Old Time ham radio-going back 50 years.
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- Опубліковано 30 січ 2010
- Burt K1OIK makes a contact from his 50 year old station, the Heathkit DX-40 and Hallicrafters S-76 receiver.
See my latest video of comment on the sad state of ham radio
• K1OIK comments on the ...
My grandfather was a radio man in world war II D-Day and my father was an amateur ham radio operator. I grew up with these sounds in my house,on every TV and cordless phone. Radio contest weekends the whole neighborhood knew if it was Morse code or not. I think we all would be in better shape if we would tune into the world, rather than just download it...
Well said.
My grandfather was also a radio op in WW2. He was a cw op in Hawaii decoding Japanese messages. It was pretty cool in 1993 he helped me study for my cw test, although he wasn't a ham, I remember listening to cw on his shortwave radio.
Thanks for reviving some great memories. My rig as a novice in 1972 (WN4BCG) was a Hallicrafters SX-101 and Heathkit DX-60 that I built. That was the first year they allowed novices to use a VFO, so as soon as my college student budget allowed, I ordered and built the matching VFO. I was living in a basement apartment that had formerly been a garage, so I did not have room for a great antenna. I used a base-loaded three band vertical mounted on a stake in the landlady's back yard. I got lured into hamming while I was studying for a First Class Radiotelephone Operators license. I was working in broadcasting at the time. The instructor was a ham, as well as a staff engineer at WSM, WSM-FM, and WSM-TV in Nashville. He got me interested and made me a good price on the Hallicrafters. Eventually life led me in other directions, getting out of broadcasting and acquiring a wife who didn't like all of those "ugly radios" in the living room. 73's
Great story
That looks great it looks a lot my DX-35 and my S-38 receiver back in 1956 and my 2 element tri Band Quaid I built, thanks for the memories.
Bud K0GUE 1950 to 1965 now WB6TOM for the last 48 years.
in a couple more years I have been a ham for 60 years. where has the time gone...
I remember doing this with a homebrew cw transmitter and separate receiver back in the 1980s. Brill stuff:-)
Nice demo Burt. I like the S Meter, too. It's even bigger than the one on my Hallicrafters SX-100 that I just acquired.
73 Paul AA1SU
that takes me back..I had that transmitter for my first novice back around 1964 and I think a Hammurland HQ 110..I remember always being sleepy at school from being up at night trying to work dx..great hobby for a teenager back then. I lost interest once I discovered girls and cars but to this day I can still copy cw at a pretty good pace. Great memories of a time gone by.When the internet first took off I had friends tell me about talking to people all over the world and said I did that back in the 60's long before email..
i LOVE these sounds!
+RetroShock! Barkin'
My first rig in 1958 was an S-76 and an AT-1. The transmitter was fine, but the receiver was suburb, for its day.
I love the old radios, I have a Hammerlund HQ110 , I just love playing with all those nobs, it sure is a different experience.
brings back memories for me also, I got my novice license in 1959 had a home brew TX and Hallicrafters SX 28A, those we the days now I have my Extra class, how times have changed
Thanks for bringing back fond memories from my early days as a ham. Back in 1963 I was using a Hallicrafters SX-110 receiver with a home-brew 807 transmitter. I had precisely two crystals for the 40M band, so my signal was stable, but I had forgotten the sound of chasing other MOPA stations around the dial :)
Fantastic rigs Burt and excellent explanation.
This is real ham radio!
73 from El Salvador, YS1RS
A college Amateur Radio Station where I was a non-licensed member had the Drake Twins. I worked many 3rd party Q's with my Elmer. I have QSL cards that I cherish. I took a test with a friend, General Class, but missed passing the written by one test question. I thought he might let me slide because of our friendship. I was told I had to earn that license. I stopped trying to become a ham for 15 years. Citizen's Band radio was okay for the time being. My Son was born in 1977. I only used CB to and from work to stay in touch with old acquaintances and to monitor channel 19 when traveling. Divorced in 1980, I became a single parent. The base station went into storage. When my Son began put words together I used the CB in my car less and less due some of the trash mouths. The urge to retry for a ham license was kindled in 1985. Re-learning Morse was a breeze. Finally after studying with a friend I took the test and passed. The radio club at the college disbanded. Six months before testing I began looking for HF equipment. I could not afford a used HF rig at the prices I'd seen at local hamfests. I was familiar with Heathkit and selected a kit built radio that I could afford. The Hot Watter 9. My Elmer tried to discourage me, saying life was too short for QRP. Not for me. All of my personal contacts as a licensed ham are QRP CW. I have only worked more than 5 watts transmitted at Field Day and Contesting with my local club. Working QRP the past 10 years has been difficult but doable. I still use my HW-9, but mostly my Yaesu FT-817ND. KB8AMZ
Q's? really? What did you do with the time you saved not typing SO? Or are you so cool you can't type or QSO or God forbid, contact? You waned a friend to cheat so you could pass an exam children could pass? How low are you?
