Picked up a little amp this week end

[Radio Tech]

A Johnson Viking Thunderbolt
Man this thing is heavy!
But she is a beauty. Only a few nicks and a scratch here and there.

The owner changed out the 4-400's with 3-500z's. He thought it was a plain tube swap. When he put the originals back in he then found that when you hit the plate switch it appears to be in tx mode. Other words the OD3 and OC3's start the glow, there is a hum and the tubes will start to turn orange. So looks like he took something out in the bias circuit since the tubes are turning orange.

I can not believe the appearance of this amplifier. The inside is so clean. I will post some pics of the inside later. I was already offered 2 grand for it.

Anyway this is a beautiful piece of history.

 

[Sonwatcher]

Nice !

 

[Chop]

very slick. was it made to look like an old AM radio receiver on purpose?

 

[Radio Tech]

very slick. was it made to look like an old AM radio receiver on purpose?

Yes,
That is the Way EF. Johnson used to build them back on the 50 and 60's. Everything looked alike back then.
These made great AM transmitters.
I worked for EF Johnson in the early 90's and got to read up on all the old stuff they built. Plus worked on a lot of it.

Nice !

Why thank you.

 

[Mr Clean]

I know where one is that a farmer has. Never saw it and hes had lt put up for along time. May have to call him. Whats the output on that amp? THATS A NICE ONE!

 

[-=PEAKABOO=-]

Very nice!!!!!!!!!

 

[Radio Tech]

I know where one is that a farmer has. Never saw it and hes had lt put up for along time. May have to call him. Whats the output on that amp? THATS A NICE ONE!

I be on that if I was you. Never know what you could get it for.
The amplifier is a good kilowatt plus output.

Very nice!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

Here is a pic of the amp on with the lights out looking in the top

 

[mrgumby]

I had one of those amps paired up with the viking trnsmitter and a halicrafter receiver way back in the late 70s and early 80s..what a sweet sounding radio set up every body commented on the loud clean and smooth audio...oh keep your hands out of them LOL;;I learned that when i was young and dumb and didn't know better ..a lot of juice and that bad boy

 

[Radio Tech]

I had one of those amps paired up with the viking trnsmitter and a halicrafter receiver way back in the late 70s and early 80s..what a sweet sounding radio set up every body commented on the loud clean and smooth audio...oh keep your hands out of them LOL;;I learned that when i was young and dumb and didn't know better ..a lot of juice and that bad boy

So why you part with it?

I have several other Johnson rigs. But they are cb's.
And you are right. lot of juice in these things. I work on a lot of vintage and modern ham amps. They will not hurt you, But they will kill you.

 

[mrgumby]

I love the old tube rigs myself wish I new then what I know now ..I got rid of it well you know when your young your always looking for something new ..got rid of that amp and got a polamar 300A tube job and a FT101e ..had many tube radio since then and tube amps ...I still have a browning and elkinn amp and siltronix 1011d ..can't seem to find any one to work on the siltronix..no one up my way works on tube stuff anymore..looking to have someone go thru the siltronics but can't find any one ..i love the tube stuff but the repairs are getting harder to find

 

[Radio Tech]

I love the old tube rigs myself wish I new then what I know now ..I got rid of it well you know when your young your always looking for something new ..got rid of that amp and got a polamar 300A tube job and a FT101e ..had many tube radio since then and tube amps ...I still have a browning and elkinn amp and siltronix 1011d ..can't seem to find any one to work on the siltronix..no one up my way works on tube stuff anymore..looking to have someone go thru the siltronics but can't find any one ..i love the tube stuff but the repairs are getting harder to find

I know what you mean about being young. I just can not remember that far back

I ran a shop with a partner for about 25 years. He past away 7 years ago. After that I closed shop until about a year and a half ago. Then I turned my garage into a ham shack. Started working on other folks stuff and now I have expanded twice. One of the best tube amp guys, Bill Edwards - K4BWC now a Silent Key, from Kightdale was good. He had North Carolina sowed up in repairing tubes. After he past there was no one left to work on these things.

I am now getting that business plus lots of other tube radio stuff. There is only a few of us left in these parts. With the current license structure for amateur radio, most guys do not know how to install a PL-259 let alone work on their gear. (Not their fault, the system is to blame) Which is fine with me. That is why I am in business.

 

[Suicide Ride]

WOW!! What a beauty! Nice find RT!

I've wanted 1 of those for a long time but always had someone w/ more $$$ than me outbid me @ auction time. Oh well...... maybe 1 day.....

SR

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

very slick. was it made to look like an old AM radio receiver on purpose?

LOL, Buddy, what are we going to do about these young'uns anyway.

Nice find BTW.

 

[Radio Tech]

LOL, Buddy, what are we going to do about these young'uns anyway.

Nice find BTW.

I know what you mean.


Had a guy walk in the shop this week end. He looks at the viking and say's, what kind of radio is this?

Got a collector coming this week to look at it. He has a drake receiver and a johnson transmitter. I am sure he will buy it.

Most folks do not know how to run one of these let alone connect it to a rig.

 

[HiDef]

If someone plugged 3-500s in there it would have shorted the screen and grid bias supplies together. Your VR tOObs are still lighting so it looks like the screen supply is still working to some extent.

If the 4-400s are blushing it is probably due to lack of negative grid bias. Maybe it was simply potted all the way down. Check idle current per the manual.

That amp is in very nice condition but if someone offered 2k$ I'd take the bux and buy an Alpha 76 3 holer and take the wife out for dinner.