Foundations Of Amateur Radio

Foundations of Amateur Radio A couple of weeks ago an amateur put out a call on the local email discussion list. The message was simple, it read: "I have a 606A HP Signal Generator with a copy of the Operating and Service Manual. It covers 50 kHz to 65 MHz. Free to a good home :-)" It's not the first time that such a message has done the rounds, but this time my reply was quick enough for it to be first. Overnight I became the new custodian of a Hewlett Packard 606A Signal Generator. A signal generator is a tool that can form a specific carrier across a range of frequencies in much the same way that your amateur radio can. In this case, the HP-606A can cover all the amateur HF bands and everything in between. The signal that's generated is calibrated, that is, it's of a specific power level, very stable, clean and it can be used to calibrate other equipment. To set the scene, the HP-606A was released into the wild in 1959. You might call it vintage at this point. It's the size of a modern microwave oven,