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Final Call for K9QET
presented by Harry N9CQX on MCRN 3/18/23
The Wit and Wisdom of Rod Newkirk W9BRD
Audio clip by KA8WQL
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Latest News
About our members
Posted: 06/178/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 06/178/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
W9GT (SK)
Midwest area hams lost a good friend with the passing of Jack Schutt, W9GT. Jacks restored "Old Federal" transmitter was a familar sound in many AM operators speakers, but Jacks interests ranged across the ham radio spectrum as a builder, restorer, and user of vintage radios - and beyond. He was a familiar sight at area hamfests and a familiar voice... READ MORE
About our members
Posted: 06/173/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 06/173/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
MCRN-KI8BQ Memorial Get-Together - REMINDER
SATURDAY 27 JULY 2024The Midwest Classic Ham Radio Event of the YeartheMIDWEST CLASSIC RADIO NETcombining withtheBLOSSOMLAND AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATIONpresent the2024 KI8BQ MEMORIAL GET-TOGETHERat theFive Pines Ministriesbeautiful country setting that is located at6597 Smith RoadBerrien Center, MISTART TIME 10am EST(set up 9am)Donation Auction 1pmEVERYTHING FREEwith donations cheerfully acceptedon ... READ MORE
About our members
Posted: 05/140/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 05/140/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
2nd Annual KI9BQ Memorial Get-Together
SATURDAY 27 JULY 2024 The Midwest Classic Ham Radio Event of the Yearthe MIDWEST CLASSIC RADIO NETcombining with the BLOSSOMLAND AMATEUR RADIO ASSOCIATION present the 2024 KI8BQ MEMORIAL GET-TOGETHER at the Five Pines Ministries beautiful country location located at 6597 Smith RoadBerrien Center, MI START TIME 10am EST(set up 9am)donation auction 1pm everything freewith ... READ MORE
General Information
Posted: 05/135/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 05/135/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
WWVB operating at reduced power
NIST time and frequency station WWVB, transmitting on 60 KHz from Hawaii is operating at a reduced power of 30KW indefinitely following wind damage to the antenna. This is one of the VLF time signals used by automatically-setting "atomic clocks".The actual announcement can be heard here... READ MORE
General Information
Posted: 04/116/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 04/116/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
MFJ Going Out of Business
Dear Fellow Hams and Friends, April 25, 2024Dear ... READ MORE
About our members
Posted: 03/61/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 03/61/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Bob Heil K9EID SK
With great sadness we acknowledge the passing of Bob Heil, K9EID (SK). Bob was the best friend ham radio ever had, and while he may be gone his lifelong legacy will live forever.For those who may not be aware, Bob's company, Heil Sound, is the only equipment manufacturer honored with a presence in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Whenever you hear Joe Walsh, Pete... READ MORE
General Information
Posted: 02/41/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 02/41/2024
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
MCRN - "Celebrity Edition"
Have you ever just bumped into a famous person (other than attending a paid performance)? N9CQX posed that question to the members of the Midwest Classic Radio Net and got some surprising answers. You can listen to the entire net audio here:https://soundcloud.com/robert-nickels-1/mcrn-celebrities-1... READ MORE
General Information
Posted: 12/341/2023
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 12/341/2023
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
"Helen of Heath"
Many recognize the name Howard Anthony as a former president of Heathkit and might remember that he tragically died in an airplane crash. The loss of such a valuable business leader would have meant the end of most companies, but Howard's very capable wife Helen made sure that didn't happen.If you're reading this page, chances are that you also read the K9YA, a free m... READ MORE
Hamfests and Swaps
Posted: 09/245/2023
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 09/245/2023
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Shelby Hamfest 2023
CLICK HERE to enjoy a virtual tour of the Shelby Hamfest, courtest of Nick K4NYW... READ MORE
About our members
Posted: 08/223/2023
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
Posted: 08/223/2023
Created By: Robert Nickels (W9RAN)
Comments: 0
First Annual MCRN-KI8BQ Memorial Get-Together
Thanks to the efforts of Midwest Classic Radio Net manager Harry N9CQX, the annual late July gathering of AM devotees has resumed after the unfortunate passing of long-time host KI8BQ (SK). The first annual MCRN-KI8BQ Get-Together was held on July 29 2023 at the Five Pines Ministries camp near Berrien Springs, MI. The last Saturday in July has been reserve... READ MORELatest Articles
On the workbench
Posted: 08/226/2024
Comments: 0 |
Making SMT "no lead" parts easier to use
... READ MORE |
Monitoring Post
Posted: 04/93/2024
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Skyking Skyking do not answer. Message follows...
