It’s a Hickock 600 tube tester. It was received from a fellow ham who had more than one, and took pity on me.

Little better view of the control panel:

It’s in pretty good condition, and while it’s not the most accurate tester ever made, it’ll help me to identify good tubes from bad ones, and that’s most of what I’m looking for.

Now to do my fellow ham a good turn or two.

 

Sixty-nine years ago today Howard Hughes piloted the H-4 Hercules on a mile long flight in Long Beach harbor. The H-4 is still the largest float plane in the world, and was designed to cross the Atlantic fully loaded.

He was a troubled, but ingenious, man. Today, I lift my hat to him and his kind.

I doubt I’d agree with much of what David Wong believes, or says. But he’s hit the nail on the head.

Go read his article here.

H/T to the Adaptive Curmudgeon.

That said, just remember, by showing up to the polls in November, and yanking the crank that says, “Donald J. Trump,” you, and millions like you, will have effectively sent the biggest, meanest, most hateful bird-finger in the direction of the Deep(Dark) State possible; you’ll have utterly embarrassed them. You will have, if nothing else, given the most thorough, “FUCK YOU,” of your life to the disgusting scum that have floated to the top, while simultaneously illustrating that the biggest propaganda machine this side of Goebbels was utterly incapable of stopping you.

Read the rest here. Caution, hurty words ahead…

BTW- if you’re not following his blog, you’re missing out.

First, watch this:

Then this:

And remember-officer friendly will use every word you speak against you, if he can.

When he asks you a question, it’s best to respond: “can the information you seek be used against me in a court of law to incriminate me?”

He has to tell you yes or no, and the answer is nearly always yes.

Don’t talk, and get an attorney.

From the Rutherford Institute:

The final countdown has begun to the 2016 presidential election, and you can expect to be treated to an earful of carefully crafted sound bites and political spin.

Despite the dire state of our nation, however, you can rest assured that none of the problems that continue to undermine our freedoms will be addressed in any credible, helpful way by any of the so-called viable presidential candidates. Certainly not if doing so might jeopardize their standing with the unions, corporations or the moneyed elite bankrolling their campaigns.

It’s well worth the read, here.

h/t Mojave Desert Patriot

I don’t know about you; I cannot speak for you. But this is what I know:

1. I do not need or want a king—“liberty minded” or otherwise, and I will not be part of a group of people that wants one.
2. I do not need a leader to tell me how to live according to principles and self-discipline.
3. I will not be party to violations of those principles, whether on a macro or micro basis; I will not affiliate with those who violate them.
4. I will make a difference in my own neighborhood, my own community. I do not need a label or group affiliation to do so.
5. I will continue to think for myself, to collect facts and make decisions based on those facts instead of my emotions

Read the rest here.

Within the post linked above, you’ll find links to Sparks31’s comments. It would pay to read them all.

h/t to Western Rifle Shooters. If his blog isn’t on your daily read list, you’re missing out.

But it’s true.

This one isn’t original with me, and I won’t reveal the source (Eddie) until I have permission, but here it is:

Many vehicles have a duct hose for the air induction that gathers cold air from the front (grille) of the engine bay:

 

You can see the old hack, previously installed. When I remove the fresh air hose,

You’ll see that is has a hole in it. Time for a new one!

Stretch the new stocking over the air filter( make sure to get the seam orientation right)…

and put the second stocking back in the container.

Putting a stocking over the air filter snout will keep bugs, leaves, and all kinds of crap from accumulating in your air filter.

Next, put it where the missus can’t find it like in the bottom of the toolbox. Or invite her to watch you do it. She’s likely to think you’re weird, a pervert…or whatever. Maybe all three at once. But at least you’ll have plausible deniability if she finds the second one.

The best place to get knee high stockings is to ask your lady if she has one that’s extra. If she doesn’t believe your reason for wanting it, send her here. I’ll be happy to handle the hate mail.

If you’re (un)fortunate enough to be single, just walk into the store that sells them, pick one out, and if the cashier asks why you’re buying knee high stockings, you have a couple options:

Tell her (him) “I sure hope they fit”,

the truth (the least fun option)

or, my personal favorite-” I’ll be doing some banking”.

By the way, I was kidding about the seam orientation.

Hope you enjoy.

Last Wednesday, 31 August 2016, I took and passed the General element for my amateur radio operator’s license. I was going to wait, but a club member at the local club had been pestering me (thanks, K.) so I paid for a hamtestonline.com radio exam course for a paltry $30, studied for nine days, and took the test. I wouldn’t say it was easy, but it was easier and took a hell of a lot less time than the college class I took to get the Technician element. If I’d known how well this program worked, I’d have gone this route instead. I recommend it to anyone wanting to take either the Tech or General elements- I’ll let you know about the Extra when I get there.

I’m going to sign up for the Extra  radio exam course next, and try to pass the Extra element next. Then on to learning CW.