EUROP E (F ro m En gloln d )

. . . "pe uessed mod els of your mol nufol c,

ture oI nd th ey were th e he ight of eng ineer.
ing oil S oI pp lied to short Wol"'e recei... er de.
sign . Th e ~ eyn ote WoliS reliolbil ity .nd the
oInin ing sen sit iv ity." . . .

.~..
o

l'~
.fJ

AFRICA (From Union of South Afric.a)

. . . " My w.rtime posit ion of Commun iu .
t ions O ff icer h.s b rought me in touch with
your p rod ucts, .n d 50 it hols become my
. mbi t io n to own . ru lly fine commun ic.
t ions receiv er of your type:'

OCEANIA (From Austrolliol VK3J

. . " S. ck in 1935 I w.s lortun.te enough
to be .ble to .cqu ire .n RME. This set h..s
perfor med m.rv elo usly,'. . .

ASIA ( From Ceylon J

. " . nd t he iechniu l world outside of
H . m.Do m shou ld be told . bout you r re'
ce .... ell . . .
o

..

SOUTH AMERICA (From Brn il PH I

. . "I h....e .n RME b9 th.t I con sider t he
bnt .reee iver I h....e see n .ny ti me." .. .

NORTH AMERICA (From the Aleut i. nsl

.... l h....e one of your 43 recei"'ers her e
.nd the reception on it is ucellent. I .m
3000 miles from Suttle end " . . .

--- - --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - - """"'!'

~-

THE CO UNTER SIGN OF DEPENDABILITY IN ANY ELECTRON IC EQUIPMENT

I PQWtp OU TPUT-Cl .... SS C TE LEGRAPHY

750

'"

- -

soc

37S

'''.1;;

I'OWf O
..

151--

."l.I 000""'. 00"

.j

- ,-

I-

EIM ....C .. :1S0A PE"'OI1M ANCE DAtA

(l '

.-

~-------------------------------_1

( "(1

-+

I
-~t

10

D ~I"'I NG POWE~

ol -_

l..-

-:-

::-

(tA'i!> C IfUG II .... PHY

--;:-

10
fl1fOUEN CY MEGACYCLE S

NEW EIMAC 4-250A TETRO DE

H eading a parade of ~cnsati()nal new t uht:s now in
prod uctio n . the Eirnac i 2 s n A Teuo dc c- bu rod uced
seve ral m onths "Iot0 - is alre ad y in gre a t de mand . l r
may P OI)' to c heck rh csc performance c.-ha roU.: lcrisrin
against )"ou r o w n rcqui re mvms.
A s ca n be 'it:,err h)' t he l'han above , t he new rimae
4.2soA Ter rodc will defiver 7 S0 w a us Out put at frcq ucncics u p (Q 70 M e with a dri\'i ng puwcr of only S
warts. At freqocnctcs up (O W M e . an output uf7S0 watts
rna)' be obtai ned w ith a d r i\ ing power of ,3 .5 wans.
The gridplat~: capaci eaocc of 0 .11 IIl/fd . i~ extremc:ly
low. allowing operation at high Irequencie.. wuhour
neutulizalion. U\e uf Eimar " X" proc.:e.... courro! ~ri d
r e d uces borb prim~ry and se condary emi....ion which
provide.. utmo..t ..tabilit).
Yo u arc invi red [() supplcmeoe the information ~ i\cn
h e re with a technical bulletin on Eimac 4 1 50 A Pow er
'Ie rrodc. It co n ta ins an dahoration of the rube' .. ch aracteriuiu and cunlant c,:urtl'nt curve... Send vour nam e
and address and a copy w ill go 10 you h)' return mail.
CAU l ION I ' h .c l.. ......1 ....... b...
_ f i .... c l ula.lafo yo .. b ..y II..

Th . lIlI. C.... ;"'1 0 " ,

;r/eh ).,,''/06I. ,.il , tr.. J, JO Nr . .. II

f .r
"",'.,f
r 16'"
i e III ~J I . ~rrl, ..uJ Ihl> .u .. r.

.,h.

... , . yo u . ..
~oo k

".""''1

for 1"' M . ;. I

'ype.

b ,

TYPE 4 .2S0A -POWER nlRODE

FO LLO W TH E LEADER S TO

fUC"' C Al CH "I"CUl ln ICS

' ;1_ . ; II...;.......
Y ..h a ge

'_9.....

.. 0

C.......,
Pl
Di

h,.n "

i_
)
C. p ac ;. _

7SO
1

0 .17
17 .7
eS

: h

r: \

, &

<..111 _

eacI S.lt l .". ( ;Iy . Ute"

lOl ( loa, S,. S- h .... i ... n . (ohl. U. S. , .

" OMC_d...c''''''_ l;. _ -el

t.
1000

I Cl _

.
w

09" )

0..., .

ElTElMecULLOUGH . INC.. IDI6- N Sa MIItt A..... S. Bn lll, CIIIf.

P_ I>

h .S _

O' ;,o.i_ I
1ft
G, id Plo ._

I..

~ .

).

d.
fd .
fd .

eooo ~ .......

Seporole e lectrlcol
band ipreod with in_
ertia fly.....eJ lunl"",.

fTaffl
5 40 Ir.c 10 42 Mc eeet; "UOU~ In four bond~
Tul'ling

Hinge

SeIf.con1alned , ~
mounted, p e rma ne nt
mggn et dyrocm ic
i peo lee r

....11 contraIl log ically

grou ped fo r eglieil
a per otio n. No r m o l
p Ol itio n for bro o d
e-e s t r ece p ti on
ma rked in .ed, mak
Ing p o u lbl e g enelol
U$IIt b y whole fa mUy.

Automotic no he
limiter

3 -p o ) ilion lone
("onlrol

St g nd by rl!' u lve

switch

(APPROXIMATElY)

New. desig , new utility . in a great

r
e
ce
iv
er .
new co m m unic a t io n s

so

He re is Ho tlc rc fte rs ...ew Model 5.4 0. With th is great communica tiof'ls receiver, ha...d some ly d e sig ned,
ell.pertly eng ineered. Hallicrafters points rhe way to ellciting new d e ve lopments in a mateur rCldio. Read
those speiflCa tiof'ls , . . it's touer-mcde for hams . Look CIt rhe sheer b ea uty o f the 5-40, , ,nothing like it
to be seen in the communica tions field . Listen to the Clmoz ing performance . . excels anything in its priee
doss. See your local distri butor about when you can get a ... 5-.40 .
INSIDE STUFF: Beneath the $Ieek exter;ar of the 5-40 is a be a utifully engineered chossi$. One stage of tuned radio freque ncy a mplifK:ation, the
5-40 uses a type 6SA7 rub e 0 $ converter miller for b e st $ignClI to noise
ra tio. RF coils are o f the permeab ility ad justed "micro-set" type identical
with rhose used i... the most expensive Ha lliaofte B receive rs. The high
fre quency oscillator i$ te mp e rature compensated for ma ll.imum sta bility.

From .very a ngle ,Ite $-40 ;.

oppIico1iotts.

011

iJeoI ..cejy.,. For 011 high FrequeMY

halli[raftl!rs RADIO

t M' HAU lCIA n u s co.. MANU'A(lU IU S 0 1 I . DIO

AN D I U Ctl ONI C I Q UIPM I Nf. CHICAGO 16, U. S. A..

c_

'H . I U

co

The Radio Amateurs' Journal

S A N FO ~ D R . COWA~ .

"l'ubJiiJ#lcr

co. PUBLISHED M ONTHV.... BY RADIO MAGAZINES. Inc,

EXEC UTIVE &. EDITORIAL O F F I C E S: 3 4 1 M ild; .....n Ave.,

NEW YORK 17. N . Y. TELEPHONE MU rTiI)' Hill 2-134(,.
F.DITORIAL STAFF : J ohn H . P ott'S . E ditor , P rNid~ nt ; Z"h
Douc"'. W6QMR WLNG . ~", 2PI. el' -W-1PC. .,1l LU4A . Au x .
Edil or ; L 'He'llrf' uK 'loh man. W210P. A .ss't Editor ; Frank C .
) 0 ......... W 6AJF . C ontrif). E.di, or; Robert Y . Chapman . VltQV,
Ad i.1Or} Editor Evetyn A. Eiwnbe-r&. Edit . P,od . M~'r.

.,n.

BUSINESS STAFF ; S. R. eo....

A.d v . M~,. S Ky: H . N .
U.u , A.t/v S 'll1fJ f" B . J . Reew . Adv. Sa'f'",; O . Saltman. P, ><I .
1! ', . . RI' urtlan . Cire'/ ,'Wt,.

YOLo 2, No.3

MARCH, 1946

COVER
A pair of H K54' s in a neutralized lines amplifier,
This PA d elivers 400 watts output on 144
me. A complete d escription of the transmitter will appear in April CQ (P hoto by
W2TC)

Mall Coupon BeloN for

NEW CONCORO
CATALOG- FREE

ART ICLES

A trea.ure. book 0 1
n l u e. 1 sa ba r,a l n_
p acked p a ge. lI .tln,
tb ou . and. o f .ta nd_
a r d _ make. to pqu ality r ad io partl
a n d electron ic . u pplle. - at 10 .... b argain
price . .
T h e ..a l ue.
IJlted below a r e t ypi _
c a l o f th e Im portant
.a..ln ( .
o ffe red
In
Me ten. Con de n.en.
Tran .former . Re.l . _
to n , C ontr ol . ,
g w Le c h e Rel a y.,
Te.t E q u i p m e n t .
G e n e r a t o n. Microphone., T ool ., ete., etc,

NEUTR ALI ZIN G

T OOL
KIT
Con5ilts o1 , Ulotll
IItftlUry lor HU hlllinlrk. 12
lul l Itltscortd
I." 5 ulIlts I.
IIJ UlIr. t1t

586541

I''''''
2.63

7..ero Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Narrow Band F M for Amateur U8e
Jack J.l1abku, W2GDG
" 7
Co nstructin~ the 8J K Beam
David f . Lewis, W2IYO . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. 9
H igh Performance Converter

lloward A. Bowman, W6QIR

Improving Receiver Selecti vity
Comdr. R. H , Conklin,
W3J UX, ex W91lNX , W9F~I
Eyes for Your Receiver
J. U. Popki n-Clurma n,
W2LNP and J . S . 81m"I",.
More On Surplus
M aurice R. Gutman, W2VL
A Low Cost 450 Wat t C W T ra nsmit ter
Prank C. J anes, W6AJF
Getting On t he Air Fro m a Shoebox
..l Iaurice K. Bretz/elder, W2.JPX
Resistance-Capacita nce Nomogram

OH MIT E
MO OEL
G

potenllO'
meter
15 .hlM, 15

.atts.

512015

}(" 61a. shan

$1.95

"ur Cnt

O R DER

TQDA Y F OR SHIPMENT T OMORROW

F RO M CHIC AG O O R AT LANTA
HUf e .toek. in T WO con ..enl ent wa r e hou . e.---o n e I n
CH C AGO a nd o ne tn AT LANTA- arc read y to . u p ply
yo u quickly w hh needed p art. of depen d able. n at lon all y_
kno wn qu a li ty - and at lo w barf,t n p rice. that meaD
real . a ..l n( . M all the coupon below N O W fo r you r FRE E
copy o f CONCORD'S NE W C ATA LOG.

[ONCORD RADID
901 W. Jadl.on II.d.

27

30
34
.40

Cal18 Heard
.42
D x . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . .
44
Pa rts and Prod ucts
46
Club X C\\"8 . . . . .. . _ . . . . .. . . 50
Ad vertising Index . ... . . . . . . . . 64

2 65 'oach', St, ,

91. W. J . d tlOQ BIni C h kato 7. III.

: PI__ R USH FRE f;OPY of CO SCO R D'S
I DC'W 3l~a. VICTORY CLEARANCE Fl7er

I
I

I Nam e

St.te

22

CaRp.

: COSCORn RADIO CORPORATION', Depc.. e R-- 36

I Addr
I. C lt y

18

DEPARTMEN TS

LAFAYETTE RADIO CORPORATION

CHICAGO 7. Ill.
..
ATLANTA 3. GA.

12

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

I
I

BRANCH OFFICES
a aroM J SU ll,arman. M an.g..,. - Charloc.. H . F.rr~l1
82 'I.' t W ."hingtL.n St .. Ch u:ago 2 . 111 . Af'.;"d over 2840
H W . DlCKOW
1387 40th A" il: S$n Ftan6 ..co 22 . Clilltf ~
FORElGN SUBSCRIPTION REPRESENTATIVES
R1RJ i,3 Sueif'l)' (.01 Graal Bntain . Nf"w R u sk in H ou....
iltle Ruu.oll St .. London, w.e. 1 , Enclalld
Harri" & Plcvd . 197-299 S ..... fln1.too St .
Mf"loourm.., C . 1, Vktoria. Au~trali a

 Photoe.ophic ..i .... of ....

CALifORNIA KilOWATT
.. 09"' poWt;on ond .....ty tao
tr........it or .....i...

ii

Myron E. KI..,.. P,..ident of KI~ IIoKt.onin, In(.., proudly pr........ to

the .adio omol.un.f me world
w _ i o n i" radio hnfwy, n..
CALIFORNIA KllOWAn_ "0". pociog.e' 1000 won ornate'
.,diG
I totion dfligned .nd ...",i.....ed to b,i", omat.ur radio
of ,he
"ic .nd me "-:Ir .nd into ,he living roo.....

....

me

me

About
ail f on ord,nary ......
CALIFORNIA KllOWAn n
aimply ond b.o"'if,,11y dMigned ,. rlt into your den or living room ...
neatly ond ho,monioUily GI on oddnional pie<. of f ....nn ..... with na
II""" or ....... It n comp""" ..If_ntoined with ~ing to", odd.d.
KI..,. 11oKt..-., Inc.. .. me MI to ~ _ , d.-ig .. ond prod,,", thil
Nmon.oble contributio.. to "'O'*"...adio. Arnang
Ipftiol KI....
kat_ de.igned iMo .... CALIFORNIA KllOWAn_,

me

1. A California Kilowalll.a
'"" with an arnaling ".W lube de.
op......, 5 band Gp"oIio
ith _iob.. fNq-..cy co",,01 i .. each
band _pt-.. or
tMow of a Iwitch-l10 or 220 _h Gp"0I"";

ew '"' ....

2. Prov....... for your docMco rna"'- of rMoivel';

J . luilt..... 1pHI1r... - (htgh

fidelity ..rroo'. IpHIIr... o lso
avaiklb"~

4. 1",It-i.. tr.q... ncy ........

~ -oll band cryllol co'"

'.01....;
5. luilt-i.....orld

ti",.

doclo: ;

6. lII"m,nated _let rnap

with corlo boclring;
The CA1Jf()RNIA IC IlOWAn
7. Pric_ .... co... pl.'. CAUin dowd poIilion
FORNIA '::llOWAn Sfotion
COl" fa
tho" you .... _Id pK1 to poy for
Iro........,,,... 010"..

,
i"9' of me KI"90 CALIFORNIA KllOwAn will be heW
i.. ),'Y citi.- _
ttN9ughovt .... nation by A".KOI Ieoding .hl.
IDle dnl.ibulOI'L fof addit;onol i..formalion obout the CAUFORNlA
KllOWAn write' to '::1"90 flectrOl"lica. Inc. Dept. Gl . 1031 N. A..._ ....
LM A....... 26, Colif.

St_.

A ,-"w Mnitoriol aN Itill availoble to quolif.eef

dillrib...-. W.ite or - i.. K1"90 floKt._ia. Inc.

CQ

..

At a War D~rtment Conferena between ARRL officers and repruentalivea of aU

UniUd Statu Military Seruicu held February l lat with FCC repru tntaJive! also present,
it was agreed that At ilwry Servi<u will rtl<a.l. frequenciu 117()() to JOO Icc on or about
March 31st in fM continental UnUM Statu only and aubject to continued military w e
of a ftw jrequencitB for a ahort while on a non-eullUive basis and secondary loui-pouer
military use throughout tM band3 on a non-inlerJering bam. It u !wpm to extend this
agreement to territories and pos8uBions 8oon. lVhik FCC has not yet oQiciaUy indicated
attitude, it u erpected it wiU gladly open !hue jrequ.enciu April 1st including Class A
~.. 9900 to JOO Icc and pia... may 1>< mad. a=rding/y. Rut
til< band will return
thu year. Regarding 7 to 14. me banda, military hope to accomplilh a compute CWJT.
once toward 1M latter part of thu year with pr03puU good for return oj BulMtanUal portion
oj each band by mida'ummu. ,M ilitary sM w good f ulings and cooperalion and are doing
....-ything po,ribk to upsdils.

0'

FEW MOSTIIS ACm an adve rtisement a ppeared

in a New York City newspape r featuring war

surplus material, What particularly caught our
eye was a pair of holt cutters made for the
Signal Corps, selling at a very reasonable price
for a heavy-duty, double-action cutter, We
had often felt the need for one of these gadgets
in routine shop work, and lost no time in filling
out a check for 2.50, covering the purchase
which was received after some delay,
The "bolt cutter" was not exact ly as represented-e-except for "insulated handles" which were
merely tape-wrapped and shellacked. Actually
it was a heavy-duty wire cutter with two guides
that facilitated entry of the wire into the cutting
jaws. The guides had to be hack-sawed off
befo re the tool could be used on light holts
in average locations.
The cutter, however,
was correctly described as a war surplus item.
T he casting was plainly labeled, "U. S. SIGNAL
CO RPS-1918."
The moral-if you wa nt to eall it t hatis fairly obvious, and applies to radio test and
operating equipment. Modificati on may be
necessary to render it su itable for amateur
or radio service a pplications, a nd you may
not be able to obtain what you want for a
quarter century I Surplus should he hought
from legitimate dealers only-e-t hose whose advertiaing appears in recognized radio journals
that are anxious t o protect t he ham, or through
personal inspection.
CQ has published several a rticles on the
subject of war surplus radio mat erial, and
while many constructive considerations have
been evoked and demonst rated, the picture,
as a whole, does not justify too much enthusiasm.
Though more ann more war surplus equipment
M arch,1946

is trickling into the market, t he vast hulk of

transmitters) receivers and elaborate test apparatus is being with-held from eager would-be
purchasers. Just what is wrong is a matter
of conjecture, rumor plus a bit of factual fire
to make the smoke. That some usable equipment is deliberately being "caunibnliscd't-e-rcndered unfit for service and [unkcd-e-secma to
be lamentably true. And this docs not apply
only to the USA. In Cheadle, Cheshire, England,
hundreds of "radio sets were recently dumped
from trucks into a 150-foot deep mine shaft and
adequately interred with a ton or two of earth.
These were transmitters and receivers built
for the RAF planes, a nd, according to t he
Ministry of Aircraft Producti on, in London,
were "surplus unserviceable stock ... . in need
of repairs and of no use to civilians." Regardless
of inoperability, t he writer is inclined to believe t hat at least 90% of this huried treasure
would have been salvaged by an}" amateur
or radio serviceman.
The manufacturer has already made a
reasonable profit on the product which he
sold to Uncle Sam. Also, such wa r surplus
material as has appeared on t he market seems
to have been siphoned into t he usual t rade
channels with no one (other than t he government) losing money on the transacti on. Another consideration is the probability t hat the
vastly increased number of amateurs can read ily
absorb a large amount of war sur plus stock
without affecting adversely t he economy of
the radio indust ry. Finally, most amateurs
who can afford the best, will prefer purchasing
apparat us designed specifically for their needs.
On t he other hand, the immediate release
{Conti nued on page 58]

------------~.----------

Still Your

BEST CHOICE for

TRY LO R

ALL INPUTS ... ON ALL BANDS!

TUBE5
*

CLASS C RADIO FREQUENCY

FREQUENCY MULTIPLYING
CRYSTAL OSCILLATOR
CLASS B AUDIO
POWER SUPPLIES

Taylor Tubes are the choice 01 Amateurs who in.i.t on

" M ore Watts per Dollar." With Taylor Tubes, they gel
the greatest possible "Safety Factor" which means protection against loss of tubes due to temporary overloads.

In rectiAers, the 866 Jr. and 866A are the .tandard 01

comparison ... more in use than all other make. combined.
The TZ-40 h.. been the leader in the medium power Aeld
lor 8 years . it's still the tops in perlormance and value lor
both Cl... C RF and CI... B Audio. Prool can be heard on
the air daily.
The "Tulfy" TUF-20 has set a new standard in the portablemobile lield-a tube that can take it and put it oull
The new Taylor TB-3S Beam Tetrode h.. quickly established
itsell as a most popular type lor ease 01 drive and lor bandchange rigs .

That's just high-lighting a lew 01 the lamous Taylor Tubes.

Others the T-SS-the T-200 and the T-12S-the T-20 and
TZ-2~he 805 and 203Z and the big 822 are again
enjoying deserved popularity.

Most Hams know that they are soler with Taylor Tubes because they are protected by the generous Taylor Guarantee.

I
I

SOLD BY ALL LEADING

RADIO PARTS DISTRIBUTORS

--_.:.,---

" MORE WATTS

PER DOLLAR"

ALL AMATEUR TRANSMITTER CONTEST

For the beet Interf'ets of aU Amateun, the eonreee clOlIIDlt da te hu been

e x t e n d ed to May 1.5. 9.&6. You nD _t ill eeeu re you r entrY blank at you r
radio part. d trlbutor or by wrltlnA dlrtly to Taylor Tu~. Inc.

co

NARROW BAN D FM
'f(jlz,
teut U&e
JA CK BABKES, W2GDG

FM has a defin ite place in ham ra dio. This is the first in

a se ries of articles d iscussing the practica l aspects of FM.
Eve ry phase will be cove red, including tra nsmitte rs and
modulato rs that will convince even the most skeptical
amateur that FM is he re ta sta y
broadcast ing has bee n
making increased usc of F.l\I., there has
bee n no correspond ing development in the
amateur field. F.l\I. advantages over A.M. broadcasting nrc so great that its limited utilization by
amuteurs is difficult to underst and without an apprecint icn of the ca uses for this cond it ion. The
foremost obstncles to wid er adaptat ion of this
superior method of transmission appears to be
t he misconception that F.M. eq uipment is expensive and ext remely complex.
Those pioneering amateurs who have tried
F .M . were discouraged when they found it
d ifficult to maintain communications with stut ions having the conventional A.M. receivers.
The elimination of this trouble would have been
relatively simple if they had used narrow band
F .l\I., instead of wid e band F .M . Using narrow

III U

COMME RCIAL

band P.M., not only could they communicuu with stations having A .~I. receivers, but would
have been able to penet rate p ractically aU t y pe!'
of QR~I wit h greater ease.

Narrow Band FM
The definition of narrow ba nd F.l\1. is a d eviation of unity or a modulation index of 1. (, r heD
the modulation index equals unity, the variation
of radio frequency from the frequency of the
carrier is equal to the modulation frequency. )
As we are interested mainly in voice frequencies
between 300 and 3000 cycles, the use of narrow
band F .M . makes it possible and practical to
employ a standard A.M. receiver since deviation
at the transmitter is only 3 kc or a total bandwidth of 6 kc.

For sheer economy 1-'.1'1. leads the field . It

T O NEX T
STAGE

AUOIO - A M P

OSG

.----1(1-_

REA CTANCE

40

" 00

l,IETERS

,,
z
~

...

TO 8 +

Ag. 1. Conventional reaet.nce modulator and oscillator with one sta ge of audio

March,1946

guarant ees a savings of at least 60% over the

present day A.M. transmitters. For exam ple, let
us assume that we have built an A.~I. phone
transmitter for ten meter operat ion and are using
an 8 13 t ube for the final. In order to modulat e
the finull OO% for 175 watts out put 87.5 watts of
aud io is needed. In narrow band F.II!. modulation only t wo small receiving tubes are required
to obtain 200 watts out put from the same 813
tubes. T he following features of narrow band
F.II!. should be emphasized .
A. A convent ional A.M. receiver can be used
with excellent results.
B. Any narrow band F.}'l. t ransmitter is more
economica l in construction than an A.M.
transm itter of similar performance.
C. Na rrow band F.II!. has a better signal to
noise ratio-approximately 6 db-making
it possible to get and maintain better DX

its carrier. In actual practice it has been found

that receivers having a variable bandwidth control operated best when set in either the medium
or broad position corresponding to a band pass
of from 6 to 10 kc. Some of tbe inexpensive receivers have a fixed IF system which corresponds
to a 6 to 8 kc band-pass, which is adequate for
reception of narrow band transmissions. By using
this method of reception the second detector becomes a "slope detector," receiving the F.~l.
signal and converting it back to A.III. When
QRl\l is present and the "going gets tough," the
receiving stat ion has the advantage of being able
to tune his receiver to the other side of the F.II!.
carrier, making it possible t o maintain a better
QSO. This procedure gives the receiving station
a choice of two frequencies ... yet the narrow
band F.M. transmitter doesn't occupy much
more room in the receiving spectrum than a conventional A.~l. transmitter. " n en comparing a
weak F.II!. signal of approximately R-3 to a fair
A.III. signal of R~, it will be observed that the
F .II!. signal will always be easier to copy. Practically all QRIII is A.III., enabling the F.II!. signal
to penetrate through, providing the QRIII is of
equal signal st rength to that of the F.II!. If this

contacts .

