Mt. Beacon report.

[W1GUH]

Glad I went. Had some thoughts about punting it in preparation for Deerfield next weekend, but woke up this morning full of piss and vinegar & made the drive. Worked out great.

What'd I buy to feed my disease?

The biggie is a Heathkit Mohican, and this one has the rare battery pack. It's also been restored with a very good looking paint job on the cabinet. Listening to the Yankees/Tigers on it right now. Funny thing is that I've already arranged to pick one up at Deerfield. I told my friend who I'm getting it from that if he hasn't sold it by the time I want to leave on Sat. morn., I'd still buy it. It'd be good to have spares. The one today carried a premium price, $170, but that's pretty apropriate for one with the battery pack. Pix later.

Also two more 6146A's. Guy said they're NOS in the box, I have no reason to doubt that. $20 fro the pair. One of them is made by Raytheon and carries the designation "CK6146A". Never saw that before. Also another coax antenna relay (not Dow Key - probably Mil.) - $30. Should asked if he'd take $25. Ah, well...

Other equipment...

SX-146...about $150. Looked hard at that one, but no...holding out for a '117. Looked in good condx, tho'
Viking Invader. No price marked and it looked pretty good.
SX-110 $110.
Drake T4XC with PS - $375.
Light, small 'scope, perfect for HF work, $40. If I didn't already have two 'scopes, I'd have grabbed that one. Was compact and light - perfect for field work.
Heathkit Seneca...6 & 2 M AM tx. Good cosmetically, also about $150.

Saw a couple of D-104's for about $40 each.

This one was good, socially. Saw a few vendors I've gotten friendly with & it's always good to hook up with people like them. Also met the man who holds the call letters for the repeater system I use a lot - the one on the Empire State Building. Good guy. Also saw an OF with a name I kinda recognized but couldn't recall where. Asked him & he disavowed anything about that! Will have to search around to find out. Dash! was there, and pretty much well-behaved. That is, when he wasn't trying to "mark" every table leg in the place! (Sorry, Jeff -- couldn't resist.) I mean, dogs will be dogs, right?

Had really good time and that's usually a good fester & it's out in very beautiful Hudson Valley scenery. C'mon out next year!

[K7SGJ]

Sounds like you have quite a few fests. How far do you usually have to travel to get to them? Out here, there is usually a couple a year that are worth wild. Beyond that, there is Yuma and California when we happen to be in that neck of the woods, or desert, as it were..

[KG4CGC]

Nice finds.

[TESLA]

Glad I went. Had some thoughts about punting it in preparation for Deerfield next weekend, but woke up this morning full of piss and vinegar & made the drive.

Deerfield?

Oh, you mean Mike-Fest! (http://www.near-fest.com/) :mrgreen:

[W1GUH]

Sounds like you have quite a few fests. How far do you usually have to travel to get to them? Out here, there is usually a couple a year that are worth wild. Beyond that, there is Yuma and California when we happen to be in that neck of the woods, or desert, as it were..

Pretty much all around the NE, from Timonium up to Deerfield, and to west and central NY and PA. But now that I'm retired I can expand that; I've got the time to make it a nice road trip.

But aren't people in your neck in the woods used to long drives? I've heard that driving 50 miles to the grocery store is about the norm?

[W3WN]

Well, now I know why you didn't contact me about 2 Rivers today.

(Don't worry. You didn't miss much.)

[ab1ga]

...
Also two more 6146A's. Guy said they're NOS in the box, I have no reason to doubt that. $20 fro the pair. One of them is made by Raytheon and carries the designation "CK6146A". Never saw that before.
...


You may have bought the wrong thing, OM...
Remember the CK722? The point-contact transistor?
You just bought the world's oldest power transistor! (Just kidding...)

What's your schedule for Deerfield? I'm going up there to pay off a debt, and need to know whether to take Friday off or not.

73,

.dale.

[W1GUH]

Oh Nooooooo!!!! Was that this weekend? No...couldn't have been, the Tigers weren't there this weekend. I DO still tentatively plan that great baseball/ham/FD weekend - think I'll go buy a ticket tonight. Probably the cheapest I can get. Just want to have something in case the Box Office can't come through for me.

[W1GUH]

You may have bought the wrong thing, OM...
Remember the CK722? The point-contact transistor?
You just bought the world's oldest power transistor! (Just kidding...)

What's your schedule for Deerfield? I'm going up there to pay off a debt, and need to know whether to take Friday off or not.

73,

.dale.

