excellent home schooling from her father, David. They even learned Braille together. David eventually discovered ham radio and started learning Morse code. That caught Jenna’s ear and together they used online resources to study and obtain their licenses when she was 17.
Jenna, N4JEH, showing off her new TS-590S and one of her favorite bugs. Photo credit: N4TMM.
They had a station set up at home, so Jenna was able to get on the air. CW was (and is) her passion and she quickly became highly skilled at it. So skilled and active in fact, that she was soon invited into both CWops and FOC, which is an honor for any telegrapher especially someone so new to the hobby. This led to numerous friendships worldwide.
After moving into the dorms at E.H. Gentry, Jenna was left without her own station to operate. With some difficulty due to poor blind accessibility, she was able to access some RemoteHams stations, and also did some POTA operating with her boyfriend, Gunner, KK7DEU. But every active ham really needs a proper station with a good radio and antenna. This is when those ham radio friendships really paid off.
There are many blind hams just like Jenna who may not be able to fully enjoy their hobby for various reasons, often financial. Gary, NA6O, started making friends with blind hams several years ago after realizing this need [Ref 1]. Specific radio models are of value to blind operators because they have a built-in voice guide and relatively easy-to-use controls. This is known as accessibility. The Kenwood TS-590S is perhaps the most accessible and popular. Gary started buying these radios on the second-hand market, outfitting them with the speech module, and then donating them to needy blind hams. One of his beneficiaries, Dave, W4CI (who is also an FOC member), mentioned that Jenna was a good candidate for a radio. That started the ball rolling.
Gary and Dave started working with Fred, KT5X (FOC of course!), who already knew Jenna, and in turn he recruited Jim, N4TMM, who turned out to be the key player in our success. Jim, who lives in Atlanta, would be in Sylacauga Alabama the first week of April to participate as a stone sculptor in the Alabama Marble Festival. Sylacauga is only a few miles down the road from Talladega, the location of E.H. Gentry and AIDB. So Jim was in perfect position to help set up Jenna’s station.
Jim approached the president of AIDB, Dr. Dennis Gilliam, and also Ms. Jessica Edmiston, who offered their full support. Meanwhile, Gary had sent Jim a power supply for the TS-590S that Dave was sending Jim. And Jim ordered a MyAntennas end fed halfwave wire antenna, a proven commercial design that will typically tune acceptably on several bands.
On Thursday, April 3rd, Jim met with EH Gentry maintenance people Joe Hutto, Don Llewellyn, and Tony Adams. Tony was there with his truck full of tools, ladders and other maintenance equipment, and Jim brought his radio toolbox and all the equipment for Jenna’s station that he had collected. After surveying the surroundings, Jim and Tony concluded that the best option was to lay the wire antenna, about 140 ft long, on the roof of the three-story dormitory where Jenna lives. So Tony got out his ladder and he and Jim installed the antenna on the roof and connected it to the radio in Jenna’s room. Thankfully they allowed a wall penetration for the coax, something that had been a concern for a long time.
At that point, Jim got on the phone with Gary, who was listening on his radio in California and also watching the Reverse Beacon network, gave feedback while Jim tuned and transmitted on various bands. The antenna and the station turned out to be excellent performers on 40 through 10 m, tuning fine and getting reports from NA as well as DX. The roof where the antenna is located is the highest point around, and the dorm is on a hill. The antenna lies generally in a Northeast to Southwest direction, and it propagates well in all directions. As a bonus, her noise floor is very low. We should all be so lucky in our modern age of rampant RFI.
In all of this, Jim was amazed and gratified at the support and assistance from AIDB and E.H. Gentry people in helping their student Jenna get on the air from her dorm and continue her excellent trajectory as a well-known CW operator. Jenna, in turn, takes great joy in operating from E.H. Gentry, thus adding to the fame and furthering the cause of this well known and highly regarded institute for the deaf and blind.
Jenna’s first contact with her new station was George, NE5A, who was also her advisor in the CWops CW Academy when she was starting out. A delightful coincidence! Since then, she’s been on the air every day, making contacts worldwide and is now a CWops advisor herself. And she is indeed a first-class operator, including QRQ, something that many hams only dream of achieving. Check out her YouTube channel, QRQ Maniacs [Ref 2.].