D. More watts per dollar and greater efficiency is obtuined'from na rrow band F.l\L

FM on In AM Receiver
" "hen using a conventional A.M . receiver, all
you have to do is tum off the automatic volume
control and detune the receiver t o either side of

(Continued on page 61)

TO NEXT
, STA; E

REACTANCE
MOD.

AUDIO -AM P

OSC ,

80
MET ERS

40
M

MIKE

E
T
E

INPUT

R
S

:r-

AUDIO
OECOU PL FR

~,.

OE ",IAT IOt.
......,
l,l E T( R

TO

8+
O I SCRI" I"'ATO ~
" ')lE~

Ho

OF.

F.

c,

270K.G.

He

TO

1+

f19.

t . Autom_tic frequency control ndworir:

to ,"_in~ln frequency control in FM

(Q

u
8 JK BEAM

The most d ifficult part in constructing the high ly effective 8JK

beam antenna is the mechanical suppo rt. Th is thorough description of a simple and easy method of construction wil l be
of inte rest to newcomers and o ldtime rs a like
DAVID F. LEWIS, W21YO

ITH THE OPENum of all bands envisioned in

the near future, amateurs are again faced
with the problem of efficient antenn as, Un-

doubtedly many amateurs have changed their

QRA during the war or have disassembled

antenna systems, necessitating new installations. In the past, much emphasis was placed
upon the importance of a properly designed

radiator from an electrical standpoint, but relatively little consideration was given to correct
mechanical construction. War-time engineering
and manufacturing have accentuated the importance of rugged mechanical and efficient elec-

Photographic description of the crosse()vcr and sus..

pension insulators.
Sponge rubber cushions the
Insulators hom the straps

trical design- actual experience revealing that

ODC without the other will not suffice. It was
with t his in mind that the following antenna

system and method of installation came into

being.

Ten and Twenty Meten

Operat ion w... desired on t he twenty and tenmeter bands, and a beam w... designed that would
give satisfactory operation on both spectra. AIl
only limited space was available, the antenna
system had to be as small as possible, exhibit
maximum efficiency, and be mechanically rugged.

Eye boll arrangement on both ends of all three

wooden spreaders

A bi~irect ioDalend-firearray-known in amateur

circles as the "Kraus flat-top or 8 JK Beam,"
was selected (Fig. I). AIl this system is fully described in most amateur hand books only a brief
resume of its electrical characteristics will be

given here.
Essentially, this antenna consists of t wo dipoles closely spaced. I t is possible, because of
the close spacing, to obtain proper phase relation. hi p by crossing the wires of the Bat-top at t he
voltage loops rather than u t ilizing phasing stubs.
The bi-directional gain of this array is 6 db on its
fundamental frequency. I t can also be used on
the second and fourth harmonics with a tuned
[P/loIoa

bv J ad< a.lbli<htl

March.1946

M.thod of fastening antenna to eye bolb. Note

that the Insulator .eparatn the antenna wi,. fro...
the boll itsell

,
open-wire line. When operating on harmonics.
the radiation pattern has four main lobes. If
only twenty-meter operation is desired, a mat ching st ub may be employed to obtain the proper
impedance match between an open-wire line of
600 ohms impedance a nd th e flat-top. This will
allow the use of an untuned line of any desired
length with negligible losses if the standing-wave
ratio is kept to a minimum.
Conslruclional Data
In order that the finished product be mechanically rugged the best of materials should be used
in its construction. The following lists the materials and tools necessary to complete the job.

Materials
12 staple plates, 2" x 2" with 1/8" staple
2
24
24
24
4
9
4
200
2
:~

loops, 4 mounting holes. Brass or galvanized steel.

pipe-straps, t wo-hole mounting type for
clamping 1"-diameter pipe. Brass, copper
or galvanized steel.
8-32 x 172" round-head machine screws,
- nickel-plated brass.
8-32 x 5/16" hex nuts, nickel-plated brass.
8-32 split Jock-washers.
1" round-head wood screws, nickel-plated
brass.
7" glazed-porcelain insulators, 1" diameter,
800 lbs. break-strength.
4" glazed-porcelain insulators, 1" diameter.
ft . of 112 steel core, copperclad, enamelcovered wire.
eye-screws, Y2" -diameter eye.
lengths seasoned oak 2" xl" x 9'.

Tools
1
1
I
2

large pair of cutters.

pair of mechanic's pliers.
hand drill with a 119 drill.
sheets of moderately rough sand paper
(about II grit ).
1 lOO-watt soldering iron.
Solder.
Screwdriver.
Lt

r..,,

.'

1
L

Lt

.
r

.'
Lt
30'

2'-

Fig. 1. DI.gram of the 8JK be. m.

Lt
30'

.ttached to poinb X .nd X

' 10

J
.r.

Feeden

The first step in const ruct ing the array is to

mount the staple plates on the t wo-inch side of
the oak spreaders. Locate the plates with the
staple in t he vertical position exactly two inches
from each end on t he t hree nine-foot pieces of
oak, and scribe t he mounting holes with a pencil.
Drill a hole with a 119 drill t hrough the center 01
all scribed points. Ken place a staple plate on
each side of t he oak spreader and insert the 1 7~"
machine screws through the four mounting holes
(Fi g. f ). Apply t he lock-washers and hex nuts
and 'draw up as tightly as possible with a screwdriver. The distance between the centers of the
st aple plates at each end of the oak spreader will
be exact ly 8', 8" (t he desired spacing) if the
sta ples a re 2 1' from each end before mounting.
This spacing consti t utes the necessary distance
bet ween the antenna dipoles.
At this point, it is advisable to apply a coat of
varnish or paint to t he oak lengths to protect
t hem from t he weat her. Spar varnish is strongly
recommended 88 its weather-resistent prop-

Fig. 2. Showing the staple plete mountings on the

three 9..foot lengths of seasoned oalc

ert ies are excellent. If desired, two coats may be

applied for longer protection.
The next step is to mount a 4" insulator exactly in the center of one of the oak spreaders
which will be the center spreader of the array.
This insulator is used as a separator for the two
dipole wires where they cross over for proper
phasing (Fi g, S). It is at this point that the
feeders or mat ching stub are connected . T o
mount the insulator, measure 4 ~' from one end .
Place the insulator horizontally at right anales to
the spreader and against the l " -side of the wood.
Hold it there by placing one of the pipe-straps
over the center of the insulator. Mount the stra p
with the 1" wood screws. This will affix t he insulator securely in a horizontal position. A small
piece of sheet rubber 1/ 16" thick may be placed
between the clamp and the insula tor befo ra
mounting the clamp. T his will insure tight
clamping action and also protect the procelain
insulator against cracking when pressure is applied to the screws holding the clamp.
Two eye-screws are mounted directly beneath
the insulator. The center-to-center spacing of the
eye-screws must be 4" and 2" each side of the
center insulator. These are used to suspend in-

co

4 "INSULATOR

PIPE

.'

PIPE CLAMP

-, ,\

,
.... rEEDER INSULATORS

Fig. 3. Wiring detail eaptaining feeder support and

connections

su latcrs which will support the open wire line or

matching stub, if the latter is used. M ount a 7"
insulator against the 2" side of the spreader in a
vertical position two feet from one end of the
spreader. The method of mounting is the same as
described for the cross-over insulator. This insulator separates the dipole wires just before t hey
cross over at t he center insulator.

Dipole Wires
M easu re and cut t he 112 eopperwe ld wire for
t he antenna dipoles. Looking at the antenna
from the top in Fi g. 1, it eonsists of t wo parallel
wires t hat cross over at the center, forming a fourlegged figure. The length of each dipole is 60'
plus 9' for the cross-over or a total of 69'. This
will make the length of I rl exactly 30' per leg.
The overall length of the antenna is 60' which is
quite small for a beam capable of six db gain
broadsides. The dimensions given will allow
efficient operation on any frequency between
14000 and 14400 ke or on harmonics therefor.
Because 112 steel core wire is rather difficult to

handle, the following method of measuring and

cutting was used by the author. F asten one end
of the wire securely around a tree or post. Reel
off about 32' and fasten that end to the bumper
of a car. Push the car slowly until the wire is
taut and then apply the brake. T his method will
allow accurate measuring and cutting of the four
30' and two 9' lengths. When cutting allow
sufficient excess for tying to the antenna insulators,
After the wires are cut, attach each end of the
30' lengths to the eight remaining 7" insulators.
Remove the enamel coating with sandpaper for a.
distance equal to the excess length allowed for insulator tying. Slip the ends of the wires tbrough
the holes in the insulators and wrap around the
antenna wire at least five times and solder. Make
sure a good soldered connection is obtained. Attach one end of each wire to a staple plate on
each of the t wo end oak spreaders. Use 112
eopperweld as the tie wire between the insula tors
and t he staple plates. Next fasten the free end.
of the four wires to the center oak spreader. The
length of the tie wi res between the insulators and
the staple plates should be exactly 4 inches. This
wi ll allow a distance of two feet (length wise) bet ween the Ld legs. Now t hat all fo ur lengths are
attached to the three spreaders, the cross-wires
arc attached. Sandpaper tbe ends of the two
9'-lengths of wire. \Vrap around and solder one
end to Ld where it is fastened to the insulat or at
the center spreade r end . Slip the free end through
the u pper hole of t he separator insulator, through
one hole of the center insulator and out to the
d iagonal leg of the antenna and BOlder securely .
Repeat this operation with the otber 9' length
using the remaining two legs, L-l , and the remaining holes in the spreader and center insulators . The cross-over wires may be attached to
[Continued on pag. IJ3]

INSULATORS

INSULAlOR

INSULATOR

-e....

t-!~,...-_ 30,,"' _ _

30'

~----2 '--04

FOR

ATTACHMENT

OF FEEDERS
SEE FlG.3

,',"

,
30'

30'
AOOtTIONAl GUYS WILL BE NECESSARY IN SOME
INSTALLATIONS TO PROPERLY POSITION FEEDERS

Fig. 4 . Slcetch 01 the co mpleted array showing spreade",

March, 1946

UOSS.()VC" ,

antenna, supporting tops and ,.. y.

11

HIGH PERFORMANCE

CONV~RT~R
HOWARD A . BOWMAN, W6QIR

This straightfoward converter may be used on any number

of bands with plug in coils . Complete details of construction
are covered, making it a project ideal for the non-engineer
ham. 10 meter OX is rolling in at W6QIR with the aid of this
high performance unit
li Bera' de wa'" when first on ten
meters, we were aglow with expectations of
some of this fine DX heard being worked
in another fellow's shack. The shack W88 rude,
and the awakening thorough. We just didn't
hear it. And it's an old truism in Ham ranks that
if you can't hear them you can't work them.
At first the inclination was to suspect antenna
trouble, but a switch to a three element rotary
didn't help too much. There was the gain to be
expected normally from such an array, but the receiver still wasn't performing nearly as well sa
many others (of greater cost. it's true) that were
heard elsewhere.
. Following the manufacturer's instructions for

W A Y BACK

such a. procedure, a 0-1 Me. meter to serve 88 a

carrier strength indicator was connected to the
receiver. We had long heen aware that to get any
kind of results from the receiver on ten we had to
leave both r-f and a-f gain controls wide open.
The meter was a revelation. On the lower Irequency bands it performed as would;' be expected. A signal that sounded R8, read R8 on
the meter. On the receiver's highest frequ ency
range, however, it was a different story.
Signals which we would have classified R6 to
RS (by ear) produced virtually no'meter deflection. Local signals which seemed about to tear
the cone from the speaker pushed the needle up
to R3 nr R4.

Sin,le dill tunins of the converter simplifies operation .

Switches from left to rig hi ....
Send-Receive, AnlenM, .nd

AC 0.011

12

co

Connectors on bide of converter . r -e line , Jonft

connector for extem.1 con..
trol, term in.1 5trip for connccting to receiver, .nd
.ntenn. binding posu. Note
r-l grid coil.uembly. Other
coil5 are similarly m.de

The inference we drew from this experience

W88 simply that the receiver did not have the
necessary amount of gain on its highest frequency
range. Investigation showed the front end I.rC
ratio to be poor for such work. The capacitors
were large and the inductances small. It was
obvious that more r-f gain was needed.
When an 1853 failed to produce noticeahle
change when substituted for the 6SK7 r-f tube,
it was decided to try a converter ahead of the receiver, a procedure long advocated by the ardent
ten meter hounds with whom we had become
acquainted.
The first converter was a simple one, consisting
of a 6KR oscillator-mixer combination, preceded
hy a 7G7/1232 r-f stage. Both grid and plate circuits of the r-f stage were tuned, producing a eonsiderable amount of gain. Thc performance of
the converter as a whole was a revelation . Even
though tuning W88 done through the oscillator
section alone, the r-f stage merely being peaked
on the signal, signals were up noticeably. The
gain amounted to several R points on the meter,
and we could now back down the a-f gain and
eliminate some of the noise. The combination of
converter and receiver seemed to us then, and
seems to us now, better than any receiver we
have heard operating straight through at these
frequencies .
With the war and WERS, the converter waa
tom down for its parts. Now, with ten open
again, and in fairly good shape, the time has
come to pay attention once again to converter
design.
In the past few years thinking over converter
design, we have come to be rather definite about
the things which should go toward making a good

Mooch,1946

converter. 'Ve even listed them so that they

could be checked off in building. Here they are:
I. Voltage stabilization on the oscillator at
least, and perhaps elsewhere too.
2. Separate oscillator and mixer tubes. The
various converter tubes are good, but at
these frequencies, not quite good enough.
3. All the usable gain we could get.
4. Provision for antenna switching, so that the
converter might be left permanently connected to the receiver.
5. Single tuning control.
6. lIIulti-band operation.
AU of these we achieved. Some of them were accomplished only at the expense or other items,
but the finished converter is astisfactory from the
standpoint of any or the above criteria.

Choice of Tube.
Obviously, the first chore was to select tube
complement, because upon these selections many
other points might hinge. They would to some
extent detennine chassis layout, and most cer...
tainly would have effect upon the circuit design..
The oscillator tube was the easiest to choose.
The 6J5 is a ready oscillator in almost any circuit, and operates well at frequencies much
higher than were contemplated working with the
converter. In addition, the fact that it is a triode
makes the circuit considerably simpler than
would have been the case had a pentodc been
chosen.
For the mixer we chose a 6AC7 /1852. The
1852 h88 a very high transconductance when used
in mixer service, and will give much greater conversion gain than any of the usual mixers or converters. It h88 fuU shielding, and its metal <on-

13

st ruct ion means t hat physically it. is very sturdy .

T he r-f stage presented quite a problem. Since
it wus desired to tune both input and output
circuits, some means of isolating t hese from each

ot her was a necessity to prevent oscillation. ' Ve

didn' t want even a trace of instability which is
almost invariably accompanied by inaccuracy in
tuning reset. I t is evident t hat one of the best

,I '... 7I - - - - - - -r-7
I
I
~

,t? ~t.

f--+========:;l

ow,

r---- -----;::, ~:c::=::!2======]l

T

v, 18,;;5_'

r----.----

: TO AC\lR

f- - - -

...

ow,

I
V~y

H,

c,

Coo

v. 1VRI50
~,

-Wiring dl.gram of 10 to i meter convater construded with the following parts (others of equlv.lent perform. nee
m.y be substituted)
CI-10~JJI

double spiced Bad "Tiny Mit." (or

equly.l.nt)
C.-3-30 ~1J1 mlc. trimmer
C.-15 ~,J Bud "TIny Mite" (or equly.lent)
C,-50 #lid eere temper.ture coefficient cerulic
C.-35 IJ JJI Bud "Tiny Mlte (or equiyalent)
C.-.005 mla
C,-.0001 eeremle
C.-.01 piper
Cit CI I- 10 JJI, 450 yolt electrolytic
R,-60,ooo ohms "n w.tt
R.-300 ohms "h watt
R.-300 ohms "h w.tt
R,-6,ooo ohms 10 watt
Tr l-Power tr.nJormcl must deliyer 250-300 v .t
30 m., minimum plus 5 v, 2 .mps for rectifier,
and 6.3 v, 2 .mps for tube h.-ta.
Ch l- i O henry 50 m.
Sw 1-4 PDT ceramic rotary switch
SWI-SPST toggle switch
ll

14

Sw.-oPDT to"lwltch
5 1-4 prong fem.le connedor for joining receiver .nd

converter power supplies

L 1- 8 turns 11. E, JA" di elese-wcvnd, Inside Li .t
,round end
L I , L I , L.-13 tums I1.E, 1ft" di . L nd L. tapped 9
turns from ground end
L., L.-5 turns l14f J.4" di . close-wound, inside L.
.nd L t "co d " ends
L,-35 turns ' i . E, 3A" di on polystyrene rod,
close-wound
L,-10 tums.1 cold end of L" about ~ " separ.tion
L.-5 turns 11i E, spre.d to 1 ~" long by 1ft" di
c.lhod. tap 1 tum from ground end, .nd b.lndspre.d tap .bout 1"h lums from grid end

V ,-lS51
V .-6AC7/1S52
V .-6J5GT
V .-SO
V ,-VR150

co

----------------------------- - - - - - -;
and simplest ways of achieving this isolation i:i
through the usc of a double-ended tube , so-called
because the grid lend comes out through a top
cap, while the balance of the leads are t hrough
t he usual prongs on t he base.
or such tubes, only t wo choices present ed t hemselves, the 1851, and t he acorn 954 or 956. Whi le
the acorn would be ideal from a physical (mounting) standpoint! as well as electrically t it is somewhat fragile, and previous experiments deIineated in the literat ure on the subject seem to
indicate that it is little better than the 1851 at
these frequencies.
;
It might be well to point out at this stage tbat
t he 1852 might also be used in this service if the
socket mount ing were so oriented as to place the
grid prong next to the shield between grid and
plate tuning circuits, and if some effective means
were employed to shield this base prong from all
at hers on the socket.
Circu il De sign

The circuit is designed to have as much gain

as possible, consistent wit h non-regenerative operat ion a nd t he adj ustments and compromises
necessary to ac hieve single dial control.
The r-f stage is t uned in both plate and grid
circuits. The antenna is coupled to the ground
end of the grid coil, and the antenna coil consists
of a small inductance, one-half the diameter of
the grid coil, which is mounted inside the grid
coil coaxially with it.
The plate coil is an identical structure, with
two except ions. In order to reduce loading on the
1851 grid, and t hus retain a higher I'Q," the tube
grid is tapped down on the coil. This is not true
of the plate circuit. The other exception lies in
t he use of the small coaxially wound coil. In the
plate circuit it is employed as a link to t he grid
coil of the 1852 mix er, and has fewer t urns t han
does t he antenna coil. Otherwise the two coils
are identical.
The 1852 grid coil is exactly the same as the
1851 plate coil, except that it too has a tap for
t he grid connection.
All three of t hese coils are airwound, using
X ational PB-16 form' or equivalent. Trimmer
capacitors are 3-30 Illlf mica compression type
variables soldered directly across the coil terminals on the forms. They are thus adjusted for the
coil. When a coil for a different band is plugged
in, all necessary capacity changes are thus made
automatically, and it is not necessary to recallbrate t he dial.
The PB-16 bases, with their associated XB-16
sockets lend themselves ad mirably to t his sort of
work, although t hey are primarily in tended for
low-powered t ransmitter work. They come supM .rch,1 946

plied with fi ve term inals, each of which hu.." a

soldering lug attached. Two of t he terminals have
in addition a sho rt hexagonal stud, intended for
use in mount ing the inductance itself. It is necessary to shift one of these studs so t hat the coil
will be mounted on a 17:( inch space. In each case
t he coil is mounted by insert ing the ends of the
wire into the studs and flowing in solder. The
3-30 trimmers are soldered to the lugs on these
terminals, and are adjusted from ac ross t he
chassis with a long handled screwdriver, preferably insulated.
One of the limitations we encountered came 8.8
a result of the fact that the coil bases have fi ve
terminals whereas six could have been prefe rred.
We wanted to use tapped-coil bandspread, which
would have permitted circuits of even greeter
HQ" and still would have allowed us to spread
each band out across the entire span of the dial.
'Vit hout having six contacts on the coil the
idea was discarded and the tuning capacity
placed across t he entire coil. This meant that
good tracking wit h t he amount of bandspread
desired was secured only by making the inductance a bit smaller and t he capacit y a bit larger
t han hoped for. In spite of this, t he coils arc still
several times as large as any seen in receivers of
commercial manufacture.
Because we have been unable, at this writing,
to buy additional PB-16 bases, only the ten meter
coils have been wound. Obviously, twenty and
fifteen meter operation is going to mean edditional trimming capacity, and it appears from
our calculations that on t hese bands it may be
necessary to rearrange the orientation of the coil
t o its base in order to pennit the tuning condenser
to work off t he grid tap on the coil.
The oscillator coil is also wound on a PB-16
base. The circuit is a grounded-plate Hartley,
and is made quite high-C. The 3-30 I'l'f mica
capacitor is paralleled by a 50 JJJ.l.f zero temperature coefficient ceramic capacitor, and the act ual
capacity in use is about 70 Illlf, plus tube and
circuit capacities. T o enable adjustment of the
bandspread, the t uning condenser is tapped down
on the coil.
Oscillator voltage is taken off the cathode and
coupled to the mixer suppressor by means of a
100 I'l'f "'3amie capacitor. The su ppressor is
biased by means of a 60,000 ohm resistor to
ground.
,
One unusual feature of the circuit is t he link
coupting between the r-f amplifier plate circuit
and t he mixer grid. Suggested to us by W6REE,
it has been used extensively, and is a fool-proof
method of getting the signal into the mixer grid
without excessive loading of t he circuit or detuning effects.
T he oscillator plate circuit as well as t he

15

screens of the amplifier and mixer are fed from

the 150 volt source, regulated by a VR 150. The
pentode plates are fed from the full three hundred
volts of the power supply.
One of the gadgets we like is the antenna
switc h. Since the station receiver must often be
switched to other bands for a quick check on
harmonics or spurious radiation (not ours), it
is desira hle to be able to do it with a minimum of
difficult y. Ordinarily t his would mean disconnecting the converter and connecting the antenna to the receiver. With the ceramic rotary
switch provided, the antenna may be automatically bypas sed a round the converter an d fed
directly into the receiver input.
Since the purpose of the converter is to provide
increased sensitivity two points are of particular importance. One is t he design and construction of the converter itself. The other is the
choice of a receiver frequency into which to operate the converter. The choice must be a compromise between a frequency at which the receiver has u high order of sensitivity, and a frequency of such magnitude as ,,;U cause images,
if any, to fall outside the limits of the highest frequency band being worked.
Since the converter ,\\;U also be used on 50-54
me the conversion frequency must be greater
than 2 megacylces. Actually a somewhat higher
intermediate frequency was chosen, and the converter is at present feeding into the front end of
the receiver tuned to 4.85 mc. The range of the
output coil of the converter is approximately four
to six megacycles, however, and by proper adjustment, the receiver may be operated anywhere
within that range.

The converte r oscillator is tuned approximately

five megacycles higher than the mixer input, and
the difference between these two frequencies is
fed into the receiver input.
In connection with the receiver input frequency, the following may be of interest. We
first operated into a frequency of 4.3 me. For a
couple of weeks of evening listening an unmodulated carrier of about R6 intensity, apparently
at a frequency of approximately 28.5 me was
noted. Just on a hunch we grabbed a pencil and
paper and began figuring. The receiver was set
on 4.3 me. T he intermediate frequency of the
receiver is 455 kc. This would put the receiver
oscillator on a frequency of 4.755 me. The sixth
harmonic of this frequency is 28.530 me. Simple,
isn't it? we retuned the receiver and set the output of the converter to 4.85 me and the signal
vanished .
....--

Mechanical Construction
D esiring a symmetrical arrangement of controls, a conve ntional layout was first tried- that
is, with the dial in the center of a panel considerably wider t ha n high. It was discovered that
t here just wasn't enough depth to the chassis to
pcnnit such an arrangement, so the chass is was
turned to place the dial at one end, and the tuning
capacitors were then strung out in a line, connected by an assortment of flexible couplings,
solid couplings, shaft extensions, and so forth . If
it were possible to work out an arrangement
using dual- or triple- unit capacitors, much of this
could be eliminated, but the arrangement of other
parts might be restricted.
The several sections are separated by vertical

Top. vlew of converter gins exullcnt idea of layout. Shield ing and P'J1b placement Is importlnt

16
l

CO

Clearly visible in this bottom view ate the transformer leads, rectifier sockett FIller choke ,
and VR 150 sceket. The rotary antenna switch Is nea, the ,eer of chauis

baffle shields made of aluminum and bent over has its associated bypasses lyillg across the socket,
one-half inch at the bottom for fast ening to the so a hole WH8 punched beneath t he socket to clear
chassis with 6-32 ma chine screws. At one edge these. T hese capacitors project slightly t hrough
of ench a lip was bent 80 t hat a st iffe ner piece t he chassis, and the various power leads come
might be screvvcd both to chassis and baffles . through t he same holo. Since quarters arc close
The t uning ca pacitors are mounted t o the haffle in this stage, most wiring is d on e before assemb ly.
shields by means of their mounting studs, holes The inj ect ion coupling capacit or passes through 8
being drilled oversize so that the condensers may 3/8" hole in t he shield bet ween oscillator and
m ixer.
b e moved a bo ut to line t heir shafts up properly.
The 1851 is mounted horizontally, its soc ket
The oscillator section is at the front and
nearest t he dial so t hat its t uning capacitor will screwed to the baffle shield separat in g plate and
suffe r leas t fro m any possible backlash wh ich grid circu its. Su pply wiri ng comes t hrough
might develop. Next comes t he mixer, tha n t he grommeted holes in t he chassis immediat ely below
r-f plate, last t he r-f grid. AIl t uning capacitors the socket . Here again much wiring is done before
coil or tube socket is mounted . One unrort una te
come 810n~ the center-line of the 7" x 13" x 2"
chassis. Coil sockets mount between t uning circumstance reJi!;anling the'ls..:;1 is that it is about
capacitors and tube sockets so as to provide one inch too 101l~ for the ideal layout. T his
makes both wid and grid return (ground) leads
shortest possible leads.
The power supply occupies the right hand side too long. T he ground lends on the socket come
of the chassis with the transformer at the rear, to a soldering lug on one of the brass machine
Since the converter will draw approximately screws U8<'l) to mount the socket to the aluminum
30 rna plate current, and 1.2 amperes heater cur- baffle shield. On t he other side of the shield, the
ren t , a separate power supply is necesssrary, the grid returns are mude to a heavy piece of tinned
average receiver supply being incapable of wire which grounds to a lug on the same screw.
Although the grid return lead is nearly two
furnishing this power.
The filter choke is mounted below the chassis, inches long, there has been no trace of instability.
I n the case of the 18.~2 and the 6.15, all ground
and the filter condenser is a plug-in affair, mount ing in a tube socket. The VR 150 is near the connections from rube socket, coil socket and
tuning capacitor are brought to a common point
front or the chassis.
All tubes are mounted above the chassis. The on the chassis. Leads are short and made of heavy
18':>2 and G.J5 arc on bushings about 1" long. tinned wire.
Grid clip for the l~l is a clip taken from all
wi th little wiring beneath the oscillator socket,
old wafer type tube socke-t . Clips for the smallcr
we were able to get. along by drilling and grommet
linin" a couple of }1 inch holes in the chassis to pins on a six prong socket are just righ t.
IConlil'l uffl on p'J.ge 58
p:l:o>:o> heater and plate ~upply wirine. The 18..~2

March, 1946

17

7ht-fl-C6uih9'
R~C~ I V~R S~ L~CTIVITY
CO MMA NDER E. H. CONKLIN, USNR, W3JUX

The re a re a nu mber o f w a ys to impro ve receiver selectivity witho ut a lte rin g o r changing th e e q uipmen t now in use. Better perfarmance from y ou r receiver may b e o b ta inable by re ading
carefu lly W3JUX 's i d e a s
c.w. bauds C:III be combatted by the usc of tuned or peaked audio
amplifiers. Signal Corps audio amplifiers
from t he last war were sold to amateurs who
found them to be useful, following 8 regenerative
d etector.
Subsequently, a Chicago concern
brought out chokes tuned with condensers t hat
could be used 11.8 interatage couplers in an 825c ycle peaked audio am plifier .
Although t he band-pass audio system provided
select ivity ad equate to separate some of t he ad.jncent -channel interference, it was later recognized when superheterodyne receivers began t o
be used by amateurs, that a large increase in the
select ivity of the intermediat e frequency amplifier would also produ ce a " single signal"
effect. This improvement eliminated the audio
image interference, making the amateur bands
sound like t here were onlv half as many signuls

,,

OS G E ST lO :\ IS AMATEUR

,\

'01-+-1-+_

1\

II Ii
J
J

80
1005 1000 995 990 985 980
f REOUEN CY KC

. Fig. 1. RME Model 45 receiver seledivity at 1000 kc.

Curve A -Crystal Filter switched off. Curve B-Cryst.l l
Filter set lor 'broad operatio n. Curve: C-Crysta l Filter sel
for sharp operation

18

'<
C

AUDia
BEAT 2 1<.

NOTE

.,

,,
,

1/

Ii

\
OK

-4 KC

\1/
ZKC

+ 2KC + 4 KC

RECE IVER TUNING

Ft!. 2. Solid linc-lUdlo be.t frequency, wUh ch.ng_

in receiver luning .
O.shed line-.udio be.t frequency, with ch.n,e In receiver tunin9', but I.ppressed
in ', ingle slgn.I " reception

in them. In the high frequency bands, such .scler't ivity was obtainable by the use of a qu artz
crystal filter inserted in t he intermediat e frequency amplifier. T his filter can be made very
sha rp-e-t o a point where there is a premium on
st able t ransmitt er and receiver oscillator so that
signals will not drift ofT of the peak and require
retuning of the receiver. Due to the select ivity
of t his device and increased phone operation, or
for ot her reasons, the peaked audio amplifier
ra pidly fen into disuse.

C,y.lol Fill...

During the war, t he writer made numerous inqui ries of Navy radiomen on their use of the
crysta l filters but found only one who claimed any
fa miliarity with their operation . T he operator
on t he (iSS Kraken , a submarine operating in
the Sout h China Sea, found that the crystal in a
~ 11.1 .1 HIl I/ (XC-lOO modified for 1500 kc i-f)
receiver made all the difference between t urning
out perfect copy from a fleet broadcast-through
enemy und ot her interferenee-e-or missing a lot
of it.

co

Navy type 30343 and

53090 reactors. Small and
compact they are limple to
install

D ~ I-89-a

Lack of familiarity with the proper operution

of receiver crystal filters is too often noticed
among amateurs. The claim has occasionally
been heard that the filte r in its selective position,
on code reception, reduces t he gain consi derably.
Of course, Borne 1085 in t otal amplification may be
present a nd be j ustified, b ut is it a real 1085?
This situation h as often been demonst rated with
an old FBX whose lack of an r-f stage makes it a
relat ively insensit ive, and therefore noisy rceeiver com pared wit h recent designs incorporating
an r-f stage that is " hot' even on the 28 Me band.
T h e visitor is asked to tune in H QRM'd c.w.
signal a nd peak it on the crystal filter. The fil ter
is t hen switched off, and the signal immediately
becomes buried in interferences. After that , almost anyone will claim a gain for the crystal!
T h ose not familiar with these filters are more
likely to judge them on the opposite kind of a
test, 88 was m ane for t11(' writ er on an HCA

triple-diversity rack built up from

three AH-8S receivers. When a good signal was
tuned in, the selectivity switch was turned far
enough to bring the crystal filter into operation.
At the most selective position, t he signal was
almost cut otT, the drop being at least 20 db.
Actually , someone had aligned t he i-f am plifie r
of the receiver in the broadcast service manner
and had neglected to do it exactly on the peak
freq uency of the crystal filter.
N ormally, at frequencies at wh ich some
reasonable amou nt of r-f gai n is obtainable, the
signal-t o-no ise ratio in a recei ver i ~ est a blished in
the first r-f stage. This noise can he red uced in
subsequent stages only by restricting the bendwidth of the receiver. That i~ what the crystal
filter does. If the total gain of the receiver is
slight ly less with the cryst al filter in the circu it,
thc 101">,.'-; ran be overcome by raisi ng the receiver
uuin . I n any event , t he signal-to-noise ratio

i!:
o

o
4

0
.~

,t .

,~

Fig. 3. Overall audio 6d el.

tty with two i..f bandwidthl,
and with type 53090 audio
bandp.11 I1lter

lb~~

.~.

0 .,.0

'Of'

0
1.F: BROAD
I NO AUDIO FILTER)

I F. SHARP
INO AUDIO F1L1ER)

0
WIT H AIDIO FILTf R

50

100

200

400

1000

2000

4000

tO,OOO

FREQUENCY- CYCLE S

Mareh,1946

19

606
lIt AoolO

L,

0,

--+-0,

606

REGEN.

DETECTOR

0,

Fig. 4 . Sjm pl i"~d deteetee.. udio circuit of Nny model RAL hish frequency ,ege ne rative rece ive, sho wi ng tuned
a udio circuit. This type Fihcr is well ada pled for amate ur usc

should be improved because of the decrease in

bandwidth resulting from the greate r selectivity,
Inasmu ch as sensitivity should be measured at
some standard signal-to-noise rat io, t his improvemcnt results in an increase in sensitivit y .
\Vhcn this process is carried too far, noise
pulses and the desired signal both st art to ha ve
tuils on them, giving t he receiver a characteristic
ringing noise that is disliked by most operators.
The useful limit of selectivity with n crystal
filter, therefore, hue bee reached when this
ringing becomes evident . I t can be att ributed to
t he very high Q necessa ry to obta in a n a ud io
band width of 3. few hu nd red cycles from :\ filter
operati ng at the intermediate Irequeucy of nbout
460 kc.

Band-Pas. Filt.r
Standard Navy receivers have not used the
old-fashioned pea ked a udio transformers, with
thei r distortion on voice uno the tuning difficulty
wh ich t hey create. I nstead , they use a 1000cycle band-pass filter in the audio circuit. T his
filter need not have very hi.adl Q to have u bandwidth of 200 or 300 cycles bet ween points on t be
c ur ve tha t are 6db d own fro m t he peak, so t here is
no disturbing ring ing sound i n the recei ver.
Furthermore, it is 1I0t d iffic ult to const ruct t he
filter so t hat signals some whn t fart her off frequency
arc a ttenuated great ly. It i~ only necessa ry to in .
sert this kind of a filter in t he circuit, with SO I11('
a rrangement t hat permits cutting it out for voice
reception or while searching for a code signal .
Care must be taken in tu ning the receiver with
the filter in, of COUT8C, because it 1.:5 so ('n."Iy to
pass right over a signal.

20

T he N a vy's way st ill leaves the audio images

that would have been rejected by a erystnl filter.
In order to get this advantage, and the ability to
use t he rejection notch of the crysta l filter, the
a ns wer is simple-build amateur comm un icat ion receivers with a relatively broad crysta l
filter , and arrange the selectivity switch so that
in the sharp condition a filter is cut into the audio
circuit. This will provide all of t he advantages of
both the crystal and t he aud io filter, without t he
disadvantage of eit her.
Fig. 1 shows the va ria t ion in a ud io bent uote
in c.w. reception, with receiver tuning. This does
1I0t attem pt to show t he va ria tion in st rengt h
of signal with its frequency which requi res a
three-dimensional re presentat ion of some ki nd .
However, the dashed line shows the audio image
that can be rejected by reasonably selective i-f
sy ste ms , and by off-setting t he beat oscillator,
This produces wha t is widely known a=- single
signal reception, reducing by one-half t he number
of signals that a re heard when tuning.
Fig. ~ is a sa mple i-f select ivit y cur ve for a
crystal filter, in its various condit ions of solect ivity. Fig. 3 shows t he performance of the N avy
type 53091 bandpass a ud io filter and the over-all
a udio select ivity curves with t he i-f in broad a nd
sharp conditions , und also with the uud io filter
in the circuit.
T here a re various sources from which t he nmlio
filters may be obtained. The \\restern Elect ric
Com pany has at least one standard line of t hem-efor use in carrier telegraph)' over telephone uud
radio circuits. T hey a re a vailable with a hand
width of only 110 cycles for frequ encies that are
odd harmonics of 8'; cycles. designed fnr usc in

CQ

uubalanced circuits bet ween 6OO-ohm impedances.

Some of the type numbers for Irequencies of
possible inte rest in th is a pplication a re listed
below :
Prequt1lClJ
T y pe N u mbers
X63603G-LI-124A
425
X63603J-LI-125A
X63603C-LI-124B
595
X63603J-LI-125B
X63603G-LI-I24C
765
X63603J-LI-125C
X63603G-L2-124D
935
X63603J-L2-125D
X 63603G-L2-124E
1105
X 63603J-L2-125E
)'lany N 8 \ "Y receivers contain fil ters for one or
more frequencies. Old or obsolete receivers such
"" Models RAA, RAB, RAK a nd RAL are possible sources, within the receivers or among
spare parts, eit her of which may a ppea r in lists
of surplus material. The latt er two models in
substantial quantity, appear on allowance lists
for Naval Reserve members. Type numbers and
ot her data on su itahle N avy filters follow :
Navy Model RAE receivers contain type
C ItV-5301O hand-pass filters. This h as Iess than
6 db attenuat ion between 700 and 1300 cycles,
a nd more than 40 db attenuat ion at 550 and 1600
cycled. It is normally inserted between two audio
t ransformers having a 35.7/1 ratio , primary
. impedunce 4!i~ ohms, type C R "~1OO 1 9 .

Co

rG
Ro

Low-P... Filt.r
Na vy ~1 ()(lcl HAL high freque ncy regenerative
receivers contain a 10w. JJ3..-"R filter which reduces
t~be hiss very materially , simila r to t he operan on of a lone contTol but in general more effective
with less disturbance to voice quality. They ulso
conta in 8 t uned reactance which may be used for
c.w . reception. This reactance is type 30343. It
contains 2500 turns of No. 29 enameled wire with
nine taps following the 1300th tum, to provide
a ud io t un ing at various frequencies between 450
and 770 cycles with one co ndenser and bet ween
770 a nd 1300 cycles with t he other. The reactor
and its paralleled condenser form a tuned circuit, being connected in parallel with the plate
resistor of t he detector, the voltage d rop ueross
the circuit feeding: the next a ud io stage. T he
circuit a ppears in Fig. 4. The yellow-green lead
from the reactor is the one that connects to t he
low cud of t he detector plate resistor , which is bv.
passed to ground. The red lead is the 13nOth
turn tap. The green lend is the ('ncl of t he coil
at 2500 turns.
The best filte rs in Na vy receivers a rc types
53090 and 5300 1. These a re com plex hand-pass
filters, 8.! sembled in a can !t>SS than -l inches in
d iameter and 4!1 inches hieh. T hev are centered.
on WOO cveles. Thev connect di~'ctl\' bet wee n
t wo :HJ( Ii(;~t:l ~I'~ . a..;: :'oilOWIl in Fig. o. T YTX'.;)30!)()
{Conti lUred on page or I

6A8 7
2 .., A ,F,

~ - ----- - --- ------ -- - - - ------ - - - - - - ----~

I
I

I
I
I
I

,,
o
o

L __ _____ __ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

R.

TYPE ~ 3090

nee

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ JI

CYCL ES AT 6 0B DO WN

r------------ ----- ----------------------'

II
I

WM

I
I

II

00

0
I
I

I'

I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ JI
~
I
TYPE :1 3091 i:J~ 0 CYCLES AT 6 0B DOWN

Fig. 5. Audio and bandpass filter diagrams for Navy type 53090 and 53091 udio Alters

M.rch,1946

21

EYES
J. R. PO PKIN.CLURM A N, W2LNP
AND J. S. BLONDER

have been removed from radio

reception I A visual method of signal reception available to t he amateur makes it possible t o view radi o signals of every type, at the
same time, over a wide range of frequencies.
T he panoramic adaptor (September 1945 CQ) is
complicated and like most ham receivers today is
likely to be a commercial product. Nevertheless
its impact on amateur operating procedures is
likely to precipitate one of the first post-war steps
in licking QRl\f. No ham contemplating extensive
operation on t he popular bands can afford not to
consider panoramic reception as one possible solution to over-congestion.
While the technique of panoramic reception
was developed before the war, its versatility was
demonstrated by dozens of jobs well perfonned
during the past four years. Used wit h direction
finders for intercept and counter-espionage
monitoring, illegal stations which changed frequencies constantly were easily detected and
their disappearance and reappearance constantly
obse rved. Signals not aurally detectable du e to
noise interference were visibly indicated on the
screen and not overlooked in tuning.
Distress and ot her emerge ncy signals, ofte n off
designated channels, would have been almost impossible t o detect without t he use of panoramic
recept ion . T o foil enemy jamming of low-Irequency point-to-point communicat ions, a constant watch of the screen for such act ivit y enabled the receiving operator to advise direction
and extent t o shift frequency. These and other
military applicat ions point t he way to invaluable
aid in ham operation for panoramic equipped
stat ions .

Il E BLINDERS

Principle. of Operation
The Panodaptor is a n instru ment designed to
convert any superheterodyne receiver int o a
panoramic receiver. An avorngc superheterodyne
receiver hus a bandwid th response of 10 kc, or

22

less, determined by the response of t he i-f t uned

circuits. The r-f tuned circuits arc quite broadly
t uned in comparison, and include signals removed 100 kc or greater on either side of the frequ ency to which the receiver is t uned. The receiver local oscillator beats against the r-f frequencies and at the plate of the converter t ube
produces a wide band of signals centered about
the receiver i-f frequency. The i-f of the receiver
t hen amplifies only t he desired center frequencies
and these are reproduced in the speaker.
Ut ilizing the wide band of frequencies available
at the plate of the converter tube, the Paruulaptor
input is connected to this point through a 50,000
ohm isolating resistor. In the adaptor, special,
close-coupled, tuned circuits at the i-f frequency
of the receiver take t he incoming signals and
equali ze the amplitude 80 that over a range of
200 ke t he amplitude becomes relatively constant.
A carefully designed electronic frequency
mod ulated oscillator in the Panada ptor sweeps
through a 200 kc range of frequencies thirty
times a second, the center frequency of which is
226 kc above the i-f frequency of its receiver. This
oscillator is mixed wit h t he signals from t he receiver and t he resulting difference signals pass
through a sharply tuned 226 ke i-f stage in tbe
adaptor, arc detected, and displayed on a cathode
ray tube screen. I n effect, we have an elect ronic
finger-the F~[ oscillntor-e-eweeping an r-I spectrum 200 kc wide. Every time that finger pointe
to a signal, there appears on the cat hode ray tube
screen, an inverted " ,", for the frequency to
which the finger points. A baseline on t he screen
represents frequency, t he center point of the baseline being the frequency to which the receiver is
tuned; all other frequencies up to 100 kc on either
side of the center being displayed as well.
The horizontal location of a peak along t he
calibrated baseline of t he scope screen indicates
the frequency of its respective signal. Amplitude
or height of the penk shows SiJ,.'llUI intensity . The

co

FOR YO U R RE C E IV E R
More on Pa no ra mic Re ce ptio n, a visual method of sig nal re ceptio n. What it can do for the amateur, how to co nnect
the PanacJa p to r, to your receiver, o ndot he r useful informatio n
is discussed in detail. In panoramic reception the ham may
ha ve the key to the QRM p rob lem

visual sweep-width is continuously selectable

from a broad band of frequencies down to zero.
Reducing the ewccpwidth reduces the n umber of
signals which can be seen, while magnifying t hose
which are visible. In addition, various frequencies shown. may be compared with reference
to each other, or with reference to t he receiver's
t uning dial. For inst ance, if t he receiver dial reads
5000 kc, the signal appearing immediately above
aero on t he scale has tha t frequency; a signal read

from t he screen at - 100 kc has a frequency of

4900 kc, etc. As the receiver is tuned to a different
frequency , the peaks will move correspond ingly

to the right or left across the screen.

Regardless of the frequency to which the receive r may be tuned , the Ponodaptor will show
not onl y the received signal, but every signal
100 kc on either side of t he received signal. provldcd visual swecpwid th is set at maximum. The

manifold possibilities of panoramic reception

should now become ap parent. The amateur can
use his eyes as well 88 his ears, result ing in an infinite increase in t he operating efficiency and performance of his own station! By making a wide
range of radio signals visible, a ne w di mension i8
added to the field of radio operating.
Panoramic Reception
Othe r stations are left fa r be hind when it comes
to moving into a clear local channel if unaided by
panoramic reception. By merely selecting t he
spot on the screen and t uning t he transmitter inlo
it, Qn~[ to yourself and ot he rs is avoided.
No need to wear out t he receiver dial mcchunism and the operator t rying to locate a CQ.
The screen tells the whole story and many a CQ
buried ill noise a nd inte rference ca n be found
which would never have h(,(, 11 det ect ed with, out

P.n.d.pto, . Note controls brought th,ough the reer of the ch. ssis, use d For occasi o n. I . dj ustme nts .

March,1946

23

pauorumie reception. This is an actual fact since

a signal below the receiver noise level will still
push up the scope baseline giving a definit e indicat ion of its presence, Once n weak signa l is
seen, all the tricks in the bag can he used to
read it .

Converter Tube Chart

Type

lA7
6A7
6A8
6J8
6K8
6L7
65A7
6587
707
125A7

Besides its useful ness for normal operation, a

new kind of net can be set up. A ign everyone
a freq uen cy and usc the panoramic screen to do
the monitoring. T o ident ify a stat ion, it is necessary only to check the frequency to which the
station was assigned. Relat ive position of the signals on the screen affords precise information on
the presence of the stations in the net. Frequency corrections can be made from the control
station without delay . For round tables, some of
which can get really involved, panoramic reception is a natural.

3
2
3

3
3
3

3
3

2
3

-(Looking at the bouom of the socket

or at the btse of the tube).

be heard with the same receiving set-up.

.
Visual observation of signals with t he Pa nadapter makes it possible for the amateur to
analyze the type of transmission whether it be
C \V, phone, FM, facsimile, etc. For a more detailed d escription of the appearance of the .i~
nals, refer to the article in t he September 1945
issue of CQ.
Other practical applications of panoramic recept ion include :
1. Spot frequency modulation or parasitics on
an amplitude modulated signal.
2. Measure percentage of modulation and the
quality of the signal being transmitted
under all conditions.
3. Read signal strengths instantaneously. This
instantaneous field strengtb indicator will
aid in quickly adjusting the output stages
of tbe transmitter or the field st rength of
directional antennas.
4. Check other frequencies against known
standards or the receiver calibrations. Any
frequency drift can be spotted immediately and the amount of drift calculated.

For FM, infonnation on mod ulat ion index, distortion, center frequency, and frequency drift is
read ily obtained . I n contem plating narrow band
F~l , a visual check on the si~ aJ, once t ried, becomes indispensable.
The usefulness of an)' receiver is multiplied by
taking advantage of the aural feature. Assume
the receiver tuned to one stat ion and a new signal
bobs up on t he screen that warrant s investigation. Plug in a pair of high impedance earphones,
(crysta l preferred) or an auxiliary amplifier, to
the phone jack on the Panadaptor. Bring t he desired signal to t he center of the screen by means
of the center frequency control and then tum the
sweepwid th to zero. The st ation will be audible
in the earphones. I n like manner the entire band
of 100 kc around the frequency of the stat ion to
which the receiver is tuned can be examined. If
desired, the Panadaptor can be tuned to one st ation and the receiver to another, allowing both t o

HEAVY SPAGOiETTI ( FABRIC OR VlNYLI T E l

/ INSUL ATIO N

BARE WiRE TO .... RA P/

AROUND PLA TE PIN ' /

Plate pin no.-

BRA tO

~A LLIGATOR

CLAMP

Me-chanical method of connecting ~noramic adapler 10 receiver

CO

r -------------------------~

As near to the converter tube as possible, determine the most suitable and convenient location on the receiver chassis to mount the female
connector. If space permits, mount a one-lug
standoff near the plate prong of the converter
(1st detector) tube socket so t hat the 50,000 ohm
resistor can be supported between the plate prong
and the standoff lug. The resistor should be
mounted as close to the plate prong as possible to
minimize the possibility of detuning,
A length of the RG/58U coaxial cable supplied
with the Panodaptor will reach from the plate pin
to the fcmale connector. It is necessary that the
overall length of input cable remain about the
same as supplied becauseit is part of the tuning
capacity of the first coil. Tin the exposed shield
at one end of the cable and solder the cable clamp
or supporting wire to it, as shown. Ground the
cable clamp or wire to the chassis, near the resistor standoff. Solder the inner conductor of the
cable to the resistor standoff lug, thus connecting
together the isolating resistor and the cable,
If, however, it is impossible to mount the
standoff, then fasten the cable clamp to the
chassis so that the isolating resistor is supported
by the plate prong and the inner cnnductor of
the cable. A short circuit between the "hot" lead
of the cable and ground may be avoided by
slipping a piece of spaghetti over t he resistorcable joint. Connect the other end of the inner
conductor to the female connector pin, grounding
the shield. Solder t he male con nector on t he
coaxial cable attached t o t he Ponadaptor,

A running check of transmitter frequency

can be given as it changes.
5. Show where and how much to shift frequency to avoid iaterference once a QSO is
under way and the kind of interference
which is blanketing the desired signal.

