Here we go again this year.
It seems each year around this time the swap pages are loaded with ads advertising to sell "stuff" at inflated prices. (must be a Ebay infection) As someone pointed out in these pages several times in the past, "if your not getting any response, and, you continue to relist it, and still don't get any response...." Its probably priced to high, or it is not an item anyone wants!!"
But its Christmas time, surely there is someone out in ham land that wants my old, broken down, abused radio, wny don't they email me, its priced $50 bucks less than full retail!
I have noticed a couple of guys that must have at least 6 identical rigs, because they change the wording around, but its still the same radio. Its amazing and down right entertaining at times, to read the postings.
Well its time to go wire the Christmas tree, and put in an extra outlet in to plug in that new radio I asked Santa for, surely I will get it ! I wonder if Santa reads the swap net ads?
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Pleasant dreams,
Tom, N8PQB
Christmas time in Ham Land
Wiring the Christmas Tree
Now - a - Days, we have all the little lights, operating at about 2 volts each, (incase you wanted to build a bulb tester) Have you wondered why they are so cheap? Its to allow you the cash flow you need to have lights that work! When they don't, its far less of a hassle to just throw the darn string away, and replace it with a new one!
I had to buy a new Christmas Tree this year, all that is available around here is the ""Pre-lite" trees. Man, they get a higher price for someone over in China to put those lites on the branches. Wouldn't you know it, the tree my wife wanted came with white lights and she wanted colored lights. So I hear this tiny voice say, "surely a ham radio expert like yourself can remove the pre-lite strings so I can put my colored lites on".
That turned out to be a labor intensive afternoon. But with the thoughts of a new radio dancing in my head along with the sugar plum fairies, Not sure where they came from, I managed to wear in a good pair of side cutters. Now I have a $60 tree (pre-lite price) with $30 worth of new colored lites, and a pile of little pieces of light strings on the floor.
But its Christmas time, Bah Humbug!
I had to buy a new Christmas Tree this year, all that is available around here is the ""Pre-lite" trees. Man, they get a higher price for someone over in China to put those lites on the branches. Wouldn't you know it, the tree my wife wanted came with white lights and she wanted colored lights. So I hear this tiny voice say, "surely a ham radio expert like yourself can remove the pre-lite strings so I can put my colored lites on".
That turned out to be a labor intensive afternoon. But with the thoughts of a new radio dancing in my head along with the sugar plum fairies, Not sure where they came from, I managed to wear in a good pair of side cutters. Now I have a $60 tree (pre-lite price) with $30 worth of new colored lites, and a pile of little pieces of light strings on the floor.
But its Christmas time, Bah Humbug!
One porblem I have come across around here is that these light stings with these little tiny lights have bulbs that are not compatable with each other. My wife has gone out a few times over the last several years and bought extra bulbs for replacements. I have found that all these bulbs don't fit in all the light strings I have. Why can't they standardize these Christmas light strings like they do with other types of lights?
.........Wally, N9VAO
.........Wally, N9VAO
Light strings and bulbs..........Hey Wally
You missed my point in a earlier posting...........
Your not supposed to go out and buy bulbs............
Throw the string away and buy a new one!!
Tom, N8PQB
Your not supposed to go out and buy bulbs............
Throw the string away and buy a new one!!
Tom, N8PQB
Hanging lights
Everyone remember when those lights came out that you hang from your gutters? I think they called them iccycle or something like that. Out in the country where I live its wide open and winds of 50 MPH are not uncommon. Anyway, the wife wanted those on our house, so I bought them, against my better judgement. And just as I said it would happen, the darn wind blew the lights up on the roof. So the season I was outside with a ladder and a rake getting these lights to hang down. Bound and determine to not fight this fight again, when they came down after Christmas they went directly into the trash can. When it came time for decorating the next year, I just had no idea what happened to those pretty lights. Her instructions, go buy some more but don't spend more than $$$ on outdoor lights. So i came home with the "blanket lights". Spent the whole wad on them, no more money for outdoor lights, and these looked pretty good on the srubs, and I didn't need a rake in December!
By the next year she figured out I don't play fair. HI HI. But no more lights hang from my roof line.
By the next year she figured out I don't play fair. HI HI. But no more lights hang from my roof line.