First a big congratulations to the Vienna Wireless Society and its President, Dean KK4DAS. In spite of low temperatures that made the Winterfest Hamfest live up to its name, this year's 'fest was a big success with excellent turnout both by buyers and sellers. There were a LOT of older rigs -- on one table I saw three HT-37s. It was all great. Here is a video of the hamfest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oheht5jCuKE&t=619s This was shot early on Sunday morning March 19, 2023, about 30 minutes after it opened. An hour later there were a lot more customers.
One of the first things I bought was the item pictured above. I bought it mostly because we are currently building 40 meter receivers with the local high-school students. I didn't have a screw driver, so I couldn't open up the box. Something was rattling around in there. I worried that the box might be mostly empty. Or that it would have one PC board with a sad collection of ICs. But in the hope that I would find something truly homebrew, I bought it.
Below are pictures of what I found inside. Can anyone tell us what this is? ( I recognized it immediately.) More on this device in due course.
Other loot from the 'fest:
The one on the left I've been using since around 1998! It is getting beat up. I bought the one on the right at the 'fest. It is in much better condition. 5 bucks. TRGHS.
I always wanted one. I had nice leather case, but I gave it to Dick Dillman years ago. I now feel like a real boatanchor guy. I got for 15 bucks. I see on Amazon they are selling for $466!
I had one as a kid. Will be useful in the DR. In great shape.
Eamon Skelton's book was a great find. As were the early editions of SSB for the Radio Amateur. Eight bucks for the whole lot.
I like homebrew speaker enclosures. They add soul to the new machine. Perhaps a prize for the high-school project. Three bucks.
Finally, this thing. Plagued by guilt for past cannibalizations of QF-1s, I was going to pass on this one, but I realized that my friend Dean KK4DAS would be on his way, and if I didn't take it (and extract the variable capacitor) he would. So I bought it. But I may leave this one as is, for possible use as the The Radio Gods intended. It could use some cleaning up. It seems to have a coat of nicotine. Ten bucks.
I also picked up a few larger knobs that may be of use with the high-school receivers.
Bill -
ReplyDeleteThe top item might be a Herring Aid 5, July 1976 QST by Jay Rusgrove. The shape of the traces on the circuit board gives it away.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
Good eye Chuck. That is exactly what it is. I tried to build one in 1976, but I got the oscillator windings wrong. 38 years later I built one correctly (with help from Dex in New Zealand). It was really cool to find another one. I powered it up, and it works! I will spruce it up a bit and will report on progress. I wonder who the builder of this one was? 73 Bill
DeleteNice Haul. I have found most Simpson 260’s that look good on the outside are badly eaten up on the inside from leaking batteries. My Ebay experiences for as-is 260’s is about 50/50. I still use mine daily.
ReplyDeleteThanks. This one appears to be in good shape. The battery terminal was corroded so there might have been a leaky D cell in there, but it doesn't seem to have leaked into the main compartment. Thanks for the tip -- we will look out for this on future buys. Amazing that they are selling these things for 500 bucks! What's so special about these devices?
Delete73 Bill
Bill -
DeleteI believe the 260 is still made in the USA. If you look at an old Simpson meter movement it is often stamped with a little state of Wisconsin. Per their website the Chippewa tribe bought the company in 1985.
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
I've never seen a Simpson meter over here in England, I guess they're similar to our AVO meters...basically pretty much indestructible!
ReplyDeleteEamon Skelton's book was worth the 8 bucks alone. The others were effectively free!
ReplyDeleteIt's an excellent treasure trove of ideas.
de G4WIF
Tony: Agreed. I went right to his pages about Direct Conversion receivers. He preferred homebrew diode ring mixers to SBL-1s. On VFOs he admits this is a bit of a black art -- solidly built VFOs ended up drifting! He used a triple LC circuit to knock down AM detection of powerful shortwave broadcast stations. His writing is very practical. It reminds me of that of Frank Harris K0IYE. 73 Bill
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