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Posted: 9/25/2020 1:41:39 PM EDT
[#1]
anybody?
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Posted: 9/25/2020 1:54:12 PM EDT
[#2]
Quoted: I have been thinking of setting up a boat anchor station for nostalgia and fun. Just down the street from me, A ham I have met is selling a Hallicrafters HT-32 Transmitter. It is fully functional. he wants $150. I don't know if it has been recapped or restored or if it is original. The outside is in stellar condition. I asked him if he would take less. Anybody work old school separate TX and Rx boat anchors? Is it fun? Is it difficult to keep this stuff on the air or find replacement tubes when you need them? |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 2:05:45 PM EDT
[#3]
I have a Halli HT-32B I bought at Goodwill a few years ago. I re-capped it
and aligned it. It works pretty well. I also have a Halli SX-110 receiver but have never put them on the air as a station. My favorite boat anchor station is a Yaesu FT-101 setup complete with external speaker and VFO. Somewhere in the archives is a thread about the HT-32. ETA - pics!     Yes, I'm a Hallicrafters nut. 
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Posted: 9/25/2020 2:55:32 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have a Halli HT-32B I bought at Goodwill a few years ago. I re-capped it and aligned it. It works pretty well. I also have a Halli SX-110 receiver but have never put them on the air as a station. My favorite boat anchor station is a Yaesu FT-101 setup complete with external speaker and VFO. Somewhere in the archives is a thread about the HT-32. ETA - pics! https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN4838_JPG-1606483.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN8520_JPG-1606484.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN1651_JPG-1606485.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN8523_JPG-1606487.jpg Yes, I'm a Hallicrafters nut. Very nice indeed. That is what I am talking about. Another guy is selling 10 S-38s in various states of missing parts for $80. I was thinking of buying them and see if I can part together one that works, but have never done anything like that before. There is just something historic about having to flip switches to transmit and receive |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 3:05:31 PM EDT
[#5]
I've considered it, but don't have the room. They would end up sitting in a closet. My dad ran a Hallicrafters HT-44 transmitter, along with the matching SX-117 receiver. Two of the best looking old rigs, ever. Wish I still had them.
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Posted: 9/25/2020 3:22:46 PM EDT
[#6]
I have an H-32 Mark 1. When I dug into it, I learned the 5-volt windings from the transformer were shorted, so I had to disconnect and insulate them, and (while I never like to do so), swich to a solid state rectifier arrangement. This caused the B+ to run higher than desired, so it took a bit of work to get that under control. I had it all put together and transmitting, when something smoked in the SSB compartment. I haven't run that to ground yet.
Just be aware that the HT-32 is REALLY big and QUITE heavy. It gets tiresome flipping it over on the bench when working on it! For your info, here's a qoute from Glen Zook, who is extremely knowledgable on boat anchor gear: "In general, the higher voltage, from solid-state replacements, do not cause any problems in the HT-32- series and HT-37. Also, the "inrush" voltage does not cause problems as well. There are a LOT of "boat anchor" equipment that had tube-type rectifiers replaced, in later versions of the model, with absolutely nothing changed. The problem with the transformers in the HT-32- series and the HT-37 (as well as the Collins 32V- series transmitters) is that a short develops between the 5.0 VAC filament windings for the rectifiers and other windings. This is due to the fact that the full rectified DC voltage is present on those windings. Both sides of the 5.0 VAC windings must be disconnected from the rectifier tube sockets and "taped off". This eliminates the high voltage DC problem as well as lightening the load on the transformer. I do not, usually, recommend going solid-state on most transmitters. However, the Hallicrafters HT-30, the Hallicrafters HT-32- series, the Hallicrafters HT-37, and the Collins 32V- series, because of the transformer failure situation, are exceptions." Glen, K9STH |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 3:56:27 PM EDT
[#7]
Dad also has a Drake TR3 and I think he's got the speaker and power supply to go with it. If so I'm going to bring it home next time I visit and see if we can get it powered up via variac.