You waited 15 years rather than study a teeny bit more? And the lowest of all, CB. Sad.
@@K1OIK You are correct. I should have typed QSO. "You waned a friend to cheat so you could pass an exam children could pass?" I learned a valuable lesson from my friend. "How low are you?" I am not low. I was mad at myself. Then life became more important than a new hobby. When I tested and passed the next time I was a single Dad working full time plus as much overtime as possible. Babysitting so I could still work was not cheap. "And the lowest of all, CB. Sad." Back at you. How much time did you save... disregard that. Citizen's Band radio was not the lowest low when I became involved with using it. I monitored a group of high school students that helped their local police department by patrolling the residential areas on Friday and Saturday night and assisted with traffic control during vehicle crashes and fires. They used Citizen Band radios to communication to a dispatcher who would call in any problem to the police department. Many of those high school students became police officers. Best 73, KB8AMZ
What a well-presented video. Back in the Day a ham radio operator was just that and true operator. We have no right to complain about radio being confusing with menu-driven options today. The learning curve on new radio is quite quick if you take the time to read the manual. And once things are set up everything's stable. I am fascinated by the old timers and the old rigs.
My first transmitter was a DX 40. This was in 1965, and the tone wasn't the best then either. Ham radio back then was a test of the operators skill in coaxing the signals out of the noise, and keeping everything on frequency. I eventually moved up to a Hallicrafters SX-101 receiver, and HT - 32 transmitter. I used to keep the filament voltage on 24/7 to keep things stable. Properly used, these were great radios that have stood the test of time.
Thanks for posting this. Missing my Dad on Fathers Day. He was K1PBJ. Loved watching the rig. He had a similar one! Thank for help with the memories!! :D:D:D
wow. thanks for sharing Burt. I love checking out all the older radios of the time. Being a newer operator, I dont have any myself yet. ~73's
Great video. I love playing around with old equipment.
I had an old DX 40 with a hallicrafters SX 24
Thanks very much for your video. I grew up with a Hallicrafters S-85 receiver that I still have but have not powered up for 30 years. Mine doesn't have an S-meter. The large meter on yours is very cool. I started with the S-85 & an old military transmitter back in 1975. It was fun watching your contact. The HF rigs I have now are for sure more stable but the old rigs are surely magical. 73
I imagine copying CW was a two-handed operation back in the day; one hand for the pen and the other on the receiver knob!
Very interesting video. I had a military surplus ARC-5 transmitter (modified for Novice operation using a crystal rather than VFO) and a Hallicrafters S-38 receiver. This was around 1957. The S-38 was the absolute lowest cost receiver you could buy at the time -- $50 (which is actually a few hundred $ in todays money). I don't remember the receiver drifting the way your S-76 is doing. I guess it's showing its age.
Excellent video. I love the boat anchors. I was born in the wrong decade.
In the olden days we chirped, today we tweet !
K4OF.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I hope to work on the air waves someday.73's:Kevin.
Great nostalgia video for us old-timers. Thank you! In the late 1950s I ran a DX-20 and various homebrew transmitters. Had an SX-99 with which I heard the first Sputniks in 1957. I still remember the looks on people’s faces who visited my upstairs bedroom shack and listened as the satellites passed overhead.
🖒🖒
I bet that old rig will survive an EMP. You would be one of the few to be running after an EMP.
Curt Chase hey me too! I have a S-76 and a Johnson viking Ramger so I will be up and running to lol
You're awesome! Thanks and good luck with your vintage gear!
If you can figure out how to power them after the EMP took out the grid. Gonna need 110v AC and at least 30 amps or more for the transmitter.
Nice video and love the old rigs, but that qso is with my old friend Gary N5PHT not K5PHT. He has moved from Savoy, TX to Kansas now. Nice to hear my friend on the old reciever. Thanks de W5SWV
You are correct.
I just happened to stumble upon your clip while randomly killing quarantine time. I was an active ham radio operator in High School (class of 1963) but have not touched it since then. WOW, did you bring back memories!
My first rig ca 1960 was a DX35 and an SX80 and a funky/drifting Heath VFO (pretty close to what you had there)....another difference was I had a Heath Qmult in front of the receiver. I worked a lot of CW and was reasonably fast; earning dxcc by cruising 20 and 40 meter CW bands in the wee hours of the morning. Listening to you I found the rhythms and the sounds very familiar but I could not take the code.
