Refurbish a very rough Heathkit AR-3 Receiver by cleaning it up, replacing bad and missing parts, and bringing it back into good operation with simple test equipment.
Very Good JOB Well done audio and video and your procedure you show is excellent I was a service tech at Heathkit I am aligning a AR-3 on the work bench right now I plan to use the AR-3 on SKN night (straight key night) New Years eve with a Heathkit At-1 transmitter. 73 Bob EX Heathkit employee I was a Service Tech then promoted to Design lab tech .
I just got mine. I plan to do a total rebuild after I get the Heath book on the AR-3 with new parts except the "unobtanium" parts which I will restore. I don't care how long it takes, I want it to look very "New" and operate as it did back in "the day". First total restoration I have ever tried, I have done repairs on tube radios before, especially the Hallicrafters S-38 series. They work really well if you do not disturb the wiring at all. I have one that I fixed right by my chair in the living room, such a mellow sound and that tube glow at night.
What a nice receiver to work on!Thanks for inserting the occasional schematic, showing added decoupling caps, etc. Your diagrams, explanations, and alignments are really enjoyable and invaluable. Thanks for sharing!
After watching your video (which by the way is great), I remembered I had an old AR-3 in the junkbox, and inspired by your video, I decided to see if I could get it going. WRONG... I have put more time into this project than the law should allow. All electrolytic caps have been replaced, all new resistors, and a complete rewire. What I have found, is that the 12BE6 is a nightmare. Print calls for -5.5 volts on pin # 1, 215 volts on pin # 5, and 88 volts on pin # 6. What I have, is no negative volts on pin # 1, pin # 5 is 248 volts, and pin # 6, is 166 volts. Touching pin # 1 produces no sound. I have changed the tube sockets to porcelain (new), and all new wiring. In trying to align, the 455khz blows through, but trying to feed a signal through, is useless. The audio portion is fine, and all resistance and voltages are within specs on all tubes, except the 12BE6. I have always considered myself a pretty good tech, but this blows me out of the water. Can anyone help...… Jim
Progress report, got the manual, searching for all new caps and resistors, going thru my tube collection for Slightly used or N.O.S. tubes, going to restore the 20-20-20 mfd multi cap with new caps but stuff them in the original can if they will all fit. Taking my time on this one so I will do it right the first time. After I do the electronic part, am going to do the case up right. No rips in the case fabric, but I have to make the back like the original with close to original labels (if any). And even though it doesn't need it, a three wire plug in for safety. Got so many irons in the fire right now, Amateur Radio class to teach, back porch to rebuild, other things at Church to do. Before I retired, I wondered what retirement would be like - now I know.
Thanks for the great "bring it back to life" video. One of our club's Builders Group members has taken on a Hallicrafters receiver and I pointed him in your direction to start getting an idea of how to think about beginning his work. 73 - Dino KL0S
A friend gave me six of these. Swapped the e-caps but still need the 12BA6 tube. Once that comes in it should be ready for the alignment. The plan is to go through all of them and give them to friends and family keeping one for myself.
Hello ! I just watched the AR 3 video, I have to mention that I have a Hickock 288X signal generator also, mine does not have the DB meter option though. I recapped mine and installed some new resistors and it seems to work O.K. I just have to touch up the calibration so the dial agrees with the actual frequency generated, its not that far off as it stands now though it is very close but not spot on!! Great video though !!! John Bellas KC2UVN
Hlo Sir, i built an HW-9 bck in 1983 whn i was just new in the USN, to keep busy on my day off. Years later i was using it for WAS but i unfortunately fried something on the front end , not sure but i lost all manuals and trouble shooting print outs that came with the HW-9 whn i first bought it. I sent the radio home to the Philippines back in 2000 but i plan to work on it when i get home there but my problem is the manuals and where to get them, the radio worked great after i built it and was able to work lots of DX to europe & the US on qrp while i was in Diego Garcia in the Indian ocean as VQ9SL in 1986 while on deployment but it was that unfortunate day in 1991 when i accidentally fried something. 73s de n6mmq
Very interesting and enjoyable video. I did not see where the ground and neutral wires from the power cord are connected though. If you would tell me that I would appreciate it.
