Vintage QRP

[ve3lyx]

I am into a bit different QRP now. I have acquired a pair of no 19 tank radios from WWII. They are rated at 3 to 5 watts output AM. I was told that some folks have had QSOs with them as far away as almost 400 miles. (ATCF) So that was my goal. Yesterday morning I managed a successful QSO with K1GUP in Bangor Maine. QRZ .com pegs our antennas at 417 miles apart. I have now exceeded my goals. The No 19 is a WWII set designed for short distance communication between Armoured Fighting Vehicles and original specs call for about 30 miles range. Some say 50 miles. The manual says with a  good full length antenna properly tuned 180miles had been done. So to do 417 miles was a surprise to me.  My next goal which maybe impossible is an Atlantic Hop. I work 7290Khz mostly. Plus or minus as required. The No 19 is a transceiver and performs not bad all considered. I am using a single end fed long wire antenna 137 feet long with a 67 foot lead in. It is tuned by a home brew tuner. My set which is a MKII Canadian No 19 also has Russian lettering as it was designed to participate in the WWII lend lease program we had with Russia back then. The rig also has a 235 mhz low power transceiver on board which may eventually become a 2 M Am transceiver. The change required would be little more then a coil.
It also has CW and MCW modes for the HF section. I have not tried them yet as I am big into AM.
don

[sm5mek]

I am into a bit different QRP now. I have acquired a pair of no 19 tank radios from WWII. They are rated at 3 to 5 watts output AM. I was told that some folks have had QSOs with them as far away as almost 400 miles. (ATCF) So that was my goal. Yesterday morning I managed a successful QSO with K1GUP in Bangor Maine. QRZ .com pegs our antennas at 417 miles apart. I have now exceeded my goals. The No 19 is a WWII set designed for short distance communication between Armoured Fighting Vehicles and original specs call for about 30 miles range. Some say 50 miles. The manual says with a  good full length antenna properly tuned 180miles had been done. So to do 417 miles was a surprise to me.  My next goal which maybe impossible is an Atlantic Hop. I work 7290Khz mostly. Plus or minus as required. The No 19 is a transceiver and performs not bad all considered. I am using a single end fed long wire antenna 137 feet long with a 67 foot lead in. It is tuned by a home brew tuner. My set which is a MKII Canadian No 19 also has Russian lettering as it was designed to participate in the WWII lend lease program we had with Russia back then. The rig also has a 235 mhz low power transceiver on board which may eventually become a 2 M Am transceiver. The change required would be little more then a coil.
It also has CW and MCW modes for the HF section. I have not tried them yet as I am big into AM.
don

Set 19, nice boatancor. A friend to me has one, but he needs powersupply.

[GM0LVI]

Brings back memories, distant ones, Don!
My first on air QSOs were on a WS19 when I was in the CCF at school. There was a regular CCF net and I was a corporal in our signals section (if I'd stayed another year I'd have been sergeant). We had to use proper army voice procedure and NATO phonetics and would make contact with CCF sections all over UK.
As far as I can remember we had had the the full kit - rotary converter and ATU. We'd also WS38 and WS88 sets as well as a WS52 which was a rather nice bit of kit.
My first QSOs on amateur bands were on a WS46 and a bit illegal!!

[ve3lyx]

I had nothing but the radios. No cables , no schematic nothing however I managed to get it going.
I made a power supply last week for AC mains. Use a transformer with 300 volt winding (250 would also work) fed HT1 with it after rectifying & filtering. Used a double for HT2 and fed the heaters from a solar charged 12 volt battery. This is a very effective radio. I get an answer almost everytime now despite the low power.
don

[I5SKK]

About one month ago, on 7 MHz, an evening I had a very pleasant QSO with G4AQY using his 19 MKIII and a nice chat for about half an hour.
Conditions were not so good but our signals were always clear and audible with a QRK of 4. Sometime Dave was forced to correct the tune as his 19MKIII had not the right supply and was still the original if I remember. But no problem to have nice QRP contacts and so I think is a very nice choice and a good pleasure to have QSO with those  Noble Old Ladies...hi

73 de Alex I5SKK ec I0SKK

[ve3lyx]

Secretly that is my goal to bridge the ocean on a good DX night. It might take years but it would be fun!
don

[ve3lyx]

Made a contact at 530 miles. That is the best so far AM mode.
don