Book Report: Wes Schum: Amateur Radio's Unsung Hero
This is a very interesting biography of Wes Schum, the driving force behind Central Electronics. Central Electronics was a Chicago based firm started by Wes to sell a modified version of the GE Phasing SSB rig developed by Donald Norgaard. An amusing anecdote tweaking Art Collins: Art wanted a 10a exciter but Wes didn't have any wired 10a transmitters in stock so he asked Art if there was anyone there (at Collins Radio) who could assemble a 10a kit. also: the Collins people didn't read the fine manual, after wiring the 10a to the schematic they tried a 14.250 MHz crystal and the transmitter wouldn't work. Wes had to tell them that the 10a used crystals in the 5 MHz range for 20 (mixed with the 9 MHz IF). The 100V transmitter was no-tune, a first for ham gear. The no-tune circuit was developed by an engineer named Joe Batchelor from Georgia who eventually became an employee of Central Electronics. Unfortunately Central Electronics w...