[Milsurplus] Strong Stomach Needed.

[J. Forster]

> On Wed, Jul 15, 2009 at 1:17 PM, J. Forster<jfor at quik.com> wrote:
>> Your time, your choice.
>
> In an odd way, I agree with you, John - something that simply does not
> happen as a rule.  (Actually, I can't recall it ever happening, but
> that's another issue.)
>
> But it IS his time and it IS his choice and it is HIS equipment to do
> with as HE sees fit and it is HIS budget to work with in doing so.
> You're a purist and he's not.  I'm not.  A number of us aren't in some
> form or another.  Trying to force us into a narrow-sighted mold won't
> work.

It is his stuff. I believe in property rights strongly. But if I saw
someone beating the crap out of a puppy, am I not allowed to voice the
opinion thaqt doing so is wrong?

> As to mint ... To me, that means picked up on the shipping floor in
> the manufacturer's container the day it was made.  (The equipment, not
> the container.)  As a worst case, that can be stretched to fresh off
> the truck at a dealer and still in the original unopened container.
> Anything else becomes NIB, NOS or worse.

I have quite a bit like that but that is NOS/NIB.

> In reading over your list of what constitutes "mint", I can only
> assume that you don't actually power up the equipment and use it.
> Why?  Because components drift and capacitors become leaky (again, the
> A.R.C. potted caps come to mind) over time whether they're used or
> not.

Not, in fact true. One of my WS19 Mk III sets, carefully powered in such
ac way as to reform all the caps, and having its tubes degassed, has been
successfully to make a landmark QSO from Boston to a WS22 in the UK. EVERY
part in the WS19 was original. Every one. The only non-original thing in
the station was the marine battery that provideed the DC.

> As a result, even a piece of electronic equipment left over from
> the war found unopened in the original overseas packing is still
> suspect and likely will need some refurbishing.

I believe ir reforming caps, rather than replacing them, and have had very
good luck doing so. I still have, ande occasionally operate, ARC-5
receivers I bought from Fair in the 1950s, on their original dynos, after
reforming. They still work very well.
>
> Absolutely none of my WW II and prior A.R.C. (and related) equipment
> will be mint by your definition.  Some has to be restored after being
> hacked and some needs replacement components.  But, in the end,
> everything that has to look and operate as original will with the
> minimum harm done to the original pieces parts.  In most cases, I'm
> not bothering with repainting it but I prefer lived in over House
> Beautiful.

Your choice.

> And, y'know what?  If this doesn't fit your neat & tidy world ... I don't
> care.
>
> Michael, WH7HG

Frankly, neither do I, because knowing you don't place a premium on
condition, means less competion for those who do.

-John