[ARC5] Re: [milsurplus] History of ham mods; opinions?

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Mon, Jun 16, 2008 at 10:27 AM, J Forster <jfor at quik.com> wrote:

> A goodly number of the mods that were done were because the hams either
> didn't read and understand the manuals or magazines touted solutions to
> nonexistent problems. There are still many even today that have no
> understanding of the correct antenna hookup for ARC-5 or WS 19 sets and try
> and feed them into a 50 ohm system causing problems, AKA TVI. I see little
> point in perpetuating such mistakes.

Going forward in the 'Brave, New World' of amateur radio, I really
don't think you have a lot to worry about here. With so few newbies
arriving on scene, while more and more of the old buzzards who knew
these rigs and did the mods continue to kick the bucket, chances of
someone coming along looking for surplus gear to modify is pretty
slim. Granted, a few have mentioned it here and on other lists in
recent years, but all that I remember were OTs looking to rebuild
their Novice station and relive their past. New hams today are much
more in tune with the 'plug-n-play, then-throw-away' mentality.

> The people who designed the sets were a lot better at engineering than many
> hams who wrote mod articles. I prefer to preserve and celebrate their
> competence and achievements.

Couldn't agree more. Hacking up a nice BC-455B in the late 70s really
brought this home to me not so many years later. I still wander
between guilt and enlightenment some days. Not unlike that whole
'chicken vs egg' dilemma. And my project didn't come from an article,
rather from a professor, former WWII Navy tech who provided it all
from memory.

To me, this later history could be (and should be) framed in such a
way as to outline the events without detailing how it's done. Folks
wanting to undo someone else's work will do as we've done - locate the
old surplus books and reverse engineer. I really think the history
could easily be covered and documented in a way that doesn't involve
schematics, diagrams, or specific tips. Maybe a few hideous photos of
a severely-hacked up transmitter or receiver next to a new, untouched
example would help reinforce the point.

I disagree that the history of these fine rigs ended with the end of
their deployment as someone eluded to. A rich history has continued
since, and we're in a great position to further enhance the
opportunity for future generations to appreciate something we so
deeply enjoy.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