Hit a small jackpot yesterday

[W1RKW]

Acquired a Heath Commanche and Cheyenne for free. Both are in near like new condition cosmetically.  Former owner didn't know if they worked as they had been in storage for a few decades.  Hope to have them on the air this weekend assuming the PS works.

[AJ1G]

I have a near mint pair that I bought from a coworker many years ago.  They were built by his late dad, who had a TV and radio repair and sales shop in Groton.  They were playing great but the TX is not working now for some reason.  My setup includes the backplane for mounting them in a mobile setup, the little AC supply (was not that great), the DC supply, and the matching little speaker.  Biggest problem I had that the transmitter would chirp horribly on 40 where it used the 7 mc VFO fundamental, I JSed it to run with the lower freg VFO used on 80 and it worked fine. 

Should try to run them mobile sometime, would sure be a lot more signal than my GRC-9!

If you need any of the manuals, I have the full set here somewhere...

[W1RKW]

Hi Chris,
As luck would have it, these little beauties came with their manuals too.  Thanks for the offer though.  Can't wait to get them going.  Haven't tried them yet.  Wanted to today but satellite dish crapped out.  Just got in from the outside.  Have to go back out and finish up. Standing on a ladder in snow, wind and cold sucks. It's not like stringing a dipole in crappy weather but it should work good afterwards. Then it's play time.

What was the name of the radio/tv shop in Groton?  Was it Francis Elec. by any chance?

[AJ1G]

Not sure what he went by as a business, but the guy was Bob "Rip" Collin's dad...may have been named Bob as well.  Can't remember his call, but Bob's mom, who passed about 3 years ago, still kept his WA1....call sign plates on her car for many years after his passing.  They lived on George Ave just north of Poquonnock Rd, I think his shop was in one of those storefronts up in that area just east of the Charter Oak Credit Union.

He was an extreme packrat, the old three decker that he and his wife lived in was chock a block full of electronics stuff and other stuff, almost drove Bob nuts trying to clean it out when he sold it a couple of years ago!

I bought the mobile twins and a mint DX-40/VF-1  setup from his son in the mid nineties.  I never knew him Rip's dad personally, wish I had...He did a beautiful job putting the kits together.

[W1RKW]

I remember that shop. I think it's now a barber shop or vacant.   My father had a paint store just up the road from it.  I remember as a teen when I was working for my father seeing that shop.  I had blown up my fathers stereo speakers one day and we went to that shop looking for replacement drivers.  That was back in the late 70's.  There were alot of electronic shops back then.  I remember Francis Electronics and Lafayette. I think there was one other one on Long Hill as well.  Then there was Aikens on Broad St. in NL.  

[WA1LGQ]

Nice catch Bob, maybe you will inspire me to get my Cheyenne on the air. I don't have the power supply but there is plenty of junk around here to cobble up something.
Larry

[AJ1G]

Rip's dad was Robert E. Collins, he became an SK in 1993, I think he had an WA1I....call.  Been looking for an old online searchable callbook database, but cant find the one QRZ used to have on their site.  I remember seeing his wife's car with his callsign plates about 4 years ago, just cant remember the call itself.  Was surprised that you could keep those plates like that.  I suspect the car was probably registered in his name and his wife just kept renewing the registration without changing anything after he died.  Are you thinking his shop was where the Gentlemen's Choice barbershop was located, that was on the north side of Poquonnock...

[W1RKW]

Chris, I'm not really sure.  It's been so long since my father had his store on Poquonnock but that was what I was thinking.  I'm sure the area has changed since then and I 'm mistaken.  

Larry, Do it up!  I cleaned up my shack to try these puppies but the PS HV has some serious ripple. It needs to be recapped.

[WA3VJB]

Rip's dad was Robert E. Collins, he became an SK in 1993, I think he had an WA1I....call.  Been looking for an old online searchable callbook database, but cant find the one QRZ used to have on their site.  I remember seeing his wife's car with his callsign plates about 4 years ago, just cant remember the call itself.  Was surprised that you could keep those plates like that.  I suspect the car was probably registered in his name and his wife just kept renewing the registration without changing anything after he died.  Are you thinking his shop was where the Gentlemen's Choice barbershop was located, that was on the north side of Poquonnock...

The QRZ.com page still has the '93 database but it's hard to find.

http://www.qrz.com/db1993

Three Robert E. Collins in there, the only New England showing a W1YHQ, renewed in 1993, expired 2003, licensed to Mass. not Connecticut

Others are Ohio and Cal.

Nothing under the rest of the alphabet (middle initial) to Connecticut, either.

[AJ1G]

Thanks, Paul.  I suspect he may have let his ticket lapse by '93....wonder if there are any earlier callbooks searcable on-line.....