THE UBIQUITOUS 6146 - Printable Version +- GBARC Forum (https://www.gbarc.ca/ForumBB) +-- Forum: Amateur Radio (https://www.gbarc.ca/ForumBB/forumdisplay.php?fid=5) +--- Forum: NEWS (https://www.gbarc.ca/ForumBB/forumdisplay.php?fid=23) +---- Forum: Opinion (https://www.gbarc.ca/ForumBB/forumdisplay.php?fid=48) +---- Thread: THE UBIQUITOUS 6146 (/showthread.php?tid=562)

THE UBIQUITOUS 6146 - VE3WI Dave - 2021-08-21 These days everything is solid state, but some of us became hams when vacuum tubes were everywhere.  No other tube has powered more ham rigs than the 6146 & its cousins: 6146A: improved heater 6146B: completely redesigned, not interchangable with earlier ones 6146W: ruggedized military version 6883A/B: 12V heaters.  RCA introduced the 6146 in 1952, and they are still going strong in lots of vintage ham rigs.  When I first got licensed in 1968, the UNB ham club had the big Heathkit twins - Mohawk RX & Marauder TX.  The Marauder used two 6146s for 180 watts PEP.  They were great rigs, a real pleasure to operate. My first TX was a little EICO 723 which had a 6DQ6 PA, giving 60 watts on CW.  It's big brother was the 720, which had a single 6146 for 90 watts CW or AM.  After I graduated & got a job I splurged for a Heathkit SB-102, which had: 2 - 6146s. I've been searching for parts to recreate my original station. I didn't think I'd ever find an EICO 723 so when I saw a reasonably-priced restorable 720 I bought it.  Of course immediately thereafter, I saw a 723 so now I have both!  I'll be listing the 720 one of these days. Here's what they look like: If you want to buy one, RF Parts has new Chinese-built 6146Bs for about $60US.  Also many NOS & used/tested ones listed on eBay & several online stores.   Recently I saw a thread on QRZ.com where people were posting lists of rigs that used the 6146.  It's a long list. 73 Dave, VE3WI ---------------- Collins KWM-1 KWM-2 32S-1 32S-2 32S-3 E. F. Johnson Ranger Ranger II Viking II Navigator Pacemaker Valiant Valiant II Invader Vanguard Victor Heathkit DX-35 DX-40 DX-60 DX-60B DX-100 DX-100B Apache (TX-1) SB-100 SB-101 SB-102 SB-400 SB-401 HW-100 HW-101 HX-1680 HX-10 (Marauder) MT-1 (Cheyenne) HX-20 SB-500 VHF-1 Seneca SB-110 (A) Kenwood TS-520 TS-830 TS-500 TS-510 TS-515 T-599 Yaesu T-101ZD FT-102 FT-902 FT901D FT-901DM FTV-650B Inoue (Icom) IC-700T Hallicrafters HT-32 (A) HT-32B HT-37 FPM-200 Hammurland HX-500 Swan 250 Eico 720 Knight T-150 T-160 Multi Eimac AF-67 AF-68 WRL Scout HG 303 HG 602 Eldico T-102 Gonset Commander G-77 Barker & Williamson B&W 5100 (B) B&W 6100 Lafayette KT-390 Morrow MB-568 Geloso G.222.TR G4-225 G4-228 G4-229 KW Electonics KW2000 KW204 Viceroy Vespa Mk I Miniphase SB7M Mosley Commando II Frontier Electronics FE-600 Panda Explorer Tiger Tigress Uniden/Tempo 2020 6146B GE Progress Line (VHF) Clegg Venus (12 volt version of the 6146, the 6883) Thor RE: THE UBIQUITOUS 6146 - Adam_VE3FP - 2021-08-21 These tubes have been around for years and used into early 90s. I still have a Heathkit SB-101 and a spare set of 6146s somewhere. I would like to get it on the air again but have to find or make some pullies for the tuning capacitor which disintegrated over the years.  Back in a day I had one of those EICO 723 (seven drifty three), there was a reason they were called "seven drifty three",  you had to find the station again you were having a QSO with after you got done transmitting. (exaggerated a little).  One thing about tube finals, you didn't have to worry much about high SWR, they were forgivable for most part. Good luck building your vintage station. We'll have to get on the air with these rigs, specially in the winter just to keep the shack warm. Hi Hi. RE: THE UBIQUITOUS 6146 - VE3WI Dave - 2021-08-22 I've read lots of criticism of the EICO 753 on account of the drifting, never used one.  It had two 6DQ6s in the PA, same tube as used in my 723.  TV sweep tubes, an inexpensive way to get RF power, used by many ham manufacturers (e.g. Swan, Drake). At the UNB club where I learned ham radio we obviously knew what SWR was, but we never gave it much thought.  We had a triband yagi & an 80m inverted V on the roof of our building, & as long as the TX would load into the antenna it would work.  Of course all the tube rigs had a built-in "manual antenna tuner" (called the pi-network plate circuit), and the tubes could tolerate a certain amount of reflected power.  It was only when solid state rigs with fragile PA transistors & fixed broadband output circuits came along that constantly worrying about SWR became part of routine ops.  Nowadays we take the need for low SWR for granted and have moved on to stamping out other evils like common mode current :-) 73 Dave, VE3WI RE: THE UBIQUITOUS 6146 - Adam_VE3FP - 2021-08-22  You're right Dave, it's the EICO 753 (seven drifty three). I didn't own too long, it was given to me by my wives uncle. The PA did have a pair of 6DQ6Bs and would put out abt 120w cw and 30 am. I would be very surprised if there any still in use, probably just a collectors item.