N3URD Robert E. 'Bob' Swarm Marathon, NY QCWA # 27587 Chapter 28

First licensed in November 1957 as KN3CKO.

Held licenses W9FVH (1958) and N3UDR (1995), both expired now.

Now operate 80, 40, 17, 15, and 10 meter PSK-31, and CW from central New York State.

QCWA No.2787, FISTS No. 2483, 10-10 no. 70435, SKCC No 13811T, PODXS No. 014, NAQCC No. 8230

SKCC Tribune X7 Rag Chew X1200

My Rig is a Ten-Tec Eagle running about 90 watts into a G5RV or a Hy-gain Vertical. I work a lot of CW.

I collect keys so I may be using any one of 14 straight keys or 3 bug's. My favorite is a 1941 mMcElroy the blue key on the right in the image below.

I have worked all modes but always come back to CW. I think it is the nostalgia of CW from the time of the Railroad telegraphers sending messages up and down the line. I first learned CW from my neighbor, Mac McRay, who was an Erie, Railroad telegrapher and watchman in the MS tower in Corry, PA. I used to sit in MS tower after Football practice and listen to the chatter on the lines. Mac knew both railroad Morse and International Morse. I was 14 years old at the time. I didn't know about Ham Radio then but when I got out of the sevice, my neighbor, Al Gates; K3ACF, introduced me to Radio Telegraphy. I studied and got the licese for station "KN3CKO". When Mac retired he gave me his old J-37 key which I often use to this day.

In 1958 my neighbor Al, K3ACF, and I each got a used 304TH vacuum tube from WBEN in Bufalo, NY. With the help of Gene Gruber,W3JIO, we each built 1000 watt linear amplifiers. One fine Fall day we were both on the air running AM at supper time when all the modern electric stoves and refrigeraters were running. It seems the pole pot transformer that served the neighborhood was too old for the added load. The whole neighborhood lost electric service and the transformer caught fire. It was midnight before the Electric Company got a mobile transformer out there and wired it in. We didn't soon hear the end of that.

My other hobby is playing country music and bluegrass on guitar and banjo. I have been entertaining in Nursing homes and Senior Centers since 1978. I do the music they grew up with. They like my old music and I like doing it for them.

Thanks for reading my BIO. The Good Lord willing and the creeks don't rize, I'll see you a little further down the log. 73.

K3CKO

January 31, 2017