"Boatanchor" is amateur radio slang for heavy old tube radio equipment. Originally derogatory, the term is now used affectionately. Seeing an old set working like new after careful repair, cleaning, and alignment gives one great satisfaction.



"Forget the net.
Switch on the set.
Warm it up slow and go.
Light the tubes, bask in the glow.
Surf shortwaves on your old radio."



I am continuing to write the monthly "Adventures in Radio Restoration" column along with occasional feature articles since 2014 for "The Spectrum Monitor" magazine -- Click for more information




Below are pictures and information on some older projects, 2014 and earlier.




Clegg

Clegg Thor 6 transceiver and junk-box modulator/ power supply
Clegg Zeus 6 and 2 Meter Transmitter with factory modulator/ power supply

Conar

Conar 500 Receiver + Conar 400 Transmitter the Conar "Twins"



Drake

Drake 2C receiver and 2CQ speaker/ Q-multiplier


Eico

EICO through the years as illustrated by its ads.
Eico 711 "Space Ranger" Receiver
Eico 720 transmitter
Eico 730 modulator/ driver
Eico HF-12 Audio amp and HFT-90 FM tuner
Eico HF-87 stereo power amplifier
Eico 950A and 950B capacitor analyzers


Gonset

Gonset Communicator II 6 meter transceiver
Gonset Communicator IV 6 meter transceiver model 3342
Gonset Commander II transmitter
Gonset "Super-Six" Converter (model 3030)
Gonset Mobile Tri-Band Converter


Hallicrafters


Echophone EC-1 receiver
Echophone EC-1B receiver
SX-17 Super Skyrider receiver
S-19R Sky Buddy receiver
S-20 Sky Champion receiver
S-20R Sky Champion receiver
SX-25 Super Defiant receiver
SX-28 Super Skyrider receiver
S-38 series receivers
S-36A Receiver
S-40B receiver
S-41G Skyrider Jr. receiver
SX-42 Receiver
SX-43 Receiver
SP-44 Skyrider Panoramic
S-52 Receiver
S-53A Receiver
SX-62 Receiver
SX-71 Receiver
S-72 Portable Receiver
S-76 Receiver
S-77A Receiver
SX-99 Receiver
SX-100 receiver
SX-101A Receiver
S-107 receiver
SX-110 Receiver
SX-117 Receiver
matching HT-44 transmitter (for SX-117 transceive)
S-119 Sky Buddy II receiver
S-120 and SW-500 receivers
SX-130 receiver
SR-500 "Tornado" transceiver
TW-1000 portable receiver a Zenith Transoceanic clone
TW-2000 portable receiver another Zenith Transoceanic clone
WR-600 receiver


Hammarlund


HQ-120X receiver
HQ-129X receiver
HQ-140XA receiver
HQ-150 receiver
HQ-110C receiver
RBG-2 receiver built for the US Navy. With restoration pictures.
SP-200 series receiver Hammarlund SP-210-LX.
SP-200 series receiver military R-129/U version with restoration pictures.
another SP-200 series receiver the military BC-779A version.
SP-600-JX17 receiver

Heathkit

"The Heathkit Legacy" article and pictures as published in Monitoring Times July 2013
AR-2 receiver
AR-3 receiver and QF-1 Q-multiplier
BR-2 broadcast-only receiver
C-1 early Heath "condenser checker"
DX-20 CW transmitter
DX-35 CW / AM transmitter
DX-40 CW / AM transmitter
DX-60 CW / AM transmitter
DX-100 CW / AM transmitter
FM-2 tuner
G-1 early Heath RF signal generator
GC-1A Mohican Receiver
GR-64 receiver
GR-81 regenerative receiver
GR-91 receiver
HD-20 Crystal calibrator
HD-1416 Code Practice Oscillator
HG-10 VFO
HR-10B receiver
HW-12 and HW-12A transceivers
HW-29A "Sixer" transceiver
HW-30 "Two-er" transceiver
HW-101 transceiver
IT-11 and IT-28 capacitor analyzers
MR-18 Marine direction finder radio
Heathkit S-2 Electronic Switch Re-purposed as an Audio Preamp
SB-610 monitor scope
Heathkit SG-8 and IG-42 Signal Generators serve as "broadcasters"
SW-717 Shortwave receiver
T-2 early Heath signal tracer

