Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

[lstmate]

Well Patrick made it safely to Evansville. I met him about 12 today at the LST. We spent about 2.5 hrs touring the ship. He was leaving about 3:30 heading for Cincy, so Gimpyrob heads up....

Patrick,

Thanks for stopping by today, enjoyed the time spent talking about all sorts of things.

I wish you following winds and smooth roads on the rest of your trip.

I will try to post a picture or two later but I did not take that many today. I left it to the better camera which Patrick had.

Garry & Tammy

 

[Polverone]

I'm off 2 weeks.. ..
How can I get a www.steelsoldiers.com magnetic sign that will fit on the tailgate lip? Maybe I can make one at Kinko's/office warehouse or something.

Patrick, remember this "sign"? Gary (Polverone) will fix you up.

Opcom-
I am back from the dead. Man, what a ride.
If you give me a mailing point (read address) for your arrival in about a week or so I can have that magnetic to you Post Haste. If is on me for this one. Just living the road trip is enough payment for me. I am so jealous for what you are doing. If a SS member is expecting you to show up at his place I can send it to him to give to you when you get there.

Thanks for the dream..............

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

Hey Gary (Polverone), good to see your post that you are well. I'm not sure where exactly I will be in a week. Trying to keep things sort of unscheduled, but by then I will probably be turning back to TX. No matter cause i can put the sticker on whenever I go use the truck. Still got the indigestion from something I ate. So, hope to meet up for lunch with JWC and gimpyrobb if he's back. Then to Dayton, and on to Lima, OH.

Garry (lstmate) was very kind to show me all around the ship, including certain generally forbidden nether regions.. It was my first time on a ship that size and I was amazed how much plumbing and wiring it had. Truly amazing to see the cargo elevator, fromt bows open, stand on the ramp, the winches.. learned what a scupper is. Everyone should see that ship if at all possible.

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

Had lunch with Chris and Chris and Jeff. Or am I confused.. It' late at night again! Went to mendelson's this afternoon, well worth it Chris (non-gimpy-rob) and I checked out the 3rd floor. I picked up some special meters to experiment with. Ok so I am confused, between names and handles, Mike Pop may have had a point in his post.. but It's been a long day after a poor night sleep last night in a hotel. Here's a pic, the only one one today, but it's a good one. I hate cameras, they always make me look fat.

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

Got a good night sleep at the KOA Wapakoneta, just 12 miles south of Fair Radio (Lima OH). The cabins are pretty nice. Fair Radio is one of the largest surplus houses. I spend the whole day there, and will again tomorrow. Green radios everywhere, and some black ones and gray ones too. Lots of parts. Today was finding things, tomorrow is rounding them up.

I also found out something for all the CB'ers who are using the traditional 3-section whip made of MS-116/117/118 sections.
NOW HEAR THIS: If you use an AB-24 section for the top instead of the MS-118, the length will be good for CB and the SWR will be much better.and a host of other things. If anyone wants things from Fair Radio, as I come back to TX, see www.fairradio.com, and call me on my cell # or PM me right away. It's a gold mine..

Also planning to go to Groban surplus later. http://www.groban.com/

The rest of this post will be boring unless you like electrical parts.. So far, list to get, all of this is military parts.. is: 2-pole double throw switch rated >30A/250V for changing over from generator power to shore power, 500 watt or larger RF amp (if I can find one), thermocouples for RF amp meters, large rectifier diodes, reststor or bank of resistors rated about 1000 watts, 1500 watt directional couplers, VHF diplexers (allow two PRC-77's to share the same antenna), spline-driven tuning capacitors, RF filters to make my VIC-4 stop squealing when the CB is keyed, 'large' frankenstein style ceramic insulators to mount on the shelter (for hooking up an antenna), motor-driven variable inductors from military collins 180-T tuner, spanner wrench for GRC connectors, a few AB-24 antenna sections.

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

and

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

alot of chat going on, I'm literally falling asleep.. too tired, so, night..

 

[gimpyrobb]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

Glad to see things are going well! Left to right in that pic: Chris Catlett, Jeff Hartline, Me(Chris Robb), and Patrick.

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

Thanks for the names in order to go with the guilty parties! I'm just getting breakfast. Fair Radio has a few military radios I am interested in, but their prices are more than I am used to paying. One radio is $695 (as-is complete, control head slightly more) and another item is $750.. Phil the owner told me they sell overseas alot, and that is what drives the prices up on some of the more desirable items. I'm not complaining, things are worth what they are worth. I really want this beautiful, robust, and excellent HF radio, but my pocketbook tells me to pass. A pity. Even though many older items at Fair are 'as-is', the old stuff very rarely breaks and will probably be around after the EMP. He has alot of really fine stuff.

 

[OPCOM]

Re: RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

Glad to see things are going well! Left to right in that pic: Chris Catlett, Jeff Hartline, Me(Chris Robb), and Patrick.

Thanks for straightening me out Chris R.! and also BTW thank you very much for the UPS. I believe it will be the way to go running the lights and TV and other 120V-0nly gear in the shelter.

