[Boatanchors] Novice Transmitter Thoughts?

[Carl]

I know you dont like modifying stuff Roger "but" the SX-140 can be a real 
nice radio if you do some "serious" work on it. I use mine with a slightly 
"improved" T-150A at the Maine cottage where space is tight. I certainly do 
not have a guilty conscience about either one as now they are enjoyable on 
AM and CW.

Carl
KM1H


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Singley, Rodger" <rbsingl at ilstu.edu>
To: "Curt" <rhulett1 at comcast.net>; <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2010 7:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] Novice Transmitter Thoughts?


> My novice setup was a Valiant/SX-101 in 1975.   At that point, VFO control 
> was legal but the power limit was still 75 watts and the biggest issue I 
> had was trying to load up on 80 while staying within the novice limit. 
> Adjustment of the keyer control was critical to minimize chirp on 15 and 
> 10.  It was not your typical novice transmitter but I had a lot of fun 
> during my short time as a novice and I worked a couple of VQ9 stations on 
> 15 using my 40 meter inverted V mounted to the house eaves.
>
> Some of the novice rigs (i.e. DX-20, Adventurer) used the twitchy moving 
> vane meter which makes tuneup interesting as you try to figure out the 
> actual current based upon the oscillation of the meter.  A DX-60 makes a 
> nice novice class rig as does the Lafayette "Starflite" copy.  I have made 
> a number of contacts using a Knightkit T-60 paired with an Allied R-195 
> receiver and they make a decent low power setup.  I just got an HA-5 to go 
> with my HT-40/SX-140 pair so I am not sure how much I like it yet.  I also 
> have a challenging Johnson Challenger and I wouldn't put it near the head 
> of the class.  I had mine in and out of the case a couple of times before 
> I realized the simple act of putting the unit into the case warped the 
> loading capacitor enough to cause a short.  Neither the case nor the panel 
> was bent but the loading cap was really a cheaply made lightweight unit.
>
> Rodger WQ9E
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: boatanchors-bounces at mailman.qth.net on behalf of Curt
> Sent: Fri 9/10/2010 4:33 PM
> To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Boatanchors] Novice Transmitter Thoughts?
>
> Most of the novice transmitters I've been looking at from the 50s and very
> early 60s seem pretty similar in design, differences being the tubes used
> and maybe quality of construction. Not sure how there could be much
> difference in performance, but from reviews in various places, some worked
> better than others.  Maybe the differences resulted from the builder, most
> were offered as kits.  One consistent thread seems to be the marginal
> transformers used in some of the Heathkit transmitters ( only the DX-35 
> and
> 40? ).
>
> When I was living those times, the only rig I cared about was the one on 
> my
> desk, an Eico 723.  What I'm curious about is what the conventional wisdom
> is/was about the following rigs, and how performance generally compared 
> with
> say an Eico 723:  Viking Adventurer, Globe Scout ( which of the models was
> "best"?), Knight T-60, Heathkit DX-20 ( nearly a clone of the 723?)
>
> 73, Curt KB5JO
>
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