2 Feb
2006
2 Feb
'06
5:23 p.m.
On 2/2/2006 at 9:47 AM William Donzelli wrote:
CAY-46077, part of an RBM-4 installation. The service records were kept on
a sheet of paper attached to the inside of the top access lid. Made by
Westinghouse.
I still have a
shipboard general-coverage receiver that
last saw service in Okinawa in 1945.
What kind? And how do you know it was in Okinawa? Probably not. Military surplus is mostly dead, thanks
to the
politicians. What oes get thru to the public auctions generally has to be
shredded or smashed.
That's a shame. If I think of the things that made electronics fun back in
the 1950's and 60's, it was the availability of components scavenged from
old radios and TVs and military surplus. If you were on a budget, you
usually could afford to buy a "Command Set" and rig up a power supply for
it. A novice could build a very serviceable CW transmitter using parts
from a junked TV (using the horizontal output tube,
something like a 6BG6
for the final). War surplus crystals and a key and you were
in business.
At worst, you could use the remainder of what you found to build a workable
regen receiver.
I don't know how someone would being to learn and tinker with electronics
today. Most semiconductors one runs into are highly minaturized and highly
integrated; scavenging is a lot more difficult.
Cheers,
Chuck