On the bench: a BC946 “ARC5” receiver. The previous owner modded it with a bolt on power supply and removal of the audio output transformer. Phase 1 is remove mods/restore and try to get operational.

This is a rare MW version used for navigation.

Spring DX season is starting. I’m going to listen to as much medium wave broadcasts before summer thunderstorm season starts. The two Racal receivers are my goto for broadcast band and shortwave cruising.

3-2, I looked at the night sky for less than 10 minutes and counted 6 different LEO sats. I remember when visuals were a bit rare but at dusk it’s a common occurrence now

Old guy nostalgia? Getting back to film photography with a new to me F2A. No instant gratification other than a sturdy mechanical click an the film advance

Clocks are big! Machines are heavy!

I’m starting a new recording project where the focus will be on “earth sound” field recordings. This includes electromagnetic fields found in dense urban environments and naturally occurring signals of the earth.
Project name: Gaia_Magnetosphere

I remember seeing those in the Heath catalog years ago. A DX60 and HW16 would have been dream rigs back then

A 100 year old Westinghouse AM receiver and a slightly more modern software defined radio

Initial parts layout for a 1929 Hartley Oscillator. Supposedly this will generate 1 watt on the 40 meter band. Tube is a type 27 triode

2025 goal is improve Morse copy and sending. My fave key is the NATO. CW courses require a keyer so I have to practice with that but the real fun are the “Swedish” style keys.

The winter season is now in full swing and the evenings are perfect for listening to distant AM broadcast stations from the Midwest. One of my favorite DXing receivers is a Hammarlund SP600 along with a Collins R390A and a pair of more “modern” (1990’s era) Racal receivers.

Beautiful Northern Lights