Monday, March 7, 2016, 11:30 p.m. — I’ve been doing some work in the shack over the weekend, trying to straighten things up. Of course, the problem is that it seems most of my cleaning means moving stuff from one part of the room to another.
Actually, that’s not completely true — seems like I can fill a trash bag on regular basis when I decide to put my mind to it. I’m just one of those types of guys whose automatic response is to hang on to everything.
For example, I found a stack of my old QSL cards — back before I changed got my 2×1 call in 2004! There’s really no reason to hang on to those cards, so I (finally) decided to send them on their way.
100TH ANNIVERSARY VIBROPLEX. For some time now I have had two 100th Anniversary Vibroplex bugs at my operating position — 100A-365, which I recent acquired and replaced the keying lever — and then 100A-406, which has been on the desk for several years but hadn’t seen much use.
Truth is I’ve used 100A-365 more than I ever did the other key, due mostly to the fact I finally decided to buy a key and designate it as “the operating position” key.
That’s not to suggest I don’t have other keys available to use; I am still waiting on the parts to arrive from Knoxville to repair the 1979 Vibroplex Original DeLuxe (dot spring and the finger and thumb pieces), and I have a number of other bugs ready to press into service.
One of the things I did over the weekend was to clean up 100A-406 and then box it up for storage. It was then that I realized I probably shouldn’t bid on any other 100th Anniversary keys … including No. 365 on my desk, I have a total of seven of these keys. Still, the one model I don’t have is one with the Knoxville ID plate.
That’s just ONE model I don’t have … there are plenty of others. Briefly, the list includes a Model X; (one can assume I don’t have an Upright or Midget because of their rarity); some of the variations of the Blue Racer; I’m drawing a blank on other Vibroplex models I don’t have in my collection.
One thing I can state with certainty is that it is very unlikely we will see Vibroplex renew production of the 100th Anniversary models (partly because the 100th anniversary was 12 years ago (hi!), and partly because of the fragile black finish). I had hoped to get a Knoxville key with the pivot upgrades, but I guess that’s not gonna happen.
ONCE WAS LOST BUT NOW ITS FOUND. My apology for appropriating and paraphrasing a line from an old-time hymn, but it describes what I had been through over several months of searching.
A couple of Field Days ago, I took one of my IC-706MkIIGs out to our FD site, along with antennas and a tuner. I also took a large water-tight military type storage box that has a handle and wheels that I bought at Dayton the year before. The last I remember, the Icom was in the storage box, and the box ended up moving to our barn. The box was watertight, I wasn’t worried — until last summer when I opened the box and didn’t find anything!
I later found the wire antennas and tuner in a large plastic tote; but no rig was to be found! Yikes! I finally decided that I either left the rig in the open and someone stole it, or I left it at the FD site. I searched high and low, but found nothing.
Until I checked the attic last week for something completely unrelated. I found a nylon equipment case with with the IC-706MkIIG securely packed in foam inside the case. Not a mark on it. Needless to say, I was pleased as punch to find it.
That’s all this trip … 73 es CUL de KY4Z … SK … dit dit