Hi,
I was sent here by some folks from RAT (rec.audio.tubes), and was attracted
by the "boatanchor" part of this NG's name - descriptive of, pretty much,
everything I'm into. From old RCA racks filled with ancient test gear &
power supplies to restoring vintage recording gear etc., etc. Restoring
vintage cameras got me interested in photography, and now...
My Mr. Know-It-All bliss came to an end when a friend gave me a (Henry?)
Tempo One transceiver & an ECI (no model name) Linear Amp (both flea finds).
I *Had* to bring them up - downloaded the operating manual & schematics for
Tempo One, cleaned the rotary switches etc, brought up the power, and
managed to align the receiver the best I could (all my test gear is mainly
audio, funct. generators only going up to 1 & 2 KHz, so had to rely on
harmonics to get the RF outs' them (triangle)... Got the transmitter
section putting out *some sort* of rf into a dummy load (once again,
followed the manual's step-by step idiot guide). The dummy load was a
*wirewound* 50Ohm resistor in a can of motor oil (i know it must be an
absurd load for RF, but i had nothing non-inductive - any hints?)
Anyhow, here are my problems & questions:
I'm pretty much RF illiterate, and don't have an operator's license. I
remember thinking of getting one as a kid, but code didn't come too easy.
Some HAM at a swap meet told me that code is no longer required - is there a
site where I could download a sample exam / list of requirements? An appy
which I could download so I could hook up to a soundcard of my computer to
encode /decode Morse code (I could build any required peripherals)? A FAQ
for this NG? Any info on NYC swaps (I just moved from Boston a while ago,
the MIT swap was amazing...) Any hints /tricks? Any info (schematics
/manual?) on the ECI linear amp (no model on the case (chrome with 2 meters
& machined aluminum knobs wgich look just like the early AKAI knobs), a
bunch of gas voltage regulators, and a single octal / top plate output toob,
can't remember the name, looks like an oversized 2e26.
Any info / feedback would be nice,
Thanks in advance,
-dim

Greetings, and welcome to the world of RF. First things first - you will need a
General Class license to operate the equipment you describe, as it is designed
for the HF bands. You can start with a no-code Technician license and upgrade
as you learn. In all liklihood, within a year the code requirement for the
General will also be dropped.

You can find question pools on the ARRL website. (www.arrl.com) As you already
have some background in electronics, I highly recommend you purchase or borrow
a copy of the Radio Amateurs Handbook, (just about any year will do) and review
the theory in the beginning chapters. Much of it will be familiar. It is far
better to know the theory than to just memorize all the possible answers to the
questions.

Right now, you are simply restoring gear which it is assumed once worked, and
this is a good place to start with RF. You already know about tubes and high
voltages, so I don't have to tell you to be careful. When you get to the design
phase, if you want to go there, it is just a different art - the science is the
same. Things like skin effect are very real, not just a subject for theoretical
debate. :-)

Just as you no doubt did with audio amplifiers, start with some simple projects
and gain experience at RF design. Layout is a matter of thinking in terms of
signal paths and keeping lead lengths short. Study the designs in the Handbook
for ideas.

Oh yes, and the "oversize 2E26" if it's just a little oversize is a 6146, and
if it's a LOT oversized it's an 813. (6146's make good audio tubes too, but NOT
ultra linear, and frankly I like 807's better.)

Feel free to write if you have more questions.

Doug Moore KB9TMY (Formerly K6HWY)

Don't buy a Radio Amateurs Handbook.

If you work on audio electronics you already know the basics. The RF part is
actually pretty simple. Forget about the amp. You can get that going later
when you have experience in how the Tempo One operates. Get that working
now. As for a dummy - been using a 100w light bulb for years. Works good
enough for tube radios - not so good for the new solid state stuff. The
dummy you have is good enough.

What you need NOW is a ham ticket!

Almost all radioamateurs begin their ham career as a "Tech."Â*The privileges
of a Technician Class operator license include operating stations while
transmitting on channels in any of 17 frequency bands above 50 MHz with up
to 1,500 watts power.Â*Â* It also allows access to the two most popular ham
bands, 2 meters and 70 cm ...otherwise known as "450" (MHz.).Â*

To pass the Technician Class examination, at least 26 multiple choice
questions from a 35 question written examination must be answered correctly.