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Posted: 9/25/2020 4:17:37 PM EDT
[#8]
Yes, and even make some of the transmitters, mostly crystal controlled.
Hammarlund HQ-100 Hallicrafters S-77 Multi-Elmac AF-67 TX & PMR-7 RX Surplus BC-348 Conar RX & TX kit rigs. Boatanchors are fun, and they make you appreciate modern equipment. Those 30 minute warm-ups to stabilize are a PITA. Most tubes are fairly easy to find. Antique Electronic Supply carries a wide selection of receiving tubes and R.F.Parts has some of the more popular transmitting tubes. |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 4:44:15 PM EDT
[#9]
Make sure you are fully up to speed on your high voltage safety procedures if you need to go inside something.
I'm a.solid state guy who is deathly afraid of hollow state voltages
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Posted: 9/25/2020 7:35:36 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Make sure you are fully up to speed on your high voltage safety procedures if you need to go inside something. I'm a.solid state guy who is deathly afraid of hollow state voltages Yeah, I have dug into my SB-220 and my AL-80B and I was just a bit anxious the first time until I didn't get electrocuted and they both have short safety switches on the HV section
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Posted: 9/25/2020 8:20:02 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Very nice indeed. That is what I am talking about. Another guy is selling 10 S-38s in various states of missing parts for $80. I was thinking of buying them and see if I can part together one that works, but have never done anything like that before. There is just something historic about having to flip switches to transmit and receive There are a few different S-38 models. IIRC the early ones are a bit different circuitry than the later ones. The early ones (s-38A) had a noise reduction circuit and have three switches on the lower left of the unit. S-38b's and later omit this circuit. Mine is an S-38c and I think it was made in 1948. I gave it to my mom who liked the way the little dial needles "do jumping jacks" when you tune in the stations. The S-38's are pretty basic and if you can get 10 of them for $80 that's a no-brainer. Get them and have fun! Also look up the "death cap" and chassis insulator problems that can happen when they rot out. |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 9:18:06 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have a Halli HT-32B I bought at Goodwill a few years ago. I re-capped it and aligned it. It works pretty well. I also have a Halli SX-110 receiver but have never put them on the air as a station. My favorite boat anchor station is a Yaesu FT-101 setup complete with external speaker and VFO. Somewhere in the archives is a thread about the HT-32. ETA - pics! https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN4838_JPG-1606483.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN8520_JPG-1606484.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN1651_JPG-1606485.jpg https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/108158/DSCN8523_JPG-1606487.jpg Yes, I'm a Hallicrafters nut. Love the old Yaesu station. My first HF rig was the complete FT-301 solid state line with the scope, clock, phone patch, VFO, speakers, and the matching 2 meter all mode FT-221 back in the day. Great old radios! |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 9:53:22 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Yeah, I have dug into my SB-220 and my AL-80B and I was just a bit anxious the first time until I didn't get electrocuted and they both have short safety switches on the HV section Off topic ... but maybe relevant re: interlocks. After school I worked for a company that used high power audio amplifiers - about 1.5kW of audio. They were about 6' high, 4' wide and 5' deep, and rolled out of their cabinet on tracks for servicing. They used a pair of high power triodes - huge things, about 8" diameter, 14" tall, with pins 5/16" thick on the base that fitted into copper blocks with screws to hold them in place and make good contact. They had nominally 2.5kV on the anode. Power supply was rated for about 1.5A. One day, I noticed the emission was down on one triode. So pressed the button to turn it off, waited a few seconds for capacitors to discharge. Normally, I was a bit anal about pulling the AC supply fuses and having them in my pocket, but this time for some