Reviving the HRO-60

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Kenneth Carr

First a little history for those who may not know what a HRO-60 is.  The HRO-60 is an amateur radio receiver or communications receiver.  It receives all the amateur radio bands and the full spectrum of the shortwave bands that the amateur bands are part of. The HRO is not a new receiver. The version that I have was made from 1952-1962 by the National Radio Company. National was located in Malden, Massachusetts until 1957 at which time it moved to Melrose, Massachusetts. The National HRO-60 was and is still considered as being one of the best shortwave receivers ever made. My HRO-60 is at least 56  years old because it was manufactured in the Malden factory. Back then it went through a number of price changes with a beginning low of $483.00 and ending up at $745.00 . That was a lot of money back in the 1950’s and ’60’s.

My HRO-60 was given to me some 20 years ago by a friend who had no interest in it. The only catch was that I had to remove it from the third floor of his house. The radio weighs over 85 pounds. It’s real easy to hurt your back with this one. They sometimes refer to radios of this era as boatanchors. When I have need to move it I usually wait for my son Alex to come home and give me a hand. My boatanchor has been working well for many years. Then a couple of years ago it began to have a problem turning on. After turning the radio on nothing would happen and then several minutes later it would come alive. I pretty much ignored this .. not a good move.

Last month the radio finally died. It blew the fuse while I was attaching an antenna to the back. I thought I had shorted something so I took the covers off and removed the few loose washers I found floating around inside. Then I put in a new fuse and tried again. The fuse blew again (expensive fuses too!). Several fuses later I decided to purchase a new filter capacitor (the really big one). These sometimes short out and destroy an otherwise good radio. I was able to find a new capacitor on e-Bay. It came all the way from China in less than two weeks. It was a brand new dual capacitor rated at 50 microfarads and 50 microfarads at 500 volts. That was close enough to the 40 mfd x 40 mfd at 475 volts unit that I was replacing. Bigger numbers, within reason, are better.

The new 2-section filter capacitor is the big black one. The disonnected failing capacitor ( C118) is the red one.

I replaced the filter capacitor and put in a new fuse and promptly blew the new fuse. Now I had to get serious. I did a search on the Internet to see what else might be the problem and found out that there was another capacitor attached to the power supply output (C118 – some hobbyist actually remembered the designation!) that often shorted, blew the fuse, and destroyed the power supply (real expensive to replace if you can even find one). The accepted modification was to just remove the capacitor and prevent a meltdown. This was bad news. The horses were already out of the barn as they say. I located the C118 (I have a PDF of the original manual and schematic) and noticed that mine seemed to be leaking some white stuff out one end. More bad news. So as a last resort I unsoldered C118 from the circuit and brought the radio to life slowly with a variac and a series-attached light bulb to absorb any excess amperage. The radio lit up, barely. Even at 100% power I had no reception. Sometimes when you power a radio with a variac the unit never gets quite enough juice to come alive. There is only one option left. Plug the radio in to the wall directly, turn it on, and hope for the best. That’s what I did. Within seconds the old HRO-60 was once again pumping out Morse code, international broadcasters, and religious stations. It’s ALIVE!

At this point I really should research the other modifications necessary to preserve this electronic relic for another 50+ years. I may .. but then I am the lazy type. I’m just happy that this was a successful Sunday.

(Watch my HRO-60 play on You Tube – it’s the number one result on Google when you search HRO-60.)

Update: Upon shutting down for a couple hours and then turning the radio back on, it blew the fuse again. It looks like I have more work to do. I will upgrade the fuse (currently using 1.5 amp – should be 2 amp), but somehow I suspect there is something else going on. Any suggestions are welcome.

Update #2: Today I replaced capacitors C-70 (electrolytic, 25 mfd. 50 vdc) and C-79 (electrolytic, 25 mfd. 50 vdc) at the suggestion of Bill, AK5X (please check out his excellent Flickr site) . In both cases I used recovered (pull) 47 mfd 50 vdc modern electrolytics. I first checked each one on my Solar capacitor checker to see if they were up to specifications. I left the 1.5 amp fuse in place. I tied the capacitors into the circuit temporairly with alligator clip leads (parallel to the old cap’s.). Upon powering up with a variac and series light bulb unit, the radio turned on (panel lights lit up) but never produced any audio. After 30 minutes or so I disconnected the variac and series light bulb and turned the HRO-60 on while connected directly to the AC with no protection other than the 1.5 amp fuse (remember, 2 amps is the schematic recommendation). Panel lights came on within 10 seconds and loud audio was present within 20 seconds. Success! Even after a two day power down, the unit powered up nicely with the caps in place. Today (1/24/13) I soldered in the new caps and removed the old. The radio now powers up quickly (panel lights in 10 seconds, audio in 25) and produces a signal that is louder and clearer than my Icom IC-737 transceiver. I did not hide the new caps in the old tubes (considered it) but I did have to graft spare leads (sourced from some ceramic caps) onto the electrolytic pulls since the modern capacitors had short leads. Today has been a good day.

Caps

Original capacitor case at top, removed tube in middle. I replaced with the new capacitor (bottom) after grafting on lead extensions. Polarization of old and new are matched.

