Vintage Radio, Vintage Cars, Vintage Brain


Some "boatanchor" info I have collected


1950's and 60's Ham Radio Gear at KD4CPL

I first got my ham license 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.

         


kit60.jpg (84882 bytes) I got active again around 1990 (KD4CPL) and have been having a ball collecting, repairing, and operating gear I just read about  and lusted after in earlier days. 

Heath, Knight, Eico, Johnson, Hallicrafters, WRL/Globe, Lafayette, etc.
I am 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.

PLEASE let me know if you have any unbuilt vintage kits (ham or hi-fi) for sale or trade.

 


This is my main vintage operating position -
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



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.

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).




And here is the pile in the basement awaiting its turn on the workbench.





More Links


Some "boatanchor" info I have collected

Links to more Vintage Ham Radio Sites

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.



mail nick@3rdtech.com

Nick England - home page
Last modified:  09 Jul 2008