The Grid
Leak
January 2008 - February 2008
|
The Grid
Leak January 2008 - February 2008 |
Published by the Houston Vintage Radio Association (www.hvra.org ) | Full Edition on HVRA Website | Print Edition is Abridged
From The President...
With the old year fading into memory, we look forward to another fun year for those of us who collect and restore vintage electronic equipment. I’ll keep this short as this edition will be heavily devoted to our annual convention. 2007 was a great year for our club and we end with a growing membership and healthy treasury. We held one of the finest conventions ever last February followed by successful spring and fall mega auctions. Our monthly meetings were well attended offering fun auctions and interesting programs. This fall the tempo really picked up with our wonderful exhibits at the Houston Heritage Society Museum downtown. Our members also were busy aboard the Battleship USS Texas during June and December. With station trustee Frank Cooper ill, historian Reid Shipp took command of HAM station NA5DV on December 1. By all reports the event attracted many visitors as operators worked stations non stop for over five hours! We held our annual Christmas party on the 8th at The Old Spaghetti Warehouse downtown. Later, we adjourned to assist with the annual Candle Light Celebration a few blocks away at the Heritage Society where thousands viewed the vintage homes and our exhibits in the museum. Thanks to your generous donations, HVRA presented the Battleship USS Texas Foundation with a $1,000.00 check to be applied toward restoration of the main radio room on the third deck. We also end with a sad note as two of our long time members Charles “Uncle Charlie” Bednar, and George Maczali, passed away. We also wish HVRA’s founding father, Frank Cooper, a speedy recovery so he can return to command BTARS and get back on the air. In closing, what can I say but thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work, dedication, and contributions to HVRA. Have a safe and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
... Bill
Dan Patrick moved
to
As a popular talk-radio host, Dan has used the airwaves to advance his Christian values while advocating for a more principled government, lower property taxes, and improved border security. Dan has made many appearances as a conservative commentator on MSNBC, The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes as well as serving as guest host for the Laura Ingraham and Michael Reagan nationally syndicated radio shows. In 2002 Dan wrote a Christian bestseller, The Second Most Important Book You Will Ever Read.
In 2003, Dan formed the organization CLOUT, (Citizen's Lowering Our Unfair Taxes) and mobilized a 20,000-member group to lower property taxes. His radio stations have been community-focused, raising over $3 million for multiply impaired and profoundly deaf children through the Be An Angel charity.
In 2006, Dan was elected to the Texas State Senate with an overwhelming 69 percent majority where he has continued his fight for these issues. During the 80th Legislative Session, Senator Patrick succeeded in permanently placing the creed, "In God We Trust" over the Senate chamber, pushing open government legislation, forcing votes on lowered appraisal caps and pushing bills that empower local law enforcement to stem the tide of illegal immigration. As a result, Dan received Texas District and County Attorneys Association’s Freshman of the Year Award, was recognized by Texas Eagle Forum for his conservative philosophy, and was awarded the “Fighter for Free Enterprise” Award by the Texas Association of Business.
Dan is married to former elementary
schoolteacher, Janetlea, and they are extremely proud of their son, Ryan, a
You can
now go on-line for the following: Sign up
for Swap Table space at the 2007 Convention: http://www.hvra.org/swaptable.html Update
your Address & EMail Address for Grid Leak & Meeting Notices: http://www.hvra.org/memberaddress.html Manifests: http://www.hvra.org/hvra0208Manifest.htm Convention Registration: http://www.hvra.org/conform08.html
New On-line Features for HVRA
Members!
Vintage Radio
Road Show - January
19th!
Vintage Radio Roadshow
The Heritage Society Tea
Room
1100 Bagby | Houston, Texas 77002, USA | (713)
655-1912 | fax (713)
655-9249
12 - 4
PM
Do you have an
old radio around the house? Would you like to know more about it? Bring your
vintage radio to The Heritage Society and experienced collectors from the
Houston Vintage Radio Association will be on hand to evaluate old radios. If you
can't bring the actual radio, bring pictures.
Houston Heritage Society "Sounds of the
Past"
Go to http://www.kuhf.org/newsaudio/2007/10/071001heritage.m3u to hear the Bill Werzner interview.
Go to http://www.kuhf.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=21780&news_iv_ctrl=1521 to read the story.
HVRA President Bill Werzner (pictured, right)., presents Battleship USS Texas Manager, Andy Smith (pictured, left), and First Texas Volunteers’ President, Don Fischer with a $1,000.00 check from HVRA for restoration work in "Radio 1" during the annual meeting of the First Texas Volunteers Dec. 15, 2007.
For
more information in Battleship, go to http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/calendar/?calpage=s0169 and
http://www.houston.org/pdfs/PP/SanJacintoHistoricDistrict.pdf.
