{"id":21291,"date":"2016-09-10T11:25:47","date_gmt":"2016-09-10T15:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=21291"},"modified":"2016-09-10T11:35:56","modified_gmt":"2016-09-10T15:35:56","slug":"a-good-friend-whos-always-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/a-good-friend-whos-always-there\/","title":{"rendered":"A Good Friend Who’s Always There"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cas-pro-relax\"<\/a>This summer has been a tough one for me <\/strong>in many ways, not the least of which is the minimal amount of time I have been able to spend playing radio. I have several commitments involving radio each week\/month, but I do not consider that “playing” radio. To me, playing radio is where we get to sit down in front of a radio of any kind and do something with it just for the pure joy of it. The good thing about this hobby is it is always there whenever you are ready. It is like a good friend who is always there. Radio is, in fact, a bit like my dog.<\/p>\n

For those who enjoy dogs like I do, one of the most rewarding things is to come home and find your dog waiting for you, tail wagging, and excited to see you. It does not matter how long you have been gone — a short trip elicits the same excitement upon your return as you would get being gone all day. Good dogs require very little maintenance to be happy, and they are ready for love and attention whenever you are available to give these to them.<\/p>\n

My radios do not wag their antennas when I walk into the room, but they are there ready to go when I am, and they provide a world of enjoyment when called upon. As I sit here looking at the radios in front of me (only a small portion of the radios I have around the house overall), each one means something special and calls to mind enjoyable times. My 220 rig gets very little use overall, but it always reminds me of an amateur radio friend who was an Elmer to me in the hobby.<\/p>\n

As I am typing this my 2-meter APRS channel has come alive with signals from the digipeater in the International Space Station (ARISS) and I am hoping for a contact or two. This past week I made a contact with AF4B in Texas, which was his first ISS contact! What an honor that is for me — whenever I have the privilege of being someone’s first contact in any manner of radio I am thrilled!! It always brings to mind my “firsts” and how exciting were those moments!<\/p>\n

As I look at my Uniden Bearcat BC898T I remember going to my first Dayton Hamvention and buying this beautiful analog scanner. One of the fellows there tried to talk me out of it because it was only analog, and some of the local departments had moved to digital. Fortunately there are still many analog signals to catch in my area, and I am interested in more than just Public Service transmissions. I like Marine, Aviation, Railroads, Coast Guard, and a dozen other things which can be picked up by analog scanners. The 898T was my entrance back into the scanning hobby after many, many years away from it. There was a great deal to learn, but this was my re-introduction to scanning.<\/p>\n

I have previously talked about my Yaesu-Musen FRG-7, in some ways the ultimate in shortwave radios for nostalgia, quality workmanship, and manual control of a radio. 40+ years old and still a gem!! Oh yes, and then there is my Swan 350, another marvel of a radio from the past. Never known as a top-of-the-line rig by any means, I treasure its heft, its vacuum tube warmth, and its mechanical tuning which turns like tire compared to the optical tuning wheels on modern rigs. In fact, its a lot like me — slow to get going and needs some time to warm up, but gets the job done eventually. (Why does it seem getting up out of bed and getting started each day gets harder and harder . . . I can’t be that old, can I??)<\/p>\n

Fall and winter are coming, definitely great times of the year to play radio, and I hope to do just that. A little work on my antennas should get me back up to\u00a0 speed in terms of capabilities, and my hope is life will slow down enough to let me have some fun. I know whenever I have the time my old friends will be there ready and waiting! I hope the coming months are filled with radio fun for each of you! 73, Robert<\/p>\n

