[ARC5] Re: Getting an "ARC-5 " Transmitter Running

[D C Macdonald]

One thing about the plugs is that for most of us
the "sex" of the connectors is reverse of normal
usage.  That is, the "command set" racks have
high voltage on the exposed male pins and the
"safe" female connectors are on the equipment.
This makes for dangerously high voltages that are
exposed to easy contact.

Secondly, the octal and other Amphenol plugs
and sockets were cheap and easily available.

I know of nobody in those days that had interest
in the command sets other than to operate them.
Why would they needlessly complicate that task
with odd-ball and connectors that were probably
expensive and definitely difficult to use in addition
to the danger?

Best regards,

Mac, K2GKK/5



----Original Message Follows----
From: "Roger Basford" <roger at new-gate.co.uk>
To: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [ARC5] Re: Getting an "ARC-5 " Transmitter Running
Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:30:39 -0000

Hi All,

I've been following the discussions over the last few days with interest and 
I've been stirred into making a start on getting power onto my four Txs. The 
suggestion of an FAQ seems a good one to me; there's very little left in the 
public domain about getting these rigs going and even if you can find a copy 
of CQ's "Command Sets" then it's more a back-engineering guide than a simple 
get-you-going book, although I was glad to get a copy to fill in some 
background on ham use/abuse.

Having given up on finding any mating power plugs for the RXs and TXs, I've 
started making my own using a suggestion by Terry, N3GTE, about using car 
body-filler material to make plug bodies. It seems to work well and with a 
bit of practice I'm sure I can produce a few more for powering my 
collection. I've potted my first into a discarded octal tube base to cover 
up the voids in the potting. (Why is it that the accessories like plugs, 
control heads, racks, etc. are so rare? Were they scrapped with the aircraft 
or did no-one want them at the time the gear appeared as surplus?)

I notice that Dave Stinson says to change the bathtub capacitor in the Tx 
and I wondered if there is any point in re-using the capacitor housing and 
potting three new caps inside, or is that a bit over the top? I have opened 
up and cleaned out one bathtub C and it was an easy job. Just one question 
about the housing - is it aluminium or what? As I seemed to be able to 
solder to it OK I'd guess it's some other metal?

Anyway, I hope to get at least one TX fired up over the holiday, let's hope 
"fired" isn't the operative word!

Merry Xmas and HNY for 2005 to all on the list.

Roger Basford, G3VKM