The BC-459-A found at the dump, is a bare aluminum Western Electric. It has been
already modified, the plug was already changed, a key jack put in the back, and
a bunch of wiring mods which are incomprehensible to me. It is missing the 1629,
the 1626, and the Xtal. I have since picked up another BC-459 (black) which
seems to be internally unmodified and complete with all tubes and Xtal (8870
KC), although it is missing the bottom plate and the cover. It is a black, but
It notice the case parts from the bare aluminum one would fit to this black one.
I was also given an old homebrew power supply which still works and was
apparently built to the specs that are described in the ARRL article about
converting the Arc 5 for Novice use. This power supply has a male octal plug
with wiring that exactly corresponds to this article, eg. it has the 12.6 V
filament and a 6.3 V filament as well as all the B+ voltages as per the article.
Yes this is the article which describes how to make an outboard crystal
controlled oscillator with 6AG7 tube and which then plugs into the Xtal socket
of the Arc 5. The modification is such that the Arc 5 can be put back to VFO
operation simply by removing this outboard novice xtal unit and putting back the
original Xtal.

The wiring in this first BC-459 is a mess and has been hacked up, It was going
to use this unit for parts, at least use the bottom plate and the case, even
though it is bare aluminum and the better unit I have is black. The better unit,
as stated, seems to be internally unmodified, so doing the mods in this article
would be more straight forward.

However, having now posted to this forum and having received the various
suggestions, I am wondering what the best path might be here. First off, I do
not understand how one would use the original plug in the back since I have
never seen an original male fitting available anywhere. Secondly, I am wondering
what kind of other power supply one would use to keep everything in its original
context. In short I am wondering what is the best, and most practical way to get
this thing operating. The only information on converstion that I have at this
point is the the article which appears on the ARRL site "Coverting Surplus
Transmitter for Novice Use" even though I was not going to build the outboard
xtal unit as suggested. I would be interested in seeing other, perhaps superior,
methods for putting this gear to use. Really, how bad is this particular article
and its mod suggestions? It has been suggested that the addition of some
regulation on the oscillator voltage would solve the problem of chirp/drift etc.

I would be interested in the type of mods and power supplies that you are all
using which have proven successful before I proceed any further.

I am assuming there are plenty of these units preserved as museum pieces
already, I was more interested in using it without necessarily turning the shack
into a complete ww2 cockpit.

Bill, K6TAJ




David Stinson wrote:

zeno wrote:

I have already decided not to worry about
keeping this thing "original", eg. will be putting in a new power plug, key
jack, and coax connector etc....

It is certainly your radio and you can do as you wish,
but I urge you to reconsider; this isn't a old Craig CB rig
or and Eico 753. This radio has historic significance.

Extensive modification is needless
and will turn your historic relic into a junkbox nothing.
You can get the rig on the air with a good signal
without drilling a single hole or chopping out anything.
It's as simple as disconnecting
one wire and adjusting one relay contact.
If you need pins to fit the power connector on the back,
send me your address and I'll send you some.
Moreover, if you do the butchery to put the filiments on
12 volts AC, you are defeating part of the engineering solution
designed to keep the rigs stable.
My rigs are original design and work great with
good power out and little or no chirp.

First- throw out ALL those "conversion" articles from
the 50s, 60s and 70s. The first ones were written by
people who knew nothing about getting these rigs going
and the rest just parroted what the first wrote.
I can't tell you how many rigs went from "war relic"
to "trash can" because of some conversion "author."
The rigs are NOT TVI machines, chirp factories,
harmonic generators or any of the other myths
you've heard. These were born out of people flailing
around blindly without any understanding of how
the rig was designed to work.

I have lots of information on how to get these going
with little work and no irreversable mods.
I'm headed to work. If anyone cares to read them,
I will post them when I get home this evening.

73 DE Dave Stinson AB5S

N2EY wrote:

In article , zeno writes:

Someone gave me an old ARC 5 (7-9.1) transmitter found at the county
dump. I would like to see if I can get it going on 40 meter CW.

First question is: What condition is it in?



The one has already been modified, the other is relatively unmodified, but missing
the bottom and the top case.





What does that conversion article show?

There was an article in the ARRL Handbooks for years that involved building an
external crystal oscillator in a minibox, using a 6AG7. Most of that article
was pretty good because it didn't hack up the ARC-5 too much (but it did
recommend destroying the power socket, unfortunately).


Yes, that is the article. I also have a power supply that works and has an octal
male plug as described in that article. I would have to add an octal female socket
on the back of the unmodified unit to receive this power supply plug. If I were to
attempt to put the modified unit back together I would need way more information
than I have at this point. For example the unmodified unit has an RF choke next to
the large vertical coil in from of the 1625s, on the modified unit, it looks like
it never had this rf choke installed. There are little wiring differences like
this in these two units which I do not understand. The vertical coil in the
unmodified unit has the red number 9295 printing on its edge, the modified unit
has the number 7250 on it. I do not know what this number means (?).

What (where would I get) information would I need to rebuild a totally modified
unit, to make it into some kind of an operating transmitter?



