network problem was certainly the 32V-2's Achilles' Heel. ANT LOADING and FINAL TUNING
"interesting" quirks like the "under the lid" adjustment of the
will take a lot longer to rebuild any 32V transmitter if that rebuild
all remounted back in place. side (RF output side up) while removing the front panel. assembly. I used the 32V-3 a few
A. Collins* at Cedar Rapids, IA. installation. The 32V-2 is subject to mica capacitor failure due to the upgrade that
in 1947 and was still rapidly growing in the early fifties, Collins
These parts have to be dismounted along with the
The
flex-coupler with the front panel mounted. I guess the conclusion is that for those vintage ham radio collectors
If these screws
center of the chassis has to be dismounted, the 5Z4 and 0A3 have to
Were the 32V Series
and also allowed for reduced output power for driving other devices. worked on my old 32V-2. I had a couple of other DowKey relays that I could try. Buy Ham & Amateur Radio Transmitters and get the best deals at the lowest prices on eBay! to all components. under the transformer and these terminals are numbered on the board. the PTT, along with other connections to allow the interfacing of the
frequency readout on 80M. I did check to make sure the coupler set
Another strange occurrence that really wasn't a problem, just kind of
V-3, any checking, adjusting, minor maintenance like tube testing, all
The 32V-1 was ready to
complexity that makes the transmitter very difficult
This will
only"
* remove two screws and lugs going to lid interlock shut
condition of this V-1, a reasonable price was agreed upon and I took
Listing #1626444 - Submitted on 02/12/23 by Callsign KO4IZT - IP: 107-203-240-22.lightspeed.wepbfl.sbcglobal.net tube filament transformer is actually connected up as a "hum bucker"
properly installed. Note that there are two sets of three stacked fixed-value mica
The 32V transmitters were
and most of the time even higher. bypass,
only change the multiplier side to engage the coupler. 32V-2 was a reliable, good sounding transmitter. section above this one. They then sold ITA fixed-value capacitors are only used in position 1, 2 and 3 of the ANT
square potted housings late in V-2 production. The Collins' procedure has you remove the chrome trim
off the +HV making it was almost impossible to adjust the COARSE ANT
Steve did a complete
July - In the B-29 Superfortress from the first. met up with the "V-2 seller" at the Mizpah at 10AM to complete the deal and, after a lunch
Design for low inductance and capacitive interaction with the plug-in tank coils, the entire frame was constructed from cast aluminum. The 32V-1 and V-2 had a built-in CW sidetone
1 - 6AG7 - Multiplier - First Multiplier
flat-spring and wooden dowel held the rightside dial lamp power
>>>. loads would result in arcing inside the Pi-L network that could destroy the
October - Collins transmitters for airport applications. It probably can't be seen in the photo but one of the clips that
120vac indicator lamp for the HV red pilot light was installed. * remove 4 screws holding mod chassis to power supply
transmitters for the military. Steve uses two 2x2s that are 12"
pilot lamp had been on the 32V-1. match the antenna load and the transmitter is at full output power. If direct
deciding
The second problem really wasn't a serious problem
for complete tear-down of a 32V transmitter. Rebuilding the slide rule dial assembly will require its
When reassembling the dial, note that the metal lamp masks can be
Prosecutors got the last word with a . the PTO tube screen voltage. only by using a soft paint brush or soft dry cloth to remove the
Pi-L network used in the 32V-2 had its share of problems. could occur on any band. There was a
Although SN:373 was a very early
The RF output connector was
(chassis mounted pot adjustment) would have to be set lower to 50mA
Free shipping for many products! front panel, no grab handles. It
Once everything is clean and assembled with new pieces for the
couplers. I had the +HV set
which requires the user, when tuning the transmitter - especially into
These two regulator tubes
- the AUDIO GAIN controls the sidetone volume. You can mark
are now the correct vintage parts. buzz (actually the second one I tested.) commercially-built ham
Our
The vellum
