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Another Novice Rig Roundup has come and gone! What a blast!
Thank you to everyone that participated! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Like I said last year, what we're doing gets noticed. Every year we get new folks participating. Many operators tell us that this is their favorite event. Every year I'm reminded of what a great group we have. You make this the most fun event of the amateur radio year!
Doug N3PDT |
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Doug and I immensely enjoy sponsoring the Novice Rig Roundup each year and we hope those of you who participated had a great time. It is always great fun to use the rigs we used from our Novice days.
73,
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Had a great time this year! I used my HW-16 with and without the HG-10B as NRR1 and NRR2 (Xtal/75 watt input) in my main shack. In "Studio B" which is all
boat anchors I actually used an HT-40 as NRR1 with an Eico 753 (7-drifty-3) for a few QSOs My SX-140 is inop so I used the Eico as an RX. And because
I'm just about finished restoring a Heathkit SB-102 I used it quite a bit as NRR2. Not a traditional Novice rig but it's of the right age and I did use
an SB-101 as a novice (KA0MWZ) in 1982/83. Antennas were an 80M doublet, 160M loop and a 2 element quad depending on shack used and band. Photos are attached
Thanks to all I worked!
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It was great to make a few contacts with my Drake 2-NT & 2-C on the final day of the event. I ran the rig @ 75w input using a cootie & a bug. The antenna is an EFHW up 40'. It was fun to work two other ops with the same TX!
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Hello everyone! My first NRR and I had a blast listening to some great stations! I am already looking forward to getting a lot more contacts Next time! My Novice station this year was the Drake 2-NT and the 2-C receiver running 40 watts.
"73"
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I enjoyed the NRR again, this year, as always. For Novice 1, I used my homebrew 40/15 rig with the Drake SPR-4 receiver and for Novice 2, the HW-101.
I spent most of my time on 15 meters and enjoyed pulling off some neat split contacts on the homebrew rig! 40 meters noise is horrendous at my QTH,
so 15 has become my preferred band. Hope to CU all AGN DWN THE LOG next year (and each week in-between)!
73,
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This was only my second year and I really enjoy this week long casual event. Thanks to all that put this together, I like the simple logging.
I used my original novice rig a Heathkit DX-40 and a new to me Viking Ranger II, both with a McElroy sk and a Drake R-4B.
73,
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Another Novice Rig Roundup in the books. Seems to me there was a little less activity than in previous years, but it could have been the spotty propagation,
especially Thursday and Friday.
40 meters as always provided the bulk of the contacts. No contacts on 10, although I tried, and only two on 80. 31 QSOs, 23 states. I used my Dad's WA2UEJ
(SK) original rig, a Gonset G76 from 1960. It has an HF crystal socket on the back. I didn't use the VFO. 75W in, 40-45W out. This wasn't a common rig for
Novices, it was designed for mainly mobile AM. CW was kind of an afterthought, and selectivity was not so hot. But it was what I had.
73,
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Well, that was fun!
This was my first NRR. I worked 7 stations with a crystal-controlled HW-16, most of them on 15m.
73,
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A great Novice rig roundup this year, would like to thank those responsible for putting this fun event on, you have put a smile on a lot of old folk’s faces but
not to rule out young faces. a new addition to the shack this year was a HW-16, pretty neat little rig and spoiled me with the break in keying.
Used my DX 20, DX 40, HT 40, Scout and Challenger along with the HW 16. RXs included the Drake 2B, NC303, Lafayette HA350
and HQ170 and HQ100. All worked great.
Thanks to all for great QSO's, many that lasted for a bit.
73,
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Good time ! Looking forward to next year. 2NT, 2C, 2 Xtals, Thanks to NRR GP and all participants
De,
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NRR is, without a doubt, the most enjoyable aspect of amateur radio for me. I'm very glad it has become so popular. I could not believe all the 4-digit NRR numbers!
I don't often make time to participate - I'll fix that from now on (sure wish it ran twice a year, or even quarterly)!
As many of us here do, I delighted in reliving my early days in the hobby. I built my 20 watt, 6DQ6B transmitter from the 1961 (I think) ARRL Handbook in 1965 at age 14. I could not afford to duplicate the Heathkit DX-60A / Hammarlund HQ-100 station I was able to use at the Arlington Junior High School Club Station in Poughkeepsie, NY. So homebrew it was.
That's it in the photo - wood cabinet and all. The crystal plugs in to the top of the enclosed chassis - you have to tread lightly to avoid the plate cap on the final.
My Novice receiver was a very pedestrian Hallicrafters S-107. I now own four of them, but I have yet to restore one to put in the lineup. Next contest, for sure.
The Lafayette HA-350 was my first receiver as a General. I worked at the local Lafayette store after school and purchased it new. The Drake 2B represents my friend Steve's receiver... I always lusted after one for years.
The Johnson Ranger II in the photo represents Steve's transmitter - the perfect Novice station with the Drake. I have yet to restore mine so it did not get any airtime this go-around … just a shelf queen for now.
So I'm counting down the days ˜til the next NRR. Thanks to all who make it possible.
73,
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I enjoyed using my Heathkit DX-60B with the HG-10 VFO. My 40-meter dipole was lying on the roof of our Double-wide manufactured home about 18 feet off the ground.