Conn.cting the Adaptor

The Panodaptor can be easily connected to any
receiver with an i-f between 450 kc to 470 kc.

~ [any amateur eommunicetlona receivers are

being manufactured with a panoramic connector,
in which case it is necessary only to connect the
adaptor cable between upAJ.,\" on the receiver
and the input connector on thc adaptor. If no

connector is provided, there are two methods

that can be used for making the installation.
One end of a 50,000 ohm J1 watt resistor is
clipped short and soldered to the end of the
RG/58U coaxial cable leading to the input of the
Panodaptor. A piece of spaghetti is slipped over
the other pigtail of the resistor and it is cut to
leave about 3/8" of bare wire and 111 to 2" of
covered pigtail wire. A short piece of wire with
a clip attached to one end, is soldered to the
shield of the coaxial cable. The assembly is then
brought in through the receiver avoiding any
sources of heat, and the bare end of the resistor
pigtail wrapped around the plate pin of the converter t ube. The t ubc is reinserted int o t he
socket, care being taken to see that the spagMUi insulates the resistor from contact with ground. The
clip is attached to the nearest ground point and
the installation is complete.
Parts required for the permanent soldered connection arc an isolating resistor of 50,000 ohms
Y2 watt , a standard male and female coaxial connector and mounting accessories.

CONVERTER
/ TUBE SOCKE T

The Panadaptor Conll'ols

There arc four controls that are commonly used
in operation of a Panadaptor: equalizer, gain,
center frequency, and sweepwidth. Five controls

1 LUG RESISTOR STANDOFF

(trIO, be elminaled if insulated)

o
+:COAXIAL
CQH<ECTOO

o
(Can vie Iliff ... it. sokSered
to qround insleod of coble damp)

ISOLATING RES/STOR
PLATE PRONG

/
CAB LE CLAIwtP

March,1946

BARE WIRE
INSULATION

RG 58/U CABLE

8RAIl

25

P~man cnt

Installatio n with co-ax" ee nnecter , ho wn in

bottom view of Hallieraften S-20R

are screwd river-ad j usted wln-n the unit is placed

in operation a nd ~l' )d()1II req uire adjustmen t
t hereaft er: intensit y , focus, horizon tal position ,
vertical positi on, and S \\"l,(' P pad. T he gain cont rol of t he Panada ptor is independent of the
receiver.
The eq ualizer cont rol adjusts the response
cha racteristic of the Panada ptor t o a pp roach t he
desired flat bandpass over a 200 k c band. TI, e
necessity for t h is cont rol a rises from the fact t hat
not only do indi vidual receivers vary in their r-f
response, hu t in the same receiver the r-f selectivit y changes with the band selected. T h e
method of ad justment is to select a stea dy signal, tune the receiver over the band represented
on t he screen and compensate for any change in
visual signal st ren gth across the screen by find ing
t he most suitable sett ing of t he equalizer cont rol.
In actual practice, it is seldom necessary to make
th is adj ust ment,
T h e center freq uency cont rol is employed to
bring the signal on the screen in coincidence with
the received a u ral signal. This merely requires
that any recogniza ble signal be brought to tbe
center of the screen 'wit h t he receiver tuned to
that signal, and subsequently every signal to
which t he receiver is t uned will appear under the
center line of the screen.
T he SWl"<'P control gives a continuous variation
of the band swept b)' t he Panada ptor from zero
up to t he lull width 01 200 kc . The control is
marked to give the approximate bandwidth.
P recise measurement of freq uencies a way from
the centerline can be made with markers from a
crystal-controlled multivibrat or external to t he

panorarrne
receiver.

26

'1'111' intensity , focus, hori zontal position, a nd

vertic al position screwdriver cont rols a re sellexpla natory
The sweep-limit screwd river contro l sets the
limit of 200 kc on t he bandwid th and seldom requi res ad justment.
Once the prel iminary adjustments have been
made, the Panadaptor is as simple to operate as
the tuning dial of a receiver and, in fact, for most
uses requi res no adjustment aside from the gain
cont rol. T he signal coming through the receiver
speaker nppcars directly over the zero calibration
of the screen. If it is desired to examine t he
nature of the signal more closely, varying the
"swr..x-p control will expand t he signal to any desired extent. Good operating practice d ictates
keeping t he gain of t he Panadaptm at a min im um
10 reduce the effects of interference, t ube n oise,
crosss modulat ion, etc.
A\ ' C will reduce t he sensitivity of the Panadaplor to weak signals when a stro ng signal is t uned
in by t he receiver, so t hat it may be desirable to
operate without AVe in some cases.
Simple and effec tive, panoramic reception rna)'
prove to be one of the most valuable war perfected instruments yet made available to the ha m.
It s technique and application in amateu r radio
will bear careful st udy particularly in view of
potential increases in ham ranks.
I

..

M uhanice l installation showing ccenectice brought

thro ugh vent sl Ob and tied 10 tube bese p in

co

Surplus m~tm of ~nry Iyp~ and description have: bun on the: marlc ~1. Llke much of this mat~rlal, th~y arc sold
o ul ra pidly. Malching casu, ~spe:cially with particular values, is a led iou s shopp ing job even in surplus cenl~rs

MAURICE GUTMAN, W2VL

So many requests were received for additiona l info rma tio n that
W2VL got together his latest notes to give you this re po rt
have passed since t he last report on surplus radio material for the ham.
Many CQ readers have requested additional
and up-to-date informat ion , a difficult assignment because conditions are constantly changing.
The Small War Plant Corp. has been eliminated
and its duties absorbed by the RFC. Electronic
material is st ill disposed of in the same fashion,
that is, through designated agents of t he RFC
such as Hallicrafters' R FC department, Electronic Corporation of America, Hemler, Raytheon, Emerson, a nd others.
EV E RA L MOI"ro"THS

RFC Surplus
To be eligible to buy directly from t he R FC
outlets a ham has to be a radio parts distributor,
dealer, manufacturer, or a veteran of the armed
forces. w hen qualified to purchase surplus from
the RFC agents, a permit must st ill be obtained
from the RFC itself. T heir offices may be
found in most large cities, or the RFC may be
contacted in w eshington, D. C.
Even when permitted to buy from surplus depots considerable time in shopping around for
specific needs must be spent, as choice items go

March, 1946

quickly, with quantity usually limited. Of

course, much surplus can be obtained from retail
outlets, which is where most individual amateurs
have obtained t his material to date. It should be
emphasized t hat t here are good reasons for not
nlwaya purchasing surplus . .. even in instances
where identical merchandise can be gotten at a
substantial saving.

Retail Surplus
when purchasing at a retail store, good clea n
tested equipment and specialized advice is
available. Surplus goods, when handled retail are
the best of the material, already carefully picked
over.
T here are several organizations who
specialize exclusively in war surplus radio parts.
T hey have men constantly canvassing RFC outlets for equipment . T hese concerns provide the
out-of-town buyer with services comparable to
that of a purchasing agent , the local dealer acting
as the customers representat ive in handling the
merchandise. Desirable equipment for the ham
may be secured faster and at a very reasonable
price in t his manner .
Someone might well ask the questions: " When

27

.'
Surplus N..,y hansc. pto r
from 28 to 80 me. Uses
tUffets for bandswitchinS' 01
tranlmitt~ and finf. Recciv~ is a supe'oofc9cncratiyc
ty pe. Transmitter is. mod.
I.led oscill.IOf

is it better twl to buy surplus?" The answer is at.viOUB once YOU 'Y' looked over such equipment.
None of it carries any kind of guarantee whatso ever, Once bought, you have absolutely no reco urse if it proyPS unsatisfact ory . M uch of t he
equipment is of a highly specialized natu re,
which might bo tr-m pting because it is a good
"buy," eventually to accu mulate as junk in your
shop. Improperly marked or unmarked equipment might just as well he for 12 or 24 volt, for
400 cycles, or H. variety of odd frequencies used in
m ilit ary apparatus.

Mate,ial A vailable
T he variety of surplus carried by t he average
surplus dealer is well illustrated in the photographs taken in one such shop. They are all items
for sale to t he ham. Recently one of these stores
placed on sale an Anny type TRC 10 t ransmitter
and receiver, complete with an AC power supply
fo r less t han forty dollars. Self-contained in a
cabinet small enough to place in a desk drawer,
the unit contains a five t ube superhet receiver
with preselection, BFO, complete coverage from

Surplus! Everything fro.. A

to Z , .lthough not .IYNYs
wh.t you w.nt wh~" yo.
w.nt it

28

co

"'r------------ - - - """'!

Cempleee tran,miUer and l en in, with both 6 volt d-e

supply and 110 volt e-c sup ..
p ly.The l upe,hd receiver and
crystal contro l tr.n,miUc, will

cover 80, 40, and 20 with

only sli ght modif ic alion s.
Items like this ap pul on the
marlee. every no w and then

tage over out-of-to wn IIams, T he only uppa rent

solut ion to this ~('O/.!; rn ph ic inequali ty it' to writ e
reta il stores in t he large areas asking them to keep
you posted on their individual purchases, or
better yet outline t o them your needs.
December CQ discussed an ECO in somewhat
the same category as other pa rti cularly desirable
surplus. Numerous readers have writte n to ask
where they may get one. Those placed on sale
went rapidly. Since that time no more of that particular item has appeared. There have been a

2 through 12 Me plus a crystal controlled transmitter with an out put of 25 to 30 watts. For field
day or portable work of any type, a vibropack
t ype supply with mat ching cables was available
at t he time for approximately another fourteen
dollars.
There were only acme 40 units placed on sale
and nat urally they sold very rapidly. Nevertheless t his is a typical example of what appears on
the market from time to time. It is, unfort unately, quite true that amateurs living in the
large metropolitan areas have a decided edvan-

[Continued

Olt

page 601

Good mccMnical construction and high qual ity parts is

typiCliI of most surplus e q uipmenl. Bul modiFiation mey
often be a bi"e, headache
than starlin, from scratch.
Spa,es may often be unobtainabl e. All these 'adon
must be arefully evaluated

March, 1946

29

---------------------,.

450 WATT CW RIG

FRANK C. J ONES, W6AJF

Fro nk Jones can always be expected to co me up with

som e unusua l ide a s. Inco rpo ra te d in this low cost 450
watt ri g are some particularly g ood power supply
fea ture s that are app licable to practically e ve ry tra nsmitte r being constructed

Y.FO EXCI TE R described in t he December

1945 issue of CQ was designed as the driver of
a e.w, t ransmitter using a pair of 811 t ubes
in the final amplifier. T hese t ubes are low prieed,
easily driven, and will handle up to 450 watts input in a c.w. amplifier. T heir high mu characteristic permits keying in a preceding circuit without fixed bias for key-up conditions. With a
reasonably well regulated 1500 volt power supply, key-up no load current is from 25 to 30 mao
.Cat hode current (2 t ubes) for maximum load conditions with key-down is 375 mao
HE

Design Considerations
Oftcn a push-pull triode amplifier of this t ype
is subject to VH F parasitic oscillations. Parasitics arc easily discovered by observing the fina l

amplifier grid current when no r-f excitation is

presen t (key-up condit ion) . T he meter reading
should remain constant when swinging t he tank
capacitor through a complete cycle. To prevent
objectionable parasitics it is desirable to wire in
parasitic suppressors at the points marked "XU
in the 811 t ube circuit. These suppressors may
be of 5 to 8 turns of 114 wire ~" diam. shunted
by a 200 or 300 ohm resistor, connected in series
with the grid leads near the tube sockets.
A standard form of push-pull amplifier const ruction with short r-f leads and t he grid and
plate circuits scparated by the chassis as a shield
is used , Whcn constructed, variable link coupled
units were not obtainable, though plug-in coils
of one type or another were available. The
variable link coil is ext remely useful for coupling

looldn, down on Jon ~s

4 50 watt PA. D ~sign is
connntiona l,
strai ghtforward and eieee, The , rid
circuit is mounted be lo w
the chassis for maximum
shielding

30

CO

into a 1000. Normally no a ntenna cou pler is

needed and antenna feeders of 400 to 600 ohm
im pedance can be connected d irectly to the 3 turn
link coil. The r-f amplifier is loaded up to normal
plat e current or 275 to 300 rna. (325 to 375 ilia.
cat hode cu rrent ) by increasing the coupling to
the plate tank coil while keeping the latter at
resonance.
T h e variable coupling unit illustra ted in the
photogra phs was built by using a few small parts
and a 3 turn 27\! inch diameter coupling coil . T he
coil is m ou nted on a 1" squ are piece of polyst y rene near the coil leeds. The insulat ing block
is m ounted on a piece of 31" diameter brass roo
(flattened near its end) by two machine screws.
Fairly heavy flexible leads from the coil to thc
antenna feed -t hrough insulators in the top of the
proposed t ransmitter cabinet (not yet available)
permit varying t he position of t he coupling link.
Final amplifier coils have approximately an inc h
ga p in the center of t he winding, into which the
cou piing coil can be swung. T he panel bearing
consists of a stiff spring telephone jack which
holds the sh aft in any position of rotation. A
knob on the front panel against the jack, and a
set-screw collar around t he shaft at t h e rear of
the panel jack, prevents lon gitudin al d isplacement with possibility of the cou pling coil touching t he h igh volt age fina l tank coil.

Exciter Unit
Reference t o the December issue of CQ is advisable for a full description of the exciter.
Briefly, it consists of a stab le VFO with a 6J5
triode and a 6AC7 buffer class A amplifie r operat ing in the 3.5 m c. band . The d oubler a nd
tripler stages with 7C5 tubes provide broad band
output to drive t h e 807 exciter amplifier grid in
any ban d from 7 to 28 m c. T h e plate circuits are
peaked at the middle of each band and resist ors
in the individual circuits broaden out the t uning
to give nearly constant grid current t o the 807
over the entire t uning range. T he VFO and 807
plate circuit are the only t uned circuits which
must be adjusted when shift ing frequency. Thc
final amplifier grid and plate circuits are also
tuned to resonance.
Po we r Supply Circuits
P erha ps the m ost interestin g portion of this
transmitter is in t he power su pply circuits. Some
of the circ uit ideas, shown in t he circuit diagram,
can be applied to nearly any radio transmitter
where forms of voltage regulat ion are needed. The
simple method of improving the high voltage supply regulation is desirable in any cw transmitter. The filter choke is tuned broadly to 120
cycles, the main ripple freq uency, by means of a
condenser and resistor across the choke. The reMa rch , 1946

Fronl view of th completed transmiHer showing piaci .

menl of all controls

sistor is necessary to prevent excessive IIQ" and

high ac voltage. The size of con denser depends
on t he filter choke ind uctance value with t he
key-u p (low DC values of current). A small
1000 volt .1 Ilf condenser will tune the choke
to 120 C PS if its inductance is about 18 henrys.
T he condenser size can be d etermined experimentally by varying it in moderate steps while
checking t he out put voltage for k ey-up and keydown load cond itions. P roper tuning will reduce
the voltage change when keying from 400 or 500
volts to less than half of t h is value. T he tuncd
choke gives t he effect of a very large induct ance
at the ripple frequ ency, improving regulation.
VR Bias Supply
C bias supply for 807 tubes or for blocked-grid
keyi ng is always a problem. I t can be solved by
the usc of a shunt type voltage d oubler rectifier, a
6H6, and a one wa tt neon bulb. The low voltage
transformer has one side of its secondary connected to the rect ifie r t hrough a small .01 Ilf
1600 or 2000 v. paper condenser to drop the DC
voltage to a reasonably low value. Only a milliampere or two of DC is needed to keep the n eon
b ulb ionized and tbe 807 grid curren t can then
vary from zero to 3 or 4 rna , without an ap preciable change of C bias voltage. A small RC filter

31

to
V.F.O.

6J5

L<

""'w

300w

FINAL AM P,

8U',

....

AMP.

r:

.. ..J.

807

::5

eo

h 7

."

300

"' EG.

' w0

lSle
.001" s
.1.

x
La

j:5

""'w
10,000 ..1

(' -'

VR 7 5

==::=:::;-,Ilrh-'-I;;so ,

~ ~~
_

==~~~
",.
.
,

U=
I
of

A.G.

L'"

~o
SWI

r J

t l

. .

.JI' .

o~T
' --~
Sw2

r:T

I I

~ o,"

"i

l ~ ~.

-:::J.'I!I-

C. T.
200 Ma

4 A.

"'

' OOw

WEATE R
UNI T

!h
I,

]~

.. ?50 ~.

--"

20 h.

....

"' <I ,

4.0 /"' ~

5 R4GY

---,

' 000

v.

I";"

J6OO'.
C.T.

I.::j:
866's

' ':'0 Ma.

8 11',

---

soc

l oo W

I ~.

.......-...

t..

-,.--

Ii-p, +

60w

...."""*

6V6

-_ ..
---,....,
~ J.
,

..... ' 2!l ..,l

'i :

----

e.e

"'"'

Ii
.,

a~

2O w.

600

,,'"
c- ft.,.,

/,
J

.... ~

0+:

__80T

'.

.. t - !lOOO lol

'OOO w

.0 1
l 6OQ V .

1' -

4 .0
..l..
2000 V, T

!lO,OOO
2O h. , 3!lO loia.

.. l ~ V.

I
COIL SPEC 'S

100 W.

-It-:! -+

0 .4 . tOOOV.

L9 ST'D % KW . BuD PLUG-IN

COIL, VAR. LINt<

Lt
L 2
L3 L4

E:

xl'

t9 T. No. 20 S. % "L , l Ys' O, WITH 6 T. TlGl<LER f-.lo. 26 .

7 ~ .. h. COIL (SLUG TUN ED Bel T't' PE OSC.COll .)
30 T. No. 26 o.c.c. 3/ 4 L. 1" 0 .
14 T. No.22
TUNED WIT H
L~ 9 T. No. 200.e .c Y2- L. 1-0,
COPPER-SLUG ADJ.
L6 5 T. " "
"
" "
L7 6. LB S1' O 50 WATT Bu D PW G- IN COILS

to
o.c.c. " " "

1'"\

,..

-n-

' 000 1'1, 2 "'.

6.' v 8 A.

3000 w

I
5

..

'J:"

h~

' OOOw

60,~

00

.0 '

+"':002

6V6

.1

''-1.

600 u,I ,20 .."

,,,

e.s v

2 .':' V., fO A .

'"

, ~ ..', . l .,.._

-r r......

l O W.

.oor
scoov

- -- ~

Schematic of Jone' 450 Witt c.w, b'lnsmltter. UnlfSuII power supply design mllee. thlt rig of partlcullr Inlerest to Inyone rebuild ing

,
Grid circuit of the PA is
well isolated by the chassis
shield. Fila",ent tr.nJorm~,
mount~d on th~ seme deek
u the tub~s gives better
volleg~ r~gulation

in the rectifier output will smooth out the half

wave pulses of current into DC to keep t he D roll
bulb regulator fun ctioning. The use of a larger
series dropping capacity t o t he transformer, a
6H6, an LC filter and a VR 75 or 105 with 5 1lI1l.
of "keep-alive" current will hand le C bill...s supplies where the grid current is not over an IUn.
when transmitting.

M.dium Voltag. R.gulation

The third voltage regulator shown in the diagram uses 6VO's or ot her sma ll power t ubes connected as triodes in parallel to give a regulated
supply to the exciter.
This voltage regulator draws 110 current when
the cw key is closed since the grids of t he regulator tubes are biased beyond cut-off value by t he
DC bias voltage generated in t he final am plifier
grid leak. when t he key is open, no grid current

f lows in the fina l amplifier since no power is applied, so the regulator grids are grounded a nd t he
0\'0 tube. draw full curre nt limited only by the
cat hode bias resistor, This resistor should be adjusted so the power supply voltage stays at approximately 250 volts for key-up or key-down
condit ion. Since no regulator current flows when
the power supply is loaded by the exicter, a saving in power t ransfo rmer, choke a nd rectifie r tube
size is obtained. Good cw keying cha racteristics
are possible eve n with a YFO, The 5R4GY rect ifier is a high voltage version of the 5U4G.
The YFO plate supply has an additional voltage regulator, a VR75 in order to prevent line
voltage variations from affecting the frequency
control unit. The IlJ5 and GAC7 tube. are both
connected to the 807 C bias supply to obtain
blocked-grid keying bias, Keying shorts out this
{Continuod on P"'J< 601

Two S~ pd r" l ~ power supp li~s with i n d i v i d u a l v o lt a g ~

r~gu l.tors fo, ,,11 important
sta!l'~s .r~ pdck~d into th is
one chassis. Many of th~
id~. s ere eppliceble 10 any
transmitt~r being built

,I

March,1946

33

/- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - - -

GETTING ON THE AIR

M A URICE K. BRETZFELDER. W2JPX

How mony hams are faced with the problem of no p lace to

put a rig? Eighteen pounds of transmitte r in shoe-box size
includi ng everything from antenna relay to power supply is
one solution to space difficulties. Designed for 5 -6 meters
this little rig is full of id e a s for any band

\\'2JCR'S fnmilv. The

Army-Navy work "and the

of ber own war conversion program, moved

M idget tubes were int riguing. Did a 6C4

have enough hop to be practical? Ten-meter
crystals had possibilities, and diagrams were
drawn with a twin-triode oscillator-doubler and
a single-t riode final. No harmonic t rou ble to

to

bother

HE

WAH HUOKJo: U P

O~ l left home 011

J unior Op joined the Navy.

The XYL

remained in New York City, but as a part

&

tiny apartment more suitable to her solitary

needs. Came VJ-Day ; and t he OM's return

found scant room for him. Larger apartments
were not to bo bad-e-certainly no space for
the rack-and-panel t ransmitter and sundry accessories of the pre-war days.

He did manage to

find room for an SX-17 and a 5-10 converter

in one corner of t he bedroom . Visiting them,
I saw seven inches of vacancy on top of the
receiver, and a glorious opportunity to bring
a. lost amateur back into the fold (incidentally
having the fun of building a midget rig I had
often thought about but never before saw an
excuse to build) .

2~-meter

services was contemplated if

the final tank and antenna system were properly

designed (despite the single-ended final). T he

t ube select ion was automat ic. The 6C4 has
more power handling ability than any other

midget and the 6J6 is the only twin triode.

The oscillator-doubler circuit is one recommended by Bliley for usc with a 100meter
cryst al, but the cathode and grid resistors were
reduced in value to suit the low grid voltage
required by a 6J6. The by-pass capacitors
were the largest in tbe junk box. A breadboard layout of this oscillator-doubler circuit
hnd low output and a bad low-frequency para-

RFe

Fi9. 2. Inside view with

one side ecver or ee b ine t
re moved. At left center
is the 6n.1 r-f SUI!fC. The
doubler is hidden diredly behind this stage.
N ote the "rear porch"
mounting of the power
tranJormer and rectifier to

avoid inlrn,,1 heating

RZ R" CeRFC,,6V6 P, CIS 6C4 T1 900'

6R'

U~ OER

34

co

Smallest piece of eq uipment in the com pad

statio n of WiJeR is the
sho e-box size transmi" er

I
sit ic. The parasitic was eliminated by cutting
down the doubler-grid choke a quarter of a
pie at a time until only 1 ~ pies remained.
The grid and bias resistors were juggled until
values were found which gave satisfactory output.
(uland

Try

The final stage was similarly laid out and

proper resistor values determined by experiment.
These were somewhat larger than the tube
By-pass and coupling
handbook calls for.
capacitors are not critical. The final tank
was designed to havc a Q of six according to
the charta available in The Radio Handbook,
and a coil size found in one shot on the "Lightning Calculator." No midget meter was available to serve as t he t uning indicator, so a 6AB5
indicator tube was used. It terminates in a

pair of tips which plug into pin jacks on the

front panel to provide indicat ions in t he doublergrid, final grid and final cathode circuits. (A OED,
wi th low plate voltage, might have been more
sensitive, but none was available.)
\Vhen the rig was in the paper stage, transfonnerless plate supplies, both half-wave and
voltage-doubling, had been considered, but no
combination of modulator and transfonnerless
supply Ithe low-voltage output of which would
require at least two modulator tubes and possihly
a modulator input transformer as well) was
found as compact as the transfonner and a
single rcsistancc-coupled 6V6 modulator. Moreover, it was felt that the higher voltage (and
therefore t he higher carrier output) full y justified
this type of supply. Class B or AB for the modulator was out because of the large t ransfo rmer
required . A z-stegc high-gain voltage amplifier
,

900'

Fig. 3. Left hond .Id.

with ecver remand. Ihe
oscillator Link circuit .nd
csellletee-doubler d u I
triode .re shown .t front
end. The bakelite he.t
beffle norm.lIy mounted
behind bleeder R16 is
shown for.ground

R.

