Thursday, December 1, 2016

The Post Man Fit the Entire Fox Typewriter Company Into My Mail Box


I did not notice I mis-spelled Luxe until I had this uploaded.



The pages are perfectly straight. I could not get the book to lay exactly straight and aligned in my scanner so they display a bit tilted.

Postscript.
I planned a longer typecast, but I used Mead Erasable Bond Typing Paper that was so thin, even folded in half, that it would not feed properly through my Montana.

The calendar was from a Kikstarter project. I do not know if it is still available.

I got the book from Tyler's Blog.  Here is the link to the book.











At one time I chose my Hermes Baby over this typewriter.  Then I cleaned and lubricated both of them.  (Both have hard platens and soft feed rollers.)  Now I prefer this one over the Hermes. The Montana Luxe is a much nicer typer and loads paper without the paper catching on the ribbon covers.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Ooooops!

If you read my blog and no longer see your blog link on my blog, and for anyone who uses my blog to go to other blogs I follow and was using my link list, I mistakenly zapped it last night when I was removing links to blogs that no longer exist.  I will be rebuilding the list over the next few nights.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

It Sure Is Easier to Post When I Get a Typewirter


No wonder I have not been writing. Needless to say Mrs. M has been getting quite angry over my clutter.

I did organize my radio desk.  Does that count?
 The top row is my secondary equipment and on the bottom is my primary equipment.  The top is a Yaesu FT-101ZD complete station except for the YP-150 dummy load / wattmeter.

The Drake 7-Line is almost complete.  I need to get a CW-75 keyer to replace the MFJ sitting on the external VFO.  In 2017 I hope to get the L-7 amplifier just so I have one.  I did not want to spend the money to get the one on Ebay last week for a great price and it was like new.  It even had made in USA Eimac finals in it!
Mrs. M would have killed me since I recently had a TenTec 422 from my friend's  dad's estate follow me home.

I am planning a post on my radio blog on the Drake and my friend's dad. He was one of my ham radio elmers and is now a SK.  Silent Key.  When we move on to our eternal ham radio shack whether or not we still use the Morse Code we are still a Silent Key.

Funny how there are different terms for different losses in Radio and TV.  Radio stations that go off the air as many daytimers did; they become silent.  TV stations that go off the air; they go dark.

How do we describe the demise of AT&T and the Bell System?  AT&T as we know it is no longer the mighty communications giant they once were.  It all started before SBE communications bought them. Remember the lopsided stupid decision with MCI?

This is one of the amplifiers I am going to modify. I got it last year and thought I'd have it on the air by Thanksgiving 2015.  Almost by this Thanksgiving, but we have other plans.

Another jewel in my radio collection.  This one only will need a vacuum relay to meet my standards.  It is not broadcast quality, but I have no room for a nice RCA, Collins, Gates, or other commercial a.m. transmitter.  I did in PA.  I had two 500w transmitters in the living room and an F.M. in the back living room. The studio was the dining room.  No Mrs. M back then in the days of fun.

There is a saying that one must get the clutter out of their life to be happy.  I would if I had room for things!

Too much junk!!!! NO! Radios and typewriters everywhere.  It is only junk to the uninformed.

This is all the damage at our house from the hurricane.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Do you really want to vote for....


First one's from Facebook, second from Snopes.

Imagine this as the President.  Then there is Trump!  Yuk! The election needs to start over.

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Back to Normal...Sort-of

Great weather yesterday and today. 

I've always liked the day after severe thunderstorms when I lived in the North.  There were a few trying times during tornadoes, but the same nice sunny days immediately after.  Here in Florida we seldom get the nice low humidity days.  At least the daytime high temperature seldom reaches the 90s F or mid 30s C. 

Today is getting back to normal as I get ready to do a bit more cleaning in the yard.  A bit of a late start since it is always better to get an early morning start before the afternoon heat, but after a full day of working outside cutting trees and clearing storm debris yesterday I may be lazy and only do a minimum of work.

We only had some tree branches fall, damage to my anemometer, and a broken outdoor light.  A tree fell on the neighbor's SUV, and another house had some roof damage.

