What have you recently acquired for new radio gear ?

[bcloud1968]

Okay, THAT makes sense but I doubt they will be easy to find anywhere else.

Thanks for the response.
Bob

That is true Bob I have found several posted on Ebay, etc but they are priced out of site. I lucked out on two of them in the Ebay book lot I located for practically nothing including the shipping. I wish Lou's ordering site was still active I would still order the 3 book package.

I also tried to order the books new from Lou tried several times. The PLL and Screwdriver books were purchased in a book lot on Ebay used but in usable, readable condition for a few dollars. The Tech troubleshooting book was located through a book store out of Austin, Tx like new condition but for $$$.

[nosaj]

Nosaj,

If you noticed, were the funds taken out EARLY... like when you placed the order? Or LATER near the time that the order was shipped?

What I want to avoid is making a charge on there that "hangs around forever" and I never know if it will be taken out or not.

What I may do is put the money on a gift card, use that gift card for the purchase... then.... only one of two things will happen, 1) I will get the order at some point and all will be good, or 2) the order will be lost and I may or may not get the funds back.

I really hate that Lou has fallen on bad health times but would dearly love to have this title!!!!!

Thanks!
Bob

It took me almost 3 months to get the screwdriver book and the only reason I got it is because I paid with paypal and got them involved. It sure is a hassle working with Lou.
Kens electronics has some good books. [Please login or register to view this link]
Nosaj
N1EBC

That is where using paypal will save your bacon. If it's not sent , doesn't make it to you, etc. Paypal will intervene . In my case once I started with paypal dispute, thne lou woke up made a promise to have it out in 2 weeks , after 30 days I let paypal know they contacted him one more time. He promised to send me some pill amp plans for free. Well another month paypal refunded my money and then the book and plans showed up after paypal dispute was closed.

nosaj
N1EBC

[Bobcat]

*sigh*

I guess I just need to give up.

[nosaj]

The Pll book can be found online in pdf form. And the screwdriver book, I may end up letting mine go soon.
nosaj
N1EBC

[Blue Ox2]

I have a copy of the Screwdriver book I would be willing to sell.

[MDYoungblood]

I have a copy of the Screwdriver book I would be willing to sell.

Post it in the "For Sale" topic Blue. You have post count.
[Please login or register to view this link]

3's

Greg

[rudy]

I believe I have one of Lou's books. It was way over my head so I haven't used it. I could be talked into trading it for something. I'll need to see if I can still find it. If I remember it was PLL and screwdriver on the cover.

[Pizzaman247]

I have been purchasing Cobra 29 LTD radios an doing the 520 mosfet mod then flipping them for whatever I can get - Lots of fun since every radio tunes up slightly different - im amazed at how many radios I get that have non working meters ( About $8 ) and just need minor things fixed to get them working right.[Please login or register to view this link]

[bcloud1968]

I was going through my recent stuff and found some more recent items I have purchased. Picked up a couple of Midland 77-888's a Royce 1-621 base, Heathkit SG-8 signal generator, Rca audio oscillator. I need to teardown and check, re-cap the vintage test equipment and check the calibrations. I also restored a recent BK Precision 1801 frequency counter. I still need to clean up and redo my work area so the new equipment will fit.

[Blue Ox2]

I just got an Echo repeat, Roger beep, Talkback box for my Cobra 142 GTL
that is Direct injected, using an audio mixer and on a Behringer Ultravoice Dynamic Mic.
There is a Euro CB Memobox Digital Recorder/Transmitter/Watergate - Cobra/Galaxy/Uniden CBs
in the mail and once all these external units are connected, there will be
updated Shack Shots.

73,

Mike

[bcloud1968]

I have been digging through the stack and found some more purchases. Radio Shack DX-160, BK Precision 747 tube tester and several boxes of assorted components. I need to get busy and get organized cold weather is coming soon.

[MD115]

I Just found a very old but nice astatic desk mic. I replace the on/off swith and clened very well. It sounds beutifull. Here in México there are not yard sales or ham fest so I envy you guys, I have seen on YouTube videos of great finds at laugh prices

[Lost Ram]

I just got a BTech amp, its the one that does all the modes. I am going to use it for my Yaesu FT1DX as a two meter base station in the house. I crossband a lot with my Baofeng 82 into my yaesu FT9800 but that crossband unit is in the shop so I cannot change to a different repeater unless I am in or go to the shop. So this solves that issue. I also got another Copper Slim Jim for this setup too that will be fed with LMR400 from JefaTech.