reason I didn't. Probably in a hurry. Undid the screws holding the triode I wanted to replace, lifted it out, opened the box of a new one, dropped it into place and tightened the screws. Pushed the thing back into its cabinet and was about to switch it on, and noticed that the anode voltage meter finger was stuck fully over (3kV). I didn't see how it had got stuck over there ... so whacked the meter to free it. It twitched downwards when I hit it, then back to full scale++ again. I carefully rolled it out of the case again, and shone a light on the relay that connected the HT transformer to the power line ... its contacts were fused shut. That was the point at which I realized that the HT (high tension) power supply was live. With no load it had charged its smoothing capacitors up to something over 3kV, and when I used my screwdriver to undo/fasten the screw to the anode pin, my fingers were probably within 1" of the screwdriver blade, with 3kV++ on it. Of course, I was holding onto the cabinet too, which was a pretty much perfect ground. This is not a good feeling ... After this, I never relied ever again on switches, relays and interlocks - power was always off, fuses extracted and tucked into my pocket. That is the sort of mistake that you only ever get away with once. |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 10:14:57 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: >>>snip<<< After this, I never relied ever again on switches, relays and interlocks - power was always off, fuses extracted and tucked into my pocket. That is the sort of mistake that you only ever get away with once. WOW! That's quite a tale!  |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 10:18:15 PM EDT
[#15]
I currently have a
HT37 Kenwood TS820s HealthKit 6er Viking Valiant National receiver Hamarlund reliever Couple of Halicrafters receivers Drake Tr4b R4B TR4c Probably more..I’d have to think.. I used to run the Valient with the Hamarlund. AM. Loved it. Then the smoke came out.... Understand you will also need a Dow key or similar switch . And you will need to rig it up to mute the receiver when you transmit. The Drakes are easy and fun and the Kenwood is way easy...it’s a hybrid. Watch some YouTube videos on tuning. And those recievers while cool, are not gonna be fun to use for a ham receiver. |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 10:28:51 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: There are a few different S-38 models. IIRC the early ones are a bit different circuitry than the later ones. The early ones (s-38A) had a noise reduction circuit and have three switches on the lower left of the unit. S-38b's and later omit this circuit. Mine is an S-38c and I think it was made in 1948. I gave it to my mom who liked the way the little dial needles "do jumping jacks" when you tune in the stations. The S-38's are pretty basic and if you can get 10 of them for $80 that's a no-brainer. Get them and have fun! Also look up the "death cap" and chassis insulator problems that can happen when they rot out. My dad gave me an S-38B when I started studying for my Novice. IIRC, the 1st S-38 had six tubes and a real BFO. It was either the A or B that went to the "all American 5" configuration and used feed back in the IF amp as a BFO. It sucked. The 2 stage regen receiver I had built earlier performed better than the S-38B on CW. The S-38B was a fairly decent receiver for shortwave broadcast listening up to about 12 MHz. Be careful of those transformerless radios. The chassis is isolated from the cabinet and failure of the insulating washers or the line filter capacitor can put line voltage on the cabinet. There are several articles about the problem on the Internet. |
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Posted: 9/25/2020 11:20:54 PM EDT
[#17]
They can be fun to work on if this is what you enjoy doing. You'll never recover your time and expenses if you decide to sell it, unless it's Collins gear in good condition.
Old radios have soul, if you know what I mean. Restoration can be very rewarding on a personal level. You'll also learn a lot, even if you already have a technical degree. And yes, like mentioned previously, be careful with high voltages. Tubes love high voltage. Don't forger that capacitors may store energy for some time. Not all have bleeding resistors on them. I once touched a "hot" Anode cap of a ceramic tube, in a home made amp. It got me teleported 10 feet away. Lesson learned quickly.
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Posted: 9/25/2020 11:33:45 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Off topic ... but maybe relevant re: interlocks. After school I worked for a company that used high power audio amplifiers - about 1.5kW of audio. They were about 6' high, 4' wide and 5' deep, and rolled out of their cabinet on tracks for servicing. They used a pair of high power triodes - huge things, about 8" diameter, 14" tall, with pins 5/16" thick on the base that fitted into copper blocks with screws to hold them in place and make good contact. They had nominally 2.5kV on the anode. Power supply was rated for about 1.5A. One day, I noticed the emission was down on one triode. So pressed the button to turn it off, waited a few seconds for capacitors to discharge. Normally, I was a bit anal about pulling the AC supply fuses and having them in my pocket, but this time for some reason I didn't. Probably in a hurry. Undid the screws holding the triode I wanted to replace, lifted it out, opened the box of a new one, dropped it into place and tightened the screws. Pushed the thing back into its cabinet and was about to switch it on, and noticed that the anode voltage meter finger was stuck fully over (3kV). I didn't see how it had got stuck over there ... so whacked the meter to free it. It twitched downwards when I hit it, then back to full scale++ again. I carefully rolled it out of the case again, and shone a light on the relay that connected the HT transformer to the power line ... its contacts were fused shut. That was the point at which I realized that the HT (high tension) power supply was live. With no load it had charged its smoothing capacitors up to something over 3kV, and when I used my screwdriver to undo/fasten the screw to the anode pin, my fingers were probably within 1" of the screwdriver blade, with 3kV++ on it. Of course, I was holding onto the cabinet too, which was a pretty much perfect ground. This is not a good feeling ... After this, I never relied ever again on switches, relays and interlocks - power was always off, fuses extracted and tucked into my pocket. That is the sort of mistake that you only ever get away with once. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Yeah, I have dug into my SB-220 and my AL-80B and I was just a bit anxious the first time until I didn't get electrocuted and they both have short safety switches on the HV section Off topic ... but maybe relevant re: interlocks. After school I worked for a company that used high power audio amplifiers - about 1.5kW of audio. They were about 6' high, 4' wide and 5' deep, and rolled out of their cabinet on tracks for servicing. They used a pair of high power triodes - huge things, about 8" diameter, 14" tall, with pins 5/16" thick on the base that fitted into copper blocks with screws to hold them in place and make good contact. They had nominally 2.5kV on the anode. Power supply was rated for about 1.5A. One day, I noticed the emission was down on one triode. So pressed the button to turn it off, waited a few seconds for capacitors to discharge. Normally, I was a bit anal about pulling the AC supply fuses and having them in my pocket, but this time for some reason I didn't. Probably in a hurry. Undid the screws holding the triode I wanted to replace, lifted it out, opened the box of a new one, dropped it into place and tightened the screws. Pushed the thing back into its cabinet and was about to switch it on, and noticed that the anode voltage meter finger was stuck fully over (3kV). I didn't see how it had got stuck over there ... so whacked the meter to free it. It twitched downwards when I hit it, then back to full scale++ again. I carefully rolled it out of the case again, and shone a light on the relay that connected the HT transformer to the power line ... its contacts were fused shut. That was the point at which I realized that the HT (high tension) power supply was live. With no load it had charged its smoothing capacitors up to something over 3kV, and when I used my screwdriver to undo/fasten the screw to the anode pin, my fingers were probably within 1" of the screwdriver blade, with 3kV++ on it. Of course, I was holding onto the cabinet too, which was a pretty much perfect ground. This is not a good feeling ... After this, I never relied ever again on switches, relays and interlocks - power was always off, fuses extracted and tucked into my pocket. That is the sort of mistake that you only ever get away with once. Yikes. Yeah I unplug, wait 20 minutes, check the interlock, check with ammeter and then short it out and then check with a meter again. I have been shocked across my chest with 120v before, I don't want to do that or 3kv |
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Posted: 9/26/2020 10:04:19 AM EDT
[#19]
In case you decide to go with an AC/DC radio, read this article on how to determine if it's a "hot chassis" model and how to make it safe. Some AC/DC radios have a "isolated bus" instead, but can still give you a rather nasty "tingle". If the grounding capacitor fails, they then effectively become a "hot chassis" set. The above mods will work on them also.
