[Milsurplus] WTB ARR-41 / ARC-38

[Jack Antonio]

I managed to put an RT-311/ARC-38 on the air about 6 months ago.
No MT-1415 rack, but I found the DY-118, its rack and C-3428 control box 
at an MRCG a couple years ago.

The C-3428 SSB control box will run the RT-311, the basic AM CW, on/off
and frequency selection systems work the same between the AM and SSB
radios. I think the C-3428 boxes were just modified C-1398, mine has
an overlay behind the function knob. Just don't use the SSB position
when on the AM radio.

With no rack, I had to scrounge up a pair of blue ribbon connectors
for the radio and make up a harness to tie it all together.

The RT-311 came from Fair Radio, I think it was one of the last ones
they had. Pretty clean, and it powered up without too much problem.
Receiver hears OK, and transmitter makes 100 watts easily.

The frequency synthesizer system is the biggest problem, as the
radio warms up over a couple of hour period, the frequencies it
will and won't lock up on will move around. But it always managed
to lock up on 75 meters. It needs an alignment, but to do it takes
extender cables I don't have and will have to fabricate.

With a lot of work and thought, you probably could make up
regular supplies to supply B+ and bias voltages, but you'd
still need 6 and 18 VAC/400 cycle for the servos, and 115V/400 cycle
for the blower. Plus 28VDC for the filaments. And don't try to
run the radio in the case, without the blower, it is a hot radio.

Also, if you get the Fair Radio manual repro, it will have both the
AM and SSB versions listed, but make sure they supply the diagrams
for the DY-118, it's rack and wiring harness, they were missing in my 
copy, and even if you are homebrewing power supplies, you will need
that information to get it all hooked up.

All in all, it took a bit of effort to get it running, but it was
a fun project. Next on the agenda, is to find a rack, and CU-351.

Jack

Jack Antonio WA7DIA
scr287 at sbcglobal.net