ART-13

[Detroit47]

I've been offered an ART-13 with the power supply and the reciver that was used with it. I have no experience with these are they any good they look nice.

73 N8QPC

[N8ETQ]

  Great Collins TX.  The RX was often a BC-348. That was an ARC-8 set
I think.  2-18 MC.  100w plus or minus depending on your supply.  Auto
tune is cool.  They are Fine AM TX's  IMHO.

/Dan

[W3SLK]

Minor modifications, you can get that thing to work down on 160. Awesome TX. Neat to watch the autotune in action!

[WQ9E]

As the others stated, a fun transmitter.  Mine is paired with a Hallicrafters R-45/ARR-7  receiver (sort of an SX-28 repackaged for airplane service) with motorized sweep tuning.  They make an interesting mechanical pair.

There are numerous Electric Radio articles about the ART-13 including an important one to protect the life of the auto tune motor.  There are also a couple on adding 160 meter coverage. 

There are several youtube videos of the ART-13 auto tune in action which should help convince you to acquire it

[KC2TAU]

What is the ballpark for value with these? I have an ART-13 on my wish list.

[K5UJ]

Okay for balance I'll be the negative side, since negativity can be useful too when it comes to deciding on a purchase.  First, I have never owned or operated an ART-13, only seen one in operation and seen a few up close and photos of the insides.  The motorized works are kind of neat and it is an 813 rig which is attractive and the mod. transformer is a tough customer from what I have read.  But, because it was made to be put on airplanes, everything is jammed into the smallest possible cabinet, which to me, seems to be problematic from a heat standpoint, but mainly, I'd think fixing one would be a bear because of the tight space everything seems to be in.  That has been what has always killed my interest in owning one. I'm certainly willing to be corrected though if I'm making too much of what I see as a pretty big drawback.

[AJ1G]

They will work down into the upper end of 160 with no mods, think ER had a mod that simply added a padder cap to the master oscillator to pull it down the rest of the way.

If heat is a concern, you can put a muffin fan on the back to pull air past the 811s and 813.  I have run mine for years without any fans, it does get hot, but have never had a heat related failure in it.

Add a nominal 700 puff variable across the output to load it properly into a 50 ohm unblananced load on 75.  Voltage is low, you can use RX type dual 365 puff in parallel.  Should easily do 150 watts carrier outpoot.

For that bandits at two oclock sound, run it off one of the original DY-17 or DY-12 dynamotors.  The fans on them really scream.

Lately we have been getting close to double digits in the number of ART-13s checking into the Satudary morning Old Military Radio Net on 3885 (0500-0700ish)

Got mine for 8 bucks (cost of shipping) many years ago from someone through the old Thursday night AM swap net.  I wish I could remember who that generous seller (giver) was - would love to tell him thanks for over 20 years of ART-13 fun!  I think it was someone in 3 land....

[WQ9E]

My ART-13 doesn't get a lot of use (maybe 3 times a year) so I cannot comment a lot on the reliability except that it always works when I want it to.  I did do a thorough cleanup when I got it and I went through the pain of cleaning/lubricating including the entire auto tune mechanism so preventive maintenance probably plays a role in reliability.  Mine is in a basement room which stays cool so I have never noticed an excessive heat problem but in a high ambient temperature location I would add a fan.

The ART-13 does have a lot packed into a compact package and if a small component failure occurs in the wrong place then it could be a lot of work-no different than a farmer friend experienced last month when a $10 part failed in his pickup but it was a 9 hour job to get to it and put everything back together.  Fortunately he had 2 months left on his warranty   To an extent, the ART-13 is like a modern vehicle whereas working on a Viking 1 is like working on a Model T.  There isn't much in a Viking 1 and everything is simple and easily accessible.

Rob does raise a good point concerning how each individual feels about rig reliability and ease of maintenance.  I enjoy repair/restoration and if a rig dies mid-QSO I can switch to another one.  I used to keep the Viking 500 on "spinning ready" when I used the Desk KW for net control duties but now I don't (so next time I am NCS the Desk will probably go up in smoke). 

 On the other hand, I don't mind doing car maintenance but I do not want to experience breakdown on the road.  I rarely keep a new vehicle past 5 years and beyond standard maintenance the only failure I experienced in the last 20 years was limp mode just after start-up in my CTS thanks to a gnawing mouse.  One new wiring harness and a lot of anti-mice devices solved that problem.

[K5UJ]

Lately we have been getting close to double digits in the number of ART-13s checking into the Satudary morning Old Military Radio Net on 3885 (0500-0700ish)

Any Meissner 150-Bs on the old mil. net?  Now that's an 813/2x811A rig with some room to move around in

[AJ1G]

Dale, KW1I checks in quite frequently with a 150B.  My Elmer back in the 60s had one.  Made a BIG impression on many a JN in our novice classes in his shack.  Still can recall the heady aroma of hot MFP varnish from WW2 era radios and tobacco smoke from that shack

[KM1H]

I run my Navy ATC (pre JAN version ART-13) on 17M quite a bit but it wont make 160 without a mod. There are also some ART-13A's that go all the way down into the BCB.

At 125W carrier I run a slow small muffin fan just to move some air.

Never fire up a long unused autotune without a full cleaning and lube.....you dont want to have to tear one down....I was warned before I even got mine which had been in SoCal storage since the 50's.

Prices are climbing if you watch Fleabay, $250-300 at times but $100-150 is more the norm elsewhere. Mine was $75 and the USAF shipped it as my sons household goods from Monterey to NH in 2007.  Got one of the HT-9's home the same way after his 2nd assignment out there ended in Dec 2009.

Dont expect anything but military audio without a few mods and a good mike.

Carl

[Opcom]

Some people don't like the smallish modulation transformer but it is more than adequate and will give you that commanding telecommunications voice! They sound very clear. Will you get the mike? It's a carbon job, might need whacked on the table a few times to get the granules shaken up to work best.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

A very cool transmitter, well worth having.

Prices are actually down a bit on them, Carl, along with everything else. They used to routinely bring $350-$500 a couplle years back. Now $350 seems like an average/high average for a clean example. There seem to be a number available in the $100-$300 range regularly.

There were two approaches used to get it down lower in frequency: the LF Oscillator (2 models), and the CDA-T crystal unit used in the ART-13B. One of the LF oscillators has 3 positions (O-17), the other (O-16) has 5, including one position labeled '1500'. With a bit of massaging, the O-16 will get you onto 160 without a lot of hassle.

Carl's advice about the autotune is excellent advice: clean it up well before you try to fire it up. Bad things like burned out motors and ground up parts can happen otherwise.

Another nice feature sometimes missed is the hidden microphone switch used to switch between dynamic or carbon. A bit more flexibility as well as an alternative to the old telephone earpiece audio.

[SM6OID]

Hi!

Could someone please give me an idea what needs to be done with the autotune before putting my ART-13 back to work? Or in other words, please define full cleaning and lube, any hints?

It has been "on the shelf" since early 60's I guess. However, it is quite clean inside, so most likely it has been stored under quite good conditions.

[KM1H]

I gave mine a bath with a degreaser in a spray bottle, washed with lacquer thinner and then applied machine oil at all moving parts that I could see and then again once it was operating at the few I missed.

Ive heard of others doing similar but washing it down again with a garden hose and letting it drip dry on a hot summer day.

[W2PFY]

I know of a ham that used to repair the ART-13 when he was in the service. He said that he has repaired more than 100 units. It's been some time since i talked to him. I'll see if he would like to join this BB and maybe he could teach all of us something. By the way, I just got one from eBay for $179.00 plus shipping. I bid on it in the last 30 seconds and thought that no way would I win the bid because they have been going for about $350 or more in the recent past. I want to go mobile with it. I had another one back in the sixties and I build the power supply for it. The only thing I noticed odd with it was that the modulation transformer was really  loud. I think I used the T-17 mic on it. It was fun using the auto tune and I was amazed how it came back to the frequencies I set on it.

[WU2D]

I have run an ART-13 as my main station transmitter since 1992 with no failures beyond issues with the the audio mods I myself have done. I have replaced a modulation transformer because the one I had sang a bit too much. It was impossible looking but turned out to be easy. I have not replaced a tube, not even an 811 modulator. That's right WW2 811's not 811As in the modulator and they still work fine.