My Hallicrafters S-77A is AC/DC and afer receiving a rather nasty shock from it, I made the changes. I additionally installed a three-wire power cord. ***** The Hallicrafters S-38 receiver had 6 tubes and a BFO; the S-38A and onward sets had 5 tubes. The S-38 is the model collectors seek most. |
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Posted: 9/26/2020 10:09:22 AM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuoted: In case you decide to go with an AC/DC radio, read this article on how to determine if it's a "hot chassis" model and how to make it safe. Some AC/DC radios have a "isolated bus" instead, but can still give you a rather nasty "tingle". If the grounding capacitor fails, they then effectively become a "hot chassis" set. The above mods will work on them also. My Hallicrafters S-77A is AC/DC and afer receiving a rather nasty shock from it, I made the changes. I additionally installed a three-wire power cord. ***** The Hallicrafters S-38 receiver had 6 tubes and a BFO; the S-38A and onward sets had 5 tubes. The S-38 is the model collectors seek most. Thanks, I will look at that. I am also looking at a Marconi pre-war console SW receiver. That is a lot closer to go look at than the S-38 guy |
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Posted: 9/26/2020 10:25:57 AM EDT
[#21]
Forgot to add that most transformer set still have one or two capacitors from one or both sides of the power cord to the chassis. If these fail, you're potentially back to the 'hot chassis" situation. Again, the polarized plug and 3-wire cord solve the problem.
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Posted: 9/26/2020 10:53:43 AM EDT
[#22]
I love me some fire bottles but sadly I do not own any. The way they look, smell, the heat they give off, the sound, they are elegant components for a more civilized age.
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Posted: 9/26/2020 5:58:21 PM EDT
[#23]
I passed on the Canadian Marconi model 170. It was just to be of a console. Really cool piece of history but I have no place to put it.
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Posted: 9/26/2020 8:30:07 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I love me some fire bottles but sadly I do not own any. The way they look, smell, the heat they give off, the sound, they are elegant components for a more civilized age. "Real radios glow in the dark." 
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Posted: 9/26/2020 8:49:36 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryIs this your amp? What tube is in there? Looks like FU-81 or GU-81 but the base is different. BTW, watch out for those red "door knob" Srague capacitors. They'll absorb moisture, get soft to touch and fail soon after. Heathkit put those caps in their amps. I've seen a lot of them fail. |
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Posted: 9/27/2020 7:19:35 PM EDT
[#26]
Well my boat anchor station has begun.
Another ham I have met before who lives down the street 1/2 mile was selling a Hallicrafters HT-32 fully operational. So I went over and bought it. I am picking up a Hallicrafters S-38BD from a not so local ham that is on one of the regional 80m nets that I frequent. The receiver is not a perfect match, but it is in really nice condition and the price is right. So now I have to find a microphone and do a little clean up on the HT-32 like a new power cord and all the caps and get a stain off the top of it, and replace the fan and it will be ready to rock..... I think. |
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Posted: 9/27/2020 8:06:10 PM EDT
[#27]
-oops-
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Posted: 9/27/2020 8:07:53 PM EDT
[#28]
Loved the old receivers with the electron-ray indicator tube-Cats Eye.
Used to scare the heck out of my 'Boys', 36 and 37 now. I'd tune into 'odd sounds' on SW and tell them that it was Aliens and that the 'eye' was watching us. They're smart, called my bluff quickly even though they were 4 and 5. Was an RCA, 'Research Can Achieve' label on the back. Also had a jack on the back, so you could plug a Television Picture Tube in, when TV was a Dream, and save the expense of buying a complete TV! I think it used 2 'eye' tubes. Guess it was 'spooky looking' in the dark. |
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Posted: 9/30/2020 10:40:44 AM EDT
[#29]
So I now have a boat anchor transmitter and a boat anchor ( small one ) receiver, both work but need to be updated
This Hallicrafters HT-32 is all original and it works  Attached File |
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Posted: 9/30/2020 11:01:18 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: So I now have a boat anchor transmitter and a boat anchor ( small one ) receiver, both work but need to be updated This Hallicrafters HT-32 is all original and it works https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/98989/7FD9865F-551D-4CDE-814B-D008DEC8B306_jpe-1613355.JPG Nice!  |
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Posted: 9/30/2020 2:01:30 PM EDT
[#31]
Get a big lollipop mic and a set of the NBC chimes.
