[Milsurplus] BC-669 Problems and Experience

[Floyd Petri]

Since a member of this List spoke about R-390's I will say something about
BC-669's. First I love them. If you get a NOS in working condition then you
should be in Hog Heaven and wallering in the cool mud. They are the best
looking boat anchor that I have ever found (my opinion and $2 will buy you a
soft drink). Not the giant Navy stuff too heavy to handle or the small solid
state stuff too small to work on but with tubes and just the right size. I
used a NOS one back in the 60's for several years on the Civil Air Patrol
nets and never had the first problem and I loved the radio. I am sorry that
I gave it to another ham when I moved. So I picked up two in the last five
years that was supposed to work and let them set for a couple years and now
checking them out and they don't work. I have gotten the receiver of one of
them working but no luck with the transmitter yet. Bottom line is I am now
blind and can't see good enough to hardly work on anything anymore, but I
can still see a little, but not enough to work on anything safely. I can see
the radio and still love it and want to get it working for an AM ham net. I
would dearly love to have a complete SCR-543 in working order.

 

I want to give everyone a warning (just my opinion and $2 will buy you a
soft drink). In the old days hams would go over to your house and help you
get a radio working. Some would even bring equipment with them to work on
it. I have had that experience and loved it and really appreciated it and
have also done it myself and still do what I can. But in this modern age
with younger hams they seem to want to take your radio home with them to
work on it. I saw nothing wrong with this idea in the beginning but let me
tell you what happened to me. A ham had a friend who had a friend who had a
friend that I was told was God's gift to radios and that there was nothing
that he couldn't fix being a ham and an electronic engineer and all and for
free too. Well someone was fishing I think, but I don't know who, but I took
the bait hook line and sinker. It wasn't the free either as I  would have
paid for a good job. My ham friend drove me, my radio and it's manuals to
this guy's town and we met for lunch at a ham meeting and I gave him my
radio to fix and was told that I was going to get it back in a couple of
weeks. After a month I called him about 8:30 PM to check on his progress and
he proceeded to eat my ass out really hard for bothering him at work so I
apologized and hung up. I did not know that he was at work or even that he
worked at all for that matter. I kinda thought that he was retired, but I
guess not. After nearly 4 months had gone by with no word I sent word up the
chain that I wanted my radio back and arrangements were made. When we met
and I got my radio back which nothing had been done to it, but the rare
power cable was missing and one of the manuals too. We told him that we
would follow him home to look for them. He came out with the manual and said
that he couldn't find the power cable and when we didn't drive off he went
back inside and brought out the power cable and gave it to me. We then left.
Later we heard some feedback that he couldn't work on the radio because he
had never seen one before. He didn't have any equipment or any antenna to
work on it with and all that was the problem. My take on it was different. I
am 74 years old and in bad health. I figured that he was waiting on me to
die and then keep my radio. I have learned 4 things from this experience and
it is my warning to you. First it is best to buy something that works at a
ham fest and maybe test it before buying if possible. Second buy from
friends or know who you are dealing with if possible. Third never let anyone
take your radio away unless you are willing to live without it. This should
not apply to a business. Fourth is just because they are a ham does not make
them one of God's Angels. Satan has angels too and there are crooks out
there intentionally or unintentionally does not matter if you lose. Bottom
Line is Thank God there are still some good hams in the world and I pray
that God blesses them.

 

Floyd, KF5YDH



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