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Welcome to the AC0DN shack!

 

This site is under construction-please stop back again as I add to it!! 

Email is ac0dn@yahoo.com

I belong to 3900 club-->  www.3900club.com

Pawnee Amateur Radio Club--> https://sites.google.com/site/pawneearc/home

Let me know what you think.


Glad to see you stop by--my name is Chris and QTH is Columbus, NE.  I've always had an interrest in electronics from a very early age, especially in the field of radio.  I considered going into electronics after graduating from high school but felt I had more fun with it as a hobby & would grow tired of it if I had to make a living at it.  Besides, in the mid '80s, the electronics technology was changing almost daily and would be tough to keep up with changes as the computers were becomming more popular.

I always thought of getting the ham ticket but the thought of learning the code was always a bit of a turn-off.  So when I could get a General Class with 5 WPM, I jumped in.

I was licenced in 2002 as KC0MUJ General Class amateur.  A while later, I upgraded to Extra Class and was assigned AC0DN.  In the past, I've really enjoyed digi modes, especially SSTV, and sometimes will find my way back to those modes.  Otherwise, you can hear me on SSB, and the occasional AM contact

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A few years back, I was able to aquire an old Swan 500 tranceiver to add to my skimpy shack at the time.  I think I had the Icom IC 720a and a Kenwood TS 520 then.  Besides the price being right, I thought it may be fun to put a "vintage" rig on the air now & then.  The old Swan was as old as I and I quickly became quite interrested in the  workings of it.  After a bit of clean-up and some minor work and allignment, it was on the air! 

Yeah, the hair was donated to the Locks of Love organization....

I began to study some of the "old school" radios & found a fondness for the Hallicrafters radios.  Sure I'd love to have an old Collins S-Line (who wouldn't?) but I told the wife that I'd keep the hobby "on the cheap."  After doing a lot of research I found the Hallicrafters to be a good quality radio, easier to find than some classics, not to mention I just love the looks on 'em.  For the past few years, it's almost become an obsession.  It started with a SR 150 listed for sale in Sioux City IA about 2 hours from here.  Nice looking tranceiver from the early '60s but needed work.  The only test the guy would give is a power up & the lights came on.  The rest was a crap shoot.


 

I took the chance as a mutual friend Martin AC0OM was going up to Sioux City to visit another friend WB0YNX, Tom, and offered a ride up to Sioux City.  I made the trip with him to pick it up and to spend some time with Martin & Tom.  The rig needed a good clean-up & allignment, and that's about all.  I'm still looking for the PS 150 for it as the radio came with an old Heathkit power supply.  Some winter weekend I may start a complete restore on this one (after I get the PS 150).  It's well worth it.

One Hallicrafters I drooled over was the HT 37 transmitter.  I often thought it would be fun to pick one up somewhere...but very much on the back burner.  As fate would have it, when we made the trip to Sioux City for the SR 150, Tom invited us into his shop and said, "Well, Chris, here's the rig you're after..." pointing to a table close by.  And what do you suppose was on the table right next to the SR 150??  That's right, the coveted HT 37!  But that's not all...with the HT 37 was a SX 111 receiver, AND a HT 41 Hallicrafter amplifier.  I'm in heaven!!!  Now they're in my shack seen below.  Click the "Combo Platter" page for the story.

Comments?-- ac0dn@yahoo.com

SX 111 receiver, HT 41 amp, R 48 speaker, HT 37 transmitter, SX 101A receiver, HT 32A transmitter