New Members Please introduce yourself.

First topic message reminder :

Hi folks,
I'm David, I live in Canberra, Down Under, and confess a love of valve gear.
Specifically guitar amps, and have joined the site to further my slowly growing knowledge..
I'm also on a steep learning curve for valve testers - just gained a Jackson 637 and am trying to learn about it and am planning to service it B4 testing my growing collection of valves..
I don't know a whole lot about radio's per se, but pls don't hold that against me..LOL
I'll chime in probably infrequently, but have bookmarked the site and will call back regularly.
Cheers, David

I finally got around to loading up my Avatar tonight.
Yes, that IS really me.
Took 1st place at a Star Trek Con with that costume & makeup

So for those of you who thought I was probably from a different planet, here is proof.
73'
FrankB

Glad to Have you on-board Sam, Yeah I didn't get up there this year, car problems, but my buddy took some stuff for me and brought back a Kenwood Dip Meter DM-81 minus a few coils but it does work, I also got a transistor curve tracer it is not one with a built in Oscope, but external wires that go to using an Oscope. Rather dirty but cleaned up nice and had to get the switches rotating as they were frozen. Haven't plugged it in yet, but hopping it works. I did find a manual on line after an exhaustive search.

Not to many are posting in the last several weeks, but I think its due to families on trips and getting back for school and vacation times too.
What area do you Live in may I ask?
I live in Port Orchard and have a couple of buddies that go to PSARA one is Monte in Tacoma and the other Is Ernie.
Ernie and I meet with fellow Hams at a Pizza joint on thursdays.

So again Be sure to dive in.

New member here, Sam, also from the Puget Sound area. Wondering what people thought about the PSARA swap meet a few weeks ago. I was a bit disappointed compared to years past but liked the weather and location.

Nice site, Cliff; I'll be spending more time here!

Sam

Bob did your mom have memorabilia from Zenith, Letters, Pins, badge, Employee newsletters, They can be valuable to hang on to as family history. Also to collectors. Thanks for posting.

Hi, I'm new here, and if anyone's interested here's a little about me. Although I've been into electronics on and off since I was a teenager, I only got into old radio collecting and repairs around 2004, starting with 1920's TRFs, since these were relatively cheap and pretty simple to fix. Some of my favorites are a Marti R10 and a Sparton 110AC. Both have all Kellogg tubes and the latter still works. I seemed to gravitate towards early AC sets. Now I also collect sets from the '30s and '40s. My mom once worked at Zenith, and I find myself wishing I could get more of those, but the sky-high prices usually scare me off.

I'm also a professional writer and an avid reader, so I've been drawn to old radio mags like Radio News and Wireless Age. They give you a great idea of the state-of-the-art and life in general in years past.

So anyway, here I am.

Bob

I thank you for the response. I have learned some, but there is a lot I just don't understand. I happened to pick up a ton of parts from a guy in Tucson. (actually a relative ) over a year ago. His health went bad and he just gave up his hobby. He also was a ham. He gave me the parts, but I secretly gave his wife some money for the parts. I tried to sell some of the stuff on different forums, but didn't do to well, but again gave the money to his wife. I have used some of the things, but I would guess members here would be more able to use them than I will ever be. I think I will put up some of the things on the board here to sell. Maybe some of the members can use the parts.

SWsenior

SWsenior thanks for responding. Lurking is good as you still show up as being active even though no postings.

I mostly just lurk, but have built a few crystal sets and have had fun listening for DX. I am on several forums and don't say much as I don't have much to say. I don't have the knowledge that most here have. I do post a question occasionally, but it seems that it gets ignored, another reason for not posting much on forums.

Thanks for your time.

SWsenior

Just thought I would say hello and sorry I haven't posted any questions. I been tech since 1975 and I use to help my dad in his shop in California testing tubes. Now I work on guitar amps mostly at a music store and dabble some in old radio repair. Well have a good evening and appreciate the web site -- its very informative.