Posted in Occasional Commentary, Radio: Amateur & Broadcast | Tagged | 17 Comments

Netflix Instant Picks for January, 2013

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Kenneth Carr

I watch a lot of Netflix Instant movies. Or maybe I should say that I watch a little of a lot of Netflix Instant movies. As I have mentioned before, the only ones you hear about here are those that pass the five minute rule. If it doesn’t catch my interest within that time I start looking for another.  The picks I offer this month all passed the five minute test. They also all scored a 4/5 or 5/5 on my current excellence scale.  Let’s look at the suggestions:

 

 

Bean: The Movie, 1997, 1 hr and 13 min.; Comedy; Rating: 4/5

Mr. Bean is mistakenly taken for an art expert (he’s really a museum guard and a poor one at that).  He is assigned the task of accompanying Whistler’s Mother to the US. Does everything go wrong? Yes. Is it a fun movie? Yes. Watch it purely for the laughs, a special kind of laughs that Atkinson is the master of.

Starring: Rowan Atkinson, Peter Macnico, John Mills

 

Overnight, 2012, 84 min; Romantic Comedy; Rating: 4/5

Two neurotic strangers, man and woman, are forced to share adjacent seats on a long plane ride. Everything looks bad for any possible chance of romance and then it finally takes off. Other simultaneous storylines follow two men who fit everyone’s terrorist profile, an obnoxious celebrity, and a pilot/copilot team who are a truly poor match. This film has equal doses of fun and warmth.

Starring: Rachel Blanchard, James D’Arcy, Anthony LaPaglia

 

The Jack Benny Show, 4 episodes, 1950; TV comedy; Rating: 5/5

I remember this show from when I was a kid (back in medieval times). I expected to find that the show was badly dated and unfunny. I thankfully discovered that I was way off the mark. I loved each of the episodes. This is truly funny stuff presented by a professional. Just as a final side note, I once met Jack Benny. He impressed me as one of the nicest persons I ever met. Ask me about him sometime.

Starring: Don Wilson, Eddie ‘Rochester’Anderson, Dennis Day

 

The Artist, 2011, 1 hr and 40 min.; retro drama/romance; Rating: 5/5

I avoided this one for some time. Why? Filmed in black and white, no sound, French – there are three quick reasons for you. It won five Oscars so I had to at least give it a chance, though.

What a great decision. This was a fabulous film! The director accomplished ten times more with ten times less. He put to shame the current vogue of depending on guns, sex, and animation to create a movie. Watch it. This will make for a rewarding evening.

Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bernice Bejo, John Goodman.  Director: Michel Hazanavicius

Stake Land, 2010, 1 hr and 38 min.; horror/zombie; Rating 4/5

Oh no, another zombie movie! Don’t you just love it when Hollywood appears to be completely bereft of creativity and imagination? But then this one was a bit better than the usual ‘rampage of the undead’ gore fest. It’s more like a cross between Karate Kid and Waterworld. Do not watch it if gore and violence offend you.

Starring: Nick Damici, Connor Paolo, Michael Cerveris.

That’s it for now. Two fives and three fours. I have plenty more where these came from and most of them are in the five category. Give me a little feedback on the above picks and I will be encouraged to get the next list out sooner. I’m sure you don’t want to spend too much time testing the five minute rule.

 

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QSL-Printing Software

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

OK, so you want to replace those old QSL cards. The old stack of cards that is sitting in the draw is an embarrassment. They have your old call (that you now have to cross out and replace with a hand-written mess) and they have a generic black and white cachet that looks like it was hijacked from an original 1954 card (it probably was). Where do you go from here?
You could submit a color photograph to a number of online services and do the online design thing. You will likely end up with a very nice color photograph card. Of course the 200 card minimum and the one design at a time process (no mixing and matching of photographs) guarantees that the card is likely to be outdated and not representative of your current shack in less time than it takes to say ‘new equipment purchase’.

A more attractive alternative is to make your own. I like this one and have had very good success with it. I usually create a two-sided design. One side consists of a photograph with a call sign overlay and the opposite side gives all the QSO details.

My first design goes back about 19 years or so. I drew and printed out the current station (a Heathkit HW-101 transceiver) onto a stack of post cards that were separated from one another by tearing along the perforated margin of a folded deck designed to go in an impact printer. After they came out I used watercolors to add in the traditional Heathkit green. The only computer program that I recall using was PC Paint.

It took quite a while to make a card that way so I just ordered up some generic cards with a cute design and wrote in QSO details. I ordered 200 and have not used them up to this day (that shows you how often I send out cards.

The stock design cards filled a need; if anyone requested a card I could comply immediately. They did not quite meet my requirements for something that was personal and colorful, though.

Then along came digital cameras and the darkroom in a box (Photoshop and others). How could you avoid making a nice card? I at first tried the Microsoft Paint program for adding titles to my photographs. These would then be printed with a color inkjet printer. That was more costly (as in ink) than ordering them all done. All my cards are now printed at the local pharmacy kiosk for pennies. I also avoid having to keep around a large stockpile that is bound to go stale. I did attempt to create the QSO record portion of the card with a freeware program called QSL Maker (ver. 2.4) by WB8RCR. I was able to make some very nice cards with QSL Maker. Unfortunately the program, for me anyways, was very quirky. I actually had to write out my own set of instructions and follow them to the letter so as to add repeatability to my QSL-printing efforts. Even that technique only succeeded once in a while. Usually I would have to print five failures for each success. It also wasted a great deal of time. Below is a card created with QSL Maker.

Recently I was lucky enough to come across what I believe is the ultimate QSL printing and creation program. It is a freeware product called Qsl Design And Print by VA3HJ. This one works like a charm. I was able to learn how to use it rather quickly and am now able to design pharmacy-printer-ready copy in very short order. This is the program that I recommend. Try it out and see if you don’t agree. Some samples are below. (Please note that the original download site no longer works. I have linked the QSL Design And Print title (see above) with a place called Software Informer. They are also hosting a newer program called HamQSLer. I have not attempted a download at the site. Be cautious if you do download the program. Please let me know if you are successful.)

The above picture represents what the back side of the card would look like. All of the QSO (contact) information goes on this side. This is what I used Qsl Design And Print to create. I still use Photoshop to make the front / photograph side. The reverse side of the above card would actually be the front of the card. It would have just a photograph (as in the previous one) with minimal information about the station. Designers will note that I used the Comic Sans MS font. My son tells me that this font is universally abhorred by graphics professionals. All I can say in my defense it that I use it because it makes me happy.

My present goal is to create some new cards using current photographs. The cards displayed above feature photos that were taken at our former home in Coventry. Now that I have a new station in a new shack (room) it is time for a fresh series of photographs. This task will be all the more enjoyable since I have a new camera, a Nikon S6300. This camera is so cool (they even call it a Coolpix) that it may rate an entire blog post for itself.

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Free At Your Online Library – Digital Books

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

Have you read any digital books lately? I’ll bet you have and that is why you are reading this post. I find myself going to the local library less and less and visiting my online library more and more. All of the recently read titles that are discussed here are Kindle editions that I downloaded from the Rhode Island Public Library System. I’ll bet there is a similar program in your state too.

I get each download for a period of 3 weeks. If something I want is out I just put hold on it and as soon as it becomes available I receive notification by e-mail. Then I have several days to download it before it is passed to the next person in line. I find that this system works very well. Amazon even keeps track of all the Kindle-format books I read and retains my bookmarks and highlights. While reading on the Kindle (I have an old first release version) I will sometimes switch to the iPad and read the same book there. The sync is automatic and does not even involve visiting my main computer. So, what follows are some short reviews of what I have been reading digitally.

 

Hunting Badger (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee), by Tony Hillerman (fiction)
I really like the Tony Hillerman series of mysteries that center on the Navajo Tribal Police. Hillerman went to school with Navajo Indians and the knowledge he gained from his classmates helped him write novels that are rich in Indian tradition. These novels (it is a whole series) are rich in a unique Western flavor that few other writers have been able to capture. Hunting Badger and all the other Navajo mysteries have all the ingredients of a traditional mystery in a native American setting. Time period: 1970’s to 2006.

 

How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming, by Mike Brown (non-fiction)

“My very excellent mother just served us nine pizzas” translates into “Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto”. That’s how most people have learned the order of the plants in the solar system. All that has changed now. Along came Mike Brown who created a controversy that he did his best to avoid, but could not. He discovered several other ‘planets’. Some bigger than Pluto and some smaller, but all having credentials just as valid as those of Pluto. This fascinating story tells how the discoveries were made and why they provided just a bit too much information. Too much? Right, they convinced an international astronomical association that Pluto had to go. Brown tells a riveting story that deals with hard science, family life, and politics. This is a book for scientists and non-scientists alike. Learn and be entertained at the same time!

 

The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, by Nathaniel Philbrick (non-fiction)

Everybody has heard the story of Custer and the Seventh Cavalry and how they went down to defeat at the hands of Sitting Bull and a rare confederation of numerous tribes. Very few people have heard the full story. Philbrick’s exhaustive research left no stone unturned. It is all here. Nearly a third of the book is just the listing of the sources used (including numerous first person interviews that were recorded many years ago). The detailed interpersonal relationships and highly descriptive narratives make you feel like you are experiencing the events, not merely looking back at them. Philbrick has a writing style that allows you to steam right along without pause. This is not a dry record; it is a living and vibrant record told in the voice of a great storyteller. This one will answer some questions and fulfill your need for history that engages. Put it on your short list.

 

212: A Novel (Ellie Hatcher), by Alafair Burke (fiction)

As you can easily see, I readily jump from fiction to non-fiction. I enjoy both. You may not have heard of Alafair Burke but you may have already encountered her famous father, James Lee Burke. James Lee Burke has authored numerous gritty detective mysteries that have Louisanna as their backdrop. His daughter Alafair has a different style than her dad but her work is especially well done. She learned well. This modern murder mystery will grab you right from the beginning and keep you guessing almost all the way to the end. The technology depicted in this one is right up to date. The art and craft of all traditional mysteries is also here.

