I have enjoyed this series greatly. Old time radio in the spirit of the AWA, who sent me on the way to Amateur Radio and shortwave listening. The ability to make an old time regen radio from the 20's or 30's is fascinating. I have spent the better part of the last ten years collecting the parts and tubes to build several of these radio receivers. Thank You !
great series I enjoyed it and learned somethings as well. I read the Morgan books as a kid. I had no clue he had a relationship with Godley and Armstrong, and i've been a EE forever. I wired that radio about 1962. Bought the parts from Applebees and the tubes were salvaged. My dad would take me to Henry radio in LA on occasion. I'll have to find a Paragon for my collection. You did a nice job with the little historic radio. 73's W5YB
Wow Alex! Thanks for watching the whole series. You guys had some great electronics stores. I reemember going into Weird Stuff, first time in Sunnyvale as a young engineer.
Mike you did Morgan proud with this great series! My introduction to Morgan was "The Boy Electrician". He showed me how to make electromagnets, motors, buzzers and a bunch of other cool stuff. I wound an induction coil, took it to school and buzzed a few volunteers in class. Safety protocols were not in effect back in 1964! Later I went straight to transistors with his boys second book on R&E. Now after all that time I'm back to tubes, and your videos are great inspiration and well done.
When I was in high school in the mid 1990s, my local library had the later version of "The Boy's First Book of Radio and Electronics" with the 6BF6 regen. I scrounged all the necessary parts from Gateway Electronics and searched through boxes of tubes in their back room to find a NOS Sylvania 6BF6 (I think it's still the only 6BF6 in my stock of hundreds of tubes). I built mine on a chassis I created from a sheet of aluminum and some oak 1x1s with a built-in power supply using a 6X4 and transformer. Even built a bullet style cabinet from some thin plywood to house it. I had a lot of fun with that set. I might dig up the parts and build another one. Thanks for this excellent series.
A phenomenal video series!!!...and thank you for the references in part 1 for further research…In the March 1938 issue of Radio-Craft magazine there’s a fascinating look back on early radio including an article titled “The Old E. I. Co. Days” written by Gernsback himself. Gernsback mentions Alfred P. Morgan as a former employee along with many other radio notables. Gernsback states, “Later on through E. I. Co. or through my various magazines, other names which have since become famous were added to the list of those who started with me.”
Yeow that is terrible. But we have quite a force in the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) here that simply will not give that spectrum away without a fight. And there are many small market stations, oldies stations and talk / new stations that utilize the band.
I know the feeling, I am in an AM dead zone. Get absolutely nothing on broadcast. Plenty of SW coverage. And only one lousy FM station that is automated playing adult contemporary pop music without even any DJs.
I build the 6BF6 version a few years ago, based on your earlier videos. I definitely want to build the #30 version as well. Another project I am thinking of building is the Geiger counter from "The Boy's 2nd Book of Radio and Electronics". I don't think I have seen anyone make one of those online. Yes, time to dump the suite. I am glad I no longer have to wear one of those! :-)
I have been playing with an ordinary 6J5 in the socket. Easy mod (same as you just ground pins 1 and 8) and it is able to take either valve. Better stability - and no microphonics, but the 6J5 has more gain and the tickler needed to be reduced!
Due to childhood trauma I've always avoided regen receivers. When I first came into contact with SW and ham radio I ended up with a globe patrol 4 bander. One June weekend my father headed to field day and took his radios with him. I was distraught that I wasn't able to contact him so my mother packed me the globe patrol and wire wrapped around a ruler up and dumped me at the field day site. Me and my regenerative receiver were quickly banished to the next set of picnic tables over.
All need now is a 80 and 40 meter xtal transmitter. match the receiver , wouldnt it be something get worked all states or worked all continents on home brew sets ? i had 4 or 5 watts tube QRP 6V6 before on 40 meters got all north america on it be something all right. Great videos wants me start building again.
It seems to me that there's a very practical (but hopefully never needed) use of a receiver like this in relation to having a simple but useful EMP resistant device. In that context and adapting the design to readily available parts, note that a 6AV6 is essentially equivalent to the 6BF6. It has a slightly lower gm but much higher plate resistance, the product of which is the amplification factor, so if desired one could match the 6BF6 by shunting the plate-cathode with a 10k resistor, but I doubt that's needed given the circuit loading. Of course for nearly any tube one can lower the gm as needed by biasing for a lower the plate current. Since a car battery would be a likely source of power in such an emergency situation, I wonder if running say a 12AV6 with its B+ at just the 12.6V would produce a useful result. The gm would drop, but then reducing the grid leak resistor to get the plate current back up might sufficiently compensate. So the Morgan may yet save lives!
