TheRadioBoard

Guys, I found a heathkit im-17 at an antique mall, the seller restores radios and does very good work, he offers a 1 year warranty and I have bought from him in the past.

He has this heathkit Im-17 restored with a 9 volt battery instead of the 8 something volt oddball battery. It looks like new, I can get it for $25, I like the looks & case it comes in, it has a 1 year warranty.

Is this something I should pick up ? Remember I'm kninda new to this stuff. I have a fancy digital fluke meter that I don't know how to use (that I bought when I got over my head with tube radios) I like the simplicity of this tester, but maybe it's too simple and not a good investment.

Thanks,
Dan

Link to what I'm talking about :
http://www.oldtestequipmentarchives.com ... m?item=244

I see them on eBay now, $25, $75 and $80. It's only a voltmeter, and a cheap Harbor Freight DVM will probably do just as well. There's nothing special about the IM-17.

73,

_________________

http://kr1s.kearman.com/
http://qrp.kearman.com/

Thanks for the fast reply Jim,
I know there's nothing special about it, but I kinda like the vintage look (wish it was an earlier vintage yet, but I like cheap American stuff over cheap overseas stuff) gives my work area a cool vintage look that I enjoy spending time at.

Thanks for your thoughts,
Dan

Well Dan, it sounds as though you answered your own question. Hope the meter works out for you. All of my test equipment is pretty old too, because I'm a cheapskate. I have a couple of analog voltmeters around, but I use my DVM most of the time. Actually, I use my oscilloscope most of the time, and that's one item I couldn't live without.

73,

_________________

http://kr1s.kearman.com/
http://qrp.kearman.com/

Jim, I passed on it for today, I will be going past that antique mall again this weekend, I figured I better sleep on it. I can be a terrible impulse buyer (especially on stuff like that)

One of the biggest reasons it cought my attention is I know the seller is very honest, he took back a zenith transoceanic I bought a few years back because it kept having connection problems on all them push buttons. He gave me the option of taking it back or he would fix it, no questions asked. This tester comes with a photocopied manual, the guy is top notch and for $25 I was kinda thinking it was a no brainer. If I bought an eBay one or a garage sale one my luck is it would be a problem child.

I guess my question was more towards is this something that would be needed and get used on crystal & 1 tube regen radios. I think it's a good deal, but if it won't check what I need to check, no sense waisting my money.

I have been dabbling with radios for years, problem is I got over my head and thought I could repair all American 5 tubers, as you guys can tell I struggle with crystal radio schematics let alone the 5 tubers. I got frustrated and sold a lot of junk I had collected, but I find myself coming back as I am fascinated with radios. This time around I started off simpler with the crystal radios, I have built a few, but must admit I didn't build them the right way. I used my mechanical abilities and basically just matched things up to a picture and it worked. The other day when I found myself struggling with the antenna tuner, I realized I needed to learn schematics, as was Jim's suggestion. I am currently working on that.

I am very mechanical, I have rebuilt my share of chevy 350's took on a turbo hydromatic transmission, and a handful of ring & pinion chevy rear ends along with a few manual transmissions. I am a licensed mechanic, just pay my yearly state fee anymore as I don't wrench for a living, that was 25 years ago.

Anyways, was just wondering if this was something I should snag as I progress along with these radios.

Thanks for the advice & nurturing of a newbie.
Dan

When I got started fixing and learning about radios >50 years ago, there were lots of books available at reasonable prices. Most of them were paperbacks and most of them still turn up on the auction site. It would be hard to remember all of the titles now, but the major publishers were Rider and Howard W. Sams. Guess I learned most of my theory from a 1953 ARRL Handbook given to me by a neighbor. I think I referred to a book available for download from http://www.tubebooks.org/technical_books_online.htm, Basic Radio - The Essentials of Electron tubes and their Circuits, by J. Barton Hoag.

One advantage of those days was the ready availability of used TV sets. I collected them on garbage days during summer vacation. Those sets used every radio circuit you could want to know about, and studying the schematics (from Sams "Photofacts") and poking around taught me a lot.

