LadyBug Technologies LB480A RF Power Sensor - RF Cafe

BSEE - KB3UON

RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling 2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps while tying up your telephone line, and a nice lady's voice announced "You've Got Mail" when a new message arrived...

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RCA Victor Models 9T and 9K2, 9-Tube, 5- to 566-Meter (Beam Power Output) Set
January 1937 Radio-Craft

January 1937 Radio-Craft

[Table of Contents]

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio-Craft, published 1929 - 1953. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

RCA Victor was one of America's leaders in electronic design for military, commercial, industrial, and domestic products. The company led the way for many innovative features in reception and sound quality, as well as customer convenience features like self-tuning and pushbutton selection of bands and channels. The Model 9T and Model 9K2, a tabletop and a floor console design, respectively, were virtually the same electronically with the exception of a smaller speaker in the 9T. RCA included a "Magic Eye" for tuning as well as a "Magic Brain" IF section for providing enhanced frequency discrimination between bands. The "Magic Voice" setup assured that "low tones emerge in phase, and thereby eliminate boominess, or reverberation." Wow, the 9T / 9K2 really must have been truly magic, at least according to RCA.

RCA Victor Models 9T and 9K2, 9-Tube, 5- to 566-Meter (Beam Power Output) Set

The 9K2 cabinet with back open shown by reflection. At the bottom, "Magic Voice" tubes preventing low-note resonance.

The two models are alike in all but cabinet and reproducer; 9T, table type, has an 8-in. speaker; 9K2, console type, with 12-in. speaker, incorporates the "Magic Voice." 5 metal open-end tubes inserted in the cabinet base, to make low tones emerge in phase, and thereby eliminate boominess, or reverberation. (The model 9K2 is illustrated.)

The R.F. oscillator and 1st-det. stages form a detachable unit ("Magic Brain") feeding the 460-kc. I.F. amplifier. The 5 bands are X, 150-410 kc.; A, broadcast, 530-1,800 kc.; B, medium, 1,800-6,400 kc.; C, short-wave, 6.4 to 23 megacycles; D, ultra-S.W., 23-60 mc.

An unusual method of switching is used in the antenna and detector circuits, by which parts of the same windings are used in more than one range; the oscillator stage, for greater stability, uses separate windings. Thus coil "X" is part of the secondary, in the X band, and "X Pri." transmits the input signal; in the "A" band, "X" becomes the primary, leaving "A", "B", "C" in the secondary; etc. For band D, a separate L-turn coil is used. Consult switching details above and coil connections shown (right). The I.F. transformers are new "magnetite" type, with fixed condensers, and tuned by adjusting the cores to obtain correct inductance. Magnetite-core wavetrap L1 cuts out 460-kc. interference.

"Music-Speech" control is an addition to the tone-filter (on Vol. Con.) which balances tones at different settings; Sw.5 (on power Sw.4) cuts in additional 0.1-mf. capacity to reduce L.F. response and increase intelligibility of speech. This is in addition to regular "Tone Control" over the output of V7.

"Magic Eye" tube, VB, with maximum volt-age (developed by 0.22-meg. resistor across input of V5) shows resonance to signal tuned-in by minimum width of dark area on its fluorescent end. Tuning knob has 20:1 and 100:1 dial-drive ratios, latter for the shorter waves especially.

Posted August 17, 2017

Radio Service Data Sheets

These schematics, tuning instructions, and other data are reproduced from my collection of vintage radio and electronics magazines. As back in the era, similar schematic and service info was available for purchase from sources such as SAMS Photofacts, but these printings were a no-cost bonus for readers. There are 227 Radio Service Data Sheets as of December 28, 2020.

RCA Victor Models 9T and 9K2, 9-Tube, 5- to 566-Meter (Beam Power Output) Set January 1937 Radio-Craft

RCA Victor Models 9T and 9K2, 9-Tube, 5- to 566-Meter (Beam Power Output) Set

RCA Victor Models 9T and 9K2, 9-Tube, 5- to 566-Meter (Beam Power Output) Set
January 1937 Radio-Craft