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Heathkit SB-101 SSB/CW Transceiver
Radio still boxed up, will unbox and take picture soon! - or maybe scan a picture in a catalog...
A Dream Machine..CW Filter, LMO, 5 Bands & Calibration!
HEATHKIT 5 Band SSB/CW Transceiver
- Year of Manufacture: 1967-70 (Improved SB-100[1965-7])
- Bands: 80 - 10 (500kc) (2 Mhz on 28-30 mhz)
- Modes: CW & SSB
- Power: 180W PEP SSB & 170 input CW - 6146 Output Tubes
- Frequency Control: LMO- Linear Master Oscillator (Like PTO)
- Selectivity: 6 Pole filter 2.1kc @ 6db down (Accessory CW filter 400hz)
- Contstruction: Aluminum Chassis & Cabinet-Printed circuit board wiring
- Keying: PTT and VOX voice operation, VOX with sidetone for CW
- Power Supplies: AC or DC power supplies availiable
- Microphone: High Impeadance Desk or Mobile Microphones availiable.
- Frequency Control: Local LMO/Xtal, Remote VFO/SB-640 w/Mod
- Accessories: SB-200 Linear Amplifier, SB-500 2mtr Xvtr, SB-600 Speaker, SB-610 Monitor Scope, SB-620 Panadapter, SB-630 Station Console, SB-640 Remote VFO & SB-650 Digital Read-out.
- Features: Easy to operate, TX & RX circuits track, RX RF Preamp, Easy to calibrate and read dial calibration, Two-Tone Green wrinkle paint, Switched Metering, Construction Manual very comprehensive.
WB6FZH SB-101 History...
I remember building my first Heathkit SB-101 in 1967, I remember that it "almost" worked the first time...I small wiring error in the RX Audio. It was fixed, and the radio roared to life. It aligned just like the manual specified, and soon my favorite dummy load of the 60s...a 100 watt light bulb was glowing on voice peaks and CW keystrokes. It was so exciting to hear signals on several bands from a radio I had built myself!. Previously, I had only built single band receivers and multi-band transmitters.I was living in San Rafael, California, with my parents and younger brother in 1967. I was going to the College of Marin and working at Marin Radio Supply Company, in San Rafael. I had a tower and a 2 element Quad next to our house on a hill facing East. The Ham Bands were still going strong and if I could hear it I could work it!
I collected the SB-301 Receiver and SB-401 Transmitter too. I was able to monitor and transmit on a variety of frequencies. I still had my DX-40 to check into the Marin Amateur Radio Club Sunday Red Cross Net on AM with. Later, it became SSB or AM later.
Later, as I moved to different quarters, the space relagated to Amateur Radio was smaller and my interests changed. I sold the SB-101 and decided to buy the Drake 2B that I had heard so much about. Then the Collins S Line receiver...what a disappointment... I got the 2B back... That bandpass filter and 2AQ Q-multiplier selectivity..Wow! Many radios would find there way to WB6FZH..but Nostalgia commanded in the 80s that I find an SB-101.
It took purchasing 2 SB-101s, and swapping alot of parts to get a good SB-101 together. It has been intermittently in use at the Weaverville, CA WB6FZH station. It took many years to find an SB-640 Remote VFO, but I did eventually. I modified the SB-101 and was able to use it to work some stations on split.
The SB-101 was last used in 1998, with a Hustler 5 band vertical. A few contacts were made around the US. The it was boxed up and I returned to the Yaesu FT-101 e/f... similar in appearance to the Green SB-101.
Last Updated: September 14, 1998
