[ARC5] BC-453-B Power Supply

Wed Apr 5 06:52:26 EDT 2023

" Do the “RECAP”  correctly"

Using Tom Frobase's cap replacement kit is not the "correct" way to
refurbish a receiver;  it is an alternate way.

Tom's kits are very nice as I've looked at them before but on all the
receivers I've recapped I've used just solder lugs or terminal strips.
I've never had any problems.

As Tom's video says, the only one that's going to know what's inside the
radio is yourself, so what it looks like doesn't matter, and I agree with
him.  In the decades I've been restoring radios, never once have I had
someone come into my shack and ask to look under the chassis.   If you're a
purist,  then you will certainly not want to use solder lugs, terminal
strips, or Tom's kit as none of them are authentic -- you'll restuff the
potted caps.   I never restuff the caps; I just save them in a bag with the
radio's serial number on it so when I sell it (or croak...) and my radios
go to the next person they'll have the option to repot.

Interestingly, Tom seems to make a contradictory statement later in the
video.  He indicates that when using terminal strips etc there's no
structural way to put the capacitors in the radio and it looks like
crap.

If you're going to use your radio in an airplane going through air combat
maneuvering then I'd worry about a good structural way to mount the
replacement capacitors.  Otherwise, solder lugs and terminal strips will be
more than adequate.

I disagree with converting the filaments to 12V - that's just my opinion;
YMMMV.   Just buy or build a 28V supply and build a B+ supply.  I used a HB
HV supply for years then went over to an HP-23 that I picked up at
hamfest;  the LV output on the HP-23 with a dropping resistor works great.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing Tom's kits -- they are very nice.   If
you have a supply of caps, solder lugs and terminal strips which a lot of
us have, I would not pony up for the price of his cap replacement kit.   If
you don't,  Tom's kits looka to be a good one stop shopping solution.

73 Mark K3MSB

On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 10:47 PM Robert P. Meadows <rpmeadow at bellsouth.net>
wrote:

> Do the “RECAP”  correctly, purchase Tom Frobase’s capacitor kit, believe
> it is kitparts or such.  Slick printed circuit boards that hold the
> capacitors and fit the existing holes from removing the beeswax filled
> leaky tubs.  Works well, and I do believe that is what Aircraft Radio would
> have done, had such been available.
>
> R
>
>
>
> *From:* arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net <arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net> *On
> Behalf Of *Dennis Monticelli
> *Sent:* Tuesday, April 4, 2023 10:38 PM
> *To:* hwhall at compuserve.com
> *Cc:* arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> *Subject:* Re: [ARC5] BC-453-B Power Supply
>
>
>
> If you elect to not restuff the cap pots, it is easy to re-cap the set.
> Install a solder lug using the threaded stud that mounts the pot.  That's
> your ground.  Then it's typically three small caps (most are 0.05) from the
> lug directly to the stiff wires you cut from the cap pot terminals.
>
>
>
> Yes, lower voltage than 250V works fairly well.  My experience is to keep
> it at least 60V for decent gain and sure starting of the BFO.  The lower in
> voltage you go the more you're going to want to short out one of the R's in
> the screen voltage divider to keep the gain from decreasing too much.
>
>
>
> FYI.  My 453B pulls only10mA at 60V with new caps.  I've run it off a
> stack of 9V batteries and they last a long time.
>
>
>
> Dennis AE6C
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 4, 2023 at 6:57 PM <hwhall at compuserve.com> wrote:
>
> Those Command Set receivers had a B+ dynamotor that supplied 250v at 60
> mA. Many people operate the sets on lower B+.  If these little round
> "flower pot" caps are the ones you're looking at, they aren't soldered
> shut.  The edges are bent over the mica insulators.  Most people either
> trash the old cap pots or carefully remove, cut them open, restuff & either
> glue or solder the cut edge.
>
> Wayne
>
> WB4OGM
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Glenn Little WB4UIV <glennmaillist at bellsouth.net>
> To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> Sent: Tue, Apr 4, 2023 7:45 pm
> Subject: [ARC5] BC-453-B Power Supply
>
> I have a BC-453-B that has minimal hacks.
> At a recent hamfest I found a ARN-30 solid state dynamotor replacement.
> This power supply will properly mate with the receiver.
> Should this supply power the receiver properly?
> Some of the can capacitors along the side of the receiver are leaking.
> It looks like these have a soldered on top.
> Is it a lot of trouble to rebuild these capacitors?
>
> Thanks
> 73
> Glenn
> WB4UIV
>
> --
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Glenn Little                ARRL Technical Specialist   QCWA  LM 28417
>
> Amateur Callsign:  WB4UIV            wb4uiv at arrl.net    AMSAT LM 2178
>
> QTH:  Goose Creek, SC USA (EM92xx)  USSVI, FRA, NRA-LM    ARRL TAPR
>
> "It is not the class of license that the Amateur holds but the class
>
> of the Amateur that holds the license"
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: https://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: https://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> ARC5 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:ARC5 at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: https://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/arc5/attachments/20230405/30f46da1/attachment-0001.html>