Dan,

Your story sounds very familiar to me - I was born in '55 too, got my
licence in 2002, passed my Morse test in 2003 and went on the air with
tube equipment! It's a lot more work than using one of the 'plug &
play, all-in-one-box' modern rigs, but the nostalgia of the tube stuff
got me too.

Do go and get your licence - it is not as difficult as you may think.
Morse Code testing is probably on the way out, but will be around for
a while yet - there are programs that you can buy on the Internet
which will get you up to 5 WPM speed in a few weeks, with around an
hour a day practice (Code Quick is a good one - check the Net for it
and others...). If there is a ham radio club near you, find out when
they meet and drop in - they will be glad to help out!

A few suggestions, based on my experience with this stuff:

1. BE CAREFUL! Tube transmitters use MUCH higher voltages and
currents than you will find in your tube receiver (800 volts or more
is not uncommon) - these voltage levels ARE LETHAL! Power off and
discharge the power supply filter caps before poking around in there,
and use extreme caution if you operate it on the bench without its
cover on! Keep one hand in your pocket whever working on the live
chassis. Voltage levels such as these demand the utmost respect! I
have been an Electronics Tech for over 25 years, and would not be
writing this to you today if I hadn't followed these rules when
working on high voltage equipment.....BE CAREFUL!

2. Seriously consider an SSB / CW set. Not many folks run the old AM
stuff anymore, and you will seriously limit your potential of making
phone contacts on the bands should you choose to go the AM route.
Plus, SSB is much more efficient than AM - a 50W PEP SSB signal is
approximately equivalent in effect to that produced by a 400W AM
transmitter (9dB gain), as no wasted power is being used to transmit a
carrier or a redundant sideband!

3. I would recommend one of the Heathkit transceivers or transmitter /
receiver pairs (specifically, their SB- or HW- series...) - they were
designed to be worked on by the end user. Their manuals contain a
wealth of information for the restorer as well - complete functional
descriptions of each circuit, parts list, assembly and schematic
diagrams, full alignment instructions that don't require a shop full
of test equipment to do (a cheap old Vacuum Tube Voltmeter with an RF
Probe and an RF Signal Generator will do it!), voltage and
troubleshooting charts - if and when you run in to a tough problem,
this data will be invaluable. Plus, the many folks who still run tube
Heath rigs tend to be quite knowledgable about them - there are
Heathkit Internet mail lists that you can subscribe to which will put
you in touch with folks who have the parts and info that you may need.

4. Find a set that is in 'working' condition. Some parts (power
transformers, tank coils, etc.) are not easy to find these days, are
are expensive when you do. Do not operate an old set for any length
of time until you have restored it, though - a shorted filter cap can
take out a power tranny pretty fast! And make sure that it is as
original as possible - no extra holes drilled in it, etc., that might
indicate that it belonged to someone who messed with its internal
wiring......

5. Expect that any old tube transmitter will require a fair amount of
work before it is ready to go on the air. All of the electrolytic
caps, all of the paper caps (if any - depends on the age of the rig),
and a fair number of the old carbon resistors (they drift in value,
especially the high-value ones) will require replacement. Tube
transmitters run pretty hot, and are harder on their parts than the
average receiver. In addition, hams are famous for adding -um-
"modifications" to their gear - you may find yourself removing some of
these and restoring the circuitry to its original configuration. In
any event, expect to put a considerable number of hours in to the
restoration! Fun hours, but hours nevertheless.

6. When you are done, pat yourself on the back! The feeling of
accomplishment that you will get from your first contact with your
'new' tube rig defies description....you'll see!

Good luck - and see you on the air!

73, Wayne

On 15 Dec 2003 08:40:21 -0800, (geojunkie) wrote:

I began collecting and restoring vintage tube gear about a year ago. I
started with some test equipment and radios (from 30s AM, to 60s FM
stereo), then did a couple of B&W TVs.

Most recently, I got a Hallicrafters SX-71 recapped and aligned
(thanks to some good advice from here). I have been having a lot of
fun with this, for the first time experiencing the HAM bands by using
the BFO to listen to SSB. Of course it also does CW really well,
although I don't know the code. Sunday afternoon I happened across
some really high quality sounding AM HAM transmissions from some kind
of club... I think it was using vintage gear. All this using a 10ft
piece of wire for the antenna... and I have no idea how much better
this can get.

Anyway, I am now thinking about getting a license. I would prefer to
stay vintage tube based. Even though I was born in 55, I just can't
get excited about digital gear, and enjoy having to do most of the
thinking. My question is whether a vintage tranmitter, such as an HT32
would be appropriate for a novice HAM? I actually have an SX-101a
(from ebay) on the way and I think they would make a great pair.

Dan