Monday, June 8, 2020 — Several days ago I was listening to the NCS of my Georgia CW net wrap things up for the night. I usually move from 80 to 75 meters and listen to one of several groups I enjoy listening too. I was messing around in the shack doing something else when I heard some operating a bug at a pretty good clip call me.
Huh?
It wasn’t one of the net regulars; this guy ticking along at 25 words plus. But I recognized his call as our ARRL Section Manager.
I hadn’t talked to Steve in a number of years — since the last hamfest I attended. We chatted for a few and I found out quickly how rusty my fist was when it comes to making off-the-cuff comments and conversation. Hell, the majority of my CW in the last couple of years has been net operation, and other than traffic, its pretty well regimented. Anyway, he wanted to talk so I gave him my cell (he had my old landline number), and we moved to what we used to refer to as “the twisted pair” — telephone — and talked at length.
The Kentucky CW Net runs at the same time as the Georgia CW net, 13 kcs down the band from the Georgia net. He invited me to participate in the net, which I had sporadically in the past, but hadn’t in many years. A good ham friend of mine, KO4OL, was NCS Sunday, so I checked in last night with Glenn. To say he was surprised was an understatement! I got a warm welcome from the guys, which felt great. I know all of these guys from my days as SM, and from their vantage point, I’ve dropped completely out of sight. The nice part was the Kentucky net (the KYN) runs at a 20-25 wpm, so it wrapped up before the Georgia CW net did. After the KYN I slid up the band to catch the Georgia net.
11 METER BOOGIE. On a whim a couple weeks ago, I bought a vintage transceiver — a Multi-Elmac Citifone SS. The Citifone SS was one of the early synthesized 23-channel CB transceivers, and was the top of the line for the Multi-Elmac CB line.
The Citifone was the third CB I owned and operated, and the one I used for the longest period of time. When the band was expanded to 40 channels, I remember feeling like a second-rate CB’er for not having access to nearly half of the band!
Anyway, the little Citifone was a very good rig for its day, and I enjoyed it immensely. My brother still has the one I operated, I believe. The Citifone I picked up is the second one I bought on eBay. The first one has the same issue mine eventually had — one of the synthesizing crystals crapped out, leaving me with every third channel not functioning. My thinking is that whichever Citifone is the better candidate to restore, I’ll take the needed crystals from the other radio.
The Citifone arrived without a power cable, and I remember the radio operated either AC or DC using one octal connector. Checking the SAMS Fotofact, I realized that the AC or DC wiring both made use of the same octal plug, just each was wired differently. The radio had a vibrator to create AC. I’m not sure where my other Citifone is right now, so I’ll probably have to just break down and buy an octal plug for AC operation.
STUDIO C PROGRESS. I purchased a six-foot cafeteria style table for use in Studio C, I just need now to get the feedline thown out the window and down the side of the house to Studio B. Behind me at the window is where I’ll use the DPDT knife switch to “switch in” Studio C when I wish to operate upstairs.
73 es CUL … de KY4Z SK SK …. dit dit