Our electric went out Thursday night, and it was restored by about 07:30 hours E.D.T. yesterday.  Like the Mayor of New Orleans when Katrina hit the city, I did not follow my emergency plan so I did not have a generator ready.  No big problem though as most everything I have is on battery backup which can last up to 36 hours.  By next time even the refridge will be on battery.  I have the converter sitting in the garage. We can do without air conditioning for a few days.  Without a/c longer than a few days after a storm though can be unbearable or fill one's house with mildew.  Older houses are not so bad as they were built with thicker walls, different roofing, and larger windows that can be opened.  They are also ventilated differently. 

Our house has windows that can be opened, but they are small.  For example, houses in the north are well lit by only window light.  Here houses are more like caves with a small opening.  The new houses have bigger and better window lighting, but the widows are fixed and the only way to open them is to break them.  Some houses have a combination of windows types. Our house without air conditioning causes things to mildew even with fans circulating air.

I will not go into why I hate living in Florida since most readers of this blog know as soon as I can I'll be back in the North.  We were quite ready to move until I got the job I have.  So I will probably be stuck here until I can retire to the North unlike many Northerners who think Florida is a nice place to live.  I prefer Arizona if I am to live in any place south.  New Mexico is nice too. Either are better than here.  You must like heat and humidity to enjoy Florida. Oh, and lots of bugs (mosquitoes!) and lizards, snakes, and buzzards.  OK, the North has gnats.

Mrs. says it's time to get to putting things back in place.  I agree.  Next post will be a typecast or pencast.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

A Big Giant Storm is in the Works



Tonight I though I may do a short typecast rather than this plain post.  Not so.

Saturday was the 5th anniversary of my blog. Since I had not posted for way too long I thought I'd do something special with a pencast followed by a typecast.

With the approaching storm there is not enough time for hobbies.  Too much to get ready. This one is a big one.  I have been watching the NASA feeds from the ISS and this storm looks nearly as big a Katrina.

We are 10 miles inland so storm surge should not be an issue and we are also on the West side of the storm center (at the moment).  I do not expect too much in my area, but the beaches will get hammered.

So as I am getting the house, vehicles, and radios ready I hope to get back to posting in a few days. 

Not sure what I'm doing for the storm yet as help is needed for communications which I can do from home or deploy to a fire station or shelter as long as Mrs. M can stay there or I can stay home and enjoy the wind and rain --- and type.

Sunday, July 17, 2016

What Does Baseball and Pulling Weeds Have In Common?


The SM3 on the left types very nice.  The one on the right needs work.  Notice the out of position CR lever?




Looks really nice, but needs a few repairs as well as a good cleaning.

Blogger will not keep proper size of the image files for some reason.

Blogger does it again.  Same width as the rest of the typecast, but will not display to scale.  When I get time I am going to move this blog to WordPress.  If I am going to waste time finding out how to correct all Blogger crap I may as well move on to a better format or put the blog on my radio website (which also requires a bit of work).

This one is for Rob Bowker.  Yuengling has a summer brew this year, Summer Wheat.  It is a light flowery or perfumey kind of taste.  It took me a bottle or two to get used to it.  Reminded me of a beer brewed in Bozeman, Montana.  Not one of my favorites from Mr. Yuengling, but better than their Porter.

Set up for a bit of back porch typing while my dinner cooks.
Dinner:
Salmon on a plank.  I found this to be one of our favored ways to make and enjoy a nice big piece of fresh salmon.
I never did get back to finish weeding.  Finished my Summer Wheat and went to the air conditioned house and started cleaning my radio room.  Then when it was time to prepare our dinner I set up my Hermes Baby and typed a letter to my Mother while the salmon was broiling in the grill.  Then I made a monster tossed salad for us and we had our dinner.