When I started with the UK Post Office Telephones in 1962, PVC insulated cable was already the standard for new work, but we were still expanding our manual exchange, so old switchboard sections were recovered from other exchanges which had been replaced by automatic exchanges. These contained cables which contained double cotton covered insulation and the conductors themselves were enamelled. Where these were joined to existing wiring a hot wax covering was applied to keep out moisture. This meant that there were pots of hot wax at 240 deg F swinging from ladders or overhead cable trays or perched precariously in the back of switchboards.Modern Health & Safety would have had a headfit.
In part 3 you brought up the 1920's CX-300A tube as the one of the best tubes to use in a regen receiver. Wouldn't a Radiotron UX-200A be the same tube type? I looked it up in the RC-10 tube manual and it's the same specs as the CX-300A. Cunningham and RCA were making the same tubes with CX and UX prefix in front of the number, I happen to have a NOS Radiotron UX-200A.
Yes all of the above with any envelope or base would be interesting to try on a BCB set. I do have a Regen from the 20s that has the bayonet 200A in the Det. spot.
@@MIKROWAVE1 What a person could do is ether have several different tube type socket bases wired in parallel or make plug-in socket adapters, so you could easily swap out tubes to see how different tubes work.
Great series but sadly in the latter half of video you were out of the rig of day/dress code, but at the end you were back in rig so all good! Carry on sir...
Mike, I do like your valve battery amp, it's way nicer than a lazy persons (me) LM386 amp, I must get one built. All this battery valve gear has got me thinking; lightweight, compact battery valve Tx Rx for SOTA/POTA activation. 73 Steve M0KOV
I have enjoyed this series greatly. Old time radio in the spirit of the AWA, who sent me on the way to Amateur Radio and shortwave listening. The ability to make an old time regen radio from the 20's or 30's is fascinating. I have spent the better part of the last ten years collecting the parts and tubes to build several of these radio receivers. Thank You !
great series I enjoyed it and learned somethings as well. I read the Morgan books as a kid. I had no clue he had a relationship with Godley and Armstrong, and i've been a EE forever. I wired that radio about 1962. Bought the parts from Applebees and the tubes were salvaged. My dad would take me to Henry radio in LA on occasion. I'll have to find a Paragon for my collection. You did a nice job with the little historic radio. 73's W5YB
Wow Alex! Thanks for watching the whole series. You guys had some great electronics stores. I reemember going into Weird Stuff, first time in Sunnyvale as a young engineer.
Mike you did Morgan proud with this great series!
My introduction to Morgan was "The Boy Electrician". He showed me how to make electromagnets, motors, buzzers and a bunch of other cool stuff. I wound an induction coil, took it to school and buzzed a few volunteers in class. Safety protocols were not in effect back in 1964!
Later I went straight to transistors with his boys second book on R&E. Now after all that time I'm back to tubes, and your videos are great inspiration and well done.
When I was in high school in the mid 1990s, my local library had the later version of "The Boy's First Book of Radio and Electronics" with the 6BF6 regen. I scrounged all the necessary parts from Gateway Electronics and searched through boxes of tubes in their back room to find a NOS Sylvania 6BF6 (I think it's still the only 6BF6 in my stock of hundreds of tubes). I built mine on a chassis I created from a sheet of aluminum and some oak 1x1s with a built-in power supply using a 6X4 and transformer. Even built a bullet style cabinet from some thin plywood to house it. I had a lot of fun with that set. I might dig up the parts and build another one. Thanks for this excellent series.
Wow that is a step up from the wooden approach, and the performance would have benefited from the metal chassis!
A phenomenal video series!!!...and thank you for the references in part 1 for further research…In the March 1938 issue of Radio-Craft magazine there’s a fascinating look back on early radio including an article titled “The Old E. I. Co. Days” written by Gernsback himself. Gernsback mentions Alfred P. Morgan as a former employee along with many other radio notables. Gernsback states, “Later on through E. I. Co. or through my various magazines, other names which have since become famous were added to the list of those who started with me.”
That radio promoter community really got folks whipped up.
long time back I had built a 12sn7 regen. worked great. Built like the 1951 ARRL hb 6sn7 regen
The 6SN7 is a good medium MU choice. Like a 6J5 x 2.
If only you were nearer and I could work more with you. I could learn so much, doing it from videos is not easy. Cannot ask any questions.
Loved it when you got WBZ on there. They were just about to start Traffic on the Threes
(i wake up to wbz every morning before school)
WBXZ is z very strong groundwave station here in NH.
How nice to have such a selection of AM stations to choose from. We're down to about three in the UK.
Yeow that is terrible. But we have quite a force in the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) here that simply will not give that spectrum away without a fight. And there are many small market stations, oldies stations and talk / new stations that utilize the band.
I know the feeling, I am in an AM dead zone. Get absolutely nothing on broadcast. Plenty of SW coverage. And only one lousy FM station that is automated playing adult contemporary pop music without even any DJs.
I build the 6BF6 version a few years ago, based on your earlier videos. I definitely want to build the #30 version as well.
Another project I am thinking of building is the Geiger counter from "The Boy's 2nd Book of Radio and Electronics". I don't think I have seen anyone make one of those online.
