Typically the Desk KW is not a real quick tune up. My main goal was a brief overview. I would probably go back and forth a couple of times as well as adjusting my matchbox if need be. Something to also keep in mind is I did not fully load the amplifier. I was trying to stay at ~300 watts or so.

@@zacharycastillo7075 Thanks for the info! I'm getting one soon. If you can and wouldn't mind doing a detailed vid on hooking the Ranger to the desk would be great info/help

@@Tom-W7TMD I wouldn’t mind. I will see what I can put together. If you don’t have something yet, you will need to make a cable that passes the output from the audio section of the Ranger to the Desk KW. There should be a diagram in the Desk KW manual. It is readily available for download online. However take note. The connector for the Ranger side has a different number of pins than the connector for the Desk side. And one of those pins goes to the relay socket on the Ranger.

Thank you. The 75A-1 was Collins first amateur radio produced after the stalling of amateur service during WW2. It was paired with the 32V-1 or the 30K-1 transmitters. Very very selective for the time. And honestly it is even quieter than my 75S-3. The audio is a bit high on SSB mainly because it wasn’t intended for SSB use. It’s an amazing receiver.

What would you like to see? It is a bit of an interesting little amplifier that a lot of people don’t even know exists. Mainly because there were not a lot of commercial produced VHF amplifiers designed for amateur use at the time.

Well I’m glad you were able to learn something new haha! They could be used with the Ranger, Valiant, or Viking 2. Really just about any radio that has a modulation section and the high voltage and low voltage supplies. I use it in junction with the Ranger, the manual also states how to use it with the Valiant as well as the Viking 2. I believe it also gives a how to on one other transmitter that is not EF Johnson. Back in the days when not everything was truly plug and play hahaha! Take a look on the video I did about the 6N2 Thunderbolt. Pretty rare amplifier that EF Johnson made for VHF. Many do not even know it exists!

Hey Mark, Is the meter completely toast or nonexistent? This meter was only ever used on the 75A-1. None of the others will work because if you take a look the 75A-1 meter is back lit through the dial, not just behind the dial. When it came to a new meter I just have to say I got SUPER DUPER lucky and randomly found one on e-bay. My best advice, look for one on the Collins Reflector or on QTH. But you mush be very clear that it MUST be for the 75A-1 if you try any other the light is not held in the same way and it will not work. Do not even bother with someone telling you that a S-line one will work. It will not, trust me I’ve already tried. Another little piece of advice, while it takes some work look on eBay for just random meters. I will double check my notes because I do have it some where the exact company who made them. So go on eBay and just look for meters by that company. Set notifications for new listings with those key words. That is how I found mine. Also make sure it is the S-meter.

Definitely learned a lesson that is for sure.

I demonstrated it in low power due to the fact that at the time I did not have a dummy load that could take its full output. And either way it’s PEP could far over the legal limit in AM which is how I was demonstrating it. However I do plan on doing another video with it here in the future with it in CW. Thanks for letting me know about the SSB though! I had heard from several people it did not sound well on SSB. But that doesn’t take away from my goal of using it on SSB at least once. I plan on using a Pacemaker and it’s audio amplifier. I also have the Johnson power divider.

@@zacharycastillo7075 QSL.It should work well in the ssb mode,I always used a scope.You might try a ht37, however they did not put any alc in the 37 so you have about 5 stages of audio hitting the 6146, not a good design.They corrected that in the ht44.If the guys were driving the desk without using a scope that could be overdriven.Also Johnson did some mods to improve ssb amps with serial numbers 100500 and above had the latest mods.In one mod they replaced the 4-400A with penta labs PL175A which is a pentode and they may have gone to AB1 operation.My neighbor had a desk kilowatt with that mod,which he did himself.Some where I have a late instruction book with all of the mods Johnson sent to me back in the day.Thanks for sharing,VY 73 W9NVN

Hey Steve! The repeater modification only allows you to transmit with an offset frequency to use it on the lower end of 2 meters (144.5-145.5 MHz). Is your local repeater within that frequency range? At the time of production, repeaters could not be used on the lower portion of 2 meters. If you are having a hard time with using local repeaters your issue is more than likely not that. Most modern repeaters have a PL tone on them. In which case the ft-221r does not have a PL tone generator. I know there are several for sale online that can be installed on these older rigs for this reason. Feel free to look me up on QRZ and send me an e-mail and I will be more than willing to help you out with your project. This rig is my baby, and I will cling on to it till the day I die. 73, Zack KK4RUT

Thank you! If you get a chance take a look at my video on the 6N2 Thunderbolt as well. I did a one using the 6N2 as the exciter.

I am right there with you. I find it kinda funny that this receiver had such a combination of the two different styles. The ones on the front panel were all Philips, but almost all of the ones on the inside were flat head. I’d rather them look and function 100% the way they were designed. Some times that’s not feasible, but when it is that is what I go for. One good example would be on the 6N2 Thunderbolt I own. It did not come with the original long screws that Johnson used, so I bought the only ones that were available and of course they only came in Philips. These screws are SUPER long. They are even longer than the Ranger ones. Kinda crazy if I do say so my self haha!

They are a great little receiver. This one was a good project that’s for sure. Took me several months. Look me up on QRZ if you would like to send me an e-mail.

Thank you. I don’t know that I would say it’s over priced. It is a pretty rare unit. I would probably be willing to pay that much for a 100% perfectly restored and clean one. Mine is 100% perfect. It never will be. The guy who had it before me didn’t take care of it. But I will say, for your typical unrestored Desk KW, yeah $4K is way to much. The guy who I bought it from had never seen it power on. He said he owned it for about 25 years but had sold it to a guy who he bought it back from a year or two later. I told him, if I bought it; him buying it back would never be an option.

I am not using it with a modern transceiver. I am using it with a Johnson 6N2 Transmitter. I have an attenuator on the output of the transmitter. And I am using a Dow key, just as the manual has for the amplifier except for my connection to the Receiver muting. If someone would like to use one with a modern transceiver it will involve a little more work. What rig is he using do you know?

@@zacharycastillo7075 Thanks for that. He is using an Icom 746. I can see a few dow keys, switching the amp in/out, plus bypassing the amp to allow for the rig to receive. I may be contact with you further on this. Tim VE3IIM/VE6PG

I agree. I also did the modification on it to allow for repeater use on the lower end of 2 meters which was not legal when it was first produced. This radio really is one of my treasures.

It is a great rig. It doesn’t have a lot of power by any means, but it was perfect for me when I was just using the local repeater that I could see from my house. I did just check eBay and there is someone selling brand new cables for it, but they are a bit pricey.

Thank you! I definitely will. I have made a goal for myself to demonstrate in detail pieces of equipment that I own that have yet to be done justly. Not everyone has one of these, but I know there is curiosity. I hope to better our community with my videos.

Thank you, but I did not buy it that way. It took a lot of work for me to get it that way! Restoring these things is my passion!