So, there's a film/production company doing historical vignettes on different itneresting points of interest in Itasca County. The latest release is on the little town now served by Iron Range Country Radio, Bovey, MN. Kinda neat. My station is 1/2 block from the Our Own Hardware/Anabellas location in the video, and one block from the historic city hall building.
For you history buffs, anyway.
Tim in Bovey
The history of Bovey made a very nice little video.
Early in the film is a picture of the "Bank Saloon," a great combination business I had never heard about before. Is that the home of Iron Range Country Radio?
And down below the street what special stockpiles remain?
I'd say Tim has a neat little town where Part 15 radio fits right in.
Kind of makes me want to find a town somewhere.
What bands do you work?
I pretty much stick to 20 meters. That's about all the antenna space I have, and I've been doing QRP mostly lately, as cranking up the Swans at several hundred watts does evil things to the Procaster.
Tim in Bovey
I'll have to see if you can copy my QRP rig.
CW?
Tim's situation in Bovey, Minnesota is so perfect for Part 15 radio that I am going into business as a town finding consultant for aspiring Part 15ers.
The population of Bovey is 2,010, about the same number of people that could fill the local concert hall here in the big city. Therefore, scout the country for small towns with low populations.
Next, look at a town map and select transmitter locations.
Look at radio-locator.com to see what kind of radio service presently puts decent signals into your town. Bovey has two AMs and 2 FMs located in nearby towns that generate enough power to reach Bovey. Not too much competition.
Don't chose Bovey as your small town, that is Tim's town. Get your own.
Show up at the bank saloon and start talking about the new station coming to town.
I especially like the picture of the
old man praying next to the soup,
bread, and the other objects on
the table. I think that photo is
best in black and white, instead of
color.
Tim, did you say you had SWAN radio
gear? Did I get that right? I have a
ham friend in California who still has 2
SWAN rigs, but I don't know what they
are. When we were kids, he had a SWAN
175 SSB mono bander on 75 meters. I
loved that radio.
I'm a ham. too. But not active, although
a few years ago, I had regular skeds on
3560 kHz with a friend about 100 miles
away. It was every Friday night at 11:PM.
CW with a one tube 6AQ5 3 watter (out.)
I had many receivers, but the challenge
was to hear him on my Heathkit GR-81
regen receiver - which is really only 2 tubes
if you don't count the rectifier. I did,
a couple of times. Man, it was fun.
I also hang out with a real techie crowd
on a local 440 repeater, but because of
life stuff, I haven't done too much of that
lately either.
Oh yeah - Bovey is a GREAT place for
Part 15 radio!
Bruce, Mon. Stn., CT
Yes, the MFJ Cub is CW only.
You're certainly going to get more interest in a Part 15 station in a small town. I can speak from experience in running one on Bowen Island (population 3500-4500, depending on who you speak to).
Not as small, but Dade City....
It reminded me of Tim's Town when I read a news article about major celebrities who've experienced bankruptcy.
The actress Kim Bassinger went broke after spending several million to buy a town. The name of the town was never mentioned, nor is Ms. Bassinger believed to be a Part 15 broadcaster, but it reminded me of Tim's Town.
Tim is evidentally smarter than a movie actress because he didn't buy Bovey.
I was thinking about buying Dade City but I have now changed my mind. A town of 6,000 for only $6,000.