Heathkit AR-2 - Videokarma.org TV - Video

MIPS · #1 10-19-2014, 11:37 AM

Every time I visit Vancouver it's worth the time to take a bus or SkyTrain to the Downtown East Side just to walk between Main and Carrall Street and see what the homeless have pulled out of the trash and are trying to make a bit of money on (IMHO, it's a bit of a grey area in ethics because you have no idea where it really came from, or where the money goes...).

Anyways, buddy had this little thing and a Remington shaver. I paid $15 and a bucket of ice cream for it and was told "It works beautifully!" PFft. Yeah, I'm sure it's seen a bench in the last decade.

Amazingly he was right. I (carelessly) plugged it in and turned it on and we got all the tubes glowing, we got a buzz from the speaker and even without an antenna attached we pulled in a strong AM signal. After the initial check I pulled the chassis out and sure enough it was still running on all its original wax paper capacitors. Those will need replacement but otherwise once cleaned up it will be a great set to have in the spare bedroom.

NoPegs · #2 10-19-2014, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MIPS

Every time I visit Vancouver it's worth the time to take a bus or SkyTrain to the Downtown East Side just to walk between Main and Carrall Street and see what the homeless have pulled out of the trash and are trying to make a bit of money on (IMHO, it's a bit of a grey area in ethics because you have no idea where it really came from, or where the money goes...).

Anyways, buddy had this little thing and a Remington shaver. I paid $15 and a bucket of ice cream for it and was told "It works beautifully!" PFft. Yeah, I'm sure it's seen a bench in the last decade.

Amazingly he was right. I (carelessly) plugged it in and turned it on and we got all the tubes glowing, we got a buzz from the speaker and even without an antenna attached we pulled in a strong AM signal. After the initial check I pulled the chassis out and sure enough it was still running on all its original wax paper capacitors. Those will need replacement but otherwise once cleaned up it will be a great set to have in the spare bedroom.

I'm going to laugh if it turns out the wax caps were already re-stuffed.

What's the handwritten note by that mic-plug connector?

MIPS · #3 10-19-2014, 01:38 PM

Nothing actually. It's just a bunch of scratches on the chassis. That plug doesn't even connect to anything unless of course someone varied from the schematics.

Actually, I gotta check on that when I get up later (I'm a nights guy. I should of been in bed hours ago) but before I put it together again I noticed the wax bungs on one cap seemed like they popped out.

Reece · #4 10-19-2014, 07:35 PM

The AR-2 was replaced by the AR-3 around December of 1956. I was about to order a 2 but then got the Christmas catalog from Heath with the 3 in it. The 3 added an antenna trimmer to the front panel and the case is grey instead of brown. I got it for Christmas of '56 and built it (I was in the 9th grade). I used it a lot for a number of years and still have it. I DXed a lot with it on the many foreign transmitters that operated then and also especially in the 75 meter ham band. Mine did not have wax caps in it, but chunky-looking disc caps that look sort of like ceramics. I am guessing they are ceramic.

MIPS · #5 10-20-2014, 09:55 AM

Nope. Seems the caps were not restuffed.

dieseljeep · #6 10-20-2014, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reece

The AR-2 was replaced by the AR-3 around December of 1956. I was about to order a 2 but then got the Christmas catalog from Heath with the 3 in it. The 3 added an antenna trimmer to the front panel and the case is grey instead of brown. I got it for Christmas of '56 and built it (I was in the 9th grade). I used it a lot for a number of years and still have it. I DXed a lot with it on the many foreign transmitters that operated then and also especially in the 75 meter ham band. Mine did not have wax caps in it, but chunky-looking disc caps that look sort of like ceramics. I am guessing they are ceramic.

The AR2 used a separate 12BA6 for a CW osc tube. The AR3 used some kind of a feedback in the IF, to accomplish it, similar to the Hallicrafter design.
I have a few of those receivers. I replace the 12A6, with a 12V6, as the voltages used, seems too high for a 12A6 and they have a tendency to short.
The tube manual shows that the tube can work at these voltages, but???
The late 50's, early 60's issues, used 12V6 tubes.

Reece · #7 10-20-2014, 02:06 PM

The BFO in the AR-3 is a reflex circuit using the triode of the 12AV6 first audio. I think Heath used the 12A6 output in those days as they had scooped up good deals on surplus WWII tubes. Mine still has the original 12A6 in it.

dieseljeep · #8 10-22-2014, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reece

The BFO in the AR-3 is a reflex circuit using the triode of the 12AV6 first audio. I think Heath used the 12A6 output in those days as they had scooped up good deals on surplus WWII tubes. Mine still has the original 12A6 in it.

Heath used that tube, in just about everything. Signal tracers, small hi-fi amps and as a rectifier in a few of their kits.
They had their power transformers wound with a 12 volt heater winding, to use that tube and a few other war surplus tubes.