Putting a Late 20's/early 30's Ham Station on the Air

On January 1, 1929 new US communications regulations took effect that supported the outcome of the 1927 International Radio Conference. Hams now had only a small percentage of the spectrum. In order to avoid interference their signals had to be harmonic free and clean with little FMing, drift or AC note. The ARRL estimated that only about 10% of the existing stations could meet these new standards. Many pages of QST were devoted to helping hams get ready for Jan 1, 1929.

I've assembled and used a station that reflects the state of the art during this era. The transmitter is a two tube TNT (tuned plate - not tuned grid) while the receiver is a National SW3 three tube regen. It is usable on today's ham bands.

 

Video: https://youtu.be/sijUooylq_U

• Station Overview: 0:0
• TNT Transmitter: 1:46
• National SW3 Receiver: 4:40
• Station Tuneup: 11:20
• On The Air: 16:24

AWA 6AQ5 Transmitter (continued)

 

At https://youtu.be/nJgJenvi2x4 I've posted a demonstration video of an entry/novice station as it might have existed in the mid 1950s running on 40 mtrs. It uses a National NC-57, a receiver that was introduced in 1948. The transmitter is my single 6AQ5 running 6-8 watts out. For more information see the video description.

AWA 6AQ5 Transmitter (continued)

 I've gotten the power supply built into my 6AQ5 transmitter. I used an old school PS design: a 6X4 full wave rectifier with a capacitor input filter feeding a 20K bleeder resistor. 

This transmitter is working and sounding fine. Power out maxes out around 6 watts with 15 watts input....a couple of items I can look at 1) calibration of my watt meter 2) the value of my pi network coil. Compared to 8 to 9 watts out 6 is not a big deal. I'll poke around at this issue later 

For now I'm pairing this transmitter with my hopped up National NC57. See https://w0vlz.blogspot.com/search/label/NC-57  .

**** Addendum **** 

Tonight I worked Don , N0DLR, using my NC57/6AQ5 station.  Even with a lot of static we had a successful QSO. The Reverse Beacon Network reported many hits in the North East US with a few more scattered to the south and west of me. My new rig is in the log.