Anyone who caught one of the Emergency Action Notifications (EAN) transmitted by the US Air Force on the HF bands remembers this phrase.But not many know how the EAN is actually used by our military. This re-creation of a Minuteman III Launch Control Facilitliy (LCF) in Utah provides a realistic view of what happens when an EAN is received by a missile control crew, 60 feet under... READ MORE |
On the workbench
Posted: 01/22/2024
Comments: 0 |
Grind your own?
If you're a long-time ham you might know what the smeary figure-8 pattern is....Back in the Novice era, many used crystals purchased from suppliers like JAN Crystals who purchased large quantities of military surplus crystals and reground them for the ham bands. That's why they were cheap, but also why you couldn't get a specific frequency as they'd grind by a formula and is long... READ MORE |
Heat up the iron
Posted: 12/364/2023
Comments: 0 |
K5HZ's "AC-2" Compactron transmitter
Ron K5HZ has been building equipment since he first got his ham license in the early 60s, and while he has other transmitters, all it took to build a new one was finding a "free to good home" power transformer at a hamfest. It also gave him a chance to try using a couple of Compactron tubes that had caught his eye - the 6T10 dual pentode and the 6GE5 beam power pentode that was d... READ MORE |
Brass Pounding
Posted: 12/341/2023
Comments: 0 |
DigiKeyer
If you build almost anything electronic, chances are good you've purchased parts from DigiKey Electronics. But did you know that DigiKey - now one of the world's largest electronics distributors - started out as a ham radio company?"More than 50 years ago, a digital electronic device designed to generate uniform Morse characters and spaces was made available for sale by amateur radio enthusi... READ MORE |
Looking Back
Posted: 11/332/2023
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Heathkit - An Employee Looks Back
Electronic Design magazine published an excellent interview in 2020 with Chas Gilmore W8IAI, former Heath engineer, manager, and executive. Anyone with an interest in Heathkits will find this interview to be well worth the time to read. You can read it for free without registration here at the ELECTRONIC DESIGN WEBSITEThe photo below was borrowed from W8IAI's QRZ page, and shows h... READ MORE |
On the workbench
Posted: 11/320/2023
Comments: 0 |
Fusing the DX-40
Upon examining a DX-40 given to me by a good friend, I was surprised not to find the usual fused plug on the AC line cord. I thought maybe Heathkit realized the error of their ways and had put one inside - but no. A check of the schematic confirmed that fuses were never a part of the DX-40 design. This needed to be corrected but after first considering hogging a... READ MORE |
Heat up the iron
Posted: 11/312/2023
Comments: 0 |
KA8WQL's "Trifecta Receiver"
In racing, a trifecta is "a run of three wins or grand events." When I read the first sentence of Bob KA8WQLs article about his homebrew receiver, the word trifecta came to mind because he managed to do all three things at the same time! I think you'll agree!I read once, a long time ago, that the Radio Amateur should have three stations: one that looks good, one... READ MORE |
Tech Library
Posted: 11/311/2023
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EIA Codes - a clue to "who made what"
Although Source Codes ceased with the 2001 edition, it is available here for historical purposes.The EIA Source Code is a numeric symbol that was assigned and registered by the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) that could be stamped or marked on any or all products to identify the production source or the vendor assuming product responsibility.In addition, the EIA code provided for adding nu... READ MORE |
Tech Library
Posted: 10/302/2023
Comments: 0 |
David Gleason is an unsung hero
While working as a Univision programming and research exec in the early 2000, David Gleason began digitizing publications about the radio and TV business and posting them on his personal website so that he could easily share them as he traveled around and met with station staff.It was helpful in persuading the locals to take his advice, he says. “Rather than it just sounding like my opinion,... READ MORE |
Looking Back
Posted: 10/276/2023
Comments: 0 |
