From Platinum To Brass

[Bill Coleman AA4LR]

On 4/26/99 11:35 PM, Harvey A. Kader at optom at ibm.net wrote:

>Here, here. Turning perfectably collectable Heathkits, Dynakits, and
>others into experimental projects should be a crime.

Question is -- was the item in question a collectable when it was
modified? Many of these units were probably modified shortly after (or
perhaps during!) the time they were built. At the time, they were clearly
available as new kits, and their collectable value was nil.

>As a collector of vintage electronic equipment, I wouldn't touch with a
>million foot pole modified equipment.

That's your perogative.

Perhaps there's someone out there, however, that's more interested in
USING a piece of electronic equipment than collecting it.

>Besides, at that point it has zero value, except of course to the
>butcher who ruined it.

The value is not zero. It certainly would have a high value to someone
attempting to RESTORE an identical piece of equipment to original
condition.

--

I, personally, have to examples of "butchering" "collectable" equipment.
The first was my GR-81. At the time I was trying to better fine tune CW.
I modified the gear to add a vernier dial to the bandspread control. This
involving cutting the shaft of the bandspread cap shorter, and putting a
huge hole as well as two mounting screw holes in the dial panel. This was
circa 1974 or so.

In the same year, I modified a GR-64 into a ham-bands receiver by
removing plates from the main tuning capacitor. The next year, I bought a
HR-10B kit, and eventually restored the GR-64 by cannabalizing the main
tuning capacitor from the GR-81. The GR-64 was later sold.

So, today I have a GR-81 that needs a main tuning capacitor (Heath Part
26-81), bandspread capacitor (Heath Part 26-85), as well as a front dial
panel. All as a result of modifications performed over 25 years ago.

I would dearly like to find a GR-81 basket case without knobs, speaker,
tubes, cover or bottom. Then I would feel absolutely no guilt about
removing its parts in order to restore my GR-81.

--

Also, I might add, that in the world of antique aircraft, modifications
are often performed in the interest of safety. Modern brakes, fasteners
and other materials find their way into the original structure.

The Smithsonian may find such action deplorable, but it does keep these
aircraft flyable. In my mind, USING a vintage piece of equipment turns it
into a LIVING museum piece, rather than just a dusty old collectable.




Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at radio.org
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901

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