[Boatanchors] 1946 Slat-board-Preliminary Report

[Bill Stewart]

Hello fellow tube lovers,
 A few months ago, I was thumbing through the 1948 ARRL Handbook and came across a two tube slat-board rig with a pi-network which looked interesting. More research produced the orig. article in July 1946 QST. It looked to good to pass up so I started collecting a few parts. Now, after a few weeks of off and on wood working, soldering and tinkering the little slat-board has made its maiden voyage across the 80 & 40 meter airwaves. The first QSO was with a stn. in upper Ohio (on 80 mtrs...559) and I just finished a QSO with a stn. in Ala. (on 40 mtrs...569C at 1 pm NC time). I have just a trace of chirp on 40 but almost rice-box quality on 80. A #44 bulb with 1 turn loop would probably burn out if I left it near the center of the tank coil (Hammarlund plug-in form). My only glass 6L6 doesn't seem to work as well as a metal one but I'm still tinkering with it. The power supply uses a 80 rectifier and is also built on the lattice slat-boards. 

It worked the first time I tapped the key which certainly IS NOT a testament to my technical ability, but more to the simplicity of the project. Soooo, any of you out there who are looking for a first-time project, this one might be the one.
The only parts I didn't find was the National variable caps & the B & W type tank coils, but luckily, the attic held two Johnson 250uuF variables and the coil forms. Other parts were easy to find.

I still have a few questions about some things I don't quite understand which I will probably throw out to the group later but right now all I want to do is fire it up and pound the J-38....I'm around +/- 7050/3548, 3558.....73 de Bill K4JYS