There are a total of 384 possible questions in the pool from which these 35
questions are drawn.Â*

All questions in the various question banks are known and widely published.Â*
There are no secret questions.Â* The Technician Class is the most popular
license with about one-third of all radioamateurs holding this license
class.
-----------------------------------------------
The General Class operator license carries all mode privileges in at least
portions of all 27 bands.Â* Of particular importance is access to the
world-wide 20 and 40 meter ham bands.

In addition to the above (Element 2 Technician) written examination element
and Element 1 ( -5- wpm Morse code), the examinee must pass another 35
question examination (General Element 3).Â* Twenty-six correctly answered
questions is the minimum passing score.

-----------------------------------------------

Fastest and cheapest way is to go to this web site:

http://www.w5yi.org/AmRadio.htm#GENERAL

....and buy just the Tech and General booklets only. Go through them four or
five times and try memorizing as much as you can. All the exact questions
that could be asked will be right there. Pay attention to Frequencies and to
FCC Laws (particularly punishments).


You still need to pass the 5 WPM code test.

" In all liklihood, within a year the code requirement for the General will
also be dropped."

They have been saying that for 100 years since Marconi attached a telegraph
key to a spark transmitter. You could wait....for a year or forever...
but...

When you ready and serious - email me and I will teach you the code in five
minutes good enough so you can past the test. Relax, it's free.

-Biz WDØHCO

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 16:42:06 UTC, "Shiva" wrote:

Hi,
I was sent here by some folks from RAT (rec.audio.tubes), and was attracted
by the "boatanchor" part of this NG's name - descriptive of, pretty much,
everything I'm into. From old RCA racks filled with ancient test gear &
power supplies to restoring vintage recording gear etc., etc. Restoring
vintage cameras got me interested in photography, and now...
My Mr. Know-It-All bliss came to an end when a friend gave me a (Henry?)
Tempo One transceiver & an ECI (no model name) Linear Amp (both flea finds).
I *Had* to bring them up - downloaded the operating manual & schematics for
Tempo One, cleaned the rotary switches etc, brought up the power, and
managed to align the receiver the best I could (all my test gear is mainly
audio, funct. generators only going up to 1 & 2 KHz, so had to rely on
harmonics to get the RF outs' them (triangle)... Got the transmitter
section putting out *some sort* of rf into a dummy load (once again,
followed the manual's step-by step idiot guide). The dummy load was a
*wirewound* 50Ohm resistor in a can of motor oil (i know it must be an
absurd load for RF, but i had nothing non-inductive - any hints?)
Anyhow, here are my problems & questions:
I'm pretty much RF illiterate, and don't have an operator's license. I
remember thinking of getting one as a kid, but code didn't come too easy.
Some HAM at a swap meet told me that code is no longer required - is there a
site where I could download a sample exam / list of requirements? An appy
which I could download so I could hook up to a soundcard of my computer to
encode /decode Morse code (I could build any required peripherals)? A FAQ
for this NG? Any info on NYC swaps (I just moved from Boston a while ago,
the MIT swap was amazing...) Any hints /tricks? Any info (schematics
/manual?) on the ECI linear amp (no model on the case (chrome with 2 meters
& machined aluminum knobs wgich look just like the early AKAI knobs), a
bunch of gas voltage regulators, and a single octal / top plate output toob,
can't remember the name, looks like an oversized 2e26.
Any info / feedback would be nice,
Thanks in advance,
-dim

Don't know what the ECI is.

The 50 Ohm resistor is fine. I used to use a lightbulb on my DX-60.
Now I just load up a wire. If you got the Tempo working and
were able to load up the transmitter, you'll have no problem with
the theory part of the exams.

The exams cover 3 broad areas,

theory -which you have knocked except maybe you need to pick up some
HF, power, and mode jargon, SSB, XTAL filter, passband tuning,
PSK-3, envelope, key click, 2,000 VDC, oil capacitor, director
element, balun, SWR, if this makes sense, no sweat.

practice - If the net control asks for xxxx, what do you do....,

and

regulations - on 14,065 kHz can you call CQ on LSB?

www.qrz.com has practice exams and you can download the entire pool
from www.arrl.com.

