Collins 20V-3 Pictures

[Scott Bailey SWL]

Hi,

Sometime back, I was on this discussion board wanting pictures of the Collins 20V-3 Transmitter. This transmitter served my little 1 KW AM Station back in the 90's. We took it out of service in 1998 and bought a Harris (Gates One) Solid State Transmitter, so we could use our Post Sunrise and Post Sunset powers on one transmitter. Today, we use a Broadcast Electronics, Model AM-1A for the main and only transmitter.

I am disabled and of course I couldn't play with these big rigs anymore, but I miss the glow of the 4-400 tubes and how I enjoyed watching it work.

I didn't know where to ask for this request, but if any of you have this transmitter running in you shack and have pictures of it running, please email them to me. I was hurt in an accident in 2008 that has ruined me picking up anything heavy anymore. I want to take those pictures and put them in my office.

Thanks,
       Scott

[Mike/W8BAC]

Hi Scott, I don't know if these will do or not.

[Scott Bailey SWL]

Thanks Mike, I'm going to download these. When you get some time, no rush at all, can you get a pose of the whole transmitter, with plates on, standing straight in front of it, getting the whole transmitter in the picture. That is what I've been looking for. I want to download that and frame it to put in the lobby of my Radio Station. I know it sounds kinda of dumb, but it's just memories of back when my Dad was alive and watching that big monster on the air with 1,000 watts!

Our station is licensed for 1,000 watts daytime, and we have a flea power of 3 watts at night. Since I have the BE AM-1A, I just let it stay on all night at 3 watts. The factory set it up that way. I figure it's better to leave it on all night than to turn it totally off, that way, the little BE is warmed up, awake, ready to do it's daily job. Basicly, my station is a daytimer.

Scott

[W7TFO]

Hi Scott,

No Money Mike KO6NM runs a 20V3 on 75m, complete with MV rectifiers.  Google him up and you might get some good pix.

73DG

[flintstone mop]

No Money Mike was ripped by a Title company to prevent him from building a shortwave radio station.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ_ggxYXCXo

I'm taken back by the lack of diligence on the part of Mike.....being a business man, inventor, owner of a reputable company, that he did not secure (where were his lawyers???) the land he purchased and buy additional land to allow him to build his dream.

The 20V3 is a nice modern cabinet. The electronics look the same as the V-2. ( I still do not like 4-400's......sorry)
Fred

[WA3VJB]

Scott you might also try finding some of the Collins sales brochures that feature the 20V3.

Something like that, scanned and enlarged, could be quite suitable for what you've described.

[W7TFO]

No Money Mike was ripped by a Title company to prevent him from building a shortwave radio station.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ_ggxYXCXo

I'm taken back by the lack of diligence on the part of Mike.....being a business man, inventor, owner of a reputable company, that he did not secure (where were his lawyers???) the land he purchased and buy additional land to allow him to build his dream.

That is a long, sad tale, with more 'diligence' than one could imagine:P 

It cost him a fortune, a relationship, and the land for the SW transmitter plant.  The best of attorneys came up against judicial corruption at the highest levels in Wisconsin, and did not prevail. 

It ain't like an Erin Brockovitch movie.

73DG

[K2PG]

Hi,

Sometime back, I was on this discussion board wanting pictures of the Collins 20V-3 Transmitter. This transmitter served my little 1 KW AM Station back in the 90's. We took it out of service in 1998 and bought a Harris (Gates One) Solid State Transmitter, so we could use our Post Sunrise and Post Sunset powers on one transmitter. Today, we use a Broadcast Electronics, Model AM-1A for the main and only transmitter.

It's a shame the broadcast station didn't leave one of the old rigs in place when the AM-1A was installed. It's always good to have a backup transmitter. Those AM-1A's are reliable, but lightning, power surges, or other things can cause a failure in any equipment.

I don't have a 20V-3, but here are some pictures of gear that I use. In the bottom picture, the rig on the left is the 20V-2 and the one on the right is the 20V. The top picture features the big brother to the 20V series.

[Scott Bailey SWL]

The reason why these days the AM stations that are 1 KW or less are dumping thier old tube rigs is because it has gotten so cheap to get a solid state back up if need. Right now, I have no back up. My BE AM-1A has been on for 2 1/2 years and hasn't missed a beat.

The best advice for stations that have 1 KW transmitters as a main is to keep spare modules on hand from the manufacture. In a storm, that's the first thing that goes, otherwise in my situation, a 5 watt LPB AM Transmitter would be fine for me for a back up. I'm looking around for one, but in no hurry.

AM Stations 5 to 10 KW and above usually keep a BE AM-1A as a back up, due to most of these stations are in a heavy metro market and they need to be on with a decent signal if they loose the main. In my situation, in a small town, I see no need for a back-up tube transmitter. It would sit there for years, then when the main went down, the tube transmitter might not come on because nobody's had time to test or fool with it. They also take up space.

As real estate gets harder to aquire for an AM station like mine, the smaller the transmitter, the better. BE, Nautel, and Harris are the best American made transmitters for us. The electric bill goes way down using a 1 KW Solid State Transmitter, only costing maybe $45.00 a month in electricity, being it's only on 1 KW during the daytime hours. At night, it's like it's not even on at all!

[Scott Bailey SWL]

Scott you might also try finding some of the Collins sales brochures that feature the 20V3.

Something like that, scanned and enlarged, could be quite suitable for what you've described.

Thanks, I'm going to look around for a scanned brochure on the 20V-3. I saw one on the 250 watt, Model 300-G Collins transmitter. It's was a cute one for it's day. The old 1240 WKDA, (now WNVL) had one for years. I don't know what happen to it. The last time I was at their transmitter site was 10 years ago, and there was a Collins "The Rock" 1 KW tube transmitter over there as a back up. Thier main was a Harris (Gates One) solid state. That Collins transmitter may still be over there, and I would think they would want to retire the Harris (Gates One) and get a newer, smaller, 1 KW box like mine.

The engineer for that station, I think his name is Camron. Somebody should call over there and see if they want rid of the Collins "The Rock" Beast. If i remember, that transmitter took 4-500 tubes, but was modified to use 4-400's. I see these tube transmitters at Commercial Broadcast Stations, and I think to myself, they need to a new home, where they will be used on the ham bands.

AM Commercial Stations don't need to have them at their sites anymore, that just my opinion. My little BE only weights 90 pounds, and my wife and I can get it out of the rack quickly if need. The new Natuel, J-1000 on weights in at 50 pounds!

[flintstone mop]

You can check the dreaded eBay for low power A.M. transmitters that are FCC accepted. I do not mean Ramsey junk.
These are pulls from stations that may have gone dark.
This link will get to the first page


http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?rt=nc&LH_BIN=1&_nkw=am+transmitter&_dmpt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&_trksid=p3286.c0.m301

[Scott Bailey SWL]

Eveyone, Thanks for the Pictures. It takes me back down memory lane when I could actually work on the old tube stuff back in the early to mid 90's. Now, after my accident in 2008, I can not lift over a pound or two with my right arm. That old Collins 20V-3 was fun to work on and watch those tubes glow.

These days, I really have lost interest in tube stuff because it is too heavy, and I have been sort of pushed into the digital world.

Scott