wrote in message
...
On Tue, 5 May 2009 16:39:41 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:

In the old days, real "skill" meant determining *what* component or
components needed to be replaced using a schematic, meter and/or an
o'scope.

Much of today's modern electronic circuitry has built in diagnostics that
scream "replace me" when they go bad.


We called it "the bad part falls out smoking on the floor".
I liked working on computers when a CPU was the size of a commercial
sub-zero fridge and had 1000 cards. Since then it is "cut open the box
and plug in a new one".



I've been out of the electronics field for over 30 years, but am absolutely
amazed at the advances made since I went to school. I learned vacuum tube
theory, transistors and had a basic introduction to digital in the form of
TTL (5v) logic devices, soon after replaced by 12v CMOS mainly because TTL
just wasn't reliable. A digital display was a row of Nixie Tubes with the
proper internal elements illuminated for a display. Electronics then was
all discrete components and a piece of gear designed with them mounted on a
single layer PC board was "High Tech".

Now, a complete FM receiver and 5.1 surround sound decoder is on a single
chip that costs about 53 cents to manufacture. It's really an amazing
evolution. Soon, PC boards will lose their copper conductors, replaced by
modulated LEDs and fiber optics. The size of products will continue to
shrink and become even more powerful.

Eisboch

On May 5, 8:52*pm, "Eisboch" wrote:
wrote in message

...

On Tue, 5 May 2009 16:39:41 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:

In the old days, real "skill" meant determining **what* component or
components needed to be replaced using a schematic, meter and/or an
o'scope.

Much of today's modern electronic circuitry has built in diagnostics that
scream "replace me" when they go bad.

We called it "the bad part falls out smoking on the floor".
I liked working on computers when a CPU was the size of a commercial
sub-zero fridge and had 1000 cards. Since then it is "cut open the box
and plug in a new one".

I've been out of the electronics field for over 30 years, but am absolutely
amazed at the advances made since I went to school. * I learned vacuum tube
theory, transistors and had a basic introduction to digital in the form of
TTL *(5v) logic devices, soon after replaced by 12v CMOS mainly because TTL
just wasn't reliable. * A digital display was a row of Nixie Tubes with the
proper internal elements illuminated for a display. * Electronics then was
all discrete components and a piece of gear designed with them mounted on a
single layer PC board was "High Tech".

Now, a complete FM receiver and 5.1 surround sound decoder is on a single
chip that costs about 53 cents to manufacture. * It's really an amazing
evolution. * Soon, PC boards will lose their copper conductors, replaced by
modulated LEDs and fiber optics. * The size of products will continue to
shrink and become even more powerful.

Eisboch

I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

On Tue, 5 May 2009 18:01:38 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

When I was a kid there was a tube tester at the drug store. Radio
Shack sold to radio amateurs mostly, and it was downtown. Everything
was downtown there were no malls.

Casady

"Richard Casady" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 5 May 2009 18:01:38 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

When I was a kid there was a tube tester at the drug store. Radio
Shack sold to radio amateurs mostly, and it was downtown. Everything
was downtown there were no malls.

Casady


I think I mentioned before that I remember as a young kid going with my Dad
to the original Radio Shack that was located somewhere near the "Common" in
Boston.

Eisboch

On May 6, 10:01*am, Richard Casady
wrote:
On Tue, 5 May 2009 18:01:38 -0700 (PDT),

wrote:
I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. *It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

When I was a kid there was a tube tester at the drug store. Radio
Shack sold to radio amateurs mostly, and it was downtown. Everything
was downtown there were no malls.

Casady

Yep, and Heathkit kits were a spin off. My older brother built a
Heathkit shortwave radio, then a Heathkit guitar amp! Man, we used to
stay up at night and listen to that shortwave radio, and to us kids
stuck in nowhere, NY, it was like listening to another world! Same
with when we'd get AM skip and listen to WWVA in Wheeling, WVa. It
seemed exotic to think we were listening to someone talking that was
that far away!

wrote in message
...
On Wed, 6 May 2009 07:18:29 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On May 6, 10:01 am, Richard Casady
wrote:
On Tue, 5 May 2009 18:01:38 -0700 (PDT),

wrote:
I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

When I was a kid there was a tube tester at the drug store. Radio
Shack sold to radio amateurs mostly, and it was downtown. Everything
was downtown there were no malls.

Casady

Yep, and Heathkit kits were a spin off. My older brother built a
Heathkit shortwave radio, then a Heathkit guitar amp! Man, we used to
stay up at night and listen to that shortwave radio, and to us kids
stuck in nowhere, NY, it was like listening to another world! Same
with when we'd get AM skip and listen to WWVA in Wheeling, WVa. It
seemed exotic to think we were listening to someone talking that was
that far away!

There were 3 or 4 of those 50KW clear channel stations we could work
in DC. I liked WLS out of Chicago (Dick Biondi)
WOWO from New York worked too.



WBZ in Boston was one of the original 50kw clear channel stations. I could
occasionally pick it up at night in Jupiter, FL a few years ago.

Dick Summer's Night Light Show (with Irving, the Venus Fly-Trap) caused
many sleepless nights back in the 60's.

http://www.wvnh.net/summer/dicksummer.htm

Eisboch

On May 6, 11:47*am, "Eisboch" wrote:
wrote in message

...





