[Radio1950]

Stories,

Here's one, and even about Specans.

In about 1984, ominous year, our organisation installed about 48 Satellite Ground Stations, to support ATC HF (being converted to SSB) and VHF AGA Coms.

Japanese NEC 800 chan FM FDM, 12 and 14 GHZ; really beautifully built.

We needed a Specan for lineup, and as we were on an airport which was joint civil (me) and military, we asked (them) for assistance.
We helped them with their Thomson ER720 TAR radar, so they really had to.

"Here you go mate!"

They offered what looked like a WW2 Panadaptor, keeping their good Specans safe.

"I'll just go and see if it fits through our door!"

Stall.

The very next week, our new Anritsu MS710 turns up.
Drool.
Lovely thing to use.

Advance 30 yrs.

Our Bean Counters at work had a "Resource Rationalisation" and threw out about 20 MS710s, 15 Marconi 2018s, same M2018, and some Rhode and Schwartz SMHU sig gens.

I was on holidays.

The medicine helps, and on the good days, I mostly grab my Weller iron by the blue end.

(Jeremy, the NEC satellite stuff used 70 MHz IF.)
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