John Wells, Cliff Harvey, and the Harvey-Wells Electronics Company
Through the courtesy of the author, Hamilton K. Agnew, it's a pleasure to share this history of one of ham radios pioneering companies - Harvey Wells Electronics. The company was a very important contributor to world-wide electronics, both during WWII and many years after, as well as a substantial manufacturer of ham radio equipment.Download it from the link at the ... READ MORE |
Tech Library
Posted: 08/234/2023
Comments: 0 |
Ballast Tube data and substitutions
Here's some information that isn't often needed, but difficult to find: A. P. Jacobi's Ballast Tube Handbook and Substitution Guide. Download from the "Attachments" link below.... READ MORE |
Tech Library
Posted: 08/214/2023
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Electricity Explained
We've heard there is some confusion about how electricity works. This should clear things up.... READ MORE |
Brass Pounding
Posted: 06/172/2023
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A Poem about Morse Code
A member of the Long Island CW Group thought he'd give one of those AI chatbot sites a challenge...he didn't expect much but got a real surprise... In a world of signals, hidden and grand,A language of dots and dashes, hand in hand.Morse code whispers, in rhythm and sound,A symphony of messages, profound. With a simple click, a dot appears,A fleeting moment, to the listening ears.Short a... READ MORE |
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Looking Back
Posted: 06/171/2023
Comments: 0 |
The History of the Car Radio
Seems like cars have always had radios, but they didn't. Here's the story:One evening, in 1929, two young men named William Lear and Elmer Wavering drove their girlfriends to a lookout point high above the Mississippi River town of Quincy, Illinois, to watch the sunset. It was a romantic night to be sure, but one of the women observed that it would be even nicer if they could listen to music in th... READ MORE |
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Looking Back
Posted: 06/171/2023
Comments: 0 |
History of the Car Radio
Seems like cars have always had radios, but they didn't. Here's the story: One evening, in 1929, two young men named William Lear and Elmer Wavering drove their girlfriends to a lookout point high above the Mississippi River town of Quincy, Illinois, to watch the sunset. It was a romantic night to be sure, but one of... READ MORE |
Tech Library
Posted: 05/125/2023
Comments: 0 |
DIY Layout Creator
If you're like most homebrewers, often times you just want to build a one-time-only circuit and end up with a haphazard layout or one you have to tear apart and start over on to get everything to fit. DIY Layout Creator is designed for just this purpose! Not only do you get a layout that will work but a document that shows what you did so when you come back to it 3 weeks la... READ MORE |
Tech Library
Posted: 04/105/2023
Comments: 0 |
Minimalist QRP Book by IZ3AYQ
Everyone probably remembers building - or at least thinking about building - a small simple transmitter or receiver from an article in one of the radio magazines. They may not have used the term "minimalist" back then but the idea was the same - no frills, just a simple rig that could be easily assembled and was capable of being used on the air. Nowadays, QRP operati... READ MORE |
Monitoring Post
Posted: 04/91/2023
Comments: 0 |
The NEW WBCQ - 9330 kHz - Last Chance Radio superstation
Everyone who listens to shortwave is familiar with WBCQ, Monticello Maine USA aka "the Planet" and it's owner Allan Weiner who has been a legit broadcaster for many years after a youthful flirtation with pirate radio. But if you think WBCQ is a rag-tag collection of old SW transmitters held together by baling wire attached by Timtron - you are WAY out of calibration! &... READ MORE |
Welcome to the Shack
Posted: 03/89/2023
Comments: 0 |
Mr. Harvey Wells, Kelley W8GFG (SK)
Long-time particpants in the Midwest Classic Radio Net will remember Kelley W8GFG, who was always looking for "anything Harvey Wells". We lost Kelley too young in 2011 but his persistent quest from St. John IN is an abiding memory. I remember meeting him at a Chicago area hamfest and asking if he had any spare Harvey Wells speakers. He said no, they were very ra... READ MORE |