[Milsurplus] Is "Big/Heavy" Mil-Radio Dead?

Sun Sep 16 23:38:15 EDT 2018

A solution is to actually build demand through education of the younger “hams” and other enthusiasts through instructionin history, the development of radio communications driven by Military Requirements for more and better.  The “youngsters” need to learn that their fancy ricebox radio with all the buttons and etc, and of course the fancy “waterfall” display will in about three years be obsolete from the support view, as there will be no spare parts for all those fancy IC’s transistors and etc.  None of the equipment is repairable but for changing a fuse by the operator, unless, of course that operator has a large quantity of very specialized computer based test equipment as well as the desoldering and soldering equipment to service surface mount components.  With the production of just about all ICs being driven by the mobile telephone industry, (is that really radio contact) Communications equipment that most of understand is no more than a computer adapted, component wise, from a cellphone, with lots of software to make it work..

And then there is the real threat of an EMP event on the horizon, which will render just about all modern communications no longer communications. 

Those old, “heavy” radios will still be fully operational, or at least repairable with, by today’s standards, rather crude test equipment… Maybe a USM25 sig generator, a vintage VTVM, or maybe even a Simpson 260, and a vintage oscilloscope,  OS8.. The basis equipment to test, service and align just about every communications receiver from the 50’s through the 70’s or later.

Get the youngsters involved through education and history.. certainly the public schools don’t, most have too much of mommy and daddy’s money, and will happily spend it on a piece of history that they can actually use.  And for all you older folk, don’t ask how to fix your KWM2/2A when it fails until after you have read and understand the manual.  Not that hard, just takes a bit of time to understand it.  Of course there are good reasons for asking for assist as there are a few tricks many have learned the hard way on how to get to that pesky component that was installed before the chassis was formed.  

I do enjoy real radios, the ones that give me sufficient physical workout to pass for a trip to the gym.  As a by the by last night the AR88LF with a piece of wire for antenna was copying 40Meters Sideband whilst listening to the fellow who was part of KLM antennas now Msquared talk about antennas and the several he has, feeding them from three different “shacks” at his residence.  Now, just how old is an AR88LF?? Only about 100 lbs of real radio.  Keeps the second floor anchored.

Cheers all

Bob

W4RRD

From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Jim Whartenby
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2018 10:47 PM
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Is "Big/Heavy" Mil-Radio Dead?

Peter has just about nailed it but it has been going on for more then just a few years so it is a pretty broad cusp!  Sometimes it isn't even a question of shipping.  Several years ago, I brought five or so BC-348s to Belton, TX and didn't sell any.  Absolutely no interest, not one offer.  I did sell a few hallicrafter receivers and a few other odds and ends. 

More recently, hauled a HRO-60 complete with all 9 matching coil sets, wood boxes for the coil sets and matching speaker.  Luckily found an interested buyer late in the day.  There were other pieces and odds and ends but I forget what else sold, perhaps one or two of the above BC-348s?  The big Bendix RTA-1 airlines / military transceiver aka AN/ARC-9 didn't sell and I doubt I will bother trying again.  No need to rough it up if there is no interest.

I'll try again this October at Belton with a mix of overhauled and working receivers and a few as found of the more common hallicrafters and other commercial and consumer radios.  

Anyone else planning to go to Belton, TX?

Jim

I wonder why people argue over the 10% of their differences and ignore the 90% they agree on?

  _____  

From: Peter Gottlieb <kb2vtl at gmail.com>
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2018 8:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Is "Big/Heavy" Mil-Radio Dead?

The market is on a cusp of change, a combination of older enthusiasts trying to 
downsize and having limited incomes, shipping costs very high, new young hams 
not so interested in restoring or getting running old WWII gear and certainly 
not pay top dollar for it when shipping is concerned.  So now sellers realize 
they can't get much, so they decide it's not worth selling, until one day it all 
goes to a landfill.  This is unlikely to change IMHO.  Some will give to friends 
but for shipping there has to be some cleverness; I like the hamfest route, 
haven't tried Greyhound but sounds interesting as an alternative to the other 
carriers.

On 9/16/2018 1:47 PM, W2HX wrote:
>
> I didn’t get the idea that he was having trouble shipping it. I got the 
> impression he was having trouble finding a buyer. I am sure greyhound would be 
> a good solution if only there was someone willing to buy it.
>
> 73 Eugene W2HX
>
> *From:*milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
> [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] *On Behalf Of *Meir Ben-Dror WF2U
> *Sent:* Sunday, September 16, 2018 1:34 PM
> *To:* David Stinson; ARC-5; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
> *Subject:* Re: [Milsurplus] Is "Big/Heavy" Mil-Radio Dead?
>
> Davie,
>
> Why don’t you try Greyhound?  Their prices are still reasonable for radio-size 
> and weight freight. They don’t treat freight harshly.
>
> The downside is that shipments go to the recipient’s nearest full service 
> Greyhound depot, and the freight has to be picked up from there. Likewise, the 
> shipment has to be dropped off at the nearest full-service depot – not just at 
> a stop.
>
> 73, Meir WF2U
>
> Landrum, SC
>
> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows 10
>
> *From: *David Stinson <mailto:arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
> *Sent: *Sunday, September 16, 2018 1:11 PM
> *To: *ARC-5 <mailto:arc5 at mailman.qth.net>; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net 
> <mailto:milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
> *Subject: *[Milsurplus] Is "Big/Heavy" Mil-Radio Dead?
>
> It has always been harder to "pass along" big,
>
> heavy
>
> military radios.  However, with the obscene
>
> increases
>
> in shipping costs and the rapid aging of the
>
> mil-radio
>
> community (with its decrease in disposable
>
> income),
>
> have we reached a "tipping point" where things
>
> like ARC-2, RAK/RAL, the big Nationals and about
>
> any other
>
> set that comes in over 30 lbs will become almost
>
> impossible
>
> to move?
>
> I have a nice, working/original (save one small
>
> capacitor value increase) AN/ARC-2A with dyno and
>
> 30+ watts out (with 27V A+).  Not the slightest
>
> interest
>
> within a couple of hundred miles.  Have a solid
>
> wooden
>
> shipping crate for it, but is anyone really so
>
> interested
>
> as to pay the "king's ransom" needed to ship it?
>
> And I've noted, on some of the local "trader"
>
> nets,
>
> that "big heavy" everything is getting harder
>
> to "re-home."  The last several hamfests I've
>
> attended, most everything "heavyweight" went
>
> back home with the owner, despite attractive
>
> pricing in some cases.
>
> Is "big/heavy" over?  Will we be forced to send
>
> the heavyweights to the scrap yard?
>
> Your thoughts?
>
> GL OM ES 73 DE Dave AB5S
>
> "You're always working at the margins
>
> of what you don't understand.
>
> That's the only exhilarating place to be.
>
> To just illustrate what you already know
>
> is condescending and a waste of your time."
>
> --Emmet Godwin--
>
>
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