It was just really pleasant to listen/watch this and to walk down memory lane. Thanks so much! (WA2KEJ....long gone)
I graduated high school in 1963. WA2KEJ MICHAEL J. CUTTLER# 3 LOIS PLACE* MERRICK N Y (1961)
I want very much an old rig like the one shown here.
Im not a ham yet but I will be soon.
But after seeing this video, im not sure .
I really love the sound of the old tube radios
I
Brings back many good memories. You made a great explanation of how things worked in those days. They were the good times. So much was depending on the operators experience and generousity with fellow hams. Ham Operators were all gentalmen in those days. We were a family. It didn't matter where you lived, where you were from, how old you were, or who you were, because family is family amounst other hams. The welcome wagon was always open to hams traveling cross country. 73's DE W4ZJM SK
Right on ! We were a fraternity who loved to communicate & help each other.I was WN6OHG.I had an.NC 300 receiver and an Eico 720 crystal 75 watt Transmitter plus a relay that I built and designed myself while in High School. Those were FUN Times ! 73"s Dana
👍 This closes with some words of wisdom that I wish more people would appreciate
Good stuff! When I was a novice, the righ was a Heathkit HX-10 and an HQ-180. 75W max input was the rule !! Thanks for sharing. Ok, so you have a little "chirp" on your signal.....
Last time I have a CW op RST XXXC he had no idea what the "C" was for. My first receiver wasn't THIS good, it was a Hallicrafters S-38 (forget suffix) soon replaced by a Heath AR-3. The Heath was essentially the same as the S-38 except it had a power transformer and an IF/RF gain, which the S-38 did not. First transmitter was homebrew 6AG7--1625. I "got into trouble" with a nearby "Elmer" for doubling an old 160M TCX crystal up into 80m, he was upset he could hear me on 160 "a couple of miles" away LOL First licensed about 65
I also have a Hallicrafters S-76! Great receiver. Are you a congratulations on a great video.Fernando PU2PDX
Thanks for making this video. I enjoyed seeing that S-76 fire up and operate after 55 years.
Good vid of the vintage radios. Thanks for posting :O)
My SX-71 seems to do a pretty good job at SSB...tho it does not have a product detector either...I use the reception switch down to sharp, then use the CW pitch for SSB...then there is a Crystal Phasing control too that is like a selectivity control..nice video..
You Provided an Excellent overview of the rigs and how we operated them in those days.
Thanks for sharing with others... DE W4ZJM SK
im a fellow ham my elmer once told me that real radios glow in the dark de K4SBB
Very nice production. Fabulous collection. May Hallicrafters live forever --Bobby Hallicrafters
I liked your video, it remembers me the station I had in 1966, a Knight T60 transmiter and same receiver as yours a Hallicrafter S76, it gived me many hours of QSO's and a big collection of cards in the old AM days, in many of this QSO's hams did not have VFO, they were crystal controlled and some times you had to look all around the band to see if somebody answer you, because no same frequency crystal on hand, it was fun..! thanks for let me back to those days, JT, XE2SI
Thanks for this video Burt. It is a good reference. I am a new ham and love old time equipment. I am building my own transmitters (crystal based) with Tube technology and have been looking for a matching receiver. You can not find stuff like that here in my country and no one wants to send something that heavy to a distant country.
I will have to build my own receiver too. Again, thanks for your video. It shows what I may encounter down the road. 73 de Rob. YS1RS
That looks like hard work - much respect to those that work those radios today, and did in the past! I had a chance to buy something like the Hallicrafters for $100 in about 1998 and turned it down - wished I had bought it now.....
OMG! LOL! Great video and really a appreciation for modern rigs. What a pain in the ass it looks to operate. I still want to experience that sort of antique form of operating but man is it work. Thanks again for a great vid. 73!
very interesting burt thanks for video
I still like the old tube stuff. I still have the one tube CW transmitter I built as a novice back in the early 1960s and a Hallicrafters SX-42 reciever. Gary
I built and used a Knight-Kit T50 in 1961 for my Novice station. At that time, it was a fairly common rig--as were the DX20 and DX40. I do not recall hearing very many chirps back then or getting a "C" after hearing my RST. Maybe we were less critical of our own (and others) signals but it was very rare that I would hear a signal as chirpy as the one here. I have been using my T50 again for the past year and have gotten specific reports that report "No chirps, no key clicks." And I have also gotten reports of "slight chirp." One ham that I had a QSO with sent me an audio file of about two minutes of our QSO. I could definitely hear a slight chirp.
