Messages

31

General Radio Discussion / Re: coolest DX catch

« on: February 01, 2014, 0620 UTC »

I've had a few that were cool, at least to me. About 1970-71 I get hold of my dads transistor portable. I find that by wrapping blasting wire around it a few turns and hanging the end up that I can actually hear signals on SW. My first station IDed as "Radio Naydalong" in a heavy accent. Radio Naydalong turned out to be Radio Nederlands. QSLed it. I got a HQ-110 and listened a lot. Later I would hear Voice of Laryngitis. First Pirate, recorded it, QSLed it. Legendary station. As I got more sophisticated equipment I heard cooler stuff. Air Traffic for the first Iraq war. Other military traffic when a US Armed Forces helicopter crashed, killing all aboard. A ship to shore radio call telling a passenger their parent had died. Many, many others. What an amazing hobby.

32

North American Shortwave Pirate / somebody on 6.925AM

« on: January 18, 2014, 0427 UTC »

Can hear EE OM and YL talking, music before that. Lotsa QSB and QRN. Posted here before hearing an I.D. Hopefully someone can hear it better then me.

33

QSLs Received / CoolAM relay by RTN

« on: January 13, 2014, 1835 UTC »

Received a great card QUICKLY for last nights transmission. Thank you!

34

QSLs Received / Re: Over 60 Degree Radio

« on: January 13, 2014, 1833 UTC »

That's an AWESOME card! The site it mentions for one one of the research sites (Ft. Rae) is about 150 miles from me.

35

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: CoolAM via RTN relay 6935v AM 0100 13-Jan-14

« on: January 13, 2014, 0203 UTC »

Got them about S-7 with QRN and QSB in northern Canada. Thanks, RTN for the relay. It's always great to hear you!

36

Equipment / Re: tube radio recomendmendations

« on: January 11, 2014, 0336 UTC »

A beauty just sold on QTH.com. Check it out under the "antiques" listings.

37

Equipment / Re: tube radio recomendmendations

« on: January 11, 2014, 0008 UTC »

Complete and working is usually $200 to $300. Minty is $500 to $600+. Parts sets are $20 to $100. Look inside for alignment tools and the metal covers over the tuning assembly. Both are rare and unobtainable. A working meter is a HUGE plus as there's no easy substitute. Sets that were set up as part of a diversity system  usually had no meter. The large main tuning knob is hard to find, even broken ones are desirable. An AR88 face had engraved lettering and is easy to restore/refinish. A CR91 needs to be silkscreened. Good luck. Leaky oil filled capacitors are possibly PCB contaminated but the jury is out on that one. The voltage selector on the back panel is usually broken from someone resting or dropping the radio on it's back, breaking the selector. All tubes are common. Proper alignment is a pain to perform. These are tough sets. Most I've encountered dead were easy to get going.

38

Equipment / Re: tube radio recomendmendations

« on: January 10, 2014, 2020 UTC »

re: AR88/CR91. I remember seeing several on the shelves of a surplus store in Edmonton, Alberta. This was in '79 or '80. The price was $150 each. In about '05 I got the Edmonton Bargain Finder paper and there was an ad for a WWII RCA receiver that weighed 110 pounds. I called the guy, then drove 720 miles one way to pick it up. He had it sitting in his living room, and when he turned it on LOUD clear audio poured out. The volume control didn't work and was on full blast all the time. Price was $100.00. Then he asked if I wanted any more. More? Sure! He had 4 more that didn't work he'd toss in for $50.00. He said he found them in a shed at a garage sale. All still had the price tags on from the surplus store. They were the radios I had seen two and a half decades earlier! I took the bunch for $150. Now I had to fit 5 huge 110 pound radios in my Jeep, along with wife, daughter, and luggage.
When I got home I immediately fixed the volume control on the first one and cleaned it up. Fantastic audio. I still have it, always will. I got two more going, and sold one. The other 2 provided parts for these, as well as many other sets throughout the planet.
In the years since I've bought and sold others. One that is waiting in line is the original 1942 set from my local airport. It would have been used to communicate with the supply line of aircraft that flew up to Alaska then on to Russia.

39

General Radio Discussion / Re: Is this the end of the wire for RadioShack?

« on: January 08, 2014, 2036 UTC »

It's sad, because how Radio Shack is now pretty much sums up the current state of the hobby. I remember getting their huge catalogue in the early and mid '70's and it had page after page of radio stuff. Just CB's alone was probably 5 pages. Stereos? Perhaps 25 pages. Electronic components? Everything was there. Then it all began to change. Now it's TV's and computers. That's all.
Now I search garage sales for old Radio Shack CB's and stereos. They were common in the '70's and '80's. Now, not so much so. And it turns out that some of their high end stuff was pretty damn good. For a generation looking for souvenirs of a very much happier time they are cherished keepsakes. But their lower end stuff was crap. Still is.

40

General Radio Discussion / Re: PRA 2013 Arrives Today!

« on: January 06, 2014, 2039 UTC »

Got mine today, listening to the CD right now. Thanks!!!

41

North American Shortwave Pirate / Radio True North 6945AM 0057z Jan 1, 2014

« on: January 02, 2014, 0057 UTC »

Just found it. I'm guessing RTN to escape peskies?

42

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: RTN 6924.7 AM 2256 UTC 1 Jan 2014

« on: January 02, 2014, 0021 UTC »

Great strong S-7 signal with fast QSB. Tuned into "Don't You Want Me', then long pause then OM ann into RTN ID and talk about interference from peskies.
Always great to hear an old friend! Happy New Year! With the apparrent demise of Northern Relay Service you're about all I have left to listen to.

43

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Laser Hot Hits Relay 6925AM 2104 01-01-2014

« on: January 01, 2014, 2312 UTC »

This has nothing to do with me. Jolly Roger was a Euro Pirate in the '80's.

44

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: RFW 6925U 0327 UTC 01 Jan 2014

« on: January 01, 2014, 0340 UTC »

Can hear them in northern Canada but not strong enough to listen to for long. Hopefully the band will pick up.

45

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Wolverine Radio 6950 U 0008 01-01-14

« on: January 01, 2014, 0052 UTC »

Nice strong signal into northern Canada tonight, but then they are always strong. Nice audio for SSB, as well.