My Kenwood TS-440 has the dreaded "dots on display" problem

If you own a Kenwood TS-440 (or know someone that does), odds are you are familiar with the "dots on display". When the TS-440 was made, it could be used mobile. To prevent parts from working loose, Kenwood used this clear "goop" to hold them in place. The problem is that as this goop ages, it becomes brown and conductive, and that's not good! My 440 had been experiencing the "dots on display" problem with more frequency, so after Clipperton went QRT (I was not able to work them. If you did, let me know how you did it!), I opened it up to see if my goop was brown, and it is. The picture below shows you what it looks like. I will now attempt to remove the goop and report back on the outcome. Click on the photo for a closer view.

BTW, this was taken with my new Nikon L11. I wanted a small camera that could fit in my pocket, used AA batteries and cost under $100. I paid $89 at Ritz camera last weekend and I am very pleased with it!

Ham radio and Mountain Dew

This is funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MieEfkwICB8

"Radio Hams" - a film from 1939 on YouTube

This is a great short movie (10 minutes) that I feel Hams will enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBGIdf0VjQ4

W1RAG Baby picture

Here's a baby photo of Rick, W1RAG that I'd thought I'd share. He has aged well!

RockMite

This past Saturday I built a RockMite as my local club (PART) had a Kit Building activity. I didn't finish it during the event, but last night I had some time and I completed the kit, applied power and it worked! There is a great feeling of satisfaction when you build something from a kit and it works the very first time you turn it on. I haven't made a QSO with it yet, but plan to do so soon.

The RMS Titanic radio page

This site details the radio room aboard the Titanic along with a deatiled log of the ditress call. This gives calling CQ a whole new meaning!

http://www.hf.ro/

Developed my first roll of film in 24 years!

I know with digital photography we can now get instant gratification from the pictures taken, but it's still a thrill for me after all these years to develop my own film and see the results soon after removing the film from the tank. At first glance they appear to have come out well. I took a roll of photos last September when my first SLR turned 30 years old. Tonight I got all the chemicals I need assembled in the downstairs bathroom. The whole development process took about 20 minutes. Once the negatives dry, I will take them to be be printed and scanned. I had forgotten how good B&W photos look when taken using a high quality 35mm film (TMax 100).

Rich