Vern from Oregon

Hello to you all, I'm a retired mechanical engineer living in Yorkshire England, I'm Mick (bluebuzzer123) and have been interested in radios/crystal sets from school days but life sent me in a different direction so aim to address this. Been collecting old radios for a couple of years and have just 3 to date, (1) Hallicrafters tw 2000, (2) Hallicrafters s38b (3) Pye p31mbq portable suit case type, only got the Pye working at present but hope to gain experience and confidence to tackle the TW 2000?, As this is in near mint condition and completely original I may just have to win the lottery and bite the bullet and let the experts sort it out?.
Quit like crystal sets and there construction none of that nasty shocking non seeing/smelling stuff, I've had a couple of samples of it in my working life so try to avoid it if possible.
Great site, Great forums.

k5psh wrote:

hello folks

i am jerry---k5psh----joined some time back, but failed to introduce myself--inertia is my enemy--

i began my interest in radios at about age six--that would have been 1950--i'm really not much of a technician, but i enjoy the forums and read to learn--i have been a ham since 1958--did 4 years in the army security agency as a morse intercept operator--
i enjoy building and listening to crystal radios--prior to about 2004 i had no idea what could be accomplished with so simple a device--it is the ultimate in the "low power" experience--it takes the burden off the other end and places it directly on the shoulders of the one who wants to do the most with the least--

regards

jerry----k5psh

k5psh

Posts: 1
Join date: 2012-06-06
Age: 68
Location: texas

I have always been fascinated with some of the super-duper crystal radios but have never built one yet, but I to like to read what others do with those simple???? sets.LOL
Welcome Jerry and continue to post. Thanks!

musicselectorfn1 wrote:

Hello there, folks!

I'm a complete noob (newbie) when it comes to electronics and radio, so sadly, i don't have much knowledge at all but hope to learn much and pass on the knowledge i acquire.

i'm from southern california and have recently started collecting old radios/record players.

Thanx!
-joe

If you are intrested in radios just as a collection that's OK, but if you want to repair, you will need to go to several forums to get information on electronics. There are soldering tutorials, electrical safety (Very Important), parts you need to order, basic tube electronics ,basic electrical, theory, Math, and of course schematics understanding or you will be lost. Find out about AC inductance, capacitance, reactance, Frequencies etc.
There are many basic books on electronics that are available in PDF format that are free on line also.
It can be a challenge, but the need to succeed in this field is a basic stepping stone.

Just to give you some assurance I also started my trail to radio in In Long Beach California at the age of 13 or 14 and I tried to build a crystal radio from a cub scout book. It was the Fox hole radio using a razor blade and a pencil lead with diaper pins to hold the lead. And a crystal earphone, I wound my own coil but didn't get it to work so I started going to the surplus store and bought my first rocket crystal radio then was hooked. So hang in there New Guy!

Heres a great link for Navy series of Electronics Books (NEETs)

Click Here

hello folks

i am jerry---k5psh----joined some time back, but failed to introduce myself--inertia is my enemy--

i began my interest in radios at about age six--that would have been 1950--i'm really not much of a technician, but i enjoy the forums and read to learn--i have been a ham since 1958--did 4 years in the army security agency as a morse intercept operator--
i enjoy building and listening to crystal radios--prior to about 2004 i had no idea what could be accomplished with so simple a device--it is the ultimate in the "low power" experience--it takes the burden off the other end and places it directly on the shoulders of the one who wants to do the most with the least--

regards

jerry----k5psh

k5psh

Posts: 1
Join date: 2012-06-06
Age: 68
Location: texas

Hello there, folks!

I'm a complete noob (newbie) when it comes to electronics and radio, so sadly, i dont have much knowledge at all but hope to learn much and pass on the knowledge i acquire.

i'm from southern california and have recently started collecting old radios/record players.