 

Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear (science fiction)

It is a mystery. It is the very latest in virology. You will find yourself resorting to Wikipedia often while reading this book. That way you will be able to better understand the hard science that it is based upon. The premise here is that certain strains of viruses that have inoculated themselves into the human genome may be responsible for numerous intense and sudden changes in the evolution of our race. Read, learn, and be entertained all at the same time. What more could you ask for?

 

Dumb Witness: Hercule Poirot Investigates, by Agatha Christie

Christie is one of my favorite mystery writers. All of her collection is available at online libraries and each year more of it is released to the public domain. Start reading her now and you will open your imagination to a wonderful series of mysteries by the master. This particular one is delightful (as they all are).

 

<————————————————————>

One of the neat things about the Kindle is that at any time while you are reading a book you can quickly jump to the Wikipedia page for something you read or to learn more about the author. Kindle owner or not, most of us have access to Wikipedia and it is a terrific resource for accessing a list of all the works by your favorite authors. I sometimes print the lists out just so I can avoid reading the same book twice. The web also has interviews with many authors and these can often be very interesting. So, I have provided you with a few links below to get started on your search for the next book you read. I only linked to one interview or relevant video each. Search You Tube and you will find many more. This is a short list … so many authors, so little time to read all their books!

 

Author

Genre(s)

Wikipedia page

Video or Web Site
Bear, Greg Science Fiction

WikiLink

 You Tube Interview
Burke, Alafair Crime Mystery

WikiLink

 You Tube Interview
Carter, Stephen Mystery & Politics

WikiLink

 Official Web Page
Chesterton, Gilbert Keith Philosophy, Fiction

WikiLink

 American Chesterton Society
Christie, Agatha Crime Mystery

WikiLink

 Festival on Eng. Riviera
Evans, Colin History

WikiLink

 Official Web Site
Greenlaw, Linda Nautical Fiction & Nonfic.

WikiLink

 You Tube Video
Larson, Erik History

WikiLink

 You Tube Interview
Laskin, David History / Weather

WikiLink

 TVW Interview
McWhorter, John Politics / Linguistics

WikiLink

 C-SPAN Interview
Melville, Herman Classic Nautical Fiction

WikiLink

 Why Read Moby Dick by Philbrick
Philbrick, Nathaniel Maritime History

WikiLink

 Book TV Speech
Smith, Martin Cruz Fiction: Russian, Period

WikiLink

 You Tube Interview
Stout, Rex Crime Mystery

WikiLink

 TV Series Music Video
Thoreau, Henry David Nature & Philosophy

WikiLink

 C-SPAN Introduction
James Lee Burke Crime Mystery

WikiLink

 You Tube Interview
Stephen King Horror

Wikilink

 “60 Minutes” Interview

 

Presently (7/4/12) Reading: Heartwood (Billy Bob Howdy) by James Lee Burke and Powers That Be
(Petaybee Trilogy) by Anne Mccaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.}

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Netflix Instant Picks for July, 2012

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

Well, I missed a month or two since my last movie recommendations but that does not mean that I have not been watching Netflix. The movies just keep rolling in and I keep finding ones that are fun to watch. The current list follows. All titles are linked to trailers.

The Killing, 2011, 13 episodes; Crime drama

This cop drama has chemistry. Two very unalike detectives are thrown together with the goal of determining who murdered an innocent teenage girl. There is plenty of conflict and emotion in this one and sometimes the emphasis on emotion is just a bit too much.

 

At one point I thought I was watching a Lifetime movie –the worst transgression of all. I quickly solved this with the fast forward button on my remote. Fortunately most of the series episodes were contagious; I could not wait to see the next one. The main characters were so imperfect that they came through as being real and this made it all the more fun to watch. Acting is the key and Enos and Campbell will draw you right in with this one.

Starring: Mireille Enos, Billy Campbell

 

 

 

The Parking Lot Movie, 2010, 1 hour 10 min.; Documentary

I really do not care much for documentaries. I spent many years playing them for high school biology students – enough already! In spite of my natural inclination to avoid such films I was intrigued by this one. I decided to give it the old Netflix 5-minute test. If I was bored after 5 minutes I would turn it off and look for something else. This one passed the test. It was well past 12:30 am when it ended and I felt that it was time well spent. You can sometimes get a special feeling from working with people that you like; you develop a kind of shared experience that creates a strong bond of friendship and common purpose. This film really got to the heart of that experience with interviews and recordings of the daily interactions between employees with other employees and with customers. The Parking Lot presents you with one of the best educated parking lot staff around. They are all holding down a job that rates about as low as you can go on the employment status scale. They are well aware of this. Their customers, who are representative of all walks of life, are well aware of this. Thus develops an interesting conflict of values and philosophies. I loved it. I hope you will too.

