Vintage Equipment

[ka4pne]

I've been a "Ham" for approximately a quarter of a century and have a comfortable complement of equipment in the shack (see profile). #Even though I've got some nice up-to-date equipment, when I'm not chasing DX, I enjoy restoring 'boatanchors'. #Anyone else like doing the same? #

I've had a great deal of success obtaining the majority of my vintage equipment on E-bay. #Eighty-seven purchases and not once have I been disappointed. #Sure, I've heard some negatives about E-bay, but maybe I'm just one of those lucky ones. #Or, do I just use a lot of common sense.

My latest treasure find was a Heathkit AT-1 transmitter and a Heathkit VF-1. #[This] AT-1 was manufactured for kit November 1951. #Heathkit manufactured these from 1951 to 1956. #This one has the black "Collins" look-a-like knobs. #The later versions had gray knobs with a white pointer on the driver and output tuning, and gray knobs on the band switch and plate-grid switch. #This is the first edition model and that is why it is rare and worth more. #This truly is a collectors item. #It originally sold for $29.50. #Of course, it is now worth several times that original cost. #It's in great condition. #

The project I just finished restoring is a complete Hallicrafters station: #SX-140 Receiver, HT-40 Transmitter, HA-5 VFO. # #Prior to [this], I restored #a Swan 400 Transceiver, 410 VFO, 117XC Power Supply. #I'm currently working on a Hammarlund HQ-170C.

Maybe you're asking yourself, where can I get the parts? #There are numerous websites that offer available parts and/or will refer you to who has them. #Just type in the computer 'Search Engine' the brand name of your equipment and the model number...you'll be amazed how many websites are available. #Parts are very reasonable...shop around. #You may say, "Well, I need a face plate for... #Even those are available or can be manufactured and letter engraved or silkscreened to look exactly original. #I've been fortunate and have not needed to replace a cabinet or faceplate. #Local tool and die manufacturers will do a perfect sand and repaint on a cabinet for a reasonable price.

I've been restoring 'boatanchors for several years. #What do I do with these treasures? #I don't have a massive inventory of equipment. #I'm very selective of what I want. #No. #I don't sell. #Not long ago I gave a complete Heathkit station to our local club for their hamfest sale. #I use every piece of equipment that I restore. #I made some nice European QSO's with the HT-40 rig. #And, who needs an amplifier when you've got a Swan 400.

What have you restored? #How did you obtain your treasure? #How's your project coming along? #Have fun.

73 #KA5PNE/4 # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[WA5KRP]

Hi, rookie.


WA5KRP
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JUST KIDDING! ! ! #Dang, I wished you lived in San Antonio!

[WA2ZDY]

Ahhhh fond memories; my first receiver was an SX140. #What an absolute piece of junk mine was but still I wish I had it back.

As terrible as that thing was as a receiver, I made tons of contacts with it on 40 cw between the Radio Moscow heterodynes until it was replaced by my brother's HQ120 after I'd been a Novice for about nine months. # That 120 is another rig I wish I had back. #THAT thing wasn't junk, for what it was, it was a good specimen.

A step UP - from a vintage 1961 receiver to one made in 1938. #That's saying something.

Edit: I feel like I just said vintage 1961 isn't so good. I'll have to ask my wife about that since I'm vintage 1961 myself!

[n8yx]

Don't know if this one counts as "vintage" or not, but currently I'm deep into the restoration of a Drake R7 receiver...

Good news: All the boards are there. It has a noise blanker board and two extra crystal filters installed.

Bad news: Where to begin? Actually, it isn't that bad - after getting the unit's power supply board back into shape, I proceeded to play "swaptronics" with it and another (functional) R7 I have in the shack, swapping boards in and out in an attempt to pin down any faulty ones. The rig now receives...all the controls work, except for the RF gain and AGC. (I think it has a grounding problem in the AGC/mute circuitry.)

Cosmetics are a different story entirely. The whole rig needs a good cleaning and several of the pushbutton caps need replaced, as does the unit's front panel. (John Kriner of Drake is helping me out here... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif ) There are other mechanical issues...the PTO is rather rough; I have a spare one laying around that I may use as a replacement. Have to install a new PTO illumination lamp assembly, and the RIT/RCT lamp housing is cracked and will need replaced. (Fortunately, there's eBay...snagged a complete TR-7 front panel off there earlier this year. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif )

Eventually it'll be pulling SWL/Ute duty in the shack next to my other R7 - which used to do the same in one of the FCC's Michigan field offices.

[ka4pne]

N8YX, #Hey John.

