My first ham TX, a retro endeavor

[W7TFO]

I posted a photo of this box in the past, maybe you saw it before.  Here are three shots of it as it is now.  It was an old GR 'Wave Analyzer' from the 30's in a really cool heavy oak box.  It was originally completely shielded with copper sheet, and I'm leaving that intact.

The program is to build something that looks vintage, uses period NOS parts, and is different.

211 triodes were picked as they don't need an exposed plate cap for the 'protruding' tubes, and I have enough of them on hand to make this a go.

I set it up to use those 211's in PP, both for RF & high level mod for somewhere around 300 W output on 160 & 75m.  

I just finished the black corner pieces this morning and the tube escutcheons are old WECo dial surrounds from pieces of test gear.  It was really fun sawing the holes in the top, that is tough oak!

Ignore the white box, it was just there to hold up the sockets for the photos.
 
This part will contain only the RF and audio drivers (a single HF-100 and 6B4G's respectively) and the 211's.  Weston fan meters galore!  It will get a 1/4" thick panel on the front that will hold everything together and make it easy to remove the innards.

The PS unit (4X866A, 2X83), speech amp (1943 WECo 22B mixer), and oscillator (1937 black Meissner Signal Shifter) will be separate. (so I can lift it one piece at a time).  So far I have all the period Thordarson and Utah iron, meters, coils & caps to make it work.  Now onward.

73 dg

[N3DRB The Derb]

it's gonna be very late 20's looking rig.

I'm having trouble visualizing it becuase, well, it's so different than the normal rack and panel job. How are you gonna mount all the tank stuff?

[W1GFH]

Might be cool to add chrome headers to the cabinet.

[W7TFO]

I probably won't need headers, as all the exhaust goes into the mike at low RPM.

As to the internal mountings, I'll do it the same way GR did:  Chassis mounted to the front panel, brackets for the 211 sockets.  If you pull the tubes out of the top, the sockets will just clear being pulled out with the rest of it.

dg

[N3DRB The Derb]

oh ok, I dig it. So there will be one big front panel or re you gonna break it down into 2?

are you gonna look for some bakelite-looking material for the panels? makes sense with the surface mount meters....but youre gonna have to be real careful mounting stuff up. Doesn't what they call 'masonite' today look a lot like bakelite?

ya know another idea would be engine turned aluminum. Oh would that look swell. 

[W3RSW]

"Tiffo,"
Oh way cool rig.
If the 211's are side, soon to be the topside, mounted how will you connect up the 'General Radio' type panel?  Laced long wire leads are the usual method but won't work too well at RF. Maybe a sub chassis of some sort will be in order with only the meters and non-RF critical controls on the panel. Is this what your saying?

[W2PFY]

Looks great! You could make it look very retro if you had circular neon's around the RF tubes that would flash as you tuned up and modulated. You would be able to remove them when the serious hams came over to see your fine work.

When do you think the launch date will be?  We should be able to hear you on 75 in the winter with an antenna beamed at us here in the NE.

Very Nice Dennis & Happy New Year

[W1GFH]

Reminds me of the "steampunk" style that's all the rage now...a cross between Terry Gilliam's Brazil and Captain Nemo's Nautilus.

Below, somebody's CPU done up in Steampunk style.

[W7TFO]

Definitely my style of CPU.  Of course, my family name IS Gilliam......