W2ISQ 1936 Yonkers, NY

Operator: Jack Troster W2ISQ, W6ISQ

Rig is 676 - 807 - 35T - 250TH, running 450 watts, feeding a 66-foot end-fed zepp up about 30 feet. I used them beautifoool 866 mercury vapor rectifiers that glowed blue in the dark. I also hung a neon bulb on the zepp feeders to help tune up. On summer nights, I would turn off the room lights and key the rig. Strollers would stop outside the house and wonder about the blue and neon flashes.

The receivers were a Super Skyrider and RCA-ACR-136. I still have the Vibroplex and the final tank condenser, which I use as an antenna tuner. The rig in the photo replaced a classic 47 - 46 - pr 46s. And before that was a huge variety of different kinds of oscillators and low-powered finals -- including the great 210 TNT with a nice ripe T4. - Note: I built about one rig a month by sawing off another 17 inches from a long board I kept in the basement.

In the fall of 1935 I worked my first DX with a few watts from the TNT. That was a station in Montreal, followed soon by a contact with Cuba. I was captivated and have been chasing DX ever since. I also got into Sweepstakes and DX contesting. Traffic handling was also great fun, but I've been chasing DX and contesting almost continuously ever since. See you in the pileups!

QSL from the estate of W2JXN, W2JLW, W6ZNO
Photo & Info courtesy of QCWA.org