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Author Topic: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK  (Read 4791 times)

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Offline MrSlackTopic starter

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Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« on: March 15, 2016, 01:39:10 pm »
£16.49 inc delivery for the following (Clansman TUAAM ATU):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321860429348

Nice bit of kit by the looks. It's an ATU for HF bands that operates automatically.

Made by Racal, it has three motor driven air variables in it with suitable measurement and servo circuits.

Someone did a tear down here: http://sigmatechnica.com/clansman-tuaam-antenna-matching-unit-teardown/

I'll do another tear down and work out the capacitance when mine arrives. If they're good I'm going to buy a few!
« Last Edit: March 15, 2016, 01:45:33 pm by MrSlack »
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Offline m100

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2016, 02:14:13 pm »
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Offline MrSlackTopic starter

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2016, 02:22:06 pm »
Exactly!  ;D

If they're not the right values you can pad them out easy enough as well.
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Offline Gyro

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2016, 12:22:24 pm »
Wow, that takes me back!  :phew:
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Best Regards, Chris
 

Offline SeanB

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2016, 07:14:29 pm »
10 quid for the unit and 40 postage to me..........
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Offline MrSlackTopic starter

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #5 on: March 16, 2016, 07:21:00 pm »
Ouch. 6.50 for postage for me.
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Offline SeanB

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #6 on: March 16, 2016, 07:27:18 pm »
Scary thing is I ordered a Ham radio from China, and it came as courier delivery, for no extra charge. Our regular courier guy arrived in the morning, and gave it to me, and I thought it was for the company and not my parcel, which was at that time still marked as in customs. No charge, and very fast as well.
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Offline MrSlackTopic starter

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2016, 03:14:59 pm »
It arrived!

Teardown in progress...
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Offline wkb

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2016, 03:16:58 pm »
Quote from: MrSlack on March 17, 2016, 03:14:59 pm
It arrived!

Teardown in progress...

Where are the photographs!   :popcorn:
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Offline MrSlackTopic starter

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2016, 03:44:13 pm »
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Offline voltz

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2016, 01:39:49 am »
Nice find!

Here's some info on the unit:
http://www.vmarsmanuals.co.uk/newsletter_articles/prc351pt2.pdf

Looks like its designed for VHF. 30 to 76Mhz. Max power is 20 watts during tune, 50 watts once tuned. 22 to 32v operation.

Those caps look too small for HF use.

This could make a fantastic auto tuner for 6 and 4 metre bands.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2016, 01:43:20 am by voltz »
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Offline MrSlackTopic starter

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Re: Found a cheap source of quality air variable capacitors in the UK
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2016, 06:48:55 am »
Excellent - thanks for the info. I'm extracting and measuring the capacitors today. Will drop a list of salvageable parts out.

The plan is to nick at least one of the capacitors to pull a 7030khz xtal a bit for QRP use in my perpetually unfinished VXO that was a terribly drifty VFO about a month ago.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2016, 06:52:47 am by MrSlack »
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