More mending - the FRG-7

 

 

The FRG-7 (photo by Lex PH2LB)

One of my favourite radios is the Yaesu Musen FRG-7 which dates back to around 1977.  I desperately wanted one when I was kid, but I remember they were about $450 AUD and which equaled about 3 years of my pocket money.  

About maybe eight years ago I stumbled across one on that auction site and it rekindled my teenage interest in shortwave radio.  On a whim I bought the radio for $150 (cheap) and it still sits proudly in my radio shack.

Lex PH2LB does real nice mods and repairs on old FRG-7s and posts his adventures on his blog.  His latest project has been a 3D printed tuning knob.  Nice job!

Another mender not ender.

Until next time, peace and love.

Mending not ending!

 

Recently I came across an article by Jeff Sparrow in the Guardian about the gathering movement to force corporations to make their products repairable.  Laws are under consideration in the USA, but I am not aware if they are in Australia. 

One of my favourite podcasts is the Soldersmoke podcast which is dedicated to the art of homebrew radio and hosted by Bill and Pete. I immediately drew a connection between the article and the ethos of Bill and Pete's show and their philosophy on amateur radio.  Build and repair it yourself and learn how it works.

Anyway I shared the article with Bill and Pete and Bill has kindly posted it on the Soldersmoke blog along with the Repair Manifesto which Bill has on his wall in his radio shack. How good is that poster.

As Bill says, End Entropy!

Until next time, peace and love.

Infinite Splendours by Sophie Laguna

 

I've just finished this book.  It's an extraordinarily difficult story, but so beautifully and tenderly told by Sophie Laguna.  

In 1953 Laurence Loman is a bright ten year old boy who lives in country Victoria with his war widowed mother and eight year old brother Paul.  Laurence is a capable young boy and caring toward his mother and brother.  He also has a natural aptitude for painting.  

A man enters the family's life and a great betrayal occurs leaving Laurence broken and sad.  The years follow into Laurence's adulthood and despite his loneliness he creates beautiful art and has a loving heart.  But Laurence emotionally knows little of love and is at great risk of repeating what was done to him as a boy.

I had a knot in my stomach for most of this book.  In the beginning chapters I delighted in the portrayal of young boyhood, although I knew this idyll could not last so I felt a constant sense of dread.  In the chapters that followed I was anxious by what might occur, knowing that Laurence would be unable to cope with adversity of any sort.

It's a difficult and sad book, but filled with great beauty.  Sophie Laguna's writing is supreme. 

Not for everyone and a warning for survivors of abuse.

Until next time peace and love.

The Great Passage

 

 

 

A quick post here.  I recently read this short novel The Great Passage by Shion Miura.  I think I read about it in the NY Times or somewhere and thought it looked interesting.  It's all about the writing of a dictionary and the characters involved, the central one being Majime who is a brilliant, but disorganised and disheveled young man.

 

Majime is  found in the sales department of the publishing company he works for by the soon to be retiring lexicographer, Araki, who needs a replacement.  Majime is not much of a sales person, but turns out to be well suited to lexicography.

 

It's a strange book in the way Japanese books can be to western readers, but this makes it all the more charming.  There's love and loss and you get to learn a little about the Japanese language.  It was the perfect antidote to Karl Ove Knaussgard.

 

While digging about on the internet for an image of this book I discovered it had been made into a film in 2013 as well as an anime TV series.  The trailer for the film is below and it looks like a lot of fun.  Not sure about the anime series and that's not really my thing.  I'm going to see if I can find a copy of the film.

 

Recommended for people who love words.

 

Until next time, peace and love.