All of the areas I have lived have had almost dead 2 meter repeaters.  This applied even to St Louis.  The area I am in now has a nightly net but it usually is finished in 15 minutes because they require a code tone to get the repeater to respond.  

It is unfortunate that these are so under utilized.  I am looking forward to getting a HF station installed when I relocate shortly.  

It is sad that so many of the hams on this board put down CB but there has always been more activity in the areas I have lived on those bands then there ever has been on 2 meter.

the Vhf/uhf parts of the our frequencies in many parts of the country are dead.  It would be an improvement to see some activity even if bad.  We are going to loose those if not careful.  

Code is an operating mode nothing more, nothing less.

Radio Shack has been going down the dumpster for years.  They have hit a new low.  I walked in yesterday and I needed some parts and a portable sw reciever for a trip.  They no longer carried the part I needed and they had 2 shortwaves.  One was a crappy radioshack one and the other was a non-working Grundig.  Radio Shack Shortwaves use to be first rate since they were made by Sanguen.  

I do not expect them to be around in 5 years.

I have a Hallicrafters s-108 that I want to get fully operational.  It is good condition but dusty inside.  The problem I have is that when I turn it on I can tune to stations well enough but the sound is garbled.  Even on a local am station that come is very strong.  

Any Ideas where to start. It has been several years since I have worked on old radios.

The test equipment I have is a
Audio Generator
RF generator
Oscilloscope
VTVM
Digital Vom  Freq meter ect
Cap Bridge


Thanks
David

N0SoY

Part of it is the attitude of some of the hams out there.   Many years ago  a friend of mine got her general license and we decided to go to a hamfest.  She is older then I.  She had cash and was looking for some equipment to play with. BTW she can afford to buy what ever she wished.  Every vendor looked at her and either ignored her or kept talking to me and referring to me as her husband.  Things like "talk to your husband about XXXXX" looking at me.  That made me feel old.   The final straw was when she was standing there trying to get some old fart type vender's attention about a radio she wanted and and he went and waited on two other guys who just walked up.  He finally came over when I walked up.  She was so mad you would not believe it.  She acted like she wanted the radio and how it was so nice ect.  Had him go over all the controls ect.  Then took out  more then enough cash to buy it.  After she made sure that he saw the cash.  She told him that she would rather give it to a homeless bum then by anything for such a sexist pompous ass.

It took me 2 hours to calm her down and she has since let her license lapse.  

This is the 21st century not the 19th.

I have read that in the past hams would build their own tubes.  Has anyone done this before and does anyone have a book or other resource?

Thanks

Ham radio is rapidly declining in numbers for several reasons.  

1.  the young do not see the relevance in our digital society.  I am in my 40's and was around when the computer started to dominate our lives.  I was part of it and it was fun.  But,  email and all of the other digital toys are not a substitution for direct comm.  The kids do not understand it.  When I was a teenager, CB was the big deal.  Almost all of us had one in our cars.  I know, I got the radios for them.  We had a great time with them.  Not only would we organize impromptu get togethers but we had various games we came up with.  So ham was a natural progression.  
Today it is not.  
2.  There is a lack of interest in the established ham community to elmer the new hams old and new.  Many new hams go and take the test pass get the license and that is the end.  No one contacts them, helps them set up a station, gives them good advice and introduces them to the hobby.  Example,  I am not from the town I currently live in.  I know hardly anyone and only one ham.  About a year ago I upgraded to general license.  I have had no one contact me to invite me to join a club, offer advice or help me get on the air.  I did not expect it but it would be nice.  So  imagine a kid who gets the materials takes the exam, passes the license only to be ignored and not encouraged.

3.  The on going argument over code and no-code is tiring to say the least.  It has been settled let it die.  I have seen hams put other hams down because "well I had to copy XX words a minute and he did not so I am an Uberham and superior and he is just a CBer"  The law says he is a ham so he is a ham.  It is childish and only hurts the hobby.

4.  When a young person gets on the air welcome him and let him into the conversation.  If he does something wrong explain to him what it was and how to do it correctly.   I read that in the past hams would send cards to each other by mail confirming the  contact.  I do know if they still do but sending a physical reminder of the first contact is a great way to encourage interest.  I remember seeing something about ecards or something.  That is like sending an email and has no meaning.    

These are some of my thoughts feel free to ad to them

Ok,  I have only placed one order with this company.  He had on his website some 1960 era geiger mueller tube.  I work at major university performing research in radiation effects.  We ordered 20 of them to use a cheap disposable detectors.  

The shipment was prompt, and as described.

I have bought many things over the years from MFJ and I am generally happy with them.  Most items seem well designed and well made.  Prices seem reasonable and service ok.  They also take Paypal.  

I have heard many complaints over the years.   Keep one thing in mind.  I think they are still MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA as opposed to china.

I am not a radio dealer but I have had several businesses in the past.  

1.  Start the Hamfest at a reasonable time.  I do not want to have to arrive at the hamfest at 3:30 in order to set up to open at 5:30 or 6:00

2. Do not expect me to pay a fee to set up or for electricity etc.

3.  Have a good place to have it,  air conditioned, with clean restrooms, and parking by the door to unload.  Hauling stuff from 1/4 mile away is not acceptable.

4. Advertise that there is going to be a ham fest. Putting the only  notice on the ARRL website or a tiny ad in QST is not sufficient.

5.  I have to make enough money to pay my expenses, gas, one or two employees and still be able to put some money in my pocket.  Since it is a weekend event I have to pay overtime to the employees that came AND the ones that are minding the store.  

6.  A phone line is a must now to take credit cards.  

7,  Do not have it start at 5:30 in the morning and end at noon.  Have it Run from say 9:00 to 6:00 so it is worth my time and expenses.  (do not understand the 9:00 start time  see item 1.)

The idea sounds good may be worth a try.  The problem with ham fests are multi fold.  I stop going several years ago because they became a waste of time. Which is sad.

1st.  The level of honesty that I have found by the sellers is rapidly declining.  Several times I have gotten burned by some slimeball that will tell you that a item works but when you get it home it is dead.  

2nd.  The quality of the items had been declining.  In the 70's when I was in high school I work at a TV shop and my boss suggested that I buy some basic equipment to experiment at home.  So we went to the ham fest.  He and I purchased a working Oscilloscope, a signal generator, VTVM, and some other odds and ends.  We spent the whole day.  I have not seen much more then crap in the past several years.

3rd.  What brain decided that ham fests should start at 7:00 am on Saturday and end by noon?  This is plain stupid.  Many of us have to traval 2 or 3 hours to get to a major fest and Then are not happy when most of the venders are packing up.  

4th.  This is a general complaint that exists in the hobby.  I have a female friend who is so turned off ham radio because of the attitudes of the men she met at a ham fest.  We went to one that was near were we both lived.  Every guy she met treated like she was my wife and she had to talk to me about what to buy etc.  I actually watched one seller ignore her and talk to three guys who walked up after her.  She finally got his attention when she pull out of her purse a roll of 50's and started to act like she was interested.   Then he was all over her.  Her response was that she would rather give the money to a bum then buy anything from him.  Then walk off.  She left with the money.  She had planned buying some toys to use with her newly minted General.  She has never been on the air and let it expire.