[Collins] New Additions to the CRA Website

Sat, 25 May 2002 23:39:39 -0400

Dr. Jerry, when we were there last weekend, the engineer told our group that
the Collins (round emblem for those that must ask) transmitter had been
scavenged for parts at other VOA stations, mostly P.A. parts.  All of us
came away with a deep sense of respect for those who designed such a unit
that was capable of such power. Can you illuminate us on what the power
output was?  Was it over 100KW?

Anyway, the entire station is going to be dismantled and the building and
grounds will be a theme park.  I believe that the National Park Service owns
grounds and it will be turned into a recreational area.

I just bet that when all those rhombics were still up that the place must
have been awesome.  We were fortunate to have been given a tour of this
historic site.

David Knepper - W3ST
Publisher of the Collins Journal
Secretary to the Collins Radio Association
CRA website:  http://www.collinsra.com

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Dr. Gerald N.
Johnson, electrical engineer
Sent: Saturday, May 25, 2002 9:22 PM
To: David Knepper
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Collins] New Additions to the CRA Website

My fingerprints are all over those Collins parts. I designed the
diagnostic and control panels with all the interlock status lights, the
arc sensors, the servo controls and the block diagram of the
transmitters. Each metered location was brought to a push button in the
panel so that all operational diagnosis could be run without a Simpson.

We had a complex set of interlocks at Collins so no engineer was ever
hurt in the transformer vault. A couple of us found a -900 volt metering
multiplier in what should have been only low voltage in the RF driver
ALC circuitry. I could see the white spot that burned in my finger for
decades but I don't see it now.

At the end of production, I had charge of the final disassembly and
shipping, so I've handled all those parts personally. I didn't go to the
field to assemble them, I took a leave of absence before VOA got money
to install them and haven't been back.

73, Jerry, K0CQ

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