In article , Dave Heil
writes:
Len Over 21 wrote:
In article ,
(N2EY) writes:
(Brian Kelly) wrote in message
.com...
PAMNO (N2EY) wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Brian Kelly) writes:
(Len Over 21) wrote in message
...
In article ,
(Brian Kelly) writes:
snip of Len's lecture on IC's
What was his point, anyway? That 74192s aren't in current production?
I've run into more than a few hams who say they "hate contests because
they make the bands so noisy". What's really going on, in at least
some cases, is that the effects of so many strong signals on the air
all at once raise the apparent noise floor of their *modern*
transceivers, in part due to phase-noisy oscillators in the
contest-haters equipment.
So...you hate the contest haters all on account of "phase noise?"
Not at all!
The effect was mentioned to demonstrate the impact of phase-noisy oscillators
in HF ham rigs. Those same hams might find the bands a lot less noisy with
different equipment, allowing contesters and noncontesters alike to enjoy the
same band.
Tsk. You ought to get used to the fact that not everyone likes
contests for the simple reason that they are contests, organized
by contestant-wannabes so that they can Win and show off that
they are "better" than the non-contestants. :-)
??
Not everyone likes sports, either. Particularly when the roads are clogged with
people going to and from the stadiums, TV programs are preempted for sports
coverage, etc.
Were the recent Olympics all about "contests for the simple reason that they
are contests, organized by contestant-wannabes so that they can Win and show
off that they are "better" than the non-contestants"?
Perhaps we should inform the IOC.
How are you involved? Wanting to win at something and being competitive
are part of being human. Don't want to participate in an amateur radio
contest? Don't enter. Oh, that's right--you couldn't enter if you
wanted to.
Len can enter any amateur radio contest he wants to. All that's needed is for
him to obtain a valid amateur radio license, and an amateur radio station. His
choice of home location may be more suited to listening to cbers on the nearby
freeway than to working the rest of the USA, however.
One of the problems with older solidstate equipment is that much of it
used custom parts for which the only sources are the manufacturer (if
they still support the unit) or junker units. If there was a weak
spot, finding a junker with a usable part maybe hopeless. The Kenwood
TS-440s reputedly has this problem in its display.
So...you think vacuum tubes will be with you always? :-)
If he doesn't have enough, I'll give 'em to him. If I die first, I'll
will them to him.
Thank you, Dave!
In fact, I've been reducing my tube and parts stock because I have far more
than enough. It would be wonderful if I could live long enough to wear them all
out!
The fact remains, however, that a lot of solidstate electronic devices
(including ham gear) were made with custom parts which can be difficult or
impossible to find, or even identify. End result is "can't fix it because the
parts cannot be had". It is probably easier to restore a 40 year old R-390A or
75S3 than a 20 year old R-70, if certain parts are needed.
Of course this is driven by a whole bunch of factors, ranging from increased
reliability (if it doersn't break you don't need to be able to fix it) to
length of production (the R-390A was manufactured for at least 30 years by a
number of companies, including a few made under a contract awarded to Helena
Rubenstein), to the fact that newer electronics are often not designed to be
fixable, and are meant for a limited design life - if it fails, you just get a
new one.
Of course there are exceptions, like Ten Tec's policy of board-swapping. And
there are specialists who can bring almost anything electronic back to life.
One of the design parameters of all my homebrew projects is that the result
must be serviceable with parts and tools on hand. Nothing is built with "one of
a kind" or rare parts, and nothing is pushed hard. Result is that I've had very
few problems.
He can have enough to see him through his lifetime.
Does that suit your definition of "always"?
I hope to outlive my supply...
Of course...you can "recycle" them...somewhat after their useful
life...and "impress all who visit your shack."
??
A recycled component is still in its useful life, because I'm getting use out
of it. Nothing in the Type 7 is "after its useful life".
And when a tube finally fails, its base is often useful as a connector or
plug-in coil form. Other defective components sometimes yield useful parts,
too. Nothing goes to waste at N2EY.
Don't you ever try to impress folks who visit your shack, Len?
What impresses folks most is that I can recall schematics and other info from
memory.
You
know, take 'em in to view the R-70?
He bought it for CASH, Dave ;-) Somehow, that is supposed to be significant.
I find it interesting, though, that Len does not tell us of *his* homebrew
radio projects. Frankly, I would have thought that he designed and built his
own receivers, rather than buying a ready-built imported unit like the R70. A
person doesn't need any knowledge or skill in radio-electronics to buy or use
one of those.
73 de Jim, N2EY
---
And while we're on the subject, how about these specs for a new receiver:
MDS -135dBm
AM Sensitivity -110dBm
Blocking Dynamic Range 5Khz 119dB, 20Khz 119dB
3rd Order dynamic Range 5Khz 87.7dB, 20Khz 95dB
Image rejection 152dB
IF Rejection 106dB
No, it's not the Southgate Type 7.