Starring: Patrick Baran and Chris Farina

Lbs, 2004, 1 hour 40 min.; Drama/Comedy

What happens when an overweight young man has a heart attack while driving a bus filled with children? He loses his job right away (the children were all OK). Most of his family rallies around him, but conflict develops, as it will in any family. Our hero decides that he has to improve himself and his solution is to live alone in an old trailer out in the country. This is the proving ground for his resolution to shed the problematic weight. The story that develops is not typical. This is one of those independent films that has its quirky qualities and a sometimes meandering storyline. Maybe that is why I liked this film. Give it the old 5-minute test. Hopefully it will pass for you (my wife slept through this one…we do not always agree on everything).

Starring: Carmine Famiglietti, Michael Aronov, Miriam Shor

 

Thor, 2011, 1 hour 54 min.; Adventure

When I saw this title come up on my Netflix screen I thought it might be a cartoon. It is based on what they now call a graphic novel (when I was a kid it was called a comic book). If it was a cartoon I was not going to watch it. Thor has all live characters. Well, mostly. I suspect that many of those nasty villains were drawn in, but they were done well.

The plot centers about the two sons of the elderly king. Each wants to be the next king. That can’t happen. Conflict develops (doesn’t it always? … see my earlier reference to conflict in families). The conflict results in some rather spectacular battle scenes and the ultimate banishment of Thor by his dad. He is banished to Earth and must go there with his god-like powers stripped. Thus ensues one heck of an exciting action film, exactly what I was looking for when I chose this one. Sit back and enjoy the battles (and the love interest part too, gals). This one was nicely done.

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins.

 

 

 

The Third Wheel, 2002, 1 hour 26 min., Romantic Comedy

The most liked guy in the office just can’t seem to find the right girl even though everyone is rooting for him.  Then the girl of his dreams joins the company as a top executive.  Will he get the courage to ask her out?  He does, the date happens, and so does Phil.  Phil is a homeless guy who somehow becomes attached to the hapless couple for the duration of their first date. Where is all this going?  Watch the film to see a quirky and unique comedy with heart.

Starring: Luke Wilson and Ben Aflak, Denise Richards.

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Scorpions in Rhode Island

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

We have all seen the tavern sign that proudly displays a large mug of brew overflowing with a foamy head. Then there is the dental office that displays a large sign in the shape of a tooth (roots and all) with the inscription “Flossy Pain & Owen I. Hurt, DDS”. In days gone by every shop would hang such creative shingles over the front door. By the time the 1920’s came along a new twist was added. Witness the Milk Can/Bottle building which used to house an ice cream bar (Route 146, Manville, RI). Entire buildings became advertisements. It even spread to cars shaped like hot dogs (Oscar Mayer Weiner). In Rhode Island New England Pest Control placed an enormous bug on a roof along route 95. It became so popular that it eventually changed the company name to “Big Blue Bug Solutions”.

All of these signs have one thing in common: they are a special and endearing form of folk art that serves to inform and mostly make people happy. They are also often original works for which there are not duplicates.

 

What happens when a rural scrap metal yard decides that they have to advertise their presence with something better than a 4×3 placard? Do they place an old automobile on their roof? I’ve seen that one quite a few times. What about something constructed from their stock in trade, junk metal? Witness the Exeter Scrap Metal scorpion.

 

 

This gigantic scorpion just suddenly appeared along route 3 in Exeter, RI. The scenery on this road consists mostly of forests, fields, and businesses that have the word ‘tavern’ in their name. There are also two competing scrap metal yards on either side of this highway that is situated in a particularly desolate section of Exeter. They have always had rather small signs of no special distinction. Lately they have been doing increased business due to the economic slump that has once again made steel and aluminum attractive commodities (robberies are up too; I can personally attest to that).

 

 

 

The Exeter Scrap Metal scorpion appears to be constructed of some very interesting parts. I can’t identify very many of them, though. This head appears to be made from a scrap jet engine to my untrained eyes …. or is it part of a well drilling rig? Your guess is probably way better than mine. It sure is neat to look at! If you ever find yourself on route 3 in Rhode Island along the Exeter / Richmond town lines, stop by and check out the scorpion. You’ll be glad you did.

 

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Westinghouse WR-8, The Columaire

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

Hobbies for me are a sort of hot and cold thing. I jump in all eager and ready to achieve great feats of creativity and discovery. This ‘hot’ stage is followed by the ‘accumulation’ stage in which I collect all sorts of items relating to the hobby of the decade. I literally surround myself with a mass of ‘neat things’ that I plan to arrange, display, repair, restore, or utilize in the final stage, the stage of ‘accomplishment’.

 

Unfortunately I almost never reach stage three. My skills are found to be lacking, my need for immediate positive results is rarely met, and my interest wilts. Where has this all led to? A short list would go like this:

  • A world stamp collection that was given away. All that remains are some dear covers and one partially used US stamp album.
  • Numerous old cameras and related literature stored in boxes, trunks and closets, all waiting for the day they are once again placed on display or my heirs sell them to an antique dealer.
  • About 50 license plates of all years and types stored in boxes and waiting for me to put up the insulation and plaster board in the new garage so they will have a home again.
  • Thousands of books found in numerous library sales and book stores; now reduced to just 2 small bookcases and a few boxes. Most went back to the library to be sold again.
  • Vintage military firearms that were once loaded and used regularly; but that now remain locked away in rented storage until the day I once again have time to join a club and shoot targets.
  • One old 1941 Buick that gets on the road about 10 times per year. Along with the Buick is a closet or two of parts waiting to be installed (it’s a long wait) and cans of paint not yet used.
  • An amateur radio station that is currently on hold due to a nasty RF interference problem that is yet to be solved.
  • Dozens of old radios in various states of repair and disrepair … waiting in closets, boxes, trunks, basement, and even in the shed, for the day when I learn how to make them come to life again.

