Mother Lode DX / Contest Club

Author: Jeff Stai

  • The Nugget – June 2025

    June 2025

    Volume 30 Number 6

    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.

    73 and Good DX, Steve NC6R

    Articles

    Another Bug Restoration

    Minutes of the May 10th Meeting (Habanero Hots, Lodi)

    Presentations and Slides from Dayton

    Photos from the 2025 IDXC in Visalia by N6TV

    Norm N6JV’s Tube of the Month

    SCDXC Newsletter Lives!

    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!)

    Speaking of DX…

    Upcoming DXpeditions via NG3K

    DX Calendar via 425 DX News

    Upcoming Contests

    Via contestcalendar.com:

    Humor!

    Steve NC6R wanted everyone to see this 😅.

    “They say it’s probably safe to keep orbiting for a while, but if it stays on or starts flashing we might have to call someone.” (credit xkcd)

    Send more funny stuff for the next issue! – Ed.

    Classifieds

    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 W1RH w1rh@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

    1NK7I227
    2W1SRD224
    3W6DE201
    4K6OK184
    5K6YK182

    CW

    1K6YK162
    2NO5Z122
    3K6OK120
    4NA6O105
    5N6WM104

    Phone

    1W1SRD116
    2K6YK115
    3NO5Z114
    4N6WM111
    5K6TQ101

    Data

    1NK7I216
    2W1SRD195
    3W6DE177
    4K7QDX173
    5K6OK154

    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!

  • Another Bug Restoration

    by Gary Johnson, NA6O gwj@me.com

    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.

  • Tube of the Month – June 2025

    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.

  • Photos from the 2025 IDXC in Visalia

    Bob Wilson N6TV took a few nice snapshots at the International DX Convention. Visit the album here. Thanks Bob!

    N6TV

  • Presentations and Slides from Dayton

    Here are some useful links from the Dayton Hamvention this year. Please contact the Webwookie if there are any I missed listing here.

  • Minutes of the May 10th Meeting (Habanero Hots, Lodi)

    Respectfully Submitted, G. “Skip” Chraft, N6NFB

    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.

    Announcements/Discussion

    Planning has begun for the IDX to be held in Santa Maria next year. Rick Samoian W6SR said that he will do DXCC QSL card checking.

    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.

  • The Nugget – May 2025

    May 2025

    Volume 30 Number 5

    All the news from the home of the very first Cinco de Mayo celebration…

    The next meeting of the MLDXCC will be on May 10th in Lodi. Find out more right here.

    From the Prez

    Hello DX’ers and Contesters,

    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

    Articles

    Santa Maria 2026 DX & Contest Convention

    Norm N6JV’s Tube of the Month

    A Ham Radio Station for Jenna by Gary Johnson, NA6O, and Jim Ewing, N4TMM

    Humor!

    Send more funny stuff for the next issue! Thanks Sue K6SZQ for this one! – Ed.

    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 7 May 2025. You can see complete MLDXCC standings on ClubLog here.

    Overall

    1NK7I220
    2W1SRD215
    3W6DE194
    4K6YK178
    5K6OK162

    CW

    1K6YK149
    2NO5Z116
    3NA6O104
    4N6WM104
    5W1SRD99

    Phone

    1K6YK115
    2NO5Z114
    3W1SRD114
    4N6WM111
    5K6TQ101

    Data

    1NK7I209
    2W1SRD182
    3W6DE173
    4K7QDX163
    5K6OK139

    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!

  • Santa Maria Convention Announced

    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**.

    For more information and to register, visit the convention website.

    ** 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.

  • Tube of the Month – May 2025

    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.

  • A Ham Radio Station for Jenna

    by Gary Johnson, NA6O, and Jim Ewing, N4TMM

    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

    1. 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
    2. “QRQ Maniacs” YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@QRQmaniacs

    About the Authors

    Gary Johnson, NA6O, enjoys station building, contesting, and anything to do with CW. A retired engineer, he lives in Livermore, CA.

    Jim Ewing, N4TMM, is a retired patent attorney in Atlanta, GA who primarily enjoys CW on the HF bands using bugs.”