Looks like I will NOT be going off the air (thanks to a future HAM)

[mr_fx]

Some of you guys know I had to sell my HF stuff... well a local guy I have done some work for, and I have helped him study for his tech ticket has offered to let me borrow one of his HF rigs (a Kenwood 440s with sticky buttons and the power supply) in exchange he wants me to try and clean out the buttons and build him a 2m/440 base antenna, which is funny cause I am getting ready to build one for myself anyway, that and he wants me to replace the fan in the power supply ($5 and a trip to the computer store)

He said, "Eric, you have kept me on the air, and you rarely asked anything in return, this is just my chance to keep you on the air." I gotta admit that felt pretty good to hear that.

He says I can run it as long as I need to... man things just keep getting better, I mean for real!!! :w00t:

 

[gamegetter]

Nice to have a good relationship with ham friends like that.

I read the article on how to fix the sticky buttons on those 440's. Don't remember all the details it was quite some time back I read it. Quite a bit of disassembly though. Best of luck.

 

[mr_fx]

Well found a nice 70mm CPU fans modded the old power supply to accept it (drilled one hole) so far I don't think the buttons are dirty/sticky, but the radio is a little off frequency for 10-20 mins when it first fires up... but dead on after it warms up, auto tuner is working wonderful and it is handling my other 'Inverted Hill Billy Antenna" as a local ham has called it (3 inverted L antennas on a common feed point made out of baling wire)