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Post by White Falcon (george1955) on Dec 25, 2013 9:07:25 GMT -5
Hi - Jus found this!!! Woo Hoo !!! Love the Old Time CB stuff especially Tube Gear. Dislike Solid State Mobile CB Radios.
Started in 1968 with an HE15 and some unbranded 23 receive and 12Xmt Crystal Radio some neighbor duped me into buying from him - I hould have waited with my saved dollars and got the Comstat 23 i was scrimping up for.
Never did get it. But di put up a Colinear II and for my 8th Grade Graduation, dad bought me a REGENCY IMPERIAL. What happened to the origibnal set, I'll never know. But I did recently buy an Imperial and got it working except for dead channels in the synth. I figured I need crystals 10.95 and 11.05 but they are quite expensive. So I bought a Parts radio. a Regency Imperial II. which is So nice maybe nicer. But That has bad channels too.
The Channel selector was so bound up, i could barely move the dial. Worked on it for over an hour an now it's nice and smooth. But Alas - Channels are OUT.
Had to fiddle with R4 and 5 to get the S meter working right. Cleaned all switches anow I don'thave th heart to part anything out.
a PT99 antenna on the way so for now a mag mount just for reception and testing.
I went a little nuts. and bought the following gear:
(in this order)
Browning Golden Eagle Mark III w D104
Regency Imperial
Realistic TRC-457 ( gotta have something with 4 channels i figure)
2 D104 Heads
Turner plus 3
Hy Gain 673b
Siltronix Model 80 VFO - #7
Afterburner as-is 12v
Regency Imperial II
Browning 180 AMP
Lafayette CB checker as-is (i got beat - no good)
Micronta 3 meter inline (Watts Mod and SWR)
CB is Kind of dead here on Long Island - Hopefully once I get an antenna topside - I might be able to garner up some activity. for now just looking to get set up and get the channels to work on these Imperials
Yes, I Know ... Imperial - Double Sideband Suppressed carrier "splashbox) but they are beautifula warmsounding and very selective receivers and Transmit Audio that will cut through anything. I love them.
Any Advice on the synth issues is greatly appreciated
Would love to get all the channels working or even go to 40 plus without messing up the cosmetics of these classics.
The Browning - that's just a I gotta have it. I will fire it up. It seems to work ok. Seller said output was a bit low and the mic was weak - I changed the head all OK - haven't hooked it up to a power meter yet but will soon - Ordered and extra output tube..
Was a lofty "unnattainable" dream set in my day.
But for now - This will sit in the shed until I figure out these Regency sets.
And A Big Fat Merry Christmas to all.
I Hope to be an active member here - hopefully my location won't be a negative factor.
I was an early CB fan - 1968 - through about 72-73 then it went crazy and I abandoned it.
Never cared to talk much skip, was always more intrigued with getting straight line DX. was cool to get Jersey from Queens on early Saturday Mornings. Then when the world "woke up" they would fade into the noise level and hetrodyning that started up around 9 - 10 am
Hoping to hear from you all soon
George
"the White Falcon"
(new handle) was George of Elmhurst / Imperial Base / Sgt Pepper or on SSB... KW123
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss 
Posts: 6,250 
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Post by Sandbagger on Dec 25, 2013 9:51:24 GMT -5
Hi - Jus found this!!! Woo Hoo !!! Love the Old Time CB stuff especially Tube Gear. Dislike Solid State Mobile CB Radios. Started in 1968 with an HE15 and some unbranded 23 receive and 12Xmt Crystal Radio some neighbor duped me into buying from him - I hould have waited with my saved dollars and got the Comstat 23 i was scrimping up for. Never did get it. But di put up a Colinear II and for my 8th Grade Graduation, dad bought me a REGENCY IMPERIAL. What happened to the origibnal set, I'll never know. But I did recently buy an Imperial and got it working except for dead channels in the synth. I figured I need crystals 10.95 and 11.05 but they are quite expensive. So I bought a Parts radio. a Regency Imperial II. which is So nice maybe nicer. But That has bad channels too. The Channel selector was so bound up, i could barely move the dial. Worked on it for over an hour an now it's nice and smooth. But Alas - Channels are OUT. Had to fiddle with R4 and 5 to get the S meter working right. Cleaned all switches anow I don'thave th heart to part anything out. a PT99 antenna on the way so for now a mag mount just for reception and testing. I went a little nuts. and bought the following gear: (in this order) Browning Golden Eagle Mark III w D104 Regency Imperial Realistic TRC-457 ( gotta have something with 4 channels i figure) 2 D104 Heads Turner plus 3 Hy Gain 673b Siltronix Model 80 VFO - #7 Afterburner as-is 12v Regency Imperial II Browning 180 AMP Lafayette CB checker as-is (i got beat - no good) Micronta 3 meter inline (Watts Mod and SWR) CB is Kind of dead here on Long Island - Hopefully once I get an antenna topside - I might be able to garner up some activity. for now just looking to get set up and get the channels to work on these Imperials Yes, I Know ... Imperial - Double Sideband Suppressed carrier "splashbox) but they are beautifula warmsounding and very selective receivers and Transmit Audio that will cut through anything. I love them. Any Advice on the synth issues is greatly appreciated Would love to get all the channels working or even go to 40 plus without messing up the cosmetics of these classics. The Browning - that's just a I gotta have it. I will fire it up. It seems to work ok. Seller said output was a bit low and the mic was weak - I changed the head all OK - haven't hooked it up to a power meter yet but will soon - Ordered and extra output tube.. Was a lofty "unnattainable" dream set in my day. But for now - This will sit in the shed until I figure out these Regency sets. And A Big Fat Merry Christmas to all. I Hope to be an active member here - hopefully my location won't be a negative factor. I was an early CB fan - 1968 - through about 72-73 then it went crazy and I abandoned it. Never cared to talk much skip, was always more intrigued with getting straight line DX. was cool to get Jersey from Queens on early Saturday Mornings. Then when the world "woke up" they would fade into the noise level and hetrodyning that started up around 9 - 10 am Hoping to hear from you all soon George "the White Falcon" (new handle) was George of Elmhurst / Imperial Base / Sgt Pepper or on SSB... KW123 Well, George, it looks like you've caught the same bug as many of us old timers looking for that "second time around". Your story sounds very similar to my own, and that of many other op's out there. Started off small and kludgy in the late 60's or early 70's and eventually worked up to better stuff. But there were always those "dream" rigs that everyone wanted (Like the Browning and Trams) but could not afford. Good luck with that Regency. We have a couple of guys on here who have them. They have GREAT sounding audio, when they're working right. We'll be glad to help out in any way we can. That's what this forum is all about.Welcome! |
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Post by White Falcon (george1955) on Dec 25, 2013 11:18:36 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome .. Unfortunately , I am on Long Island NY... I will try maybe some power will help once I get the antenna up. Any Regency People out there with some knowledge...let me hear from ya!!! - I got the cage open, half the channels don't work - If I Touch one of the crystals , the channel comes in and goes away once I let go. Maybe the oscillator tube is weak??
Anyway - Thanks Sandbagger!
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
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Post by Sandbagger on Dec 25, 2013 12:55:21 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome .. Unfortunately , I am on Long Island NY... I will try maybe some power will help once I get the antenna up. Any Regency People out there with some knowledge...let me hear from ya!!! - I got the cage open, half the channels don't work - If I Touch one of the crystals , the channel comes in and goes away once I let go. Maybe the oscillator tube is weak?? Anyway - Thanks Sandbagger! Well, there could be a few things that can cause this. The most obvious is a dirty channel switch. Clean all the contacts with a good cleaner and a mildly abrasive pad (like a thin pencil eraser) if you can reach them. The other thing could be the tuning of the oscillator. If it's aligned too 'tight", the weaker crystals have a tendency to stop oscillating. The oscillator tuning also affects frequency, and you may find that if you manage to get all crystals working, that many of them are somewhat off frequency. But you can "kludge" them back on by adding capacitance. Using small picofarad disk caps (or trimmers), in series if you want to raise frequency, or in parallel if you want it lowered. |
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Post by White Falcon (george1955) on Dec 25, 2013 13:29:20 GMT -5
Hey! You're the guy I sent an email to a month back or so and you replied about how many times you've heard similar stories. I also had a 67 Mustang.
Just saw your spew page.
the internet makes the world tiny.
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Post by White Falcon (george1955) on Dec 25, 2013 13:35:41 GMT -5
How do I "untighten" the oscillator . Maybe the tube is weak too? I will test the tube when I ghet a chance. Some of the channels do just what you said. they kind of "pop" in or come in weak. They don't seem to be too much off frequency, I do have to invest in a frequency counter. The synth is quite tight in ther. I did a pretty good job cleaning the contacts. as for the other crystals I suspect, they just won't come up at all.
