In December 2021 I attempted entry into ham radio nostalgia with the purchase on eBay of an HW-16. Although the HW-16 is not representative of my early days in Ham Radio it was a manageable substitute. Thanks to FedEx it turned out to be only a shipping cost to me and the return of a damaged radio to the seller. Fast forward to March/April 2024 and I am waiting for an HW-8 purchased from an ad on QRZ.com. The funds have been sent to the seller and I am waiting to receive the radio with fingers crossed. Will it be received at all and if so, will it be in good shape and will it be as advertised. Stay tuned.
Note: Back in the day I built an HW-7. I do not remember what happened to that radio.
Well, the HW-16 is salvageable (I think). However, I returned the unit as I purchased a working radio not a restoration project. My search for “old stuff ” has ended or at least is on hiatus. I have deleted all my saved searches on eBay, but I did not delete my logon – yet. Having old tube radios shipped is a thing of the past.
FEDEX, after a long delay, destroyed the radio. What a sin! It was a good looking unit and due to a shippers negligence it is a mess. Looking at the outside of the box it is surprising it still looks like a radio.
After two failed attempts to out bid others on ebay I said I would never bid on an item again. (Not only was I outbid on two bug keys, but I was left in the dust!). Well, I did. For the longest time I wanted to have operational “boat anchor” gear. Knowing my knowledge and energy levels to refurbish and maintain the type of gear I would like to put on the air along with restriction due to my operating environment, I aimed low. I won the bid for an HW-16. I hope the pictures and description were close to accurate, because if I won than others saw something I did not see. The HW-16 is too new for what I would like to operate, but it is what I believe I can handle.