The Xtal in this unit is 8870 KC. Is this OK?

Not for ham operation!


The way I understand it, this is just for calibration of the VFO, so it is OK.




My original intention was to recreate a 50's style conversion of one of these
transmitters, however, I am not wondering if there is not a better way to go.

Bill k6TAJ

N2EY wrote:

In article , zeno writes:

Someone gave me an old ARC 5 (7-9.1) transmitter found at the county
dump. I would like to see if I can get it going on 40 meter CW.

First question is: What condition is it in?



The one has already been modified, the other is relatively unmodified, but missing
the bottom and the top case.





What does that conversion article show?

There was an article in the ARRL Handbooks for years that involved building an
external crystal oscillator in a minibox, using a 6AG7. Most of that article
was pretty good because it didn't hack up the ARC-5 too much (but it did
recommend destroying the power socket, unfortunately).


Yes, that is the article. I also have a power supply that works and has an octal
male plug as described in that article. I would have to add an octal female socket
on the back of the unmodified unit to receive this power supply plug. If I were to
attempt to put the modified unit back together I would need way more information
than I have at this point. For example the unmodified unit has an RF choke next to
the large vertical coil in from of the 1625s, on the modified unit, it looks like
it never had this rf choke installed. There are little wiring differences like
this in these two units which I do not understand. The vertical coil in the
unmodified unit has the red number 9295 printing on its edge, the modified unit
has the number 7250 on it. I do not know what this number means (?).

What (where would I get) information would I need to rebuild a totally modified
unit, to make it into some kind of an operating transmitter?



The Xtal in this unit is 8870 KC. Is this OK?

Not for ham operation!


The way I understand it, this is just for calibration of the VFO, so it is OK.




My original intention was to recreate a 50's style conversion of one of these
transmitters, however, I am not wondering if there is not a better way to go.

Bill k6TAJ

zeno wrote:
The one has already been modified, the other is relatively unmodified, but missing
the bottom and the top case.

Send me your mailing address.
I'll dig out a bottom and a top for your rig.

Concerning the power supply in the ARRL book-
It isn't the best design for the rig.
I'm putting together a couple of posts about all this
and will have them up shortly.

73 Dave S.

zeno wrote:
The one has already been modified, the other is relatively unmodified, but missing
the bottom and the top case.

Send me your mailing address.
I'll dig out a bottom and a top for your rig.

Concerning the power supply in the ARRL book-
It isn't the best design for the rig.
I'm putting together a couple of posts about all this
and will have them up shortly.

73 Dave S.

I have a T-16 NOS in the box. Opened only for inspection. It going to the
'E' place.



"David Stinson" wrote in message
news:bJDvd.3553$Zn6.2981@trnddc08...
God bless you; you're just the man I'm looking for.
Do you have any idea what the MF ARC-5 transmitters
were for? These are the rare :
T-15, 500-800 KC
T-16, 800-1300 KC
T-17, 1300-2100 KC

The latest theory is that they were used in joint
maneuvers with third-world allied navies,
where were still using the 1920s-agreed navy
frequencies below 2 MC.

There so much I would love to ask you about
these sets, if you don't mind the trouble.
I'm a serious historian of the
Command Set series and gentlemen like yourself
are a treasure to find.

73 DE Dave Stinson AB5S


Spike wrote:

Nostalgia. When drafted into the Navy is 1943
my first job was setting up ARC-5 transmitters
and receivers in 336 SNJ (AT-6) aircraft. (among
other things) Later after the war when there wasn't
much money around, I would rewind ARC-5 receivers
and use them for ten-meter converters. In those days
tapping on the case of just about any transmitter or
receiver would produce some modulation. Except for
Collins equipment. The ARC-5 VHF transmitters were
truly awe inspiring when they arrived. 73s W6BWY

I have a T-16 NOS in the box. Opened only for inspection. It going to the
'E' place.



"David Stinson" wrote in message
news:bJDvd.3553$Zn6.2981@trnddc08...
God bless you; you're just the man I'm looking for.
Do you have any idea what the MF ARC-5 transmitters
were for? These are the rare :
T-15, 500-800 KC
T-16, 800-1300 KC
T-17, 1300-2100 KC

The latest theory is that they were used in joint
maneuvers with third-world allied navies,
where were still using the 1920s-agreed navy
frequencies below 2 MC.

There so much I would love to ask you about
these sets, if you don't mind the trouble.
I'm a serious historian of the
Command Set series and gentlemen like yourself
are a treasure to find.

73 DE Dave Stinson AB5S


Spike wrote:

Nostalgia. When drafted into the Navy is 1943
my first job was setting up ARC-5 transmitters
and receivers in 336 SNJ (AT-6) aircraft. (among
other things) Later after the war when there wasn't
much money around, I would rewind ARC-5 receivers
and use them for ten-meter converters. In those days
tapping on the case of just about any transmitter or
receiver would produce some modulation. Except for
Collins equipment. The ARC-5 VHF transmitters were
truly awe inspiring when they arrived. 73s W6BWY