[Milsurplus] Old surplus catalogs are always fun to look through

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

You bring up fond memories!

I always visited G & G Electronics when I took my periodic trips to downtown Manhattan surplus shops. On my first trip I wanted to get on UHF so I went there to pick up a BC-645. When I saw the unit it looks long in the tooth so I passed on it but did pick up a SCR-274N command receiver (I forgot which model).  I remember asking the owner some technical questions and he replied something to the effect of "I don't know what they do; I only sell them". Another store I would visit was Leeds Radio and I picked up Motorola MFJ102 FETs, deciding to go the solid state route on VHF (I still have those FETs.)

I eventually got a job with ITT World Communications in downtown Manhattan in 1976 and would walk up to the Chambers/Warren Street area during lunchtime to check out the remaining surplus stores. The store previously occupied by G & G was replaced by an electronic store selling ALL types of professional and consumer magnetic media, from consumer VHS and Betamax video tapes , cassette and 8 track audio tapes to professional tapes and cartridges used by the recording, television industries and computer storage.

Fortunately G & G was still in business on the second floor. I walked up the creaky staircase the second floor and entered a storeroom that looked like a it was out of the 1940's with all the surplus equipment. I struck up a conversation with the old timer working there. One of the projects he work on was installing the transmitters on The Voice of Peace offshore radio station which was outfitted on an old ship. I forgot where he told me ship was docked, New York or New Jersey, but do remember him telling about the installation of the combiner for the two kW Collins transmitters.

Here is information on the ship:

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_Peace>

Thanks for the memories. I still have a paper copy of that catalog.

Mike N2MS

> On 11/17/2022 11:44 AM taigh at twinbeech.com wrote:
> 
>  
> https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Consumer/G%20&%20G%20Military
> %20&%20Commercial%20Surplus%20Catalog%2067r.pdf
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Taigh
>