TCS issues...

[KJ6G]

I've been lurking for a bit but decided it was high time to take advantage of all the expertise here. Thanks for the help, especially to those of you who have posted in the past regarding the TCS gear. I've already learned a lot.

I acquired some TCS equipment over the years but it's been gathering mold in the garage. My original intent was to recreate my Novice station from 1960 (KN4INW) made up of a Hamilton TCS-13 receiver and Heathkit DX-40. Instead, I wound up with a very nice vertically mounted TCS-12 rcvr/xmtr unit, two spare receivers, a control box, an antenna loading coil, a well-scavenged PP-380, and a 93-pound CKP-20309 rectifier unit. None of it works except for the 93-pound beast.

I bought a set of tubes and decided to fire up the gear. I had already eased into this with a homebrew variac to get the beast going. Frankly, I expected it to go off like the Titan from Vandenberg the other day. In any case, I discovered there is a short in the receiver cable and that ended the experiment. Here are some thoughts and questions:

The cables are exactly my age having been launched into service in 1944. I don't trust them. I really don't want to butcher them - antiques, and all that - but I'm not ready to burn the house down with faulty cables. How hard is it to scavenge the plugs off the ends and rewire them? I know it's been done, but...

I'm also afraid of the beast. I don't trust it, either. I'd like to frog up a power supply for the rcvr/xmtr out of an existing unit. Someone here has suggested using the Heathkit HP-23. Since I have had little tech experience, I'm embarrassed to say I'd need some exact directions, somewhat like the original Heath manuals. The same would be for the GE Master power supplies. If I find one locally I will go that route instead, but, again, I'd need some excessive help in the rewire.

So...Should I sell the lot and retire, or is there someone out there who might like to lend a thought or two? I don't know that I will ever burn up the airwaves with the TCS, but it would be fun to talk with some of you on 80 meter AM.

Thanks, my friends. If you see smoke off in the distance, it's just me and the beast and the remains of my garage. --- Lew KJ6G

[pa0ast]

Take a sleeve of a coaxial cable , RG213 or RG217 will do . Pull new wires in the sleeve of 0,75 mm square ( or 0.5mm). Solder and ready. Piece of cake. I did it already for 4 sets. It takes 60 min, if You have the wire and the sleeve ready at hand, to make one cable. If You need some  pictures then  i can make them for You.
Anton pa0ast.

[KA3EKH]

I built up a couple TCS sets over the years, the original cable may be bad but building a new power cable is no big deal. The plug comes apart and if you don’t use the original style cable you can put together something with a half dozen wires that will work. Only thing going thru the cable that’s necessary is 12V for the filament and relay, 250B+ and 400v for the PA and modulator plates. Will have to go back and look at the keying circuit because think you need an external relay to remove B+ and HV when not keyed. I used old GE base station power supplies and they worked great being they provide all the necessary voltages and had a relay already on them. The master base supply also looks good after you strip all the junk from the front of the frame and move the twelve volt regulator to the back and there is a terminal strip along the top that is a convenient point for connecting up everything. It does require a fair amount of work but can be done.

[w7fox]

Lew,

Better not try it, too dangerous.  Your project, in no way resembles a Heathkit, with the unknown condition of 70 year old components.  The equipment has to be carefully tested and restored by someone who has done it before, there are too many things that can, or will, go wrong.  Try restoring something easier, like some vintage AM radios first, then maybe this project.  Good luck.

Chris

[K9PNP]

Should not be a big issue rebuilding the interconnecting cables. I have done it on RT-68 to PP-112 and RT-70 to AM-65 cables, which are of the dogbone variety, so longer ones should be easier.  Hopefully you have a tech manual for the rig.  If it's the original military manual, it will probably tell you how to get the cables apart.  Good luck.

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

I agree, if you have the manual making the cables is a walk in the park, just run the wires as shown. 

[KJ6G]

  Holy smokes...No pun intended...But I spent all afternoon frogging up exactly one-half of the receiver cable. I ran over to the local surplus store - Murphy's in El Cajon - and bought the correct wire along with a some heavy duty shrink tubing. Cleaning and rewiring the old plug was no problem. Feeding the wires through the shrink tubing, not so much fun. Apparently, there is shrink tubing that is lined with some kind of weird-stroke glue. There wasn't a lot of room for the wires so the glue was a pain. In any case, the completed plug and cable looks very much like the original, but...If I do another cable, I will look for some tubing not so user unfriendly. I know Anton mentioned using sleeves for coax but I was at a loss as to where I might find that stuff locally.

So...Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and advice. I'll try to post pics in the future but if it all goes up in smoke, never mind. --- Lew

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

I usebraided sleeving for my cables.   Its very flexible, protects the wires and is abrasion resistant.  Its expandable so if you have a few too many wires it will work fine and installation is not a problem.

[W7TFO]

What he meant is taking the braid out of some RG-8 coax you have slit apart, and pulling your wires through it.

It will bunch up, as it is braided, and allow you to easily feed the wires through. 

Then smooth it out starting at one end and snug it along.  Now you have a neat, copper braided, shielded cable.

73DG

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

...along with a some heavy duty shrink tubing. Cleaning and rewiring the old plug was no problem. Feeding the wires through the shrink tubing, not so much fun. Apparently, there is shrink tubing that is lined with some kind of weird-stroke glue. There wasn't a lot of room for the wires so the glue was a pain.

DG,

The above is what I was referring to when suggesting the braid in my earlier post.   

No offense Lew, but using shrink sleeve for a cable covering, as you have probably found, is not very pretty, and if you actually shrink it, the shape it has when it cools is more or less "final".  If you want to use wire braid I'd suggest you just purchase same, its not all that expensive.

[pa0ast]

DG is right. Here a photo of my TCS powersupply with 2 cables, home made with a piece coaxial sleeve from the junkbox, the cables look like original. Transformer home made.
Anton pa0ast