Boatanchor Registry

[N9NEO]

Is there a boatanchor registry?  Gearheads have them for their cars but I don't know of any for the BAs

73
Bob

[W2INR]

I know there are many dedicated to a particular company, ie Collins etc etc. I don't know of a combined site and having a combined site would not be of any advantage. I mean the info is already out there.

[W2VW]

Let me know when people start getting that anal about old rigs. 

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Let me know when people start getting that anal about old rigs. 

Have you ever talked to any of the Collins fanatics? Oh my KWM2-A with plug in relays is far superior to yours without.......

Of course round "meatball" emblemed Collins work better than the WE - Winged Emblem jobs, I can go on and on and on.......

[W2VW]

Let me know when people start getting that anal about old rigs. 

Have you ever talked to any of the Collins fanatics? Oh my KWM2-A with plug in relays is far superior to yours without.......

Of course round "meatball" emblemed Collins work better than the WE - Winged Emblem jobs, I can go on and on and on.......

Not too many of those fanatics lasted too long. They are mostly chasing butterflies now.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Let me know when people start getting that anal about old rigs. 

Got to agree with Dave on this one. Probably would be a real waste of time and effort. QSL.net has specific mail reflectors for most of the boatanchor manufacturers. So people with similar boatanchor interests and go and talk around the campfire 24/7 over and over and over.

[K1JJ]

Let me know when people start getting that anal about old rigs. 

Hey Dave,

My SP-600's serial number is 14910.  Just in case you're keeping a registry of who owns what orafice.   

BTW, how much would you charge to register a star in my name?

T

[Jim/WA2MER]

You guys don't get it, do you?  You start a registry.  Take Swan, for example.  Start a Swan registry.  Swan owners are pretty down to earth people (as are many who collect things that you can get for $100 or so).  Now your down to earth Swan-ers are probably not going to be impressed wiith a registry, so maybe only 30 of them wiill register their 350s.  Before long, 350s are going to start going for $600, because sellers can point to the registry and say that only 30 are KNOWN to exist :-).  Then we have pilgrimages to Oceanside as well as Cedar Rapids.

Jim
W2BVM

[W2VW]

You guys don't get it, do you?  You start a registry.  Take Swan, for example.  Start a Swan registry.  Swan owners are pretty down to earth people (as are many who collect things that you can get for $100 or so).  Now your down to earth Swan-ers are probably not going to be impressed wiith a registry, so maybe only 30 of them wiill register their 350s.  Before long, 350s are going to start going for $600, because sellers can point to the registry and say that only 30 are KNOWN to exist :-).  Then we have pilgrimages to Oceanside as well as Cedar Rapids.

Jim
W2BVM

How do we get the registery to drift?

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

You guys don't get it, do you?  You start a registry.  Take Swan, for example.  Start a Swan registry.  Swan owners are pretty down to earth people (as are many who collect things that you can get for $100 or so).  Now your down to earth Swan-ers are probably not going to be impressed wiith a registry, so maybe only 30 of them wiill register their 350s.  Before long, 350s are going to start going for $600, because sellers can point to the registry and say that only 30 are KNOWN to exist :-).  Then we have pilgrimages to Oceanside as well as Cedar Rapids.

Jim
W2BVM

How do we get the registery to drift?

Dave,
       I've got all of the Swan "monobanders" (20/40/75 meter rigs), a 270 "Cygnet", a 250 6M rig, a 500C, and a "Siltronix" 1011-D Comanche 10M rig. They all drift and have quirks of their own but I still like 'em. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I particularly like operating the "Silky" on 10 meters when the band is open, and have a few spare 8950's just in case I implode the one that's in there. They're not particularly rugged tubes, just ridiculously expensive.

If you ever run into a Swan 160X 160M monobander please let me know. I want one so bad I can taste it. They're not particularly adept on AM, but are truly interesting rigs.

