[Randy Bassham]

That's the name I remember, so many things from the TV service days are gone now...Howabout the local electronics jobbers themselves, always a great place to see the other guys in the business and drink coffee or a bottle of soda while you got your parts. I can remember going with my Uncle and Dad in the 50's and early 60's to some great parts houses, Harry Reed Radio Supply in Springfield Mo where I got a lot of great kits and Ebingers in St Louis, I'd just drool over all the neat test gear and neat stuff. How many can remember the hot tube pullers made out of foam rubber that kind of looked like a funnel...mine had GE Tubes on it. I took apart some old car radio vibrators and pulled the foam insulation out of them to use as tube pullers also. How many, if I said 1/4 inch nutdriver picture the Xcelite Red Handle, I've still got several, including the real long one with the magnet in the end to reach in and pull the tuner assemble out of console sets. My Dad had a friend that had a Furniture store and was an RCA dealer from around 1949 till the early 80's and when I was a kid he'd let me go down in the basement and pick out as many of the trade in sets (remember them), for free that I wanted and could talk Dad into hauling home in the 53 Plymouth station wagon, I kept his garage full and with Dads help learned an awful lot about electronics. At 10 years old I was piddling around in tube type TV's with B+ voltages that could kill but Dad taught me how to be careful around HV, lessons that still serve me well. I used Dad's Triplett tube tester, Eico signal tracer, and Eico 249 VTVM all of which I still have. Dad got me interested in electronics and I've enjoyed nearly every day of it, Dad's been gone for 12 years now and not a day goes by that I don't hear some bit of his wisdom run through my mind. I still remember my Mother questioning him about me working on TV's and Radios at that young age and Dad telling her, he knows how to be careful and he knows what can hurt him....he'll be fine. Sorry to ramble but your quickettes tipped over my memory barrel......