Knight (Allied Radio)

Ocean Hopper receiver
R-100A receiver
R-55A receiver
T-60 transmitter
Space Spanner receiver
Span Master receiver
Star Roamer receiver
V-44 VFO (variable frequency oscillator)
Wireless Broadcaster
"Trans-Midge" one transistor radio

Lafayette Radio

"Sixty Years of Lafayette Radio" full article and supporting pictures
as published in Monitoring Times December 2012
"Lafayette Surprise, Political Intrigue and Radio"
follow-up article published in Monitoring Times April 2013
Explor-Air Mark V Receiver
HA-350 ham-bands receiver
HE-30 receiver
HE-60 receiver
KT-200 Receiver (same as Lafayette HE-10)
LA-23 / KT-195 Amp & Wireless Broadcaster
Lafayette 1957 "Music-Mates" LA-40 audio amplifier and LT-40 AM-FM tuner


Minerva Radio

Minerva Tropic Master receiver (model W-117)

Morrow Radio

Morrow 3 BR-5 ham bands converter

National


CRM oscilloscope with one-inch 913 CRT. As seen in August 2009 QST
NC-33 receiver
NC-44 receiver
NC-60 "Special" receiver
NC-60B version of NC-60 "Special" receiver
NC-88 "World Master" receiver
NC-109 receiver
NC-120 receiver / Navy RAO-2
NC-125 receiver
NC-155 "Cosmic Blue" receiver
NC-173 receiver with story of use on Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki expedition
NC-183 receiver
NC-183D "double conversion" receiver
NC-270 "Cosmic Blue" receiver
HRO receiver (late 1930's Senior)
HRO-60 receiver

Olson Electronics

Olson RA-48 Receiver


Panoramic Radio

PCA-2 T-200 Panadaptor
Signal Corps BC-1031-C Panoramic Adapter
SB-8b Panalyzor type T-200 as used by NASA for tracking Mercury flights


Polytronics Lab

Poly-Comm 6 Transceiver


Radio Manufacturing Engineers (RME)

RME-45B receiver
RME-69 receiver with story of use by the Dutch underground in World War II
DB-20 preselector used by the Navy in WW II
DB-22A preselector
RME HF10-20 converter for 10, 15, and 20 meter bands
RME VHF-152A converter for 2, 6, and 10 meter band

Radio Shack (Allied, Realistic, Archer)

Allied SX-190 receiver
Archer "Globe Patrol" regenerative 3 tube set
"Science Fair" Globe Patrol regenerative transistorized kit


Sears Silvertone

Silvertone 5656A in a 1937 Ham Shack with story of emergency use in the 1937 Ohio River flood

Swan

Swan 175 mono bander transceiver for 80 meters
Swan 250 SSB/AM transceiver for 6 meters

U.S. Military

Navy ARB Aircraft Radio receiver
Navy 6000-BAC morale receiver
Navy DAE-1 Radio Direction Finder
Navy RAO receiver (NC-120)
Navy RBC-1 receiver
Navy RBG-2 receiver
Navy R-517 - AN/FRR-26 receiver
Navy REP morale receiver made by Crosley
Navy TCS-12 receiver by the Collins Radio Company
Navy ARC-5 receiver
Scott SLRM Navy Morale receiver.
Signal Corps AM-1249/U audio amplifier
Signal Corps BC-224D receiver
Signal Corps BC-312M receiver
Signal Corps BC-342N receiver
the latest Signal Corps BC-348Q receiver and repairs Here's an earlier BC-348Q receiver with lots more info and my earliest BC-348Q receiver
Signal Corps BC-1031-C Panoramic Adapter
GRC-109 Special Forces radio set.
R-390 receiver made by Collins
Signal Corps TS-39B/ TSM-1 test oscillator. Repurposed as a Part 15 "wireless broadcaster"
URM-25D Signal Generator serves as "wireless broadcaster"

