Running...

[VE3GZB]

Well I put the new varicap-on-tile in and powered it all up....yup, it makes a heck of a difference! I'm able to make the 100W dummy load lamp glow MUCH beyond normal brightness even on 80m now, whereas before I could only achieve 60-70% brightness no matter how I played with coupling, tuning, etc...

I still have much more work to do, but I'm getting there!

73s
geo
VE3GZB

[VE3GZB]

I made an antenna tuner today, using the same floortile I used in the PA. Hoping it works! I've put a simulated approx. 75Ohm dummyload (switchable pair of 100W lamps in parallel) on the tuner too.




The left varicap was given to me by my friend VE3AWA and the inductor is something I picked up at the Fergus hamfest (a box of various inductors for $5, couldn't pass that up!). The right varicap is one that I saved since I was a teen.

It's not a Pi network since I found that putting a series cap to the output of the transmitter would raise output, so it's a series LC circuit with a shunt C after the L. I haven't tested it yet and if need be, I can convert it to a Pi network as I need.

RF output is taken at the power switch (obviously transmitter voltage should be reduced during switching, otherwise I might fry the switch contacts).

73s
geo
VE3GZB

[N3DRB The Derb]

geo,

I have some things for you. I have had a box ready to go for you for some time but the items in it kept getting obsoleted time after time when you improved things. I'll just list some things I have that I can send you for no money. They all work fine, but may be cosmetically challenged in some way, or they just doesn't fit into my plans. you let me know which things you dig, and I'll send them to you in one shot.

I have some big heavy things coming in and I have to make room for them.

I have a Bird Termaline DL thats good for 80 watts, more if you put a small fan on it. It's ok fine but I have a 500 watt Termaline, and how many dummy loads do I need anyway? I think I have one too many.

I have a UTC S-20 plate mod transformer good for 55 watts, so it will work up to maybe 95 watts of input. I just dont think i will ever use it. it a universal unit so it matches any rf load to any pair of modulator tubes. I had to repair one terminal on it, but it's good to go now. I havent had voltage on it but you can test it for me and
see if it's good. 

I have some varicaps but I'll have to go through them and see which ones I cant use for my building needs. I'll send you surplus.

i have 2 rf ammeters that would help your antenna efforts a lot, both 2 1/2 inchers one is 0~3 amps the other 0~2.5. one has a black face, the other white. I'm sure both work ok fine.

None of this stuff is junk, but it's cluttering things up and I have a major shack renovation getting ready to start
due to space problems with the addition of 3 racks + parts on the way. The wife is getting one of my Edsal lighted workbenches in her space and I am taking over a old buzzard wooden table of hers to use strictly as a operating position. Everything is gonna get tossed on it's ass. 

I'll add some pics of other stuff I find out there, just tell me what you want and what you dont.

10-4. 

[VE3GZB]

Gee, thanks! It all sounds great!

Well, currently I'm borrowing my friend's SWR meter. I'd like to get/make my own so parts geared towards that would be useful.

The plate mod Xformer sounds like it could be very useful as well as the dummy loads! I'm sure Tungsten isn't a very linear load!

Varicaps are never orphaned by me, they're always useful too!

I'll trust your judgment and thanks for your generosity! I'll always try to be creative and experiment on making stuff work based on what I can find.

I did hook up the tuner/dummy load to the transmitter last night, it all runs nicely! I can tune up into the pair of lamps just fine, I only need to tap about 2 turns on that big inductor to tune into the lamp load.

Right now they are two separate pieces of wood, so next I'll get a long piece of wood and mount both tuner and Tx onto it. Then I have to work on the modulator, the gain isn't high enough. Then I have to replace my transmission line with the RG6/U I got, and I need the appropriate connectors too.

Busy busy!!!

73s
geo
VE3GZB

[N3DRB The Derb]

ok I got a perfectly working lafayette SWR meter. I use the swr meter on he matchbox so it's surplus. We'll throw that in.too. also some antenna stuff. egg insulators and the like. I gotta look and see if I have any spare tubes, I dont think I do that would do you any good. with this mod xfmr, you should get busy building a speech amp/modulator. My camera batts are dead, soon as they recharge I'll add some photos of the stuff.

the connection info on this UTC S-20 is on the am window website. a plain old pair of 807's would work great as long as you regulate the screen voltage.


get you 60 watts of audio no problem, 750 on plate, 300 on screens. Your current modulator is now obsolete, tear it down and get ready to revamp it for plate mod. I dont have a driver transformer, I need all I have for my own projects. A UTC S-10 would work great if you can find one.

[VE3GZB]

Thanks!

Do you have any high voltage Mica caps, .001uF or higher, those are always useful?

73s
geo
VE3GZB

[N3DRB The Derb]

I only have one, and I need it myself. I need more, if I can grab some offa bay cheap I'll send you some if I get extra. I need abt 8 of them.

[VE3GZB]

No worries then, don't worry about it.

73s
geo

[VE3GZB]

Here's photos I snapped this evening of the transmitter running into a pair of parallel 100W 120V lamps. It's getting there!





73s
geo
VE3GZB

[N3DRB The Derb]

geez how about a front panel? 

you're making me nervous dude. 

[ka3zlr]

That Situation is definitely Alive,... ..Be Careful OM.

73
Jack.

[KB2WIG]

Get some plexi, drill some holles and knob the shafts.... you'll get some protection...


klc

[K1JJ]

Now THAT'S a Reeeaal ham shack, Geo!

Nothing like a breadboard to get the magic.  I really like the look of that 813 rig.  Now youse gots some power to be heard.  I'll bet you learned a lot of new thangs too.


I agree - get some Plexiglas and make a front panel and some sides and maybe a top with an air screen.   You can easily bend Plexi any way you like - even make corners by heating it with a torch and bending it over a table edge.

Here's one of my own Plexiglass-viewable rigs named "QuadZilla:"   (Uses vacuum variable caps and plug-in coils  -    I replaced the soft tube in the third picture)

T

[VE3GZB]

K1JJ - Now THAT's a transmitter!! Woo Hoo!!

I've been studying to be a ham since I was a teen and I've been doing electronics since I was 6, I got into vintage radio repairs by my grade 6 teacher and in high school I was earning grades by repairing electronics for teachers and for the school in electronics class.

I'm in my 40s now, just got my license last fall. After far too many years of procrastinating my wife insisted that I just go and do it - so I just did it.

It helps that my day job is in RFID too I guess. But this is my first 100W transmitter I've put together from scratch, figuring out substitutes for hard to find components, so I'm kind of tickled that it didn't blow up!

73s
geo
VE3GZB