Japanese Viking II??

[K7NCR]

Get a load of this,,
http://cgi.ebay.com/E-F-Johnson-Transmitter-HAM-RADIO_W0QQitemZ320286899633QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4674QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Any thoughts?
Norm K7NCR

[Bacon, WA3WDR]

Wow... that unit might have seen some communications or even broadcast service in an oriental country, possibly Japan.  I don't know the printed language, but it is certainly oriental.  I remember a shortwave broadcast station in South America on 4885 KHz that used a Viking-II.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I betcha that is a 'chinese' Viking 2 we supplied to the Nationalists in China during their fight with the Commies.

[KF8XO]

First transmitter I've ever seen with a speaker...well at least a speaker grille.

[K7NCR]

Interesting also is the interior view, as no TVI shields are evident.

[Mike/W8BAC]

"All The Stories It Could Tell" Wasn't that an old Jimmy Buffett song? I think it was about a motel room.

I'd love to know that rig's story. Whoever did that was a smart person. Electronics background, English translation skills, The whole enchilada.

The fact it was in with a US military lot makes the story even more compelling. What a story IT could tell.

Mike

[ka3zlr]

Boy it wud make a good ER article I betcha.

Grab that thing as is refurbish as is same color etc, an then tell the history..heck ya.

[AF9J]

What a trip!!  The control layout and internals are pretty similar if not the same as my Viker II's are.  It sure is dusty enough!  I can tell from the Switchcraft 2-conductor mic jack, that it doesn't have PTT capability.  The main loading cap's knob is different from mine (mine has the swivel peg/pin on it, for quick spinning of the knob).  I wonder if the paint is factory applied, or if the owner applied it.  It does have the tabs on the enclosure top, that the lid can latch into, to help prevent TVI.  It's also missing the 866 rectifiers.  I think that it's a special order - look at the meter, you can see where there is a new meter label applied as a decal over the old one.  Most interesting.

73,
Ellen - AF9J

[Mike/W8BAC]

This is almost irresistible. Here is a chance to have fun with one of the best vintage AM transmitters made. study any changes. refit and get it on the air.

Meanwhile, start with the seller and work backwards to find the story. No time to loose. Those people are passing fast. This could be an ER blockbuster.

Even if the real story is never found, the search will be a story you will never forget. Trust me! Start the sniping. 

[Mike/W8BAC]

Here is where I would start.

I am no expert but i really don't think that is Japanese. I suspect Korean but I'm a North American and as the world knows we only speak one language. Shame. 

Find the language and the real key is dialect. The dialect will lead to a region.

Does it have a crystal? Man, now that is another clue. Region, frequency, approximate year. Sounds like a start  to me!

[AF9J]

Yes, it has crystals in it.  I looked in the photo that showed the crystal bank in it, and there were 3 crystals I saw.  Unfortunately, you can't see the frequencies on the crystals.  The thing is even dustier than my Viking II was when I bought it.

Ellen - AF9J

[N3DRB The Derb]

I just dont know what Johnson would be doing supplying Vikings to post war Japan. the only thing I can think of is maybe to set up radio stations in country somewhere to remote areas.
In the Korean War occupied japan was where you went to R&R. That rig could have been made no earlier than late 53 or early 54. Before then it would have been a Viking 1.

No ham could or would do such a thing. Maybe a " Radio Vietnam" type radio station for US personnel in Japan in outer lying bases?

[k3sqp]

I think in  Japan and/or China this is referred to as a "Cornbox"
Frank
K3SQP
All analog, all the time...

[kf6pqt]

Its within driving distance for me!

[N3DRB The Derb]

i wrote the guy and asked him if he could read the frequencies on the xtals and was it in english or another language.....see what he says.....

[WA9UDW]

I think in  Japan and/or China this is referred to as a "Cornbox"

Brilliant comment! 

Terry - WA9UDW

[kf6pqt]

Awright, it ends at lunchtime today, and so far it isn't up past the opening bid.

Wish me Ruck! 

[K7NCR]

ROTSA RUCK!!
Wish me luck in my move this week,, egads I have a lot of SCHTUFF!

[W9GT]

I betcha that is a 'chinese' Viking 2 we supplied to the Nationalists in China during their fight with the Commies.

It looks like a normal Viking II that’s been spray painted sand yellow and has just had some Japanese labels stuck to it. It’s probably like one of those counterfeit antiques being sold by scam artists.

Either that or it’s the transmitter Emilia Airhart was made to use when she was pretending to be Tokyo Rose

Gotta agree with Brian.  I think you guys are giving too much credit for a lousy paint job and application of Japanese labels.  Let's face it, many old Viking II's have less than perfect paint and many were re-painted by their owners over the years.  Some were meticulously re done, others just sprayed and dymo-labeled.   Looks like it did gather a lot of dust...probably been stored/set aside for many years.  It would certainly be interesting to know if it belonged to a JA ham or if it was pressed into some sort of pseudo commercial/government service.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[w8khk]

Awright, it ends at lunchtime today, and so far it isn't up past the opening bid.

Wish me Ruck! 

Lots of luck in the bidding wars!   Hope to hear this one on AM soon!

[N3DRB The Derb]

66 yen. cheap.

[Bacon, WA3WDR]

Definitely a good price, although shipping might be expensive.

Looking at the inside photo, the grille on the outside is not a speaker, it is only an emblem or decoration of some kind, because all you see are what appear to be two sheet metal screws sticking through the panel from the outside.

It's still a very good deal, if it can be picked up instead of shipped.

[kf6pqt]

KLAP!!!

I got busy at work today and forgot to bid. Oh well, like I urgently need another project transmitter anyway.

Personally, I'd rather have one with battered (or better) original paint, and no knowledge of any "history."

That johnson color scheme has such the "industrial 1950's" look to it, I actually bought cans of grey, purple, and turquise spraypaint a while back to do that scheme on an entirely random object, just haven't picked which one yet.

[N3DRB The Derb]

I would use that transmitter to impress hot oriental babes with how I can read Japanese and correctly operate exotic Nippon transmitting devices for the glory of the Emperor.

[Carl WA1KPD]

I would use that transmitter to impress hot oriental babes with how I can read Japanese and correctly operate exotic Nippon transmitting devices for the glory of the Emperor.

And when the XYL finds you dipping your Jophnson final with that "hot babe" in the shack you are likely to find a crowbar circuit kicking in across your HV supply causing possible permanent damage to the unopbtanium parts

Carl

/KPD