The AM Forum

  Wondering what is still reasonably available in a tube type 6m rig for AM. Trying to get more 6m activity here in central Ohio.We currently have an AM net three nights a week here in Columbus.
   Thanks, Lane, n8aft.

I guess a lot depends on where you want to shop. There's always lots 6 meter tube stuff being posted on ebay. And, why does it have to be just tube-type? There's lots of solid-state rigs, even vintage ones, that do AM on 6 meters.

 Yeah, I currently run a RCI Ranger for 6am..Works well. Just want some input, you guys know this stuff more than I so...

What power level, antenna, and $$ do they want to invest in?

You can go entry level with some Lafayette, Gonset and others which will get you 5-6W RF, a broad receiver and far from top sensitivity. There are a lot in between such as a Johnson Ranger with the 6N2 and a converter, a Ranger II, or a Heath Seneca. Many like the Gonset G-50. The high end is a Clegg Zeus and Interceptor B which can be fairly pricey these days; I got mine before the current AM phase took off pretty cheap ;D

A rig that can run 10M AM can be used to drive a Hallicrafters HA-6 transverter to about 20-25W carrier. Ive used one with a souped up receiver side for about 25 years on CW/SSB to drive a 1200w amp...its bullet proof.

Just about any vintage gear, tube or SS will need at least the filter caps replaced.

Carl

Hallicrafters SR-46 transciever.  Tube type, 15 watts (?) output.  Crystal control standard, takes 25.X mHz crystals and doubles to frequency in 6M.  AM only. Cheap usually.  I don't know how good the reciever is on it, yet.

I've used a Clegg 99'er, a Clegg 66'er, a Lafayette HA-460, a Hallicrafters SR34AC, and a pile of Ameco stuff to get on 6 meter AM. They all worked great but I'd give the Lafayette HA-460 the highest marks for its cool chrome exterior and the built-in TX and RX VFO's, but that's just one person's opinion.

Rob W1AEX

Be the hit of the 6 meter crowd. Find this combo. One receiver is still unaccountable (only 6 made).

Still have a HA-460.  With the nuvistor receiver RF amp it is not too bad, unless you want high selectivity.  Don't forget the Ameco TX-62 transmitter.  Not exactly high quality plated modulated, but does a reasonable job.  I have used it with an International Crystal FCV-2 [circia 1959] 6M converter into a 40 M receiver with good results.  Lafayette also made the HA-750 transceiver; about 5 watts based on their 11M rigs of the day.

I have a Clegg Zeus/Interceptor pair but most of the use has been on CW.  I picked up a Clegg Venus to have a vintage rig for 6 meter SSB.

Pretty much every hamfest will yield one or more of the Gonset 6 meter rigs.  The Gonset G-50 might be preferable to the communicator line unless you plan to take it on a picnic with you :)  I have one that seems OK.  A Utica 650 and matching VFO along with a Polycom 6 followed me home from a hamfest last year.

A Johnson Ranger 2 will cover 6 as will a Gonset G76 transceiver (requires crystal or external VFO for transmit on 6).

I'd stay away from the HA-750. Average output is about 2.5 watts, it's got a crappy front end that's easily overloaded and relatively deaf, unless you use a super good yagi. The HA-750 and 650 would be a step down from the RCI.

The HA-460 is a good low power choice but does suffer some receiver and VFO drifting do to a number of under chassis components radiating a lot of heat and inadequate ventilation.

I have had a lot of hilltopping fun with the Lafayette HA-650. Its solid state, a couple watts out AM only, internal battery powered with a telescoping whip ant. Its still around here somewhere with another one for parts and also have the 2 meter version. There is more 6M stuff that I fire up occasionaly, Ameco TX62, Johnson 6N2 hooked up to the V1, Halli SR34, SR46, Gonset G50, Clegg 66, HA-750 , a couple HA-460's and a few rx converters. Others have made the journey through my shack, but never had a Polycomm. I've been thinking of reviving the Saturday midnight net in this area.

........Larry

I have the HA-460 and the Clegg Thor VI, as well as a Heath Sixer.I used to have a Rogers Black Widow, but it needed lots of work. I found the manual to it recently. The radio got left behind in AL when I moved over 22 years ago.I wish I still had the Gonset G-50. I have a Gonset Communicator III.I would look on QTH.com in the VHF Radio or the Antique Radios section. I also have a homebrew 100 watt out 6m AM transmitter in a 4 foot rack.
                                                     Joe W4AAB

 I have recently seen Gonset Communicators for less than $50. I did own one and in my experience it had a nice receiver section.
 Presently there is a G-50 and a Shawnee in the shack. I wouldn't reccomend the Shawnee to a newcomer unless you want to spend some time fixing it if the original builder didn't do a very good job.
  At one time I used an Ameco 6 and 2 meter tranceiver with a Lafayette receiver that had 6 meter receive. That was not a bad setup.
  The point is, keep your eyes open, there are multiple choices for 6 AM. Good Hunting!

