[Boatanchors] Receiver Filter Adaptor- Knowing When to Stop

[David Stinson]

Re: The project to build a Mechanical Filter adaptor for the WWII 
TCS Receiver.

Some time after I crossed the border into my 50s,  I learned a 
couple of important axioms.  First; that once their are more days 
behind one than in front, those remaining days speed by ever 
faster.  Second; that "the perfect" is the bitter enemy of "the 
good."   Now that I am about to rocket away from my 50s and go 
ripping at warp-speed through 60s Space, I find them doubly 
convincing.  I have nothing so precious as TIME- limited, 
fleeting time.

After many trials and experiments (throttling the cathode 
resistor didn't work) and a great deal of  help and suggestions 
from our great community,  The final single-bandwidth version of 
the filter adaptor is at:
http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/TCS/TCSFilterAdaptor1.jpg

It is not perfect.  There are a hundred "improvements" possible. 
But it does exactly what I wanted:  Make CW QSOs pleasant and cut 
the SSB "Slop Bucket" QRM when talking on the local AM nets.   I 
don't expect to make a TCS receiver into a Flex or K3, nor would 
I even attempt it.  But I'm making lots of contacts for Novice 
Rig Roundup and when the "Slop Bucketeers" seem unable in *400 
kHz* to find anywhere to spew other than in the AM window, tuning 
from one AM sideband to the other helps.
Spending any more time on this when the goal is met robs that 
precious TIME from the next project.  I have another TCS (a 
Collins -12) that needs bench time and it will get the 
"switchable" CW/SSB/AM filter board, which is just this circuit 
with some relays and a wire to an unused terminal on the power 
connector.

Thank you to everyone who contributed time and ideas.
You really are one awesome community.
73 DE Dave AB5S

Overview of refurbing a TCS receiver:
1.  Refurbish all ground points.
2.  Lubricate mechanicals, DeOxIt toggles and pots.
3.  Visually and physically inspect ceramic band and
     Xtal switches, DeOxIt contacts.
4.  Replace bad parts.
5.  Feed the B+ buss with no fils and look for shorts.
6.  Say a prayer and power up, fix whatever smokes.
7.  Set the BFO accurately to 455 KC.
8.  Align correctly according to the manual.
9.  Install clipper diodes across the headphone jack
    and across any external speaker matching xfrmr.
10.  Enjoy.