Hi Will, I just discovered your channel and I'm delighted you rebuild HW-101 transceivers. I built one 50 years ago when I was a kid. It was my first radio. I wish I still had it. I always enjoyed it until I discovered girls and then the radio got put in the closet and lost in a move. Lol. You've got me kinda wanting to find a nice one to help remember my youth. Thanks Ted. K4SI
Love the dental pick and lazy susan technique, will be adopting. You have some really great tricks and I'm sure we all appreciate you taking the time to share. Hope you're having a lovely day.
Hi Will. I always enjoy seeing your Heathkit restorations appear on the QRZ swapmeet, not because I'm in the market for one but because I like your videos and methods! Question, what is your approach to cleaning/lubing variable capacitor bearings? I've got a Drake TR-4 on my bench right now, it's caps turn reasonably well but are a bit stiffer than what I think is appropriate. If I ever do buy one of these cool old rigs, it will be one that you've worked your magic on!
Hi there. Excellent radios you have there. I have a question for you. Where do you get the rubber drive belts. I have a TS 510 and the belts look the same. Thanks. Paul .De HS0ZLQ, G0MIH
I've worked a lot of DX in my life and could never count how many non-Americans asked me what "rig" I'm using. Seems to me that ops worldwide call their radio a "rig," probably because it's a short and easy word to send/copy in CW. I'm a mediocre CW op, but the word jumps out at me, just like 73, ES, 599 or CQ.
It is definitely used in America for any complex machine. For example, computer hardware enthusiasts call their computer setup a "rig", fishermen use it and so do professional truckers - truck being a "big rig". I think it's originally a sailing term for the complex set of ropes and sails that got the ship rigged. These radios are definitely rigs.
Did you power it up without a light bulb current limiter? I don't use a variac, but at least a light bult as a limiter / fuse! I've never heard a tech say I expect it to smoke or blow up, that's mostly preventable. Love your work otherwise :)
Excellent work, excellent video. Please keep it up, I love this sort of content. I've always followed Mr. Carlson's advice and literally washed an old dirty amp with WD-40, maybe half a big can while working it with a tooth brush and paint brush. I know that's a bit controversial, but I've done it many times. I agree with Carlson that the WD-40 renews old pcb boards and keeps them in strong shape for a long time. That said, my next amp I'll try washing an amp in the sink like you did haha and probably with a few gallons of distilled water instead. Here in California our well water is terribly hard.
I'm not crazy about the WD-40 approach, but many, many times I've taken radio and guitar amp chassis to my driveway and scrubbed them with dish soap and simple green. I used a hose attachment (made for car rinsing) that created de-ionized, filtered water for the final rinse, blast it with compressed air and let everything dry spot-free in the SoCal sun. Your distilled water is a good idea! I'd take some sensitive bits out first (say a Collins VFO!) but it's a very valid approach to cleaning old gear. Long ago, an old-timer told me "There ain't nothin' in that radio that water will damage" and he was pretty close to right. Some guys run them through the dishwasher, but I don't like the lack of control and I'm afraid it could wash silk-screening right off!
@@socallars3748 Thanks, great info. Now that I'm thinking on it, I might make the distilled water a solution of maybe 3-5% oxalic acid while cleaning to remove rust from a really weathered amp. I've often scrubbed with oxalic acid to remove rust spots, but if you're already bathing and scrubbing might as well do it in one go.
Will This was a very wonderful video really loved it. Nice of to think of others and sharing valuable info. Learned so much. No words to express my gratitude you are a gift to Ham Radio a True Ham thanks 73s Mike WB7QXU
Hi Will The 101 that you restored for me a year ago is still going strong. Keep doing what you do and maybe take on a SB 220 amp or some other rescue heathkit. take care 73's
Thank you Will for making these videos. Your calm method of troubleshooting and repair is outstanding. I still have my HW-101 that I built in 1973 and it is one of my prized possessions. It’s not a shelf queen; I use it regularly and get positive feedback during QSOs. I’ve learned a great deal from you on this rig. Best 73, Tom
I picked up one at a second hand store. He had no idea what it was. He asked a reasonable price, so it came home with me. It’s on my bench to be repaired.
