Lets roll!

It was a big deal when VTVM's went solid state. What was it, FETVM? ^_^

The guys who received electronics training in the military were invariably good at it but one guy I knew was arrogant and nasty toward those of us who had to do it the hard way even though our tax dollars got him his training. Back in the 70's during the CB craze I obtained a bunch of Sencore test gear for working on CB radios and electronics and my favorite was the Secore transistor tester which would test FET's and all types of transistors in and out of circuit. The CB was the iPhone of the 70's and I could sell a piece of junk CB for $100.00. Geez! I repaired thousands of those damn things but the most entertaining radios to service were the taxicab radios. Those big old Motorola and GE trunk mounted hybrids or tube type beasts that the taxi companies picked up used. I showed the drivers how to tap on the vibrator to get it going again until one of them came to the shop with a dead radio in which he had beaten in every aluminum can in the darn chassis trying to get the vibrator power supply to start up. I found a wonderful little 25 watt VHF unit made by Sonar Radio Inc. that I started selling the taxi companies and it was a bit larger than a CB but fit under the dash and didn't weigh 100lbs. Ain't technology wonderful? ^_^

TDD

Motorola 'Twin V' 6 or 12 volt radio. GE 'Pre-prog' or 'Progress' lines. I fixed a lot of CB radios, but mostly to teach other techs how to do it. That sonar was blueish grey with an anodized aluminum chassis? The FM-40? Did you sell them the external tone squelch that used one of the radio control tuned relays that sent a loud TWANG!!!!! when you keyed the mic? It and the radio used a handful of 13cw4 or

I've had Hollywood writer thoughts about a metal door and a surplus power line transformer hooked in reverse to the door and a good ground grid at the entry. Use shock sensors calibrated for severe impacts to trigger the power, I wouldn't want to cook a pizza delivery guy. ^_^

TDD

One of those low budget spy movies had the good guy run a piece of 40 AWG from the picture tube on an old tube type TV set, and to the metal door knob. When the bad guy grabbed the knob, it fried him. What a stupid script writer. An old tech I worked with as a kid would be talking to you as he reached into an operating TV to grab the second anode lead, then touch you.

I thought about buying a bull-barrel 10/22 but I have nowhere to shoot it now. I'm having trouble finding even a pistol range (else I'd have a lot more toys). :-(

Sure... you just make me smile!!

People with double-digit IQs do that a lot.

The Marlin 795 is also inexpensive and is often on sale. It takes a 10 round box magazine rather than messing around with the tube. For some unknown reason the magazine actually interchange with the new XT-22 and the older Marlin bolt actions although they are 7 rounds.

The Ruger Charger is a 10" barrel 10/22. Ruger says it's a pistol, so. voila, it's a handgun not a SBR. It's a rather odd duck, a little too heavy to use as a handgun gracefully, and you can't shoulder it like a rifle.

Between the two, imho the Marlins are better out of the box, but the 10/22 is like a Barbie doll. Ruger should just sell the bare receivers for the people that throw everything else away.

Ruger recently came out with their own 25 round mag. It's well made and seems to feed better than the Butler Creek Hotlips for a competetive price. It's definitely better than the Butler Creek knockoffs.

Bill Ruger must be doing 45 rpm in his grave.

If you can find one the new XD subcompact .45 is hardly bigger than some .380s. I doubt that pushing the +P envelope would be much fun though.

I've worked low current HV power as an electronics tech and high current HV power as an electrician. Believe me, high current HV power is a lot scarier and nothing to play around with. O_o

TDD

No, the radio we were selling was all solid state, no hybrid. I don't recall all the details, it was a "few" years ago but the darn things were easy to install and trouble free. Not once did a cabbie come in with the guts of those radios smashed all to hell. ^_^

TDD

Neither are, but teh high current is more likely to kill you. I've stood on the HV power supply inside a TV transmitter while it was on the air to adjust the interstage coupling with a long nylon rod. One slip and the 3KV DC would have killed me.

All the Sonar brand radios I saw were tube, and not that reliable. :(

I had a guy come into the shop with an electrolytic can capacitor and part of a PC board. He told me it was a bad vibrator for his car radio, and he needed a new one. He refused to beleive what it was, called us all idiots and left. I wonder how many other shops got a good laugh out of him?

"The Daring Dufas" wrote in message news:jv2di8$gtp$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me...

Or a fireman.

jsw

Heck I almost forgot transmitter power supplies. The worst shocks I ever got were from the high frequency high voltage in the big CRT television tube type power sections. It hurts all the way down to your toes. O_o

TDD

When I was a kid, I made my own crude big stun gun with a vibrator, transformer and battery pack slung on my shoulder and a wand with a two pronged 15 amp plug on the end and cable back to the power supply. I had a doorbell button for a trigger. The sparks frightened the bullies. ^_^

TDD

Just curious in your infinite amount of wisdom allowed for the possibility that you could be wrong? This answer should be interesting !!

My 32 round 92FS magazine is a pain in the ass to handle attached to a pistol but kinda fun on the range. ;-)