The recession forced me to take a job for the first time in 10
years. I was lucky enough to get one last fall and even more
fortunate to end up working with several hams, ham wanna-be's, and
a fellow who ran an Air Force combat-comm unit in his last job.

We were knocking boat-anchors around the Pepsi machine,
solving the world's problems and a couple things came up.

What's the most complex radio or piece of electronics that you've
scratch built?

For me it was probably the Handbook two tube electronic keyer from
the '60's. I've build a lot of kits and repaired stuff but most of
my radios were commercial.

What is your favorite radio, if you could have only one, what would
it be?

I'd probably say KWM-2A even though I've never owned one and likely
never will. I have near-zero interest in modern digital,
computerized radios. I like the SB-Heathkits because they are
Collins knock-offs, good VFO's, easy to work on, etc.

I'm not an antiquarian, even though I'm in my mid-50's and was
first licensed in 1963, I have a recent M.S. Computer Science (1992
- the George Washington University, School of Engineering and
Applied Science) and hand build software for a living. I'm as
state-of-the-art as they come, I just don't see the point of
digital radios.

We talked about how the bands are "empty", nothing like they were
in the '60s'. Even two is a wasteland, only a few QSO's going.

I suggested that we need something like Straight Key Night but for
boatanchors. This might rebuild the interest in ham radio. The
magic of older radios is that you can get into them and fix them.

You don't learn by harrumphing with the geezers on 75 meter LSB. I
listen to them while I work on my Heathkits and some of that
dag-nabbit'ing is embarrassing. I realize that at 55 (or is it
56), I'm closing in on my golden-years so I'll soon be there, 75
LSB.

I'm glad that they are on 75 meters, I just wish that there was
more activity on the other bands, 10, 15.

We knocked around a few more concepts.

I'd like to see the bar lowered. The current entry ticket, the
no-code Tech might be too high a barrier.

We discussed something like the old Novice theory and no-code for 2
meters and 40, 15 meter CW and 50 kHz of 10 meter SSB, 100 watts.

Current no-code tech's grandfather to some HF priviledges and
retain all the current tech freqs.

Tech-plus and General become Generals. Just upgrade them in the
computer. So Tech-plus gets HF SSB.

Advanced is grandfathered.

Extra stays the same but for the life of me, I can't get over the
concept of a 5 WPM, question-pool Extra. I say that as someone
with FCC 13 WPM and the original Advanced theory exam. I'm shaking
my head ruefully.

But that's half the problem. The other half is getting folk
talking on the air and working on their radios because that's how
they learn.

I don't think that reading the spec sheet on an ICOM counts as
intellectual stimulation or a technical challenge. I do have an
ICOM multi-mode, synthesized, computer controlled radio. I've used
it for a few hours.

So here's our concept.

Boat Anchor Weekend - a contest like any other but you get
multipliers for operating older radios. You get double points
for contacting stations that are more than 25 years old. Perhaps
QCWA would sponsor a Quarter Century Radio Night. Any 24 hours in
a weekend, multipler of 1 for 1990+, multiplier of 1.25 for
1980-1989, multiplier of 1.5 for 1970-1979, multiplier of 1.75 for
1960-1969, etc.

The older your rig, the more multipliers you get. Max is 3X for
100% homebrew.

Multiplier of 1 for digital readout, multiplier of 1.25 for analog
readout. Multiplier of 1 for solid state. Multiplier of 1.25 for
all vacuum tubes. Rectifiers don't count. Final tubes only count
as solid state. Outboard digital readouts can be disabled.

Hybred stations, say a vacuum tube transceiver and a solid state
linear, lose the vacuum tube multiplier.

Station age is determined by the age of the youngest major part. An
HT-37 and a new ICOM R-70 receiver is a new station, no multiplier.

The point is to get the older, more interesting, radios working.

Boat Anchor Weekend, Quarter Century Radio Night, stations lit by
vacuum tubes, ...

"Rig here is a 1960's Heathkit SB-101 so you get 2 points... "

"That old Heath sounds good, I'm running a 1960's Drake 2B and an HT
32, 2 points for you too."

If we keep the boatanchors going, make it a national activity, we
can rebuild the original interest in Ham Radio. We're competing
against the Internet and 160 channel cable TV. Isn't it better to
get kids of all ages into hamming????

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de ah6gi/4 - Cory - restoring old Heathkits because...