With the help of some folks here I did troubleshoot my AC-1 tube transmitter
(using a 6V6) and got it working somehow. Since I passed my code test and
had my first QSO using the transmitter and boy was that exciting.


Congratulations! Though it's been many years, I still remember when I made my
first contact with a transmitter very similar to yours. (It was 1954)

As for the chirp, this is partly the nature of single tube transmitters. You
can minimize it with careful power supply design, and just the right amount of
feedback on your oscillator, but a small amount will remain.

The feedback is controlled by the ratio of the capacitors marked C7 and C9 in
the original Ameco schematic. They form a "tap" on the cathode RF choke.
Increasing C7 slightly or decreasing C9 slightly will increase the feedback.
Different crystals will also react differently.

73,

Doug Moore KB9TMY