Jenna has a bright future ahead. She’s currently taking classes at Central Alabama Community College, focusing on computer science. She then plans to attend a university to obtain her BSCS degree, and has a particular interest in assistive technologies. Jenna wishes to thank some of her Elmers, particularly CWops advisors NE5A and AJ1DM, and her dad, David KO4WSU. We in the ham radio community are glad to have helped her along in some small way.
References
Gary Johnson, NA6O, “Summer’s Legacy.” Solid Copy, No… 177, October 2024. https://cwops.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Solid-Copy_2024_October_FINAL.pdf
All the news from the “NCCC’s Kuiper Belt” – K6DGW
We had no meeting in April due to the International DX Convention, so no minutes to report, and the March minutes made it into the previous issue of The Nugget. Also no missives from the Pres. or VP this time. We’ll be back in sync next month! – Ed.
Gary N6AO is taking a break from the Antenna of the Month. Stay tuned.
And with the dissolution of the SCDXC, no more Deleted Country of the Month, unless someone would like to step up and continue them.
Another Editor’s Note – Club History
I am still hoping someone has some history about the first 5 or 6 years of the MLDXCC locked away someplace – please let me know if you do. If it is memories, I’m quite happy to interview you and take notes.
I’m also still hoping someone knows anything about John Fogg, K6AO. I have so far learned that he edited the NCDXC newsletter in 1965 (source: NCDXC SK list), he built a 2 meter “pip squeak” transmitter from a design in QST in 1972 (Palo Alto ARA news), he lived in Pine Grove as early as 1976 (ditto), and in 1949 he lived in Alhambra not far from where I grew up (Callbook). And, for a brief moment I was excited to see a Wikipedia article, but it’s likely that our John Fogg was not the mayor of Pensacola FL from 1994 to 2009 (Wikipedia). Hihi. – Jeff WK6I
Classifieds
I have three items for sale. All the items are on a make and offer basis. The items below are excess to my need, since I live in a HOA 55 plus community. I use a remote station location at W1RH’s QTH. Call or email me for more info. or offers. de Rick, W6SR ricksamoian@outlook.com or (530) 672-2885.
Ameritron 1306 power amplifier and matching power supply. 160M-6M 1300W SSB/CW/800W RTTY/FT-8. 40 watts drive = full output. I have original shipping boxes unit works 100%
Johnson KW matchbox very nice condition. This is an original unit that has NOT been modified.
Honeywell 4 cycle KW inverter sine wave generator. Used for portable operating. Quiet, and perfect for K3 and KPA 500.
ClubLog DXCC Standings
As of 15 April 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
215
2
W1SRD
206
3
W6DE
186
4
K6YK
168
5
NO5Z
162
CW
1
K6YK
139
2
NO5Z
116
3
NA6O
103
4
N6WM
103
5
W1SRD
98
Phone
1
NO5Z
114
2
W1SRD
113
3
K6YK
111
4
N6WM
111
5
K6TQ
90
Data
1
NK7I
204
2
W1SRD
172
3
W6DE
167
4
K7QDX
151
5
K6OK
129
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webmaster Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
You’ll notice that The Nugget is no longer published as an Adobe PDF file. It’s now being produced in a blog format. This is for a couple of reasons:
Nobody really knows what goes in the depths of search engines on the Internet, but it is generally believed that content posted as normal website content (using Hypertext Markup Language, aka HTML) show up higher in search results than PDF content. This helps us attract new members better.
PDF files are not easy to read on small devices like phones and small tablets. Modern web pages know how to adapt to the size of the device – they call this “responsive” – making it easier for our members to enjoy the content on any device.
Also, you’ll see that some of the major content and news is getting published right away – items like the Tube of the Month – rather than waiting for a monthly Nugget cycle. This is done to get the info to you in a more timely manner, and frankly it’s easier for your editor to spread the work out over the course of a month.
