Scrapping a Classic

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Been a while since I was active on here. Always thought as I got older there would be more time. Clearly this has not been the case.

We're currently staring down the barrel of another move, this time more cross-country instead of in-state or next door. As a result of that and with memories of the last two moves, it's time to lighten the load considerably.

Hard to believe, but it's been nearly 20 years since I picked up the 21XS from W2INR. Once a 21E, Gary worked his magic and built a true masterpiece. When he put it up for sale, I was thrilled to get it. Coincidentally right around the time I got married.

Steve, K4HX and I drove from NC to NY to haul it home with only minor drama along the way. At one point all three cabinets were set up in my new station and about ready to re-populate with iron and tubes. Then we moved to northern VA where it sat in the garage for three years. Another move in 2019 to our current location with some misjudgement on my part. I thought there was plenty-o-room for it in the basement station, but soon discovered I had measured wrong, missing the fact that the basement was not as 'full' as the upstairs floor plan about 1/3rd of it was crawlspace.

The transmitter has sat on the porch deck outside the station, covered but still partly exposed. A few folks were interested over the years, but nothing ever materialized. Sooooo....

Told the good wife Mable that I was going to scrap it. She had been advocating for this two moves ago. Imagine my surprised when she, of all people, asked me to list it for sale "one more time"!

It's now in the classifieds but will most likely be at the transfer station in a couple weeks. Tubes, meters, knobs, even transformers are a lot easier to move than three large, steel cabinets with their associated front panels, doors, and ventilation panels. I can remove the cap from my Ranger and tip them into the back, one by one, then push them into the metal dumpster.

Having spoken with many of the crew over the years the answer was always the same. Most recently with Joe/WA2PJP the obvious was again mentioned: we can't be the curators of everything forever.

In honor of the man who created it, here are a few shots Gary took of the "21XS", including one when it was still the 21E. A true work of art for those so-inclined.

 

[KA8WTK]

Would love to hear someone pull off one last "INR" on that before it is gone forever.
Where to now Todd?

Bill KA8WTK

[KL7OF]

The driver section is a 300j. Can easily be made into a  stand alone 250 watt tx.

[KD6VXI]

You can't erase things from the internet.

It will live on forever.

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI

[KA3EKH]

Most salvage yards will pay around $4 per hundred for stuff like that. Way better end to it them going into a landfill. The thing is to have something like a small trailer to drag the stuff to the scrap yard.  I have recycled several analog television transmitters after striping the good parts.

[W2INR]

Hey Todd,

Sorry to hear the news and things just didn't work out for you with the 21XS. It was a beautiful piece of equipment.

I think the last time we spoke was when you had it all set up and I was planning on coming down to hook er up?

Catch you at the fall Nearfest?

G

[Opcom]

That's a great set of setups there! A shame to have to let it go. I hope someone will buy the transmitter to avoid it being scrapped!


Is that a GE audio console in the middle picture?
I have a GE 4BC21 board that looks very similar. Haven't found the manual for it so never powered up.

[W2INR]

The console is a RCA BC-7, I loved it.

G

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Hey G - good to see you on here again. Heard you were active again, guess I'm not on enough to keep up.

You're right - I had all three cabinets set up in NC and was planning to have you down to put on the finishing touches when we moved to northern VA. Three years later we moved here, and now we're off one final time. When Steve & I moved it down from your place it was a job but much cheaper than having to pay the commercial movers the last two times. Transportation costs alone have more than doubled the original cost, and those trips weren't as far as the next one. Sorry to see such a beautiful rig go, but I'm no longer in a position to keep it. Robert/'VMC was interested in the two outer cabinets, but traveling to VA to get them wasn't an option.

Not sure about fall, possibly spring NF since I'll still be on the east coast. We'll see.

Ray - the closest salvage yard to me is a half hour or more away and I only have an older Ford Ranger. Our transfer station does have a large metal recycling dumpster, so it won't get buried. I can back up and drag stuff out of the bed and let gravity pull it down into the dumpster.

Steve - already have Barry W's old 300G 250 watter, so I'm set there. There's pretty much no interest in large transmitters these days, even in their prime they weren't for most folks. Only a few of us.

Bill - thought we might end up near you in OH but we're heading a few states west. All the naysayers of my past will finally be right - I'm gonna be a zero!

Had hoped to find a home for the 21XS but didn't have high expectations. In the next couple weeks I'll start the dismantling process. At least it's already 50% or more disassembled thanks to Gary's hard work years ago. In all honesty, the 'stay of execution' is completely thanks to Jen. After being stood up multiple times in the past by 'buyers', I was ready to start hauling last week.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

So the deed is done or, at least - begun.

First load to the metal recycler consisting of small access doors, rear ventilation panels, power supply lower panel and one large front panel.

One more front panel to complete along with the rear hinged access doors before moving on to the cabinets/chassis themselves. Should have that completed by the weekend, then on to the chassis.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

If there's a good side to this ending, it's the plethora of parts that will eventually be available to others trying to keep their 300J, 20V-2, or 21E going into the future. I'm taking the extra time to remove pretty much anything of use down to harnesses and cable clamps, even hardware - as evidenced by the photos below.

In response to inquiries made, I will say that for now I'm not offering anything for sale due to time constraints with the upcoming move. However, if you're local or plan to be in the Charlottesville/Richmond are (we're halfway between) I'll be happy to let you haul off stuff like iron etc. Less for me to move.

[Opcom]

Too bad we are so far apart. Curious as to how large the mod iron and reactor are. 

I'm curious about the meter panels but I sense they are not anything like 19" but instead made for the unit custom size.

[W7NGA]

I'm in Oregon but would gladly drive anywhere to save the BC-7. I've been looking for one, or its equivalent for years.

W7NGA

[W3SLK]

I plan on being at Berryville this year if you are going to attend.