Yes, time to dump the suite. I am glad I no longer have to wear one of those! :-)
I have been playing with an ordinary 6J5 in the socket. Easy mod (same as you just ground pins 1 and 8) and it is able to take either valve. Better stability - and no microphonics, but the 6J5 has more gain and the tickler needed to be reduced!
Muy bueno.👍
Good job, love all Ur work
Yes some of these are a deeper dive and take some work to finish. Appreciate those views and comments on the old radio stuff!
Due to childhood trauma I've always avoided regen receivers. When I first came into contact with SW and ham radio I ended up with a globe patrol 4 bander. One June weekend my father headed to field day and took his radios with him. I was distraught that I wasn't able to contact him so my mother packed me the globe patrol and wire wrapped around a ruler up and dumped me at the field day site. Me and my regenerative receiver were quickly banished to the next set of picnic tables over.
The Horror - The Regen Horror.
All need now is a 80 and 40 meter xtal transmitter. match the receiver , wouldnt it be something get worked all states or worked all continents on home brew sets ? i had 4 or 5 watts tube QRP 6V6 before on 40 meters got all north america on it be something all right. Great videos wants me start building again.
The best combo is actually the Paraset with the Hartley Regen and 6V6 Xtal TX. That is a hot receiver and much better than this.
It seems to me that there's a very practical (but hopefully never needed) use of a receiver like this in relation to having a simple but useful EMP resistant device. In that context and adapting the design to readily available parts, note that a 6AV6 is essentially equivalent to the 6BF6. It has a slightly lower gm but much higher plate resistance, the product of which is the amplification factor, so if desired one could match the 6BF6 by shunting the plate-cathode with a 10k resistor, but I doubt that's needed given the circuit loading. Of course for nearly any tube one can lower the gm as needed by biasing for a lower the plate current. Since a car battery would be a likely source of power in such an emergency situation, I wonder if running say a 12AV6 with its B+ at just the 12.6V would produce a useful result. The gm would drop, but then reducing the grid leak resistor to get the plate current back up might sufficiently compensate. So the Morgan may yet save lives!
Did I hear you tune in CHU Canada's time station on 3.33mhz on the regen receiver with the SW wave coil plugged in? Neat!
Yup CHU blasting in. And yes that coil does about 2.5 to 6 MHz in one sweep. It would be wider if I had spaced the turns. But hard to do with Enamel.
Done both sets, 40s 1H4G and 60s 6BF6
Very nice and it's actually fun to hunt for the exact tubes, even if you know of better choices in your junk box looking right at you!
I did use the #30 tube for my Morgan radio. Headphones are 1909 Baldwin's---very heavy set and hurts the earlobes after a long time lol.
I built one of these Morgen regens in 2007. It works great and feels like early radio building. I like your video! Thanks for posting.
In the 1960s I would raid the trash cans at the telephone company for wire.
Oh yes and the rear of any old radio TV repair store was a treasure chest. Better yet. Make friends with the owner!
When I started with the UK Post Office Telephones in 1962, PVC insulated cable was already the standard for new work, but we were still expanding our manual exchange, so old switchboard sections were recovered from other exchanges which had been replaced by automatic exchanges. These contained cables which contained double cotton covered insulation and the conductors themselves were enamelled. Where these were joined to existing wiring a hot wax covering was applied to keep out moisture. This meant that there were pots of hot wax at 240 deg F swinging from ladders or overhead cable trays or perched precariously in the back of switchboards.Modern Health & Safety would have had a headfit.
Would a joule thief work on the amp and filament of the tubes??
In part 3 you brought up the 1920's CX-300A tube as the one of the best tubes to use in a regen receiver. Wouldn't a Radiotron UX-200A be the same tube type? I looked it up in the RC-10 tube manual and it's the same specs as the CX-300A. Cunningham and RCA were making the same tubes with CX and UX prefix in front of the number, I happen to have a NOS Radiotron UX-200A.
Yes all of the above with any envelope or base would be interesting to try on a BCB set. I do have a Regen from the 20s that has the bayonet 200A in the Det. spot.
@@MIKROWAVE1 What a person could do is ether have several different tube type socket bases wired in parallel or make plug-in socket adapters, so you could easily swap out tubes to see how different tubes work.
Great series but sadly in the latter half of video you were out of the rig of day/dress code, but at the end you were back in rig so all good! Carry on sir...
I need a better editor!
Mike, I do like your valve battery amp, it's way nicer than a lazy persons (me) LM386 amp, I must get one built. All this battery valve gear has got me thinking; lightweight, compact battery valve Tx Rx for SOTA/POTA activation.
73 Steve M0KOV
Those little direct heated battery valves are almost instant on.
In the 1960s these parts where not easy to find.
Yes all tube stuff was going into the attic or dump.
FIRST! G7VFY
We're so proud...
Wow - you up late at the pub watching UA-cam?
@@MIKROWAVE1 Could not sleep.