KH6JRM's Amateur Radio Blog

The ole Kenwood 520 is just about ready for a full
rollout after some minor cleanup procedures.  I was
lucky to acquire the rig from a deceased Hilo ham, who
kept his equipment clean and maintained.  All I have to
do is replace the 2001 finals with some 6146Bs I in the
tube drawer.  The original finals are alright for now, but
they are a bit soft.  I've run the 520 at low power and it
behaved well.  Even my homebrew ac power cord seemed
to work.  I was able to get a new replacement from K4EEA
just in case my kludge fails along the way.  Presently, I'm re-
reading Lew McCoy's "Novice Antenna Book", something I
picked up many years ago.  The book is full of simple, work-
able antennas that will get you started on your amateur radio
adventure.  McCoy, now SK, writes in a friendly, straight-
forward way.  I've tried several of his designs and they work
well.  Materials for these antennas can be obtained from the
nearest hardware store at modest cost.  I'll use the Kenwood
520 while I clean up the Swan 100 MX and the Yaesu FT-7.
These two rigs are fairly easy to get around, especially for those
of us with pudgy fingers and bifocals.  I enjoy the work--it keeps
my mind off the concerns of the world for a while.  After a day
in the radio station newsroom, I ready to back off the "doom and
gloom" headlines and head off for the radio room in the qth.  Nothing
like a little cw therapy to purge those daily downers.  Enjoy your
weekend.  Check out the ESPN sports coverage to the right of this
segment and the news update at the bottom of the entry.  As always,
your antenna suggestions are welcome.  73 de KH6JRM.

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