Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club. Despite the fact that most of these
students had never even heard of shortwave before starting their
studies here, they've done an excellent job of re-conditioning and re-
calibrating these old tube radios. This quarter we had them buy the
TenTec regenerative receiver kits, so they could compare the tube
radios to some simple solid state designs. A couple days ago, for
their final project, they took the receivers outside and hooked them
up to antenna and ground system we had assembled. It was a real
delight to see the excitement some of these kids expressed as they
heard signals from the other side of the world that weren't bouncing
off of satellites. A couple of them want to start amateur study groups
to help work towards their licenses. Our goal for the Spring is to rig
a permanent antenna on the top of our classroom building.

I've already donated several radios to the club (including 10 and 2
meter transceivers), but if anyone out there is aware of anyone who
might be willing to make a tax-deductible donation of any equipment to
a group of eager students, please let me know. I'll have them contact
you directly to work out the specifics.

Mike Bryant
General Education Dep't Chair

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

On Dec 12, 1:22�pm, Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club. Despite the fact that most of these
students had never even heard of shortwave before starting their
studies here, they've done an excellent job of re-conditioning and re-
calibrating these old tube radios. This quarter we had them buy the
TenTec regenerative receiver kits, so they could compare the tube
radios to some simple solid state designs. A couple days ago, for
their final project, they took the receivers outside and hooked them
up to antenna and ground system we had assembled. It was a real
delight to see the excitement some of these kids expressed as they
heard signals from the other side of the world that weren't bouncing
off of satellites. A couple of them want to start amateur study groups
to help work towards their licenses. Our goal for the Spring is to rig
a permanent antenna on the top of our classroom building.

I've already donated several radios to the club (including 10 and 2
meter transceivers), but if anyone out there is aware of anyone who
might be willing to make a tax-deductible donation of any equipment to
a group of eager students, please let me know. I'll have them contact
you directly to work out the specifics.

Mike Bryant
General Education Dep't Chair

Greetings Mike!
What a great idea! I am disabled but with all my mental faculties
remaining. I have thought about doing a similar thing in my area. I
love all aspects of radio but got hooked on shortwave and medium wave
as a teenager. I want to limit what I do now to restoring the old
Halicrafters, Nationals, etc, and building crystal kits. I would
appreciate any tips you or anyone else can give as to resources etc.
For you and anyone else there is a site I have found that has some
interesting kits. It is at the bottom of this post. Have a wonderful
weekend! Jon in Upstate South Carolina.

www.kits.com

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

On Dec 12, 1:44*pm, jon wrote:
On Dec 12, 1:22 pm, Mike wrote:





Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club. Despite the fact that most of these
students had never even heard of shortwave before starting their
studies here, they've done an excellent job of re-conditioning and re-
calibrating these old tube radios. This quarter we had them buy the
TenTec regenerative receiver kits, so they could compare the tube
radios to some simple solid state designs. A couple days ago, for
their final project, they took the receivers outside and hooked them
up to antenna and ground system we had assembled. It was a real
delight to see the excitement some of these kids expressed as they
heard signals from the other side of the world that weren't bouncing
off of satellites. A couple of them want to start amateur study groups
to help work towards their licenses. Our goal for the Spring is to rig
a permanent antenna on the top of our classroom building.

I've already donated several radios to the club (including 10 and 2
meter transceivers), but if anyone out there is aware of anyone who
might be willing to make a tax-deductible donation of any equipment to
a group of eager students, please let me know. I'll have them contact
you directly to work out the specifics.

Mike Bryant
General Education Dep't Chair

Greetings Mike!
What a great idea! *I am disabled but with all my mental faculties
remaining. *I have thought about doing a similar thing in my area. *I
love all aspects of radio but got hooked on shortwave and medium wave
as a teenager. *I want to limit what I do now to restoring the old
Halicrafters, Nationals, etc, and building crystal kits. *I would
appreciate any tips you or anyone else can give as to resources etc.
For you and anyone else there is a site I have found that has some
interesting kits. *It is at the bottom of this post. *Have a wonderful
weekend! *Jon in Upstate South Carolina.

www.kits.com- Hide quoted text -




Thanks for the URL, Jon! The EE instructor should have some material
that I might be able to gather for you. I lack the electronic skills
for the restoration hobby myself, but some of our students are quite
talented at it. Feel free to forward me an address where we can send
any material to. I can be reached at this email. I'm more into modern
solid state portables, myself, but I am looking forward to getting the
antenna up so that I can DX while at work!

Mike

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

On Dec 12, 2:49*pm, dxAce wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club.

Wow! Tech Class! Your Engineering instructor isn't smart enough to claim to have
an Extra Class ticket?

And here I thought that Louisville Technical Institute only hired those who had
to fake their credentials.

LMFAO

Now now Steve. Not to butt in here ;-) but I thought you and Michael
made up a while ago. Is this the same Michael....or Bryant something
like that from the epic saga of 01-02 here in this group? Just
curious. I may be interested in this Mike FWIW.

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

BCBlazysusan wrote:

On Dec 12, 2:49 pm, dxAce wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club.

Wow! Tech Class! Your Engineering instructor isn't smart enough to claim to have
an Extra Class ticket?