I'm really determined to get these two sets on the air.
The Imperial II - I got the jammed up gunked up channel selector turning freely and clicking nicely. it was so tight that when i turned it...it actually lifted the set off on one side. though for sure it was done for.
Going to relatives - catch up later. Thanks for the advice. willdo hicky a bit later when i get home.
BY the way I cant get chat up. ownloaded the java but seems the sevice isn't available.
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Post by doctor on Dec 25, 2013 20:20:40 GMT -5
WELCOME
Look for you on chnl 13, the skip should be into NEW YORK soon.
I do not run much but maybe heard your way...
DOCTR..795 on the channel
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Post by libslayer on Dec 25, 2013 22:17:29 GMT -5
Hey. I'm fairly new to this forum but I assure you you came to the right place. Friendly and knowledgeable. I'm a skiptalker in Texas so until I get a base station set I'll probably not catch you.  KATO808 #DeepInTheHeartOfTexas |
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Post by spitfire441 on Dec 26, 2013 7:31:48 GMT -5
Thanks for the welcome .. Unfortunately , I am on Long Island NY... I will try maybe some power will help once I get the antenna up. Any Regency People out there with some knowledge...let me hear from ya!!! - I got the cage open, half the channels don't work - If I Touch one of the crystals , the channel comes in and goes away once I let go. Maybe the oscillator tube is weak?? Anyway - Thanks Sandbagger! Well, there could be a few things that can cause this. The most obvious is a dirty channel switch. Clean all the contacts with a good cleaner and a mildly abrasive pad (like a thin pencil eraser) if you can reach them. The other thing could be the tuning of the oscillator. If it's aligned too 'tight", the weaker crystals have a tendency to stop oscillating. The oscillator tuning also affects frequency, and you may find that if you manage to get all crystals working, that many of them are somewhat off frequency. But you can "kludge" them back on by adding capacitance. Using small picofarad disk caps (or trimmers), in series if you want to raise frequency, or in parallel if you want it lowered. I have both the Imperial and the II, the reviews on the Spew page are my rigs. I love these radios, all that has been said is true. These babies talk! I concur with what Sandbagger says, The oscillator tube (6AN8) pretty much has to be a good one. and the tuning slugs are tight on the crystal board. Take care in tuning all three (3) slugs on that board, there is a fine edge where all crystals behave. There are two (2) 7.4 mHz mixing crystals, one is for RX and one for TX, make sure they are on or you will chase your tail w/ regards to frequency. Start there first. A work around on the crystal issue is remove one of the 8 mHz crystals and add a VFO (tube type) with an 8 mHz range. I did that to my Imperial, added a Lafayette VFO ment for HAM rigs, with an IF of 8 mHz, and it works wonderfully to get me up on the 36-38 SSB channels. If you need more help on it and some crystals for it, although off frequency, they do oscillate and can be pulled w/ the right Pf capacitance. Also consider the Regency Romper or Range Gain radios for parts, they are the same rig as the Imperial w/ the exception of no product detector. All other parts are the same. 441 Spitfire |
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
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Post by Sandbagger on Dec 26, 2013 10:16:44 GMT -5
How do I "untighten" the oscillator . Maybe the tube is weak too? I will test the tube when I ghet a chance. Some of the channels do just what you said. they kind of "pop" in or come in weak. They don't seem to be too much off frequency, I do have to invest in a frequency counter. The synth is quite tight in ther. I did a pretty good job cleaning the contacts. as for the other crystals I suspect, they just won't come up at all. I'm really determined to get these two sets on the air. The Imperial II - I got the jammed up gunked up channel selector turning freely and clicking nicely. it was so tight that when i turned it...it actually lifted the set off on one side. though for sure it was done for. Going to relatives - catch up later. Thanks for the advice. willdo hicky a bit later when i get home. BY the way I cant get chat up. ownloaded the java but seems the sevice isn't available. When I say that an oscillator may be tuned a little "tight", it was not a physical reference but an electrical one (Don't get out the WD-40 just yet  ). When you align the oscillator, you normally tune for max output. But doing so changes the loading on the circuit, and if you tune it too far, the oscillator will quit all together. It will usually quit on the weaker crystals first, so you can often get them to work again by backing off on the oscillator tuning a little bit. Bear in mind that this will reduce the output a little bit, but will not normally make too much of a difference in your receive or transmit. |
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Post by cbrown on Dec 26, 2013 10:24:54 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum!
