[NJARC] Black Beauties

[Robert Bennett]

Yes, Harry -
                    When I was getting back into old radios about 15 years
or so ago, I wanted my "childhood" radio that was at Grandmas house that I
used to do my kid "DX" while my parents would play pinochle. It was a Zenith
H-500 Trans-O, and found it at a yard sale at a decent price. I pulled out
the chassis, and set it upside down in front of me. I pulled out my variac
and began to apply the juice. At 85 volts, I began to hear stations on the
broadcast band (my exitment was building). At 100 volts, more stations were
heard. I gave it the full shot, then poof! The .047 bumblebee which is right
in the "juice" of the half wave rectifing circuit let go, with a rather
interesting visually perfect smoke ring vertically rising up from the
chassis! I'll never forget that moment! Wish I had a buck for every one of
them I pulled out of all the trans-o's I've ever worked on! We must be nice
to the audiophiles who buy them and use them. They think they sound better
so they feel better. I feel better using polyesters or orangedrops!

Bob Bennett