[Boatanchors] Halli Sunday Net and Vintage Verse

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Hello All,

Please join us on Sunday December 30th for the last HHI 20 meter Net of the
year 2007. If it glows, you are welcome. If it does not glow, you are still
welcome, keep your lips sealed and do not confess your solid state sins and
we won't know!

The pre-Net commences at 12:45 PM EST, (1745 UTC). The HHI Net proper begins
at 1:15 PM EST, (1815 UTC). The frequency is 14.293 MHZ usb +/- for key
clicks, mike splatter and "Breaker Breaker! I just put up a new signal,
how's my antenna sound?" Ya gotta love it! (LOL!)

Alright, now for you lovers of things that still go glow in the dark without
first having had to ingest some Radium, here are some vintage verses from
the hallowed Hallicrafters past. Since it is the end of another year, I
thought it might be fun to reflect back on yesterday, as well as yesteryear.
I hope you enjoy them.

Ode To A Humming Halli


                                      By, Duane Fischer W8DBF


I turned the knob and current flowed,
The filaments within now glowed.
I listened for those waves of short,
>From foreign land, the air and port.
But what was this, a rising hum?
It louder grew and drowned all fun.

I pulled the cord and sniffed for smoke,
Those roasted bugs were not a joke!
I pulled the tubes and checked each one,
And looked around for grounds undone.
Electrolytics oozing goo,
Resistors toasted black and blue.
Insulation all dried and loose,
No holiday for this old Goose!

A cathode short or cap that fried,
The coil hummed Taps and then it died.
The knobs were loose, shafts warped with age,
Missing was the schematic page!
Dial cord was frayed, the pointer bent,
The dial lamp filament was spent.
The chassis dark with flecks of rust,
But fix this rig I knew I must.

To Internet i went with haste,
To find some help, then cut and paste.
With solder warm and tester hot,
I searched my junk for parts forgot.
With luck and coffee by the dawn,
That blasted hum would all be gone!
And then with eyes all red like beets,
I'll turn that knob and mock defeat.

Now some may think this really dumb,
But solid state is just no fun!
There's nothing like that magic glow,
That comes from vacuum radio.
So when your Halli hums so strong,
Be sure to smile and hum along!


Original: March 22, 2001




Duane Fischer, W8DBF/WPE8CXO
dfischer at usol.com

HHI: Halligan's Hallicrafters International
http://www.w9wze.net

HHRP: Historic Halligan Radio Project
hhrp.w9wze.net