Think of it as at least Valiant Class in Power and modulation capability. A Johnson 500 would be a step up perhaps. With mods in the audio module, and feedback, very good audio can be had. At 1500V on the plate, the 813 loafs. A quiet muffin fan blowing out nailed to the rear in back of the 811s and 813 is very welcome.

I never use the autotune feature and developed a mod which with the flick of a switch pads the oscillator and first multiplier via a relay so it covers all the way down to 1800 kHz. I use a triple 365 pF cap on the loading post and this is needed on 160, 75 and 40M for good output. The article in this months Electric Radio goes over the proper configurations for loading the ART-13 in detail.

the 837 electron coupled PTO is very stable.

Mike WU2D

[KC9LKE]

I've been offered an ART-13 with the power supply and the reciver that was used with it. I have no experience with these are they any good they look nice.

73 N8QPC


If they look good that’s half the battle!


I’m just a JN with little experience but would like to chime in with what I have found.
I made my first amateur voice contact, Jeff W9GY, with my T47/ART13 and it’s the only transmitter I use.  That was before I straightened out the speech chain and was PW with 40% modulation.  I think he felt sorry for me.  I’ve owned a 500, a stack of Valiants, a Ranger and I liked them.  I currently own a Ranger and will probably find another Valiant, but my personal favorite is the T47.  Currently it’s paired with a BC-348 but I’ll switch to other receivers from time to time.  I enjoy building power supplies so that was a non issue, even enjoyed winding the 28v job by hand.  I believe I used Mikes, WU2D’s schematic (thanks) and the dynamotor diagram as a guide. Currently the plate runs 1250v but in retrospect a little more would have been nice.  BTW an issue of ER has a power supply article with a drawing mistake that will smoke the current meter, it’s corrected in a later issue.

I tried to keep mine as stock as possible but I added a couple of useful mods.  I changed the momentary “test” switch so I could tune with both hands, I used the switch from the speech amp.  I also added a parasitic suppressor to the final.  The latter brought the carrier up about 10 % ? using the same input power.  A small 3” muffin fan was added to the rear of the transmitter to aid in cooling.  It’s powered off of the filaments with a dropping resistor for just a little quiet air to keep things cool and negligible load to the filament circuit.  I plan to add the diode circuit that saves the auto tune motor.

A quick note on audio.  The T47 gets a bad rap on its audio.  But that’s com audio, what it was designed for.  Without going into detail and hijacking the post I’ll just paraphrase a quote from the internet “With a little care the ART13 is capable of very fine audio”.  I’m certainly not in the BC audio ranks as others are on this board.  After some little care and minimal mods to the speech amp I do receive favorable audio reports from time to time without my asking. Just my experience YMMV.

W2PFY:
“I know of a ham that used to repair the ART-13 when he was in the service. He said that he has repaired more than 100 units. It's been some time since i talked to him.”

I believe I have worked him before. I remember him saying that he used to repair the T47 among others while in the service. He also said “that is possibly the best sounding ART13 I have ever heard” That made my day.


“I'll see if he would like to join this BB and maybe he could teach all of us something”

Please do

WU2D:
“the 837 electron coupled PTO is very stable.”

Yes, I tried the trick of talking on to a “single” SB station calling CQ and had a QSO with favorable audio report.  Also I was using a SSB receiver for the talk on, not the 348.

“The article in this months Electric Radio goes over the proper configurations for loading the ART-13 in detail.”
 
Thanks Mike! I’ll be sure to get the article.


Also the BC 348 is wide, however you will hear some nice sounding AM when conditions are good. I believe mine has a non stock audio output transformer. It drives a speaker better than the stock setup for headphones.
 
So my answer to Your question on the pair, if they are reasonable GET UM!


Best Regards
Ted / KC9LKE

[W3SLK]

Ted said:

Also the BC 348 is wide, however you will hear some nice sounding AM when conditions are good.

W8VYZ, Ashtubula Bill, uses a BC-348 with a Sideband Slicer all the time.