On the eve of a drive to camp in Ohio and attend the annual Hamvention, I took some pictures of the radio shack that’s forming on the site of my shrine to my father, KA3GER.
Some of his gear has always been functional and useable by me. The Kenwood communications receiver is quite useful. And now that I have some privileges as a Technician, I can certainly make use of the Azden transceiver for 2 meter communication. (Hamnet on Thursday nights.) Some of it will come in handy when I upgrade to General: the Ameco AC-1 transmitter, and the Heathkit VFO. The Johnson Viking and its VFO also might be a cool project. I’ve got my Baofeng handheld, and the Heil pineboard constructions, which, as a General, will be fun to get on the air…
The point is, it’s now a functional shack and that’s a way better shrine to my Dad’s memory than a bunch of junk collecting dust…
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| Overview |
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| Dad’s KA3GER hat atop the Ameco AC-1 |
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| My build of the Heil pineboards, putting out a good carrier using the the Heath VFO |
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| And to the right, the VFO’s power supply, built on the ashes of Dad’s attempt |
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| The trusty Kenwood, getting a good signal from that pineboard… |
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| Closeup of the pineboard PS and Preamp |
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| Transmitter in backgraound, MFJ QRP wattmeter, foreground. Heath VFO to right… |
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| Dad’s fancy Morse key lurks… (Gotta make a keyer I can use!) |
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| There stands the (last remaining dinosaur jelly) glass… its bourbon long gone |
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| And putting it to bed, as I must prep for the road trip |
Some of this gear Dad bought at ‘hamfest’ flea markets. Allegedly, the Ohio Hamvention is the mother of all such…
Some of it, the more recent stuff, like the Kenwood… I have a feeling he got as gifts from the family. I don’t think he ever really put the Azden to work. it was new in the box when I got it after his death. He tended to use the most beat up, cheap, crappy gear that he got for next to nothing. The price sticker ($30) is still on the Ameco…
I’ll probably blow some money on radio gear this weekend. And the pineboard project was not exactly cheap to make. But that’s me…
KD9NDJ
