Best Christmas Gift Ever!!!

[W3GMS]

Roger & Vortex Joe..

Roger first:

Thanks for sharing your insight into the station as shown on the inside cover of the manual.  It just so happens that I have a very pristine HQ-170 and I can certainly appreciate the advantage of that receiver during heavy QRM conditions.  When the band allows, I usually copy in a wider bandwidth with audio being picked up off the detector of the receiver sent to an external monitor amp and speaker.  My current station upstairs is a very modified Ranger II driving a pair of 3-500Z's.  The receiver I use most is a Ten Tec Jupiter.  I like it since it uses DSP in the IF to go from 300 Hz to 8 KHz.  If things really get tuff, I can go to the selective sideband mode and that as a last resort works well.  But for the real boat anchors downstairs I prefer to keep everything vintage not like the somewhat hybrid station upstairs.

Now to Mr. N3IBX,
Thanks for your very nice comments.  I don't know what to say after hearing comment like that from you!!  All I can say is thank you. 

You will have to come down for a visit when I get it temporarily set up in the family room.  I am sure this project will push out the kitchen rebuild but Martha insists that I get the museum project done first.  She knows that has been a real passion with me for over 20 years.   

I think I am in good shape for spares if they become necessary but I promise I will talk to you if I should need anything and you know very well you are welcome to anything I can help you with. 

Yes we obviously had a fantastic Christmas.  Christmas is not about material things but I have to  tell you this put our Christmas over the top!  The biggest thing was the total surprise of the gift.  Martha wanted parts for her old Chevy truck that she is restoring so LMC Trucks and Joe have become best of friends!  I went through her big roller tool box and found some tools that she was missing so I was able to fill in those blank tools for her.  The truck stuff was not so much a surprise but the tools were. 

Life is good!

Joe, W3GMS           

[wa2dtw]

Joe
What a wonderful XMAS gift!  Can't wait to hear it on the air.
My very best to you and Martha for a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful and Prosperous 2010.
Steve WA2DTW

[W3GMS]

Many thanks Steve and our family extends best wishes to you and your family as well.  Yes, I look forward to working you with the new xmas present rig!
Joe, W3GMS 

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Apologies for being a bit late in responding, been spending less time online and more time on other things.

Wanted to add, Joe, that the Viking KW also includes the original Low Pass filter and brackets for mounting on the back, so the 'all Johnson' station gets a bit more complete. And dense.

Would suggest bringing the truck instead of the Jeep, as getting it loaded into an enclosed vehicle with limited head room would be very challenging. My brother and I loaded it into the back of a Ford pickup when I got it in 1994 using only an appliance dolly/hand truck. It was handy being able to stand up in the bed to position it for travel along with getting it up into the back.

And with no intention of stealing any of the excitement, I must say that sending this amp to Joe's 'Living Museum' collection surpasses my best hopes for finding it a good home. Having personally known the original owner who purchased the amp new in 1957 and feeling sure I'd never get rid of it, the decision to do so did not come easily, and I was in no rush to shove it out the door. With money not being the issue, it became more a case of finding it a proper home. The new owner couldn't have been better!

Now the radio world will get to hear it on the air again for the first time in at least 15 years. Letting go seemed so difficult, but now it seems fantastic and definitely for the best. If only I'd known sooner that you'd been looking for one of these beasts, Joe.

Remind me when you're here to tell you a funny story involving Roger K1MBX and your amp.