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FYI: Origin Of BoatAnchor
Caveat Lector wrote: Whether legend, myth, or fact, here is the best guess of the origin of BA THREE VERSIONS -- Opinions From The Internet. Version I -- During World War II, Military Radio Techs used the term BoatAnchor as they struggled with the huge, heavy, electronic equipments of the day -- full of transformers, tubes etc. Also the US Navy frequently marked electronic gear with an anchor. After the war -- tons of the equipment appeared on the surplus market and was dubbed BoatAnchors due to the reasons above - one or both. Version II -- After WWII a national magazine editor answered a query "As what to do with an outdated heavy, large, surplus electronic instrument?" and answered "Tie a line to it and use it as a BoatAnchor" Version III A letter to the editor appeared on page 16 of the October 1956 issue of CQ and was as follows: Gentlemen: I recently acquired a "Signal Corps Wireless Set. No. 19 MK II Transceiver." Are there schematics or conversion data for this rig? Any info will be appreciated. The editor replied: The only conversion we seem to have on the files here at CQ calls for 100 feet of 1" Manila line, one end of which is to be tied securely around the MK II Transceiver. This then converts the unit into a fine anchor for a small boat. If any readers have better conversions we will be glad to hear about them. Ed. Happy New Year -- CL I'm sure that II and III could be verified as having been written after reading microfillm copies of old magazines. I doubt that anyone could come up with the origin of the term Boatanchor however. Who was the first guy in supply to have uttered that or more coloful descriptives as they hoisted them onto 6x6 trucks some place in the pacific. |
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