Newer and better
Back when I started playing with tiny, expensive radios, they weren’t tiny or expensive. How times have changed.
My first VHF transceiver (which might still be in someone’s basement, under the stairs) weighed in at a breathtaking 20 kg, and had more tubes than you were likely to believe. I think there were two sets of crystals, so that meant, on a good day, two channels. I was in heaven. No need to own anything else, as long as I had access to electricity. But, progress is always just a step away, and with the help of a friend’s grandmother, we managed to float the order for a pair of matched portable radios, with twelve channels. Crystal controlled (or as we knew it, rock-bound). You had to buy crystals, at a price that left our wallets feeling strained. Mine still works, although the original battery packs are obsolete.
Next up, I purchased a synthesized radio from someone else (who neglected to mention that processing power required a steady diet of battery packs, available only in the wilds of NJ). That one still works, too. I’ve relegated it to data link work. After all, technology has continued to advance, and an even newer radio is fun.
The newest (and greatest) addition to my collection is tri-band, powerful (relative to the earlier ones) and also serves as a scanner. Too much to choose from, in an urban setting. I’ve decided to monitor transportation systems for the next few weeks. That has required “keying in” close to 400 different frequencies into the included software. I’m now ready to monitor planes and trains and boats (and satellites, but that’s a tale for another time).
