1937 Utah Jr Transmitter Lives Again!

[W1UJR]

More at -->> http://www.w1ujr.net/utah_jr__project.htm

Managed to finish up the power supply deck wiring last night, and it even worked when I turned it on. 
First time in a long time that I did not have to go back and fix at least one mistake.

I had earlier finished the RF deck, after the components made a trip through the dishwasher, and it turned out fine.

This was a fun project, I stripped it down to almost a kit form, had the chassis powder coated (they were quite rusty), and rebuilt the
unit as close to original as possible. I found some neat push back style wire from Radio Daze to rewire the old girl, and melted the beeswax out of the old capacitor housing so I could insert a new electrolytic while keeping that period look.

I've still got a few little odds and ends to tidy up, but hope to have it on the air this weekend.

A lot of work for a transmitter which sold for $15.95 back in the 1940s, but I enjoyed the whole process.
I adopted a new strategy with this one, only work while it feels fun, then go do something else.
Took me over 4 months to finish the old girl, but I had a ball doing it, and learned a lot to boot!

[w8khk]

Bruce, all I can say is WOW!  What a beautiful job you have done with this piece of history!

[W3RSW]

Way kuhl Bruce,

I take it that it's a xtal 6L6 osc. plate tuned into a simple link with coupling condenser on output? 
Putting the stuff in baggies for re-build looks just like a virgin kit 'ceptin' I don't think baggies were invented yet back in the olden days, heh, heh... (pre "back in the day.")
'37 was definitely before my time.

Just seeing that pix brings back the salivatin' feeling I used to get when opening up a new Heath.

[W1UJR]

Tnx guys!

Rick, I find these little rigs very fascinating, simple to work on, light to move around, and loads of fun to service and operate.
Yep, you're correct, the classic 6L6 circut, rockbound, with plug in coils.

I'm fresh out of muffin tins for that old time kit building experience.
Kidding aside, I use the baggies to keep all the hardware seperate, its far too easy to get mixed up after its been sitting for a few momths.
That and digital camera really aid in reassembly.

Cheers!

[W9GT]

Great job Bruce.  A real classic example of a black wrinkle jewel!

73,  Jack, W9GT

[W3RSW]

Hard to belive those prices ;I don't want to start up an inflation thread again, but this stuff always continues to amaze me.   Any one of : transformer, pube, meter, cap, etc. would easily fetch $15 apiece, even used, these days.  Your advertisement opened the door.  Guess we ha'e to start blacking out old ad prices just like TV news blacks out family and bystanders in perp pix.  Did the price include the power supply? It did mention not including the crystal and tube.

So guess I could look up what silver went for in 1937 and figure the real inflation rate.   Gold was politically pegged at $35/oz. in 1935, I believe by FDR, et. al. so at $1000/oz. now thats 1000/35 or 28.57 x $15 or $429 in April 2008. Sounds way high so even discounting gold by half due to recent speculation makes your one tuber's present value at $215.  That's about right.  Big inflation ramps were right after WWII when cost controls were lifted with consumer goods scarce, the Carter years of stagflation and, of course, the current oil based/semi precious/precious/copper based inflation now.   

Yeah, our next joint 'club' project ought to be junque box mining.
"Mining your junque box for fun and profit."

The fixing up and trading of our stuff is worth far more than money.  The older and wiser we get the more we realize real value.   Uh, ok, sorry....  way to much pontificating.