Plans are to arrive there before noon on Friday and camp out overnight. There's a chance I'll go up Thurs. & camp out that night, too. I have treatment next Wed. and it depends on how I feel after that. Chances are I'll feel fine. Would really enjoy an eyeball with you and anyone else from the Island. C'mon up! You'll be glad you did. You hearing me Paul?

And, yes, I DO remember the CK722 and thought of it immediately when I saw the designation! BTW...the tube in the other "6146A" box turned out to be a plain RCA 6146. No biggie, really.

[ab1ga]

Plans are to arrive there before noon on Friday and camp out overnight. There's a chance I'll go up Thurs. & camp out that night, too. I have treatment next Wed. and it depends on how I feel after that. Chances are I'll feel fine. Would really enjoy an eyeball with you and anyone else from the Island. C'mon up! You'll be glad you did. You hearing me Paul?
...


OK, I'm scheduled for some OT early in the week so I should be able to leave early on Friday and get there a bit after you do, leaving you to pick out a suitable goodie. Look forward to seeing you there,

73,

.dale.

[W1GUH]

Super! I'll have an HT with me, usually on .52, but we can arrange a more private frequency if necessary. Or, we can just swap cell numbers via PM's. Usually easier!

[W1GUH]

Forgot something. The guy I got the Mohican from said he's got "some" KWM-2's and '2A's. Hope so -- my SSB Holy Grail!

[n2ize]

Super! I'll have an HT with me, usually on .52, but we can arrange a more private frequency if necessary. Or, we can just swap cell numbers via PM's. Usually easier!

I usually monitor the Alpine repeater so, if you wish give me a call there. But be patient. I am not always on so it is wise to call me at different times over a period of a week. It's on 146.9550 with a 141.3 pl.

[TESLA]

Well keep me in the loop, I'll be up Thursday evening and working through Saturday. I may have to spend time at the gate.

[W1GUH]

I usually monitor the Alpine repeater so, if you wish give me a call there. But be patient. I am not always on so it is wise to call me at different times over a period of a week. It's on 146.9550 with a 141.3 pl.

Can't reach that from here, doubt if I can make the NH -> NJ hop either. Bummer.

[W1GUH]

Well keep me in the loop, I'll be up Thursday evening and working through Saturday. I may have to spend time at the gate.

Sure will. I'll be monitoring .52 off and on, will also have my call badge on. Just look for a long-haired hippie.

[N7YA]

I would like to see the pics of the Mohican when you get them. I used to have one (no pack) that i picked up cheap from a swap meet in Anchorage in the mid 80's. Good little rcvr.

[W1GUH]

Here's a quickie. I'll do more when I open it up - it's kinda asking for some de-oxit here and there.

5713

[K7SGJ]

Damn, I miss Heathkit. I often wonder what the kits would be like if they were still in business today.

I wonder if there is a Heathkit in Heaven?

[NQ6U]

Damn, I miss Heathkit. I often wonder what the kits would be like if they were still in business today.

We may find out some day—the company that now owns Heathkit is supposedly working up some new ham radio related kits. (http://www.heathkit.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=123&Itemid=242) Of course, they've been saying that for the better part of a year now.

[W3WN]

Oh Nooooooo!!!! Was that this weekend? No...couldn't have been, the Tigers weren't there this weekend. I DO still tentatively plan that great baseball/ham/FD weekend - think I'll go buy a ticket tonight. Probably the cheapest I can get. Just want to have something in case the Box Office can't come through for me.You're thinking of Field Day weekend, that's when the Tigers are coming to town.

All kidding aside: We'd talked about the possibility of 2 Rivers, but I wasn't sure I was going to bother, so I didn't press it. It was a very small 'fest, believe me, you didn't miss anything. I didn't even bother to get a table. Probably spent more time driving there & back than I did in walking around. 'tis a shame too, that used to be one of the area's biggest 'fests, it's but a shadow of what it was in it's heyday.

[W1GUH]

BTW...that "bookmark" is an ad for a book about "The solution to your habitual procrastination is here!". The author was hyping it at the fester. Someday, I'll get a round tuit and check it out!

[W1GUH]

You're thinking of Field Day weekend, that's when the Tigers are coming to town.

All kidding aside: We'd talked about the possibility of 2 Rivers, but I wasn't sure I was going to bother, so I didn't press it. It was a very small 'fest, believe me, you didn't miss anything. I didn't even bother to get a table. Probably spent more time driving there & back than I did in walking around. 'tis a shame too, that used to be one of the area's biggest 'fests, it's but a shadow of what it was in it's heyday.

