I picked up this thing yesterday at a SK's wood shed for $50. It had been sitting next to the ugly-painted BC610E, which recently went on EPAY.
The Wilcox 96D is < a foot wide, 6 feet tall, 300+ lb box. It "works in a drawer", in that it can be slid out on rails, for inspection inside. It was built in November of 1952. It has an RF exciter, crystal socket inside, and an 807 driving an 813 driving a PAIR of 450TLs. Only the 807 remained in the socket. Plate voltage on the final was 4100 and current was 0.6 - 0.9 Amps. It was a powerful transmitter in its day! The power supply was separate, and it isn't certain it made AM or not. Frequency range is ~ 2 - 12 MHz according to the dials. It has little doors which open to expose the turns counters for tuning, and one opens to get to the fuses and power relays. On top are a pair of balanced output studs. This funky looking transmitter (slim) needs the final plate tuning cap, but has most else. It is loaded with some good parts, including the turns counter dials, two big slip stator caps, a can within a can neaturalizing cap. The PA inductor is tapped at numerous points, and has a second coil which can be slid into and out of the fixed inductor. Now the dilema. Its certainly a different rig, but it needs to be tubed with pair of paralleled 450TLs and needs the cap along with a few small parts. Should I part it out, for something homebrew, like a balanced antenna Tuner? Or try and restore 'er? I'd be curious about others experience and opinions. BTW, I have three other transmitter projects needing my attention right now. I got the Wilcox out of the truck bed and plopped it out under a roof next to my shed this afternoon. Inside one of the front doors there is a complete parts list and schematic! 73 John K5PRO New Mexico
