[Boatanchors] Gold Mine of AM transmitters in your town today

[W6OM]

I had no idea my suggestion to help others would spark so much interest. 
Here's a list of answers to over 20 of you who asked.  " After this contact 
me off the list if you need help", my e-mail is at the bottom.

1. 220VAC Single phase power is all they need.  Just like a clothes dryer or 
electric range or water heater.  I parallel the circuit in the garage going 
to my wife's clothes dryer.  Spent $27.00 in material and took about three 
hours.

2. Yes, they are heavy, but if you disconnect and un bolt and remove the big 
transformers on the bottom shelf and you can tip it over and slide into any 
contemporary SUV, pick up and some station wagons.   Takes about 45 minutes 
to take them all out.

3. The station managers are always under pressure to get rid of old gear but 
the engineer is the guy with the warehouse full of it.  Many of them are 
hams.  Stop by the station and ask for tour as a satisfied listener.  You 
will see lots of interesting things in the warehouse.  Stop by a station 
today, it costs nothing and you may find a gold mine under a tarp in the 
back someplace.

4. The conversion is not that difficult if you take your time and make a 
plan.  First the oscillator coil needs to tapped for either 75 meters or 160 
meters or both if you prefer.

5. Those two big HV transmitting mica's which are big as Krispy Crème donuts 
should be replaced with higher value ones, you can find them on the surplus 
market. two screws and about 30 minutes to replace.

6. With a vector analyzer or grid dip meter change the tap on the tank coil 
and driver coil.

7. Find a good hi current (5 amp contact rating)  relay to switch the 
antenna, grab whatever voltage you need to activate the relay plug in a 
crystal and basically your done, just set the bias and drive.

Make some control lines back to your operating desk or room.  I know several 
big box operators who leave the transmitter out in the garage and remote 
control it from inside the house.

 With commercial transmitters there is no such thing as PEP or input power. 
Everything is spec'd as output power without modulation or output power with 
modulation for the next 20 years, 24 hours a day.  Buy a good speech limiter 
and processor and keep the limiter always on.

Finally, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER attempt to work on one of these before you 
discharge those huge electrolytics. If you forget and get hit, it will be 
you last QSO on this earth.

All the Best

Ron  W6OM

w6om at cox.net

www.qsl.net/w6om