[Milsurplus] Building and restoring stuff

[Bill Cromwell]

Hi,

I don't know what they taught the sparks but I am not surprised to hear 
about that. I was in engineering and maintained, repaired, operated the 
bits that make the ship go. We were taught how to make parts at sea if 
necessary. There are no gas stations or "auto parts" stores out there 
even if we carried some spares:)

I tell people I know how to make a naval destroyer but the man-hours 
required are far more than one man's entire life and never mind about 
the expense of materials. So I won't be leaving behind a huge pile of 
scrap metal after I have my final QSO. I know some of you were worried 
about that.

My first home brew project at age 13 was a V-O-M in a cigar box using a 
meter from a WW2 mil surplus radio. I used plugin series and shunt 
resistors and I made a table of values to show what resistors to plug in 
to which terminals for the desired function and range. That was a far 
cry from present day autoranging. It got me where I wanted to go:)

Don't be afraid about who might laugh. Pick up some tools and go for it.

73,

Bill  KU8H

bark less - wag more

On 9/29/20 4:38 AM, Sean Kelly wrote:
> I wish I could remember the name of the video where the Navy radioman writes a letter home saying they are learning to build whatever they would need from scratch.
> 
> The main point is learning and I do realize that it's easy to get lazy and just be an opeator, but the rest of us need to promote craftsmanship. We need to teach it, if possible. Funny, during this pandemic, all I hear on NPR is "victim accounts". They never ask them what it would be like to live where a calamity forces people from their homes, instead they encourage people to shun their own pluck and talk about how bad it is to be stuck at home. People should be lucky to have a home, and bored hams should buy a breadboard in an order from Mouser or Digikey.
> 
> These are great...
> 
> http://www.theclassicarchives.com/magazines-and-books/vintage-tube-radio/radioshack-engineers-mini-notebooks-forrest-mims-electronics-books-dvd
> 
> ...but if you can't afford them, having an internet connection and the desire to learn is all you really need. Almost everything one might want to learn is free online, somewhere. Or if not, figure it out on your own and then put the answer on your own website. That's what I say.
> 
> Sean
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net <milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Gene Smar via Milsurplus <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 9:51 PM
> To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Building and restoring stuff
> 
> If you haven't read 200 Meters and Down, shame!  It's like being an American
> citizen and not knowing the history of the Revolutionary War.  We all should
> want to know whence we came.
> 
> 
> 73 de
> Gene Smar  AD3F
> -----Original Message-----
> From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of CL in NC via
> Milsurplus
> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2020 6:32 PM
> To: Milsurplus <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: [Milsurplus] Building and restoring stuff
> 
>>From a previous comment:
> 
> "...there is no "break even point".  You build stuff because you like to
> build stuff.  If you are only interested in operating, then buy an appliance
> and operate it.  Don't waste you time and money on building..."
> 
> In the book '200 Meters and Down', is a wonderful observation about many of
> us.  We are fascinated with radio.  I think all of the milsurp crowd, and
> most who enjoy vintage gear still like the radio part.  It seems that radio
> to many others is just a box, like a router, something you hook ancillary
> devices too so you can type or talk.  The art and fascination of radio is no
> more deep than the on/off switch.
> 
> Charlie, W4MEC in NC
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