March,1946

35

wee necessary til fr-ed the modulator.

\\'2J C H
had only a low-level microphone and, moreover,
t his avoided the problems of input transformer
and volt age supply for a carbon mike. The
design of th is voltage amplifier W1l8 st raight forward, with a 900J selected as the most su itable midget pentode.

rigidity. Details of t he chassis are shown ill

Fig. 1. It will be noted that the front lip is
only 1% " long, the rest having been cut away
to provide clearance for components moun t pel
on the front panel. Next the slot for mount ing
the indicator t ube W88 drilled, filed out, and
the indicator t ube assembly mounted. T he
chassis was then positioned in the cabinet so
that the end of the indicator tube lined Ill'
with the vertical center-line of the front panel,
and a. hole cut in this panel to accommodate
the tube, Then holes for mountin g t he chassis
were drilled in t he cabi net and chassis mounting
lips.
The front panel a nd top of the cabinet were
laid out and drilled for t he various parts mounted
thereon, including tbe 2-hole crystal socket and
the bleeder ventilator holes in the top. T he
provision for mounting the crystal outside was,
not only to facilita t e changing crystals bu t,
more importnnt, t o avoid heat. 'Well ventilated,
and with low crystal current, the frequen cy
drift of this rig proved to be negligible.
Putting the rectifier tube on the "back porch"
saved internal space and reduced hent ing. The

Construction

A cabinet was secured, t he power transformer

installed (projecting through the rear end), and
the size of the partition chassis figured so as
to clenr t he t ransformer ami filter capacitors.
The multiplc-section filter, CI&, could be most
readily mounted by means of a fuse-clip type
holder, but none was available. A metal shelf
W81' mounted on the cabinet wall, just ahead
of the power transformer, and the regular metal
mounting plate, supplied wi th the capacitors,
attached to this.
T he chassis was made from 14-gauge alumilium with thc edges bent up over a hard wood block. Three of these lips serve t o mount
t he chassis to the top, bot tom and front of
tho cabinet, while t he lip at the renr lends

"

'.

"

-,-

.,.
.,. .-I

r-- ~

TO SUIT
Tl;!'E SOC "E " ,

~~r

,I

,,
,

r-

-,

-,

"-

--

I
I
I

--- -

- ~ ~-

-, ,-

, ,s

- ~Ol A

I
I
I
I
I
I
I

':'-1

I~

~ Ol.E

___

--.

_ !:: j

...--j- 0..
/

,
'_ IN

l-

e- I
-.
- ...
I

I
~

II (

:"0" /

- - -

,"

""

-.
~I
~

you...,

--

e"

I,

_ T-

--

.,.

--

I-

,,

--u

I
I

I
I

,
_.

L..

'\

.-

I
I

).-.1.1"I

-,.

I
I

@ -;---@

. '

--.

____ -e 0 1.
I!
6.6

.,.-,

I
I

E A~ A "t E

.,.
- I-

- ' -' -1

,-"

BEl'fO ALL
EDG E S DO w...

"'

Fig. 1. Finished ch.ssis layout

co

su pport CUUSI:its of a piece of chassis met al

6 ~" x 1 ~~", formed in a "U" shape wit h
its ends bent up ~" to provide means for
attaching it to the cabinet. Before bending,
a cut-out for the rectifier socket was made in
the top deck, after which a strip of bakelite
was mounted in the open outer side of the HU"
(as shown in Figs. ! and S) to anchor the line
cord and enclose the soc ke t connect ions.

Mounting tho Works

The tuning and filter capacitors a nd other
cabinet parts were next mounted so that clearance for the chassis components could be planned
and the chassis laid out for drilling . The chassis
was then removed, drilled, holes cut for the
tube sockets and the latter mounted. The
oscillator-doubler socket is located with iIB
terminals on the side of the chassis with the
indicator tube, while the three audio sockets
are mounted just the reverse. After replacing
and securing the chassis, the oscillator-doubler
was completed, with the coils mounted directly
on their respective tuning capacitors. (It might
be pointed out that the new I.R.C . small type
BTS ~-watt, and type BTA l-wat t resistors
were used wh erever suitable values were available.] F ilament returns from each t ube are
b rought th rough t he chassis.
The ent ire final stage was built as a separate
su b-assembly for installation by means of t he
one-hole mo unting of the t uning condenser. T he
H ammarlund H F D-50 micro-condenser was the
smallest to be found, but some modification
was necessary . As purchased, its front and
rear end plates are formed to serve as m ount ing
feet . T he front foot was cut off, the center
sh ield d iscarded, and 2 fixed and 3 movable
plat es removed from each of the two sections.
T he screws holding the front end-pla te were
replaced with slight ly longer ones so that these,
and a screw run through the hole formerly
used for mounting the discarded center shield,
could be used for mounting the sub-chassis
plate of Fig. 4 on the under side of the isolantite
base-plat e. The tube socke t is mounted on
this plat e a nd the coil directly to the lugs at
the opposite side of the con denser from the
tube. Lu gs on the tu be side are used for the
connections to the tube plate and neutralizing
condenser.
Front-panel antenna coupling adjustment was
considered a "must." A midget jack was used
as the panel bearing with a ~" length of polystyrene rod as the sha ft. A brass collar attached
to the sh aft bears against the rear of the jackmounting assembly to retain the shaft in position.
A long set-screw in the collar, striking the
jack spring, serves as a st op in the position
of maximum coupling. The coupling coil is

M.rch,1 946

!--- - -,.,- - - -

, ".J "

~__ ..;....;'_1:..,""",
_.~'i

: >
I
I
I

..

' !"'

-e'

,._- ---.;

"

"

DMILL. 2 __

to

SUIT
C()foIO( NSH t

I
I
I'

If - r
l

. ...

I
,

-r-.-

'

"":' I

'I

I
I

"' 1

I
:

.:--,U ..

,I
I
I

'

..

8 EOrl O

EOG U
DO WN

Fig. 4. Fin.l--stage sub-.assembly chassis b~Ofe bcndin, .

Dotted lines indicate positions fOf bends

mounted 0 11 the shaft by running its leads

through snug holes in t he shnft. , crimping them
on t he coil side and bending them over. W hen
the flexible leads arc soldered to t hes e bentover ends, t he heat of t he soldering softens
the polysty rene and t he lead s are tightly locked
The neutralizing
in position when it cools.
condenser was next screwed down on its sta ndoff insulator on the chassis. The grid and bins
resistors were soldered to the pin i acks on th e
front pane1. Then th e sub-assembly was installed and wired.

Chocking tho R F Circuit

T he r-f section '....as now tested. Bias resistors
were checked by shu ntin g them with other
values. It was surprising how crit ical these
resistors were and how much their values
differed between the mounted and the breadboard models.
The whole audio system was installed and
wired in accordance wit h Fig . 5. T he B+ connection to the' modulation transformer goes to
the terminals indicated in the d iag ram 50 that
the d .c. in the primary b ucks out the d.c. in
the seco ndary . The formed shield part ition
around the microphone jack and gain control,
as well as t he braided shield inclosing t he fi rststage grid lead and the modulator coupling
condenser, were included as a precautionary
measure.
This undoubtedly cont rib uted to
the fact that absolutely no radio-frequency
feedback existed in the finished job. The bleeders
came last, and a bakelite st ri p protects the
voltage amplifier electrolytic by-pass condensers
from th e hont developed by the large resistor.

37

6J 6

eo

.......
Q<ld '

'"-,
"Gild"

-,

"0
--J'-'

~+

.00,.
6V6GT

90 01

6C 4 .----,

en

r--- ------

.Ot

' 00<

" 00 '1

_..J

-,

o
o

".

2401( ,...,

I
I

I
I
I
o
L

.0'

... --,.... _

C'S

.J
1/2 MEG

..

6AB ~

~.

-"
".
.,.

."

\ )lOy

,,.
C.,

III 0 .0' '"

' 10 . ' /

Cot

.6...s_,

4 S0 V,

' Z4

_H

( ' T41

S,

." ~

Iil, .

?
T

Fig. 5. Wirln! di.gram constructed with the following parts (equiv.lent produeb can be substituted):

'( 1- 100 IJ pJ wa' surplus midget paddcr

C.-50 Jl pJ war surplus mid,et padde,
C.-50-50 I' mcdlfled H.mm"lund HFD-50
<.,--C" ( , -.0039 pJ mica pigUiil
-( .- 120 #lid Mia midgtt
'( , -50 iJlJf mica midget
C t , ( 11, C ..-25 Ill, 25 vorb plgt4il electrolytic
C .., ( II, ( 11-.01 Jlf 400 volts paper
'C I l- 4-scctio n pron, type, 20 III per section, 450
volts d.c. working. Mallory ' 444 electrolytic
'C I l- 2 ,uf 450 yolb Aeroyox PR-5 electrolytic
J " ) " r, J " J .-EWikelite tip jack,
J ,- lI1i dgd ' p ho ne jack
L ,-6 turns 114, 311" di e. length 1 ~"
,L .-4 tums 114, Ji" d ie. length 1 ~ "
l .- 10 turns 114, "At" di . length 131" in two seetions spaced ~ " . part
L.-3 turns 118, "n" d i . length Jt," to cle. r g.p
betwun sections of L.
L .-8 henry 1 50 m. ebeke, Stancor 12309
NC-neutr.li zing c.pacitor N.tion. 1 NC-600U
cer.mic
P I-insulated ' p ho ne tip
.P .- miniature connector plug and receptacle, Alden

1502PC-502FC
Rel.y-Leach {see lut)
R . -1 2 5 ohm s, 110 watt
watt
R.-3,000 ohms'
.R.- 3, 500 ohms Vi watt
R t , R 11- 350 ohm s 1 watt

Vi

38

R,-500,OOO ohms midget polentiometer, ,udio tlper

R t - l ,OOO ohms Vi watt
R,- 1 meg. Vi watt
R., R., R II-250,OOO ohm s "n watt
R ,,- 2,500 ohms 1ft Witt
R11- 100,000 ohms 1ft Witt
R..- l meg. (in magic eye assembly)
R I I - 1 5 ,OOO ohms 10 watts
R1.- 8,000 ohms 50 watts, adjustable
RFC I-2~ mh National R-l00
RFC .-2 mh National Rl00 (see text)
RFC RF ,- S me ter rf choke Ohmite type Z.l
5 1, S".-SPST toggle switches
TI- UTe F.18 universal 12watt output (modulaUon)
tr.nJormer
T.-war surplus tr.nJormer, h.lf-shell type, 38Q.O-380
vo lts, 125 me, 6 ,3 vo lts, 5 vol ts

MISCELLANEOUS

M idd letown UC596 ca bi net, steel ulility, 6 " x 5" x 9"

Amph enol magic e yc .sse mbl y 15 8. M EA-6 (bue
pl.te not used)
1 ()..meter crystal
Amph enol 154-2 crystal holder socke l
Amph enol polystyren e mini.ture socke ts 154..7P (2)
Amphenol oct. I sockets 154-88 (2)
B.kel ite miniature socket, 7.prong
Ba kel ite mtnleture socket, 7.prong with short shield
M illen 132102 fud.through bushings for ~" holes (4)
leA 12259 d i. 1 pl.te. , 1 'h" d i. (3)
ICA kno b. 11081 (5)

co

An antenna change-over relay was required

wit h an additional contact which would be
closed in t he "receive" position. TIlls was made
from a DPDT relay having an extra contact normally open. \Vit h BOrne scrap bakelite, the open
contact was reversed to normally closed, and t Itl'
whole relay mounted on polystyrene and su pported by midget feed-through insulators. Bl'cause t hc supply voltage was a bit high fo r
miniature tube ratings, it was decided to U:-'C
the total d-e supply current to operate t he
relay, thus reducing the supply voltage by the
amount of the drop across till' relay. This
worked beautifully except for a bad chatter,
whi ch W8B readily cured with a smoothing
capacitor. The polystyrene base unfortunately
melted. T he old bakelite base was cut dowu
as small as pos ible-leaving just enough to
support the coil and eontscte.
Holes W("fC

Fig. 7. th ~ 5" by 6 " front piln~ls contain ell opereUn r

controls. R ~ley t~rminel s for ent~nna ,ec~iv~r lind
eutomatic s ~ nd ..,~cej v. control of receiver IIr~ on the
top, out of the op~,ato,'s way

bored in it t o red uce the amount of d ielectric

in the field. and t he movable contacts were
attached directly to t he standoffs on the cabinet
top. An alternate set-up for t he relay would
be t o use it on t he a-c line, controlled from a
switch at the receiver, with the normally open
con tact closin g the B su pply to the t ransmitter.
In th is event n. resistor of 25 or 50 ohms should
he connected in series with the B + lead between
t he rectifier and the first filter condenser to
hold down the voltage.
Midget tubes will
not stand severe overloads.

Finishing Touch.s
Ai'l o final const ruction step, a removableletter rubber stamp Bet was used for marking:
t he front panel and cabinet top. A whitepigmen ted shellac was lightly brushed over
t he face of tbe rubber letters wit h a felt pad,
and the labels then stamped. (An error was
made in stamping the pin jacks. T he one
marked ose G RI D should have been marked
FINA L GRI D. T he correct terms are used
in tuning instruct ions.)
Proper voltages were determined by adjusting the bleeder values and sliders.
Those
found most satisfactory are shown at the bleeder
connections in the schematic diagram, Pig. 5.

Fig. 6 . Top view," Note v~nti laling heles over bleeders

R15 lind R16 lind , ~u iver standb y eermectien plug

March,1946

Tuning
I n tuning and adjusting, the indicator cathodelead t ip is first placed in the GROUND jack
and its grid lead in the D OUBLE-GRID jack.
IContintud on page 59)

39

RESISTANCE-CAPACITANCE NOMOGRAM
c, -

1-'0

\40

130

'~

1500

CAPACI T A NCE IN
ItO
100
90
5:>

120

M ICRO - MICROF ARAD S

70
60
50
40

r- +- +

30

20

10

I
I

14 0 0

t-

13CC

i-

'0

20

IX: o

~~f?

~~

T"
20

1200

1100

T -!-

30 ~

-1

"

~'+
i"

50

en 1000
:>

"o
z

...
"z

;0

VI

'".<r..

to

800

'"it

..U'

50 ~

v.:,,:t

H
c, c,

~v

f-

:>
60 (;,

f-

<r

o
70

I-

:>

700

~ I

- -

00

i>~ . eo

T
4 00

,,"
~

",. .

I
I

30 0

,~

ft.,~

;:-

"

..~

".
~o..::i eoc

200

'" see

'"

.0 -

00

'0

..........
...
.........."
~'

~
I

R. q

20 0

130

~ ,
:JSJl

40

.-L
100

R,

50

00

Q.

" 0

100

...o
90 z
...'"
"
100'"
o
'"
11 o '
"
120

'L ' 0

500

80

C.q

600

'"

o
40 '"

~ ~'t'

.,~..$'''''
t~ e

'"

-$'(;

.. j' cf

900

30

300

4 00

500 600
700 800
Rl - RES IST ANCE IN

900 1000
OH MS

1100 1200

1300 14 00

50

1500

RESISTANCE.CAPACITANCE NOMOGRAM
This dual chart solves the illustrated combinat ions of resistances in parallel, or of capacitances in series. The lower half of the nomogra m is for resistance, and the upper half for
capacitance.
T o solve a parallel resistance circuit, lay a
ruler ac ross the outer resistance scales, connecting the known values of R, and R2. Then
the equivalent resistance may be read at the
intersection of t he ruler with diagonal resistance
scale.

To detennine the equivalent capacitance of

t wo capacitors connected in series, the upper
portion of the nomogram is used. Lay a ruler
across the scales, connecting t he known values
of 0 1 a nd O2 Then the equivalent capacitance
may be read at the intersect ion of the ruler
with the diagonal capacitance scale.

40

The chart is useful in ot her problems. For

example, if it is required to make up a parallel
comhination of resistances with a specified
equivalent resistance, the chart may be used
as follows: Place a ruler at the desired equivalent capacitance on the diagonal resistance scale,
and swing the ruler about this point as a pivot.
Then all possible combinations of resistance to
make t his equivalent value will be seen along
the outer resistance scales.
The capacitance scales may be used in ent irely analogous manner.
Note that the chart is good for larger and
smaller values than appear on the scales; that
is, if all scales are multiplied by 10, the chart
is still valid. Likewise, all scales may be divided
by 0.1, or by 0.01 , or multiplied by 100, or
WOO.

co

W2JPX and W2JCR look ever their

tiny 5 meier transmitter. Both are now
busy explaining to the XYL that the
big rig in the b.clcground is
.Iuolufely nessary

C4 DX

March, 1946

41

Send .11 contributions to C. II . H eard Editor, CO

HEARD IN PORT WASHINGTON , N.Y.

Howard Langerman, W2LBJ

es megacycles 2-1-4G
XEID

WllGFG /K6 WSBOR/PY

es megacycles 2-2-46
XE1A G
ZS4AA

XEIK~I

XEIA

28 megacycles 2-4-46
GW5XN
G5BM

GM3YX

es megacycles 2-9-46
HEARD ABOARD USS LAKE
CHAMPLIN IN ENGLISH WATERS
Commander E. H. Conklin, W3JUX/W9BNX

es megacycles 12-6-45

K4ESH
WSSDD

11~I C

W2JH E

W3GLV
W3~IV
W4EDF
W4FLT
WSGFN / 3 WSKYY
W81lDX
WSIlL

W3FTIt / 3
W3NA
W4IIKJ
WSLO/2
WSHDR

W8AL
W9ECC

W8P EN
W9TCZ

WSAII
W9PK

8 megacycles 12-1 6-45

A.\ ' 'EIEIl

W3BES
W4EDW
K5IITC
W8FPG

42

es megacycles

W IJMQ
W4F BU
W6KPA /9
W8AJ M
WSQGZ
W9CII
W9EDR
W910J
W9QIX
W9ZIIB
W4CDC

V:lAGP
W3CllT
\\'4F IT
WSAYY
W8LAI

WIJSU/ G
W4HGO
W6JJU
W8EUQ
W8UGA
W9DNL
W9FGR
W91UK
W9RMN

W3BSO/ 9
W6AGS
W6PIQ
WSKJ
W8 UJI.
W9DXX
W9FKQ
W9KPW/ S
W9USU

W9SE Y

VE3MY

W4DHZ
WGEAW
WGTQW
W8PB R
W9CCB
W9El\IQ
W9HSQ
W9LEQ
W9Vm

es megacycles 12-18-45

W2GFH
W31U
W5HRW
W5JW
W6IIG
WGSJP
WiGOII
W7HOE
WSA.X N
WSFJD
WS~IC
WSOJF / S
W8UJH
W8UJL
W8WSV
W9CJV
W9ERE
W9DJJ
W9JWF
W9KFS
W90IU
W9NXE
W9QRW W9UC U
W9ZNA/ G W9ZNP

V&'lOO
W3FPX
W5FRD
W5JIU/ 6
WGGIK
W60W
W7GDX
W7II1K
W7KO
W8EUQ

W2MA
W4FPB
W5HYZ
W5KJB
\\'OOZC
W6TIK
W7HAY / f.
W71GN
WSBTL
WSGOV
W8RGW
WSWOA
\v9CE / 9
W9EUA/ 9
W9KSS
W9QYW
W9WIP
WnHIl

W3CLA
W4HPO /4
W5IRT
W6AYZ
WGOZH
W6WB
W7HDS
K71VS/fi
W8DOil
W8IIEC
W8SGX
\V8\VO Il
W9DI:Il
W9IFIl /!l
W9KW
W9QCll
W9YQ\"

W8JVI

\v9ZXX

AI
W4HWT

VE:lAA
W:llI\'L
W4EYX
WSA.XN
WSKFC

12-17-45

Al

AS

G 3Y Z.

. 13
EA ID
W:1FTX
W31U
W8DF]I; / 3
WSQUL
WSRTX

W9FS

TG9WPB

2-3-46

WSWXI'
W9FS
W9QC D

AI
V&'lYY

D-lAIlL
IHABG
D4ACT
D4AAG
'G 6WU
G6YJ
G4JV
GSTH
G 4CI
G2MI
G2TA
G8WL
G 8T D
G6WY
GGQB
ZSGDW
C0 2RG
XEIJF
XEID
ZSGFN
W1H CII /K6
\I'9ROC /K6
K6ROJ
W2LEV/K6
I. Ui EZ
W6RMJ/PY7

GGNF
G2TA

W8 UJH
W9E~IX
W9EXT
W9~IPQ /K4 W9NDK
W8ltLT

AS

es megaC1Jcle.

G 8 RN
G 6RL

WSPAX
W9BEil
W9LOG
W9VI:l1

W3AIB/ 3
W3DGl\I
K4HQJ
WSEPN
W8NYil

W6QQII

HEARD IN SANTA MARIA,

AZORES
Lawrence LeKa.hman, W210P
{Continued on page 5f )

CO

IMMEDIATE DELIVERY
for a ll radio serv ice replacements
N ow it's N . U. Panel Lamps. as mo nth by month the N . U.
line o f quality tu bes and parts grows broader . . . opens up
more avenues for profitable business for service eng ineers.
And now, you ca n pick up extra sales o f panel lamps by 'hi
box. That smart looking new vest-pocket N. U. package of
10 lamps does it! Countless numbers of replacements are
needed, fo r radios, cars, flashlights, and o ther uses. Order
now I rom your N . U. Distributor,
N A.Tl O N A L

UN iON RAD IO CO . .. ORAlION

N E W A RK2 . N .J.

vew -scckee box of 10

lamps- cw.sy ( 0 sell t ba r
~, -.nd profitable!
Com p lflC l ine of tYPeS f
all radio dgJs., p&nd beards,
luni nJ: meters. insuuments.,
auto radios. flashlights.
parking lights. coin ma o
chi nes .

T h e riB hl bulb (or everr

job--enginttred (Q initial
c-q ui pment Sllndards_
builds YO UI reputation for
accuracy Ind . ood wOfIt.
Torsion 'le ~ned

fila me n t
wires . . torque reseed basing cement .. . shock and
vibration rested bulbs ..
all combine to assure better
service-, It" .

I."

NATIONAL UNION
RADIO AND ELECTRON TUBES
March,1946

43

By HERB BECKER, W60D

ISeM aU ronlriIJulw 1o Herb

Becker,

1~1J8

ox
Not everyone in ham radio is a DX man but
some of this pa rticularly ardent form of amateur
claim it is only because t hey can't work the stuff.
Whatever the case may be, DX conducted by
Herb Becker, WGQD (who bas worked a little
bit of it in his own day) will try to bring the
latest rumors, frequencies, and general informstion on t his highly com plex subject. Mr. Becker
might even be induced to give his own private
reci ~ for obtaining rare QSL cards. In fact, one
prom ment EMt coast DX man said we should call
the column "QSL"-that more fellows would
want to read about the magic formula than what
some other lucky guy in an Al1ocatioD, with ten
acres of land, plus a West Coast K W worked (at
which point someone yells sour grapes). Lots of
interesting s,t uff is being worked already, so if you
can't work It . . . read about it anyway in DX.

