Apex Surplus in Los Angeles

The Polaroid camera for the Tek 'scope was pretty cool.  And the comments about the Simpson 260 made me feel good about finding one at a recent hamfest, but I don't think mine is an extremely rare Model 2.   

Radio's Noble Savage: Jean Shepherd and The Secret People (that's us) -- Shep and Kludge?

I was looking at the pictures from the Nearfest hamfest when I spotted this quite from Shepherd at the bottom of a post in the AM Window by Carl WA1KPD: 

"Okay, gang are you ready to play radio? Are you ready to shuffle off the mortal coil of mediocrity? I am if you are." Shepherd

I Googled the quote and that took me to this 1966 article from Harper's: 

 http://www.keyflux.com/shep/shepharp.htm

The article is a (mostly) accurate view of Shepherd.  Much of it would not be socially acceptable today (and rightly so).  The article correctly describes Shep's stories as being truth-based but also filled with hyperbole.  

This got me wondering:  How did Shep pronounce kludge?  I mean, it could have been him who put me on the pronunciation track of kludge like fudge.  He wasn't being listened to outside of NYC, and maybe Boston and San Francisco.  So that may explain why the rest of the country is getting the pronunciation so completely wrong.  We may be on the verge of a breakthrough here.  Steve Silverman:  ALERT!  

Can anyone find a recording of Shepherd using the word Kludge? A Bronze Figlagee with Oak Leaf Palms will be awarded. 

Check out the Harper's article and the video (above) of Shep talking about THE SECRET PEOPLE.  

EXCELSIOR! 

Who is the Man in the Portrait in Artie Moore's Shack?

 

Who is this person?   He is in a prominent position in Artie Moore's very early radio shack.  Artie was obviously big on labeling things, and there is a label under the picture but I can't make it out.  What do you folks think?  Who is this?  

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/04/artie-moore-and-titanic.html

High-School Students Successfully Avoid THE SHELF OF SHAME -- Update on the Direct Conversion Receiver Project

One of the first finished receivers

Dean KK4DAS, Mike KD4MM, and I had a good day at the local high school yesterday, even after a month of spring break and other absences.  We thought this might have been our last session at the school this year, so we strongly encouraged the students to GET THE RECEIVERS DONE.  We told them about the Shelf of Shame, and warned them not to half-way finish something that would gather dust at the bottom their parents' closet.  They were close to success!  It was time to finish the project. 

We warned them not to be perturbed if the receiver doesn't work the first time they power it up.  This is not "plug and play."  The receiver would likely need some trouble shooting, or at least some peaking and tweaking.  We noted that we often have to sort of coax a signal out of a newly built receiver. 

We soon had the students come forward with two projects that were ready for final testing.  Sure enough we found problems with both.  The solutions provided a lot of educational fun. 

The first group had not yet built the diplexer -- we advised them to skip over the diplexer for the moment -- just connect the output of the mixer to the input of the AF amplifier.  We can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good!  Build the diplexer later, but for now, get the receiver going.  They did, and a few minutes later they were receiving signals from Mike KD4MM's transmitter (on the other side of the lab). 

Then a second group came forward.  We put a San Jian frequency counter on the PTO output.  Uh oh.  Trouble.  Gibberish!  A wonderful troubleshooting session ensued.  With the student, we found that the signal was good at the output of the oscillator transistor, but NOT at the output of the buffer.  At first we suspected that the buffer was bad, but it was not.  Then we lifted the connection to the mixer and suddenly the buffer output was good.  So the problem was in the mixer!  When we disconnected the input transformer of the mixer from the diode ring, THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE.  So the problem was clearly in the input transformer.  Dean gave us a replacement transformer.  Soon all was right with the rig, and this group joined the ranks of the successfully completed receivers.   

I think that seeing that two groups had finished helped motivate the others.  Our announcement that successful completion would lead to a "Certificate of Completion" also helped.  But most of all, I think the natural desire to finish the job and avoid the "Shelf of Shame"  was pushing the students forward. 

Other news: 

-- Our stage-by-stage award program continued.  Last time we awarded "The Torry"  for the first successful bandpass filter;  this time we awarded "The Audy" for the first successful audio transformers. 

The Audies

-- We told the students that their work has been entered in a Hack-A-Day contest.  Most of the info and files on the project can be found on the Hack-A-Day site.  Check it out:  

https://hackaday.io/project/190327-high-schoolers-build-a-radio-receiver

-- We also told the students about Walter KA4KXX's very generous offer of a reward for the first students to check into the Florida Sunrise net.  (We had to make it clear that this offer is completely extracurricular and unconnected in any way from the school .)  The students were clearly intrigued.  Sunrise Net may get some new check-ins! 

-- We provided instructions on how to build a simple 1/4 wave reception antenna.  We also did a video.  

We had thought that this would be our last session at the school,  but at the students' request we will be back with them next week for another session.  We think there are at least five more receivers approaching the finish line. 

Retro QRP Rigs of the 1960's, 70's, and 80's -- Video by Mike WU2D

It is time to put aside (again!) all of the heated ideological arguments about the power level that defines "low power."  Just sit back and enjoy this wonderful trip down QRP memory lane. 

