The AM Forum

From Sons of Liberty Farm:

Dear Friends of Irwin "Irb",
Just to keep you up to date on Irwin's "Irbs" Farm. My wife and I took over Irbs Maple syrup production this year it was an OK season. It was quite different this year as I had no mentor.
       
When I collected the buckets of sap this year I would often look up and anticipating seeing Irwin trudging through the snow carrying his buckets laden with sap, back to the storage tank pulled by his old tractor, or hear his voice while pointing to a tree saying "did you get that one?" but I didn't see or hear him this year, I will miss him as a neighbor farmer. What I liked about Irwin was, he made ya think.
       
I have thought long and hard about what to do with Irwin's Ham Radios, and TV,s and electronic equipment.
       
I have been contacted by many amateur ham radio operator's about his equipment. So I have decided to put all Irwin's electronic equipment up for Auction. I have hire an auctioneer. The date is May 5, 2007. Estate sale Auction starts at 1:00 or 2:00 PM. It will be held at Irwin's farm (Sons Of Liberty Farm) You can go to the following web site to check out some of the stuff that will be up for auction and for times. http://www.njauctions.net/  Please do not contact me for information about items for sale.
     
The only item not up for auction at this time are the famous Wind Chimes. My wife Kelly likes them soooo... what am I to do?
   
Please pass this message on to all Irwin's "Irbs" friends and to his " loyal opposition" over the air waves it would be greatly appreciated.
           
Thanks so much for your support.
                        Andy & Kelly

Following is a photo from the njauction website of one of the homebrew racks in Irb's father's hamshack room.  The day I was there a year ago, the hamshack was too cluttered to take any shots.  I regret this the most - not having tried to take any shots of the front panels of the HB rack panels.

The second photo is from when I visited Irb's world-famous shack adjoining the kitchen.  Note the dual-diversity S20R's.

__ . __

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

Hi:

The auction is May 5, the same day as the new Deerfield flea.

Dan
W1DAN

Ah, yes,
            Irb was the only one in the world that had more DX-ahundreds
than K2DK, and thats really quite a message!! ;D ;D

OK Fine.

I didn't know his father was a ham.  Looks to me like his homebrew station might be more interesting that Irb's.

Irb's operating position in the photo is about as cluttered as mine usually stays - the accumulation phenomenon, you know.

The date conflict with Deerfield is classic Murphy's law.

Wow, DX-100's stacked up like cordwood!

If Near-Fest in New England wasn't on May 5th, I would take a ride down just to see the place.

Here is a link to a move clip of Irb "on the air" with a DX-100 - chimes,  frying pan and all!

http://libertycornerfilm.com/images/liberty_corner.mov

Here is the link to the story on the film.

http://libertycornerfilm.com/

Steve -  W1TAV

Irb gave me that HT-4 on the condition that another ham who originally owned it didn't want it back I wrote him and he said he wanted it back because he was building a place on his house for it.

November 8, 2000

Peter J. Malvasi
W2PM
8 Joshua Drive
Ramsey, NJ  07446

Dear Peter:

Good Morning or Afternoon,

Irb W2VJZ is a friend of mine.  We talk quite often on 3.885kc from my camp in the Adirondack Mountains.  In fact my camp is just about four miles from his New Russia home.

The reason that I'm writing you this letter is because Irb said he has an old Hallicrafter HT-4 transmitter that I believe he said he acquired from you.  He said he has offered it on the Charity Net but there were no takers. 

I wondered if you would consider letting me have it at which point with Irb's permission,  I would move it to the Adirondacks and get it back on the air again.  I do have a BC-610C which looks almost like it and I would give it a fine home as long as I'm alive.  I would like to run it on ten meters in this opening as well.

Enclosed is a self address envelope for your reply. Please reply via mail if you would consider me having the transmitter.
Sincerely,
Terry J. Yoder
KA2PFY

So here it is seven years later and it's still there. I no longer have a use for it but it would have been nice if someone had it on the air for the last six years or so. It will probably suffer the same fate or be parted out.

