A Crummy Commercial

Phil Anderson, W0XI was mentioned previously here: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/07/phil-anderson-w0xi-sk.html I saw this Kantronics QRP transmitter on Face: It's an interesting design - the thing I noticed was the classic mechanical design of a Bakelite box plus a top plate.  Another interesting detail, the key was connected between the positive power and the rig - this is similar to the original Tuna Tin 2 transmitter.  But instead of another transistor the Rockhound uses a CMOS hex inverter chip as both the crystal oscillator and the driver of the VN66 output MOSFET. I wonder how it sounds ?  Probably depends on the crystal, antenna, supply, blah blah blah :) I imagine that the Rockhound might have been paired with the Kantronics 8040 receiver, manual here: https://www.manualslib.com/download/3124657/Kantronics-8040-B.html The 8040B was a FET heavy design.  Here is an ad from the May 1980 issue of 73 Magazine for the Rockhound, the 8040B and the Freedom VFO: An...

Literal cold feet - it snowed yesterday, it's windy and the power was off for about an hour at noon, brrr.   So I got out the McGill foot warmer, mentioned before: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-kit-i-use-every-day.html Plugged it in and nothing.  I unplugged it and hooked it to the ohmmeter - intermittent depending on the cord position.  I flipped it over and saw this: Both conductors of the cord were broken !  I'm glad it didn't short out - the strain relief wasn't much good. Six screws hold the foot warmer together but I was unable to budge them with a screwdriver, so I had to get out the cordless drill which had no problem getting them out.  When I took the two halves apart the somewhat fine Nichrome wire sprang out of position:   It was wound around plastic posts but very loosely.  Then I cut the AC power cord off, then stripped and soldered the wires back together after tying a somewhat lame strain relief knot.  Finally put a cou...

I went to the Co-op today to pay my bill, then proceeded to Mann's where I was going to get some milk for the corn pudding: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/11/a-thanksgiving-fave.html But of course I completely forgot the milk !  I realized this on the way home but there was just enough snow to prevent going back :( I did find this picture of my Mom (left) and Grandmother (right): the old Ansco 126 does it again They're standing between the dining room and kitchen of my Grandparent's home at some seasonal dinner like Christmas or New Year's. So I remembered both of the cooks and saved the calories of the corn pudding - probably just as well I forgot ! BTW, saw a news item that Prairie Farms milk was recalled due to "cleaning agent" contamination, yuck.   https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2025/11/28/prairie-farms-milk-recalled-cleaning-agents/87511632007/ So maybe I dodged a bullet by forgetting the milk since Prairie Farms is the brand that is sold at...

I have been searching for this picture for years:    It was on the same roll as the Walesa pictures: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/11/walesa-in-chicago.html I must have sent it to the folks, they were living on Washington Island by that time (1989-1990) and I didn't go to see them during the once a day winter ferry months.  So we either called or wrote.  Anyway, the picture vanished.  But I was able to scan in the negative. I think this is a VW Beetle chassis with the plywood body instead of the usual fiberglass kit car or dune buggy.  The tubes between the front wheels are for the left and right torsion rods for the front suspension.  The car is parked in the GTE Automatic Electric north lot on the east side.  The building in the background is an old folks home on the other side of the creek (which is still there): https://www.ascensionliving.org/find-a-community/casa-scalabrini-village    I never found out who owned the car - most o...

I bought both creamed corn and saltines at Mann's recently.  So this Thanksgiving I thought I'd try making my Grandmother's corn pudding recipe: front . back But forgot to get milk !  I'll try it on Sunday if I go to the store.  Anyway when I tried it in the past it always came out not quite right, usually too watery.  Maybe my ingredimunts aren't the same as Catherine Olson used to get at the National Tea supermarket ? I wish I could ask my Mom or my Grandmother, but I can't :( Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm  

Previous post on DigiKey: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/11/digikey-gets-weird.html I got another email today at the old email address: the only thing is that unwanted emails to old addresses decreases efficiency So I went to the DigiKey site and changed the email address again.  Then I shot off a "Nastygram" (not really) to orders@digikey.com and got a quick reply: DigiKey didn't really answer my question (why) but apparently the problem has been fixed ?  We'll see.     DigiKey is kinda kooky though, I did business with them for years and years with a 6 digit customer number and then one day they changed it to a 7 digit customer number - that must have been the origin of the two files mentioned.  Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm  

I had to refuse delivery on a FEDEX Smartpost item from Ebay: it clearly says Smartpost It turns out that Smartpost is defunct:   That begs the question:  why didn't FEDEX tell their customers that Smartpost doesn't exist anymore, wouldn't that be the smart thing to do instead of accepting a shipment as Smartpost and then changing it to FEDEX Ground before delivery ? https://www.costanalysts.com/fedex-smartpost/ I guess I am just old now and expect people to do what they say they will do. Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm