A little background ....... while I messed with QRP as early just a few years after I became licensed, I wasn't what you would call a "dedicated" QRPer. I had joined QRP-ARCI in the early 80s. and I had my HW8 and I even joined in and participated in the very early QRP Fox Hunts all the way when I was still N2ELW. But I still messed around at the 100 Watt level a lot. And don't get me wrong - there's nothing wrong with that.
It wasn't until one Piscataway Amateur Radio Club Field Day, when Bob brought along the K2 that he had finished building that I really became hooked. That coincided with the fact that my wife Marianne was pregnant with our son at the time, I had a wire antenna hanging from the house just outside a window of what would become Joey's room. Knowing that there was going to be a baby monitor in there, and knowing how completely those things are shielded against RF interference, I was concerned that my CW might start the thing buzzing and blaring at all hours of the night while our son was sleeping. That kind of calamity and headache I did NOT need! (YOU WOKE THE BABY!!!!!!!)
That was when I decided to go totally QRP. I just had a gut feeling that 5 Watts would not cause an apocalyptic reaction from a baby monitor, and I turned out to be right. I finished an OHR 40./20 that had been languishing since my single days and went from there. The rest is history. But if it weren't for Bob bringing his K2 to Field Day, and us actually using it when one of the generators conked out ....... things might have turned out differently. So Bob became my QRP mentor, just like he had served as my satellite mentor.
Over the past couple of years, during our weekly Echolink and then Skype talks, Bob would every now and then mention ho he would love to have a Heathkit HW9. He has a K2, a PFR3, various homebrew radios that he has built, but never an HW9. Yesterday his dream came true, when looking at the NAQCC Shop and Swap e-mail, he saw one for sale. it turned out that the party doing the selling didn't live too, too far way from Bob - over in NY State. So after some phone calls and some discussion, they agreed to meet at a halfway point which resulted in Bob taking ownership in these:
After bringing them home and doing some housekeeping, they now look like this:
As Bob said, "a little soap and elbow grease go a long way". And I'd have to agree! Bob fired up the gear last night and make a QSO on 40 Meters, so all appears to be well.
It's always neat when a fried; or someone you know scores big in their personal goals in this hobby. You can't help but feeling great for them!
72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!
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