Ha! He gave it to me also, Terry. I found out about it from Pete when we were swapping radios and keys back in the mid 90s. He told me about finding it with a bunch of other gear someone had tossed out and giving it to Irb (quite a story in itself). He said Irb wasn't using it and would probably let it go. So I talked with Irb about it but never found the time to go down to get it. Looks like we both lost out.

I've always loved the looks of the original HT-4. I really hope someone gets it who will clean it up and use it. There probably won't be a lot of competition at the auction.

Maybe I can get ebay to bid on my behalf.... ;)

I seem to remember he gave it to The UAN too, before he died.

don't know about the rest of guys, but i'm going!

He gave it to me too, along with his Desk Kilowatt.

Really, he must have really liked you.

Hi to Tim if he's listening....

Irb liked everyone. He often called CQ with the following phase, "peace on earth, good will towards man, with malice towards none....."

Ah, a sad day to see Irb's stuff scattered to the four winds.

All I want is the outside speaker.  Classic Radio redux.
I think I really learned what an ol' buzzard QSO was when he put me on the outside speaker and started chopping wood.  Oh yeah, that would demand at least a 20 min. (3 id) one way.

Lessee... unsolder the T/R line. Listen to Liberty Cor. broadcast for a half hour or so.
Fire up the lead pot. Sacrifice some .50 balls. wait till it's molten. Dip in the T/R line. Respond with several interpretations of the US constitution.
Repeat.

But Irb sure had a memory. He could pick up a conversation after many years .. .all about my QTh, my kids, my job, interesting local lore I'd told him, you name it.  
Yeah, just save me the outside speaker....

"I'll be listening on the outside speaker."

Snag that HT-4, Chris! It deserves a good home where it can be ridden hard and put away hot. :D

KIMO SABE, ME THINK THE BUZZARDS ARE CIRCLING.

Oh yes, he was very likeable, as demonstrated in the following verbatim CQ.

"Calling CQ Happy Constitution Month -- the Second Greatest Story Ever Told.  Obey it or be executed for treason.  Article 3 Section 3.  If we had been obeying it the Pentagon and the Twin Babble Towers would never have been built.  This is W2 Victor John Zebra listening for that little voice in the wilderness."   September 6, 2002 0807 hrs. EST 3885 KHz.

Couldn't have been friendlier!

vH

I totally agree Herb.

I would like to get that famous "outside speaker".........................hi
Fred

 i want a DX100 for my Adirondack location, and S-20R, 'cause it's "the finest receiver ever made!" don't need an outside speaker, as i have a very nice Bendix two way speaker in my OUTHOUSE. i'm looking forward to using verbal pornography through one of his rigs!  to the victor go the spoils...

Is that like Victor John Zebra?

are you on narcotics? Well, thats quite a message.  :-\

I've just found out Irb passed. I have been working out of area and found out frm Tim. I kept telling myself I was going to send a letter, or something, but always the "too buzy, I'll do it tomorrow." procrastination took over. Was he in pain? How was his "mindset"? I guess it's human nature to think the Icons of 75 will be there forever. I always find myself shocked when we lose one. Hope his last days were happy.             It seems like life just flies by. Years seem to move quicker than light, dreams slip thru our hands. I didn't even send him a card. I miss all of you. I should be done in Malone in a week. I am planning a trip to Bill's, KC2IFR. Drop of some parts for the 4-1000/833s xmtr. Maybe get a little more prgress on the Cathode Follwer circuit. I'll pop in if it's ok with Bill and say hi to everyone. I think about you guys every day.          JAMIE

well I'm sure all the gear will go to good homes. I'd love the desk,
I could really use it here but then again the same problem with
my home brew kw, getting here from the east coast.  For years
I offered to come up and fix the empire buster. a few years ago
he like the idea, and I was going to make time and put him on
the map again and get the beast going. I never saw the place
in new russia, only liberty corner. Hows the syrup coming out
this year btw, a good flow with the crazy weather?

All I want is the windchimes!

I asked Irb yesterday and he said I could have them.
They'll look mighty fine in the 1UJR shack.

By the way, Irb sends his greetings.