I've been hoping that the FCC changes the regs to give more
privileges to techs (including HF SSB) and makes the General and
Extra exams more difficult.

de ah6gi/4 check out my boatanchor page at
www.kiyoinc.com/heathstuff.html

and flame away on codenocode at
groups.yahoo.com/group/codenocode


--

It sounds like the amp is a CB type...unless it has a bandswitch similar to
the one
on the Tempo One.
The tube is probably a TV sweep tube. ECI had something to do with the old
Courier CB sets...or vice-versa.
The Tempo One is actually made by Yaesu (Japanese) company, still making
radios today.
I used to be on the RAT newsgroup as well, but was sickened by all the
nonsense with
tube dampers or rings and the constant search for one brand 6550 or EL34
over another.
I have an expensive Audio Research amp...purchased new, and cannot hear the
differance between it an an old Heathkit AA121 amp...with pretty good Thiel
speakers!!
Good luck!
.....Dave
"Shiva" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I was sent here by some folks from RAT (rec.audio.tubes), and was
attracted
by the "boatanchor" part of this NG's name - descriptive of, pretty much,
everything I'm into. From old RCA racks filled with ancient test gear &
power supplies to restoring vintage recording gear etc., etc. Restoring
vintage cameras got me interested in photography, and now...
My Mr. Know-It-All bliss came to an end when a friend gave me a (Henry?)
Tempo One transceiver & an ECI (no model name) Linear Amp (both flea
finds).
I *Had* to bring them up - downloaded the operating manual & schematics
for
Tempo One, cleaned the rotary switches etc, brought up the power, and
managed to align the receiver the best I could (all my test gear is mainly
audio, funct. generators only going up to 1 & 2 KHz, so had to rely on
harmonics to get the RF outs' them (triangle)... Got the transmitter
section putting out *some sort* of rf into a dummy load (once again,
followed the manual's step-by step idiot guide). The dummy load was a
*wirewound* 50Ohm resistor in a can of motor oil (i know it must be an
absurd load for RF, but i had nothing non-inductive - any hints?)
Anyhow, here are my problems & questions:
I'm pretty much RF illiterate, and don't have an operator's license. I
remember thinking of getting one as a kid, but code didn't come too easy.
Some HAM at a swap meet told me that code is no longer required - is there
a
site where I could download a sample exam / list of requirements? An
appy
which I could download so I could hook up to a soundcard of my computer to
encode /decode Morse code (I could build any required peripherals)? A FAQ
for this NG? Any info on NYC swaps (I just moved from Boston a while ago,
the MIT swap was amazing...) Any hints /tricks? Any info (schematics
/manual?) on the ECI linear amp (no model on the case (chrome with 2
meters
& machined aluminum knobs wgich look just like the early AKAI knobs), a
bunch of gas voltage regulators, and a single octal / top plate output
toob,
can't remember the name, looks like an oversized 2e26.
Any info / feedback would be nice,
Thanks in advance,
-dim

Shiva wrote:
Hi,
I was sent here by some folks from RAT (rec.audio.tubes), and was attracted
by the "boatanchor" part of this NG's name

Hi Shiva,

Ham radio is no more 'rocket science' than the audio world...in many
respects less so.
I hate to wax on about the licencing because it has already been
addressed but the true test of an xmtr is how well it gets out and
sounds to the guy on the receiving end. Until then you never really
know...akin to driving your audio rig into a piece of test gear and
never really hearing it.
The fact that your Tempo One came with a CB amp suggests that it has
been "worked on"
They pretty much give away licenses anymore and yes, we're only a step
away from total no-code licensing. Doesn't mean that learning the code
is a waste of time, though. Its a fun medium in its own right.
If you monkey around with the old rig and still find it interesting go
ahead and make the jump and don't wait around for them to drop the code.
There's guys waiting 20-25 years for that to happen. Take it like a
dose of bitters and get on with your hobby.
Then you can get into the fun stuff like antennas...the radio equivalent
to audio speaker mythology.
Good luck,
Bill
http://www.sparkbench.com

"Biz WDØHCO" wrote in message
...
Don't buy a Radio Amateurs Handbook.

How can anyone advocate ignorance? Buy the book, read it, get something,
anything, out of it. You will go back to various parts time & time again.
Each time, you will gain a bit of knowledge. Once you get to the point where
you can start to challenge some of its points, you will really be starting
to learn electronics.

If you work on audio electronics you already know the basics. The RF part
is
actually pretty simple.

This comment deserves to be archived on the all-time stupid declarations
list.

Forget about the amp. You can get that going later
when you have experience in how the Tempo One operates. Get that working
now. As for a dummy - been using a 100w light bulb for years. Works good
enough for tube radios - not so good for the new solid state stuff. The
dummy you have is good enough.

Yeah, those 100 W light bulbs are the industry standard for a 50 or 72 ohm
resistive load. And those big, bulky forward / return power meters are so
expensive, and hard to use.

What you need NOW is a ham ticket!

Almost all radioamateurs begin their ham career as a "Tech." The
privileges
of a Technician Class operator license include operating stations while
transmitting on channels in any of 17 frequency bands above 50 MHz with up
to 1,500 watts power. It also allows access to the two most popular ham
bands, 2 meters and 70 cm ...otherwise known as "450" (MHz.).

Gee, good buddy, I never knew the amateur frequency bands above 50 MHz were
channelized.

SNIP

" In all liklihood, within a year the code requirement for the General
will
also be dropped."

They have been saying that for 100 years since Marconi attached a
telegraph
key to a spark transmitter. You could wait....for a year or
forever...but...

Well, hasn't the code for HF operation already been dropped at the
international level? And haven't a number of other countries already dropped
the code requirement? The USA has never been closer to dropping the code
requirement. Still, I agree with WD0HC0 here; don't let the current modest
code requirement delay you.


When you ready and serious - email me and I will teach you the code in
five
minutes good enough so you can past the test. Relax, it's free.

5 minutes!!!! Could you teach my dog too? She's got an attention span of at
least 5 minutes, and in dog-years, that's 35 minutes! Should be easy.


Ed
WB6WSN

On Thu, 20 Nov 2003 10:36:09 UTC, "Ed Price" wrote:


"Biz WD?HCO" wrote in message
...
Don't buy a Radio Amateurs Handbook.

How can anyone advocate ignorance? Buy the book, read it, get something,
anything, out of it. You will go back to various parts time & time again.
Each time, you will gain a bit of knowledge. Once you get to the point where
you can start to challenge some of its points, you will really be starting
to learn electronics.

Concur here. I wish I had bought *one* handbook every ten
years. I also wish the fellow who ran off with my "West Coast
Handbook" would return it.

If you work on audio electronics you already know the basics. The RF part
is
actually pretty simple.

This comment deserves to be archived on the all-time stupid declarations
list.

There is some odd stuff in this thread, like comparing Antenna
Theory with the chronic witchcraft of the audio world, speakers or
maybe de-oxygenated Monster Cable.

There are too many Loch Ness Monsters and Crop Circles in the audio
world. The tube mania, cables, analog vice digital, did I
mention cables.

The closest thing to that in Ham Radio is the converse concept, the
idea that modern computerized radios "hear" and "punch though"
better than the old stuff.

I "think" most hams realize that band conditions count most. Next
it's QTH (height, topology, ground conductivity), then there's the
antenna itself, you can't argue with measured gain and you can never
exceed the theoretical gain of the antenna. RG-213 is plenty good
for 100+ foot runs at HF, the cheapest CB-grade RG-58 will work but
will need replacing sooner and won't take the pounding of an SB-220.

Forget about the amp. You can get that going later
when you have experience in how the Tempo One operates. Get that working
now. As for a dummy - been using a 100w light bulb for years. Works good
enough for tube radios - not so good for the new solid state stuff. The
dummy you have is good enough.

Yeah, those 100 W light bulbs are the industry standard for a 50 or 72 ohm
resistive load. And those big, bulky forward / return power meters are so
expensive, and hard to use.

Well, there's getting it working and there's getting it working
exactly to spec.

What you need NOW is a ham ticket!