Zenith Transoceanics

Zenith Transoceanic 8G005 "Clipper" receiver
Zenith Transoceanic H500 receiver
Another Zenith Transoceanic H500 receiver with repair history and Silvertone and Sonora clones
Zenith Transoceanic G-500 Receiver
Zenith Transoceanic T600 receiver
Zenith 6G001Y "Long Distance" Universal broadcast-only Transoceanic relative
Zenith 5G500 and 6G501M "Universal" broadcast-only portables with the first "Wavemagnet" antennas
Zenith Transoceanic military version Manual for the R-520 version contains detailed circuit description
Schematics and info on all of the Zenith Transoceanics are at this link from Nostalgia Air courtesy of the Wayback machine.

RCA Strato-World receiver
Hallicrafters TW-1000 receiver
Hallicrafters TW-2000 receiver
Silvertone and Sonora receivers are pictured with a Zenith H500 receiver

Johnson Viking I Transmitter

Homebrew HF dual 6146 Transmitter

HomeBrew 6 meter Transmitter

Two Homebrew 6SN7 QRP Transmitters

Eico 720

Eico 730 modulator/ driver for the Eico 720 transmitter

Meissner Signal Shifter EX

Globe Scout 680A

old homebrew amp with two 813 tubes and new junk-parts power supply

Adcom LSA-3 RF amp power supply

Barker and Williamson model BW-5100

Heathkit GR-81

MacKay Radio and Telegraph type 128 AW

Knight Ocean Hopper

Knight Space Spanner

Knight Span Master

Cute little one-tube breadboard kit. Can you identify it?

Building an early 1930's-style 2 tube Regenerative Receiver

Simple early 1950's homebrew regenerative receiver performs well

Links to homebrew regenerative radio info

Aireon JukeBox audio amplifier

Altec-Lansing A-323B audio amplifier

Altec Lansing A-324A audio amplifier

Three Push-pull 6V6 amps Ampex A-692, Bogen DB-110,

Cenco audio amp and speaker

Dukane 1A475B "High Power" Audio Amp

Eico HF-12 Audio amp and HFT-90 FM tuner

Eico HF-87 stereo power amplifier

Fisher KM-60 FM tuner

Fisher TA600 receiver

Grommes 260A circuit

Heathkit S-2 Electronic Switch Re-purposd as an Audio Preamp

HH Scott 340 "Stereomaster" tuner-amplifier

Magnavox 1947 console

Magnecord PT6-J audio amp

Meissner AM-FM tuner model 9-1091C

Motorola HS-701 audio amp

Mullard-circuit ultralinear

Stromberg-Carlson stereo components

Zenith 1948 radio-phono console

two Bud Codemasters, model CPO-128A and CPO-128B

early (1957) Ameco CPS Code Practice Oscillator

later (safer) Ameco CPS Code Practice Oscillator

HP-200AB audio generator

Early HP-200C audio generator

HP-200CD audio generator

HP-201CR rack mount audio generator

HP-312A Selective Voltmeter

HP-400A AC VTVMeter

HP-400C AC VTVMeter

HP-400D AC VTVMeter

HP-400H AC VTVMeter

HP-410B VTVM, portable version

HP-410BR VTVM, rack-mount version

Meissner 10-1106 Broadcast TRF receiver kit

Meissner 9-1085 and Sprayberry-logo model 10-1199 Broadcast/SW radios

National Schools Broadcast/SW radio kit

National Radio Institute (NRI) AM radio

Progressive Radio Edu-Kit

Mystery RF-AF Oscillator Chassis

Unknown audio amp chassis is identified.

