After building a K2, I long for some simplicity... And what could be simpler than a vintage 50s tube transmitter? The Ameco AC-1 is a cheap one-tube (plus one rectifier tube) Novice transmitter that was sold as a kit for around $20. These days, they have become rather sought after, and go for more than $300 on Ebay! I found mine for $50, but as you can see on the photo below, there is much work to be done. Someone had the bright idea of drilling a hole for a key plug right through the Ameco logo on the front! I guess back then, nobody expected these transmitters to become collectibles...
There are also two extra holes in the back and there is an SO-239 plug added, which is not original. The antenna plug, I will keep. The key jack hole in the front has to go. So, my step by step plan is:
- Remove all components and hardware.
- Weld-fill the hole in the front and two holes in the back.
- Sand and paint the transformer
- Sandblast the chassis.
- Have the chassis nickel plated.
- Have the chassis powder coated on the outside.
- Silk-screen the front panel with original print.
- Mount all the components back in.
- Call CQ on 7030!
Suggestions and questions are welcome. Stay tuned for more...
Gil.
Well, part one was easy... The wiring is pretty bad. Capacitor leads are not even trimmed. The key jack hole has burrs all around. Now I need to either borrow a torch or get someone who knows what they are doing to fill those holes with a TIG welder. The transformer works, but it is very noisy. Hopefully it will quiet down when bolted back on the chassis. With 120VAC in, I see 640VAC out (320VAC at center tap). The other voltage looks like about 21VAC, which I need to look into..
There is a Yahoo group for the AC-1: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amecoac1/ (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/amecoac1/)
If anyone knows anything about screen printing on metal cases, please enlight me! Thanks.
Gil.
Oh man, you are just having too much fun with ham radio. That will be a sweet addition to the shack.
Regarding the hole in the front, I'm a fan of epoxy or Bondo. I would glue a little piect of metal to the back side, fill the hole with Bondo on the front and sand flush. If you want the front panel perfectly smooth, a welded job will require grinding and some filler anyway.
Either way, I wish I had time for that kind of fun. I've got an nice Heathkit HW-101 in the basement that keeps calling to me to make it glow again.
Hello Bob,
The problem with epoxy is that it can't be powder coated.
They have nice Hammertone powders perfect for the task..
Gil.
Hello,
Well, instead of filling the holes in the old chassis, I opted for plan B. Still scratching my head as how to bend that flat with nice 90˚ angles. It's 0.04" thick steel. Suggestions more than welcome!
Gil.
Find a maker space. They'll probably have a metal brake.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 4
Wow, Gil, nice sheet metal work! Did you find a template somewhere or did you figger our all those dimensions from the original box? Either way, I'm impressed.
QuoteWow, Gil, nice sheet metal work! Did you find a template somewhere or did you figger our all those dimensions from the original box? Either way, I'm impressed.
I didn't cut it, a laser did!
Gil.