With the big CQ WW DX phone contest starting this evening, I've been busy in the shack, though not actually prepping for the contest.
My plans to contest this weekend were sidetracked by two things. Tomorrow I have to attend a Haz-Mat recertification program. It's an all-day affair. On Sunday, we're celebrating my daughter's 13th birthday. My contesting is pretty much going to amount to tonight and tomorrow night!
I had a bunch of boxes at the post office to pick up today … it was a little like Christmas in October, heh hee.
Box 1 – This was my QSL card order from UX5UO for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Special Event station we ran last month. Wow, what great cards, too! Full color on slick card stock. The cards feature a collage of images from the KBF and from the bourbon manufacturing process. I designed the cards and Gennady tweaked it a bit. He designed the reverse, and it's quite a nice card — for $68 postpaid, you can't beat it.
Box 2 – some OTC meds from eBay, purchased for less than 50 cents on the dollar.
Box 3 – Serial No. 143,321, Vibroplex Original De Luxe (“World War II De Luxe) bug in the original box. This key is in excellent shape (see the pics). The key is missing the original finger piece, which was evidently replaced by a clear plastic paddle shaped to approximately match the factory red thumb piece. This is a 1945 model, and as the photos show, it uses the new tooling for the frame and damper. I have one early WWII De Luxe bug that I believe has the old tooling. Anyway, the key is in great shape, and the action is super fast. I spent some time this afternoon trying to slow it down, but not much luck. I added my “bug tamer” weight to it, and it didn't slow it down as much as it does your average old bug.
Box 3 – Les Logan Speed-X specials!! Inside this package were two original Les Logan boxes with their contents. On one box — with original instructions and other product information — was a Les Logan Speed-X 515 Semi-Automatic key. The key is in absolutely incredible shape! It's one of the few keys I've seen that looks pristine — it may have been used, but it's one super duper key. The finger pieces show absolutely no wear at all. I'm not sure this key spent any time on the air, to be honest. It just looks that original and that good.
Also in the box is a Les Logan bakelite key & buzzer practice set. This set looks like it saw a good deal of use — but that's not to say it's beaten up. It looks very, very good. It has some very old and brittle zip card that was apparently connected to a voltage source or battery. The key portion looks just like the old bakelite base practice keys sold today, with the sheet metal yoke holding the key lever in place. It's a really nice example of the complete practice set, complete with the cover over the buzzer.
I've not played much with Les Logan stuff yet, just unboxed it and looked at it.
The Les Logan bug has Vibroplex-style weights on the pendulum, whereas the E.F. Johnson later versions of the same bug had their unique big flat round weights that had a tension-style clip to hold them on the rod.
I won't get much time for radioing this weekend. My fingers are cold, so I'm signing clear for now.
73 … 73 de KY4Z SK …. dit dit ….