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#5792 12/16/01 01:44 AM
Joined: May 2001
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Bill,
Yup, you hit the nail on the head, a ham passed away (became a "silent key") and they were cleaning out his shack. QSO card have become very collectible, lotsa famous people have been hams, still a great hobby.

NJWIRENUT - Glad to hear it, I think it "tickles" everyones imagination who has a real love of electricity, eh ? AF4JH

#5793 12/16/01 08:56 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 7,520
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Bill,

There are many hams who take great pride in collecting QSO cards: Some keep them in huge photo albums, others cover the walls of their shack with them. By the way, QSO doesn't stand for anything in particular; it's just one signal of the Q code used originally to aid Morse. They are used in question/answer form, e.g. "QRP?" = Shall I reduce power?, "QRP" = Reduce power. Hence George's colloquial use of QRP above to mean "low power."

I love working with old vacuum tube equipment (what we call "valves" over here). I have several valve communicaton receivers, an old Leader VTVM and 'scope, and other valve test equipment that's still in regular use.

I still use an old valve/tube audio amplifier for much of my record-playing; a unit built years ago by my father using the ubiquitous 6V6 output bottles in push-pull.

Expecting the youngsters to know a 6V6, 12AX7, etc. is perhaps too much, but getting asked "So what's a valve?" makes me feel positively ancient (I'm only 35).
Then they ask "Huh? What's a 78 ?" Oh dear!

#5794 12/16/01 02:03 PM
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 806
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The postcards confirming a contact are "QSL" cards. A contact itself is a "QSO".

Legal-limit (1500W in the US) ham radio power amps are one of the few remaining applications where vacuum tubes/valves are still in common use (unless you count CRTs and microwave oven magnetrons). There is still a "niche market" in high-end audio applications, for tubes like 6550/KT88, 6CA7/EL34, and 300B. And the venerable 6L6GC stills rules the world of guitar amplifiers.

Tubes also lend themselves to hobbyist use, with simpler circuit designs, and larger. easier to work with components. One of the fastest-growing areas of hobby electronics is homebrew tube audio equipment. Magazines like "Glass Audio" and "Vacuum Tube Valley" cater to this growing hobby market.

"Real radios glow in the dark"!

#5795 12/16/01 04:57 PM
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Darn it! Did I really say QSO cards? Looks like I did! As NJ said, I meant QSL (from "Can you confirm communication?" etc.) Sorry!

Another popular output tube for audio here is the EL34. We're seeing a lot of these power tetrodes & pentodes being imported from Russia, along with their makes of 6L6, 6V6, KT66, etc.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 12-16-2001).]

#5796 12/16/01 05:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
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So, there may still be a use for our Heathkit Tube Tester?

Bill


Bill
#5797 12/16/01 07:33 PM
Joined: May 2001
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Paul,
I started it, I typed QSO knowing danged well better, at least I should, looking at a wall full of em.

Bill,
Don't wanna get you all excited right here at Christmas, but if you have a Heathkit tube tester, and no use of it, may I suggest e-bay? They've been known to go pretty high.

#5798 12/16/01 08:14 PM
Joined: Aug 2001
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Well whatdya know? So you did George! Isn't it amazing how the human brain can be so easily led, even when it knows better?! (BTW, did you check out the current licensing info on the refs. I sent?)

Bill,
The popular Avo tube/valve testers still show up here from time to time in members' ads, radio-fests and so on. There will always be somebody who can make use of this old stuff.

#5799 12/16/01 08:26 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 135
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Hey George, thanks for the idea. I have one in the closet somewhere.

#5800 12/16/01 09:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 4,116
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George,

I just told my Dad not to get rid of the Heathkit, Thanks for the info!

Bill


Bill
#5801 12/16/01 10:19 PM
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 717
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Tubes and tube gear go well on e-bay, but Heath stuff has a pretty good value, most everyone can work on it. I don't know if you guys can post here, but you might wanna give it a whirl, usually not as quick as e-bay. It is the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) and the URL is just for used equipment. http://www.arrl.org/RadiosOnline/?ordby=
Paul, Yep, pretty interesting if a bit confusing, but I suppose our rules would seem a bit confusing for you guys as well, it is pretty much what you get used to. We're gonna have to start a Ham section of this forum.

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