Unreliable vintage Transmitters

[n8fvj]

I bought 5 vintage tube transmitters from Hams that stated working. None worked. However, every piece of Military transmitters I bought have worked. Why?

[Detroit47]

The military equipment was made with a spare no expense attitude. That focused on reliability. The commercial gear was made on a budget to make a profit. If it was made to expensive it wouldn't sell. As a side note vintage equipment is like having a vintage car or motorcycle you can expect to have to work on it. Lastly being able to work on it yourself is part of the allure of vintage gear. Just my humble opinion.

Johnathan N8QPC

[WQ9E]

And to add to Jonathan's excellent explanation, it is highly likely that the ham gear saw a lot more use than the military gear which unfortunately most owners treat more as show and use less often.

Rodger WQ9E

[KD1SH]

  Having worked in the military aerospace industry, I agree—component quality is generally better in military gear, but I would still suggest using the same caution in powering up vintage military gear for the first time as you would vintage commercial gear. Mil-spec or not, electrolytic caps degrade, transformers absorb moisture, and insulation dries out and cracks. Mil-spec magic smoke smells just like commercial-grade magic smoke.
  I don't have any vintage military transmitters, but I have an excellent SP-600-JX-17, and a pair of URM-25 signal generators. Very impressive build quality.

[ns7h]

I agree with Johnathan that the appeal to me is to work on, upgrade, or restore vintage transmitters to specs.  All my hamfest or Ebay purchases receivers and transmitters worked, sort of, including 50s and 60s heathkits, drake, hammerlund, WRL Globes, Harvey Wells, and Johnsons.

At 76 and a retired electrical engineer, the space inside of vintage gear and simplicity of schematics allows me this pleasure to hear a receiver working and watts out of the transmitter (on frequency).  The increasingly rarity and cost of tubes, switches, transformers and unobtainium is a barrier.  Even discrete common components have gone insanely expensive.  Regardless, it is one of the best parts of ham radio to me.

NS7H

[MikeKE0ZUinkcmo]

...I agree with Johnathan that the appeal to me is to work on, upgrade, or restore vintage transmitters to specs...

I do the same, and most have come to me as non/barely working.   

To me repairing/restoring them is the most enjoyable part of the hobby.   Problem is, I get them running, use them a few weeks, then on to the next.    They set on the shelf, and some have been there for years, and at 82 its time to start thinking about moving them on.

 

[Opcom]

It's the challenge when a set was given up on by several people.

Currently, there's an RT-1439 here with a B+ short to GND in the RF PA board. I know the last guy to work on it and he is extremely, extremely competent. I HOPE I can fix it but it's my turn now. I want to look at the board with the x-ray machine, that hasn't been done yet. LOL if I were the gummint and it was 1989, I'd just order the board and let the taxpayers pick up the tab. hahahahaha!

I hope I will make it to 82! That's great!! But it's no joke for any of us to eventually find happy homes for all our radios and parts. Preferrably paying happy homes hehe.