Heathkit Test Oscillator TO-1

[John-Del]

Going through some old stuff I had picked up at a time and place long forgotten, I ran across this little gadget.

Here's a link to an ebay auction (not mine). Clearly way overpriced but the listing includes a good picture and description:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Heathkit-TO-1-Test-Oscillator-Ham-CB-Works-w-Paper-Manual-Rare-Very-Clean-/301980718574

This item would be very hand in working on AA5s providing a fast and easy setup in a compact case. It has the most common IF frequencies and a 600 and 1400khz position for tracking. It also included two slots for add on crystals but I don't know the range the generator is capable of reaching.

Curious, I did a calibration test on it to see how close it was after almost 60 years. I replaced the electros but left the papers as is. I replaced the 12AU7 which was weak on both sides. This is what I found:

262 read 261.65khz

455 read 454.53

465 read 464.45

600 read 599.83

1400 read 1401.39

Audio tone read 440 hz

Judging by the quality of construction, my guess is that this particular example was factory assembled. It would also explain the excellent calibration this example was found in. But I wonder how a kit builder would perform a calibration at home, unless the kit sent pre-adjusted coils in location specific marked bags. It would be interesting to see an assembly manual.

John
Wolcott, CT

[Peter Wieck]

That would be very handy for alignments, dial calibration and other tasks applicable to AM radios.

I will keep my eye out for one at the next Kutztown in a few weeks!

As always, look for me at the Club table.

Thank you for the lead!

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[John-Del]

Post by Peter Wieck
That would be very handy for alignments, dial calibration and other tasks applicable to AM radios.
I will keep my eye out for one at the next Kutztown in a few weeks!
As always, look for me at the Club table.
Thank you for the lead!
Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

One of these years I'm going to make that road trip to Kutztown Peter and meet you in person. As long as we keep the conversation on anything but politics I'm sure we'd get along famously.

That Heathkit is a handy toy and it's well made. The only thing I can really say that is a *very slight* negative is that because this generator has fixed frequencies, you can't tell where the radio in question is in tune. I always check the radios I align by first seeing what IF frequency they are currently tuned at and make note of it before changing the alignment. Not a deal breaker but the variable dial generators can tell that.

If I had suspected this thing was so accurate and stable as it turned out to be I would have been using it all these years.

[Jim Mueller]

On Mon, 14 Aug 2017 06:44:41 -0700, John-Del wrote:

snip

Post by John-Del
But I wonder how a kit builder
would perform a calibration at home, unless the kit sent pre-adjusted
coils in location specific marked bags. It would be interesting to see
an assembly manual.
John Wolcott, CT

All of the frequencies marked on it, or their harmonics, correspond to
normal broadcast frequencies. One could calibrate it very accurately by
zero beating it against a station on the appropriate channel.

[Foxs Mercantile]

Post by John-Del
Going through some old stuff I had picked up at a time and
place long forgotten, I ran across this little gadget.

Dat's funny John, I have one of those too.

[John-Del]

Post by Foxs Mercantile

Post by John-Del
Going through some old stuff I had picked up at a time and
place long forgotten, I ran across this little gadget.

Dat's funny John, I have one of those too.
--
Jeff-1.0
wa6fwi
http://www.foxsmercantile.com

Good to see you posting Jeff. I hope you were spared by Harvey.

John
Wolcott, CT

[Peter Wieck]

Post by John-Del
Good to see you posting Jeff. I hope you were spared by Harvey.
John
Wolcott, CT

No storm would dare approach Ranger, TX. I have been there, and know this to be a fact.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA

[Foxs Mercantile]

Post by Peter Wieck

Post by John-Del
Good to see you posting Jeff. I hope you were spared by Harvey.

No storm would dare approach Ranger, TX. I have been there, and know this to be a fact.

Ranger is 315 miles from the coast.
It's like sitting up in the top tier at a NASCAR race.
You're far enough away to 1. not get hit by a car, and 2. any flying
tires, you can see far enough in advance to get up and move.

What we DID get was three weeks of blessed relief from the summer heat
and a total of under a 1/4" of rain.

I had a lawn chair fall over. I told folks, "We will rebuild."