Vintage EF Johnson Adventurer CW Transmitter Repair operation demo Collectors dream

Presentation of a great Johnson tube transmitter.This one is the cleanest I have ever ran across. Took it in on trade for a repair. Glad I did. What a beauty! This is my 1st love, my friends. Grew up with this stuff, draw toward it. Always want to see it survive the ages.

[@JunHinagdanan]

I enjoy watching your video tutorials and repairs. Also when you join the Net for QSO. I like watch and listen CW. More power sir. :)

[@superhet7281]

Excellent! Man, you are on a Johnson kick lately! ;-) The Adventurer was not nearly as popular as the Heathkit AT-1 because it was much more expensive. I think Johnson made a little screen modulator for the Adventurer, but not a plate modulator. I really like your homebrew modulator! Great job!

[@captlarry-3525]

An interesting factoid.. An "identical" T-50 transmitter was made by Knight Kit. $42.50 I think there is also a 3rd xmtr that is the same.. but I cant remember what it is. As kits went in 1957-62 these were expensive. $59.95 Dx35 was $56 DX-40 was $65 both offered phone. The quality and finish was there, many sold , many still around and working.

[@douro20]

I have a Viking Messenger One CB that I need to go through, and a parts chassis for the same. I need to get my E-200-C signal generator fixed first, though; it has a bad selector switch. That is one serious iambic paddle!

[@sextoempirico2243]

For those of you, like me, who are not hams, at 8:05 he says: _Is there anyone transmitting on this frequency? Calling all hams, calling all hams from N6TLU_ (a.k.a. D-lab), which is the translation to English of QRL? CQ CQ DE N6TLU, which is the deciphered Morse code dah-dah-di-dah di-dah-dit di-dah-di-dit di-di-dah-dah-di-dit dah-di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dah dah-di-dah-dit dah-dah-di-dah dah-di-dit dit dah-dit dah-di-di-di-dit dah di-dah-di-dit di-di-dah. It took me some time to decode it, but here we have it.

[@jberk8529]

You don’t have to do code “ CW” to get a license.

[@jerseybob4471]

Super. When I was 14 years old in 1956, I built an Adventurer. It was my novice transmitter. Still an active ham today.

[@r.domareck5278]

I have a Johnson Adventurer and Johnson 250-40 screen modulator. What minor wiring changes are necessary with the Adventurer to enable use of the 250-40 modulator?

[@stevewilson5546]

The meter needs a damping resistor across it to stop the bounce. Equations are available on the web, possibly in the old Radio Amateurs Handbook. The damping resistor will reduce the sensitivity a bit, but you might be able to calibrate it and use a table to correct the reading. You can also place a capacitor across the terminals. This won't affect the reading, but it may increase the settling time. A small electrolytic can be used connected with the same polarity as the meter.

[@Capecodham]

There is nothing wrong with the original capacitors.

[@Tom-W7TMD]

what a beautiful adventurer ! sounds fantastic! That hum sounds like the same hum I'm getting From my Johnson 500. I am still trying to find it...

[@cuban9splat]

WOW... I had the Adventurer as my very first transmitter. This was back in 1959 when I first got my Novice ticket. That one is long gone now but I did recently pick up another one from eBay. It's sitting on the shelf waiting for the capacitors to get here. Great timing, Terry. Thank you. 73 DE K7RMJ Frank

[@BillyLapTop]

I remember back in 1960 while in junior high school, we had a school sponsored radio club and the Adventurer was one of the transmitters we had. Can you imagine having a school radio club back then? They were quite popular. Try and find one today.

[@daveanderson5680]

Nice clean piece of kit....well worth $54.95. Regarding meters that jump around....I’ve noticed on the more recent of the Hickok tube testers a small cap is installed between the 2 mhos meter connectors...the cap acts as a damper on the meter needle.

[@jerrymack6123]

wow that's a great old sound that little adventurer sounds like the sweetest thing this side of Heaven on CW....velvety smooth like melting chocolate ...and that aux modulator is really nice too...!

[@Auska64]

So awesome thanks

[@dokterkulkas4368]

From Indonesia

[@jonteske4267]

My second xmtr in 1956 at age 13 when I was first licensed. Had it for a couple of years and traded it in on a Globe Scout 680A for AM voice with money from my first job.... teaching Morse Code at a Boy Scout camp. I do have a similarly mint one now which I'll use to set up a vintage CW station with one of three Hammarlund rcvrs I have here now. I had it with a Hammarlund HQ-100 as a teen. I would also operate from my mentor's radio at school. He was the shop teacher. I could only operate CW there because he was running a class in the same room. I'd go there instead of study halls.