SolSlh Gra.l A..., lA. A.g,lu, 15, Cali/.J

of CQ a photograph of \\'2JIH who worked

AC4YN on 28 M e. J anuary 6 was the red-letter
day, with J IH receivi ng an S8 plus report. Wha t
makes it even more embarrassing (to the
men)
was the fact t hat it was two-way phone. Jimmy
brushed up on his Tibetian during t he war just
to make t his contact.
W2DWG made WAC on 28 M e in 2 hours 35
minutes, between 7 and 9 :35 AM on Feb . 10.
Stations worked were XU3IK; ZS I AX ; YK3~1O ;
W6RNJ/PY7; G5LJ ; W2LHF.
Henry Smith, C P IAA, ex-CT2BK, who kept
many a DX'er_burning midnight oil is now in-

C'"

Honry Smith

CP1AA

WAZ
CQ is in no way affiliated with the old Radio
which is now a professional engineers book. However the idea of continuing the Worked AU Zones
award is intriguing. It is up to the DX men
themselves. If sufficient interest is shown WAZ
,,;1I be revived immediately. The question is
should we start from scratch or take up from the
pre-war d ays. Wi tb tbe DXCC wiping the slate
clean , pe rhaps WAZ might do tbe same ou t of
fairness to the newcomers in t he DX ranks. Tbere
is also the question of whether or not the 40 zones
sho uld remain as defined before tbe war. If t he
zones are changed there is t he awful possibility
that some would-be DX editor might classify his
QUA as Zone 40. G ive it some thought and we'll
get the ball rolling.
What ', OX?

So many years have passed since any kind of

operating on the ham bands that working a W9
is renUy some thing for 6QD. Stuff like G's, D's ,
K6 's, and ot her "ordinary" contacts are now
fo ught over like AC4YN. Talking about AC4YN
. .. you may have noticed on t he February cover

44

stalling; a chain of point-to-point sta tions in

Brazil for I. T. & T. His wife and familv a re with
him in Rio, where he may get on the air aga in .
W2VL spent 31 months overseas doing radio '
work as an Anny M aj or. This isn't a record, but
when a guy comes home and pounds brass on his
furlough to t be tune of 475 con tacts in four
mont hs of resumed amateur activit y .... ? I ncluded in this list is some plain and fancy DX
like W2K:'IZ / EL (Liberia) . Other stutT snagged
by W2VL : K4 , K 6, K7, VP2, VP4, PY, X E
KB6, ZS, G, VE, and of course a couple of
One day 2VL got caught otT base and was heard
working a WI of 112 M e.
Some of the stuff being heard on 20 is enough
to make a real DX man brea k down and cry ...
or maybe crank u p on 20. T ake a gander at
Calls Heard and you'll see what we mean. The
day t hat 20 opens all those guys will QUT or be
on their way home . w ell things are tough everywhere.
[Conlinued on pag' 681

',"'13:

co

t4e ULIRAPROIE
Copyright oncl Pa'en' Applied for

MODEL UHP -2
Get on the air with this hig h qua lity 144 148 megacycle transmitter
receiver -designed fo r portable , mobile or fixed sta tion use -

" Check these important features

v Commerciol appearance and

performance.
V Newly designed 6AK-5 detector circuit.
V Expanded band spread and increased se nsi tivity.
V Transmitter will handle 30 wa tts input contin uously
..J Operating ca pa bilities up to 250 me,
V Tra nsmitte r fea tures the Ta ylo r TU F-20 tube.
V Other tubes include 6A K-5 , 784 and 7C5.
V Provisions for crystal or magnetic headphones and metering.

Comes complete with matched set of tubes, but less power supply. Will operate from 6-volt vibrator peck, genemotor o r c-c power supply.

Specially Designed uAmphenof' Hi-Q Antenna Kif Optional

ORDER NOW FR OM YOUR LOCAL JOBBER

Manufactu r ed b y

GROSS COMMUNI CATIONS PRODUCTS

Oi",i. io n o f Th. Mill. Company

1514 PROSPECT AVE .

Ca b le Code : MiII. meta l

CLEVelAND 14, OH IO

Telephone: PRospect 0782

M.rch, 1946

45

HIGH FREQUENCY TUBE SOCKETS

A series of

transmitting and receiving

tube sockets molded of .M yh oy-mica ceramic
high frequency insulation has been developed
by Electronic Xlechanics, Inc., of Clifto n, Key;
J ersey.
Included in this new series are: standard
4, 5, 6 and 7 prong t ype-Octal and Loctal sockets
for mu lti-prong tubes-also 5 and 7 prong Acorn
eockets-c-t prong high voltage rectifiers sockets
and improved heavy duty " 50 " ratters."
T he socket s are produced by compression
DC'W

mold ing and are of one-piece construction featu r-

ing spring phosphor bronze contacts an chored to

t he sockets by a method which assures rigid

non-t urning position. Top surfaces nrc perfectly flat an d smooth to pennit unimpeded
mounting beneath chas.....is.
Pate nt ed spring
action clips provide fin n, unvarying, highly
conduct ive contact with t ube terminals.
}'f ykroy ~OC kCt8 afford many ad vantages,
particularly

in t he field uf high

freq uency.

.l/Y~TOY

is a greatly improved glass-bonded

mica ceramic insulation which will not carbo nize or otherwise deteriorate in the presence
of h igh heat or elect ric arcs a nd flashovers.
Thus no leakage paths will form between terminals, especially where h igh voltages a re involved. High physical sta bility assures permunenee of fonn and non-warping properties.
J / ykroy is impervious to oil, gas and water

New compact .nd ecmp.lete Kluge "uliForni.

Kilow."/' 1000 w."
.mateur station th.t has the
appe.r.nce of desk.
Fe.tured in this design Is
5 bend vari.ble frequency
tr.nsmitter, phone or c.w.,
Pfovisions for any make receiver, bullt-in frequency
monitor, world time clock ,
an ill umi n.ted world m.p

46

CQ

PLA5T1COHS _

Smalle r, lighter, more

eco no mica l. Specified by
Signal Corps, Air Corps and
Navy for more severe operating con-

d itions thon o il-paper ca pacitors. Closer

tol erance s, wid er te mp e rature ra nge, greate r
safety factor, long er life . Now available at the following prices:

PLASTleONS TYPE AOe

MfJ .

4. .
1.
2. .
4..
6..
8 ..
1. .

2 ..
3 ..

1. .

1.
1. .
2. .

4 ..

2..
4.

1.

1. .

D C - WV

L id Price

Dirn e ,..ion.

Your Pric e

600 . . .
411 X 2;" X 11/4"
$2.80
51.6 8
1000
2 3/,8 " :I 1%" X 1
3.65
2.1 9
1000 . .
.
31/1 ' X 2" X 11!4"
4.70
2.82
1000 . .
.
4 5/8" 2'!2" 1 3/,16" . . . . . 5.85 . . . . . . . . . . 3.51
1000 . .
. . . 4 5/8" X 33!.a" X 11,4 ' . . . . . . . . 7.65 . . . . . . . . . . 4.59
1000 . . . . . . . . . .4 5/8" )304" X P A"
8.40
5.04
2000
2 3/.8" 2" 1'14"
5.20
3.12
2000 . . .
31~ ' 2'A!" 1 3/.16"
6.10
3.66
2000
31 " X 33,4" ' ~ '
1.50
4.50
2000 . .
.
31 " lC 3lA" lC 1
8.40
_. . . . . 5.04
3000
4" lC 21ft" lC 13/,16"
11.00
6.60
3000 . . . . . .
4" lC 3lA" lC 1 %
14.00 . . . . . . . . . . 8.40
3000
45/8" 3%". 1'14"
19. 35
11.60
4000
4" lC 3],4" lC 1 %"
25 .00
15 .00
5000 . .
.
4" lC 3lA" lC 13,4"
30.00
18 .00
5000
3'1." 3% " 49/16"
37.50
22.50
7500 . . .
3'; ''' 3'14" 49/16"
45 .00
27 .00
1 oo
4" lC 33,4" lC 4 9/16"
80.00
48.00

v.."...........
I

All !' u Sn CON CAPACIT ORS at. ru. . . . tOf III ..-bI0'11.. Ir.. , . .Istflllll.... " lie taII_l sUJJtJ' FIll. wrlte IItfltl

1375

March, 1946

N O RTH

BRAN CH

S T REET

CHI CA G O

2 2 . ILLI NOIS

41

nud poee...t:--..<,(:; ek-crrical clumu-torist ir..... of till'

h ighest order. It ha~ high dielect ric st rength
combined with low Ixn\"('r factor and its lr-akmnresist..nuce is unusually high .
Unlike manv
other ceramics it can he drilled, tapped and
machined by conventiounl methods where modification i:-- essential to l'lu\~... is requirements. This
feature makes it of particular intere-t to
amateurs.
-\11 r-ight pa~(' bulletin containing: comph-te
information anti fully illustrated with sockets.
tube parts and accessories, dimension data and
charts showing Electrical, Xl echanical and P hysical P ropert ies is available fl"{'(' upon request
to CQ Parts and Products Department .

Seven contacts are p rovided so t hat t he new

tiF-t ea u be accommodated in addition to the
po pu lar 950 scrips, requiring 5 contacts.
TAYLOR TB35 U.K./'. BEAM TETROOE

A new D.Il.F . beam tetrode, te rmed the

Taylor T Il-35, has been added to t he wellknown line of Tuvlor Tubes, Inc.
(Iperatiug with full power input up to 250

ACORN SOCK ET

T he Xntlonal Radio Company ~I :\ l tl( n . ~1 :tN' . ,

has announced the n-lense for civilian use of
the X LA socket nnd associated components,
which were developed during the war.
The annou ncement is of interest to e ll F
enthusiasts who ha ve 101l1l felt t he need of
a roc ket which would not suhject the relatively
expensive acorn tulx-s to undue strain.
In
ordina ry soc ke ts, the st rain is in the direction
wh ere the glass is weakest . I n the XLA , which
is inserted sideways by t wisti ng, the strain is
in t he direction where t he glass is st ro ngest,
or a rou nd the circumference.
Om! of the com ponents is the XLA -8 , wh ich
is a silver- plated shield for pentodc H orns,
a nd is used wit h the X L.:\ socket. This al....o
provides a mounting Lase for the 50ch'1.
Another com ponent is the XLA-C , a spec ial
cera mic condenser, which may be mounted
inside t he socket in place of the cont act screw.
National offir-in ls said t hose a re availa ble in
a variety of r-a puci ties. Standard va lues are
100 u ui., SO /J1l r. , 25 Illl r. , and "; Il/Jf.

I
I
I

l.ylo, 18-35
U. H. F. B m
Power Tetrode:

me and at half-power inpu t t o 400 m e, the

tct rodc fills a definite need for a t u be with
a power ou t put of over 125 wat ts (C lass C,
te legra phy) in these ultra high frequency regions,
The t ube possesses a four-pin ceram ic base
and t he plate connect ion is brought out at
the top of t he envelope. The overall size of
t he tube is 4}i''' a nd t he maximum diamet er
is I ~".
Elect rical characterist ics : Filament , t horiated
tu ngsten, 6.3 volts (e-e or d-e) at 3 am ps ; ~Iu
n.~ npprcx. ; M utual conductance at I b .082750 micromhos; I nterelect rode cepacitancee-eI nput to plate 0.2 Il llf, Input 6.5 Illlf, Output
I. . Il ilf.
T y pical operation, Class C telegraphy: d-e
plate volts-I500; d-e grid No. I volts-300
\011:3; d-e grid 1\0. 2 volts-375; d-e plate

currcnt-110 rna;

d-e grid cu r rent- I5 rna

(a p prux.) ; d-e SCf("Cn current-22 rna ; Plate

dissipation (max.)-35 watts; Peak r- f grid
input volts-350 (approx.): Driving power-s~ . 5 watts (e pprox.) : Plate power output (to
2,.0 mc)-130 wat ts.
T y pical operat ing cond itions, Class C, p late
[Conlinuod on page 541

48

co

vo

Of colUl n uc t io n a n d quality unmatched b y meter .ellin a: at far

hiehe r priCetl livin. perfo rmance el<ceedina: t hat of t hree
ee pe.ra t e i ...tr um ente cotl ti n c n_f1y four tim~ it. price it i.
DO wonder we are t old th.t "VOMA)(" i. today t he atand.rd of
eompanaon.
"VOMAX" i. new different . and out.tandi ngl,. au pe rior
. . . bec.UH it i... b ra nd new pod-war v .t.Y.m
and trul y
unive~l.
With " VQ M AX" you can mea.ure
,.,. volt_II"
requi~ in radio _ rvici n.. . . . even in the .I_In I.boratory. N ot
on.ly d oes it e n able you t o meuul'lll d .c:. and e.e, voltacO!! at meter
reai.tance _ hi,b ... not to "lfeel the circuit beine m ....ueed, but
" VO M AX" at lui let. you m eaau.e . f. and r.f. Yalta,_ from 20
eyel", to ove r 100 m ~ac:ycl_ ,._tanee froID .2 ohma

AX"

" T he S tandard of
Comparison"

tbroulh 2,000 me,ohma l. " d uck _ up" with " VOM AX" . . ...
ia di~t "unent from SO m icroe.mperN tbroulb 12 ampere&.
Ad d to all tM. _
mllal d ynam ic .I~ tracinc . dleeee
m....llrernent of ..,...,.,. voltace f rom reeei.... r Il.Ilten_ to .~k e r
voice coi:l . anti you k now wh y many 1000""ment d ..JMl.rtm..n u
ee riOWl intlWll rial. raciio en ci neoeri nc. ll nivereit y ~reh labo.....
lori ..... . a nti ... nice lechnicia_ . by the tholl.. ntI. clamor for

-VOMAX".
" VOM AX" m . k .

you th e m allier. no lon~r the victim. of

louCh ...rvice problem.. Y our favori t e jobber . &monll nearl y
SOD p roa;rlE&llli.... S i LVER d i.tri bqto ,", al lover the colln t ry . ca n
cive you prompt d elive ry from b ito rqular montbly a1lobnent
if you o rder now for oal,.
S59.85 Nee ,

OVER 34 YEARS OF RADIO ENGINEERING ACHIEVEMENT

7I"'~r~ Ctet>'""","Y
1'-.0

MAIN

STJItUT .

March,1946

'"

HA.~

3,

C()NN'CTICUT 1

49

,,\~ ...

7/;,~ ~~
~

but not for long!

The 6nal condenser arced over and
blew ou t the rectifiers. Had he used
BUD scientifically produced components
the log entry would not ha ve read
" transmitter broke down!"

The first post-war ha mfest in Ohio was

held T hursday, December 6th, in Cleveland
by the Cuyahoga Ra dio Association. Over 300
active and prospective amateurs from the midwest attended. T he feature of the evening
was the drawing {or an R~IE-t5 receiver.
Frank J . Snyder W8BXR, the lucky ticket
holder, active on 10 and 160 for many years,
was just as jubilant as non-winners were disappointed.
The program arranged by Earl S. Nelson,
\Y8DS, CHA President and his committee,
was ~IC 'd by "Doc" Howe (WSE Il.J), club
Treasurer.
After a generous and excellent
meal the festivities got under way wi t h an
outline by Central Division Director J ohn
Kiener, \VSAVII, on the frequency situation
and the possibilities of opening the bands.
:\I orrie P ierce of \VGAR, recently returned
from service with O\r I, gave an outline of
his work during t he war with propaganda
broadcasting and the part he played in the
surrender of t he Italian Fleet. The drawing
fo r the R~m a nd much other useful gear
then took place, with tu bes, meters, volt-ohm-

All coils are of the ai r-wound type to

promote efficiency. The use of a va ri,
able link to the plate tan k as a mean s
of varying the loading of an R.F. stage
is effec tively utilized in this type of
inductance.

50

CQ

Have . Every Issue of IICQII Sent

To Your Home. Subscribe Today!
You ...ve by.ub.cribing on an annua l
ba.i.. "Ham" Club. gel a .pecial
reduced rale. Wrile lor lull particula...

--

12 i.. u............ $2.50

24 i.. ue. ..... .. .. ... 4.00
36 i.. ue........... .. 5.00
In U.s.A . & Po..e..ion.
Euegher. $3.50 peryeor

Sold on B.tt.r
N.w..tand.

25c.
per copy.

I-----------TEAR OUT-MAIL TODAY----------- I

II

CQ-RADIO MAGAZINES, INC.

3.c2 MADISON AVE., NEW YORK 17, N. Y.

c.lL.............................................

I
I

r
I

Sinl Her. I. my 0 check (or 0 money order) for S

Send me
Inues 01 CO.
12 b.u 52.50-24 luac. S4.-36 luu....55. un,dl.n and forelsn subscription, ar. 53.50 '""Ullly.

'

I
I

SublCrib.,', Name (print car.fully)......................................................................................................................

II

Addrctl..................................................................................................................................................................

II

II
II

Stat............ ...............................................Zone.............................. II

Qty

WMt Is your

~___

March.1946

occu~tion Of
t_

profession.._

~
51

milliammeters, parts etc., going as door prizes.

Cuyahoga Radio Association, one of the few
amateur organization fully active during the
war, sponsored the event to finance the purchase
of a receiver and other operat ing equipment
for the Club station located in one of Cleveland's Red Cro.. building. Members furnish
emergency communication for the Red Cross
on all bands. The officers arc Earl S. N elson,
W8DS, President, Wm. B. Davis, W8JNF,
Vice President, Mildred Wildman, W8PZA ,
Secretary and D. L. " Doc" Howe W8EBJ,
Treasurer.
Canada is following the FCC plan of shifting
call areas to equalize distribution and to provide
additional room. Effective April 1st, the set
up north of the border will be as follows: VEl,
Maritime Provences ; VE2, Province of Quebec;
VE3, Ontario: VE4, Manitoba ; YE5, Saskatchewan; VE6, Alberta; VE7, British Columbia;
VE8A through VESL, Yokun T erritories, and
VEBM through VESZ, Northwest Territories.

- ... - .New calls issued for Colorado, N ebraska,

North and South Dakota, Kansas, Minnesota,
Iowa and Missouri will carry the W-UTO prefix.
However, the FCC has, for the time being,
decided to lea ve lr9 prefixes in t hese states.

CALLS HEARD
Ifrom page

~SJ

S8 megacycles 12-31.45
WINBM, W2CTL, W2IJG, W2JXH, W2OIl1N, W3BES(CW), W3I1QJ, W3GII1E /4(CW)
W4AIS, WSBDT, W8EUQ, W8LII1W, W9BAF,
W9EOY, W9KKU, W9QVM /9 (CW).

1~ megacycles
PY2HT, PY4EJ(A3), PY2NX. PY2KT. LUSDR, LU5DA, TI20U (A3), EUS, (Also heard
were seven ,V's calling or working 28 mc, but
radiating on 14 mc.)
1~ megacycl.., 1-2-46

IlUSA (A3), IlZZ, II UK, IlMZ, IIDA,

IlCA(A3), IlGB(A3), PAOMP. PAOUF, SUI
USA(3), EP5S0, EISH, LU6DJK, LUSEN .
OY3C, PRlAA, BIG, F8QIQ, LS3JU, LZIXX,
D4ANC, G3AX (A3), W9BND /ETO, NXlAA,
HB9J, HB9AW, HB9S, IIB9CE, HB9AB.
ZP6AB, SUIUSA.
1~

megacycles, 1.5.46
SUIUSA, ON4GBB, VSIFB, W4IIDE/ETO.
Full details may be obtained by dropping
a card t o Calls Heard Department, CQ, 342
Madison Avenue, N ew York 17, N. Y.

fo . more Iha n a year ox Cryllall

hov. been o",toma';caUy deep_
.Icn.d by a ,.. .... prOC.I'- Botti
the II'lernod and modl i,..1 .......

p.rfected by ox Eng ine e " 10

tholo ll ox Xtol l ca n have the

nth d.gr.e 01 lIability ond en,
durance neceuary to ....a,lime
OP4'ranan
Thinkabo",1OX .PradltCll 101' 'to""

DX
XTALS

52

co

;-.....,...-

(J

PAN -OSCILLO-RECEIVER
Performs Work of 4 Units

1 . PANORAMIC ADAPTOR: For use with any receiver having the following IF uequenci 405 to 505 KC. 4 .75 to 5.75 MC. 29 to 31 MC .
2 . OSCILLOSCOPE: Eliminates guesswork, give. error-proof visual check and monitors received s i q n a ls .s well . s own output ( P e rce n ta g e M o d u l a tio n --Ca nie r Wavsshape. ete.)
3. SYNCHRQSCOPE: Sternal inputs provide synchroscope action.
4. RECEIVER: Three inputs provide facilities for u s. with adaptors covering .11 ham band .
to 10,000 m egacycle s.
3 " Scope Tub
21 tub

2 IF stag - double conversion

2 video s tag , push-pull f eedinqverticalplate

Pentade output audio monitor
Aircraft type construction
Multi-vibrator type horizontal sweep genera~
Government s p e c . c omponents
tor ( ra d a r type)
Plug-in eu b -c h . ... .
Horizontal s w e e p amplifiers with puah~pull
Tropicalized aga inst moidure
feed to horizontal plates
110 volts. 60 cycle AC transformer provided
Writ. lor dMCrip U'P. loki..

WESTCHESTER ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS

29 Milburn Str t
P.O. Box No. 231

March,1946

Bron xville , N e w Y o rk

53

~ llllllllUlllr 1111111111111[1II1111111111r1II111111111111ll1l1ll1l111 r11111111111111 ~

-==
;;
-;;

-=-=
NEW SURPLUS METERS WESTON
;;

=
::

=
==

Round Flu.h Ba k. Ut e M e ten

==

unl. . . .pacified ot he r wiae

E
-=

,;:::; Model 301. Hi" . 0-10(:0- 15 . 0-50. 0- 100.0-800.0-1000 ;::;

M ill iam per. D. ., ....9 S

M odel S06. 2 ~ " .

D .C.. S'""
.JU

--==
==
=

0- 1S. 0-50.

::

0-100

M illiam per. .

Model 60. Surface Mountin 0-1 50 . clu D .C., $3.00 ::

=
-

=
--= Mod,1

Model JOI.

J ~"

;::;
(00

0-1 Ji K.V. D .C. com p le te with 1000 o hm per

v oh re.i.tor. S6.9S
0-4 K. V.. D .C. com plete with r-i.tor '7.95

476, H i". 0-8 wolt. $4.00. 0-130 volt $4.50

0-150 v olu .$5.95.

=
=
;;

voltmer.,,. ()..I SO volu D. C.. $4. 50

....

.:.

-_
~

-...

:::=

Model 517, Round Aueh Rio. Mountin e. 0-25 voIh1

A.c. $1.95
::

Modd 476. H i". 0-4 Amper White.eale $4.50,

a==-=
::

0-30 Amper A.C. Black ScaJe $4.00

MocM 641. 4 U Surf.c:e mountiolJ. O-ISO volta A.C.

'9.00, 0-15 Amper A.C. $8.00

Model NA JJ. 2 ~ . 0-150 volt. A.C. $1.98

;:;

M odel NX 35. 3 ~. 0..50 volt .

M odel NX 1000 ob.m. POl" volt $5.95

---=
-=---+
-===
~

=
=

-=
-=
-E-=

WESTINC H OUSE

Model NA 35.

J ~.

0-150 volt. A.C.

M odel NA 35. 3J.o) . 0.50 Am per A. C.

Model NX 35. J ~. 0-24 Milliam per movement . wit h

0-24 MA and 0- 1200 volt ..:ale $2.25
Model N H 3S. 3 ~. Total hour m ete re , l IS volt, 60
cyde $4.9S
M odel NX 35. 3 H . 0-10 Arnper D .C. $4.95

;:

Model BX 2 H . 0..3.S/ 0- 1<40 volt. D .C. metal

$1.50

;:

M odel D Y. 2. 4 ~. O-H i . 0..50. 0-60. 0- 70. Amper A.C.

. u rfau mountin. sa.OO

-==
--IE
-=

--

M odel D Y. 2.
19.00

4 ~.

O-I SO __ It. A.C. lurfa_ mountin.

M odel D Y-2. 4 ~ . li S volt. 50..70 cyde freque ncy

""eter $3S.00
GE T "1ii DW44. Radio Frequency ammeter. 2 ~"
lack Kal. 0- 1 Amper $2.9S

Eli

NEW WESTON RADIO S ERVICE METERS

::
I MMEDIATE DELIVERY
:: Model 772 analyzeR $49.S0

-~

Model 777 Tube checken $49.50

-===
--

M odel 766 T el...rter. S.OOO -It $1 B.7S

Model 766 T eleverter. 10.000 'I'OIt $22.00

;:

--==

Model 697 analyzeq ' 24.00

Model 7a s Jnduetrial circui t t ~ler $93.7S

:: Add I ~.for N.Y.C. SaJ_ T ax _bea ahi pped to poi ntl

E witbia N .Y.C.

