My Tuna Tin 2

In 1978 I built my first QRP transmitter. It was the TunaTin 2 designed by Doug DeMaw, W1FB. It was crystal controlled (7040kHz) and used just two 2N2222 transistors and a few other parts picked up at Radio Shack. Using some pretty crude techniques I etched my own board, trimmed it to a circular pattern and mounted it in an empty (important!) tuna fish can. The little transmitter only put out 250mW but sounded pretty good on the FT-101EX I used as my receiver.

Because I was "rock-bound" I had to either wait for somebody to call CQ right on 7040 or call CQ myself. One of the things I had read about QRP was that you shouldn't waste your time calling CQ but rather listen for strong CQ's.

Does it make sense to call CQ when running QRP?

When my son Brian (AC4WO - first licensed as KC4HOC) was licensed at 11 years old, his only rig was a Ten-Tec 509 5-watt transceiver. He defied conventional wisdom at every turn and worked many countries and states in his quest for DXCC-CW and WAS-CW. He answered many CQs but he worked numerous new states and countries after calling CQ. Later he moved up to a 100 Watt rig but the lessons he learned while working QRP served him well. As a teenager he obtained his DXCC CW and WAS CW certificates.

One Saturday morning I heard KA4ESM calling CQ. My fist was a little shaky as I answered, KA4ESM DE WA4IML WA4IML K. When I heard KA4ESM come back to me I hollored to my wife Karen (AB4VE), "Somebody heard me!" I was excited!-- my first QRP contact with a little transmitter I built myself. KA4ESM's name was also Don and I learned that he too was using a crystal controlled rig. His used a couple of 6L6 tubes. He had built this rig many years before when he was licensed in W2 land. Unfortunately he let his license expire but after many years of inactivity had recently received his novice license. Don's receiver was a Hallicrafters S20R. His fist was flawless and as I later learned, he could copy CW at 40 words per minute while carrying on a conversation with somebody else in the room. As it turned out, Don was not too far from where I lived. I was in Doraville and he was in Decatur. Our QSO was pretty short but I did pass along my phone number. In just a few minutes the phone rang and it was KA4ESM. Thus began a long friendship. At that time Don was 71 years old (now SK). I visited his shack numerous times over the years. He was a fearless tinkerer and antenna builder when you put a soldering iron in his hand. Here is the QSL card I received after our QSO.

The card says, "11/4/78 Dear Don: Very pleased to have you answer my cq this AM. Your flea power job was rst 459 here in Decatur. QRM heavy! your signal was free of chirp & bloops. Had a bit of modulation-- vibration from the high power no doubt! Rig here home made using 6L6 osc. Xtal, to a 6L6 P.A. 40 watts input. Rcvr Hallicrafter S20R- vintage 1937. Rig matches my age almost -- 71 ! Best of luck & vy 73 --"