BoatAnchors

This website can be viewed with:

Life Member:

Equipment where vacuum turns out to be worth SOMETHING after all ...

This logo is from my Hallicrafters Continental... using an AGFA 1680-and Adobe PhotoShop 6 software

Take a look at my CORROSION TOPICS page. Lots of unfortunate mistakes and cures. Complete with closeups!!!

Please note: the website above is a kind of popularity contest: the more folks that click on it, the higher I get to be in their standing. Such websites are very interesting places to visit, for their links are immediately evident-and are usually as unique and varied as you will find within our Amateur Radio culture. So... please click on it!

BoatAnchors. The term refers to older equipment-nominally using tubes. Personally, I set my own framework for the term because there is a lot of older solid state (or hybrid-using transistors and tubes) gear out there as well. My SBE-33 & SBE-34 transceivers and Hammarlund HQ-215 Mk II are good cases in point. The former are hybrid designs, with a few tubes; and the latter is all solid state, but-I believe-ought to qualify as a boatanchor!

But whatever your definition, collecting and USING older radios is both interesting and rewarding. Rewarding, because in some cases, you must take what seems to be a non-working, sometimes rusty or otherwise corroded, piece of electronic history; and restore it as closely as possible to its original condition. Doing this after 40 or 50 years of operation-and sometimes even neglect.

Seeing that radio light up and play is extremely rewarding. And, somehow, it's more than just getting a radio to play. For me at least, it matters to know something not only isn't going to the junk pile, but is going to be able to occupy its small place in the rich history of radio communications.

I have very few pictures of my own gear-yet. I have been waiting for the Kodak Picture CD with your developed film. That machine is now available at my friendly Wolf Camera location, and now I should be able to put some nice shots into this webpage. That's what it's for, after all.

Also, I sold my AGFA 780c digital camera in order to replace it with a much better camera: the AGFA 1680. This camera has the Zoom, the manual exposure settings I need for its MACRO mode. '1680 pictures are quite sharp, with its 1.3 million pixels. I got a deal on it, since it is now 2 generations behind (2.2 and now 3.3 million pixels!) But it takes great shots, and may supplant my Nikon for this medium!

Meanwhile, I have placed some pictures other people took of the type of equipment I own. They are mostly NOT pictures of my pieces (except as noted)... but most of my stuff will look and run as good or better than the photos. So... until I do get my own... here are some examples of the equipment I own and love.