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#9
October 1st 04, 01:05 PM
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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. |
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