Hello Robert. Thanks! We want to switch the hot. This wire will be black for USA cords and usually Brown for ISO (Euro) cords. This wire is to the bottom terminal near the chassis. The Green or Green/Yel wire goes to the middle post which is Chassis. And the White or Blue (Euro) which is not switched, goes up top. A good person would install a 1 Amp Fast Blow Fuse in the black or brown hot lead off the cord as well!
I don't think grounding the set by the power cord is good idea. You will bring a ton of RF noise from the mains ground into the antenna input. It could work, if you would be able to isolate the antenna-ground circuit from the chassis, but seeing how the band switch is connected, it would be a nightmare... Maybe wrapping the yellow-green mains grounding wire around a ferrite toroidal core may isolate it for RF yet maintain it for safety, but still mainly at lower frequencies the coupling will remain still quite strong.
The AR 3 is not too bad compared to the AC DC sets with no transformer. I am fighting with another S-120 now. Yes on the ferrite cores. They certainty would help the HF conducted noise situation.
Please, don't tell anyone to "reform" a cap. It is not worth the grief of seeing it blow or short. All the hardware could have been replaced with stainless and then all would have been fine.
![Electronic Circuitry Diagnosis And Fault Finding! [Repair]](/img/n.gif)
Very Good JOB Well done audio and video and your procedure you show is excellent I was a service tech at Heathkit
I am aligning a AR-3 on the work bench right now I plan to use the AR-3 on SKN night (straight key night) New Years eve with a Heathkit At-1 transmitter. 73 Bob EX Heathkit employee I was a Service Tech then promoted to Design lab tech .
Wow Heathkit! We have a friend who was a kitting girl in high school at Heath.
I just got mine. I plan to do a total rebuild after I get the Heath book on the AR-3 with new parts except the "unobtanium" parts which I will restore. I don't care how long it takes, I want it to look very "New" and operate as it did back in "the day". First total restoration I have ever tried, I have done repairs on tube radios before, especially the Hallicrafters S-38 series. They work really well if you do not disturb the wiring at all. I have one that I fixed right by my chair in the living room, such a mellow sound and that tube glow at night.
Very nice approach to lightly restoring a classic radio.
What a nice receiver to work on!Thanks for inserting the occasional schematic, showing added decoupling caps, etc. Your diagrams, explanations, and alignments are really enjoyable and invaluable. Thanks for sharing!
After watching your video (which by the way is great), I remembered I had an old AR-3 in the junkbox, and inspired by your video, I decided to see if I could get it going. WRONG... I have put more time into this project than the law should allow. All electrolytic caps have been replaced, all new resistors, and a complete rewire. What I have found, is that the 12BE6 is a nightmare. Print calls for -5.5 volts on pin # 1, 215 volts on pin # 5, and 88 volts on pin # 6. What I have, is no negative volts on pin # 1, pin # 5 is 248 volts, and pin # 6, is 166 volts. Touching pin # 1 produces no sound. I have changed the tube sockets to porcelain (new), and all new wiring. In trying to align, the 455khz blows through, but trying to feed a signal through, is useless. The audio portion is fine, and all resistance and voltages are within specs on all tubes, except the 12BE6. I have always considered myself a pretty good tech, but this blows me out of the water. Can anyone help...… Jim
Congratulations on your 50th video. I really like your reassuring approach in demonstrating these topics. You are an excellent teacher!
Progress report, got the manual, searching for all new caps and resistors, going thru my tube collection for Slightly used or N.O.S. tubes, going to restore the 20-20-20 mfd multi cap with new caps but stuff them in the original can if they will all fit. Taking my time on this one so I will do it right the first time. After I do the electronic part, am going to do the case up right. No rips in the case fabric, but I have to make the back like the original with close to original labels (if any). And even though it doesn't need it, a three wire plug in for safety. Got so many irons in the fire right now, Amateur Radio class to teach, back porch to rebuild, other things at Church to do. Before I retired, I wondered what retirement would be like - now I know.