[W2VW]

Dave,
       I've got all of the Swan "monobanders" (20/40/75 meter rigs), a 270 "Cygnet", a 250 6M rig, a 500C, and a "Siltronix" 1011-D Comanche 10M rig. They all drift and have quirks of their own but I still like 'em. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I particularly like operating the "Silky" on 10 meters when the band is open, and have a few spare 8950's just in case I implode the one that's in there. They're not particularly rugged tubes, just ridiculously expensive.

If you ever run into a Swan 160X 160M monobander please let me know. I want one so bad I can taste it. They're not particularly adept on AM, but are truly interesting rigs.

No ham career is complete without owning and operating this kind of stuff. I'll take a Galaxy 5 Mark 3 with the external VFO. Yeah, it can do split on 40, work some dog x-ray.

[WA3VJB]

A registry has value when there aren't many units out there. Otherwise, who cares.
That said, what's the quantity it takes to reach the who cares level?
Take the Collins KW-1.  Not many out there, and it's not difficult to track the ownership history the past 50 yerars.
I maintain a registry for the Collins 300-G, and we know the whereabouts or fate of about three dozen of the 200 or so that were made from 1946-1952.  I think it's kinda cool to know where No. 2 is, all the way through No. 171.
By contrast, no one is keeping track of the 32V(x) series tabletop Collins AM transmitters. In this case, people are more interested in knowing the differences among the V, V-1, V-2 and V-3 variants.
Same for R390A. Here, the discussion often centers on which contractor made the example at hand. Late model examples from the Electronic Asistance Corp. contractor are often more expensive, even above the Collins version which are early in the manufacturing run and lack the improvements made along the way. If there's a serial number registy for this receiver, it doesn't draw much interest.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Dave,
       I've got all of the Swan "monobanders" (20/40/75 meter rigs), a 270 "Cygnet", a 250 6M rig, a 500C, and a "Siltronix" 1011-D Comanche 10M rig. They all drift and have quirks of their own but I still like 'em. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I particularly like operating the "Silky" on 10 meters when the band is open, and have a few spare 8950's just in case I implode the one that's in there. They're not particularly rugged tubes, just ridiculously expensive.

If you ever run into a Swan 160X 160M monobander please let me know. I want one so bad I can taste it. They're not particularly adept on AM, but are truly interesting rigs.

Hey Joe! Didn't you go today? I thought I saw one of those 160X's there or something that looked like it.

Maybe I'll keep a Li'l Lulu receiver registry.

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Dave,
       I've got all of the Swan "monobanders" (20/40/75 meter rigs), a 270 "Cygnet", a 250 6M rig, a 500C, and a "Siltronix" 1011-D Comanche 10M rig. They all drift and have quirks of their own but I still like 'em. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. I particularly like operating the "Silky" on 10 meters when the band is open, and have a few spare 8950's just in case I implode the one that's in there. They're not particularly rugged tubes, just ridiculously expensive.

If you ever run into a Swan 160X 160M monobander please let me know. I want one so bad I can taste it. They're not particularly adept on AM, but are truly interesting rigs.

Hey Joe! Didn't you go today? I thought I saw one of those 160X's there or something that looked like it.

Maybe I'll keep a Li'l Lulu receiver registry.

Pete - Just my luck they had a Swan 160X there today!  Unfortunately I couldn't make it due to a health issue. How was the 'Fester overall?
Regards,
          Joe N3IBX

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Pete - Just my luck they had a Swan 160X there today!  Unfortunately I couldn't make it due to a health issue. How was the 'Fester overall?
Regards,
          Joe N3IBX

Small was the word. If you walked to each table and talked to each seller for a few minutes, total time around would be about 15 minutes.

I left there and went across I195 to West Windsor to the DVRA hamfest too. A little bigger but not by much. Maybe a half hour total time spent there. Saw several boatanchors there too and none over $100. Saw two "working" D-104's go for $10 each. Did both hamfests, East side and West side of NJ, and was back home by 11AM even with a quick stop at Home Depot. Spent more time driving than hamfesting. Ya didn't miss much.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Unfortunately today's registries too often end up as brag lists for the guy with 8 S-Lines, 4 SX-88s, or whatever else. Benefits of a registry are pretty much limited to knowing folks with similar problems to help you fix yours when it pukes.

