Check out this guy's boatanchor collection

[K3ZS]

http://www.qrz.com/db/w9evt

Never seen so many in one place.

[WA3VJB]

Just amazing.

Looks like that's a finished attic or 2nd floor room ?!?!?!
Probably has a hoist for stuff up from the ground level.

Turns 80 next year, I sure hope he's made some provisions.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

The stuff is in a separate building. You can even go there and operate the stuff.
http://greengate-wibb.com/?page_id=4
George has been getting manuals from me for a number of years.

[k4kyv]

Even if he were just 18, he would never live long enough to use and enjoy all that stuff.  In a way, it's a shame it is all just collecting dust on the shelf (although the photo shows a place that looks pretty dust-free) and not being used.  OTOH,  he has probably saved many pieces from going to the landfill.

[WZ1M]

I have chatted with this fellow on the phone. He has ordered parts from me and a real nice guy. I even got an invite to go to his place for a summer and tear into some of the radios that dont work. Next time the xyl gives me any static and I jump a spark across the gap, I mite just take him up on the invite.
Take car,
Gary

[W2PFY]

Is it possible that he can turn on all that stuff at the same time and operate any transmitter or receiver? If he can, he must have an antenna switching and control  arrangement that would surpass any government installation in the world. I get confused after three systems.

[w1vtp]

I feel so inadequate

[K5UJ]

What, no KW1?  What a JN!     Seriously, ZS tnx for posting the link.  I vaguely heard something in the past about that guy up there on Wash. Is. ..moved up there and set up a station but wow, didn't know it was a frigging museum!   

My thoughts were similar Don.  My first reaction was that if you can't operate everything in a month's time, may as well do some weeding OTOH, guys like that keep gear safe from hammy hambones.  I bet he's been collecting for decades.   Interesting how the BA hams fall into two camps--users and collectors.  I buy stuff to use and operate.  Not interested in a museum and beauty.   Then there are collectors who want to display.   Funny.

[WQ9E]

Well,

I certainly don't manage to use every rig within a single month's time span but I do try to avoid having "shelf queens".  I have a number of switches and a lot of coax to the various rigs to allow fairly easy selection.  In addition to the ground floor radio room I have 4 "aisles" of rigs in the basement plus a separate setup of military gear in an adjoining section of the basement.  One large coax switch upstairs allows selection of either the Johnson 500, Desk KW, Collins, Drake, or "downstairs" gear.  Another large switch in the basement selects which of the "aisles" of gear is selected and each of those has a multiposition ceramic switch to select rigs in that section.  I also have an RCA produced military multi-coupler which feeds a number of receivers (as a group) not paired with transmitters.

I don't try to keep a separate microphone, key, or keyer for each rig and available ones get moved to the rig in use.  In many cases I also use a speaker plugged into a front jack although quite a few of the rigs do have the matching speaker. 

I have not tried for the museum look and one problem I face is my setup is always in a state of flux.  For example, recently I acquired a CE 600L to go with my CE-20A but that required major rearrangement of nearby rigs to make that fit and I added a 30S-1 for the S line and once again I had to move a Zenith "chairside" radio to create the spot for the Collins amp.

Finally, I do have a few duplicates which I keep as "trading fodder".  If I find a deal to good to pass up or if I find a better example of gear I currently have at a good price I often acquire it.  For example a couple of years ago a Hallicrafters SX-117/HT-44 (with the receiver LF converter) were listed on a net three weeks before I decided to pick them up.  The price was very good and I was surprised that no one else wanted them so now I have a "spare" set which will at some point be traded for some other desirable vintage gear.

At age 49, I do hope to be around to enjoy the gear for awhile but I have quite a few awaiting restoration and that will keep me busy for many years. 

Rodger WQ9E

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Why? It's just equipment. It says nothing significant about you or him.

I feel so inadequate

[N3DRB The Derb]

I used to get really torqued at stuff like this, but no more. He's saved a lot of radio history for the rest of us, and my only concerns now about mega collectors is that they have made 110% sure that the gear will be taken care of and recycled back into the fold when the time comes according to the wishes of the collector.

if you loved the stuff enough to amass hundreds of them, then make sure they dont hit a dumpster and then a landfill after you're gone.

Take care of them then as well.

[KX5JT]

I'm almost ashamed to say that when I was looking at those photos... I think I was growing wood! 

[Ed W1XAW]

I've seen some claim that they had a "museum" without merit but this guy only needs informational placards and he'd be right there!   

[WA3VJB]

You're right Ed, museum-quality layout and presentation he's got there. I wonder what the connectivity is, behind the tables/shelves.  Power?  RF? Control ?  Audio ?

Nonetheless, it's right purty.

I'm on the Board of Directors at the Radio History Society which has a museum near Washington, DC, and I circulated that link to the rest of the board last night.

