Friday, Sept. 10, 2021
My new garage has been completed, and getting it setup and arranged has been cutting into my ham radio time.
Due to the height of the new garage, there’s no practical way for me to secure one end of my dipole to the barn. It looks like I need to change my entire setup of this dipole — or perhaps simply use my original dipole and repair the feedline and run it upstairs to Studio C. I have to find my spool of 300 ohm TV twinlead, I’m not sure I have enough existing feedline on the old antenna to reach.
TS-520SE REPAIRS. While I have been monitoring my CW traffic net, a couple of nights ago I decided to tear into the TS-520SE I have that receives but does not transmit.
I ordered new high voltage caps, but have never installed them — until now. The lack of a long phillips screwdriver slowed progress initially, but tonight I have the caps out and am in the process of installing the new caps. If I am lucky, I’ll have time this weekend to complete the installation and see if the rig transmits. I’m very, very hopeful this gets the rig transmitting! It doesn’t have a CW filter, but I have an outboard audio filter that will do just fine.
TS-520SE CW FILTER! Breaking news flash!! I just scored an original Kenwood CW filter for my TS-520SE! My hope is that the new caps will restore the transmitter, and I’ll be cooking with gas once the CW filter arrives. Woot woot!
There’s a couple of TS-520s — earlier versions — with CW filters now on eBay. I’ve considered buying one of those, just to have a 520 with CW filter. But the truth is I prefer the TS-520SE model, or even a later model TS-520S, over the “white-faced” TS-520s.
I currently own and have setup to operate a TS-530S, but to be honest, i just don’t like the looks of that radio like I do the TS-520SE. I would love to have the TS-520SE with a CW filter, but if I get the rig working, I’ll sell the TS-530. The radio works well, but it just isn’t as good looking as the 520SE.
HALLICRAFTERS SR-150. Before I started work on the TS-520SE, I was going to test out an SR-150 transceiver and power supply in Studio C — until I realized the antenna jack on the rig had been changed to a BNC. I know I have several BNC to SO-239 adapters, but damned if I could locate one. Once I get the caps replaced in the TS-520SE, I’ll go back to the SR-150.
PRICE DROPS … AS EXPECTED. I have a 1955 Vibroplex Original listed on eBay with a reasonable Buy It Now — or I thought it was until I looked at what bugs are selling for right now. Seems that the prices are trending down at present.
Well, what goes down will eventually go up!
73 es CUL … de KY4Z …. SK SK …. (dit dit) …