[ARC5] T-17 Microphone

[Mike Everette via ARC5]

Well, David, I agree with you... but maybe it can have a beneficial side-effect.  

Four years ago at a major hamfest, I spotted a BC-348-Q on a table that looked like it'd been exhumed from a WW2 crash site.  Paint flaking off the panel; paint gone from the dial bezel and most of the knobs; pitting in the panel.  But when I opened it up (only about 2 or 3 inches -- WOW.  It was not mint inside, but very, very, VERY nice.  In fact it still had the dynamotor (!!!!!).  I bought it for not much more than half a centobuck.

Fast forward to 2014.  I pulled the receiver out of the "pile" to ready it for Field Day.  I expected to do some major work, but found no evidence that anyone had ever stuck the silver soldering iron, golden screwdriver or rusty cutters into it.  Turns out all it needed was new grease in the dyno bearings, proper lube of the dial mechanism, cleaning the controls and tuning condenser wipers, and a general tightening of all the grounds (after dropping some corrosion-buster on the screws, of course).  28 volts DC in, dyno spools up, everything works great... noise on all bands, and with just me for an antenna I can copy signals on 80, 40 and 20.  And after 5 or 10 minutes (with the case off) it's extremely stable on 20.  Oh yes, WWV showed up at exactly 15 mc on the dial.

A diamond in the rough, for sure.  No, I'm not refinishing it... I want to see the jaws of the Kodeless 'n Klueless drop in disbelief.

Now I'm working on a Command Set transmitter setup (which looks like it tangled with a Japanese Zero) to run with it.  Not sure which of 2 calls our club may use, but if you hear W4HS or W4GOL on 40 or 80 CW, it'll be the Command Set with me or a friend (AK4RS) from back in high school keying it.

73

Mike
WA4DLF
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 6/12/14, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [ARC5] T-17 Microphone
 To: "ARC-5" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
 Date: Thursday, June 12, 2014, 7:29 AM
 
 The mic internals look
 like they've been immersed
 or at least
 stored in a wet basement.
 
 I
 think anyone who stores any type of electronics
 in a wet basement should have all of it
 confiscated
 and given to someone with some
 respect for it.
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