[Milsurplus] IT'S ALIVE!

[Falls, Jim]

Hi All - I was able to fire up the TCS-8 RX/TX combo late last night and confirmed that the TX is generating CW! 

Picked up my 3.6 Mc signal on my o'scope/signal strength meter (1.8V [3.6V full envelope] distance of ~30 feet using a foot of wire as the 'scope probe). On a lark, I had run the TX into a coax-fed 5/8 wave J-pole cut for 6m (52.525 Mc) hung 25 feet in the air near my shack. Hey, it's a vertical.......Hihi!

Used my BC-312 w/a foot of wire as antenna, turned WAY down as the "sidetone" monitor, and my trusty J-38. It was very satisfying listening to the '312 dyno humming along, the TCS relays clacking away. "-.-.  --.-  -.. .  -.-  --.  .----  ..-.  .--  -" No-one was home though. Good thing, though: I send at 15, but receive at 5 (when I've had my coffee)!

However, I may have a tired final or something else (?) in the driver stage. At plate resonance and max output on the 'scope, it'll put out 75 mA plate current for CW and 65 mA phone. Manual and meter say I should be getting 170-180 mA CW and 80-90 mA 'phone. IIRC, the TCS uses both output tubes on CW and one tube on 'phone. maybe one is beat.

May just be the oddball antenna set-up. I'll try to rig up a 20 foot vertical wire this weekend; see what happens. One way or another, I'll have this set-up onboard LCI(L) 1091 on October 13-14th for that event.

Again, MANY thanks for all the enthusiastic input and advice I've received on this and my other "babies" from this group. 

Jim Falls
KG6FWT
Eureka, CA

PS: I have a pair of Astatic D-104's and would like to try them w/the TCS and/or my Swan 350. I'd like to make an adaptor cable so I won't have to hack the mics. Only problem is that both rigs take 1/4 inch "stereo" plugs and the Astatics use a 4 pin one. Any schematics how to hook them up? .............or am I talking apples and oranges here?