[perrym1962]

Got a Galaxy 33hp, Galaxy 44v, Galaxy 99v, and an old Tram D42 in perfect condition off that auction site to add to my collection.....

[digus]

Just got one of these “nano VNA”s - insane value for ~$40-70.

[Please login or register to view this link]

[De_Wildfire]

I just got my new Hex Beam from K4KIO. Also got the Yaesu Rotor and box. Hopefully it is easy to put up and do well on 11M with a tuner for DX as well as on the other bands.

[MDYoungblood]

I just got my new Hex Beam from K4KIO. Also got the Yaesu Rotor and box. Hopefully it is easy to put up and do well on 11M with a tuner for DX as well as on the other bands.

Excellent beam,, I suggest building on the ground first, makes adjusting the wires a heck of a sight easier and does not change much after getting it up. Check the 6m and see if you can get 2m out of it.
Wish the wife would let me install one on the roof.

3's

Greg

[De_Wildfire]

Thanks. We are going to have a antenna work party and build it on the ground. Right now I am looking for two inch pipe and have the universal clamp. I also need to get brackets to attach to the side of the house. It's gonna be hidden. The way we figured it out is half of the Hex Beam will be on the black slope of the house and half in the yard. I have a 30 foot trees in the back of the house so it will be stealth like all the other wire antennas. I am on 150 foot hill too so it should work. I told my XYL she can have any gaming pc for her hobby as long as I can get my Hex Beam up. I talk to a lot of DX stations and they are raving about the Hex Beam and it shows in their signals. I got the g450a Yaesu rotor and box for about $279. Can't wait to get it up there.

[Bobcat]

This one is not so much "what I got" as "what I got for my son for Christmas"...and I am impressed!!!!

If you have ever seen one of the "Rig Expert" brand analyzers...... you might be interested in this.

Look up (as in.... Google) "Nano VNA". It is a super small vector network analyzer. It takes a little "ramp up" to get used to it... but Tim (who has a good head on his shoulders but is not completely "radio-tech-savvy"... got comfortable with it in one afternoon and was tuning his dual band antenna on his F150. The thing works from 50 KHz - 900 MHz. Reviews seem to suggest that it is more accurate under about 500 MHz but is still great for relative antenna analysis all the way up to that 900 MHz.

Best of all, it was only $70 or so on Amazon. I also got him a pair of SO-239 to SMA-M adapter cables so that he would be ready to tie his antennas up to it. He called the next afternoon telling me that he was "in love" and would probably be selling his MFJ 259 to someone that wants it.

YOUTUBE_ADMIN

YOUTUBE_ADMIN

[Lost Ram]

Just got one of these “nano VNA”s - insane value for ~$40-70.

[Please login or register to view this link]

How does this thing work, is it worth the purchase? I have been looking at them for a long time. Does anyone have any first hand HAM antenna experience with one?

[Bobcat]

Well.....first hand.....no. But, as I said I bought this for my son and gave it to him Christmas Eve and, Christmas day afternoon, he called me from his driveway using it to tune his MFJ dual band antenna. He said that 2m wasn't bad to begin with but that the 70 cm was over 3.5:1 SWR. Using this thing he was able to trim the top of the antenna to get the 70 cm down to just under 2:1 (was the best he could get) and then used it to adjust the 2 m back to about 1.4:1. That was the best balance he could get but, prior to that, he had no idea what his 70 cm performance was. He loves it.

[Lost Ram]

Good info, thanks Sir.

[preacherman]

Well, let's see...a Lincoln 2+, a Magnum 1, a good power supply, a Bird 43 (because some
people only want to see 'bird watts') a lot of transistors, caps etc. Got to keep myself
occupied and amused.

[BillT113]

Haven't been on air for a while, but I found a Superstar 3900 with external frequency counter at a garage sale. I offered the guy $10 for it and he took it. It seems to work ok but I have to figure out what the switch in back does. I hope this motivates me to get on the air more often

[Lost Ram]

Drake TR-4 with matching VFO.