THANK YOU everyone for all the info. It has been a great trip down memory lane.
I been googlin. Garey, I saw several references that you are right, it was never published. Wow, I KNEW I didn't build it from a Hallicrafters manual.. I finally found a reference that must be correct.. it WAS the W6SAI Radio Handbook, but it was the 1962 issue. I pulled the covers off mine and yes, it has the same tube lineup as the HA-1 (including BOTH a 0B2 and an 0A2!!). I remember I got the part layout from the article, it uses a unique "dual in line" terminal board to hold the resistors and capacitors. All the kid could scrounge was two similar but shorter boards, so that is what is in there. And as someone mentioned, the sidetone is pretty nasty. I was able to cobble in a TONE and VOLUME control that sort of works.. So does anyone have a 1962 version of the W6SAI Handbook or can find a link?? 73, Gary WB6OGD ----- Original Message ----- From: Garey Barrell <k4...@mindspring.com> To: Gary Winblad <garywinb...@comcast.net> Cc: drakelist@zerobeat.net Sent: Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:59:47 -0000 (UTC) Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Slightly Off-Topic: EICO 717 KEYER Gary - The 'TO Keyer' was never published!! I have a copy somewhere of the original schematic made by Jim Ricks, W9TO, that he sent out to interested individuals. Apparently he was already in talks with Bill Halligan to market it, as the schematic was marked 'do not distribute' or something to that effect. I also have a '59 Handbook here (I think that's the brown one) and will see if I can find it. I believe it's on the internet as well. Here is one location. A quick scan of the INDEX does not show an electronic keyer of any kind. May have been a later edition. My first keyer was built about 1959 from an old (then!) QST article. Had a 2D21 Thyratron, a 12AT7 divider, and an 0A2 regulator. It worked 'ok' but was extremely sensitive to line voltage changes. Unfortunately my Mom got a new electric skillet for Christmas that same year, and while I'm trying to NCS a net upstairs she's fixing dinner in the kitchen. Every time that @%$# skillet would turn ON (or OFF) the line voltage would shift enough that I had to readjust the thyratron for the correct speed. Made things interesting! :-) 73, Garey - K4OAH Glen Allen, VA Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs Gary Winblad wrote: > To go even more Off Topic... > > YES Curt, you will like it a lot! W9TO was the designer, hence the name. > > As a 15 year old kid in 1967 I built my version in our high school electronics > shop class. It has never missed a DIT since! As a confirmed Drake lover > even back then, I folded up a Drake style chassis/box so it matched my > R-4A. As a kid, and as my first attempt at using a sheet metal brake and > sheer, it came out a little bit big, but it still matched Drake pretty well > if I don't > say so myself... > > My request: > I built it from a design in (I am pretty sure) in a 1959 W6SAI Radio Handbook > than my dad (SK) had. As copy machines hadn't been invented yet(!?) I of > course don't have a copy. DOES ANYONE have this manual and could make > me a copy of the article so I at least have a schematic in case it ever > breaks??? > Or even just confirm that there is indeed a W9TO keyer in there. > I have googled and found that there was a pdf copy on line at one time but it > seems to have gone away.. > > TIA and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all, > 73, > Gary > WB6OGD > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Steve Berg > To: drakelist@zerobeat.net > Sent: Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:51:59 -0000 (UTC) > Subject: Re: [Drakelist] Slightly Off-Topic: EICO 717 KEYER > > Curt, you will like that TO keyer a lot. I have had one for more than > 25 years. It is a very good idea to replace all of the capacitors in it > as the electrolytics are shot by now, and the black beauties are not in > the best of shape, either. Before I replaced the black beauties, the > speed of the keyer would vary quite a bit with changes in humidity. > Mine has some quirks with the power supply and VR tubes, but it still > works very well. I will eventually get those sorted out, too. > > 73, > > Steve WA9JML > > On 1/2/2012 7:15 AM, Eddy Swynar wrote: > > > > On 2012-01-01, at 7:50 PM, Curt Nixon wrote: > > > >> Just picked up a Hallicrafters TO keyer for the vintage desk also. > >> Same keyer basically. > > > > */Hi Curt,/* > > > > I think that the one major difference betwixt the /EICO/& the > > /Hallicrafters TO/keyer is that very same "...weak link" in the chain > > that affected mine here, i.e. the /TO/used (I believe) a sealed > > mercury-wetted keying relay, whereas the /EICO/went with that > > reed-relay-in-a-field-coil route to achieve its external keying... > > > > I say weak link as no offence to the /EICO/designers, but rather, as a > > potential source for trouble that may well require the owner's attention > > at some point in its future...trouble is, if said owner is not all that > > familiar with the whys & wherefores of reed relays / field coils (my > > right hand is raised!), then one can through a /LOT/of vexing gyrations > > & travails in the trouble-shooting process that are simply not > > necessary...! *: >)* > > > > */~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ/* > >
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