Check out my “Boatanchor" collection  

Stashed away in the old basement

 

 


 

 

 


Johnson Valiant I – Modified Audio—12BH7 Phase Inverter driving 6146 Modulators with lots of negative feedback

Behringer VX-2000 and B-1 Condenser Mic—Driving the Valiant via the line level input

Motorola R-390 (non-A)—Completely restored by Miltronix

Teledyne R-390A—a back-up and SWL receiver at present

Drake 2C—One of my old novice receivers from the late 60’s

Hallicrafters HT-32—SSB and AM—both barefoot and exciter for SB-220

Collins 75A4—Used with HT-32 for vintage AM and SSB—inherited from W8NFO (uncle)

Heathkit DX-60B & VF-1 paired with Hallicrafters SX-99—my <$100 Garage Sale Station

Johnson KW Matchbox—from my old KW days in Southwestern Ohio

Johnson Ranger I and JRC NRD 515—at my main console—drives the SB-220

Drake TR-4/RV-4 combo—for vintage SSB—bought new in 1971

Heathkit RX-1 Mohawk and TX-1 Apache-- has minor audio mods—no longer “scratchy”

DX-100B—being refurbished – on the bench--still needs lots of work

Stancor ST-203--awaits bench

Hallicrafters SX-25—also have non-op parts unit—very nice 6F6 PP audio output

 

 

Signal Corps BC-348R/HB Power Supply—non-shown--my son uses this to SWL up in the study

 

 

 

The Ranger and NRD-515 make nice AM pair


 


Ranger’s modified to drive SB-220 at 170 watts of carrier

 

The Valiant being operated in it’s favorite position—on the floor!

Note the screwdriver is never far from the Valiant

 


 


THIS WAS THE HAM RADIO I FELL IN LOVE WITH AS A KID!

Operating W8MHF/W8NFO -- Circa 1968 – “check out that Nerd!”

  Future WN8HVG at mike & future WN8TVS standing

I caught the bug from my uncle Red (W8NFO). He and my aunt Lois (W8MHF) continued to run 75 meter AM until 1973 when the gear seen here was finally carried to the basement and replaced with Drake SSB equipment. I used to tune in their bodacious carrier & clean, wide audio on my old trusty S-40B. It wasn't plate modulated but it did sound nice and dominated the frequency.  W9’s used to break in and tell him to “turn it down” because he’d be loud and wide.  I habitually ran late getting ready for 7th Grade—largely due to eavesdropping on their roundtable.  That wide AM was easy to find on the old S-40B--nestled amidst  the late 60’s slopbuckets

When SSB started catching on in late '50's, Red tried to run his Viking II and a Johnson SSB generator with the Thunderbolt but "swamping" it proved to be tricky.  He laid-on some serious change out for the HT-32. After a brief flirtation with SSB, he put the mode switch in "DSB" and left it there for the next 15 years. In the late 60's, everyone else in his 75 Meter daily roundtable had made the transition to SSB but him. When some irate Slopbucket down frequency would complain, he'd growl:

"SSB is not here to stay!"

They were known as the "Terrible Twosome of Terrace Park" to their friends. Red passed away in 1987 and Lois is no longer on the air. I had a chance to "inherit" what’s in the picture but was living out of a duffle bag in Europe at the time.  Lois called me long distance (a expensive rarity then) to offer it.  I had just enough (but not enough) good sense to ask for the 75A4. I passed on the rest.........<OUCH!>

I remember being a three-year old and spinning the knob on the 75A4 in the late 50’s! 

Interesting story:  In 1997, was having a great AM QSO with an Old Buzzard OP in W Va.  Mentioned my 10 mtr AM operation in early 70’s Cincinnati using Red’s Viking II.  He immediately asked if that was Red of the “Terrible Twosome”?  I answered yes and he proceeded to tell me about visiting them in the 50’s--mentioned Aunt Lois running some kind of a 10 mtr mobile net…..”She had this great Collins receiver and used to put everybody right on frequency.” 

I replied……”Yep, I know…….am listening to you on it now!”

Look for me on the air. I love AM QSO's and will also answer SSB stations too. I can usually be found operating AM on weekends (an some weeknites) on:

Note:  kHz  and capacitor were not in Red’s vocabulary.  He used “condenser”, and Kay Cee’s”

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