From Gemini to Apollo with a Collins 51S-1F Receiver

As we were cleaning up equipment for photography and testing, KFØCOM discovered an original JPL/NASA DSIF (Deep Space Instrumentation Facility – pre-Deep Space Network) tag! It was affixed to the reverse along with a green and white inspection/calibration sticker with JPL stamp and handwritten dates 1/17/68 and 10/8/69 with “JPL 17” and “JPL 168” code stamps next to them – indicating this unit was in service during the heart of the Apollo program!

2023-10-25T19:02:00-05:00October 25th, 2023|Amateur Radio, Auctions, Ham Radio, Vintage Electronics Articles|

Spring is in the air…The Vernal/Spring Equinox, courtesy of Geochron

Spring officially began in the Northern Hemisphere on March 20, 2023 with the vernal/Spring equinox as the entire world experiences an equal amount of daylight and darkness, as shown on the Geochron Atlas 4K.   

2023-03-21T10:47:43-05:00March 21st, 2023|Amateur Radio, Ham Radio|

Book Review – Wes Schum: Amateur Radio’s Unsung Hero by Dominic (Nick) Tusa, 2021, Jan-Carol Publishing

"On Thanksgiving Day 1961, Wes Schum was unstoppable. His Central Electronics Company had produced the world's most advanced single-sideband transmitter, setting the amateur radio world ablaze. Three months later, it was all over. 60 years later, learn why and what could have been." - credit: excerpt from back cover

2023-03-21T10:23:38-05:00March 21st, 2023|Amateur Radio, Ham Radio, Vintage Electronics Articles|

A Rare Find, The Hallicrafters FPM-200 Transceiver

It was around 1960 when Hallicrafters put into limited production its ahead-of-the-curve 'transistorized' FPM-200 transceiver. This was a hybridized unit with 41 transistors, 49 diodes, 14 power rectifiers and 5 tubes, and would put out 70 to 100 watts PEP SSB, 60 to 90 watts CW, and 15 to 20 watts from 80 down to 10 meters. It also featured a combination R.F. output and S-meter, CW sidetone, vox, 100KHz crystal calibrator and crystal lattice filters, a dual conversion receiver and more.

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