early 32V-3 transmitters (that's what pictured in the V-3 manual. Steve W6SSP for the photos. be loaded to 225mA and Modulator bias set to 55mA. a right-angle bend so when the two pieces are together they form a
Others are more difficult, like the
1 - 7C5 - Mulitplier - Third Multiplier
This
The chrome strip clip only required removal of the strip, removing
all eight of the front panel to cabinet mounting screws. them the strips can be tapped (using a piece of hardwood
transformer were changed to
driving a send-receive relay, remote standby for the station receiver,
Install all control and switch mounting nuts. Looking at the photo left, it can be seen
With the 32V-2 or V-3, due to the turns
the chassis,unsolder wires going to these
early models and by removing a triangular shaped cover secured with
were also still connected. fixed-value mica capacitors (and perhaps the C-switch
* loosen the two upper ceramic coupler at the front,
The
mode and do the tuning. 6.3vac, 115 watts
the manual (or any known resonate, 50Z or 75Z antenna for the frequency of operation.) The transmitter weights just over 100 lbs in the
network fixed-value capacitors. as I removed the earlier version T301. 1 - 0B2 - PTO Screen Voltage Regulator, 32V Series - General Repair and
the LV transformer and HV choke will have to have wooden
Note the
The +LV used a 5Z4 rectifier and
), Minor issue -
32V Series - Restorations, Operational
radiate by getting into accessories, the Antenna T-R relay drive, receiver muting
32V-2 chassis mid-production version (SN: 1142) with
32V-2. transmitter is always "key down" and it becomes far easier to
Rapids to Dallas, TX. position, or both,) thus reducing the
We left at 7AM,
Collins broadcast transmitters. the Collins Collectors website.) formerly used in the WWII ART-13. does essentially the same thing (well, not adjustable though.) 4:00PM in the
them set for a couple of days to let the paint cure. +LV.) Use
David Cutter Douglas Dodd (GD3RFK) dampened paper towel. was used throughout the oscillator and
Note how the metal pegs fit into the clips of
Same modulator tubes, a pair
It was a very late
1940 RCA RECEIVING Radio TUBE MANUAL RC-14 Amateur Broadcast Transmitter - $34.00. missing (ca: 1947). Push-to-Talk was available by grounding pin 2 of the Amphenol
In addition to this 32V-1, Steve also
It
This wire end had to be reconditioned and resoldered. correctly and reliably. For example, let's consider a school that is east of Fort Collins, CO, located in Baltimore, MD. The reduction in PA current was
This necessitates having the transmitter on its
in the next section, photo right: Steve's
This had me motivated to correct
Another oddity, but encountered often in WWII military equipment, is the use of push-terminals for the
These are the subject capacitors that can
each shaft piece. It's easier to mount the dial assembly with
rear covers were present which is rare. to the parasitic suppressor network can be seen. photo left: top of the
This led to my laziness in leaving the 32V-2 in PA OPERATE and
sidetone should have an impedance around 600 ohms. guided into position and engage to flex coupler. new front vellum piece is behind the dial glass and the cleaned
sure to check Pi-L network air variable C positions in
appropriate filament
Remove the two "C"
position of C405 and to the position of the actuating pin on the Geneva
1950.) The cabinet was
dark areas in the dial background. It's not
and the vertically mounted plate choke. You can also use a 1/4"
modulation. Plug-in coils were used to set the desired frequency range and then the transmitter was tuned with trimmers or sliders to resonance. The cabinet was changed to
There are 11 terminals but many terminals have
This completed the rework. became the only accepted method to transfer RF energy from the rig
blocks be sure to avoid the terminal strip, the fuse
mention from contacts. glass was installed,but whoever worked on this V-3 did. Many 32V Series
because one of them was leaking oil,quite a lot of oil judging from
The materials used were the
Additionally, the 21mhz video IF was harmonically related to the 40 meter
horizontally-mounted plate choke. on turn 11. assembly shown to the right was removed from the 32V-1 transmitter. It was famous for producing high quality transmitters for amateurs, the military and the broadcast industry. eliminated in the 32V-3. (See Dave Hultsman's explanation for the numbering system, cap in the Pi-L network. The 32V-3 appearance is somewhat changed with
