Stormville Finds

My wife Jill, KD2CHE, and I are regular vendors at the Stormville Airport Flea Market at least four weekends out of the year.  For those of you that are not aware of the market, it is held out in a rural area of Dutchess County, NY in the right angle formed by I-84 and the Taconic Parkway.  We set up a few tables and canopies, and sell our collection of cat toys, and quilted crafts as Threads by Jill (home of Awesomemouse cat toys).  They're pretty amazing products.  Check them out!  But, now back to the subject at hand,

Stormville has always been a shopping destination for me.  With over 600 vendors, it's the last of the great fleas.  They split into two sections:  Antiques, and General Merchandise.  The antique side is one of the best markets around, and has gotten even busier recently after becoming a popular destination on the show Flea Market Flip.  The general market is home to your usual assortment of flea vendors, but has a larger assortment of unique products than
most of these markets.  Not just sock vendors, and open-air dollar stores.

The markets are two-days, and held Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend, Labor Day weekend, and Columbus Day weekend.  There is a one-day April market, which for 2017 will expand to two days now, and a Christmas In November one-day market.  In addition to the traditional flea dates there are two Ultimate Garage Sale dates too.  Booth space on the general side is $120 for a whole weekend.  You get a twenty foot space, and can park one car within your space.  Camping in your booth overnight is allowed (and not a bad idea, since motels are sparse).  Security is good, and the people are mostly friendly and decent.

Now that I'm usually working the show, and not just shopping, I don't get as much chance to browse as I used to, but still get around, and we try to attend the garage sale shows, one of which was this past weekend.  Even though this is not a radio-oriented show, I have done quite well finding radios and radio related items over the years.

I have found some interesting stuff.  A Yaesu FRG-7 (the Sears version), in mint condition, with manual, and Gilfer Modifications (with the original paperwork from Gilfer).  That one was $45.  A Boston Accoustics Receptor clock radio, working, needing a cleaning for $10.  An interesting modified Radio Shack stereo amp, built from a kit, and mounted in a custom wooden cabinet with speakers and a power supply.  This past weekend I purchased a rather dirty, but functional Proton 300 table radio.  It came as a purchase with some Wii controllers for my son for a total of $15, so we'll call it $7.50 for the Proton.

The Proton is just as amazing as most people claim they are. Plenty of clean bass, and clarity that sounds better than today's Bose Wave radio, and the Tivoli offerings.  It does need some help.  I've started the process of cleaning it, as it was really dirty.  I wish I had taken a before picture.  It needs some alignment.  WCBS, 880, comes in at 875.  FM is off by about 200 KHz.  There's a loose wire in the AM loop that needs to be tracked down, but otherwise, it sounds and performs better than any other radio of it's kind that I've owned.

Stay tuned.

--Neil, W2NDG