Charming Radios of Old! Or just plain old and no charm!
Looks Like an AMECO AC-1 Clone
My build of the W7ZOI Dec89/Jan90 QST, 20M SSB Transceiver
Imagine making contacts with the CW transmitter in the 1st photo. The wiring for the Key is 300 Ohm Twin lead. Like we used to say when I was in the Navy, any port in the storm. BTW an AMECO Clone Kit today is several hundred dollars.
The 3rd photo is a rig I still have. W7ZOI had a hand made dial readout --- mine has an LCD with the EI9GQ VFO stabilizer. The advantage of technology and a 10–15-year span between the two builds., Same design with some updates.
In thinking about this post, I reasoned that technology advancements have two subsets those being cosmetic and functionality.
Despite the handwritten dial scale, (4th photo) on the W7ZOI original that in no way reflects how the rig performs and how it sounds on the air. Of note W7ZOI's tuning system has a Coarse and Fine tune controls. It likely won't get you to a 20Hz readout but certainly a lot closer than with just the coarse tuning.
W7ZOI did something clever things in this radio (well actually lots of clever things) with the output side of the VFO. He installed a low pass filter following the 5 MHz VFO (9MHZ IF). This is a way to reduce VFO 2nd Harmonics and spurs.
Most likely if LCDs in 1989 were low in cost, there would be one in the rig. Then again, adding more than a hand write on the case would involve significant hardware and possibilities for internally generated noise.
My LCD install was a by-product of solving the dreaded VFO frequency drift issue. The VFO in my rig was built in an aluminum box that had 1/4-inch walls. All the holes were tapped for 4-40 screws. The internal drive was a Jackson Brothers which was then gear driven with anti-backlash gears on the outside.
The inductor was an Air-Dux coil mounted on isolation pads and glued to a chunk of plexiglass. Multiple NPO and Silver Mica caps were used in the tank circuit and power was fed using a ceramic feed through cap. The variable cap came from England and was a double bearing type. Yet it drifted!
It was about this time I learned of the work of Ed, EI9GQ with the PIC 16F84 micro-controllers to stabilize the frequency. Essentially, once engaged as you QSY the frequency is read and stored. Through the loop each time the frequency read is compared to the frequency stored and any deviation causes a +/- correction voltage to a small diode which then changes its capacitance, and you are huffing and puffing the frequency back to the stored value. Change frequencies and the process is repeated.
Thusly my version gets the advantage of the cosmetic look and the stay put on frequency functionality. It was a twofer. I got the stabilized frequency and a digital read out came along for the ride. My 1st Bitx 20 had the same LCD and Frequency Stabilizer hardware.
Back to photo #1. I never had an AMECO AC-1 and I don't think I ever cloned one. But for a ham just starting out this would be a great 1st rig as you have to work to make contacts. Thus, each contact, was an adventure in itself. Just thinking, imagine sitting in front of a BC-455 (40M ARC-5 Rx) with this transmitter and making CW contacts on 40M. It might be fun for at least a couple of hours.
73's
Pete N6QW