[Boatanchors] RE: Boatanchor Purchase Suggestions

[George]

Hi Roger et al,

You forgot one other reason for collecting boatanchors.  The smell.  Late
last week my youngest grandson was here from Florida and we took him to the
"Strong Museus" which has a great deal of hands on exhibits for youngsters.
Really a great place.

Anyway, I had never been there and when we walked up to the second floor, I
was immediately attracted to a familiar olfactory stimulation.  They had
lots of old radios and televisions on display.  Needless to say I spent an
inordinate amount of time there.

There's nothing like walking into my shack and just smelling what electronic
equipment should smell like.  Then turn something on and enjoy even more.  I
have 19 complete boatanchor stations with much assorted stuff.  Also 4
modern stations.  I use the old stuff most of the time.  Running a contest
with separate transmitter & receiver (no trancieve mode) took skill and the
smell of heat and ozone is intoxicating.  I enjoy the modern stuff, but it's
not the same.

Just thought I'd chime in.

Buy a boatanchor and relive the days of real radio.

George, NY2O


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <RKofler@aol.com>
To: <boatanchors@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 07, 2003 8:12 PM
Subject: [Boatanchors] RE: Boatanchor Purchase Suggestions


> Hi Chris!
>
> I suggest that you explore your reasons for wanting a Boatanchor Receiver.
Is
> it the history or the looks, or the opportunity to plug in your soldering
> iron and get your hands inside a real radio? All of those things are
important to
> me.
>
> I like to compare my affinity for Boatanchors to the person who restores a
> Model A Ford. If he wants to get somewhere in a hurry on the freeway, he
doesn't
> take the Model A, he takes his modern automobile.
>
> With some exceptions, very few Boatanchors are going to tune the Ham Bands
> with anywhere near the performance of modern equipment. You have to
remember
> that when most Boatanchors were made, SSB wasn't yet in use, and there
weren't
> nearly as many stations on the air.
>
> For foreign broadcast, a restored Boatanchor is excellent, and will give
you
> many hours of enjoyment, often with superior audio quality.
>
> The Hallicrafters Co. made receivers of just about every level of
complexity
> you can think of. If you are learning to restore AM Broadcast radios, Why
not
> keep most of that 1000 cocanuts in your pocket for the time being, and buy
a
> radio that is only a small step up from what you are doing now?
>
> Why not learn to recap and align vacuum tube radios? Why not buy a signal
> generator and a tube tester and a VOM and get the whole experience?
>
> Then you will learn how to take a dusty old doorstop of a radio, and make
it
> perform the way it did 50 or 60 years ago. It's not difficult, that's why
I do
> it.
>
> If my ICOM or Kenwood stops working, they need to go to the factory. If my
EH
> Scott or National or Minerva Tropicmaster stops working I can figure out
why.
> So can you.
>
> Just my thoughts.
>
> Good Luck
> Roger K7DDG
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