[Drakelist] 6JB6A
Greetings to the list, I just had to toss in my 2 cents on the 6JB6A finals. One post recently stated that if the tubes are properly cared for. 'quick tune ups, slight muffin fan pulling air up out of the cage, always dip the plate as a last check' then the tubes should last many many years. When I got my first twins over 10 years back I had heard many cautions (from non-Drake owners) about how fragile sweep tubes were and how I better lay in lots of spare finals. So spares I got but guess what? The same Sylvania finals that came used with the T4XC are still at full output after all those years of very regular use on CW. So I have run them at around 120w out regularly for well over a decade. Maybe its the muffin fan, maybe I've just been lucky, but I have to say that they have held up way better than the naysayers predicted. Sweep tubes are turning out to be more rugged than I am in the long run. Hi ! Jim N5KY ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
[Drakelist] T4XB vs T4XC
Greetings to the group, I have an R4C and a T4XC that I use mostly as 'separates' on CW. A friend has a T4XB that he wishes to sell and I am considering buying it as a backup to my T4XC. I assume the B-line xmtr will stand in fine for the C-line xmtr when used with the R4C receiver ?Any reason the T4XB wouldn't stand in for the T4XC when used in separate mode on CW ? just wondering Jim N5KY ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
[Drakelist] T4XC to 30L1
Greetings Gentlemen, Does anyone have any thoughts on keying a Collins 30L1 with a Drake t4XC ? The keyline voltage on the amp is 170v don’t know what current it might draw but can measure that if I buy the amp. Does anyone know if the Drake TR relay can safely handle this or if it is best to build an interface ? Never hurts to get opinions from those who might have pondered or tried this. thanks Jim N5KY ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
[Drakelist] bias adjustment
Greetings to the group, After all the posts lately about the care and feeding of the 6JB6 finals I have what may be a dumb question .but here she goes. I have a T4XC that I use exclusively on CW. I think I recall some while back that someone said the idle current could be reduced from the standard .07 A level if the transmitter was only being used on CW. Is that true and if so what level would be appropriate ? My T4XC looks to have original Sylvania finals and they seem healthy as I get about 140w out on 20m if I run it full out. I never run it over 100w and have a fan sucking air up from the cage. But if I could perhaps get longer life from the tubes by running less idle current then I might ought to try it. Is this a good idea or maybe not ? thanks for any thoughts Jim N5KY ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
[Drakelist] 2AQ vs 2BQ
Greetings from New Mexico where the blue sky is filled with color this week as the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is underway. I have a question as to any differences there may be between the 2AQ and the 2BQ Q multiplier. >From an Ebay purchase that was advertised as a 2BQ I find the item is >actually a 2AQ. I plan to use it with my 2B receiver and wonder if anyone just happens to know if there is any reason I should be concerned . other than having purchased an item that was incorrectly advertised. Are the 2AQ and the 2BQ identical in function ? thanks for any ideas Jim N5KY ___ Drakelist mailing list Drakelist@zerobeat.net http://mailman.zerobeat.net/mailman/listinfo/drakelist
[drakelist] shelf life of tubes
Just wondering how receiving tubes stand the test of time when stored. I have read that larger glass envelope transmitting tubes (3-500) can loose vacuum when un-used for long periods of time and am wondering if the same is true of smaller tubes. I had layed in a supply of replacement NOS tubes for my B-line but have never needed any. Just kinda wondering if they are losing spunk on the shelf like I sometimes feel I am ! ! Jim N5KY
Re: [drakelist] dirty bandswitches - how to fix?
I have had great success with DeOxit ... get the container with the needle applicator and you can apply just a touch to the bandswitch ... very little if any ends up on the wafer part of the switch. It's worked fine for me. cu on straight key night with my B-line. cheers jim N5KY
Re: [drakelist] R4C PTO
I just installed both the 500hz and 250hz Inrad filters and they are excellent. $110 apiece but well worth it. jim N5KY -Original Message-From: Mel Bach <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>To: drakelist@www.zerobeat.netSent: Fri, 14 Oct 2005 10:28:40 -0400Subject: [drakelist] R4C PTO Has anyone had problems with instability of the cw note? Has anyone used the filters provided by INRAD for 500 cycle cw etc?