United Electronics Laboratories AM radio kit

United Electronics Institute Scope kit

Interesting stuff

"Ground Fault Protection and the AC-DC Radio" article as published in the December 2013 issue of "Monitoring Times" magazine
"Fun With Signal Generators" article as published in the July 2013 issue of "Monitoring Times" magazine
Lifetime carbon microphone
Russian antenna current meter.
Remco Radiocraft toy radio Did you have fun with one of these?
Homebrew Galena Crystal Set A 1920s experience.
Knight-Kit "Trans-Midge" one transistor radio
Canadian GE model KL-70 radio designed for 25 cycle "Hydro" power
Motorola Chairside auto radio from World War II
Erres KY524 European radio
Philips BX-490A radio with love story
Philips Model 436-AN radio was "Made in USA" Info needed
Nordmende-Sterling Tannhauser European table top radio with 11 tubes and 6 speakers.
Motorola 9660B Conelrad monitor and info on the use of CONELRAD
Kaar Conalert II Conelrad monitor
The "Ugly MacGyver" 6 meter J-pole emergency antenna
Cute little one-tube breadboard kit. Can you identify it?
Knight-Kit Wireless Broadcaster Did you have fun with one of these as a kid?
1950's Homebrew ham-bands receiver Help identify it and check out the craftsmanship.
Measurements Model 59 grid dip meter
Ferris 22D "Microvolter" signal generator
Tube-in-the-probe Signal Tracers Philco 7030 and Feiler TS-3A
Signal Tracers with crystal diode probes Heath, Knight, PACO, Eico, Lafayette
Tube-era capacitor analyzers part 1 - Sprague Tel-Ohmike TO-16, TO-4, TO-5, Semcor RC-115
Tube-era capacitor analyzers part 2 - Knight, Lafayette, Eico, Heathkit
Heathkit IM-13 VTVM meets other VTVMs
Modifying a Robinair Volt-Wattmeter for a lower wattage scale
UEI Scope meets Radio Shack TK-100 signal generator (two test equipment kits)


Stand-alone power supplies

Kepco 605 High Voltage Regulated Power Supply
Oregon Electronics A3A Regulated High Voltage Power Supply
High power low voltage homebrew variable DC supply from recycled parts
Putting the Power back into the Pyramid PS-20KX power supply
And another Pyramid Phase III PS-25 variable power supply
Astron VS-35M Variable DC Power Supply gets an upgraded MOSFET over-voltage circuit


Signal Generators serve as AM broadcasters

Supreme Model 570 Signal Generator as a simple "broadcaster"
Eico 324 Signal Generator as a simple "broadcaster"
Heathkit SG-8 and IG-42 and military URM-25 Signal Generators serve as "broadcasters"
Superior Instruments Genometer TV-50 completely repurposed as a frequency-agile AM modulator / broadcaster



Test equipment that is its own radio

Rider Chanalyst plays music and   here's another Chanalyst   and here's a third Chanalyst   Great old service instruments that are their own TRF radios.
Meissner Analyst 9-1040   The nice Meissner version of the Rider Chanalyst
NRI Professional Signal Tracer Model 33   A complete TRF radio in a piece of test gear.
Conar Model 230 Signal Tracer   Another complete TRF radio.
Supreme Audolyzer   And another complete TRF radio
Sierra Frequency Selective Voltmeter model 126B listens to AM broadcast
Hewlett Packard 312A Selective Voltmeter doubles as a radio

Download FREE manuals, schematics, pdf books and reference sources

Schematics and manuals for many BA models

BAMA's Mirror Site faster Boatanchor Manual download - look here first for manuals
Nostalgia Air has most of the Rider's Perpetual Troubleshooters Manuals (for old radio schematics) on-line as well as lots of other info.
Here's a direct link to Nostalgia Air's test equipment manuals
lots of Hallicrafters manuals from John K4OZY
Hewlett Packard manuals, catalogs, and other good info from the HP Archive site
European radio schematics Excellent French source for on-line European entertainment radio schematics
lots more manuals and schematics from mods.dk -- This is a free membership site based in Denmark asking you to log in first. Worth the effort.
List of links to more free manual and schematic sites originally from Ken K4XL at BAMA but now via the "Wayback Machine".


