RCA "Deluxe" Portable KCS-111D

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by JSMCMS

I do still fly. In fact, my BFR is scheduled for tomorrow if the weather holds. It's always tricky this time of year. I used to fly RC for years before jumping full scale. I was active in a Pontiac, MI club for about a decade. You know the drill: build in the winter and fly in the summer. I still have a giant scale and three of four park flyers but I am sure to be really rusty. It is amazing the progress in LiPo technology since I was active.

I was into building drones before the corporate world took over. It was fun being part of the hardware and software development but my two home built drones are way behind the times. I do have one of my drones registered with the FAA but I did not hear about the pilot licensing requirement. I know there is a regulation and airspace operating requirement for drone pilots operating in controlled airspace outside a AMA sanctioned field and that's something I support but it does surprise me if that extends to a local flying field. I have a good friend that makes a living as a drone photographer but I've never heard him talk about having to have a pilot's license. At least not in the traditional sense. You've peaked my interest. Now I must investigate.

Yes , right now the FAA is finalizing the requirements for recreational UAS users , you friend being a professional drone photographer is already bound by a more stringent rule set known as Part 107 . Part 107 requires a pre filed flight plan for all commercially operated UAS flights , already has a knowledge and skills test if I recall correctly , as well as a remote identification requirement to be enacted sometime in 2020 . Like you said and I can't blame them one bit , the FAA had to take action before a drone takes out a full scale aircraft , but my own opinion is that RC aircraft being operated within their operator's direct line of sight are not now nor have ever been the same collision risk as an RC aircraft being operated by an operator using remote cameras to conduct the flight . "See and avoid" has worked well for traditional line of sight RC model flying for many years , it was the advent of the remote cameras where the operator no longer actually sees his RC aircraft and what's near it that got the FAA's notice .
https://www.federalregister.gov/docu...rcraft-systems

[Tom9589]

Back in the 1960s, they sold a device that went between the damper tube base and its socket, placing a capacitor between the plate and the cathode of the damper tube. The device was used in cases when you didn't have enough width. They came in two values, standard and extra width gain. I suspect C106 is doing something similar. One thing I would check is the value of the 650 V boost line both with C106 in and out of the circuit. If it is close to 650 V with C106 removed, you should be OK to leave C106 disconnected.

[JSMCMS]

Hi Guys, Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking C106 might be part a resonant circuit and by removing it reduces width but I'm still wet behind the ears on these things. Cap is very close at 127 pf. Boost is a little high at 640V and HV is right on spec at 14KV. Voltages don't change with or without cap. I don't think the flyback has been changed.

This set was all original when I got it with the exception a few non-original tubes and someone adding what appears to be some bypass caps from a few tubes B- points to the RF shield on the back side of the main board. I wasn't too impressed with the workmanship so when I recapped it, I put it back to original. That was the major fix.

Thanks for the help!

[Kevin Kuehn]

I'm no expert but I believe C106 is basically in parallel with the width coil(T4) so I would suspect it was included to increase the width by partially cancelling the effect of T4. So long as you're getting the desired width I wouldn't worry about removing it. If you're curious what it's doing you could even play with it's value. You may see some change horz linearity. Most everything in the horizontal circuit interacts to some extent. Oh, I've been an active fixed wing RC'er for about 45 years.

[old_coot88]

Do you guys ever hang out on RCGroups?

[Kevin Kuehn]

Originally Posted by old_coot88

Do you guys ever hang out on RCGroups?

I have over the years, along with Flying Giants. Not so much the last few years. This whole FAA fiasco has everybody so up in arms over all the hoops we're expected to jump through. I grew up hanging out with my dad who taught me to fly, I think it was about 1972. I consider it my mental therapy now, and lots of good memories.

[JSMCMS]

We’re good. Things got a bit out of joint but we found our way back. Thanks for the kind words.

I know what you mean about learning B&W TV alignment. It almost more art than science. Specific tube makes can matter and many passive components matter more than you think they should. A good sweep generator with markers helps a lot but I think practice helps more. I keep a Motorola 9VT1 running. Those early sets teach you a lot. Mainly patience and humility but eventually your skills improve.

On February 1 in Farmington, MI will be the annual Winter Vintage Electronics Expo of the Michigan Antique Radio Club. There will be a ton of radio deals and usually a fair number of vintage TVs that need attention. I’m not sure what part of Northern Indiana you live but if you have a few sets to sell, looking for test equipment or are interested in buying something to work on, it’s a good show. I’ll probably share a table with someone (saves a few bucks) let me know if you are interested.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by JSMCMS

We’re good. Things got a bit out of joint but we found our way back. Thanks for the kind words.

I know what you mean about learning B&W TV alignment. It almost more art than science. Specific tube makes can matter and many passive components matter more than you think they should. A good sweep generator with markers helps a lot but I think practice helps more. I keep a Motorola 9VT1 running. Those early sets teach you a lot. Mainly patience and humility but eventually your skills improve.