That being said, I've always liked the 'history' side of radio that Paul refers to and the occasional cool story surrounding a piece of gear. For example, last night I was flipping through one of the AWA Old Timer's Bulletins and saw the remains of a Vibroplex bug, obviously badly burned. Turns out it was the key from the Morro Castle, an early cruise ship that burned and grounded itself on some NJ beach. Now, I suspect many of the collectors out there today could care less about it since nothing was left but the charred base w/tag, support arms, and that end piece that held the weighted flipper-stopper (how's that for a technical term?). But what an interesting piece of history.

Maybe I'll keep a Li'l Lulu receiver registry.

Mike Hopkins in Texas was keeping one last I heard, Pete. He's a big VHF/Tecraft nut. But if you decide to part with that receiver, I'd sure be happy to give it a good home with a very lonely transmitter. 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Maybe I'll keep a Li'l Lulu receiver registry.

Mike Hopkins in Texas was keeping one last I heard, Pete. He's a big VHF/Tecraft nut. But if you decide to part with that receiver, I'd sure be happy to give it a good home with a very lonely transmitter. 

Mike became a SK back a number of months ago.
Actually that's not my picture. That setup belongs to WØVAN, 3 transmitters  and 1 receiver(an ebay purchase) as of last year. Don't know what his count is today. But there were only 6 receivers made according to Ed Ladd, W2IDZ,who I knew very well and visited several moths before he became a SK. Van has one, I have two (including the one they used in the Ad photos), 1 in Michigan(I think)(I saw this receiver and matching transmitter at Dayton 3(?) years ago as I was walking by; someone tugged my arm to say hello and when I looked back a few short minutes later, they were gone), one was destroyed many years ago, and one is still uncounted for but I believe it's somewhere in the Southwest maybe Arizona.

I have most of Ed's personal notes on the receiver. It seems all 6 were made slightly different since he couldn't settle on a firm design. He decided to build a few, get them into the market, and wait for feedback before he settled on a final design. Market changed and costs increased so no further production was done with the receiver.

[Herb K2VH]

Have you ever talked to any of the Collins fanatics? Oh my KWM2-A with plug in relays is far superior to yours without.......

Of course round "meatball" emblemed Collins work better than the WE - Winged Emblem jobs, I can go on and on and on.......

Hey Joe,

My BC-610 has 100Ts in the modulator.  They're older and rarer than the plain ol' 100THs you've got in urs.  So there!  Nah nah nah nah nah nah!!

Vell Hung (That's my name in Chinese)

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

[Hey Joe,

My BC-610 has 100Ts in the modulator.  They're older and rarer than the plain ol' 100THs you've got in urs.  So there!  Nah nah nah nah nah nah!!

Vell Hung (That's my name in Chinese)

Herb,
       Your 100T's are older and rarer than the 100TH's I have in my HT4-H/BC-610-I, but do you have a pair of Raytheon RK-38's? I have to thank Skip Green, K7Y00 for them. RK-38's were Raytheon's version of the 100T.

Whilst we're on the subject of more obscure Eimac tubes, I have an original 150T from 1934 (first year Eimac made pubes) It's still good! This definitely attributes to Eimac's longevity and stamina. You can't beat 'em. That's why I say: "Antennas by Eimac" - hi!

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Unfortunately today's registries too often end up as brag lists for the guy with 8 S-Lines, 4 SX-88s, or whatever else. Benefits of a registry are pretty much limited to knowing folks with similar problems to help you fix yours when it pukes.

That being said, I've always liked the 'history' side of radio that Paul refers to and the occasional cool story surrounding a piece of gear. For example, last night I was flipping through one of the AWA Old Timer's Bulletins and saw the remains of a Vibroplex bug, obviously badly burned. Turns out it was the key from the Morro Castle, an early cruise ship that burned and grounded itself on some NJ beach. Now, I suspect many of the collectors out there today could care less about it since nothing was left but the charred base w/tag, support arms, and that end piece that held the weighted flipper-stopper (how's that for a technical term?). But what an interesting piece of history.

