- 2022
- Apr
- 19
My 1996 group photo from Lucent Technologies.
I found this photograph with the Audio Baton photographs, and thought I’d share. This is a group photo of the OS/Other area at the Columbus Works, just as the facility was moving to Lucent Technologies from AT&T.
OS/Other was the area where Craft Access (telephone system test equipment) was built, tested, and repaired. We had a wide range of products, including:
- MLT-II, Mechanized Loop Test
- DCTU, Directly Connected Test Unit
- CAROT, Centralized Automated Reporting on Trunks
- TNC, Telemetry Network Controller
- GTP, General Telemetry Processor
- ARSB, Automated Repair Service Bureau
- J1x frames of various types
- A lot of other stuff I’ve forgotten
It was a fascinating area to be thrown into, the age and type of equipment was a who’s who from the bygone ages of telephone switching equipment. To the best of my knowledge, most of the product lines were EOL’d, with some like the DCTU being sent to another location (DCTU went to the Kansas City Works) before being EOL’d at that location.
I have to say I miss working with the people there, and the equipment we had. Just the sheer scale of the operation made it something special, and I’ve always wondered if there is any place like that left today. Who knows, I guess.
- 2022
- Apr
- 14
1959 Blonder-Tongue Audio Baton (B9) Graphic EQ Rebuild
(See my later post for the Sams folder / schematics for the BT B9.)
A long time ago when eBay was still fairly new, a set of heavily modified Blonder-Tongue Audio Batons showed up for a cheap price. These are the first commercially available graphic equalizer, featuring 9 bands. Tube complement for this device is 5 12AX7 used as amplifiers in the EQ stages, and 1 6X4 rectifier to provide power for the unit. 3 lamps to backlight the adjustments ran off the AC filament transformer.
I’m not sure what was going on with these units, but two of the potentiometer holes were punched out on one of the chassis, and two extra tubes had been installed. Multiple modifications had been made to the electronics, which were in somewhat of a state of decay. Old carbon comp resistors had drifted, capacitors had become leaky, and all of the mods just made a mess of the unit. The other unit didn’t have mods, but the electronics were in the same state of decay.
The first thing I did was remove all the components except for sockets, transformer, and terminal strips. New components were purchased, including orange drops and mylar film capacitors, carbon film resistors, and of course, new wire. Holed punched in the chassis were re-filled with washers of the correct size. Potentiometers were saved where possible and cleaned. The chassis were re-wired and all of the new components were placed. I decided to do my own layout and wound up with a more compact layout than the OEM layout.
The original case, of which I had one, used weird bi-pin lamps to backlight plastic tubes with a candy-cane stripe on it. The stripe appeared in a slot cut in the face, and as you turned the pot the stripe “moved” up the slot. This was re-assembled and, unfortunately since the face had been damaged, I used stick-on labels to identify the bands. The odd number sticker was left on the face. I assume this is from a previous auction.
The second chassis was more of a challenge. Since I didn’t have a case, I settled on a rack chassis from SES-COM, a company that used to manufacture such items but has since transitioned to audio products. More space allowed for some added some amenities such as VU meters using a precision rectifier circuit and a push-on/off control circuit for both units. I replaced tubes as needed, using NOS RCA and other brands as available in my personal stock. A final check, and they worked - probably just as good or better than new.
I was never able to determine what the mods were, save that I’ve seen others reference strange mods where the chassis was punched out and extra tubes added.
In the end, there was more fun had rebuilding these units as opposed to using them. They’re simply graphic EQs that consume a lot of power and have the added noise of a tube circuit. A modern unit works just as well, and has more bands. I ended up relisting them on eBay around 1998 (I think?) and selling them to a studio. That’s something I kind of regret, but as I said - in the end it’s just an old version of a new circuit.
Unfortunately, since this build pre-dated digital cameras, all I have left are these photographs taken with a friend’s Samsung point-n-shoot. They’re not the best, but here they are.
- 2022
- Apr
- 11
My haul from the 2022 Cuyahoga Falls Hamfest
I was really surprised how good this show was. Here’s my haul of junk treasure from the show. I took $200 and spent pretty much that. There were some other things I was eyeing, but had to leave them as they were mostly cool toys that had limited to no use. The only thing I wish had been there was a battery vendor so I could pick up a new battery pack for my two-way.
This is a show, barring other commitments, that I will attend next year as well.
Pictures of the main event coming shortly.
- 2022
- Apr
- 11
Cuyahoga Falls Amateur Radio Club Hamfest - Show pictures
I wasn’t sure about attending this one, but I have to say that it turned out to be an excellent small show. I planned on an hour or two, but it rapidly turned into a “stay until almost close” event. There was quite a lot to see, a good crowd of people, and as always, I brought home way too much junk treasure. This is an event that I’ll probably put on the attendance schedule for next year assuming we’re not all afraid of the sun coming up in the morning like last year.