On February 1 in Farmington, MI will be the annual Winter Vintage Electronics Expo of the Michigan Antique Radio Club. There will be a ton of radio deals and usually a fair number of vintage TVs that need attention. I’m not sure what part of Northern Indiana you live but if you have a few sets to sell, looking for test equipment or are interested in buying something to work on, it’s a good show. I’ll probably share a table with someone (saves a few bucks) let me know if you are interested.

I live near Bristol, Indiana which is about 7 miles from the Michigan border with Indiana, and I've heard of Farmington, MI, which I believe is a suburb of Detroit and I'm about a 3 1/2 hour trip out from Detroit, Michigan where I live. I would have to have someone give me a ride if I were to go to that show, because I'm not too keen on driving around Detroit by myself.

I do have a Westinghouse WR-10A AM Only Tombstone Radio that I would be interested in selling that I had fixed up.

[Robert Grant]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

I live near Bristol, Indiana which is about 7 miles from the Michigan border with Indiana, and I've heard of Farmington, MI, which I believe is a suburb of Detroit and I'm about a 3 1/2 hour trip out from Detroit, Michigan where I live. I would have to have someone give me a ride if I were to go to that show, because I'm not too keen on driving around Detroit by myself.

I do have a Westinghouse WR-10A AM Only Tombstone Radio that I would be interested in selling that I had fixed up.

You don't need to worry about driving into Detroit. Just take M-14 as it splits away near Ann Arbor, then take Northbound I-96 to Farmington.

FWIW, I work in Detroit Proper every weekday. As long as you're minding your own business, not looking for a "date", or drugs, and don't cause trouble, you'll be okay.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Robert Grant

You don't need to worry about driving into Detroit. Just take M-14 as it splits away near Ann Arbor, then take Northbound I-96 to Farmington.

FWIW, I work in Detroit Proper every weekday. As long as you're minding your own business, not looking for a "date", or drugs, and don't cause trouble, you'll be okay.

OK, well like I said I'll see what I can do, like I said I've never driven around Detroit before and I've always heard bad things about driving around there, that's why I always avoid driving around that area of Michigan.

[JSMCMS]

You are right, Farmington is a western suburb of Detroit. I used to make a monthly drive down to Coldwater. I'd guess it's more like 3 hours. Interstate the whole way. Pretty easy but it's a drive. If you make it, let me know. I'll keep a space available for you. By the way, what's your first name?

[Electronic M]

Well specifically in the 60s-80s when we were having cold winters they were predicting that we would be in an ice age in a decade or 2. There have been many other climate change reports that have been reviewed and proven false and in the case of the infamous hockey stick graph even made from bogus data to create a falsely ominous prediction.
I'd have to research some of the more specific examples as it has been some years since I've written it off as hogwash and grown bored of listening to all the baloney about the subject...alot of the info I had has faded into the twilight zone of rarely reviewed memory.

[Popester]

This is really getting off topic. Stick to old tv stuff and get this thread back on track.

[JSMCMS]

Hi Tom C., I appreciate your view on capitalism and agree that regulation is not ventured into lightly. I will disagree that climate change has never been on solid ground. The oceans are rising, glaciers are disappearing, the average global temperatures are rising and the average mixture of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing at a rate higher than ever before measured ever since we've been able to retrieve trapped air bubbles of ancient ice in Antarctica. It is not convenient but it is the truth.

Sometimes we humans don't want to know the truth and sometimes we have to find ways to incentify the larger populase of a better way forward even when they don't want to do so. Take seat belts for example. I remember when the auto industry fought tooth and nail in opposition to federally mandating seat belts in all passenger vehicles. Their principle argument against it was cost and the scare tactic that you'd get trapped in a burning car. They couldn't argue the safety aspect so they created distraction to build opposition. In the end we got seat belts in all car and after seat belt use laws became the nation's choice, crash related deaths in the US fell dramatically.

Using LED or CFC lighting greatly reduces power consumption which was always the goal but the battle was to fight fear. Now the LED lamps are just as good (if not better than) incandescent lamps and the total cost of operation is way less.

The regulation (it's not really a law) creates a new market where innovation drives competition which drives cost down. Yes, it took a regulation to force the existing manufacturers to develop better products and that can reduce choice but that's the right way to use these kinds of governmental processes. We all benefit from these game changers.

I will say I wish we didn't have to force these kinds of changes through governmental regulations because it kind of goes counter to free market concepts. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal capitalist democracy. We live in a Madisonian republic that is a compromise at best. It is the best compromise on the planet.

As a fellow HAM and tube device enthusiast, I appreciate your passion and love the debate. Let's agree that LED lamps use less energy and despite how we got here, that part is a good thing.

[JSMCMS]

Oops! Popester is right. My soap box is put away.