[@brucegordon7248]

The old Globe Scouts, Chiefs and other WRL rigs also had bouncy meters. They needed some kind of dampeners on them, you had to wait to see where they ended up.

[@N9CQX]

Hello Terry-what value are the resistors you installed across the new caps? Harry

[@pgqneto]

watching from Sao paulo, Brazil. I would like to know what is the potency in watts of it and how long distance would it cover, thanks

[@skyboy2410]

Terry when are you going to offer the Hammered Ham D Lab tee shirts?

[@roberthorn8235]

Do u sell or make and sell d lab external power modulators ??

[@K1ZEK]

Nice find and video. My first transmitter was the Adventurer, I bought it in kit form, wish I could remember what I did with it. Heck I can't remember what day it is. lol 73 Leo k1zek

[@stevewarner8880]

I picked one of those up at an electronics recycling center that is in as good condition as yours. I’m like you and don’t want to power it up. I was thinking of taking it to a ham fest and trading it for something. Does it have any value? I have no idea, I just know I’ll never use it

[@d-labelectronics]

Hey Steve, can you send me a picture of the Adventurer? [e-mail]

[@dhpbear2]

I assume that 'chirp' is oscillation?

[@jimdawes7261]

Wow, what a great unit. So regarding the 700V filter caps, is it mandatory they be exactly 700V? Can't you use a higher voltage cap like we do in AA5 radios?

[@d-labelectronics]

Yes, meet or exceed. That is why I series-ed two 22uf, 450V caps in their place.

[@sski]

I don't know much about that sort of thing, but I do know that is a very clean piece of gear for its age. Very nice!

[@neilsanderson1403]

I also have a pristine Adventurer that I recapped. It had been in storage for about 50 years and was immaculate. After tuning up I leave the meter on grid, so it will bounce less. If doing a QSY I tend to just check the plate tuning by confirming I have maximum output on the wattmeter which is so much easier to read than the meter on the xmtr. Max output has always coincided with the dip at the correct plate current. I use mine a few times a month for old time's sake.

[@wklinger79]

Wonderful looking piece!!!! Do you ever get on 40 Meter AM on the noon forum anymore?

[@daveogarf]

AWESOME! Near-showroom quality.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Nice looking radio! Thanks Terry. Happy New Year!

[@bobbysykesjr.354]

They always got the job done..... I worked many of them in my day.....

[@dhpbear2]

A kit? I guess the slotted screws gives it away :)

[@d-labelectronics]

Also, the workmanship. Factory wired looks quite a bit better

[@allenfogleson]

The Adventurer was my first radio. I paired it with a Drake 2B, then added the VFO for it. later I moved to a Hallicrafters HT32. and yes What I would give to have those rigs today. You have to love these old radios

[@kg2nc]

Man, that's a nice find. Thanks for sharing

[@servetbayer3258]

amazing

[@mohinderkaur6671]

DRY electrolytics - they will work

[@BruceNitroxpro]

Geeze... that's a messy "fixing" job for a pristine old dog. de KQ2E

[@gbowne1]

That big black transformer looks like it is tipped a bit to one side.

[@gbowne1]

if you look at 3:44 the mounting appears slightly skewed.

[@johnstrunck3659]

Thanks for sharing! 73

[@richardbrobeck2384]

cute little guy

[@mktwatcher]

Beautiful Rig! Thank you for sharing.

[@roamershaker]

fun thanks

[@RobertKohut]

Nice!!

[@dancraver3815]

Mint

[@dancraver3815]

Kits

[@dancraver3815]

Cq

[@bmh67wa]

I would love to find an NOS unassembled kit.

[@VintageTechFan]

Me too. And I would likely give collectors a heart attack by actually assembling it. Too bad that you may still have to throw the vintage caps away and modify it for modern ones. Even some carbon composite resistor might have drifted already, too. That somewhat takes the spirit out of it.

[@dancraver3815]

I wish quality kids like that we're still available today

[@animalcorvair]

me too

[@r.taylor7293]

hey terry I was searching for your web sight to see if you had any ham equipment for sale and I cant find your web sight?

[@d-labelectronics]

Hey man, my new site is: d-labelectronics.com, no Ham gear for sale at this time, soon, just wrapping up a mountain of repairs.

[@oilydigits]

Sorry couldn't watch it because of the background music. Why, why have it?