Thanx!
-joe

Good to see all of you newer members, please do join in our discussions, we consider no question or answer trivial. Just consider yourself at home here. Whether you are a newbie or an old timer, consider yourself on a level playing field for discussion's. If you have questions, that's very welcome here. You may have a question or comment that is original, and hasn't been explored or thought of yet. And to the more experience among us also have room to expand our experience, and skills in explaining, methods and techniques, and being taught a thing or two.

carlosedison

dorpmuller

morganboy

KJ4UMN

jaycea

Samd

tsbel

shaman

phasedout

acomarow

W8ZV

Glad your Here, Just jump in and don't be shy, seems like a lot of guys here are in your ballpark, so we don't run out of topics, so the more the better.
From Another old, gee! I forgot what we were discussing. Too many schematics and not enough solder.

Hi Guys, i live at the moment in England, have quite a largish collection of vintage radios, approx 300, test gear, including a large collection of Avo,s, Signal gennies, Scopes inc Tek 535 and 545, numerous others, capacitor bridges, infact loads of radio related things, books going back to 1922, as you see quite a radiio nut, even a collection of boatanchors inc a AR88LF working, it looks like the sort of forum that has people like me, its nice to meet you all and hope to get to know you guys ps i am a 65 year old fart born May 19th 1947, interests well just look above, this says it all, username phasedout just like the old vintage radios i have, but vintage is the best ..kind......regards....Alan

A warm Hello and welcome to:

N4LNU
Charlie Bennetch

and also

W8ZV
Kim Herron


Our Ham Population is growing.
73s

W8ZV here. Name is Kim Herron, User ID is my amateur call. I'm an old fart. Got interested in old radios when I was 10 years old and that was 49 years ago. The first box I fixed and used was a GE E-129. My uncle had a radio repair shop in Saranac MI and he gave me my first set of test gear (most of which I still have), his NRI radio course (which I went through during the summer between 6th and 7th grade), and a GOB of parts, etc. Got my first ham call in 1970 (WN8FYX), and went through RETS electronics in Grand Rapids MI WHILE I was in high school. Went to work for an OEM electronics manufacturer in GR and ended up in the copier industry for 10 years working for Litton Industries. I don't work in the electronics field anymore, but I am in maintenance working for the USPS. Radios are a hobby, and all the ham gear glows in the dark. Two tone grey stuff (Collins).
My wife and I still live in West MI, in the woods. THe electrical noise is nonexistent, and nobody complains about the antennas. We go to one radio show a year in Lansing MI, the MARC extravaganza. I enjoy fixing the old stuff for other people and taking on stuff that nobody else can fix (within reason).

Thanks!!!
Kim

N4LNU
Charlie Bennetch
I have a basement full of radio projects. I am 62 but I'd better live forever so that I can fix at least 1/2 of them. High on my list is a Swan Astro 102BX and a National NC 57. The NC 57 is s sentimental acquisition, in that one like it was my first SWL rig I had as a teenager.

I just got a Globe King 500D. A unique part of history, a rig that cost $5K and which never worked.I will be looking for a collector who wants a shameful bit of ham history and a rig that will never go on the air.

This topic was move Here to conslidate to one topic
"New" member
FrankB on Tue 21 Feb 2012 - 1:01


I've been on the forum for a while, but never posted a lot.

Native of Olympia WA

45 years as a TV/radio repair tech amongst other things.
I own my own business repairing TV's & radios, selling tubes & parts, and odds & ends.
Hoping to have a website up & going soon.

Member of ARF and the UK forums, and Tube Collectors of America.
Ham radio operator since the mid 70's; WB7ELC.

My S.O. & I own 2 dogs, 2 fish, and are staff for 3 Fur People.
The 2 outside cats love to come in and help me "sort tubes" in the storage. They literally pound on the door with their paws or get on the roof and stomp around on it until I let them in. The house cat has a penchent for finding any small part I drop and leaves it on the hallway floor where I can easily step on it -er- I mean find it.
(He has found several things I have lost and had no hope of finding again. Amazing actually. Usually he takes 1-2 weeks to find it and "leave it out" for me.)

