Podcasting since 2005! Listen to Latest SolderSmoke
Monday, May 13, 2024
Ragnar LA1UH's Wonderful Museums in Norway
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Jens OZ1GEO's AMAZING Radio Museum
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Some Great Reading Material -- Links to Radio Publications
Thursday, November 16, 2023
The Grid Leak Detector -- Follow-up from Yesterday's Post on the Whole Earth Catalog's "Hippy" One Tube Receiver
Friday, October 27, 2023
A NETFLIX Series with Boatanchors and Direction-Finding -- All the Light We Cannot See
Sunday, October 15, 2023
Spy Rigs, Para Sets, Bugs, and Enigma Machines -- Dr. Tom Perera W1TP (video)
Thursday, September 28, 2023
A Look at Old Radios in Australia (video)
I thought you guys would like Peter Parker's latest video. And in it, Dean KK4DAS might see a clue or two for his Halli restoration/repair project.
Saturday, August 19, 2023
Valveman -- The Story of Gerald Wells
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
A Very Early Radio-Controlled Device -- Using Spark and a Coherer, in Spain
The chess device was really interesting, but two things caught my eye about this fellow: 1) he lived and conducted some of his experiments in my old home of Bilbao, Spain and 2) he built a very early radio-control system that used -- in the receiver -- a coherer as the detector.
There is a lot material on Torres Quevedo. Here is just a sample of what is out there
His book: https://www.torresquevedo.org/revistas/index.php/BIB/issue/view/12/1. Discussion of the Telekino device is on pages 109-127.
The Branly Tube or Coherer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coherer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_Torres_Quevedo
https://cyberneticzoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Telekine-Yuste.pdf
1903 article in Electron (Spain) about the Telekino and Coherers. https://hemerotecadigital.bne.es/hd/viewer?oid=0028654330&page=6
https://alpoma.net/tecob/?p=13766 This article contains the diagram of the device (see above). You can see the coherer with its tapper.
Monday, May 1, 2023
Apex Surplus in Los Angeles
Friday, April 28, 2023
Who is the Man in the Portrait in Artie Moore's Shack?
Monday, April 24, 2023
Four Old BBC Shows on Radio: Hams, Physics, and Antique Wireless
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Early (1912?) Ham Station
If you zoom in you can see the crystal and the cat's whisker.
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Mr. Carlson Replaces Old Capacitors -- Bathtub Capacitors
Saturday, February 4, 2023
To Re-Cap or Not to Re-Cap -- Curious Marc on the Electrolytic Controversy in Ham Radio
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Hammarlund HQ-100 Misidentified in 1963 FCC Film
Oh the indignity! It appears at 7 minutes 16 seconds in this FCC film. It is clearly an HQ-100, but the FCC subtitles identify it at an HQ-110. It is clearly an HQ-100 ( the model without the clock).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPIOfpKkRM
As the owner and operator of what must be one of the few remaining HQ-100s, I feel obligated to defend the reputation of this fine piece of shortwave gear.
How many of you have HQ-100s?
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Hugo Gernsback -- Was he Like Wayne Green?
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
SolderSmoke Re-Play: Shep tries to build a Heising Modulator -- Shep on Parasitics and Troubleshooting: "That way madness lies"
You guys really have to listen to this. This is culturally important.
In this 1965 radio broadcast, Jean Shepherd describes his teenage struggles with parasitics and other technical problems in his homebrew 160 meter transmitter.
He describes the sound of parasitics on a signal, saying that they sound as if the signal is being attacked by "debauched erotic locusts."
He really nails it in describing the scornful, dismissive tone that many hams use in telling their fellow radio amateur that there are problems with his signal. ( I have recently been on the receiving end of this kind of treatment.)
He observes that no one is more worried, "than a man who has built something and can't get it to work." Indeed.
During a date with a girl from his high school, he is so obviously preoccupied with his transmitter trouble that she tells him that something is wrong with him and that his mother "should take him to a doctor."
And he describes the joy that comes when you figure out the problem and get the thing to work.
The REALLY good stuff begins at about the 25 minute point.
http://ia310115.us.archive.org/2/items/JeanShepherd1965Pt1/1965_01_29_Ham_Radio.mp3
Shep was quoting from King Lear: "O, that way madness lies; let me shun that; No more of that." In other words: "BASTA!"
EXCELSIOR!
Wednesday, December 14, 2022
Faust Gonsett and the SB-33 in 1963
- It is a hybrid rig using Germanium transistors –the transistor was only 15 years old
- The Mechanical band switching showed the strong use of mechanical assemblies
- The small size was simply amazing
- The Bi-lateral circuitry predates any Bitx circuits.
- The urban legend was that a team of illuminati were involved in its design (Don Stoner is one name that pops up)
- The Japanese were a quick study and the FTdx100 in 1967 is a result, only better.
- Many are still around in shacks. I have three
Gonset was well known for innovative designs – the Gooney Box is another example. Look at all of his compact mobile equipment.
The next point – the final owner of SBE was Raytheon thusly the next generation of SDR Radio Equipment for the US Air Force can trace its pedigree to the SBE-33.
This was the appliance box of 1963. I saw my 1st SBE-33 (August 1963) when likely you were in the 2nd Grade and I was headed off to Midway island.
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Friday, December 9, 2022
R-390s, KWM-2s, Airplanes, and Magnetic Loops -- A Really Interesting Interview with Ted Robinson K1QAR
Eric Guth 4Z1UG has a really interesting interview with Ted Robinson K1QAR.
I really enjoyed hearing Ted's inspiring story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUUzlKMMANg
https://www.qsotoday.com/podcasts/K1QAR
Listeners will like the discussion of the R-390 and the KWM-2. And his talk about airplanes. And the joy of repair.