VOLUME 13            DECEMBER 1996                NUMBER 12

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- December 1996

From Antique Radio Classified for December 1996
(Copyright 1996 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

"Antique Radio Classified" invites its readers to contribute letters and information for inclusion in "Radio Miscellanea" and elsewhere in the magazine. "In The Marketplace" is based on information submitted by the businesses themselves. All topics should be of general interest and sent to A.R.C., P.O. Box 2, Carlisle, MA 01741. All material submitted should be verified for accuracy and may be edited for publication, which is not guaranteed. See the masthead for more details.

More on Soldering
Dear Editor:

In the August issue of A.R.C., there are several pages about soldering. However, there was nothing about litz wire. I know it's not a project for greenhorns, especially if there are several hundred strands, as on my world's largest (?) crystal set. At over 300 strands, I stopped counting, and I think I got 100 percent of the wires soldered.

Seventy years ago, I did soldering the hard way with a small iron, which I poked into the grate of Mom's wood-fired stove. I heated the iron up and was in business. Dad used a gasoline blow torch to heat his big irons. My first electric iron was a 115-volt one, which I rewound for 32 volts, as we had a Delco 32-volt system. We are on R.E.A. now and have a number of irons, from 30 to 300 watts.

To do a good job of soldering is not as easy as electric welding. Metal can be welded with the rust on. But to solder, the surface must be spotless. It's possible to solder steel using rosin flux, provided the surface is spotless and soldered as soon as possible. Otherwise, the surface tends to heal over.

--H. Eltz, Juniata, NE

Regarding soldering litz wire, see A.R.C., April 1993, p. 23. (Editor)

Don't Mess With Damaged Goods!
Dear Editor:

Buyers should be warned that if purchased equipment is not received in the expected condition -- don't mess with it! This is the time to let the other party know of the problem. Don't repair or claim to have fixed something before the sender knows what you plan to do.

The receiving party does not have the right (in my opinion) to repair something and expect to get reimbursed unless the sender has agreed to this action beforehand. UPS won't pay claims on something that has been fixed unless they have proof that it was broken. If you fix something before letting the sender know, then the cost of repairs will be up to you.

Sellers, be sure to document your shipping and sales details. If shipping radios, take lots of pictures. When shipping TVs, be sure to take pictures of working screens, if you are selling them as working.

One major point -- always be truthful, and take that extra time to make sure everybody is satisfied.

--Mark Minks, Liberal, KS

Thanks for reminding A.R.C. readers of this recurring issue. Note that the A.R.C. advertising policy states "...and to comply with a buyer's refund request on unaltered returned items." (Editor)

KTRK -- 1670 on Your AM Dial
Dear Editor:

As if one new station (WJDM) in the "expanded" AM band isn't enough, now there are two! Military station KTRK has conducted test broadcasts at 1670 kHz of the Tactical AM Broadcast Service from a temporary location at Fort Meade, Maryland. These broadcasts are intended to try out the system before it is deployed to Bosnia. The call letters, apparently "borrowed" from a U.S. TV station, stand for "truck," indicating how the station will get around.

You never know what what you'll find for music during these broadcasts, as I heard almost everything from "metal" to "50s do-wop" in the span of just a few hours. Like the WJDM tests, there are no commercials.

The station is encouraging anyone who receives a signal at a distance greater than 50 miles from Washington, D.C., or Baltimore, Maryland, to send in a "DX" report stating the time, listening location, and the quality of the sound. The letters "DX" should be written on the envelope addressed to: A.B.S., Room 340, 601 N. Fairfax St., Alexandria, VA 22314.

--Tom Tompkins, Shelburne, VT

The Many Routes to A.R.C.
How people find the road to A.R.C. is always interesting. We recently had a phone call from Barry Young of Hancock, Maine, who has a German radio for which he needs parts. He called the Boston German consulate for advice. They referred him to the California German consulate, who referred him to the Bavarian Radio Works near Boston, who referred him to us. A roundabout route is better than no route at all! (Editor)

A.R.C. Ads Sell!
Dear Editor:

I would like to report on the results of my recent ad in the October issue. I sold the Radiola III, the Crosley, dozens of tubes, the Chanalyst, the scope, several years of magazines, and the Majestic sign. I also received 12 letters requesting my magazine listings. I even sold items that were not listed because buyers came from as far as 150 miles away to pick up the items.

Needless to say, I am well satisfied and wish that I had "put my shoulder to the wheel" and advertised months -- yes, years ago!

--Edward Scribner, Schoharie, NY

Ten Years of A.R.C
Dear Editor:

I'm thirty-two years old, and it's been ten years of A.R.C. A.R.C. has often made my day! Thanks.

--Vincent Tutula, Baltimore, MD

A.R.C. Flies the Friendly Skies
Dear Editor:

Antique Radio Classified sure is a good way to shorten long airline flights! I took an issue with me on a business trip to Germany and the time flew. Having both A.R.C. and Electric Radio along was also a conversation starter.

--Edward Zeranski, San Diego, CA