[Boatanchors] Cheap & Easy Selectivity

[J. Forster]

No, Mr. Bethman. Here YOU go once more.

-John

============


> 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.
>>>