Thursday, July 9, 2015 — Between chores and errands, I spent time today and this evening tearing thru the shack … for a variety of reasons.
The main reason was the Drake TR-7 transceiver sitting on my kitchen table (still). My wife has been busy after work each day this week, and she’s not really said anything yet (we have a very large, antique oak kitchen table, there’s room for four people to eat PLUS a TR-7 and a couple stacks of magazines and newspapers).
Now back about the time I bought the TR-7 I also purchased the appropriate four-pin Cinch-Jones connector for the DC supply. Yeah, I know, I have the matching PS-7, but that damn thing is a hoss, and my plan was to use my existing hoss of a 40-amp supply under my operating desk. Of course, that plan dates back to 2012.
Fast forward three years, and said Cinch-Jones connector is no longer a cinch to locate on my desk (pardon the pun, I just can’t help myself). Oh, I know exactly what it looks like … it was wrapped up in a large of bubble wrap and taped up like it was fragile or something. I swear I’ve seen it in the past six or seven months … but used to be’s don’t count anymore.
Now common sense was screaming in my frackin’ ear today: “Just buy another one, dammit!” (yes, my common sense makes frequent use of expletives). No, no, hell, that means spending $7 or $8! Why not tear apart my computer desk and tear up the whole place? Surely it can’t be too hard to locate!
I located Shirley, but no Cinch-Jones connector. Damn. The upside is now my computer desk looks like Hurricane Brooksie made landfall. Between the mouse droppings and the Doritos shards (that even mice won’t touch), I found lots of things I wasn’t looking for.
Tonight — reluctantly — I let my common sense win and ordered another Cinch-Jones connector.
MAKING ROOM. The TR-7 needs to find a place in the shack, but boy howdy, its not exactly a tiny rig. It will do well to sit on the desk at my main operating position (and that’s only after I clear it of Vibroplex and Speed-X bugs).
The problem is that there’s just simply too damn much stuff in the shack. I have a bazillion bugs all over the place (that’s a given), then an assortment of HF and VHF rigs, some of which I’ve never used on the air yet.
I have an Alinco DXR8S HF transceiver I’ve never had on the air. I also have the older Alinco DX-77 and I’ve not done much with it either. Not to mention the two IC-706s I just removed from service in my mobiles. Debating whether to keep them or not … given the price they’re fetching on eBay I could sell them and probably make a dollar or two.
I probably won’t part with the Icoms, though I do have a Kenwood TS-50S and AT-50 antenna tuner combo I have owned for several years with the idea of running them mobile, but never did. I have them boxed in the shack right now, though I did run the TS-50S in the shack for a while, as well as the AT-50. But I haven’t run the combo for a year or two (much less had ’em out of the box), so I expect to list those shortly. I like the TS-50s a lot, but I just prefer the 706 series.
Since I really can’t do much with the TR-7 as far as operating, I think I will get photos ready for the TS-50, AT-50 and one or both of the Alincos and see about getting rid of them. I also have a Yaesu FT-450 that I barely used that’s sitting in its box. Lots of good radios, I just haven’t taken time in the past couple of years using them.
FROM THE GO-FIGURE DEPARTMENT. While digging in the various piles in the shack and sorting this ‘n’ that, guess what I found? I found the cable that connects the Heathkit HP-23 with the SB10x series of transceivers. The amazing thing (and it really wasn’t amazing, but proof of a maxim I’ve quoted for many years) was that I had just received in today’s mail the $32 Heathkit cable kit (assembly required). What a coincy-dink, eh?
Of course, the ONLY reason I bought the cable kit was that I could not find this particular cable, NOR could I find the same cable kit I purchased a couple years ago. So presumably, I have three cables — the original one I found tonight, the kit I received today, and the first cable kit that I’m sure is floating around the shack in some box somewhere.
Now I have an HP23 and an old SB102 and 101 around here too … not sure of the condition, but hey, at least I have the cable(s). I think I might just hook up a Heathkit rig tomorrow or Saturday in the barn just to see if it’ll play.
I damn near purchased an SB-102 with power supply on eBay this week … the seller wanted more than I was willing to pay. I’m still thinking of a Flex, and there’s a couple of good examples for sale on eBay.
STORAGE? We used to have trouble with our basement flooding, but we have that problem corrected. Now I need to invest in some shelving for storage. There’s part of me that’s just not really thrilled with the idea of putting rigs or code keys in the basement. Our basement has a rock/dirt floor (this is a 100 year 0ld farm house), and the humidity can be pretty high.
Anyway, time to QRT … 73 es GL … de KY4Z SK … dit dit …