Military schematics and manuals

Download lots of military manuals for R-390, R390A, BC-348, BC-312, BC-779, BC-794, R-129, BC-1004, mil transoceanic and a variety of others. A great resource from KG7BZ - now moved to BAMA.
the complete ARC-5 manual and other military surplus manuals and articles in PDF format from W7EKB
Surplus Conversion Manuals; Volumes 1, 2 and 3 are available from W7EKB's glowbug site.
Download R-390A and related military manuals and information
Military tube tester data for TV-2, TV-4, TV-7, I-177, lots of other good info from Nolan Lee's site as recovered via the wayback machine
TV-7 tube tester data and repair/ calibration info from Jose Gavila.

Heathkit

Lots of Heath schematics and manuals from Tubular Electronics. Currently the most comprehensive and open Heathkit schematic site
More Heath schematics from The Heath circuit archive as resurrected and enlarged by Paul Stenning.
A useful Heathkit parts cross-reference list from Don at Datapro.
Heathkit trouble-shooting tips from Bill Wilkinson


Tube data

Lots of tube data via PDF copies from tube manuals courtesy of Frank. Excellent info source for US, European, and other tubes.
Download the entire RCA HB-3 tube manual series detailed tube specs. Excellent resource
NJ7P's tube database Type in a tube number and get info.
Handy 4 digit and Euro tube to standard JAN tube cross-reference chart
Handy VT tube to standard JAN tube cross-reference chart
Transmitter tube reference books, equipment manuals and lots of other good stuff from Ralph, W5JGV


Transformers, catalogs and miscellaneous

Lots of old transformer catalogs UTC, Stancor, Peerless, Acrosound, Merit, Thordarson, Chicago, etc. from KD5OEI
Meissner Due to a now defunct website, the excellent Meissner "How to Build" manual has been moved to my dropbox.
Download old Thordarson, UTC, and other transformer catalogs from W5AMI.
bibliography of ARRL's older Product Reviews published in QST from 1965 to 2007. Link is via the "Wayback Machine"
Download the National technical bulletins for the NC-300 and a couple of other models from Ed Tanton.


Complete books, handbooks, and radio/ audio repair courses

More than 4 gigabytes of old books including the 1936 and 1941 ARRL Handbooks , 1940 and 1959 "west coast" Radio Handbooks (Bill Orr), Audel's Radiomans Guide, several books on vacuum tubes and other excellent radio related books courtesy of Pete Millett (Large PDF's)
Allied Electronics Data Handbook. 1966 (5th edition) Lots of data including European-American tube substitutions and number equivalents, (pages 60-64)
"Servicing Radio and Television with a Vacuum Tube Voltmeter" and also "How to Service Radios With an Oscilloscope" Books by Sylvania in PDF form hosted by a French site
The American Radio History website has a forty year collection of Radio News , a complete set of Popular Electronics . Also Radio-TV Experimenter, Radio Craft and other great electronics magazines.
Page down to "TECHNICAL: Consumer Electronics - Modern Era" and "EARLY RADIO - Consumer Electronics" to find the hobbyist magazines


Bad link? Try it on the "Wayback Machine" net archive

The "Wayback Machine" captures whole portions of the net on different dates. The info from your dead link may be here.


Spirit Net

Check into the Spirit Net a nightly net to discuss issues related to eternal life. WA3MNS is net control.

Some Boatanchor info links

E-mail Address courtesy of gmail
Send a message to the keeper of this web page Rich kb8tad for a personal reply.
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Updated 10-24-24
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