Unscientific Poll

[Talen]

Sounds kinda like the Cub Scout 1 tube radio they offered
(and I built....first one) when I was 11-12 years old. Had
a 3V4 ?, plywood base, Fahnstock clips, etc ....and little
brass screws holding everything to the plywood. Lots of fun.
We had no problem finding the 1-1/2V "A" battery, but I
remember my mother driving me all over town to various
stores to find the 22-1/2V "B" battery....didn't know where
to look. Finally found them in the "hearing aid" section
at Sears. Spent many hours with the headphones on in
front of that radio. Great experience.

As far as kits today, there are still very good ones available
from folks like Elecraft which I would like to build but they
are expensive and since I still like building, I mostly buy and
repair kits and homebrew. Ever build a SSB transmitter
from a 60s QST article ?  ....today ? .....real challenge !!

What do kids do today ?...well one young kid down the street
builds computers from assys at various component houses and
sells them to friends. I believe that's how Michael Dell here in
Austin started out too....he did OK for himself. With the high
level of function and complexity, you have to use highly
integrated circuitry, smaller components, etc, etc. and you are
left with only the manual "system integration" phase.

With the ready availability of good transceivers at reasonable
prices, especially used ones, why would a kid today build his/her
own kit ? What I recall "from back then" is LOTS of parts and
not too many readily available and inexpensive transceivers
.....RESULT :  kits and homebrew. Not so today.

There are also folks in town who like working on Model Ts
and probably wish Ford would build them again....but they
are not going to, so they work on their cars and have a great
time. Chrysler on the other hand realized that there are baby
boomers out there with money and memories and produced
the hot selling PT Cruiser and Plymouth Prowler for those
folks. Neither of those have mechanical brakes, by the way.
......progress.

I don't think this is about "kits", it's about "memories"....and
that's just what they are ......memories. But the idea is to do
what makes you happy and what you have fun doing
(especially if you are not trying to earn a living at it). Life is
hard and the smell of melting solder helps me.

How's that for a divergent spin.........


73s  Kees K5BCQ

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