The Findlay Radio Club 2023 Hamfest was just a bit muted this year - the skies threatened rain but none appeared, so there were quite a few vendors. This year, a lot of late-model Hallicrafters SW radios showed up, I assume because people who purchased them in the 1960s are finally letting them go for various reasons. Unfortunately, with nothing to listen to on shortwave except Radio Havana, these radios aren’t of much use other than as a curiosity. The proliferation of SDR boxes hasn’t helped, considering you can get a direct entry radio that sounds good and runs on a common LiIon prismatic cell for a bill.
There was plenty of good stuff to look at regardless, and some good things to take home. Here’s my memories of the show, some of which were of unique pieces where the photo ended up on other sites.
One of those shots was a relatively rare signal generator from a long-dead company, Measurements Corporation of Boonton, NJ. According to the site admins, this was the only in-the-flesh image they’ve seen. I was happy to contribute to the community’s knowledge base. Check that entry out here: https://www.radiomus … rd_generator_82.html
Now, on to the good stuff!
A lot of old car audio devices.
An old HP 1.8GHz SpecAn. Nice display, but the $100 cheapies do the same thing nowadays.
An old Motorola plug scanner antenna. Took it home, so old the plastic was stuck to the metal.
A box of Atari 800XL computers, a drive, modem and etc.
Carbon Comp resistors. Great for resistive fuses, some went home with me.
One of GM’s oddball radios, and some misc goodies.
A Radiola 24, or as a friend said “It’s a DIY Television!”
A dynamotor for a radio device. Yeah, that’s 33A input current!
An electrostatic television and some radios.
Some old, but expensive (for it’s time) equipment.
One of the many radios of this type that showed up this year.
The “just lay it on the ground” goodies vendor.
More ground goodies.
A meter that’s dedicated to testing the particular items in a horizontal circuit.
A box of old Atari-style joysticks.
Meters. Meters everwhere!
This vendor had a wide range of military radios and accessories.
No reasonable offer is refused!
A neat old Velleman scope, but these like to blow their inputs. No power, no see, no buy.
A portable podium with amplifier. I remember these from high school.
A neat old radio with a just-as-old clock on top.
A random radio back down on a table of tubes.
My fellow show-goer checks out a record player.
A piece of gear designed for RTTY service.
An old DuMont scope and a unique signal generator.
Heathkit scopes and 80s radios.
More shortwave radios.
Lots of genuine switchcraft plugs.
This vendor was keeping the show grounds from blowing away.