Maybe I'll keep a Li'l Lulu receiver registry.

Mike Hopkins in Texas was keeping one last I heard, Pete. He's a big VHF/Tecraft nut. But if you decide to part with that receiver, I'd sure be happy to give it a good home with a very lonely transmitter. 

Todd - The "Morrow Castle" was the very last wooden Luxury Liner. It caught fire and moored itself into low tide and burned itself out off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey in September, 1934. It seems there was consternation with the crew, etc; and not many people were paying attention to what was going on.
What a shame. It was a beautiful boat!

[Herb K2VH]

Herb,
       Your 100T's are older and rarer than the 100TH's I have in my HT4-H/BC-610-I, but do you have a pair of Raytheon RK-38's? I have to thank Skip Green, K7Y00 for them. RK-38's were Raytheon's version of the 100T.

My gawd, Joe, you're right.  Your pubes are older than my pubes.  You win, Old Bean!

Vertex Herb

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Mike became a SK back a number of months ago.
Actually that's not my picture. That setup belongs to WØVAN, 3 transmitters  and 1 receiver(an ebay purchase) as of last year. Don't know what his count is today. But there were only 6 receivers made according to Ed Ladd, W2IDZ,who I knew very well and visited several moths before he became a SK. Van has one, I have two (including the one they used in the Ad photos), 1 in Michigan(I think)(I saw this receiver and matching transmitter at Dayton 3(?) years ago as I was walking by; someone tugged my arm to say hello and when I looked back a few short minutes later, they were gone), one was destroyed many years ago, and one is still uncounted for but I believe it's somewhere in the Southwest maybe Arizona.

I have most of Ed's personal notes on the receiver. It seems all 6 were made slightly different since he couldn't settle on a firm design. He decided to build a few, get them into the market, and wait for feedback before he settled on a final design. Market changed and costs increased so no further production was done with the receiver.

I'm sorry to hear about Mike, he was a decent sort and very much a 'radiohead' especially when it came to the more obscure VHF gear. I recall that he used to send out to the original BA list and others, odd little detective-type stories he wrote involving VHF gear. Hadn't heard from him since earlier this year or maybe mid-late 2004. He also saw that Lulu combo at Dayton because he sent me an email that he had finally seen a receiver. Said the guy who had it wasn't selling, though.

IIRC, the LuLus came from a project Ed did with a ham club down that way (Bell Labs or something?) and grew into the actual production units? I've seen one of the 'club' built examples, a guy over in NH has it. Of the production units I've seen, they were all still in excellent shape. Certainly well-designed and built. Did Ed Ladd ever work with Ed Clegg?

Thanks for posting the picture. Probably the closest I'll ever come to getting the receiver! 

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Todd - The "Morrow Castle" was the very last wooden Luxury Liner. It caught fire and moored itself into low tide and burned itself out off the coast of Asbury Park, New Jersey in September, 1934. It seems there was consternation with the crew, etc; and not many people were paying attention to what was going on.
What a shame. It was a beautiful boat!

Joe -

There was a program on about this not too long ago, apparently the years of built up paint and varnish really fueled the fire. And you're right - not only did they suspect a crew member for starting the fire, seems the radio op had an axe to grind and they pretty much settled on him!

The remains of the key are (or were as of 1982) in the collection of Ed Raser, W2ZI. Hideously ugly from a 'pretty key' sense, but very intriguing. Not unlike the telephone they 'salvaged' from the crows nest of the Titanic a few years back, used to place the iceberg call. 

[WA3VJB]

Your Eimacs are smack.

I've got a matched trio of Eimac 100's, that's right, made before the 100A, the 100B, on up through the recent 100T, and the newest one, the 100TH.

But, lacking a rig that takes them, I've made a dandy set of table lamps out of them.

[Herb K2VH]

Your Eimacs are smack.
I've got a matched trio of Eimac 100's, that's right, made before the 100A, the 100B, on up through the recent 100T, and the newest one, the 100TH.

Gawd, I feel so common.
KN2VH