And here I thought that Louisville Technical Institute only hired those who had
to fake their credentials.

LMFAO

Now now Steve. Not to butt in here ;-) but I thought you and Michael
made up a while ago.

Perhaps, but he's since become obnoxious again.

Is this the same Michael....or Bryant something
like that from the epic saga of 01-02 here in this group?

Yes, that may indeed be the time frame, I'd have to check.

Just
curious. I may be interested in this Mike FWIW.

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

On Dec 13, 4:53*am, dxAce wrote:
BCBlazysusan wrote:
On Dec 12, 2:49 pm, dxAce wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club.

Wow! Tech Class! Your Engineering instructor isn't smart enough to claim to have
an Extra Class ticket?

And here I thought that Louisville Technical Institute only hired those who had
to fake their credentials.

LMFAO

Now now Steve. Not to butt in here ;-) but I thought you and Michael
made up a while ago.

Perhaps, but he's since become obnoxious again.

Is this the same Michael....or Bryant something
like that from the epic saga of 01-02 here in this group?

Yes, that may indeed be the time frame, I'd have to check.



Just
curious. I may be interested in this Mike FWIW.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Crap Steve. I posted and went to get a coffee and already seen a
response. I think that was the quickest to a post of mine. So it is
the infamous one Michael B.
Well FWIW for 99% of the time he never really messed with me. Yeah- I
thought it was someone else. Well hopefully you two can play nice in
09.....I know at least IMO it got a tad hairy in here back in the
day. ;-)

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

BCBlazysusan wrote:

On Dec 13, 4:53 am, dxAce wrote:
BCBlazysusan wrote:
On Dec 12, 2:49 pm, dxAce wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics. The
instructor in Engineering is a Tech class amateur operator and has
formed a little radio club.

Wow! Tech Class! Your Engineering instructor isn't smart enough to claim to have
an Extra Class ticket?

And here I thought that Louisville Technical Institute only hired those who had
to fake their credentials.

LMFAO

Now now Steve. Not to butt in here ;-) but I thought you and Michael
made up a while ago.

Perhaps, but he's since become obnoxious again.

Is this the same Michael....or Bryant something
like that from the epic saga of 01-02 here in this group?

Yes, that may indeed be the time frame, I'd have to check.



Just
curious. I may be interested in this Mike FWIW.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Crap Steve. I posted and went to get a coffee and already seen a
response. I think that was the quickest to a post of mine. So it is
the infamous one Michael B.
Well FWIW for 99% of the time he never really messed with me. Yeah- I
thought it was someone else. Well hopefully you two can play nice in
09.....I know at least IMO it got a tad hairy in here back in the
day. ;-)

It'll probably get better when he's back at his institution of ahem "higher learning"
after the Christmas break.

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

RHF wrote:
On Dec 12, 12:03 pm, Billy Burpelson wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics.
CAUTION! ---- SHOCK HAZARD!!!!!

You may or may not be familiar with the following:

The S-38s are basically 5 tube 'All American Five' radios that do not
have power transformers, but rather have one side of the AC line tied to
the chassis.

To add insult to injury, these radios have a METAL cabinet.

The only thing between the students receiving a severe (or fatal)
electrical shock is the 50 year old (read dry and crumbly) rubber
washers that Hallicrafters used between the chassis and metal cabinet.

If you've not replaced these washers or put on a polarized line plug
(and checked for correct polarity on the wall socket), you have a
potentially large liability problem on your hands.

Great idea, but bad choice of receiver (IMHO)...

BP - The Voice of Experience Speaks . . .
ZAP ! - Ouch That Hurt ;-{ ~ RHF
.
I burned a nasty hole in my "Electronics Technology" metal workbench at
PU with an S-38.

Isn't there an "A" variation with a proper transformer?

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

RHF wrote:


Most Young People only know Chips [ICs] and Micro-Circuits
and may not even know about Transistors, Diodes etc.

????

Turning Young People On To Shortwave
 

RHF wrote:
On Dec 12, 12:03 pm, Billy Burpelson wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics.
CAUTION! ---- SHOCK HAZARD!!!!!

You may or may not be familiar with the following:

The S-38s are basically 5 tube 'All American Five' radios that do not
have power transformers, but rather have one side of the AC line tied to
the chassis.

To add insult to injury, these radios have a METAL cabinet.

The only thing between the students receiving a severe (or fatal)
electrical shock is the 50 year old (read dry and crumbly) rubber
washers that Hallicrafters used between the chassis and metal cabinet.

If you've not replaced these washers or put on a polarized line plug
(and checked for correct polarity on the wall socket), you have a
potentially large liability problem on your hands.

Great idea, but bad choice of receiver (IMHO)...

BP - The Voice of Experience Speaks . . .
ZAP ! - Ouch That Hurt ;-{ ~ RHF

Dave wrote:

I burned a nasty hole in my "Electronics Technology" metal workbench at
PU with an S-38.

Isn't there an "A" variation with a proper transformer?

No. None of the 'S-38' series had transformers. Obviously however,
Hallicrafters had more upscale receivers that DID have transformers.