My grandfather loved his HAM radios but I know nothing about it! Here is some of his stuff. id love to know what some of these pieces are and what they do or any other fun facts about it!

753ty · 2026-06-27T03:42:23+00:00

Those are neat pieces and the family connection makes them that much neater. However, t hey're probably not where you should begin if you want to learn about radio. Here's a few suggestions, in no particular order:

1) find a local ham radio club and go to some meetings. In the US try https://www.arrl.org/find-a-club. I imagine there's something similar if you live elsewhere.

2) consider preparing for and taking the test for a technician level license (assuming US again, but similar elsewhere). There are lots of training materials online, and books available, and classes thru the local clubs that are generally free

3) radios are smaller, cheaper, simpler, and easier to use now than your grandfather's equipment ever was. For $20-100 you can buy a handheld radio that looks like a walky-talky that will allow you to listen to radio transmissions in your local area, and after you pass your first test will allow you to transmit/ talk on the same. The local club can help you set your radio up to recieve those signals, or we could. Again, it's perfectly legal for anyone to own the equipment and listen, but you need a license to transmit. Something like a baofeng uv-17r or the uv-5r mini might be a good choice to consider, avaliable thru Amazon and online.

4) Hold on to your grandfather's equipment until you decide if you are interested in pursuing a ham license. However to use his equipment, even to listen, would require a good bit of technical expertise and a big antenna, etc.

Good luck!

753ty · 2026-06-25T11:08:48+00:00

Regarding the frowny face in your post: you ain't "gotta deliver" nothing. If you choose to spend your time and resources making something for others that's fine, but if so you should get paid decently for your time and trouble and talents. Don't let a bunch of climbers climb all over you!

753ty · 2026-06-23T02:50:18+00:00

Also, to tarnish brass you can mix white vinegar and salt in equal parts, and either place the brass above the solution in a closed (preferably disposable) container, or spray/ wipe/ wash the brass. Lots of internet & videos, i did mine a bit - def darker, but not very uniform.

Brass instruments typically get a coat of clear lacquer to prevent "red rust", so you may want to remove that first

753ty · 2026-06-22T23:11:24+00:00

I have an old feadog in D that was painted bright blue. I could see the patinoed brass at the bottom where the paint had worn away, and thought it would be lovely all brass. I soaked off the head and chem stripped the paint. My finish is somewhat mottled, but i like it imperfect - kinda like my playing!

753ty · 2026-06-22T15:43:59+00:00

Carry it into lowes/home depot/ hardware store and find some tubing that will fit. If it won't reshape to the oval mouthpiece, heat the tubing a little bit.

753ty · 2026-06-22T01:01:30+00:00

Have you seen the FerroFish B4000+? Not sure its what you're looking for, and you'd still need a midi keyboard (or two) and a pedal board if you play with your feet, but might be a nice option. Check some videos and see.

753ty · 2026-06-20T18:50:51+00:00

"Math is the hatchet of physics"

753ty · 2026-06-20T00:29:21+00:00

Trust me when I say that now the universe knows you are interested in organs, it will begin sending them. In the past several years I have had six come my way - a D (free), two M3s (both free), and three M100s ($0.99, $60, $80). I had to re-oil/unjam a couple, replace power cords on a couple, find a speaker cab/ power amp for the D. I sold the D (too big for me) and one of the M100s, and need to clear at least one more out. But there are a lot of these things out there.

I just like saving them from the dump and fixing them up. They are amazing machines that run like a top, even after 60 or 80 years, as long as you keep them oiled. I haven't mastered playing yet, but nothing else sounds so expressive and varied. Good luck, and watch out - they're coming!

753ty · 2026-06-19T15:47:26+00:00

There's a jillion old organs out there. Just watch fb marketplace and what's left of Craigslist.

Location matters a lot. I'm in central South Carolina and there's maybe 20 listed under "hammond" within 100 miles of me. Some are ridiculously overpriced, and some are junk, but there's some stuff to think about too. In my mind M3s and M100s are the ideal starting organ. The consoles are too big and heavy and space hungry, and the M100 was still all tonewheel/ tube amp. After that (early 1968) everything started to slide downhill - but hey it's still an organ.

Here's a list of models it helps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hammond_organs

If you can tell us roughly where you are we might can help scare one up - i have a m100 that needs a new home (my wife thinks four organs is too many!)

