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I picked up two HP-200CD, one at a hamfest and one at an auction. They were in two different knob styles and tube
variations. Neither one was working. While I have seen the Wien Bridge oscillator in various forms over the years, I
decided to repair one or both of these because of the capability of oscillating into the broadcast band. A PDF manual is
available from the BAMA site. The circuit shows the bridge for controlling frequency with the familiar light bulb
filament in the feedback loop, a pentode voltage amp tube (6SH7 in older set, 6AU6 in newer) and a power amp tube
(6AU5 in the older set, 6CW5/EL86 in nice IERC shields in the newer one) as cathode-follower in each side of the
balanced circuit.
The balanced circuit has positive feedback in criss/cross fashion. The power amps together feed either of two output
transformers depending upon frequency range selected. The output transformers feed a bridged "T" constant impedance
variable output level control. Output is specified as 10 volts RMS into a 600 ohm load and 20 volts open circuit. At
radio frequencies, that makes it a transmitter of about 160 milliwatts. My scope showed a maximum output voltage at
nearly 50 times that of my RF signal generator.
200 KHz from HP-200CD as viewed on scope
http://www.ohio.edu/people/postr/bapix/HP200CD.htm[12/7/2014 12:00:38 PM]
So what good are these other than testing audio amps or aligning very low frequency IF stages? These units put out
sine wave CW up to 600KHz and a bit beyond. Has anyone tried to amplitude modulate one of these? At the very
least, I suppose a scheme similar to the means of modulating early RF alternators might work, that being a carbon mike
in series with the output to an antenna. Experiment and let me know what scheme you have tried that works.
When new this equipment was expensive. It is now relatively cheap and can be used for some functions not intended
by the makers, code practice for example. And demonstrating early amplitude modulation.
A Signal Corps rack-mount audio amplifier/ speaker was the previous item on the bench.