Boat Anchors or Military Gear

[WA2WMR]

I have a wonder question. If you have a radio room (if you don't, assume that you do) and you have an operating position facing the wall. In your youth, you lusted after some really great equipment but couldn't afford it (or your parents couldn't). Or, perhaps life got in the way and you let your old gear go. You don't have room for it now, but would love to have the memories. The solution at which you arrive is a mural on the wall of an operating position containing this gear. Which would you prefer, the old gear we so dearly would have loved or a military station, say a battleship or submarine radio room? (No, this is not some photographic project I am planning; I'm just curious)

Personally, I'd go for the shipboard radio room. My first experience with hf was listening to maritime radio on a Zenith TransOceanic at a friend's house.

[K3MRI]

I'm clearly biased, if given those two options: old or maritime gear vs. a military operations room facsimile, I'll go for the latter.

What I really want to know is how you possibly thought of this question 🤨 Wow. I would not have thought of this in a million years...

Makes me follow up your question with a broader one: I wonder what people primarily opt for as decoration in their ham shack. I never thought of this... to be continued...

[WA2WMR]

It's something Frank and I had discussed on a number of occasions.

Well, if they have lots and lots of radios, the radios themselves become the "wallpaper" because all of the shelves block the view of the wall. Otherwise, the next obvious would be QSL cards and pin maps. (I once received a QSL card with a photo of the operator's sack. The walls and ceilings were completely covered with QSL cards) Perhaps a big clock (digital or plain analog or one like N1EA has on his QSL card). After that, perhaps some radio oriented photos or posters. I have this one in my Funkraum

[WA2WMR]

By the way, the only thing that I think could improve that picture would be a shoulder holster.

[KG6TGU]

On 8/21/2019 at 6:54 AM, WA2WMR said:

By the way, the only thing that I think could improve that picture would be a shoulder holster.

i do not believe they allowed the waves to train with guns. could be wrong. i need to search this. but yes i do agree with your commit. maybe even a M1 garand hanging on the wall behind.

[WA2WMR]

I expect they didn't but I still think it would be cool. Kinda like the small-of-back carry practiced by the HQ receptionists in the old Man From U.N.C.L.E. tv series.

[NS7X]

Oh!  The Man from UNCLE!  My first love was Illya Kuryakin!  If I had been a ham in those days, I would have had posters of Illya covering my ham shack walls.  Especially the ones where he's operating the super secret spy radio - "open channel D"...

[K3MRI]

On 10/8/2021 at 8:54 AM, NS7X said:

Oh!  The Man from UNCLE!  My first love was Illya Kuryakin!  If I had been a ham in those days, I would have had posters of Illya covering my ham shack walls.  Especially the ones where he's operating the super secret spy radio - "open channel D"...

I actually really like him too 😇 Every time he's on screen on NCIS, I take the time to instruct my wife, who is not familiar with the Man from U.N.C.L.E. about how I would so look forward to watching. Side note, I think my sister super celebrity-crushed on him 🥰

[WA2WMR]

On 10/8/2021 at 8:54 AM, NS7X said:

Oh!  The Man from UNCLE!  My first love was Illya Kuryakin!  If I had been a ham in those days, I would have had posters of Illya covering my ham shack walls.  Especially the ones where he's operating the super secret spy radio - "open channel D"...

Do you now watch NCIS. I've only started following it a year or so ago and every time is see him, I think back to Man From Uncle and do a mental comparison of him now and him then. Thanks for the picture.

[K3MRI]

Yup, Maria and I are NCIS watchers. We also watch the new NCIS Hawaii but none of the other NCIS spinoffs.

[WA2WMR]

I got started with NCIS-LA and then went to reruns of NCIS. At first the reruns were all mixed up and it was weird seeing different actors. Then they ran them in sequence and the transition from character to character (actor to actor) worked. Same with NCIS-LA. Eventually I saw all of the reruns in order and set the DVR to record only new NCIS-LA