It was pointed east and west towards the 10,000-foot Grand Mesa. My Heathkit HM-15 watched the SWR with my MFG 901B tuner making the antenna work for both 40 and
15 meters. Most people came right back to me and I was challenged using an old Collins 75A-2 Receiver to copy the code. This is like a big flashback to my early
teen years when I started as a Novice but never really got off the ground. Now, I am flying
73's,
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Thanks to all participants! I operated NV1 xtal only this year using my Drake 2NT/2C and was constantly reminded how difficult rockbound operating
was as WN6YMO in 1967. Whew! But back then I would have considered my 2025 NRR catch of 15 states and 2 countries in one week an amazing result.
I enjoyed every contact, and after 57 years on the air I now find NRR the most fun I’ve had the past few years and look forward to it every year.
Larry
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My first year participating. Great fun and brought back memories from my novice days in the early ‘70s.
Used my newly restored HW-16/VF-1 combo.
Now I need another novice rig! Lots of great fists too.
73
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My second NRR and jest keeps getting BETTER, Lots of FUN !
Thanks for all The Qs
73,
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Pickings a bit slim 1st half of the week. 15M was my main band this year. Used same gear as last year. Homebrew 6146 transmitter
with crystals and a home brew VFO when needed. Heath SB310 receiver..a workhorse receiver. Great fun.
Jeff Smith,
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Brought out the DX-20 again this year, and paired it with my recently re-capped 1955 75A-4 which I acquired during the "off season". This was my primary
40/80m rig, while the trusty veteran Drake 2-NT and 2-B pair did the duty on 15m. Despite less-than-optimal band conditions, I am very happy with the
turnout and results. As always, I enjoyed every one of my QSOs, the long and the short. Lots of interesting and memorable rigs and operators out there,
factory and homebrew alike, like WB2AWQ and his unique Gonset G76. Also, the scattering of homebrew rigs built on boards and pounding out 7-10 watts or
less, and DX-40s and 60s, HW16s, Vikings and Rangers and Challengers, you name it. As Doug, N3PDT says, "This just doesn't get old!" After 60+ years in
amateur radio, I still look back on my Novice days (along with NRR) as the most fun. Evidently, I am not alone!
Please support Doug and Dan and NRR by sending them a few $$...it's money well spent!
73,
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I've participated in a lot of NRR events over the years. This is always fun for me. The rules have changed a bit in that time.
I think I liked the rules of a few years ago better. But, there is no denying that participation is very good!
This year, my transmitter was a Heathkit HX-11. This is a somewhat rare variation of a DX-20. It's nearly identical inside, but
has a different cabinet paint scheme. I used only crystals so that I could be in the Novice 1 class. My receiver was a Heathkit
HR-10B. Not the greatest receiver, but I've worked the world with this one. I slightly modified it with a VR tube to regulate the
oscillators. This greatly reduces the drift that these things are well-known for.
I'm looking forward to the next NRR. I may even try to be competitive!
Steve Robertson KE4OH
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I used my DX 60 w/ Drake 2A +2-BQ. And HW 16. Never a Novice back then, I decided to try to be one about 3 years ago. A year or so finding and learning to fix old gear and this year I got a chance to get it on the air with àll mostly working. I did use VFO, and only used the very chirpy HW16 when I thought the 2A had failed (must have bad Xtl for 15, but otherwise I had failed to properly connect antenna!). But I did get a 15m Qso ; and BC on 40. Listened a lot and had 3 next day dupes, but had fun and learned a little about my old rigs.
Paul N5NEN
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Well, another fun Novice Rig Roundup for 2025! It is so fun to hear all the vintage cw rigs and the origin of those signals.
This year I ran a pair of Eico 723s on 80 & 40. Of course one never has enough crystals, right?
I look forward to NRR 2026, Lord willing.
73 from Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Joe - KB9R
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I only spent a few hours in this year's NRR but had the feeling that activity levels were down. That may have been because
of the poor propagation during the first part of the week. All contacts were made with the two homebrew rigs shown here, a 6L6 Push-Pull Jones crystal oscillator and a single 6L6 Tri-Tet oscillator using a 40m xtal. The Tri-Tet was used on 15 and 10m. Highlights were working VA1RST from here on the west coast, having my CQ answered by VE1ZAC and having a nice 10 minute ragchew with SM2CEW who gave the Tri-Tet a 569C! If you heard a really chirpy signal up around 21.120, that would have been me!
Stev VE7SL
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Used my Johnson, Viking Ranger and my SX 115 for most of the contacts also used eico 720 with matching 722 vfo ran into several minor
technical issues a faulty quarter inch, key jack and forgetting to switch the power plug for the TR relay the globe HG303 was not happy
transmitting into no load after a tube change got back on the air made a few contacts with that transmitter much of the fun of NRR is
mixing and matching equipment. Never got a chance to use my SX 100 or the Drake B line. also never got a chance to run my NC 270 and
DX 60 and matching vfo wish NRR event was much longer thanks to all who had to put up with some of my bad sending
Robert Gardner
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I was glad to get a little time to operate in this year's NRR. It is always fun to put the vintage gear on the air. Thanks for the work to make it happen.
73
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