[ARC5] the age old battle of modify or sanctify...

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I have invoices for most of the 6000 odd square feet of "stuff" I have.  
Maybe 1/4 to 1/3 came from individuals (hams or heirs).  The balance came from 
other surplus dealers or out of the warehouses I mentioned.  So the clam 
that were it not for hams buying the stuff to convert, there wouldn't be any 
of it is incorrect.  That's only part of the picture.

Plus the person or persons who said they were looking for NOSB sets so they 
could repeat what they did years ago I found offensive in this venue.  If 
anyone wants to recreate their first station, fine.  I've helped a few do 
that.  But many if not most of the conversions followed instructions in one of 
the manuals or magazines of the 40's, 50's or 60's and sets converted the 
same way can probably be found as easily as an NOSB one (and probably much 
more cheaply)  If anyone is working on such a project, I might have some pieces 
like you want.

In a message dated 2/8/2011 1:38:44 AM Central Standard Time, 
MillerKE6F at aol.com writes: 
> Thank you for the comments.  I disagree with your premise that the "Un 
> Hacked" stuff came out of old surplus vendor stores.  Show me the documents 
> to support the claim.  As one who has been collecting this junk for many 
> decades, all my truly pristine mil gear came from Ham sources in recent years 
> although I did buy some New in Box command receivers back in the late 50s 
> from Sams Surplus and a number of other surplus vendors on Radio Row not to 
> mention R and W in Chicago and of course Good Old Fair Radio.
>   
>  I will give you the point that a lot of the later stuff is turning up 
> from time to time out of NATO sources, but that's mostly post WWII stuff.  
> Some of my GRC-9 stuff came out of French NATO sources and others.
>   
>  But my real bitch, so to speak, is the continual moaning and groaning 
> about "Hacked" surplus junk.  I find that term to be quite demeaning and 
> insulting to those folks who found practical applications for a lot of the stuff 
> that found its genesis as war materiel.   We hams used to call it 
> Converting the gear, not hacking it.  Been there, done that and what a great time I 
> had converting my Command Sets and building power supplies for my 
> R-105/ARR15 and so on.  What an education too.  So let's be a bit kinder to the 
> folks who converted the stuff to good use and at least pay some homage to 
> those intrepid folks who, without the surplus marketplace, would probably taken 
> up stamp collecting or miniature golf. 
>  
>      Now I'll probably get it from the stamp collectors and miniature 
> golfer folks.  I just can't win.  I bloody quit
>  
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480