
KX5JT's Journal
Greetings friends! It's been a couple months since my last blog entry, so I figured it's time to let everyone know what's going on at the KX5JT station. The radio room/ man-cave has undergone a few changes. This was needed due to the arrival of the boat anchors back in February. I absolutely LOVE the Johnson Viking II and National NC-300 combo. But they are huge! You can see them on the front page on http://kx5jt.net and understand the need to make more room. I had a work bench in the same room which was resized and pressed into service as an operating table. My operating position is now L shaped with the boatanchors on one leg, the computer, audio rack and riceboxes (TS-570D and R-75) on the other L.
ZERO-FIVE 40-10 MULTIBAND GROUND PLANE

I am sooo very pleased with this antenna so far. I call cq on 20 meters and get a RUN of people back to back wanting contacts. I use it on 40/30/20/17/15/12/10 meters with my SB-200 pumping 600 watts pep or my Viking II pumping 400 watts pep through my homebrew antenna tuner and it loads fine on all these bands and PERFORMS very nicely. I'm working much more stations farther out (i.e. DX) than I have with the 40/80 meter inverted vees that I had been pressing into operation on these higher bands. Tom at ZERO FIVE is great, answers the phone or calls right back if he couldn't get right too it. He's down to earth and this antenna was built to last with quality CNC machining and craftsmanship that my folks and grandparents were more used to seeing than us.
I've been working SSB phone more (AM too of course). You also might find me running OLIVIA, DOMINO or especially FELD HELL. I really love the feld hell mode since it's really an analog mode. FELD HELL benefits from power (amplifier) because unlike the true digital modes, when the signal fades, the print fades to a lighter shade. The other digital modes put trash characters but FELD HELL is more analog in the way it feels with the fading or darkening of print. Try it sometime if you haven't!
Cya on the air! 73!
John KX5JT
Hola friends!
It's been a while. I had taken a little bit of a break from radio during the peak static season (August and September) here in Louisiana. Also, my oldest son Sean arrived from Guam after nearly 4 years in the U.S. Navy and we have been having a blast spending quality time together!
I was really missing some good radio so I started transmitting again recently. I received my AMI (A.M. International) number and last Wednesday, October13th, 2010, I checked into the West Coast AMI net successfully for the first time! I was heard in California AND in NY state!! Awesome! My friend Ellen, KB1OKN heard me via the Stickam streams too and it was way cool!
In other news, a few days ago I receive a letter from Joseph Smith in New Hampshire. He is an avid Shortwave listener who hears me often! Here is the letter. I'm very proud of this! He hand typed this letter as you can see!
Until next time friends, 73 - John KX5JT




July 22nd, 2010
My youngest son Aaron and I took a road trip to Brookhaven, MS to visit Jeff, W0XV. Jeff was one of my very first AM contacts when I started my AMing back in Nov '08. In fact when I first put my Heathkit DX-60 on the air, he was the first contact I made with it. Jeff has always encouraged me and inspired me with regards to vintage equipment and the AM mode. He is an AVID collector of vintage ham equipment and every peice he owns is in immaculate, museum quality condition. We had been saying we need to meet in person and visit so I decided with some time off to do just that and took him up on the offer.
It was a 3 hour drive from my location to his, but it was nearly all interstate and very relaxing. The drive there and back gave me and my 14 yr old a chance to talk and that was nice as well.
Jeff's property is hidden on the outskirts of Brookhaven, MS. The entry is a long drive quite a way from the road on which he lives. In fact, one cannot see his home from the road. The driveway lead to more wooded area until at last his nice 2-story home came into view. The tall pine trees are definitely a blessing to the amateur for antenna supports!
We were met by several of the dogs that he and his wife rescued from bad situations. The are passionate about rescuing dogs! The dogs were quite excitable at first but after a few minutes they seemed to relax and most really liked Aaron and myself.
Jeff has several operating and work areas for the radios. It was AMAZING to see all that history in impeccable shape and most of the equipment was setup in stations at different positions. There was an impressive feedline/antenna/station selection switching arrangement that allows him to use any of the stations with any of several antenna systems.
His darling station consists of a transmitter built by Robert Smith, W0VMC. Robert built a pair of 4x1000's modulating a pair of 4x1000's inside a beautiful Collins 20v2 AM Broadcast cabinet. It is truly a work of art! "Dr" Roy, KB5MD from El Dorado, AK was calling CQ to which Jeff answered and he and I took turns at the mic. I had met Roy a few months earlier at the Orange, TX hamfest and he is another regular AMer down in mid-south. A little later Jeff and I checked into the Gulf Coast Mullet Society Net which Jeff was a part of the founding.
Jeff is a wonderful friend and he made us feel very comfortable. He is a man of excellence and it shows with his passion for radio. I enjoyed the grand tour of his QTH.
The visit was truly inspiring and certainly a welcome phase to our friendship. Thanks Jeff!
73 everyone
John KX5JT
Well it seems to have been a while since I posted here. Some exciting new things have happened and promise to happen. My beloved New Orleans Saints have won Super Bowl XLIV (44). !!!! They have never BEEN to a Super Bowl before this year! Their loyal fans are soo awesome too. WHO DAT!?
In the radio world.... I have a new pair of 572B's in my Heathkit SB-200 and it seems way happier now. I was using a pair of Chinese and another pair of Russian tubes and both pairs left a lot to be desired. The Russians would glow way too hot and the Chinese would also, not as bad but ended up being 30% softer. The new pair are Chinese but they were purchased via RF Parts as Taylors and have a 1 year warranty. They run with appropriate color, that is barely blushing a little after a minute or so of carrier.
I also made a wonderful acquisition yesterday on Valentine's day. It's a Henry 2K-4 console linear amplifier. This thing is built like a tank and weighs 130 lbs. It used a pair of 3-500Z's in grounded grid configuration and is rated at continuous duty. It will make legal limit on AM and SSB if driven hard enough and not even blink. The pair of 3-500Z's that are inside it are made by Eimac and are showing great output. I need to wire in some 220/240 volt line into my shack but that is my ongoing project now.
AM is treating me well and I am making great friends with the mode. I will attend the Orange, TX hamfest on Febuary 27th and anticipate eyeball qso's with many of my AM brethren from east TX and even W0XV Jeff should be there from Mississippi.
Bye for now good people and 73!
de KX5JT John
As the winter approaches the low bands particularlly become less noisey and the propogation starts become much more reliable out farther distances. It makes for the best AM radio at night on 160/80 and 4O meters.
Winter also means more time indoors and the AM hams have time be in their shack and work on projects. I have a few projects in mine for the winter i.e. restoring the Johnson Viking I and an Hammarlund HQ-110. It's the time to improve our stations.
You are welcome to leave feedback on this post with your Winter Projects you wanna accomplish.