Since it’s now in a blog format, you can access The Nugget and related news and features using an “RSS Reader” application such as Feedly, which runs as a web app in your browser, as well as iOS and Android. Copy this link:
Do you have any other favorite radio blogs? Let us know in the comments!
If you are someone who prefers to print The Nugget, I’ve briefly tested it and things seem to print fairly reasonably. But if you have issues printing do let me know.
Here’s a few websites that I gleaned from DX Academy, Contest Academy, and Saturday presentations at the IDXC last weekend. Did I miss any? Add them in the comments! – Jeff WK6I
John NN6U presented “Contesting while activating POTA” (Parks On The Air). My takeaway is that, if you happen to be in a POTA park (like we often are during CQP for example), you can increase your visibility by operating as a POTA Activator. In particular, register your future activation on the POTA website, and when you go on the air you will get spotted there by POTA Hunters (and skimmers for CW/digital). This is not considered self-spotting. John said this presentation was basically the same as this one he made at the March 2024 NCCC meeting.
There were also presentations by Chris N6WM on Remote SO2R and 2BSIQ, and Hank W6SX on Having Fun Contesting.
A couple of websites from Bill K8TE’s “Tools for Propagation Prediction”. Here are some “Free DX Cluster Clients for Windows“. And Martti Laine’s book “Where Do We Go Next?” is available here to read for free.
Also two MLDXCC members placed first for call area 6 in their respective categories: Mike K7QDX in the Limited category, and Richard NC6RJ in the Formula 100W category.
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
R3 – RECTOBULB
In the July, 1927 issue of QST magazine, an advertisement was published featuring the “6EX Rectifier” by a company named the National Radio Tube Company of San Francisco, CA. The call 6EX was held by a Garrett Lewis. Rectifiers like the 280 and the 281 had become available by 1927 for receivers and low power transmitters, but no rectifiers that would handle the voltage and current required to power the larger transmitting tubes hams were wishing to use. Arc rectifiers could be used but, they weren’t practical for most hams. It was unusual to see a tube named alter a ham. Hams would be assigned prefixes sometime in 1928.
The 6EX was later designated the R-3 and started life as a high vacuum type, but the final product was mercury vapor with an indirectly heated cathode. The maximum plate voltage was 7500 peak inverse volts at 250 ma. The filament ran on 10 volts at 1.7 amps. The tube had a standard UX base and a threaded stud out the top for the plate connection.
I don’t know how well the tubes were selling, but Lewis had a ham friend in Southern California who wanted to replace the ARC rectifier he had sold him and build a new power supply. The friend was Don Wallace, 6AM, and he wanted to go big. Lewis had also sold Wallace a re-built F328A which was a water cooled, 5 KW triode.
Don didn’t like QRP. Don bought six 3 KVA pole pigs that were 220 volts in and 6000 volts out from the power company and mounted them in a rack with six of the new R-3 rectifiers. The new power supply would be wired for six phase operation. The schematic and rack photo are copied from QST magazine of February, 1928, where Don and Robert Kruse of the QST staff, wrote a 9-page description of the final power supply. Six phase rectification results in an output ripple of six times the input ripple frequency. In 1928, 360 Hz was considered a good CW note and adding a filter condenser would be very expensive. The R-3 may have never been a commonly used tube as in a few years, the RCA 866 went into production and the R-3 became only a collectable. Before WWII, Lewis moved to Silicon Valley where Lewis Electronics was formed and participated in tube production for the war effort. In 1949 Lewis and Kaufman was organized and operated into 1956. In about 1962, I bought two 3 KVA pole pigs from PG&E for $3 per KVA.
Round Table Pizza, Jackson Meeting was called to order at 12:19 p.m. by Treasurer Sue Allred, K6SZQ. There were 12 attending in person, with 2 more attending via zoom. Of these there was one guest. Sue welcomed everyone. Each member and guest introduced themselves.
Old Business:
The January minutes were published in the February Newsletter. Rick Casey, W6RKC, moved to accept the report as published. Dave Sanders, K6TQ, seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
The November and December treasurer’s reports were published in the February newsletter. Rich Hill, NU6T, moved to accept the reports as published. Stefan Nicov, AF6SA, seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
New Business: None.
