My GO-9 is dated contract 1940. Not sure where the 837/837/803 combo originated, but it's a good one.  The MF side of the GO-9 and TBW runs an 801, 807, and 803. Ron NU6F runs a TDE, his sounds really nice. 

Howie
From: Ray Fantini <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2025 12:25 PM
To: Nick England <[email protected]>; howard holden <[email protected]>
Cc: Charlie L. <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Milsurplus] Ebay TBY now TBW
 

Ok, so that’s how it is. So tell me what was the first Navy transmitter to use the three tube line up of a 837 isolated filament oscillator 807 or 837 Intermediate amplifier and 803 with suppressor modulation?  Along with the idea of separate LF/HF bays? The TCM is something along those lines too.

The 1936 Radio Handbook, no relation to the ARRL handbook has a very similar three tube 803 output transmitter in it and think those tubes hit the market in 1934 or maybe 36 and as a side note always thought the TCK was a newer design then the TDE but what do I know.

 

Ray F/KA3EKH

 

 

From: Nick England <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2025 3:07 PM
To: howard holden <[email protected]>
Cc: Ray Fantini <[email protected]>; Charlie L. <[email protected]>; [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Ebay TBY now TBW

 

 

FWIW initial contract dates

GO - Hygrade/Sylvania? - 1933

GO-1 - Western Electric - 1934

GO-3 - Westinghouse - 1937

TBW - Westinghouse - March 1939

TCK - GE - April 1941

TDE - Westinghouse - June 1942


Nick England K4NYW
Chapel Hill NC
www.navy-radio.com

 

 

On Fri, Oct 17, 2025 at 1:23 PM howard holden <[email protected]> wrote:

Agreed Ray!  And yes the GO/TBW might be based on the TDE, although the TBW and GO are maybe by comparison lightweights. The TDE and TCK also require a MG set.  The 803 is indestructible! They should have never come out with the 813 although it's rated for higher Mhz. 

 

 

From: Ray Fantini <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2025 8:12 AM
To: howard holden <[email protected]>; Charlie L. <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Ebay TBY now TBW

 

I built up and ran a TBW for some time, sold it off a long time ago. Fun transmitter. The 803 output tube was almost indestructible! Did a video of it back in the old SD analog days at :

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd4gPNGNYRU

 

The GO and the TBW always appeared to me to be a light weight version of the shipboard TDE transmitter. Don’t know if that’s the case or not. For a long time wanted a TDE or TCK for playing around with AM but now days all I can think of is how much that stuff weighs.

 

Ray F/KA3EKH