Just picked up a PS like that one at a local “junk store” and I plan to restore it. EBAY had a “kit” to restore the power supply. Bet it’s Iike the kit you used.
35 years ago I was at a neighborhood garage sale. bought one of these with power supply lots of extra stuff for 20 bucks. mine has the cw filter. I put dial cords and springs in to replace the rubber bands. the radio worked great. its been on the storage self ever since.
As a kid in the early 70's I built the DX-60B, the HW-101 and helped friends build their HW-16's. You are bringing back many wonderful memories. Thanks for the excellent video documentation. Your work is an art. I am still in possession of my HW-101 but it stay cold. Love to watch your work.
Great Video, I noted each of the restoration techniques and interesting materials Will used! Unfortunately my 1944 Hallicrafters SX-28A has a very blackened chassis underside, and the cadmium plating I wet sanded wont clean up, and no bottom cover nor Art Deco case came with it. So I may go with the Krylon Metallic recommendation AND the KOALA decals but Laser printers are not that common. My real reason to comment is I built a new HW-16 for my best friend from Newton NJ HS ARC where we both started out in 1969. The rig was fun, but I added an EXTRA IF stage, just buying the parts at Heathkit in NYC, and mounted it in the RX IF area. WORKED GREAT, and one night we actually heard an eerie signal coming over the North Pole from a research station in Novosibersk RUSSIA, and quickly reground our nearest XTAL, dried it off and made the contact... I am still working at 70 in EMI/EMC, Reliability and Certification of 400G Optical Networking equipment, building and fixing stuff as needed thanks to 55 years of Ham Radio and Servicing experience. PS: How did you CLEAN the tubes, and not the markings? I saw the excellent Elecronics Old And New and Mikrowave1 YT videos use Deoxit and some dental cleaners on tube sockets and brass wire brush the pins. 73s Hilary W4HDL
Excelent video, How did you clean the knobs? Could you put some RTV caulking compound in the grommet where the power cord goes through? It might help hold the cord in place.
I imagine American radio amateurs from 50 or 60 years ago with the kit purchased at Heatkit and received in a large cardboard box (when there were no Yaesus or Kenwood, or Icoms, etc., only very expensive Collins and perhaps Drakes) gradually building this sophisticated SSB transmitter transceiver (for that time). ,
I'm looking for a young guy to take my Heathkit VTVM. It works great. I built it when I was16 years old, in 1968. I've never restored it, never really needed to. I lost the plastic probe somewhere along the way. I want to give it to someone who will appreciate what it is. I will ship it to you, free of charge. Steve KF5RGH
Very nice restoration, very nice receiver!!! Really enjoyed this video. Nothing is better than a clean, aligned, and functional receiver. Maybe consider getting an AC Variac for the first power on. It might prevent some fireworks. 🙂
A great restoration of a HW-16. It and works and work fantastic. Well done. This model was my first transmit capable radio after I got my Novice license in the late 70s. I also had the external vfo which kept me from needing to the crystals for the transmit frequency. Thanks for sharing this restoration Will.
NEVER have I been enamored with Heathkit and their PC board/ vacuum tubes combo. On some equipment, just the heat from larger tubes can deteriorate the board, solder joints, and traces. The use of compactron like tubes in some of their equipment is particularly annoying. I am 75. First licensed in 65, general in summer of 66
Fine video. I restored my HW101 recently recaped and few resistors. I left the vfo alone and did not recap anything there. The tranceiver has worked well. I decided though to remove vfo for inspection. There where some dust there which I removed and cleaned the capacitor and lubricated the gear. Put it back and turned on and scale was little bit off. I aligned the tuning scale with crystal calibration and by trimmin the screws on 3.5 mhz. Things ok there but if change bands to say 14 mhz or 7.0 mhz the zerobeat are little bit of scale - not on the same place on scale. My question is what controls this or what is the best thing to do to be sure that I get zerobeat on same place on scale when changing bands?
Great work. I am working on fixing up a HW-22A I built in the late 60s. Also have a HW-12. I saw a couple single Banders on your shelf. Hope you do videos on those! 73, N4DJ
Looks and sounds GREAT! Nice job Will! I'm hanging on to my HW-16 I bought used in 1981 as a novice - hope to restore that sometime myself. This video was the tutorial I needed! 73, N0DET
