Vintage Radio, Vintage Cars, Vintage Brain

Some "boatanchor" radio info I have collected Current K4NYW shack A few old shack photos Navy radio gear - 1950's & 60's National NC-300 and NC-303 Variants Matching speakers for vintage communications receivers List of tube-type ham gear kits Novice Mods to Ranger xmtr Knight T-150A wiring Desk KW photos W4WE - (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill club) Shelby/Dallas hamfest with our "Boatanchors" hangout marked with a "B" Please send e-mail if you have any additions or corrections to this info

Boatanchors version of  Burstein-Applebee logo

radio gear suppliers 1927-80

K4NYW's "namesake" - Navy Radio Intercept Station NYW

1950's and 60's Ham Radio Gear at K4NYW (ex-KD4CPL)

I first got my Novice ham license KN4NYW around 1960. I built a Knight-kit SpanMaster regen receiver and a homebrew 6L6 transmitter - results were pretty pitiful!  I later built a Knight R-55 receiver kit and homebrew 6 meter transmitter (6146 modulated by 6L6s). At some point I also acquired a BC-348 and Ameco 6m converter. I was active on 6 meters AM before college and afterward, but dropped out when I went back to grad school in 1972 and discovered the intriguing world of computer graphics.

Heath, Knight, Eico, Johnson, Hallicrafters, WRL/Globe, Lafayette, etc.
I have been particularly interested in equipment that came in kit form.

The earliest Heathkit I have is a Transmitter Power Supply with assembly instructions dated Jan 1948.

This was my main vintage operating position 7-8 years ago - it has changed a lot since then - 
Most of this gear has now gone to new owners and been replaced by my current passion, 1950's Navy gear.
bottom row: Mohawk, NC-303, SX-101, SX-88, HQ-170, NC-300 receivers
middle row: Apache, Ranger II, Valiant II, Valiant I, DX-100B transmitters
top row: Drake 2B, SX-117, R-388A, SX-62 receivers.
speakers: Hammarlund S-200, Heath AK-5, National NTS-2, NC-300TS,
                Hallicrafters R-48A, R-46, R-46A, R-46B, Collins 270G-2

My current shack - almost all US Navy gear

Another shot from 7-8 years ago. This is a Johnson Desk Kilowatt, found in a warehouse along with the Ranger and Valiant. It took about four rolls of paper towels and a gallon of Windex to clean off all the accumulated grime. The National HRO-60 was added later. This set-up is pictured in the 1998 CQ Vintage Radio Calendar. All of this gear has now gone to new owners and been replaced by my current passion, 1950's Navy gear.

In the background you can see a deskful of Knight-kit gear as well
(T-50, R-100, R-55, T-60, R-100A, T-150A).

More Links

Some "boatanchor" info I have collected

• My current shack - almost all US Navy gear
• Navy radio gear - 1950's & 60's
• National NC-300 and NC-303 Variants
• Matching speakers for vintage communications receivers
• List of tube-type ham gear kits
• Novice Mods to Ranger xmtr
• W4WE - (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill club)
• Shelby/Dallas hamfest with our "Boatanchors" hangout marked with a "B
• Please send e-mail if you have any additions or corrections to this info

Links to more Vintage Ham Radio Sites

• The rec.radio.amateur.boatanchors FAQ  - tons of info on where to find manuals, tubes, parts, equipment, etc. plus restoration advice, links to boatanchor sites, etc.
• Definitely check out John WB5OAU's Boatscape page for lots of vintage gear photos and for info on the Boatanchors e-mail list.
• Andy WA4KCY has some wonderful old gear at his station.
• Jim WA2WHV has some vintage pictures of his station plus links to other interesting sites.
• Rich's Boatanchors are well worth a look, too.
• There is a nifty Heathkit Virtual Museum on the WWW.
• Dale KB9JJA also has a great Heathkit web site.
• See also a page put together by a former Heath employee.
  

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Local Ham Radio Activity

Here is a page full of Research Triangle Ham Info.
Clubs, repeater frequencies, packet info, classes, etc.

Vintage Hi-Fi Gear

And I'm also interested in vintage hi-fi gear, particularly (surprise!) things that came in kit form.

Vintage Sports Cars

I also enjoy vintage sports cars and vintage racing.

HO Model Railroading - The Virginian Railway

And speaking of heavy iron and baroque technology, what about steam locomotives? I'm a fan of the Virginian Railway (absorbed by the Norfolk & Western in the late 50's). I haven't got a layout right now, (the basement is full of radio gear), but I used to and probably will again sometime. Here's a link to the National Model Railroad Association, and to a local model railroad club.
And here is a link to the local North Carolina Railroad Museum - this is real 12" = 1' scale railroading.

What can I say? It is all fun and relatively harmless.