OK Canada Hams need some advice

[BJ radionut]

Binrat/ CK and others from the Great North!!
I have some QSL Cards I would like to send to Canada (6m Grid squares) and I know I can buy Global stamps from USPS to get it there.

HOWEVER since IRC's are no longer sold in US...How do I include postage for my SASE???
Since I know USPS Stamps will NOT work.

I don't think the old include a "US Green Stamp"(cash) is a route that is accepted into system use is proper in today's world.
Then it is still expected you Op's must exchanged said "Green Stamps" buy correct postage and then return your QSL card to me.


I also understand theft of said "green stamps" has been a issue with some Op's since US "Green stamps" can be detected thru scanners and simply disappear thru the many postal systems nowadays.
Unfortunate but this is the world today

I guess the inquiry is can I buy prepaid envelopes(or postage stamps) thru Canada Postal system that will allow you to just drop in your QSL card to your regular mail and it will get to a US mail address?
Just trying to simplify the system and make sure I get a good rate of return.

I have quite a few fairly rare Grids I have worked this season on 6m and looking to get the old fashion "Wallpaper" for them...
Any help(advise) will be appreciated, and may help other US "paper collectors" do the same.
Thanks
All the Best
Gary/W9FNB

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

You can buy stamps from Canada Post online. There are many options as far as amount and different themes. Here is a link to a basic offering.

https://www.canadapost.ca/shop/stamps-by-rate/usa-stamps.jsf?execution=e1s1
https://www.canadapost.ca/shop/stamps-by-rate/usa-stamps.jsf?execution=e1s1
https://www.canadapost.ca/shop/stamps-by-rate/domestic-stamps/strips-of-4-10.jsf?execution=e1s1
It has been YEARS and YEARS since I last mailed something. I had to check to even find out what a basic stamp costs now. The above link are for stamps to send a letter from Canada to the USA. Our domestic rates are cheaper.

 

[BJ radionut]

CK: THANKS!!!
I looked at their site but could not seem to navigate to that spot.
I ordered 24 of the Christmas Stamps as they said "prefect for cards and letters to USA"
Appreciated!
All the Best
Gary

PS: FIRST one goes to Daniel / VE9WGD...New Brunswick,CA
We have worked so many times, I got to have his card from FN57!
Then next is the Op from up on Hudson Bay FN03...worked twice...tough grid from IND. on 6 meters once as CF2RC...then also as VA2RC
73 Gary
I'll save one for when we work on 6m CRANK IT UP OM

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I'll save one for when we work on 6m CRANK IT UP OM

Give me until the end of next summer. I should have the antennas up and at least working by the end of Es season and with any luck the Larcan 1.2 Kw amp should be generating some RFI by then as well. Actually it generates output NOW but it needs to be housed in a cabinet of some sort.

 

[BJ radionut]

I like you due to medial garbage that came our way, have put best laid plans on other "Burners"...
Hope to have a LONGER BOOM(maybe 26 ft.) at like 50+ ft around the same time...
I do seem to get by with my 5 element LFA (14 ft. boom) at like 40-45 ft...
But I want a little more
Be nice to drive maybe 6-7 elements with longer boom...and then get really ambitious and send RF up the coax from a GS35B @ 3500+VDC pushing it
PS: Amperage rating to be determined
Thanks Again
Gary

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Gary, I trust you have seen the Larcan amps made from television band transmitter amps? You may remember a member here in the past Warren, VO1KS. He is an FM/television engineer at a national broadcast outlet down this way. That is where I got my module from. He lives about 20 minutes away. We used my module as a guinea pig for some enhancements to increase the efficiency so I ended up with a prime performing unit which paved the way for future units. 1200 watts out with 10 watts drive and about 50 amps at 50 volts from a HP blade server power supply I bought on Ebay for cheap. https://members.rennlist.com/warren/larcanamps.html
I need to get it mounted under the desk in the shack and wire a T/R relay system and likely a control head for it. Hmmmmm......as I just typed that I remembered that I pulled the relays for it and switched them to another project...........the 3CX3000A7 HF amp which I really need to get back too.

 

[kopcicle]

Real amplifiers are welders

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Real amplifiers are welders

Spoken like a true CB'er.

 

[kopcicle]

Spoken like a true CB'er.

its the first three kilowatts that make a difference

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

its the first three kilowatts that make a difference

I repeat my last post above......spoken like a true CB'er.

 

[BJ radionut]

Gary, I trust you have seen the Larcan amps made from television band transmitter amps? You may remember a member here in the past Warren, VO1KS.

Yes, I do.I came very close to one of those when Warren was offering those...
in the pre-enhanced stage.
But alas found that SB221(locally) with a good set of Eimac's for $500 and jumped into that. Boy did I learn from that one, but got it done. Now a second one done with vacuum relays and some better grade door knobs and other parts.(one in-line presently)
The original will now get torn back down and the changes made to make them both the same config.
I will put the original on another "burner" for later as a very dear friend has a conversion/ SB220 that needs some work...it's "Different" vacuum variable tune cap...NO TUNED INPUT!!! and Dowel-Key relays...and bad power supply caps....nothing wrong with that except the input tuning...So another learning experience awaits after the first of the year when I am able to lift that horse and move it around.
The GS35B/6m amp is still in "dream phase"...though tube/ custom made socket/chassis w/metering/and C2 cap already in my stock pile.
The power supply is ready and working as it is the same supply as my restored 3-1000z HF amp, when I configed that I made provisions via Jones connectors to be able to use it on a remote deck at a later time.
Roughly 35-3700VDC no load at about 1 amp total capacity...So adequate.
So many projects so little time
73
All the Best
Gary

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Isn't high voltage fun? LOL. My 3CX3000A7 HF amp has 4500 volts with 55 uF filtering and the plate xmfr is good for 1.2 amps CCS. It's out of a 1 Kw RCA AM broadcast transmitter so you know it's good for quite a bit more ICAS. I'd be scared to run it wide open. LOL My legal limit is 2250 watts pep and I am happy with anything even near that. The plan is a pair of 1000 pF Jennings vacuum variables for tune and load and a roller inductor to eliminate a bandswitch in the output which tends to be a weak point in high power amps. The bandswitch needs only to handle the exciter power.

 

[kopcicle]

Now I feel small and insignificant .
The NCL-2000 I've been beating on is "only" 2500V.
KM1H Carl Huether Built them new and has converted many to 6m. The 8122 seems to live quite well on 6.

Now if I can ever figure out which wire goes where...

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Now I feel small and insignificant .
The NCL-2000 I've been beating on is "only" 2500V.
KM1H Carl Huether Built them new and has converted many to 6m. The 8122 seems to live quite well on 6.

Now if I can ever figure out which wire goes where...

Here is the thread I started. I guess it's about time to add to it since more work has been done and then continue with the project.

http://www.worldwidedx.com/threads/i-was-bored-today.208424/

 

[N0NB]

Look into a QSL bureau. If you're an ARRL member, their prices are reasonable (or not, depending on your point of view) for getting cards to outside the USA. Of course, one cannot force another station to use their buro and some don't want to, can't, etc.

To receive your cards requires contacting your district incoming buro and following their instructions for having envelopes and postage on hand.

I had a saga regarding an IRC some years ago. Suffice it to say, after getting nowhere with the USPS in several locations, I stuck it in an envelope going to Europe and let the next guy deal with it!