Down the Rabbit Hole
Funny how things come full circle. When I was a young electronics experimenter, tube equipment was cheap and solid state devices were expensive and exotic. I could work with low-power diodes and transistors, but to accomplish anything with some power, tube circuits were king.
The annual San Antonio Radio Fiesta was a few weeks ago, and I inadvertently purchased a few radios. That wasn’t my intention, but circumstances got the better of me. — I should explain.
Christmas gifts for my two great-nephews are always a challenge, and with one entering the first grade, I wanted to up my game a little. The standard Lego-based gifts are always popular, but I sensed that something more involved might be a real hit. By the time I was in Grade School, I was fascinated by all things electrical and radio, so why not give them a crystal radio?
I am listening to a classic solid-state amp from the 70’s. Just a couple of weeks ago, it arrived from an eBay auction in rough and partially-working condition.
I’ve lived here at Roy Creek Ranch for 22 years, with varying interest in Amateur Radio. Career was a big part of that, with little spare time each weekend before work each Monday morning. Add a 2-3 hour daily commute and ham radio just didn’t fit in.
In a former life, I worked in professional audio sales and service for a local music store. This was about a million years ago, and the store, Musicmakers Austin, is long gone. I was just recently out of college and the modest pay didn’t matter too much because I was living every musician’s dream: working as a musician — or at least in close proximity to working musicians.
Marilyn and I enjoy the odd flea market ramble, and a trip to Bussey’s in Schertz, Texas was fun. It was our first time to this meet, and we didn’t really know what to expect. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, but old tools, radios or cast iron always get my attention.
About 40 years ago, Bob (a high-school buddy) and I started a surplus electronics business. We were hoping to make a little extra money and feed our Amateur Radio habit. We started with a purchase of 18,000 pounds of stuff.
I’ve been a student of piano all of my life, and have always preferred hearing to reading when learning a new piece. My piano teachers cautioned me against this approach, since reading music would open a much larger window onto the classical world.
I enjoy flea markets, and there’s a great one near Fredrickburg, Texas — about an hour from our Hill Country home. We go almost every month. Last October we came home with vintage cast iron pots and skillets, a UT Longhorn-branded Crockpot and — best of all — an old Stanley No. 5 jack plane for just $8!