[Boatanchors] Johnson Ranger R35

[Bill Cromwell]

On 02/22/2014 07:06 AM, Rob Atkinson wrote:
> yeah I think it's a problem--it appears to be the only bleeder on the
> B+ supply.  You don't think you need that?  It's also a variable
> resistor that appears to set a bias voltage on the screen of a 6AQ5
> tube.  I am not that familiar with the Ranger but I looked at a
> schematic of one and got that far.
>
> 73
>
> Rob
> K5UJ
>
>
Hi,

Some new resistors totaling around 1 megOhm are added that will serve as 
bleeders and he stated those will take the B+down in a couple of 
minutes. I assume he verified that before he published it. I always 
check those when I am in a radio. That still leaves us with the matter 
of regulation. He also solid stated the power supplies and the voltage 
drop across the rectifiers will be almost nil. I remember looking at the 
voltage charts included in the article and it didn't look like a problem 
but some of the labels on the table were confusing. I'll look again but 
it seems the voltage droops in the "key up" column. Some hams say "key 
up" when the rest of us would say "key down" - apparently from some 
computer lingo. Phone ops may not think in terms of pushing a straight 
key *down* to bring "up" the transmitter. I'll take another look. I was 
tired when I looked before.

I have a Ranger and most of the mods have NOT been done to mine. I've 
replaced most of the electrolytic caps. Since I only use it for CW I 
have removed the tubes for the audio section and put them away. To 
restore it to AM I have only to plug them back in. Meanwhile it consumes 
less power and runs cooler without them. The Drive pot is an issue with 
these and I am thinking about doing that mod. It looks as though it 
might limit the range of control and I can't have that. I operate in QRP 
events and the original circuit allows me throttle the output to less 
than a watt. There is a circuit that uses <shudder> a high voltage 
transistor and a more readily available half watt pot to control the 
drive. It's published for a DX-100 but will work in the Ranger and 
others as well.

I will add the relay to remove voltage from final screen and ballast 
plate since the noise from those can be heard in the receiver when using 
an electronic antenna T-R switch. That ruins the whole purpose of the 
T-R switch. My Ranger is down hard now and in the queue for the rest of 
the electroytics <smoke!>, any other leaky caps, resistors out of spec, 
AND that drive control mod. After all these years there is just one 
small chip in the paint up on top of the cabinet. It was there when I 
got it and I will mess around with paint and repair that. Otherwise the 
appearance is close to a *10*. I knew the original owner - Stan W8CC. 
Stan was one of two elmers when I was going up for my commercial ticket. 
He couldn't drive at night any more so I took him to club meetings in 
two or three different counties and to hamfests. A year or so before he 
parted company with us he gifted me with the Ranger. I think of him and 
the fun we had every time I see or use it. It's one of the radios my 
heirs will have to deal with when I leave.

73,

Bill  KU8H