Blasphemy! You should have seen the hue and cry when I showed how to fix the endpoint adjust on a 51J PTO by removing a turn...
Ha! That's what you get for dealing with self-described 'collectors'.
But you'll be pleased to know John, that removing a turn is now considered 'acceptable' and even
necessary in cases of stubborn PTOs. You were ahead of your time, you trend setter!
I just had to let Fred know about my conversation with Skip about the replacement driver transformer, via email. Skip said:
"The iron I sent may create one small issue--the lug pattern is round. I am not sure whether the cutout in the audio deck is large enough-There are 2 options--use a small 1" diameter sanding drum and add a slight radius to the square cutout. If you do this I won't call the Collins police. The other method would be to raise the critter on short standoffs. None of this may be necessary, but I am thinking ahead."
Skip's main concern is helping me get my transmitter back on the air. That's the
true radio spirit!
I'm with Derb and others as far as drilling and blasting goes, but like John, I received similar tongue-lashings years ago when I mentioned the mods I did to the audio chain of the
Oh-my-gawd-RARE KW-1. Nothing that couldn't be reversed, mind you, but the fact that I had the
gall to even
disturb an original Collins solder joint was enough to send a few over the edge. While I appreciate the historical significance, I also understand this: it's significant to few, and it's only a radio if you use it as such. Otherwise it's a paperweight (or doorstop, in this case).
It never made sense to me to try to make a 1950s radio into a 1990s radio by adding features, changing the basic character and so on. Easier and more fun to get something else. But I've never had a problem with making simple changes to improve performance of what it does do, so it can do it better. Add in the possibility of losing a hard-to-replace piece of iron or such due to a crapped out "original" cap, and it suddenly becomes crystal clear.
In the end, it all depends on whether or not you described yourself as a user or collector. Collectors quite often don't use their gear, preferring instead to display trophies. In the old radio world, particularly the amateur radio side, it's a pretty small audience.