The things you find when you're cleaning out your junk..

[KJ3N]

LDG AT-1000Pro (http://www.ldgelectronics.com/c/252/products/1/41/1) automatic tuner with Icom interface cable and box. A few scratches on the top. $285 plus shipping.

[KA9MOT]

Damn, You find some good chit in your junk man.......

[NQ6U]

Damn, You find some good chit in your junk man.......

Yeah. When I clean out my junk, all I find is, well, junk.

[W1GUH]

Me too. But it sure feels good to clean out one's junk.

[KJ3N]

Me too. But it sure feels good to clean out one's junk.

It's beginning to. This is line with the thought, "WTF am I doing with this stuff I don't use?"

I have no less than 5 tuners in this house. How many could I actually use? Two?

I bet I can find at least 4 functioning HTs in the house. I never get on repeaters anymore. WTF am I doing with them?

Hams are know for being pack rats, and I'm guilty as charged. It's time to get my head outta my ass and unload this shit.

[WØTKX]

Oooo, I'm just not emotionally ready to get rid of my stuff man. :lol:

My YL of about 4 months thinks ham radio is pretty cool, and offered (hinted) that I could set up an antenna and bring one of my many rigs to her place. At 8500' and lots of big trees, I have a damn good reason to have pack-ratted extra radios. I've been eying the way the house is wired for amperage, as I have some extra toob amps as well.

The Iambic key for sale still tempts me a bit too much. ;)

[KJ3N]

Oooo, I'm just not emotionally ready to get rid of my stuff man. :lol:

I get it, but logic is what primarily dictates my decisions, not emotion.


My YL of about 4 months thinks ham radio is pretty cool, and offered (hinted) that I could set up an antenna and bring one of my many rigs to her place. At 8500' and lots of big trees, I have a damn good reason to have pack-ratted extra radios. I've been eying the way the house is wired for amperage, as I have some extra toob amps as well.

There's having an extra radio or 2, and then there's having no less than 7 radios capable of HF. Seven? I'm outta my mind! WTF do I need 7 for?

Counting the amps that need work, I have 5. I'm probably never going to fix the 3 that need work, so why am I letting them take up space? It just doesn't make sense. :nuts:


The Iambic key for sale still tempts me a bit too much. ;)

That's the general idea. ;)

[WØTKX]

Are you afraid of spiders? :-D

[W1GUH]

It's beginning to. This is line with the thought, "WTF am I doing with this stuff I don't use?"

I have no less than 5 tuners in this house. How many could I actually use? Two?

I bet I can find at least 4 functioning HTs in the house. I never get on repeaters anymore. WTF am I doing with them?

Hams are know for being pack rats, and I'm guilty as charged. It's time to get my head outta my ass and unload this shit.

I have the same tuner fetish/habit. Whattaya gonna do? All mine are distinct and have their own application. Ya just never know!

[KA9MOT]

There's having an extra radio or 2, and then there's having no less than 7 radios capable of HF. Seven? I'm outta my mind! WTF do I need 7 for?

So, would you be willing to sell one on the easy payment plan (You keep the radio until payed for)? I know I sound like I'm begging and that really is out of character for me, but I am. This HW-101 just aint gonna cut the mustard for me. I'm very limited as to what I can do to it because it does not belong to me.

[WØTKX]

Have you hooked that HW-101 up yet? They work OK.

[KA9MOT]

Have you hooked that HW-101 up yet? They work OK.

This one has some issues that need to be resolved (Oscillates 20M and up) and it does not belong to me so I am limited in what I'll be allowed to do. At this point the owner insists the problem is the mic, and it oscillates even when the mic is disconnected. All this for another thread tho-

[NQ6U]

That paddle cleaned up quite nicely:

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/gyrogeerloose/P1010357.jpg

[KJ3N]

That paddle cleaned up quite nicely:

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/gyrogeerloose/P1010357.jpg

Just glad to be rid of it and that it now has a good home.

[W3WN]

That paddle cleaned up quite nicely:

http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz79/gyrogeerloose/P1010357.jpgWow. That looks almost brand new.

I presume that the SN is visible, and just wasn't picked up by the camera well?

Vibrpolex hasn't been at the Broadway address for quite awhile. That's a neat thing to have in the shack, even if just for display. I've been tempted by a bug more than once, but the truth is that I'd most likely never use it; between my Bencher and by Brass Racer, I'm pretty much set.

[NQ6U]

Wow. That looks almost brand new.

Thanks. It took a complete disassembling and a lot of jeweler's rouge to bring the chrome back to life. I really enjoy doing that sort of thing, though.

BTW, it was a tricky little bugger to reassemble because it's a rather oddball contraption in the way it's built and I didn't pay close enough attention when I took it apart.


I presume that the SN is visible, and just wasn't picked up by the camera well?

The serial number's there, but rather lightly stamped. You can see it in the photograph if you look closely: 251790. According to this site (http://www.la.ca.us/frandy/dating.html), it was manufactured in 1967. Coincidentally, that's about the time I first got interested in ham radio.


