Steve wrote:
This is one of the reasons why I am gravitating toward older, tube and
hybrid equipment. I have friends who have old Drakes and Kenwoods that
are 30 or 40 years old and going strong (and with receivers that are
as quiet as all get out, with zero processor noise). Will my
relatively new Yaesu or Icom rigs still be functional in 30 years? I
really, really don't think so. But those Drakes and Kenwoods probably
will be if they're maintained properly.

Eventually you won't be able to maintain them. For example, tubes and capacitors
don't last forever, even if stored in relatively safe conditions. Tubes made
in the 1960's are starting to show leakage problems, and that's good brands
such as RCA.

Many tubes made in the 1940's are still good after 60 years, but in 30 years
they will be pushing 100.

The other question is ergonomics and function. Will a radio made in the 1940's
or 1950's be able to compete with the noise and other problems encountered
with signals.

My first shortwave radio was fished out of the trash. It was a Nordmonde
(Nordmende?) AM/FM/SW portable that had been dropped and the IF transformers
literally had to be glued back together. But it worked with a short wire
in Philly, now would it?

Will any SW radio work without a special outdoor noise canceling antenna
system in 30 years?

As for ergonomics, I recently aquired a Drake SPR-4. It is the best in terms
of reception SW radio I have ever owned, and in terms of sound equal to the
Grundig 650 I lusted after in the 1980's.

Ergonimicly, by today's standards, it sucks. To tune a frequency, you have
to turn a knob to select the band (a-h), the crystal (1 of 14) and then tune
the preselector. Only then can you spin the frequency dial to tune in a station.

The preselector is narrow enough that you have to tweak it after about 100kHz,
which is really annoying scanning the AM broadcast band.

This is fine for me, I like to pick a band and tune around, but can you
imagine someone who is used to direct frequency entry and memories using it?
It would drive them nuts.

While the chance of either of my younger sons becoming a ham or even SWL is
pretty small, I expect that neither of them will ever show any interest in
it, except maybe for looks.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM