TCS set find at Antique shop.

[KC4ALF]

I came across this TCS-12 at a local antique shop! Both the XMTR and RCVR have matching serial# and do not look like they were issued.

[AJ1G]

Nice find!  Great that they have the front panel connectors...they are relatively easy to power up - 12 V DC for the filaments and T/R relays in the transmitter, nominal 400 V high voltage and about 250 volts low voltage.  Is that just dirt on the front panels, especially the receiver or it that the dreaded TCS panel corrosion? My receiver has a bad dose of that has gotten worse over the years.   I powered my set up using the schematics in the old Surplus Conversion manuals for guidance.  There are lots of reference materials available on line.

The transmitter output adjustable link coupling is handy if you want to drive a linear with them, i used to drive my SB200  with mine.  A non-reactive nominal 50-75  ohm antenna such as a resonant dipole loads best with the transmitter output cap switched in series with the adjustable loading coil, dip the final with the tuning cap, and tune for max out with the loading coil.

[KC4ALF]

Nope, that's just dirt! Yes I was happy that they have the connectors, it will make powering up via the HP-23 that much easier, especially the RCVR. I plan to narrow the band with on the rcvr, with a mod. I got from here.

[W6TOM]

  You done good!!! I have two sets , both in the vertical case,  both sets have matching serial numbers. One set is made by Air King Products and with it I got the Godzilla (90 LBS!!)  military power supply, cables and the spares case that has lots of spare parts. These were not stored well for years so the cosmetics aren't as nice as could be.

 My other set is made by Hamilton Radio  and is almost pristine, picked it up last summer at the DeAnza College Monthly Hamfest, paid $325 for the set which considering the condition I thought was worth it. What did you pay for the set you got if I can ask?

 Getting the connectors was a real PLUS too!!

[flintstone mop]

I have heard of the same thing happening in Thrift shops and Goodwill. I am not one for constantly making the rounds to go into those places looking for treasure like that.
Some folks are keen enough to figure out that if the electronic gizzmo has tubes, it is vintage, and up goes the price.
Fred

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

Well Done!!

I also have a Tx/Rx pair, which were given to me.    These have been "modified" several times it appears, with atrocious workmanship, but its been fun so far and the receiver is just about done.  I intend to get these close to "stock", with respect to circuitry, and put them on the air.   These are destined to be users, not shelf queens.

[KC4ALF]

I paid $250.00 the pair, they get a lot of broadcast rcvr's in their shop, typical ''furniture'' radio's that look nice, and are always ''one of a kind'',lol. To them they were the TCS was just heavy junk, and were a pain in the A## to move around and did not wan't one of their ''jewl's'' to get scratched. Some nice photo's of you guy's rigs! I woul'd like to pick up a PS, but not that many around, I have a mobile power supply that was given to me yrs ago from an estate, looks just like a TCS supply but it is 32 volts! I believe it is telephone related.

[W6TOM]

  The pair for $250 is a very good price, the two connectors are going for $90 on EPAY. I have a set of very good reproduction manuals from WA5CAB, Robert Downs.

   I was luck enough to find a well made home brew power supply for the receiver. I also have another home brew supply that was built for the Harvey Wells transmitters that I may be able to use on the transmitter. The power requirements are from my manuals.


                         TCS Transmitter and Receiver Power Requirements

                                                   Transmitter

             12 volts filament                                                   Plate Voltage

CW        12 volts @ 1.28 Amps                        220 volts @ .030 Amps, 440 volts @ .186 Amps
Voice     12 volts @ 1.72 Amps                        220 volts @ .029 Amps, 440 volts @ .188 Amps

                                                      Receiver
CW or Voice  12 volts @ 1.15 Amps                215 volts @ 97 Ma
       

[AJ1G]

Surprised the voltage specs for the receiver and transmitter low B plus are different, especially since there is only a 5 volt difference specified.  In the dual DC dyno supply, all the low voltage is generated by the same dyno of course....

I would imagine that you can crank a bit more HV on those 1625s, they were run at around 550 V in the command  sets.  What ever you do for a HB supply, be sure that you can't put DC on the final screens without the plate voltage also present.  My foggy memory is dredging up something about there being a separate lead on the transmitter power connector for the final screens.  Can't recall for sure if there is a keying relay between the screen supply on the front panel and the screens. 

To keep the banging of those big relays from driving me crazy ( in reality it only delayed it a bit), I added a small circuit mod to lock the relay for the antenna transfer, and I think, the final B plus HV on using the transmitter's front panel power switch, and then key only the MO and drive stage, and I think, the final screens, with the other installed relay wired as originally done. I may have used a DPDT switch for this in lieu of the original SPST power switch.   With the added T/R switch in the off/receive position, I can still do the full QSK jackhammer mode keying as Art Collin's boys intended.

Only shortcoming of the design, IMHO, was lack of a sidetone for CW keying,  most other mil sets of the  era, even the beastly BC-375/191 and the command sets had CW sidetone.  Then again, the relays serve that purpose pretty well!

[N2DTS]

What is the IF frequency of the receiver?

Kiwa makes great filters for 455 KHz.

http://www.kiwa.com/kiwa455.html

I use the standard filter modules, no loss through the filter, and if you was to ask me, they work better then mechanical filters.

Great filters for AM in anything that runs 455 KHz.

[KA3EKH]

I have built up a couple TCS sets using GE Master base station power supplies. They provide 12 volts DC regulated, 250 VDC for the receiver and transmitter and the HV power supply provides 400 VDC after you remove the negative side of the HV supply from the high side of the B+ supply. There is also a relay that you use for the PTT line to connect up the HV to the transmitter when it’s keyed. It requires a little work converting the old base station power supply but the advantage is that don’t think I have paid more than $5 or $10 for the complete unit at a ham fest and one included the VHF radios for that price also. Used the same power supplies for other radio projects also being it’s getting harder and harder to find good sources of medium to HV for tube projects these days.
Those old GE Master, progress Line and Motorola base stations were used for lots of FM repeaters in the seventies and eighties and are little valued these days but are a great source of power supply parts for people working with tube equipment, and nobody wants that junk.

[KC4ALF]

Tnx. Good info! I keep forgetting abt the GE Master base station power supplies! Next time I'm at Butler or Manassas I'l have to keep my eyes open.

[Tom W2ILA]

Great find.
You are hereby ordered to check into the old military radio net.  OMRN Sunday nights, CW, 3570, 2100 eastern.

Chris, AJ1g. The front panels can be reworked. I re-did a set for w1nzr and also have a spare front for an RX so catch me offline if you ever want a new project.

[VE3LYX]

"You are hereby ordered to check into the old military radio net.  OMRN Sunday nights, CW, 3570, 2100 eastern"

.OH!
Didn't know about the evenings. I have gotten up early mornings 5 AM but never got a check in despite the fact I have used my sets( ARC5) on air successfully.

don

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

I finally built a universal supply to run all my Military rigs.   Since I also have ARC5 Tx/Rx band pairs and an ART13/BC348 station, I made all the supplies, except for filament voltages, variable over a pretty wide range.  

[WA4JK]

Would you be willing to post the design drawings and parts list here. That looks like a worth while first porject for the new shack.

[VE3LYX]

I concur. I have never really been happy with my HBrew ARC5 Supply. I am up for an improvement.
Don

[KC4ALF]

I concur...that supply looks nice! I have a BC-348 too, so having one supply... I did not know of the the Sunday evening net either, I will do as orderd!

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

Would you be willing to post the design drawings and parts list here....

Sure, I can't seem to post my parts list on photobucket so you'll have to generate it yourselves.

Here is a link to my photobucket file with excruciating details on this project, and, this is a link to the large schematics.