Wednesday, June 10, 2020
Checked in tonight to the Kentucky CW Net. Ray, WB4ZDU was NCS. I heard an old friend of mine check-in, Fred in Louisa, Ky., so I figured what the hell, I’ll join them. Ironically, the check-in ahead of me was KY4A. I was next with KY4Z, hi hi.
in the shack recently. It’s well made
and uses some sort of countertop
material for the base. Unique!
Ray told me that the net needs a regular check-in from my area to handle traffic because they never had an outlet. I haven’t taken traffic via CW in a number of years, and I’ve never taken CW traffic at the speed the Kentucky CW net runs.
The CW speed of the net varies with the NCS. Ray uses a bug, but spaces his characters fairly generously. Checking in will be a good way to drag my speed upward, or that’s my hope.
WOUFF HONG COMING. I was successful in a recent offer I made for a 1948 ARRL National Convention table centerpiece — a small cast iron Wouff Hong mounted in the form of an ashtray.
There are actually two different versions of Wouff Hongs that were used as table centerpieces for ARRL national conventions. The first was in the national convention held in Chicago in September 1938. That Wouff Hong had a base with the date and event cast in raised lettering on the bottom. I have two of those.
Wouff Hong.
The first was listed on eBay as an “art deco cactus” — obviously listed by someone who had no idea what it was. I snapped it up for a good price. The second one was expensive, as the seller knew how rare the Wouff Hong is.
In 2008, one of these 1938 Wouff Hongs sold for nearly $900. I probably have the auction saved of the second one I own …somewhere (somewhere where my wife can NEVER find out how much I paid for a painted hunk of steel!)
The 1938 version stands more than 12 inches high. The 1948 Wouff Hong is roughly 3/4 that size, with its base an obvious ashtray. The earlier version is painted to resemble wood; the 1948 version is silver.
Convention Wouff Hong
centerpiece, complete with
simulated blood on the business
end.
The 1948 convention was the first national ARRL convention since the 1938 one. Approximately 2,000 hams attended the proceedings at both conventions. The 1938 one was in Chicago, the 1948 one was in Milwaukee, Wisc.
In the November 1948 issue of QST, you can see photos from the convention. The host club’s table was covered with the Wouff Hong ashtrays. Maybe one day, we as hams will be able to gather for the Dayton Hamvention or other major ham radio convention.
One of the largest hamfests — I consider any hamfest that lasts two days “large” — in this area is the Fort Wayne, Ind. hamfest. It comes up in November, and I wouldn’t mind going to a big hamfest.
Right now there are several Kentucky hamfests on the books that apparently will take place, the first of which will be the Lexington hamfest, followed by Louisville, Richmond, Bowling Green and Hazard.
I’m ready to get out and socialize with fellow hams. After I burned out after 8 years of serving as Section Manager, I think I’m ready to get active on the hamfest circuit again. I might decide to set up to sell, though I hate to give the stuff away. I could pack my Suzuki with radio gear, that’s for sure.
73 es CUL …. de KY4Z SK … SK …. (dit dit) ….