[GreenKeys] The Thrill Of It All!

[Eugene Hertz]

Hello all, (warning: this is a long personal story of trials, tribulations and ultimate success with greenkey gear) 

I've been a member of this reflector for quite a number of years on and off and under different email addresses. I've always had an interest in this stuff dating back to 1979 when I became friends with an old ham (Mort, W2NZ-anyone ever work him?) and was really entranced ever since. 

Well, some 26 years later, I finally bought a larger house that actually has a spare bedroom for me to use and get set up as a radio room. 

Tons of radio stuff that I'd acquired over the years had been collecting dust in various basements, attics and storage units. Now with the new house (and with the obligatory picture hanging work for the xyl behind me) I decided to finally, get everything hooked up after all these years. I contacted Jack Hart and picked up a swell M28-KSR from with 3 speeds and I was ready to dig into it all between toddlers crying and xyl needing things done and general house work. 

So I got started. I first set up a 10' wire antenna to my Harris RF-590H (The SP600 is still packed in a box), and was duly dissapointed. Couldnt get a single ham station! I finally got a 50' long wire hooked up and voila! I was getting stations! Next step, the TU... 

I had purchased a TU (info-tech M600) with a built in loop supply and manual from a nice ham but he hadn't used it in a while, so he couldn't help with many questions. It took me some time to figure out its buttons and dials, but eventually got the MK and SP LEDS to light up in an alternating fashion and sure enough, even got it to decode RTTY on the video monitor with it! So far so good! Now on to the M28! (or so I thought!) By the way, it has taken about 10 weeks to get to this point in the story. Picture soldering a connector taking several days between interruptions (two kids age 2 and 3, and a dog).

So I wired the 1/4 jack onto the end of the wires for the M28 and plugged it into the TU and turned it on, and began search around for a rtty station.  Just as was getting one tuned in, my harris' front panel completely froze up! none of the buttons were working! (several days then pass).

The harris works pretty well, only freezing up ever few days or so but then unfreezes in about 10 minutes (I'll have to look into that one).

So, all the planets appear to be in alignment, as I come up to a rtty station. Let me tell you rtty operators something from a newbie.  When people are calling CQ, I think people should make the transmission last longer (ie more call signs or something). It seems just when I tune and find a station, it goes into receive mode awaiting a reply.  So it takes forever to properly tune in the station when the station transmits for about 10 seconds before stopping (in lsb, forget trying to do it in CW with the bfo!). 

Any way, I got everything set up, turned on the M28 and...GARBAGE! I couldnt figure it out, the rtty was being decoded perfectly on the video monitor, what could be wrong? I checked out the speeds. I had the M28 set for 60WPM but tried 75 and 100 just for kicks, no luck. I reversed the connections of the wire onto the terminal strip, no luck. I went back to the TU manual and for several days tried to figure this out. In the course of these few days I made some interesting observations, the most interesting of all was that when the 28 was plugged into the TU, I had 60ma in the loop and also my typing on the keyboard was being properly echoed onto the printer (they are connected in series).  So I knew the loop was working as it should, but the TU was not keying it properly for some reason.

One day, about 20 minutes before my wife and I were supposed to get into the car to go to a get-together, it dawns on me.  Inside the TU were rocker switches that I thought were to set up the speeds on the parallel printer port. It never occured to me that the rtty loop would be keyed at a different speed than the actual transmission.  So there it was, now with T-10 minutes and counting, I made a mad dash to open the TU and see if I could get this to work!

I open up the TU, consult the manual (and the errata!) and set the dip switches for 45.45 baud (it had been 75 baud-which explains why my 3 geared 28 couldnt solve the problem). I scramble to screw back in the 12 (yes 12) screws that hold the cover on. I toss the TU onto the rack and try to hook it all up. I now have 5 minutes before the XYL loses her patience (and I need to get dressed) and here it is all set up, I begin to tune around for a station.

And there it was. The most exhilirating feeling. Many of the people on this list have been doing this for years or decades and its probably no big deal. But for me, the newbie...the 28 was clattering away with CQ TEST DE <call sign> or something similar. I couldnt believe it. I almost could not contain myself when someone responded and a whole QSO took place. I was beaming. It seems I might have stumbled onto some rtty contest or something, because the QSOs were very short.  But when that machine started printing English, I felt as giddy as a schoolgirl and high as a kite!

What is the nature of the excitement when a machine that weighs more than I do begins to print simple text in black and white on yellow continuous paper roll? My 3 year old prints color photos out of a bubble jet printer with the click of one mouse at 10 times the speed and there is no thrill whatsoever!Let me tell you. I can sit and listen to that thing print all day long, even if all I get are CQs! There is just something magical about it. 

Next step, pass my ticket (I am studying from "now you're talking" on the train each day) and get my central electronics 100V hooked up (and, of course, my sp600).

Thanks to everyone who has helped me over the years either with manuals or advice or just all the fascinating stuff I've read here over time.  You have all contribubted to my success.

Special thanks to Jack for holding onto a M28 for me until I could get settled into my new house--and for lots of other nice things you've done for me!

Elated in Briarcliff Manor, NY
Eugene