Robert Gulley, AK3Q,\u00a0is the author of this post and a regular contributor<\/a> to the SWLing Post. Robert also blogs<\/em>\u00a0at All Things Radio<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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This summer has been a tough one for me in many ways, not the least of which is the minimal amount of time I have been able to spend playing radio. I have several commitments involving radio each week\/month, but I do not consider that “playing” radio. To me, playing radio is where we get […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[373,1271,3,43,4796],"tags":[1146,4094,5455,5454],"class_list":["post-21291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-am","category-boat-anchors-2","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","category-vintage-radio","tag-boat-anchors","tag-nostalgia","tag-scanning","tag-sw"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-5xp","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":33148,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/07\/share-your-photos-on-boat-anchor-tuesday\/","url_meta":{"origin":21291,"position":0},"title":"Share your photos on Boat Anchor Tuesday!","author":"Thomas","date":"July 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, as I took a little time to curate a massive collection of photos I took at the Museum of Radio and Technology, I posted a few \"boat anchor\" (heavy metal vintage radio) photos and labelled them \"Boat Anchor Tuesday\" on Twitter and Facebook. Much to my surprise, I received\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-Hallicrafters-Super-Skyrider-1024x573.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-Hallicrafters-Super-Skyrider-1024x573.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Boat-Anchor-Dial-Hallicrafters-Super-Skyrider-1024x573.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4672,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/try-that-with-an-iphone\/","url_meta":{"origin":21291,"position":1},"title":"Try that with an iPhone!","author":"Thomas","date":"October 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"With the help and guidance of my good friend Charlie, we just repaired and aligned this BC-348-Q receiver. BC-348s were built to withstand the extreme temperatures (-60F) and vibrations on board the B-17 and other bombers, where they were used extensively in World War II. I picked this beauty up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/1-BC-348-Q.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/1-BC-348-Q.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/1-BC-348-Q.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18702,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/shortwaveradio-ch-a-treasure-trove-of-central-european-classic-receivers\/","url_meta":{"origin":21291,"position":2},"title":"ShortwaveRadio.ch: A treasure trove of central European classic receivers","author":"Thomas","date":"May 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Commenting on our post regarding the Kurzwellen Empf\u00e4nger Siemens\u00a0receiver,\u00a0SWLing Post reader \"13dka\" writes: Some more info (mostly about the tuning procedure) [of the Kurzwellen Empf\u00e4nger Siemens] here: http:\/\/www.shortwaveradio.ch\/radio-e\/siemens-e311-e.htm BTW this site is a comprehensive source on classic shortwave radios that enjoyed some popularity in central Europe. Indeed! \u00a0I have stumbled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ShortwaveRadio.ch","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/ShortwaveRadio.ch_.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/ShortwaveRadio.ch_.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/ShortwaveRadio.ch_.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/ShortwaveRadio.ch_.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11439,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/name-that-dial\/","url_meta":{"origin":21291,"position":3},"title":"Name that dial!","author":"Thomas","date":"November 19, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, I acquired another antique radio (yes, a \"boat anchor\") for my modest collection of vintage receivers. I took a quick close-up photo of its backlit dial (above). For fun, I'm curious if any\u00a0SWLing Post readers can name the radio sporting\u00a0this dial? If you want to give it a go,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mystery-Radio-Dial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Mystery-Radio-Dial-e1416414008237.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Mystery-Radio-Dial-e1416414008237.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Mystery-Radio-Dial-e1416414008237.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Mystery-Radio-Dial-e1416414008237.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35444,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/finding-a-repair-service-for-boat-anchors-and-other-vintage-valve-tube-radio-gear\/","url_meta":{"origin":21291,"position":4},"title":"Finding a repair service for boat anchors and other vintage valve\/tube radio gear","author":"Thomas","date":"January 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a common question I receive from SWLing Post readers: \"Where can I have my vintage valve\/tube radio repaired? Can you recommend a good repair service?\" The answer isn't always a simple one, especially for those living in rural or remote parts of the world. Go local The short answer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Warning-High-Voltage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5455,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/video-r1155-radio-as-fitted-into-a-lancaster-bomber\/","url_meta":{"origin":21291,"position":5},"title":"Video: R1155 Radio as fitted into a Lancaster Bomber","author":"Thomas","date":"January 24, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"If you like military radios as much as I do, you'll love this video of Andy's (GW0JXM) R1155 WWII era military HF receiver: Hat tip to my good friend, Mike, for sending this video!","rel":"","context":"In "Boat Anchors"","block_context":{"text":"Boat Anchors","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/boat-anchors-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21291\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}