Down the Rabbit Hole
A couple of years ago, I found a Johnson Viking Mobile transmitter on eBay. It appeared to be complete and in pretty good condition. The price wasn’t too unreasonable, so I made a bid and won the auction. It is about the size of a shoe box. I planned to ease into tube equipment restoration by starting with a relatively simple project.
I wondered if I could ask an AI to design such a circuit. So I prompted ChatGPT: “Simple one transistor circuit to amplify a 20 MHz signal generator.” The resulting answer was quick and amazing.
Ten Tec documentation is minimal at best and there aren’t any professionals at Ten Tec to consult any more. We’re on our own. I’m sharing a minimal alignment process I used to get a radio back within spec.
An unexpected journey into frequency measurement after purchasing a mixed lot on eBay. Initially discovering a vintage frequency counter, they later enhance it with a GPS Disciplined Oscillator for exceptional accuracy. This upgrade transforms their testing capabilities, merging classic equipment with modern technology to create a GPS disciplined frequency counter for their workshop.
I learned in early March, 2024 of Bob Heil’s passing. Although I never got to meet Bob Heil in person, I feel his influence in my own enjoyment of the Amateur Radio hobby. Let’s see if I can build Bob Heil’s classic microphone equalizer!
Over the last year and a half, I’ve been restoring a Ten Tec “Closet Kilowatt” from the late 80’s for a solar powered station. It consists of a model 253 Automatic Antenna Coupler, model 420 Hercules II amp and model 564 Omni VI Plus.
The Ten Tec Omni VI+ and CAT Control In an earlier post, I described acquiring and repairing a Ten Tec Omni VI+ (model 564) transceiver.…
Lately, I’ve been restoring a Dynaco ST 150 stereo amplifier. As my collection of classic vinyl recordings grows, I’ve assembled the ultimate 1970’s playback system. Coming of age in the mid-70’s, I coveted the then-new high-power solid state amplifiers.
I was having a lot of fun with the restored Ten Tec Omni (series C), but like all of the older Ten Tec radios, the Permeability Tuned Oscillator (PTO), aka VFO, left a little to be desired. Back in the day, when I bought my first Ten Tec, these PTOs were considered very good — but time marches on and we’ve gotten used to smoother and more stable VFOs. An upgrade would be nice.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I owned a Ten Tec Triton IV (model 544) in the late 70’s and always loved it. I traded the radio a few years later for an ICOM 720a (also a great radio), but always regretted losing the Triton. Fast forward about 40 years, and the gift of an old Triton II reminded of that first love. The Triton II is similar, but the IV had several refinements that made it really great at the time, and I decided to get one again.