[drakelist] xtals ?
Looking at the manuals for the C-line I see that for 30m the t4XC wants a 20.8 xtal and the R4C wants a 21.1 xtal . just wondering why these values are different since xtal values are the same for xmt / rcv on the other freq ranges. I wonder what is a good source nowdays for xtals . I would like one for 25m SWL (22.6 xtal) and also xtals for 17m .anyone tried the twins on 17m does it work OK ? thanks jim
[drakelist] R4C questions
I'm lucky to have just aquired a C-line in very fine condition. Ser #s are 24xxx and the rigs have been stored in plastic wrap for years here in the high desert of NM. Most all of the tubes are Sylvania and I get 140 watts from the T4XC. The R4C rcvr is stock with a 1.2 khz plug in CW filter. There were a few intermittent troubles which were cured with DeOxit on the wafer switches. The xmtr is equivent to by B-line rigs but the rcvr seems less than an R4B ... the audio is not nearly as pleasant, nor is the selectivity. My question is: as a CW op, what is the best cure for selectivity ? I have read of the Sherwood mods and the Xtals from INRAD . I plan to order a 500 hz second IF filter from INRAD but am hoping for suggestions on the GUF-1 INRAD first IF 8khz filter. I wonder if it would be of benefit to a CW guy and wonder about the diffiulty of the modification. Anyone have an any experience with that mod ?? Easy/difficult ... worth it for CW ? Any ideas on the audio the R4B beats it HI ! any ideas welcome tks jim N5KY
Re: [drakelist] R4B mods
All it seems to need is perhaps a little outboard audio filtering on CW I added an Idiom Press scaf adjustable lowpass filter and it is quite helpful. jim N5KY -Original Message-From: Greg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>To: drakelist@www.zerobeat.netSent: Tue, 8 Mar 2005 17:55:59 +0100Subject: [drakelist] R4B mods "Greg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> made an utterence to the drakelist gang -- Hi, I've recently bought another T-4XC (already had one) , and a R-4B. I've fixed the R4B , chaged caps, restored switches, replaced the rca ant.connector with a UHF connector, fixed some old bag solder points, replaced the old coaxes with new ones,and now the receiver works... However I'm wondering if there are any performance tweaks for it, I've checked http://www.mods.dk/print.php?ArticleId=2549 but surely there must be more fixes out there? It's already modified a bit and since it's not 100% original anymore I might as well tweak it some more. I also h! ave a question about the RF Gain adjustment, exactly how is it supposed to function? Positioning it first half of the scale the radion is totally dead, no audio at all, around 3/4 of the scale it starts to receive, cranking it up to near max the audio starts clipping and it sounds awful... Are there any testpoints for voltages / bias to check etc? //Greg -- On Behalf of "Greg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Submissions: drakelist@www.zerobeat.net Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Pa! ge: http://www.zerobeat.net Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ --
[drakelist] 40m net ?
[EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterence to the drakelist gang -- Nothing heard here in New Mexico. Course 40m at near noon isn't likely to work back east from here. Maybe a 20m freq would be a better choice and worth a try ? ? jim N5KY -- On Behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Submissions:drakelist@www.zerobeat.net Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ --
[drakelist] B-line cables ?
[EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterence to the drakelist gang -- I know this has been covered before but I cant seem to find it. On the interconnect cables for the B Twins is the 'inj' cable supposed to be rg-62 ? rg-62 is what I have in my fuzzy organic memory. I also assume that the RF (antenna) connect between the Twins should be 50 ohm coax instead of the twin lead phono plug cable that I found it with ? Also, what is the current Drake Net time and freq ? Thanks NM is a very rainy desert today. jim N5KY -- On Behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Submissions:drakelist@www.zerobeat.net Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ --
[drakelist] ALC ?
[EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterence to the drakelist gang -- I have a T4XB driving an Ameritron Al-80B amp and would like to get the ALC hooked up. The T4XB manual is very brief on the ALC hook up so I'm not sure I get the picture. The manual states that an amp providing a negative going alc voltage can be hooked to pin 3 of the power connector. I have 3 AC-4 power supplies but only one of them has a female phono jack that is marked "xmtg alc". Am I to assume that is "pin 3" ? If that is the correct place to feed alc voltage from the amp, it does not work. Course my amp is providing 0 to -10vdc alc and perhaps the T4XB needs more of a negative swing than that ? The T4XB manual doesn't state what amount of negative voltage is needed. And perhaps I am not feeding that alc voltage into the T4XB in the correct place ? Not wanting to risk my T4XB on guesswork and experimenting, I figured that someone here might enlighten me. Also, I wonder what is the function of the female phono connector that stubs off the AC-4 power connector. Long as I'm here I would like to toss in a kind word for the gentleman at www.radiocovers.com .. I just received a set of his covers for my Twins and my TR-4 and they are as advertised and more. Excellent quality at a very reasonable price. Sure dresses up the Drakes in style while keeping the dust out. OKthanks guysany ALC ideas welcome. It's a sunny warm morning in NM after a colorbursting sunrise. 73jim N5KY -- On Behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Submissions:drakelist@www.zerobeat.net Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ --
Re: [drakelist] C-Line Service Info
[EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterence to the drakelist gang -- I wonder if anything similar exists for the B-line ? jim N5KY In a message dated 1/27/2005 3:07:49 PM Eastern Standard Time, Dino Papas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >Dino Papas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> made an utterence to the drakelist gang >-- >I received a CD-ROM from Garey K4OAH today that is a great compilation >of all the various info available on our beloved Drake twinsGarey >has put a lot of hard work into producing a "service manual" with parts >listings and VERY well done photos of the two boxes pointing out all >part locations. > >Highly recommended for those who delve into their radios as >necessaryone of the better deals I've gotten lately for just $25. > >If you're interested contact Garey at: > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Thanks Gareywell done! > >Dino KL0S/4 > >-- >On Behalf of Dino Papas <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Submissions: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body >Hopelessly Lost: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message >Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net >Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ >-- > -- On Behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Submissions:drakelist@www.zerobeat.net Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ --
[drakelist] filament voltage ?
Well, I apologize for this question not being specific to Drake gear but this is where the tube gurus are to be found ! I recently picked up an old TS-830s at a swapfest. While cleaning all the wafer switches I decided to measure voltages on the finals ... a pair of 6146. I found the filament voltage to be at 6.4vac and thought I would knock it down a little with a .5 ohm resistor. The filament voltage is now at 6.0 volts and I notice no drop in plate current on any freq. I am thinking this might prolong the life of the tubes...??? But I wonder if there is some reason why this should not be done. Am I perhaps messing with something that for some reason should be left alone ?? Any thoughts welcome. tnx jim N5KY
Re: [drakelist] INJECTOR CABLE
"Drake originally supplied a low capacity cable specifically for the INJ cable, with the rest being standard audio cables" . My B-line has a set of grey interconnect cables that are unmarked so I have no idea if they are rg-62 or not. Just wondering if the original supplied cables were grey ? ? jim N5KY -- Submissions:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - subscribe drakelist in body Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ --
[Drakelist] ALC ?
Anyone know if the ALC voltages are compatible between a T4XB and a Heath SB-220 amp ? The SB-220 manual states only that -60vdc ALC is available and I see no mention of the ALC level required in the T4XB manual. I kinda guess that they might be compatible since they were made in the same time period. I guess I'll find out when I hook them up.but just kinda curious if anyone ever tried it and with what result. thanksjim N5KY -- Submissions:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - subscribe drakelist in body Unsubscribe:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost:[EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net --