Almost all radioamateurs begin their ham career as a "Tech." The
privileges
of a Technician Class operator license include operating stations while
transmitting on channels in any of 17 frequency bands above 50 MHz with up
to 1,500 watts power. It also allows access to the two most popular ham
bands, 2 meters and 70 cm ...otherwise known as "450" (MHz.).

Gee, good buddy, I never knew the amateur frequency bands above 50 MHz were
channelized.


Most of my peers started with Novice and went from Novice to
General. In the 1960's, the Tech was a dead-end, without the 40 and
15 meter novice bands, you couldn't get enough CW practice to pass
13 WPM in front of the steely eyed FCC examiner.

The best advice I got was, take the Novice and get on the air on 40
as soon as possible and operate as much as possible. The fellow
told me to get my station set up so that the minute my license
arrived, I could fire it up.

I was surprised to find that most QSOs were with Generals and Extras
(and a few Class-A's) who would line up to work Novices at 5-10 WPM.

Then I got a 15 meter crystal and worked a dozen countries on 15
meter CW. This was straight-key operation at about 10-15 WPM.

Again, the stations were lined up to "give the Novice a little
practice". I was in high school and spent many Saturday mornings
on 40 CW. Was that fun! The QSL cards poured in.

I never operated on 80 but 40 and 15 were great bands. This was in
1963.

SNIP

" In all liklihood, within a year the code requirement for the General
will
also be dropped."

They have been saying that for 100 years since Marconi attached a
telegraph
key to a spark transmitter. You could wait....for a year or
forever...but...

Well, hasn't the code for HF operation already been dropped at the
international level? And haven't a number of other countries already dropped
the code requirement? The USA has never been closer to dropping the code
requirement. Still, I agree with WD0HC0 here; don't let the current modest
code requirement delay you.

I don't operate much except on CB, ah, I mean 2 meters. I do listen
to HF, about half the time, I'll copy CW just for the practice. I
was surprised to discover that I can't send CW with the keyer in my
Signal/One. The timing, spacing, or something is different from my
TTL keyer. They're both IAMBIC but something is very different.

I think the TTL keyer queues the inputs. Q = dahdahdidah. I think
on the TTL keyer, I can tap the di-side anytime during the second
dah and the keyer caches it. The Signal/One demands that I tap the
di after the second dah completes.

It's something like that.


When you ready and serious - email me and I will teach you the code in
five
minutes good enough so you can past the test. Relax, it's free.

5 minutes!!!! Could you teach my dog too? She's got an attention span of at
least 5 minutes, and in dog-years, that's 35 minutes! Should be easy.


Ed
WB6WSN

Yeah, the five minute thing doesn't sound right. I'd argue that a
person could pass the 5 WPM after a week 1 hour a night.

"Dave Edwards" wrote in message
...
It sounds like the amp is a CB type...unless it has a bandswitch similar
to
the one
on the Tempo One.
The tube is probably a TV sweep tube. ECI had something to do with the old
Courier CB sets...or vice-versa.
The Tempo One is actually made by Yaesu (Japanese) company, still making
radios today.
I used to be on the RAT newsgroup as well, but was sickened by all the
nonsense with
tube dampers or rings and the constant search for one brand 6550 or EL34
over another.
I have an expensive Audio Research amp...purchased new, and cannot hear
the
differance between it an an old Heathkit AA121 amp...with pretty good
Thiel
speakers!!
Good luck!
....Dave