Thanks for the great "bring it back to life" video. One of our club's Builders Group members has taken on a Hallicrafters receiver and I pointed him in your direction to start getting an idea of how to think about beginning his work. 73 - Dino KL0S
It reminds me of the good old days. Congratulations for your 50th UA-cam video!
A friend gave me six of these. Swapped the e-caps but still need the 12BA6 tube. Once that comes in it should be ready for the alignment. The plan is to go through all of them and give them to friends and family keeping one for myself.
Jeff Bishop If you’d like to let one go, I’d like to buy one from you. 73.
Enjoy your videos, thanks for your time.
Hello ! I just watched the AR 3 video, I have to mention that I have a Hickock 288X signal generator also, mine does not have the DB meter option though. I recapped mine and installed some new resistors and it seems to work O.K. I just have to touch up the calibration so the dial agrees with the actual frequency generated, its not that far off as it stands now though it is very close but not spot on!! Great video though !!! John Bellas KC2UVN
Love all your videos . especially the arc 5 and military radio stuff.
Fantastic. Thanks for your perfect explanations about a classic. 73's ea5bii Pep.
This is the kind of radio ,from Heathkit I dream of owning,one that works well.
To do a ”recollections” of old gear,
is my pleasure too :)
Hlo Sir, i built an HW-9 bck in 1983 whn i was just new in the USN, to keep busy on my day off. Years later i was using it for WAS but i unfortunately fried something on the front end , not sure but i lost all manuals and trouble shooting print outs that came with the HW-9 whn i first bought it. I sent the radio home to the Philippines back in 2000 but i plan to work on it when i get home there but my problem is the manuals and where to get them, the radio worked great after i built it and was able to work lots of DX to europe & the US on qrp while i was in Diego Garcia in the Indian ocean as VQ9SL in 1986 while on deployment but it was that unfortunate day in 1991 when i accidentally fried something. 73s de n6mmq
Great stuff. Looking fwd to the follow ups.
Very interesting and enjoyable video. I did not see where the ground and neutral wires from the power cord are connected though. If you would tell me that I would appreciate it.
Hello Robert. Thanks! We want to switch the hot. This wire will be black for USA cords and usually Brown for ISO (Euro) cords. This wire is to the bottom terminal near the chassis. The Green or Green/Yel wire goes to the middle post which is Chassis. And the White or Blue (Euro) which is not switched, goes up top. A good person would install a 1 Amp Fast Blow Fuse in the black or brown hot lead off the cord as well!
Thanks.@@MIKROWAVE1
I don't think grounding the set by the power cord is good idea. You will bring a ton of RF noise from the mains ground into the antenna input.
It could work, if you would be able to isolate the antenna-ground circuit from the chassis, but seeing how the band switch is connected, it would be a nightmare...
Maybe wrapping the yellow-green mains grounding wire around a ferrite toroidal core may isolate it for RF yet maintain it for safety, but still mainly at lower frequencies the coupling will remain still quite strong.
The AR 3 is not too bad compared to the AC DC sets with no transformer. I am fighting with another S-120 now. Yes on the ferrite cores. They certainty would help the HF conducted noise situation.
Do you still have the Hickok 288X ?
Yes the old beast is buried under a bench.
@@tubeDude48 My email is on QRZ.com. Just put in my ham call WU2D.
Nice job mate big thumbs up 👍
Good stuff.
Please, don't tell anyone to "reform" a cap. It is not worth the grief of seeing it blow or short. All the hardware could have been replaced with stainless and then all would have been fine.
I have been reformed. I no longer reform. I conform.
@@MIKROWAVE1 , Oh yezzz... oh yezzz! ROFL Damn, no matter WHAT, you get the last guffaw!
Turnining up the JUCE hi hi kg6mn