The planked salmon (or any fish) tastes great.  We used to make Shad at my Grandfather's camp when I was a young fellow.  I've also made trout, bass, catfish, and even carp, yes that ugly old fish that no one likes, on a plank.  Roasted slow over an open fire even carp tastes good.  The thing I like about the plank is that I can soak it in water and it will steam the fish.  I can soak it in wine and add a bit of different flavor to the fish.  I even tried beer, but beer is better for batter and deep frying. Tonight I did not soak the plank.  This tends to give a bit of smoke flavor to the fish as I move the planks over the flame when near done and let the wood char and smoke.  With the grill covered there is a bit of smoke flavor.

Saturday, July 2, 2016

A Tale of 2 Corona 3 Typewriters, or How I got a new antenna - typewriter included.





More Blogger crap.  Both parts are the same line length and imaging.  Same scale.  Display different on Blogger.  I may just put this blog over onto my radio web site.  There I have control over what displays and how it displays.  Perhaps it is the jinx of my political comments.  I still won't vote for her.

This is the bracket mentioned.  Shown with the carriage bottom cover removed.

Looking down at the bracket from the paper tray.

The screws removed.

This is the bracket from the working Corona 3.  I shaped the first one to match this one. The first Corona 3 bracket was flat.  Notice the slight angle of each end.  They must just touch the bottom rail enough to guide the carriage and keep it from flopping.  Too flat = too much play.  Too much of an angle = tight carriage that will bind.

This is the original one before bent to match the other one. I did bend it slightly, but not enough.  The final bends look like the one above.

This plate gets removed to access the escapement and the bracket.
 I need a cover like the one above for my second Corona 3.  The typewriter will work without it, but will leave the escapement, bell, and other parts open to damage.  If anyone has a parts machine and would like to part with the cover, please email me or note in the comments.


Corona 3 

1918
The antenna that I got is a Butternut HF6V.  I could not resist the good price.  I also know the owner.  I'll be adding 2 more coils to enable 12 and 17 meter band operation.  Total cost will still be about a third of the price of a new one.

Field Day 2016 was a huge success. Last I checked we had nearly 900 QSO points (more CW operation this year).  Not bad for working only about half of the allotted time.  Add in some of the bonus points and we'll have a good year. Best part of Field Day is all the free food and fun.  It is always nice meeting new people and finding more who are interested in getting their license and on the air.

And...
This is the latest addition to the radio room. Part of my Drake TR7 station.  Hope to add the rest and rearrange the room over the next few days.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Gotta Read This Book Before Election Day!

http://nypost.com/2016/06/25/clinton-white-house-was-a-den-of-cocaine-and-mistresses-ex-secret-service-officer/

Too bad too many states have communist primaries.  The Party's are afraid to let independent voters vote.  So hopefully there will be a good 3rd party candidate.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Congratulations Senator Sanders!

I could not resist a political post.  I chose to keep politics out of my blog, but this is an exception.

I gave away several copies of this book 8 years ago.  First heard of it on a radio talk show.

I think it is out of print, but listed here:
 http://www.amazon.com/Hillarious-Wisdom-Wonderment-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton/dp/0963346903

Now who will be the better President if the results keep going like last night?


Saturday, February 6, 2016

Sometimes plans do not yeild the intended result.

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 https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbtyTcdV27lj8WT5rO0XnwD1so_PH49L73E6ZPqMg8_-syF5uKZEprhKquyPZRba4LsIBm4JlxvSAu3c6kv_fj3bgjUFvRuoFIb6wRMOf1zZqLE7FkjRWD1wJ3PI9Quf5a-m43-7MNSM/s1600/P2140013.JPG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-HEw0iGqb_I2-SQnSmftZrGtcQ26onai1V7MbF65HwCltlZX-4fNiaQR05yc0Rphb77Rz20tVzVjj12vzcNCSDIyUrLth7ZcIXzIk2WtyBq04xK52drx2W6WhDIkOjI2hjgd5h8mvGg/s1600/j4.3.JPG 

Swapping from Pica to Elite and different fonts all made the scaling a bit off.  One day I hope to take the time to do a calibration of font size to pixel size to monitor size.  
I hope everyone has a great week end and enjoyable I.T.A.M.
Now I need to plan something.