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Posted: 9/30/2020 3:08:02 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Get a big lollipop mic and a set of the NBC chimes. Or this.......  BIG BEN CHIMES (BBC RADIO 4 RECORDING) |
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Posted: 9/30/2020 4:09:25 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Is this your amp? What tube is in there? Looks like FU-81 or GU-81 but the base is different. BTW, watch out for those red "door knob" Srague capacitors. They'll absorb moisture, get soft to touch and fail soon after. Heathkit put those caps in their amps. I've seen a lot of them fail. Not my amp, but I do have a defunct 833A like in the amp as a desk ornament.  For those restoring broadcast band set, you can build what was once called a "phono oscillator", a very low power transmitter that takes an audio input and modulates a BC band signal with it. They're very simple, and solid state kits are still on the market. If you want to bulid a vacuum tube version, here are some plans: http://www.aj8mh.com/phonoscil.html Here's a solid state version: http://www.techlib.com/electronics/amxmit.htm |
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Posted: 10/1/2020 8:58:53 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Get a big lollipop mic and a set of the NBC chimes. well I sort of did I bought a 1933-1936 original design Astatic D-104 non working head. Some how I am going to restore it , mount it on a stand, and figure out how to put a new element in it and make it high Z. I dont know how I am going to do any of that yet. I may need to mill an adapter to mount it on a stand. The transmitter does not have PTT which is what I wanted. To transmit you have to clunk the rotary switch to manual transmit then cluck it back to standby when done transmitting. Very old school. I cant wait to get it on the air. It does have VOX that seems to work ok but not planning on using it. Today I may or may not have hooked up a computer and streamed old broadcast WW2 radio news into a small AM HF radio transmitted into a dummy load at 1/2 watt and listened to the news cast on the tube receiver. It felt like .... history |
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Posted: 10/2/2020 8:52:31 AM EDT
[#35]
So this is the mic head I bought. It is very rough, but I think I can restore it made 1933-1936.
I need a new hi-Z element, there are upgrades, just not orignal crystal elements. My biggest problem will be mounting it. Apparently it was made to be suspended in a ring for isolation and then later an adapter was made so it could be mounted on a stand. There don't seem to be many that have survived because I can find very few pics. I paid $40 for it so I am not out a lot if this project becomes impossible. Here is a pic from the 1930s of it being used.  Attached File Attached FileHere is what I bought. I think I can fabricate a ring and I think i can add the missing eye bolts from modern hardware. I would rather have it on a stand though. If anybody knows anything about the adapter that Astatis made to mount this on a desk stand please share it, I can only find that one was made but can't find any pics of what it looks like. In the last pic it looks like the inside of the outlet is threaded, but I am not sure. I should have it in my possession next week and will have a better idea on how I might be able to set it up and what I might be able to fabricate / mill / lathe to make an adapter for a desk top stand.  Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 10/2/2020 6:27:07 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I currently have a HT37 Kenwood TS820s HealthKit 6er Viking Valiant National receiver Hamarlund reliever Couple of Halicrafters receivers Drake Tr4b R4B TR4c Probably more..I’d have to think.. I used to run the Valient with the Hamarlund. AM. Loved it. Then the smoke came out.... Understand you will also need a Dow key or similar switch . And you will need to rig it up to mute the receiver when you transmit. The Drakes are easy and fun and the Kenwood is way easy...it’s a hybrid. Watch some YouTube videos on tuning. And those recievers while cool, are not gonna be fun to use for a ham receiver. The guy I bought the HT-32 from replaced it with a Valiant, what a beautiful radio. I think I will just manually work the switches at first, just for fun. |
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Posted: 10/2/2020 6:36:45 PM EDT
[#37]
I have the mic cleaned up, it cleaned up better than I had hoped for.
