Originally published in the May 1985 issue of C&E.
Recent word that the FCC had taken action against a Texas DXer for running something like 35,000 watts on 75 meters came as no surprise to the world’s greatest DXer, Q. R. Zedd.
Zedd, AEA, was relaxing on the verandah at Honor Roll Ranch, just a hoot and a holler south of Norman, recently, when he discussed the issue.
“It’s a serious problem, boys,” said Zedd, his gold-plated cowboy boots hiked up on the porch railing. He paused to twist a knob on his large copper belt buckle, detuning it a bit so the pileup incoming on his chest-mounted Icom would not be so loud.
“I think there are fellows here and there around the world who run illegal power,” the great man went on. “The FCC can catch one now and then, but it’s up to the amateur radio community to police itself and operate within the stated rules for maximum rf output.
“You take the famous DXpedition to Clipperton back in ’79 or ’80,” Zedd went on, firing up a cheroot. “I’m not saying some of the boys were running illegal power, but it is a fact that the expedition had to be cut short when the signals coming in through the pileup got so intense that they melted two Rohn towers on the island and incincerated 3,200 seagulls.
“Of course, as everybody knows, I never run more than the legal maximum. It’s true that my No. 1 linear amplifier is capable of sufficient power to light Cincinnati, but I built it only to test the circuit theories I used in designing the radios for the Voice of America. I like the reserve power to be there, so the tubes will run nice and cool, loafing along at 4% output.
“I would never, lose patience in a pileup and crank it wide open.
“It would be illegal, as well as unethical, and I don’t believe in that stuff. Besides, somebody in the signal path might get sterilized.
“No, boys,” Zedd went on, “I just don’t believe in illegal power. Furthermore, I strongly believe that it’s up to great men like myself to lead by example.
“That’s why I’m seriously considering going to QRP operation exclusively.”
Well, at that pronouncement, W5OU blanched, KA5EFJ began preparing a bulletin for his TV station, and W5LFK fell off the railing into the rhododendrons.
“Q.!” gasped K5KDR. “How would we know to clear all frequencies at the right times if we couldn’t look south to glimpse the corona effects off the ends of your Yagis?”
“It would be hard,” said Zedd. “But perhaps I could light one of the extra beacon lights on the six thousand-footer. “Or possibly I should even consider operation right in there amongst the riffraff, without asking or expecting special consideration from those in the local area who (quite properly) adore me.”
“But the faithful around the globe might not hear you!” protested W5SQJ. “Is this some kind of new plot by Reagan? Zedd, think of the war veterans! They’re already being mistreated! I –”
“Be calm, be calm,” Zedd advised, his keen and intelligent eyes on some far-distant personal horizon, or perhaps on the crew of Mohawk steeplejacks swarming over one of his 2,000-foot towers nearby. “With good operating practices, the world will still have its chances.
“I might publish a schedule of my operating times, similar to QST’s listing for W1AW. Or I might make an announcement on frequency at full legal power, then switch over, if the faithful demanded it.
“All such problems could be worked out.
“After all,” Zedd pointed out, “as long as I have adequate antennas — which I do — most will still hear me.
“I can use the curtain array and the sixteen phased verticals on 75. The rhombics seem to work adequately on 40 and 30. In most cases, I think I could be heard with a watt or two output into the ten-over-tens at six thousand feet on 20. As to 15 and 10, when the skip is right, I might have some hope of being heard with the 30-element beams stacked on the big tower.
“Then there is always, the long wire, which will be repaired soon, despite that unfortunate incident in which one of the south support towers fell down and wiped out Ardmore.”
Zedd paused again, grabbed a handi-talkie, and transmitted some instructions to one of the steeplejacks who seemed to be having difficulty with installation of a new 40-meter beam as a result of vortices generated by a passing airliner. Satisfied that his orders had been heard and would be followed, the great one returned to the topic at hand.
I plan,” he said, “to give it a shot. Tondelayo, my blond, nubile, 20-year-old QSL secretary and constant companion, is in the lab at this very hour, constructing my first QRP transmitter out of some broken garage door openers and a surplus Casio watch.
“I’ll let you boys know how it comes out. But in the meantime I want to address another aspect of this grave issue. “And that is, what do we do about these fellows we know are running too much power?”
No one spoke. No one had an inkling. Zedd added significantly, “I have some thoughts on the subject, if you want to hear them.”
Of course everyone did.
That report: next month.