Member Achievements:
Rick Samoian, W6SR, worked VK9DX Norfolk Island on 6 meters.
Jeff Stai, WK6I, got the banquet organized for the Visalia International DX Convention
Announcements/Discussion:
The upcoming International DX Convention was discussed, along with the uncertainty with future events.
Bob Hess, W1RH, while managing the livestream, showed photos of Stefan Nicov’s Solid State HF amplifiers and discussed the possibility of him doing a presentation on them.
Bob Hess also passed around a list of equipment for sale from Tony Dowler, K6BV.
Next Meeting: Proposed date to be May 10, the location is Habanero Hots in Lodi.
Adjournment: Rick Samoian, W6SR, moved to adjourn the business meeting and move to the presentation. Jeff Stai, WK6I seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 12:50 p.m.
Presentation: John Stanley, K4ERO, gave a fascinating presentation on Antipodal Focusing and its effect on ionospheric propagation near the opposite side of the earth from the transmitter. You can also get further information from his article in the March, 2025 QST.
Respectfully Submitted, G. “Skip” Chraft, N6NFB
Treasurer’s Report
Sue K6SZQ reported that, given the low level of activity, she’s going to switch to quarterly reporting. Look for the first quarter report in the next issue of The Nugget.
President’s Corner
Hi MLDXCC’ers,
Well, here I am as President of this club again. I swore it would never happen but Steve, NC6R, termed out. In an attempt to keep the club healthy, I made the suggestion that I’d take over as President and Steve will be VP… with one condition… Steve will keep running the meetings and I’ll continue to arrange the meetings and speakers. So, nothing has really changed other than a “loophole” in the Bylaws that allows us to continue as we have over the past three years.
I want to thank John Stanley, K4ERO, for a terrific presentation at last month’s meeting on the subject of Antipodal Focusing, meaning propagation from your QTH to the opposite side of the earth. We did record the meeting and, hopefully, Jeff will find a way to post the link on the all-new MLDXCC website.
I can’t thank Norm, N6JV, enough for what he has done for our website and newsletter. Without Norm’s constant “nagging” for content, we would not have had a newsletter and website with the great content we have had over the years. Alas, Norm has finally found someone to take over the website and Nugget. We all thank Jeff, WK6I, for taking on the challenge of filling Norm’s big shoes. Keep doing those great tube articles, Norm!
We have some really good speakers lined up for the upcoming months. Our May speaker will be Chuck, NA6XX, who will give a presentation on 6-meter DX’ing and propagation. Chuck, who lives in San Jose, will be driving to Habanero Hots, in Lodi, to give us his presentation in person. I also plan to stream this meeting. The date is May 10th.
A few others have agreed to do upcoming presentations. Stu, K6TU, will give a talk on his K6TU.net HF propagation site Craig, K9CT, will give us a presentation on his super contest station. Gary, NA6O, has also offered to give another one of his very entertaining talks. Other presentation for future months are in the works.
Both Steve and I have resisted streaming our meetings in the past for various reasons. We will be streaming more of our upcoming meetings. I do hope we can get more of our members from outside the core area to attend. Maybe even Will, from down south who often participates in our reflector conversation, will show us what he looks like!
In our February meeting, I did a contesting and DX’ing quiz, which seemed to get rave reviews, so we may do another one of those in the upcoming months. The February quiz, and the answers, are in this month’s nugget.
Last, and certainly not least, several of our members participated in the CQ WPX SSB contest last weekend at WC6H’s contest station. Besides Rich, the operators included Jeff (WK6I), Steve (NC6R), Gary (VA7RR), Tim (NU6S), and Barry (K6ST). The team did a whopping 14,097,405 claimed score to support NCCC’s effort.
For those headed to Visalia, travel safe and have a great time! – Bob W1RH
Tony K6BV has the following items for sale, please contact him at dxer@k6bv.net.
ClubLog DXCC Standings
As of 31 March 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.