I collect radios, tube boxes, tubes, electronics service literature, books of several types besides electronics & SF. Interests include Blacksmithing, fishing, shaggy dog stories, My interests are pretty much anything. I also make SF props, vampire teeth, etc. ( Won 1st place at a SF con for my Klingon costume I made fron scratch).




FrankB


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Re: "New" member
Cliff Jones on Tue 21 Feb 2012 - 11:25


Great to have you on our forum Frank.
Since you mentioned TVs which I don't dabble into, too much circuitry for me widdle brain--LOL
I though as a trade or not, (By the way I posted you a PM about a loop-stick. I was just thinking, are you interested in old magazines about TV repairs?)
I Bought a number (approx. 35) of them a couple of weeks ago ( all RADIO-ELECTRONICS) and they have a musty smell to High Heaven, ACHHHH CHOO!!! Wow!
But they are all complete and well kept.
Maybe you would like them? Free of course or trade . It would take at least 2 shipping boxes
If not, I will post them for sale to cover postage here on our forum.

My sentence's are incomplete but you get the ramblings I hope?

_________________
It's all in the Theory of Electrons, Protons, and Neutrons!
Cliff Jones
Site Administrator

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Re: "New" member
FrankB on Tue 21 Feb 2012 - 21:34


Cliff,
If they are not issues I already have, I am interested.
If you are going to be at the Hamfair in Elma on Sat, I can try to dig it out from where ever I put it and bring it.


Look into my eyes.......
Repeat after me...........
You will be at the Hamfair on Saturday
You will be at the Hamfair on Saturday
You will be at the Hamfair on Saturday
You will be at the Hamfair on Saturday






FrankB

Welcome Randy and join in our discussions. With your experience you will be a real asset.

Hello all, just found out about this site from ARF. Name is Randy. Username is my ham call. I am a broadcast engineer in southern West Virginia
taking care of four fm stations and two am stations. Been in broadcasting for almost 40 years now and dabbling with radios and electronics since I was 12. Started out working in a few radio and tv shops and ended up working in radio and tv broadcasting.
Finally got around to getting my ham license about four years ago. I have a collection of boatanchors, some that work and a lot that don't. Hard to find time to
work on them as I stay fairly busy with work but I do enjoy old radios and test equipment.

Welcome to our Radio workbench, all of you are given applause for joining. May your stay and visits help you and your contributions help others. So join in and have fun!

monowarulhakim

Philshells

crobrd

porboys

K5WGY

carmech

deteugtho

We now have 128 registered users!

This is great! Here are More Members that have Joined.
Welcome to each one.

dbilling

ecpilot

philledger

jstarr001

rkoonce

bekker

drdave

John Mitchell

Indeed, welcome, Mike.
Bill Cahill

More new members:

johnnycanuck

fluid

N2BEW

Mike DeMeo

AD1OS

Thank you for joining. I'm sure you will find Our Friends here will give and receive your questions, responses and answers with interest and enjoyment. Even challenging.

Welcome! Mike,Glad your here.
I found one of the crystal radios I used to have as a boy, found it on EBay a Remco set.
I didn't realize how junky they were but at the time it was a real treasure.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

GE all. My name is Mike and I have been in and out of radio for around 55 years. IT started with my father's National Radio Institute stuff way back, and he brought home stuff for me like Philmore and Remco crystal sets. I received my ham license in 1964, thru the efforts of two hams in the neighborhood, and thank them all to this day.
I retired from the fire service about two years ago, and have gotten more involved with building again. Last fall I came across boxes of "stuff" that my father and I had accumulated and decided to use some of it. Seems like it's just right for crystal sets and simple tube/transistor projects.
I am currently immersed in a crystal set that may never be finished.
Mike AD1OS

Heres a new group of Members:

rcamp48

stevebyan

CarlF

zenithite

dujob

Edd

aceandy

bakermister

Dietze4

Take your shoes off and make yourself at home here, Welcome door is open!

Some more Members now on board

Carl French

Cameraman

Perry Mundorff

kp19751609

copain
----------------
A Warm Welcome