K7JEB AM Log: 27 Mar 2006 - 15 Apr 2006

This period's log starts on a sad note: George, W8QBG, reports that one
of the Harris hawks that uses his beams as hunting perches met an
untimely end across a 12 kV feeder atop a nearby utility pole. 

George also alerts us to the presence of a new FM broadcast outlet
putting in a good signal to the Metro Phoenix area -- KRZS on 97.5 MHz
(Star 97.5).  The programming is swing and big-band music, definitely a
favorite among the AM crowd.  FCC database shows the city of license to
be Dewey/Humboldt and the transmitter location somewhere in the Bradshaw
mountains near Crown King. 

Kind-of surprising how many of the AZ AM gang have had experience
installing and aligning microwave passive reflectors. 

Ken, K6CJA, advises a major push on his part to get his 10-meter station
ready for the next sunspot cycle.  He also voices a gripe heard among
many of the "regular" operators about contesters.  In addition, he's
tearing up the high desert in his tricked-out 68 Corvette. 

Czeched into the AMI net on 3870 on 3/29.  The band went blitzo and I
thought that was it for the night.  However, decided to listen-in around
midnight local time and was pleasantly surprised to hear the band back
in good shape.  Had a pleasant roundtable with N6PY, WA6JUS, K6JEK and
WA6TJN.  N6PY was singing the praises of his "new" R-390 and WA6JUS was
bringing his compressor/limiter back on line with a brighter sound.  As
a bonus, the Tim Tron, WA1HLR, dropped by. 

K7CAX advises that "my" Heathkit SA-2060 was delivered to Floyd, N7WEK,
in Oracle in good condx.  Tnx, Max. 

For no good reason at all, I brought up the VE7CC DX Cluster software on
my Internet machine and watched the DX spots roll by.  Kinda hypnotizing
in a way.  And then I become immediately suspicious that I may be
getting subliminal messages to become (gasp!) a DXer. 

Heard from K6KSG, Dick, in CO on 7293 that he is trying to find a
cost-effective power transformer for his old Gonset linear amp.  Dick's
an old marine radiotelegrapher and we had an interesting discussion
about ship's chronometers from the Chelsea company. 

8-April-2006: Missed DeVry hamfest which, reports indicate, was one of
the best in years at that venue, due, no doubt, to the washout of
Scottsdale in March.  I had my own business involving a cherry-picker, a
wood-chipper, and the butchery of some overgrown trees in my front yard
on that date.  It was one of those time-critical deals and couldn't be
rescheduled.  Sorry I missed the festivities.  Understand that Art,
KB7LOQ, made off with a Collins 51S-1 general-coverage receiver for a
good price and George, W8QBG, cornered a Viking-1 for $60, the latter
notable for happening in spite of Geo. leaving his billfold at home. 

Speaking of KB7LOQ, congrats on the new job (with weekends off!) with
the State of Arizona.  I'll miss you at my local Fry's, but it is a far,
far better place you have gone to. 

More 3870 madness.  Good condx. Sat nite, 8-Apr, and a nice roundtable
with the So.Cal. gang.  KO6NM casually mentions he wants to get a
recording of me and that set me off.  I immediately grabbed some nice,
clean audio of him and WA6JUS on my hard disk, burned a couple of audio
CD's and fired them off through Snail Mail the following Monday.  Lotsa
fun! 

Finally remembered to get on 2-M AM on 4/11.  W8QBG tries out his Clegg
22er with Xtal control, but it has a very mysterious audio buzz on the
carrier.  VFO is fine, but tends to move about 10 kc on Xmit.  More
experimentation/troubleshooting on that one. 

W7CCC's prize from the De Vry swap-and-swindle was a non-pro IC746.
Hoped to hear it on the air on 2-M AM here in Phoenix, but it looks like
it is on its way to his So.Cal. QTH.  The fluctuating power output of my
IC-746pro is becoming increasingly annoying and mods/repairs are in
order. 

Had a nice roundtable on 3855 AM this Sat. 4/15.  Good to hear KB7LOQ
enjoying his new weekend freedom.  Kind words from K6UA about the
Arizona-AM website.  I need to get around and get some more shack photos
from the locals. 

AM HONOR ROLL...

W7GMK    WA6JUS 
W7XH     K0ETD 
K7BDY    K6KSG 
W8QBG    W7QHO 
W1ZD     W7CCC 
K7CAX    K4KCL
WA1HLR   AE8O 
W7CPA    K6PLR
N6MMW    K6JEK
KO6NM    N6PY
K6CJA    WA6TJN
W8QYT    KC7BGE
XE2/W7ISJ    
K6BW     KB7LOQ
K7JWA    W7MD 
W9FGJ    K7VZP 
KA6VEC   K7AK 
K6UA     KC9GQ
K7SC     KO6SM
W6UH     N7WEK