Why we call it ..

[RolandSWL]

 I'm trying to grasp the concept of 'Buzzardly'. Does it relate only to vintage  electronic equipment or can a person be considered "Buzzardly"?
 Can a ham station be composed entirely of 'Buzzardly' equipment (including the operator)? What would it look like?
I'm keen to know.

Roland………...

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Some English word bastardizations are conceived in one's own mind and then propagated like rain. It's a word concept that has no sense. Amateur radio, like lots of other hobbies, has many of them.

[K1JJ]

It probably started back in the 60's and 70's with Tim / WA1HLR's  (imaginary) rendition of Old Man Hiram on Buzzard's Bay, Cape Cod here in the Northeast..

Tron wud get on 75M AM and create a comical two-way QSO sounding like an old buzzard, talking about his good wife Mabel making apple pie and other stuff.

After a while old boat anchor tube rigs started to be called old buzzard rigs and buzzardly.   Same for hams.  

Nothing better than an old buzzard acting like an old buzzard running buzzardly ham gear...


T

[W7TFO]

I know some hams more vulture than buzzard...

But, I'm proud to be & know lots of buzzards!

73DG

[n1bnc]

old buzzard
buz·zard
1 [buhz-erd] Show IPA
noun
1.
any of several broad-winged, soaring hawks of the genus Buteo  and allied genera, especially B. buteo,  of Europe.
2.
any of several New World vultures of the family Cathartidae, especially the turkey vulture.
3.
Slang. a contemptible or cantankerous person (often preceded by old  ): That old buzzard has lived in the same shack for twenty years.

[KB5MD]

Better "Ole Buzzards" than old bastards.

[KL7OF]

Buteo equipment.........

[RolandSWL]

Worth a thousand words................

[KA7WOC]

Yea,
Upper right corner.  Polyciter sitting on PaulyGurl. 

[Opcom]

The old picture of Don in his shack with his transmitter would be useful here.

old buzzard gear to me is usually black and has cloth covered wire but it is not the fault of the equipment or the owner how any particular piece was made or painted. for sure all tubes no solid state,  and as few as possible of the smaller tubes in use are of the miniature (9-pin, 7-pin, compaction) ones, and most of the smaller tubes in use would be the octals, loktal, 4,5,6,7 pin, etc. like a 47 or a 6L6. Also a lot of old triodes in the power positions, and mercury rectifiers.

[RolandSWL]

Don't know if this qualifies………….

http://tbo.com/storyimage/TB/20131231/ARTICLE/131239897/AR/0/AR-131239897.jpg

[Steve - K4HX]

This does.

[Steve - K4HX]

This too.

[Steve - K4HX]

These are super buzzardly.

http://amwindow.org/pix/htm/210xmtr.htm

[W7TFO]

Nah, just kidding.  

Love the Weston fan meters.....& water cooled tubes.

Plenty Buzzardly!

73DG