[Boatanchors] Cheap & Easy Selectivity

[rbethman]

Here we ago once more.

Definition

(noun)

   1.
         1. A device employed to cheat, deceive, or trick, especially a
            mechanism for the secret and dishonest control of gambling
            apparatus.
         2. An innovative or unusual mechanical contrivance; a gadget.
   2.
         1. An innovative stratagem or scheme employed especially to
            promote a project: / an advertising gimmick./
         2. A significant feature that is obscured, misrepresented, or
            not readily evident; a catch.
   3. A small object whose name does not come readily to mind.

(transitive verb: -micked, -mick·ing, -micks.)

   1. To add gimmicks to; clutter with gadgets or attention-getting
      details. Often used with / up. /
   2. To change or affect by means of a gimmick.

Therefore, this term is only defined in the context being discussed by 
Amateur Radio Operators.

The ARC-5 is not the beginning of all, all of that, nor the end all.

The term gimmick is indeed a handmade small value capacitor.  It only 
manifested itself as two insulated, (normally varnished or enameled), 
twisted together.

The single aluminum rod with threads on the end in Heath gear could just 
as easily be considered a gimmick.

The idea that copper plates or sheets layered with glass between the 
being STUPID shows lack of historical knowledge of the hobby.  This is 
indeed ignorance,  Ignorance is curable by education.  Stupidity is 
fatal, since one has already learned.

The copper plates and glass were a COMMON had-made capacitor by Amateur 
Radio Operators in the Spark Stations.  Seems to go a GOOD bit before 
the '40s or '60s.

Seems some folks need to go back and revisit their hobby's roots.

Bob - N0DGN

mac wrote:
> I'm with Bob on this one.  Been in the game since the late 1940's and  
> the definition established by long use and common understanding is as  
> he describes.
>
> Dennis D.  W7QHO
> Glendale, CA
>
> On Aug 21, 2009, at 6:35 PM, WA5CAB at cs.com wrote:
>
>   
>> I'm sorry, but I've been in this business since the 60's (that's  
>> 1960, not
>> 2060), and I disagree with both of you.
>>
>> First, the standard gimmick is two random parallel wires usually  
>> twisted
>> together.  Not two metal plates with a piece of stupid window  
>> glass.  Nor an
>> unusually long aluminum screw is some piece of junk built by Heath.
>>
>> Second, many military sets including the majority of the Command  
>> Sets were
>> built with solid wire, not stranded.  Mostly #22 R&SCC.  There is a  
>> well
>> known gimmick mod published for Command recievers.  It actually  
>> works.  I made
>> it in one around 1963 while at LSU.
>>
>> The other common gimmick, more common in low-end civilian or  
>> commercial
>> equipment is a length of zip cord cut to length.  Zip cord usually  
>> stranded.
>>     
>
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-- 
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|             AM Amateur Radio Operator    NØDGN                   |   
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| Bob Bethman                \\\|///     " The absence of a danger |
|                           \\ ~ ~ //      signal does *NOT* mean  |
| rbethman at comcast.net      (/ @ @ /)      that everything is OK " |
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