Most rigs that are approximately 25 years old or older can be considered a "classic". #Even though most agree that a "classic" or "vintage" is usually equipment from the sixties and prior. #
Nevertheless, what you possess is a nice collectors item indeed. #The Drake (albiet - no longer in business) R7 is an American made general coverage communications receiver manufactured from 1978 to 1981 and provided coverage from 10 KHz to 30 MHz in AM, SSB, CW and RTTY, modes. #The MSRP new was somewhere between $1200 and $1600. #The main criticism for the Drake R7 is that it is a bit cumbersome to tune. #Nevertheless, you've got a real classic. #Hold on to it! #It's value will only increase. #Where to begin? #Go through the block diagrams meticulously...spend time on every circuit. #Dissect and test everything; #tolerances, cold solder joints...everything. #Instead of swaping out boards, troubleshoot and repair to the component level. #That's where all the "fun is". #Have fun. #73 #KA5PNE/4 # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[n8yx]

Quote[/b] (KA5PNE @ Oct. 22 2005,04:16)]Instead of swaping out boards, troubleshoot and repair to the component level. #That's where all the "fun is". #Have fun. #73 #KA5PNE/4 # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
Swapping the boards gets me closer to which board is bad, of course...there's still the matter of identifying (and replacing) the faulty components on such.

This rig has either a main-board or chassis wiring problem, and I think it's in one of the mute-circuit switching transistors. (Its 2nd/3rd IF board works fine when plugged into the "functional" R7, and the converse is true. Lowest common denominator = "suspect" R7's chassis.)

I'll agree that the rig is somewhat cumbersome to tune if not fitted with an AUX7 board. Fortunately, I have a couple of those kicking around the shack...I may set one of them up to cover all the SWBC bands (60/49/41/31/25/19/16/13m) and another to cover the amateur WARC bands plus a few other special-interest bands...such as maritime, aero-mobile and so forth.

The "working" R7 has a full complement of filters; I've set it up as an SWL rig: 8KHz and 6KHz BW for AM; 2.3 KHz (stock) for SSB and 500/300 Hz for CW/RTTY. The one I'm restoring already has 300Hz and 1.8 KHz filters installed; it'll get 4KHz and 500Hz filters added as soon as I can find them.

Also have a bunch of other 7-line stuff in the shack: A "loaded" TR7, RV7, SP75, CW75...the list goes on. I recall seeing all that stuff for sale in QST when I first became licensed; a complete 7-line setup was always a "dream station". Thanks to everyone's favorite online auction site, the efforts of a couple ex-Drake employees and the legwork of a few SWL-newsgroup folks, I've managed to track down just about everything I want in the line, save for the matching networks and an L7 or two. For that...there's always Dayton or one of the bigger regional 'fests...or the 'Bay...

The equipment is well-built and easy to work on (provided you have the extender cards, of course). But the most important point - at least for me - is that the gear performs well. It'll hold its own against any of the modern gear I own. No, it's not computer-controllable...but I can fix that if I wish with the addition of a PC-interface and DDS unit.

I'm also a Cubic fan - have several complete 102BX/103 stations that I've brought back "...from the dead...".

Vintage...okay, here's a good lineup: Yaesu's FR-101/FL-101 "Twins". Just finished acquiring/restoring a complete setup; all's present except for an FL-2100B. When I get the amp I'm good to go for some "yay-yem" on 160/75/40.
# http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[K7ELP]

I am about to start my first project in the restoration of a Heathkit Mohican receiver (GC-1A). The receiver appears to be complete and it does work. I have the assembly/operators manual.
My question is what do I use to clean the chassis(not the cabinet), as it has some discoloration and some stains on it?

[AG3Y]

Which way are you swapping? Good boards into bad unit, or bad boards into good ? You could have multiple problems, so it would make more sense to me to take the boards from the non-working unit and put them, one at a time into the working one! But both ways have their advantages. "Yup, that board doesn't work either!" sort of thing.

Good luck! It's great to have a "comparison rig" sitting alongside!

73, Jim

[KA4DPO]

PNE, I have restored a lot of boat anchors over the years and have a pretty good collection of old junque. I pretty much find them where I find them. Hamfests, Internet, Flea Markets, Antique dealers, and private parties.

The last rig I restored is a Kenwood TS-520S. I re-did the front panel and cabinet to factory condition then went through the rig & did a complete cleaning and alignment. It looks and works like it came out of the box. Haven't had a lot of time lately but will probably find a project this winter. I'm thinking about finding an SX-96. That was the poor mans SX-88 and has the same gear drive and HF oscillator as the 88.

Keep those boat anchors humming.....

[K9STH]

Take a look at

http://home.comcast.net/~k9sth

5th, 6th, and 7th links from the bottom of the list.

