For sale: Viking Johnson Ranger

I bought it at a hamfest a number of years ago ('03?) when I was phasing
into retirement and thinking of doing some kind of a restoration and had
partial success with this. However, I have gravitated to a different kind
of retirement ham hobby activity: total or almost total homebrewing. Thus,
I'd like to find a new home for this Ranger.

Caveats: It has some major internal problems, The guy before the guy I
bought it from had totally torn out all of the CW circuitry. Also, the
modulator was converted from 2x1614s to a pair of 2E26s. The modulation
transformer is unknown, hermetically sealed (black pot), and of a brand
name I've never heard of, and larger than the original, AND located on the
opposite side of the chassis. This guy also converted the speech amplifier
to a big mess and a phase inverter driver for the 2E26s. Also, as part of
this job, he tore out the 5V4 (?) and left the 5R4 thus making it all
500-550 vdc and no low voltage. To get low voltage (for VFO and 6CL6s) he
used power resistors in series with low voltage load and connected the top
to the high voltage supply. He also moved the VR tube to where the
crystal socket was. The power transformer and large choke seem like the
original.

At the time I aquired the rig, the electrolytic was dry (hum on carrier
looke like 30% on a scope). I made a kludge repair on that and drove the
2E26s with an outboard hi-fi amp and actually had the rig on the air in
several AM contacts on 160 and 75. The VFO does not jump frequency (I had
this problem on an earlier Ranger many years ago) during or after warm-up,
at least to the extent that I monitored this. I have observed a spur
coming sometimes from the 6146 driver (in standby, swishing through the
driver tune knob, get a herterodyne in a receiver).

My own mods included two mini-toggle switches near the function switch
(which needs cleaning and oil). The meter is OK, but the meter switch
needs cleaning, too. I added a DPDT relay run off the 110 vac as part of a
plan to change the manner of control of standby to transmit and back. Off
the back panel I've added banana jacks for certain outside "port"
connections, and one of those European-type female chassis plugs (three
prong) that you see everywhere now for AC-in. I also tore out the power
line filter (caps to ground & series inductances [I've gotten mild shocks
off all of this old gear that put those things in under the 'old ways'
GMPs, but I think they are basically useless]). The cabinet cosmetics are
probably, IIRC, closest to "very good" in terms of few scratches/wear and
barely any rust or corrosion anywhere (except some on some surfaces of the
transformers/chokes).

There may be some other minor issues but I can't think of them just now.

So, you could look at this as a restoration to a less-than-original state
or a spare-parts source. I paid $200 for this, but I paid too much. I
guess its worth $50, now, and I think I don't want to ship it. I'm in
southern Delaware and not in a hurry to get rid of it but would like to
free up some space in my hamshack and get it into someone's hands who is
wants to do the restoration I was going for (just AM capability), or
whatever. So, I'm willing to drive one way about up to one hour in any
direction to some "half-way" point away from my home. Manual reproduction
comes with. There is also a Georgetown, DE hamfest on April 12, here (at
Sussex Tech HS), and could meet someone there, too.

If you are interested then email me and tell me your story (in case there
is more than one person interested who can meet me within my one hour
driving radius of Georgetown, DE). Respond to the email address
originating from this post, but if I don't answer within 2 days, make a
followup post and give your email address in that post (I have spam
filters but simple email usually does get through).

W4PON