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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment. |
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1st Nov 2013, 6:20 pm | #1 |
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G-QRP Rishworth 2013
I made my annual foray South of the border last weekend and had a rather good rootle round the old tuff and junk at a radio rally that seems to have locked itself back in time. No stalls selling dead computers or warranty returns of consumer stuff. Plenty of old radios, plenty of old test gear.
Heathkit DX40U and a Panda Cub for putting classic signals on the air. There's a thread running just now on the history of Minimitter, kicked off by one of their transmitters. Well, I found a Minimitter receiver. There was also a Codar CR70 receiver. I was never thrilled by these but they certainly are rare now. There was one stall with a fair mountain of test gear. It seems the stallholder collects Racal testgear. Me? I bought an AVO transistor tester TT537. It's the civvy version of the later mains-only one. It's immaculate inside and the steel shells just need a wash. If all works, I think I'll keep it as a user. Otherwise it could get fixed or become a spares box, though it's too nice to want to do that. With a 50uA range, I have a sneaky suspicion that meter is one of AVOs 30uA movements. I think it's an event worth a 500 mile round-trip, but my parents live close, and Scotland is rather starved of radio events. David
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1st Nov 2013, 7:41 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
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Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex.
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Re: G-QRP Rishworth 2013
Thanks for posting David. This rally was recommended to me by someone who knew Reverend Dobbs [was that you in fact?]. I'd had it in my diary along with Golborne, handy from Rammy but I'm in the south until the 12th.
Any chance you could put a photo of the Minmitter Rx on the thread started by Brian? He's doing a good job of building up a Minimitter knowledge base whereof there seemed to be very little previously! Dave W Last edited by dave walsh; 1st Nov 2013 at 7:47 pm. |
1st Nov 2013, 9:48 pm | #3 |
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Re: G-QRP Rishworth 2013
Ha, the Minimitter's one I didn't get a photo of. It was a bit hit and miss trying to get clear shots before someone went and stood in the gap.
It was a good event. The night before there had been about ten beginners having a go at construction under the guidance of several been-round-the-block-a-few-times constructors. Sadly two of the regulars (and great friends) had both lost their wives a month earlier. Marlene and Margaret had both been good friends as well, and both were lost to the same ailment, the same night, 450 miles apart. It started things on a sombre note as both would normally be seen manning the entrance to the hall. What I didn't know is the stall with the mountain of test gear belonged to a regular on this forum. Neither of us knew each other's face, and I only found out an hour or so ago. Either this forum has tentacles everywhere, or it's a small world, or both. David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
2nd Nov 2013, 8:29 pm | #4 |
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Re: G-QRP Rishworth 2013
Hi David, it could be worth posting this event on the forum when it is next on, hopefully attract a few more customers as there are not too many events in my neck of the woods.
Ed |
2nd Nov 2013, 11:58 pm | #5 |
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Re: G-QRP Rishworth 2013
Hi Ed, I'll do so. It's a popular enough event anyway and hard to move around until the lecture programme pulls some of the people away. Lots of junk stalls with lots of old components, boxes of valves etc.
If you'd have to stay in the area, there's one hotel a few miles away where most of the gang stay and hold the buildathon and a post-event buffet. Just back from the Microwave Roundtable event at the museum of communications. Excellent talks (Chris Bartram of Mutek fame came from Wales) followed up by a good dinner with four of the gang on fiddles, concertina and autoharp! I picked up a couple of books and a full Metcal soldering iron. As one of the organisers, I just feel relieved all went OK. It was quite odd talking of GHz and sub-dB noise figures surrounded by round Ekcos, Hallicrafters, mechanical gramophones and a Strowger demonstrator. David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |
9th Nov 2013, 6:39 pm | #6 | |
Hexode
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Blackburn, Lancashire, UK.
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Re: G-QRP Rishworth 2013
Quote:
Being only about 5 miles away from my location, I would've loved to attend this rally. Sounds like it was in an entirely different league than the usual scenario at Blackpool rally, etc'.. which just aren't upto much anymore in my opinion. |
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11th Nov 2013, 12:21 am | #7 |
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Re: G-QRP Rishworth 2013
OK, I'll treat it as a civic duty!
The stallholders are all carefully vetted and there is a waiting list of applicants. David
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Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done |