[GreenKeys] Taking the plunge, TG-7-B

[Keith Wood]

Many years ago, my uncle K6OMU (SK) had a RTTY setup, including the tape 
system.  He got it either through MARS or through the Los Angeles County 
Sheriff's Office (he was one of the guys who started the LA County 
Disaster Communications Service, way back when).  He told me that he had 
paid $1.00 for it and signed an affidavit promising to never put it into 
commercial service (and require anyone he transferred it to to sign the 
same promise).

Fast forward 50 years, and I have just bought pretty much the same setup 
that he had.  I just got home with a TG-7-B (TTY Model 15) and two 
TG-26-A tape units (one seems to be complete, including the rectifier, 
but the other doesn't have the metal case n may be just parts in formation).

All of them came in the wooden Army crates (one of the tape unit cases 
is pretty ratty, the other is fair to good condition, as is the TTY 
crate).  There are some PBX cables, but I won't be able to open up and 
do an inventory for a while (got racked up at work, rushed into surgery 
last week n it will be a while before I can lift much of anything).

The trip to get it was kind of an expedition, making two trips to a 
mountaintop home north of Sparks, NV (one to check it out, the second 
with the trailer).

I don't know much about it.  I did some poking around online, downloaded 
manual PDFs, and bought a TU-170 from Fleabay.  On the chance that I 
might need it, I also got a tuning fork at about half the price of the 
other auctions for same.

My intention is to get it up and running on HF, with an eye toward POTA 
and Field Day.  Mostly I just wanted to have it.  Maybe I'll find a 
place for it here at home.

I might even put it in my classic GMC Motorhome as I set it up to also 
be a rolling ham shack and video production studio.  Then if anyone 
gives me any flak at an RV camp, I can leave it clattering away in Simon 
and Garfunkel mode when I park for the day.  All together now: "RY RY 
RY, RY RY RYRY RY RY RY . . ."  (if you're old enough, you now have a 
new earworm that you can never forget when running test . . .)

I'm glad I found this list, and I'll be hanging around while I get all 
of this figured out.

Keith KA7EKW
Under the clear blue of the Western sky . . .