[HBR] HBR Update ...Bill McKay's (W7QBR)

[Peter Bertini]

Kool!!!  I always wondered what happened to McKay's HBR-16; it has to the
most recognized HBRs out there!
It is comforting to know it still exists and is still in good condition; and
owned by someone who appreciates the
history behind that set.

pete k1zjh

On Thu, Apr 2, 2009 at 5:32 PM, Kees & Sandy <windy10605 at juno.com> wrote:

> Every once in a while I receive some really great HBR email from someone
> who came across the website. I just received this note from Tom Rousseau and
> thought I would share it with the group. Just goes to show more of the
> history of these units and how they were appreciated. I often wondered where
> a unit like Bill McKay's ended up. I'll post the pictures to the website
> later.
> 73 Kees K5BCQ
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Kees,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
> "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
> I was recently surfing the internet when I came across my photo on your
> website.  So I thought I’d send you a note to let you know that I am still
> alive and well.  I am the HBR-16 featured on the opening page on your very
> fine HBR website.  I was very lovingly built by Bill McKay, W7QBR, in the
> early sixties.
>
> The attached photos show my current status.  A little older looking and a
> bit more worn, but still not bad for being nearly fifty years old.  I am
> still all here, with all my coils, storage drawer, and even the three-ring
> notebook with Bill’s design/construction notes.  I attended Washington State
> University with Bill while he was studying EE in Pullman.  I even operated
> CW Sweepstakes one cold November with Bill and Wes, W7ZOI, from Bill’s
> college room.  I enjoyed the active on-the-air life, and the considerable
> attention that Bill always seemed to find time to give me.  He liked to use
> me on the air, but I think he more enjoyed tinkering with my insides,
> improving my performance.  He was not happy with my excessive birdies, and
> was trying to reduce them.  The most notable modification was when he
> changed my product detector from a 6BE6 to a 7360.  I think that he was
> trying to get lower distortion.
>
> Eventually, I think that he tired of me.  He sold me to a college mate,
> Linley Gumm, K7HFD.  He needed the money to fund his next HBR.  I guess Bill
> did, indeed, make a couple of more HBRs, but I never had the chance to meet
> them and do a side-by-side operation with them.  Linley took good care of
> me, but he mostly kept me stored in a safe, dark place in his garage,
> together with my coils and design notes.  Linley was too busy with his
> career and family to give me much attention.  Linley was one of Tektronix’
> very top design engineers, leading the design of many forward looking
> spectrum analyzers.
>
> By the early nineties, Linley realized that he probably wasn’t going to use
> me, and he wanted the space in his garage.  So he gave me to a Tek work
> associate of his, Tom Rousseau, K7PJT.  I have been living at Tom’s ever
> since.  At first, Tom carefully brought me up with a Variac, then we toured
> some of the bands together.  It really felt good to have that warm glow
> back, and the sensuous feeling of changing coils as we cruised the different
> bands.  And wow, to have those microvolts entering my antenna terminals and
> flowing though my vacuum circuits was an incredible feeling that I had long
> ago forgotten!  Tom cleaned my switch contacts and potentiometers, almost
> with the same love that Bill used to afford me.  He took notes of things
> that he wanted to do to return me to original operating condition.  He
> noticed my 7360, and made a note to return it to Ted’s original design;  but
> later he decided to leave it alone when he found out that it was an
> authentic W7QBR mod.
>
> I am hopeful that I will again have a functional life at Tom’s QTH,
> operating alongside one of his vintage homebrew transmitters.  However,
> after our few weeks together, he disconnected me and put me on a shelf with
> many other radios, some of which are also homebrew, but many are
> Hallicrafters, Nationals and Hammarlunds.  I like the companionship provided
> by my commercial friends, but feel just a little apart from them,
> nonetheless.  I have been here for more than 15 years, and am still looking
> forward to another opportunity to feel the warmth of my tubes.
>
> Anyway, thank you for so nicely displaying my photos and history on your
> website.  And thank you for allowing me to see all my cousins and the great
> levels of achievement that they aspired to.  Let’s keep in touch.  I’ll let
> you know when I’m on the air again.
>
> 73,  W7QBR’s HBR-16
>
> BTW:  I want to thank Wes W7ZOI, Linley K7HFD and Tom K7PJT for helping me
> to remember my history and taking good care of me for these many years.  It
> is indeed a frightening thought to consider what might have happened with
> less understanding hams;  I could have been parted out for my beautiful dial
> or IF transformers!
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