[Milsurplus] Re: ARC-5 Tuning Splines & Right Angle Connectors

[aGEnuine ham]

Group:

I can personally describe a parallel situation in the civilian world. 
Around 15 years ago I attended a surplus radio auction for the Fire
Department of the city of Houston.  I was interested in base stations,
which, of course, were sold last.  While waiting, I climbed in and around
some of the trucks thay were selling.  Little kid fascination with fire
trucks never fades I guess.  Anyway, they had been equipped with GE Mastr
2 radios, and the FD radio shop crew had pulled the radio units and
control heads, and left the cables with the expensive, odd connectors,
and a box which few people knew existed, a transfer switch to permit use
of 2 control heads, one at the driver's seat, and a second at the pumper
controls, or ladder controls, or wahtever was appropriate for the truck. 
There were literally dozens of volunteer fire departments, and other
users who wanted these boxes, which were like some of the items Robert
listed in his want list as far as availability was concerned, none
available.  Many of the trucks were purchased by a local salvage company,
and I found one of their people and asked about the fate of the radio
accessories still installed.  I was invited to come down to their yard in
a week or so and pull any and all I wanted for scrap iron prices. 
Otherwise, they would go in the crusher with everything else.  I had an
insurmountable time conflict and was not able to take him up on the
offer, and none of the VFDs I was able to contact wanted to drive 400+
miles round trip for the stuff, so I guess it ended up being recycled
metal.  So, the same attitude towards aircraft and ship equipment
probably sent everything now in demand into the smelter, as suggested. 
So sad.

George W5VPQ
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