RCA BTA 1R2 TX

[ve6pg]

..ok...need some more smoke on 160...i was informed about an RCA BTA 1R2 that is available... 4-400s/4-400s....saw some pics on the internet, but can any one here give me some dope on this thing?...it is located a loooong way from here...
..thanks, tim..

..sk..

[N2DTS]

http://www.broadcastdocuments.com/BROADCAST_DOCUMENTS/RCA_Equipment.html

Looks like a real nice tx!

I always picture broadcast rigs as some massive heavy thing that has to go in the garage, but that looks nice indeed!

On one hand, I think you could build something smaller, that covers 160, 80 and 40 at least, with the same power out, but that rig looks nice, and not too large.

I wonder how much it weighs?

Brett

[ke7trp]

Big iron.. Real tubes.. Whats not to like..  Going to have to build a sequencer to key it up.  Should not be a big deal to get to Ham bands.   Looks like a great rig!

C

[KL7OF]

I have a BTA 1S   The final   is a fixed cap ,slug tuned coil affair, The tubes are blown thru a pressurized chassis, the iron is massive.....The oscillator is solid state, the driver is tubular,, the audio driver in mine was solid state...In the stock configuration it will should easily do 160 meters but you may have to wind a new plate choke to go below 1900...Mine has been converted  to pi network output and 2A3s speech amp to drive triode connected 813s in the modulators.....the finals remain 4-400's   lots of taps on the plate trans to get many output levels  ...It has lots of audio with all carrier levels...The transmitter cabinet talks a little because of the hollow side panels that were added to a standard rack to make it look larger....I would go after another in a heartbeat... Good Luck...Steve

[n2bc]

Had to chuckle at an earlier post... I had a 1R1 and it indeed lived in the garage.  Yours will too unless your doorways are all at least 36" wide.  I have a chainsaw but the XYL didn't agree with that plan.

It is quite easy to put on 160/80 and even 40.  The tank is a PI-L that I changed to a plain PI and added vac variables for C1/C2.  Band change was with relays to change taps on L1.  Also added relay switched tuned circuits on the 6146 driver tank.

It will 'stretch' to 160 without any physical changes at all.

For 'low' power I just ran the HV on 120V.  Do your testing and getting used to it on it's original freq, you will need a healthy dummy load if you want to test at 1KW out!

Have fun and BE CAREFUL!   

73, Bill  N2BC

[KB5MD]

I have a BTA 1R1 that I converted for use on 40-80-160.  I drive the 4-400's without the 6146 driver tubes with only about 8-10 watts. The rf input is thru a homebrew tuned input directly to the grids of the 4-400's.  Don't know how far away yours is but I would drive along ways for one.  They are good transmitters and  weigh approximately 1200 pounds.  Take the iron out, load it on a trailer or in the back of a pickup and head for home.  Reinstall the iron after you get it positioned in the shack (on a concrete floor?).  I changed the output on mine to pi-network with air variables and band changing is with a heavy duty rotary switch.    Good luck.  One more thing, if it's is too tall for your space you might check the bottom of the cabinet. The 1r1 has a 4" high wiring compartment on the bottom which is removeable.  We had to remove this to move mine out of the portable building that it was in. But, that is a story in itself....

[K5UJ]

Right.  Beat me to it on the moving tips but I can add that a dolly (not a furniture dolly but a two wheel with a floor plate and back that has handles) is good to have for shoving it around after the iron is out.  Bring tools, work gloves, and blankets for it to lie on in the truck or trailer bed.  You might want to pull out the 4-400s before moving it around; that's up to you.  Oh yeah obviously you are gg to need help, at least one other guy to load it.  Hopefully you can maneuver it a few feet to a doorway where you can back up the rear of the truck and tip it down to the tailgate, lift the bottom and slide it in.

[n2bc]

I forgot to mention the tonnage.... 1100 lbs is right on.

Helpers needed, yes.   Trailer needed, yes.

Do NOT put it in the back end of a Suburban.  It will indeed fit with the rear seats pulled.  But even with the iron behind the driver's seat, it felt like the front wheels were pretty much off the ground. Toronto, Ontario to the Binghamton, NY area in the rain... no fun at all!

[Ed-VA3ES]

Tim, I have a BTA1R3. You'll love it.  Lot's of fun.   Listen to these boys as they know the ropes.  I moved one in a 10 foot Econoline van.  Heavy bastard,  almost blew out the tires and was scraping the ground.   Use several 6 foot sections of top rail to roll the beast into the van.   Nice rig, and the door has a window to gaze upon the bottles.

Have at least 2 buddies with you when you move it.  Did I say it was  a heavy bastard?  Take out all the iron before you move it, and note well where all the iron lives.  84" tall; tall bastard too.  Mine lives in the garage.  (My BTA1S  has removeable panels,  and was built in a 19" rack, and is only 6' 6" tall, so it can  live in a  basement.)

Welcome to the club.

[KL7OF]

BTA1s   Butte, Montana, January, 2000....The rig was laying on its side in the back of a long wheelbase dodge 1 ton van on a residential street....Temperature around 5 deg F...4 inches of hard ice on the street.  Transmitter is intact ...Guts , feathers, and iron all inside...Slide it out of the van, tip it bottom down on the icy street...skid it across the ice about 6 ft to a flatbed truck with old carpet on the back...3 not so strong guys tip it on to the flatbed at an angle and then grunt the heavy end up and shove forward...The carpet slides on the cold metal flatbed...Throw a tarp over it and a couple tie down straps and drive 350 miles home....The transmitter now lives as the RCA BAD DOG...  Nothin to it...

[KX5JT]

I have a BTA 1R1 that I converted for use on 40-80-160.  I drive the 4-400's without the 6146 driver tubes with only about 8-10 watts. The rf input is thru a homebrew tuned input directly to the grids of the 4-400's.  Don't know how far away yours is but I would drive along ways for one.  They are good transmitters and  weigh approximately 1200 pounds.  Take the iron out, load it on a trailer or in the back of a pickup and head for home.  Reinstall the iron after you get it positioned in the shack (on a concrete floor?).  I changed the output on mine to pi-network with air variables and band changing is with a heavy duty rotary switch.    Good luck.  One more thing, if it's is too tall for your space you might check the bottom of the cabinet. The 1r1 has a 4" high wiring compartment on the bottom which is removeable.  We had to remove this to move mine out of the portable building that it was in. But, that is a story in itself....

KB5MD, Dr. Roy, runs quite a few transmitters and they all sound great.  But I can tell you first hand that when he's on the RCA, it really does SOUND like a Broadcast Station.  Smooth and Clean and makes me green!