[Boatanchors] The Problem With Boat Anchors

[WQ9E at btsnetworks.net]

David,

There are some approaches to this sort of problem that might help:

1.  A hydraulic table cart if you do have to move gear, the table will raise and lower so you can slide instead of lifting equipment to load it.  Some teflon or similar furniture moving pads will also help you avoid lifting as you slide gear from the operating position to the cart.  Once on the cart it will wheel to your bench.

2.  Buy a roller cart and make a mobile service bench so that your most needed test equipment and tools can come to the rig instead of having to move the rig.

3.  Upgrade test equipment/tools as needed to make life easier.  I have several Tektronix 7000 series scope mainframes including regular, analog storage, and digital storage with a large variety of plug-ins which I really like.  But these are all 4 compartment mainframes that are too big and heavy to be conveniently portable.  Last year I bought a very slightly used Tektronix TDS-220 which is small and weighs only a few pounds but can probably serve 80% of my scope needs so it is what I use when I need a decent scope away from the bench.

4.  Use your mind and experience.  Think about the symptoms and in your best "Nancy Drew" mode narrow down the most likely suspects.  If you do this before digging into the equipment you may well save yourself a lot of physical and mental stress.  Thinking about it overnight before tackling it the next day is often the best approach.  

As we grow older, and I just turned 54 and hope I have a long way to go, we just have to use the wisdom developed over the years.  Often it means finding new and better approaches to old tasks.

Best wishes for many more years of vintage radio restoration/operation!

Rodger WQ9E

-------- Original Message --------
> From: "David C. Hallam" <dhallam at knology.net>
> Sent: Monday, August 25, 2014 7:42 AM
> To: Boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Boatanchors] The Problem With Boat Anchors
> 
> This is the part of using boat anchors that I hate.  Yesterday the zero 
> function of my Johnson Invader quit working.  This means I have to tear 
> down my operating position and move a 65 pound transmitter and a 105 
> pound power supply out to my work bench in the garage. Also I have to 
> fabricate a long extension cord to reach from my operating desk out to 
> the garage work bench because I don't have 240V out there.
> 
> I also may have other problems because the key down power out is only 
> about 450W on my watt meter.  The 4-400A's may be getting tired, but I 
> am also suspicious of my watt meter calibration.  Based on the plate 
> current meter, 450W is probably right.   I also have to dig down to the 
> bottom of my junk pile AKA parts bin to find the new 4-400A's I have 
> stashed.
> 
> I am 77 years old and getting too old for this.
> 
> -- 
> "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
> Thomas Jefferson
> 
> 
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