Mike's description of the simple, single-transistor QRP transmitter was really nice.   I recently made something similar: https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/02/first-qso-with-high-school-receiver-100.html  And Mike does a nice plug for our beloved Michigan Mighty Mite.  Go CBLA! 

The modular idea:  words to live by my friends. 

40673!  TT2!  And G3RJV's PW Severn - indeed, bow your heads!

Wow, the Ten Tec Power Mite (or Might!) -- I still want one.  Same for the Argonaut -- what a great name (sounds like a "magic carpet), and with SSB to boot!  I want to join the Argonaut cult! 

I have both the HW-7 and HW-8 (the HW-8 is heading to the Dominican Republic).  This video makes me want to fire up the HW-7.  Maybe on 40.  

My 40 meter homebrew rig (Digi-Tia) has in it the filter from that old Yaesu FT-7 rig.  The filter was given to me by Steve "Snort Rosin" Smith.  https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2015/05/bitx-digi-tia-build-update-2-installing.html  

Thanks to Mike for including me in the credit roll at the end.  What a great group of people -- it is a real honor to be listed with those folks. 

Tim Hunkin on Drilling Holes (Secret Life of Components Video)

 I guess that aside from being a great video, this is something of a test of technical nerdy-ism.  If you find this hour long video really interesting, well, you know... 

Really cool stuff from Tim Hunkin: 

-- I liked the angle driller.  Need one. 

-- The placement of the magnets near the hole to catch the shavings was really cool. 

-- Tim's reluctant admission that it is just better to buy new drill bits (as opposed to sharpening old ones) is good advice. 

-- WD-40!  Yea! 

-- Note:  No white "Boffin" coat for Tim.  Just "overalls."  But as I watched I found myself thinking that he could probably have used an armor plate or at least a Kevlar vest amidst all that flying metal. Perhaps a bit more eye protection too...  

-- Fiddley.  A useful tech term.  

--Swarf:  Another useful tech term:  the metallic remnants (shavings) of drilling. 

-- The digi readout on the milling machine looked really useful. 

Finally, I loved the sign that Tim has posted in his workshop:  

SMALL HADRON COLLIDER

Four Old BBC Shows on Radio: Hams, Physics, and Antique Wireless

The first one, about ham operators in general, is pretty depressing. Then it goes downhill as they shift to those who are listening to baby monitors and cell phones.  Yuck. 

The second one seems to show some physicist having understandable difficulty explaining particle-wave duality in a short TV segment.  

There is a short bit (that I didn't quite get) about the BBC's "Teddy Bear's Picnic."  

The final one is about Gerald Wells and his Antique Wireless Museum in South London.  Note the white coat -- clearly a boffin.  For a while I confused him with Rupert Goodwins G6HVY (similar white coat, but a different bloke).  

Helge LA6NCA's Altoids Tin Receiver

Here's another great video from Helge LA6NCA.  This is a follow-up to his Altoids Spy Transmitter project.   Really well done.   Hack-A-Day called this receiver "regenerative" so naturally I was disappointed, but when I watched I realized that it is NOT a regen but is instead a direct conversion receiver.  TRGHS.  All is right with the world.  Thanks Helge!  73 

Artie Moore and the Titanic

I had never heard of Artie Moore, but his is a very interesting story from the earliest days of radio. 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Moore

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118053768802799

A Request for Digital Help from a Ham in Argentina

Can someone out there help OM Martin LW9DTR? 

His e-mail is on his QRZ.com page: https://www.qrz.com/db/LW9DTR

MARTIN LW9DTR has left a new comment on your post " The JF3HZB Digital VFO Dial in the DJ7OO Direct Conversion Receiver (Who is JF3HZB?) ":

Technical support
Dear Klaus Kirschelmann
My name is Martin and my call sign is LW9DTR
I am writing to you from my hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I need your tech support because I'm trying to run the assembly you posted with the AD9850 + Arduino Mini + Oled to apply it in a QRP transceiver project and I've encountered two problems.
The first problem is that I can't find the code to program the Arduino on your website.
The second issue is that the QRP transceiver design I'm using requires an inverted DDS output, ie as the frequency on the display increases, the output frequency should decrease.
I lack programming skills, so I'm coming to you knowing you can guide me on what commands I can change in the program to make this happen.
I will be very grateful to you in advance for your tremendous support.
I say goodbye with all due respect and wish that this April 18th, International Amateur Radio Day, surprises you with joy and new projects.
A big and warm hug.
With respect:
Martin Silva, LW9DTR

CuriousMarc Powers up (and Explains) Old Cathode Ray Tubes

Wow, really cool video from CuriousMarc and the guy who wrote the "Open Circuits" book.  But fellows, you really need to be more careful with the high voltage. Remember poor Ross Hull.  One hand behind the back would help.  Volts jolt, but mills kill.    

Inside "Open Circuits"

Here is a cool video about a very cool book.  I wasn't going to buy it, but when I saw it in a book store, I opened it up to a random page and found myself looking at the 2N3904. TRGHS.  So I bought it. 

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2022/09/open-circuits-cutting-open-components.html

https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2023/01/open-circuits-inner-beauty-of.html