 

 

One radio made me particularly sad. I purchased it several years ago from a fellow collector who lived in the suburbs of Boston. It was in his basement. The radio is a 1931 Westinghouse model WR-8, also known as the Columaire. Upon first sight you think that you have found a five foot tall grandfather clock of Art Deco design. Look more closely and you find that the clock movement is an ordinary electric model and is secondary to the piece. The primary focus is the radio. Inside this exquisitely designed cabinet there are two chassis. Together they comprise the power supply and RF deck of the radio. They are almost identical to the internal workings of an RCA Radiola Model 82 radio. Westinghouse got the chassis from RCA and just made those modifications necessary to support it vertically inside a grandfather clock cabinet.

 

 

 

The radio sat in my heated basement for several years. It seemed that every time I moved it another piece of flaking veneer would crack and fall off. When we moved a little over a year ago the radio went right to the unheated basement of the new home. It wasn’t long before I noticed that long sheets of veneer had become unattached and were literally hanging from the side of the unit. The radio was self-destructing and I was just watching. It seemed like another hobby was meeting with a dead end.

 

 

 

 

Then I watched some online videos posted by a Flickr friend of mine who had also acquired a Columaire. He made quick work of taking it apart and beginning the electrical and cabinet restoration. This motivated me. My son-in-law helped me move the radio two floors up to my radio room (heated) and I began to stabilize the cabinet by gluing down every loose piece. At this point almost all of the exterior walnut veneer is glued down and most of the cabinet interior is also ship-shape. I purchased some real nice walnut veneer on e-Bay and have successfully made my first ever veneer repair. Also, the chassis parts are on the workshop bench and I have begun their cleaning. I acquired some new tubes (still need 2 more), have a complete set of drawings, and am close to the point where I will replace capacitors and any faulty resistors. I may finish this project yet. Wish me luck and the will to see it to the end.

 

Shown above is a damaged area near center for which I have cut a replacement walnut patch.

 

 

 

 

 

The new patch was used as a template to cut out the damaged area.  Then the veneer patch was glued in place.   Looking to either side you can see that there is much work to be done.

 

Westinghouse Columaire References on the web:

Videos:
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 restoration, Part 1
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 restoration, Part 2
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 restoration, Part 3
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 restoration, Part 4
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 restoration, Part 5
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 restoration, Part 6

Photographs:
Grill Cloth in Antique Radios forum
Radio Attic site; with Remote Control, by Ron Potter
Radio Museum information page on WR-8
Bob Anderson’s WR-8 photo set on Flickr

Historical Information and Literature:
ShelbyDodge Imp Antique Radios – nice page on history of the Columaire
Antique Radios forum discussion with 20 posts and photos
Advertisement, Saturday Evening Post, on Old Time Radio Researchers Group, March 7, 1931; two full pages (last link goes to photo., other link to main site)
Advertisement stored at Duke University online archive
Complete Riders schematic for Radiola 82 (same as WR-8) from Nostalgia Air
Technical Lesson 46, RCA Institute, Radio & TV Course. This PDF is supplied courtesy of KM5Z. The lesson covers the WR-6, WR-7, and Radiola 82. The 82 is mostly the same as the WR-8.

 

 

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Netflix Instant Picks for March, 2012

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

I have a few more nice picks for you Netflix Instant Streaming devotees. I must first complain that the search interface for Netflix Instant is really poor. It is just such a pain trying to find something that you like. You are limited to movie title … that’s it. Who ever heard of searching a database on only one field? It’s like they intentionally want to prevent you from finding something worthwhile to watch. Then of course there are the Lifetime movies. Often I will be watching a Netflix film and then suddenly realize that (a) this is dribble and I need to turn it off right now and (2) the quality level is right at the Lifetime cable channel level (that’s about as low as you can get in my opinion; but, don’t ask my wife). Oh well. All that being said, the following movies are all excellent values:

Tucker and Dale Vs Evil, 2010, 1 hr and 26 minutes; Comedy/Slasher

Slasher movies. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. A bunch of teens hang out somewhere isolated, some unknown local crazy hunts them down one by one and finally there is only one survivor left. Oh yeah, the villain never really dies; somehow he (or part of him) goes on living. How else could you have a sequel?

Well, forget all that stuff when you watch this movie. This one turns the entire genre on its collective head. Tucker and Dale has to be the very best slasher film I have ever seen. You just won’t stop laughing, no matter how many people come to a gruesome end. This movie was just too much fun. Warning: the trailer seems to give away a bit too much. Just take my word for it that you are going to love this film and go watch it right now!
Starring: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, and Katrina Bowden.

