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Things that make us want us to go back in time.

A friend from the St Louis area and a blog reader in response to our posting the other day sent me two links to projects of old. (Tnx Pete WB9FLW)

One link is for a 1967 QST and the other a publication on "Transistors". The time of publications (1960's) is important for several reasons. These include a time when electronic technology was rapidly advancing, and transistors were taking a more dominant role in our beloved gear. It also represents a time when our hobby was technically grounded and not all about contests and operating.






As I read the QST link I was struck by the ads for the then advanced state of the art radios mixed with home-built gear projects like Solid State CW transmitters, Vacuum Tube SSB Transceivers, Beam Construction and operation on 2 Meters.

I must confess I was sad when I read the QST for it was a time (June 1967) when I actually was starting out in life like having finished college, completing my four-year stint in the Navy, and two "vacation trips" to Vietnam and still alive. 

With this issue meant I now would have some $$$, as Navy pay sucked and I could have some decent test gear and more time with the YL's. Why the sadness... QST is now a catalog for offshore ham gear and little emphasis on technology as compared to June 1967!

What really excited me was the technology shift to transistors as transmitters were now more than 100 Milliwatts and promise for the future (in less than 10 years) where we would have 100-watt SS transceivers. They did come.

Don Stoner was a visionary and had the products to back it up. SGC who built Marine SSB gear and for a short while ham gear (SGC2020 and the SGC2000) was a company founded by Don Stoner and Pierre Goral (the S and G in SGC). See the photo of the SGC 2020 below and they are a prized find today.





We can't go back in time and now I personally must adjust that the forward for the hobby will involve no more homebrewing rigs by the ham population in general. My time will be spent at the bench, and I should stop trying to suggest that others join me. It just won't happen. 

Thinking back to 1960 when I was 18 if we only had AI. I tried a test question to Copilot stating if I was 18 how I could become rich. That answer in 1960 would be worth its weight in gold. If I only knew that answer in 1960. So, there are some good things in the future. 

Them that know can make things go. There is still time to donate $$$ to various organizations so others will have a decent meal come this next Thursday.

Almost forgot, the article by Kenner Day, W5TAB on the SSB transceiver using FT241 surplus crystals. I actually acquired those crystals and still have a few of them today but did not proceed with the build. His crystal filter design gave me a bit of a pause.




73's
Pete N6QW


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