Here is one thing that might help. On several QSOs that reported a chirp, I switched to a different crystal. The chirp was then reported gone! I'm not sure just what can happen to a crystal but clearly some of mine are in better shape than others.
If your power supply is OK and the oscillator components are up to specs, you might want to simply try a different crystal. I would be happy to give you a signal report.
DE W4ZJM - Love those days of the far. This was my days for Ham Radio..... 73's + k
Good ole Hallidrifters.
My first rig was a DX-40 with a National NC60 General coverage receiver. The DX -40 didn't have the best signal, but it was way better than yours. I think new caps would do wonders for your signal. I eventually traded up to a Hallicrafters HT-32 with matching 1kW linear, and a SX101A receiver. That was a really great SSB station. I sold all that years ago, but recently bought an SX-101A to restore.
Great video Burt. I see that you have made others and will check them out. I appreciate your effort. 73's
Tuning a vacuum tube transmitter can be tricky. I am just getting back into ham radio after a 40+ year abscence from the hobby and I am presently studying for the license. I just bought a Swan 500cx and read over the P.A. tuning instructions. Gary
I still have the receiver Hallicrafters R-174D/FRR, what is a fantastic receiever.
I have listened to them and do so very often, I've had a CB in every truck and car I've ever had, they are great for talking to local friends, finding out where the cops,wrecks and traffic jams are. If a fellow CBer sees someone broke down they usually offer help, or ask if they need the police called. When you talk your trash about CBers and gun owners you're talking about me and my friends, without knowing anything about us. What does that make you? You're showing me that I have made the right decision not to get into the hobby of Ham,most of you are arrogant snobs. CBers are mostly good folks with the exception of a few, not the same with Hams. Congratulations, you've turned another good person away from becoming a Ham operator.
You have a real chip on your shoulder. With your attitude, I think it best that you stay a CBer
I bought one last year from a gentleman on Vancouver Island, Canada. Really good deal. it works..but I leave it off till I can get to it to replace al the likely culprets....lol.....fits right in with restored family historical S-40A ...and next to my restored mint RCA LF88 ....I am merely the babysitter...till the next owner...but boy....the LF 88 is amazing.
I luv the old stuff!!
Great video Burt, a lesson for for todays plug n players.
Good teaching. 👍
Thank you for your comments. I need to improve the technical quality to match ours.
As far as old rigs, technology has its plusses AND minuses.
Great video. It goes to show how far the tech has come in 50 years. The most interesting analysis of yours was at the end, discussing which radios will be around in 50 years. There are lots of rigs from the last 20-30 years still out there doing a good job, miles ahead of the equipment you demo-ed. SDR's are the future. But, when you move to a Flex radio, you're betting on Windows and the PC are the future; I'm not so sure about that- at least not in 10 years. 73's
I love the s meter, too. I just love boat anchors!
Great video Burt. No instant QSOs! Your receiver controls very much like my SX-71. You need two hands on three knobs! By the time you hear a CQ and get the receiver and xmitter tuned, he may be gone! This is a lot different than double clicking on a DX spot and working the station today. I can see it now, we will be rebuilding windows computers with 20 year old operating systems in the future.
Classy video there Burt !
the electron tubes normally transmit your voice more clear and pure than transistorized ones.
and altrough on paper the transistors live longer, they breack more easy with a bad contact on the antenna.
for high power the tube is still preferred
defuq i just watch..this is awesome..
Nice video proper set!
Got to love them old radios. if you get around to recap and replaceing resistor make sure you dont use higer wattage resistors they didnt use fuses in those days and would open the resistors i installed fuses in mine fyi
Your editing is good, nice close ups, good audio, we can hear what is going on. Randy
Awesome ty..
Super video. Brings back memories.
Crystal controlled XMTR + tube receiver.
75 watts INPUT. How to RIT???
Just tune the receiver.
Nice video beautiful radios.
Tom
There is a reason for "Hallicrappers" moniker. No kidding about the SDR being on the heap before the Hallicrafters. The hallicrafters is also much more repairable than the new stuff. DE KX5G
And you're the reason many don't even bother to get their tickets. People don't like to talk to know-it-all's --- Especially when they DON'T. Thanks for the great video Burt.
I noticed the Hallicrafters drifted a bit while you were in QSO. I'm not familiar with that model but did they all do that or is it just time for a recap?
My Hammarlund HQ-129X drifts a touch when it's not nice and hot. I've taken a look on the underside and most of the caps are original so sometime I will go through and replace them.
Also,you have to love that tube powered audio!
