Ameco AC-1 Novice CW Transmitter
The AC-1 was a crystal controlled transmitter kit for Novices sold by Ameco in the 50's and 60's. These seem to be very collectible now days but I didn't want it because it's collectible, but because it was the transmitter I dreamed of having as a kid and never got.
Back around 1970, when I was about 14, I wanted to become a ham and got my hands on a 1968 copy of "How to Become a Radio Amateur" from the ARRL. In the back was this full page Ameco ad of their ham equipment including the AC-1. It sold for $21.95 and my mom gave me the money to order it. I was really disappointed about a month later when a letter came back from Ameco, with my mom's check enclosed, saying that the AC-1 was no longer available. It's taken me over 45 years to get my AC-1 but it has finally arrived in the mail... |
The Rebuilt AC-1 with original instructions and coils for 80 and 40 meters. I added a fused plug to the AC cord to protect the power transformer. The fused plug is very similar to an old Elmenco plug but is actually a new DARE No.1624 plug sold for use with electric fence controllers.
An Update To The AC-1
I found a better power transformer for my AC-1 at a local hamfest so I did a quick swap. The old transformer worked OK but had a bit higher B+ and physical looked different under the chassis from the original transformer. This new find is a much closer match to the original and only cost me two dollars.