Oh those hamfests! Old gear and fixin' it

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Richard Hull
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Real name: Richard Hull

Oh those hamfests! Old gear and fixin' it

Post by Richard Hull »

I just got back from the Berryville hamfest Last Sunday. Picked up a lotta' cool stuff. What is it with me and old gear?
I have frequency counters coming out of my ears so why not buy two more? At their price, I was not going to leave them behind for someone else.
Then there is that Univ of Maryland Retro bias supply and the U MD Bicron 3" well PMT with attached preamp.
Insulators, HV caps, SS hardware, etc.
Oh and 2 panel meters with 0-50kv scale...The pair for $5.00 total

My big find and biggest expense was a 1 watt burning handheld blue laser that burns wood!! Really pours out the smoke. $90.00, but worth it. Uses two powerful lithium rechargeable batteries. Have to be real careful with this baby. Nothing specular must be anywhere near the beam path. I plan to mount it in a fixed setup for demo. Waving one of these around handheld is asking for trouble.


The most expensive stuff at the hamfest was the food! The local Ruritans had a nice setup as always..
I got a hotdog, some cheese fries and a large Orange Crush for $13.25! It was like I was at a ball game or something....Used to be about $8.00.

I guess there were about 500-800 folks there. No masks were seen by me, but then there are always a few who think covid is still an issue.

I'm getting old. I use to buzz around this fest on foot. It can easily be about a 2 mile walk in and among the shaded trees with the back and forth to the car, etc. In the 93 degree heat, it took it outta' me! Still, the hunt is the thing!

The two frequency counters both worked fine but looked terrible.
The PMT seems OK as well. (haven't fully wrung it out yet.)
The bias supply needed a single fuse (has 2 of them). I had to put in one damaged 0G3/85A2 regulator (A pal had one in his vast tube inventory and gifted it to me.) Lots of cleaning needed as this puppy sat forlorn for a number of years with the usual cal tags plastered all over it (1975 was the most recent cal date and this supply was old then!! Works 100% now and is really accurate and rock stable on its output.

Images for your edification.

Richard Hull
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Th' guts!  This bias supply worked once I put in a fuse and one regulator tube.  Yes there are 17 of those nice 0G3 tubes that are switched in series to obtain the desired voltage.  Well laid out old gear like this attracts me like a moth to a flame.
Th' guts! This bias supply worked once I put in a fuse and one regulator tube. Yes there are 17 of those nice 0G3 tubes that are switched in series to obtain the desired voltage. Well laid out old gear like this attracts me like a moth to a flame.
A fabulous $10 buy.  Old school, circa 50 or 60 vintage my guess.  You are looking at it after considerable cleanup of front panel.  Nice in that it is polarity switchable. the voltage is varied in 85 volt steps using a profusion of 0G3 regulator tubes.
A fabulous $10 buy. Old school, circa 50 or 60 vintage my guess. You are looking at it after considerable cleanup of front panel. Nice in that it is polarity switchable. the voltage is varied in 85 volt steps using a profusion of 0G3 regulator tubes.
Paid $1.00 for this nice Leader counter!  It was really beat up and scratched, filthy, just a real mess.  It worked!  I liked it for its VFD display.  Three hours of elbow grease, straightening out bent case parts and repainting, made me proud of this one.  A buck!  Can you believe it.
Paid $1.00 for this nice Leader counter! It was really beat up and scratched, filthy, just a real mess. It worked! I liked it for its VFD display. Three hours of elbow grease, straightening out bent case parts and repainting, made me proud of this one. A buck! Can you believe it.
Really nice counter was fairly clean but dusty with tags and tape on it.  Cleaned up well.  Price $15  I am feeding in 10mhz from one of those small 4 pin DIP oscillators....Very close.
Really nice counter was fairly clean but dusty with tags and tape on it. Cleaned up well. Price $15 I am feeding in 10mhz from one of those small 4 pin DIP oscillators....Very close.
Sweet deal for $25.00.  Plug in Pre-amp, alone, is worth the price!  Bicron 3X3 well type NaI:Tl xtal.
Sweet deal for $25.00. Plug in Pre-amp, alone, is worth the price! Bicron 3X3 well type NaI:Tl xtal.
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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