Great work!
- Mike/KC2TAU
A couple of things about copying CW/SSB with a receiver NOT using a product detector. First, let it warm up for about a half hour. Second, NEVER use the AGC. Turn off AGC, roll your RF gain back to about 25% and set your audio to about 1/2 to 3/4. Then bring your RF gain up to get good signal levels. AGC is useless on CW with these old receivers. We were using this stuff in 1960 when I obtained my novice gear. DX for me ( in Pa) was a w6 station on 40 meters.
Good advice, I forgot about the AGC.
Thanks for the video, from Brazilian PYs
I think they always drifted, but that one was cold, so maybe it drifted more?
Is the S-76 startong to become Rare? Let me know.
Also about the "DIP" in the meter when tune up ive never understood that, can you make a video on that thanks!
I have another S-76 for sale but they are not that common. The dip is when a parallel circuit reaches resonance it draws the least current.
burt2481 ok makes sense, and mine is all original no mods done to it and the lights are bright and with the good looking r-46 speaker so I’m very happy with it. I think they are starting to becoming more rare now. Not many out there
heathkit made some cool things . i had a heath and a hallicrafters recever yrs ago .i had the same vfo by heath thats next to your rig. cool peice of american history
nice movie .Im using the Hallicrafters SX122 ,but I search the orginal knobs for this receiver
Yep I learned on a Viking Ranger and a Hq-170 who i was listening to when Kennady was shot
Dejar Boyd, wbhen Kennedy WPS shot, I Washington in Antártica (77.7 S 41. 1 west and lisening WWW in a BC 348 receiver. LU6AGO Luis
adioExcuse me WWW r
Those tuning sounds are really amazing 2:02 and 5:34
Say do you know what the most popular bands were in the 50's? The reason I ask is because around 1952 my dad had a Ham operator send a message vocally 330 miles back to his home town. The Ham operator waited until night to send the message because of better propagation. I just wonder what meter they might have used.
Time should have been past the end of summer.
75 or 40 meters.
Fun!
@cod4madass on code hi hi was used to indicate laughter as it was shorter than ha ha. On voice there is no need to use hi hi but hams being devoid of an original thought and devoted to senseless abbreviations use it
@K7AGE Great video now I need to put my Hallicrafters SR 150 on the air and make a good video. I also need to learn how to get my vdieo quality as good as the both of yalls. Technology changes and with these software controlled rigs they won't work in 20 years because they only support the OS of today. Kinda like my old 900 MHz radio TK-941 (circa 1991) can not be programed or changed without using a true DOS OS.
50 years ago is not 'old time'
Go back to spark gap and coherers, that's old time.
Dorothy Gale On Ham College they made one.....and a crystal radio....all very interesting
P.s. ~ I had the DX-35 with the VR-1. Used military surplus radio back then...
Very nice Burt !!! Don't know if you will see this response as you made this video about ten years ago lol. I enjoyed seeing this. Joe WU1Z
I am not dead yet, so I saw it.
@@burtfisher7059 Lol. Didn't mean it that way Burt . :) Just didn't know if you would check back on it ten years later. ") Glad we are both still vocal keys lol. Joe WU1Z
Crackin vid burt..
My grandfather was W6KAO.
It should be normally a bit more stable, aren't the condensers replaced yet?
I’d love to use this clip on my UA-cam channel that helps to teach ham radio to show just how far we’ve come. This is very well done. Thank you for taking the time to make it! Is it OK for me to share this on my channel?
Thank you so much and all the best to you and yours,
Larry
de K7HN
Of course it is ok to share.
can u do ft8 on this rig?
The power supply for my commercial rig could crush most boatanchors. Is he still giving a 599 with all that hum?
The flex will be obsolete when they quit making drivers for the next version of windoze or when the day comes that usb is gone. Remember the parallel port? serial port?
I wonder how they will soind after you go through them ?
Love the "S" Meter!! ;)
You need to replace the filter caps. Very bad AC on the signal. If you are going to use this old gear you need to know how to fix it properly.
Wow! A friend and myself are looking at HAM radios and equipment and watching videos, reading articles and wanting to get into HAM. But from some of the videos and comments I'm not sure if I want to. I've seen so many Hams who are really arrogant and think that they are better than anyone who isn't a Ham. I don't want to spend my money to talk to people like that,like you calling CBers names like that,really shows a lot about your character. And yes,enough people like you can discourage people from wanting to enter into the hobby.
CBers are what I said they were. Listen to them and tell me how you can disagree. Hams, not HAM, are not better than most but they are better than CBers who are the scum of the radio world with few exceptions.