So I purchased an am tube transmitter on eBay from a gentleman in Virginia who builds them. I paid a fairly high price, but I feel it's worth it. His design involved three tubes. It plugs into the wall, has a long wire coming out of the metal box, a nice audio cable as well. Had a post with nut and washer for grounding. It can be tuned by a nice big knob from about 750 am up to 1100 am. It has a nice glow from the tubes. Excellent audio for am. I'm playing old southern gospel music through it to my antique emerson radio.
The range covers my small apartment building of about 16 apartment units. I haven't put a ground rod in the ground to see if that will extend my range somewhat yet, but I'm happy with housecasting really.
There's not much worth listening to on am around here anyway. Talk, talk, and more talk. A couple classic country stations that play same songs everyday.BBN christian station to the north and that's about it.
I really appreciate the fine American craftsmanship in this transmitter. I'll try to get some pics uploaded later.
I don't have sound boards and other contraptions, i just hook the audio cables to the pc and push the sound until it starts to distort, but honestly it's just as loud as the local talk am without distortion. Much better sound with music than my talking house, but the talking house range seems better. I use radio dj.
I plan on streaming old time radio shows thru it for the elderly neighbors.
Thought I would share.
Just an fyi the tubes used are 12au6, 12cs6 and 50hk6. I'm not familiar with different types of tubes, any input from anyone?
And I should mention, no annoying hum.
Can you post a picture so we can see it?
Mark
I can't seem to get a pic uploaded but here is a link to his transmitter on eBay. Pictures there.
Nice, all hand done with no printed circuit boards....like things used to be.
Mark
My thoughts exactly. No Chinese quality here. I'm thoroughly enjoying this transmitter. It drifted slightly while it was warming up, but has consistently stayed in 1100 am for the last 8 hours with no drift. Walking around it or touching the transmit wife has no effect on it like my talking house. Sipping tea, smoking my pipe, listening to sherlock Holmes on my emerson tube radio. Today has been a good day.
To me that sounds like a good price, considering what you get. I mean it appears to be of excellent construction (not that I would actually know, but just looking it over gives me that impression). It doesn't look like just something thrown together, and in the guys description you get the sense of quality. The tubes is something that always attract me.
This link you provided showed limitted info, here's the same item of this seller which shows more pictures and full description: http://www.ebay.com/itm/AM-BROADCASTER-TRANSMITTER-HEAR-YOUR-MUSIC-ON-ANTIQUE-AIRLINE-PHILCO-RCA-ZENITH-/131851452425
I'm curious what you mean by "touching the transmitter wife" 😉
Lol, wire. I think I'll leave the wife alone. She's content with the tv. She looks at me like I'm crazy sitting next to the radio staring at the lighted dial.
If I had one request it would be that it would tune higher than 1100. I have found that I get better coverage around 1590 And higher. But other than that I have no complaints thus far.
I'm a little comfused on the antenna.. I see two wires which I assume is for power and audio, but see no antenna wire or place to connect one. What am I missing?
-- You ought too ask the seller if it can be modified for higher frequencies.
All three wires come out the same hold. Antenna, power, and audio.
I have to agree it looks like a very nice transmitter with high quality parts and hand wiring -- reminds me a lot of all the ham radio gear I used to build when I had more time 🙂
But he can't legally be selling them. Selling an assembled Part 15 transmitter in the USA requires FCC certification.
I don't want to be the party pooper here, but that's the way it is.
I see no informatiion about certification in the very excellent and thorough description, nor is there required certification information affixed to the transmitter piictured.
Of course, it's legal for you to use it as long as it meets the technical requirements which it appears to, but it's illegal for HIM to be selling them, putting himself at risk of a fine.
TIB
That's a shame, hopefully he doesn't run into trouble. It's a fine product