14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th links from the top of the list.

Glen, K9STH

[n8yx]

Quote[/b] (AG3Y @ Oct. 22 2005,08:27)]Which way are you swapping? #Good boards into bad unit, or bad boards into good ?
Boards from "bad" unit into "good" - then the "good" boards go into the "bad" unit as a cross-check.

The usual Drake foibles are present...corroded/dirty board contacts. Got the entire rig working except for the aforementioned AGC/RF gain issue, and I'm 99.9% convinced that it's a parent-board and/or chassis wiring issue.

All the "suspect" boards perform just fine when put into the "good" R7. Spot-checks with my comms-service monitor and a couple other pieces of RF test gear shown them to be well within tolerance as far as adjustments are concerned.

Cosmetics are a different matter entirely. There's a LOT to be done to this one before it's ready for prime-time...but for what I paid for the thing I'm not complaining. Especially considering that they're now fetching upwards of $2K on FleaBay. # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I should take a bunch of pictures of the "rebuild" process with my digital camera and post 'em as I go...

[ka4pne]

K7ELP #Ned,

There is a company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Electrochemical Products, Inc. - EPI - that has been in business since 1954 and is the leader in the field of metal finishing, electroplating, and metal cleaning. #They provide a wide range of metal cleaners. #The problem is, not all electronic chassis are the same type of metal. #Is it steel, aluminum, zinc, copper, brass, etc. #For example, an aluminum cleaner will ruin a copper-plated finish, etc. #Therefore, contact the company and tell them exactly what you have and they will be more then happy to assist you. #Their website:

http://www.epi.com/chemical-cleaner/


If you really want a mint looking chassis. #Strip the chassis completely...soak it in the appropriate metal cleaner. #Then have the chassis polished and buffed to a shiny finish. #I figure if you are going to do a complete restoration...do it completely. #You'd be surprised how much this process increases the value of your restoration project. #Ever see an emaculate squeaky-clean chasis restored radio? #That's how they do it. #Have fun!

73 #KA5PNE/4 # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[WA5VQM]

I got the Boatanchor bug about a year ago. It got me back into Ham Radio after a long hiatus. I enjoy bringing them back to life and getting them on the air. I use these guys. I worked Croatia on 15 this morning on my "new" Drake line. Worked last year's Straight Key Night with a DX-40 and a SX-110. In between it's a HT-37 and SX-111 pair (see photo in Bio) working a bunch of states and 23 countries with casual operating.

There's also a S40B on the bench and a Detrola console radio in the que for repair . A modest collection but fun. Be careful though, these old beasts have voltages that will send you to that final DXpedition in the sky if you're not careful.

My most "modern" rig is a Uniden HR2510 which is dead at the moment. Ironic somehow...

73,

Mark
[I]

[n8yx]

Quote[/b] (n8yx @ Oct. 22 2005,08:49)]Got the entire rig working except for the aforementioned AGC/RF gain issue, and I'm 99.9% convinced that it's a parent-board and/or chassis wiring issue.
Bingo.

In a way I wouldn't have suspected, either.

Anyone who's familiar with Drake's 7-line knows all about the rows of pushbutton switches on the front panel, right? The R7 has a pushbutton labelled "SPKR". Its function is to cut out the internal or external speaker when pressed; handy for when you're copying RTTY with a demodulator and no speaker audio is desired.

Somewhere along the way, a previous owner/tech replaced the switch...and the replacement did not have its bottom set of pins clipped. These were just long enough to interfere with the AGC switch bank, and short the AGC lines to ground - effectively disabling the AGC and "S"-meter functionality.

A quick disassembly...few snips with diagonal cutters...reassembly...and we now have a fully functional receiver. That is, except for cosmetics.

I took the time to address some of those issues - got all the function indicator lamps working, replaced the PTO illuminator lamp assembly, removed, rebuilt and reinstalled the PTO assembly. Calibrating the analog dial is next, then as soon as I get the replacement front panel in the mail it'll be time to pretty it up. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[w8cbc]

I find it intriguing that this ICOM 751A I picked up last month is already considered "classic" by many. To me it's modern and sophisticated and all that stuff. I'm not grouching about it, mind you. Very, very nice rig. But, well, it's got transistors in it. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

I still have a bit of work to do on the Apache (VFO - still a bit drifty on the higher bands - I'm getting kind of stumped) and Collins R392 (preselector coils - one's open now). I've just realised too, they're only a year apart (1959 and 1958 respectively). Once I get 'em both up to scratch, I'll build a sequenced T/R relay and finally, finally, finally get 'em on the air in an ongoing way.