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K9EID Robert G. 'Bob' Heil Pleasant Hope, MO QCWA # 16810 Chapter 180 |
Check out Bob's Wiki page.
First licensed in 1956, Amateur Radio has been the foundation of my careers in the sound reinforcement industry as well as bringing high quality, articulate audio to Amateur Radio. Entering this great hobby during the best sun spot cycle helped me to focus on designing and building one of the first VHF SSB KW stations. Throughout the years, I have enjoyed designing many antennas, from the 128 element two meter ''J' Beam array in 1960 to the latest - phased arrays on 40 and 75 meters. I enjoy all of the bands from 160 meters through two meters working my many friends and especially newcomers to this great hobby.
I was fortunate to have a great mentor, Larry K0DGE, Chief Engineer at KMOX-CBS radio in St Louis who taught me how to build starting with several small 6 meter transmitters (see one beside the Harvey Wells), converters, antennas followed by building a Wes Schum Central Electronics 10B and then a 20A kit with home brew 6 and 2 meter transverters driving a Johnson 6 n 2 Thunderbolt built from their kit. This was one of the very first VHF SSB KW stations on the air. My antenna in 1960 was a 128 element 2 meter array built in the UK which we installed as an experiment for the J Beam Company. Needless to say, I was very serious about VHF and experimented with early moonbounce - WAY before grid squares. Most of this gear is still with me and on the air daily. I learned so much from all of my early days in Amateur Radio and it continues to be the center peice of my activites.
The current station consists of many pieces of equipment that I have had throughout my wonderful life and career in Amateur Radio. All working and on the air daily from the original 1956 Harvey Wells, the 20A I built in 1958, Central Electronics 600L (no tune 500W linear from 1956), the HT 37 I bought in 1962 and my most treasured Mosley CM -1 reciever that was recently signed by it's designer, John Clemens. Much of my electronic knowledge was learned from building and operating this great old gear. I continue to say those early days of building, designing circuitry was my college education. Love Amateur Radio!
The new gear console is actually my station lab where I am able to devlope and test new designs of microphones and audio equipment using the latest transceiver technologies. I designed the console for the various pieces of equipment as well as a small pull out work bench that I can work on and solder small projects and yes, those are analog VCR and cassette decks along with a Mini Disc recorder. Still love the Analog stuff ! All of the Les Paul guitar switches control the 35 Ameritron relays selecting the various transcievers, phased dipoles, VHF antennas, The old lever type switches are much more user friendly that the rotary knobs. The 8 channel Yamaha mixer is for Receive only. Receive audio from each transceiver is fed to the mixer where I can tailor the equalizaiton of each, feed a common single headphone and then fed to the 35 watt, low distortion speakers of a pair of JBL Control 2P. The small mixer, computer and microphone in the lower right corner is for the HAM Nation broadcasts. John Clemens, W0BD designer of the Mosley CM-1 receiver signs one of my prize pieces of equipment -- my 1962 CM-1 still working beautifully. Sad news, but John became SK this past Septmeber 2018. He is sadly missed but his great design of the CM-1 lives on.
The latest piece of history is a 1962 EICO 720 60 watt CW transmitter with the EICO 730 modulator and 722 VFO. I coupled this with another of the Mosley CM-1 receivers. In the 1960's Eico was a major supplier of hi-fi amplifier kits using the Ultra Linear Williamason feedback circuitry producing very low distortion which reins supreme even today. Eico took one of their Hi FI amplifiers using pair of Mullard EL 34 tubes, replaced the output transformer with a modulation transformer that connected in series with the B+ supply of the 6146 RF final with the result becoming a very high quality AM signal. I installed two 4PDT relays and the EICO now has PTT operated by one of our footswitches. Using one of our Heil PR series large diaphrgam dynamic microphones into a Presonus Studio Channel, the AM audio is excellent from this 1959 Novice CW transmitter that drives a Collins 30L1 to around 250 watts.
I really enjoy operating AM with this great EICO station. Look for me in one of the Gentlemen's agreement AM windows. 3870 - 3890, 7290 - 7295, 14268 and 29.00
KN9EID Novice 1956
1959
1961
128 element 2 Meter beam - 1960
November 4, 2014