Thursday night, Jan. 14, 2021
The parts arrived yesterday that allowed me to complete the Knight Kit VFO V44 that I dug out of the attic recently. The VFO looked to be in good shape and complete, but the cable to connect the VFO to the transmitter was missing. A small portion of the shield of the original cable was there, but the rest was gone.
To replace the original coax cable, I bought a section of RG-316 50 ohm cable. RG-316 is a very small, very flexible coax cable that looked perfect for a cable for the VFO. It actually has excellent power handling characteristics, and has good specs when used in lengths under 100 feet.
Now I did not have the original plug that plugs into the crystal socket on the Knight T-60; I ended up buying the cheapest FT-243 crystal holder I could find on eBay. I emptied the FT-243 case, then I connected the coax to the pins in the crystal case. I took a rat tail file and filed a shallow groove in the phenolic material to allow the cable to pass through the end of the crystal holder.
It didn’t take long to modify the FT-243; the hardest part was connecting the cable inside the VFO. I tied a knot in the RG-316 to serve as a strain relief for the cable, then attached the cables to the terminal strip. I was using a 250 watt soldering gun, so heat was not a problem — getting the tip inside the VFO without melting anything else was the biggest worry. But I got it soldered just fine.
I stretched the completed cable across the desk in front of my IC-756PROII and decided to check the VFO for activity. While the calibration on the VFO dial is off, it was easy to locate the signal — loud, strong and clear. Success!
Now I can try the VFO out with the Knight T-60 transmitter! All I need to do next is dig out my SX-101A receiver to pair with the transmitter.
SHACK MOVE. My wife suggested that I take a break from selling on eBay to work on moving the shack upstairs. Not a bad idea, but I think I can work on both.
I have a 4 x 4 foot corner table, and two 4-foot desks on each side of the corner desk. Because of the layout of Studio C and the windows, closet and door locations, I’m going to put the corner desk in the right front corner of the room; the 2 four-foot desks will go end-to-end along the right wall.
The first 4-foot desk has three shelves. The first shelf has a HT-40 and SX-140 rx/tx station with HA-5 VFO. I’ve never made a contact with the station, and before I sell it, I would like to get it on the air.
The second shelf has a police scanner and “Old Ironsides” — my Hallicrafters SR-150 and PS-150 station. The top shelf has a couple of old 1940s AM radios and a collection of microphones. This desk will be the easiest to clear off and move. The next trick will be to make sure I have an empty space along the wall of Studio C to set the desk.
The other 4-foot desk has a couple of items I might want to sell on eBay — including a Heathkit HR-1680 HF ham bands receiver. The radio works OK, but I had hoped to pair it with the matching transmitter. That hunt proved more difficult than I expected. I’ll probably sell the 1680. I also have two SGC radios, the 20-watt SGC 2020, and the SGC 2000 marine rig. The model I have has the later front panel with an actual VFO dial and DSP. I could sell both of them. The second desk also has a complete Tempo 2020 station, with the matching VFO and speaker.
I should have time tomorrow to do a little work in the main shack. Wish me luck, hi hi!