With the
closure and pending sale of the New Garden Chinese Restaurant, we had to
postpone plans for our next series of classes. Tentative plans call for resumption next
spring, possibly starting in early March, in the 29th Annual HVRA Convention February 1-2, 2008 BUY VINTAGE RADIOS Hotel: 3 BIG AUCTIONS | NEW INDOOR SWAP MEET OLD EQUIPMENT CONTEST
Featured Manufacturers: Atwater Kent & Crosley AWARDS BANQUET 255 North Sam Houston Parkway East 281-875-4000 or 800-228-9290 Room Rates: $79 per night (single & double) Your stay at the Marriott helps defray HVRA
expenses. 2008
HVRA Convention February
1-2, 2008 Houston Marriott North at Greenspoint The
2008 convention is approaching fast and it’s not too early to begin
planning. Make
your hotel reservations now; you can cancel with no charge up until the day of
the reservation.
Clean up your contest items. This year’s featured manufacturers are
Atwater Kent and Crosley. There is an additional reason to come early
this year. The
HVRA has joined with the Heritage Society to present a 4 month long exhibit at
Houston’s downtown Heritage Society Museum. The exhibit; Sounds of the Past: Phonographs,
Radios, and Records;
lasts through the
convention weekend and is free. For more information, visit the Heritage Society
website at www.heritagesociety.org. The exhibit has
received rave reviews with one reporter stating that it was the best exhibit of
its type that he had ever seen. If
you want to reserve a swap meet table, they will be going to the first people
who register.
The Saturday morning Swap Meet is new for this year and
is currently scheduled to be in the same room as the Friday Technical
Sessions. TO PRE-RESERVE A SWAP
TABLE, GO TO WWW.HVRA.ORG.
Swapping will start at 7 AM and end when the main auction begins at 11
AM. Because
the room will be locked, you will not have to pack up your items until after the
auction ends at about 5 PM. The first table reservation is free,
additional tables will be $10 per table. If there are unreserved tables that morning,
they will be free on a first come basis. If the early response is high enough, we will
try to secure a larger room from the hotel. As with any new venture, there will probably
be some kinks to work out. You
can call the Marriott at 281-875-4000 or 800-228-9290 to make reservations. Be sure to tell
them you are with the Houston Vintage Radio Association in order to get the $79
per night rate.
If you have any problems email me at jcalbeck@sbcglobal.net.
Watch the HVRA website for more details regarding the banquet speaker,
technical sessions, and old equipment contest. Chris Varela, who just published a book on
the early history of Houston broadcasting, will be presenting at one of the
sessions.
Copies of his book will be available as well. We
look forward to a record breaking convention. Hope to see you there. Jim
Calbeck HVRA VP
& Convention Chairman
Reid Shipp’s Report from BTARS Dec. 1, 2007 aboard the USS Texas. About
10:30 or 11:00 we got on the air. I called CQ and got no answer. I
called CQ again and got an answer. Singed with that station and worked one
after another. The 20 meter band was somewhat noisy but was really
alive. Most of the signal reports we received were 59+. I remember
working 3 stations in Canada and one in Porto Rico. Some of the operators
were Lance WB5REX, Reid WA5ARI, George AD5CQ, George's brother (I do not
remember the call.), and another operator from CLARC. Several school age
operators dropped in but I do not think any of them operated. Several
adult operators also dropped by but did not operate. Somewhat after 16:00
we put away the equipment and took down the antenna. I do not know the
total number of stations worked, however for 5 hours or so it was nonstop
hamming.
Mark Wooley provided many of the radios that appear in Sidelis Guide Book to
Catalin Radios. Note the collection 1930's Air King's and Tom Thumb radios
towards the end of the slide slide.
HVRA 2008 Convention -
Old Equipment Contest Categories 1
Wireless Equipment, Pre-1925 11
Scientific, Test Equipment and Small Electrical Devices 2
Crystal Receivers 12
Vacuum Tubes 3
1920s Broadcast Receivers – TRF, regen, reflex & superhet 13
Advertising 4
Cathedral & Tombstone Radios 14
Manufacturer's Category #1 – Atwater Kent 5
Table receivers (tube) – Wood & non Wood 15
Manufacturers Category #2 – Crosley 6
Table receivers (tube)– Catalin & Art Deco 16
Telegraph equipment 7
Transistor Radios 17
Military Radios 18
Amateur Radio 9
Portable Radios 19
Hi-Fi equipment 10
Reproducers & Microphones 20
Replicas and Vintage Style Creations
Report from Reid Shipp
Report from Steve Casciola
Report from Dave Moore
Here is the website for area Hamfests: http://www.houstonhamfest.org/. Also Christopher Varela, author of "Kotton,
Port, Rail Center - A History of Early Radio in Houston" will give a Tech Talk
on Friday (Feb 1) at our 2008 Convention. As contest chairman, I also what
to put in a plug for all to enter the contest. Featured
manufacturers - Atwater Kent and Crosley. New this year
- Swap meet will be Saturday Morning.
