Interesting Article on Checking Out An Old Radio

http://frrl.wordpress.com/2008/12/29/hands-on-electronics-signal-tracing-a-simple-transmitter/

Hands-on Electronics - Signal tracing a simple transmitter
Or, How not to be an appliance operator

Is ham radio still about electronics? If you think so, then this posting is for you.

You may want to read our nearly related article on the Heathkit radios (Collecting Heathkit Models SB-101,102 & HW 100,101 ). That posting contains a high level conceptual explanation of how the transmit section of those radios work. We think that the Heathkit folks missed an opportunity in the education market.

Heathkit had a great platform in the SB and HW series of transceivers to serve as a course in electronics - learn as you build. But that was not to be. Perhaps an objection is that there were high voltages in the Heathkits - 800 volts on the plates of the tubes. So, sticking fingers in the wrong place in a Heathkit is going to get you zapped. So maybe that would undermine ones joy of learning.