[Boatanchors] Gainesville, GA hamfest report (longish)

[third Eric]

de N4TGC Eric

This past July 13 was the Gainesville, GA hamfest.  It was a "one day",
Saturday-only affair.  While the schedule called for 8 AM to 4 PM or such,
such are usually pretty well over with by 1 PM, or even sooner for small
ones.  Fortunately, it turned out that Gainesville is anything but small:
even the tailgate vendors in the multi-level parking deck took up two whole
levels!  They were smart to not locate any on the top-most deck: it came a
"gully washer" about 10 AM, with constant drizzle thereafter.  Even 'tween
decks, there was considerable leakage at two of the joints.  I think the
vendors had been here before: none had to move ...

Entrance fee was $6, with one raffle ticket included; additional were six
for $5.  Prizes were the usual coax, software, manuals, etc., and one each
HF and VHF "rice-box" rig.  The consistant offering of late-model foreign
rigs suggests that they're donated to the sponsoring Club: I wish they'd
offer a BA alternative!  (The QTH is on "motel row", so no problem there,
and parking was free.)

Speaking of BA's, there were some good ones to be had: one "tailgater" had
an RBC with the p/s and cables, as well as a half-dozen other nice, working
rigs of the older Halli/Hammerlund persuation, for what seemed to be good
prices.  I'm not in the market, but I was suitably impressed ... I do not
recall seeing the usual plethora of Drake/Collins/Johnson/etc. offerings.
I suspect most show up on e-bay, despite the shipping problems.

The biggest negatory was the lack of signs!  I arrived the prior evening
and drove by the site, and there was NO indication I might be at the right
place!  Bummer!  I even called my brother in Haleyville, AL, and got him to
check on the internet to be sure I was at the right place and time!  You
can be sure I mentioned this in the comment page they handed out!

I did get some good buys: an EICO 315 sig-gen, in pristine condx, for all
of ten dollars, as it was missing the tubes (big deal, as I have over 3,000
numbers here - altho there's no indication on the chassis what goes where!
Now I need a schematic/manual.  Never mind BAMA: I can't access their
formats); a raft of Macintosh computer peripherals (which I won't bore you
with, except to say that thrift stores north of Gainesville turned up even
more Mac goodies); a working PRC-6 for $55, with a built-up battery inside
- the seller was even able to demonstrate it with his working PRC-77! (25?)
He had a nice group of the later stuff at current prices, and I can relay
his particulars if anyone is interested.

In the "it followed me home" category was a 3" RCA 155C o'scope, BC-458,
and C.E. 10B.  When I zoomed by the vendor's table about 10 AM, he had the
o'scope marked $40, and the C.E. 10B, which used the BC-458 as a VFO,
marked $40 also.  Three or four hours later, he was packing it in, and had
the scope down to $5, and the other two $15.  As I've said before, I'm a
sucker for orphans ... the o'scope is a "gutless wonder": only six tubes,
counting the CRT, and two of those are rectifiers!  Copper plated inside
everything, tubes checked perfect, but I doubt I'll fire it up, as the
xfrmr is leaking and probably shot.  Makes a good display item for the
genre ... BTW, if any of you guys still smoke, STOP RIGHT NOW!  One look at
this 'scope would have told you what years of smoking makes your lungs look
like ... it cleaned up pretty well; I don't know if you will ... now,
inhale while I squirt some 409 in you ...

The '458 is so nicely done (under the nicotine), I mean to leave it as
mod'd.  I betcha it can be made to work - it uses the 10B for plate volts,
has a professionally-engraved dial, and has a 12v? fil. xfrmr hanging off
the back (this was an application mentioned in Ham Buyer's Guide as
recommended by Central Electronics!)  The 10B has the RED coil set: what f
is that?  It has a well-done home-brew QT-1 module.  Haven't checked the
tubes yet, nor cleaned it. (See smoking note above.)  Good thing the BC-458
is designed to be dunked ... can you say, "green leaking capacitors"?!

I plan to take my RT-70 to the Huntsville, AL Hamfest again this year
(table 82), and use the PRC-6 and PRR-9's with it.  Bring your green, gray,
and black stuff, and we'll talk!  (Okay, so that sounds a bit vulgar ...)
	e