New Project: Rebuilding a Heathkit HW-101

Started by Jim Boswell, January 21, 2015, 12:06:47 PM

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Jim Boswell

     With some wheeling and dealing I am the new owner of a Heathkit HW-101. Last night I fired the radio up.  I have no information on when the radio was last used, but the receiver is working about 80-50%, the transmitter is working about 50-20%. Good thing, this rig does have the CW filter. The only defect I found was the SSB TX has full output when you key the mic, something in the mic circuit is oscillating. Not to bad for a 40+ year old radio.
     Considering the radio is all tube with just a few diodes, this would be a great EMP back-up rig. Last night I tuned into CW on 40 meters, there is something so neat, crisp and clean, about crystal CW filters and tube audio. Kind'a like the sound quality from an LP record.
     About 20 years ago I said I would not work on any tube equipment. Now I own 3 tube rigs, a Yeasu FT-101ZD, Kenwood TS-830 and the Heathkit HW-101. I have a SB-200 amp to go with the HW-101. Neat old gear but not very portable.
     I need another radio like I need a hole in my head. I have 12 TenTec HF rigs, and 4 QRP rigs. The bad thing is I can't hid the radios in a safe like I can with guns. With winter here I need to get busy and clean-up and sell a few HF rigs. I only mess with radio gear in the winter, as soon as I can go fishing and camping, the radio stuff gets pushed aside until after hunting season next Fall. 73'S  KA5SIW

cockpitbob

Jim, you're killing me.  I've got a HW101 that someone gave me and I've been dying to fire it up for 3 years.  All I've had time to do is put a Variac on the power supply box and over a day reformed the capacitors by slowly bringing the AC up to 120V.  Nothing went pop or smoked :) .  All I've done to the tranciever box is realize the O-ring knob drive belts are hard as a rock and ordered replacments.

Good luck bringing that 101 back to 100%!

Jim Boswell

Bob,
      Here is a little secret, you can use O rings for those drive belts. I will check to see if the local NAPA dealer has some. If I get the part number I will post it, just in case there are some additional "OLD HAMS" doing CPR on a great older radio. Sometimes I have even used several wraps of dental floss for drive belts on this type of application.
       About the old caps, there are two schools of thoughts, one is to apply power for like 1 second then wait, do this several times. The other idea is, if there is a fuse or circuit breaker, let it rip, apply full power if the caps are good, they will work.
       Since this rig was from the 1970's the Mallory caps are good. Those multi section Mallory caps are worlds better than the old 1950'S single section caps.
       I am chomping at the bit to get into this radio and see what she will do. Right now the kitchen is all torn apart and my Wife would shoot me if that radio was repaired before the kitchen is fixed. If I get a chance I will post some photos and detail the radio's performance.  73'S  KA5SIW

pea

Jim,

I pulled my SB-101 out of the closet last week and fired it up to see what would happen (hadn't been plugged in for 20 years). No smoke but no joy either. Lights lit up but no receive and I didn't try to xmit.

I've got the manuals for the radio and the power supply. It would be an easy project to rebuild even though it would take me awhile to get it done. Many parts for both the HW-101 and the SB-101 are still relatively easy to find. It's on my list of project to do. Now if I can find the time to dig into it instead of building new radios and experimenting with wire antennas!  :)


gil

QuoteNo smoke but no joy either.

Hello, I'd replace the electrolytic capacitirs first...

Gil.