OTOH, the Tigers are currently gagging. But no, I'd love to see the stadium anyway. That would be a really fun weekend.

[W1GUH]

Damn, I miss Heathkit. I often wonder what the kits would be like if they were still in business today.

I wonder if there is a Heathkit in Heaven?

I've always loved calibrated bandspread like in the pic. That dial is reminiscent of what the SX-112 would have had. Tuning around on HF is a lot more enjoyable with those dials than it is with the synthesized IC-2010.

One comment about the Mohican. It does have an inherent problem, and one that's common on Heathkits. The bandswitch is so tight and the knob is so slippery (heh heh :bbh:) that it's next to impossible to change bands. Will be looking for an appropriate knob to rectify that situation.

The SX-112: This is a prototype, never made it to production.

http://www.hallicraftercollector.com/unusual_products/sx112.jpg

[Jeff K1NSS]

I'll support the long-haired hippy's assertion that he attended the Mt Beacon hamfest. Nice day, bucolic setting, reasonably relaxing AM of casual retailing and a quick break for a shop-around tnx to assistance from W1GUH. In addition to books and prints, sold some hanks of #14 antenna wire and #10 ground taking up shelf space at home ( that is, if I bothered to put them on the shelf instead of the mound of random junk that takes up 1/4 of my digs' lower level. Gotta work on that. Manage to limit purchases to a some electrolytics to recap my new old Crosley, a spare 807 for artistic modeling purposes, as well as backup for my Knight T-50, and some misc octal base metal tubes, visual grist for my New One in the works -- Black at War, a very loose WW2 era retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Steadfast_Tin_Soldie). Part Dane, an Andersen actually, I hope I'll do my great great whatever ten to the twenty-third removed proud. Now in the works, just writing and sketches so far, perhaps simple animation for release as summer blockbusterette.

PS It doesn't matter for the story, but the title is a bit of referential fun with American Tobacco Company's vintage puffery, their tie-in for The Duration, Lucky Strike Green Goes to War, meaning the green ink used for Lucky Strike cigarette packaging until it was sacrificed, supposedly, to the war industrial effort. I recall a green Lucky Strike cigarette tin around the house full of old foreign stamps my mother saved, the green always kind of mysterious beause my Dad smoked Luckies, which I knew as a the red bulls'eye on white, not green. My mom's explaination always stuck with me, the idea of a color going to war, such a fundamental part of existence becoming, in effect, a casualty. I like the idea of RCA's Black going to war without fanfare, almost as if they were bred just for the purpose, like Sparta youth, born in the Great Depression each with its little black flak jacket.

5715

[W1GUH]

l forgot to mention another radio there. I saw an FT0101E go for $125. It was marked $150 & while I was standing there someone said $125? And the guy accepted it.

[W1GUH]

You're thinking of Field Day weekend, that's when the Tigers are coming to town.

All kidding aside: We'd talked about the possibility of 2 Rivers, but I wasn't sure I was going to bother, so I didn't press it. It was a very small 'fest, believe me, you didn't miss anything. I didn't even bother to get a table. Probably spent more time driving there & back than I did in walking around. 'tis a shame too, that used to be one of the area's biggest 'fests, it's but a shadow of what it was in it's heyday.

Bought a ticket yesterday, so I'm more than just casually motivated. A room's going to be a problem, tho'. At this point all places I'd want to stay are booked...might be a few miles from downtown. Well, maybe no matter. Haven't been drinking a lot lately (Horrors! But I'm not yet an absolute tee-totaller.) so that's not a factor. And O'Doul's (if they have it) is just as good with a Hot dog!

Looking forward to it.

[W3WN]

Bought a ticket yesterday, so I'm more than just casually motivated. A room's going to be a problem, tho'. At this point all places I'd want to stay are booked...might be a few miles from downtown. Well, maybe no matter. Haven't been drinking a lot lately (Horrors! But I'm not yet an absolute tee-totaller.) so that's not a factor. And O'Doul's (if they have it) is just as good with a Hot dog!

Looking forward to it.Hmmm. Not sure what else is going on that weekend. Anthrocon is the weekend before.

Which hotels are you looking at? I'll check and see what's closest.

[W1GUH]

Got my ticket, Ron, Section 6 row A. Hope I can use it & I will if at all possible.

I've got special requirements for a room and won't saddle you with them, but thanks for your very kind offer. I'll find something somewhere. Looking forward to the trip.