Left Coast Political Scene

5/6/2018 ~ Update I Love the Smell Of Napalm in the Morning! That specific line came from the actor Robert Duvall in the movie "Apocalypse Now" but is reminiscent of May 7, 1965 when as a member of MCB 10 [Mobile Construction Battalion Ten ~ SeaBees] and part of Regimental Landing Team #4, we made the very first amphibious landing since the Korean War.  The landing zone was at Chu Lai, [at then South Vietnam]  some 90 "clicks" south of DaNang. Several months later (July 1965) I remember sitting on the veranda of the "homebrew" officer's club where at about 6 to 7 PM we would, with drink in hand, watch the nightly napalm run south of us on  Dung Quat Bay. Our camp (originally called Camp Shields) is now the site of a KIA plant as a part of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone. My how times change? The 10K foot long  airfield that was built by RMK is now known as Chu Lai International Airport Here are some photos that have survived .... ...

Building the W7ZOI, 20M SSB Transceiver 4/10/28 ~ Comment: this rig is only one of three that I have built that is fully SSB and CW capable. with the other two being the KWM-4 and this rig's twin brother. Unless you provide capability for narrow signal filtering then operating CW using a wide SSB filter (700 Hz as compared to 2.1 KHz) does not make for a competition grade rig. OK for casual contacts; but not one for a true CW enthusiast. Today I would look at a diode steered two filter scheme and like in the KWM-4 and the W7ZOI rigs use a separate CW keyed crystal oscillator (or the third clock on the Si5351).  Since I am not a CW enthusiast nor always QRP my main thrust is SSB and to have linear amps on the output. Hats off to those who like QRP + CW. There is room in the hobby for all. 73's Pete N6QW In 1999, I decided to build the W7ZOI 20M QRP SSB Transceiver that appeared in a two part article 12/89- 1/90 in QST. [That was before contests and latest ...

The KWM-4 ~ A True Homebrew Rig. Pete N6QW Who is Doing What to What? ( No this is not about the Emperor and the Porn Star! ) I raise this question because I think it is a good idea to always look beyond what one is doing in their shack and to see what is over the fence. I am on a quest to build a complete 20M homebrew SSB transceiver within the confines of an Altoids tin. The last time I built a really small SSB rig it was 16 cubic inches (2X2X4). So now how to make it even smaller. To that end I am firm believer to doing research on what others are doing, which lead me to K.P.S.Kang, VU2KR. He has a blog called http://smallwonderqrp.blogspot.com  In the May, June and July of 2016 blogs there are entries regarding a rig he designed called the PIXET. This is an amazing design and it has many possibilities "built as is" as well as looking at the topology and how that could be incorporated into my "super small shirt pocket transceiver". ...