Swap Meet Junque

[W6TOM]

   Bought a box of Junque at Lincoln,CA SWap Meet last weekend, the Pyrex Antenna Insulators were what I wanted, sorted the junque today. Looks like I have an antenna cover for BC-611 and these porcelain standoffs, used for high voltage in construction??? This is the first time I have seen so many of these Pyrex Antenna Insulators, brings back good memories of my father taking me to a Radio Store in Boston in the early 60’s, before they were Tandy. And some rolls of solder to boot!!

[KL7OF]

Those Pyrex insulators are called glass doobies....by certain afficianados...They are said to be worth 1 dB  gain when used on a dipole....I,m a believer..   I have 2 in use at  my station...

[Opcom]

That black object reminds me of things seen in quack medical device kits. Is it an insulator or some ind of shield? I didn't see any ceramic tubes insulators  - as were used in old homes during early electrification. "knob and tube" wiring. I miss the good old days.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob-and-tube_wiring

[KB5MD]

Should last ya a day or two...a

[W6TOM]

  I actually found one of the knob and tube insulators in that box of junk, the type that is in two pieces and has a nail through it. My grandmother's house in Boston which was built in 1901 was built with Gas Lights, she told me they put electricity in the house in 1912. Each room had a light in the center of the ceiling, my father replaced those in the early 60's. They did not have a standard electrical box in the ceiling because there had been a Gas Light there, he had to buy a specially made hanger. The gas pipe had been blocked off with a special fitting that had a threaded hole, this is what the electric light was hung from and we had to buy a special fitting to fit that which in turn would accept the modern bracket to hang a modern fixture.

  The pictures are the power distribution panel, motor genset at Fort Mac Arthur in San Pedro, Port of Los Angles. I made a trip down there the end of 2010 to participate in a Military Radio operating event. The distribution panel is ONE INCH thick marble!! The genset does actually run, there are a few Utube videos of it in operation, the power was 3 phase, 125 volts, 50 Hz. When the fort was built in 1914 that area was a long way from anything.

   I found out recently that LA and I guess most of Southern California was 50 Hz until it was converted to 60 Hz in the late 40's or early 50's, what an under taking that must have been!!

[Opcom]

Those green hooded lamps are the stuff!

[K9PNP]

That black object reminds me of things seen in quack medical device kits. Is it an insulator or some ind of shield? I didn't see any ceramic tubes insulators  - as were used in old homes during early electrification. "knob and tube" wiring. I miss the good old days.

The black object looks like a BC-611 antenna cover.

When I bought this house in the 70's, it had knob and tube wiring.  2 runs of #14 insulated wire through the attic with everything else connected to that.  Splices were mostly good; wrapped, soldered, and taped.  "Fuse box" was an open knife switch which had a fuse socket on each leg.  110 VAC only, one circuit; no 220 feed to the house.  People at the time thought I was crazy when I installed a 200 amp box.

[W6TOM]

 The black object is a BC-611 Antenna Cover, how it ended up in that box of junque, who knows??

 I owned a house in Oakland that was built in 1926, it had a 120 volt 30 amp service. Outlets, one per room, needed or not had been added to each room. As built originally there were just two outlets in the house. One in the kitchen by a drop down ironing board, that was for an iron, the other outlet was inside a built in cabinet in the living room, I assume for a radio.

 My present home, built in 1945, old by local standards, had a 120 volt 30 amp service, two outlets in each bed room, I lived here for 30 years with out an issue. All my appliances were gas but 7 years ago I had a 220 service put in so I could run an amp. One needs to keep their priorities right!!

[KD6VXI]

I was going to do a panel upgrade on a friends house in 09 in the Santa Cruz Mountains.   He had 2 wire (120V @ 30A service).   I was in awe.

Fast forward to last week.   I pulled a permit on a house for a service change and panel upgrade in preparation  for a solar system we are installing (I wondered why the system was so small,  and then found out why.....)  ....   2 wire 30A service here in Bakersfield!

Can't even install an air conditioner!   And it hits 115 for days at a time....

--Shane
KD6VXI

[W6TOM]

  NO AC in B'field!!! Gotta be a masochist !!! Yikes!!!!

  No AC here, I have that BIG AC UNIT, San Francisco Bay !!! When I had my service upgraded I had a dedicated 20 amp outlet added in each bedroom for a window AC unit if I so desired. Window fans seem to be OK for the rare times we get a warm night, Fall is upon us and the next few months typically the hottest of the year. Today it was at least in the high 80's, will run the fan tonight and did last night too.

   There are still lots of areas in the older cities of the East Bay that have 4 KV distribution overhead, Oakland, Bezerkeley and here where I live to name few. The only reason that is so is because there is little AC load.

[W3RSW]

Swamper coolers are more than adequate most of the time in the desert and other low humidity areas or times of year. Way less power to run some water and a fan through a damp screen.  Human body doesn't feel too uncomfortable at humidities less than 50% and actually welcomes some humidity above a desert's 10%.

Bakersfield used to qualify as low humidity area generally. Not sure in past several decades due to town growth after I'd gone. 

About all of private Tucson uses swampers.

[KD6VXI]

Here the AC vs swamp cooler battle is a socioeconomic one,  mostly.

I have a cooler,  because it was on the house when I bought it.   It is oversized for my place,  and works very well.   To the point of not of,  I have 2 window mount units sitting in my garage for the last two years.   I grew up in the heat and can't see wasting money on keeping my house cold.

The other camp here is 5 to 8 hundred dollar PG&E BILLS.   As an electrician who does solar,  they keep me and my crew employed :-)

My home now has a 100 amp main breaker and a 125 amp drop.   Works well enough for me.

--Shane
KD6VXI