H. P. Friedrichs (AC7ZL) Homepage
Tucson, Arizona U.S.A
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News!
Introduced in 1959, the Titan missile was part of the war machinery that would help to assure a peaceful, if uneasy, balance between superpowers for almost four decades. The silos in which these weapons were based were slated to be decomissioned in the 1980's, but one remains intact and can now be visited by the general public. Even better, the site offers a special treat for those of us with an interest in radio. Read about it here!
If you have an engineering mind and you've ever handled any kind of surplus military hardware, you can't help but see a certain beauty in the purity of its design. Reliable function trumps every other concern. Recently, I set out to build some power supplies, both fixed and mobile, for my TR-VP-13 transceiver- a French military rig. My goal was to capture the look of military hardware. This spawned a number of construction and design ideas, and resulted in some very useful, attractive, and rugged equipment. Some of those ideas are likely to be of interest to anyone who likes to build their own communications equipment, particularly if that gear is intended for emergency or field use.
What happens when you combine a trip to a tropical paradise with a kite, a length of wire, and a small transmitter? You have lots of fun! Read about it here!
The Department of Defense Research and Engineering is conducting a contest to develop a lightweight, "wearable" power unit to provide electricty for the ever-increasing variety of electronic gadgets that modern soldiers carry with them. Here are some thoughts on the contest, the challenges implied, and what kind of technology might actually do the job.
So...You like to build crystal or primitive tube radios but you can't find any decent high-impedance headphones? You'd be surprised how easy it is to build your own. Check it out!
Two military radio articles have been updated, one on the BC-348 and one on the TR-VP-13. Even if you've read them before, they are worth looking at again.
One of the great things about the Internet is that it provides an unprecedented vehicle for meeting interesting people. Some of them are involved in absolutely fascinating projects, and host Web sites to document their efforts. Visit my links page to meet some of them. The most recent addition to my list is Jake V's Steampunk Workshop.
What do you get when you cross a 1920's era circuit with a 1970's era sitcom and a box full of junk? Fictional character Fred G. Sanford might have answered this way, "A radio, you big dummy!" Read about it here!
It Isn't About Politics!
The members of our military have volunteered to put their lives into jeopardy, and the lives of their loved ones on hold, simply because their country asks them to. If this kind of sacrifice is not worthy of gratitude and appreciation, then nothing is.
Some people are upset about American foreign policy...fair enough, there's plenty of room for different opinions. But the next time you see a man or woman in uniform, don't forget to tell them "thanks."
(Last website revision 08/01/2008