Benny and Joon, 1993, 98 minutes; Romantic Comedy / Drama

This is another quirky romantic comedy with emphasis on the quirky. It is an early film that features some up and coming stars (Johnny Depp, Oliver Platt) in an odd and fun tale that is notable for its unique story, fine acting, and superb character development. Depp plays Sam, an eccentric bordering on mentally ill, character who falls for Joan (Mary Stuart Masterson) who really is mentally ill. She has been under the protection of her big brother Benny for most of her life. Then along comes Sam. This was a fun and thoughtful moive.

 

Starring: Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Aidan Quinn.

Mark of Love, 2009, 1 hr and 28 minutes; Romantic Comedy

I know, I’m heavy on the romantic comedies this month. Well, at least some of them, like this one, are pretty good. And believe it or not Jennifer Anniston is not in this film!

Mark is a guy who breaks up with every girl he dates, no matter how great the relationship is. It’s just that when he hears that word ‘love’ he gets really frightened. What to do after a breakup? Take up a new hobby. He has a closet full of old hobbies. This time he opts for karate classes. Unfortunately the karate class turns out to be more of a mental health clinic with a twist. Typical romantic comedy? No. Will you enjoy it? I know I did.

Starring: Bryan Price, Caitlin Shultz and Taylor Dooley.

The Parole Officer, 2001, 2 hr’s. and 8 minutes; Action/Adventure/Comedy

This British film is unusual and well done. The story follows a parole officer (not a very successfully one at that) who manages to uncover some crooked dealings within the police department. On top of that, he is a witness to a murder perpetrated by a senior officer. When he attempts to rat on the felons, he is framed by them. This is the story of how he puts that frame back where it belongs … with plenty of humor. The trailers for this movie are a bit strange. One has “On the Ritz” playing in the background. Then You Tube even has the entire movie available. In any event, this was one great movie. I find that I am liking British comedy very much. Maybe you will too.

Starring: Steve Coogan, Emma Gilmour, Susan Jane Tanner, Lena Headey.

Wonderful World, 2009, 1 hr and 29 minutes; Quirky Movie / Drama / Comedy

A drama, a comedy, who knows? This one was a bit difficult to classify. I do know that it was an enjoyable film that features Matthew Broderick in an unexpected role. Broderick plays a divorced dad who just lost his job and whose roommate enters the hospital due to his lapse into a diabetic coma. Things seem to change a bit when the roommate’s sister flies in from Africa. While all this goes on Broderick is trying his best to relate with his daughter who he sees only on weekends.

After looking around on You Tube it appears that they really pushed this film quite a bit when it came out. Give it a try. You will like it.

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Sanaa Lathan and Michael K. Williams.

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Netflix Instant Picks for January, 2012

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

 

Netflix Instant Picks for January, 2012

It’s a new year and we are now reevaluating our Netflix subscription. We both agree that the instant streaming will remain but we are seriously considering dropping the mail delivery of new movies. We have experimented with Redbox and so far it seems to work well. Maybe someday Netflix will instantly stream everything, but I don’t think it will happen soon. If it does happen I predict that there will be at least a 50% increase in the monthly fee.

At present, it just takes a little longer to separate the quality streaming movies from the flood of refuse that Netflix stuffs their online offering with. To that end, here are my picks for this month:

 

Blitz, 2010, 1 hr and 37 min.; Action.
This movie from the U.K. is best described as an action/crime/buddy flick. The only hurdle you may have is getting used to the strong accent and quiet delivery of the star, Jason Slatham. The drama centers on a serial killer who is killing cops in one brutal murder after another. The police make the wise and desperate decision to sic their most undisciplined man on the trail of the homicidal brute. Our cop hero teams up with another officer who happens to be gay and therefore not the most popular man about the office. Once these two get going the action never stops. This movie is brutal, just what I was looking for in an action film.
Starring: Jason Statham, Paddy Considine, and David Morrissey

The Vanishing, 1993, 1 hr and 49 minutes; Action/Drama
Imagine losing your girlfriend at a highway rest stop. You both get out of the car, maybe you go to purchase some food and she heads for the ladies’ room. Then she never comes back. Would you spend three years looking for her? The lead character in this movie did. It may sound like a long haul; but, this thriller will have you on the edge of your seat for every minute. (Note: Sandra Bullock was in this in what turns out to be a minor part.)
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Keifer Sutherland, and Nancy Travis
PS: There is also a Dutch version of this film (in French) that came out in 1988.

