[AMRadio] Dreaded D-104

[John Tate]

Rob is correct. They do NOT sound tinny when matched into a proper load, 5 to 10 megohms. Anyone who thinks so let's schedule a contact on AM. This is the UNAMPLIFIED D-104 of yesteryear into a tube speech amp as found on most vintage boat anchor transmitters, in my case, my Viking II. 

 I bought my "replacement element" by purchasing an old beat up D-104 from ebay for 15 bucks. I liked the fact the stand was plain so I cleaned it up and restored it. Don't overlook cheap D-104's from the hamfests or ePay.

 John KX5jT

----- Original Message -----
From: Rob Atkinson
Sent: 10/05/11 10:29 PM
To: Discussion of AM Radio in the Amateur Service
Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Dreaded D-104

 they probably sound "tinny" when they are mismatched for the rig's audio input stage. My recommendation is go to hamfests looking for D104s. But not any one. ignore the ones with coiled cords, preamps in the base, gold leaf, "special editions," and "eagles" and look for the oldest crustiest ones you can find. They are pretty easy to take apart and clean up. If they lack PTT that's even better. At the Indianapolis Hamfest last summer there must have been at least 30 of them for sale. It seemed every other table had at least one; many had half a dozen. If you find an old one it might go for 20 bucks. That's probably your best bet for finding a ceramic old Astatic high Z element. Obviously you'll have to buy more than one unless you get lucky. That's the only way I know of. I tried buying a vintage 10 meg xtal element tape recorder mic and doing a transplant but you get into issues trying to get a non-D104 element to fit and it usually doesn't work out. I wound up breaking the cartridge I had trying to get it to fit. Rob K5UJ ______________________________________________________________ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/amradio@mailman.qth.net/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Post: AMRadio at mailman.qth.net To unsubscribe, send an email to amradio-request at mailman.qth.net with the word unsubscribe in the message body. This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html