CG-46116 RAX-1

[wb4iuy]

Anyone out there have a CG-46116? It the unit 2 of the RAX-1 setup. Covers from 1.5-9 mhz in 4 bands.

I had a friend drop by the shop today with one under his arm for me. His name is Holt Thornton AC4UD, and was the radioman on the Hangar Queen...a famous B-24 that has had a couple of books written about her. Anyway, he ran across this receiver somewhere and brought it to me.

Just wondering if any of you might have one of these in operation.

Dave WB4IUY

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Nice gift, Dave. These are really neat receivers, they cover several bands and use relatively low B+ which results in somewhat quieter operation. They come with a rather stout tube puller under the top cover for getting the tubes out.  I've got the set of three which are still a work in progress, but Mike Hanz has an excellent site on WWII aircraft gear, including a nice page on the Triplets complete with schematics:

http://aafradio.org/

Look under the first heading, "A tour of communications gear from U.S. WWII Aircraft" and scroll down to 'The Triplets'.

Mike is a great guy and undoubtedly one of the top sources for info on this stuff. He's been an immense help to me on the RAX gear and many others.

Wonder if you got the dynamotor with yours? I need three for mine, in the event that your friend comes across a stash. 

[wb4iuy]

Nice gift, Dave. These are really neat receivers, they cover several bands and use relatively low B+ which results in somewhat quieter operation. They come with a rather stout tube puller under the top cover for getting the tubes out.  I've got the set of three which are still a work in progress, but Mike Hanz has an excellent site on WWII aircraft gear, including a nice page on the Triplets complete with schematics:

http://aafradio.org/

Look under the first heading, "A tour of communications gear from U.S. WWII Aircraft" and scroll down to 'The Triplets'.

Mike is a great guy and undoubtedly one of the top sources for info on this stuff. He's been an immense help to me on the RAX gear and many others.

Wonder if you got the dynamotor with yours? I need three for mine, in the event that your friend comes across a stash. 

Hi Todd,

Thanks for the link, the schematics are exactly what I needed. Looks like the exterior will be a fairly easy restoration, especially with the engraved lettering. I'll have to build a supply, I didn't get the dynamotor. Generating the 28vdc & 160vdc will be fairly easy, I've got lots of old iron around to choose from to whip up a supply.

It looks like a really cool rx, though. I'm gonna crack it open tomorrow... Here are a few pics of mine before I start. I originally posted this in the [Receivers] section, but it was moved here. I wanted to start a restoration thread on it...should I do that here or in the receivers section of this site?

Dave WB4IUY

[wb4iuy]

Here are a few pics, before I get started on the resto...

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I wanted to start a restoration thread on it...should I do that here or in the receivers section of this site?

This is the best place for updates, Dave. The Receiver section is more for performance and feature-related info, and the Tech/Restoration sections deal with specific processes and techniques for a given situation. QSO works well for more general content and probably has more viewers on any given day.  If you end up building a page for the restoration, the Receiver section would be a great location to place a link to that page.

One thing I'd suggest when you come to painting it is to consider the technique outlined by John W3JN in the restoration section, for restoring wrinkle finish. The RAX and other gear of early and pre-war years used bare aluminum lettering engraved into an already-painted panel. Trying to re-create this is difficult at best, and trying to fill the engraving with a white lacquer stick or paint ends up messy due to the wrinkles in the finish. Cleaning all the paint off and repainting with a smooth finish makes filling easier, but quite often the engraving ends up much shallower once the paint is removed, particularly after a new coat is applied.

The oddball dynamotor mounting system makes it very easy to power the rig up without major surgery since you can simply use banana plugs attached to a power cable. Plug 'em in to the proper jack and away you go.

Don't hesitate to drop Mike a note if you run into any issues with your receiver. He knows these things inside and out and is only too happy to help others who discover these fine rigs.

[wb4iuy]

Thanks for the tips on the forums, Todd. I'm a new user here on AMfone, and not sure where to place things (or the proper way to handle various threads I might start or participate in). I've been reading a lot, and really like this site...including the links to the AMWindow and various other things.

I'll be sure to read John's refinishing piece before I start on the cosmetic stuff. We have a snowy weekend here, so I'm going to start on the internals tomorrow... a perfect time to tinker in the shop a bit.

Dave WB4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

[w3jn]

I had an almost mint set of the three of 'em; I peddled them at Dayton some years ago to a young Russian ham who was almost dancing around excitedly when he saw them on my table.   I didn't know at the time that Todd was looking for a set...

They're very nicely built and at least the one you have has decent IF selectivity.  One caution - the filter network on the B+ (meant to filter out noise from the dynamotor) has a couple of bypass caps in it.  One shorted on one of them when I powered it up. 

Short version of restoring the black wrinkle:  get an old lint-free rag, some mineral spirits, and a rattlecan of satin black paint.  Wet the rag with mineral spirits, spray some paint into the rag, and rub down the paint like you were waxing it (circular motions).  This will fill in small scrapes, etc.  If the paint loss is more severe, don't bother with the mineral spirts, just use straight paint in the rag.

[aafradio]

John's approach to wrinkle restoration is my favorite, though I prefer a terrycloth towel.  I haven't had as good an experience with corroded engraving, however.  Best results were with a stereo microscope and dental tools...zzzzzz...guaranteed to put you to sleep in no time....clunk...(sound of head dunking the microscope over on its side.)

73,
Mike KC4TOS
http://aafradio.org

[w3jn]

Hey Mike, welcome to AMFone!!  Glad to see you here.

[wb4iuy]

My biggest snag right now, is the band switch. The original is crumbling (looks like someone else tried to repair it, sometime. Got to find a parts rig with a good one...

Dave Wb4IUY
www.WB4IUY.net

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Hey Mike, welcome to AMFone!!  Glad to see you here.

What he said - Welcome aboard, Mike! Still haven't snapped any shots of my RAX triplets, just been busy. It's been almost a year since I said I'd send 'em, for shame.

Dave, there were two of these receivers at Shelby last year, both badly hacked up but excellent for parts. The guy offered to make me a deal for the pair, but I was really into culling the herd at that point so I passed. Wish I'd grabbed 'em now. They do pop up on ebay from time to time, but probably for more than you'd want to pay for just a bandswitch.

I'll keep my eyes peeled, no doubt Mike and Johnny will as well.