Friday, October 27, 2017

More Transmitter Pictures

Here are pics from the outside of the KAAY transmitter building.  Included pics from the back and front of the building.  Notice the dumpster out front.  It was there when I took the picture just after the property was bushhogged about six months ago.  With a wet summer it has really grown back.  The cattle guard gate has been replaced by a sliding gate.



Thank you, Doug!  Y'all stay tuned for more!  Bud S. (staceys4@Hotmail.com)
 

Monday, October 23, 2017

"AR ANSAS"

From Russell Wells' post on Facebook:

1968 trade publication advert. "You can't spell Arkansas without the K."


Thank you, Russell!

Bud S. (staceys4@Hotmail.com)

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

More Transmitter Pics

From Doug Virden:

"Let's not forget the reason I was able to visit the KAAY transmitter building, the reason being was to pick up a remnant from the old RCA transmitter for Bud.  I  ended up taking a meter and some tubes which I sent Bud a few weeks ago.  I  got to take me home a meter and some tubes too.  I will let Bud do the honors of posting what he received, here are pics of mine."


Thank you, Doug!  I believe the Per Cent meter referenced modulation;  The tubes are part of an RF deck, and are 813 power tubes mounted in hefty ceramic bases.  Here is a vintage advertisement:


A great many Amateur Radio operators used these in home-built amplifiers for 160 meters (the Ham band just above the AM broadcast band, 1800 to 2000 kHz) and ran them for about 1,000 watts, reliably, for years.  They are tough tubes, able to take lots of abuse.

I will have to look around, I think I had a schematic for the old RCA transmitter somewhere, by the time I post my tubes and 12.5 kilovolt meter Doug sent me, I hope to have data on where they were in the RF chain.

Thanks again, Doug!

Bud S. (staceys4@Hotmail.com)

Friday, October 6, 2017

Jerry Sims, The 2nd "Sonny Martin"


Here is a picture, shared by Doug Virden, on the KAAY-Mighty 1090 Facebook page....

I heard Jerry when I was 9 years old; when Jerry came through Mobile on a sales trip to Florida for his last employer (Hank's Fine Furniture), he stopped in Mobile and we had supper.  We calculated the years and, by gosh, we came to the same conclusion!  And he was so young back then!  later, I was able to make a trip to Little Rock in April 2012 (see other posts to this topic) and we had a great time!  Then, in August that same year, we lost Jerry.  He was doing what he loved: playing softball.  He collapsed on the field in extreme heat conditions and never regained consciousness...

...and a year later, in the same month, I almost died from heat stoke.  Two things ran through my mind: is this how Jerry went? and, what will my family do?  Fortunately, I recovered and have harped on safety re: heat-related injuries for all these years afterward.

Rest easy, Jerry, I'll see you in heaven....

Bud S. (staceys4@Hotmail.com)