=
=

54

=
-=
-

IJrom page

481

modulated with a maximum modulation fa ctor

of 1.0: d-e plate volts- !OOO; d-e grid No. I
volts- 2oo; d-e grid No. 2 volts-3OO; d-e
plate curre nt-85 rna; d-e grid cu r re nt- IO
~( a ; Peak RF Grid input voltage-250; Driving powcr-2 wat ts ; Plate power output-60
watts.
AMATEUR GROUND PLANE ANTENNA

A ground plane antenna for amateur use on

144-148 mc and 220-225 me has just been
announced by The Workshop Associates, Newlon Highlands, lIIllSS.
Originally designed a nd manufactured for the
ai r corps to operate at much higher frequencies ,

:::

ModellO!. 0-25 voh. A.C. Rectifier type 2000 ohm per v olt $6.95
...

-==
=
=
"--=
...

PARTS AND PRODUCTS

MARITIME SWITCHBOARD
W orth 4-aZ 17

--------=
=
=
---.:.
_

=
=
=
=

------=
---------=

--------=
=
_

=
=

t he new antenna offers all the advantages of

t his widely used design in kit form. The radiating
dipole and t he six radials are made in two pieces.
By screwing on the seven additional pieces, the
antenna is conve rted from t he 200 me band t o
t he 144 me band-no further ad just ments are
necessary.
Extremely low loss is encountered by using
standard 72 ohm co-axial cable, such as RG.
Il lu, a nd show an even better performance
using 50 ohm co-ax such IlS RG-S/ u, RG-9/u , or
RG-IO/u. This compact ground plane antenna
gives a uniform coverage in a ll directions. It
comes supplied with a type UN" UO21/u silver
plated weatherproof connector that can be used
with any of the above mentioned cables.
POCKET MULTITESTER

The new Model 448 Pocket lIfultitester

offered by Radio City Products Co., New
York, features six test ing instruments of high
For
accuracy in one compact metal case.
easy reading, a 3" square meter is used, with
a movement of 200 microamperes and a sensitivity of 5000 ohms per volt.
Ranges of
Mulritceter are:

co

i
DC Voltmet er 0-5-[,0-250-1000 volt - First
scale di vision-Q.1 volt;
AC Voltmeter 0-5-50-250-1000 volts - First
scale division- .l volt;
Output voltmete r 0-.;-50-250-1000 volts-First
scale di vision-c-Od volt ;
DC milliammeter .f>-Io-I ()().I OOO rna - First
scale division- .Ol rna ;
Ohmmeter 0/1 000 0/10,000 0/ .1 meg 0/1 meg ;
Decibel meter -6 to + 10 - 14 to +26 -28 to
+ 40 -40 to +52 db
Db range is calibrated (or a line of 500 ohm
For lines of other impedance,
impedance.
correct ion charts arc supplied .
T he Model
448 Pocket Mult itcster is SU" x 3~" x 2,!.i" .
It weighs only I %, 100., complete wit h selfcontained batteries, ready to operate in snap
spring contact holders.

EVERYTHING FOR THE HAM

WRITE

eo,
For Fast
DeliverY!
Gd LH" own Ptnonal, tud<Jm.

ee.nee on your rad io ~. Leo

_Ill hrlp fOU t tt batk on the air
quk klr .-Ilh I\nt dtllffiT on &111thinr: In radIo.

VOLT- OH M- M I LLiAMMETER

A new Volt-Ohm-~lilliamm etcr, Model 42-1, is

announced by Ra dio City Products Co., N' ew
York. This instrument uses a th ree inch meter
with a sensitivity of 2500 ohms per volt and
a movement of 400 microamperes. High milliammeter range is ten megohms with a center
to full scale ratio of 125. The low ohm scale
rends 5 ohms a t center and 0.1 ohm at each
of the first ten di visions. Each shunt and multiplier is individually calibrated, tolerance 1%.
Uniform AC-DC voltmet er sensit ivit y of a
thousand ohms per vol t. A suppressor-ty pe

R.dl0 City
P,oducb
Volt-OhmM illiammeter

Modol424

Tranamlttlnll: tubes, eondmsm . mlkel

. nff)1hlnl for the lIam. One of
the rollin,,', lan:~ It l)("U of Ham
equlpml'nl . Wrile Leo, W9GFQ , touy. and be nm witb ure latnt . Wt
lmltt lnqu lrlf'l tor JPt'(lal equlpmtnt
of all klndt.

For pl'ak performanee and mort dollar for dollar ralue, r:tt a WRL
Tran9mltttr Kit . du lrntd In
Uo' , own laboratorlf'l t ested
and prcr en, M ail able In 15. 35, 70,
anil 150 watt kit. II wtll a. kit. eustom built t o yuur own ~pPtt . wrtte
Lee t oday for complete dtllls, prien
and t erms.

'.

li t re are just a few of the manr wellknOlli'D rKelttn oll'trtd br Leo:

lIalll en.ft en SX-25 $ 94 .50
n alll t raft ers S-20R $ 60.00
l lallk raft m SX-28A $223.00
Ethophone EC- 1A
$ 29 .50
lIammariund IIQ-1 29X $129.00

Natlooal NC2-4OC .. $225.00

el

NEW POST WAR

52 PAGE fLYER
:i2 puts parted with real bUTII In radio,
elK'tronle. and central ~ . Write
for JOUI' free eop, todaJ'.
Rmd tor lbese nelusiTe ttt'!IlJ:
Tube and Cireutt Root
1De
Giant Radio Rd rrmee 101&p (me

copper oxide rectifier is used for AC measurements. Ranges of t he Volt-Ohm-Milliammeter

arc: DC Voltmeter 0-2.f>-lo-5O-250-1000 volts ;
AC Voltmeter 0-10-50-250-1000 volts; DC lIIilliammeter 0-1o-5O-2,'io-1000 rna ; Ohmmeter 05()().IOO,OOO ohms; 1-10 megohms; Decibel meter
-10 to +29, -18 to +43, -30 to +55 db. D b
range is calibrated for a line of 500 ohm impedance.

March,1946

31,i'141,i "

1SC
lIandJ Tube-Rut caJeulator _. 25C
Writ e for detailJ of our ttade--In plan
and taS)' ttnlll.
Address Dept. Cal

C. uncll Bluffs, I....

~~

RADIO lABORATORIES

55

~-")

"f

~S

/ SlANOSUP

m~

~0 \iJ

\
.(~l
Irs NllRlD

HI1I//I
JII/W(I
IN

c r cr
.. or loosely speaking, what have you for
us? ...

- ... -

. CQ believes the laborer worthy of his hire,

a nd pays liberally for articles of interest to
the amateur . ..

... -

.. while our emphasis is on fundamentals,

antenna, and all kind s of ham gear, short stories,
human interest articles, anJ your own new ideas
are welcome . .

lNGI Willi

... -

.. and CQ reserves space for photos of rigs,

DX, dope on clubs and hamfests, amateur
personalities-and calls logged as we begin to
get back to t he swing of t hings ...

CERAMIC
CAPACITORS

- ... WIRE WOUND

RESISTORS
CHOKE COILS -

Proof of citizenship is no longer generally

required in applications for operating licenses.
However, fingerprints must still accompany form
735A unless alread y on file with the FCC.

CQ OX
[from page

IF IT'S HAM

PARTS

IN

and EQUIPMENT
Central Massachusetts
then of course it's
RESCO of WORCESTER
PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW OR COME
IN AND TRY THE NEW .
Not'onol NC2-4OC
1240.00
Hommcrlund HQ129X
139.50
RME 45
166.00
NOlionol HROW
243.75
, SIb CIIlJ , ...

s..-r . s,ea.,

Hammcrlund Super Pro

330.00

NatlDnal Hammerlund Cardwell .. Mlllea Elmac

UT e AOfOYOl S, tu . 1I Spnl u, R. ytheon
R. C. A. G.mm. lron .tc.

Radio Electronic Sales CO.

46 CHANDLER ST.

W-1DAU

S6

WORCESTER 2, MASS.
W1DJU

~J

CQ is reserving plenty of space for DX. In all

of ham radio there is nothing quite as interesting
as DX (t o a DX rnnn}. Information should be
as complete and include frequency wherever possible. QSL add ress, t ime of QSO, equipment used
to make t he contact .. . or to hear t he DX station, a rc tbc kind of t hing desired. Photographsof DX stations, hoth USA and foreign are welcome. DX is a reader's column. If enough good
stuff comes in, ' V6QD might even stop working
W9's to take a crack at it. (LK)

ZERO BIAS
[from page 6]

of marked-down war surplus equipment would

be of considerable benefit to veterans and
others who have not reaped financial gains
during the period of conflict, And, by making
this material available at once, the competition with private industry can be largely
avoided.
(While you can place your order
now, much standard and advertised equipment
is promised only for future delivery.) However. when reconversion is completed and amateur parts are again on the production line, the
eventual release of war surpluses might conceivably cut inroads into radio manufacturing
then current.
In the meantime, we suggest thst you buy

co

what you want and require, when and where

you can get it. D on't wait too long or too
expectantly for war surplus bargains. While
a pair of bea vy-dut y cutters, well greased
with vascline, will survive twenty-eight years
of storage, a rad io, circa \Yorld War II, won' t
be much of a bargain in 1974.

SHOE BOX
(from page 89)

The oscillator is then tuned for smallest shadow.

Wit h thc indicator grid lead in the F IXAL
G RID jack, the doubler is similarly tuned for
smallest shadow, and the crystal tuning touched
up. Wit h the B+ plug, (PI,) of tbe final amplificr removed from jack (J .) to eliminate
plate voltage, the final amplifier capacitor is
tuned back and forth through resonance. At
the same t ime the neutralizing capacitor is
adjusted to the point where the indi cator shadow
does not flicker. T he B+ plug is again inserted
in its jack. N ext , the indicator grid lead is
plugged in t he G ROUN D jack and its cathode
lead in the FI NAL CAT HODE jack.
The
rig is then tuned for greatest output as judged
by a flashlight b ulb con nec ted in place of an
antenna, and the manner in which the shadow
reacts is notcd. Thereafter it is possible to
retune the final stage and set the antenna
coupling by m eans of thc eyc alone. With
the final tank in resonance the shadow 'wi dens,
but increasing the antenna coupling closes it
again. The rig consumes a t otal of just under
70 watts. Input to thc final plate is 310 volts
at 20 to 25 rna, t he current varying with the
load.

On the A ir

Fi rst manufa ctu rer of com mercial

h igh vo ltage dry e lectrolytic capacito rs, ~Iall ory has appl ied its skill to
t he cuu tin ued pe r fection of th is
prod uct . ~I all ory d evelopments have
cu lm ina ted in the now-un iversa lly
adop ted-a nd co pied- FP a nd \VP
ca pac ito rs . Use them both fo r repla cement a nd fo r th e co ns tr uc tion
of new npparatu s -c-n o o ther capaci tors ca n com pare with them.

M A LLORY CONTROLS

Mallor-y pioneered and s till

lead s tilt: fi eld in wirewound con trols including
rh e ostat s, p otenti ometers
a nd pads. For low resistance
circ ui ts, or where a hi gher
wattage ra ting co n trol is requi rcd. choose a ~l all ory
wire-w ound co nlrol. It will
pay )"o u every time!

A chcck of the log after only a couple of

hours on the air at \V2JCR (a mediocre location),
shows stations from 6 to 20 miles distant worked
with S8 plus to 86 signals, and all reporting
excellent stability and speech quality.
In
addition there are two reports from stations
between 40 and 50 miles away which were Do you h a ve a copy of the lat est ~I all ory
able to hear the carrier but, because of local Approved Precision Products Ca ta log? It 's a
noise, could not follow the speech. Wi Ut about must for eyery radi o man ! Gel o ne fro m your
7 watts input this is no mean showing, especially
as conditions on the 5-meter band were only nearest Mallory d istri bu tor, or wr it e di rect to
normal at the time.
P. R. MALLORY & CO., Inc.
I t is planned to change the rig to 6 meters
INDIANAPOLIS 6
INDIANA
when the shift from 5 meters is authorized.
A new crystal, and squeezing the turns of the
final a bit, are the only changes expected to
be necessary, as the oscillator and doubler \\;11
t une t o the new band without t rouble. The
rig \\;11 also be used portable-mobile du ring
March,1946

57

t-11f~

summer months with a 75-wat t converter

on hand from a pre-war stock of accessories.
This is a commercial vibrator unit designed
to provide 11 5 volts e-c from the car's battery.
The total drain of the rig is well within the
limits of this unit.

THIS MONTH'S

SPECIALS!
Your Net
b vote .. pronl1 unlvt"nal Ibrator, List
13.95
_
$ 1.8"
10-1l tu ~ power t ransformer 6.3 V.
wlndlnl1 100 ~I II
_
3.6'
.. .. a pe1ll k ll'r caae o n ly ror t alk back o r
P .A. Iystem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69
100 au t. I &: J.i wa tt Tt"lIlsl o n up t o
10% t ole ranc e
2.45
Se_ 60L6 m t'tlll fu b n In o r lltl nll l cartc ne . .89
lIl."8dphom Sianal ('.nrps, 8000 o h ms,
L lat $ 10.00
2.95
Tf'I ~ p h k f'y' wi t h Cu lou t s wi tc h . . . . . .
.95
~ mfd. j yo1t F.P. ron de nlen . . . . . . . . .
.69
T u b u lar . Iec l rolytlc con d ense...
1.5 mfd. 450 w.v
_....... . .. .41
20 mfd. 150 W .V. .
.J }
10- 10 mid. 150 W .V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
.50-30 mfd . 0 0 \'i.V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.73
T ub ular by pa.. con d", nlWR 600 W .V
.01 a n d .01 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .07
.05
'.' . .
. . . .. . . .
.08
.1
10
. 15 m fd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .15
.5 mfd . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .12
plus a h lp p l n ll c har"1lt"fi

CONVERTER
(from poll' 17 J

T he out put t rans fo rmer occupies a corner of

t he r-f plate compart ment, and the shield bet ween this com part me nt and t he mixer had to he
cut off to clear the shield can.
The plate coil is wound on a piece of %" polystyre ne rod, mounted in the shield can by means
of a small aluminum bracket. Coil and link are
wound and the ent ire assembly brushed with
polystyrene coil dope. Tuning is by means of 8
:JSlJ lJf miniature variable capacitor shunted by
a ,10 IJlJf zero temperature coefficient capacitor.
The lead to the 1852 plate is brought out through
l\ gronuneted hole in the side of the shield can
nearest the 1852. Other leads pass through
grummeted holes in the chassis. The shield can
was originally on an i-f transformer. Some experiment with the number of turns on the
sceondnry may lend to n better match with t he
receiver input.
The cera mic switch for antenna swit ching is
mounted below chassis on a met al bracket, It
i:-i well to the rear of the chassis so t hat leads me
short . Cont rol is by means of a piece of Y-t" iron
sha ft pllssin~ through n panel bushing, The two
swi tches are n-o on-off and send-receive. The
send-receive swit ch is pnrulleled with a .J OHf'S
enunocto r on t he back drop of the chassis l'O t hat
bo th receiver and co nverter may be turned o tT
sim ult nneously, or may 1* con t rolled by exte rnal
swt iehes or relays.
Antenna feed is hy 1IH'1l.1l.:' of a National F'YG
assembly, mounted on polystyrene, while ou t put
to the receiver is taken from a pair of screw-type
terminals on a ba kelite st rip. Both of t hese a re
011 t 11(' buck d rop of t he chassis .

wrte e f or o u r Illustrated uteretuee

ft'8IUrlnll a ll t y ~ o f radio part" .
Ord",r from yo u r Jobber o r weue d lu -("( :
D",pt. A

ARROW RADIO CO.

12flS W . Dt.I,l!on SI.

C h lcallo 21, III .

r--------------.
I
ORDER YOUR NEW
I
I Communications
I
l
Receiver
:
I

FRO M

I
L

ALLIED

NOW

For Earliest Delivery

AVAI LABLE ON TIME PAYMENTS

TRADE INS ACCEPTED
Be on t" of t h e tint (0 own and e n joy one ot tbe.e

celebra ted reeetvere . Order pow t rom ALLIED~

lead tt in t he dlnrlbudon of com mLnh:adon.
equi pmen t . Such w ..;;II_kn own recd.cr. l. . :

RME 45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5166.00
RME 08-20 . .. . . . .. .. .. .
59 30
H,lIia,h... 5-40 . . . . . . . .
79.50
Hammarlund HO129X . . . 129.00
H,lIia,h... SX.25 .. .
..
94.50
N'Honal HRO
197.70
H.llier.hers SX-28A . . . .. 223 00
H.llier.hen $.o36A . . . . . . . 415 00
Hammar'und 4OO.X . . . . . . 318.00
Hallier.hers $.037 . . . . . ... . 591.75
N,tion,/ NC24OC . . . . . . . 225.00
Nd, F .O.B. Clttt:dlO

Operation
Uu r intent ion is to em ploy t his converter ahead
of the station receiver on t he 50, 28, 21 , a nd 14
me hands. Coils were calculated by means of
t he ARRL Lightning Calculator, but are subject
to minor adj ust me nt for ba ndspread and tracking.
By leaving off the r-f sta ge at first and getting
the oscillator end mixer operat ing properly, the
remainder or the job becomes a purely mechnaical
one. For this reason, we suggest that anyone duplicating the job do so in the same manner.
With everyt hing in the oscillato r and mixer

Prtt:u .u&jl to poul&lc dtOfl lC .

ALLIED RADIO CORP.

8 3 3 W. Jaek,on Blvd ., Dept. 56-C..(), Chicago 7, III.

EVERYTHI NG IN RAD IO AND ELECTRONICS

co

58

sections wired, the tubes und coils are inserted,

and the antenna connected to the link. winding
on the 1852 grid coil . The power is turned on and
the oscillator frequency checked on the station
receiver. \Ve looked for the oscillator signal at
about 33 mc with the oscillator tuning capacitor
at full capacity. Beedspreed checked too great.
The tuning capacitor connected to the grid end
of the coil was moved down a turn. It was now
more nearly correct, and a couple of additional
minor adjustments set it correctly.
Xcxt set the station receiver at about 4.3 me
and couple in the converter. The converter output coil is peaked for maximum noise in the receiver. The Xleissner Signal Shifter on the operating desk Wag turned on, supplying us wi t h a
calibrated source of rJ. throughout the 28 me
band. T he mixer trimmer was adjusted for maximum deflection on the receiver R meter (t he
0-1 rna meter previously mentioned).
Tuning acrose the band we found more beudspread than wanted, so another adj ustment was
made of the oscillator coil bandspread tap, and
t he converter tuned from 27.9 to 28.8 me, covering the band nicely and affording a chance to
check out-of-bnnd signals.
T he mixer coil was then pruned 80 t hat t he
t uning capacitor tracked across the ban d. T h is
was d on e by first peak ing t he m ixer a t the low end
of the band, using t he signal from t he Sign al
Sh ifter, and t he meter as a n indica tor. T he Convertor and Sh ifte r wore t hen t uned to t he high
end of the band and t he mixer t rimmer realigned
for maximum meter deflect ion . I f more capacity is
needed to realign t he mi xer, the coil has t oo many
t u rns, and vice-versa. Fine ad j ustments may be
m ade by spread ing or compressi ng coil t u rns to
alter t he ind uctan ce sliA:ht ly .
D u ring the course of these adjust ments, so me
interesting observations were made. \Vith the receiver alone operating; (con verter disconnected)
the Signal Shifter d eflected the meter needle to
a pproximately two-thirds scale. \Yith the converter feeding the receiver, the reading went ent irely otT the meter scale, the needle stopping
when it reached the pin . \Ve don't know how
many db difference this represents, but the variation is considerable.
Before the r-f stage was added, the converter
was placed in operation as described above.
Signals immediately took a great jump in
strength, as did the noise level. The signal level
increase was, however, relatively much greater
than the noise I('\'t-I increase. It was now possible to turn down the receiver a-f gain control to
a pproximately X open, to achieve comfortable
room volume as compared with full audio gain
wit hout the convertcr. These tests were all made
wit h a simple d ipole antenna.
T he r-f stage was then added, the coils being

Ma rch, 1946

HAMFESTERS RADIO CLUB

Cyrus T . Head , veteran Chicago radio ama teur, was elected president of the Hamfestera

Radio Club, Inc., local affiliate (Chicago, Ill.)

of t he American Radio Relay League.
Other officers elected include: H oward Hinman, vice-president: C larence Zornes, recording
secretary ; Harry Gartzman, financial secretary;
La'\TI'nCe Gro88, treasurer; and Edward Costello,
sergeant-at-arms. Retiring president, " "illiam
S. Soich, automatically moves to the position
of chairman of the Executive Committee.
T he organization is one of the largest of
its kind in the country, with a pre-war membership approaching 500. The return from service
of former members, manyofwhomheldimportant
positions in the field of electronics during the
wa r, is rapidly swelling the club's roster to
nearly its pre-war peak.
T he club was one of the few organizations
of its kind to hold regular meetings throughou t
the war.

TAB-

SI-Ee.",., n UY
(Li m ited Quantity )

ELE CT RONI C VO LTOHMETER BRANO NEW U. S.

ARM YTYP E 1101F PREC ISI ON UNIT

Ru~~t'd d eeilln housed I t -I case 6 &'K9 ~ K 4 ~ &' les t h er

carrylnll handle. Con t a i ns Simpson 4 &' hlllhly damped

400 mlcroamp alnico m eter.
C lear. visible scale
laOle numerals eallly readab le at all potnre,
All
'V oltal1e nnlles ten rnll"Q.ohm l s e nsl t l'V lty; reads 0-3
vott e In .0.5 y s t e ps; 0 -10 vo tr e In .2 v steps; 0_30 votre
In .5 s t e p!!; O-I ()O " o lts In 2 " s te pa; 0 -300 " Oltl In
.5 v s tepa - O Ii M S Rxi from 0.2 to 1000 ohmsl. RK IO
f r o m 2 to 100001': RKIOO from 20 t o 10noo01'o; KKIOOO
from 200 to I ml!1t"'; R K 10.000 from 2.000 to 10 meae.
(c e n t er Ka le Is 10) U n i t com p lete with 3 t est l ead s ;
batter'" and Instructions. C..ost lto v 't $&.5.00 . " T A B'
s pt"Cla l $29 .70 Additional V. T .V.M. Loc t a l tub e I LE
3/S P Silt C si.rs.

OSCILLOSCOPE

.5 Inch m ade b y W Ntern E lectric for U.S. Arm y t y pe

8 01120 - Cost 110. t onr $2.00 0. Con t a i n s power
s u p p lies 115 Y flO C1 ; amplifie rs and con trols f or
Vertical a n d lIorizontal posi t io n , Focus Intensity ,
M ntlllth ity. S p read , Sweep If!.s ed freq.)
T u bes a s
follows 5 B P 4 . 87'. 5T . S IK 6U . T wo 6SH. 6AC7, 6116.
Easily a da p tt'd t o la borato ry Radio SE'n-lc e wor k o r
t E'llI'''lslon.
Com ~ JlI' telY h oused b ra Y)' ereet c a se.
E scep tlonal "TAB' pric e $ 59.50 S hi p. w t . 175 1be.

RADAR POWER SUPPLY

RUlll1t'd u.s. A r my k e)lnlt un it B C-409A ccet 110.' t

OYE'r $3.000. con ta i n s t wo powt"r s u p p lies 11.5 . -60
C1 II .V.3. ooo a t ~ a m p; L.V.,nO at l50 rna . well
filt n-t'd . T uba El mac 30l'n 1\66.' . 5T4 . toC5 . t w o
6U!. t w o 6F6, three 6."U 7. M el en. r ll'la y s . b lown.
a n d m an y o t b ll'f' par t . . Anal 'TAO" s pt"'Cla l a t
$97.50. S h ip w t. 150 Ibs..
SyIYanla J ASI S 21 V. II.F . S II. C . Crys t als .35
G. E . Thll'f'm o R F ~Ie t er 0 - 1 a mp 2}i - O 'Cas e $J.lf.5.
G.R. Tber eno R F M etll'f' 05 a m p 2 %- B ' Cas e $J.95.
G .E. Pyranoll M F D 1000 VDC w kl1 Con d @ . 75 lots 5
$J.25
Used ; like n e w . t at rd $ 1.00 ~lIn. o rden FOB .
S . Y .C. Includ e 25% o n COD o r d l."n . plus post a lte.
Sen d f or cata lO'll u e No. 300. Don ' t wal t , rush o r d E'fIl
lIS quantltl N
.re IImlt~
' "TAB " Dep t 0 3.
Sll CHURCH STRUl : NEW TORK I. NEW TOil
OUR CENlUl lOUTION

59

All phases of

RADIO DESIGN
PRODUCTION and
OPERATIONS are
... Covered by

/~
Subscribe Now.
Subscriptio n
P rice :
53.00 per y e a r
in U.S.A., $4.00
e lsewhere.
" RA DIO' i!
first choice of
radio-electronic
engineers.

