Transel Firecracker 50

[stratman56]

I picked one up, the tube is no good, ordered one (!). Only 50 watts, but that with a D104 and the right antenna and I may just get out. I owned an Afterburner back in the day, it was a great amp.

Does anyone have any info on the 50 ?


Steve

[jessejamesdallas]

I had one of those Afterburners (think that was it) back around 1975-76...Back then, 50w's put you up on top of the hill! Now days 50w's won't even get you the time of day....

[stratman56]

Yeh, I had one around the same time. Times sure have changed ! Gawd dang pills and all. I remember guys running generators in the back of their trucks, running BIG tube amps, wiping out the town.....

[Nagant]

Don't see the Transel Firecracker 50's or Dynamite 150's much anymore. Still see the Nitro 300's and Magnum 600's now and then. CB Tricks doesn't have any info on your little 50 nor does any other site that I could think of.

[stratman56]

I got the new tube in, nothin. Guy close by said the signal falls way off with it on. Looks like it has been worked on. Had a HV lead from the xfmr bad solder joint, fixed nothin

[jessejamesdallas]

I got the new tube in, nothin. Guy close by said the signal falls way off with it on. Looks like it has been worked on. Had a HV lead from the xfmr bad solder joint, fixed nothin

Being what it is...I wouldn't spend allot of time or money on it trying to get it working....

[stratman56]

Think I got it figgered out. Whoever worked on this thing really blew it. The B+ high voltage normally goes thru a choke, then off to the plate cap, tuning cirucuit, then out the antenna. It must have smoked the choke, so they pulled it out and never replaced it. Then they hooked the plate cap up to the antenna coil and ground. That aint gonna work.

Going to the electronics shop tomorrow (Sarasota Electronics) and pick up a 22uh choke and I bet this thing will talk .... yeehaw.

I know 50 watts aint much, the 6MJ6 tube may be good for 90 or 100 tho. That and a good antenna and I am talkin !!!

[stratman56]

Here is a pic of what is wrong

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[stratman56]

Thanks to SurplusSales, I got my 1 amp, 44uh plate choke in today, soldered it in, soldered up the plate cap lead, hooked it up, turned it on, flipped the xmit switch, key the mic, 50 WATTS !!!! Yes !

Talked to a couple distant locals, went from 3 to 7.5 pounds !!! Hot damn !! I am glad the old man taught me tube electronics !!

I pulled the leads out of the other two indicator lights, they will go back in tomorrow
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Choke Coil :
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[Radio 75]

Way to go! Always nice to hear of an old glow in the dark box being brought back to life!

[stratman56]

yes !

I know it's only 50 watts, but its the principle of it. I bought it at the local flea market, I am sure it had been given up for dead. Judging from the burned up trace where the antenna jack was soldered to, and the fact the plate choke was gone, I would gamble to say it had been hit by lightning. I think they dorked up the tuning circuit a bit too, I am going to remedy that tomorrow !

[slick21]

im running a 50w amp with an antron 99 and im 80 foot in the air but im down in a holler and get awsome complements on how i get out so to say it wont get you the time of day is way off. may not be as good in dx land but if the conditions are right its plenty. i have a local around here talks on 5w dk and is only 40 foot in the air and walks all over most people.

[stratman56]

I got this thing doing just under 100 watts now, I think I will leave it at that. I even have a spare tube for it too. I am getting good reports both local and DX, sure the big boxes stomp me right out, but I can have a lot of fun as it opens up and as it closes, most of the crowds quit sooner or later...

[231]

Way to go! As mentioned, it's always good seeing those brought back to life. And that should get you another s-unit...sometimes just what the doctor ordered!

[stratman56]

Yeh, that was fun fixing it. Kinda sucks not having a schematic, but thats ok. I think ifn I was going to go for lots of watts, I might go solid state. Back in the day, the BIG amps were all tube. There were mobile transistor amps, but they always sounded 'dirty'.

The tough part was someone removed parts and added some too. They musta know less than me! The hard part was getting it tuned after I got it running, it was way out of whack, the dang plates were glowing after a few seconds on the mic. Now it is all good. Guess I coulda checked the bias current and all, more fun to do by looking at the tube.

My dad had a heck of a shop when I was growing up, lots of military surplus gear and homebrew stuff, not to mention tons of books, all of which burned up in a fire, but not before I had spent years readin and playin !

I have an old Fender tube amp too, resurrected it...fun stuff....

[Night Crawler]

Just curious what kind of tank circuit does it have all I see one control maked tune?

[stratman56]

Yeh, there is no plate tune and load - just tune. One adj cap takes care of both functions. The tap and the last cap serve as the load section. Kind of a neat design, saves an adj cap !

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Simple circuit:

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[Night Crawler]

That's what I thought it's using an L-network if a loading cap was added to change it to a Pi-network it would give it more of a matching range.

Nice little amp I used to build a lot of 1 and 2 tubers from the Palomar schematics back in the day.
At the time 50 or 100 watts was quite a bit of power. I used to go to the hamfests and pick up an old Heathkit DX 20,40 or 60 for around $10 strip it for parts except for the power supply and tank circuit add a relay change the final to a sweep tube sell it and make a few bucks.

[015reddog]

Yeh, that was fun fixing it. Kinda sucks not having a schematic, but thats ok. I think ifn I was going to go for lots of watts, I might go solid state. Back in the day, the BIG amps were all tube. There were mobile transistor amps, but they always sounded 'dirty'.

The tough part was someone removed parts and added some too. They musta know less than me! The hard part was getting it tuned after I got it running, it was way out of whack, the dang plates were glowing after a few seconds on the mic. Now it is all good. Guess I coulda checked the bias current and all, more fun to do by looking at the tube.

My dad had a heck of a shop when I was growing up, lots of military surplus gear and homebrew stuff, not to mention tons of books, all of which burned up in a fire, but not before I had spent years readin and playin !

I have an old Fender tube amp too, resurrected it...fun stuff....

Stratman56

That is pretty darn cool man. This kind of thread almost inspires me to want to learn more of the technical side of the hobby. Very interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing this.

REd

[721HACKSAW]

Tubes aren't dead, just old "sweep" tube stuff. Gets something with a couple of 500Zs, it will be heard!

[stratman56]

015reddog - this is the fun stuff !
This little amp is crankin, just walked thru pounds of noise to connect with unit 13 in Cheyenne Wyoming. All this on my gutter-mount-mobile antenna-on-a-pole !!

721Hacksaw - tubes arent dead, just getting harder to find. This amp is cool, so simple I can fix it. The tube is kinda pricey, but I have two so I should be set for the rest of my life

100 watts on 1 tube ! I think I will leave it at that !!

It was left for dead at the local flea market, now it is back making solid contacts...

[stratman56]

Here is my antenna. I have it up on a pole now, almost perfect SWR.....I made contacts with Arizona with it on the ladder

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[015reddog]

Pretty cool contact you made there on your makeshift antenna. Ever seen one of these? It uses two 6lq6 tubes and is still almost like new except for some dust.

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REd

[stratman56]

Nope - never saw one. Did see lots of others back in the day...Macos were really big...