HOW MUCH SPACE

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IS........ENOUGH??

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I was pondering this subject while sitting in traffic the other day - How much space would I want for my radio collection, shack, etc.? Somehow 2000sq ft seemed a bit small, after all, once you start collecting it's hard to stop, and you'd want room for an ample test bench, parts room, etc.

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20 to 40,000sq feet sounds good (I think), allowing you plenty of growth space, the ability to have "Brand" sections ("Step this way towards the Tram "wing"), and maybe even some old-but-not-forgotten stations actually hooked up so if your wish was to finally talk on a Browning Mark III - you could!

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Yes, I can see it clearly now that there will never be enough space to keep my radio equipment and I have a feeling that I'm not the only one. Of course, we make attempts at reducing what we own, but as soon as they're gone, we replace them with several times more - it's the way of the Radio Operator....

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SITE OF THE MONTH

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Retrocom has been around almost as long as my site, and is very similar, but he really has a good forum (Yahoo Group) that, for the most part, deals with tube radios, requests for help in restoring, etc. (Scroll down, left side, almost at the bottom). The site also has retro pages that don't relate to radio. I'm sure you've checked it out, but if not - give it a try!

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WHAT TO DO DURING THE "LOW"?

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Sun spot cycles average 11years and I suppose I'd compare it to the RF equivalent of being Bi-polar, only with an exaggerated timeline. One year you're riding the crest of the top of the sun spot cycle....a few years later you find yourself waxing the car - crash'n burn.

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Support groups around the globe have sprung up to help the "In Denial" radio operators who don't know what to do during the lull. So, to help those less fortunate out, the folks at the CB GAZETTE LABORATORIES (located in their fortress of solitude) have polled these support groups to come up with a list of things to do when the sun spots aren't there:

1. Leave your shack. I know, it's a traumatic experience, but we all have to do it sometime. I'd advise that you spray some WD-40 on the door hinges to make sure the door will open.
2. Determine which person in your house is you wife and re-introduce yourself. Flipping through your wedding day picture album doesn't hurt. NOTE- Refrain from any comments on how much she has aged.
3. If you are still alive at this point, have your wife gather the children around you so that they can tell you their names, and update you on what they've been doing in the last 11 years.
4. Call your boss and explain that you just woke up from a coma, and you're ready for work!
5. Catch up on current events: Who was President, how is your 401k plan doing, and by golly - the Red Sox did win the world series!!
6. Get a haircut, wash your car, and renew that expired drivers license.
7. Call your DX buddies on the phone, maybe even use a wireless phone to bring back those good times.
8. All of the above should take a couple days, and for the remainder of the low Sun spot cycle, you can climb your tower, take your antenna down and clean it up; replace old coax; travel the state (Hell, multiple states) attending various hamfests and maybe pickup some new gear (da XYL will LOVE that.......)

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"OH...THE PAIN..."

I came across this EBAY auction for a Fanon T-808 walkie-talkie which has some minor scratches. In the description they write "If you are a collector you know what it's worth". The starting bid is $99 and the BUY-IT-NOW price is $150!!

We're talking about a $1-$50 collectible item (IMHO), let's see if it sells!

Yes, you've wasted some perfectly good radio time once again, but hey - if you're going to waste it, do it on radio related reading!! (after all, there isn't much, if anything close to this column, and where the heck is that WD-40???)

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'Nuff Said

Woody

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