RADIO MAGAZINES, Inc. 342 Mldlson A". N.Y.C.

10 MFD.- l000 volts,

No. 17A268 .._...__.$3.9.5
.. MFD.- I 500 volts,
No . 18A227 ._.
$2.9.
Plus 20, each postage
a nd pkg . c ho rgu .

f!Jii
~

FREE
CATALOG
ba rgains in th is ne .....

Man y a t h. ,
BU rl.e in.Ap p le bee
fREE on req ue st .

(010109.

se nl

made identical with the mixer grid coil, with t he

except ions as not ed earlier. Both t hese tracked
very accurately, indicating that t he experimenting with the mixer coil had paid dividends.
In order to measure further signal strength gains,
it was necessary to readjust the R meter, making
any comparison with t he receiver alone invalid.
However, it was a t once apparent that a further
increase or approximately two R's had been
achieved . The converter has been in daily use and
we've heard plenty of signals not even readable
on t he receiver alone.

450 WAIT CW RIG

(f rom page

33J

bias voltage without affect ing the 807 bias. The

miscellan eous circuit capacities and high values
of resistors in this keying circuit give enough delay cha racterist ic to eliminate nearly all of the
key clicks. A word of caut ion , any CW transmitter may radiate bad key clicks if one of the r-f
stages has a tendency toward either high or low
frequency parasitic oscillation.
Contrary to
popular belief, even doubler or tripler stages are
not free from possible parasitic t rouble.
The r-f amplifier is easily tuned for operation
by neutralizing and adjusting the final grid current to at least 50 rna. An ordinary 600 watt
elect ric heater replacement element makes a convenient high and low power control for final amplifier supply if no taps are available on the t ransformer primary. The voltage regulation with t he
resistor in the primary is poor and an auto-transConner or primary taps are more desirable in cw
service Cor reducing power input to the final amplifier stage.
(Ed itors Note : After using this transmitter
fOJ some time t rouble was encountered with
RII t ube failu res. The cure was simple. A
small cat hode resistor, either 100 ohms 50
wat t , or a 100 watt mazda lamp in the C.T .
lead to t he w ound in t he 811 r-f amplifie r.)

18 Years In Radio
l o ted d eve lopments in r a d io
and . I.d ron k po rts a nd d . ... ices.
ne .....e st hom 91'. godge" and
borv o in s.

M O RE ON SURPLUS

- - -IN APPLEBEE
- - - - CO.
- - - - - - - - -CO- - 1_BURSTE

1012 MeG. .

Send me you r FREE COIOIog.

s-; !Consas C ily 6, Mo.

En l my o rde r for <ondense rs o s on gllo ch. d

sh.. t .
N ....ME

ADDRE SS

TOWN

--------------------_..

60

STATE

(from page f9]

considerable number or SCR 211 Anny Signal

Corps type frequency meters available, which
may be modified to ECO use. -M ost dealers
ant icipate a fairly plentiful supply of this item,
which is an excellent piece of all-around ham
equipment. As a frequency meter it is invaluable
-doubling as an ECO it provides precise frequency cont rol.

co

Receive" and Te.t Equipment

Receivers have been scarce, although indications nre that some are beginning to appear on
the surplus market. A recent example is where a
quantity of the most expensive stock communications receivers available before the war were released for under one hundred dollars. They
were a wonderful investment and sold rapidly.
The surplus models do not include either the ten
meter amateur band, the broadcast band, or the
generous bandspread available on the commercial
models.
Test equipment has also appeared in limited
quantities, hut so far has not been generally
available. Further reports will appear in CQ as
infonnation becomes available. Remember the
important rules and you can't go wrong on surplus. Don't buy just because prices are low !
Much of the material is obsolete; in certain lines
new and better things are coming out every day,
and no surplus carries a guarantee.

AMATEURS

RECEIVER SELECTIVITY
Il rom page B1)

is down 6 db at 100 cycles on either side of the

center frequency, and more t han 40 db at 225
cycles on either side. T ype 5300 1 is the same exccpt t hat t he 6 db points a re Via cycles on either
side of 1000 cycles.
It is suggested t ha t the users of commercial
receivers fo r c.w. reception indicate an interest
in this combination to encourage the manufa ct ure rs to incorpora te the aud io filter in their new
models, even at fin add it ional cost of several
do llars. T hose \\ ho nlrcudv hnvc a receiver and
desire to improve it , cun construct or procure a
filter and insert it in the phone load or in the
audio system of the receiver.

NARROW BAND FM
Ilrom page 81

was to be reversed and the A.~l. station was H-3

and the QR:\1 was of eq ual intensity, it is impossible to copy the signa l. A higher signal-tonoise ratio ,,,;11 alUVJ ys be obtained when using
Darrow band F .:\1.

Attention ... H AMS!

W e Ca rry Full Stecks of

BARKER & WILLIAMS COILS

(25 walts te l Kw. All band. ln,:udini 15 meters)

BUDD RADIO PRODUCTS

STANCOR TRANSFORMERS
G. E. TRANSMITTING TUBES
CALDWELL VARIABLE CONDENSERS
HUDSON AMERICAN TRANSFORMERS
Write to us fo r anyth ing in ELEORONIC
PARTS end HAM EOUIPMENT. G
on our mailing list and kee p informed as
mercha ndise becomes availa bl e .

Design Considerations
The practical side of the subject is the primary
consideration in this introductory article. As
shown in Fig. 1, the reactance tube modulator is
the most practical from the sta nd point of cost,
flexibility, high quality and low distortion, all
features of narrow band F .:-'1. Previously, the

March,1946

61

-=
=
=
=
=

=-

=
=

Address ChangesSubscribers to CO should notify our

Circulation Dep't. .t least 3 weeks
In advance regarding any change in
address. The Post Office Dep't. does
nol forward maguines sent to
wron, address unless you pay "ddi.
tiona postae. We cannot duplicate
copies of C senl to your old address.
CO Circulation Dep'I,

RADIO MAGAZINES, INC.

342 Madison An.,NewYork 17,NY.

CLASSIFIED ADS
Ad"tldn.. i n thl ..ctlon mud pertain to anulteur
or a Jl per i m a n tA t l o n radio a c ti.. ltiq. Rat_ZOe. per
word per In_rtlon. Remittance In full muet 8 C.
corn~n,.
No . ...nc,. or t.rm or ca.h d i-=ounla
allowed.
0 dlapla: or apeci.1 t,.pocraphlc..1 ad
_tup. aUo-.d. "C doetl n ot ~.r.nt... an,. prod.
uet or ..-vice .d... rllaed In th e C ...16ed Section .

COrt".

QSL cards? ( sa mples?); Radio Amateur Callbook: ( sprint,)

$1 .25; Bliley Crystals; RME-4S's . Russ Sakkers W8DE
"
Holland, Mich .
Radio Tubes, Parts, Condensers. F,.. bargain lilts .
Potter, 1314 McGee, Kansas City 6, Mo .
BC 406 fifteen tube superheterod yne easily converted
to 2 - 10 meters .. . $30.00
RG 59 U 72 oh m po lyethylene insulated coaxial cable
}{" diameter, wea therproofed , 8c. per foot .

METERS - . 11 type"
GE PY RANOL 4 mfd 600 volt 65<.
r 8J2 TUBE and special shielded by-pass seeker .
Speci.I-U_75.
Write for list . Westchester Electro nic Prod ucts 29
Milburn Street, P. O . Box 2l1, Bronxville, N. Y.

'

PERSONALIZED Q. S. L. Cards. Yo ur Photo on your

card. Price 500 ca rds $7.50; 1,CXX> cards $1 0.00. Samples
on request. Al braun St udio, Dept. C, 1742 N. Palmer
Street. Milwaukee 12, WISC.
1\.1 Y EXCELLENT metal rorarv beam for six and ten
met ers COSt less than $12 to constr uct . Entire assemblv
raised and low ered in ten mi nutes. Send 50 t for detailed
fla ns used . SW converter rebuilt for 6 to 20 meters $15.
Several good used preselectors. W8LYI. Box Ill, No rt h
Kingsville, Ohio.

CLASS B M ultiptap modulation transformers also

d rivers, 60-80-120-175-260-J50 watts. S~al power
transformers. Write for complete list .
109, Blackwell, Okla.

'SHXC, Box

RECEIVERS IN STOCK. Conklin Radio, Bethesda.

Maryland.
QSL CARDS_ Send Icr samples, W9KXL. 1507 Central
Ave., Kansas City. Kansas.

62

reac tance t ube modulator was looked UIHIIl to be

a device for supplying large amounts of deviation .
However, with narrow band F.l\I. we can make
better usc of the reactance modulator by substitut ing a large swing for a narrow swing and
using what is left over for sensitivit y in regard to
audio gain. By having one stage of audio, resistnnce coupled t o the reactance modulator,
1U0re adequate gain for a crystal mike or any
other high impedance quality microphone having
nn out put of from - 70 db to - 52 db will be
available.
Where frequency sta bilit y is of the utmost importance, the circuit shown in Fig. 1! is used. The
rea ctance modulator is very sensit ive to voltage
variat ions and temperature changes, therefore
t he stability of tbe oscillator would be poor. By
t he use of an automatic frequency control system,
it is possible to obtain crystal control effect. For
maximum stability, the discriminator transformer should have a low frequency of 270 ke.
The bandwidth of the discriminator is 4 ke. By
ta pping off a small voltage from the oscillator
circuit and feeding it into the mixer tube, a beat
freq uency, similar to a mixer in a conventional
superheterodyne receiver is produced. \Vhen
the elect ron-coupled oscillator is set for the
difference of the crystal oscillator frequency and
the discriminator frequency, the d-e output
voltage of the discriminator is zero. If t he
K C.D. should change freq uency d ue to voltage
fluct uations or temperature changes, the A.F.e.
would produce nn output voltage in the opposite
direction t o t he reactance t ube! changing t he grid
Lias and restoring the oscillator back to its Irequency. This method of crystal control is q uite
popular among the commercial F .l\1. t ransmitt ers now in usc.
In Fig. , it will be observed that the audio
component is resistance coupled to a triode
which feeds a rectifier type voltmeter. This is
very helpful as the actual amount of deviation
ca n be calibrated and used t o check the transmitter for so-called 100% modulation. Actually.
t he per cent of modulation in an F .II!. transmitter
is meaningless, but since we have set a standard
for a 6 ke swing, that swing may be called 100%
modulation.
The r-f line up for a narrow band F.l\I. transmitter is identical to an A.l\L transmitter. I n
reality! t he amount of r-f drive to the final stage
is far less-equivalent to the operating conditions
of a c.w. transmitter. I n designing a t ransmitter
of this type, it will be found that the small receiving beam tubes such a s the 6V6 or 7C5 are
ideally suited as they are extremely easy to drive
and lend t hemselves very nicely to frequency
multipliers. Of course, conventional combinations of tubes mar be used.
Let us look at the power supply for a moment

co

and see wha t is required for the fiuul amplifier.

As the most expensive item of the rig this is of
particular int erest. The final amplifier it) operating under Class C telegraphy conditions and
the plate current is always constant, so a conventional type of condenser input power su pply
could be used to F .M. modulate. If we were to
plate modulate the final amplifier a power supply
of excellent voltage regulation with additional
components would be required.
T he obvious saving in modulation eq uipment ,
coupled with the high efficiency of frequency
modu lation makes it a natural for ham usc.
Rather than cover t he subject in its entirety at
one time, this article has attempted to point out
certain basic facts and advantages. M arch CQ
will describe a complete 360 watt narrow Land
F.l\L transmitter for ten meter operation employing all the features emphasized this month. An
analysis of individual circuits will make it possible to try F.M. for yourself. Following this
transmitter, several modulators will be thoroughly described, the series extending t o cover
element ary and advanced theory th rough construction of F.l\L equipment.

Transmitters Receivers
Amplifiers
Parts, etc.

w. pay top prict' for

your discarded hara

equipment. Ship anything and everything to u,
for appraisal and an Immediate oHer, If no
4IIul Is mad., we guarantee prompt and safe
rct.rn of your property.
Don't De14y. - - Send NO W to

THE HAM SHACK

205 linden Avenue, South San Franclco, California

-=..ELECTRONIC SPECIALISTS
FORT ORANGE RADIO DISTRIBUTING COMPANY
UNCLE DAVE'S RAD IO SH ACK

356 Broadway
Albany 7, New York
Phon.. 3-2lO9, 3-2100

In N~~;n

it"

8JK BEAM

SAN FRANCISCO RADIO & SUPPLY CO.

Vrom page 11]

Public Address Equipment

Short-Wave Receivers & Transmitters

the spreader and center insulator with #)4 soft

copper wire. The only remaining operat ion is to
attach the two 4" -feede r suspension insulators
to the eye hooks mounted on the center oak
spreader. A jumper cons isting of 1 )2 soft drawncopper wire is connected from t he feeders to each
side of t he center insulator, wrapped around
three times, and solde red ,
In order to suspend the array, 3 / 8" manilla
hemp rope should be used to provide st rengt h .
Two )4 ' pieces are cut and each end tied t o the
staple plates locat ed 011 t he back of the t wo oa k
end spreade rs. The main tie ropes can now be
tied to t he exact center of the t wo 14' lengths
and t he entire array hoisted into the air. I t is
desirable that the antenna be raised a t least Y2
wave or 33' above ground, and in the clear, in
order t hat the radiation pattern will not Ill'
distorted.
Guys should be used when necessary. Further
constructional details a rc shown in Fig. 4. a nd t he
photographs.
The author, using a duplicate of the antenna
system described here, was rewarded with threehundred Asiatic contacts during the fi rst year of
operation from a Long Island location which is
notoriously poor for the reception from that part
of the world. The effort and time consumed in
its const ruct ion will be compensated by an array
which is highly efficient and mechn nicnllv rugged .

March,1946

WANTED - WANTED - WANTED

I
I

7;;;0-;"-;; - - - - - - - ..,

Headquarters For Amateur Radio Supplies

20 Yean Dependeble Service.

I
I

I
I

l-.2.i~O~ ~8~ ~,:k~t!.:..Sa,,::, ~r=i~c:...2':":.~'-'

FILTER CONDENSER BARGAINS!

BIG NEW CATA LOG I W RIT E FOR USTI
t"1tl,l.

In the Rocky Mountain Region it'.

Radio &Television Supply Co.

153 HOBSON AVENUE, P UEBLO, COLO.

P. O. Box i 892
" / f ~ J on'! "D ~ It. we'lI,d f t o~ It cDn', be " Dd t Phone 5129"

63

AU..IED RADIO CORPORATION

sa
Ham P.ru and Equipment
ARROW ELECTRON ICS CO
61
H.m Parts and Equiprneftt
ARROW RADIO CO,
58
H.m Pb .m:I Equipment
BULEY ELECfRIC CO M P AN Y . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . .. *
Qu.rtz Cr~ t.t.
BUD RADIO. INC. .. .... .. . .. . . . .... . . .. . . . . ",., .. SO
Port. hie Cabin~t,
BURSTEI N~APPLEBEE CO ... , , .. , , . .. . . . .... , . . 60
H. m P t, .nd Equipment
Q..ARK-REISS D I ST~ IBl!rORS. INC. . . . . . ... . . . . . . *
H. rn P b .nd Equipment
COMMERC IAL EQUIPMENT CO . , .. , ,
'
C.y, t.1 Fini.hina: Se t
CONCO R D R ADI O COR P ." . " . . ,
3
Communic. lion. Equipment
CONDENSER PRODUCfS CO
,
" , 47
Y-.P'-cit.to
CRYSTAL P ROD UCfS CO
.

S22S-f.... ~ maxim"'" pe'lormm,,:~ umkr

aJ."r~ "'<-rio'jnS

r ....../ilioru , y.... IV"NIIM N C-2-4OC

CRy~rr-RESEARCH

We Ship At OnceParts, Equipment,

.'''_\:_ Whatever You Need!
THI S HOUSE began its career almost as early as
Hroadcesting itselfl Today, 25 years later, we're
t he world's largest radio su pply house!
STA NDARD LINES: N at ional. Ilammarlund,R.C.A.,
Hallic rafters, Bud. Cardwell, Bliley, and all tbc
others you know so well!
SUPERSPEED SERVICE IOrd ereshipped o ur eame day
received, on mostgoods,

Latest bargain fl yer

includes test instrum ente, record cha ngers, communication
receivers, ham transmitting tu b-s and D
hO !ll of (I eetrnni c

h ems ycuneed today.

Wire
ulevision Inc.
1ltu)io

NEW YORK 13

BOSTON 10

NlWARK 2

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

e: U T O UT COUPON , P ... . TII: ON P II:NN Y P O .T CAR D . "'AIL T O D A Y

R. W.

T. Dept. CC 6

100 AVlNUE Of THl AMUleAS, NEW YORK 13

~ ..,k

.....,,: ."Wnd ... FR EE c"('y 01 yt>a r au . , &rs o. .. F1~~

C36, p4LUd ..,,10 1M IUIUI ~/eclf'OIIlt:"l"ip_ .., ond compo-,m.
NAJr04 E
AOOR E. S
CI T"

64

.
ZO N E_ _ $ T A T E

LABS

Cryet. la
DX CR YST AL CO
".,
,
,
52
Crya ta le
EITFJ...,.McCuu.oUCH. INC... . . . . . . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . . . . 1
Electronic: Ty\.
El.ECfR ICAL REACfANCE CO R P
,.,.,. S6
_ __~dto..
I:J...I:::;.C TRONI C LABORATORI ES ... .................. . *
Cornm umc:atiorw Equipm~nt
FT. O RANG E RADI O D IST. CO
_
63
H.m Pb .nd EquiP:ment
GROSS CO M M UN ICAT IONS PRODUCTS
45
Uhraphone
HAU..ICRAF"fERS CO ... , ........ _...... .. .. . . ... . 2
T,.....miue...nd Reeeivere
HAM SHACK. THE
63
H. m P.'b .nd Equipment
KLUGE ELECfRON ICS INC.
..
Califo.ni. K ilow.u Tran.mitter
MALLORY. P. R. e, CO. INC.
S7
Ca~cito., and Wire-wou nd Control.
MAR IT IME SW ITCHBOAR D
"" .,
Sot
H.m Pa .tnd Eq~iPmen t
McEl.RO Y MANUFAt.iUR INC CO R P
" .,
63
TeI!'t!.p hic Appe.r. tu.
McMURDO S i LVER CO
49
T",I Eq uipment
NATIONAL UN iON RADIO CORP
3
R.dio-Elec:I.onic Tube.
NEWARK ELECfR IC CO ,
, .. ,
,
63
CaD8-dto..
PANORAM IC RADIO CORP. " . "., .... . Cover 3
P.nadap:tor
RAD IO AND TEl.EVISION SUPPLY CO .. . .. .. .... 63
Ham P.rta and Equipml"nt
RADIO ELECfRONrC SALES CO
56
Ham P.rta .nd Equipment
RADiO MFG. ENGINEERS. INC
Cover 2
Comm unic.ootio rw Equipm~nt
RADIO PRODUCTS SALES CO M P AN Y . . . . . . .. . . . '. *
Ham P.rb .nd Equipment
RADIO WIRE TEl.EVI S ION. INC
, . , .. _. 64
Ham P. rla .nd Equipment
RA YfHEON MANUI="ACfURI NC COR P _...... . Cover ..
EJret.ome: Tu\SAN FRANCISCO RADI O &. SUPPLY CO
, 63
H.m P.rb .nd Equipment
S EATTLE RADIO SUPPLY. INC
, .. ,
, *
Ham P ta .nd Equipment
SOLAR CAPACIT O R SALES CORP
, . . . .
Ca'p-citor.
STANDARD TRANSFOR M ER COR P
, .. ...... *
T n.fo rme..
SYLVAN IA El.ECfR IC PRODUCfS. INC . , ... , .. , .. *
E1..e t eenie Tube,
T AB . . . ............ ... . .. ................. , ..... , S9
H. m P. rte .nd Equipment
T AY LOR T UB ES
6
E lec:tronic: Tube.
WESTCHESTER ELECTRON ICS P RODUCTS
S3
P.n..o.cillo-Rec:eiver
WHOLESALE RAD IO LAB ORATOR I ES
55
H. m P b .nd Equipmenl

_
_
_

An ..Iemk ( *) .ppe.rinr .lten .dverriM'. name indic.oolq

I"'t ..a .dvertiM!'m~nt .ppee. .. in the ~urr~nt i-.e_

co

p~1I011~MIC
radio , ig .

SIMULt~lIEOUS ~ISU~L
p~H~D~rtOll

an~

a
ond o'
IlCEPtI
e na ble '
r eeeptl
01 ..
Oll ,electable Ira" a b road band 01 Ireqv
, ca.llnvov,ly
downr

ah
HOW
fOil irequenc.V
tin flllS
to
a "inq'e

tiME . . with the

connected to yav

t
receiver yO U can , e e vp to 200kc 01 the band a t once.

The PANADAPTOR
will ,...u'Y

Si.. o'ilY
lIi d . ,.'i. . .... i,.n

5.10<' a RM'" ' ' ..... ,.. ...

di. ' d

II.

\.Ore"

\i. t -

b and 01 treque1lo . ' up to 100 k e .

. ,oli.", wh."

0<0 "

.. . .u. ..... 0"

w
'1UIO.,nl
E bl b. . ... 'i 1 . ,b" I. U. '. ,...u. ..... i .
" ....woY e r und ,. bi. aSO',.-a" ddi.
ti o no'l ''''DlSbl- , e c e i"e , .
Spot replies to yOur CQ',
p, id. ,,,t .
",."' .i 1

nt O

tor CW Gad PHONE..

o.tliD~

GO,.Goos.
Eb" id bbre,i. .

. .d

c. W
PHOM

,i.. . bill

( ' 5 ') .." ..

(Y.

'

. .d

.~
e llCY d . 'b. ,,)
attioD

" Io,...
u , 'i 1

mi"" . i 1 ,b. ' . , .....u..

y d i cks . ooi.. tre qu

" ....

..

.bitt.

i. CO"
ocnodu\otiO D pe rce1l"
eli.l
u,
d .01 11 ", .oun.
.u... . ..d

'"R.F' . . palos
. .... i tuey
d. ".ti . AM rM , .... u

l aUoo ",ol1itonaCJ

. " 'b

o p .,a\ioos,

"..i., i. . . .1... . .dju,""'." . 1 " . ....ill.

p,."d. out... oli . i. uol o. d ou, nl ...." ..i. '

ci
ov e l

F a cilit a te

BEAM TETRODE
POWER TUBE

Typical Te t rod. Operation

Plote volts
- 3000 yolt,
Scre e n ...ol ts = 400 .,olt~
Plate curr e nt = 500 ma
Po we r outp ut = 11 00 wolb

Typical Class B O p e ratio n

Plate Volh
_
Grid bi oI
Po we r o utput
(2 t ube s)

4000 volt$
0 volts
2200 wetn

'I,

OF ACTUAL SIZE

The Heyth eon RK-6D22 iN

~t'<'<,lll'lI ce til 8 1l'cl W" lc4

POWER TUBE D IVISION
WA LTHA M , MAS S AC H U S E T T S

a n ew Iy develo pe-d, co m pac t,

450 wat t plat e d isslputlon
beam tetrode Cor com m u ni ..
ca t ion use. It is so d eshmed
tha t it m ay b e u sed ei rhee as a highl y e fficien t Clots!; C amp lifier vor. with screen I:ricl
a n d ('on lrol p-r id tie d l o ~ e tllfer , th e l ube
mak f'lI I an id eal 0 b ia s Class U amplifier.
\\11en co n n ected as a tetrode, t he UK.
GU22 .I e Iivers a t lea st 1 100 wa tts a t i requ en eles u p to 6 0 m e gac ycl es ,,"ilh les..
th an 2 2 watt s delve. T h is low delve a m i
hi,:::h efficiency is ideal fo r th e operator
who lot'anlS 10 put o u t a kilowatt or b ette r
wlth a minimum of associated equipment.
Un der e ln!!!> C co n d lt lo n s Ihi s lube i~ eated
8 1 a m aximu m of 3500 \:olls.
A8 a 0 bias Class II Ir iu d e, a p a ir of lubell
will e a s ily d el tver 2 500 wa lls o f aud io ""ilh
on ly }OO lot'alls dr-iv e ; r eted fo r a maximum
u f 5 000 \'ollt;,