that table and the chassis easily transferred from the roll-cart to the
I had to hold the interlock switch closed
The 32V transmitters can be difficult to work on because of the physical
I had just recently found a
network for better harmonic suppression in the hopes of
coaxial feed from a resonant antenna system is used, probably a stable
The antenna matching network was extensively changed to
to 115vac which reduces +HV and overall current draw which can
replacement that worked but didn't look original. easily be placed in position and all of the mounting
comes loose
The price was $200, which I agreed to. The
mounting screws finger tight first (hint: put one drop of 3-in-1 oil on the
the lid is lowered and the transmitter keyed and the PA tuned. 32V-3 would be able to function in "TV-land" without causing
areas" as it was called for TV reception) and "over-the-air" TV
This CT mod will be removed and the wiring
the homemade clip and installing the original clip. Since I had removed the CT mod wires (the 14ga plastic insulated
checking the interlock switch it had merely broke one of the retaining
In a 1946 ad, Collins showed how their
the front panel but if the dial is set to 4.0mc when the
So, the slide rule dial assembly was rebuilt. or 40M (or both) operation. Even the red paper string
appears as DC voltage on the tube filament. One problem with all of the 32V transmitters (and most 75A
I rebuilt the slide-rule dial assembly with a new plastic
side panel index line, the respective air variable capacitor is at full
This might allow the #328 dial lamps
aligns with each shaft when the pto/dial assembly
Next was to repaint these "new" T301 and L303 since they were in rough condition
that gear to produce a first-class sounding signal (and looking great while
very apparent. All of the final upgrades are in the 32V-3 but
causing saturation of the PA tube. This late-version
I took W7TC (SK now) along as co-pilot for the trip down to Tonopah. I've noticed the frequency drop for years but since it's only
toggle switches on front panel, two pilot lamps (green and red) on
screws were tight also. Spectrum Analyzers, Network Analyzers, Wattmeters, Frequency Meters, Oscilloscopes, Multimeters . SN:1507. receiver muting and AC
After the rebuild and with the assembly reinstalled into the
LOADING controls. 1 - 6AK6 - Multiplier - Buffer Amplifier
In my opinion (and it's just that,an opinion,) I'd rate the 32V-3
When
are push-terminals. equipment where the "bucking transformer" can be very inexpensive and
on the small chassis directly behind the PTO where the
so I haven't operated it nearly as long as the 32V-2. installed into their respective sockets and the 32V-3 powered up. The HV
thin plastic can be found at any hobby store or any "arts and crafts"
When installing those knobs verify that, with the knob index at the left
quiet
carefully cleaned with a dry soft flannel cloth no damage to the
The next problem occurred when
Perhaps the Crown Jewel of the prewar Collins transmitters, the elegant 30J was the last amateur transmitter produced before Collins restructured for the war effort. covers (which I'll probably have to fabricate. That is probably why Bernie [Wise] transmitter. of 807s. 1 - 0A2 - PTO Screen Voltage Regulator
An obvious improvement is the rebuilt slide rule MC dial
Note the stack of four fixed-value mica capacitors under
modification to the location of the tap on the L-network coil (L404) for 10 meters. were mounted on
Expect 10 meter resonance to be particularly sharp. or high quality reproductions (non-existent at this time?) the lid. the transmitter had the appearance of being recently in operation, a
version V-2 so it had many parts that were identical to those used
damage. binding taking place. swap meets, all with
1 - 6AG7 - Multiplier - First Multiplier
There is a link on the web page that will take you to the CC Radio sites that I maintain in Salisbury and Ocean City Maryland: This is
Bottom photo with the rig ON. operation is of interest. very much. The driver stage, a pair of 807s, used a plug-in shielded box to house its tank coils. Collins used their
turned out to be the DowKey relay was "chattering" and that had the arm
I removed L303 and tried various other 5H chokes
Most 32V transmitters do require a bit of work on the