Bill KA8WTK

A really great WWII surplus AM xmtr is the RADIO VHF XMTR/MODULATOR  50mHz   BC-1158-B.
Last I knew, Surplus Sales of Nebraska had some.
There is extensive conversion info on them from the 1950's.
I have a good bit of the old info yet.
I had one back in the day which survived a direct lightning hit and kept on playing.
Like all surplus, it's built like a tank even tho it was airborne equipment. Lots of fun memories with that old rig.
If anyone needs the conversion info I'll be happy to share it.

Tom     N0DST

 I"ve been keeping a Ranger-2, a Globe Scout 680-A and a Knight T-150A around here for 6-meter AM.

Ken / K2UPI

I've had some fun with the HW-10 6-Meter "Shawnee" Transceiver. It has separate receiver tuning and seems reasonably sensitive. It's 10 Watts.

I forgot about the T-150A, just use crystals and the pair of 6146's with controlled carrier will do OK at about 50W out.

The Heath Seneca I picked up at Nearfest last year cost all of $40 and works fine; its at the summer cottage and replaced the T-150A and sold to a guy in Maine who likes it.

Had a HA-460 and then a G-50, both needed a hour+ warmup to minimize drift; that was when I got the big Cleggs which are so stable I can ragchew down on the SSB end and get no complaints. Ran the pair in a VHF contest once and worked over 100 sidewinders.

The Multi-Elmac AF-68 is another decent TX for 6 that can be run off the PS of several Johnsons and others. I run an AF-67 (no 6M) off a Halli SR-150 DC supply and an Astron, not very size and energy efficient but it works.

The Ameco tube and nuvistor converters are everywhere and cheap and do well.

The Halli SX-140 with a recap and preamp is cute and functional on 6 and plus the matching HT-40 are often found quite cheap

Carl

I had the Globe Hi-bander.  This is a neat little rig with a 6146 output.  Its a 50 watt rig which is plenty for 2 and 6 meters. 

The draw back is that this rig uses an odd oscilator design and it takes 80 meter Xtals all the way up to 2 meters.  I had trouble getting good Xtals and as a result would be 5 KC off by the time the xtal was multiplied up to 2 meters.  We tried for a week to get a VFO to work but the VFO never Drove the oscilator correctly.  Everyone on Solid state will simply NOT move to adjust you in as they did in the old days.  As a result, You get nothing but complaints unless you are SPOT on Frequency.

The best thing would be to rip that osc out and redo it to a simple handbook design. It was a shame because that rig sounded great and tuned up smooth! 

So my vote is any rig that has a built in VFO so you can tune directly to the frequency of the net.

C

Larry, that would be fun. Gotta enforce a limit on the length of transmissions though!!!

Rob W1AEX

 I thought I was the only one to try to keep to the "Five Minute Rule", hi.
 Thanks for all the info...73

I have used a Swan 250C transceiver for the last 2 cycles.  Haven't heard much on 6 this cycle...TX uses 2 x 6146 ...receiver is broad however it does work well enough on a big and not crowded band like 6 meters...

I have a Rogers Black Widow 6 meter transceiver made in the 50's I'm trying to get on the air.


73 de Gary, KF9CM

I also owned an SR-46 and also was very impressed. Great RX. There is one on ebay right now.

FYI, there's a Lettine 242 6 Meter transmitter sitting in an antiques barn here in town (Vernon, NJ).  It's in decent shape cosmetically but I didn't look at it very closely or ask the price.  If anyone's interested let me know and I'll find out more about it over the weekend when the place opens up again.

I have had a Gonset G-50 for some time and it works really great.  It is the "50 watt" version of the famous Gonset Communicators.  About 30 watts output with a really sensitive receiver and built-in VFO.  I can remember in the early to mid-sixties, the G-50 was considered to be a Cadillac rig.  It runs about 2-3 times the power of most of the little 6 AM rigs that were available at the time.  A single 6146 modulated by a pair of 6L6s does a good job.
I recently picked-up a second G-50 for a cheap price at a tailgate hamfest and after cleaning it up and doing some re-capping, I realized it is in better shape than the one I already had.  I elected to keep it and I'm moving the older one on to another local amateur, since I really don't need two of them.
We have a regular 6 M AM net in the Fort Wayne, IN area that meets on Thursday nights at 8:00 PM local time on 50.580 MHz (and also on Tues. nights on USB).  Several locals are re-discovering how much fun VHF AM can be and we have enjoyed some increased activity.  It would also be nice to hear more AM activity on 6M during band openings.  I have listened quite a bit on 50.400, but rarely hear anyone there.  I have managed to work a few AM stations, but it would be great to hear more!  See you on Six AM!!

73,  Jack, W9GT

Yer killin' me, Pete! My transmitter is soooooo lonely.  :'(