[Boatanchors] WAS Johnson Pacemaker NOW Phasing type SSB

Lee Buller k0wa at swbell.net
Mon Jan 6 12:53:06 EST 2014 


When I was a kid and had no money....I did get an SB10 through another ham for a song.  Build a PS out of a TV Chasis and proceeded to modify my DX-40/VF-1 combo.  There was an article in QST how to do it.  Had to change bias to make the 6146 linear.

Well, the real issue was the VF-1 and drift.  I made some design mods to it...remember I am 16 years old.  I regulated the plate and the screen...change out all the resistors and doubled the wattage and made sure all the caps were NPO.  Then I looked for a good 6CL6.  They are not all equal and had to be a Sylvania tube.  That was stable.

The thing worked but was hard going from SSB to CW.  Lots of wires....lots of controls....lots of bad on-the-air reports...lots of fiddling with knobs..  But, I did get it going.  


I finally ask Grandpa for a loan and got an HW-100.  A year later...he forgave the loan.  Yea Gpaw.


Lee - K0WA

 
In our day and age it seems that Common Sense is in short supply.  If you don't have any Common Sense - get some Common Sense and use it.  If you can't find any Common Sense, ask for help from somebody who has some Common Sense.  Is Common Sense divine?

Common Sense is the image of the Creator expressing revealed truth in my mind. -  John W. (Kansas)

Never interfere with anything that isn't bothering you.




________________________________
 From: Glen Zook <gzook at yahoo.com>
To: "wq9e at btsnetworks.net" <wq9e at btsnetworks.net>; "rbethman at comcast.net" <rbethman at comcast.net>; "boatanchors at mailman.qth.net" <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Saturday, January 4, 2014 6:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] WAS Johnson Pacemaker NOW Phasing type SSB
 

Actually, the only things about a Pacemaker and the Valiant that are similar are the cabinet, the VFO drive assembly, and the fact that they were made by E. F. Johnson.

The Valiant has 3-each 6146 tubes in the final and the Pacemaker has only 1-each 6146.  The Valiant multiplies the VFO frequency for each band and the Pacemaker uses a heterodyne scheme with one of the oscillators crystal controlled, and most of the circuitry, up to the driver and final amplifier stages, is completely different.

Phasing SSB transmitters do require some close alignment and adjustment.  However, most people agree that the transmitted audio quality is definitely superior to most filter SSB transmitters.

It has been my experience with the Hallicrafters HT-37, that, until the unit warms up completely, the phasing adjustments do drift and, as such, require "touching up" for a while.  I owned an HT-37 back in the early 1970s and have another one now.

The problem with the Heath SB-10 SSB adapter is that, when the transmitting frequency is changed very much, the unit definitely needs to have the controls adjusted again.  With very careful adjustment, the carrier suppression and unwanted sideband rejection are excellent.  My first SB-10, that I used with a slightly modified Heath MT-1 mobile transmitter, could be adjusted so that another amateur radio operator, who lived less than a mile from me, could not detect any carrier and could not hear me until I actually talked!  My present SB-10, which I use with a TX-1 Apache, can almost achieve the same carrier suppression.  However, I very seldom use my Heath SB-10, Apache, Mohawk, and Warrior combination.
 
Glen, K9STH


Website:  http://k9sth.com



On Saturday, January 4, 2014 6:12 PM, "WQ9E at btsnetworks.net" <WQ9E at btsnetworks.net> wrote:


The phasing rigs are pretty easy to align today since most hams own good selectable sideband receivers with good filters.  Using the scopes and audio generators available to most hams when this gear was new could make adjustment somewhat difficult since distortion, hum, poor carrier suppression, RF into the audio section, etc. could produce fairly similar displays and if the gear and test setup had multiple maladies the ham was in for a real "treat".  With a good selectable sideband receiver these are easy to set up by ear.

I have a bunch of different phasing rigs (CE 10,20,200; Hallicrafters HT-37, Gonset GSB-100, Heathkit SB-10, Johnson Pacemaker) and I use a Tektronix spectrum analyzer plug-in for my scope which makes adjustment fast and easy but using a receiver is just about as fast in most cases.

These phasing rigs can really sound good when properly adjusted.  The GSB-100 has a crystal notch filter which does a great job with additional carrier suppression and it requires less touch-up of the balance controls during warm-up.  I am surprised others didn't borrow that idea.

I believe the most common transformer failure mode for the HT-32 and HT-37 is the 5 volt rectifier winding shorting to the core from the HV DC impressed upon it.  I switched to SS rectifiers in my HT-32, 32B, and HT-37 and I will do the same with my HT-30 when it makes it on the bench later this year.

Rodger WQ9E


-------- Original Message --------
> From: rbethman <rbethman at comcast.net>
> Sent: Saturday, January 04, 2014 5:59 PM
> To: boatanchors at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Boatanchors] WAS Johnson Pacemaker NOW Phasing type SSB
> 
> LIST:
> 
> IMHO The Halli HT-37 with a pair of 6146s was a significant addition to 
> Amateur Radio.
> 
> The only problem with any of the phasing type of SSB has always 
> alignment as they age.
> 
> I'd like to find another one.  I enjoyed it better than the HT-32.
> 
> The caveat being that both of them use the same transformer, and both 
> have had issues.
> 
> I've got one HT-32 and it IS one with a GOOD transformer.
> 
> Bob - N0DGN
> 
> 
> On 1/4/2014 2:32 PM, Roger Stein wrote:
> > Phasing type SSB with a single 6146.
> >
> > 73, Roger
> > K7SJ/VE1
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jan 4, 2014 at 2:06 PM, Ken Simpson, W8EK <kenw8ek at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> E F Johnson Viking "Pacemaker" Transmitter For Sale:
> >>
> >> For all practical purposes, the Viking Pacemaker is a
> >> Valiant with SSB.  It is an SSB/AM/CW transmitter
> >> covering 80 thru 10 meters, with internal VFO and
> >> internal power supply.  It has 6146 finals.
> >>
> >> The Pacemaker was the first single sideband transmitter
> >> built by the E.F. Johnson company. It was manufactured
> >> for only a two year time span, from 1956 to 1958.
> >> In 1956, it cost $495.
> >>
> >> It is 11 1/2 inches high by 21 wide by 16 1/2 deep (same
> >> size as the Valiant), and weighs 61 pounds.
> >>
> >> A picture can be seen at
> >> http://radiopics.com/EFJohnson/Transmitters/EFJohnson_Viking%20Pacemaker.
> >> htm
> >>
> >> This particular unit came from a silent key who I am sure
> >> had not fired it up for years.  It will need to be brought
> >> up slow on a variac, and probably will need caps replaced.
> >>
> >> Cosmetically it looks very good for a 55 year old rig.
> >>
> >> Paper work is included for $150, with pickup in the Ocala,
> >> Florida area, just off of I-75.  This is just too heavy
> >> and too difficult to ship.
> >>
> >> Thanks.
> >>
> >> 73,
> >>
> >> Ken, W8EK
> >>
> >> Ken Simpson
> >> E-mail to W8EK at FLHam.net or W8EK at arrl.net
> >> Voice Phone  (352) 732-8400
> >>
> 
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