Sunday, July 12, 2015

INDIANAPOLIS HAMFEST, 2015

     I had to go solo this year, while Tam stayed home to meet the AT&T tech.  This meant, of course, that I lacked even the modicum of restraint she sometimes adds--
     The two large devices are a 1940s Meissner Analyst, which is a kind of "test bench in a box" for receiver servicing, and a 1950s Harvey-Wells Bandmaster, a 25 to 30 Watt AM/CW amateur radio transmitter.  Both appear to be pretty clean; the transmitter needs an external power supply, 400 V at 200 mA.

     Other neat stuff: a pair of vintage binoculars in good shape -- didn't have anything but toy versions, so for $35, why not? -- a very good push drill with straight bits and a "Handyman" Yankee screwdriver, a full set of Birnbach ceramic antenna insulators, chassis-mount octal plugs (good for power supply connections), three General Radio mixer knobs, a couple of Dakaware knobs, a National tube socket and 100 pF variable cap, another 100 pF dual variable capacitor, an SW-3 coil form, a 6F7 tube (possibly for a project) and a pair of 6L7s (used in my microphone mixer).  Plus four 1940s/50s QST magazines, three quartz crystals and and assortment of other nice small parts.  Not shown, a short (10'?) desktop rack and a large toroid core to wind a balun on (you want 'em big -- magnetic saturation is lossy and can produce a lot of heat!).

     I met my dear old friend Don H., and several other people I know slightly, including the talented Jim Borgioli,whose ham work includes building very nice AM transmitters that run at or near the legal power limit. And one ham who knew me!  A young man who'd gone looking for info on the Stancor 10-P transmitter and found my postings about it on Retrotchnologist walked up to me in the flea market area, asked, "Are you Roberta?" and introduced himself.

     Found but missed a nice balanced antenna tuner.  I should have purchased it at first sight!  But it's a cloneable design and I think I have the parts.

     A fun time!  When I returned home, the phone tech was there -- and pointed out a very large broken limb on the roof and my ham antenna and still loosely attached to the tree.  I climbed up and had a look, but it's too big and too precarious for me.  We've called the singing tree hippie, who does great work at a fair price.

4 comments:

  1. Nice haul!

    That much stuff, in that nice of condition, would cost you a small fortune out here.

    And that reminds me....I have to go to the TRW swapmeet this month. Next month is the last one ever unless they can find a new place to hold it.

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  2. I thought you should see this http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a16853/darpa-vacuum-tube/

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  3. I found a time sink you might be interested in, it is most all of the Popular Mechanics magazines from 1900 forward. It has a lot of stuff from the dawn of,"wireless telegraphy" and early radio, including how to build your own equipment.

    https://books.google.com/books?id=9tsDAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1&atm_aiy=1900#all_issues_anchor

    It is totally free, has some of the early racial stereotypes unfortunatley,but all in all is a very interesting site. I think you might enjoy it.
    Dennis the librarian shusher

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  4. You have a fascinating blog. Happy 2016.

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