National SW-54 Restoration, Part 1

Hallicrafters S-38C Restoration, Part 1

How to Give a Cat a Pill (Oldie but Goodie just for fun)

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if   holding a baby.  Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand.  As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. 

 

2.  Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa.  Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3.  Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. 

4.  Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand.  Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger.  Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. 

5.  Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe.Call spouse in from the garden.

6.  Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws.  Ignore low growls emitted by cat.  Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7.  Retrieve cat from curtain rail.  Get another pill from foil wrap.  Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains.  Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8.   Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit.  Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw

9.  Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans and drink one beer to take taste away.  Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.  

10.  Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed.  Get another pill.  Open another beer.  Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing.  Force mouth open with dessert spoon.  Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11.  Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges.  Drink beer.  Fetch bottle of scotch.  Pour shot, drink.  Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot.  Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect.  Toss back another shot.  Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom. 

12.  Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from the top of the tree across the road.  Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat.  Take last pill from foil wrap. 

 

13.  Using heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed, tie the little *&#%^'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table.  Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak.  Be rough about it.  Hold head vertically and pour two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.  

14.  Consume remainder of scotch.  Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room.  Sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye.  Call furniture shop on way home to order new table. 

15.  Arrange for RSPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters. 

What if we Could....

I've been thinking again. This is not always a good thing. Just ask my wife. Be that as it may, I had a thought.  What if I could get my test bench back up and running, get some old radios fixed up, seek out old Amateur Radio operators at assisted living homes, and spend the afternoon with them letting them once again tune the dial and talk to folks around the world? My Mom passed away in one such home and, I can tell you, these poor folks, at least the ones I saw, Are bored out of their skulls!

Well, The first thing I did was to put an add in Craigslist looking for old test gear that folks would either give me or let me buy cheap. I am on a serious budget, hence the "cheap".  I have been amazed at folks generosity.  The Wilson Creek Boys, my little loose-knit group of HAM buddies donated stuff, I got lots of old gear, some I am refurbishing for the bench and some I am selling in order to buy more supplies, i.e. capacitors, resistors, solder, etc.  All this before I know if I will even be allowed to go into a home and do this.  How wonderful.

I especially want to thank John, K5BOI for the donation of an O'Scope, Dan, W5FRT, for his offer of a tube test to use and all the tubes I want.  From Craigslist there was Jack, K1HW. Jack filled up the back of my car with old test gear and didn't charge me a dime. Jonathan, down in Austin gave me a super deal on a Tube tester. Another fellow gave me a variac isolation transformer. I offered to pay these folks but they would not take a dime.

I am so amazed at the selfless generosity of Amateur Radio operators and the public in general. The news would have you believe that there are few good folks left in this world and, a month ago I would have probably agreed with that. But, after the last month, and what I have seen, and the people I have met - total strangers - I now disagree.  Thank you all so much!

So what now?  Well, once I get the test gear all up and working, I am going to try and find some old shortwave receivers and maybe some old transceivers.  They will be restored and then we will see. Can I find some old Hams that would like to spend the day on the radio?  Will the homes let me in?  I am sure going to try.

Do you have any ideas dear reader?  Please, drop me an email or leave a comment here so we can all share.  Perhaps I should also look at helping the other in of the spectrum as well. Here, I am talking about new Ham's, Boy Scouts, kids in school.  Maybe we can use this project to teach these young folks electronics, help them get their license?  What do you think? Am I out of my tree? I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions any of you might have.

Updates to follow. 73 for now friends!

Restoring Heathkit AR-2

This one is in bad shape. Even missing front panel. Recapping in this picture.

Next....National NC-98! She ought to come out real well.


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The Great Chicken Massacre of 2010

If you recall the joy of my previous post, "Chicks Man", then you may be saddened, as we were to find that we had a chicken massacre last night.

The culprit - most likely a small fox - broke into the hen house and killed (feasted upon) 8 of the 20 young birds. The dogs barked a lot during the night but, they bark so dang much we thought little of it.

The wife and I will fill the beer cooler, load the guns, and be on stake out come the weekend.

And so it goes on the farm!



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