Overall
1
NK7I
211
2
W1SRD
200
3
W6DE
181
4
K6YK
164
5
K6OK
154
CW
1
K6YK
136
2
NO5Z
113
3
N6WM
103
4
NA6O
102
5
W1SRD
95
Phone
1
W1SRD
112
2
N6WM
111
3
NO5Z
106
4
K6YK
101
5
K6TQ
81
Data
1
NK7I
200
2
W1SRD
168
3
W6DE
161
4
K7QDX
149
5
K6OK
128
Resources
Check out the Resources menu up there at the top of every web page for useful DX and contest info.
Prepared for the MLDXCC by Editor and Webmaster Jeff WK6I. Please do send me any corrections, omissions, or material for future issues of The Nugget. It is much appreciated!
At the February MLDXCC meeting Bob W1RH conducted a sort of trivia contest of various DXing and contesting questions. Here are the questions with the possible answers to choose from.
1 – The Following Contests Allow Self Spotting. Check all that apply:
ARRL SWEEPSTAKES CQWW IARU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NAQP
2 – K1LZ HAS A M/M REMOTE CONTEST STATION IN WHICH STATE?
Vermont Maine New Hampshire Rhode Island Massachusetts
3- In the North American QSO Party, the exchange is state/province and name. You do not need to use your own name. In the January NAQP, WO4O used W1N as a special event callsign. What name did he use?
Chiefs Bills Trump Eagles
4 – THE P49Y CONTEST STATION IS LOCATED IN WHICH ENTITY?
Aruba Bonaire Curacao Carriacou
5 – THE WINNERS OF THE 2024 SS CLUB COMPETITION ARE (Unlimited, Medium, Small):
At the February MLDXCC meeting Bob W1RH conducted a sort of trivia contest of various DXing and contesting questions. Here are the questions with the correct answers.
1 – The Following Contests Allow Self Spotting. Check all that apply
ARRL SWEEPSTAKES NAQP
SELF SPOTTING MEANS THAT YOU SPOT YOURSELF INSTEAD OF RELYING ON OTHERS
2 – K1LZ HAS A M/M REMOTE CONTEST STATION IN WHICH STATE?
Maine – Krazzy is from Bulgaria (LZ prefix).
3 – IN THE LAST NAQP, WO4O USED THE SPECIAL EVENT CALL, W1N. WHAT NAME DID HE USE?
TRUMP
4 – THE P49Y CONTEST STATION IS LOCATED IN WHICH ENTITY?
Aruba – Also P49L. Built by Carl, AI6V, as P49V. P49Y is Andy, AE6Y. P49L is John, W6LD
5 – THE WINNERS OF THE 2024 SS CLUB COMPETITION ARE (Unlimited, Medium, Small):
PVRC, MLDXCC, PL259 – (we hope)
6 – THE MLDXCC CLUB CALL IS
K6AO – Was John Fogg, Portola Valley, CA
7 – A FT8 CONTEST QSO CAN BE LOGGED WHEN YOU RECEIVE:
ALL OF THE ABOVE
8 – A STATION OPERATING 2BSIQ CAN USE WHICH MODES?
ALL OF THE ABOVE – TWO BAND SYNCHRONIZED INTERLEAVED QSO’S.
9 – 4U1WB COUNTS FOR WHICH DXCC ENTITY?
USA (WORLD BANK)
10 – HOW MANY CURRENT DXCC ENTITIES ARE THERE?
340
11 – THE PREFIX, FP, IS IN WHICH CQ ZONE?
5 – ST PIERRE AND MIQUELON
12 – THE VP8PJ DXPEDITION OPERATED FROM:
SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS
13 – THE PREFIX, VP9, IS IN WHICH CQ ZONE?
5
14 – WHAT WAS THE CALL OF THE FAILED BOUVET DXPEDITION?
