Category Archives: Commentary

Collector or Bargain-Hunter? There are Craigslist deals out there.

Posted on December 12, 2015 by jwk

If you’re like me and have a liking for vintage electronics, you’ll know that they turn up in a lot of places. Craigslist tends to be a pretty good spot for radios and even piles of tubes from time to … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Test Equipment, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Make Christmas Special This Year with Allied Radio!

Posted on December 9, 2015 by jwk
Posted in Collections, Commentary, Vintage | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

What do we have here?

Posted on December 1, 2015 by jwk

I was reading about how to build a capacitor checker from the December 1959 issue of Popular Electronics and stumbled across something that looked very familiar. I know that shape. Nearly identical to a Bose® 901 Series I/II cabinet, and even … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Bose, Collections, Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Retrofitting Light Fixtures with New, High Efficiency LED Bulbs

Posted on November 27, 2015 by jwk

I posted a while back about LED filament bulbs that use the new silicon-on-glass manufacturing process to produce Edison bulbs with thin strips of LEDs. Perfect for where you want that vintage styling of an incandescent bulb without all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Gadgets | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Are Kids the Future of Ham Radio?

Posted on November 22, 2015 by jwk

Bob K0NR has an alternate take on how to keep ham radio alive as many of its practitioners age up: For whatever reason, it seems that most people find themselves in a situation as an adult that causes them to say … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Ham Radio | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

KF7LZE’s Blog is now RETROVOLTAGE

Posted on November 20, 2015 by jwk

KF7LZE’s Blog is now RETROVOLTAGE. Same great content, and all your old links will still work – starting in 2016, you’ll see more content here around all types of vintage electronics, hobbyist projects, and other resources in addition to KF7LZE’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | 2 Comments

Totem Acoustic ARC Digital HD Amplifier on Kickstarter

Posted on November 16, 2015 by jwk

Totem Acoustic sent me some information about a very interesting new hifi amplifier they’re launching on Kickstarter. Based out of Montreal, they’re an established brand making hifi speakers optimized for desktop and streaming applications, and are coming out with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Commentary, Electronics, Gadgets, Hi-Fi | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Speaker Spotter – November 6th, 2015

Posted on November 6, 2015 by jwk

Today’s Speaker Spotter showing the most interesting speakers for sale on the local Craigslist has a number of rare, unusual, and high-end speakers you’re not likely to find anywhere else. As always, I’m not affiliated with any of these sellers, … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Collections, Commentary, Hi-Fi, Speakers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mailbag: What’s the best multitester for vintage radios?

Posted on November 2, 2015 by jwk

I recently got this question in the mailbag, and it seemed like a good one to answer: What’s the best multitester for vintage radio repair? That’s actually a tougher question than it seems. The short answer? Well…it depends a bit, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, DIY, Electronics, Gadgets, Test Equipment | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Speaker Spotter – September 30th, 2015

Posted on September 30, 2015 by jwk

It’s back! Another installment in this occasional series, “The Speaker Spotter”, picking out the most interesting speakers available on my local Craigslist. Today’s Speaker Spotter focuses on bookshelf speakers for the best sound possible in a small package. As always, … Continue reading →

Posted in Audio, Collections, Commentary, Hi-Fi, Speakers | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment