[Milsurplus] Paraset ( Milsurplus Digest, Vol 137, Issue 5 )

[Lee]

I don't agree at all.  I think a reproduction still carries a lot of 
history with it.  Maybe it's not original and certainly not as valued.  
But that still doesn't take away the history of the radio from it.  As 
for tools to build one.  Yes that is true unless you buy the 
reproduction parts such as key, inductor, and chassis with box from 
reproduction manufacturers.  Then you can use your own parts for the 
rest of the project or easily reproduce them yourself.  Using one of the 
reproductions certainly gives you the thrill of using an original. To 
acquire an original would almost be impossible.  A clone is the next to 
the unobtainable real thing.  My Philmore NT-200 clone and my Ameco AC-1 
clone may not have the market value of the real thing attached to it, 
but it gives me the pleasure of using one without the cost.  Plus you 
get the feeling of accomplishment building it.  The clones can be a real 
enjoyment for many reasons.  They all certainly give me a closeness and 
to the history of the real thing.  I'd love to restore a BC-348 if I 
could ever find a nice candidate to restore.  However, I'm not willing 
to pay the prices I have seen for ones for sale.  Consequently,  I stick 
with affordable avenues to keep me busy.  Right now I just tore down a 
power transformer for a Drake 2-NT Novice transmitter. I bought the 
beautiful looking transmitter for $40.00 knowing the transformer was 
toast.  To buy a rewound transformer, it would cost me over $125.  
Certainly not worth buying for a $150 transmitter. Consequently I am 
rewinding it myself.  Not hard to do and material costs are low.  You 
get a sense of accomplishment there too plus you gain knowledge doing it 
and the project is very rewarding when finished because you wind up with 
a nice radio at little cost which also looks great.  Bringing anything 
back to life at affordable expense has always been a rewarding 
experience for me.  I enjoy rebuilding things from 1000 watt AM 
broadcast transmitters, to restoring old rigs, to building up QRP kits.  
Military stuff interest me too, but for the most part, most are too 
specialized or cost way to much money for me to buy them.  Like I said,  
I'd love to rebuild a BC-348 but I can't get myself to pay the going 
price. Therefore I keep busy rebuilding or building things I feel I can 
afford.  I guess everyone needs to do what makes their boat float.

Lee, w0vt


On 9/2/2015 2:12 PM, Hue Miller wrote:
> Because it is a whole lot of work to build such, I mean a lot, and 
> requires a good set of tools and place to work them;
> and when you're finished, you have a REPRODUCTION, not a 'spy radio'.  
> The REPRO instrument belongs to the
> category "QRP rigs", not military radios. The repro has no history to 
> it. If someone really wants to operate an
> actual spy-type radio, there are still some around which appear 
> occasionally to buy. This isn't a construction project
> or QRP group.
> BTW, how is your own  Paraset project coming along?
>
> If you want to see the lengths some people will go to, to do repros, 
> look up some of the German WW2 radios completely
> scratch-built, cast from resin.  They 'look right' but like the 
> Paraset repro, they don't have any history, soul, provenance.
> -Hue Miller