Homebrew Tube Transmitter

I was in the Navy in 1966 and was transferred to Klamath Falls, Oregon as a Station Keeper for the inactive reserves. I had no idea what a Station Keeper was nor what my duties might be there. After reporting for duty I found out that I was going to be a "secretary", more or less. What does a First Class Radioman know about being a Yeoman.

The reserves had a CW radio net they checked into each week and that is how we kept in touch with headquarters. Oh, now I see, a fifteen minute net, once a week, is my punishment for being station in God's country. I never had such a good assignment the rest of my Navy career.

What does all of that have to do with a homebrew transmitter? Well, I had lots of time on my hands and I had a passing interest in Ham radio so now was the perfect time to pursue getting my license. I found the local radio club and they gave me my test. In those days if you didn't have a test site within your area you could take the test and receive a Conditional license, my call was WA7FRS. I didn't have equipment nor much money to purchase any with so I used the clubs Heathkit DX-100 for awhile. I bought a new ARRL Handbook, 1965 and started looking for a transmitter project and found this transmitter in there. I had never built an electronic project but was young enough to believe I could do it. I ordered all the parts from Allied Radio and started building. I couldn't believe it when the darned thing fired up the very first time.

I gave that transmitter to a young sailor while stationed at NPG in Stockton, California. Wish I still had it but then I wouldn't be writing about this project. I've had a urge, for sometime, to re-creat that transmitter and below you will see my progress. I'll start by showing you some photos from the 1965 ARRL handbook. These scans are being used with permission of the ARRL

Photo from the 1965 ARRL handbook

Topside view of the transmitter.

Bottom View of the chassis.

Circuit Diagram

Schematic - Click on a section for a larger picture.

I got started by laying some of the components on the chassis. The transformers on the left rear are the power transformers, the one in the front is the modulation transformer. The two tube sockets are for the voltage regulators. You probably can't see it but the price on the chassis is marked $2.50, I've had it a long time.

Got started by mounting the two power transformers and voltage regulator tubes. My friend Cliff, N6ZU, let me rummage through his parts cabinets and I came up with most of the under chassis parts. I was lucky enough to find the exact same transformers the article called for, both from the same seller. I paid a lot more for them than in 1966!

All of the sockets installed.

All of the tube sockets installed with loading capacitor "dry" fitted. The two ceramic sockets are
for the driver/oscillator and 6146B. The two 8 pin socket up front are used as crystal sockets and the two
smaller sockets to the left are for the modulator circuit.

Before I could fit the loading capacitor on the chassis I needed to get the front panel prepared. Here I'm trimming a 19" rack panel to 8 3/4" X 15"

I got started wiring the high voltage supply. The cut wires are an unused 5 volt winding and it's center tap. These will be "capped" off or maybe used for a panel light.