The curator wrote back and said if this guy were to donate all that to the RHS we would NOT have enough room for it !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46TLmROTTqk

And Rob, to your point --

Interesting how the BA hams fall into two camps--users and collectors.  I buy stuff to use and operate.  Not interested in a museum and beauty.   Then there are collectors who want to display.

Maybe you should hoist a poll on here.

I would add the "builders" of vintage gear to the categories too, even if they are not high in number. Folks spend time crafting something that's correct to the era, then never get on with it as they move to the next project.

I'm a user.  I don't seem to have time to fix and restore the radios I've got, because I'm getting on the air instead.  It's a shame, but now that I've realized it, I've quit accumulating any more rigs.  I've got what I will need, I'm satisfied with those units (and their prospective backups), and I can just plug-and-play from here out.

[K1JJ]

WOW.  

Hey, whatever makes us happy.  That guy spent a lifetime of work on that display.   He did a tremendous job. Probably all is in working order from the looks of the operation.

I notice his main operating position uses the lastest  $10K+ riceboxes. He is a modern, progressive ham...  The dog spawled out on the floor is pretty cool.

I like that he generally has only ONE of each rig - rather than a pile of the same types sitting in his cellar.   Also noticed the lack of Johnson gear. I saw two Rangers and another transmitter but not the rest of the lineup.  Quite the military display.

From the looks of the power cords hanging down unplugged and the lack of coax or interconnections on some of the exposed areas, I'd guess the majority of stuff is NOT on-air ready. Maybe powered up for AC, but that's it.

In one hundred years, with luck, that stuff will be in a large ARRL museum to enjoy - just as we now view Hiram's original spark gap rig at W1AW.


(hmmmm... I didn't know we could put a big line-up of pics up on QRZ.com like that.)

T

[W3RSW]

Color coordinated too.

commercial stuff on white shelves.
mil. stuff on olive drab shelves.
Collins late stuff on matching desks....

That tells me he leaves nothing to chance.
Fire prevention?  Insurance? etc.
Bet he has it all covered.

Fabulous shack.

[K1JJ]

Color coordinated too.

commercial stuff on white shelves.
mil. stuff on olive drab shelves.
Collins late stuff on matching desks....

That tells me he leaves nothing to chance.
Fire prevention?  Insurance? etc.
Bet he has it all covered.

Fabulous shack.

Yes, very true.

I just realized - the word "display."   According to his bio, his earlier profession was designing and building show displays at the various trade shows. He obviously used his talents here.

T

[KB5MD]

You know what they say: "Whoever dies and has the most toys wins." 

[Jim KF2SY]

I like that he generally has only ONE of each rig - rather than a pile of the same types sitting in his cellar.   Also noticed the lack of Johnson gear. I saw two Rangers and another transmitter but not the rest of the lineup.  Quite the military display

And virtually No Drake Gear
hmmm..... waz up wit dat?

[W3RSW]

..second row back, every shelf, ...used as cord winders for the real rigs. 

[W1ATR]

I like that he generally has only ONE of each rig - rather than a pile of the same types sitting in his cellar.   Also noticed the lack of Johnson gear. I saw two Rangers and another transmitter but not the rest of the lineup.  Quite the military display

And virtually No Drake Gear
hmmm..... waz up wit dat?

Yup. No TMC gear either. Just one miserable lonely GPR-90 receiver.

[Opcom]

What a nice collection! He has done a beautiful job. People may choose one thing or another for life-work. I hope for most people's sake it is not their JOB. This guy is a real artist.

Seeing the CPU-controlled leenyars there with the computerized radios, it is a no brainer he has the money to do as he pleases, so don't complain that not everything's connectable by switch or patch panel to an antenna. He could do it if he wanted.

With so many radios, so many really good radios, why would one need to hook up the Sky Buddy or the like to an antenna? I got one here on a shelf, Guilty as charged. He's probably got some antenna-ized tabletop space where he can set the lesser rigs and fiddle about.

Noticed two items right off:
NCL-2000 linear.  
AB1, swamped grids, 20/100W selectable drive with internal jumper. My favorite linear amp and will throw a 100W AM carrier all day.

R-220/URR.
A somewhat rare and entertaining set covering 25-250 MHz AM/FM and does very well for FM BC.

It is easier to say what he does not have than what he has! No telling what he might have in the "pile" or a barn..

I did not see a Rycom R1307A VLF set.
Did not see a Nems-Clarke RX. (appropriate purpose to the R-220)
He does not seem to collect CAA or FAA or aircraft HF sets.
The military stuff is mostly the "commerical-like" with a few "battle-like" gear.

[VE3GZB]

Holy carp!!!

[flintstone mop]

It almost looke like the Stations of the Cross. You walk around the various radio aisles and have your rosary to pray to holy mother radio.
Amazing what disposable income this fella has. His wife will be well off for years to come.

Fred