Your voltmeter can be a handy tool. DVMs are easier to read, but volts is volts. As a foolish youth I had it in mind to build a TV from cannibalized parts. Never finished it, but I built a lot of the individual circuits and played with them. You have to be careful with the AA5s, as the chassis is hot, but there's no reason you couldn't start out by building a simple power supply (with a transformer or back-to-back filament transformers), then build an oscillator, simple amplifier stage, and so on. Radios are made from building blocks. Once you understand how each building block works you'll recognize it in more-complex schematics, and figure out how to put them together to do something useful. If you work with tubes, the mechanics are more involved, but most of the initial work can be done with low B+ voltages, 90 or less for sure.

Take it one step at a time, keep notes, and keep asking questions. I sure wish there had been a resource like TRB around 50 years ago!

73,

_________________

http://kr1s.kearman.com/
http://qrp.kearman.com/

Thanks Jim !
This forum is a great resource, the members here are terrific !
Thanks for your advice, it is truly appreciated ! Off to check out them authors & that link you posted

Dan

Dan,

I've had one of those meters in the past. . .They're OK,
but I'd look around a little.

Here's a little off-base story, but related.

I got a phone call from a fellow, I worked with 42 years ago.
He found me by my website, and said he owed me a meter. Seems he broke one of mine, and was never able to replace it. I didn't really remember the incident, but he'd already mailed it. He said he sent a Simpson "260". . .new. I thought he'd found a new one,still in the box somewhere, and it came to my place on Saturday. It was indeed new, and they still make them. . .I couldn't believe it. Mouser gets $245.00 for them, and appearantly they are still in demand.

This was really cool, as I happen to have the mating VTVM to the "260". . .What makes this even neater, another friend gave me two, roll-top, bakelite cases for them, that were an option.

Well, Ed is going to get some crystal radio kits for his grandsons, on Peebles Originals. . .Was really pleased to re-locate this fellow, who is now retired from AT&T. . .That's where he went 42 years ago, from where we worked together.

NET sure does make the world smaller

Mike

_________________
I like the K-I-S-S Principle: "Keep It Sane & Simple"
http://www.peeblesoriginals.com

Cool story Mike ! This same guy has a refurbished Simpson 260 (version 6) for $75 with manual & 1 year warranty.

Yes, the net does make it a small world, I wouldn't dream of this hobby if it were not for the Internet.
Dan

Dan - WRT crystal sets, knowledge (recognition) of a dozen or less symbols would see you reading 90% of the circuits.

Tube and solid state would need a knowledge of those symbols but the interconnects to the basic xtal set circuitry componenents would be pretty much the same (in the simpler 1AD or 2AD circuits).

Some early 20's tube circuits using mutiple tubes are fairly easy to read (simple topology).

(AD = Active Device = FET, transistor, tube etc.)

....................

Dan - If you are interested, this is a well made video showing the circuit elements of a 1920's, five tuber TRF. The symbols are discussed and highlighted. This guy has a lot of other interesting videos on radio(s) as well.

Early twenties circuits are a good place to start, as all the tubes are of one type - triodes. With twenties circuits, you can virtually follow circuit changes, as they happened historically, in real time, going from xtal radio, through amplifed RF/AF sets, thru regens, reflex, TRF and on to superhets. All in the twenties and all using triodes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMbrXRi3Uw

.................................

Thanks Golfguru !
But now I have to ask what does WRT mean in the above quote

I defiantly need to learn the symbols, I know how to read machinist prints, I know // is parralism upside down T is squareness O is roundness, a circle inside a circle is concentricity, an arrow is runnout, I know the micro callouts, and on & on, but these electrical prints are a whole different animal

Off to check out the YouTube link !
Thanks again ! That's what I was saying above, you guys make this forum great !
Dan

Golfguru, that YouTube link was excellent ! I see the same person has other videos to check out. I now know the = symbol is a capacitor (not like // parrialism on a machinist print Lol)

Excellent video, all newbies should watch it ! I will watch it a couple of times to absorb it

Dan

WRT: With Respect To

COIK: Clear Only If Known

73,

_________________

http://kr1s.kearman.com/
http://qrp.kearman.com/

Thanks I'm not up to speed on this lingo stuff like you youngsters your celebrating as many years in ham radio as I am birthdays