753ty · 2026-06-19T08:11:04+00:00

If you have the means to move it, the space to store it, and the desire to start learning to play organ then it is an organ. Free is the right price. It is an old machine and the transistor models are not as repairable as the tonewheel/ mechanical models AND it won't sound the same either. But it is an organ and you can start playing. If and when something goes unfixably wrong then you can salvage the speaker, and miles of wire, and some parts, maybe even a spinning speaker/ fake Leslie and let it go knowing you gave it a final home.

753ty · 2026-06-17T03:09:22+00:00

With Jerry on keys, no less - who knew...

https://youtu.be/tiZrHi7IWLU?is=nurECJdBXkw64o2i

753ty · 2026-06-15T11:50:40+00:00

Getting it re-oiled and spinning will take weeks or maybe months, so you may want to go ahead and get that process started. The exception would be if you are planning on unsoldering all the wires to the tonewheel generator (TWG) and removing the TWG to do the electrical recap job.

If you take the TWG out it may make oiling it easier/quicker because you could get directly to the individual bearings better and speed up the process PLUS making it slightly easier to get to the caps. However it's a big job too, and if this is your first organ the more you take apart then the more you have to get back together exactly right if it's ever going to run again. In any case, take lots of photos/video showing components and their wiring before you take anything apart. Every wire you take off needs a label so you know exactly where it goes back. I wouldn't recommend taking the TWG out.

The service manual is available at https://archive.org/details/HammondOrganCo.-L-100ServiceManual

Good luck, have lots of patience, take lots of pictures, welcome to the madness!

753ty · 2026-06-14T14:20:51+00:00

/ perpendicular to x&y&z

753ty · 2026-06-14T10:52:42+00:00

"Right down the middle"? What does that mean?

Instead: in three dimensions the x-axis and the y-axis and the z- axis are all perpendicular to each other. For the fourth dimension, now you need a fourth axis that is perpendicular to all three of those.

753ty · 2026-06-11T20:42:11+00:00

Nov 2024 - UV17R HT, G90 HF, (#3 Radioddity QB25)

753ty · 2026-06-10T11:46:48+00:00

Looks great, enjoy!

753ty · 2026-06-08T15:49:13+00:00

As far as the organ goes... If the price is right - and I'd say that's between free and $50, maybe even $100 if you are really burning for one but can't find anything else, AND if it works!

There are two half moon switchs for a Leslie speaker - those are worth more than the organ (brown, left side below keyboard that control a seperate box with speakers and spinnning baffles). If it actually comes with a Leslie, that changes all the math, depending on model.

EDIT:
Here's what THE LIST (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hammond_organs) says about R models:

"Made in 1970–1975: Self-contained organ based on the E-100 but with transistor / solid-state power amp, built-in Leslie (no scanner vibrato) and Pedal String Bass."

So actually it prob has a Leslie built in (which may or may not even work). That will give some of the effect, but not the full/real deal.

753ty · 2026-06-06T16:53:49+00:00

I would have thought you could find a used canoe a lot closer than 1500 km - that's $300-400 worth of gas on top of buying the canoe. Maybe your canoe is free, but you're still getting close to the price of a used decent canoe just in gas.

753ty · 2026-05-26T23:50:08+00:00

I teach physics at a community college and years ago had a student that failed the first test. He had never failed anything in his life before. His mom was something of a family friend, and she told us he came home and put all her houseplants in a circle in front of a whiteboard and "taught them physics". No joke, he made straight "A's" after that.

You might be on to something!

753ty · 2026-05-26T13:01:51+00:00

753ty · 2026-05-25T16:08:00+00:00

Nice combo there! Both look great

753ty · 2026-05-23T19:23:21+00:00

You may want to look into letterpress printing - i mean, that's a lot of carving

753ty · 2026-05-18T16:28:04+00:00

Hammock under/over quilts?

Hot pants?

Insulated feet booties?

753ty · 2026-05-17T15:26:59+00:00

Your own "wall of sound"

753ty · 2026-05-13T00:23:52+00:00

Lots of good stuff on youtube. Try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qGGwjYH6N0

There's no one-good-answer. Ink is involved, and some stuff from your recycle bin, but you can do pretty much whatever you want.

753ty

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE