Electric Radio Article

[ka4koe]

I'm wondering if my experiences restoring this Valiant would make for a good ER article, taken from the viewpoint of an engineer with zero experience working on transmitters?

Opinions? Or has this angle been explored by others for this magazine?

PAN

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

The person to ask about that is Ray @ER. There's an Electric Radio button in the top menu that will take you there directly.

They even have a forum where you can post.

[W3GMS]

I'm wondering if my experiences restoring this Valiant would make for a good ER article, taken from the viewpoint of an engineer with zero experience working on transmitters?

Opinions? Or has this angle been explored by others for this magazine?

PAN

I don't think so, but as Todd mentioned, Ray is the only one that can answer that.  I see nothing unique or highly unusual that goes beyond typically trouble shooting.  If you discovered a unique design issue, well that may be a different story.  Many of these rigs were produced and many are on the air having been restored by those using them. 

Joe, GMS

[W2VW]

Keep it up and you won't be able to navigate a hamfest due to autograph requests.

Fame can be lonely.

[k6hsg]

Souds like a good idea to me.
I have my Valiant sitting here on my desk waiting for me to do something.

An in depth article on any of the pre 60's boat anchors would be of interest to me.
I would like to see more pictures in the Photoes section also.
I sent in a picture of my rescued early 50's 813 rack mounted transmitter a few years ago and it was never to be seen again.

[KB2WIG]

" picture of my rescued early 50's 813 rack mounted transmitter.  "

There is space in the Gallery.

klc

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I'm wondering if my experiences restoring this Valiant would make for a good ER article, taken from the viewpoint of an engineer with zero experience working on transmitters?

Opinions? Or has this angle been explored by others for this magazine?

PAN

I don't think so, but as Todd mentioned, Ray is the only one that can answer that.  I see nothing unique or highly unusual that goes beyond typically trouble shooting.  If you discovered a unique design issue, well that may be a different story.  Many of these rigs were produced and many are on the air having been restored by those using them. 

Joe, GMS

As Joe points out, what you experienced in repair, trouble shooting, and stumbling through the Valiant was not unique by any means. It's typical of the types of problems one encounters when working on these types of aging equipment. If I wrote about every one of my repair experiences, I wouldn't have time to do anything else.

[Carl WA1KPD]

I think an article about what you encountered, written as a general experience of working on a boat anchor for the benefit of newcomers might have some appeal...


Carl
/KPD

[W3RSW]

But you are published.  Here!

Keep in mind that numerous pictures coupled with enough description of all that you've done is not amenable to most magazine publication.  I've seen a couple of similarly, hypothetically intensively written articles in "ER" over the years and they've been broken into two or three issues.  

That's why this board and e-publishing in general is a great place to interactively exhibit your work.

I agree with others that the only real angle you have is your relatively green experience and that could be covered in a paragraph or simple letter to the magazine.

-But, a case could be made that your success and progress is derived from the progressive help received here.

The real angle might be "AMfone.net's" in depth help to a greenhorn.  Jury's still out on our value.  

[flintstone mop]

I would not swear to my memory, but in my JN days with A.M. in the early 90's, I was getting ER magazine, up until 2006. And I am sure that the table top transmitters were covered pretty well. Reading was getting boring from the same subjects being brought up again with "another look". I know there will be newbies who would like to get info about their new discovery, but now we have good reference material to back on, not start a-new. There were weaknesses in all of the designs. The 'nuclear resistor", the audio limiter, telephone quality audio, the frail and poorly designed Elmac AF-67 final tank ckt, etc etc.
I don't think ER magazine would accept any articles of the now-accepted SDR equipment that many of us have in our shacks.

[W3GMS]

I don't think ER magazine would accept any articles of the now-accepted SDR equipment that many of us have in our shacks.

ER is a magazine that focuses on tube gear.  It can be AM, SSB or CW or any combination.  Its a specialty  magazine dealing with rigs with filaments!  To give those a feel for what the magazines publishes, here is the table of contents from the latest issue:

The Hammarlund HQ-129X Receiver
Rebuilding the B&W L-1000A Power Supply
The "Son of DK-60 Coxial Relay
The BC-223, Part 2
The Restoration Corner
Hamfest Calendar
Photo's
The National NC-108T Rebuild project
Hollow State Design:An ER Book Review
Vintage Nets
Classifieds

Ray tries to have a pretty diverse menu within the overall scope of the magazine.  At least something to appeal to most of the readers in each issue.  Over the years there has been some very fine articles in ER. 

Joe, GMS   

 

[W9GT]

I have had numerous articles published in Electric Radio and Ray is always looking for material that might be good to share with the nostalgia radio/boatanchor enthusiast community.  If you have had some unique experiences in restoring your rig, or if you have some original ideas about the process, by all means submit an article.

Let Ray make the decision!  Don't be discouraged by the nay sayers!  There might be several people who could benefit from the information you could share.

73,  Jack, W9GT

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Another thing that might prove helpful is searching the ER index for articles to see if the Valiant has been covered previously. If so, what aspects and why, etc etc. Google can help you out here as well as the ER site mentioned above, which also has a forum for questions, postings, etc.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I think the forum was removed about a year or so ago. Doing a search in the ER Index turned up 12 articles on "Valiant".

[Pete, WA2CWA]

I don't think ER magazine would accept any articles of the now-accepted SDR equipment that many of us have in our shacks.

ER is a magazine that focuses on tube gear.  It can be AM, SSB or CW or any combination.  Its a specialty  magazine dealing with rigs with filaments!  To give those a feel for what the magazines publishes, here is the table of contents from the latest issue:

The Hammarlund HQ-129X Receiver
Rebuilding the B&W L-1000A Power Supply
The "Son of DK-60 Coxial Relay
The BC-223, Part 2
The Restoration Corner
Hamfest Calendar
Photo's
The National NC-108T Rebuild project
Hollow State Design:An ER Book Review
Vintage Nets
Classifieds

Ray tries to have a pretty diverse menu within the overall scope of the magazine.  At least something to appeal to most of the readers in each issue.  Over the years there has been some very fine articles in ER. 

Joe, GMS    

That might have been entirely true 24 years ago when Barry started the magazine, but over the years there have been some great articles on solid-state equipment including the HRO-500 receiver. Although SDR is not old enough to be considered vintage, the fact remains that "SDR stuff" is finding its way into many AM shacks and integrated into many pieces of vintage equipment. And, by the mid-60's, solid state stuff was finding its way into many pieces of vintage equipment.

[W3GMS]

I think the forum was removed about a year or so ago. Doing a search in the ER Index turned up 12 articles on "Valiant".

Exactly what I was trying to express.  Why another Valiant article dealing with basic troubleshooting when the subject has been well covered.  In fact the skills for troubleshooting are basically the same no matter what old  rig your working on.  You have switches, capacitors, resistors, inductors, transformers, chokes and whatever else.  All rigs have them so the thought process is similar in bringing this gear back to health.  It worked when it was shipped from the factory so it can work again.   Now design improvements is an entirely different matter.  That could warrant an article depending if its beyond the simple mod's.        

As previously mentioned, this site is a great mentoring site to help those along when they run into difficulties.  The interactive nature of AMfone fosters that extremely well.  Also for well proven Mod's, don't forget about the AM Window.  

Joe, GMS

Joe  

[W3GMS]

That might have been entirely true 24 years ago when Barry started the magazine, but over the years there have been some great articles on solid-state equipment including the HRO-500 receiver. Although SDR is not old enough to be considered vintage, the fact remains that "SDR stuff" is finding its way into many AM shacks and integrated into many pieces of vintage equipment. And, by the mid-60's, solid state stuff was finding its way into many pieces of vintage equipment.

True, but I don't think it will happen in ER for quite sometime.  That just an impression and I may be wrong.  Here again, Ray is the guy to answer that.  I understand that the SDR website and forums are very good and the op's that go in that direction have a great support structure around them.  

Joe GMS

[ka4koe]

Just got an email from Ray. He is interested in my article's angle. ER doesn't pay if I'm not mistaken, but that's okay knowing this up front....unlike another ham mag that has yet to pay me 9 months after publication of my last article.

Don't worry, I will mention AMfone.net and expose the guilty to the world for helping unleash me upon the AM community at large.

Once the EE is out of Pandora's Box, it is impossible to reverse the act.

Muhahahahahahah!!!!
(evil mad scientist laugh)


Philip

[Opcom]

Many ER repair or resto articles contain what I consider unremarkable examples of technicianry. Even devoid of extreme unction, they make good reading and are a help to others who don't know as much about how to fix the common problems in a particular item. What some consider unremarkable others may find amazingly helpful. Write it. Someone will be grateful and maybe even thank you.

[W3RSW]

It's nice you got a nod from Ray. I feel like I've already pre-read the article

[KI4THX]

Fellas, I may be talking out of place...and if I am excuse me Sir's.


Im a fairly young guy considering (35)....most who I qso with. The age of "Fixing your crap yourself" is dying...quickly. The technical knowledge base is vanishing, each time an experienced "tinkerer" or "savant" in the name of tubes passes, its like a library burns to the ground in my eyes.

Maybe Im holding on too tight to what turned me onto radio as a kid......maybe my hopes are set too low with proposed futures of radio operators, but I for one.... have always asked questions. Why's and such... requesting knowledge from those veterans that so effectively banter on subjects FAR beyond my understanding.



I guess what Im trying to say is... there are a few newer operators who actually care about revitalization of old gear... me being ONE ! Ive never built a amp from parts.....never built a re-gen receiver...... Im late to the game ! And the knowledge that I need (active elmers, not just 1920's-60's books" is becoming rare more and more very day !



So I say... GO FOR IT ! Throw a paper together and get it out there, Ive been scouring information lately from PDF's of days long gone and lord what would I give for a good experienced elmer nearby to question instead of re-reading...again and again.


PS, I build my own firearms... Cut my own hair, am a VERY good mechanic, arborist, woodworker, metal fabricator and just in general problem solver. I take pride in that..... I can also talk to you about Quantum Physics, plumbing, electrical theory and applications, Physics, sociology, Mechanical engineering and the best tap water I ever drank. Trust me, some have not had 50 years of radio repair in our pasts..... some of us progress in 5 what would take others 30 years.... some of us just enjoy a good car crash.

let er' rip tater chip. Im listening

[VE3AJM]

The only part I would be curious in finding out , is what the gentleman has learned from his experiences with this project. Given his premature declaration of victory weeks ago for all here to see, which was comical to say the least, one was almost compelled to cheer for the Valiant in this struggle. Is there even a slight amount of humility there?

The parts replacements ,mods and technical aspects of what I have read here are unremarkable really.

Al VE3AJM

[W2VW]

Fellas, I may be talking out of place...and if I am excuse me Sir's.


Im a fairly young guy considering (35)....most who I qso with. The age of "Fixing your crap yourself" is dying...quickly. The technical knowledge base is vanishing, each time an experienced "tinkerer" or "savant" in the name of tubes passes, its like a library burns to the ground in my eyes.

Maybe Im holding on too tight to what turned me onto radio as a kid......maybe my hopes are set too low with proposed futures of radio operators, but I for one.... have always asked questions. Why's and such... requesting knowledge from those veterans that so effectively banter on subjects FAR beyond my understanding.



I guess what Im trying to say is... there are a few newer operators who actually care about revitalization of old gear... me being ONE ! Ive never built a amp from parts.....never built a re-gen receiver...... Im late to the game ! And the knowledge that I need (active elmers, not just 1920's-60's books" is becoming rare more and more very day !



So I say... GO FOR IT ! Throw a paper together and get it out there, Ive been scouring information lately from PDF's of days long gone and lord what would I give for a good experienced elmer nearby to question instead of re-reading...again and again.


PS, I build my own firearms... Cut my own hair, am a VERY good mechanic, arborist, woodworker, metal fabricator and just in general problem solver. I take pride in that..... I can also talk to you about Quantum Physics, plumbing, electrical theory and applications, Physics, sociology, Mechanical engineering and the best tap water I ever drank. Trust me, some have not had 50 years of radio repair in our pasts..... some of us progress in 5 what would take others 30 years.... some of us just enjoy a good car crash.

let er' rip tater chip. Im listening

You would be a good person to review the information in the article. A lot of folks who work on this gear have been doing so for 40, 50 and 50+ years. It's been a long time since they learned how to troubleshoot. Some important info may get overlooked.

Thanks for posting.

[Steve - K4HX]

You asked for opinions. You got quite a few. Most were neutral or encouraging. Some weren't. So what? I really can't see why you would be upset by this.

[W7TFO]

If it's in ER, it MUST be true!

73DG