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WA6NEQ
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« on: October 03, 2012, 07:23:37 PM » |
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Hi. I recently was given a "Viking Valiant". When I went to pick it up, I found it was a Valiant II. It's in pretty clean condition. Now I am curious, can anyone tell me what are the differences between a Valiant and a Valiant II other than styling ? Tnx & 73 - Bill
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WQ9E
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« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2012, 09:18:22 PM » |
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The Valiant II has some slight changes so that it is plug and play compatible with the SSB adapter, the original Valiant requires some changes to use the adapter. I have both the original and Valiant II and otherwise I know of no circuit/construction differences between later production Valiant 1 and the Valiant II.
The only drawback to the Valiant II is the paint adhesion on the front panel is truly lousy.
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Rodger WQ9E
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N8ETQ
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« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2012, 11:15:50 PM » |
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Hey Bill,
I just went over a Valiant II for Bill, K8DBN. One nice thing
about it was that "Stupid" multi-section loading Padder was
replaced with regular Centralab 2.5 KV caps. I think Johnson
must have made that old style one in house. It was crap.
Other than that there the same, Bill's was fantastic looking
inside and out. You do have to loose that fused plug though.
There is room on the rear "Apron" for a fuseholder. Stuff a 5A
slo-blo in it and add a 3 wire cord. Make sure the other fuse-
holder has the correct 1.5A (I think) for the LV XFMR.
Congrat's on the new piece.
GL
/Dan
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WA6NEQ
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« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2012, 01:06:27 AM » |
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Thanks. I'll have to find that padder cap. Mine is pretty clean inside and out. The paint on the front panel needs some touching up as does the cabinet. Is the front panel a herringbone or is it a metallic finish? I still can't believe that it was just given to me. The guy wanted it out of his garage so all it cost me was about 3 gallons of gas, 2 hours of time, and a $5 bridge toll. I'll have to research the various mods that seem to be floating around. Is stock generally good enough?
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N8ETQ
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« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2012, 06:12:21 AM » |
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Pretty Much, you do need to take the 1 Meg audio input R up
to at least 4.7M or 6.8 M and BYPASS the clipper/filter.
I found a pix of Bill's Valiant 2 this morning.
/Dan
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The Slab Bacon
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« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2012, 08:13:37 AM » |
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"No is not an answer and failure is not an option!"
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N8ETQ
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« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2012, 08:41:05 AM » |
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Hey Bill,
Here's a pix of the Loading Padders.
/Dan
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W9BHI
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« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2012, 10:30:53 AM » |
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I picked up a nice Valiant II a while back.
I re-capped it and changed the 866's to 3B28's.
Did the VFO resistor replacement (didn't really need it).
Be prepared to replace C38 (150Pf cap) and C39 (350 Pf) cap.
They will both eventually heat up and short out.
C39 burned up on 75 meters and C39 on 40 meters.
I used doorknobs from RF parts.
Other than that, it is a very good rig with great audio (without any mods).
W9BHI
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WQ9E
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« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2012, 10:42:13 AM » |
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With the clipper control turned fully clockwise there is no clipping. Many users "intuitively" turn it full CCW thinking that is off when instead that is maximum clipping.
My Viking 500 and both Valiants have the original circuit intact. Sometimes with the Valiant a little clipping will greatly improve readability when the signal is weak.
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Rodger WQ9E
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N8ETQ
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« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2012, 03:29:23 PM » |
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Hey Rodger, Well weather the audio is clipped or not it still has to go through that low pass filter. I just jump the whole mess out with a .01 uf. Guess you could add a switched pot to do that if wanted to retain the clipper. Not unlike that Stupid switch on the AF Gain knob of an NC-300 that I always forget about...Hi 73 /Dan With the clipper control turned fully clockwise there is no clipping. Many users "intuitively" turn it full CCW thinking that is off when instead that is maximum clipping.
My Viking 500 and both Valiants have the original circuit intact. Sometimes with the Valiant a little clipping will greatly improve readability when the signal is weak.
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ke7trp
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« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2012, 07:59:26 PM » |
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I like the clipper. It peak limits and saves the mod trans. Stops buckshot on the bands and if adjusted correctly, adds a nice bump in avg power. I agree dan, that speech filter has to go..
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WQ9E
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« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2012, 07:41:50 AM » |
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Clark, be careful because that filter really needs to be there when the clipper is used. Clipping generates a lot of high level, high frequency distortion products. At the least you need a low pass filter function following the clipper and I would shoot for a roll-off not higher than 4K.
Even without the clipper the filter helps to provide more "talk power" in the portion of the audio range that conveys intelligence.
The Valiant isn't a HiFi transmitter and the modulation transformer doesn't support wideband response even if you mod the rest of the audio system. The Valiant is a transmitter that, properly adjusted, will get through QRM and QRN better than most competing transmitters of comparable power.
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Rodger WQ9E
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2012, 07:26:01 PM » |
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Clipping creates splatter. Get rid of both the filter and the clipper.  |
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N8ETQ
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« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2012, 09:04:50 PM » |
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Yo' Agreed, Here are 2 pix, One with no clipping (6AL5 pulled) and the next with the filter bypassed as well. Both were the best I could get them Waveform Wise. (I need to catch the Knobs on the scope in my photos). Maybe something was wrong with the filter but I planned to bypass it any way and didn't really care. /Dan Clipping creates splatter. Get rid of both the filter and the clipper. |
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ke7trp
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« Reply #14 on: October 05, 2012, 09:20:10 PM » |
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Good points. I dont get that kind of pattern on mine with the filter bypassed but the clipper intact Dan. I also only run small amount of clip. Just to knock the peaks down and to stop the mod current from just slamming.
If you do that, Then you have a stop to run up against rather then just over mod and baseline the scope. I think thats a valid point... right guys?
With no clip and overmod there will be more crap spewed out and could damage the iron. With a clipping limiter then you avoid that.
I think bypassing it, limits the effectiveness of the the transmitter and to me, If I am going to run a valiant, then I want clear sound with effective compression. Not weak avg power.
C
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N8ETQ
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« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2012, 10:17:52 PM » |
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Hey C,
I'm not debating anything here, just showing what I
saw as justification to jump that crap out. Maybe it was
broke, don't really matter. I can't belive that first pix
would have "Cut through the QRM" better than the
second pix. BTW my favorite "Tone" is 400cy, so thats
prolly what were lookin' at.
73
/Dan
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