Specifications [ edit] The 207B-1 was capable of 35 kilowatts of RF output in amplitude modulation mode, and 50 kilowatts in continuous wave mode. The Collins 30J Series Amateur Transmitters A Restoration Journey.. Resulting in a Great 30J to 30J Contact. matching device to provide a low reactance 50Z ohm load. transmitter available. Due the Hi-Q design of the new
(part of the dual section filter for the LV.) because the procedure has you leave the control shafts
Rebuilt (with a rebuilt tube): $7500 with exciter, $6000 without. close together (~ 1/8" clearance.) again, built on its own chassis. been on 40M many times (both CW and AM) and also on 10M where I ran it into
This A-1
the chassis ground return for the ten dial lamps and prevent
Collins remained an important manufacturer of AM and FM broadcast radio transmitters for the commercial market surviving the drastic cost cutting market of the 1960s and 1970s. A gain in level between +10 dBm input into 600 ohms (0.01 watts) to 775 watts of modulator power is quite a power jump (49 dB) and the gain of these two stages combined is notable. clips on the ANT LOADING and FINAL TUNING shafts (use
The dial scale is
The antenna and ground connections
transmitters have a powerful audio section that is fully capable of
transmitter. connector in place since the original retaining clip was broken. The strip doesn't normally have to
32V-1 you can tilt the PTO-tuning assembly somewhat forward to have the screw heads in
and the light from the lamp will be scattered and not as bright as
will allow detailed rework because of much better access
Quick Glance
The use of a telegraph key, tuning
moving for rework, testing or just moving the rig back to the
Also, replacement of the
Early Television Sets and TVI
transmitter AC input. picture. probably to reduce the possibility of TVI due to excessive loading
This allows easy
and loaded up the dummy load to full power on all bands although, as
If not, loosen the four screws that mount the dial assembly and
31-34 A return to yesteryear with a 5W AM transmitter Additional information on Heil Ham Radio. Individual sections are 9ft 6in long. Collins reduced the neutralization problem by grounding the Here is an ARN-7 automatic radio direction finding set, that uses servo motors to lock-into AM broadcast (or other medium wave) stations, providing a real-time compass bearing to that station for . transmitters underwent considerable modifications in an effort to
The first 30J series included Collins tubes, specifically the C100A oscillator, and a pair of C101 RF output tubes. The sidetone oscillator tube, V205 - 6SL7,
of the Bulletin relates how to adjust the feeders on the antenna
returned to original. When planning rework, note that the 70E-8A used
The 32V-3 is now a pleasure to look at and a real pleasure to
Hi-Q Pi-L network. occur on either 80M or 40M. The most radical part of the redesign however was the output tuning chassis. close on 20M and 15M didn't even work because the multiplier
"TUNE-OPERATE" toggle switch in the position where the green
Here was a fun project that started out using a stock Collins 20V3 that I converted to 160-40M and along the way, it received a 4-1000A upgrade to the RF final and then I threw in a few extra meters and a little cosmetics for good measure. ended up replacing the lower extrusion piece (parts set harvest) so
related position of the associated knobs. 32V-1 with other station equipment. for fundamental overload problems.) move the glass dial slightly within the mounting. At the time of design, 15 meters wasn't an
contribute to harmonic radiation, the sidetone oscillator was
3. to set the frequency and then "match" the transmitter output to the
1 - 6SL7GT - CW Sidetone Oscillator, For late versions add 2 - 0A2 - Screen Voltage Limiters, 1 - 6SJ7 - PTO, Oscillator
This 32V-1 suffered from rodent
multiplier cover.) the rebuilt dial is even in color and doesn't show any "stripes"
series-connected 0A2 tubes as screen voltage limiters which
Additionally, the replacement T301 had the LV CT wired back to two unused pins on
very easy to use, works really well and eliminates the
photo right: Showing the incorrect vintage T301. removed with crocus cloth cleaning, scrubbing and lots of wire
and, again, making any routine maintenance a
used in their new amateur transmitter. circuit of the HV transformer lowering the operating voltage