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Post by KneeBiter on Dec 26, 2013 11:45:45 GMT -5
Welcome. The radio bug is strong and there is no cure. Be carful. Enjoy !
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Post by White Falcon (george1955) on Dec 27, 2013 0:44:15 GMT -5
What do use as a reference to measure what I'm doing ? that whole circuit scares me.. I too just picked up an Imperial II so I have both - the intention was parts - they both have the same problem I also ordered a cuple of 6AN8 tubes - i did a 6an8 switch and the intermittent channels - (heyu would come and go when I touched the crystals) came back - but kind of not very consistent the Impreial I has 9 10 11 12 & 13 out and 17 18 19 20 - i have it all logged the Imperial 2 has 9 10 11 12 only out constantly a bunch are solid in and some are in/out I will get out my log and be specifis as to what I discovered d\so far - I "THINK" those that are out steady are crystal issues - on imperial i - its the 10.95 and the 11.05 I dont want to hunt them down at 25.0 apop only to find out it was an oscillator, tuning or tube issue getting late - catch up later I am determined to get both of these working - I also bought another Imperial II but seems like it got lost in the mail - still hoping it will show up Good Night for Now |
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Sandbagger
Administrator/The Boss
Posts: 6,250
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Post by Sandbagger on Dec 27, 2013 10:17:15 GMT -5
What do use as a reference to measure what I'm doing ? that whole circuit scares me.. I too just picked up an Imperial II so I have both - the intention was parts - they both have the same problem I also ordered a cuple of 6AN8 tubes - i did a 6an8 switch and the intermittent channels - (heyu would come and go when I touched the crystals) came back - but kind of not very consistent the Impreial I has 9 10 11 12 & 13 out and 17 18 19 20 - i have it all logged the Imperial 2 has 9 10 11 12 only out constantly a bunch are solid in and some are in/out I will get out my log and be specifis as to what I discovered d\so far - I "THINK" those that are out steady are crystal issues - on imperial i - its the 10.95 and the 11.05 I dont want to hunt them down at 25.0 apop only to find out it was an oscillator, tuning or tube issue getting late - catch up later I am determined to get both of these working - I also bought another Imperial II but seems like it got lost in the mail - still hoping it will show up Good Night for Now Channels 9,10,11 & 12 are controlled by a single crystal. as are 17-20. So it looks like you have a problem with 2 crystals. It's a shame that both radios have the same crystal out. The one's that are "in-out" could be due to a dirty switch, or a borderline oscillator tuning. But if you don't have test equipment (like a scope), it may not be wise to start messing with the oscillator tuning, other than maybe giving each slug a small 1/4 turn each way to see if it "fixes" the problem, and returning it to the original position if not. The last thing you want is to make things worse. |
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Post by White Falcon (george1955) on Dec 27, 2013 13:17:15 GMT -5
i'll test the waters. 1/4 turn thing .. changed tube (6AN8) seemed to help. I have an NOS on the way.
I Id'D the culprit crystals already 10.95 and 11.05 in the imperial 1
and in the imperial 2 its the 10.95 and 8.615
i bought yet another two for parts - but its been since dec 8 and still has not arrived - suspect lost in the USPO system
I did miss out on a range gain set this past week
On Imperial two the channel go as follows
Dead - 1,5,9,10,11,12,13,17,21
The intermittent ones which come back when touched or with the tube swap or coil tuning (which I did not do yet)
2,6,14,18,22
The solid channels are
3,4,7,8,15,16,19,20,23
using the chart I found on the web these channels are controlled by 10.95 and 8.615 crystal
I could strip the 8.615 out of the Imperial one - but that one is in nice shape too and don't want to use it as a part out set.
the two needs caps - 60 cycle hum - but not too bad.
On the one I have 9,10,11,12 and 17,18,19,20 out dead
with some of the others borderline (like on teh Imp 2)
One peculiatrity - i have the lone 3 channel on the Imp 1 out. dont know why - doesn't fit into the matrix i used to id the dead crystals
Thanks for your help.
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Post by JesseJamesDallas on Dec 28, 2013 19:28:37 GMT -5
welcome to the Forum... place looks different every time I come here.
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). When you align the oscillator, you normally tune for max output. But doing so changes the loading on the circuit, and if you tune it too far, the oscillator will quit all together. It will usually quit on the weaker crystals first, so you can often get them to work again by backing off on the oscillator tuning a little bit. Bear in mind that this will reduce the output a little bit, but will not normally make too much of a difference in your receive or transmit.
