Hi All,
Well, I am VERY happy to say that my homebrewed 12-tube 1929 superheterodyne
receiver project IS WORKING!!!!!!
I gave it the "maiden run" test voyage this morning---some problems
('natch!): an open plate choke, a bad solder connection on a bypass cap, and
not enough (and later too much!) coupling between the local oscillator & the
detector...the usual little stuff.
I still have to determine how many turns of the local oscillator coil I'll
have to short out in order to make it tune the 80-meter band (right now it
tunes from about 3.3 to 3.490-MHz---but I was wise enough from the get-go to
employ more coil stock turns than needed, "...just in case". It's always
easier to SHORT turns, rather than to try & ADD them later on, after the
fact!).
It purrs along every bit as loud as my FT-980 along side it (the rice rocket
is relegated to the role of digital frequency meter for these particular
tests). Signals definitely peak right up with the two pre-selector
capacitors (yup, it's a knob twiddler's delight!), & the old British vernier
dial assembly is as smooth as silk---BETTER than anything encountered from
either National, or Millen, surprisingly enough...
Surprised, too, by the absence of hum, & IF feedback in the thing---either
I'm really lucky, or I've managed to learn a trick or two in these matters
after homebrewing for some 32 years now. :>)
The whole package LOOKS real sexy, too---with any luck, I may be able to
borrow a digital camera this weekend...if anyone cares to, I'd be more than
pleased to e-mail shots of my latest "pride & joy" here to them. Just ask!
Now, according to Murphy's law, the darn thing should blow up between now &
the first request for a shot...Hmmmmm.
~73!~ Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
