[ARC5] [Milsurplus] Intercom amp (AM-26/AIC)

[Kludge]

-----Original Message-----
From: arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of David Stinson
>> Anyone can do with whatever they own whatever they want.  Absolutely
true.
>> No contest.  If an owner wants to convert a pristine RAV CBY-46107 to a
30m
>> transceiver, have a ball.  It's the owner's right...
> It's true that there are "ownership" rights, but there are also moral and
ethical issues.
> If I bought the "Mona Lisa," it's mine and I can do what I want with it,
like maybe use it for 
> toilet paper.

Yeah, you could.  And I, for one, wouldn't care one bit.  Aside from the
fact that I'm not a fine art fanatic and especially have no particular
liking for the old girl, it's yours and what you do with it is up to you.  

But here's one difference.  Many people have at least heard of the Mona
Lisa.  How many of them have heard of a command set, 1%?  1/10%?  Presuming
you didn't slice it into toilet paper, how many would be clamoring for the
painting when you die?  And how many would be for "that old radio junk"?
Which do you think will wind up in a dumpster?  

> None of use really "owns" an item of historic significance.  We bought the
right to be 
> its very temporary caretaker.

Yep, and each piece of "historic significance" I'll have when I die will go
right to Waimanalo Gulch in a large smelly truck.  My only family is Noelle
and she's going to go before I do and sure as [phrase deleted because it was
particularly nasty] no one else will want it (including the folks at the
Ford Island museum) so who is the posterity I'm keeping it for?  

The answere is simple.  It's "No one."  No one is going to want my restored
ARA/ATA or GF/RU or the Grade B but still more or less unperverted SCR-274-N
or the FES-1240 or any other piece of equipment or system.  Absolutely no
one.  No one is going to care one iota about the connectors I'm gathering to
make it all happen or about having to use several units to make one intact
and working as intended or anything else.  Absolutely no one.  All they'll
care about is clearing the junk out of my room and storage units to make
room for someone else.  Period.  

Given that, the whole concept of stewartship is meaningless.  The sets being
restored are because it pleases me to do so and for photo use for my book -
our book, more accurately.  After that, they'll be used intact on the air as
parts of my mobile ham rig (which is why I need a van or truck instead of a
car) right next to assorted converted sets.  I will derive what pleasure I
can from them knowing I'm the end of the line for every piece and part.

If I could, I'd get appropriate cutaway sections of fuselage so they'd be
back in their original environment complete with the antennas - which means
I'd need the vertical stabilisers as well.  But if I did that, how many
aircraft restorers would scream about how I butchered airframes to create
different historically accurate displays - ones many of them wouldn't take
the time to assemble?  But again, after I'm gone, who'll care?  Absolutely
freakin' no one.

Best regards,
 
Michael, WH7HG BL01xh
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx 
http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/ 
http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com 
Hiki Nô!