[ARC5] Oscillator Stability and Old-Time gear. (Was OT: Hally Instability)

Kenneth G. Gordon kgordon2006 at frontier.com
Mon Nov 16 13:02:46 EST 2015


On 16 Nov 2015 at 15:13, Glen Zook via ARC5 wrote:

> There are times that I really wish newcomers were required to use equipment like
> the "average" amateur radio operator had to use in the 1940s, 1950s, even the
> 1960s and into the 1970s, for like 6-months to a year.  Transmitters with VERY
> few features and receivers that drifted, were "broad as a barn" in selectivity,
> and many were almost deaf above 10 MHz.  However, no one told us how bad the
> receivers actually were.  As such, we were "fat, dumb, and happy" and made
> thousands of QSOs despite the shortcomings of our equipment.

Yes...to all of the above. As I said, after using an S-41G again a few months 
ago, I have difficulty visualizing how we made so many contacts then. As you 
say, we didn't know any better and made our equipment work for us. I had so 
much fun, I still remember it.

> If newcomers had to
> use such equipment, complaints about adjacent frequency interference and a lot
> of other so-called "problems" would disappear because, when they got newer
> equipment, the operator would see how far things have come in the space of a few
> decades.

Also, they would automatically become better ops.

> "Modern" equipment, even the bottom tier of SSB transceivers, is light
> years better in so many ways than the vast majority of equipment that was
> available in the "goode olde dayes"!  Then, taking into consideration inflation
> over the years, "modern" equipment is dirt cheap!

Oh, yes! In today's dollars, a top-of-the-line HRO-60, say $495 at the time, 
would cost something like $4K. No wonder I could never afford one...

Ken W7EKB


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