AM gear

[VO1GXG]

Hi all. I am relatively new to amateur radio. ( March 07 ) , I have been a collector of Antique radios for about 3 years now , i listen to Shortwave on a regular basis and love the sound of AM.

My goal is to have a vintage shack in the corner of my shack for running AM. I have several receivers , S-38B ,S-85 are the 2 main ones i listen to.  My question should i look for in a AM transmitter and AM receiver ?  I always liked the look of the Collins S-line but not the price tags HIHI


73
Matthew
VO1GXG

[The Slab Bacon]

Matthew,
               Either one of those receivers would not provide adequate performance for today's AM amateur use. there are 2 really good articals about receivers over on Steve's AM window website. Link over to the AM window from the sidebar here. Go into the Tech section and read "Johnny Novices guide to receivers" and "The Slab Bacon's receiver road test" These articals will at least give you some insight into what you need in a receiver.  Both articals are also available in the receiver section here on AMFone.

Just about any of the older plate modulated 100w table top boatanchor transmitters
(Heath DX-100 or apache, Johnson Viking II or valiant, etc) would be an excellent starter transmitter for amateur AM service.

                                                                                       The Slab Bacon

[W4EWH]

My goal is to have a vintage shack in the corner of my shack for running AM. I have several receivers , S-38B ,S-85 are the 2 main ones i listen to.  My question [is, what] should i look for in a AM transmitter and AM receiver ?  I always liked the look of the Collins S-line but not the price tags HIHI

OM,

The S line didn't have AM, so you don't have to sacrifice anything  .

Here are my personal preferences, in no particular order:

Receiver -

• Hammarlund Rules!
• Notch Filter
• 6 and 8 KHz IF filters
• Noise blanker
• Fast, Medium, and Slow AGC

Transmitter -

• Maximum Legal power - remember you're 6db down at the start.
• Maintainability - check to be sure the components, such as tubes, are still available. Lay in a stock of spares before you need them.
• Both flat and "communications" audio response curves - it's nice to have broadcast quality, but when the band is noisy I want to add more punch.
• Stable VFO.
• T/R Sequencer to prevent RF in the receiver or the transmitter turning on before the antenna is attached - I'm used to "single switch" T/R control.
• Link output and wide-range of impedance choices, so no transmatch is needed.

The other guys will add more suggestions, but that's all I can think of for now.

73, Bill W1AC

[VO1GXG]

I always thought the S-line had AM . Learn something new everyday! . I was thinking on trying to get one of those Drake sets. or a Viking. thanks for the help!

73

[Ed-VA3ES]

Matthew, if you get stuck, let me know. I might be able to fix you up with a Heath Apache.   

For a good decent transmitter, look for a Johnson Ranger. It puts out about 50W.  The Heath DX-100 and Apache are next step up - 100W+.  For a receiver,  look for a National NC300 or 303, Hammarlund  HQ series. I have an  HQ170. Another good RX is  the Hammarlund SP600. It's a band cruiser, and does all of HF.  We can talk even better receivers, but the price goes up.   

Look around.  Someone near you in Newfoundland MUST have an RCA AR88 squirelled away. That's a fine receiver too. 

I don't know too much about Hallicrafters so I didn't recommend any.

[Carl WA1KPD]

I really like my HQ-140X from a looks, price and performance perspective

[N3DRB The Derb]

I'll second that. I've had 2 140's over the years and each one of them was great. They seem to be caught in a twilight zone of sorts, the collectors dont go for them much. Therefore, the prices are good.

[w3jn]

Matthew, welcome to AMFone.net - I'm glad you stopped by.  I see you're a moderator over at antiqueradios.

There is no one "best receiver".  I've owned just about every American made receiver (with a few exceptions  ); you can read my guide to receivers here http://amfone.net/ECSound/JNRECS.html and Slab's receiver road test here

http://www.amwindow.org/tech/htm/slabrxreview.htm

In the used receiver market you pretty much hafta take pot lock at what comes along.  But in my experience by far the best value is the Hammarlund SP-200/SP-400/BC-779/BC-1004 (all pretty much identical).   This thing is just MADE for AM ham use, and I've gotten them for as little as $10.  Beware of hammy hambone modifications though!

Good luck, and once again welcome!