The only thing this show didn’t have (beyond a few parts vendors) was a vendor selling new equipment. But that’s ok, that can be had elsewhere. We’re here for the good junk. And there was a lot of it.
The pictures from the show are in this post, you can see the stuff I drug home here: https://pygg.xyz/pro … ahoga-falls-hamfest/
- 2022
- Apr
- 3
The “gotchas” of cheap technology.
This was originally published on my Blogger page of the same name.
Some time ago, I had the idea that I’d like to develop something with the popular and inexpensive ESP line of microcontrollers. These offered a mature WiFi stack, a relatively large amount of program space, and were available in many easy to use packages that include a very cost-effective pin header version.
One of the things that I didn’t do during the development stage is pull the FCC paperwork for the device. Device is kind of a misnomer here, since there are multiple devices and only the chipset in a particular configuration seems to be certified. Had I done that, this probably would have been avoided.
I had designed and deployed a number of different boards to do temperature and humidity testing around the house. When I started to have issues with other systems, there were probably about 10 units operating in various capacities. However…
The original production run Wetbird device.
Version 2.2, cleaned up a little.
A Hotbird temp device and an OWL expansion board.
A Hotbird using an unobtanium ESP-002.
My first clue that something was amiss was the fact that my garage door opener had started acting up. It being several years old, I blamed age and potentially some new radio equipment installed at a nearby airport. This device operates at 320MHz… The next clue was that my old RF X10 control system had quit responding to the controller, and refused to operate no matter what module or receiver I tried. Since I had NOS devices available, and they didn’t work, I figured there was something amiss here. The X10 devices operate on 310MHz in the USA…
So what had changed? On investigation, I noticed that the signal indicator on the garage door opener was solid on, indicating it was receiving something. I still wasn’t sure what was going on, but I ran into another issue. The humidity sensor I used on the boards, a cheap device commonly available in the hobby market, had started failing. They would quit responding (sometimes!) and come back with a power cycle. I took them offline to try and troubleshoot the problem, and every other system started working again.
On a hunch, I grabbed my cheap SDR stick and set it up to look at the spectrum from about 305-325MHz. And right there it was, a big spur at 319.98MHz. Close enough to the opener’s frequency to kill it, and wideband enough to interfere with the X10 system’s unfiltered receiver. I took the few remaining devices offline and everything went back to normal.
It turns out that there are a number of spurs emitted by the ESP chipset. One of those, the important one for my testing, was right around 319.98MHz. You can view that particular document here: https://fccid.io/2ANHN-ESP8266 but note the device tested doesn’t look anything like the ones available for consumption.
This is a crying shame, because the ESP chipset shows up in many places and is so cheap and easy to use. The next available alternative is the Arduino WiFi devices, but those are fairly expensive at $50ish, and still have certain issues that have been poking around for years.
For now, I’ve shelved that project but have thought about reviving it. The new RP2040 chipset is available with a wired interface for about $10, and while it won’t be as easily deployed as a wireless device, the wired connection insures it won’t have any spurs knocking my garage door opener off the air.
- 2022
- Mar
- 26
Updating the Linksys WML11B media player for the modern age
It’s interesting to note that consumer grade Ethernet has been with us, in a standard comes-with-everycomputer way for about 25 years. This means there’s a wealth of Ethernet-enabled devices out there that may not be good for the professional or other use they were originally intended, but are fine for the home lab hobbyist. One of those items is the Baytech RPC-3 Ethernet connected power switch. A fully obsolete device with only a telnet server, it’s perfect for home use.
A device that came out of the early days of Web 1.0 is the Linksys WML11B Wireless-B/Ethernet enabled Internet Music Player - think those streams you played in Winamp back in the day. Officially streamed by the Shoutcast server package, there are now open source replacements (Icecast) that do the same thing. A small machine like a Raspberry Pi and some music means you can stream your own stuff, if you’re so inclined. (Keep this to yourself, the music industry giants are unfriendly towards anyone they think may be depriving them of a dime.)
While it’s common now to lock a device to a single service so the device dies with the service, this wasn’t really the case back then. The WML11B did have a music directory service provided by Linksys, and later by a third party - those are long gone. What makes this device of interest is it will still connect and play Shoutcast/Icecast streams without issue.
There are a couple of caveats, however. You need to update the firmware to the last package available, the one provided by the third party music service. However, even though this service doesn’t exist, the firmware is simply a modification of the last Linksys firmware and makes the device available on a local network. That firmware package and the updater can be downloaded from this dropbox link:
Firmware https://www.dropbox. … mls11b_files.7z?dl=0
The other caveat is that it works on Windows XP, and nothing higher. I tried Windows 7 with no luck. 8, 10, and 11 are right out. So you’ll need to find a friend with an old XP machine, or dig one up for yourself. Inside the file (You’ll need the 7zip archiver to open it) are a number of files. Start with the ones marked FAQ and you should have a good handle on where to start.
The rest of the files are various firmware versions, data and documents on the device, and other things of interest. This all came from the Yahoo! groups forum, now gone sadly. If you’d like to read those messages, you can download them here:
Message archive https://www.dropbox. … s11bmsg.tar.bz2?dl=0
This is a direct raw dump from the Yahoo! group, and is in .tar.bz2 format. 7zip should have no trouble with this.
It’s kind of a pain to get it updated, but once you do you’ll find an interface similar to other Linksys products. If you’ve messed around in a router you shouldn’t have any problem with this.
(I think it goes without saying, don’t open a 802.11b wireless network. Connect this thing with Ethernet.)
- 2022
- Mar
- 25
Pictures from the Findlay, Ohio Hamfest 2021.
Findlay was an excellent show, which I’ve come to expect. The only year I’ve seen a limited turnout was during a very wet day, and even that wasn’t too bad.
I concentrated mostly on tubes this time around, picking up things I thought I’d need to keep old equipment going. A few odds and ends including an old AC Line meter made it home with me, but by far the largest purchase was a giant HP RF synthesizer that kept the back of my car from blowing away.
The pictures are by no means everything there, just what seemed interesting to me.
- 2022
- Mar
- 24
Breezeshooters Hamfest - June 4th and 5th, 2022
After two years of the Earth making mountains out of molehills, Breezeshooters Hamfest is happening in 2022.
Breezeshooters is a moderate size hamfest in Prospect PA, located just outside of Butler, PA. Located at the Big Butler Fairgrounds, this show usually has enough vendors to keep you busy for a few hours, if not more, and always has some good stuff to take home, without the “Dayton” prices.
I usually punctuate this trip with a visit to the Monroe Hotel Restaurant in Butler, at 400 E Jefferson St, Butler, PA 16001.
Where:
Big Butler Fairgrounds Route 422 Between I79 and Butler
1127 New Castle Road
Prospect, PA 16052
When:
June 4th and 5th, 2022. Usually opens fairly early.
- 2022
- Mar
- 23
Dayton Hamvention - May 20, 21, and 22 2022
The granddaddy of radio events, the Dayton Hamvention, is scheduled to happen this year after two years of being afraid of our own shadows. This year, as before (starting in 2017,) it will take place in the Xenia Expo Center, a clean and modern venue.
There was always a certain excitement about arriving at the past venue, Hara Arena. Coming up Needmore Road (ha!) to see the event, with those trucks from vendors that always seemed to be there parked out front. But Hara was suffering under the weight of a bickering family, and it showed. A broken parking lot that was difficult to walk on, toilets that would burst their lines and flood the event area, an inside event area that was “Tolerable” at a charitable best, and food options that amounted to hot dogs and nachos that would make even the most hungry of hams go “Maybe I should just wait…”
But it was our event, and we went because of what it was, not where it was. It still amazes me that this cash cow, a venue that had nothing else like it for miles, was allowed to fall into ruin and eventually meet it’s end at the hands of a small tornado that passed through.
The Xenia venue is clean, modern, has an easily walkable area, and has food choices that rival a small fair. It’s everything that Hara wasn’t, but…you know what I mean.
This year’s event is scheduled for May 20th, 21st, and 22nd of 2022, the weekend before Memorial Day. Tickets can still be purchased via mail (as of the date of this post,) but that is quickly coming to an end and online sales will be held at the will-call office.
Hope to see you there, and pictures will be here as soon as I can upload them.
- 2022
- Mar
- 23
Pictures from the Columbus Hamfest 2021
The Columbus, Ohio hamfest happened on August 7th, 2021 after a year’s hiatus because someone got scared. There was lots of good stuff to be seen, and a lot of good bargains to be had. I picked up some parts, and a couple of pieces of test equipment including the Eico signal tracer and the Realistic Patroman radio (what am I doing to do with this?) shown in the pictures.
It was a beautiful day, and seeing all those smiling faces with “We wanted to get out, we’re happy there’s a show going on!” on everyone’s lips made for one of the best small shows I’ve been to in a long time.
This is by no means everything, just a small sample of things that caught my eye. Looking forward to the show in 2022.