3Y0Z – THE DXPEDITION FAILED BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT SAFELY LAND. THE BOAT GOT TO APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM THE ISLAND
15 – ON A MULTI-ELEMENT YAGI, THE AZIMUTH AT WHICH MAX SIGNAL REJECTION OCCURS IS:
TO THE SIDE – A SHARP BROADSIDE NULL ABOVE THE ANTENNA
16 – THE BATTLE CREEK SPECIAL IS A:
MULTI-BAND VERTICAL (40/80/160) – WERE OFTEN USED ON DXPEDITIONS
17 – JAMES BROOKS HAS RECORDED MANY DXPEDITIONS. WHAT IS HIS CALL SIGN?
9V1YC – HE HAS FILMED MANY MAJOR DXPEDITIONS. HE OWNS A PRODUCTION COMPANY IN SINGAPORE
18 – THE VK0IR DXPEDITION WAS ON WHICH ISLAND?
HEARD ISLAND – 1997
19 – THE K5K DXPEDITION 2000 TO KINGMAN REEF COUNTS FOR DXCC
NO (Deleted March 19th, 2016 – was administered by US NAVY. Changed to US Fish and Wildlife, which also administers nearby Palmyra. Now counts as Palmyra/Jarvis.
20 – WHO COINED THE PHRASE, THE DESERVING?
HUGH CASSIDY, WA6AUD (first used in the West Coast DX Bulletin)
I’ve seen the final results for the 2025 RTTY Roundup and here are the results for the MLDXCC. The club competed in the Medium Club category and came in 9th place.
Everyone knows how to rotate their Yagi antenna: Just turn the knob and away it goes. But this article isn’t about that rotation, it’s about rotating it a different way, for maintenance. When your beam has a problem wayy out where you can’t reach it, the usual expectation is that the whole thing is going to have to come down off the tower. Many of us have seen balun failures or lost the tip off of an element or had an element twist on the boom, and there’s no obvious or easy way to reach it. It’s bad enough that we have to hire a climber, and even worse when the work involves tramming the whole shebang down to the ground and back up. Thankfully, professional tower busters have tricks that save us much time and effort. The first time you see it, the light goes on and it’s obvious… If only you had thought of if first!
The simplest trick is to rotate the Yagi by loosening the boom in the boom-to-mast clamp, allowing the boom itself to rotate. This lets the elements swing down alongside the tower. Now it’s possible to climb up or down and reach at least the elements that are close to the tower. Our local climber Mark, N9LS, did a service call at my station W6SRR where some plastic clips out on the elements had slipped out of position. He was able to reach them and fix the issue easily.
The more elaborate and flexible trick is to dismount the Yagi entirely while temporarily supporting it at its balance point with some combination of slings, ropes, and a come-along. At N6RO, we had a balun failure on a long 20m Yagi and Hector, AD6D, used this method. Once the antenna is free-floating, it’s easy to position it at any angle along the tower, allowing access to anything that needs attention.
So be sure to consult the pros when you have a problem up the tower. They may even show you a different way to rotate.
by Norm Wilson N6JV – Visit the museum at N6JV.com
WD-24
Westinghouse was one of the first American companies to commercially produce vacuum tubes. RCA held the triode patent so Westinghouse and General Electric made tubes for distribution by RCA. These companies also developed experimental tubes for their own use and to develop new products and perfect construction techniques. The featured transmitting triode was found at a swap meet. I don’t think I paid much as nobody knew what it was other than an early, primitive triode that was probably made about 1920. Eventually I identified it as a Westinghouse WD-24, but I have no reference source to prove it. All tube collectors have a library of reference material and I think someone knew what it was and supplied the operating voltages and currents. The plate could be run as high as 2000 volts at 250 ma. The filament was 10 volts at 15 amps. The tube stands 12 inches tall. Westinghouse tubes had several prefix codes and often WD was used to indicate a developmental tube.
This tube was made by spot welding rods to support the plate and grid. The ends were connected to internal metal clamps. In operation, the tube was mounted with straps. This system is similar to what de Forest tubes of this period used. The feature that doesn’t make any sense is the square box shaped plate. Making the spacing between the grid and plate uniform, minimizes the creation of hot spots The variable grid to plate spacing may result in an odd-looking set of performance curves. This design didn’t catch on but it is an interesting example of early experimentation.