The crystal element is still sealed and still puts out a voltage when I talk into it, so it might actually still work well enough to use. After I fabricate a mounting adapter get it back together with a new cable and I will post pics |
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Posted: 10/2/2020 7:18:19 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have the mic cleaned up, it cleaned up better than I had hoped for. The crystal element is still sealed and still puts out a voltage when I talk into it, so it might actually still work well enough to use. After I fabricate a mounting adapter get it back together with a new cable and I will post pics Nice, I never knew they were made in Youngstown! (guess I should have looked at the 'tag'!) I have one that I used on my Yaesu FT-101EE marine radio, the one with the clear 'rubber' panel cover. And the large plant where I worked as an Master E-Tech, heavy open die forging, heat treating and machining parts up to 200,000 pounds in divisions I was sent to fix-install. The original hometown plant had a nice tool room. I was 'rooting around' through some stuff and found a dusty old box with a N.O.S. D-104 in it! Got a slip to take it home, I'll find it and take a pic. The plant had a radio-phone operator who would page the big shots via radio way back when. Thanks for reminding me. Will post pics tomorrow. |
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Posted: 10/2/2020 9:20:05 PM EDT
[#39]
The Youngstown Astatic factory was the original. They moved to Conneaut, OH later on where they stayed for decades.
Back when I lived in OH and worked on CB radios we used a lot of Astatic products. On that note, Francis Antennas were made in Pataskala, right up the road from where I lived. I still have a Francis CB-50 "Amazer" 8ft whip I ran on 10m with a President HR-2510. @Mach I think the part number for that element is MC-151. There's one here if it's still in stock but high $$. Kobitone also offers a xtal mic element. |
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Posted: 10/2/2020 11:21:17 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted: The Youngstown Astatic factory was the original. They moved to Conneaut, OH later on where they stayed for decades. Back when I lived in OH and worked on CB radios we used a lot of Astatic products. On that note, Francis Antennas were made in Pataskala, right up the road from where I lived. I still have a Francis CB-50 "Amazer" 8ft whip I ran on 10m with a President HR-2510. @Mach I think the part number for that element is MC-151. There's one here if it's still in stock but high $$. Kobitone also offers a xtal mic element. Nobody makes the crystal elements any more. Astastic stopped and then Kobitone stopped. You can still find one here and there on ebay once in a while. And you found one for $200. damn that is expensive. Astatic moved from youngstown in 1944. I made the 3/8 x 24 adapter today from what was supposed to be a brass bolt that turned out to be steel in the middle and gave my drill bits and HF metal Lathe a run for it's money, but I got it done and it fits great. I will post pics tomorrow. Too tired tonight. The good news is the element will produce 180 + millivolts with speech into an oscilloscope so I think I may have a working 84 year old original crystal mic. I found eye bolts for the eyebolt holes that fit and mostly match the chrome finish. I am excited that this may end up being a good really good working restoration of an 84 year old original design ( 1933-1936) Astatic D-104 mic. |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 12:04:46 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not my amp, but I do have a defunct 833A like in the amp as a desk ornament. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/353196/Fire-Bottles-206198.jpg For those restoring broadcast band set, you can build what was once called a "phono oscillator", a very low power transmitter that takes an audio input and modulates a BC band signal with it. They're very simple, and solid state kits are still on the market. If you want to bulid a vacuum tube version, here are some plans: http://www.aj8mh.com/phonoscil.html Here's a solid state version: http://www.techlib.com/electronics/amxmit.htm That picture reminds me that I have always wanted to build an entire wall in my house that looks like something out of a Frankenstein movie with all sorts of HUGE knife switches, oversized glowing tubes and shit like that with a big electric chair in the room. I actually had a prettygood electric chair several years back but someone made me an offer I could not refuse. When it sold the wife was astonished. She'd have paid someone to take it away and I got a huge chunk of change for it. Actually a lot of it was in trade but there was $500 cash. |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 6:37:57 AM EDT
[#42]
There are lots of Astatic D104 microphones on eBay. Any of those bases should work. Get one with the preamp built into the base.
