[Boatanchors] Cheap & Easy Selectivity

[KEN]

Hi Carl & Gang,

The "gimmick" came in real handy on our trip back from France during WW2 
when the ship's
entertainment receiver went dead. Turns out a small button ceramic condenser 
in the local
oscillator circuit shorted. Well, ships don't carry complete spare parts for 
equipments, only
the parts usually that fail and then not many of them especially not for a 
"non essential" pieces
of equipment.
We had no replacement for the button ceramic so I rigged a gimmick, two 
pieces of insulated
hook-up wire connecting the end of one to one side of the circuit and the 
other to the other
connection of the removed ceramic. By twisting them together, I got the 
necessary small
capacity and by tightening the twist or loosening it, I was able to get the 
calibration almost
perfect.
So, from a dead reciever the gimmick saved the day!

Ken   N5CM

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carl" <km1h at jeremy.mv.com>
To: "rbethman" <rbethman at comcast.net>; "Boatanchors" 
<boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Cc: "AI2Q" <ai2q at roadrunner.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Cheap & Easy Selectivity


> Its also called a "gimmick" capacitor. Its even used in commercial radios.
>
> Carl
> KM1H