[R-390] End of year and losses to the group!

[Cecil Acuff]

Well here we are in the final month of 2008, another year gone.

I am also saddened at the news of another friend gone.  It was learned last 
evening when a fellow list member received a reply after enquiring about the 
availability of parts from a past source...American Trans Coil.  As many of 
you know Barry Hauser had picked up all the remaining stock of odds and ends 
from ATC to make available to this group as Mark needed room in his building 
to store stuff that was more in line with what paid the bills at the moment. 
Don't know any of the details but it appears Barry Hauser passed away 
earlier this year.  Don't even know how much earlier we are talking about 
but either way we have lost another of the anchor members of this group. 
Mark with ATC indicates in his note that he was not contacted by the family 
and guessing....the R-390 parts may have been discarded.

I know Barry was a collector of all things heavy and tubed and had them 
stashed all over his office complex and at home.  I can only pray that too 
didn't all go to a landfill somewhere on Long Island.

Barry's quick humor and writing style will be missed as will his help to 
those who were working to keep the tubes lit in these old radio's.  His work 
to help bring about the Y2K manual will remain a monument to his devotion to 
this group....and the radio's we have all developed a relationship with.

Earlier this year we lost Wally Chambers who was also a long time fixture 
here.  Li Wha Ho Wally from up Memphis way.  He had some tremendous stories 
to tell....

I'm sure there have been others lost as well this year....

As guilty as the next and probably more than many, I pass a pile of radio's 
each time I enter the shop...waiting for that time when I will get to them. 
I have to wonder if I will ever have the time, take the time, to get them 
back in the game before my family has to make the difficult decisions...ones 
that usually don't bode well for the pile.  But hope I will continue, that 
time will allow me to get to the bottom of the pile.

I have at least quit adding to the pile....I guess that's one step in the 
right direction.

Consider telling your family about this list and how to get to this list of 
others who have a passion for these old radios and their parts in hopes that 
when that day, and it does come, that they have to make the difficult 
decisions about your pile, maybe that part of you can live on through the 
glow in the filaments.

Wishing you all a Happy Holiday season....and don't forget to Thank God for 
every minute because we are not guaranteed another breath!

Cecil Acuff
K5DL