It was a real pleasure to have lunch with all of Y'all and hope we can do so again some time. If ever in Dallas, look me up!

Finished up with Lima OH today $1K poorer but got some extremely useful components that would have cost several times more to buy them new. If I'd had a few $K to blow, there were a few other pieces being drooled over. But youse guys (with a few exceptions don't care about electronic crapola, so enough..)

Also used the new coleman grill for the frst time. I guess this means I have actually camped out. Anyone want to guess what I have tried to cook in the picture showing only the bowl and the 'food'?

Tomorrow, heading to Chicago, to Groban Surplus. He's on the south side, fairly near the interstate. 900 S Drexel Avenue, Chitown. 223 miles.. a short drive compared to those lately. Groban's has more industrial type stuff, should be interesting.

BTW what does it cost on the Indiana Turnpike? I-80, becoming I-90 in IL?

 

[OPCOM]

About the surplus store near I-55 in Arkansas, previously mentioned. Sorry to post late, having alot of disorganization the last few days.

Patriot Military Surplus
340 Grannt ST.
Marion, AR 72364
870-739-1391

Proprietor: Ray Abel

This is the store with the CARC in color # 383. He has it for $40/Gal. in new unused military issue cans. Ray is a veteran as well as having a few MVs, so check his store if you are in the area!

 

[No.2Diesel]

I really enjoy following your Roadtrip posts. Keep em' comin. Did your head explode from seeing all that old radio equipment? I would wan't to buy everything in that place. You still heading to the Dayton Air Force Museum? Stay Safe.

I think thats an omelet you were attempting. The second pic made me gag. I would let the folks at Denny's take over. There's not one Denny's on the island by me. Only Friendly's and IHOP and there always filled with little kids carrying on, and the booths are too small for more than two.

 

[Armada]

Thanks for the trip update and the pics. At first I thought the first picture was a piece of breaded fish...... errrr no.... In the second pic, did you boil the dogs in coffee water?

 

[OPCOM]

I am not sure what I will do after Grobans. Grobans will be Friday OCT 5, and then I need to be home on SUN OCT 14, but in reality a couple days earlier, because I am starting to get bags under the bags under my eyes.. I'm in a hotel in Merrilville, Indiana which is about 50 miles from Grobans. I did not want to just drive into south Chicago, not knowing what kind of place it is.

I stopped by Gillette Generators in Elkhard, IN. I want to update the story on the Gillette Generator and will update that thread. I'll just say here that it was cheerfully fixed on the spot and the voltage was adjusted to my complete satisfaction and I would not hesitate to reccommend Gillette. It was nothing more than infant mortality of a capacitor. Sorry there are no pics there, but I did not want to ask to photograph their operations.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=9095&start=100

 

[OPCOM]

Im here at Groban and I hipe they will let me take pics because you guys are going to like this. using my phone right now, but later will report.

 

[54reo]

OPCOM,

If you will be in the St.Louis area, let me know, as I am only an hour away from there. MY wife and I would be more than happy to buy you lunch and meet with you!

BTW... I love the road trip posting!! Keep it coming, and be safe!

Brian

 

[gimpyrobb]

WHAT!? Where did the sine waves go? I am glad to hear that you got sutch good service from Gillette.

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

found white ldt with orig spin on filter block will try to get.

 

[doghead]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

BTW... I love the road trip posting!! Keep it coming, and be safe!

Ditto! It's so much fun "following" you as you travel. I admire you for these trips and I appreciate you sharing them with us. BTW, what was that in the bowl(triangular food item)?
Thanks, Eric

 

[OPCOM]

RE: Re: Road Trip TX -> North, SEPT 29 - OCT 14

54reo,
will be in St louis tomorrow. I am in Bloomington IL at the TA truck stop right now, will find a hotel after a while.

ahh.. the great mystery meat in the bowl was eggs, did not look right, but tasted ok. As for the hot dogs, that is simmering in gatorade because I had no water convenient. They tasted a little sweet after that.

The guy to deal with at Groban's is Sid Groban. He knows where everything is. Also, it's a family business and his brother Ray is the president. Dick Cherry is the general manager. Sid likes to get things moved out the door, so talk to him first.

So as mentioned I found a White generator set, with an LDT-type engine. I could not read the dataplate but it has the original type spin-on oil filter housing. Also has a tapped pan sump where a ballcock valve is for changing the oil. It has obviously been sitting out in the rain for years, and the wires in the generator have been cut out. The open turbo exhaust is facing straight up at the sky. Ray decided not to sell me parts off it because someone might want to buy the generator set. So, I have no idea what the deal is, but to get the filter base, you'd have to buy the whole pile of iron.

Now I am not saying that's a bad deal, it's just what he decided. Maybe after some time he will re-evaluate and at least for the moment we know where it is. So, I bought some nice things there including some current transformers, RF ammeters, and a transmitter. Here are some pics. I reccommend Groban Supply Co. Inc. very highly as a place to rummage. Prepare to get filthy and to find all kinds of treasures.