I know a couple of ships got puncture wounds, and some people died, but I would like to mention that the U.S. is almost $70 Trillion in debt right now.
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
That's 100% of the Gross Domestic Product for 3.5 years and 95% of a Trillion went to what is euphemistically called the, "defense" budget in 2017.
https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-budget-components-challenges-growth-3306320
Of course, increases are going to happen in 2018.

Something is very wrong, and the pride our military shows in its latest and greatest, very expensive, whiz-bang gizmos, kind of rubs my nose in it.
I think the U.S. should invade less countries until we can afford to pay for our own bombs.

This seems like a political statement and I hope you see it before the Mod hammer comes down.

 

I got my TV antenna back the way it should be. It seems the mast mounted amplifier has been slowly degrading for years. When I replaced the amplifier today, all my problems disappeared.

The original amplifier was only 36 years old. I don't know why, but I have never got anything electronic to last for 40 years.

 

I got my TV antenna back the way it should be. It seems the mast mounted amplifier has been slowly degrading for years. When I replaced the amplifier today, all my problems disappeared.

The original amplifier was only 36 years old. I don't know why, but I have never got anything electronic to last for 40 years.

Did you try replacing the tubes in the mast amplifier?

 

I don't know why, but I have never got anything electronic to last for 40 years.

So I guess my old Dynakit 120 amp I built in the 70's that's still going strong is a real anomaly.

 

Now that I am thinking about it, I have a graphic equalizer which I built from a kit in 1977, so it's 41 years old. It lives in my massive home stereo setup and works every day.

 

I have a graphic equalizer which I built from a kit in 1977

the operative words being "I built" ... that explains why it's still working ...

 

the operative words being "I built" ... that explains why it's still working ...

Good electronic kits from that era are still around. Still have my IM-1212 I built in 75.

 

Good electronic kits from that era are still around. Still have my IM-1212 I built in 75.

Back then I was only an 11 year-old ... and didn't really had the resources to pursue the hobby of electronics, which had a very strong lure on me ... My parents always supported me, but being the third of six children, they couldn't afford to indulge us in costly hobbies... but hey, that changed when I started making my own money...

 

Back then I was only an 11 year-old ... and didn't really had the resources to pursue the hobby of electronics, which had a very strong lure on me ... My parents always supported me, but being the third of six children, they couldn't afford to indulge us in costly hobbies... but hey, that changed when I started making my own money...

I was making my own money. Back then I designed and built a series of original USA 811 tube CB linear amplifiers for the discerning radio pirate in the north Texas area. A great transmitter tube that was easily neutralized at 11M. My brother had the last one that unfortunately was taken off the air by the FCC while I was away in the Navy.

 

I grow nostalgic for all the old (long-gone) electronic kit makers whenever the subject comes up.
In the distant past I've made an Eico VTVM (first kit), a Knight-Kit tube stereo preamp-amp, a Dynakit tube Stereo Preamp, tube FM Tuner, and transistor Stereo 120 Amp, and a Heathkit Color Dot-Bar Generator (for doing convergence on the old color tube TVs).
The only thing I have left that I still use is the Dynaco Stereo 120.
Learned a lot from building all those.

 

Eico VTVM (first kit),

I did that one, too. It took most of an hour for the 12AX7 to quit drifting.
When I bought my Fluke 27, the Heathkit VTVM became worse than obsolete. It was just a dust catcher with electrolytic caps figuring out when to start leaking. If you've been watching closely, you would know the Fluke 27 died in September 2017 at the tender age of 39.
I'm not going to buy its replacement for $500. I inventoried a few pawn shops and bought a used meter for $15. Sperry DM4100A
That and an Amp Clamp is good enough for household repairs.