[Boatanchors] [Milsurplus] Coils and the winding thereof

[Michael Tauson]

On Wed, Jul 1, 2009 at 12:57 AM, David Stinson<arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> You're not after a feat of engineering efficency; you're after an
> authentic 1930s "Po-Boy Ingenuity" rig.

This sums it up perfectly.

I know and accept that there will be losses.  That's one of the
hazards.  It's the same as using cardboard mailing tubes as coil forms
or dowels for both multi-pie and single layer RF chokes.  (The wood
sometimes had a good coat of parafin on it before winding but I don't
know what effect that had electrically or precisely why it was done.)
Even wooden sewing thread spools got in the act ... although my mentor
didn't mention what happened to the thread that had been on them prior
to their use.  ;-)

> Your mentor built his rig with these coils.
> How many contacts did he make with it?
> I'm betting he made a bunch, and that the coils
> never burned-up.  He didn't care if he lost
> 1.2176 watts in the coils.  He had fun.

Yes, he did and, no, they didn't and, yes, he did.  Not even when he
built himself up to *gasp* 50 watts out, though he rewound a couple
with heavier wire to handle the added current.  He had a good
collection of QSLs - including some of the old format like 7HG (which
is how my QSL will read with the "WH" in small letters before it) -
and most came from using transmitters in the 10-25 watt range.  As I
was studying for the Novice he told me a few times that 75 watts input
was way too much for a beginner which had an influence on my own
equipment once I had my ticket.  Actually, it still has a strong
influence on me despite the existence of a still somewhat buggy HT-32
here.  (I'm ready to completely bypass the VOX and go for a PTT
instead.  Someone here mentioned doing that and I am in full
agreement.)

The idea here is to not use anything not available to the impoverished
ham in the mid 30s.  While the companion receiver will be an SX-24
which I believe came out in 1939, I can justify its existence through
money saved not buying anything that could be made and a lot of hard
sweat augment available funds.  But, as the OM hammered into my
sometimes dense skull, 1.) you can't work 'm if you can't hear 'em,
and 2.) 90% of ham radio is listening.

Separate subject ... kind of: Would anyone be parting out a
BC-191/-375 tuning unit or two that I could buy the variable caps
from?  They're period accurate and Fair's sold out of them.  Of
course.  *sigh*  I can make sliding plate caps but my attempts at
"normal" variable caps, especially straight line frequency ones, were
beyond total disasters.  Even my concentric cylinder caps worked
better and they weren't all they could be.

Okay, back to chewing through the leather restraints ...

Best regards,

Michael, WH7HG
-- 
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx
http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/
http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com
Hiki Nô!