Spooner, 2008, 1 hr and 23 min.; Romantic Comedy
This is a quirky, slow, indie romantic comedy. My wife fell asleep during this one and she is a great fan of romantic comedies; she just does not have the patience for a slow buildup. I do. All you need do is to coast along with this strange little movie and you will find that you like it more with each passing scene. The story? Spooner is a guy just turning 30 and his parents are finally throwing him out of the house at exactly the same time he meets the most awesome girl in the world. I think you will like it.
Starring: Matthew Lillard, Nora Zehetner, and Shea Whigham

Gunless, 2010, 1 hr and 29 min.; Western?
It’s a western. It’s a comedy. It’s a love story. This little flick is an underappreciated gem. A man pursued by bounty hunters arrives in a North West Canadian town of 17 souls. His interaction with the strangely common residents is a life changing event for all. Relax and enjoy this one.
Starring: Paul Gross, Sienna Guillory, and Dustin Milligan

The Warrior’s Way, 2009, 1 hr. and 40 min.; Martial Arts
A martial arts film? Are you kidding me? I know, I know, you gave up watching that stuff back in the ’80’s. Well, it’s time to take a look at the twenty first century offerings. This is a martial arts film like few others. The greatest assassin the world has ever seen spares the life of his final enemy, an infant girl. He then becomes a marked man as his own tribe members pursue him around the world. Where does the assassin flee to? The American Old West, of course. This does not look like any western you have seen before. The surrealistic settings, extreme violence, and characters painted in glaring hues all combine to make this retribution film work. When it is all over you just may decide that you like it; but, you won’t be sure why.
Starring: Dong-Gung Jang, Kate Bosworth, and Geoffrey Ruoh. Directed by Singmoo Lee.

Note: Previous reviews are also available in my “Movie Reviews” category.

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What’s In Your Backyard?

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Kenneth Carr

What’s in your backyard?  I’ll bet there is more than you might be aware of.  You just have to take the time to walk around and look.  Sometimes it involves crawling behind bushes or stalking an animal that is all too aware (and wary) of your presence.  You may have to venture out at midnight when nature’s nocturnal community members create the noises of the dark.  Sometimes it involves getting down to eye level with a mushroom; how else to see the details that reveal its mighty stretch through the upper layer of your lawn? You may even be tempted to taste that cool looking fungus.  That’s one temptation that it is better to
avoid.  I once took a mushroom course
(Field Mycology, 101).  I soon learned that two of my fellow classmates were members of a mushroom club.  They knew the common and scientific names of every species we collected during our daily hunts.  I clearly recall the day they located a stash of Boletus edulis, or that is what they thought they had.  No spore prints or stain test was necessary for them.  A simple slice with a pocket knife and out flowed a stream of ‘blue blood’.  That was the acid test.  It was indeed the edible variety.  Unfortunately someone had forgotten that blue blood meant just the opposite, it was the poisonous version.  They found out the next day when each of them was suddenly hit with the urge to vomit and sit on a toilet at the same time (a
difficult thing to manage with dignity). One woman was in a bank lobby when her fungal frenzy commenced.  After the bank employees unlocked three sets of doors she was finally granted access to the highly guarded comfort station just in the nick of time.

Mushrooms are a curious lot. They sometimes grow in a pattern that reflects the log or abandoned wood that their subterranean mycelia are anchored to.  If you ever find them in a perfect circle you have found a fairy ring, mushrooms growing around the perimeter of an old buried tree trunk.  One of my favorites is the puffball.  When fresh and firm they are all edible.  When old and dried
they pop open explosively to spew your yard with black clouds of spores as fine as flour.  Then there is the Russula.  I usually find their broad fruiting bodies with chunks missing from them.  That’s sure evidence that a squirrel has been feasting on these poisonous morsels.  Then there are the Amanita.  Their bright
colors, speckles, and persistent annulus (ring around the stalk) are usually enough to warn away the cautious.  All of these and others have appeared in my yard, mostly unnoticed by the casual passerby.

 


An Amanita on the left (quite deadly) and a  puffball below (very edible).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, there is no good reason to overlook my garden, other than the fact that it was declared a disaster area by the FDA.  It seems that I miscalculated the amount of sun that would fall on my chosen plot. The result was stunted or entirely nonproductive plants.  Cucumbers that were supposed to be 10” long were stretching to achieve a maximum length of about 4.5”.  They still did present a photographic opportunity.

All of my cucumber vines were suspended from above to avoid any problem caused by contact with the ground. They were also fed and watered well. The photograph shows you what I got. Each one was worth two bites in a fresh salad.  Maybe next time I will grow pickles … small pickles.

Most people would like to have ferns in their gardens, but they are often difficult to grow.  It requires the right amount of moisture and shade. If you are lucky they will appear all on their own, as they do in our yard.  Our yard is just a little extension of the surrounding forest and as such it reflects what grows there.

There are at least a dozen different species of fern that grow naturally in Rhode Island.  I
completely forget all the distinctions between them (I did know at one time) and am just too lazy to key out the ones pictured here, one of several in our small domain.  Of course, where there are ferns they may also be wild orchids.  I am speaking about the lady slipper, or Cypripedium sp.  The woods on the edge of my yard (basically the part of our land where the trees were not cut down) contain loads of these.  I always thought they
were difficult to find.  They do well mostly on the east side of the property, right up to the street.  They are always found under the shade of trees and they make a vibrant addition to the mostly green and brown surroundings.  So, I’ll let the lady slipper be my last
photograph for this short guide to the yard flora in Hope Valley.  Next time around I’ll display some of the animals that visit our area … I will even try to post some of the strange sounds they make at night.

 

Posted in Nature: Plants and Animals, Backyard, Woods, and River, Occasional Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment