rf - Free and Open Source Software

The Super SS
Clifford Klinert
520 Division Street
National City, Calif. 92050
It is Sat urday aft ernoon. I ret urn horne
from work slight ly tired . but refreshed in
the thought of the weekend ahead. It
doesn't happen often. and I really loo k forward
to a little relaxation wit h my favorite
ho bby. I fee l deep pride to be a member o f
the A KR L. the o rganizatio n that arranges
these contests. There is nothing I enjoy
more tha n o perating my station with the
best o f m y speed and skill co m peting wit h
o thers doing the same.
To the shack. Check it o ut. Twen ty
meter beam. Fo rt y meter dipole. I turn o n
the transmitter. Oscilla tor. Drive. Plate
tuning. 300 mils. Good . I turn o n the receiver.
Let's sec who I clobbered. Nobody
heard me. Good. Coffee. Pencils. Log.
Paper. Clock. Check. Let's go .
I reach for the receiver dial. the hard
blac k kno b fee ls smo oth in m y fin gers.
Smoot hly as velvet t he pointer moves u p the
scale. The QRi\ ebbs and flows like waves
o n the beach. now so ft ly sliding ac ross the
sand. Up thro ugh the no ise pops a signal. I
gently nudge t he anten na trim mer u ntil t he
rhyt h mic heat o f a steady fist rings clear as a
bell.
CO 55. It's a VE . Must turn the rotor.
Keach for the control. Click -click-click ­
uumm rn h. T he light s di m. PH il the leads
apart. No good. Pull the line co rd.
Slightly despondent. I pace the few
steps to the door and begin the painful
ascent up the to wer along the wa ll. With a
mighty effo rt I pull myself to the roo f. The
sun is do wn now and a ligh t mist hangs over
the city softly filt ering the st range glow
from the mercury vapor lights on the street.
Above arc hes the twenty meter bea m like a
paraso l with its clements reach ing in to t he
da rk ness. Thin wisps o f smoke curl fro m
the bottom o f the ro tor. alm ost masked by
the veil of the fog.
Up the tower. Good thing it's st ro ng.
Welded it myself. Know it 's right. At t he
to p. I wra p my legs aro un d the to wer and
/!ri p the boom. Pull . Hard er. Gears frozen.
Pull ha rder. Crack! Small piece o f tower
hits the roo f. lIo ld tight to boom. Boo m
bending. Crac k ag..lin . Here co mes the rotato
r. Xlc tul fatigue. Cotta wo rk o n that.
Falling. Here comes a gu y wire. Rotat o r
catches . flanging on. Snap! Ch eap guy
II Nl'lIl Uti, Trill' .·1