On Wed, 6 May 2009 07:18:29 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On May 6, 10:01 am, Richard Casady
wrote:
On Tue, 5 May 2009 18:01:38 -0700 (PDT),

wrote:
I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

When I was a kid there was a tube tester at the drug store. Radio
Shack sold to radio amateurs mostly, and it was downtown. Everything
was downtown there were no malls.

Casady

Yep, and Heathkit kits were a spin off. My older brother built a
Heathkit shortwave radio, then a Heathkit guitar amp! Man, we used to
stay up at night and listen to that shortwave radio, and to us kids
stuck in nowhere, NY, it was like listening to another world! Same
with when we'd get AM skip and listen to WWVA in Wheeling, WVa. It
seemed exotic to think we were listening to someone talking that was
that far away!

There were 3 or 4 of those 50KW clear channel stations we could work
in DC. I liked WLS out of Chicago (Dick Biondi)
WOWO from New York worked too.

WBZ in Boston was one of the original 50kw clear channel stations. *I could
occasionally pick it up at night in Jupiter, FL a few years ago.

Dick Summer's Night Light Show (with Irving, the Venus Fly-Trap) *caused
many sleepless nights back in the 60's.

http://www.wvnh.net/summer/dicksummer.htm

Eisboch- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hunting for skip channels is a fun passtime! I still do it!

wrote:
On Wed, 6 May 2009 10:26:25 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

Yep, and Heathkit kits were a spin off. My older brother built a
Heathkit shortwave radio, then a Heathkit guitar amp! Man, we used to
stay up at night and listen to that shortwave radio, and to us kids
stuck in nowhere, NY, it was like listening to another world! Same
with when we'd get AM skip and listen to WWVA in Wheeling, WVa. It
seemed exotic to think we were listening to someone talking that was
that far away!
There were 3 or 4 of those 50KW clear channel stations we could work
in DC. I liked WLS out of Chicago (Dick Biondi)
WOWO from New York worked too.
WBZ in Boston was one of the original 50kw clear channel stations. I could
occasionally pick it up at night in Jupiter, FL a few years ago.

Dick Summer's Night Light Show (with Irving, the Venus Fly-Trap) caused
many sleepless nights back in the 60's.

http://www.wvnh.net/summer/dicksummer.htm

Eisboch- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Hunting for skip channels is a fun passtime! I still do it!


If you are serious about DXing AM band you really need a long wire
antenna and that becomes a lightning rod here.



I listened to XERF, the Mexican border blaster, for Wolfman Jack. I
vaguely remember one of the staff announcers claiming it had a lot more
than 50kw of broadcast power.

It was the only station we listened to at the near-weekly sandbar
parties on the "mighty" Kaw River.

On May 6, 2:44*pm, wrote:
On Wed, 6 May 2009 10:26:25 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
Yep, and Heathkit kits were a spin off. My older brother built a
Heathkit shortwave radio, then a Heathkit guitar amp! Man, we used to
stay up at night and listen to that shortwave radio, and to us kids
stuck in nowhere, NY, it was like listening to another world! Same
with when we'd get AM skip and listen to WWVA in Wheeling, WVa. It
seemed exotic to think we were listening to someone talking that was
that far away!

There were 3 or 4 of those 50KW clear channel stations we could work
in DC. I liked WLS out of Chicago (Dick Biondi)
WOWO from New York worked too.

WBZ in Boston was one of the original 50kw clear channel stations. *I could
occasionally pick it up at night in Jupiter, FL a few years ago.

Dick Summer's Night Light Show (with Irving, the Venus Fly-Trap) *caused
many sleepless nights back in the 60's.

http://www.wvnh.net/summer/dicksummer.htm

Eisboch- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hunting for skip channels is a fun passtime! I still do it!

If you are serious about DXing AM band you really need a long wire
antenna and that becomes a lightning rod here.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

My brother lives on top of a mountain in western NY, and he made a
ground plane antenna that did really well.

On May 6, 11:39*am, wrote:
On Wed, 6 May 2009 07:18:29 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On May 6, 10:01*am, Richard Casady
wrote:
On Tue, 5 May 2009 18:01:38 -0700 (PDT),

wrote:
I am a bit younger but the first time I ever did a repair was taking
apart a tube CB radio and bringing the tubes to radio shack where they
had a tester.. *It was a big box about the size of a video game.. You
plugged in the tube and hit the button.. I think I was about 8-10 at
the time.

When I was a kid there was a tube tester at the drug store. Radio
Shack sold to radio amateurs mostly, and it was downtown. Everything
was downtown there were no malls.

Casady

Yep, and Heathkit kits were a spin off. My older brother built a
Heathkit shortwave radio, then a Heathkit guitar amp! Man, we used to
stay up at night and listen to that shortwave radio, and to us kids
stuck in nowhere, NY, it was like listening to another world! Same
with when we'd get AM skip and listen to WWVA in Wheeling, WVa. It
seemed exotic to think we were listening to someone talking that was
that far away!

There were 3 or 4 of those 50KW clear channel stations we could work
in DC. I liked WLS out of Chicago (Dick Biondi)
WOWO from New York worked too.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The valley we lived in in western NY had some limitations! We couldn't
get hardly any television up there!