[Boatanchors] Gonset 2m Sidewinder manual

[Arthur Shulman]

Tonight I took the challenge of revisiting a very old and outdated rig
that had been long neglected.

I had been storing (too kind a description) a circa 1970 Gonset
Sidewinder - the 2m variety, on a basement shelf for 30-odd years. I
just couldn't part with this old friend, and I dragged it up from its
collection of dust and grime, gave it a few swipes with a damp cloth,
and studied the unfamiliar controls.

What condition were the filter caps in the power supply? Would it
withstand AC power without destroying itself? My curiosity overcame
caution and I plugged it in and turned it on. I was astonished to hear a
quite normal hiss & crackle from the loudspeaker, and all the receiver
controls seemed to function normally.

Throwing caution to the winds, I keyed the transmitter for a few seconds
(no dummy load was at hand). Imagine this - after 30 years, power output
was evident on the output meter, and the PA tuning was able to peak it!

Upon opening the case, I found I had wired in a long-forgotten cascode
preamp in order to make the receiver perk up, but there was a transistor
missing from the first RF stage - borrowed for another project, no
doubt.

I can remember substituting a TIS-34, which was reputed to be a hot
replacement for the original device in that socket at the time.

If anyone has a manual for this unit, could they look up the original
transistor designation used for the first RF amp, and let me know what
it was originally?

Even better, although I simply can't imagine me throwing out the service
manual, I can't find it anywhere. Please advise if anyone has a copy
they would be willing to copy or sell.

Arthur Shulman VE3ZV