[Boatanchors] Thoughts on the Viking Mobile Xmtr.

[BLIMPY]

The viking mobile is a real mixed bag.

The recapping is a cinch... very few to do and they are easy to get at.

Making power cables wouldnt be hard... except that everything to do with the 
manuals is a treasure hunt.

There is an assembly manual and there is an operation manual... each has 
some info and omits other stuff.

Since they tried to accomodate an huge range of altermative power supply 
combinations and installations.. they managed to make it infinitely complex.
Also,  some of the assumed conventions of the time ( early 50's)... like 
using a recieving converter with a vibrator supply, and feeding a very Low Z 
mobile whip
( maybe 5 to 15 ohms on 75 m)  make this even more difficult when you want 
to set the thing up to work on AC at home.

Now, some or all of that comes with most mobile rigs for the early  50's  - 
so I am getting used to it.

But,  there are uniquely Viking Mobile problems to conquer.
Some of them electronic....  a very detailed set of steps one must follow to 
get the ganged tuning of osc, driver and final all to track on each band...
which can require the winding and installation of supplemental osc and 
driver coils on 75, and 40, if tap selection won't work  on those bands, as 
built.

40M  you understand was a new band in 1953... so building in 40m capability 
was Optional !

This  band by band tracking adjustment is all sufficiently tedious that I 
think whoever built the rig.. got it going on 10 M and called it good !

The other potential issue is that each stage  working back from the front 
panel... osc, driver, and final  is physically separated by a vertical 
aluminum plate the entire width and height of the radio.   Strategically 
buried in the middle of each plate are the band switch wafers for that 
stage.   Should some poor fool such as myself wish to inspect those wafer 
switches.. say to clean them after 55 years, or  to see if the builder had 
made a mistake, or to find a fried wafer... it's Rotsa Ruck
unless you fancy some major dissasembly - perhaps for nothing.

Things I normally would do... like using a rubber eraser pencil to 
physically clean wafer switch wipers... basically cannot be done without 
damage.

Somethings about the rig are so odd... that I find myself wanting to talk to 
somebody who has used / worked on one of the things extensively.
Not easy to do.   I think of this as one of the rigs you are least likely to 
ever hear on the air. Like a Cosmophone.

I  am encouraged that the thing DOES work normally on 10 M.... and that 
there IS grid drive on 20 and 75.
That does tend to narrow things down.   So,  when I have some more time to 
scratch my head.. and think my way through the thing logically again...
I will have at it again.  Looking at 75M padding caps, and more switches !

Sometimes letting these things percolate in the back of your mind yields a 
break through to the obvious.

What bugs me is normally I have no trouble fixing even obscure faults in 
transmitters and recievers.

Larry