From the Newsletter history archives... Vintage Equipment From  the January '87 Newsletter (entitled "Ham Radio News & Views", it was requested that if anyone could give a good practical demonstration of PACKET RADIO to please come forward!  Several members, at the time, expressed an interest in this combining computers and amateur radio into a new mode of operation (my, how  far we have come in 19 1/2 years!  -Ed).  Also, in the same issue, it was noted that the January meeting would not be held at its usual location (Blackwelder Hospital) but rather it would be a combined Eatin' Meetin' with the members of the Western Piedmont Amateur Radio Club at the Western Steer Restaurant on Hwy 181 in Morganton.  Both the Blackwelder Hospital and the Western Steer  no longer exist.  The hospital has since been torn down and the Western Steer is still operational, but under a different owner/name.

(Each month, a brief spotlight will appear here on equipment you may have seen at hamfest swap tables.  This month the spotlight is on the Ten-Tec Century21 Transmitter ).  It is hard to look at the Century21 as a piece of "vintage equipment", owing to its fresh-looking design . In its two-tone paint scheme of black & grey, It would look just as good today sitting on a ham desk as it did back in 1977!  QST published a Product Review on this neat little CW-only rig within the pages of the December 1977 issue. The design, altho simplistic compared to today's offerings, was quite a little rig!  Bowing in with a $299 price tag, the rig could belt out a clean 70 watts on 5 bands.  Tuning, with full break-in keying,  was accomplished by a smooth analog vernier VFO with a "finger dip" to make rapid frequency changes.  A built-in AC power supply and optional matching accessories of a keyer and a calibrator made the whole setup just itching for a companion receiver to make an ideal Novice setup at the time.  If you are a CW afficionado, then this setup would serve you equally well...even today!  Ten-Tec equipment is enjoying an almost cult-type following, so expect to pay $100-$125 at today's hamfest tables.















Pg 3 Each month, one of our regular LARC members (alphabetical order) is profiled in this section. Several member and club-officer profiles have appeared in past issues.
Station photo not available Spotlight on Michael Shutt, KG4GAF Mike was born in Winston-Salem, NC in Forsyth County in 1967. Graduating from Glenn High school in 1986, his first employment was working 2nd shift at Hunter Publishing Company (now owned by Jostens) where he was a press apprentice printing year books for schools around the world.  After school, he managed a Radio Shack, and a few pizza restaurants.  Moving to Wilmington, NC in 1990 he took a temporary position with Carolina Telephone and was made a permanent employee in December of 1991 and has worked with the phone company since (albeit under many different names...but is now Embarq).  Mike moved to Washington, NC, and then on to Fayetteville, NC, where he was introduced to Ham Radio by a retired  phone man Bill Kelchner, KU4W. Mike got his ticket and Joined CFARS (Cape Fear Amateur Radio Club), where he ultimately served as President).  Also while in Fayetteville, he met and married his wife, Paula, and they now have 3 boys (Dustin, age 13; Anthony, age 10; and Blake, age 6).  After moving to Hickory in April 2001, he met Chad Joyner and after trying for awhile to get him  interested in radio, Chad finally  took the test (now KG4ZTM) and Chad found a new hobby!  Mike enjoys working the special events that the club is involved in and tries at every opportunity to interest someone else in Ham Radio.
Ten-Tec Century21
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