Hi Dave -
You're not missin' much on RAT -
the bulk of the posts there are flames / di7k-sizin' &, as you mentioned,
posts with topics like [actual quote] "Best EL34".
Goes in waves, I guess... Got plenty of good info there.
I'm notfrom the "black magic" school of design - , and one thing that
bothered me about the RAT / audiophool crowd is the total disinterest in any
attempt at "real" objective testing. While I spend days at the bench
tweakin' my designs with sweep generators & spectrum analyzers, most are
happy with SPICE sims. Love toob audio gear to bits, but it's frightening
that people who talk of "crystaline pin-point staging" can't hear the
difference 'tween a baby grand and an upright, or players who claim to
*need* NOS RCA black-plate watevers who can't tell that their aqmp's running
on 3 out of 4 output toobs...
/rant
Well, I've finally finished alignin' the Tempo One - only 2 bad mistakes -
broke a tuning slug in a coil. The ceramic slugs were set with wax, and I
tried forcing. Bad call - luckily, i had similar slugs on old Ampex bias
generator boards. Learned a good trick, thoug: when tuning RF coils set
with wax, stick the tip of a soldering iron inside the hex hole in thhe slug
for ~5 secs at ~750F. This heats up the slug & melts the wax. The wax
stays soft for about 20 secs, giving you plenty of time to tweak the coil.
I'm sure everyone has some similar trick, but, just in case.
Mistake 2: real stoopit. Got my first RF shock /burn while tuning the
transmitter. Short flourescent toob on the plate caps, with right hand (kid
you not) on the chassis. Idiot. Even I thought I was smarter than that. A
nice reminder not to be too sure of oneself... Them RF burns are pretty
nasty - I'm sure the folks here know...
Well, now that it's done... I simply don't have the time to get seriously
intogettin' a general licence - just like with audio, my big kick is e3ither
designing /building, or restoring gear. Once it's done, the interest ebbs.
This, and the fact that I live smack in the middle of manhattan (moved from
boston a few months ago), more RF noise than ya can shake a stick at. The
thing sure looks neat, and it's fun to find people actually keyin' *real*
slow, like I imagine I would *if* i learned code... I'd probably cheat,
though, and either download or write an appy to do the keyin' / translatin'
for me. OTOH, the PS sure seems handy... Wonder how many mA the 600 & 300V
outputs are?
Thanks to all who have responded, if anyone in the NY area is interested
in *swapping* anything interesting (boat anchor test gear (no scopes, but
probes and clipaty-thingies for tek probes are always welcome), RDH4, toob
audio gear, "what the heck is it?" gear (I've actually restored a194(3?)
radar spectrum analyzer, what for?), any sort of weirdness), I'm up for it.
Can't sell - it was a gift... Thanks again,
-dim

"Shiva" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I was sent here by some folks from RAT (rec.audio.tubes), and was
attracted
by the "boatanchor" part of this NG's name - descriptive of, pretty
much,
everything I'm into. From old RCA racks filled with ancient test gear
&
power supplies to restoring vintage recording gear etc., etc. Restoring
vintage cameras got me interested in photography, and now...
My Mr. Know-It-All bliss came to an end when a friend gave me a
(Henry?)
Tempo One transceiver & an ECI (no model name) Linear Amp (both flea
finds).
I *Had* to bring them up - downloaded the operating manual & schematics
for
Tempo One, cleaned the rotary switches etc, brought up the power, and
managed to align the receiver the best I could (all my test gear is
mainly
audio, funct. generators only going up to 1 & 2 KHz, so had to rely on
harmonics to get the RF outs' them (triangle)... Got the transmitter
section putting out *some sort* of rf into a dummy load (once again,
followed the manual's step-by step idiot guide). The dummy load was a
*wirewound* 50Ohm resistor in a can of motor oil (i know it must be an
absurd load for RF, but i had nothing non-inductive - any hints?)
Anyhow, here are my problems & questions:
I'm pretty much RF illiterate, and don't have an operator's license. I
remember thinking of getting one as a kid, but code didn't come too
easy.
Some HAM at a swap meet told me that code is no longer required - is
there
a
site where I could download a sample exam / list of requirements? An
appy
which I could download so I could hook up to a soundcard of my computer
to
encode /decode Morse code (I could build any required peripherals)? A
FAQ
for this NG? Any info on NYC swaps (I just moved from Boston a while
ago,
the MIT swap was amazing...) Any hints /tricks? Any info (schematics
/manual?) on the ECI linear amp (no model on the case (chrome with 2
meters
& machined aluminum knobs wgich look just like the early AKAI knobs), a
bunch of gas voltage regulators, and a single octal / top plate output
toob,
can't remember the name, looks like an oversized 2e26.
Any info / feedback would be nice,
Thanks in advance,
-dim

Biz WDØHCO wrote:

Don't buy a Radio Amateurs Handbook.


This gets the worst advice of the year award.