Vibrpolex hasn't been at the Broadway address for quite awhile. That's a neat thing to have in the shack, even if just for display.

My code skills are not very good (I'm working on it) but I've amassed a small collection of keys none the less. I just like 'em.


I've been tempted by a bug more than once, but the truth is that I'd most likely never use it; between my Bencher and by Brass Racer, I'm pretty much set.

This one isn't a bug, just a single lever paddle. I have a Bencher as well but I found that I didn't really use iambic keying much so when I saw that Jim was selling a single lever paddle, I thought I'd give it a try. I do want to try a bug one of these days, especially once I get the Drakes back on the air. You can't use most modern electronic keyers on one because the voltage on the keying circuit is to high.

[ab1ga]

Wow, a Vibroplex cootie key! Nice haul!

[WØTKX]

Da Pope gots Cooties! :snicker:

[W3WN]

Thanks. It took a complete disassembling and a lot of jeweler's rouge to bring the chrome back to life. I really enjoy doing that sort of thing, though.

BTW, it was a tricky little bugger to reassemble because it's a rather oddball contraption in the way it's built and I didn't pay close enough attention when I took it apart.

The serial number's there, but rather lightly stamped. You can see it in the photograph if you closely: 251790. According to this site (http://www.la.ca.us/frandy/dating.html), it was manufactured in 1967. Coincidentally, that's about the time I first got interested in ham radio.

My code skills are not very good (I'm working on it) but I've amassed a small collection of keys none the less. I just like 'em.

This one isn't a bug, just a single lever paddle. I have a Bencher as well but I found that I didn't really use iambic keying much so when I saw that Jim was selling a single lever paddle, I thought I'd give it a try. I do want to try a bug one of these days, especially once I get the Drakes back on the air. You can't use most modern electronic keyers on one because the voltage on the keying circuit is to high.Just FYI, Scott W4PA (formerly of Ten-Tec) now owns Vibroplex, and it's now located in TN. [I sure hope Scott is doing well with the company, he's one of the good guys.] In any case, parts for most of their keyers, paddles, and bugs are still available... except maybe the REALLY old stuff.

And yeah, I knew it was a single lever paddle, I was just rushed in my typing. Mea culpa.

Anyway, I'm so used to double lever paddles & iambic keying anymore... I'm sure I could adjust quickly to a single, but...

Regarding the keyers, well, some of them do have the capability for handling an older, HV keying line. Especially some of the earlier models; my old MFJ Grandmaster has "dual output" to handle both. And there are ways to create a buffer circuit.

I actually tend to use the Bencher paddles most of the time, since that's the set on the Omni. I have the Brass Racer on the Corsair (temporarily down, I gave the tuner away and haven't put another one in it's place). I actually like it a lot better except for one thing... the wood base is too light, I need to put some weight (ballast) in it!

You ought to consider sending that picture to Scott. I think he was planning on doing a writeup on the Vibroplex website every now & then about some of the restored paddles etc. that he's been told about.

[W5GA]

You can't use most modern electronic keyers on one because the voltage on the keying circuit is to high.
Carlo, check one of these out. http://idiompress.com/cmos4.html
It does grid block keying (what you need with the Drake tube rigs), and is the best keyer I've ever used. You won't be sorry.

[NQ6U]

Thanks, Doug, looks good.

I was looking around online and found manual for the old Hallicrafters HA-1 vacuum tube keyer, complete with schematic. It's a relatively simple circuit and I might attempt to build a copy just for the hell of it.

[W3WN]

Thanks, Doug, looks good.

I was looking around online and found manual for the old Hallicrafters HA-1 vacuum tube keyer, complete with schematic. It's a relatively simple circuit and I might attempt to build a copy just for the hell of it.aka a TO Keyer. You can often pick those up for under $40-50.

I had one with the classic Hallicrafter station... looked great. Never tried to actually use it, but it looked great!

[K7SGJ]

Carlo, check one of these out. http://idiompress.com/cmos4.html
It does grid block keying (what you need with the Drake tube rigs), and is the best keyer I've ever used. You won't be sorry.

I'll second that. They are very nice and fun to put together.

[W5GA]

aka a TO Keyer. You can often pick those up for under $40-50.

I had one with the classic Hallicrafter station... looked great. Never tried to actually use it, but it looked great!
I used one of those once upon a time, at the club station on NTC San Diego. IIRC, it had some serious timing issues above 20wpm.

[K7SGJ]

I, too, have timing issues above 20 wpm.

[W1GUH]

Super restoration job, Carl! Beautiful...just beautiful!


"BTW, it was a tricky little bugger to reassemble because it's a rather oddball contraption in the way it's built and I didn't pay close enough attention when I took it apart."

A digital camera is your friend.

[N2CHX]

A small relay works wonders for marrying modern keyers with old tube rigs.

[W5GA]

Or you can put one of these in the rig.
http://www.hamgadgets.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21&products_id=128&zenid=bu8q9n6c5fmsqv00v1h6cq46o3