RELAY
COIL
The
Type-A Telephone Relay used in the 10B/20, 100/200V
exciters and 600L amplifier have started to experience
failures at a rather high rate. The problem appears
to be a failure of the rather small (44-gauge) wire
used within the relay coil. The very small wire diameter,
trace acid compounds in the insulation/varnish and
humidity cause the wire to simply corrode open. Of
course, the open is at the very bottom of the tens
of thousands of turns, so repair is impossible.
TCS
has found a source for replacement coils, however,
several factors have conspired to make their per-unit
cost fairly high. Those factors include the Industry's
transition from relay to solid-state logic within
telephone switching systems (where these relays were
principally used), their relatively high impedance
(10,000 Ohms) and the need for this replacement to
fit within the existing relay frame.
Replacement
of the telephone-style relays is, in itself, impractical
as the effort (and resulting cost) to develop and
package a replacement kit, with instructions sufficiently
detailed to permit field installation, is excessively
complex.
TCS
has purchased an initial 50-lot quantity of replacement
relay coils and can deliver immediately from stock.
As these coils are custom made to fit exactly within
the existing CE relay frame, field installation requires
the removal of only one screw and soldering just two
wires. It is expected that these relays will make
our rigs fully "Y2K-Compliant" as they easily
make another 40 years!
The
cost of this coil is $65, which includes postage within
the U.S.
To
reserve your coil, please contact us by e-mail or
telephone. We will advise once this initial coil lot
is received. Remember, without this relay your exciter
is permanently QRT! So, it would pay to have one,
in stock. You will need it! Note that proceeds from
relay sales are used to source other critical 100/200V
parts.
NICKEL
PLATED HARDWARE
TCS
has located a source for identical nickel plated machine
and sheet metal screws as used on all Central Electronics
products. There is no better way to improve the appearance
of these rigs than to replace that unsightly rusty
hardware.
Currently
available hardware includes 8-32 machine screws, #6
and #4 Type-B sheetmetal screws. Replacement rack
mount screws and shoulder washers are on-order and
should be available by mid-September.
Please
email us with
your requirements for a firm price quotation. If there
is sufficient interest, we can kit complete hardware
kits for these vintage radios.
160
METER CONVERSION
The
long-awaited 160-meter conversion kit is now available.
The kit is not for the appliance operator crowd, as
it requires the installation of two low-level coil/capacitor
assemblies, 160m crystal, resistors/bypass caps deep
within the PA Coil Compartment and band-drum lettering.
The easiest part of the whole installation is the
output coupler...it just plugs in!
Kits
are available at a cost of $145. Owners wanting the
160 conversion, but lacking the necessary equipment
to perform the installation can return their units
to TCS. The cost for a TCS-provided installation,
excluding return shipping, is $250.
100/200V
Replacement HV Capacitors
That's
right, folks...they're finally here! Central Electronics
used the finest parts available for their premiere
100V and 200V transmitters, but every electrolytic
filter capacitor has a finite life. And, after over
40 years of reliable service those original HV filter
capacitors are far past their prime and living on
borrowed time.
I
have had a custom run of these extremely hard-to-find
capacitors manufactured and the first shipment of
parts has been received. These are exact-fit, USA-manufactured
capacitors that are designed to replace the original
equipment parts. Joe Batchelor, the design engineer
for the 100/200V line, asked Sprague to put as many
microfarads as possible into a 4-inch twist-lok can.
They got 250mfds, but we managed to squeeze in a few
more for 270 @ 450VDC.
These
are packaged as a set of three for a total price of
$75, inclusive of USPS Priority shipping in the U.S.
Stock up now, as the failure of this critical component
will certainly sideline your rig for a good many days.
COVER
Many 100V and 200V transmitters
have somehow, over the years, lost their PA covers.
We have manufactured a run of replacement cover kits
and these are now available for $20 each, post-paid
to US amateurs. Kits include one perforated cover
and the necessary nickel plated hardware for installation.
Kits are available for immediate shipment from stock.
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