[ARC5] SSB Transceiver from a BC-453

[Robert Nickels]

Thanks for the comments.    I'll just add a few clarifying comments 
since the common element is the glut of inexpensive surplus Command Sets 
that hit the market in the 50s' at the same time hams were exploring the 
new mode of single sideband.

The W2EWL "Cheap and Easy SSB" transmitter from March 1956 QST was a 
pretty straightforward clone of Don Norgaard's 1948 concept where a 9 
MHz SSB exciter using the phasing method and a VFO tunin the 5 MHz range 
made it easy to put a SSB signal on the two most popular bands where it 
was starting to appear.   Central Electronics, Lakeshore, Gonset,and 
others produced nicer commercial versions,  but Tony's design made it 
possible for average hams to build their own SSB exciter with about the 
same skills required to build and AM rig or receiver.   He cleverly 
found a way to fit it all into a BC-458 transmitter chassis, with the 
option of 80 or 20 meter operation, or both.    Tony operated his mobile 
and later added a linear amplifier using four 837s, mounted in the 
trunk.   After it's publication in QST, the W2EWL Special appeared in 
other ARRL publications for years, so it was widely known and quite a 
few were built.

In contrast, the "SSB transceiver from the BC-453" I am inquiring about 
was written up in a 54 page book published by the lesser known Western 
Radio Amateur magazine.   The documentation is extremely detailed, but 
the project was much more complicated and starts with "remove all parts 
from the chassis".     By modifying the 85 kc IF transformers and 
lightly coupling multiple stages, sufficient selectivity was obtained to 
remove the unwanted 85 kHz sideband, and while they managed to make it 
all fit the compact BC-453 chassis, it would doubtless be easier today 
to build the transceiver conventionally using parts from junked 
receivers. Because it was more complex and not as well publicized, very 
few were probably built and I'm hoping to find out if any are still in 
existence.

Both projects were possible because the high quality components provided 
the required stability and Q needed for SSB.     Here's what they look 
like - the W2EWL 80/20 meter transmitter on top and the W6IQY 40 meter 
transceiver on the bottom:

https://i.imgur.com/HYDbbFw.png

The complete construction article can be downloaded here: 
https://radionerds.com/images/1/1b/A_SSB_Transceiver_from_the_BC-453.pdf

I'm always looking for more information about these rigs or other 
homebrew SSB rigs that may turn up.

73, Bob W9RAN