Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Stereo FM Antenae's

If you were listening to WHCN in Hartford, back in 1974, 75 that was me you were hearing. At one point I was doing the 10PM to 2AM shift, although most of my time there I was on 10AM to 2PM.

Mark, looking at the photos of the Kenwood brings back memories of my Pioneer SX-1080. That thing was huge and heavy, can't believe I sold it in a garage sell a couple of years ago. Being in the army back in the mid-to-late seventies I remember the old Marantz's (top of the line), Pioneers, Kenwoods and Sansui...hmm, how is it spelled again? Living in the barracks, we had a sargent that awoke evrybody each and every morning with Pink Floyd's 'Money' from Dark Side of the Moon album absolutely blaring and echoing off of everything in sight.

The Pioneer SX 1080 was my first receiver too,I got it when I was in the Navy (76 to 80).With that I had a set of Pioneer HPM 1500s and a Technics Sl 1301 turntable.It's been a growing obsession from that time on.

Dan, I do a fair amount of FM listening and haven't found anything better in an indoor antenna than the basic folded dipole made from 300 ohm twin-lead. A few years ago I tried an amplified antenna of the tall thin pyramid type and another shaped like a plate, but overall neither was quite as good as the simple dipole. There's a rather entertaining description of adventures in FM antennas here with a section of tips on making one. Another how-to article is here . So, I doubt that any of the Terks or similar are worthwhile.

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The Pioneer SX 1080 was my first receiver too,I got it when I was in the Navy (76 to 80).With that I had a set of Pioneer HPM 1500s and a Technics Sl 1301 turntable.It's been a growing obsession from that time on.

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Rick, man we've got way too much in common! I was in the army from June of '76 until May of '80...my speakers and turntable, Pioneer and Technics! I just didn't stay into audio like you, so I guess there's a lot of catching up to do.

OK, Here's a blast from the past...
Ever pull in any Good Rats on that tuner?

Ummm, somebody help me here so I don't look like an old feeb.... !

Ummmm, "No. But I killed one once with a big stick!".

That's not what you're talking about, is it?

And Jack, sorry the thread got lost and I never got back to you!

Chances are very good that I didn't hear you. I was doing that a bit later in the 70s, and my longer-distance listening was generally over bodies of water since we were right on the coast....i.e... up the coast and down the coast were much more successful than inland!


So regale us with some stories of your broadcasting days! What format was the station? I know that you met some famous people...tell us! And groupies.... Did you have groupies?

Mark,
Geeezzz... They should come up with one of those little smile faces that is holding up a wine glass so you know when someone posting has had a couple!
My Bad.
I was wondering if while you were listening to those stations out of Long Island if you had ever heard The Good Rats. They were a local band that played around NY & Jersey back in that day, and had several albums out. They were a blast. Sort of like a cross between Zappa, Flo & Eddie & Twisted Sister, with really off-color subject matter. They were a hoot to see live, and actually really great players. And it was even funnier that when we were going to see them in our early 20s they were all (it seemed like) in their late 40s and early 50s. I'm sure you could google them and come up with something.
Did you ever pull in WFMU while cruising the dial?
That was the radio station out of Upsala College in East Orange. I think they are still on the dial, even though Upsala went belly up and shut down years ago.
WFMU was one incredible station back in the day. Their big claim to fame was that they were the first radio station to ever play Bob Dylan on the air. Dylan used to come visit Woody Guthrie at a house in East Orange that was a couple of blocks from the college, and they would play some, and someone from FMU ran tape at one of the sessions and put it on the air before Dylan ever recorded his first album.
The studios were in the basement of my dorm, and late at night we would get completely stoned and wander down and just sit in the lobby looking in the window to the studio watching the DJ and listening to the wildest stuff that any of us had ever heard.
And that is a pretty area that you grew up in. I rode through there a couple of years ago when I decided to take back roads on my way up to visit the Vanson factory up in Fall River Ma. I never knew RI was such a pretty state.