Report from Ned Ely
Ed got this information from Marty
Kringle on the "Glowbugs" vacuum tube newsgroup:
OK electro-scroungers, here's a sound of the season
from a kindred spirit ...Went shopping Mon. for clear light strings & Homey
D & Target sold out (in Bulkhead). Had 5 dead or partly dead strings @
home ...So I remembered the $17 gizmo fm '06 who's greatest contribution
was a piezo spark-maker to overcome oxidixed connections ...So I took short
pieces of 24 ga. insulated fone wire & patched into a 99 cent bbq starter
thingy. Jumper clipped to a totally dead string's 110 plug & gave a
few snaps. Voila, 1st 50-lite segment came alive but no more. Then it dawned I
had to disable now-gud segment & try again. ...Double viola - success
...Hope that helps someone ...Whatever, happy season!
Marty Kringle
8
Hidden Radios -Tube – any radio made to not look like a
radio.
21
Open Display
Category
HVRA 2008 Convention -
Old Equipment Contest Rules 1. All contestants must be members of the
HVRA and/or AWA in good standing. 2. Previous displays winning
3. A contestant may have only two
displays in any one category, but may enter as many categories as they would
like. 4. A display is eligible for only one
category. 5. Reproductions must be properly
identified. 6. All entries must be in good, clean,
showable condition. Equipment
that is entered in unshowable condition may be disqualified and removed from
the contest. 7. The contest committee or contest
chairman will determine the appropriateness of questionable entries. 8. In case of a tie, the judges or
contest chairman may request a functional demonstration of the
equipment. 9. No fee will be charged for entering
the contest.
10. All entries must be in place prior to
judging. 11. Devices of foreign manufacture may
compete in any appropriate category. 12. Contestants must refrain from
discussing entries with judges. If judges have questions pertaining to
an entry, they will be voiced to the contestant through the contest
committee. 13. All entries, except for categories 7
and 20 must be at least thirty years old. 14. Entries will be judged
on:
1.
rarity
2. historical
significance
3. support
documentation
4.
condition
5. overall
display
6.
originality
HVRA
Events
Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008 Board of Directors Meeting 6:30 PM Bayland Park
Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet,
January 19, 2008 Vintage Radios Road Show - Open to the Public - at Houston Heritage Society Tea Room
12-4PM
Saturday, Jan. 26,
2008
Monthly meeting and
auction.
VPRS Convention & HVRA Christmas
Partyphotos by Dave
Moore
3rd Sat.
in
Mar., June, Sept., and Dec.: Humble, TX Swapmeet TEAC ARC; Hugh W5FM@arrl.net
See the updated BTARS-NA5DV web page at ---http://pages.prodigy.net/fxc/btars.html
VRPS Vintage Radio and
Phonograph Society Note dues: $17.50 per year. VPRS
TARC
Ensor Farmsite and
Museum in Olathe, KS. in memory of Marshall Ensor http://w9bsp-w9ua.org/Larry Woodworth W0XS,
SCARS (
Old Radio Newsletter THE NEWSLETTER IS FREE FOR THE ASKING!e-mail bretsoldradios@att.net for a free subscription!
Membership: Tom Burslem Send dues to:
Newsletter: Charles Knobloch, 1519 Mission Springs,
Please send your ads to knoblcs@omnilaw.com |Free Ads ("wanted", "for sale", "trade", "new acquisitions", etc) for members.Display Ads from $12.50 to $75.00. ARTICLE AND AD DEADLINE: 15th of each month.
Huge collection of Sams from Vol I on! Also included are
seven or eight file cabinets filled with thesecollectable volumes
from a closed out radio TV repair shop. Call or e mail Andy Lee atradiomanL@verizon.net
Radio &
Phonograph Parts Sales & Repair including vintage
auto radios, battery sets, foreign sets, etc. We also sell and service vintage
telephones and telegraph equipment in addition to supplying parts, new &
used tubes, transformers, schematics, replacement knobs, phonograph parts &
needles, records, etc. Check out our new and used parts bins. Vintage Sounds –
now celebrating our 22nd year in business! Open
Fri., Sat, & Sunday from 10 until 6 PM located in The Market Place Antiques,
NEW ADDRESS:
Lance Borden, WB5REX can now be reached at wb5rex@earthlink.net Borden Radio Company
website:http://home.earthlink.net/~wb5rex/xtalman/index.htm
Antique Radio Schematic Service website:http://home.earthlink.net/~wb5rex/arss/index.htm
Sargent Auction
Service: www.sargentauction.com | Jim@sargentauction.com
|Jim
Sargent, WA5QBR, Auctioneer | TX license 16135 | 2112 Blackfoot Trail |
New Mexico Radio
Collector s Club (NMRCC). Charles Burch, 39 Chaco Loop, Sandia Park, NM
87047.Pub:
Louisiana & Gulf
Coast Antique Radio Club. Phil Boydston, 750 Moore St., Baton Rouge, LA 70806.
Antique Radio
Collectors Club of Ft. Smith, Arkansas (ARCC). Paul Tucker, 4700 N.
"N"
Collins Radio Association (CRA). David Knepper, PO Box 34, Sidman, PA 15955. No dues.www.collinsra.com
BORDEN RADIO COMPANY | WWW.XTALMAN.COM | wb5rex@earthlink.net | 281-620-6692