I have one kicking around somewhere. |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 9:31:00 AM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: There are lots of Astatic D104 microphones on eBay. Any of those bases should work. Get one with the preamp built into the base. I have one kicking around somewhere. Those bases only work with post 1937 D-104s. The 1933-1936 D-104 was designed to be suspended by eyebolts and chord and later an adapter was made to mount it on a stand. The threads on the inside are 3/8 by 24 and I found an old adapter at a local music shop that adapts standard 5/8 to 3/4 x 24 and I fabricated a 3/8x24 hollow male adapter to attach the found adapter to the mic head |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 9:34:05 AM EDT
[#44]
Here are some pics of the fabricated part and the found adapter to mount the mic on a standard table top stand. I am currently looking for a 1930s-1940s mic stand to go with it.
 Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 9:37:25 AM EDT
[#45]
 Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached File Attached FileThese are pieces of what I think are petrified foam used as spacers. If foam did not exist in 1933 then maybe it is clay used as spacers and mounting. I am not sure |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 9:37:55 AM EDT
[#46]
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Posted: 10/3/2020 3:58:51 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have an H-32 Mark 1. When I dug into it, I learned the 5-volt windings from the transformer were shorted, so I had to disconnect and insulate them, and (while I never like to do so), swich to a solid state rectifier arrangement. This caused the B+ to run higher than desired, so it took a bit of work to get that under control. I had it all put together and transmitting, when something smoked in the SSB compartment. I haven't run that to ground yet. Just be aware that the HT-32 is REALLY big and QUITE heavy. It gets tiresome flipping it over on the bench when working on it! For your info, here's a qoute from Glen Zook, who is extremely knowledgable on boat anchor gear: "In general, the higher voltage, from solid-state replacements, do not cause any problems in the HT-32- series and HT-37. Also, the "inrush" voltage does not cause problems as well. There are a LOT of "boat anchor" equipment that had tube-type rectifiers replaced, in later versions of the model, with absolutely nothing changed. The problem with the transformers in the HT-32- series and the HT-37 (as well as the Collins 32V- series transmitters) is that a short develops between the 5.0 VAC filament windings for the rectifiers and other windings. This is due to the fact that the full rectified DC voltage is present on those windings. Both sides of the 5.0 VAC windings must be disconnected from the rectifier tube sockets and "taped off". This eliminates the high voltage DC problem as well as lightening the load on the transformer. I do not, usually, recommend going solid-state on most transmitters. However, the Hallicrafters HT-30, the Hallicrafters HT-32- series, the Hallicrafters HT-37, and the Collins 32V- series, because of the transformer failure situation, are exceptions." Glen, K9STH now that I bought it, I want to do the solid state rectifier mode. I have read that the 5 volt filament winding will short eventually and when it does sometimes it takes out the main transformer windings with it. When you disconnected and taped off the 5 volt windings to the rectifier is that 5 vilts not needed any more because it was only used to supply power to the rectifier tubes? I have been looking for details on how to do this and how to wire the diodes but can not find specifics. |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 6:36:16 PM EDT
[#48]
Well fuck. The crystal element just got destroyed.
Something fell on it and I don't know what or how. But it is destroyed, so now I need some type of high impedance replacement |
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Posted: 10/3/2020 8:57:36 PM EDT
[#49]
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Posted: 10/3/2020 9:16:33 PM EDT
[#50]
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