[Milsurplus] Novice Station 6F6

[B. Smith]

I may have forgotten to attached the photo.
K4che

On 1/11/2026 8:10 PM, Hubert Miller wrote:
> I welcome comments on:
> 1. The single 813 transmitter - is that one that's instant death for 
> post - 1940s crystals ?
> 2. The "special crystal current limiting device" i.e. pilot lamp bulb, 
> in the Conar single tube novice transmitter ? Effective, or just a 
> warning device ? ( "Oops ! Darn it ! )
> 3. I think i posted here, long ago, about an item i saw in an old 
> 'Short Wave Craft' magazine, that you could use a fragment of a 
> cracked quartz crystal and still have it work.
>
> I have the QST 'Novice Pair' from the 1950s, with its single tube 6DQ6 
> transmitter. When i get around to it...i won't need to push the watts 
> thru it; i can tone it down.
> -Hue Miller
>
>
> Sent from my Galaxy
>
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: sbjohnston--- via Milsurplus <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: 1/11/26 10:51 (GMT-08:00)
> To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Hey Bob, W9RAN
>
>
> One-tube power-oscillator transmitters can definitely kill FT-243 
> crystals.  I know this from sad personal experience.
>
> I think the crystal-controlled power-oscillator designs originated in 
> the 1930s when the crystals in use had a much larger "chunk" of quartz 
> inside. High crystal current did not matter so much in that case.  The 
> designs persisted over the decades but the quartz mass in the 
> contemporary crystals declined greatly.
>
> In my business AF4K Crystals, many of my sales are of vintage crystals 
> re-stuffed with HC-49 crystals. They are perfectly fine in multi-stage 
> tube equipment, but I do caution users about the one-tube transmitters.
>
> Interestingly quite a few customers report success with the 
> power-oscillators.  The factors involved seem to be (A) limiting 
> crystal current with a series resistor and (B) not trying to get 
> absolute maximum power out of the single stage.   If you are satisfied 
> to consider it a QRP rig you have a much better experience.
>
> I much prefer to build a two-stage MOPA rig. For example:
>
> https://www.wd8das.net/TTTTT.html
>
> or
>
> https://www.wd8das.net/dream.html
>
> or even splurge on three tubes:
>
> https://www.wd8das.net/Raider/Raider.html
>
>
> 73  Steve  WD8DAS
>
> sbjohnston at aol.com
> http://www.wd8das.net/
> http://af4k-crystals.com/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Radio is your best entertainment value.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Mein Ohr ganz nah am Weltempfänger...
>
>
>
>
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