[WBear2GCR]

My perspective is that you get on the air with what you have or can get.

Then you learn more, and decide that you need something else/better, and you get it somehow. At least that's how it could go.

Otoh, if you have a discretionary income budget then you go to one or more forums with forsale stuff and buy what you want??

Generally speaking almost anything you buy at a reasonable price you can turn around and sell at a reasonable price with some +/- differential.

I kinda like the better skirt selectivity offered by some of those receivers that use mechanical, crystal or ceramic filters, or combinations thereof. That includes some of the newer solid state rigs, receivers or transceivers.

Otoh, I do own toobe receivers and currently am using a Collins built R-388 on the air. But, I'm likely to dump in a "real" filter into the box that houses the not so good "crystal filter" module... fwiw. I like steeper skirts to get rid of adjacent channel signals. You can always set it up to jump it out and go back to the stock selectivity.

         _-_-bear

[TedN]

I always thought the S-line had AM .

The Collins 51-S1. 5kc wide with stock i.f.

My National 300 has always been a good reliable reciever.


Ted
KC9LKE

[flintstone mop]

FORGIVE ME Art Collins BUT
Collins gear is not necessary for AM enjoyment. Maybe after you get established with some gear that doesn't break the budget. Nice stuff out here for much less money. When you get Collins gear you need an alter and candles, then you start a worship service before the equipment. It's a funny thought.
Fred

[TedN]

Fred:

Im not pro Collins I was just pointing out that Collins made a S-line general coverage reciever. One went on epay last week for approx $1300.00, sans candels and alter.
So definetly not much bag for the buck. Better off left to the CCA.

Ive had two National 300's liked them both. Still have one and as soon as I replace the variable cap in the VFO it will be in service. Loaned it to a "friend" and his 10 year old son snaped off the plates on the cap. 

Ted
KC9LKE

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Nah, Fred is just going to the other extreme: Collins is evil!

The S-Line receivers really did have a position for AM, it was actually the first position moving clockwise from the left, IIRC. The 75A-1 is probably their best sounding AM receiver, the move being towards more 'communications quality' as the line progressed. For their time, they were the 'best' receivers available, being stable, selective, and sensitive. Certainly not the cheapest. And the A-Line transmitters (32V, 30K, KW-1) are all first rate rigs. You can even find good deals on the stuff other than online and ebay, it's true.

Plenty of excellent suggestions here to work with. Hammarlund, National, even some of the Hallicrafters receivers are great choices for receivers. Start simple, work your way up as your tastes in audio and performance grow or change.

Hard to beat a GriefKit DX-100 for price-to-performance ratio. There are many of them out there with copious amounts of info for improvements. Plenty of parts, too. 

Take your time, look around, ask plenty of questions. Shop wise, not fast. 

[N3DRB The Derb]

if you do some drillage and blastage into the chassis, I personally would take a johnson viking 2 over the dx 100. the Johnson has mic amp and audio driver problems but nothing hard to fix. the driver transformer is scroteless and so is the driver tube. the universal tran from AES works well, with a triode connected 6Aq5 or a 6b4. you will have to insert a additional stage of gain in the form of a 6c4 with a volume pot in between the two existing tube sockets. nothing to it.

I like the Viking 2 over the dx 100 becuase of the de tvi'ing they did, the oil filled HV cap, but the big resistor they used to get the screen voltages sux. more later.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

That's a good point, Derb. Hadn't thought of the V-II, they're priced about the same and maybe not as plentiful, but well worth looking for.

[Rick K5IAR]

Todd,
If you decide to go that I have a Viking II I haven't used in a couple of years that might let go to a good guy like yourself.  As you know, the problem with these monsters is shipping since they are so heavy.  Best I remember it works fb on all fronts.  I might even have a VFO for it, not sure.  Let me know and I'll dig through the she to be sure I still have it.
Rick/K5IAR

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Thanks Rick, but noooooooooooo! I already have too many projects, most all my gear needs something done to it. Years ago I had one of these rigs with VFO that went to W1LYD ex N1HUT, probably up in Alaska with him now.

Maybe Matthew will take you up on it, if he can handle the shipping to VE land. 

[Rick K5IAR]

Shucks!  Too many projects is my problem too!  Thought I'd make a little room!   

Rick