New Old Guy

[skyboltone]

Hi AL7RU, that call sounds vaguely familiar. I have heard that group of AMer's on 75.

I still have my old Heath DX-60 stored away. I'll re-cap it and get it on the air again one of these days. I currently have a solid-state Icom rig that works fine, but it lacks the mojo....

I was KJ7FX in those days. I've got all kinds of logs from back then someplace. Just a tablet with calls on it from the evening net. There was an AL7 call in the group I remember. Like him I got a chance to hang out in Alaska for awhile and thought I'd snag a rare call while I was there. I've yet to use it on air. Before the Gates I used to run a Johnson Viking II. I changed out the 807s to a pair of 6CA7s with regulated screens in the modulator. What a great audio signal that thing put out. Fun.

[rhardman]

hmmm note to self...Valient uses 807's. You have a quad of new JAN 807's

Been looking for a transmitter...something to go with the 51J Collins receiver I was given by my brother-in-law.

[boots]

You should be able to find a transmitter. Look on eham.com (or .net?). If you only want to do morse code, a CW transmitter is exceedingly easy to build. But for SSB, find something used.

[skyboltone]

hmmm note to self...Valient uses 807's. You have a quad of new JAN 807's

Been looking for a transmitter...something to go with the 51J Collins receiver I was given by my brother-in-law.

A 51J as a gift? Give him my name please. Tell him I can beg. Get a viking two if you are interested in producing good audio. What ever you get make sure it is plate modulated. ALL of the screen modulated rigs are thin and dorky sounding.

The Vike II uses a pair of 6146s for the PA and a pair of 807s in the modulator. With the 807s they use a big resistor to set the screen voltage and it flops all over the place. I used a zener string to source the collector on a heavy duty darlington pair. This firms things up very nicely and when you get on the air with another stock Vike folks will shun the other dude. Tone man. It's a constant battle. I've probably still got one of those big darlingtons someplace.

[boots]

Those old AM rigs are great, but you won't find many people to talk to on AM. You wouldn't go wrong if you could pick up a used SSB transceiver like a Kenwood TS520 or Yaesu FT-101 or the like. They have 6146s and are fairly affordable on the used market.

[Structo]

Rawl, you will have to get used to the greatest Amp Garage tradition.
Derailing threads and thread obfuscation.

Now what were we talking about?

[NickC]

Rawl, you will have to get used to the greatest Amp Garage tradition.
Derailing threads and thread obfuscation.

Now what were we talking about?

It's a beautiful thang, isn't it? And somehow quite fitting to derail threads in a site dedicated to Trainwrecks. I LOVE tradition and obfuscation!

[Structo]

Rawl, you will have to get used to the greatest Amp Garage tradition.
Derailing threads and thread obfuscation.

Now what were we talking about?

It's a beautiful thang, isn't it? And somehow quite fitting to derail threads in a site dedicated to Trainwrecks. I LOVE tradition and obfuscation!

Uh, you mean Dumbles.

[NickC]

Rawl, you will have to get used to the greatest Amp Garage tradition.
Derailing threads and thread obfuscation.

Now what were we talking about?

It's a beautiful thang, isn't it? And somehow quite fitting to derail threads in a site dedicated to Trainwrecks. I LOVE tradition and obfuscation!

Uh, you mean Dumbles.

Uh, yeah ..... Dumbles. I love how they sound. But I'm way too scared to attempt building one. Relays confound me (and terrify me). Maybe some day.

[Structo]

One step at a time, one step at a time.

[boots]

Sorry, I realized I was derailing the thread, but ham radio man, ham radio.... I just get so excited, I just couldn't HEY!!! SQUIRREL!!!!!

[skyboltone]

Those old AM rigs are great, but you won't find many people to talk to on AM. You wouldn't go wrong if you could pick up a used SSB transceiver like a Kenwood TS520 or Yaesu FT-101 or the like. They have 6146s and are fairly affordable on the used market.

Maybe so, but you'll find all the people you WANT to talk to.....

[Jack Hester]

I've been away from Amateur Radio for so long. I was a regular listener, back in the day. With an occasional contact. I didn't chase contacts for the sake of such. If I heard something really interesting (mostly non-radio), I would politely step in with my call. If after the second time I wasn't acknowledged, I just listened.

Anyway, I don't believe that I ever operated on AM. I will need some direction on this. That is, when I get a rig in place that works. When my transmitter (Icom 745) stuck on transmit, I stopped. I have other old rigs that I can slip in and replace this one. Think I'll do that very thing, today. 100 watts is the best that I'll be able to do. No linear amp.

Jack

P.S. - License is current. I did maintain that.

[Structo]

I had a friend that was into CB radio.
He had a single sideband transceiver along with a big linear amp (1KW?) and a huge antenna.
He said the radio had secret switches in it, whatever that means.

I was there one day and he was talking to a guy in Alabama.

He said his neighbor next door complains because when he presses the talk button their TV picks it up and the screen goes to snow.

Totally illegal rig.

[boots]

The FCC completely deregulated CB radio because there was no way they could enforce any rules with the thousands of illegal stations just like the one you described. It was totally out of control.

I think the popularity of CB has dwindled since then, but there are still some of them out there.