KAAR TC-128

US Coast Guard Transmitter

Does anyone know anything about this little transmitter?

The KAAR brand vibrator is dated April 1943.

It came from the estate of Harry Gates, W4FIX (SK) in Goldsboro, NC

This page was last updated: November 4, 2008

John M. Kaar started this company in the late ‘30s.

Their main line seems to have been mobile radios and base stations, but they did more diversified stuff as well.

The company seems to have disappeared around 1959, but the owner kept on as Western Coil Products Corp., also in Palo Alto.

This tells me that the model # of this transmitter is TC-128

Receiver

Antenna

Mic.

Breakin (?)

Hytron HY-69

Hytron HY-65

OZ4

Amp (?)

Info on the Hytron tubes used in this transmitter

The HY69 is a pretty burly instant-heating type:  filament 6.3 V @ 1.5 A,

plate dissipation (continuous) 40 watts (that puts it in the 300B class but it's a beam power tube), 600 V max.

Hytron (founded by Hyman somebody) promoted it for general use.

They don't give a frequency limit but with the ceramic insulation and all it probably did OK up to 50 MHz.

Giving a continuous dissipation rating is a little odd for a quick-heater intended for mobile use.

The HY65 is much smaller:  quick-heating, 6.3 V @ 850 mA, 15 watts, 450 V.

Many thanks to Ludwell Sibley for helping with the tube data and the info on the

KAAR company.

Unknown)

These connector labels are ink stamped on the chassis of the unit.

Thanks to an ebay listing I now know what the missing cover looks like and what is supposed to be where the SO-239 coax connectors are.

I'd like to have it for the parts, but with the "Buy it now" price and shipping is over $90, it's just not worth that for "parts".