Just returned from the 2005 Antique Wireless Conference and what a trip it was.
I managed to take well over 100 photos of the trip, click here to view -->
http://www.brucehowes.com/awa_2005.htmGreat meet, met some new friends and renewed old ones.
Lots of interesting parts and receivers in the meet area.
Not as much as last year, but a nice National SW-3 and several boxes of parts, magazines and misc items followed me home.
Larry NE1S got the deal of the event with the purchase of a $45 National SW-3.
Multiple AM miscreants were present, W2ZM, WB2FOF, W1GIG, W4IAM, NE1S.
Various activites, forums, presentations and equipment displays are offered.
We missed the amateur forum as we cut out early.
The AWA auction was quite interesting as well.
A large number of tubes, paper lit, broadcast receivers and amateur gear was present.
Sadly the spark transmitter which I had my eye on went for $2600, a tad more than I was willing to pay to be loud and buzzy.
The highlight of the trip was a visit to the AWA Museum and Annex.
If you have not been to the museum or annex, you really should make the trip.
It easy to spend all day in each location, perusing the various displays.
The Museum features an old time radio store from the 1920-1930s, a vast number of broadcast receivers, early TV receivers, maritime station replicas and tube displays.
The upstairs of the museum is my favorite part; here you can find replicas of early amateur stations, from spark to early Hartley and regen sets.
You will find most of the later amateur, military and broadcast sets at the Annex.
The Annex also hosts the Bruce Kelly W2ICE research library, full of old magazines, manuals, schematics, etc.
The Bruce Kelly Research library also boasts the James Millen Memorial Station.
James Millen W1HRX was one of the early engineers at National Radio, and largely responsible for the wonderful National HRO series receiver.
Millen later left National to start his own company, James Millen, which offered all kinds of parts for the homebrewer.
Millen’s transmitter, contained in three large racks, is a sight to behold, and just as much fun to operate.
The station uses the callsign W2AN and is often on the air during AWA events and contests.
We also made a side trip to Buffalo and picked up my Elmer's, W2UJR SK, 160 meter transmitter.
I'll have more details and photos on that project in the next few weeks.
My goal is to get her up and on the air for the winter 160 season.
I managed to take well over 100 photos of the trip, click here to view -->
http://www.brucehowes.com/awa_2005.htmIf you do not currently belong to AWA, and have an interest in early radio, it’s well worth joining.
Aside from the HF and VHF nets, the AWA Journal, published 6 times per year, is always great reading.
You can find out more about AWA at
http://www.antiquewireless.org/73 Bruce W1UJR
