VERSA-TR Layout and Connector Locations

VERSA-TR Information 0 Comments 11/11/2018

Posted By: Robert Nickels (ranickels)

For reference - click image to enlarge

International Crystal's KB-1 Citizens Bander for Kit Fans

and not just for CB!
Category: Vintage Ham Radio

International Crystal Company of Oklahoma City was certainly best known for its crystals but the company was also a not-insignificant player in the CB radio manufacturing business, and also had a pretty extensive line of experimenter kits. The kits typically had one to three tubes on a PC board and provided a single function, such as an RF amplifier, or transmitter, although some were ... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 08/02/2019

Phasing SSB transmitter alignment - the easy way!

thanks to ZL2AMJ
Category: Technical

Equipment manuals and handbooks of the 1950s and 60s were filled with complex oscilloscope screens and discussion of ripple and as a result proper alignment of a phasing rig eluded most hams. But a clever New Zealand ham, Fred Johnson ZL2AMJ was able to see what everyone else had missed, and published a short note in the NZ ham magazine in 1972 that makes the process simple and r... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 07/20/2019

Bearing puller for pennies

Fix that fan motor
Category: Technical

Finding myself in need of a tool to remove a bad bearing on a blower from a linear amplifier I first tried the usual automotive type gear puller but it wasn't able to get underneath this small 5/8" OD bearing. So I improvised a tool that took 10 minutes to make, cost a few cents, and had the job done in no time at allThe secret is wedges sold at the home improvement stor... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 07/16/2019

W9RAN Field Radio

Vintage light aircraft radios repurposed
Category: Technical

In the early days of aviation radio, transmissions originated from the ground using the longwave transmitter also used for homing, and pilots acknowledged by wagging their wings. It didn't take long to realize the benefits of having transmitting capability onboard the plane as well, and the first generation of aircraft radio used the low HF band. Given today's... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 05/11/2019

Godzilla 2019 uses Boatanchor Radios

Can your SP-600 do this?
Category: Vintage Ham Radio

Watch the video trailer for the 2019 monster movie that relies on a 1950s vintage Hammarlund SP-600 and Collins 30L-1 amplifier.... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 04/20/2019

Category: Historic

I find the show-biz association of the founder of Allied Radio, Simon Wexler, to be rather fascinating. What started out as a supplier of crystal set parts led to a family that became a major force in the entertainment industry and in Chicago business...including many recognizable names:"Allied Radio (now known as Allied Electronics) is a company with a long history. On August 6, 1... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 04/14/2019

Hazard E. Reeves - audio pioneer and defense contractor

Making crystals in midtown Manhattan during WWII
Category: Historic

Hazard E. Reeves (1906-1986) may not be a household name, but his work is well known to every moviegoer. He was an American pioneer in sound and sound electronics, and introduced stereophonic sound for motion pictures. He met Fred Waller at the 1939 World's Fair and saw the potential of Waller's "Vitarama" system which he invested in and which soon became the mo... READ MORE

- BRADLEY STONE (NB9M), 04/12/2019

Whatever happened to Globe Electronics

and the Globe Mobiline Six...
Category: Vintage Ham Radio

In his book "In Touch with Leo", the success and growing backlog of CB-100 orders is what drove Leo to his banker, Lou Ross, who asked him why he didn't anticipate the number of orders and required capital. Leo responded "Lou, never on God's green earth could I have believed such an influx of orders!". More funding was needed than the bank ... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 03/18/2019

Spectral Purity using Epson Programmable Oscillators

Do harmonics matter if there's no way for them to be heard?
Category: Crystal Replacement

In the 5 or so years I've been using the Epson oscillators I've looked at the spectral output many times. Without a doubt the harmonic output from the Epson oscillator is high as would be expected from a square wave device. The question to me has always been "does it matter"?PLL controlled digital oscillators have long been used as LOs in recei... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 03/12/2019

The Foxhole Radio

aka "Razor Blade and Safety Pin Radio"...from the Boy's Fun Book
Category: Vintage Radio

When I was a kid, my dad gave me a thin hardcover book called "Boys Fun Book - Things to Make and Do". It was printed during WWII on very thin paper as a wartime conservation measure, but was chock-full of interesting projects, ranging from hobbies and magic tricks to sports, puzzles, camping...and the chapter I was drawn to: "Unusual Radios You Can Build You... READ MORE

- Robert Nickels (ranickels), 03/08/2019