(http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/498412/2/istockphoto_498412_windchimes.jpg)

From early in this topic:

"The only item not up for auction at this time are the famous Wind Chimes. My wife Kelly likes them soooo... what am I to do?
   
Please pass this message on to all Irwin's "Irbs" friends and to his " loyal opposition" over the air waves it would be greatly appreciated.
           
Thanks so much for your support.
                        Andy & Kelly"

Sorry Bruce.

Great photos; means so much when you can put an image with the voice & personality that you have known for so long.

Perhaps someone can/should contact "Andy & Kelly" and let them know that they'd maybe get a 50% better turnout for their auction if they moved the date to a balmy June day, and not one when there was a big hamfest already scheduled... ????

Just a thought.

         _-_-bear

How much is the Maple Syrup?
Should get a new label made up:
"Uncle Irb's Olde Tyme 75M Maple Syrup"

From the time of Irwin's death:
Quote from: n1exi on December 23, 2006, 07:47:19 PM
"Deeply saddened to hear the news though expected. Gonna miss those chimes."
Greg

And then the next day, over three months ago on December 24th I wrote:
"I do believe that somebody or some group ought to request those wind chimes for public display.  Any ideas as to where they could be kept?"  
vH

Well, now we know.  Kelly's going to keep them.  Do ya' s'pose she'll keep them on public display?

But how much of Irb's estate is his ham equipment?  With the property reportedly worth millions, the historic structures built on it and the non-radio antiques in the house, I suspect they can afford a poor turnout for the radio part of the auction.

If I lived close enough to attend the auction , I'd blow the hamfest.  Unfortunately, I'm too far away for either one.

The New Jersey Auctions is the one who set the date based on their schedule. I wouldn't worry about turnout. The auction data has been well publicized to many of the radio clubs, including antique radio clubs, in the metro NJ, NY, and PA areas. And, as far as I can tell, there isn't a hamfest within 300 miles of Liberty Corner that day. In June already posted, there are 3 hamfests in NY, 1 in NJ, 2 in PA, 2 in CT, 2 in MA, and 1 in MD. It's a busy month if you're a hamfest traveler. I don’t anticipate anything in the way of radio stuff will be left at Irb’s place after May 5th.

I guess the locals can buzzard the carcass then...

My point is simply this, I might have driven down, just to be there and snap some shots, being about 160 miles North of Liberty Corners. But being on the same weekend/day as the new "Hosstraders" - that being in the opposite direction, no chance.

The existance of hamfests within 300 miles or not isn't the point, the point being that anyone who is reasonably NORTH of Liberty Corners will have to chose between A) doing nothing, B) going north to Nude Hampster or C) going to Liberty Corners.

But nevermind that - I suspect that the outcome of the auction will be somewhat less $$wise than putting the stuff up on ePay... although that probably doesn't matter much to anyone in particular. So, perhaps a lottery drawing might have been more appropriate, with a fixed $ amount to enter, then the stuff being placed into meaningful  lots by hams who know what the stuff is... the biggest lot being the BC610, and the other xmitrs and receivers being individual lots, then the aux gear being lots, and the parts being divy'd up into lots... Say $ 25 or $50 per ticket and some limit to the number one can buy, the lotter predicated on the sale of say minimum 100 tickets... fair dinkum?

dunno...

Fwiw, the auction is for the HAM GEAR ONLY - not the building or real estate.

http://www.njauctions.net/

                _-_-WBear2GCR

PS hope someone from here goes and give us a report on the turn out, the prices of the big stuff, the surprises (stuff that went high, stuff no one really expected to see, goodies, etc... like a carton of 2A3s NIB, etc...) and how long it all took. Oh and decent pix of the proceedings... some wide shots that tell the story would be nice! ;_)

Home sweet home.  I've been there and I'm all for historic preservation, but my opinion is that the place should be bulldozed and build a nice new home.  Orient it 180 degrees from the present house and move it back on the back yard plateau so that the front of the house will overlook the downward slope to the nice pond Irb built.

I may attend the auction, not planning to buy, but for the eyeball QSO opportunities.

___ . ___