On Wed, 1 May 2013 10:54:24 -0700 (PDT), Brian Burns
wrote:

Hello All,

I'm looking for an AM/CW rig in the 100 watt class, and may have a choice between a Heath DX-100 and a Heath Apache. In looking at the specs I could find on the two, the Apache looks like the better choice. What do you think?

Cheers,

Brian Ex: W5BRO, K6UCD

Brian Burns, what is your current callsign?

Hello All,

Well it looks like the Viking II wins by default. Two have become available, for very reasonable prices, and they can cover the WARC bands as well as 160m.

As for audio modifications to improve fidelity--which AM'ers seem to want these days--Electric Radio magazine has a series of 3 articles describing a couple of levels of modification. June, July, and August 1998, and they have been used to good effect by no less than one of our favorite highly critical curmudgeons, who shall remain nameless (;-)...

Electrical Radio back issues are available directly from the publisher post haste, and for boatanchor lovers a subscription is just about mandatory!

Someone asked about my call sign. I was very active back in the early 1950's as W5BRO in south Texas, and K6UCD in Redwood City, Calif.

Thanks very much for all the responses--much appreciated!

Cheers,

Brian Burns

See my website: www.lessonsinlutherie.com

Brian Burns wrote:

As for audio modifications to improve fidelity--which AM'ers seem to want t=
hese days--Electric Radio magazine has a series of 3 articles describing a =
couple of levels of modification. June, July, and August 1998, and they hav=
e been used to good effect by no less than one of our favorite highly criti=
cal curmudgeons, who shall remain nameless (;-)...

Let me warn you against doing this. Not because it will devalue the radio
(which it might, but if you keep the parts you or someone else can always
undo it). Not because it sounds bad, because it sounds pretty good.

If you have an unmodified Viking, it sounds like a Viking on the air, and
people will stop and say, "Hey, I can tell you're on a Viking, it sounds
great!" If you open it up, it will just sound like every other wideband
radio out there.

And yes, the wider bandwidth means poorer copy under marginal conditions and
adjacent channel interference under crowded conditions. Those may not
bother you because most folks aren't going to be running AM under either
of those extremes anyway.

But the Viking is just a great-sounding radio with a distinct sound and
it seems a shame to lose that.
--scott


--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Having had both a Johnson Viking 2 and a Heath Apache and even a DX 100 that never worked, In my opinion the Apache was the most solidly built. For a rig with a pair of 6146es The Apache was the heaviest and seemed to just have the best quality! And I love Johnson too. Also If you're really into understanding the different classes of amplifier the SSB adapter takes the buffer output and feeds it thru a genuine phasing type SSB modulator operating at final frequency and feeds SSB exitation back to the 6146s operating in class AB, about 12 watts worth of drive. I have fed its output directly into a dipole on 40M and workied Denver from LA. You could use THEAPACHE as a Linear as well. Its a rather unique and very stable rig. JIM Temporarily expired. BB Soon.

In article ,
wrote:
Having had both a Johnson Viking 2 and a Heath Apache and even a DX
100 that never worked, In my opinion the Apache was the most solidly
built. For a rig with a pair of 6146es The Apache was the heaviest and
seemed to just have the best quality! And I love Johnson too. Also If
you're really into understanding the different classes of amplifier the
SSB adapter takes the buffer output and feeds it thru a genuine phasing
type SSB modulator operating at final frequency and feeds SSB exitation
back to the 6146s operating in class AB, about 12 watts worth of drive.
I have fed its output directly into a dipole on 40M and workied Denver
from LA. You could use THEAPACHE as a Linear as well. Its a rather
unique and very stable rig. JIM Temporarily expired. BB Soon.

I used to have a Viking 2, and one of its advantages over other rigs of
that time was that given the roller inductor, it could be used well
outside of the (then) ham bands. This means you can use it on the newer
ham bands. At the time I had it, the newer bands did not yet exist, but
a few of the MARS frequencies I operated on were well outside of the
(then) ham bands.

--
Rich Greenberg Sarasota, FL, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 941 378 2097
Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67
Canines: Val,Red,Shasta,Zero,Casey & Cinnar (At the bridge) Owner:Chinook-L
Canines: Red & Max (Siberians) Retired at the beach Asst Owner:Sibernet-L

Oops. De If U don't want the Apache, Ill take it!

On Tue, 16 Jul 2013, wrote:

Oops. De If U don't want the Apache, Ill take it!

OOps indeed.

You are replying a message from late April or early May this year, not
that long ago, but for many of us, the original messages are long gone.

And since you haven't quoted what you are replying to, who's to know what
you are talking about?

I went through that thread at google, and nobody was offering any rig. It
was a discussion (this newsgroup is supposed to be about discussion) of
various rigs of that era.

So you're replied to a message without quoting, and so it's really hard to
tell exactly which one you are replying to, and there was no offer of a
rig in the thread.

If you wanted to buy a rig, then find a proper buy and sell venue, and ask
away.

Michael VE2BVW

To reply to the VE that replied to me I do not know if I am quoting or not. The Question that was posed last may was asking opinions on which would be the better choice of a 100 watt or so 6146 rig, not an offer to buy or sell I was just offering my own experience es. Yes the thread is dated, but so is the equipment. So am I for that matter. The last time I posted to a newsgroup was in 1996 using a 386 and a 2400 baud hayes modem.not thru google & not thru the WWW. I appreciate any help and advice and I apologize,this is not the right place for Instruction. 73, JIM

wrote:
To reply to the VE that replied to me I do not know if I am quoting or not.=
The Question that was posed last may was asking opinions on which would be=
the better choice of a 100 watt or so 6146 rig, not an offer to buy or sel=
l I was just offering my own experience es. Yes the thread is dated, but so=
is the equipment. So am I for that matter. The last time I posted to a new=
sgroup was in 1996 using a 386 and a 2400 baud hayes modem.not thru google =
& not thru the WWW. I appreciate any help and advice and I apologize,this =
is not the right place for Instruction. 73, JIM

I agree that the 6146 is a hell of a rugged and reliable output tube, but
I suggest that Google Groups is a wasteland ith a horrible user interface.

You might consider getting an old-style newsreader... it is MUCH more
pleasant than fighting with the Google UI and dealing with the Google spam.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

I don't know if I am quoting or not but referring back to the Heath Apache (E.F. Johnson Valiant and Viking 500 also could use a SSB adapter) The Valiant had 3 6146'es The Apache had two like the Viking 2. I am trying to remember the difference tuning for class AB 2 I believe because on voice peaks I recall just barely drawing a couple ma of grid current, a resting plate current of maybe 60 ma. To tune for SSB you would unbalance the carrier null and peak the various stages including the driver stage in the adapter and try to get a little grid current on the finals. The Plate Had a shallower and broader dip than in Class C and when that was close you could peak all the other stages by max plate current although I think there was an rf out meter as well. The regular class C Am/cw tuning was 6 mils grid current and 120-150 Plate (actually plate and screen) no resting current in class C obviously. The 500 had a "tune " position I don't recall but the Apache may have also. JIM